Out of Sorts Aphrodite (The Goddess Chronicles Book 2)

by S. E. Babin

  “Shit,” I said.

  Hestia’s ruby red lips spread in an evil grin. “Hiya, Abs.” A quick blast of magic sent me flying through the woods. I landed heavily against the trunk of a large oak. Pain bloomed through my entire body as I slid to the ground. Instead of reacting with magic, I stared up at her.

  “Does someone need a hug? Did Daddy not give you enough love as a kid?” I stood and brushed leaves off my rear end.

  Hestia’s smile slipped as she readied more magic. I held my hand up. “I gave you one free shot, Hestia. I am not a magnanimous person, so you should view that as the gift it is. You might be immune to one of my powers, but you haven’t been around often enough to discover what new tricks I have up my sleeve.” I walked toward her, seeing something skitter across her eyes that looked suspiciously like fear. “Your fight is not with me today. If you keep insisting on it, I will smear those pretty red lips against the heel of my boot. Now,” I said as I produced my paint gun, “get the hell out of here.” I fired several shots simultaneously and grinned maliciously as Hestia was covered in bright yellow paint. “Tsk, tsk,” I said. “Yellow is really not so good for your complexion.”

  Hestia gritted her teeth as she wiped away a yellow glob of paint from her face. “One day I will destroy you.”

  I sent my weapon away. “Perhaps. But today is not that day. Be gone, pest.” With a flick of my wrist, the gold and silver of my magic met and sent Hestia back to the starting point of the game. I looked around the area with a foreboding feeling in my stomach. Something was fishy. I shouldn’t have run into anyone. In fact, I was deliberately trying not to run into anyone.

  “Hello?” I ventured, turning around trying to see if anyone else was interfering. The only sound was the chirp of crickets and a soft breeze rustling the trees. I rubbed my eyes and tried to convince myself I wasn’t going crazy.

  Thwack. Thwack. Two paintballs hit me in the middle of my back, stealing my breath. Blue paint splattered the tree in front of me. Hermes was here.

  As I turned slowly and saw the predatory look on his face, I knew he was playing for keeps.

  “Hello, darling,” he said, his teeth the brightest thing on his face. Yellow paint and mud streaked down his face and onto his chiton. “Fancy a date?”

  I backed away from him, my hands in the air. “I have plans,” I said. I gathered magic and was about to disappear when Hermes slammed his Caduceus on the ground. His power swept over my body, fizzling out my magic and trapping me within a thin thread of golden light. The triumphant smile on his face widened, and I felt the first trickle of fear and something else I couldn’t define slide down my spine.

  “Your plans are effectively cancelled,” he said.

  Hermes had trussed me up like a Christmas turkey. I watched him walk toward me, eyes glittering with pleasure. I felt a heartbeat tick in my neck. My eye started to twitch. I struggled against the bindings and didn’t feel any give whatsoever.

  “This is cheating,” I whined.

  His rich laughter rang out. “No. This is strategy. You should have elaborated on the rules.” He stopped when he was a few inches away and picked up a strand of my bronzed hair. “Mmm,” he said, “Me likey.” Hermes ran a warm finger down my cheek. “And your skin. It reminds me of a warm summer day.”

  I shivered with pleasure even as I struggled to run. “This won’t work. I have willpower of steel.”

  His amused chuckle made me close my eyes. He leaned in, his warm breath tickling the side of my mouth. “Liar. I can smell your pleasure.” His hand cupped the back of my neck, bringing my face even closer to his. “Relent against this madness. Let me make you scream with pleasure.”

  “I – ummm.” I squeezed my eyes together even tighter. Good girls must not be slutty. Good girls must not be slutty, I kept telling myself. But all I wanted to do was lean that quarter of an inch in and make him mine.

  I opened my eyes and stared at his lips. I pulled back slightly and licked my lips nervously. “No,” I croaked. “Release me.”

  “I will never let you go, Abby. Not until the sun falls from the sky and Olympus lies in ruins. You will be mine. You will bear my children and look up at me while I move inside you and be able to do nothing else but moan my name and scratch your nails down my back. Do not resist me.”

