Out of Sorts Aphrodite (The Goddess Chronicles Book 2)

by S. E. Babin

  I thought about rummaging through the closet for something to wear but decided against it. Instead I stood in front of the mirror. My jaw was more defined, my eyes brighter, and my skin more golden. Gaia had definitely done something to me. After everything I’d gone through I felt like a warrior, but the outside of me didn’t reflect it. I was petite, blonde, and blue-eyed. I looked more like a pageant queen than a bad-ass.

  With a small smile I called up my magic and dressed myself in earth brown supple leather pants, high padded leather lace-up boots, a green racerback tank top and a leather vest filled with pockets. I leaned down and rummaged through the old battered chest I’d brought with me from Olympus and smiled as I lifted a suede cloth and saw my vials. I had tried to shun magic while I stayed on earth, but for the first time finally realized it was part of who I was. I grabbed several of the multi-colored vials and shoved them into my vest pockets. My friends were not going to know what had hit them.

  I patted the pockets and heard the satisfying clink of the bottles. Those had come about during an experimental phase after the battle with Eris. I’d locked myself away for a while trying to come up with a way to store some of my extra magic safely. Using the vials allowed some of the pent up pressure to be released and helped me keep something for protection in case I lost my magic again.

  Not that it would happen. I had a tank way past full. Maybe this game wasn’t just for Artie…maybe I needed this as much as everyone. I twisted my long hair up in a tight bun, allowing no curls to escape. Hair was a weapon. And no one was going to beat me today.

  A firm hand snagged me around the waist and a low honeyed voice whispered in my ear. “You’d drive a man to drink, Abby. I promised I would behave, but you’d do well to change into something less…appealing.” Hermes spun me around to face him. My eyes locked with his. “Because the way you look right now makes me want to throw you over my shoulder, take you upstairs, and peel those pants off with my teeth.”

  My heart raced wildly. The look in his eyes was feral. And hungry. I felt a slow grin cross my face and a tightening low in my belly. I was tired of being careful. “Catch me first. And we’ll see what happens.”

  Hermes growled as I spun out of his embrace. He stepped forward and leaned into me where only I could hear him. “You will give in to me. Soon.”

  I pushed against his chest. “Who’s to say it will be me giving in?” I sent a tendril of magic toward him. He caught it, mixed it with his own magic, and sent it back to me. It whirled inside of me, and the desire and promise within it almost dropped me to my knees.

  “I say it,” Hermes murmured.

  I schooled my face into blankness and turned to see we had quite the captive audience. Artie couldn’t quite hide her grin. Hestia’s eyes glittered with curiosity, and Ares looked pissed off, like always.

  “Okay,” I said hoarsely. I cleared my throat to try again. “Okay,” I said in a clearer voice, ignoring Hermes’ satisfied laughter. “We’ll head out into the property behind my house. There are several hundred acres out there, so we have plenty of room to play in. Ares will be responsible for shielding the area from prying eyes, and every one of you needs to ensure your glamour is fully in place in case we run into any humans.”

  Ares cleared his throat. “Done…and the humans are gone.”

  I closed my eyes. “I don’t even want to know how you managed that. Did you kill anyone?”

  He looked affronted. “Of course not!”

  “Injuries?” I asked.

  He huffed. “Everyone is alive.”

  I sighed. “Fine. Glamours aren’t necessary, but be wary in case the passive aggressive War God missed anyone.”

  “I missed no one!” Ares shouted.

  Hestia snickered. “Man, if I would have known you all were this entertaining, I would have moved in months ago!”

  Artie glared at her. “Over my dead body.”

  “That can be arranged,” Hestia said sweetly and winked.

  “Children,” I said, “let’s all quit bickering. Join hands so I can transport us to the rendezvous point.”

  “Rendezvous?” Artie sniggered. “When did you pick up a book?”

  “Shut up, Artie. Join hands before I start early and shoot you all.” Everyone gathered around, joined hands, and without another word I transported us all to the edge of my property. It was an open space, only a few trees dotting the area.

