Damn him and his sex- as-hell self. He's too fucking hot like this. It makes arguing hard because I'm so distracted.
His hair is tousled, and he's still wearing those low jogging pants and sleeveless shirt. His voice is so steady, the complete opposite of my shaky one.
"No one asked you to pay my bills, and I like seeing my family and Clara. My job was a hard one to get, and I haven't put up with all the bullshit to just quit. Please stop holding me captive. I'm tired, and I want to go home."
He tightens his lips before continuing. "Think of what might happen if you do. What happens if you get pissed? The apartment building could crumble beneath a storm you accidentally invite. What happens if you're in a car with Clara, and some jerk cuts you off? What happens if you watch a movie that evokes a sad emotion? What happens if you're at work and your bitch boss finally makes you snap?"
"Okay. Okay. I get it," I mumble in defeat. "When do I get to learn control?"
"Right now if you want to start," Theia says from behind me.
I turn to face her, and Devin steps up to stand beside me.
"I don't think that's a good idea. She needs to rest for at least a couple of days," he contests.
"No. I want to learn now." I make sure to pull out my most intimidating glower, though it seems to have no effect on him.
"It's dangerous to open you up too soon," he murmurs compassionately.
Theia jumps in to speak before I can counter.
"It's no more dangerous than leaving her to the mercy of her own emotions. I've never seen anyone controlled by their entity the way she is. We need to see if she can handle herself like she did earlier every time. That was a small storm. We need to have her control when it starts and when it ends before something worse happens."
Devin sighs in protest, but he knows she's right.
"Fine, but I'm not going to let you push her too hard," he warns.
She smiles slightly and shifts her gaze to me while still speaking to him.
"I suspect you won't," she says with a smirk.
I squirm uncomfortably, and her smirk remains as she walks on by. Devin motions for me to walk down the steps in front of him, and he follows at a small distance behind.
He struts over to a bar area set up outside and pours a glass of liquor. The ice rattles against the glass as he sips it slowly, his eyes showing their nervousness from over the rim of the cup.
"I need you to open the skies. Use your emotions to draw forth the thunder, the rain, the wind, whatever you can summon on a lower scale," Theia instructs.
I nod and stare at the sky. I think about the fight with the crazy people, but not even a slight stirring occurs. I think of my anger with Devin when he left me, and a breeze emerges. He sits down and keeps his eyes intensely focused on me.
"Good. Now force it stronger," Theia urges.
I think of how heartbroken I was and still am. The wind stirs more, but it's still a subdued gust. I can't seem to break the skies apart when I'm on the spot.
"Okay. I need you to think of your mother. Think of how she dumped you like an old sweater," Theia says heartlessly.
"Watch it, Mother," Devin snaps angrily as he glares at her.
"I have to piss her off. It's a strong emotion for anyone. Trust me," she says to him.
"It's not going to piss me off. Earlier was a fluke. I've dealt with my anger for my mother for far too long to provoke another emotion like I had. I need something else. I've dealt with too much, and I've already released most of the shit tying me down."
She frowns slightly as she thinks.
"You've dealt with your mother leaving, but what about your mother returning? That was what pissed you off. Imagine if she strolled up right now. What would you do?"
Lightning crashes from the clear sky without warning, and it barely misses Theia. She jumps to the side to dodge it - a ridiculously high and long jump. She lands close to Devin and dusts herself off as though she's trying to rid herself of her exposed nerves.
"Well, I think that'll do the trick," she says with a slightly rattled tone.
Devin covers his laughing face behind his drink. She clears her throat to rid her voice of her nervous crackle before she speaks.
"I think this is a good start. I'm going to go get a glass of wine, empty it into my mouth in one gulp, and pour another before we resume. I have to say, I wasn't prepared for that," she rattles out.
Devin laughs harder as she walks in with a slight tremble. I resume my place on the porch, and he walks over to join me.
His sweet breath is laced with the alcohol I normally don't care for, but on his lips, I'm desperate to reconsider the appalling scotch as a personal favorite. I've never wanted so badly to taste it, and my lips call to his.
He walks up the steps, and my eyes rise to follow his ascent. Soon, I'm staring straight up as he towers over me.
"Have you changed your mind yet?" he says playfully.
My hands slide up his chest when the goddess within tries to pull his lips to mine, but he stops me before I can.
"That's not all of you. I can see when you're not all of you," he seduces. "I do love the way you want me when you're like this. I just want all of you to want me."
His lips brush mine with their teasing dance, and he turns to disappear into the house.
He said he loves it when I want him.
The word love sends chills through me. I can't believe this is sending me into such a rush. He didn't say he loved me. Why am I reeling over this?
I'm not in love. I'm not in love. I'm not in love.
Maybe if I say it in mantra, it'll be true.
I'm exhausted from straining my emotions, and receiving very little payout. The one lightning bolt was apparently a fluke. We couldn't wrestle anything else out of me, and I can't seem to control absolutely anything.
"It doesn't happen over night," Devin says softly from behind me.
Chills invade me as his breath lingers on my neck, tempting me, seducing me, and winning the war raging on inside me.
