I'm in darkness...again. 

Maybe my sister was right. Maybe everyone was right. I should have made a contract. 

I should have, but it's a nice peace here, wherever I am. It's quiet and calm and I am one with wherever this place is. Maybe it's the beginning where we all started.

I'm slapped hard across the face with such force I swear my body almost falls off of whatever surface I'm on and I jerk up with a gasp.

I'm sitting in something soft, I think it's a bed and I'm trying to catch my breath as I force a cough out and take a deep breath.

"That was unneccessary." I hear Canan say in a stern voice. "She would've woke up if we threw water at her."

A terribly familar voice corrects him. "No, Canan she's nearly dead at this point I don't think water would do anything. I've seen this happen dozens of times she has only a few days left."

I fiercy rub my eyes to see the person I dread speaking. It was one of the worst Goddesses in all of Olympus with an everchanging face yet a terribly consistent personality. 

"Aphrodite." I whisper. 

She smiles a set of pearly white teeth and shrugs her shoulder. "Erato."

If I had a list for the ten Gods I would be happy to never see again she would defintley be number six.

"I've missed you my little Muse."

Missed!? More like you missed bullying me.

I turn to Canan. "How do you know her?"

He opens his mouth but Aphrodite speaks first as she sits at the foot of the bed. "I'm a family friend to his mother."

He bites his lip and nods his head. "She is a Goddess who match made my parents." He takes a breath. "And I know you are a Goddess too."

I'm appalled how was it that he knew. Was it after Aphrodite had told him or was it when he had first learned my sister and I were named after Goddesses and had an exceptional talent in the arts. Or maybe he knew all the way from having Euterpe as his student.

I held a hand up to Aphrodite. "Is he under a contract with you." I glare.

"Contract?" She asks confused. "Oh you mean a deal." She chuckles sweet, smooth, and melodic. "No Era, but maybe I will."

I bare my teeth barley. "I won't allow it."

She smiles pleased. "Have you grown attached to him?"

"I've known him for two days."

"Oh what an honor I get to see you so soon." Her eyes glisten and it makes me nervous.

I gulp. "Cut the bull Aphrodite you just want to use me again."

"Darling, that hurts me, I have never used you."

I scoff. "May I remind you of the artist you made me make deals with so that they could make hundreds fall in love."

"Those artist enjoyed working with you."

My eyes soften at the thought of those who didn't want to write of love but had no way to get out of my contract then how I had no choice to make them as Aphrodite held the love of those around me over my head. "No," I mumble. "They did not." 

She frowns and we fall silent. The tension could be cut with a knife which Canan thankfully notices. 

"Thank you for your help Aphrodite but you can leave now."

She sneers. "Fine, I know when I'm not wanted around but Era," I glare at her. "If you need help with your little issue of finding a contractor I will be more than happy to help." Her smile is beautiful and red rimmed but terribly devious as she leaves through the door of the room. 

Contracts between immortal beings is a mess I don't need to get into again.

I let out a slow sigh then glance around at the room. I notice the luxiourus silk bed I'm in first then the pure white carpet, the dark curtains on the window, the two lamps on the night stand the art piece over the bed and then Canan slowly sitting in a wooden chair next to me. 

He lets out a loud sigh then crosses his arms and stares at me. "She's a bit much."

"She's targeting you." I retort.

He seems surprised as his eyebrows raise up then he takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes. "Yes I know." 

"You can't be tempted by her promises."

He leans his hand on his cheek and crosses his ankle over his knee to lean his elbow on the other. "Yes I know."

"She won't give up."

He sighs twirling his glasses in the other hand, unintentionally looking attractive. "Yes I know."

"So no matter what don't make a deal with her."

He looks up at me and grins. "Sure thing mother."

I scowl. "Please don't call me that."

He puts his glasses back on. "You're acting like a worried high schoolers mother."

"You're still young so you don't know how beautifully dangerous things like her can be."

"I know" He nods staring me straight in the eyes. "I may not seem like it but I do know how crooked Aphrodite can be."

I stare at him for moment trying to find the falter in his bravado but there was none he was telling the truth from what I could tell. 

"So," He starts rubbing his hands together. "You need to make a deal."

