A Goddess Unraveled

~44~

Lexi played with the hem of her dress as she confronted Zeus about her parentage. She had never felt intimidated by her godfather, despite his tendency to act like a self-important know-it-all. But now that she knew he was commander-in-chief of the Greek gods, there was a smidgeon of uncertainty in the back of her head.

"When were you planning to tell me?" she asked boldly, keeping her voice low and her eyes pinned on him.

"When it was time for you to know," he answered flatly.

"Is that how we're doing it? Fine. Answer me this, then. Is there some golden age when a demigod realizes she isn't completely human?"

Zeus transferred his weight from foot to foot, glancing at the mortals in the room like he thought they might overhear. "There will come a time when your godly gifts reach their peak. Usually, around age thirty. This is when the aging process stops, and you will retain your powers for eternity."

"So, I could reach sixty before I realized I still looked thirty? Would you have told me then, or would you have kept on enjoying the Nova Scotia seaside at my expense?" She crossed her arms and stared into his face, expecting to meet with stony eyes. But his expression was placid, almost meek.

"You make me sound like some tyrannical monster. I don't expect you to stay here now that you know your lineage."

Way to avoid the question. Lexi glanced across the room at her dad. he held tightly to her mom's waist as they talked with another couple. He didn't know, and the thought of telling him made her nauseous. "I'm not going anywhere because I know about my lineage. If I have eternity, I'm spending the first part of it here, with my family."

Zeus bobbed his head automatically as he followed Lexi's gaze to her dad. "We'll see what happens. For now, let's go back to the way things were, even if it's for one more day."

Lexi shook her head, but not to rebuke him. Her godfather had a way of making her feel guilty for being angry with him even when he deserved it. "It's not that easy. You lied to me about pretty much everything. The dynamics have changed. It's going to take me some time to figure out where we stand."

Zeus's jaw stiffened as he dropped his gaze to the floor, and Lexi let him have his moment while she stared at Hades. He was standing near the wet bar nursing a flute of champagne, looking tempting in a white button-down shirt and smoky gray pleated pants. He hadn't taken his eyes off her since they returned from the river, and his penetrating gaze reminded her of an owl keeping track of a mouse he planned to catch for dinner. She was dying to know what had triggered his grin after he talked to her mom.

"When will I notice my godly gifts?" she asked, turning back to Zeus.

"I expect your gifts will reveal themselves before your twentieth year."

 "How will I know what they are?"

 "They could come in any form."

"Would my gifts have stayed dormant if I hadn't found out?"

"Probably not. But again, they could manifest as anything."

"So, you have no idea what my gifts might be?"

"I have ideas, but it would do no good to guess at them."

Frustrated with the brusque tone of theirconversation, Lexi changed topics. "Why do you have a problem with me liking Lu... Hades?" She had been working up to the question, and she offered Zeus her debate face as she barreled on. "I should be able to consort with whomever I choose. Isn't that how it works with the gods?"