  I conjured up several flags and handed them out. “If you wish to surrender, wave this. Your ‘captor’ will transport you back here and you’ll wait for the rest of us to arrive. The last man standing wins.”

  “Wins what?” Ares asked.

  “Bragging rights,” I said and smiled. “And the hidden stash of ambrosia in my temple.”

  Ares’ eyes glittered. “You all might want to let your flags fly right now. I’m going to slaughter you.”

  Hermes bared his teeth. “Bring it.”

  Keto, suspiciously silent for the last several minutes, chimed in. “For the record, I don’t plan to share my new stash of ambrosia once Abby hands it over.”

  Good natured chortles rang out. “You wish, Bird Man,” I said. I glanced at everyone, grinning at their choice of attire. Hermes had chosen to wear a traditional chiton with his winged sandals. Artemis was dressed in leathers and fur, with sturdy boots laced up to her thighs. Hestia was in a pair of ratty jeans and flannel shirt, and Ares was dressed in a leather skirt, wearing only two straps across his chest to carry his weapons in. He also was dressed in sandals. Ares looked altogether yummy, but his piss poor attitude finally caught up to me. I wanted to pat myself on the back for finally growing up.

  “Are we ready?” I asked, my hand in the air ready to give the signal. Eager nods from all around and one bloodthirsty grin from Ares and we were off. The sharp crack of magic through the Asheville air was the only warning given before the games were on.

  I stood back at the house in the ritual ring. No one would come back here, at least for a while. I sat on one of the stones and bent over to adjust my boot.

  Thwack! I spun around. Thwack! Thwack! Bright blue paint hit me square in the chest splattering up to my face and hair.

  “Aaaagh!” I screamed, looking around for the culprit. Blonde hair peeked around the edge of the house. “Hermes, I’m going to kill you!”

  A deep chuckle rang out. “You’d be breaking your own rules, now wouldn’t you?” He stepped out, his gun raised at eye level.

  “Don’t shoot,” I whimpered.

  His look of concern almost made me smile. He walked quickly toward me. “Did I hurt you? I am so –”

  I raised my gun. Thwack thwack! I laughed maniacally at the sight of yellow paint running down his face and legs and took off running. His roar of rage only increased my giggling as my legs pumped as fast as they could go. Yes, I could have disappeared, but where was the fun in that?

  I looked back and wished I hadn’t. Hermes was gaining on me, a lunatic smile spread across his face.

  “Shit,” I murmured and snorted with laughter because sometime in the first few minutes after the game had started, he had streaked mud across his face and shoulders. With the addition of the yellow paint, he looked like an angry bumble bee.

  “I’m coming for you, my pretty. And when I get you I’m going to sully you and make you scream.” Hermes was normally light on his feet, but now he crashed through the woods like an angry bear.

  I screamed with laughter and kept running. “You’re getting old if you can’t catch up with me!” I spied a large log right in my path and jumped over it gracefully, praying Hermes wouldn’t see it.

  From the loud crash and shouted curse words, he hadn’t. I slowed down and turned to look at him. He struggled to disengage himself from the log, and when he finally stood up, the look on his face had me shouting again with laughter. Twigs and leaves stuck out all over his head. The paint had smeared into his hair, matting the curls flat onto his head. I grinned and waved.

  His
lips twitched. “You are going to pay for this.”

  I kept grinning, watching him for any sudden movements. “Don’t be a sore loser,” I said. “You can’t always win.”

  Hermes raised an eyebrow and called for his Caduceus. Crap. I felt my eyes widen, saw that wide monkey grin spread across his face again and I got the hell out of Dodge. Magic burst into the air as Hermes’ curse words filled the air.

  “Your mama should wash your mouth out with soap,” I screamed just as I disappeared.

  That was close. Too close. I’d gotten cocky. I sat toward the top of one of the many oak trees dotting my property, peering down to see if I saw anyone else. I used a discreet burst of magic to turn my hair a deep earthy brown to ensure I kept my hiding spot. Being a honey blonde didn’t exactly go unnoticed in the woods. One more quick burst and my skin was deeply bronzed. With the earth tones of my clothing, I should be able to stay up here for a while.

