ARIAS

The water in the shells shimmers like dragonfly wings in the sun. I hold my breath. For a thousand years she 'helped' me, but I still must reign in my distrust and anger. Her blindingly beautiful face appears in the water. She is perfection, a gorgeous, deadly beauty. Look below the surface, and you find the ugly. So dark is her soul that it can't help but bleed through. Aphrodite, Goddess of love, what a joke. Love, something she doesn't even understand or recognize.

I think back to when she first came to me after I punished Sisyphus. I didn't recognize her for what she was then. She convinced me of her love, but her love is ugly and twisted. She uses your love up and then throws you away. She couldn't throw me away though. She craves the pain of those I plan to punish. She hates them almost as much as I do. She is my dirty secret; the others aren't aware of my unholy alliance with her.

"Darling. I was waiting for your call. Please tell me the time has arrived." Her voice tinkles, and another would be moved by it, but I had a thousand years to build my resistance to her powers.

Forcing a smile, I look at her angelic face, "Not quiet, pet. I do need your aid to get to the next phase."

"Do tell? Must be something special to force you to call me after fifty years. Fifty years since you last paid tribute to my love." Her eyes go soft, and her lids fall halfway closed as she remembers the pain of that day.

"Yes, it's been that long, as you well know. Jason is back."

Her eyes snap open and glee fills them, "Tell me, is he still pouting?"

"He is here to save a girl. The friend of someone he loves dearly. She is my way in." My heart pounds at her expression. She will help me. "I happen to have the girl here with me." She claps her hands childishly.

"What do you need me for?" Her eyes narrow.

"I want to turn her to my side. It will destroy her best friend and, in turn, hurt Jason. You remember how he is. He will willingly help me, sacrificing himself for her. I need you to show her how truly horrible the gods are."

"Gladly." Her image disappears, and I jump when she appears beside me. I must work on the wards to prevent that from happening after I am through with her. "Might I ask why you don't use your own talent on her?"

"I tried, but it doesn't work at all. If it had, I certainly wouldn't need to call you. You need to be finished before the others return. Also, I don't want them sensing you." I move out of the office and down the hall, knowing she will follow. I stop in front of the door and look inside. Emma is awake, tears pooled in her eyes as she stares at the ceiling.

"She is in here and she is injured. I want you to scare her so she will understand why I need my revenge. Don't hurt her terribly. I plan to keep her for a while." I give her a leering smile, knowing she will infer the wrong reason I wish to keep Emma. After all, she wouldn't understand our love. Her hands lay against my chest, nails curling in, cutting.

"Don't worry, darling, I know exactly what you mean. I remember well how you like to play with your toys." I grit my teeth as images of us with her victims play through my mind. She grins at my shiver, misunderstanding. "Leave it to me, love. Now go. Soon she will run into your arms, looking for you to save her." Her face is gleeful as she turns to the door. A moment of doubt enters my mind before I turn and walk away.

* * *

"Hello." The voice is as beautiful as the woman who is speaking. My eyes are riveted to her face. Instantly, I understand she is other. A tiny flame of hope flares to life.

"Please. You must help me." I reach for her. The look of disgust on her face causes my hand to drop. That tiny flame sputters before burning out.

"Why would I help you? We never worried for you lesser beings. You are beneath me. You're kind worshipped me since I stepped foot on this pitiful, disgusting planet." She sits on the edge of my bed, and I flinch as the mattress dips with her weight. She notices. Her slim, delicate fingers slide down my leg, tightening on my broken ankle. My scream fills the room, and I don't recognize my own voice.

"You are a means to an end, my darling girl. My Arias says he needs you to understand how awful we gods can be. I volunteered to show you. Normally, I would take my time and relish your pain but," her perfectly pink bottom lip pokes out for a moment, "Arias says I must hurry. Your friends will return soon and at this distance, they would sense me here."

"My friends? They're close?" I grit out through the pain.

"Oh, yes, across the way. Why, you can see Jason's house from here. That’s the reason Arias bought this dump." She stands, smoothing her coral silk shirt that showed off her flawless tan skin. Her eyes glow as she leans toward me. I try to scoot back but cry out again. "Arias says his power doesn't work on you, but I bet mine does. Oh, I just realized I didn't introduce myself. Forgive me." She smooths her hair and smiles before whispering, "I'm Aphrodite."

"The Goddess of Love?"

Anger causes her eyes to narrow, "Yes, stupid girl. Love the cruelest of all human emotions. Love is the one thing that can destroy you completely. Let me show you."

