Jupiter’s voice filled the silence. “I will leave you to decide.”
I wanted to lift my face, to thank him, but bewilderment had struck me dumb. Cupid had to gently pry me back from his chest to tilt my face up to his. He must have seen the terror in my eyes because his own filled with disappointment.
“You do not want to be with me forever?”
“Of course, I do!” I whispered. “I just…it is so…permanent.”
His shoulders drooped, but he managed a reassuring smile. “You are right. It is permanent. Perhaps I should give you a moment.”
I held tightly to his waist when he tried to pull away. “Don’t leave me. I need to process this, but I want you right here.” I went into his arms and he wrapped them securely around me as my mind raced through the information.
Immortality. Why was I hesitant? I loved Cupid with all of my heart, but in that moment of absolute clarity, I was able to see my fear for the ugly thing it was. I feared Cupid would stop loving me, and I would be stuck living forever without him, long after my family was gone. The ultimate loneliness.
If I chose not to accept this gift, I would age and eventually make my way to the Underworld again. Without Cupid. He would live, unable to get to my soul, wherever it ended up. Would he find another to love? Would I spend eternity in the afterlife longing for the only soul who truly accepted and understood me? And who would take on the role of mother for my child?
My eyes squeezed shut. Cupid was not human. He’d had many lovers in his lifetime, but had never loved until me. He was not an indecisive man of Earth, who allowed his sentiments to change on a whim. What did my instincts tell me? That he loved me. That his love for me would endure. So, would I allow my fears to steal the future from both of us?
No. I would never again let my fears lead me into regret.
I choose love.
I pulled back from my husband, letting our fingers slip away. The look of worry on his face nearly broke me. My lips rose into a nervous smile and I turned to the table, taking the darker goblet in my shaking hand.
“Is this one mine?”
Again, that smile of radiance filled his face, making my heart jump. He leaned down and took my lips with his, a firm profession without words.
“Are you certain?” he whispered against my mouth, our foreheads touching.
“I am,” I whispered back.
“I will spend eternity making sure you never regret it.” He took up his goblet, and we touched the rims together. “Forever, my love.”
“Forever,” I said.
And together, we drank.
Psyche
I thought I knew what love meant, but the moment I laid eyes on the tiny person whom my body had wrought, a new type of love coursed through me, stronger than any instinct before it. She was mine to care for. Mine to teach. Mine to protect.
I peered up at Cupid, who stared down at our daughter with awestruck adoration, and I knew he felt the same. I had to amend my thoughts.
Ours to care for, teach, and protect. Ours to love.
“We shall call her Voluptus,” Cupid whispered, meaning Hedone: Pleasure.
“Beautiful,” I agreed. Together we lay there, admiring every detail of her being, from her tiny toes with miniscule nails to her silken ringlets of glistening tawny. Each mewl she made, every stretch, had us laughing and fawning. Even Mino kept trying to edge his way between us to lick whatever portion of the babe he could reach.
Sphinx could not have been less interested.
Renae bustled back into the room with a fresh basin of steaming water and clean cloths. She’d been my midwife, coaching me through the entire delivery. The woman could do it all. Cupid had wanted to place his hands on my body and remove every vestige of pain, but I would not allow it. Well, I allowed him to relieve my back when I thought it would crack in half. But I had wanted to feel as much as possible, to have the experience so many women had endured before me.
“Your soul right now,” Cupid said, his eyes roaming me warmly. He shook his head as if there were no words, and my cheeks heated. I reached for his hand.
“I love you, Husband. I love our little family. I could want nothing more.”
His fingers entwined with mine. “Your words echo my own heart.”
We stared for a long moment before I knew I had to breach a delicate subject. “I would like my family to meet her. Mother, Papa, and Miracle. Will you bring them?”
His jaw was set, but he nodded, and my heart softened further. Since becoming immortal, visiting Earth was frowned upon, and in truth I had no urge to go there. But I did miss my family, and if they were willing to visit, we would bring them. Dawn wanted nothing to do with me. Miracle had said she was horrified to hear I’d given up my mortality. Her exact words had been, “Am I expected to bow down and worship her now?”
Nothing I did would be found pleasing to Dawn, and though it hurt deeply, I had to let her go. As for the rest of my family, their lives would be snuffed faster than I could blink. I would cherish every moment spent with them. Knowing their mortality was so fleeting caused me to hold my daughter tighter.
From outside the windows came a whooshing sound. Both Cupid and Renae rushed to the windows, their faces darkening.
“It is my mother,” Cupid said. “I will send her away, Psyche. I will not have you upset.”
“No,” I said, sitting up to bundle the baby in a tight swaddle. “She should meet her granddaughter. Renae, send her in.”
The servant gave a nod and left us. Cupid paced at the end of the bed.
“Worry not,” I told him, but he glared at the door anyhow.
Inside, I was nervous too. I’d only seen Venus once since Jupiter had gifted me with immortality. She had been silent on the matter. I had no idea how she felt and if she still harbored the abhorrence toward me that led to my near death. But I trusted her not to try anything now, and not to hurt the baby.
