The Underworld Ball (Book 2 in the Aphrodite's daughter series)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Obviously Heph hadn’t expected me to tell him that his favorite son was being held captive by the cruelest titan in the world. We still hadn’t even addressed the topic of what I had done to Ares. Hell I didn’t even know if Ares was alive. Right now there were more important things to worry about. Hephaestus had led me back into the bedroom and sat me on the bed as I explain everything that Andreas had told me. By the end I was barely holding it together.

“Izzy, Andreas was right. There is no way we can let you anywhere near Tartarus. If Cronos is waiting on for, he will not waste the opportunity to kill you. If he can kill you then he will have no need to break your influence. You would willing go to him and do whatever he wanted. Is that what you want Isabella to be Cronos’ play thing for the rest of eternity.” Hephaestus was begging me to understand and I did. That still wasn’t going to stop him from saving him.

“He died saving your life Hephaestus. It’s time for someone to return the favor.” I couldn’t look at Heph knowing I’d hit a nerve. I knew he blamed himself for Andreas’ death every day, but he needed to understand that nothing would stop me.

“Isabella if you die, he will be forced to watch Cronos torture and rape you. What do you think that will do to him? If you really love him, you’ll let him go.” His words were like a slap in the face. I could see how much it pained him to say them.

“I can’t. I won’t.” My voice was small and a sob lodged in my throat.

“Then you have doomed yourself.” He turned and stalked out the room despair and anger trailing him.

He slammed the door and I tried to shake off his anger. I had been getting good at blocking out people’s emotions, but sometimes the really intense ones broke through my walls. Slowly, I walked to my bathroom and found the water already drawn. Ella, the water nymph, was nowhere to be found and I was incredibly grateful. I focus on washing my skin to try and stop my mind from wandering to Andreas. There was no doubt that I had probably ruined my chances of Ares helping seeing as he was probably dead.

Once I was thoroughly clean, I stepped out of the bath and found my way to my closet. I still couldn’t believe how huge it was. I found a pair of my old jeans and a T-shirt with some rock band on it. It wasn’t very queenly of me, but today I didn’t feel like a queen. I just felt heartbroken and heavy with grief.

God and creature alike stared at me curiously as I walked to the halls of my palace. I rolled my eyes as some scooted closer to the wall. Looks like news of what I had done to Ares had spread quickly. I didn’t mind too much. Being left alone was what I desperately wanted right now. Suddenly I stopped in front of a door with a giant “E” engraved in bright red at the center of a pink heart. My heart lightened and I knocked lightly before entering my brother’s room.

A weird shiver ran through my body as the thought of actually have a brother and one that was thousands of years old hit me. We didn’t really have a great brother sister relationship, but more of a tense friendship. Eros still felt horrible about our mother’s abandonment and his lack of courage to fight for me. I was just glad that I had someone to teach me to use my powers, seeing as my mom was a psychotic bitch.

Before I could see him, I heard the sound of a dark, husky laugh and a nervous giggle bubble from a dark corner of the room. When my eyes adjusted, I noticed Ella, my water nymph, sitting in Eros’ lap … shirtless. I froze instantly and made a little squeaking sound. Before I could turn and run, Ella gasped and reached for her clothes instantly disappearing leaving a puddle of water in Eros’ lap. I stifled a laugh as Eros groaned in annoyance.

“You know a knock is usually proper etiquette.” There was a subtle mocking tone and I realized he wasn’t mad at me.

“I did knock.” I plopped down into the big, brown leather chair behind his desk since it was the only dry chair in the room. Eros rolled his eyes and walked into his bedroom to change clothes.