After waiting about half an hour, I sprawled out across the hotel's front steps. Gazing listlessly up into the night sky, where millions of stars glittered, I felt weary; and it occurred to me that I really was beat from running around all day. I had no idea when Thanatos would come back, though I had previously expected it wouldn't take very long. I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to rest my eyes for a moment, and my eyelids drooped. Conveniently, just as I'd managed to fall asleep, was when I was violently roused.

A flying object propelled itself into a nearby tree, spraying leaves and twigs all over me and thunderously cracking several large branches. I sprang awake, yelling something entirely incoherent and shrieking as said object was catapulted to the ground at my feet. I scrambled away, hysterical. I had no idea if I was still dreaming or a plane had crashed over my head. It took a couple of minutes of hyperventilating to finally realize the object had been a much disheveled Thanatos.

"Oh, my God!"

"Yes?" he asked groggily.

"You look awful!"

I wasn't exaggerating. He would have looked handsome in his garb otherwise, but he was filthy, caked with dirt, and reeking of wine. He staggered onto his feet, making an attempt to step toward me, but stumbled back onto his hands and knees. He wore some black toga-type thing, with golden embroidery. He also donned golden arm cuffs, matching golden lace-up sandals, and a golden laurel placed upon his brow. His ruffled wings folded and disappeared.

"Ama…Rante?" he asked, squinting, as though he was having quite a lot of trouble focusing on my face.

"What the hell happened to you?!" I cried.

"ReturnedHermes'sandals…Payback…Drinkingcontest," he replied.

His words slurred together. I could hardly understand.

"You're completely wasted," I informed him.

"No, Iamdrunkwithwine," he said, and hiccupped.

"How is that even possible?" I asked, taken aback.

"Iwill…soberupmomentarily."

He winced.

"Iamsorry…Ididnotwant…Todrink."



Despite very abnormal speech, Thanatos' mind to seemed to be functioning, though slower. His movements weren't much better, either. It was my fault, of course, because he had borrowed the sandals for me. I sighed.

"All right. Let's get you cleaned up."

This time, the woman at the front desk did not even look up from her work, and I was very glad she didn't. Last thing we needed was being reprimanded for drinking, even though I was fine and Thanatos hadn't particularly wanted to. His clothing wasn't really normal, either. Maybe she would have assumed his archaic banquet attire to be a costume for some wild party. Nevertheless, I got him back up to my room. If I had to practically carry him to my room every night for some reason or another, I wasn't looking forward to the next day.

Again I found myself scrubbing him with a damp cloth. No blood this time, but still he looked terrible. It didn't suit him. He was supposed to be creepy terrible, not filthy terrible. After a while, I finally gave up, because I didn't want to take off his clothes since he was probably not wearing anything else beneath them. I could make him bathe in the morning, anyway.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him.

"My head is throbbing," he murmured.

His speech had improved, but the effects of the alcohol hadn't quite worn off yet. He massaged his temples with his fingers, inhaling sharply.

"Lie down," I said, and shoved him back down onto the bed, gathering the pillows.

Did I really have to play nurse so much, too? Honestly.

"I am sorry," he repeated to me.

His eyebrows creased.

"Don't worry about it," I sighed, and without really knowing what I was doing or being able to stop myself, stroked my fingers through his silver locks.

A pinkish tinge flushed his pale cheeks. He was too tired to do anything else. My face burned. I pulled my hand back and stood up, disappearing into the bathroom and locking the door behind me.

"Oh, god, what am I doing?" I asked myself. "I have to leave in a week, and so does he. No matter what I want, this is probably still just a little fling for both of us."

I really didn't want him to leave me, but could I afford to go with him anyway? Could I really leave my mom and sister if he asked me to? I stripped off my clothes and jumped into the shower. As I rinsed myself off and shampooed my hair, I thought about the pros and cons of such an action. On the 

one hand, I loved him and could be happy. On the other, I would miss my family and the human world, too. I could be lonely.

