cupiditas |PERCY JACKSON| [book 3]

XVIII

THE WAR GOD glanced at the others. "At ease, people." He snapped his fingers, and their weapons fell to the ground.

"This is a friendly meeting." He dug the point of his blade a little farther under Percy's chin. "Of course I'd like to take your head for a trophy, but someone wants to see you. And I never behead my enemies in front of a lady."

"What lady?" Thalia asked.

Ares looked over at her. "Well, well. I heard you were back." He lowered his sword and pushed Percy away. "Thalia, daughter of Zeus," Ares mused. "You're not hanging out with very good company."

"What's your business, Ares?" Thalia questioned, "Who's in the car?"

Ares smiled, enjoying the attention. "Oh, I doubt she wants to meet the rest of you. Particularly not them." He jutted his chin toward Zoe and Bianca. "Why don't you all go get some tacos while you wait? Only take Percy a few minutes."

"We will not leave him alone with thee, Lord Ares," Zoe said.

"Besides," Grover managed, "the taco place is closed."

Ares snapped his fingers again. The lights inside the taqueria suddenly blazed to life. The boards flew off the door and the CLOSED sign flipped to OPEN. "You were saying, goat boy?"

"Go on," Percy told his friends, "I'll handle this."

"You heard the boy," Ares said. "He's big and strong. He's got things under control."

They reluctantly headed over to the taco restaurant. Ares regarded Percy with loathing, then opened the limousine door like a chauffeur.

"Get inside, punk," he said. "And mind your manners. She's not as forgiving of rudeness as I am."

When he saw her, Percy's jaw dropped.

He forgot his name. He forgot where he was. He forgot how to speak in complete sentences.

She was wearing a red satin dress and her hair was curled in a cascade of ringlets. Her face was the most beautiful he'd ever seen: perfect makeup, dazzling eyes, a smile that would've lit up the dark side of the moon.

Thinking back on it, Percy can't tell you who she looked like.

Or even what color her hair or her eyes were. Pick the most beautiful actress you can think of. The Goddess was ten times more beautiful than that. Pick your favorite hair color, eye color, whatever. The Goddess had that.

When she smiled at me, just for a moment she looked a little like Selena. Then like this television actress Percy used to have a crush on in fifth grade. Then... well, you get the idea.

"Ah, there you are, Percy," the Goddess said. "I am Aphrodite."

Percy slipped into the seat across from her and said something like, "Um uh gah."