by Melody Rose
“Wow, Artie,” Apollo crooned. “Where have you been hiding your friend this whole time? She’s hot.”
“Don’t be gross!” Artemis hissed. I chuckled awkwardly and came forward.
“Hi, Apollo. It’s nice to meet you. Artemis has told me all about you.”
Apollo raked his gaze over me once more, a little slower this time. He bit his lip and nodded before muttering, “I certainly hope so.”
“Keep an eye on Sephie for me while I go find Dad to say hi, will you? And don’t try anything. If I hear that you were a perv, I’ll fucking end you, Apollo. Do you understand me?” Artemis warned.
Apollo rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively, much like Artemis had done to me outside.
Yes, they are most definitely related, I snickered to myself. Artemis stood before me and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before she disappeared into the crowd. Feeling more than a little self-conscious, I smiled awkwardly at Apollo.
“Should we sit down?” I asked, unsure of what to say.
Apollo nodded and took my hand into his. He led me to the alcove where he was sitting with the five women and snapped his fingers in dismissal. Without a word, all five women disappeared into the crowd, but not before shooting daggers at me with their eyes as they left. My brow furrowed in confusion as I watched them leave.
“Please, sit down,” Apollo said as he gestured to the seat. I obliged and cleared my throat as I sat down. Apollo sat beside me, close enough that I could feel the heat of his legs through his black slacks. I folded my hands in my lap and scanned the crowd. Men and women littered the floor, dancing provocatively. As the music thrummed through the club, I started to bob my head to the beat.
I felt the heat of someone’s gaze and turned my head to see Apollo was glancing down the front of my dress, his lip still tucked between his teeth. I straightened myself, feeling more uncomfortable now. As I reached up to straighten my dress, Apollo chuckled.
“Are you nervous, beautiful?” he asked, his deep voice soft and seductive. I shook my head, trying to appear as if I didn’t feel as uneasy as I truly did. Apollo smirked at this and leaned back in the seat, shifting his hips towards me so he could lean back more comfortably. “So why haven’t I ever seen you before?”
“Oh…” I hesitated, unsure whether to be honest or not. “I’ve just been in Olympus. I tend to a huge garden, so it takes up almost all of my time.”
“I see,” Apollo replied as he nodded. I took a deep breath, wanting for Artemis to appear more than anything at that very moment. “Are you currently seeing anyone?”
I stiffened.
“I’m sorry?” I asked, hoping he had said something different.
“Are you paired up with anyone? Or are you… free for the taking?” Apollo clarified. He lifted his hips, and my eyes involuntarily fell to the swollen lump in his crotch. I felt my cheeks burning as I looked away quickly. Apollo let out a loud laugh as he sat up and leaned in close. “You are seriously hot, Persephone.”
“Thank you,” I whispered as I scooted a few inches away from him. Apollo reached over and placed a large hand on my knee. Before I could say anything, Artemis appeared and yanked Apollo away from me by his hair.
“What did I fucking say, Apollo?” she screeched as she tossed him onto the floor like a sack of potatoes.
Apollo glared up at her as she stood between the two of us, her eyes wild with rage. “I didn’t even fucking do anything, Artie. What the hell is your problem?” Apollo snarled as he jumped to his feet.
Nervously, I came to stand behind Artemis and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Artie, everything is fine,” I lied, trying to ease the tension. “Nothing happened.”
Apollo gestured towards me with a hand, his expression reading as if to say, “See?”
Artemis was unconvinced. She took my hand in hers and curled her lip at Apollo, but he was unphased by her threat. Apollo rolled his eyes and chuckled.
“I’m not afraid of you, Artie. Save your little threats for someone who gives a shit. In the meantime, Persephone?” Apollo was smiling at me over Artemis’ shoulder. “I’ll see you around, gorgeous.”
Artemis grimaced in disgust and pulled me with her to the bar, shoving Apollo with her shoulder as we walked by. Once at the bar, Artemis placed both hands on my shoulder and lowered her head to meet my gaze. I looked up at her sheepishly.
