Page 20 of Prometheus' Priestess

“I’ve missed you too,” she replied, petting his chest until she could hear his chest rumble in agreement. He was like a large mountain lion, easy to pet if he decided he wasn’t going to eat you. Although ... when he had the appetite … Aphrodite sighed in nostalgia as her thighs clenched involuntarily and she remembered why she was in the open-aired corridor that led to Athena’s warrooms.

“Let me down, Ares, my love. I must speak to Athena.”

Immediately he released his hold in her hair and on her wrist, removing his thigh in a swift move. But his eyes, they kept her pinned to the stone wall.

“I must speak with her too − boring battle plans.” He shrugged, heaving shoulders the size of rocks as if the weight of him was nothing. He was a magnificent man, but while his body would usually seduce her, his words were enough of a nudge to switch mercurial Aphrodite from her temptress thoughts to ones more pristine in nature. She had come here because her priestess had undergone a rape, a direct violation of all Aphrodite stood for, in the name of Athena’s greater plan for humanity. Rearranging her pleated sky-blue skirt around her legs and smoothing hair of the purest white, Aphrodite composed herself from the dishevelled look she always seemed to develop in a heartbeat when she and Ares managed to find themselves truly alone for a moment.

“Yes, well, mefirst.”

“Always,” Aressmirked.

At that precise moment, Athena swung open the great wooden doors, which were etched with carvings of her most treasured victories in history.

“Ares, there you are. And Aphrodite. Well, well, well, have you two been up to old tricksagain?”

Aphrodite’s smile was saccharine with an undertone of seethinghatred.

“No, but apparently you have, dearsister.”

With her skirt pleats dancing around her, Aphrodite stormed past Athena into her war rooms. Ares followed, somewhat less theatrically. Not waiting until the door was closed, Aphrodite whipped round and immediately sent a volley of insults in Greek, Latin, Arabic, and French. Even Ares, bullish as he was, blushed at some of the names she called Athena.

“Are youdone?”

Aphrodite, pursed lips painted blood red, took a breath and replied calmly.

“Yes, I think that coversit.”

“Now,” said Athena, who still stood by the doorway, arms crossed, “would you care to explain why you just verbally accostedme?”

Aphrodite cocked her head to the side and stared, hard at her.

“I’ll answer your question with one of my own. What did Artemis have to say for herself when the pair of you discussedAmara?”

Athena arched an eyebrow and uttered a dry laugh. “She actually agreed with you about thefear.”

Aphrodite’s eyes narrowed to slits before she smiled coyly. “And pray tell, how did you go about instilling fear in the girl?” While the smile remained, her tone cut like shards of glass and Athena got the sinking feeling she was about to be told disastrous news.

“I handled it,” she replied smoothly, her fingers drumming on the wartable.

“Did you now?”

Athena was no fool. She knew the words the Moirai had told her of the boon off by heart and there was only one reason Aphrodite would be here in this state. That she had sanctioned the act that had undoubtedly brought Aphrodite to her chambers, unknowingly or not, made bile burn the back of her throat but she could not show weakness now. Not in front of Aphrodite and certainly not in front of Ares, who was watching the two sisters as a lion watches gazelles when he isn’t hungry, positively bored yet under no pretence should you think he was sleeping. In reality, she knew he was simply observing with as little energy as required, unless Aphrodite went to gouge out her eyes and there was actual bloodshed. In which case, Athena had no doubt her brother would help his beloved if only so he could claim to be the only Olympic god to be associated with warfare should they destroyher.

“We did what was necessary to protect thehumans.”

“What you did WAS. NOT. PROTECTION!”

For a minute, the mask dropped and the ugly veneer of Aphrodite, the vicious she-devil that lurked beneath, came forward, all teeth and snarls, her face contorted in a way that didn’t befit her image. It was not the first time Athena or Ares had seen this face. It was, however, a mark of how pissed off Aphrodite was. Cerberus, the multi-headed dog who guarded the underworld for Hades, looked tame in comparison.

“It was a necessary loss to win the war,” Athena said quietly.

Aphrodite laughed now but her usual tinkle was replaced with something darker, something much more venomous. “A loss is an inept word for what you put that girlthrough.”

Athena physically flinched as she took the blow.

“Howcouldyou?! How could you evenaskthat of one of your priestesses? I wouldnevereven question asking that of mine. Shewasone ofmine!”

“Amara knew the cost of battle. She knew exactly what she was getting herself into.” Athena’s steely resolve threatened to crack but she couldn’t give away her secret, her shame at not knowing the thread the Moirai would pull. Everyone on board with this plan had to believe Athena knew what she was doing even if they hated her for it, or they wouldn’t trust her wisdom and follow through when she needed themto.

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