“She’s not even helping in this battle — why does she have to make an appearance?” Hermes grumbled.

Thea smiled and squeezed his hand. “It’s only a quick visit, Apollo said. We’ll just suck it up and get it over with fast.”

Any chance of Hermes missing Aphrodite’s visit went out the window. Apparently, she had decided to delay her arrival until the following day because she was treating herself to a spa day. When Hermes heard she was popping in for a visit, he was beyond pissed. He spent three hours trying to convince Thea not to see her but she felt it would be for the best. She wanted to clarify to Aphrodite that she wasn’t the same girl and there would be no friendship between them.

Thea was running on a high after her morning session with Apollo. Her mental wall was working well; even Apollo’s sleazy advances had no effect on her. She still wanted to hurt him but thankfully Artemis was there to do that for her. Her control of fire was getting stronger now she’d discovered the trick to it. She could now shape and bend it to her will, the ability to control it coming back to her. She was still worried she was going to fail, but slowly those worries were fading and her confidence was making a comeback.

The two of them were waiting for Aphrodite in one of the small sitting rooms near the front of the house.  Hermes had been pacing nonstop and Thea had to grab his arm to make him stop. Voices sounded in the hall and Hermes tensed, recognising them.

“It’s all right,” she murmured. “Nice and quick, remember?”

He nodded, squeezing the blood from her hand.

The door opened and Thea recognised the blonde beauty walking toward them. With large doe eyes, she smiled as her eyes fell upon Thea. Wearing a light blue dress which accentuated her eyes, it hugged her curves, falling just above her knees. Her blonde hair was left out, falling around her face in soft curls and for a brief moment, Thea felt a spark of jealousy before squashing it down. Moving past Hermes, she reached for Thea.

“Hello, dear. Aren’t you as lovely as your predecessor?” Aphrodite leaned over and kissed both her cheeks before throwing her into a bone crushing hug. Stepping back, her upper lip curled at Hermes scowl. “Hello, Hermes. Long time, no see.”

“Aphrodite,” he said shortly. “What do you want?”

“I want to speak with Thea, of course. Alone, preferably.”

“Not a chance –“

“Hermes, it’s all right,” Thea interrupted.  

His head whipped in her direction. “What?”

She leaned closer to him, whispering, “If it means getting her out of here quicker, then let me talk to her alone. I’ll be fine, trust me.”

His lips thinned. She knew he didn’t want her left alone with Aphrodite but she was afraid he would try to start a fight if he stayed any longer. “Fine. Enjoy your talk.”

Stalking out, he slammed the door shut. Thea winced, wanting to run after him, but she had to deal with this first. Turning back, she faced the Goddess.

“So, Thea,” she said sweetly, “how are you coping with everything?”

“I’m managing all right. Hermes has helped me a lot.”

“I’m sure he has –“

“Look, Aphrodite.” Thea took a step forward, deciding to get it out of the way. “Let’s skip the small talk. I want to say something before you get into why you’re here. I know you were friends with Lissandre but I’ve seen her memories of you and what you did to Hermes. I just want to let you know that I’m not that type of person. I don’t enjoy ruining other people’s lives so I’m sorry, but if you’re looking to be friends then I suggest you leave now.”

Thea watched, confused, as Aphrodite’s face gentled. “Oh sweetie, I’m not here to resume that friendship — if you could call it that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I know about Lissandre and the things she tried to keep from us; her grief, distancing herself from the Gods, all of that.”

Thea’s eyebrows raised. “You knew?”

“Of course. I spent more time with her than any other God. I could feel her heart hurting. I knew she only wanted to use me and I could see her inner pain slowly eating away at her, so I gave her what she wanted.”

“You let her do all those things because you felt sorry for her?” Thea laughed in disbelief.

Aphrodite shrugged, her hair falling over her shoulder. “That, and also because we were using her. I felt it was only fair she get to use us for something.”

“Surely you must have known that letting her do what she did to Hermes was wrong? I mean, you’re a God! You should know better!”

She stepped forward, clasping Thea’s hands. “I did know better, Thea, but in a way I was also trying to help them both. Yes, Hermes loved that girl but they weren’t destined for each other.” She emphasized the word ‘destined’ like that was the deciding factor.

“How can you possibly have known that?”

“Goddess of love, remember?” she spoke softly.

She had her there. “Oh, right. But he loved her all the same –“

“Yes, but it would never have lasted. I admit, I didn’t like matching that girl with that oaf of a boy but it made Lissandre happy and that’s all I wanted.”

“Did you really hate Hermes that much?”

“Look, he did –and still does - annoy me on many levels but hate is a strong word. While I don’t get along with him, I do know his heart.” She looked at Thea seriously. “Hermes was in love with Lissandre, did you know that?”

Thea took a step back. “But I thought it was only Lissandre who had loved him?”

Aphrodite smiled and shook her head. “No, they were both in love with each but too blind to see it. Lissandre knew she loved him but couldn’t allow herself to be involved with the Gods. That was her choice. Hermes — he was aware of his feelings but he didn’t know at the time that it was love, he just thought it was fondness because he had watched and protected her growing up. If I hadn’t intervened — and Lissandre’s life had been different — they would have found their way to each other eventually. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always work out like that.”

