She looked over her shoulder. “Ah Ever!” The primordial goddess of the night turned around. Mary’s old apron, which Ever had left on the hook by the entrance of the kitchen since he moved in, was now around Nyx’s neck. Given her seven foot frame, it looked more like an oversized baby’s bib on her.

  “Your dog, I…” she smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t know how to calm her down.”

  "Mentor," Ever asked, “Why is Nyx here?”

  I would also like to know why my mother is here, he said through gritted teeth.

  “Oh hello, Thanatos,” Nyx said, using Death’s birth name. Ever swore he could feel his mentor shiver. “Yes, I probably should have sent Hermes to pass on a message to you.”

  A message would have been lovely, Mother, Death said. There was a squeaky sound Ever hadn’t heard before coming from Death’s side, almost as if two surfaces were being rubbed against each other.

  “You really should stop grinding your teeth, it’s not good for your mandible,” Nyx chided gently.

  Death had withdrawn from conversation with Ever plenty of times. If it were possible for him to slam the door on a telepathic connection, that’s exactly what he did in this instance.

  “Oh dear,” Nyx said, cradling her face in a plate sized hand. “It looks like he hasn’t changed at all.”

  A fleeting image of his mentor as a young skeleton, swimming in oversized, black robes popped up in his mind. As much as he would’ve liked to know what Death was like as a child, there were more pressing questions at hand.

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  “Why are you here?” Ever asked.

  Nyx didn’t immediately answer, instead crossing the room towards him. Ever didn’t flinch; he sensed that she didn’t mean him harm. She dropped gracefully into a crouching position before sitting right in the middle of the oval rug. She then reached out, putting a hand on his shoulder. It made him involuntarily flip from reaper form back into human form; her hand was surprisingly warm.

  “Chaos was there in the summer, Gaia was there in the fall…” she trailed off, her pointed gaze issuing him the softest encouragement.

  “You're here in winter,” Ever said, looking at her almond-shaped face. He caught himself grinning, swept up in her smile. Gaia had been the first to leave, because her time was up. Next was Taylor and now, in a way, Logan too. With Nyx here to fill the void, along with Zoe and Mimi, he didn’t feel so empty anymore.

  He saw Mimi peeking out from the corner of the entrance, a smidge of curiosity now in her shiny eyes. Ever beckoned her to come forward, which she did. Keeping her eyes on the giant of a goddess, she joined Ever’s side warily.

  “Let her smell your hand,” Ever said. “That’s how dogs know whether to trust you or not.”

  A gentle crease formed between her navy eyebrows, as if she wasn’t sure of this advice.She extended her hand tentatively towards Mimi, holding it inches off the rug. The dachshund approached nose-first, sniffing her fingers. Moments later, her tail started to wag.

  ^She’s safe,^ Mimi said, looking back at her person. ^Not like the one in the park.^

  “She means Gaia,” Ever explained, scratching the dog behind her left ear.

  The slightest of smiles crested Nyx's lips, but she said nothing.