Page 19 of Loved By Aphrodite

She felt it—a twinge in her chest, like someone plucking a string and sending a signal back to her. It was familiar to her, calling to her, a reflection of her own being.

Love magic.

She followed it back like a beacon, finding it hidden amongst the chips and wires and lines of codes within the processor. It looked like a heart, alive and beating, powering the entire system. The magic was so beautiful and intricate that for a moment she could only watch it in awe, so proud of her son for creating such a complex spell. No wonder it had caused so much chaos.

Focusing her own magic, she wove it around the heart, covering it completely. She recognized parts of the spell, things she did, indeed, teach Eros. Bits and pieces of magic here and there that seemed disjointed, but when she saw the patterns, she found that she could undo them. One by one, she dismantled the parts, until the magic simply dissipated.

She released the breath she was holding and jolted back into the real world.

“You did it.” It was a statement, one that was full of confidence.

“I did?” Gasping, she shot up from the chair. “I did it!’ Excitement flowed through her as she threw her arms around Hephaestus’s neck. “I can’t believe?—”

“I did.” Strong arms wrapped around her middle and pulled her close. “I always believed you could.”

“Thank you!” She kissed his cheek—which made his entire body stiffen. Horror filled her as she realized what she had done. “I…uh…” She let go of his neck at the same time he released her.

He pulled the chair back and sat down, then began to type on the keyboard. “Looks like it’s cleared.”

She pushed away the shock and embarrassment threatening to overwhelm her. “It is?”

“Yeah, the spell is gone…”

“Thank goodness,” she sighed in relief. “That means everything should be back to normal, right? All those couples should be coming to their senses?”

He grunted. “Should be. But only you can know for sure.”

“Right.” Clearing her mind, she opened up to the prayers once again. But instead of that soft, steady hum, that overpowering wave returned. The desperation, the chaotic energy, the intense heat swirled around her.

“No!” She slammed the block back in place. “It’s still there.”

His dark eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“It didn’t work, whatever we did.”

“But you shut it down…wait a second.” Turning back to the screens, he began to type furiously. “Fuck!”

“What’s wrong?”

He scrubbed a hand down her face. “You managed to shut off the system that powered the magic-infused code, but only one part of it.”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s like…you shut off the brain, but the heart is still pumping. But, essentially, no new users will be able to download the app, which stops it from spreading.”

“Oh, thank goodness. But what about the rest of the people who already have it? Couldn’t you, I don’t know, shut down their phones?”

“No, not all one hundred fifty million users.”

“One hundred…” She slapped a hand over her forehead. “What are we going to do?”

He cracked his knuckles. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find a way to stop all of this.”

Chapter 6

Hephaestus

If Hephaestus hadn’t been so angry at Eros for what he did, he would have been so damned proud. Over the last few decades, he’d seen Eros’s proficiency with computers grow, but he didn’t think he could code and program at this level. The combination of technology and magic in Winged’s programming was a thing of beauty.

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