The Trials of Aphrodite

♦ Chapter Fourteen ♦

I thrashed in Zethes's vise-like grip, but he was surprisingly strong for someone that weighed a maximum of ninety pounds, which was mortifying considering I was thirty pounds heavier. Cal could handle both Hylla and Reyna, which was a feat I didn't think anyone but him could accomplish. Reyna kicked and squirmed, and Hylla cursed like a sailor and landed forceful punches on the Boread. But Cal's skin was close to impenetrable.

"Put us down!" I screeched, writhing like a snake.

Zethes glanced behind him. "I'm sure you're a very smart lady, mademoiselle, but I hope you understand that if I drop you from this height, you would make a very pretty grease stain on the streets of Quebec."

I looked down at the ground and whimpered. People milled about, small as ants, and vertigo made the world a spiraling void of color. I envisioned my body limp and bent at a wrong angle on the pavement and quickly dispelled the image. I concentrated on the hotel, also my impending doom.

As we neared the tower, I feared we would crash. "Wait!" I yelled.

The Boreads ignored me, and I braced for impact. But it didn't come.

A section of the slanted green roof slip open, revealing a massive entrance that easily accommodated all four of us. Icicles as jagged as Cal's sword jutted out from the entrance.

The angels set us down in what appeared to be a penthouse, but it looked like a blizzard had blown past. The entry hall had high vaulted ceilings, large windows draped with velvet that was frosted over, and lush carpets just as extravagant. A staircase at the back of the grand room led up to another beautiful hall, and several other corridors connected to rooms equally as spectacular. I really needed to ask Athena and her children if they could redesign Olympus like this. I would certainly enjoy it.

But not exactly like this room. This room was freezing cold and laden with sharp icicles and snow-coated furniture. I would slip and break my neck, or possibly impale myself on an icicle. Forget swords-those icicles could run me through. The windows were open, unfortunately. A cold draft blew in my direction, and I shivered. My teeth began to chatter.

"I don't like this place," Reyna murmured. "It feels hostile." She rubbed her shoulders and shuddered.

"We can't turn back now," I protested. "I didn't risk my life on so many occasions for nothing!"

"You do not have a choice, pretty girl," Zethes said cheerfully. "My sister must meet special guests before they leave. Well, most don't leave."

"What does that mean?" I squeaked.

"They are an addition to our ice statue collection," he said nonchalantly. He paused. "You would make a beautiful ice statue," Zethes mused. "I could look at you whenever I wished. Surely you would like that?"

My insides twisted with revulsion. I did not want to spend eternity with a disco dude with a terrible accent. Especially the accent. If I had to hear his poor French all my life, I would go insane.

"Sister must see you," Cal rumbled. "No friends come with you."

"I'm going with my friends," I insisted, my heart warming a little in this cold place at the word friends. Hylla and Reyna were my...friends.

"I don't-" Zethes started, but I cut him off.

"No," I said. "Hylla and Reyna are coming, too. Or I will put up a fight."

Zethes smoothed his feathery white mullet as if pure junk could become less junkier. "Hmm. I'm afraid we'll have to take you against your will, then."

My skin prickled with apprehension. "No," I repeated, and it was like something was sweetening my words. Like honey added to a concoction to make it sugary. "You'll let us all inside, in spite of what your sister says."

Zethes's eyes glazed over. "We will-We will do that. Come with us." The Boreads removed orange flashlights from their belts and clicked them on. They walked up a staircase and disappeared into the darkness.

"This keeps happening to us," I said. "Follow them?"

Hylla glared at the staircase. "It looks like we're out of ideas, so I suppose so."

The entry hall was like the beach on a sunny day compared to the throne room.

The walls were bedecked with frozen tapestries depicting snowy landscapes, tall mountains, and huge glaciers. Mist hung low over the ground, and colorful and vibrant streaks of light rippled along the ceiling-the aurora borealis. A heavy layer of snow covered the ground like a thick white blanket, and I felt like I was walking in the snow outside the McLeans' mansion again.

Life-size ice sculptures of people were in fighting stances around the room. Many held Greek and Roman weapons or guns locked and loaded. More recent statues were of modern teenagers with fearful expressions. Their eyes seemed to follow me as I passed, and the hairs rose on the back of my neck.

I tried to step between a pair of Roman spearmen, but they intercepted me with javelins crossed. Their joints cracked and their icy bodies gleamed. I jumped back in fright.

I sidestepped the two soldiers and continued down the hall. I inhaled sharply as the mist parted to reveal a woman sitting atop a throne of ice.

She was breathtaking. Her hair was a glossy raven-black, and her complexion was as pale as the snow in the room. She donned a white Greek-style dress, and her eyes were light brown. But I detected no warmth in those eyes. They were calculating, cold, and malicious. She lilted her head to the side and smiled, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth. My body felt weak.

Khione, daughter of Boreas, and the goddess of snow stood and spread her arms wide in welcome. "Ah, I was expecting you! You know, I've been watching your little quest. Visitors are so rare these days. I'm so touched that you came here before your deaths."

My heart lurched. Then I realized how insignificant this goddess was compared to me. "Give it back," I demanded. "You thieving D-list goddess! I am Aphrodite!"

Khione laughed mirthlessly, waving a hand to dismiss her brothers. The Boreads left, and it was only Khione and the three of us. "Oh, what is a love goddess against me, really? I should have been in the Olympian council. And I will be, after this is over."

Anger pulsed through my veins, and it was the only thing that prevented me from backing down. "You had no right!"

Khione examined her fingernails and smirked. "You, Aphrodite, complaining about what is right and wrong? How silly. You've made the lives of many unfair. They certainly complained to you, but what did you do? You ignored them. Now the ignored shall become the heeded."

"It won't work!" I said. "Your plan is foolish. You don't have the power to use the girdle! Not in such a great scale!"

"Of course I don't," she purred. "But you do. I've summoned you here to propose a deal."

My anger evaporated, replaced by curiosity. "A deal?"

Khione ran her fingers along the arm of her throne, a smooth surface of ice. "Yes. Only you have the ability to wield the girdle effectively, as it is yours, so I can only control a person at a time. But with your help, I could control thousands."

A lump formed in my throat. "Never."

Khione's eyes flashed. "You will regret that choice," she snarled. "I'm sure of it."

A question nagged at me, and I decided to ask it. "How . . . How did you steal my girdle?" I inquired. "Gods can't steal other gods' objects of power. Who stole it for you?"

Khione looked extremely amused. "Ah, Aphrodite. You poor, poor goddess. It seems you've been thwarted at every turn."

My legs wobbled and almost gave out. "What-What do you mean?"

Khione glanced behind her, at a figure concealed behind the fog. "Someone skilled in the art of thievery completed the task for me," she said. "You can come out, darling," she called over her shoulder.

A girl with long black hair and dark brown eyes stepped into my line of vision. I stumbled back.

"Via?"

The thief's betrayal, check! Scary snow goddess, check! Aphrodite's torture is almost complete!

I hope that was an appealing plot twist. This was a fun chapter to write, even if I had to do a lot of research pertaining to Khione. Like, a lot.

So spread the word of this story! The idea was original all the way through, and I kind of made things up as I went. Improvising is a little risky, but it seemed to turn out fine in the end.

Trivia Question: What's the name of the giantess Piper fought in The Blood of Olympus (and the one where Aphrodite helpfully strew roses in her face and attacked her with flocks of doves)?