Chapter 72

"Wake up, bitch!"It wasn't the sweetest wake-up call I'd ever had and it was even more startling when I realized who the strident voice belonged to.
I groaned and opened my eyes to see an expanse of gray stone very close to my face. It was dry and cold; sucking the warmth right out of me. It took me a second to realize that I was shackled to a wall; hanging from my wrists. I struggled to my feet only to find that they were shackled as well. At least they weren't bruised and cut like my wrists were from supporting my weight. My head was still a little fuzzy, my legs were shaky, and my whole body ached, especially my wrists and shoulders. I guess I should've been thankful that I was still alive, but I had a feeling I might be wishing for the alternative soon.
When I turned my head, I could see the rest of an S&M collection; complete with a rack, a wooden X-shaped cross, an iron bed covered in black satin, and a stone altar laid with an assortment of whips and knives. Now, when I say whips, I don't mean the soft leather ones you find at Sensually Yours out on Nimitz. I mean the real, pirate on the high seas, strap 'em to the mast, me maties, steel, barb-tipped whips.
Who knew Aphrodite was a sadist?
I guess it made a warped sort of sense. Love hurts and all that. She was the Goddess of Love and wasn't her husband that Blacksmith God; the one with the limp? Hephaistos, that was it. I bet I knew where she got all her cool toys.
"Are you awake, you little slut?"She grabbed me by the hair and yanked my head back so she could glare at me.
"Well, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?"I grinned at her, and she slapped me. Bitch-slapped me, actually. I laughed even though my cheek stung bad enough to make my eyes water. "You hit like a girl."
"You stupid, worthless, human,"she spat, and I mean she really spat at me. I had to turn my face to avoid the spittle. "You have no idea what I can do to you."
"Well, go on then."I flexed my shoulders and back. "Let's hear it, Afro."
"My name is Aphrodite, and you should be begging by now."Her face was twisted with her hatred and it stole most of her beauty; forcing her features into harsh lines which would have looked more at home on a vulture than a woman. "No matter. You will be soon enough."
"So, what's this about anyway? Why did you help me escape Blue if you hate me so much?"Keep it casual. Keep her talking. Maybe if I kept her talking, she'd stay away from all the lethal hardware.
"What's this about?!"She screamed and it was like a three-year-old throwing a temper tantrum. "I couldn't kill you after Huitzilopochtli granted you protection. So, I helped you escape to get you away from him, but you just kept turning up. I was supposed to be his Queen. I'm the Goddess of Love and Beauty after all. I deserve to rule beside him. Then you came along and all he could think about was you. Little witch, little witch. You're all he talks about!"
Go figure. Isn't it always about a man?
"Hey, look, I don't want to be his Queen. I didn't even know the position was available. I'm in love with Thor for god's sake... for my sake, whatever. I don't want Blue."
"But he wants you."She sneered at me. "All his plans center around you. Finding you. Luring you out of hiding. Making you chase him. He schemes for hours just to draw you out and see you for mere minutes."
"What?"My mouth fell open; scraping my chin against the wall.
"You said it yourself."Sshe lifted a perfect brow. "Why go through all that trouble just to walk away? He wanted to see you, you idiot! He did it all to make you come to him."
"So he can kill me."I sighed. "I know. He made it pretty clear when he sent me crashing into a wall."
"That's just because you angered him."She waved her hand as if she could brush aside my stupidity. "He wasn't going to kill you. He was going to kill your friends and then take you home with him to make you his Queen!"
"Oh, how romantic."I turned my face fully to the wall.
If I was going to feel as if I were talking to a brick wall, I might as well be looking at one too. Wait a minute . . . Queen. Queen of Love. Aphrodite was the Queen of Love. I was an idiot! How in the hell had I not figured that out sooner?
"It is romantic, you simpleton!"the Queen of Love screeched at my back. "He would have done anything to have you. That's true love. Such devotion shouldn't be wasted on a human."
