Aphrodite's Flame

54. Shine

My gift to Harmonia, the most beautiful little girl, with huge dark grey doe eyes, is that she is not a goddess. I will give her otherworldly beauty and peace. I will give her speed, strength and resilience. But not immortality. Not eternity to suffer broken hearts.

As I lie next to her, several days after giving birth to her, I can't get over the fact Hephaestus does not believe she is his. Only for a second do I regret the fact she is not Adonis', for he would have loved her with all his heart.

Oh no, Adonis.

June is almost upon us. I can't leave Harmonia just yet but I'm not yet in a condition to leave for the cabin yet. I can't betray him. I can't. Nervously, I look for a silver coin. Eventually, I find one on the small cabinet in the corner.

Momentary doubt creeps up on me as I look back at the little babe still asleep in the bed. Now she is still mine and mine alone. No one else's. I take a deep breath.

Coin toss. Coin I call on Hermes, heads I don't call on Hermes. I flip the coin, which teases me by turning on its side until it finally ends up being coin. My heart flutters in my chest.

Sitting down on the bed, I cover Harmonia with a small, white blanket. She makes a little sound before she starts sucking on her tongue, satisfied.

Before I get to cross my legs and get into an elegant position, Hermes appears in the doorway. Unsteadily I get up, realising how much I missed him. His eyes flicker to the little babe in the bed before they go back to me. He then pulls me in for a hug and sniffs my new momma smell.

'O Zeus,' he murmurs in my hair, 'how I missed you.' I chuckle, hiding my face against my friend's hard chest.

'I missed you, too.'

'Why didn't you come to me? I would have taken care of you.' I tilt my head back so I can take a good look at him, his golden brown curls, his blue eyes.

'I know,' I tell him. He presses a feather light kiss on my forehead before his gaze shifts to the baby.

'So it's true,' he whispers, escaping my hold carefully. Silently, the God of Thieves moves toward the bed and kneels down on one knee next to my daughter. His arm leans casually on his other knee.

'She is beautiful,' he murmurs, looking back up at me.

'She is.' I cross my arms nervously and clear my throat. 'Tell me something new?' My voice sounds begging. I changed while I was here. He bows his head, looking at the floor boards.

'Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to, Di.' So it's true. I release the breath I was holding and sink to the floor.

'Hephaestus may or may not have slipped up about your pregnancy. And since we all... saw...' I roll my eyes.

'Y'all didn't see shit.' He chuckles.

'Titans, Di, is that how they talk here?' He gets up and towering over me, comes closer to me. He squats down in front of me. Gazing deep in my eyes, he puts his arms on my shoulders.

'Ares tried to rape me, Hermes,' I tell him, stone cold. 'Hephaestus saved me from that ordeal with his dumb net. Count the months, pretty boy. Does she look like an early child?' He thinks about my words while he watches Harmonia, tapping his cheek with his index finger.

'I can talk to him, if you'd like.'

'Only if you go there to spit in his face and tell him what an utter imbecile he is.' He smiles.

'No talking, then. So, why did you call on me?' I take a deep breath.

'It is near June. Adonis will surface soon.' I look down at my hands. 'Can you ask Artemis to go over to our cabin to keep him company?' He sighs.

'I will ask Artemis to visit you.'

'I really rather not see-'

'Don't act so damn mortal, Aphrodite. Did you smoke those fumes they're inhaling at Apollo's temple? You are a goddess. Start behaving like one.' His gaze softens as he leans in. 'I will ask Artemis to visit you. Someone else, too, maybe?'

'Nope. Just Artemis.'

***

Two days later Artemis shows up, Apollo in her direct wake. Great - now it won't take two seconds before everyone at Court will know where I am.

As she kneels down beside the crib Harmonia is sleeping in, she smiles.

'If everyone could just see her,' she whispers.

'Then what?' I ask coolly. She looks at me in pity.

'They all think you were pregnant with Ares' child, dearest. Anyone who sees her knows that is not true. I can see Hephaestus in her, most definitely.'

'It is my greatest wish for her to be kept far away from any god or goddess,' I say, clenching my jaw. 'None will lay his eyes upon her. Let them think it is Ares'. I couldn't care less.' Tense, I wait for her reply, but it never comes. She gets up while Apollo takes her place. He shakes a golden rattle softly, smiling at the babe. My eyes climb back up to Artemis.

'I need a favour,' I tell her quietly. 'It will be June soon. It would break Adonis' heart if there was no one waiting for him. I should be there, but-' my voice cracks. Damn divine hormones.

'Don't worry about him. I'll go see him, together with my brother. He won't even notice you never came. We will hunt, eat and drink, sing and dance. Next year he will wish we would come instead of you.'

'Thank you,' I smile.

'If we need to be there before June, we need to leave now,' Apollo says, standing up. He meets my eyes and smiles mischievously.

'Cute baby. A little bun would look great on her.' Rolling my eyes, I can't hold back a chuckle as the twins leave the little house. I watch them go from the doorway.

When I turn around, I gaze at my daughter lovingly. No, I would never share her with the world. She is mine.

Just then, Cato comes home with some bread and cheese, her cheeks blushing healthy. The sun is doing wonders to her complexion.

'You're awake,' she says breezily. 'I thought you wanted to go to the temple?'

'Yes, there was just something I needed to take care of. I will go there now.' Leaving Harmonia with Cato, I follow the winding paths through busy Corinth toward the temple on the mountain.