Out of Sorts Aphrodite (The Goddess Chronicles Book 2)

by S. E. Babin

  Ares nodded warily. He should know better than to believe Clotho was out of the loop. Eris may have screwed with the Fates a bit, but they had recovered and were on top of any more plans to screw with their visions.

  “He is a formidable opponent by himself, but with a sorceress behind him, you will need all of your wits about you. I cannot tell what their plan is; I only know it involves delving into forbidden dark magic.”

  “Sorceress?” My brows knit together.

  “Circe,” Artie and I breathed at the same time.

  Clotho nodded, her mouth a grim line. “We knew it was only a matter of time before she resurfaced. Her magic has grown stronger…and darker. Whatever bargain those two have, it will be dangerous to all. Olympus is in grave peril, Abby. More so than ever before.”

  “Do you know where he is?” I asked, hoping for some small break to get us started.

  But Clotho shook her head. “I’m afraid not. But it’s Dionysus. He should be easy enough to find because of his vices. Look to those and you soon should be able to nail down his whereabouts.”

  Hermes interjected. “She’s right. First things first, we should check all of the bars or establishments that serve liquor. Barring that, we should search for parties. This is a college town. There’s probably plenty going on.”

  Clotho’s face shimmered with approval. “Nice to see you again, Hermes. Has Abby come to her senses yet?”

  I coughed in surprise, but Hermes only winked at me. “Not yet. You know us immortals. It could be millennia before she sees what’s right in front of her. But by then, I’ll be buried under a sea of willing, nubile nymphs.”

  Clotho giggled girlishly, catching me by surprise. I would swear Hermes could charm the pants off of anyone. “Don’t count on it anytime soon,” I said.

  “Now, Abby,” Hermes said and laid one hand across his chest, “you know how much I love the chase. I wouldn’t respect you in the morning if you gave in that easily.”

  I could shoot him right now if I had a gun. I settled for giving him a frosty stare. He grinned salaciously. She choked out a laugh but fell silent when I turned that glare at her.

  “Abby, I know Marshall has left.” Sympathy flared in her eyes.

  “Yes. But obviously you like Hermes better,” I said shortly.

  She frowned at me. “It’s not a matter of who I like more. It’s who you are destined to be with. And,” she waggled a finger at me, “don’t ask me who that is. I won’t give that information up lest it influence your decision. I will say that Marshall loves you more than is healthy for him.”

  “Will he come back?” I asked, and hated myself for looking weak.

  Clotho patted my hand. “He’d burn up the sun for you, Abby. But would you do the same for him?”

  Her question left me unsettled. I’d chosen Olympus over him repeatedly. I’d asked him to step into my world knowing full well how dangerous it would be for him. But I’d battled a goddess for him. I’d let him into my heart, something I hadn’t done for anyone in thousands of years. My mind flashed to him holding me on the couch. Our witty banter in the mornings. His arms around me as I tried to pour a mug of coffee. The soft press of his lips against my neck. I missed him terribly.

  Clotho’s mouth softened. She leaned in and whispered. “Only you can decide. Will you give him the chance to live a normal life? Or will you pull him into a world he has no hope of surviving?”

  I had never been good at making unselfish choices. Everyone around me knew this. I closed my eyes, wanting to feel his arms around me again so desperately. I’d been so good in leaving mortals alone. Why did I bring him into this world with me? I was selfish to the core. Unwilling to look at his life and what was good for him, I’d allowed him to love me without fully examining the consequences of that action. He’d be better off without me. And based upon the sympathetic glances everyone except for Ares was giving me, they all knew it better than I did.

  Clotho pushed a vial of shimmering blue liquid into my palm and closed my hand over it. “It’s your choice,” she whispered. “Pouring this into his drink will ensure he never remembers his time with you. You will be merely a beautiful stranger to him.”

  I nodded, tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. “Thank you,” I murmured. She patted my hand and stood up.

  “Find Dionysus and soon. Ward yourselves against Circe. My visions show me her power is stronger than ever. Beware the magic she spins.” Her eyes flared silver. “Now get out. I have barbecue to eat.” With a burst of power, she sent us all ass over teakettle out of her office.

