Eros

Present Day: Why it all Started

2012©Elizabeth Mueller

I completed this novel in 2010, inspired by Night at the Museum, Battle of the Smithsonian--remember the three little cupid guys? Yeah, funny, tell me about it.

This novel is in the works to being edited soon; please forgive inconsistencies, typos or strange sentence structures or none-realistic possibilities. I completed this novel during NaNoWriMo--you may come across crazy numbers or notes--sorry! I hope you enjoy this read!

About the cover: This was done with acrylics. Because of the detail, it took me about 9 hours including research (gotta do Mount Olympus right! Do you see it there behind Eros?). This was my first true attempt at painting something so detailed!

Present Day: Why it all Started

Aphrodite was dead.

Although it had been thousands of years, and despite that most mortals saw her as myth, she felt alive as ever. She leaned forward in her nacreous throne and pored over Zeus' globe. Each mortal figure frozen in Olympian time. The goddess of love simpered.

"Faithless little cretins," she hissed and spun the orb with her nail. "Eros," she called. The vivid paintings on the ceiling reflected her voice. A shiver of pleasure made her smile—how she loved her lyrical tune.

She tapped her long nails against the armrest of her throne. A lone breeze curled its way through the pillars from her lush gardens beyond. It frolicked within the silvery lengths of her hair. How dare he keep her waiting!

With an impatient huff, she rose to hersandaled feet.

"Eros!" Her voice deepened. She knew her son besmirched her name among goddesses. A vein of fury burned deep inside and she would no longer allow it.

With wings on his heels, a striking statue of a man flew in and bent his head toward the polished marble. "All hail, Aphrodite! I have come to report that Eros has gone missing." His throat quivered when he met her gaze. "Again."

"Hermes, my dear—I asked for my son, and I get the messenger?" She chewed on her lip, tightened her gaze, and drew slow breaths. "How are you this fine eve?" But she did not care to hear about his irksome romps and he knew it too. She regarded him over her glossy nails.

Hermes blinked several times, looking at her smile. "Wonderful."

"When was the last time you saw my son?" It took every degree of might to keep calm. Instead, she lifted a bare shoulder and beheld the melting sun. Blushing clouds swirled behind the dancing olive trees.

 "Not two days ago. He was visiting Persephone."

"Ah." A slick curl spread across her lips. "Of course, Persephone in the spring. What was I thinking? What would Hades think when she returns this time?"

Hermes forgotten, Aphrodite welcomed the creamy air against her skin. Swift heat quickened her heart. She lowered her lashes, anger making her impatient. Her gown whispered against her ankles with her every step as the eventide sung glorious notes, hailing her beauty. But she did not feel content.

"What am I going to do with that child god?" The goddess glided down the terrace, majestic and proud, never once wavering. The titian sun worshipped her very presence.

"Hermes?" she said after perusing her every thought concerning the wayward boy.

"Yes, your loveliness?"

Aphrodite regarded him with a grimace, the first slip of expression regarding her dismay. "I want you to tell Eros that I have a little errand waiting for him upon his return."