Chapter 205 - Love takes flight

The peace and tranquility of the quiet nook Jos had found inside her once favorite room of the palace was now being invaded. She took the steaming mug Raven handed her but shifted her gaze away from the fairy's seeking gaze.

"You seemed genuinely happy for the first time in a long time last night." Raven's eyes continued to rove over her friend. "I haven't gotten a chance to talk to you in private since everything happened... How are you actually feeling?"

Jos frowned at her friend's uncanny ability to read her moods. She shrugged, focusing her attention on the steam rising from the mug. "Where would you like me to begin? Half my life is falling down around my ears just as another part is finally being restored. I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad... The council knows everything between Russ and me, so I doubt even if these trials end well, we'll ever get to see each other again."

Raven nodded as she took a drink of her coffee. "Is that why you... did what you did?"

Jos stared down at the frothy liquid in her cup. "I've always been somewhat self-deprecating; you know as much."

Raven reached out and placed a light hand to Jos's knee. "There's a difference between self-deprecating and... that... What happened exactly?"

Jos let out a long sigh. "I felt trapped... I saw how my actions had affected you guys, how they are still affecting you... and I couldn't stand the guilt in that moment. I guess while left on my own with my own thoughts, it just seemed like the easiest way to help you all." She shook her head. "All of you have done so much for me, risked so much... I'm not worthy of any of it... and to think I gave into Russ and his entire attraction to me in the first place was because of the curse." She finally met Raven's eyes. "I still feel sick every time I think of the possibility... that I..." true to her words, she began to choke over her words. Finally forcing them out, she blurted. "Raven, it would have been no better than ****... of someone I've all but help raise. It's wrong, I'm a sick person. I deserve to be punished over what I've done."

Raven scrunched her brows as she squeezed Jos's knee tighter. "Jos, even if it is the curse and not Russ's true feelings, there was no way you could have known. It's not your fault."

Jos shook her head vehemently. "You're wrong. I even told him I was cursed, and we shouldn't be together." A tear trailed down her cheek. "It was the curse that drew Xavier to me... had he not been, Shelly may not have ever been hurt. I'm to blame for everything that's happened to her as well."

Raven bent and forced Jos to meet her gaze. "Jos, you can't keep blaming yourself for everything bad that happens around you. I was there the night Shelly met that asshole Dante, I was there when they ran into each other outside the bar... Hell, I encouraged you and Russ to get together in the first place. It was my stupid idea that you stay with Xavier! Do you blame me for what happened?"

Jos's eyes widened as she set up. "Of course not. You made decisions based on the moment, decisions I agreed with and went along with. I could have easily said no to all of it. I could have... should have moved out the second Russ started showing signs..."

Raven squeezed her knee again. "Stop blaming yourself. Stop thinking of all the things you should have done differently."

Jos let out a heavy breath, "It's hard not to reflect on my nearest past when I'm getting constantly skull f.u.c.k.i.e.d by my oldest mistakes."

Raven furrowed her brows, "Wanna talk about that? May help take your mind off the current debacle."

Jos let out a half-hearted laugh. "I don't know considering it's directly interlaced with the present."

Raven rolled her eyes as a faint smile spread across her lips. "True, but at least it seems a bit more promising than the others. His family seems to all fall at your feet." She lifted her brows indicating the room around them with a wave of her hand. "Including THE god of the sea."

Jos nodded, a frown settling over her expression as her focus fell back to the mug. "If what Arei says is true, it's more because he wants something from us than actual approval or feelings on the matter."

"And you think he's telling the truth this time?" Raven asked seriously.

Jos nodded, "There aren't much of my memories that haven't returned, and I've been able to puzzle most of them out. Arei isn't the bad guy I'd thought him to be all these years. He dropped hints that I didn't understand, flat out told me the truth the night my memories were taken..." She shook her head. "I can't explain how I'm feeling about it all right now, but I am comforted in the fact that I know he would never push me into anything I didn't want and that the curse doesn't affect him." She gave a sarcastic laugh. "Hell, if anything he will only continue doing his best to talk me out of being with him."

