ONE LAST TIME . . . heroes of olympus

57

APHRODITE KNEW HOW to do tea.

She led them to the central pavilion in the gardens — a white-pillared gazebo, where a table was set with silverware, china cups, and of course a steaming pot of tea, the fragrance shifting as easily as Aphrodite's appearance — sometimes cinnamon, or jasmine, or mint. There were plates of scones, cookies, and muffins, fresh butter and jam — all of which, Kat figured, were incredibly fattening; unless, of course, you were the immortal goddess of love. Or if you were Katerina Mikhailova with speed powers. Hey, it burns lots of calories. Much better than actually working out. Except for the basics. Swimming, surfing. Running. If Kat went to a school, she'd so be on the track team. And she'd easily win.

Aphrodite sat — or held court, rather — in a wicker peacock chair. She poured tea and served cakes without getting a speck on her clothes, her posture always perfect, her smile dazzling.

Admittedly, Kat hated it, but she wasn't going to say that to her girlfriend's mom. Especially since she's a goddess.

"Oh, my sweet girls," the goddess said. "I do love Charleston! The weddings I've attended in this gazebo — they bring tears to my eyes. And the elegant balls in the days of the Old South. Ah, they were lovely. Many of these mansions still have statues of me in their gardens, though they called me Venus."

"Which are you?" asked Annabeth. "Venus or Aphrodite?"

The goddess sipped her tea. Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Annabeth Chase, you've grown into quite a beautiful young lady. You really should do something with your hair, though. And, Hazel Levesque, your clothes—"

"My clothes?" Hazel looked down at her rumpled denim, not self-consciously, but baffled, as if she couldn't imagine what was wrong with them.

"Mother!" Piper said. "You're embarrassing me."

"Well, I don't see why," the goddess said. "Just because you don't appreciate my fashion tips, Piper, doesn't mean the others won't. Look at your girlfriend, Katerina Mikhailova!" She smiled at Kat, though she didn't like the look of that smile. "I've always adored your family. And you turned out so beautiful, as well . . . why, I almost wish you were my daughter!"

"Mother!" Piper snapped.

Kat shrugged, plastering on a smile in an attempt to hide her disgust. "I appreciate the compliments, my lady," she said placatingly, "but I quite like how my girl's dressed today. The color really brings out her eyes, doesn't it? But I will give your regards to my mama."

She leaned over to kiss Piper's cheek, Kat's hand steadying her by gripping onto the hoodie. She pulled away, winking at Piper before nonchalantly taking a bite out of her muffin.

Aphrodite stared at Kat for a few long uncomfortable moments before sighing."Young love." Then she turned to Annabeth. "To answer your question, Annabeth, I am both Aphrodite and Venus. Unlike many of my fellow Olympians, I changed hardly at all from one age to the other. In fact, I like to think I haven't aged a bit!" Her fingers fluttered around her face appreciatively. "Love is love, after all, whether you're Greek or Roman. This civil war won't affect me as much as it will the others."

Hazel nibbled a sugar cookie. "We're not in a war yet, my lady."

"Oh, dear Hazel." Aphrodite folded her fan. "Such optimism, yet you have heartrending days ahead of you. Of course war is coming. Love and war always go together. They are the peaks of human emotion! Evil and good, beauty and ugliness."

She smiled at Annabeth as if she knew something that everyone else didn't.

Hazel set down her sugar cookie. She had a few crumbs on her chin, and Kat liked the fact that Hazel either didn't know or didn't care.