Free Aphrodite's Curse (Kallos Series) by Khelsey Jackson

 
     
     
    ©Text Copyright 2013 Khelsey Jackson
    All rights reserved.
     
     
    Cover by Rue Volley for Vivid Book Designs
     
     
    No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Aphrodite has had many lovers in her life, but she has always come back to Ares and Apollo. They are the only men she has ever been with to reach her heart. She walks through the garden where she knows Apollo will be. Vibrant colors are everywhere, reds, yellows, bright blue and a brilliant green from the grass. The small lake has her favorite fish in it, and she knows that the water from the waterfall is warm.
    Aphrodite ’s heart stops, it has been twenty years since she has last seen him. Apollo is sitting by the water, and she notices his hair is longer. He has the same perfect chiseled jaw line, and the same single dimple in his left cheek he had when she had left him and Ares in the middle of the night to go to earth. Earth is where she met him and had to suffer the excruciating loss of him dying in her arms.
    Aphrodite shakes the thought out of her head. “Apollo,” she whispers.
    The sun god doesn’t look at her. He slowly stands up, and keeps his back to her. “Why are you here, Aphrodite?” She flinches at the use of her name and the coldness in his voice. Apollo used to call her Agápe.
    She closes her eyes, and pictures him taking her into his arms. She doesn’t blame him for acting like this, but she missed him every second she was gone. She opens her eyes and takes a deep steadying breath. “Would you believe me if I you I came here to tell you and Ares I am sorry? And how I should have stayed here.”
    Aphrodite moves towards Apollo as he says with a deep hurt in his voice, “Do you know for the first few years I waited for you, and swore that you would come back?” Aphrodite stops moving when Apollo turns around. “I had to watch you with him, watch you fall in love with someone else.”
    She takes a step back and stops when her body hits something. Aphrodite can feel her body coming alive; she knows whose body she is against. “Calm down, Apollo.” Ares warm, sweet, and calming voice says alongside her neck.
    Aphrodite shivers. “I know I messed up, and I am sorry you had to watch.” She moves away from Ares, and drops to her knees in front of Apollo. “I am here now and I won’t be leaving you or Ares ever again.”
    Apollo stares down at h er, and slowly his face softens, “Your dress is getting dirty.”
    “I don’t care, ” she says as she tilts her head back to look at him. “I understand if you need time to forgive me, and I will wait until the end of time if I need too.”
    “ Agápe, you were always a romantic with your words.” Apollo drops to his knees in front of her, and takes her hands into his. “We will heal, it’s what we do.”
    Aphrodite smiles, and squeezes Apollo’s hands. “We will heal,” she vows and turns her head to the side to see Ares sit down. He places a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
    “I for one am happy you are home.” Ares winks at her, as he wraps an arm around her shoulder and she laughs.
    Aphrodite hasn’t been happy since he died, and she forced herself back here knowing a part of her heart died with him. “Take me home,” she says, and the men laugh. They sit and she listens to them talk about the last twenty years; she didn’t miss the pain they both had in their once loving eyes. She will fix that and make them happy again.
    Aphrodite is sitting outside watching the northern lights play across the sky. The amethyst, turquoise and lavenders are swirling together in a wispy feather pattern like they were painted with the softest brushes just for us. She has missed how beautiful it is here. Earth has its own northern