“Are you okay? Did he do anything or say anything to you?” I could tell she was worried about me. But I also didn’t want to cause any strife with her brother over me. Instead, I smiled and shook my head.
“I told you, I’m fine, Artie. Don’t worry about me. Did you find your dad?” I asked, changing the subject quickly before she could bombard me with any more questions about her brother. She shook her head and turned to the crowd with a shrug.
“Nope. I know he’s here, but I haven’t seen him. But I have this sick feeling that he and mom are here somewhere doing something highly disturbing.” She turned back to me and smiled. “But let’s not worry about my dad or my brother. I think it’s time we get started on partying. What do you say?”
I took a deep breath and nodded, finally ready to have my first free night as a woman. Artemis clapped her hands happily and reached over the bar to call over the bartender. While Artemis ordered our drinks, I looked out into the crowd and swayed to the music. Now that we were away from Apollo, I felt a little more at ease. I allowed myself to relax a little as I danced.
Artemis tapped on my shoulders lightly, then handed me a large glass filled to the brim with a clear liquid. I frowned and looked at her through the glass. “I don’t think water is going to do anything, Artie.”
“It’s not water, weirdo. It’s Sprite and vodka.” Artemis replied with a laugh. She brought the glass to her lips and winked at me before taking three huge gulps. I stared, wide-eyed, as Artemis polished off the glass like a pro. When she was finished, she wiped her lips and turned to the bar to order another.
It’s not going to drink itself, I thought to myself as I eyed my glass speculatively. Artemis whipped around and raised a brow, then pushed the glass towards my face.
“Bottoms up!” she said as she pushed the glass to my lips and tilted the cup back.
I hurried to drink the concoction before it could spill down the sides of my mouth. It took me longer to finish my drink than it had taken Artemis, but when I finished, I set the cup down on the bar and grimaced. While the drink had initially tasted quite sweet, the after taste was positively disgusting. And to top it off, it burned all the way down to my stomach.
“That is terrible!” I cried, placing a hand on my forehead. Suddenly I was feeling slightly disoriented. Artemis was laughing loudly as the bartender set two new glasses down for us.
“I know, right? Trust me. This is the best way to have fun around here.” She retrieved the glasses and placed one in the palm of my hand. I took it and made a face, causing Artemis to laugh even harder. She clinked her glass against mine. “Cheers!”
This time, I forced myself to drink my Sprite and vodka at the same time as Artemis. When we emptied our glasses, we slammed them down onto the counter. I held onto the heavy wooden bar for balance, feeling slightly more off-kilter with this second drink in my stomach. Artemis tilted her head and pursed her lips together.
“Still hanging in there?” She asked. I nodded and grinned, feeling incredible. “That’s what I like to hear!”
We took two more drinks after that. By the fourth total glass, I felt like I was floating. I looked over at Artemis, who eyed me with amusement. I smiled back at her and started to sway heavily to the music. I let the music take over my body, and before I knew it, I had thrown my hands in the air over my head and was grinding against her. Artemis erupted into a fit of giggles.
“You are a terrible dancer!”
I ignored her. Now that I was drunk, I allowed myself to be the woman I had always wanted to be. Here, I didn’t have to worry about my mother
warning me about the dangers of men. I didn’t have to hide just because my mother wanted to keep me away from prying eyes. Right here, right now, I was just a normal woman having the time of her life with her best friend. And my mother was at home none the wiser.
As a familiar song by a man named Jason Derulo started to play over the speakers, and I gasped loudly. I looked over to Artemis and took her hand. “Dance with me!”
Before Artemis could reply, I pulled her onto the dance floor. We slipped onto the center of the floor, and I spun to face my gorgeous friend. Awkwardly, I started to dance against Artemis. I closed my eyes, letting the music take control of my body as I moved to the beat. The bass kept in rhythm with my heartbeat, allowing me to lose myself in the music completely. I swayed my hips left and right, allowing my fingers to play with the hem of my dress delicately, slowly lifting it up my thighs.
