Goddess by Chance (Demi-God Daughters Book 2) (11 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Arienne sat beside her front door. Her face was swollen, and the muscles in her face throbbed. She’d cried for so long it was amazing her eyes weren’t swollen shut. Sitting here since another crying fit had left her immobilized, she had no strength to move and no more tears to cry. Leaning forward Arienne wrapped her arms around her knees and laid her head down closing her eyes.

“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s give it another try. What do you say?”

Six year old Arienne rolled her eyes. “Daddy, I’m over learning to ride a bike. Why should I waste my time with this?”

Raymond laughed as he picked up his daughter’s red helmet from the sidewalk.

“Because you are a big girl now and it’s a rite of passage for every kid to learn how to ride a bicycle.”

He held up the helmet. Arienne sighed and took it from his hand. Carefully she put the helmet back on and fastened the straps beneath her chin.

“All right, Daddy. Let’s do this one more time and then I’m done. I have other things to do.”

“Whatever you say, Princess.”

Arienne glanced up at her father as she hoisted herself back onto the red, ten speed mountain bike. It wobbled a bit, but then her dad was beside her steadying the bicycle. She put her feet down on the pedals.

“Okay, Daddy. I’m ready.”

“I’ll be right behind you,” her father said.

Then he stepped away. Arienne leaned forward and pedaled furiously. The bike beneath her started to move, and then she was flying down the sidewalk.

“Daddy! Look at me. I’m riding it. I’m riding my bike.”

“I see you, baby. I’m so proud of you,” he called from behind her. “Now can you stop?”

Arienne’s eyes stretched as she tried to remember what her dad had said about stopping.
Oh yeah.
She started pedaling backwards, and the bike started losing speed. Then she started to wobble. Taking her feet off the pedals, Arienne tried to brace herself, but just as her bike prepared to topple, her daddy was there.

Raymond grabbed the bicycle and held it still. A wide grin covered his face. “You did well. You remembered how to stop, and you were going so fast, I almost couldn’t keep up with you.”

Arienne beamed with pride. “So that means ice cream?”

“Ice cream. Whatever you want, baby girl. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Daddy.”

“Arienne. Arienne.”

“I love you, Daddy.”

“Arienne, wake up.”

The fog surrounding Arienne lifted as she opened her eyes and looked up. Athena stood over her. Arienne’s body temperature immediately started to rise.

“What do you want?”

“Arienne, your father … I … I’m sorry.”

Arienne swallowed hard and slowly rose from her seat on the floor. Even at her five foot nine inches, the Goddess of Wisdom towered over her. Standing so close to her mother, she noticed the faint redness around Athena’s eyes, but that didn’t stop Arienne from slapping her mother across the face.

“How dare you?” Arienne’s voice shook. “How dare you show up here with your fake tears and false sympathy?”

“Arienne, whatever you may think of me, I … your father meant something to me. He meant a lot.”

The goddess’s grey eyes seemed to bore a hole into her. Arienne’s fists clenched, and a muscle in her neck tightened.

“He meant something to you? Don’t you dare stand here and lie to my face. You never gave a damn about my father or me. He loved and worshipped you, and you couldn’t even bother to see him.”

“I told you why.”

“I don’t give a damn about your excuses. Since the day I found out you were my mother, you and my dad were only in the same room one time. One time. Do you know how much he wanted to see you? To be with you? He would’ve given anything for just a moment of your time, and you couldn’t even give him that.”

“I’m a goddess, known and worshipped for her purity. No one could know that I’d given myself to a human. That I … that I loved a mortal man.”

Athena turned away wiping her hand over her eyes before turning back to her daughter. Red swam in front of Arienne’s eyes, and she closed them briefly in an effort to calm her nerves. Raising her hand, she jabbed her pointer finger into the goddess’ shoulder.

“Love? You don’t know the first thing about love. The only person you care about in this entire universe is yourself. You never loved my father. He was just a toy that you got tired of playing with. After all, he was just a mortal. His feelings didn’t matter.”

Athena’s eyes turned white, and grabbing her daughter’s wrist, she held it immobile. “I know you despise me. I know you wish your mother was anyone but me, but there’s nothing that can be done about that. Raymond is gone. The only male in all of creation who looked past my title and what I represent and saw me, Athena the woman.”

Tears leaked from Athena’s eyes as she choked back a sob. “The woman who was always reminded of how smart I was and not beautiful. But Raymond thought I was gorgeous and sexy, as well as intelligent. So yes, I mourn him because I loved your father, and I always will.”

Athena released Arienne’s wrist and wiped the tears from her own eyes. Arienne couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Athena didn’t cry. Crying was for weak, sentimental women, but yet her mother stood before her now, clad in battle armor and shedding tears for Raymond. For Arienne’s father. She wanted to believe her mother. Wanted to believe that Athena wasn’t as selfish as she seemed and that she had loved Raymond. But something deep inside her was still on edge.

“If you loved him, then why didn’t you save him?” Arienne asked in a soft tone.

The question hung in the air between them. Arienne folded her arms across her chest as her head pounded. Over and over the feeling of being kicked between the eyes persisted. “Well, Mother?”

Athena’s eyes grew stormy. “I didn’t know Raymond would die. I was on the other side of the world. When I got a strange feeling I rushed back and that’s when I found out.”

Arienne rolled her eyes. “You still didn’t answer my question. Why weren’t you keeping tabs on him? Why? If you’d done that, you could’ve saved him.”

“Things don’t work that way. I never watched over your father like I sometimes do you. You carry my blood, so it’s much easier to keep up with you. I know you don’t understand it, but it is an unspoken rule among the gods not to intervene in mortal affairs.”

“But didn’t your Uncle Hades do it?”

“Yes, but only because Zeus promised him a mate. Please try to understand.”