"You think that's true love?"I was shocked enough to look back at her. "Are you out of your mind?"I looked around the room again and snorted. "Oh, right, sorry. Stating the obvious again."
"You are beyond stupid."Aphrodite planted her hands on her hips; wrinkling the pristine beauty of her white velvet gown. "He's the greatest of the Gods. You, especially, could do no better than him."
"Obviously, I'm not worthy. So, you just go ahead, girlfriend."I rolled my eyes. Those two would be perfect for each other.
"I'm not your friend, feeble human."She grabbed a whip from the table, and my stomach lurched. "I'm your death."
"Easy now."I eyed her over my shoulder and tried to swallow past the fear that was suddenly choking me. "You don't have to do this. I don't want your man."
"I'm her man,"a gruff voice made me wrench my head in the other direction and the sudden motion made it spin a little.
Did I have a concussion? It wouldn't be surprising after the blow Blue had dealt me. I blinked and focused on a man of average height who was coming towards me with a distinct limp and a dark glare. He had long brown hair tied at his nape and a rugged handsomeness that spoke of a divine parentage. Oh, crap.
"Hephaistos, I presume?"I choked out.
He looked rather pleased for a moment, and then started to glare again, but this time it was directed at Aphrodite.
"What have you done now?"Hephaistos motioned to me. "Who's this?"
"She's the Godhunter, and I'm going to torture her until she dies, begging for mercy."Afro looked smug. Not exactly the answer I was hoping for.
"So, you were the one who sent the wolves?"I interrupted, and Hephaistos looked me over curiously.
"Of course."Aphrodite sniffed. "I couldn't have it getting back to Huitzilopochtli that I killed you, but now I see that the wolves have grown weak, and I must do it myself."
"But how were you able to track Thor?"I figured I might as well get some answers.
"Sif is one of my closest friends."Aphrodite's wicked smile belied her words. "All I had to do was comfort her, and she told me every move you two made. She's one of those women who torment herself over and over instead of simply getting a new man."
"Hmm"-I raised a brow at her—"sounds familiar."
"Shut up, whore!"She flung the whip at me, and I felt it hit; tearing through the material of my leather vest, my bra, my skin, and then muscle.
There was a blessed second of numb shock before the searing pain hit. Burning, radiating anguish made my back arch as if it could run away from the trauma. I couldn't breathe for a second. It was more excruciating than werewolf claws, which at least had extreme sharpness in their favor. The barbs at the end of Afro's whip weren't nearly as sharp; snagging and tearing as they traveled the length of my back. I'm embarrassed to admit that I screamed like a little schoolgirl.
"Aphrodite!"Hephaistos took the whip as I tried to see past the blinding pain. My vision had gone blotchy and spotty, but I could hear just fine and Hephaistos sounded supremely pissed when he demanded, "You will tell me what this is about, and you will tell me now!"
"She's trading up, Hephaistos old boy,"I choked out. My back was going numb, and I was able to think again. "She wants to be Queen of the Gods or some such shit. She's tossing you out on your ass, and I'm in her way so it's the whip for me and the boot for you."
When all else fails, get the bad guys to fight each other.
"Shut up!"Aphrodite swung around and grabbed another whip.
I heard it swish back, and I tensed in anticipation of the blow. But it didn't fall so I risked another glance over my shoulder. Hephaistos had Aphrodite by the wrist and was staring her down, well up actually, since she had a good four inches on him.
"You want free of me, my love?"He stared hard at her, and her eyes softened slightly. "Who will make you such lovely playthings when I'm gone?"
"Hephaistos."Aphrodite pouted and, even to me, it looked practiced.
"No!"He released her with a shove that sent her stumbling. "I'm finished. That bloody Aztec is welcome to you."
Hephaistos turned and walked away as Aphrodite screamed for him to come back. She demanded that he turn around right this instant. She stomped her feet and cried but still, he kept walking. I was in such deep shit.