Free Seeds by M. M. Kin Page B

through her body. With a burst of energy, she dislodged her lover – no, it's not him – and shoved him hard, causing him to fall backwards onto the floor. Wisps of her hair stood on end from the static electricity that crackled around her and the woolen blankets, and she let out a pure scream of fury that echoed through the entire village before she leaped to her feet, her sickle appearing in her hand.
         “My love, I apologize if I became overly passionate. Please forgive me, I was simply overwhelmed by my ardor for you!” Iasion said, drawing to his knees and offering his hands, offering her what would have normally been a winning smile. But her lover had never smiled that way. With a shout, she dove at him with her sickle, neatly slicing his leg along his left thigh, causing reddish-pink ichor to splatter along the smooth earthen floor.
         Immediately Iasion's form grew, the muscles bulging, the dark hair turning white, and Demeter dove at her brother again, this time unfortunately missing him.
         Zeus raised his hands in panic. He hadn't honestly thought Demeter would be this pissed, and was already realizing just how she had figured it out. He had lost control again – the fact that his sister was a goddess caused him to pay no mind to his own strength. Damnit. He knew there was only one thing to do.
         He turned tail and ran, assuming the form of an eagle as he stepped outside the door. Another shout of rage exploded from behind him, and he felt himself hit by a blast of heat that literally had him spinning head over clawed feet and singeing his feathers as he tried to maintain flight.
     
    o0o
     
         Demeter was about to take after him when she realized that if Zeus had thought to take Iasion's place, then the real one had to be somewhere. If he had killed Iasion...
         A frantic search through the small house revealed him in the storage room amidst the jars and bags of stored food. He was sound asleep, and did not stir as she gently nudged the blanket that he was rolled up in. To her relief, his heartbeat was strong, and his breathing deep. She realized what Zeus had in mind. He would make love to her, and leave in the morning, leaving the mortal next to her in bed, neither of them aware of the god's deeds.
         Son of a bitch . His doggedness in achieving his goals – whatever the means – was both admirable and outright damnable. If she went to the council and accused Zeus of raping her, he would simply counter that she had welcomed him – which had also been the truth. She would be laughed at by the other gods for being a prude. She, and those she knew would support her, would be greatly outnumbered by the patriarchal pantheon, and she wasn't sure how many others would jump to her side once they knew the full story. Unlike mortals, gods had no laws concerning incest. And what if Zeus told the others of Iasion? The affairs of a god were never private, which was why she had told nobody of it, because once somebody else knew, everyone else knew, and then they would all give her their opinion or try to interfere in some way, just to alleviate the boredom of their endless days.
         She took a deep breath and let out a low sigh as she picked up her unconscious lover, gently placing him in his bed and checking him for bruises or other marks. He stirred and groaned softly, but did not wake, and she sat there, grim-faced as she stroked his brow and hair, thinking about what she would do. Making these events public would humiliate her – damn Zeus! – but she would not let him get away with it. A tight smile stretched her lips as she thought of ways she could gain her revenge more privately. And it would be all the more satisfying...
     
    o0o
     
         The snow fell outside, but all of the houses in Enna were warm and comfortable. Demeter did not tell her lover what had happened, nor would she ever. How did one admit to their lover that their sibling had