Goddess by Chance (Demi-God Daughters Book 2) (20 page)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

A sudden coldness rocked Arienne’s core. Triton’s wife.
This day is just getting better and better.
She cleared her throat.

“I heard you were his ex-wife.”

A small smile appeared on the olive skinned goddess’s face, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She shrugged. “Semantics. Although I am a bit surprised you’ve heard of me.”

“I could say the same about you.”

“News travels fast among the gods, especially the news that the saintly Athena has a daughter.”

Arienne frowned. “You’re not a fan of my mother.”

“Athena and I have a complicated history, as do Triton and I.”

Something about this goddess was needling Arienne. It could be the woman’s stunning looks made Arienne feel like the ugly duckling again. But no, that wasn’t the real problem. She didn’t like the way Cerceis talked about Triton in such a proprietary manner. Not one little bit.

“Complicated, huh? Is that what they call it when your ex hates your guts because you deliberately lied to him?” Arienne couldn’t help her snarky tone.

This ocean nymph was standing before her rambling on as if Arienne didn’t know the real history between her and Triton. The Oceanid laughed.

“Triton doesn’t hate me. He’s just having a hard time seeing past his foolhardy pride.”

“And denial is a river in Egypt. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m in quite a hurry.”

Cerceis grabbed Arienne’s arm in a grip as tight as a boa constrictor’s. Arienne faced the redhead in front of her, a tingling sensation creeping up the back of her arm.

“Not so fast, dearie. I’m not quite finished.”

“What do you want, Cerceis?”

“For you to understand a few things. Triton is not who you think he is. He has a dark side.”

“I’m well aware of what he’s capable of.”

Cerceis released her arm, offering her an amused smile. “I don’t think you are. You see it was Triton who came to me with his plan for revenge.”

Arienne swallowed. “So?”

“You should have seen him. Handsome and gloriously full of a thirst for vengeance. It was the most animated I’ve seen him since before your mother killed our daughter.”

“That was an accident.”

Cerceis shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Triton wanted my help, and as part of his genius plan, I had my own target.”

Arienne struggled to swallow as a new realization dawned on her. “My father.”

“Smart girl. Yes, I was going to seduce your father and make him forget all about Athena, but he wasn’t interested.”

“Daddy always had good taste.”

Cerceis’s eyes narrowed. “His tastes got him killed.”

Arienne’s pulse raced. “What are you saying?”

“Your father’s death was no accident.”

“You killed him and all those innocent people.” Arienne’s voice broke. A tear slipped down her cheek.

Cerceis clapped her hands. “You got it.”

“You bitch.”

Arienne’s hands curled into fists. Triton’s ex-wife had killed her father, and the whore was gloating about it.

“That’s not nice,” Cerceis said with a pout.

Arienne’s fist connected with the nymph’s jaw, sending Cerceis flying across the sand. “Neither was that.”

Her muscles quivered as her heart pounded like a jackhammer in her chest. Her father, an innocent man who’d never harmed anyone, was simply taken from her as collateral damage.

“No, it wasn’t.”

Cerceis rose from the ground brushing the sand from her body as she walked back towards Arienne, amethyst eyes blazing.

“Did Triton put you up to killing my father?”

“Hardly. The fool was angry enough just when I got you fired.”

“I didn’t think me losing my job would be that important in a scheme for revenge, but thank you for telling me whose ass I need to kick.”

Cerceis laughed. “The best revenge is the one that’s well executed. You see Triton may have come up with a brilliant plan, but he couldn’t follow through. He tried to deny it, but I could see that he was falling in love with you. I waited, hoping he would come to his senses and remember why we were doing this, but that never happened. Instead he seemed to fall even harder for you.”

Arienne smiled.
So he really does love me.
She met Cerceis’s stare. “That must’ve really grated your nerves.”

“You’re damned right. To fall in love with your enemy’s daughter and then threaten me for going on with the plan. Triton spit on our daughter’s name by falling in love with you. You’re nothing special, just a plain, too plump mortal, not even worth a second glance.”

“Well lucky for me, Triton doesn’t agree with your perception. He’s actually praised me for my beauty.”

Cerceis sneered. “He’s a fool, but I’m not. My daughter is gone because of your mother, and I will avenge her.”