"I wasn't expecting to be an overnight success, but there's no improvement at all. If anything, I'm declining."
He laughs a little and moves to prop in front of me. His slanted body makes me feel a desire to straddle him, but I fight the ridiculous, carnal urge.
"Where are the others?" I ask to change the tone of the conversation.
"They went window shopping," he says with a chuckle.
"Window shopping?" I ask curiously.
"Yes, for actual windows."
His snicker continues and my cheeks blush. I wish I had the money to pay for the damages.
"I have an idea," Theia says from behind me. "I'll just attack Devin. That should stir the emotions she's strongest with."
Devin grimaces. "I don't think that's a good idea. You've seen what happens. She could have killed Kry."
I cringe slightly to think of such a ghastly, morbid option.
"I'm a titan. I can withstand a great deal. I think I can handle her," she says smugly.
"Then let's try it," I say hesitantly.
We walk back outside to see Kry, Ther, and Phillip - Devin's father- walking up with huge windows bound in cardboard boxes. The elongated boxes are propped over their shoulders, and the immortal men don't even act the least bit breathless, despite how heavy the windows have to be.
"What’s going on?" Phillip asks casually.
"I'm about to provoke her emotions by simulating an attack on Devin."
Kry puts down the windows he's carrying as he cautions Theia.
"That's not a good idea."
She rolls her eyes, and now everyone is watching us. No pressure.
She throws her arms out, but Devin doesn't budge. Nothing happens at all. Suddenly, a loud noise erupts, and a ripple dives toward him.
I take a deep breath, but nothing happens. Devin is struck by the rippling force, and he flies backwards, digging his feet into the ground when he lands and driving up the disturbed soil.
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He brushes himself off, but he's unfazed by the gentle attack. Theia purses her lips, and then she frowns.
"I don't understand. That should have stirred something."
"Nothing. I got nothing from it," I say in a huff.
"Perhaps I'm not the trigger we thought I was," Devin says with a little bit of a pout.
Then his face changes. Fear sparks and mingles with uncertainty. He flashes up to me with his incredible speed, and his hand holds mine.
"We're about to have company," he says in an eerie, whispered tone.
Everyone jumps on guard, but nothing happens right away. A slow fog creeps in from out of nowhere, and the clouds above us crackle. Devin pulls me behind him in a protective motion.
"That's not me," I whisper, my hands clinging to his waist.
Though I'm barely touching him, it's still distracting.
"I know," Devin whispers back, snapping me out of my accidental trance.
My heart leaps into my throat when I hear a woman's voice sounding out. "You're training her all wrong."
Kry whips out his circular blades just as the woman's silhouette presents itself inside the cloak of the fog, and then she emerges to reveal herself fully. She's stunning - early thirties maybe - with striking blond hair that drapes around her shoulders. Her sexy ensemble compliments her astounding beauty.
Kry flings the blades, but she dodges them with quick, effortless ease. She dusts her shoulder off as the blades travel through five trees. She doesn't flinch as the once gallant giants crash around her.
She jumps through the gap as one topples in front of her, and she continues her unwavering approach.
The blades return to Kry, and Ther pulls out a metal pole that he flings into a spiky whip. He starts to head toward the woman, but Devin stretches out his hand to stop him.
"What do you suggest?" Devin asks the blond temptress.
Does he know her?
"You have the strongest trigger in the world for a daughter of Aphrodite - her love. This is a rare first, and it's going to play well in our hands. You just have to learn to control her. You're her trigger, and you're her brake. I think you already know this, but you need someone to guide your approach."
Theia doesn't seem to know her at all, given her offensive stance.
"Who are you? How did you find us?" Theia asks.
The woman stops and smiles while staring directly at me.
"I always know where my daughter is."
Chapter 9
The Breaking Point
"What?" I gasp in terrified, traumatic disbelief.
Her eyes soften, and her fearless, badass persona lifts slightly as she stares at me with more guilt than I've ever seen one person hold. The thunder rolls fiercely through the sky and the lightning glistens high, threatening to strike.
Theia holds her hands up for an attack pounce, but Devin speaks gently to her.
"This is Adisia's storm. Not Persia's."
Persia? He knows her name?
My voice quivers as the pain inside me overflows into a raging ball of anger, and the rain pelts against my face when the horizontal winds slide it in under the overhang.
"You brought her here? You bastard! You can't stop hurting me!" I cry as I back up.
The thunder rumbles louder, and the lightning begins streaking to spark life into the ground. The rain pounds on the house, and the wind cracks against it and us as it hastens with violent ambition.
"I didn't. Adisia, I swear I didn't," he panics.
"You fucking know her name," my chimed voice blares to protest his lie.
Suddenly, Persia's voice is behind me.
"He saw me just before I got here. I can still avoid visions pretty well it seems," she boasts.
I turn to face her, and lightning crashes between us. She flies backwards, and I stalk toward her as the power consumes me. I'm not out of control either. It's just me, and I want this heartless bitch dead - cold in the ground for all she has done to me.
The lightning crashes again, but she pulls her hand up and deflects it. It crashes to the ground beside her instead of tearing her to shreds like I wanted it to.
