Goddess by Chance (Demi-God Daughters Book 2) (17 page)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Athena appeared on the shores of the beach. Blue green waves broke behind her, and to the right was a small palace. The tan marble gleamed as the sun shone on it, but Athena’s attention was on the woman standing in front of her. The red hair was unmistakable.

“Cerceis.”

“Athena. It’s been a long time.”

“Indeed it has.”

Cerceis walked towards her, and Athena tried to hide the sneer from her face as the white nearly see-through dress showed too much skin.

“I bet you’re wondering why I wanted to see you.”

“The thought has crossed my mind.”

“Your curiosity will soon be appeased, but first I guess congratulations are in order.”

“In regards to what?”

“Your new daughter,” Cerceis said with a smile. Clasping her hands in front of her, she continued, “Word is going around you know.”

“No, I wasn’t aware that my life was suddenly so fascinating.”

“There’s no need to get snippy. You should be proud. There’s nothing in the world like having a daughter.”

“I am proud,” Athena said folding her arms.

“As you should be. You know it’s ironic. I lose a daughter and now all these eons later you gain one. The Fates have a sense of humor, don’t they?”

A knot was starting to form in her neck. Familiar feelings were starting to come back. Athena’s eyes narrowed.

“I don’t know. We are all victims of fate. Even you.”

Cerceis’s eyes grew dark, and Athena was sure she’d struck a nerve.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing. Just that it’s a shame that of all the Oceanids, you were the only one born half-mortal. Talk about fate sucker-punching you,” Athena said with a thin smile.

“Oh yes. That. Well it’s a good thing my father rectified the situation. Of course that never would’ve come to light if it weren’t for you.” Cerceis paced around her.

Athena laughed. “Is that so? You’re blaming me?”

Cerceis’s eyes turned to a dark, stormy purple. “You’re damned right I’m blaming you. Because of your oh so brilliant idea Pallas is gone, and all I have left are memories.”

Athena blinked back the tears forming in her eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat, her stomach tight. “I made a terrible mistake, and no one has felt worse about it than I. If I could take it back I would. But if I’d known, I’d never have suggested we spar.”

She could only hope her words had somehow reached Cerceis. There was a tightness around the other goddess’s eyes, but she couldn’t hide the slight trembling of her lips. Athena reached out a hand towards Cerceis, but she shied away. Dropping her hand, Athena waited, and after a minute Cerceis finally spoke.

“I suppose you might be right. You always did seem as if you loved Pallas very much. As if you loved all of us.”

“I did. You became my family.”

“I know, but that’s because I know you. But Triton is not me.”

Athena raised a brow. “Meaning what?”

“Triton hasn’t forgiven you for what happened with Pallas. He wants revenge.”

Athena shook her head. “I’m not surprised he still hates me, but this desire for revenge is new.”

“Learning you had a daughter was of great interest to him.”

Athena’s skin prickled. “Cerceis, what are you saying?”

“Triton thought your daughter would be the perfect way to get back at you.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Cerceis shrugged. “Because I think Triton is out of his mind. Because I think that he and I need to grieve together, and mostly because I’d hate to see you experience the pain I went through.”

“And this sudden reveal has nothing to do with you hoping Triton turns to you instead of focusing on me?” Athena asked.

“I’m not going to lie and say I don’t still love Triton because I do. Now are you through second guessing my motives and ready to listen to what I know?”

“Fine. Tell me.”

“He plans to seduce your daughter, make her fall in love with him, and then he’s going to kill her.”

Athena’s adrenaline spiked, and she feared her heart would explode from her chest. Without another word, Athena left. She had to find Arienne and fast.

****

Athena had been as white as snow when she’d told her about Triton’s plans, and Cerceis would savor that look as she waited to put her final plan into action. With Athena and Triton at each other’s throats, the attention would shift away from her. Especially with Triton nursing the heartache of losing Arienne. It was the perfect cover, and Cerceis fully intended to use it because vengeance had no expiration date.

****

Smiling Arienne held Chris’s hand as he opened the door to her condo. Her body was light, as if she were floating on air. She couldn’t help the way her body tingled as she thought back to their lovemaking on the beach. She’d let Chris talk her into having sex on a public beach, and she’d enjoyed every moment of it.

Arienne followed Chris into her living room and sitting down, waited for him to join her. Still clad in the bikini that had driven him so crazy, she was debating trying her hand at seducing him. He sat down, resting his head on the back of her loveseat, and Arienne moved closer to him, running her fingers lightly over his chest.

Catching her hand, he brought it to his lips, pressing soft kisses on her skin. Before she lost her nerve, she straddled his lap and leaned down, pressing kisses along his jaw. His hands moved to caress her hips and encouraged her lips moved towards his mouth. Just as her lips reached his, he turned his head away.

“Arienne.”

She leaned back. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, sweetheart. Never.”

“Then what’s wrong? Are you having second thoughts about us?”

“Don’t you ever think that. I want to be with you more than anything in this world. I love you.”

Arienne touched his face. “And I love you, so talk to me. I can see something’s bothering you.”

Chris sighed. The happy carefree manner she’d come to know was missing. There was a tightness around his mouth that hadn’t been there before.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Chris, what are you talking about?”

“I’m not the man you think I am.”

“And what man do you think I think you are?”

“A good man. A man worthy of your love. But I’m not.”

Arienne grabbed his face in her hands. “Of course you are. You found your way into my heart when I thought no one ever would. You deserve all of my love.”

Chris shook his head. “No, I don’t. I have a past filled with things I’ve done that I’m not proud of. Having a woman like you offer me her love is more than I deserve, but I swear I will do my best to be worthy of that love. To give you all the happiness in the world.”

