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Authors: Lanette Curington

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BOOK: Immortal Heat
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 She placed her hands flat on his broad chest, a knee on either side of him, and lowered her hips. When his tip touched her, she closed her eyes and gasped. She swallowed him up and a shiver raced through her.

 

 "Hmm, you feel so good," he murmured and his hands settled on her hips.

 

 She undulated with him, their heat merging and igniting. They flared into a blaze that burned out of control, until the flames consumed them, and Aglaia cried out through a cascade of white-hot sparks. She was barely conscious of Hephaestus' echoing bellow in the throes of his own release.

 

 Warmed by the glowing embers left behind, Aglaia lay snuggled against him, her back to his chest, his arms surrounding her. She was languid with spent passion, but she hadn't lost her desire for him. The embers were only banked, would not grow cold and turn to ash.

 

 After spending this time with him, Aglaia couldn't imagine going back to her pristine pink bedchamber on Olympus. She wanted to hold onto the passion she had found with Hephaestus.

 

  

 

 * * * * *

 

 Thrice more the wildfire consumed them, but afterwards, as Aglaia lay sleeping in his arms, Hephaestus could not sleep. He kissed her gently and eased himself from around her. He was drained, exhausted, but he sat up on the edge of the bed and looked at the greave on the floor.

 

 All he wanted was to crawl back into bed beside Aglaia, awaken her with kisses, and ignite the wildfire once again. He stirred at the thought, but he had a few things to do. He dressed quietly and went to his forge.

 

 He called the Nedas together and, after telling them Aglaia was not to be disturbed, explained what he planned to do. They confounded him by discussing amongst themselves which six would accompany him. It shouldn't matter, but apparently it did to them. He let them decide.

 

 After working at his forge for a while, he bathed and dressed in clean underlinen and leather and fastened the greave securely to his leg. Then he aetherized the six Nedas who had been chosen to go and himself to his bronze palace on Olympus.

 

 After setting the Nedas to their tasks, he followed the winding path to Aphrodite's palace. He could have easily aetherized there, but he needed the time to prepare.

 

 Hephaestus waited patiently in her rose garden after he'd been announced. When Aphrodite emerged wearing a sheer chiton, enhancing all of her physical charms, and her infamous embroidered belt, he wondered what he'd ever seen in her. She was beautiful and alluring, but the sight of her didn't excite him as it once had. Now, she seemed too obvious.

 

 He'd been flattered when Zeus presented her to him as his bride. He thought it would mean acceptance among the Olympians, but all his marriage to Aphrodite had done was cause him heartache.

 

 He was pleased to find his heart no longer hurt. It had mended at last, but only because of Aglaia.

 

 "Hephaestus!" Aphrodite flashed him a bright smile, and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm so glad you've come."

 

 She sounded sincere, but he didn't trust her. He would never trust her again even though he found he had forgiven her.

 

 "How are you?" he asked politely, suddenly at a loss for words. Although he'd gone over what he wanted to say again and again in his mind, he couldn't find a way to begin.

 

 "I'm well. And you look—" Her silver-blue eyes darted over him and lingered on the greave. "What a wonderful invention! But you have always been so clever."

 

 He scowled. He hadn't come here to be complimented by the woman he couldn't keep as wife.

 

 "I have something to tell you," he began.

 

 "Is Aglaia all right?" Her smile vanished and her brow furrowed in concern.

 

 But Hephaestus was suspicious. "How did you know about Aglaia?"

 

 "I sent her to Lemnos on an errand. Is she all right?" Aphrodite insisted.

 

 "Yes, she's well."

 

 Aphrodite smiled in relief. "I'm so glad. I was worried about her, but I knew you would take care of her."

 

 "Then you knew about the attempt on her life?" he growled, suddenly seething with anger at the thought that Aphrodite had known but done nothing to stop it because it might have interfered with her plans.

 

 "No! Not until it was too late." Aphrodite shook her head, golden ringlets falling over her shoulders. "Do you really think I would have let anything happen to Aglaia if I had known in time to stop it?"