She scowls as she throws her hands toward the heavens and screams at me.
"That's enough!"
Like I'm going to listen to her.
The lightning crashes against the ground beside her again, and her eyes swirl and spark with lightning before shading over with a mesmerizing green. The storm around us calms, despite the one still crashing around inside of me.
"You can control her?" Theia asks in disbelief as the skies clear.
I start to fall, but Devin catches me and pulls me into his protective clutches.
"For now I can control her storms, not her. In a few days, her power will surpass mine. We grow stronger with each generation. Our collective parts gain more energy with each new breath. She has to get a handle on herself - at least somewhat - or she'll be ripped apart by her own power. That's why I'm here."
Devin scoops me up and sits down with me still tucked safely in his arms. My head rests on his chest, and I feel the burning passion inside of me clashing with my fury. The clouds thunder again, and Persia flashes to be next to us.
"You're training her Prometheus half first when you should be concentrating on her Aphrodite half. That’s the control," she says in the usual cryptic manner the immortals around me do.
"Prometheus? She's half titan? Impossible. Aphrodite never mated, let alone bore child, with a titan," Theia objects.
"Aphrodite had a child that found a strong titan mate. I'm the direct daughter of Prometheus and Sapphire. Sapphire had me shortly after she met Prometheus, and then Athena's war began.
"We bounced around from place to place, but eventually Athena and her daughters caught up with us. I destroyed Athena, but not before my mother was killed. That was my strongest trigger - my mother.
"Then I was hunted. I bounced all over the world, and denied my Aphrodite half satisfaction. It finally caught up with me. I met Aphrodisia's father while I was in Egypt. I didn't even know he was immortal at first because his eyes were so subdued. My goddess called to him, and he responded with vigor. The overwhelming ecstasy made me make a decision I wasn't ready to undertake, given the hunt for me. I opened my womb for a child, and her father and I stayed together for as long as we could.”
I don't even know how to respond. My storm is being subdued by the bitch who abandoned me, and I'm weakened from the strain of trying to force it. Devin's arms tighten around me when he feels my shaky body trembling against him.
"And her father?" Theia asks.
Persia hesitates and takes a deep breath before answering.
"Kahl, son of Krios. A full titan."
"That's impossible. The titans have all been killed with the exception of Deidra."
Theia apparently doesn't want my mother to know she's a titan. I don't blame her. I don't trust the blond bitch either.
"Don't treat me like a fool. I told you the name of my father. Don't pretend I don't know who or what you are. Besides, Kahl died before Aphrodisia was ever born. No one, and I mean no one, outside this group can know of her existence.
"You have no idea what I've sacrificed to keep her safe. If she dies, I'll kill you all. Don't doubt my abilities. I've survived one attack after another from the bitches spawned from Athena. I'll continue until I kill them all. Don't add yourselves to my list."
You have got to be kidding me.
"Who the fuck do you think you are? You abandoned me. You have no right to threaten anyone for my safety," I wail out angrily.
Devin's arms tighten around me again while Persia takes a deep breath, and then she calms herself before speaking. Thunder doesn't crackle when she's mad. Why does it crackle when I'm mad?
"I did what I had to in order to keep you from living the life I did. It wasn't living at all. I wanted you to have family, friends, and possibly a future. I had hoped your immortality would stay dormant, and then you coul
d live a normal, happy, fearless life. I knew this day would come despite my hopes. Your blood is too strong for your powers to have stayed dormant. Then I saw you with him, and I knew it was just a matter of time before you hit your mark. It was so obvious. I don't know how anyone missed it."
"You can see her?" Devin questions, seeming intrigued.
"Vaguely, and only because I'm a direct descendent of Prometheus."
"I can't see her at all," he says in a huffing manner.
"That's because she's very shielded, more so than I. We can discuss the ins and outs of our world at a different time though. Right now, we need to train her Aphrodite half. You're the key to that,” she says to Devin.
He frowns slightly, and I finally sit up and out of his lap. I can't train my Aphrodite half because it wants to be with Devin so badly it's painful. If I give in again, it'll be worse.
"I don't have to listen to you. I'm getting somewhere the other way," I lie.
"You're not getting anywhere. You can hate me as fervently as you want to, you can even try to kill me later, but right now, I'm going to get you where you need to be in order to survive. So get up, dust yourself off, and get ready to learn."
I stand up, take a deep breath, and then something bizarre and unexpected happens. I punch her as hard as I can right in the face.
She flies backwards into the lake - that is rather far away - and I turn to walk in as if I'm not rattled by my incredible strength.
Holy fucking shit.
Kry and Ther let accidental laughs escape, but everyone else is wide-eyed and mum. I'm not listening to this bitch. I'm not having anything to do with her.
I'm not using my Aphrodite half for a thing if I don't have to. I'm tired of feeling pain. I'm tired of the foolish tears. I'm sick of the people who inflict me with both.
For the first time, I use my speed and flash up to my makeshift room. Everything around me blurs, and my legs feel to be moving in slow motion even though they're carrying me too fast for the human eye to see. I almost get queasy from the velocity I wasn't expecting.
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