I shake my head side to side. "Deals are flimsy with open ends. I make contracts."

He gives a small smirk like it's something he's proud of me saying.

I frown. 

"Okay so you have to make a contract do you have someone in mind."

I glance up at him then to my lap. I have no idea what to say, should I tell him that I want to make one with him, should I tell him that I have no one in mind and I need help finding him. Should I try to make a temporay contract with him but then what would happen if he says no to even that. Would he even say no? Judging that he has already had experience in the deals Aphrodite has made maybe he has already come to the decision that he has no interest in making contracts or deals with supernatural beings.

I clear my throat. "I have one."

He tilts his head. "Who is that."

I stare at him.

His face dissipates from soft kindness to shock then fear. "Me!?"

I press my lips together then shrug.

"You're the Muse of Romantic Poetry. I am a musician, thats Euterpe's experience." I sigh and open my mouth but he continues. "I've seen the deals made between mortals and you "Gods" they never end well." He looks down in fear. "They never do." He mumbles.

"But," I sigh. "Sometimes I work with musicians and my contracts are fair I can guarantee that-" 

"No, no" He leaps up shaking his head. "I'm sorry Erato but I can't help you. I refuse to make a contract with you. I don't believe you." He lowers his eyes and hands. "And there is nothing you can do about that."

I grip my chest that's possibly one of the worst things someone could tell a dying Goddess. I don't believe you.

I lower my head in defeat. "I understand Canan. Now shut up."

His brows furrow while his mouth curls in disgust. "Is that really how you should be talking to someone who let you into their house in your time of need."

I groan and stand up. "I didn't ask you to save me. You should have just left me passed out I dont care and it seems as though you don't care if I live or die anyways."

He leans forward. "I care, I just can't make a contract with you."

I scoff and head towards the door Aphrodite left through. "Then leave me alone if you have no use for me then I don't want to talk to you."

"For a being that's lived thousands of years you're really lashing out like a thriteen year old." He growls.

I spin on my heels. "And so what if I am?" I take a step foward throwing my hands out. "Canan I am dying, I am disappearing of course I'm lashing out at this point of my existence I don't know if I even want to exist anymore." Tears well up in my eyes as I open and close my mouth trying to form the words. "I'm only existing for the people around me right now and I don't know if I should be selfless and continue living for them or to be selfish and be at peace with nothingness."

He's staring at me with an expression I have seen countless times. It's sympathy but also confusion. He's trying to formulate the perfect words to convince me to live for myself to find joy in life but the difference between me and a human is that those words may work for a human but not for me a being who has lived for herself countless times without remorse. A being who has found joy and peace in the smallest corners of this planet. I couldn't keep going trying to find the perfect love story that some artist could write. To my knowledge every single word needed to express love has already been said every movie has already captured the perfect scene every song has captured the very essence of love. What more was I needed for. These beings had done it all there was no more expressing besides this species was getting bored of the arts I was preseting perhaps it was time to let them figure things out on their own. To choose their own muses.

I give a small chuckle. "Forget it." I turn away and hold my hand up in a snapping position. "Don't find me unless it's to make a deal." I close my eyes and snap dissapearing from the room and reforming in the driver seat of my car.

Under the flourcesnt orange light of the parking lot where small drops of water pitter against my windshield I grip onto the steering wheel hard and I begin to cry. I just cry for my stupidity then my family. I cry and cry until a knock on my passenger window startles me. I quickly wipe my tears away hoping I still have enough power to hide the fact I was crying.

I turn to the passenger door and open it knowing just from her presence who it was. 

"Erato." She sighs as she slides into the seat and pulls her hood off.

"Clio," I sigh back as she closes the door.

I look into my second oldest sister's pristine amber eyes. "I sense that you are changing the course of history and not just in a small way."

I pout and then blink away a tear. "I met Aphrodite." I whisper.

She pulls in a small gasp. "She's alive."

"Yes," I whisper. "And the person I was hoping to make a contract with has rejected my offer because he has seen Aphrodite's work and doesn't trust I won't be more ethical then her."

"If I ever see her I'm going to stab her."

I smirk, here was yet another Goddess wronged by Aphrodite's ways.