I shut off the water. It didn't matter anyway. In mythology, gods had flings with human girls all the time, and only once did I recall a girl ever being married and made into a goddess by one. And even then, it was by Eros, the god of love. That was to be expected; that it would work out between Love and a human girl. I wasn't lucky enough. It wouldn't be me. I could never have that happy ending. I shouldn't let myself get too strung up by the Thanatos, because in the end, I would be hurt. But could I manage not to be attached?

Silent tears spilled down my cheeks while I dressed. I could pass my red eyes off from the shower.

Thanatos had made a full recovery by the time I came out. He was up, standing at the window. The clock informed me it was only 7:30 pm. I, however, wanted to sleep very badly. I climbed under the covers on the side of the bed he had not dirtied, and pulled the blankets over my head with a groan.

"You are not sleeping yet, are you?"

Thanatos was wide awake; alert.

"I am really tired, Than," I mumbled through the sheets.

"There are some things I want to tell you," he said.

So much for sleeping.

"What is it?"

I sat up, rubbing my eyes.

"Come here."

I, very reluctantly, lifted myself out of bed, wandering barefoot and sleepily over to Thanatos at the windowsill. He'd thrown the window open, and was sitting upon it. The night air filtered in along with beams of moonlight.

"I want to tell you about my family," he said.

"Shoot."

He eyed me strangely.

"What?"

"Tell me," I said.



"Do you see my mother out there?" he asked, nodding his head towards the sky.

"Your mother?"

I looked up at the sky, confused.

"My mother is Nyx," he told me. "Night."

He said nothing after this, so I assumed it was my turn to comment.

"I always liked nighttime better than daytime," I said.

"I have a twin brother, too," he continued. "He is Hypnos, Sleep. He is what is weighing on your eyes at this moment. He and I were born from Nyx and my father Erebos, Darkness."

"And you all live in the Underworld?"

"Yes. I serve the Master Hades and the Mistress Persephone."

"So, is it just you and Hypnos in your family, then?"

"No, I have many brothers and sisters. The goddess of Chaos, Eris, the Keres, the Oneiroi…"

"Big family, then?"

"It is a very large family. All gods are related."

I stared up at the twinkling stars.

"I have only my mom and my sister," I murmured.

"The other gods do not like me," Thanatos said. "Death is abhorrent to even the deathless gods."

"You don't have any friends that are gods?"

He thought for a moment.

"I do not like them either. But Hypnos was my womb mate. I would say he is my best friend. I miss him."

"I miss my sister, too," I assured him. "Anemone and I are really close, too. We're not twins, but she's my best friend."

Thanatos nodded solemnly.

"I have never done this before," he said suddenly, his eyes glittering.

"I know," I said.



Ye gods, he was actually cute! The god of Death was a cutie-pie! I knew I shouldn't do it, but I couldn't resist anymore. I leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He cried out, almost falling backwards out of the window. I turned beat red and retreated back to the bed, hiding beneath the covers. I was determined to fall asleep this time instead of face him after that antic. It didn't work.

Thanatos got a hold of his self, and dashed over to me.

"Amarante! Please, do not go to sleep, yet! My mother has just blanketed the sky! There is time before you must rest!"

Placing both hands firmly on my back, he shook me. I was surprised he even touched me. I groaned anyway.

"Thanatos, I am really tired!"

"I implore you, rise! I am restless!" He seated himself at the foot of the bed, prodding me repeatedly.

I sat up abruptly, growling.

"Okay, fiiiine! What do you want?!"

He quieted, his eyes wide as tea saucers.

"Sorry," I said.

He looked away. He was upset.

"You may sleep, little one."

"I told you not to call me that anymore," I said.

"It matters not. Sleep."

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm just tired, okay, and--"

I stopped. He was glowing with the moonlight, dark eyes deep. His silver hair was strangely metallic in this light. He was so gorgeous. I really couldn't forget that fact no matter how hard I tried to.

"Thanatos… Do you… Do you want to…" I gulped. "Never mind"

I couldn't believe I was considering asking something like that. There was no way he'd do it. No way. But Thanatos didn't let it go. He gazed into my eyes intently, coaxing the question from me. I had to ask. And he wanted to know.

"What is it, Amarante?"

"Do you want to…Maybe try…A kiss?