Thea took a turn about the room, trying to wrap her head around everything Aphrodite was telling her. “So, Hermes and Lissandre both loved each other, didn’t realise, and Lissandre ruined any chance of them being together?”

“Not all chances — after all he’s with you, isn’t he?”

Thea ran a hand through her hair, staring at Aphrodite. “Did you not think to tell Hermes any of this?”

“Oh sweetie, he would never believe me.”

“He deserves to know the truth,” Thea protested.

“He does, but I don’t think hearing it from either of us is a good idea.”

“But he can trust me –“

“He does trust you, Thea, but after talking with me, he’s just going to think I’ve brainwashed you with some ridiculous story. You know I’m right.”

Thea stepped away from her, sighing. “I can’t keep this from him.”

Aphrodite smiled. “I know you can’t. I’m just warning you, it’s not a good idea.”

Thea nodded, deciding she needed a change of subject. “Right,  now that we’ve got that out of the way, what did you come here for, exactly?”

Aphrodite sat down, crossing her legs. “I only came to check on you two love birds. You two were always meant to be and it’s good to see you both happy for once.”

So much for the change of subject she wanted. “Meant to be?”

“Yes. Your soul was created to help put Cronos away but Eros had a role in creating it, remember? He meddled a little bit and made you a perfect fit for Hermes. He was always fond of the messenger God and wanted him to be happy.”

“So, I was made for Hermes?” Her face fell. “The only reason I love him is –“

Aphrodite waved her hand daintily in the air. “Oh no, dear girl, don’t think like that. That isn’t why you love him. You love him for all the right reasons, never believe otherwise. If that was the reason you loved him, then Hermes and Lissandre would have lived happily ever after years ago. Just because Eros made you and Hermes a pair doesn’t mean you instantly fall in love. It still happens the old fashioned way.”

“Are you sure?”

Standing up, she gave Thea a quick hug. “Positive. Now I think I’ve monopolised enough of your time for one day and I’ve got a manicure appointment I simply can’t miss. If you make it through the final battle and want to talk some more, just ask Hermes where to find me.”

“All right. Thanks, Aphrodite, and I guess I’m sorry about Lissandre using you.”

“Don’t be sorry, dear. It isn’t your fault and it’s all in the past now. Good luck in the coming days; I’ll be thinking of you.”

Walking past her, she opened the door and stumbled back. Hermes stood in the entryway, his face set in stone.

“Ah,” Aphrodite smiled. “I take it you heard most of our little conversation. At least you know the truth now.”

Stepping past him, Thea watched her disappear around the corner and looked back at Hermes, a small ball of fear forming in the pit of her stomach. “How much did you hear?”

“All of it.” Walking inside, he grabbed her, transporting them to her forest. Letting her hand go, he moved away from her.

“Hermes, what –“

“So, Lissandre was just doing all that crap to distance herself from us, from me?” he snapped.

“Yes,” she said quietly. She knew Hermes was angry and nothing she said was going to get through to him right now. He started pacing and she watched him, heart thudding painfully.

“Aphrodite let her ruin my life because she thought she was doing us both a favour?” he snarled.

“Hermes –“

“I loved Elpis, more than anything, and they ruined it!” he shouted.

Thea flinched, feeling as though he’d punched her in the stomach.

“Where does she get off, thinking that was helping us?”

“It was for a good cause,” she interjected feebly but he snorted.

“Good cause — what a load of rubbish.” Turning away from her, he muttered, “I have to get away for a while.”

Before she could tell him to wait, he vanished and she was alone.

She knew Hermes had every right to be angry, but not at her. It wasn’t her fault, yet she felt as though he was blaming her. His words had hurt more than anything else. She had always wondered about Elpis, but it was something they had decided not to talk about.

Eyes blurring, she felt tears fall down her cheeks and heard a rumble of thunder, the sky clouding over as it started to rain. Looking up, her tears mingled with the rain and feeling overwhelmed, she lay down, watching the clouds darken. Being wet didn’t bother her and she thought about how to reason with Hermes when he got back.

“If he comes back,” she whispered to the sky.

Exhaustion seeped through her bones and against her will, her eyes closed and she drifted off, mind still filled with worry.

*                             *                             *                             *                             *

“Thea, open your eyes.”

Obeying the voice, she opened her eyes, looking around.

She was still in the same place, the rain around her frozen in the air. Sitting up, she looked around in confusion. What was going on?

“Thea.”

Turning around, she found the familiar voice. “Nyx.”

The Goddess sat on a fallen tree, her black hair flowing around her. Her skin was pale in the dim light, her eyes impatient. “About time you woke up. I don’t have all day for this.”

“What’s going on?” Standing up, she moved through the rain, reminding her of something out of The Matrix. “Am I dreaming?”

“Yes, you are. It’s too annoying trying to come to you, so I helped you fall asleep. I thought I could  meet you here.”

