Aphrodite the Beauty (Goddess Girls) Read Online Free PDF Page A

gazing wistfully down at Hippomenes as he began 58 to stretch his legs beside the track, preparing for a practice run.
    The young woman must be Atalanta, of course. And her tears put to rest the question of her feelings toward Hippomenes. Leaving the palace grounds, Aphrodite began to jog back up the trail. Suez, Nectar, and Amby trotted along behind her, their tongues hanging out. They were almost to the top of Mount Olympus when Hephaestus came limping toward them on a silver cane. Without thinking, Aphrodite said the first thing that popped into her head. "Out for a run?"
    Immediately, she regretted her mistake. She clapped both hands over her mouth as if to recall the words. Hephaestus, however, only laughed and blithely waved his cane in the air. "Actually," he said, "I'm out for a hobble . Want to join me?"
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    Aphrodite hesitated. "I really should get the dogs back up to Artemis." He looked so disappointed that she quickly added, "But you could walk me to the dorm if you'd like."
    Hephaestus's thin face lit up. "I'd love to." The dogs bounced on ahead of them as they headed back to the academy. Aphrodite walked slowly to make it easy for Hephaestus to keep up with her. He seemed a little tongue-tied, so to put him at ease, she began telling him about Hippomenes and his request for help. "The thing is," she said when she finished her story, "I want to help him, but I'm not really sure how to."
    Hephaestus looked at her with shy admiration. "You'll think of something. You're very clever."
    "Why, thanks," said Aphrodite, though she wasn't quite sure what she'd done to make him think so highly
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    of her. Still, she couldn't help feeling pleased. She was used to compliments on her beauty, but no godboy had ever told her she was clever before.
    "And if there's anything I can do to help you with this," Hephaestus continued, "you have only to ask."
    "That's nice of you," said Aphrodite, "I'll keep your offer in mind." Truthfully though, she doubted she'd have any reason to take him up on it.
    Until this moment, her dealings with Hippomenes had pushed all thoughts of the party from her mind. But now they suddenly flooded back. She cringed to think how upset she'd been just because Ares had flirted with Athena. So what? She knew better than anyone that flirting didn't mean a thing. "Anything interesting happen after I left the party last night?" she heard herself ask.
    Hephaestus looked down at his hands. "I don't know.
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    I left not long after you did."
    An awkward silence fell between them. To fill it, and take her mind off her own problems, she said, "That's a beautiful cane." Etched into the silver in intricate detail, leaves and flowering vines wound the shaft from top to bottom.
    "Thanks," he said. "Made it myself."
    "I should've guessed," said Aphrodite, remembering that he was the god of blacksmiths and metalworking.
    "I love forging things from metal," said Hephaestus. "It's so satisfying to transform a boring lump of gold or silver into something beautiful."
    Aphrodite nodded. She could understand that feeling. After all, hadn't she gotten a lot of pleasure from transforming Athena last night? She and Hephaestus just worked with different materials --he with metals,
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    she with makeup.
    "Heading up?" she asked as they reached the granite steps leading to the academy's bronze doors.
    He shook his head. "Later. I'm going to keep walking. It's good for my legs."
    "Well, I'm glad I ran into you," she told him. And it was true. It was nice to talk to a godboy she didn't feel she had to flirt with, someone who thought she was clever . It made for a pleasant change.
    "Me too." He smiled, waiting until she got inside before turning to continue his walk.
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    5 Gone Shopping
    IT WAS PAST TEN WHEN APHRODITE GOT BACK upstairs, but Artemis was just waking up. Wagging their tails, the dogs leaped onto her bed and began licking her face. Hugging them, Artemis looked at Aphrodite in surprise. "You took them out?"
    Aphrodite