Hermes | Book 1

: 29 :

Break her,
She'll heal,
There is madness in her,
That taught her what's real.

Chapter 29

IT HAD taken Athena a moment of silence before she answered monotonously to Aphrodite, "I don't need one."

In that short span of time Aphrodite managed to remove all the completely unnecessary supporters in her hair one by one and retire her hair into a new style.

Now the beauty stared at Athena solemnly, pursing her cherry red lips and widening her blue eyes that they both share. Only, while Aphrodite's was sly and manipulative, Athena's was dominant and impenetrable.

Athena avoided her gaze and focused on the scenic beauty of nature that spread generously around them. The weather was wonderful for a stroll, if only Aphrodite could leave and make it perfect.

"You do," Aphrodite's voice tinkled like wind chimes, sweet and melodious. "Also, you don't have one anyway."

"I don't need one," Athena repeated. She quietly urged the cushion which allowed her to suspended in the air to move forward faster. Aphrodite fell back a little, then caught up to her.

"Maybe not," Aphrodite said, leaning back against her jade cushion so that her hair- a shimmering silver today- spilt down the luxuriously soft surface and hung teasingly above the ground. "But I don't need five, and I think you can't die if you have one."

"We are immortal," said Athena with raised eyebrows.

"Ah," Aphrodite causally waved a her hand, as if to swat away her sarcasm. "Don't rain on my parade." There was a certain glimmer on her eyes as she said it and Athena didn't stop a pleasant laughter the bubbled out of her lips.

"When did you start speaking English?"

"I heard Hermes tell you that yesterday when you told him to tone down on his singing. I guessed the meaning." Aphrodite said it casually, like she was talking about the new designs that she saw on earth.

A smile finally broke out from Athena's lips. Aphrodite may not flaunt it, but she was smart. Also, being around Hermes so much, she knew exactly how to talk a person into agreeing with her.

"I still don't need one," Athena didn't find the need to have a servant trailing behind her, but Aphrodite had so many, she just had to give her one.

But although Athena sounded disapproving, the smile on her face did not waver. Aphrodite grinned back, knowing that Athena was finally agreeing with her.

-
She caught him staring at her.

The liquid black eyes that he held did not waver even for a moment when she caught them in the act, but shyly ducked behind the unruly strands of his snow white hair when she let out a wry smile.

"Why is it a he?" Athena asked causally, lowering her voice just a little. Out of the five servants that Aphrodite had, four of them were female. She wasn't sure what Aphrodite was trying to imply by giving her her only male servant.

Aphrodite shrugged, her dark green blouse riding up with the moment. Athena tried to ignore the fact that the young man was still staring only at her. "I just felt like it. Besides you are in desperate need of male company and he's perfect."

Aphrodite turned to him and gave him a dazzling smile which made him cast his eyes down.

"I'm not in desperate need of male company." Athena protested incredulously. "I talk with all the gods- male included."