  A soft crack below made me tense. I was high enough to stay hidden, but I didn’t want to make any sudden moves. I silently moved a branch out of the way to see below to the ground. Artie crept through the woods, silent as a mouse. The feral grin on her face was a little disturbing, but damn she was pretty. She’d ditched the furs and was darn near naked. Leather straps wrapped around her breasts and the leather shorts she wore covered only the important bits. She’d kept her boots, and those gave her more coverage than the clothing did. Her chestnut hair fell below her waist, wrapped in an elaborate braid I could never hope to achieve without magic.

  She paused and looked around. My heart caught. If Hermes had found me, I was going to have to strip naked and look for a tracking device. He was that sneaky. Artie silently reached around and withdrew an arrow from the full quiver on her back. She notched her bow, pulled the arrow back, and disappeared behind a tree.

  I stayed deathly still in the tree frantically searching for someone else. What felt like eons later, a flash of red hair caught my eye. Hot damn. Artie was gooood. Hestia was here and she was about to get her ass kicked by the Huntress.

  I grinned in anticipation, my heart racing a hundred miles an hour. As long as she didn’t kill her we’d all be fine. Gods, please don’t kill her. I sent up a silent prayer.

  Hestia stepped out into full view. What an idiot. No wonder she was Goddess of the Hearth. I might have underestimated Hermes because he had a soft spot for me, but I would never underestimate Artie. I watched Artie’s bow extend silently beyond the trunk.

  Thwip. Her golden arrow raced through the air, its mark true to Hestia. I was for sure thinking Artie had made the money shot when Hestia’s hand reached out like some creepy movie monster and snatched the arrow out of thin air.

  My mouth dropped open. I couldn’t believe it. Who the hell were we dealing with?

  Artie stepped out from behind the tree, her bow lowered. “Well met, Hestia.”

  Hestia nodded at Artie. “Well met. Are we going to tango?”

  Artie grinned. “You bet your sweet ass we are. I let you have that one. The next time my arrow rings true.”

  Throaty laughter rang out through the clearing. “If you say so. You think I’m some lowly baker. My powers are far more vast than just the home. You will beg me for mercy by the time we’re done.”

  Artie laughed, a sound that sent chills up my spine. “They will never find your body.”

  I gulped. For such a good girl, Artie didn’t seem too keen on the rules of this game.

  “Not if they don’t find yours first.” Hestia waved, her red tipped nails out of place in the forest, and disappeared. Artie waved a hand, her bow disappearing into thin air.

  As she walked out of the clearing, she looked up to the tree, in the exact spot where I was sitting.

  And she winked.

  18

  Chapter Eighteen

  I almost burst into hysterical laughter at how easy she had found me. Instead I gave her a little wave and kept my spot. There was nothing for us to fight about so my spot was still ideal for now. Artie kept walking and disappeared out of sight. I kept my breathing steady and sure, keeping an eye out for anyone else. Not that anyone would come, or at least I hoped not. There were hundreds of acres for us to spread out over. The fact I’d managed to find Artie and Hestia was a weird streak of luck.

  I leaned back against the trunk of the tree, the soft sounds of the woods soothing me for a few moments. Once we got back to the house and all grudges were settled, maybe we could put our heads together and come up with a good plan about Typhon. For now we allowed him space. None of us could take him on right now without casualties.

  Ariadne was a piece of the puzzle I couldn’t solve. Where was she? And was she willingly there? Hera didn’t think so, but about seventy percent of the time Hera should be living in a padded cage. Her thoughts weren’t exactly something I’d file in the truth box. If Dionysus were unwilling, why wouldn’t he say anything to us? Instead he’d threatened me in the vilest way and warned us not to interfere.

  A crack down below startled me. I straightened my spine. What were the freaking odds someone else would be here in this clearing? When things were over I was going to come down here and see if there was something peculiar about this spot to draw us to it. I peeked out from my hiding spot and grinned.

  Ares stood there, hands on his hips, looking around the area. I could blast him to kingdom come right now and he would never know what hit him. The urge to do just that was overwhelming, but I bade my time and watched him for a moment. To my surprise, Keto stepped into the clearing.

