Out of Cake Aphrodite (The Goddess Chronicles Book 6)

by S. E. Babin

  His presence meant he could kill two birds with one stone.

  I had to admire both his audacity and his cleverness.

  "Yes," Morgana said, her patience beginning to crack.

  "Well, we are making quite the mess, aren't we? Perhaps we should wait for Persephone to come back so we can just ask her?"

  Morgana's dark eyes met Michael's. "This cannot wait. It's..." she paused and I could almost see her mind working to come up with something Persephone would need right away. "The marriage license." She smiled at him sheepishly. "She's so absent minded sometimes. She knows it's here somewhere, but she hasn't been able to find it." Morgana paused to see if Hamilton/Michael would bite and, without missing a beat, Michael's face grew concerned.

  "That is quite important," he said and chuckled. "Very well. Let's continue to look."

  The smirk on her face grew. I sighed to myself. Michael had been trying to get her out of the room so he could look, but no dice. I hopped up on the desk only to sink right through it and wind up like a turtle on its back for a few uncomfortable seconds until I managed to right myself. The floor. Right. Just stand up and there will be no issues.

  Once all of the books were scattered on the floor, Morgana and Michael stared at them all, both of them trying in vain to keep the dismay off of their faces. But I spotted it, an aged tome lying face up below a stack of more modern texts. It wasn't a hundred percent out of place because there were several books in the pile that looked priceless. There was a faint glow about it that I suspected I could see because I was technically dead. Bully for me.

  I held my breath, waiting for them to give up and leave so I could grab it, but no dice.

  Both of them were hell-bent on recovering the prize.

  Each sat on the floor and started flipping through pages, and both tried to convince the other to leave.

  "Perhaps you could grab us some refreshments?" he asked Morgana.

  A thin smile spread on her face. "I'm afraid I had tea right before I came up here."

  "Oh," he said. "Well, perhaps I can call Percy."

  "I let Percy off for the day," she said, lying through her teeth. Percy was still probably knocked out in the foyer closet. "You may need to fetch refreshments yourself."

  Morgana's brow lifted in hope.

  He shrugged.

  I stood there staring at the both of them wanting to claw their faces off. Get out of here already, I wanted to scream.

  But as it turned out, I didn't have long to wait.

  The sound of the front door opening had both of them lifting their heads in alarm. Michael was the first to recover. "Well," he said, chuckling, "I think we're going to have some explaining to do, don't you?"

  Morgana wasn't too quick on the draw. "She was supposed to be out the entire day," she hissed.

  "Well, I'm sure if she's home, she must have finished early," he said with an appraising look.

  Soft footsteps sounded on the stairs and moments later, Persephone pushed the door open. Her face morphed from happy to a what the heck is going on expression in two point five seconds.

  "Errrrrm..." she started.

  Michael, still wearing Hamilton’s face, started toward her, his arms outstretched. "Darling! You're home early!" He gestured to the mess. "Sorry about this. We were just trying to help you find the marriage license."

  Persephone blinked in surprise but her gaze narrowed seconds later. "The marriage license is in the wedding file downstairs," she said slowly. Her gaze turned to Morgana, standing a few feet away, her smile frozen in a rictus of fear.

  "Ahh," Morgana began, "I could have sworn you said it was here somewhere."

  Persephone looked to the both of them and put her hands on her hips. "Explain yourselves. Now." Gone was the happy woman, and in her place was the woman I first met outside the restaurant.

  Hamilton gave a sheepish laugh. "Now darling, no need to get worked up."

  She held up a hand. "There have been some strange things happening around here lately," she said to him, but turned her attention to Morgana, "and you seem hellbent on this bookshelf. What are you looking for?"

  I had to give Morgana credit. She tried her best to make up a story, but Persephone was a smart cookie if a little bit abrasive. She stepped over one of the massive pile of books and walked toward Persephone. While both of them tried to appease her, I saw my opportunity.

  I floated over to the book and as soon as I got close to it, the necklace Hades gave me started to glow.

