heart, but it wasn’t his doing.
Kalliste narrowed her eyes as she leaned in to hiss in his ear. “You’ve got to stop with the arrows, okay? I know you’ve been laying low for a few weeks, but Zeus sent me to confirm that you’re done. He’s serious this time. No more mortals for him.”
No more mortals for anyone, if Eros had any say in the matter.
“And you need to make things up to Hera,” Kalliste continued. “You’ve been quite the home-wrecker.”
Eros let his head fall forward. He wished he weren’t having this conversation tonight. Or ever.
“What does she want?” he groaned.
Kalliste laid her arm over Eros’s shoulder. “Just let some nice goddess make an honest man out of you. You know how she is about family. Settle down, stop sending her husband chasing after mortal girls, and all will be forgiven.”
Talk about a joke. Zeus has been chasing women since long before Eros was born. But what could he say to the little messenger-nymph that wouldn’t make it back to the Olympian rulers? Nothing.
Eros snatched the jug of wine and refilled his glass. “You know, Kalliste? You’re the second person today who’s tried to set me up.”
Kalliste’s lips twisted into a pout. “Oh. Did someone else already talk to you about Iris then?”
Eros about spat out his wine. “Iris? That multi-colored freak show? Gods, that’s almost worse than a mortal.”
Kalliste bumped her knuckles into his shoulder. “Don’t be an ass. It was Hera’s idea.” When Eros didn’t respond, she added, “She’d really like to see you settled down.”
“Yeah, well, so would my mom.” He threw back another gulp of wine. “People are going to have to learn to deal with disappointment.”
Kalliste’s face paled as her gaze locked on something behind Eros.
“What?” he asked, turning.
Aphrodite was so close, he had to stumble back so he didn’t step on her. “Disappointment is a bit of an understatement, don’t you think?”
“Not here,” he said. “I’m not talking about this tonight. With either of you,” he added, glaring back at Kalliste.
Aphrodite’s eyes cut to the nymph as she spun her son in the opposite direction. “You’ll excuse us.”
“I said not now.” Eros jerked his arm loose from her grip and stopped. “I don’t care what you say, I’m not marrying a mortal, okay?”
Aphrodite leveled her intense blue eyes at him. “Okay.”
Um, what? Eros rolled his shoulders and tucked his wings back into place. “So why’re you here?”
“It’s painfully obvious that there’s not much I can do to you for refusing my arrangement. She , on the other hand, is a different story.”
“And you came here to tell me that?”
Aphrodite snatched the goblet from Eros’ hand and threw it to the ground. “No, I came here to tell you to take care of her punishment. She rejects my son? Fine. Make her fall in love with some despicable and hideous mortal. I don’t care who, frankly. Just make sure he’s as awful to the women in his life as you are.”
* * *
A doorman peeked into the dining room as Eros was finishing breakfast. “My Lord, Aphrodite sends word that she’s gone to holiday at sea. She said to make sure you do your job quickly so she won’t have to be bothered with the details.”
Eros’s fork clattered onto his plate. He slammed his eyes shut as the noise echoed inside his brain like cymbals. Damn. After three days’ worth of festivities, he’d forgotten his mother had made him her do-boy again. What was it she wanted?
His brain felt like pulp. Something about Psyche, he remembered that much. And not having to marry her. That news alone justified his three-day bender. His stomach settled as the memories pushed their way forward.
“Will there be anything else, Sire?”
Eros wiped at his mouth with a napkin. “See that
Kalliste narrowed her eyes as she leaned in to hiss in his ear. “You’ve got to stop with the arrows, okay? I know you’ve been laying low for a few weeks, but Zeus sent me to confirm that you’re done. He’s serious this time. No more mortals for him.”
No more mortals for anyone, if Eros had any say in the matter.
“And you need to make things up to Hera,” Kalliste continued. “You’ve been quite the home-wrecker.”
Eros let his head fall forward. He wished he weren’t having this conversation tonight. Or ever.
“What does she want?” he groaned.
Kalliste laid her arm over Eros’s shoulder. “Just let some nice goddess make an honest man out of you. You know how she is about family. Settle down, stop sending her husband chasing after mortal girls, and all will be forgiven.”
Talk about a joke. Zeus has been chasing women since long before Eros was born. But what could he say to the little messenger-nymph that wouldn’t make it back to the Olympian rulers? Nothing.
Eros snatched the jug of wine and refilled his glass. “You know, Kalliste? You’re the second person today who’s tried to set me up.”
Kalliste’s lips twisted into a pout. “Oh. Did someone else already talk to you about Iris then?”
Eros about spat out his wine. “Iris? That multi-colored freak show? Gods, that’s almost worse than a mortal.”
Kalliste bumped her knuckles into his shoulder. “Don’t be an ass. It was Hera’s idea.” When Eros didn’t respond, she added, “She’d really like to see you settled down.”
“Yeah, well, so would my mom.” He threw back another gulp of wine. “People are going to have to learn to deal with disappointment.”
Kalliste’s face paled as her gaze locked on something behind Eros.
“What?” he asked, turning.
Aphrodite was so close, he had to stumble back so he didn’t step on her. “Disappointment is a bit of an understatement, don’t you think?”
“Not here,” he said. “I’m not talking about this tonight. With either of you,” he added, glaring back at Kalliste.
Aphrodite’s eyes cut to the nymph as she spun her son in the opposite direction. “You’ll excuse us.”
“I said not now.” Eros jerked his arm loose from her grip and stopped. “I don’t care what you say, I’m not marrying a mortal, okay?”
Aphrodite leveled her intense blue eyes at him. “Okay.”
Um, what? Eros rolled his shoulders and tucked his wings back into place. “So why’re you here?”
“It’s painfully obvious that there’s not much I can do to you for refusing my arrangement. She , on the other hand, is a different story.”
“And you came here to tell me that?”
Aphrodite snatched the goblet from Eros’ hand and threw it to the ground. “No, I came here to tell you to take care of her punishment. She rejects my son? Fine. Make her fall in love with some despicable and hideous mortal. I don’t care who, frankly. Just make sure he’s as awful to the women in his life as you are.”
* * *
A doorman peeked into the dining room as Eros was finishing breakfast. “My Lord, Aphrodite sends word that she’s gone to holiday at sea. She said to make sure you do your job quickly so she won’t have to be bothered with the details.”
Eros’s fork clattered onto his plate. He slammed his eyes shut as the noise echoed inside his brain like cymbals. Damn. After three days’ worth of festivities, he’d forgotten his mother had made him her do-boy again. What was it she wanted?
His brain felt like pulp. Something about Psyche, he remembered that much. And not having to marry her. That news alone justified his three-day bender. His stomach settled as the memories pushed their way forward.
“Will there be anything else, Sire?”
Eros wiped at his mouth with a napkin. “See that
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