Page 23 of Heroines of Olympus

“What are you doing here? She managed to elude you once again?” Hestia hears Athena say to someone, as she is listening outside of a council room. It had surprised her to hear a commotion coming from one of these rooms so late in the evening.

“That bitch Psyche was there,” a deep voice spits out. Poseidon. Her heart leaps for joy at hearing further confirmation that Medusa and the Allegiance members made it out safely.

Another male voice chimes in: Zeus. “What does your little pet project have to do with the rebel thorns in our side? Why were they there?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. She’s still MINE,” he says, roaring the last word. His obsession with Medusa goes to depths none of them could have foreseen.

“Aww, is someone upset they can’t keep their pet in line?” Aphrodite teases.

The sound of a fist slamming into the table echoes throughout the courtyard. “Just because you like to get on your knees for Zeus these days doesn’t mean you have any right to speak to me like that.”

“That’s enough!” Zeus bellows. “We can circle back to this whenever I feel like it and that’s not now.”

“But you know the role she-“

“Silence!”

They begin mindlessly chattering with each other, all content to drop it for the moment. Hestia seriously doubts that Poseidon is even remotely done with Medusa, but for now, the Allegiance is safe, and so is the man that seems to hold her heart.

Hestia stays seated as she hears them get up from their chairs, saying their goodbyes to each other as they walk out into the courtyard. Without looking up from her book, she can feel their eyes on her as the conversation temporarily stops. She keeps pretending to read and they make the usual assumption that she is just engrossed in whatever today’s knowledge pursuit is.

After a few minutes, Hestia feels safe enough to move from her spot, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

She walks to the kitchens to put together a tea tray for herself. Despite pretending to read for hours today, she wants to spend this evening doing some actual reading.

When Hestia is almost at her destination, she hears a shrill shouting accompanied by pained shrieks. Running toward the sound and around a corner, she takes in the scene before her.

Aphrodite is glowing, powers on full display as she stands over a maenad on the floor. The spiked heel of her shoe presses into the maenad’s cheek as her body convulses in pain. Hestia can barely hear what Aphrodite says over the young woman’s poor screams, but what she does hear makes her blood run cold in fear and hot with rage simultaneously.

“How dare you not bow the moment you see a god? Do you think I won’t end your worthless life just because it pleases me?”

The woman’s screams have turned to groans and Hestia fears she will go into shock.

She rushes into Aphrodite’s view and shoves her off of the maenad. Aphrodite falls on her ass and skids a few feet, the look on her face going from shock to rage in an instant.

“You fucking bitch,” Aphrodites says, her voice nearly reaching a pitch that only dogs can only hear.

Aphrodite stands back up quickly and lunges for Hestia, arms extended as if she means to strangle her. Hestia easily sidesteps her, causing Aphrodite to fall face-first into the stone pillar Hestia had been standing in front of.

Shrieking again as blood runs down her face and onto her blush pink dress, Aphrodite rips a cloth from her skirts and looks at Hestia, seething.

“This isn’t over.” Aphrodite’s tone is low and serious as she turns on her heel and stomps off.

“It never is,” Hestia says, returning to the maenad who is sitting up now and her breathing is leveling out.

“What’s your name? Can you talk yet?”

The maenad breathes deeply, visibly wincing as her body continues to recover. On an exhale she answers, “Elena.”

“Well, Elena, wait here? I’m going to go grab tea and something for you to eat. We will take a few minutes together and get you feeling settled again,” Hestia offers with a kind smile.

Elena seems hesitant to trust another god immediately, but nods her head.

Hestia gently places her hand on Elena’s shoulder, stands up, and heads to the kitchens.

When she arrives back with a tea tray, Elena is nowhere to be found. A scan of the vicinity only reveals a small piece of parchment, neatly folded and tucked into the branches of a fern. Quickly pocketing the note, Hestia heads to her library. She hopes Elena is alright, and can hardly blame her for wanting to be somewhere else if she was feeling better.

A wave of comfort and belonging hits her as soon as Hestia enters the library. Every time she walks through these doors, she gets this feeling, and she doubts she will ever tire of it. After gathering a few book titles of interest, Hestia settles into a cozy chair with her tea and takes out the parchment.

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