One of the first memories I have of my mother holding me and singing flitters into my mind's eye. I gasp as it morphs, the love draining from her. My tiny toddler heartbreaking because, even then, I can tell she doesn't love me. Next, comes a good day with my daddy, sitting in the Audubon park watching performers under the Spanish moss draped oaks. He lets go of my hand and turns to me with hatred in his eyes, his words of disgust break my preteen heart. Aislin is next. I'm at the Saint Charles house, and she is telling Conall how she hates having me there all the time. She never wanted to be my friend. On and on, it goes. Soon I don't remember having any love.

Until him. He loves me. He will do anything for me. He believes in me, my Arias. Tears are running down my cheeks as I look at her. "Where is he? Where is the one person in my whole life who loved me? Will you help me find him?"

“Of course, my dear. I was waiting with you until he came back with help. Would you prefer I bring him to wait with you?"

"Oh, yes, I need him." I smile at this woman, not sure of who she is. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

She grins, patting my leg, "Aphrodite."

"Oh, nice, like the goddess. They are horrible beings. Vile creatures that need to be wiped out." Venom and hatred fill my voice.

"Yes, just like the goddess." She turns and walks through the door, glancing back over her shoulder. There's something in her face, but then it's gone.

* * *

She saunters in , her hips rolling. She isn't trying to be sexy, she just is. I grimace as I remember the first time I saw her saunter towards me. The beginning of some crazy years. Fun, painful, and glorious, but ultimately crazy. Then I couldn't tell she was using me. Then I was as fooled by her love as anyone, starving for it, addicted to it. Now, not so much.

"Well?"

"She loves you and only you. Yours is the only love she's ever felt. Your wants are her wants." She reclines back on the sofa, a long sigh easing from her chest. My heart pounds at the thought. "Oh, and she's asking for you."

Turning on my heel, I'm halfway down the hall when I glance back , "You should go now. You're no longer needed." Her full lips purse before she disappears.

I'll deal with her later. My heart pounds in my ears as I stop in front of the closed down. She waits on the other side. She will finally be mine. I push open door, standing frozen until I hear, "Arias," whispered with longing and love. My gaze flies to her face, and there is love. Way down deep, I know it isn't real, but for now, it is enough. Soon it will be. I cross to her and sit down, careful not to jostle her, drawing her into my arms. Her hands clutch at me. "They hurt me, those monsters, and Aislin helped them." I smile into her hair. Aphrodite thought of everything.

"Help is coming, my love, and I won't ever let them hurt you again. As soon as I capture Jason, this will all be over." My hands rub over her back, over and over. Her fingers tunnel through my hand and pull gently, my eyes meet hers. She pauses a minute before pulling my lips to hers. The kiss is tentative at first but deepens as she licks at the seam of my lips. A sigh escapes her when I sink my tongue into her hot mouth. Losing myself, I pull her closer. Her gasp of pain forces us apart.

"You. Only you have ever loved me. No matter what I did, it was never enough. I was never enough. Until you." Tears choke her.

Pulling her even closer, I whisper, "No one can or does love you like I do. We have forever, and I won't let anyone come between us. They will try, but I will kill them all."

She grips me tighter, and I revel in the thought of forever with her. I imagine the pain it will cause Aislin and smile. Through her pain, I will hurt Jason when they realize they lost her… To me. My phone alerts me that the outer doors are opening. The others arrive. I squeeze her hands before standing.

"Help is here. Stay here while I go let them in." She nods her head.

"I love you." Her voice and words caress over me. I walk out the door and I'm elated. The car is parking as I enter the main room. The others climb out. All halflings like me, those thrown away, those I've found over the years from across the world. It isn't only the clan here in Greece that threw us away. I found only those halflings in Scotland and Ireland are beloved children; the rest of us are disposable garbage.

Hondo, from Japan, is first out, always so serious. Then comes Erika, whom I found in Denmark hundreds of years ago, ready to fight and kill anyone. Her anger goes to her soul. Last is the quiet Powaqu. I found her in the Black Hills of North America. Beautiful and deadly, she can heal or kill with her power. They joined me long ago in the fight for our revenge. We will start here in Greece and then move to all the clans, one by one.

"My friends, I'm glad you could get here so quickly. We have much to discuss, but first, we need to ward the house against those across the way. Then Powaqu, I need you to heal Emma."

"Emma?"

"Yes, she is the key to getting to the Elysian fields. Jason is going to take me there to save her."

"Really, and why would he do that?" It is Hondo who speaks, drawing my gaze.

"He loves her best friend, and he lets his feelings rule him."

"So, when we get what we want, we can kill her in front of him." Erika's voice is filled with relishment at the thought.

