A Demystification: Eve

Day 15: Threshold

WORD COUNT: 788

"No."

Lyn stood in front of the mirror, staring at herself and at the figure of Hermes standing behind her, resplendent in his true form. He was actually glowing--staying at her apartment and living off of her belief had, apparently, been good for him--and the wings on his head and feet beat of their own accord. But as handsome as he was--and he was handsome--and as much as Lyn had grown to love him over the last few days, she was not particularly happy with him right now.

"But Eve..."

"Don't 'but Eve' me, Hermes. I am not getting my family involved. There are no circumstances in which I am going to allow them to be put into danger." Lyn turned and poked Hermes in the chest hard enough to make a human step back. But he was a god, so he simply blinked and stared at the spot on his chest where her finger had pressed into his flesh. "I have done everything you've asked without question, realizing that the world is more important than myself. Hermes, you're a god. How many people would accept that with as little fuss as I have? Hell, Hermes, you had a Super Bowl party in my house and I was cool with that!"

Hermes couldn't help but smile. His Titans had won the game, and the night had ended with drunken deities singing "Camptown Races" as Cuchulain regaled Lyn with tales of his time as a warrior in Ireland. Neither of them had been particularly interested in the game, after all. Looking at Lyn's face, however, his smile disappeared. "Please, Eve, you need to get somewhere safer than this. If I can find you, so can our enemy."

"I am staying here. I draw the line at getting my family involved. I am willing to sacrifice myself, but I am not willing to put my family in any danger!" Lyn turned and glared at Hermes, brown eyes flashing. "I have always had a feeling that there was something more to me than what I was doing. It was a part of me that I couldn't understand, but I knew it was huge, it was a force to be reckoned with. But it was content to remain unknown, apart from me. Then you showed up and I realized what it was: I was meant to give myself up for the betterment of the entire world." Sighing, Lyn looked down at her hands. "I always knew a normal life wasn't for me. The thought of getting married and having kids, maybe joining a few charities...I never saw myself doing that. I almost never even saw myself growing old."

Hermes reached out to take Lyn into his arms, pressing her head against his shoulder. "You will grow old if I have anything to say about it, my wonderful Eve."

Lyn smiled. "I know you will try, my friend. But that's not the point." Pushing herself away from the comfort of her friend's arms, Lyn looked up at him again. "The point is that I am willing to accept this, to push myself forward and continue to believe an ever more unbelievable series of events, but I am not willing to get anyone else involved. Especially my family. They are the threshold that I am unwilling to cross over."

"But what if I take you somewhere else? Not with your family?" Hermes took hold of Lyn's shoulders. "Somewhere that I can keep you safe from whatever monster the enemy would send against you."

"Then I would consider it. Where are you thinking?"

Hermes stayed silent for a few moments before finally opening his mouth to reply. "I found Lucifer."

Lyn shuddered. "And you want to hide with the Father of Lies?"

"No. I want to hide with Lucifer. Eve, don't judge him before you've met him. Our enemy has worked hard and done horrific things to him over the centuries. Believe me when I say that he is the safest person we can hide you with if you don't want to involve your family and rely on their protection."

Thinking for a few moments, Lyn finally sighed and nodded. "Of course, Hermes. I will go with you to Lucifer's humble abode and hide out. As long as we don't get my family involved, I don't foresee having a problem going along with your crazy plans. I've already decided that since I have given myself over to insanity, I might as well go for broke."

Hermes grinned. "Great. I'll let him know we're coming." With that he disappeared.

"Why do I feel like I was just steered into making this decision?" Lyn asked the empty room before turning back to the mirror and her toothbrush.