Artemis spun around, shaking her ass in a way I had never seen before. When she turned to face me again, she placed a clammy hand around my neck. I placed my hands on her hips and dug my fingers into the fabric of her black leather pants as I looked deeply into her eyes and held her gaze. Her lips were slightly parted, and her emerald eyes were glazed over from the alcohol. I smiled provocatively and threw my head back, making sure not to pull out of her grasp. As seductively as I could manage, I licked my lips and rolled my body into hers.
Artemis whooped loudly, dipping her head down to my neck and placing a light kiss at the base of my throat. The gesture tickled me, and I giggled against her, falling into her arms for a hug. I pressed my ear against her chest and felt her laughing against my cheek.
For the remainder of the song, we danced arm in arm to the beat. When the song ended, Artemis tapped my shoulder lightly. I glanced up at her, smiling through my alcohol-induced haze.
“I see my dad. Are you going to be okay here if I go say hi? If not, I can bring you with me.”
I frowned at the worried tone in her voice. I’m not some damsel in distress, I thought, feeling pouty. This time it was my turn to wave Artemis’ worries away with my hand.
“I’m gonna be fine!” I slurred. “Look at me. I’m perfectly fine.”
“Are you sure?” Artemis asked again, not completely convinced. I nodded, losing my balance for a moment before regaining it and placing my hands on my hips to steady myself.
“I swear,” I promised. To be honest, I felt like I could conquer the world. The alcohol had erased any negative thought and emotion from my mind as though it had never even existed. I dare say that I even felt brave enough to confront my mother once and for all.
I hesitated. Okay, maybe I wasn’t ready to take on my mother just yet, but at least I felt happy for the first time in my life. When I realized Artemis was still staring at me, I spun her around by her shoulders and slapped her ass.
“Go see your dad already! I’ll be right here. I promise!”
Artemis nodded and vanished into the crowd. As I watched her leave, I continued to sway along to the beat. I closed my eyes, becoming one with the music. Now that I had this experience, I knew that I would never want to live my life the same way again. Confronting my mother about letting me out of Olympus was going to be a no-go, but I was certain that Artemis and I would be able to sneak me out again.
That wasn’t to say that I hated my home. On the contrary, the garden that surrounded my mother’s temple was absolutely glorious. With a wide variety of flora and fauna, I always had something to keep myself busy. Shortly after I was born, my mother had grown the garden to celebrate my birth. With every passing year that passed after that, my mother’s garden had expanded. She had even gifted me with an indoor garden with a private pool and a small grove of apple trees.
But as much as I loved nature, I wanted more. These busy streets of the human world, hectic as they were, were just the change that I needed. There were so many sights and splendors to behold here that I would never be able to find in Olympus. And even if I had, my mother would banish or destroy them to keep me from being subjected to anything that would tarnish my purity. I rolled my eyes at the thought.
I supposed my mother couldn’t be solely to blame for her possessive nature. My father had a huge role to play in my mother’s insecurity. Zeus, the king of the Gods and father to my best friend and her brother, was also my father. While my mother refuses to speak on the subject, I managed to gain the truth from her when I was younger. Zeus and my mother had had an affair shortly after Hera had been crowned queen. For months Zeus would sneak into my mother’s temple after nightfall, and the two would share hours of intimacy. When the dawn would approach, my father would sneak back into his own temple and into bed with his wife.
My mother spent countless nights smiling, sure in her heart that they loved they had shared was true. But Zeus had proved otherwise when Hera announced to the entire pantheon that she was pregnant with twins. Devastated, my mother waited for my father on one cool spring evening. When he had arrived, she had questioned as to how Hera could have possibly been pregnant when he had sworn his love to my mother.
Zeus had explained that he needed to continue keeping up appearances with his wife until he was able to leave her and be with my mother. That night, he and my mother would spend their last night together. After that evening, my mother went months without seeing or hearing from Zeus. When my mother had finally decided she was going to confront both Zeus and Hera about their affair, my mother had fainted in her temple.