Raven was about to question her further, but Andy busted through the library doors and called out. "Breakfast in the kitchen! Hurry up we have a surprise for you after!"

Jos nursed the now cold coffee in the mug she held as she watched Andy move around the kitchen in a bright, chipper mood.

"So, Arei said the council called this morning. It looks like the trials will resume in another day, but that you and Shelly are permitted to stay here for now at least." She turned a bright smile to Jos. "In the meantime, he and Peg came up with an interesting idea as both a general skill you need to have along with the fastest, best way of getting to know 'the real' Areion." She winked. She all but danced over and took the cup from Jos's hands. "Trust me, you'll not need this with what they have planned!" She caught Jos's wrist and tugged her toward the back door leading out to an expansive courtyard.

Jos's eyes widened in shock and amazement as two massive, winged stallions waited in the clearing. They were magnificent, mirrored images of each other except one was as white as snow and the other was a solid black. The only identifying qualities that remained of the men underneath, was the intelligent eyes staring back at her. Pegs silver eyes gave the white stallion even more of an ethereal glow, while the dark black of the other stallion made the many shades of blues and greens that made up Arei's mesmerizing eyes pop even more.

Andy leaned in toward Jos to whisper. "Alright, so I'm going to warn you and Arei's going to be pissed that I did because it will ruin some of his fun, but he can talk in that form. He's one of the few who can!"

Jos's eyes widened even more as she approached the black stallion. She reached out and ran a hand over the thick, shiny coat of fur. "You're beautiful!" Her gaze moved away from the soft velvet of his neck to his eyes. "I don't understand why you don't use this form more often. It's incredible."

When he didn't answer, Andy did. "Because he has always associated that form with all the vile deeds and harsh wars the gods had forced him into." She sent the horse a look. "I've already told her so you can drop the act."

The horse whinnied in irritation. "Damnit, I was going to surprise her!" Arei bit out.

Jos nearly jumped back. Even with the warning, it had come as a complete surprise when Arei's actual voice came from the horse. She shook away the shock. "A... alright. So, what is it we are actually doing here today?"

The horse gave her a mischievous smile, bearing its upper teeth. "We are giving you flying lessons, and somewhere along the way Peg and I are going to race." The horse winked. "He's convinced, his and Andy's years of practice can beat out our natural chemistry." He nudged her with his muzzle. "We shall see about that!" He snorted toward his brother.

Jos's attention moved over to Peg. "So, he can't speak in this form?" She asked in curiosity.

Andy shook her head. "No, but they had a sister who could. She was murdered many, many years ago though." She said as she brushed her hands over the white stallion's mane. "Ready?" She asked finally moving her attention back to Jos. When Jos nodded, she smiled. "Alright! You want to start like this, mounting in front of the wings." Andy lifted herself slowly in demonstration. "You may want to hold on the first few times, but after a while, you'll get the hang of it." She wrapped her arms around Peg's thick neck and the stallion took flight.

Jos's eyes lit up in excited curiosity as she watched the pair disappear into the clouds overhead. "Ready?" Arei's voice caught her by surprise again. She quickly nodded as she pulled herself onto him and wrapped her arms around his neck as Andy and Peg. "Alright, here we go. Make sure you're holding on tightly!" Arei charged down the narrow path several gallops before taking to the sky behind his brother.

Jos sucked in a breath as the ground disappeared below them and she automatically tightened her grip around his neck. "I... I don't know whether I should be amazed or scared to death." She murmured against the soft velvet of his neck.

Arei threw his head back in a carefree laugh. "Both! But don't worry we will be landing soon." He nodded ahead where Peg and Andy were now descending, following close behind. His landing was rougher than Peg's, but he still pranced proudly around the grassy mound. "Ah, man! I can't remember the last time I've flown!" He knelt to give Jos an easier step down before nudging her with his muzzle. "Well, what did you think?"

Jos's legs felt like jello as she tried to regain balance. Her arms were still wrapped around the stallion for support when Andy skipped over. "Here you guys will need this." She said tossing them a bag she'd pulled out from the backpack she'd been wearing.