  He released me and moved behind me. A strong hand cupped my rear-end. “I’ve longed for ages to bite you here.” His hand reached around and cupped my breast. “And here.”

  I moaned against my better judgment. I tried to play it off with a cough, but judging from the self-satisfied chuckle he gave me, I had failed. His breath tickled my neck and his hand moved down my waist.

  Gods. I took a ragged breath in. “I will win this, Hermes.”

  “You will not,” he whispered. Warm lips nuzzled my neck and strong teeth bit down gently on my carotid.

  My knees buckled, the only thing holding me up a tanned golden arm wrapped around my waist. I closed my eyes and counted to five. The haze of desire dimmed enough for me to gather magic. Hermes felt it immediately and stiffened.

  “Don’t,” he said, just as I released it and sent him flying away from me. The golden thread from his Caduceus held but weakened significantly. One short burst from my index finger, and I was free. Hermes lay flat on his back.

  I stood over him and placed a boot gently on his chest. Even though he was looking up at me, the smile hadn’t left his face. I leaned down, my hair swinging against my face. “What are you smiling about?”

  “Your pants are ripped.” He grinned and placed a strong hand on my calf. “I can see all your glorious goods.” He licked his lips. “Heaven.”

  I blanched, giving him enough time to jerk his hand and pull my leg out from underneath me. I fell backwards onto the soft earth. I scrambled to get up, but Hermes wasn’t the fastest among us for no reason. I was pinned against his body.

  “Do you give?” he asked as his eyes glittered with anticipation.

  “Never,” I said between gritted teeth. I paused for a second, then pulled his face closer to mine. Our lips met. Heaven and hell collided, his moist tongue doing insane things to my insides. I tried valiantly to keep my wits about me, but the smell of him, the weight of his body on mine was too much. I was lost.

  He flipped me on top of him, his hands clamped tightly around my wrists, and broke away from my lips. “Do not toy with me, Abby.”

  I sat astride him, chest heaving. When did this turn from a game into something so serious? I struggled against the vice-like grip he had on me.

  “I cannot do this, Hermes.” He released me without a word and I got up.

  I was weary. “I give,” I said after a moment.

  He sat up, golden eyes watching me. “I’m in love with you.”

  My heart caught and splintered into a thousand pieces. “You should not be,” I said and turned away.

  “Since when have any of us ever done what we should?” I heard him stand and brush away the leaves. He came up behind me and turned me to face him. “You are in love with me, too. I feel it burning from your gaze when you look upon me.” He brushed an errant strand of hair away from my eye.

  “I cannot do this,” I said. “Marshall is waiting for me.”

  Hermes snorted. “Marshall is a puppy playing in an alligator pond. It would be a mercy to release him. Clotho gave you that vial. You will use it.”

  I stared at him. How had he known?

  “I’m not an idiot, Abby. You knew when you started you wouldn’t be able to keep him.”

  Tears swam in my eyes. “But I love him.”

  His eyes hardened. “That may be, but the love you feel for him is different than what you feel for me.” He gripped my upper arms tightly. “I dare you to deny it.”

  I twisted away. “I do not deny it.”

  “Even if you are not with me, you will release him. It is not in you to be cruel.” He released me and stepped back, studying my face.

  I nodded, his words carving
a piece out of my heart. Hermes was right. It was cruel for me to love someone who had no hope of surviving in my life.

  “I need some time,” I said.

  “I will wait for you. Always,” he said and disappeared. The taste of him lingered on my mouth. The scent of him lingered in the air and on my skin. I closed my eyes and sank to the forest floor.

  We were three hours into magical paint ball and so far no one had relented. I was still sitting in the same spot when a large boom shook the area. I tilted sideways and had to place a hand down on the ground to keep myself from falling over.

  What in the world? I looked around trying to find the source of the explosion.

  “Abby!” The shout rang out through the woods. I shot up, gathering magic, and floated up to the canopy of trees. I scanned the acres until I pinpointed the source. Violet flames shot up into the air.

  Artemis.

  I hauled ass through the air until I was close enough to land without getting fried by my best friend’s magic. I followed the feminine screeches and grunts of exertion and found myself back at the initial clearing I’d hidden in.

