House of Thebes: The Beginning

My eyes widened. “You’ve been here for seven years already? How is it that I haven’t seen you about?”

“Your father hasn’t exactly wanted me to fraternize with his family,” Cadmus answered with a grin. “He’s letting me venture into your gardens now to exercise my leg. But before that, I was contained to the servant’s quarters.”

“But you are a mortal prince,” I answered uncertainly. “How is life as a servant treating you?”

“It’s not bad here,” he answered, unconcerned. “I was a soldier in my father’s armies, Harmonia. I’ve marched in the rain and slept in the mud. At least my bed here is warm and dry. And besides, the scenery is quite exquisite.” He reached over and grasped my hand, sending the strange electricity jolting up my arm.

“Thank you,” I whispered. He winced suddenly and I knew his leg pained him. Guilt consumed me and I found that Zeus’ rules suddenly weren’t important.

Jumping to my feet, I leaned over him, pressing my hands against his wound.

“What are you doing?” he asked curiously? I pressed harder and he winced. “What are you doing?” he asked again.

“Just be still for a moment,” I told him. I focused on his wound and on feeling the infection in the air above it. I closed my eyes and concentrated.

White hot energy began to pool in my palms and I concentrated on that, allowing it to build up and build up until the mass of energy cause my fingers to straighten out abruptly as the infection in Cadmus’ leg moved from his body into my fingers. My hands buzzed with the exertion and I squeezed my eyes closed.

I felt the negative energy that had built up in Cadmus’ wound exit his body and enter my own. Once in mine, it disintegrated because it couldn’t last long in an immortal. It took several minutes, but finally, it was gone and I collapsed in a heap on top of Cadmus. My energy was drained from the process and I found it difficult to even move.

“Are you alright?” Cadmus asked, pulling me up by my arms to look at me. “What did you do? Are you okay?”

I looked into his face and found genuine concern there. I nodded.

“I’m fine. I just…I think I healed your leg. That’s what I tried to do anyway. Try and walk on it.”

He looked at me uncertainly, but then stared at his leg in wonder. “There’s no pain,” he marveled. “For the first time in weeks, there is no pain.”

He gingerly stood up and then bounced up and down on his ankles. “Harmonia, I don’t know what you did… but thank you. Thank you! How will I ever repay you?”

My energy was completely depleted, but I found the strength to stand up and stare incredulously at him. “Repay me? I injured you in the first place. It’s the least I could do.”

My shaking legs betrayed me and I collapsed back onto the bench. I trembled as I sat and Cadmus instantly sank down to sit next to me again.

“What can I do?” he asked worriedly. “Should I get your mother?”

I shook my head quickly. “Heavens, no. Trouble will find me soon enough. I don’t need to hunt it down.”

“Will they punish you?” Cadmus asked me seriously. He stared into my eyes and I found that he made it difficult to think.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. I reached up with shaking hands to push my hair out of my eyes. That had been the first time I had ever healed someone. It was exhilarating at the same time as being exhausting. Cadmus stared at my shaking hand.

“What can I do?” he asked firmly. “There must be something.”

I looked around and found the nearest Lotus tree. “Could you hand me a Lotus blossom?”

Cadmus immediately lunged to his feet and picked the biggest blue lotus blossom that he could reach and handed it to me. I promptly took a bite. Lotus blossoms were manna to the gods. Along with nectar, they kept us young and strong. They grew in abundance here in Olympus.

Cadmus watched me eat with interest, keeping his dark eyes trained on my face.

“Your color is returning,” he finally announced. “Are you feeling better?”

I nodded. “Yes. I think so. Thank you.”

“Thank you,” he replied. “You probably saved my leg.”

He stared into my face for a while longer and finally spoke again. “You have the most unique color of eyes I’ve ever seen…such a bright green.”

I nodded. “So I hear.”

“You are very, very beautiful,” he added softly. “I’m sure you hear that a lot, as well.”

I shook my head. “No. I don’t have many suitors. Most are afraid of my father.”

Cadmus grinned cockily. “I’m not.”

“No?” I asked, somewhat shocked.

He shook his head. “No,” he confirmed.

One more beat passed and he continued.

“Can I ask you a question?” he asked, then continued before I’d answered. “Would you be offended if I kissed you?”

My breath froze on my lips and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and beating in my fingertips.

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

“No,” I finally managed to eke out.

“No, it won’t offend you?” Cadmus asked.

“No, it won’t offend me,” I answered.

Bending his head, Cadmus lowered his lips to mine and my entire world exploded in this one moment. He tasted like honey and man and his chest was rock-hard beneath my fingers. I knew, right here and now, that I would never want to kiss another man again. He finally pulled away and I felt dizzy as I caught my breath.

“Cadmus?” I asked.

“Yes?” he looked at me quizzically.

“Do it again.”

Chapter Three

I spent every waking thought day-dreaming of Cadmus. When I slept, my dreams were about him too. I was consumed with wanting to be with him- every minute, every hour, every day.

I hadn’t been punished for healing his leg. Zeus had been in a pleasant mood that day and so when he found out, he simply laughed at my spirit.

“My granddaughter takes after me,” he had announced and then toasted my parents. You never knew with him. He ran hot and cold as so many of the Olympians did.

So far, Cadmus and I had kept our romance a secret, although it was difficult since my mother (and any other god) could read my mind. I had to carefully conceal my thoughts and to date, I’d been successful. But successfully keeping the secret didn’t change the sad fact that Cadmus and I weren’t supposed to be together.