III. THE SUMMONING

But he treated her gently and provided her anything she desired. Eros summoned her to sleep with him every night in the garden palace, but she was never permitted to gaze upon him, and he always fled just before sunrise. The two were wed, and soon after, she became pregnant. She started to doubt he was any kind of beast at all.

Her sisters yearned to know the fate of their sister, so Eros allowed the West Zephyr Winds to carry them to the palace just has they had Psyche. Upon arrival, they were instantly green with envy. Instead of being overjoyed for their sister and her splendor, they sowed seeds of doubt; surely her husband was the beast of which the oracle warned, that he would one night devour her and her unborn child, that she must kill him before he kills her. Instead of pleasantries, they left her with a dagger.

The following night, driven by reignited fear and uneasiness, Psyche roused next to her sleeping husband. She armed herself with the dagger, ready to plunge it into the beast's heart. Once she lit an oil lantern next to their bedside, the flame danced across the most handsome creature she had ever seen. She shakily lifted the lantern for a better look but accidentally splashed hot oil across his body. Awakened by injury and betrayal from his beloved, Eros fled the palace, saying she, a mortal, was never supposed to lay eyes upon him, a god.