 

 The flash of anger left him as quickly as it had come. "Most of the time I don't know what to think about you, but—no, I don't think you would have let Aglaia be harmed."

 

 "Thank you for that. I love Aglaia and I would never want her endangered. I sent her to Lemnos on an errand...but also hoping your paths would cross. I didn't anticipate how the queen would react, and I didn't find out what happened to Aglaia until she was already in the sea. Poseidon informed me and I convinced him to carry her to your shore. I knew you would find her." Aphrodite beamed with how her plans had turned out. "Do you love her?"

 

 The question took him by surprise, but he knew the answer. "You didn't send Eros to Lemnos, too, did you?" he asked with a frown, fearful that his love for Aglaia might not be real.

 

 "Certainly not! I would never force love or marriage on anyone."

 

 None of this was what Hephaestus had planned at all. He had come to inform Aphrodite of his relationship with Aglaia, but he had expected her to be angry or upset. He was shocked to realize he had never truly known Aphrodite, and her bitterness might be the result of being forced into a marriage she didn't want, not necessarily because she was wed to
him
.

 

 "If you love Aglaia, it is true love, not contrived," she added.

 

 "I love Aglaia," he said, relieved that his emotions were his own and not induced by the god of love. True love could develop from Eros' manipulations, but the first emotional stirrings by his arrows were not authentic.

 

 "I knew it would work out." Aphrodite smiled and continued softly, "I'm sorry I hurt you, but I've always had to follow my heart. All I want for you is happiness. I do hope you find that with Aglaia."

 

 "I intend to," he said.

 

 They said their farewells, and Hephaestus left the rose garden feeling as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He'd had very little contact with Aphrodite since their separation, and he now wished they had talked it through long ago.

 

 Hephaestus was eager to reach his palace, to ready his home. He hoped with all his heart that Aglaia would agree to share it with him forever.

 

  

 

 * * * * *

 

 Aglaia stretched, blinking her eyes open. Her body ached after the many glorious hours she had passed with Hephaestus, but it was a sweet ache. The thought of moving made her groan, but Hephaestus had left the bed and she wanted to see him and touch him again.

 

 Her ankle was none the worse after their tumblings, and she slid her greave into place. Perhaps another day or two and then she could stop wearing it altogether. She would be glad to be rid of it! Of course, she was grateful Hephaestus had invented the device in the first place, she thought, as she dressed in a clean chiton. It helped her to walk until she completely healed, and he needed his to walk at all.

 

 Aglaia brushed her hair and set the headband in place then went in search of Hephaestus. She ran into Neda who informed her that Hephaestus had taken six of the Nedas to Olympus. Aglaia wondered what he was about, but didn't question the serving maid. Instead she asked if Hephaestus kept any mortal food. When Neda assured her that he did, Aglaia told her she would like a special meal for when he returned. Neda left to begin the preparations.

 

 With nothing else to do, she made her way to the vestibule to check on Talos and the tripod. When she entered, the little tripod quickly rolled to her on golden wheels. Aglaia laughed delightedly.

 

 "Hephaestus made you wheels. How wonderful!" she crooned. "But I don't imagine he gave you a name. We'll have to think of something, won't we?"

 

 Aglaia walked over to Talos who stood sentry in the doorway to the outside.

 

 "Have there been any disturbances?"

 

 Talos remained still and Aglaia took that to mean nothing had occurred. She looked him over. His bronze was dull and tarnished and could use a good buffing.

 

 "Why don't you go to the forge and the Nedas can polish you?"

 

 When he didn't move, Aglaia sighed. Had he heard her at all? Or was this his way of refusing? Perhaps he didn't want to disobey Hephaestus' orders.

 

 "It shouldn't take long and you can come right back here. I really don't think there's any need for you to stand watch." She took his hand and stepped back, pulling gently. "The only reason Hephaestus put you here is that I thought I saw a movement on the cliff yesterday. But I think it was just the wind blowing a loose leaf or something like that. Hephaestus does tend to overreact, but that's one of the reasons I—I like him so much."