  Amazingly, none of us knocked anything over. “Clotho must really love her barbecue,” I chuckled.

  Artie stood up, brushing off her leggings. “It’s from Buddy’s restaurant,” she said. “I smelled it as soon as I walked in. I’d kick everybody out, too, if that was waiting on me.”

  Ares sprang to his feet, his face mottled with rage. I cracked up. “Go in there and make her take it back. I dare you.”

  “Shut up,” he muttered and turned to stalk out the door.

  “Gods, I missed him,” I said. “It’s always entertaining to have someone so crabby around, isn’t it?”

  Hermes chuckled. “You have such a petty streak, Abby. I love seeing it come out.”

  I grinned and socked him on the shoulder. “Only for those who deserve it. I’d say he deserves it more than anyone I know right now.”

  I made sure I had my purse with me and that the bottle Clotho had given me was still inside. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure I’d be using it, but it was good to have nonetheless. Artie slipped into place beside me. “Fancy some cake?” she asked.

  I looked at her, confused for a second. “Ah. April. Are you sure you want to do this now?”

  She grinned. My heart skipped at the frightening promise of violence behind that smile. “After Keto’s performance last night, she better pray she’s got the goods to back up her actions. Because,” she paused to examine her fingernails, “if she continues to flirt with my guy, I’m going to happily eviscerate her and feed her to the wolves in my woods.”

  I opened my mouth. Then I shut it and wisely said nothing. I hoped Keto was ready to see her claws come out. I grinned at her, noting her violet eyes sparking with the anticipation of a good fight. We were both beginning to suspect April wasn’t who she said she was. If Artemis had anything to say about it, today was the day she’d be unmasked.

  It wasn’t every day four of the twelve Olympians strode down a city street. We may have been dressed as role model mortals, but we were on a mission – well, at least Artie and I were. Men were generally clueless. Hermes knew something was up because I kept feeling him glance at me every few seconds as we left the shop and entered April’s place.

  The smell of freshly baked bread hit me in the face and I felt myself starting to drool. Damn April. I could not resist the temptation of baked goods. My willpower was weak. She strode out of the kitchen, halting in her tracks when she saw all of us. From the panicked flash in her eyes, she knew the jig was up. I heard Hermes’ inhaled gasp.

  “Hestia?” His tone was confused and after stealing a glance at Artie, wary. He was focused on the short redhead. Even Artie appeared surprised. I looked around at the bakery and wanted to smack myself in the forehead for being an idiot. Of course it was Hestia. She was one of the few of us good in the kitchen. I might have some skills, but most of us were like monkeys in the kitchen, scratching our heads and making a mess of things.

  She pulled her apron off over her head and waved a hand across the bakery. The sounds of chatter and forks scraping across plates abruptly stopped. It was an eerie silence, and looking around I noticed everyone frozen.

  “Hermes.” She tilted her head to acknowledge him. Artemis started to step forward, but I placed my hand on her arm.

  “Why are you here? Even more importantly, why are you hiding?” I knew Hestia, but not behind the guise of the curvy woman behind the counter. As she stepped toward us
, her glamour began to fall. Her red hair formed lustrous, shiny curls and her height expanded until she towered over me. Hestia was not a small woman, but she made up for it with her ethereal beauty.

  Bright blue eyes sparked as she stared at Artemis. “Are you responsible for this?”

  Artie’s bow shimmered into existence and she pulled herself up to her own impressive height, although she still had to tilt her head up to look at Hestia. “You threw yourself at Keto, knowing full well he belonged to me.”

  Keto was the only one out of us who didn’t look surprised. “Hestia,” he nodded and stepped up beside Artie.

  Hestia smiled at him, the look full of promises for the future. I bristled and Artie pulled a silver arrow from her pack.

  Shit.

  “Wait!” I held a hand up and stepped in front of Artie. “Let’s just see what she says first. If we don’t like it, then you can shoot her until your huntress heart is content.”

  Hestia laughed gaily, and I was disgruntled that it sounded like the soft tinkling of chimes during a rain shower. I turned to her. “And you aren’t helping things. Flirting with Keto wasn’t exactly the best way to stay under the radar.”

