No one had ever told Hecate that they would fight for her.
Gods and men over the centuries had always asked Hecate to fight for them. Women all over Greece asked her to fight their battles for them. Even Nyx and Erebus had asked, in their own way, for her to join the titan wars.
Aeëtes was like no one that she had ever met. When she opened her mouth to speak, no sound came out. The deep cuts of her past dug themselves in deeper, as if they were excavating themselves to get to the center of her soul, to bury themselves permanently. Her insecurities were wrapped up around her as if they held her tongue, and she found herself unable to say a word.
Aeëtes could see the shock on her face as her mouth opened and closed, and there was a sick realization that settled into his stomach. It wasn’t that Hecate didn’t want to respond; she didn’t knowhowto respond. A horrible picture was painted for Aeëtes in that moment as he gleaned that no one had ever told Hecate that they wouldn’t give up on her before. He took a step closer to her, and then another, his steps feeling shaky even though he was solid on his sea legs. When she didn’t move, he took one more. He kept this up, always giving her the option to speak or move, until he was standing in front of her.
He got down on his knees, bringing them eye-to-eye. He held his hands out for her, refusing to touch her after their coupling until she initiated it. After a few perilous seconds, Hecate slid her hands into his. Her heart sang at the feel of him, and she had to fight to keep her pulse steady, knowing that Aeëtes might feel it in her wrists. His thumb ran soothing circles over the backs of her palms, and he looked at her with the gentlest eyes that Hecate had ever seen.
“I’ll fight for you, Hecate.” His voice was low, intended only for her, and her eyes fluttered shut when she heard it. She was rocked by a wave of emotion that was so powerful, she thought that it would overturn the ship itself. Another tear dropped down her cheek, and she opened her eyes, barely shaking her head as she looked at him.
“There’s no one to fight.” She gave him a small shrug, not fully understanding his meaning, thinking that he had no foes for her affections. But Aeëtes shook his head once, gripping her hands a little tighter.
“I’ll fight your demons, little witch.” His whole face was open to her, shining in such a way, she’d never question his parentage. Hecate let out a choked sob and looked down, suddenly feeling as though she was drowning. Aeëtes continued. “I’ll fight you foryouif I have to.”
Hecate let out a small giggle at that—the rarest of sounds—and Aeëtes grinned. One of his hands let go of hers, and he placed a finger underneath her chin, lifting her gaze to his.
“That doesn’t make any sense.” She let out a quiet sound of discontent.
“Yes, it does.” Aeëtes was still smiling, his cheerful resolve pulling them together. “You’ve made up a million enemies in your mind to keep us apart. But that’s just it. They’re all in your mind. I’ll fight your demons for your heart, Hecate, and don’t you think for one second that you’ve put me off course.”
She let the tears fall freely now, her display of emotion telling him all that he needed to know. Hecate nodded her head once, a movement so subtle that anyone else would have missed it.
Aeëtes didn’t.
His expression turned joyful, nearly giddy, as she relented. Hecate said nothing else, but she did not admonish him. Her quiet movements echoing to him that they both knew she was keeping them apart. If there was one enemy that Aeëtes was prepared to take on, it was the idea that they shouldn’t be together. He would fight that battle a thousand times over, no matter the outcome. Hecate slipped her hands from his and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling them closer as she tucked her head into the crevice between his neck and shoulder. Aeëtes returned the embrace immediately, letting her cry out a few more gentle tears on his shoulder.
They both knew that in a few hours, this conversation never happened. Hecate would deny him. Aeëtes wouldn’t care.
“You’re terribly obstinate,” Hecate said as she pulled away from him, her voice sounding clear and full of authority. A switch had been flipped, but Aeëtes only laughed, all of his movements full of gaiety as he stood up and clapped his hands together.
“You seem to forget that I’m an immortal, too, Hecate.” He gave her a sly wink as he walked past her. “I’ve got just as many years ahead of me to play this game as you do,” he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “and I’ve been bored for a very, very long time.”
24
Aeëtes’s words made Hecate shudder as he walked away, leaving her sitting at the stern. She could hear him disappear down the steps towards the deck, calling out for Pelias and some of the other men. Her mind reeled with what had just happened. She had expected any outcome other than Aeëtes doubling down that he wanted them to be together. Especially after how she had left him, not even an hour prior.
Even her thoughts couldn’t keep her down for too long as they were often prone to do, like some of Aeëtes’s sunshine had infected her bones.
He isn’t going anywhere.Hecate was in almost a pleasant state of shock.Aeëtes said that he would fight for this, for us and…oh, gods below. Am I crazy? Only the Fates know the answer to that question.
Hecate stood up from the bench, tightening the belt around her waist as she made her way towards the stairs. The sun was setting now, Helios coloring the sky in hues of pink and orange, colors so vibrant that Hecate almost forgot that he was part of their problem. It would be time for dinner shorty, and she really, really needed another glass of wine.
Maybe I can snag Pelias for another conversation. I need to work out some of my thoughts.Hecate nearly laughed out loud at the thought, her hand going to physically cover her mouth as she made her way down the stairs.Yikes, poor Pelias. He has enough to worry about. Maybe I can summon Nyx for a chat. Ah. No. It’s best that the rest of the gods stay as far out of this as possible.
The last thing that Hecate wanted was to be answering questions about where she was and what they were doing; even about who Aeëtes was. She knew that once Nyx understood what was going on, it would be war. It would be well-intended, of course, but Hecate thought that for now, these things were best settled with a little witchcraft. She was musing over her thoughts when she was nearly thrown off balance by a massive crash. The entire boat seemed to sway dangerously to one side, nearly tipping over, causing Hecate to slip down the remaining stairs.
The crew was sliding down the upturned deck, nearly falling off it, before the ship righted itself with enough momentum to give Hecate whiplash. She grabbed her head and stood up, already shaky on sea legs, holding tight to the banister. Everyone was looking around wildly, sailors running across the span of the ship, tying down barrels and dropping the sails. There wasn’t a person aboard who wasn’t screaming some sort of command or response, and the cacophony began to suffocate Hecate’s senses. Her power surged to life in response, the heads of the virgin and the crone appearing on her shoulders, her feet alighting with red power.
“Hecate!” She heard Aeëtes’s voice call to her, and she sought it out, finding him standing near the mast with Pelias. Hecate grabbed a hold of her himation and ran to him, dodging other sailors and puddles of sea water on deck. As soon as she reached him, he grabbed ahold of her shoulders, giving her a once over. She placed a hand over his in response.
“Are you alright?” His eyes ran over her body as if he was doing a mental tally, and she nodded.
“Yes, yes, just shaken. You?” Aeëtes nodded. “And you?” She turned to Pelias, who looked pale, but affirmed his wellbeing.
“What was that?” Hecate looked around, trying to glance at the surface of the water and see if she could determine the cause of the crash.
“Whatever it was, it’s probably coming back around.” Pelias’s tone was grim, one that Hecate had never heard him take before. She felt her stomach twist, another wave of power rushing over her arms and pooling at her feet. She could feel her immortal form pushing at the barriers of her skin, dying to come out.