  What the hell? I shook my head and tried to avoid the weird feeling that I was in an episode of Groundhog Day. Artemis and Hestia were locked in an epic battle right in front of me. Ares stood with his arms crossed against his chest and nodded at me. I scrambled over to him, looking around for Keto. He was nowhere to be found. Based upon the way Artie looked right now, that was probably a good thing.

  Her hair streamed out behind her, the braid long gone. Artemis was in full on warrior mode. Her breasts pushed proudly against the leather straps of her sort of outfit, and her lean tan arms strained with the weight of pulling the bow back. Hestia stood in front of her looking like an angry Stepford housewife. Her jeans were ripped in several places. Long scratches ran down her face and her hair frizzed wildly around her head.

  “What’s mine is mine, Hestia.” Artemis pulled the bow back even further, the lean muscles of her arms making a fine display of strength.

  “Everything he’s done and still you fight for him? Keto does not deserve that devotion.” Hestia sneered at Artie, a ball of blue fire spinning restlessly in her right hand.

  “You do not know what kind of devotion Keto does or does not deserve.” Artie’s face was frightening. The look in her violet eyes was wild. She was hanging onto her sanity by a shred. And I had been her friend long enough to know when not to get involved.

  This was that time. I watched her warily.

  Hestia’s lips quirked. “Oh, I know plenty about Keto.”

  I felt my heart drop.

  “He hasn’t been honest with you, has he?” Hestia walked toward Artemis, and I tried not to be jealous of her smooth slinky gait.

  Artie’s aim faltered. “Don’t listen to her,” I said. “She’s lying to make you lose focus.” But I wasn’t sure she was really lying. I glanced around. Where the hell was Keto?

  Ares leaned down and whispered in my ear. “Hestia speaks truth. She and your friend were hot and heavy for several years.”

  “Great,” I muttered. “She doesn’t need to know that right now. What we need to do is stop them from killing each other.”

  “Good luck,” Ares murmured. I gave him a dirty look.

  “Who says I’m lying?” Hestia asked.

  Artie’s arm began to shake. She looked uncertain. Hestia, smelling blood in the water, smiled triumphantly. “Keto is delicious isn’t he? All warmth and angst tied up in a handsome little well-endowed ball.” She shivered in pleasure.

  My face drained of blood. I knew Artie well enough to know what was going to happen next. Artie took a barely noticeable breath and her arm straightened.

  “Artemis,” I barked. “Do not.”

  She didn’t spare me a glance. “I am the Goddess of the Hunt, Hestia. You will bow in my domain. And if you do not bow, your life will be forfeit.”

  “She’s cheating,” Ares said in a sing-song voice, a wicked smile of delight on his face.

  “This is not mud-wrestling,” I hissed and punched him in the arm.

  Hestia’s tinkling laughter rang out in the woods. “I will not bow to you.” She moved closer. “You are weak. Washed up. Old.” She swept a hand out across the forest. “You cavort with animals, lesser beings. Those not worthy of walking amongst us.”

  Oh, hell no. Hestia was possessed of a poor sense of self-preservation. You did not insult the woodlands to Artemis and get away with it. The ground beneath us began to shake.

  “Artie,” I pleaded. “Don’t.”

  A flash of fear swept across Hestia’s face, but stupidly she pressed on. “Oh yes,” she made a tutting noise. “He didn’t tell you? We spent some marvelous time together.”

  Clouds gathered across the sky, plunging the woods into semi-darkness. The slither and hiss of forest creatures gathered around us. From the ground, snakes, spiders, and other creatures slithered and skittered across the forest floor, gathering around Artie’s ankles. Vultures and other birds of prey swung in and landed on available tree branches. Two bald eagles soared and landed on her shoulders, their talons digging deep into her skin. Ichor poured from her skin, but she allowed the beasts to stay. At least twenty mountain lions sauntered into the fray and sat, heeled at their goddess’ feet, awaiting her command.

  Ares grabbed my arm. “I am so turned on right now.”

  “Shut up,” I hissed, then eyed Artie speculatively. I would not interfere. I watched Artemis as she stood proudly staring at Hestia with a regal slant to her brow.