"NO! She is mine." Three sets of eyes narrow on me. I must tread carefully. "She is convinced she loves me, and I'm going to play with her a while after. Now help me get the witches."

I move to the stairs and start my descent to the cavern below. At the bottom, I throw a switch, and the lights flare to life. Water drips from the ceiling, and the lights reflect off the pools on the stone floor. We can hear the sea beyond the walls. I smile at the whimpers coming from those hidden here in the dark. It’s their own fault they are locked here really. They had the chance to join us. We each cross to a door of a cell, grabbing the cuff on a hook, clamping it on our wrist. These golden bracelets protect us from the magic. I stole them from Hephaestus a thousand years ago, right after the gods found out that Circe had taught some of the children magic. He had been making them for the gods. Not my fault he chose to work on Mount Vesuvius, and also not my fault that my distraction caused the eruption. I shake my head, clearing the memories. I look up to make sure the others are ready. We all open the cell doors and step inside to gather our helpers.

"Hello, love. Been a while, hasn't it?" She steps forward. I am, for a moment, taken back to my own time in Sisyphus's jail. She is dirty, hair matted, but defiance flares in her slanted eyes. The sounds of fighting force me to turn my head, looking over my shoulder. Erika's dragging her charge out. He is angry, fighting back. It'll do no good, but I say nothing, letting her have her fun. The others come out quietly, as over the years they learned. "Come, let's get you cleaned up. I have something I need you all to do."

"If we refuse?" Mimi murmurs.

"You already know the answer to that."

"Why don't you kill us? We will never willingly join you. Someday, someone will beat you and save us." Her voice has grown defiant.

"Don't count on it. I am so close to getting what I want. Soon, very soon, I won't need you at all. How you act in the next few days will determine my level of generosity." Her eyes look behind me where it grew quiet, and tears begin to flow. I turn to see one of the men broken and bloody on the ground. "Erika, please don't forget we need him to be able to work."

"Powaqu can fix him." She shrugs grabbing his arm and dragging him up the stairs.

I nod to the others, and we all travel up the stairs in silence and take them to the showers. Powaqu uses her power on the male, and he comes to even angier. Mimi comes out glaring at me but moves to his side.

Her voice is quiet as she speaks to him, "Calm yourself, my friend. Fighting doesn't help; you know this. We will do this thing they ask of us. We have no choice." She raises her hand, the cuff on her wrist jangles, sparkling in the light. They are infused with blackthorn, dampening their magic. It is how we keep them locked below; the cavern is filled with the poison. It is pumped in through the ventilation. The cuffs are only activated when we bring them out. There is a sensor in them injecting a small dose if they leave the compound. It is my own invention. The Order provided the information about the blackthorn when I first infiltrated it hundreds of years ago. They had learned about the poison from a weak minded Druid.

Hate filled eyes land on me and I smile at him, raising an eyebrow. Mimi looks over her shoulder at me. Her long, night colored hair falls over half of her face. For one moment, I think a flicker of gold flares in her chocolate colored eyes, but then she blinks and nothing. Powaqu walks to him and begins to chant, the pain leaving his face and his muscles relaxing as her words heal him. She leans close speaking to him, and I don't miss the sympathy that crosses her face. Later, I will take the time to consider what I need to do about that.

"Now that you're all better, you all need to get to work. Hondo, you and Erika watch them as they strengthen the wards." I look at Mimi, "They must be strong enough to block us from even a god's vision. Powaqu, come with me. I need you to help with Emma." I move to the room I had left her in. Powaqu followed silently behind me. Pausing outside the door, I wait. Beside me, she peers in the small window.

"What happened to her?"

"She jumped from a window and broke her foot or ankle, possibly both." Her gaze flicks to my face.

"You said she believes she is in love with you. Why would she try to flee?"

I answer, even though I don't think i need to, "Because she didn't at the time. Just fix it. She is a dancer, so she must be able to dance again."

She opens the door nodding and glides in. I follow, and Emma smiles at me. "I told you I would bring you help. This is Powaqu, and she is a healer."

"Not a doctor but like you, am I right?"

"Yes, like me." I move to her side and rub her silky hair.

"Hello, I'm so happy to meet a friend of Arias’. I wish it was under better circumstances." Her hand reaches for Powaqu. My 'friend' takes it, shaking it.

"I'm glad I can help you. You may call me Pow." Powaqu smiles at Emma before looking at me. "Leave us. It might take a little while, depending on the damage. It will be delicate work repairing the bones to the previous strength."

Holding her gaze for long moments, I find no deception. I lean down, kissing Emma's upturned lips. "I will be right outside. You can join me when you feel better."