Arcadian Nights Read Online Free PDF Page B

of here and be done with
it.”
    Ares looked at Aphrodite as tears
rolled down her red face. He laughed. “That isn’t going to work,
Aphrodite. I’m not hurting you. You like it.”
    She scowled at him. “I bet you want to
fuck me so bad. You love it when I’m angry. You can’t get enough of
it.”
    He released her and stepped back. “I
think I’ll live. Go.”
    Aphrodite looked at both of them, her
expression angry and hurt and humiliated. Eris didn’t know if the
goddess could tell she was uncomfortable about what her brother had
done or not, but it didn’t matter. Aphrodite would never believe
Eris hadn’t planned this. Anyone who got hurt around Eris blamed
her automatically.
    Aphrodite disappeared.
    Eris looked at her brother. “She
wouldn’t have hurt me.”
    His eyes flamed again. “She had no
right to touch you. You did nothing to her. Are you
hurt?”
    “ No, I’m fine. I put a
spell on a man she desires, and I turned her lover against her.”
Eris touched his arm. “I didn’t mean to cause strife for
you.”
    Ares shook his head. “Her charm wore
off long ago. She’s a hard lover to leave though. My good fortune
is you just made it easier for me.”
    “ Yes, no one seduces a man
like she does.”
    “ No one drives men insane
like she does. I’m glad to be rid of her.”
    “ I hope in time that will
be true.”
    Ares scowled at her. “I’m not a
lovesick pup.”
    “ I didn’t say you were.
You still want her though. Or at least to fuck her a dozen more
times.”
    “ Maybe so, but that’s not
what I want to talk about.”
    “ Hermes?”
    “ Yeah. What do you really
want?”
    “ I want to bed him.
Nothing more.”
    Ares crossed his arms and narrowed his
eyes. “You sure about that?”
    She stared at her brother. “Excuse
me?”
    “ You’ve had your eye on
him for a while.”
    She laughed. “I’ve never had my eye on
anyone. Aphrodite still wants him, so he must be good. He’s an
arrogant stick-in-the-mud, and I want to crack that perfect veneer
and see what’s underneath.”
    Ares eyed her for a long moment. “And
what if you like it as much as Aphrodite does?”
    “ No man is going to tame
me, Ares.”
    He uncrossed his arms. “Is that what
you think Aphrodite did to me?”
    She shook her head. “I wasn’t even
thinking that. You really don’t love her?”
    To her surprise, he took a moment to
think about it. “Not now. Perhaps I did once, when she was
mysterious and enchanting. She never opened her heart to me though.
The woman who could make me happy will.”
    “ That’s sweet.” The words
were out before she could stop them. She knew Ares would scoff at
her statement.
    “ Don’t make fun of
me.”
    “ No, it is. You and I
aren’t like the others. Our hearts won’t be captured by looks or
words or prowess in bed. You know that.” She knew there was more to
her brother than a dashing smile and bedroom tricks. If Aphrodite
couldn’t see that, it was her loss. Eventually someone who was good
enough for him would.
    He smiled. “We’re better than everyone
else?”
    “ More complex.”
    “ You’ve always said
that.”
    “ It’s true. Ask the
Fates.”
    “ They don’t tell me what
to do.”
    Eris looked down at the floor. “You
think that’s what they do to me.”
    Ares shrugged. “In a way. You chose
that role though. It was not assigned to you. You really sealed the
deal with that golden apple trick though. You’ve been their
favorite ever since, but you could still walk away
anytime.”
    She raised one eyebrow. “So I was not
fated to serve the Fates?”
    He laughed. “No. You wanted a purpose,
and they had one ready for you. You weren’t compelled.”
    “ You’ve been thinking
about this.”
    “ From time to time,” he
said with a shrug.
    “ I won’t hurt Hermes or
anyone else. If he doesn’t relent I’ll release him
eventually.”
    Ares nodded. “That might do something
in your favor. If you meant what you said.”
    “ You