  “As that may be, you have no claim now. I give you one chance to leave us, Hestia. This is more than generous. Return to Olympus. If you do not,” she grinned and gestured at the massive amount of power on display, “one gesture from me and the flesh will be torn from your bones.”

  Hestia was outwitted and outplayed. And she knew it. But she also wasn’t very smart. She stepped forward into Artie’s personal space.

  “Do it,” she hissed, not banking on how crazy the Goddess of the Hunt could be.

  Artemis paused. A cold, bloodthirsty smile spread across her face. “With pleasure,” she said.

  She slid her arrow back into her quiver, sent her bow away, and released the metaphorical hounds.

  19

  Chapter Nineteen

  I had heard some terrible things in my life, but the screams of someone being torn apart I couldn’t count in my repertoire. Until now. I shut my eyes and turned my face into Ares’ chest.

  “It appears I’ve once again underestimated your friend.” Ares’s voice rumbled against my face.

  “No,” I said dimly, “Hestia did.”

  His chuckle did nothing to soothe my nerves. “Truth,” he said.

  The wind picked up, blowing my hair all over the place. Ares stiffened and pushed me away. “Be wary,” he whispered quickly.

  Silver lightning cracked in the sky and everything froze in place. I could see and hear everything, but I couldn’t move any part of my body. My eyes moved to Artemis, and I was dismayed to see a glint of satisfaction in her eyes as she gazed down at Hestia.

  And Hestia…my gods, I could never unsee it. The grimace of pain screwed her beautiful face into something hideous. Two mountain lions were frozen into place, majestic creatures with their paws held high. Their claws unsheathed, ready to strike the death blow.

  “ARTEMIS, GODDESS OF THE HUNT,” the voice boomed. “You will release Hestia immediately.”

  Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos fell from the sky and into the fray. Things couldn’t have gotten more out of control if we had planned it that way.

  Atropos dispersed the animals back into the woods. My heart skittered as one of the mountain lions slunk past me, its muzzle covered in ichor and something else I was too afraid to recognize. Once the animals were gone, Clotho released the hold she had on us all.

  Lachesis gave me a disapproving glare and helped Hestia up. She was almost unrecognizable and quivering in fear.
r />   “Whose idea was this?” Atropos looked at us all. I shrank under her gaze. She already knew.

  “Mine,” I sighed. “In hindsight, maybe it wasn’t the best idea.”

  Ares shouted with laughter, but turned it into a choked cough when confronted with Lachesis’ icy stare.

  The thread cutter’s mouth thinned. “It is not yet her time.”

  Artemis bristled. “She deserves to die.”

  Atropos moved, quick as a snake, to stand in front of her. “It is not for you to decide when she dies. It is my duty.” She reached up to grip Artie’s face. “My duty,” she iterated. “Do I need to remind you of who I am, Huntress?”

  Artemis shook her head, as much as she could while it was being held. Atropos smiled, and I saw fear skitter through Artie’s gaze. I would have peed my pants if those shark teeth were that close to my jugular.

  Atropos stared at me. “And you,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “Sometimes you really are too stupid to live.”

  I bristled but wisely said nothing.

  “You thought turning gods and goddesses loose in the woods would be like some corporate trust fall exercise? On earth!” She stopped and pinched the top of her nose like my stupidity was too much to fathom. “You thought it would be a good idea for them to get some aggression out? My gods, woman.”

  A motion from Lachesis caught my eye. Her eyes shone silver as she muttered an incantation. Hermes and Keto shimmered into the clearing, both looking confused.

  Clotho stepped forward, her hippie Asheville attire out of sync with the display of power she just wielded. If anyone was going to defend me, it would probably be her.

  “We all know Aphrodite isn’t the shiniest diamond in the treasure horde,” she said.

  “Thanks,” I muttered dryly, but shut up at Clotho’s warning glare.

  “But,” she continued, “it wasn’t the worst idea she ever had.” She turned to Artemis. “But you, Artemis, took it one step too far. You were going to kill her were you not?”

  Artemis stiffened at all the eyes on her. “No,” she said, but even I knew she was lying. “Okay, yes,” she grumbled.