“I don’t understand. What is it you’ve done that you’re so afraid to tell me?”

“If only you knew.”

“Just tell me. Please.”

“Yes, why don’t you unburden yourself and tell my daughter who you really are?”

Arienne nearly fell off Chris’s lap. Her mother stood in her living room, fully dressed in battle gear.
What in the name of Olympus is going on?

Chapter Thirty-Four

Triton’s eyes narrowed as he looked past Arienne to where his enemy stood. She hadn’t changed in millennia.

“Athena.”

“You know her?” Arienne asked.

“Of course he does,” Athena said.

“Chris, please tell me what’s going on.”

“Chris. Is that what you told her your name was?”

Arienne looked back and forth between Chris and Athena. “Someone please say something.”

“Go ahead. Tell her the truth, Chris,” Athena said. A mocking smile lit up her face.

Triton gritted his teeth. He’d known this day was coming because his mother had tried to warn him, but he’d failed to listen. Now it was time to pay the piper.

“Chris?”

He turned to look at Arienne. Her legs were curled beneath her and her eyes were soft. He took a deep swallow.

“My name isn’t Chris. It’s Triton.”

“Okay. So you have a mythological name. Can’t see why you didn’t tell me, but…”

Triton shook his head. “No. You don’t understand. I am mythological.”

“What?” Arienne asked.

Triton stood up, and with a thought, blue energy surrounded his body. He held his golden trident in his hand.

“Oh. Triton. Prince of the sea. You’re a god,” Arienne said rising from the sofa.

“Yes.”

“Yes, a god much older than I am,” Athena said.

Arienne’s eyes widened in surprise. He could see a muscle moving in her neck. “He is?”

“Yes, I am.” He made his trident disappear and took Arienne’s hand in his.

“If I hadn’t just seen what you did, I wouldn’t have been able to believe it. Why didn’t you tell me you were a god?”

“For the same reason you probably didn’t tell me you were only half-mortal.”

“Don’t you dare try to manipulate my daughter,” Athena said.

Triton turned from Arienne, still holding her hand. He itched to lash out at Athena. She stood watching him and Arienne, arms crossed, a smirk on her face.

“This is between Arienne and me. Butt out, Athena.”

“How…”

“Mother, please,” Arienne said.

The goddess frowned at him, but she didn’t say anything else.

“I didn’t tell you I was half-god because there was no reason to. I have nothing to do with that world, and besides, would it have mattered if I did?”

He looked down at their joined hands. “No. It doesn’t matter what you are. My love is the same. It will always be the same.”

“Oh please,” Athena said.

Triton did his best to ignore her, but his patience was waning. If it wasn’t for Arienne between them, there likely would be an all-out brawl.

“Why didn’t you tell me who you really were?” Arienne asked.

The moment was at hand.

“Because when I first met you, my intentions were less than honorable.”

“What are you saying?”

“He’s saying he knew you were my daughter and he was planning to use you to hurt me.”

Arienne dropped his hand. “Is that true?”

He looked straight into her eyes. “Yes.”

He could see tears starting to form in her eyes and he took a step towards her, but she backed away and Athena made a move in his direction, stopping him.

“Why?” Arienne asked.

“Why don’t you ask your mother? Everything that happened is her fault.”

Triton turned his hate filled eyes in Athena’s direction. The brown-haired goddess placed a hand on Arienne’s shoulder.

“Arienne, tell him to leave. You can’t trust a word he says.”

Arienne shrugged Athena’s hand away as she turned angry black eyes on her mother. “The same could be said about you. Now what is he talking about?”

“Athena killed my daughter Pallas and stole her name.”

Arienne gasped. Her hands flew to cover her mouth.

Athena shook her head. “That’s not the way it happened.”

“Don’t you dare stand here and lie. Don’t you dare disrespect my daughter’s memory.”

Triton advanced towards Athena, his hands glowing. His anger rose with all the hate he’d harbored. The hurt and the resentment. It was all still there, and if Athena didn’t at least own up to her part in Pallas’s death, he was going to lose it.

“Triton, please.” Arienne placed her hands on his chest. He stopped moving and looked down at her. A tear ran down her cheek stopping him cold.

“Tell her, Athena.”

Athens swallowed. “It’s true. I’m responsible for Pallas’s death, but I never meant to kill her.”

“But you did,” Triton said.

“Yes, I did.”

“What happened?” Arienne asked.

Athena turned her back on both of them, running a hand through her long tresses. “I didn’t grow up on Olympus. Triton was my foster father, and I lived with him as I grew into a young goddess. Pallas was my best friend, and we were inseparable.”

“That much is true, at least,” Triton said. His anger slowly started to dwindle.

Athena faced them again. There was a weariness around her eyes that hadn’t been there before.

“Mother, go on,” Arienne prodded.

“Even though Zeus had all but turned his back on me, it started not to matter because I’d gained a father and sister. One day I suggested to Pallas that we play war games and pretend we were in a battle. We sword fought, and then to put her off balance, I threw a blast of energy at her. It was a direct hit, and Pallas fell and didn’t get back up.” Athena’s voice shook.

“She died. I don’t understand. Gods can’t kill one another. Well except for the Goddess of the Underworld.”

“Yes, but a god can kill a demigod,” Triton said.

“Pallas was a demigoddess? Did you know?” Arienne asked Athena.

“No. And neither did he.”

Triton lowered his head, swallowing back the bile that rose in his throat. Athena was right. He hadn’t known, but if he had, things would’ve been so much different. He would’ve protected his daughter and made her immortal, but he’d never had the chance. Pallas was gone, and nothing could bring her back. Tears ran down his face.