Fate's Pawn: Wishes Three

Chapter Ten: My Nickname

We walked in silence for a while as I cast small tentative glances his way. My companion smiled at me just as gentle as ever. “Why do you keep looking over here?” He tilted his head at me as his lips parted even more in that easy-going smile of his.

“I just don’t understand why you’d offer something like that. You’re offering to give me true mortality just a regular life without any drawbacks. Won’t that drain your powers as it does me? What if it drains you as much as it did me? I don’t want my only friend being so weak and in danger because of my selfishness.”

Eros shrugged. “It might, I’m not sure yet. I know I’ll be able to do it, but I couldn’t tell you when I could do it or anything like that. But it’s okay, we’ve got time to figure it all out, and don’t worry so much about me. I’m really strong inside, you’d never guess how much power is in this body. I just gotta wake it up, so yeah, give me time.”

I bit my bottom lip. “I don’t think we have that. I have a bad feeling about the collectors. They're not going to wait long before they come after me, I just know it."

“Collectors?” Eros’s frowned his brows drawing straight down as he did so. “Who are they?”

“From what the others have told me they’re a group that have been capturing all the genies in the world, or at least this land. I’m their latest target.” I sighed and leaned against the wall. “I don’t know why because I’m the worst genie ever.”

“Can’t be too bad, you were able to rescue me at least.”

I smiled. “At least I was able to do that, but without your brother’s help I doubt I would have even made it that far.”

Eros shrugged as he leaned against the wall with me. “Maybe but the fact is you did it and I’m here to help you now.” He looked down the hall from whence we came. “You don’t have to rely on those two you know. I might not look it, but I promise I’m pretty dependable.” He grinned again. “Besides, I’m way more fun than them, right?”

I shook my head with a chuckle. “That remains to be seen.” His bottom lip stuck out in a pout and he wilted before my eyes. “Okay, so far you’re more fun, happy?”

“Very!” Eros set back against the wall with a grin. “You know, once I get my powers back you won’t need their help for nothing.”

“I won’t need their help for anything,” I corrected with a smile.

“Exactly.” He smirked. “Anyway, what’cha going to do when you’re a mortal, Acacia?” He sighed. “And we’re going to have to get you a nickname, that’s a mouthful. I don’t wanna call you Rosebud, that’s just weird but my family has a weird thing about plants anyway. I could call you Angel,” he laughed. “I think that would be a fun nickname.”

I stuck out my tongue. “Angel? You’re the angel, not me. I don’t get what’s wrong with my name. I guess you can go with genie?”

It was Ero’s turn to shake his head. “No, I don’t like it.” He tapped on his chin as he stepped away from the wall and studied me close his face inches from mine. “Cherry or Berry?”

I blinked. “What? Are you wanting to name me fruit now?”

He shrugged. “Maybe, it just kinda depends really.”

“On?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

Eros grinned pushing his lips against mine. It wasn’t a passionate kiss just the pressure of two soft lips against my own. He didn’t try to force his way inside and he pulled away a moment later. “Apple.”

Using one hand on his chest I pushed Eros as far away from me as I could. His expressive eyes widened then his lower lip jutted out again. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I can’t believe you’re just like everyone else, I trusted you, Eros!”

“I just wanted to test out what my brother said, and now I know that you don’t taste like a cherry or a berry. To me, you’re a crisp juicy apple, like the first blush of Autumn.” He tried to take a step toward me but I stepped back in response. “Why are you so mad?”

“I told you that I just wanted a friend, you’ve ruined everything.”

He shook his head. “But friends kiss? At least where I’m from they do or we did. I didn’t mean to upset you, Apple.”

“Stop calling me that.”

Eros sighed as he rocked back on his heels. “I didn’t mean anything by it, I swear.” He rocked back and clasped both hands together as he bowed in front of me. “Please, give me another chance if it bothers you so much I won’t ever kiss you again. I won’t let my curiosity get the best of me again, I promise.”

I dropped my arms from around my shoulders and sighed. “I’m only giving you another chance because I do believe it was a mistake. If you do anything like that again we can’t be friends, and I’ll have to start avoiding you too.”

“You’re avoiding brother and Dagon?” His smile had returned upon hearing that I had forgiven him. Maybe I shouldn’t have let him off the hook so easy. “Well, like I said you don’t need them. I’ll keep working on a nickname though. I wanna call you something special.”

“The most special thing to me is friend.”

Eros grinned. “Well, I’m already that, silly. I’m your best friend.”

“Just what do you think you two are doing?” Guile’s voice reached us before I caught sight of him. Probably because he had decided to fly toward us from above with those dark as night wings of his. “Eros, you need to keep your distance.”

