Reaching For The Stars

Chapter 42

Author's note

Hope you caught the various couples. Aphrodite gave away the hints. Don't be shy and have a crack at it. Happy to hear the speculations.

This chapter was hard to write. Especially to get it right. I hope I did it justice. Aphrodite is not the easiest for me to write.

Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Do be frighten to place a comment :)

Winter

—

Juniper

There is a clear shift in the air. She couldn't remember ever feeling such potent allure. It became worse when she entered the pink shimmering limousine. Yet that didn't make her experience a near heart attack. Her senses were being overloaded by unmatched, otherworldly beauty.

Juniper never felt the presence of Aphrodite so acutely as now. It was the first time she truly saw Aphrodite, could see the elegance, the finely sculpted body. The multicolored eyes and hair drew her in. She had to pause to even remember who she was. Aphrodite made her forget her own name by her presence alone.

"Juniper," Aphrodite greeted her, her lips forming a smile that filled Juniper with comfortable warmth. "Please, make yourself at home."

Who is she seeing? A question that Juniper was trying to answer. She has seen the confused faces of the others. Each time Aphrodite would appear as the person's deepest desires. Often it took the form of Artume when Juniper met with the Goddess. But now, she saw nothing that resembled a person she knew.

The body morphed and changed constantly, the hair was shoulder-length that held a sea of color, and the eyes were like pools of rainbows. It is as if Aphrodite herself did not know what to take as a form. That she could not see what would make Juniper swoon effortlessly. Yet that was not true, she was being overwhelmed. One mere thought and she could change the appearance. Almost like she was in control of what she was seeing.

"My lady..." Juniper said as she swallowed thickly. This meeting felt very different from any other time.

"Please, just Aphrodite," she said, her smile confident yet her voice held a tone of uncertainty. "Well, you look quite nice today. How was your day?"

Juniper blinked as if her mind was filled with a fog of stupidity and hearing issues. A compliment from Aphrodite on her appearance. Her gaze went down as she frowned. What she wore was nothing compared to Aphrodite. It was typical dryad clothes, simplistic and without bells and whistles. Most nature spirits wore very little as to feel more connected to nature. For her, it included the stars as well.

"Oh, thanks, uhm... Saved my friends... at Artume's command..." Juniper managed to say. Aphrodite smiled, listening attentively. It didn't even bother that she was stuttering like an idiot. Juniper is lost as to what this all is. Why is she seeing a flawless person that held no real form? Least of all, why are the branches that make up her heart beating so fiercely? She doesn't understand the effect.

"You're such a kind person, Juniper," Aphrodite said, her lips forming a smile. Aphrodite gazed briefly at the pink roof of the car. "You've been weary of me, haven't you? Always so guarded within my palace. You didn't react to me..."

"I don't understand..."

"Oh, dear Juniper," Aphrodite said with a sigh. "I have been waiting for my person. You think I am happy? My life is dreadful! A husband I was forced to marry by that jealous-filled woman! You think I started taking lovers because I loved it?"