Venus swept into the room, her regal posture still affecting me as it always did. I wondered if the effect of the goddess would ever lessen.
Her eyes bypassed Cupid and me, going straight to the baby, and I watched as a transformation took place in her being.
She softened. Her eyes. Her stance.
“A girl?” she said. “And what shall you name her?”
“Voluptus.” Cupid moved forward to stand at the edge of the bed.
A true smile formed on her radiant face, making me catch my breath. Her eyes never left the babe.
“Venus,” I said. “Please, come meet your granddaughter. She will want to know you.”
I never thought it was possible to see the goddess out of control of her emotions, but as I held the small bundle out, she came forward with haste, working her lips and swallowing back whatever sensations overcame her. She stopped short, looking at me as if I might pull the child back at the last moment.
My arms remained outstretched, although I was not able to spare a smile for the goddess. I would not keep her from her grandchild, but she would have to earn her way into my good graces.
Venus took Voluptus into her arms and immediately began rocking from side to side in a gentle sway. “Her eyes are like gems, lips like petals.” She lifted the child to her face and breathed deeply of her hair, closing her eyes. “The scent of innocence. Oh, Cupid! There is nothing sweeter.”
Even with his arms crossed and his stiff demeanor, he managed a small smile at his mother’s behavior. “This is true,” he said.
Without looking away from the child, Venus whispered, “Thank you. I can only hope you will come to see how being a parent can cause fierce protectiveness. Some might say irrationalities. You will want the best for her, and at some point in time, she will want what you do not think is best.”
My eyes burned, realizing this was as close as we would probably ever come to an apology from Venus.
“When that day comes,” I said. “We will do our best to remain…rational.”
“I promise nothing.” Cupi
d’s declaration caused Venus and I to stare at his serious face, and then his mother let out a burst of laughter that tickled my ears, making Cupid’s chest shake with a deep chuckle of his own. I gave him a mock glare and shook my head, smiling despite myself.
When Voluptus let out a small cry, Venus shushed and rocked her. I felt my breasts tighten and tingle in a strange, nonsexual way.
“I think she is hungry,” I said.
Without question, Venus came forward and placed the bundle of preciousness back into my arms. She and Cupid watched with rapt attention as I nestled our daughter to my chest, her skin against mine, and she latched on to feed. I let out a small gasp at the sensation of my body nourishing hers, and I looked up at Cupid with a smile of wonder. His own eyes were filled with all the things he felt, overwhelming me in his intensity. All for me. For our daughter. Even for his mother. Our family.
All for us.
The end.
Did you find my Golden Egg for the FANTASTICAL GOLDEN EGG HUNT? Go here to enter. Ten fantasy novels and eleven giveaways! Grand prize includes room and airfare to Penned Con 2019 in St. Louis, MO. Egg hunt giveaway closes May 15, 2019.
In the spring of 2018 on a thread in my Facebook group (Wendy Higgins Book Chat) Heather Young-Nichols mentioned her infatuation with the story of Cupid and Psyche and said I should write it. Not familiar with their tale, I ran to Google and immediately fell in love. Thank you for believing in me, Heather. I have all the heart-eyes and heart-hands for you, babe. Also, I just want to say HI AND I LOVE YOU to all my Sweeties in that group!
Massive gratitude to my beta readers for their priceless feedback and encouragement: Heather Young-Nichols, Katie McGarry, Amalie Howard, Jamie Shaw, Jen Fisher, Kelley Vitollo (Nyrae Dawn), Virginia Pepe, Jennifer Kline, Jill Wilson, Hilary Mahalchick, Laura Thalassa, Holly Klatt, and Malissa Coy.
Thank you to the incredible, magician artist, Jennifer Munswami for my cover. I still get that faraway, dreamy feeling when I stare at it.
To my agent, Hannah Ekren, I am thrilled for our new partnership and excited to see where this road of imagination and literary adventure will take us.
Thanks to Stacey Blake of Champagne Book Design for her detailed formatting. And Laura Wehr for her keen editorial eye.
As always, much love to my friends and family, especially my mama (Nancy Parry), and my kids Autumn, and Cayden, for continuing to be excited for me in all things and dealing with my writerly eccentricities. I love spending this life with you.
Isaiah 43:2.
Wendy Higgins is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series from HarperTeen. After earning a bachelor’s in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, Wendy taught high school English until becoming a full-time writer. She now lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her family and wee doggies. Wendy is a big fan of cake, coffee, and Netflix. Visit her at wendyhiggins.co.
YOUNG ADULT TITLES
Sweet Series from HarperTeen:
(upper YA Paranormal Romance)
Sweet Evil
Sweet Peril
Sweet Reckoning
Sweet Temptation
Eurona Duology from HarperTeen:
(upper YA Fantasy)
The Great Hunt
The Great Pursuit
Indie Published Standalone:
(upper YA Irish Urban Fantasy)
See Me
Standalone from HarperTeen
(YA Contemporary Romance)
Kiss Collector
ADULT TITLES
Indie Published Trilogy:
(Adult Urban Fantasy/Science Fiction Romance)
Unknown
Unrest
Undone
Soul in Darkness Page 30