  What the hell? This was beginning to feel a little…orchestrated. I watched as Keto stepped toward Ares unarmed. I wanted to scream for him to run, but over the last few days Keto had surprised me. This could lead to something interesting. I didn’t think these two had anything against each other, but time and time again I’d been proven wrong.

  I strained to listen to what they were saying.

  “Does Abby finally know the secret you’ve been keeping for all these years?”

  I stiffened. Ares knew. All the years we spent together and that asshat never had said a word? A slow burn of anger crept through my body.

  “The secret was necessary to protect her.” Keto straightened to his full height. As I watched his skin grew more bronzed and his features sharpened. If Ares wasn’t familiar with Keto’s other form, he was going to be in for a big surprise.

  “You never worried about protecting her before. Why start now?” Ares’ posture was casual, but I could tell he was itching for a fight. His hand rested at his hip, close to the hidden dagger I knew he always carried on him.

  Blood ran to Keto’s face. “You dare speak to me like this? I am assigned to protect Abby and have been by her side for thousands of years.”

  Ares chuckled maliciously. “And where were you when Abby walked unarmed into the harpy’s nest?”

  Ouch. Ares – one. Keto – zero.

  Golden light began to flow around Keto. I was a voyeur, yes, but a highly entertained one right now. I couldn’t get a better seat if I’d bribed someone.

  Those breathtaking wings plunged from Keto’s spine. He stood there like a long forgotten warrior, noble and proud. Tears pricked my eyes. I could have used someone like that by my side many times. Instead Keto had acted as a friend and an advisor, not a protector. I still wasn’t sure why. In this case, I sided with Ares. That didn’t mean I didn’t want to see Keto smear Ares across the forest floor, though.

  Ares stepped back, the only surprise on his face a lifted eyebrow. “Well,” he drawled, “I see someone has been paying attention in class. Put your wings away, daemon. I will not play today.”

  “You will.” Keto’s voice beamed through the forest, giving away his location to everyone within a ten-mile radius. As much as I would have liked to stay, I would bet money Hermes would be here in less than a minute.

  Ares spread his arm wide, a mocking smile on his face. “Alas, I will not. You have better people to pick a fight with
today. Perhaps that beautiful woman you keep letting down.”

  Keto’s mouth thinned. “Artemis is none of your business.”

  Ares bowed. “You are right. But know this, Aniketos, you cannot betray someone like Artie without answering for it eventually. You might have seen it as a necessary precaution, but Artemis will not. You will be lucky if I don’t find you dead with your ribcage spread wide open and raccoons feasting on your innards.”

  I cringed at that mental picture. Ares was good with words.

  “She has forgiven me,” Keto said, but the tremor in his voice belied his words.

  Ares’ laugh rang throughout the clearing. “Believe that and you are an even bigger fool than I thought. Farewell, Aniketos. My beef is not with you today.” A boom of magic blew through the trees and almost sent me ass over teakettle off my perch.

  I squeaked and looked down only to see Keto staring up at me. “Gods, Abby. Sometimes you are the biggest screw-up I’ve ever met.”

  Wow. “Words hurt, Keto.” I glared at him as I hung on for dear life. “I stayed up here long enough to escape your notice.”

  Keto rolled his eyes. “Now look at you.”

  I wrapped my legs around the branch and pulled myself up to sit back on the branch. “Did you eat asshole cereal this morning? If anyone is pissed, it should be me. Now get out of here before I blast your ass back to Olympus. If I see you again before the end, your battle will be with me.”

  Keto’s lips twitched and his yellow eyes sparkled. “About time. I’ve been trying to get you to realize your power for years.”

  What was everyone’s deal? I glared at Keto and sent a powerful beam of magic directly at his chest. Keto disappeared right in front of my eyes, his mocking laugh echoing through my head.

  I needed to find a new spot. Three people now knew I used the trees to hide, so I probably couldn’t do that again without giving myself away. I blinked and transported myself into an area thick with logs, leaves, and other concealing brush. I landed on my feet directly in front of Hestia.