Arienne braced herself. “If you think this is going to be easy, you’re in for a surprise.”

“Empty words. You’re nothing but an insect I’m going to crush.”

“Bring it. I have more than one reason to fight.”

“For Triton’s love? For your father’s vengeance?”

Arienne smiled. “You’re forgetting one other thing.”

“And what’s that?”

“For Triton’s child.”

Cerceis froze. “You’re pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“All the more reason for you to die.”

Cerceis shot a blue bolt of energy, and Arienne barely had time to jump out of the way. Perspiration broke out on her forehead. She’d been bluffing. Cerceis was going to wipe the beach with her. All she truly had at her disposal this time around were super strength and speed. Telekinesis and telepathy weren’t going to work on a goddess.

She dodged another blast, but there was no way she could keep this up forever. And even if she could manage to hit Cerceis, what good would it do? The Oceanid was immortal and would heal easily. Arienne was well and truly fucked, but she had to fight. For her father’s memory and for the new life growing inside her.

Dodging another blast, Arienne leapt to her feet and charged the goddess, her fist smashing into Cerceis’s nose until Arienne felt bone crunch as the nymph was knocked away from her. Blood dripped down Cerceis’s face and her eyes turned black and with a yell, the sea deity charged her. Arienne braced herself.

Chapter Forty

Triton was surprised Arienne wasn’t home. With everything that had happened between them and Athena no doubt watching her every move, he was sure she’d have been on lockdown inside her condo. He walked inside her bedroom and noticed her purse was gone. Stepping inside her bathroom, he froze.

Sitting on the counter was a pregnancy test. Swallowing, Triton walked forward picking it up to find two pink lines. What did that mean? Looking around the bathroom, he spied a box sticking out of the red plastic trash can. Picking it up, his eyes scanned over the box.

“One pink line indicates a negative reading. Two pink lines indicate a positive reading.”

Triton dropped the box. Arienne was pregnant with his child. He was going to be a father … again. He blinked back tears. After all this time, he was going to have a second chance.
Is this why she’s missing? Did finding out she was pregnant make her run? Or did Athena hide her away?

His eyes narrowed. No one was going to keep him from his child. He had to find Arienne. She was no doubt still angry and hurt by what he’d done, but he had to make her understand and believe that with him was where she belonged. He left her bathroom with renewed purpose just as a prickling feeling raced along his scalp. Then he heard Arienne screaming for him.

Triton’s pulse crashed in his ears. Zeroing in on her location, he teleported himself to where she was and the sight in front of him set his blood aflame. Arienne had blood streaming from her temple, her dress was ripped in places and bruises covered her beautiful skin. She ducked and dived as Cerceis threw blast after blast at her.

“Arienne!”

****

That voice. Arienne turned and saw Triton standing in the distance. Her heart leapt and a smile formed on her face, before pain seized her body. Her chest was suddenly on ice, her whole body felt frozen to the core. Her breathing stopped, and then she was flying through the air. The last thing Arienne saw was the blue green water as her body sank into the ocean.

****

Athena couldn’t breathe as her hands trembled.
No. No. Not Arienne.
The goddess zipped across the continent to where she’d last felt her daughter’s presence. Her sandals touched the sandy beach, and she drew her sword. Cerceis stood there, her high pitched laughter ringing across the beach as she smiled in Athena’s direction.

“Revenge is a dish best served when your enemy will never suspect.”

Athena’s voice shook. “Where is my daughter?”

“Triton’s fishing her body out of the ocean. I guess you two can commiserate in your grief together.”

“You two-faced bitch.”

Athena charged Cerceis, raising her sword. Tears nearly blinded her as she slashed at the nymph in front of her. Cerceis screamed as Athena marred her skin, but Athena didn’t care. Cerceis had killed her daughter, and she was going to make her pay for all eternity.

****

Triton rose from the depths of the ocean, holding Arienne in his arms. Her head and limbs hung limp. Her eyes were open, but they stared at nothing. Arienne’s heart beat no more. Cerceis had killed the love of his life and their unborn child. As his feet touched the shore, he heard Athena’s battle cry. Before him, his former foster daughter attacked Cerceis with everything she had. His heart tightened with hate as he saw the bleeding Cerceis fall to the ground. Athena showed his ex no mercy, but it didn’t matter because Athena could attack Cerceis for all eternity but the Oceanid would never die by her hand or his. Immortality reigned supreme.