  Hestia pouted, her ruby red lips glistening. I felt myself enamored with her and shook myself. “Stop it!” I shouted. She was the Goddess of the Hearth, but that didn’t mean she was a slouch in the powers department. Unfortunately, Zeus had made her impervious to some of my powers, which prevented me from sending her down the street to fall in love with some poor, unsuspecting townsman. But I wasn’t a slouch, either.

  I felt the subtle tendrils of her powers around me drop. I glared at her. “I’m going to ask one more time. Why are you here?”

  Hestia still stared at Keto, and I saw Artemis draw the arrow back on the bow. I closed my eyes, silently hoping they’d stop being idiots.

  “I’m here because I noticed problems in this city. People are losing their home skills. No one cooks, no one bakes, no one cleans anymore.” She shrugged. “That’s all, I promise.”

  I stared at her dubiously. “So how is starting a bakery helping you to remedy that?”

  She gestured to the cake cabinet. “All of my desserts are spiked with desire.” At my look she rolled her eyes. “Not that kind, perv. The desire to serve, to raise a family and be a part of the home. It’s what I do, Abby. It might be hard for you to believe, but not all of us let our powers go to the wayside.”

  I bristled, but she was right. It was exactly what I’d done. “And Keto?”

  Her eyes brightened as she looked at him. “Merely a perk.”

  Artie growled, her fingers shaking with the tension on her bow. Keto touched her hair and whispered something in her ear. Her fingers eased slightly, but the bow was still cocked and ready to go.

  I scrambled to think of something. “I thought you were a virgin goddess.” It was lame, but it was the only thing I could think of.

  She snorted and rolled her eyes. “You can’t expect myths to remain the same, Aphrodite. I was a virgin. Yet I’m still very discerning in my tastes. And Keto here. Well, he looks delicious.”

  She licked her lips. I saw Hermes shudder, but Ares’ eyes lit up with lust. “Good gods,” I said. “Do yourself a favor. You do not want the Huntress after your ass, got it? You already know this, Hestia, but it appears you like to screw with people.”

  She grinned at Artie, her hand fluttering in her direction. Her bow went up in a shock of orange flame. Artie gasped in pain and dropped her bow. Her hand flamed red where Hestia’s vestal fire had touched it. She drew back her hand and a burst of emerald power shot out striking Hestia in the chest.

  She flew backwards, slamming into the pastry case and sending glass flying through the area. Hestia slid down until she lay in a boneless heap on the stone floor. Artie stood over her, hair and skin crackling with magic. She placed a boot over the wound in Hestia’s chest, causing her to gasp in pain. Ichor slid out from underneath her boot as she pressed.

  I turned away as Artemis uttered, “This is your last warning, Hestia. Stay away from the things that are mine.” A squicking sound came from behind me as Hestia screamed in pain. Keto’s mouth tightened in a harsh line as he witnessed the violent display.

  Silence fell among us. I turned to see Artie wiping her boot on Hestia’s skirt. “Holy shit,” I whispered. It had been years since I witnessed such a display from her.

  Her violet eyes flickered with rage as she swept past me. She lifted her arm up and the sounds of the lights blowing out echoed in my ears. We hastily followed behind her. She stopped at the entrance, allowing us to slide past her. I kept walking as Artie continued her destruction on Hestia’s bakery. This would not be the end, I knew. And Hestia was not an easy enemy to shake. This had gotten out of hand. We had known April probably wasn’t mortal, but none of us, except maybe Keto, suspected she was one of the twelve Olympians. Zeus would be furious.

  Keto fell into step beside me. “What the hell, Abby?”

  I shrugged. Love made us do crazy things. This was the first time I’d seen Artemis in love. If this one slight was any indicator of her tolerance for others flirting with Keto, he’d be better off hiding under a rock. “This should be addressed immediately. She didn’t kill Hestia, but I know she wanted to. But,” I stopped walking. “Take it easy on her. I’ve never seen her like this. What I mean by that, Keto, is that you appear to have her heart. Do not squander her love.”

  Keto’s eyes widened. I knew he loved her just as much, but this side of her was new to him, maybe even to most of us. Ares was uncharacteristically silent as he approached us.

