Free Sweet Cry of Pleasure by Marie Medina Page A

or pride when I asked that.”
    Eris had to struggle not to lose all of her patience. “Tell me what you can, what I need to know.”
    “He knows what will save him. He knows what he needs.”
    Eris felt the ground under her shake a tiny bit as she tried to disperse her anger. “So he has to suffer through this and figure out your damned riddle as well.”
    “He will know. Tell him that.”
    “I don’t understand you.”
    Aphrodite turned away. “No, I suppose you don’t. I’m not just a silly, cruel bitch.”
    “You can be one from time to time though.”
    She turned back and smiled sadly. “Fair enough. I hope you will think more of me when this is over. He will be happy.”
    “I can’t believe that.”
    “Try.”
    “It’s rather hard,” Hera said. The queen of the gods appeared behind Aphrodite. “I thought I hated you at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis when you pulled your little trick. I despised you for giving Helen to Paris and sparking Troy and Greece to war. You should’ve been blamed for the Trojan War all this time, not Eris. And then your son Aeneas abandoned Dido, queen of my favored city Carthage, and she killed herself. Zeus should never have granted him immortality at your request.”
    “Why bring all that up?” Aphrodite asked. Eris could tell she was afraid of what Hera meant to do.
    “Love. All that sorrow happened in the name of love. Paris’ love for Helen, Dido’s love for Aeneas. You think anything can be excused because of love.”
    “No, I don’t.”
    Eris didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to defy Hera, but she feared the queen might act rashly out of love for her son.
    “You don’t love my son, so why are you doing this?”
    Aphrodite took a breath. “Can’t you trust me? He will find what he needs and be happy.”
    “I want more reassurance than that.”
    Aphrodite wrung her hands. “Wake him and tell him what I said. I was just telling Eris what she needed to do.”
    Hera looked at Eris, then back at Aphrodite. “Why do it like this? I don’t know what you intend to happen, but wasn’t there another way? A way that wouldn’t leave my son in such pain?”
    “If he sleeps, he feels no pain. Tell him what I said. I cannot go near him while he’s under the spell.”
    “You can’t?”
    “No. I might say too much. If I reveal too much, it won’t work.”
    Eris stepped forward. “Hera, why don’t we try? Aphrodite will still be here.”
    Hera stared at the goddess of love, but then she nodded. “I can’t think of an end result that will make me forgive you.”
    Aphrodite’s eyes filled with tears. “Well then, one more person will despise me. Just go to him.”
    Eris stayed silent as she and Hera left. She didn’t want to anger her queen at a time like this.
    Hera sighed. “Hypnos is with him. We can wake him with little pain and tell him.”
    “Do you have any ideas?”
    Hera sighed. “I believe we both do. Alala may have to do something.”
    “She’ll do anything for him, but we will have to protect her. She’s never been to the Underworld before.”
    Hera shook her head. “I don’t think it will be that serious. If Hypnos has kept his brother away, Ares will not have entered the Underworld.”
    “Then what? A quest?”
    “I don’t know, but I’m certain it will involve Alala. She once had to find ambrosia when he was wounded. She could do that again.”
    Eris nodded. “I feel sorry for Arion. It has to be obvious how much Alala loves Ares.”
    “He’s a sweet boy, but perhaps better suited for a mortal girl.”
    “I think so too, but it still has to hurt.”
    “You’ll forgive me for caring more for my own son’s happiness.”
    “Of course I do. I feel the same. Arion will recover.” Eris thought for a moment. “Perhaps she must choose between them? Hardly a challenge, but maybe it’s symbolic? Then again, we can’t assume it has to do with love. I think Alala will have to do something because she loves him so much.