 

 She had been about to say it was one of the reasons she loved him.

 

 Talos turned to follow her, and Aglaia led the way to the forge.

 

 Well, she did love him, didn't she? The thought surprised and pleased her. She had been in search of passion and found love as well. Of course, she didn't know if Hephaestus felt the same way. She chewed her lip and decided it didn't matter. Her love for him could be her secret. She was willing to forego love in return for the passion she had sought and found with Hephaestus.

 

 In the smithy, she called out and the remaining Nedas joined her in cleaning and polishing Talos to a high sheen. His bronze looked freshly forged when they were done. The little tripod had joined them and it tapped a wheel in approval.

 

 "He does look splendid, doesn't he?" Aglaia walked around Talos to make sure they had gotten every bit of tarnish as the Nedas cleared away the polishing cloths and dispersed to their other tasks. "You can return to the vestibule now, Talos."

 

 "No one is leaving this chamber," said a female voice that Aglaia recognized. She stepped around Talos to face Queen Eupompe and the two brutes, Croco and Phlius.

 

 The queen was wrapped in a dark gray himation that covered her completely except for her face.

 

 "Who's she talking to?" Phlius said, looking around for another person. "I don't see nobody else."

 

 Aglaia smiled. They must have thought Talos nothing more than a suit of armor.

 

 "It doesn't matter, fool," Eupompe snapped. "The fall obviously damaged her mind. Take her now and we can be done with this nonsense at last."

 

 "Not this time, Eupompe," Aglaia said and started to call for Hephaestus. He would hear her and appear in a flash, but Talos' sudden movement startled her into silence. In three quick strides, he reached Croco and Phlius, grabbed each in a large brazen hand, and raised them over his head.

 

 "Wait, Talos!" Aglaia shouted instead.

 

 But Talos didn't wait. He hurled each of the men in different directions. Aglaia watched as Croco sailed through the air and landed in the forge. As soon as the immortal flames touched his body, he turned to ash and scattered in the heat.

 

 Eupompe screamed and Aglaia turned to see Phlius scrambling from where he'd crashed against the wall. The sounds had alerted the Nedas and the six rushed into the chamber just as Phlius reached the opening of the passage to the vestibule.

 

 "Come back here and help me!" Eupompe shrieked after him, but Phlius paid her no heed.

 

 In long, quick strides, Talos disappeared down the passageway after him.

 

 When Eupompe realized she was on her own, she turned to flee, but the little tripod rolled in front of her, tripping her. She fell heavily and the Nedas converged upon her.

 

 "No, no, don't!" Aglaia shouted, but they didn't listen. "Hephaestus! Help!"

 

 It took only seconds for Hephaestus to answer her plea, but in that time, Aglaia covered her ears at the sound of Phlius' ear-splitting scream. Talos had finally reached him.

 

 Hephaestus appeared in front of her, and she flung herself into his arms.

 

 "Please stop them," she whispered. "It's Queen Eupompe, but I don't want her dead."

 

 Obeying Hephaestus' sharp command, the Nedas fell back into a circle around the supine queen.

 

 "Tell me what happened," Hephaestus said.

 

 Aglaia explained everything. "Please don't be angry with Talos. I convinced him to leave his post so we could polish him. I told him why you had him stand watch in the first place. I was sure I hadn't really seen anything. It must have been either Croco or Phlius on the cliff and he told Eupompe. Anyway, I knew it wouldn't take long to clean him up with the seven of us working and it didn't, but that's when the queen and her men showed up."

 

 Hephaestus' arms tightened around her. She smiled up at him.

 

 "I wouldn't have let them hurt me this time, but your—your children saved me."

 

 "
Children
?" he asked incredulously.

 

 She nodded. "Yes. You created them, what else could they be? The Nedas should each have her own name, you know. And Triptolemus—"

 

 "
Triptolemus
?" he asked with the sound of disbelief still in his voice.

 

 "The tripod. He stopped the queen when she might have gotten away, and so I have decided his name is Triptolemus."

BOOK: Immortal Heat
4.92Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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