  As the light grew from dim to bright, three pairs of confused eyes turned in my direction.

  Oh. Crap.

  I shoved the books aside, grabbed the tome of Shakespeare and used my hand to cover up the glow. Michael, still secure in his ruse as Hamilton kept his cool, even though his gaze narrowed as he tried to find my location. Morgana, on the other hand, went apeshit crazy and started flinging dark magic all over the place. Between Persephone’s shrieks of fear and Michael's shouts of alarm as he pretended to be exposed to magic for the first time, it was an all out circus.

  But I had what I came for, and as long as I could get out of this house, I should be okay.

  I called for my mother in my head over and over again as I ducked and dodged Morgana's magic. I wasn't sure what would happen to my corporeal body if she managed to hit me with a spell, but I knew I didn't want to find out.

  Chapter 17

  "Aphrodite, if that is you I want you to know that I will find you, and I will kill you! And your lovers! And your future children!" Morgana's shrieks rang throughout the house.

  Gosh. That was rude. And my children? I knew eventually we would come to a standoff, and I would have to take her out. I kept silent, continuing to chant Hecate's name in my head. Eventually, I found a spot in the kitchen where I could shimmy my form in sideways and be protected from the chaotic magic flying around.

  Persephone kept apologizing to Hamilton and trying her best to smooth it over, but she also kept yelling at Morgana to quit.

  But the Dark Witch wasn't having any of it and stalked me with the precision of a tiger on the hunt for prey.

  If Hecate didn't get me out of here soon, I was toast.

  A ball of blue fire appeared in Morgana's hands and I could hear the words she chanted. Cold sweat sprung against my skin, which seemed unusual considering, technically I wasn't actually wearing skin at this particular moment. Until the words she said hit my brain with all the force of a freight train.

  Expose the soul who walks this house

  Expose the soul who walks this house

  Expose the soul who walks this house.

  I watched in horror as my skin began to turn from a translucent gray to my normal skin tone and from incorporeal to solid.

  Crap. Crap. Crap.

  Hecate, please. Please, please, please, get me out of this, I prayed, unsure if I'd yet made a horrible mistake by trusting her.

  A few things happened at the same time. The house shook on its foundation. The roof peeled open like a can of sardines, and a man wearing wings of the darkest black shot down from the sky and landed kneeling on the floor.

  Hades. Oh, thank the gods.

  And, the skin that started showing when Morgana started chanting began to morph from corporeal to incorporeal before I flickered once, twice, three times and began to mist away.

  Hades turned his head, sensing something off, and met my gaze. He breathed in with shock as he saw me there. His silver eyes blazed in anger.

  Hades thought I was dead.

  Well, I kind of was, but hopefully not forever.

  His roar of outrage began to tear the house apart, but seconds later I misted away completely, back into Hecate's domain.

  My mother sat in an armchair, her legs kicked up, reading from a book that looked like it was made of skin. Just knowing her for a little while made me realize the book probably was made out of skin. I misted in and back into my body and sat up, gasping for air.

  "Hades showed up," I said breat
hlessly.

  An amused smile crossed her face. "Well, yes, that was a given considering he thought you were trapped there."

  I clutched the book to my chest. "I'm ready to go back."

  She nodded. "I hope you won't remain a stranger."

  "I wasn't aware I was a stranger until an hour or so ago."

  Regret flickered in her gaze and she sighed as she set her book down. "There were many reasons why I could not tell you, child. I am not proud of my actions, but I hope, in the future, you may understand why it had to be so." Her gaze rested on my face. "If you come to visit for no other reason than questions about your burgeoning magic, that will be enough for me."

  "I don't know if I want it," I admitted. "It's much different than my other magic."

  She shrugged, though her lips tightened with disappointment. "Perhaps in time you will change your mind." Her eyes sparked with power. "Death is not the end all, be all. For some, it is just the beginning. Your power lies in your willingness to embrace it. Without knowing your power, without tasting it with relish, you remain weak. Much like a kitten dependent upon its mother's milk. But with it, you can destroy worlds, daughter."

