From Darkness (Hearts & Arrows Book 3)(35)

“Well, Dita always has gotten around,” Pheme, the goddess of fame and rumor, said with a snicker. “I mean, with everyone except her husband, that is.”

Zelos giggled. “And I heard she’s been sneaking up to Ares’s room ever since she came back from Greece.”

Pistis said sadly, “How could she ever be with him after what he did to her?”

Pheme laughed. “Have you seen him? He could take his anger out on me any day of the week.”

“Maybe she’s just not woman enough for him.” Zelos’s voice dripped with contempt.

Dita stepped into the threshold. “For fuck’s sake, you assholes don’t honestly believe that, do you?”

Three faces turned to her.

Innocent, naive Pistis turned the color of a spring bloom. “Gods, Aphrodite. No, of course not, not if you say it never happened.”

“It never happened,” she said through her teeth.

Zelos crossed his long legs and pursed his lips, eyeing her.

“You don’t believe me, Zelos? Because I will wrath that look off your face so fast—”

He pointed at Pheme. “Pheme started it.”

Pheme shot him a look before she stood and flipped her glossy blond hair over her shoulder, stepping closer. “You know how it is, Dita. The rumor mill never stops.”

“How could it when you’re fueling it with your fat mouth?”

Pheme gave her a tight smile. “I’m going to assume that your distress made you say that—”

“I know you’re not about to threaten me because I will end you.”

The threat rolled around in Pheme’s empty head for a moment before she smiled like a movie star. “Now, now.” She touched Dita’s arm, her face soft and tone soothing. “Let’s not be hasty.”

Dita looked down at Pheme’s hand and back to her eyes. She was certain her own were glowing, and when a breeze smelling of roses blew through the room, Pheme dropped her hand and took a step back.

“Listen up, all three of you, and especially you two.” Dita made a V with her fingers and pointed at Pheme and Zelos. “You had best shut your mouths, or I will make you so miserable, you’ll wish you weren’t immortal so you could just die already.”

Zelos didn’t look swayed. He looked smug.

“If you think I’m bluffing, you’re dumber than I thought. Don’t think I don’t know about your little penguin phobia.”

Zelos turned to Pheme, whose mouth hung open.

“What? Penguins are unnatural. It’s like a fish-bird.” He shuddered.

“I wonder,” Dita said, “is bestiality your kind of thing. Because I can make it your kind of thing.”

He swallowed hard.

“And, Pheme, just remember that I can make you fall in love with anyone. Like maybe Priapus?”

Pheme’s eyes went wide.

Priapus had the biggest penis, proportionally, of any god or beast. It actually dragged the ground. He couldn’t even wear pants.

Dita watched her reaction and continued. “I’m pretty sure his giant dick would split you like a melon. What would the rumor mill think of that, I wonder?”

Pheme tried to smile, but she looked more like she was sucking on a lemon.

Pistis’s eyes were big and wet. “Aphrodite, I’m so sorry. I can’t help but see truth everywhere. It’s my curse. I am literally the goddess of gullibility.”

“I realize that. I’d advise staying away from these two shit-talkers or else you’ll end up at the wrong end of a curse.”

Dita glared at the silent trio for a moment. She had the good sense to hang on to her plate rather than throw it, which she would have preferred had she not been starving. Instead, she turned on her heel, but when she exited the room, she found Eris leaning against the wall, inspecting her chipped black nail polish.

“Having problems, Dita?”

“Oh, go fuck yourself, Eris,” Dita said as she blew past.

“Good to see you, too,” the Godess of Discord called after Dita.

But she didn’t stop, barely registering her fear of Ares, who was nowhere to be seen, thankfully. When she stepped into the elevator, she mashed B4, and the elevator closed. When it opened again, she stormed through the entryway of the underworld, calling Perry’s name.

“Hey,” Perry called as she walked out of her bedroom. “Whoa.” She pointed to a barstool at a black granite counter. “Sit.”

Perry walked behind the bar and pulled out a bottle of ambrosia, poured some into a wine glass, and turned it into deep burgundy wine. She slid it across the counter to Dita. “What happened?”

Dita took a huge bite and said with a full mouth, “I need to eat. You’re gonna have to deal with this.” She motioned to the bottom half of her face.

“Payback for trailing crumbs everywhere I go. It’s fine. Tell me.”

Dita took a drink and set her glass down on the granite with a clink. “Pheme and Zelos were talking shit about me.”

Perry leaned on the counter and shrugged. “They talk shit about everyone.”

“Pheme actually threatened me.” Dita took another bite of her burger.

“No one ever accused her of being smart. What did they say?”

Dita swallowed and raised a brow. “That I was fucking Apollo and going to maenad orgies.”