Jos glanced in the bag then back up at Andy with red cheeks. When Andy only winked and turned back to Peg, she shot a glance to Arei. Pulling up a pair of thin, silky gym shorts, she said. "Um... I guess these are for you..."

The horse smiled, "Well unless you'd rather me stay like this the whole time or be n.a.k.e.d..." His smile widened. "Had it been 500 years ago I'd be afraid to give you a choice in the matter." He winked.

Jos could feel her face heat more. As she held the shorts out to him, focusing her gaze on a nearby tree to the opposite side. She could sense his shift and forced herself to keep her focus on the tree. When he took the shorts from her hands, she couldn't help but glance over and regretted it instantly. She hugged her arms around herself as she took several steps toward the tree and away from Arei.

"It's safe now, you can turn back around." He chuckled.

When she turned, he was bent by the bag and searching its contents. Pulling out a large red blanket he unfolded it and spread it out on the ground. Jos looked around. "Wait, we aren't joining Andy and Peg?"

Arei's playful smile widened. "If it were anyone other than my brother and his wife I may be tempted to 'join' them but since it is..." His eyes twinkled up at her with mischief. "Trust me you don't want to join them here. It's safer to wait until they come back to us on their own. This is one of their 'special' spots." He rolled his eyes jokingly before patting the blanket beside him as he sat. When she still hesitated, he laid back onto the blanket crossing his arms behind his head. "It's also one of my favorite places near the palace. I used to come here when I was younger for the peace and quiet it provided."

Jos walked toward the blanket and settled beside Arei nervously. Looking around, she said, "It is pretty here." Her eyes fell on the many tall trees and flowers that line a stream that seemed to wrap around the grassy mound they sat on.

Arei caught her hand and pulled her down beside him. "It is and I figured on top of teaching you how to ride in case of an emergency, this could also be a place you'd like." He released her hand and moved his own back behind his head. "And I wanted to let you know all that is me. Even if you decide to back out of this fake relationship father cooked up to push the claim through, we will still be spending a lot of time together as members of the same court... and if your sentencing goes poorly."

Jos nodded. "I understand." She forced herself to relax. {This is Arei, not Russ...} She set back extending her arms back and letting them support the weight of her upper body, and straightened her legs as she stared out over the landscape. "How did you find this place?"

He smiled up at her. "It was one of Ry and I's favorite places to play as children. We happened across it one morning while training and snuck here often afterward."

"Training as children?" Jos asked bringing her attention back to him.

He nodded. "Yes. Ry and I were created with a purpose in mind as are most demi-god children. We were groomed for our future jobs from a young age, training with each other as well as individually. Part of that training had been shifting forms starting as soon as I was old enough to walk. Father would have to force the shifts at first, but I learned soon enough how to do it myself saving the pain of a forced shift."

Jos frowned. "There's nothing quite like a forced shift, that's for sure. What about Ry was he forced to shift too?"

Arei nodded. "And if we were to have children, they would more than likely be forced to as well, depending on how useful their forms could be."

Jos's frown deepened. "You truly believe even now your father would force such a thing?"

Arei nodded again, his own expression falling into a frown. "I know he would. He was all too excited when Andy and Peg had a daughter. Lucky for them, the child was born with no special abilities. You see Andy's lineage wasn't really strong enough. And though Peg is a son of Poseidon, his mother's godly traits were taken away when she was cursed by Athena." He sat up and placed his hand over one of Jos's. "If Ry or I were to ever parent children, especially with another powerful individual; our offspring would have extraordinary potential. Our mother is Gaia making the two of us technically titans. Father chose not to use the title because of the wars... that your mother and grandfather fought in."

Jos nodded in complete understanding. "Your constant overemphasized on my own family tree makes more sense now. I can only wonder if it was to dissway me or remind yourself?" She asked but got no answer back as Peg and Andy headed toward them.

"So, about that race!" Peg called out with one arm thrown over Andy's shoulder as they walked. "You ready to get your ass kicked?"