I'm beginning to understand why now humans hold life so dearly. With both hands clenched into a ball and my body shivering more then it should I walk beside my sister finding that life is fleeting. I've known these beings to care for their lives with so much sincerity while others will throw it away for the smallest things but the reason why was always a mystery to me. I'm coming to understand why now as I rise the steps of the theater. It is because it is their own. Humans lives are their own and one of the very few things in this mortal realm that is their own. I envy that. I envy them. Maybe if I had a deeper appreciation for their lives like my sisters had for their own I wouldn't be in this situation.

I gather a handful of my satin red dress as I reach the top of the stair. 

"The ballet is halfway done." Melpomene mumbles as her eyes sparkle at the movement of the people walking through the front of the theater. "It's intermission." She reaches for the glass doors then pauses to turn and look at me. "Will you be okay."

I take a breath in and force myself to stand taller in the black heels. "Just have mother ready with a contractee."

She nods her head softly then pulls the door open for me. I take a breath in then release it as I hold myself up to be the Goddess I was created to be in the eyes and hearts of the mortals. 

I take a careful step forward being sure my steps are exact and precise like I once did in my youth amongst the Gods. My sister follows my canter as I stride from one side of the theater's lobby to the other avoiding the glances of patrons we recieved as we made our way to the ticket booth.

"Erato?" A familiar voice calls. 

I stop a foot away from the glass window and turn to see the beautiful face I was hoping to see tonight, I was just happy to see it sooner than I thought I would. I can't help but to smile in relief as I believed I would have had to wait until after the ballet to speak to him. It was Canan the man who was increasingly becoming more and more infuriating with each passing moment but more and more intriguing with every word he spoke. 

Canan takes a step back seeming surprised by my smile then quickly looks to my sister who is watching him with growing curiousity. 

"The mortal?" She whisphers to me.

I nod my head which she takes as a sign to continue getting the tickets. 

"What are you doing here?" He asks taking another step closer. "I heard you were sick." He says inches from my bubble.

I give another weak grin and avoid his gaze finding the floor easier to look at. "I am."

"Then why are you here?" 

I open my mouth and as I do the lights flicker signaling intermission is about to end. 

Melpomene grabs my shoulder her hand warm and comforting. "I am going to go inside." She says as I meet her eyes. 

She looks up to Canan now. "I trust you will take care of my sister and walk her back to her seat." He opens his mouth but Melpomene cuts him off as she looks to me and hands me my paper ticket. "Correct mortal?" She meets his eyes threat crawling into her tone.

He takes a step back blinking a few times before nodding his head. 

Melpomene seems pleased as she releases my shoulder and strides up the three steps that lead to the auditorium. Her figure is swallowed by the crowd as the lobby dwindles to it's final guest. 

I break the silence that is dragging between us. "Why aren't you with my sister?" I mumble.

He tucks his hands into his pockets and looks to me. "I was going to the restroom and happened to see you."

I smirk. "Yes red is a very eye catching color." I say gesturing to my dress. 

"You are eyecatching."

I tilt my head in confusion unsure how to take the compliment that sounded genuine so I do the most polite thing. "Thank you." I smile. 

He clears his throat and moves in a bit closer. "So you are still looking for a contractee. Right?"

I glance around finding we're for the most part alone besides the person in the ticket booth who is scrolling on her phone and the ushers by the doors. I begin to walk away but before I can step more then two feet Canan rushes to my side and extends his elbow. I pull my closest arm away by his suddeness. 

He notices my dicontempt. "You said you were still sick." He moves his elbow higher. "You can lean on me."

I don't understand why he is being so kind to me as just three days ago he was becoming the bane of my existence but I accept his kind gesture anyways.

I slowly loop my gloved arm through his arm and he guides me toward the other side of the lobby. "I am." I respond softly.

He stands straighter. "Is that why you're here?"

"Perhaps." I mumble.

He smirks and leans to me as we reach the end of the lobby where there are cushioned seats under a large mirror. "Do you have someone in mind?"

I'm silent for a moment trying to distinguish if the tone I heard in his voice was teasing or genuine curiousity. It had to be teasing he already knew I wanted to make a contract with him and was stringing me along. 

"You'd like to know?" I coo as I release his arm to sit down.

He settles himself beside me, just enough distance to not accidentally touch. "Very much so." He admits.

I chuckled then lean my head back. "Once again Canan I choose you."

"May I ask your reason why?"

I close my eyes and fold my hands into my lap suddenly feeling very light headed. "I can see your inspiration."

He hums then sighs. "I heard from Euterpe."

"Oh you did now?" I smirk the sound of the world becoming quiter. 

He smiles back. "Yes I did but I was curious if there was-"

I tense up by the sudden surge of something clenching my heart. Then my vision darkens and my ears begin to buzz. I can see the fear in Canan's eyes as he realizes I'm dying sooner then we both believed but I force myself up, stumbling to my feet and forcing my eyes open as I force myself to breathe deeper. I see his mouth moving but I can't hear him as my heart beat grows louder. 

