The Fates (Book I) - 2014 Watty Award Winner!

3.10 - The Attic

Dear Readers: The dark rose has landed in Athens! Let's see who greets her there :)  And get a glimpse into her shadowed past along the way...

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Scene 10: The Attic

A.D. 2015

She had arrived. With nothing to her name but a trench coat, stilettos, a satchel of spare stuff, and this cheap dress she'd bought duty-free at the terminal with pocket change. And this city was hot as balls, damn it—so Atria kept the coat folded over her forearm, as she stepped out beneath the sun into Syntagma Square.

Her host had hoped to greet her at the Athens airport, of course. The ever chivalrous, downright heroic gentleman he'd always been, from when she'd known him as a little boy. And no doubt more so now. But to save him the trouble, she had kept her flight information from him—after booking it on the credit card number that he'd provided for her, during her call from the payphone in New York.

When she'd been forced to tell him just how absolutely broke and utterly lost she was. Just how badly she needed him, in every way.

At least she hadn't needed him to chaperone her from the airport to the city center. She was a big girl now. Glad to have spared him that inconvenience, to offset the god-awful burden she was going to be. Popping up like this in the middle of his life, crashing on his couch in Greece for an indefinite extended stay. What if he had a girlfriend, or even a wife or some shit? She hadn't thought to ask. Hopefully her sudden presence wouldn't cause too much tension, if he happened to be shacking up with someone. Besides, Atria reminded herself, she was supposed to be his sort-of-sister. Not a clingy ex or anything like that.

Anyway, here she was in Athens. He was probably worried sick about her, not having gotten any word about the details of her flight. And with no way to contact her, since she of course was phoneless.

Atria scanned the plaza and then sauntered up to one of the many teenaged boys presently gawking at her. Shot him a dusky smile, asked if she could use his cell phone for a second. He obliged, wide eyes evincing that this stranger could use anything of his that she desired. Sadly enough for him, she just wanted the phone.

She dialed her sort-of-brother's number.

"Hey," she cooed when he answered the call. "So... I'm here."

He was livid, of course, that she hadn't let him pick her up. But he also sounded genuinely glad that she'd arrived. Atria didn't hear any female voices in the background, which was promising. Maybe he was single. That would make sense, given that no girl on earth could ever be good enough for him. And it would be convenient, during her visit.

He told her to stay put in Syntagma, and that he was on his way.

And soon enough, he had arrived. They recognized each other instantly, as if no years had passed at all since the dark days that they had shared so long ago. And she was speechless at the sight of him.

Those same eyes that had kept her safe and sound throughout her childhood—dark as new moons, bright as full ones. The virtuous smile that set all things right in the world. Practically the same face, just far more chiseled now, boasting the valor and virility of manhood.

And then there was the rest of him. Holy hot damn, big bro had built up quite the bod. Beneath his radiant bronze skin, sheathed in a shirt that any girl on earth would wish he weren't wearing, muscles rippled in heartbreakingly beautiful symmetry. Just the right size: as big and strong as possible without bordering on bodybuilder-beefy.