  And with that prophetic and terrifying statement, and before I could grill her about the damn prophecy, she sent me and my friends hurtling back into our Tennessee cabin.

  Hermes was the first to react. He stood up with a roar, called for his caduceus and slammed it down on the floor, his eyes blazing with anger as he looked around for a fight. Artie woke up next. She blinked like an owl, stood, brushed herself off and finally found me. She frowned, walked over to me, and extended a hand to help me up.

  I stared at both my friends for a moment. "You're going to hate me for this. I have no time to explain. We have to get back over to the mansion. Now."

  Artie sighed in resignation and called for her bow. Hermes relaxed just a hair as he realized we weren't in the midst of battle.

  I motioned to him. "Hades broke into the mansion. I left before I could see what happened, but Morgana was throwing around all kinds of magic."

  "Abs, I don't think we have the combined firepower to take on an archangel and Morgana." Artie's face was full of regret.

  "Remind me to tell you about my mother," I said as I quietly sent the book into my bedroom under a binding spell away from the notice of my friends, and blinked out of the room.

  We landed in the driveway out of an abundance of caution, and it was a good thing. Part of the mansion's ceiling lay caved in and the sounds of battle rang from the inside. I cloaked myself and watched as my friends did the same. Not that it would hide us from Michael, but it could hide us from Morgana. We needed all the advantages we could get.

  I walked up the steps and pushed the front door open only to hear whimpering from the closet where Hermes had stashed Percy.

  I cursed under my breath and crept over to the door. I waved to Hermes to unseal it. Percy lay cowered in the corner. I dropped my cloak and extended my hand to him. "We will take you someplace safe," I promised. To his credit, he nodded once and took my hand. "Call no one," I instructed him and sent him to the cabin in the woods.

  I readjusted my cloaking and took a few steps into the foyer only to see Michael, Hades, and Morgana going at it. Persephone stood in the corner of the room, her hands over her mouth, shocked. I took the few steps over to her and touched her arm. She swung her head wildly, trying to find me.

  "It's Abby," I whispered. "I can take you out of here if you promise to stay where I leave you."

  She blinked away tears and nodded frantically.

  "Swear it," I said and cut my palm.

  Her nostrils flared as her gaze went molten with anger, but she nodded once and did the same. We touched palms and with the promise sealed, we sent her to stay with Percy while we took care of this. Or tried to, at least.

  Hades was trying his best to keep up with his brother and the witch, but from the sweat on his brow, I could tell he was struggling. I dropped my cloak, followed by Hermes and Artie, and stepped into the fray.

  At first, I reached down into my source of power for Gaia's magic only to remember the Fates had stripped it from me. For that oversight, I took a hit right in the upper arm that seared me with so much pain I dropped to my knees. Hermes called for his caduceus and roared a battle cry as he sent a massive bolt of magic directly at Morgana.

  Hades nodded once at him and focused on his brother, who looked no worse for the wear.

  I no longer knew how to heal myself with this new and massive influx of magic. Knowing me, I’d morph into something no longer resembling myself if I tried to use it before I learned how. Thanks, Mom.

  I stood with effort and scrambled to the other side of the room so I could keep an eye on Morgana. I focused on the death magic gifted to me by my mother, but all I could really do was touch it. The last time I used it, I'd been in mortal peril. Now I was out of harm's way for at least a minute while Morgana and Michael took on Hades and Hermes. Artie stood over to the side, cocking her bow and readying it for the perfect shot.

  "Come on, come on," I murmured, focusing on the magic and feeling the serene pool just sitting there waiting for me. I tried my best to clear my thoughts, and as I did, my gaze lit upon Morgana's staff and the glowing amethyst atop it.

  Bingo. She was storing the divine power of God in the staff so if I could destroy it, maybe it would send the power back to Him. I teleported to where Artie stood. "The staff," I whispered. "Fire upon the staff."

  Her nostrils flared, and her eyes glowed a vivid violet. She was in the heat of battle, focused and ready, but at that moment, Morgana turned her dark gaze to us.