I open my mouth to say something but I can't hear myself. So I do the last thing I can. I extend my hand to him.

"The deal," I say still unable to hear myself.

I stumble back onto the sofa. "Make a deal." I utter as he hesitates to grab my hand. "Canan, if your going to do it just shake my hand." 

I feel my eyes begin to roll into the back of my head but not before I feel his hand clasp mine. "I Canan Foster," I hear him mutter in the darkness "Make a deal with the Muse of Erato."

I gasp as vision returns to me finding the golden ribbion wrapping between our hands while his jacket covers the gap between us to hide the spirling transparent ribbon. "To have her be my inspiration." He finishes

"And I Erato," I gasp. "Swear to make Canan Foster the musician he has dreamed to be. Till we mutally agree to end our contract."

I give his hand a gentle shake as the ribbion wraps around our wrist and emits a soft glow just as it did with my sister but this time it changes from a soft yellow color to a rose pink. The color of the ribbion sends all the blood into my body into a shivering icy cold as I see the color fade away with the ribbion.

I feel my body begin to shiver as I meet his eyes. 

"Are you okay?" He asks looking into my eyes. 

I see it now even though I've just been pulled from deaths door step moments. ago. I take another deep breath and bat my eyes as I notice his features. 

"Erato?" He whispers.

The high cheek bones, the intense eyes, the pout. 

"Erato?" He reaches to me but I leap to my feet with full strength I shouldn't have been feeling from a mere mortal. 

He stares at me unsure as I inspect him with growing fear. So this was the reason why I could see his inspiration with ease. Why images of what he was thinking when writing his music came to my mind, it was because he had the very epitamy of love running in his blood stream.

I bunch my brows. "No." I whispher.

"What?" He asks rising to his own feet.

I feel tears welling in my eyes as all I can see is her in his features. "No." I place my hands over my mouth as I shake my head. "No, no, no." I feel warm tears slip down my cheek. "You lied?" It's a question first. "You lied." I say finding it is the only truth. 

Canan glances to the booth then leans closer but I push him away. "Your a liar!" I feel my tears streaming.

"Erato." He whispers we should talk about this outside.

I ignore him. "Did she put you up to this?"

"What?" He seems confused then his eyes widen in realization. "You mean-"

"Aphrodite." I finish for him.

He stares at me and I can't help as more tears fall from my eyes. I've been played by her again, I've fallen into her trap just as she always made me, not to mention due to the urgency of the matter I was desperate for any agreement so there were now loopholes I couldn't close without his consent. 

He opens his mouth and I move past him to leave the theater. 

"Erato!" He calls as I push through the glass doors of the entrance. 

He follows after me. "Erato!" He calls again and this time he grabs my arm. "What do you mean, you're not making sense."

"Stop lying!" I growl shaking him off. 

He's staring wide eyed as I wipe away the tears and meet his eyes gaining all the composure I was trained to have since my existence started. "You are her son."

"How did-"

I lean closer to whisper inches from his face. "Deals between Gods are different then deals between humans." I snarl. "You Canan are a demigod."

He gulps and takes a step back. "Erato," he starts. "I didn't mean to decieve you. I didn't even have intention to make a contract with you but I had to, it's the only way I can stop my mother."

I'm intrigued by that sentence alone. "What do you mean?"

"It's a bit hard to explain."

I scowl. "At this point now that were in a deal till your death," I point aggresively at him. "I deserve this much."

He bites his lip then runs his finger through his hair as he bounces his foot up and down. "Adrestia."

I feel my mouth gape open and do nothing to hide my surprise. "She's alive too." 

"The only ancient Goddess besides my mother who I know is."

I don't need him to continue to understand what he means. "She foretold your fate and I was in it." I mumble a different kind of fear overwhelming me.

"Something along those lines. She can't tell me the details as you know."

I place my hands to my mouth this changes everything if he really is telling the truth but as to stopping Aphrodite, that was an infeasible thought. If her antics were that easy the Gods would've stopped her many years ago not to mention why is Canan trying to. She was his mother afterall, the person who had raised him apparently. 

"Why do you want to stop her." I glare

He swallows hard then avoids my eyes. "She hurt me and someone I loved."

I can't help but stare at him as I think about my options. "There really isn't anything I can do now huh?"

He shakes his head. "If you do not want to be in this contract I will revoke it."

I give him a deadpan look. "I literally almost died from not being in a contract I can't simply revoke it." I sigh. "But we do need to establish some rules."

"Erato!" Euterpe calls from the doorway.

I lean closer to him. "The first one being we don't tell my sisters you're a demigod or your mother that we made a contract." I whispher

He leans closer and meets my eyes sending my nerves on edge as he is mere inches from my face. "Deal." He says and I can feel his breath shaking me to my core.