She opens her mouth, but seems to reconsider whatever she was about to say. “Yes.” She shudders a little. “Yes, it was bad.”
“I’m sorry.” And I am. Even if she’s come from an incredibly privileged life, that doesn’t mean it was free of harm. Unfortunately, monsters exist in all forms, in all walks of life.
“There’s no going back in time and changing things. Even if time travel were possible, there’s no one powerful enough to challenge him. Or there wasn’t then.” She kisses my temple and nudges me to sit up. “It’s not like that in Olympus anymore, though the gods only know if that will be to our benefit or detriment.”
I understand. No matter how much I hate Minos, I can’t deny that he’s effective in pursuing his goals. Only someone like him—someone like Eris’s father—could come into an enemy city with a small household of people and take the first steps of bringing the entire population to their knees. I tuck my hair behind my ears. “I meant what I said this morning. I don’t know if you can convince Theseus to join your side, and without him, I don’t see how you have even a sliver of chance of succeeding against Minos.”
“Even with him, it’s still a long shot.” She shrugs a shoulder. “But the alternative is submitting to defeat, which is no alternative at all.” Eris’s lips quirk. “I fight, Pandora. It’s the only thing I know how to do. It might not be in an arena with a weapon in my hand, but it’s no less important.”
Worry worms its way through my stomach. I’m not a fighter. I run from danger, preferring to let flight be my response to fear. The only people I fight with are those I trust. Realization rolls through me in a slow wave. Guess we shot right past the falling stage and into fallen.
I swallow hard. “I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but I’ll try.”
Her smile is terrifyingly fragile. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” I rise unsteadily to my feet and grab my dress. “We might as well get some food ordered. Gods know, if Adonis is anything like Theseus, he’ll be starving by the time dinner rolls around.”
“Pandora.” Eris waits for me to look at her to continue, more tentative than I’ve ever heard her, as if feeling her way through each word. “I don’t know what the future brings or what it will look like for the…four…of us, but I’m glad you’re here.”
I’m glad I’m here, too. I don’t know where we end up or what it looks like, either, but I’m caught in the tide of Eris and Theseus and even Adonis. Maybe it’s naive to think that the only way through this is together, but I can’t shake the belief. I shimmy into my dress as Eris pulls on her clothes.
She hesitates and glances at my dress. “Would you like something more comfortable? I expect this won’t be a short night.” When I start to frown, she blushes. “I might have ordered in some clothes for you. Um, you know, just in case you wanted to sleep over at some point. I wanted you to be comfortable, and while I deeply appreciate the sexy dresses you wear, I know all too well that they’re not for lounging around the house.”
“You bought me clothes,” I say slowly. My stomach dips. It’s a sweet gesture, but Eris and I aren’t remotely the same size and if she misjudged, that’s going to feel…really bad.
Some of her embarrassment seems to flick away. “If you’ve got that look on your face because I overstepped, then that’s one thing, but if you’re underestimating me and thinking that I was ham-handed in this gift, then have a little faith.”
My throat feels tight. “I’m sure it’s a nice gesture, but—”
“Have a little faith,” she repeats. Eris slips her hand into mine before I can decide if I want to argue. She tows me down the hall, and I’m both surprised and strangely pleased when she turns to the door before her bedroom. She catches my look and gives a sheepish smile. “I do listen when you talk, you know. I want you in my life, but I’m not going to tie you down or shove you into a role that doesn’t feel good. I get the feeling you don’t want to play wife to me, and that’s okay. I’m happy to give you your space.” She pauses. “But I would like at least some of that space to be in proximity to me, no matter how you choose to utilize it.”
I don’t know what to say. I haven’t tried to date much up to this point. People either get the wrong idea about what I want in a relationship, or they have a significant problem with Theseus’s role in my life, which really just categorizes them under the first umbrella. There was a lovely person before we left Aeaea who seemed like they might be a good fit, at least in part, but then we left before I could fully realize that.