  I cursed. "Cloak yourself!" I shouted to Artie, hoping it would help as I sent off a blast of bright pink magic. Love magic. She batted it away like it was a fly and smiled.

  "Crap,” I murmured.

  Artie disappeared from my sight.

  I ducked as a spell of inky magic flew my way, and at the same time, I saw Hades sink to his knees as he tried to fight against the golden sun that was Michael's magic.

  Hermes was trying to save him, much to my surprise, but Michael was dealing with his magic with ease.

  There may have only been two of them, but it appeared we were outgunned.

  The sound of glass breaking caught my attention. Artie stood at the top of the stairs, a satisfied and grim smile on her face. Morgana's staff shattered, sending shards of crystals spraying throughout the room. Power roared and whipped around us. I threw my arm up to shield my eyes and the sounds of battle stopped abruptly.

  Morgana, eyes wide with shock and sensing she was beaten for now, disappeared from the room, without bothering to take the remains of the shattered crystal with her.

  Hades remained on his knees but hunched over in exhaustion as Michael's attack finally stopped.

  The voice of God rumbled through the room. "RETURN TO ME, MICHAEL AND FACE YOUR PUNISHMENT."

  Michael's face paled, and I watched as his countenance faded from the handsome pleasant features of Hamilton, back into the face of the archangel who'd brutally tried to murder us.

  "This is not over, Brother," he said bitterly, seconds before disappearing from the room.

  I sank against the wall in exhaustion, too tired to do anything right now but stare. And as I watched, the house began to repair itself, slowly and with great effort until the only thing different about it was the remnants of the shattered amethyst lying on the floor in front of us.

  "HADES AND APHRODITE. I WILL SEE YOU SOON."

  I sighed. Whatever he had to say to us probably wouldn't be good.

  Chapter 18

  We trudged back into the cabin, dirty, filthy, and not feeling so positive even though we'd all managed to survive. When I pushed open the door, Persephone and Percy sat on our couches speaking quietly.

  She was the first to turn, her mouth a grim slash against her face. She eyed all of us, but especially Hades. In her eyes was wariness and something that looked like
it might have been respect.

  Turned out Persephone wasn't our enemy. She was just a serious pain in the ass.

  I headed first to the kitchen without saying a word.

  This was my thing. It's what I did when the stress became too much to bear. Artie went straight to her room, and Hermes headed out to the back door, presumably to let off some steam.

  Hades was the only one who stayed, and I don't think he did so willingly more than to just get the necessary discussion over with.

  But before he could say anything, a timid knock on the door sounded.

  We all turned startled gazes to it, but I let out a slow breath and reminded everyone if the person was knocking, they were unlikely to kill us.

  Persephone narrowed her gaze and snorted at my apparent rampant stupidity. Or at least that was how she made it sound without saying a word. I just left it alone. She was the one unaware she'd been knocked up by an archangel...well, maybe not unaware anymore. And she'd also hooked up with a mortal and, in general, had just been an enormous jerk. I was tired of fighting. I was ready for massive amounts of coffee, a home-cooked meal, and a full night of sleep.

  I headed over to the door, yanked it open and had to pick my jaw up from the floor.

  Hamilton stood there.

  I slammed the door, backed away, and gathered my magic around me.

  "Abby?" Hades asked in quiet concern.

  I pointed to the door. "Ha - Hamilton," I said after a moment as I turned wild eyes to him.

  His brows flew together. He headed over to the door pulled it open, and I watched as his shoulders sagged in relief. He opened the door wider to allow the man to walk in.

  I stared at Hades like he was crazy, but he shrugged and led Hamilton over to where Persephone sat.

  He met me in the kitchen and we watched the two embrace, both wearing identical expressions of shock and relief.

  "Is that really him?" I asked Hades.

  He nodded. "It is against the law for an archangel to kill another human." His mouth twisted to the side. "But Michael abused that law just as he abused this man. I don't want to think about where he may have been over the last few weeks."