  “Zeus will not take this lightly,” he said.

  “No kidding.” All I could see of Artie was her hair blowing in the doorway. We’d shielded ourselves, but it wouldn’t be long before someone came along to see the destruction she’d wrought. Just as I started to turn around I saw Clotho step out of her store and approach Artemis. She motioned us away and none of us hesitated. I picked up the pace and headed back to Hermes’ SUV. He unlocked the door and we all piled in. Artie would find her way back.

  A few minutes into the silent drive, Hermes finally spoke. “Soooo,” he drawled, “that was intense.”

  Ares snorted and finally chuckled. “The last time I saw Artemis that pissed was when King Admetus neglected his marital sacrifice and she filled his chamber with poisonous snakes.”

  I laughed. I’d forgotten about that one. “What about the time she started a war after someone forgot to sacrifice a pig to her?”

  Hermes grinned. “I thought she was much calmer these days, but if that incident was anything to go by, I’d say she still has quite a temper brewing behind those gorgeous violet eyes.”

  Keto was the only one who didn’t join in. Hermes clapped him on the back. “This is what happens when you get involved with a goddess, my friend. You should have seen Aphrodite back in the day. You think Artie was scary? You’ve never seen an angrier blonde than Abby. Trust me on this one.”

  Keto smiled slightly, but his brow was still creased with worry. I chuckled. I was known for some pretty crazy scenes in my time. “Remember Hippomenes?” I asked.

  Hermes choked with laughter. “Gods, Rhea was pissed!” He turned to Keto. “Someone forgot to thank Miss Goody Two Shoes here for a favor, so in retaliation she fires up her persuasive powers of lust toward Hippomenes. He got caught in flagrante delicto, his bare ass in the air on top of his wife, inside of Rhea’s temple. She turned them both into animals, Abby laughing all the way back to Olympus.”

  Keto’s mouth quirked. “You people are terrible role models.”

  Ares chuckled. “The mistake people made was thinking we were ever supposed to be role models.”

  Artie’s indiscretion here was worse than all of those put together because she openly attacked one of our own. It happened sometimes, but I’d never seen her lose so much control. Hestia would need time to recover. And Artie would do well to avoid Zeus for as long as she could
. We all had notoriously long memories.

  10

  Chapter Ten

  Back at home, Artemis still nowhere in sight, we went through the phone book pulling out any of the places serving alcohol. It was tedious, painstaking work and within twenty minutes all of us were bored to tears. Yes, we could use magic for most things, but none of us had a magical map system burned into our veins. Some things required good old fashioned foot work.

  We decided to take ten places each to visit. Dividing it between us would make everything go much faster. If one of us needed backup, it wouldn’t be a problem. Everyone was told not to engage Dionysus directly, to call for another before approaching him. No one had to tell me twice. I’d rather be doing anything else than trying to find him, but time was of the essence, especially if Typhon were out and walking around unsuspecting mortals.

  Several hours later, armed with all of the locations we needed to visit, we all headed out. Hermes and I drove separate vehicles while Ares decided to take fate into his own hands and pop in and out of the locations. Whether anyone would see him didn’t seem to bother him much.

  Keto with his freaky fixation on physical fitness elected to ride his bicycle wherever he went. I wasn’t that much of a glutton for punishment, so I wished him well as I sat down on my nice, soft, heated car seat. He shook his head at me as he rode away. Knowing Keto, he’d finish before all of us.

  The first place on my list was The Squawking Parrot. I double checked the name to make sure Ares hadn’t been screwing with me when he gave it to me. The bar catered to college students, meaning cheap beer, cheap wine, and all around cheap booze. It was still relatively early for downtown to get hopping, so I decided to grab a quick bite to eat at one of my favorite dives. I shrugged my coat off as I walked up to the menu to see what the specials were.

  A teenage boy greeted me from behind the food line. I ordered some barbecued chicken and sides, and as I slid my tray down the line I noticed Marshall sitting alone at a table. I felt my chest tighten, and I quickly looked away. It was too late for me to bail, but that’s what I would have done if I hadn’t been holding a full tray of food.