When my mother awoke, hours later, she was surrounded by handmaidens and the nymphs that tended to her tiny garden. The handmaidens had told my mother she was expecting. Feeling both heartbroken and elated, my mother had called for Zeus to tell him the news. Like he had done countless times before, Zeus snuck into my mother’s room that evening. My mother was positively glowing when he had entered the room. But he never came near her.
Instead, Zeus had stayed by the entrance to my mother’s room, his expression blank. When she asked Zeus to come closer to her, he declined and urged for her to explain the reason she had called for him. My mother nodded and told him everything. As she finished, she had noticed that Zeus had grown still, and his expression had darkened. That was when Zeus had told my mother that he would no longer be coming to visit her. She was confused.
Had Zeus not heard her? She was pregnant with his child. Why didn’t he seem as happy about this as she was? Zeus proceeded to tell her that, despite the fact that she was carrying his child, he would never commit to her as he had decided to commit to Hera. She could give birth to their child, but Zeus would never acknowledge the child as his. He would never shower love and affection on the child, and the child would never be allowed to live in his temple with its siblings.
He left her sobbing and alone in her temple after that. From that moment on, my mother had shut herself off from the rest of the pantheon. Seldom did she ever leave her home to attend the birth or celebration of the other gods. And if she did, she always made sure to avoid Zeus and Hera. Sometimes, when my mother thought I was asleep, I could hear her sobbing in the garden over the loss of her greatest love.
She had given Zeus her love and her virginity, and he has treated her and her child as though they were nothing. To this day, I was sure my mother hadn’t forgiven him. And as for myself, I had never met my father. And I truly didn’t care to. All I needed in my life was Artemis and my mother.
Artemis had been the one to discover that we were related by snooping. While listening to the gossip of some goddesses, she had heard the rumor that the daughter Demeter kept locked away had been the bastard child of Zeus. Curious about her unknown sibling, Artemis had snuck into my mother’s temple and found me in my room. She introduced herself and told me what she had heard, but I couldn’t believe her. As far as I was concerned, I was born from the rarest flower in my mother’s garden. But Artemis had told me that that was impossible.
From that evening on, Artemis and I had been inseparable. My mother had never questioned how or why Artemis and
I came to be friends, but she had welcomed the young goddess with open arms. I liked to believe that my mother accepted Artemis easily because it made her feel closer to my father. But I would never know the truth.
And though we never talked about it, Artemis had always treated me with the love and respect one would give their sibling. I felt myself smiling at the memory of my dearest friend. As I swayed lazily to the music, I paused. I could feel someone watching me and quickly opened my eyes to look around the room, worried that Apollo had found me on the floor.
But the man who was staring at me wasn’t Apollo at all. I felt my jaw go slack as we locked eyes. He was tall; well over six feet, I realized. He had short brown hair that was brushed back from his face and a neatly trimmed beard. His eyes were a startling shade of blue and rimmed with thick dark lashes. I shivered under his penetrating gaze.
Suddenly, it was as if the entire room had gone dark and the only light left was him. I felt my breath catch as he took a step forward and pause, uncertainty falling over his eyes like a veil. I opened my mouth to speak but, just as quickly as I saw him, he disappeared, leaving only a plume of black smoke in his wake. I blinked rapidly at the place where he once stood. What the hell?
Feeling sober, I quickly walked to where I saw the man with a frown. I scanned the room to my left, then scanned the right. But nothing. He had vanished into thin air. I could sense the small ripple of power that he left behind in his wake, but it was too faint for me to trace. I had never felt so compelled towards anyone the way that felt at this very moment, and now he was gone. I deflated, feeling a little sad as I wandered towards the entrance of the club searching for him.
When I didn’t see him there, I made my way back to the bar hoping to at least catch sight of him. After a moment, I gave up. Artemis popped up beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder as she read my face. She frowned deeply.
“What’s wrong?” she asked quickly. “Did Apollo say something again?”