The hairs on Arienne’s neck rose, and her mouth went dry. She took a deep breath. “Are you saying you wouldn’t have saved my father if you could?”

“Yes.”

One word. Arienne charged Athena and pushed her across the room. “Get out. Get the fuck out, you heartless bitch. I never want to see you again. I hate you. You’re no mother of mine.”

“Arienne, please be reasonable.”

“Be reasonable? You just told me you would’ve let my father die.”

“I don’t expect you to understand the ways of the gods…”

“Shut up. I don’t give a damn about you or any other god. Now get out of my home and don’t come back.” Arienne turned away and wrapped her arms around herself. Dry heaves wracked her body.

“Fine. I’ll leave. I know you’re angry and hurt, but I’m still your mother and I love you. Goodbye, daughter.”

Arienne didn’t turn around. Instead she fell to her knees. “Why? Why him? Why my daddy?”

The words seemed to shake the room and then suddenly Arienne’s strength gave out. She collapsed on the floor too tired to even use her arms to steady herself. Life had failed her, and now her body had, too.

****

Triton materialized alongside the breaking waves of the beach. He could see Cerceis farther down frolicking in the water. There was a time that seeing her so carefree and happy against the backdrop of the ocean would’ve driven him to passionate depths of love that knew no bounds, but those days were long gone.

“Cerceis,” he yelled.

He watched her stop splashing and wade back to shore. His anger rose as she took her time walking to where he stood waiting. Triton folded his arms as Cerceis skipped.

“Triton. So lovely to see you.”

“You need to back off.”

Cerceis smiled. “Back off? I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”

“Arienne. Lay off.”

Cerceis clasped her hands behind her back and walked slowly around Triton. “And why would I do that? Now when we’ve struck the first major blow against Athena?”

“Because we have no idea if the plan is even working and Athena will even be affected.”

“Even Miss Frigid will feel the effects of what I’ve done. How can she not? The only man to ever touch her is dead and I’m positive that her daughter will blame her for not saving him.”

Triton weighed her words. Everything Cerceis said made sense. Not even Athena could be immune from Raymond Marcos’s death.

It doesn’t matter. This is about protecting Arienne. Don’t forget that.
He cleared his throat. “You’re right, but if we keep going with more unfortunate incidents, Athena will become suspicious. We don’t need her onto us.”

Cerceis stopped her pacing and looked at him. Her purple eyes glittered. “Perhaps you’re right. Still, I can’t help but think those aren’t your real motives for wanting me to take a step back.”

Triton snorted. “And what other motive could I have? I hate Athena more than you do.”

“I don’t doubt your hatred towards Athena, but her daughter is another matter. I saw you with Arienne at the Space Center. The way you held her so close and how you tried to shield her from the truth. If I were a betting woman I’d say you care for her.”

Triton bristled. He had to be careful what he said. So much depended on him.

“I never thought I’d see the day you were jealous of a half breed. Things have really changed.”

“I’m not jealous of anyone, mortal, half breed, or goddess. You’re quite mistaken,” Cerceis said. A frown twisted her features.

Triton smiled. “Good to know. Now let me spell it out for you. I have no feelings for the girl. I was simply comforting her as any concerned suitor would do. She is a means to an end, and when the time is right I will seduce my way into her bed and then humiliate her. My plans haven’t changed.”

Cerceis stared at him without speaking. She was squinting, as if measuring the truth of his words. Finally she smiled.

“Triton, you’ve put my mind at ease. I was beginning to wonder if we were still of one accord.”

“Stop wondering,” he snapped, “Innocents are hardly my type. I need a woman who knows what she’s doing. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be in touch.”

Triton teleported himself away from Cerceis and back to his office.

That was a close one. Cerceis is smarter than what I give her credit for.
He sat down at his desk and sighed. He’d succeeded in buying Arienne a little time to mourn in peace but what then? What would he do when Cerceis struck again?

Slowly the lies were starting to eat away at him, and he didn’t know how much longer he could keep this up. He’d blatantly lied to Cerceis. He wasn’t indifferent to Arienne. In fact he was falling for the daughter of his most hated enemy, and he had no idea what to do about it.

****

Athena sat on a rooftop, her head bent. In the darkness, Aphrodite could still see the tears running down her sister’s face as she took a few tentative steps forward.

“Athena,” she whispered.

Athena sat upright and quickly wiped her face. “Go away.”

Putting a hand on her sister’s shoulder, Aphrodite sat down beside her.

Athena jerked away. “I don’t want you here.”

“That’s fine, but I’m not going anywhere.”

Athena looked at her. Then she sighed. “Fine.”

Aphrodite smiled. They sat in a companionable silence for nearly an hour before Athena spoke again.

“I loved him. I really did love him.”

“I know. I could feel it. I can still feel it,” Aphrodite whispered. She patted her younger sister’s hand.

Athena watched her like a dog trying to decide to trust a new master or not. “You can?”

“Yes. Love, real love, will never truly die. A seed will always remain.”

Athena’s lips trembled, and then her body was wracked with sobs. Carefully, Aphrodite pulling her sister into her arms, and she held Athena as she cried.

“It’s all right. Get it all out. There’s nothing wrong with a good cry. We may be goddesses, but we are women, too,” Aphrodite said.

“Arienne blames me. She hates me.”

“She’s hurting, just like you. Give her time. Give yourself time,” Aphrodite said. She stroked her sister’s hair.

She felt Athena’s pain. She knew what it was like to love a mortal only to lose him. Though the years rolled on, the pain was never forgotten and neither was the love. When there was nothing else, love would remain. Aphrodite felt a small measure of peace that she could be here for her sister in Athena’s time of need. Athena never showed weakness to anyone, so perhaps this could be the start of a new relationship between them.