Aphrodite leapt out the window with effortless grace, golden hair dancing behind her like sunlit silk. Before she vanished into the sky, she turned and flashed Lucian a wicked smile.
"If Olympus is going to see a god chasing after me, I hope it's the one I love. You don't want to wear more green hats, do you?"
Lucian chuckled, running a hand through his disguised silver-blond hair. "I know what you're doing, and yet... I'm tempted."
Despite hating flight, he launched himself into the air, chasing after her through the radiant skies of Olympus. Marble streets shimmered below, lined with gods of every kind. Towers soared into the heavens, reaching toward the void, and golden temples pulsed with essence. Olympus was opulence and power made manifest, but none of that could distract Lucian from the goddess ahead.
She led him to a dense forest at the edge of Olympus, where towering trees blocked out the ever-present heavenly light. The air here felt thick with power.
"You brought me to the ambrosia grove?" Lucian asked, stepping into the shade. The scent was intoxicating, sweet, divine, ancient.
"Exactly," Aphrodite said, taking his hand. "The old man already harvested his share. Taking what remains won't hurt anyone."
Lucian's shoulders slumped. "So the operation failed. There's no thrill in a gift." He turned to leave.
Aphrodite stopped him with a soft touch, cupping his cheek. "You know, darling..."
She rose on her toes and pulled him down into a kiss, slow and full of yearning. Her moan melted into his lips. As her legs hooked around his, Lucian's hand found her waist and then her breast, a soft squeeze drawing a gasp from her. When she pulled back, her breath was warm against his neck.
"Zeus already shut down operations. He hid everything away from you. This forest is your compensation."
Lucian closed his eyes. "I know. And it kills me that I feel nothing. I do this for the excitement, and right now, there's none."
Aphrodite gave a teasing pout but didn't push. With a gesture, her clones spread through the forest, gathering glowing fruits into tiny sacks. She kept one for herself, but tossed another to Lucian.
"What do you need that many for?" he asked.
"To gift my followers in the Primordial Realm," she said, voice soft. "One fruit feeds hundreds. They need me."
He nodded, then tied the sack to his waist. "Then I gift them to you, Aphrodite."
Aphrodite smiled, her eyes bright with something more than affection. He had chosen her.
"Tell the old man I'll visit him officially after my task," Lucian said, ready to leave.
"Would you stop at a kiss, darling?" Aphrodite asked, voice like velvet.
Lucian paused, drinking her in. She stood among the trees, a vision of divine beauty, both tempting and eternal.
"When the time is right," he said. "Not now."
He vanished into the air.
Aphrodite whispered after him, "You better mean it. You've touched my body, kissed me. I'm yours now, and I expect you to take responsibility."
Unseen in the shadows, Nyx watched. The primordial goddess of night, older than Olympus itself, had come to report. But after witnessing Lucian's actions, something stayed her hand. Perhaps it was his power. Perhaps it was fate.
With a sigh, Nyx turned and disappeared into the dark, letting the moment be.