Eros shook his head and instead looped an arm around my waist hugging me close. He was careful to hug me from the side and for his hands to stay in relatively safe areas. At least he had listened to me and hadn’t just ignored my request as I had imagined. “You can’t keep me away from my best friend, Brother. She needs me. I’m gonna make her a mortal once I wake up my powers.”

“A mortal?” Guile snorted. “After giving it some thought it is probably best she remains immortal, it would be easier to just make whoever she falls in love with immortal as well. Why suffer as a helpless mortal if she doesn’t have to?”

“Where’s Dagon?” I looked beyond the angels to see if I could find my savior but he was nowhere to be found.

“He needed time to think after you ran off with Eros like that. You should be careful around my little brother, he’s an idiot.”

“Hey!”

“You’re an i***t, Eros, stop bothering my Rosebud.”

“He’s not bothering me.” The words came out in a strained voice as I glared at Guile for interfering with me yet again. “You are.”

“It doesn’t matter if I am until I get my other two wishes you are my genie if you like it or not. I’m not going to take advantage of that, and I’m still determined to win you over to my side, but don’t even think I’ve given up on my own happily ever after because I haven’t.”

“And why does your happily ever after have to include me?” I demanded as I turned away from Eros and wiggled out of his loose grip. “I don’t understand why everyone is so focused on me. I swear you guys are all hiding something from me. It doesn’t make sense that this group of collectors would be willing to throw away countless wishes in order to get me. I can never grant wishes right, I’ve killed more master than I’ve helped! And now a fallen angel, and an angel, and whatever Dagon is are all helping me. I don’t understand!” I wanted to stomp my foot for emphasis but resisted the urge. Eros was childlike enough for both of us.

Eros stomped his foot. “She’s right! Why are you all obsessing over her? Why can’t I just grant her wish and let her be a normal mortal with a normal life? What’s wrong with being a mortal, Brother? She’s not an accessory you know.”

“Thank you, Eros.”

“She’s a woman!”

“Yes, thank you.”

“And she tastes like apples, not cherries or berries!”

“Eros.” I groaned as I rubbed my forehead.

“Eros, you have one minute to get out of my sight before I decide to send you back to where she wished you from.” Guile’s voice was soft but had a steel tone underneath. He didn’t sound like he was joking. He was very serious.

“No.” Eros crossed his arms over his chest and raised his chin as he stared at his older brother. “Ace needs me to be by her side and I’m staying right here.”

“Ace?” Guile shook his head. “You’re wasting the time you have left. I don’t know why you would dare touch her.”

“To see if she tasted like cherries or berries, and it turns out she’s more like an apple. I don’t know if I’d call it more of a Fuji or a Macintosh but it was sweet and crisp. But she asked me not to do that again so I’m not gonna.”

“Guile.” I reached out to the dark angel’s arm and grabbed it. “Please calm down, Eros didn’t know better.”

Guile snorted. “Know better? Don’t be fooled, Rosebud. My little brother is the charmer of the family he can twist anyone around his little finger. All of this cutesy stuff? It’s an act, this isn’t the real him.”

“Hey!” Eros pouted once more his protruding lip making yet another appearance. “Why would you tell her lies like that, Brother? Do you not want her to be friends with me? And don’t worry, Acacia. I promise I’ll keep working hard to find a really good nickname for you.”

“I don’t recall you being such a pain in my ass before, Eros. You were way easier to handle as a fallen angel, not this thing you are now.” He scratched his chin. “There’s an idea. Hey, Rosebud, when you feel up to it I know exactly what I want my next wish to be. My family can wait a bit.”

“That’s not nice,” Eros puffed out his cheeks. “Why are you always such a jerk, Brother? Why would you make the others wait to be rescued?”

“That’s easy, Eros. I’m going to wish you in your fallen state once more. I won’t have to deal with this goody two shoe version of you, plus you’ll have all the power we’ll need to just make the final wish a great big one. We’ll just daisy chain all of our power together and into my Rosebud and wish everyone else back in one fell swoop, and as each person is revived we just add them to the chain.”

“I don’t want to be wished back!” Eros turned to me grabbing my hands in his. “Please, Acacia, don’t let him do it! I don’t want whatever he does. I like this version of me. Don’t let him change me!” His grip was strong and his eyes welled with unshed tears. “Please!”

“Pleading isn’t going to work, shes’ a genie she’s bound to have to do what I say, even if she hates me for it. It’ll be fine when this is all over I’ll just win her over.”

“No!” I shook my head and moved to push Eros behind me. “I don’t care if I owe you wishes, Guile. I refuse to hurt my friend, my only friend! If Eros doesn’t want it, then I’m not going to let you.”

Guile sighed his head falling forward. “Why must you fight me on this? It’s going to be better for everyone. Rosebud, no, Acacia, I want you to grant my next wish. I wish for my brother Eros to return to his fallen angel form with all of his powers, his personality, and everything that made him a fallen angel intact.”