Tears fell from Triton’s face. He was helpless to make Cerceis pay for what she’d done.  His heart ached as she stared down at the lifeless body of his lover. Chin trembling, he gently laid Arienne’s body down on the sand and with blurred vision, he closed his eyes. His shoulders shook, and he could no longer feel his own beating heart.

“Please forgive me. Please.”

Triton laid his head on her still chest, sobs escaping from his mouth. He thought he’d never feel such pain again, but the Fates were cruel. First his daughter and now the woman he loved and their child who’d never gotten to take a first breath.

“Arienne. Arienne.”

Ambrosia.
A voice whispered in his mind and his head snapped up. The food of the gods and the only thing in the universe that could turn a mortal or half-mortal into a god. A piece of ambrosia appeared in his hand, and with renewed haste he lifted Arienne’s head from the sand and forced the ambrosia past her lips and down her throat. Opening her mouth he made sure it all had gone down and then he laid his head on her chest and waited.

****

Arienne’s eyes opened. She was lying down so slowly she rose to a sitting position. Fog surrounded her. Rubbing her arms, she stood up.

“If this is another dream, I sure don’t like it.”

“This is no dream, Daughter of Athena.”

A man’s voice permeated the cold fog, and the hairs on Arienne’s neck rose from the cold menace of his tone. Her breath hitched as the fog parted and a man with black wings moved towards her. The metallic taste of fear filled her mouth as the raven-haired man came to stand in front of her.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Thanatos.”

He stared down at her, a small smile quirking his lips, but that wasn’t what captured her attention. His eyes swirled, changing to a kaleidoscope of colors as she gazed at him. There was something pulling, drawing her to him. He held out his hand to her.

“Come with me.”

Arienne couldn’t look away. Of its own accord, her hand rose to grip his.

“No, Thanatos.”

Arienne shook her head and the trance she’d been in melted away. She took a step back from the winged man and his eyes narrowed, but he was looking past her. Arienne turned around and stepping through the fog was a woman with caramel colored skin. Her dark black hair was parted on the side and hung just past her shoulders. She had the most arresting silver eyes.

“My lady, I was only doing my job.”

“I understand, but today you won’t be taking this one,” the woman said.

“But the Fates…”

The woman’s silver eyes swirled. “You leave them to me. Now go.”

Arienne glanced back at Thanatos. His jaw tensed.

“Very well.”

The winged man bowed, and then he disappeared. The silver-eyed woman walked closer to Arienne, and she took in the woman’s strapless, fitted leather dress that ended at mid-thigh and the leather boots with spiked heels. Whoever this woman was, she knew how to rock the leather look.

“What was he? An angel?” Arienne asked.

“Hardly. Try the God of Death.”

Arienne gasped. “I’m dead.”

“Technically no. I’ve stopped him from taking you to your afterlife.”

“Who are you?”

“Your cousin. Oh yeah, and your great aunt by marriage as well. Cameryn Kane, Goddess of the Underworld.”

Arienne’s eyes stretched. “You’re the Goddess of Legend. I’ve heard about you.”

Cameryn laughed. “I’m sure most of it was not good. The gods tend to give me a wide berth.”

“Why did you stop Thanatos from taking me?”

“You’re a new mother. It seemed unusually cruel to let you and your innocent child die as a result of more misguided hate among the gods.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I have to look out for my fellow Demigod Daughters, and besides, I’m going to be a mother again myself.”

“You’re pregnant?”

Cameryn smiled. “Yes. About four months into my third pregnancy. I’m certain this one is going to be a boy.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you. Now it’s time for you to go back. There’s someone likely to come knocking on my door otherwise.”

“But what about Cerceis?” Arienne asked as she began to move away from Cameryn.

“I don’t think Cerceis can do anything to the new and improved Arienne Marcos, but you leave her to me.”

Cameryn disappeared, and suddenly Arienne was spinning through the fog. She felt dizzy, her body wracked by convulsions. Darkness covered her, and then she was looking into the most beautiful blue green eyes she’d ever seen. Triton. She was alive.