“Why did you need to meet me?”

“So I could show you these.” She pulled out two large black chains and Thea took a step back. The darkness radiating from them set her on edge.

“Are those…?”

“The chains for Cronos? Yes, they are; all new and improved so the bastard can’t break free of them again. They will obey your command when you open Tartarus and all you need to do is attach them to those cuffs still latched onto his wrists and they’ll drag his sorry ass back to where it belongs.”

Thea reached out, touching the links hesitantly, and Nyx caught the fear in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I – I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispered doubtfully. “I’m not ready.”

Rolling her eyes, Nyx jumped off the tree and gave Thea a slight shove. “You are ready, stupid girl. Get that fear out of your head and you’ll be fine.”

Placing her finger between Theas eyes, she pressed hard. “Time to wake up. See you in a couple of days and remember to summon the damn chains.”

A bright light flashed and her eyes closed, the world fading back to darkness.

*                             *                             *                             *                             *

The sensation of rain hitting her cheeks made her eyes open.

The world was swaying and she looked up. Hermes’ face loomed above her and not thinking, she tried to move. He looked down as she fidgeted, and stopped. “You’re awake.”

She nodded. “You can put me down now.”

When he didn’t respond at first, she pushed away from him and he let her down. The rain was still pouring and she wiped the excess water from her hair. “How long have I been out here?”

“A few hours. Trust you to fall asleep in the rain.” He smiled and she realised what was going on; this was another ‘pretending nothing had happened’ scenario.

Instantly, she was angry. She thought they would be past this nonsense by now.

“Yeah,” she said shortly. “Trust me to do something like that. We should head back.”

He looked at her outstretched hand for a moment before grabbing it. She waited for the familiar lurch but nothing happened. She looked at him coldly. “Why aren’t we heading back?”

A flash of guilt crossed his face and he pulled her closer. “I’m not ready to go back yet. I need to apologise. I’m sorry for yelling at you; I know none of this is your fault.”

Unable to stop herself, she snapped. “You think?”

Sighing, he pressed his forehead to hers, eyes closed. “I know, I’m a big jerk but I didn’t mean it.”

“Yes, you did. You weren’t lying when you said you loved Elpis more than anything.”

“I did love her,” he murmured. “I wouldn’t be so angry if I hadn’t.”

She tried to pull away but his grip was too strong. “I did love her,” he pressed. “Did. It’s in the past now; I moved on long ago. Some time to think, combined with Artemis smacking me around for being an idiot and leaving you alone, made me realize  that even though Aphrodite is a complete bitch, I can kind of understand where she was coming from. Just don’t expect me to ever be okay with it.”

She nodded. “Okay then.”

“Am I forgiven?”

She nodded again and he pressed a kiss to her lips, which were wet with rain. “Don’t be sad.”

“I’m not sad.” She resisted the urge to sniff.

He laughed softly, his hand snaking around and pressing into her lower back. “It’s raining.”

“So?”

“We’re in Gaia’s forest. It’s raining because you’re sad, Peaches.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Really? But I’ve cried before and it hasn’t rained.”

“Have you cried here, though?”

“Only today.”

“It only happens here, in our realm. It’s been raining at Apollo’s since you started. I only realised myself an hour ago that it was you.”

Eyes closed, she tried to make it stop raining by thinking happy thoughts. The rain kept pouring, ignoring her. She moved her head away from Hermes, looking up at the sky with her brow creased. “It’s not working.”

Pulling her close, his lips brushed her ear. “I love you, Thea.”

Her heart fluttered. She swallowed a gasp and in a heartbeat, the rain stopped. He moved away, brushing the water from her face. Unable to stop the grin on her face, she gave him a slight shove. “I already knew that, idiot.”

His eyebrows raised. “What do you mean? That’s the first time I’ve said it.”

“No, it’s not.” She reminded him of his outburst to Zeus and he laughed.

“I didn’t even realise I’d said it.” Stepping towards her, he grabbed her waist and started moving her backwards. “So, you’ve known for a few days now but decided to keep it to yourself?”

“I didn’t want to tell you in case you hadn’t meant it,” she argued. “I thought I’d wait for you to say it to me for real.”

Hitting a tree, Thea held up her hands and Hermes kept moving forward, her hands pressing into his chest. Tilting her head up, she looked into his eyes, wanting to say those three words to him. The words were on the tip of her tongue but they refused to move any further. She was too afraid to say them.

Hermes cupped her face, kissing her nose. “It’s okay, say them in your own time. There is no rush, love. There is one thing I would like you to do for me though.”

“Anything.”

He looked at her, determined. “Tell me the truth about Lissandre. All of it.” 

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Hey guys, here is the next chapter! You have AuRevoirSimone to thank for today's chapter in many ways, lol. The most important one being that I completely forgot it was Friday until she reminded me! Been dealing with family issues so completely forgot!

Anyway, what do you guys think of Aphrodite? Was she what you expected her to be like? I love to hear your thoughts so don't be afraid to send them my way ^_^