Curses of Olympus (The Olympus Trilogy #2)

16. Aphrodite

16

APHRODITE

W hen Aphrodite arrives in her chambers after the feast, Icarus is waiting for her as planned, pacing in front of the full moon light in the open window. When Icarus hears Aphrodite, she spins on her heel, her face distorted in a fit of rage.

“How could you just sit there and watch that?” Icarus looks into Aphrodite’s eyes searching for any kind of answer, but the goddess refuses to hang her head in shame.

“Do you think I would do anything to risk further scrutiny on us? I can’t go through another half of a century without you.” Aphrodite tucks a strand of Icarus’s hair that hangs loose from her braid behind her ear.

Icarus shoves away from Aphrodite. “That isn’t enough of a reason to stand back and do nothing when people are being mistreated.”

She takes in her lover standing before her. Examines the look of determination, the outrage for the weak. Everything she loves about Icarus and has loved about her in every life before this are the same things that put them at risk and could jeopardize everything. This reckless passion is dangerous.

“What would you have me do?” Aphrodite implores. “Stand up and declare my protection for these mortals? So I can be the next one to end up in a god cage and they die anyway? Besides…” Aphrodite’s voice softens, and she closes the gap between them once more, gently placing her hand on Icarus’s hip. “They were traitors to the realm. I may not always agree with how the other gods handle the traitors when they find them, but you cannot expect me to risk everything, to risk you , over people who would gladly watch me burn while pissing on my ashes.”

Icarus drops her head onto Aphrodite’s shoulder, leaning into her. “I thought everything would be so much more cut and dry. In Thessaly, when I dreamed of protecting the big cities, I never imagined that there would so many layers of gray to sift through.”

Icarus lifts her head to look into the goddess’s eyes.

“Tell me more about the rebels, please. I don’t know much about them, and maybe if I did, it would make it easier for me to feel solid about the things I have to do.”

Despite herself, irritation claws at Aphrodite. She should reassure her lover. Tell her all the pretty things she needs to hear to feel safe and secure in this world. But all she can muster is annoyance.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Icarus.” Aphrodite narrows her eyes. “I’m a fucking goddess. I am not going to sit here and give you a lesson on the bad guys. You are a soldier. You take orders. Your orders are that all of these rebel scum are traitors and they are to be wiped out. There is nothing else for you to know; it’s above your pay grade.”

A shocked look crosses Icarus’s face, like Aphrodite punched her in the gut. Well, too bad. If Icarus is too petulant to handle the rebels, she does not belong here.

Would Aphrodite really be willing to spend this life, Icarus’s last life, separated over this silliness? If the rebels get what they want, this world will cease to exist, and then it will not matter if they were together or not.

“Fuck you,” Icarus spits out. “It’s nice to see your true colors. Under that pretty exterior is a heartless bitch.”

Icarus turns to leave, but Aphrodite grabs her by the wrist and yanks her toward her. “You’ve got a lot of nerve to say that to a goddess.” Aphrodite pulls her tight against her body. “Especially a goddess who knows exactly where to touch you.”

Running her free hand along the side of Icarus’s body, she smirks in satisfaction when Icarus moans beneath her touch as she cups her rear.

Teeth grazing over the edges of Icarus’s ear, Aphrodite says, “I’m sorry. I was tense from the feast. Being around those assholes always puts me on edge. Can we please talk more about this another time?”

Icarus brings her forehead to Aphrodite’s and nods.

“Okay. Thank you,” Aphrodite murmurs into Icarus’s hair. “Now, we are going over to the bed, so you can tell me how much of a bitch I am again, and I can punish you properly.”

Icarus pulls back, breaking free from the stupor of her desire. “I’m not in the mood. Can we just lay together? Please?”

“Of course.” Aphrodite pulls Icarus back into an embrace, but not a sensual one. “I’m sorry.”

They crawl into bed, sliding under the satiny sheets. Aphrodite opens her arms and Icarus folds into the goddess, putting her head on Aphrodite’s chest, their arms and legs twining together. Aphrodite’s long, slender fingers carefully remove the hair tie from the end of Icarus’s braid and deftly loosen the plait until her golden tresses spill down over her back and shoulders.

“What was it like before?” Icarus asks softly.

“Before?” Aphrodite repeats.

“In our past lives.”

“Oh.” She smiles. “Which life do you wish to know about?”

“Hmm.” Icarus turns her head up to face the goddess. “Where did we meet for the very first time, in my first life?”

Running her fingers through Icarus’s soft locks, Aphrodite says, “When I was brought into existence by the Fates to be the Goddess of Love, I spent a lot of time out amongst the people. I wanted to know more about them and find out what was important to them.”

Aphrodite can still remember it, clear as day. The smells of the food stalls and fragrance carts, and the clamor of city sounds.

“I was in the Olympic Markets outside of the Temple of Olympus with Hestia, my oldest and dearest friend.” Aphrodite is uncertain, but she would swear she felt Icarus stiffen at the mention of the former goddess, but she continues. “I heard laughter from several stalls over that was heavenly, as if her voice were crafted by Thalia, the muse of comedy, specifically to call to me like a siren. I approached the source of the sound trepidatiously.

“My identity was not as easily known as it is now, and while an intimate confidence comes naturally with my domain, I found none of it was available to me as I neared the figure in the soft green cloak with her hood up.”

The light from the sconces flickers back at her from inside of Icarus’s fiery amber irises, and her enraptured silence pushes Aphrodite to continue.

“I tapped you on the shoulder and held my breath as you turned around. You looked me up and down with an assessing gaze that made me want to run back to my temple and hide, but I did not falter. Somehow, I found the words to ask you to join me for dinner that evening.”

“Did I say yes?” Icarus asks curiously.

Aphrodite laughs. “No.”

Icarus’s jaw drops. “There is no way, in any lifetime, I would not have been madly in love with you from the moment I laid eyes on you. I call bullshit.”

“It’s true.” Aphrodite tucks a strand of hair behind Icarus’s ear. “You said your ship was set to depart soon and you would no longer be in Olympus.”

“Well, what happened? Because clearly the story doesn’t end there.” Icarus nudges her.

“You told me you and your family were returning to Ithaca and asked how much I really wanted to see you again.” Aphrodite cups Icarus’s face in her palm. “But my ships are much faster than those that can be charted by mortals. I had a lavish dinner laid out and waiting for you in the Solar Temple when you arrived in Ithaca.”

At Icarus’s shocked expression, Aphrodite feigns innocence. “What? It’s good to be a god sometimes.”

“So where does our story in that lifetime go from there?”

Aphrodite’s expression clouds over, and she shakes her head to clear the noise that threatens to pour in if she allows it. “That’s a story for another day, my love.” She kisses Icarus on the forehead, cheeks, and lips. “Let’s go to sleep. Tomorrow, I can tell you about another time we found each other.”

“That sounds perfect. I’m sorry we fought earlier.”

“As am I. No matter what, please never doubt my devotion for you. I would go toe to toe with the Fates for you.”

It wouldn’t be the first time.