My silver hand brushed his cheek and a tear bloomed but dried before it fell, and he knew me at once then the King of Men knew me no more.
I could see it worked because he shoved my hand away as if I were a beast trying to devour him.
“Do not touch me again.” He frowned, his mouth ajar, confusion boiling like fog across his dark green eyes. “What are you?” he demanded, and I curled my hands into claws.
The old Alec, the one I’d known when I first arrived, brought anger out of me that I needed to stop the pain. The loss of him was an open wound.
“What are you?” he asked.
Perhaps him knowing me less suddenly gave him the eyes to know me more. He saw that I was not merely a titan-blood. No longer veiled by familiarity, it is possible the king finally saw me for once and all as I am. Other.
Still, an old fear grabbed hold of me. I knew that for the Olympians to find out would mean worse things than being only a titan traitor.
“I am myself only changed.” The words were shards of glass from my throat, cutting, slicing, pure power.
It lanced through him even as I tried to reel it back.
He stood at his full height. “I’ve seen everything on this plane and under it. I’ve visited its skies centuries before you were born, and its bowels before you were a thought, and Freya, Freya the…,” his eyes flashed with the annoyance at being unable to know something, “…what in all of the universe are you?”
He’d almost said Fallen and it was apropos because my whole world fell with his near use of my hated title.
I steeled my jaw to keep from chattering from the cold that I emitted without thought. Tears froze on my lids. Through gritted teeth, I told my darkest secret. I uttered my biggest fear. I screamed in a mutter my greatest struggle. “I. Don’t. Know.”
My voice again, grated like metal against metal and I could tell it burned his ears.
If I should shout, it would end a lesser god than he, but only just. It felt as if they would be destroyed by my new voice, though, I should hope to never try it.
He strode to the door, pausing just long enough for him to stare at me long and hard. He’d lost something but couldn’t remember it. Desperation made him furious until he focused on me and said, “You’ll stay in here until Aphrodite is buried. You’ll not speak to anyone aloud, you understand?”
I nodded as the door closed on my answer. This time, he locked it.
And I dropped to the ground sobbing.
It was Aphrodite who would fill the void, her memory, and it was clear that the Fates knew it would smooth the gaping hole of our recent affections. He missed her; he’d assure himself. He craved her, he’d be reminded, and then he’d grieve all the more and move on without her.
I would cry my eyes out, and then write a letter for Cenia to take to Apollo. It would say one thing and one thing only. I will be your torch if you take me away from here forever.
to be continued…
Afterword
Dear Awesome Readers!
Welcome to my new pen name and thank you a million times for being here and supporting my new fantasy stories. As I am sure you can tell while reading, Freya is incredibly special to me. Her story was fierce and gripping from the moment I started to tell it. When Cenia grabbed that shell from Alec’s shore, I had to know what would happen to them. I could not stop until I knew!
I wanted to thank a couple special readers who have supported this journey and made sure that Freya was loved from start to finish. Kim Cunningham and KD Ritchie, you two are the best most wonderful beta readers and friends a gal can ask for! Without your love and support there is no way that Freya would have ever gotten completed or be as amazing as she is. Thank you a million times!
Another shout out to Patience Cruise who never fails to surprise me with her supportiveness and love of my stories! Your feedback and enthusiasm always helps me stay motivated.
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Also, feel free to join my reader group to discuss!
I hope you will continue my mythology journey with me as I plan to write more in this world and finish the journey Freya is on!
Logan
Beware the Fallen: Young Adult Mythology (Banished Divinity Book 1) Page 23
