Ravenous Rhea by Stephanie Rose

Author:Stephanie Rose [Rose, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stephanie Rose
Published: 2022-08-23T16:00:00+00:00

|| 17. SWEET AND SENSUAL SLUMBER ||

RHEA

Ears still buzzing with Gaia’s whispered words—Lukus is Aphrodite’s son—Rhea tossed and turned in her four-poster bed. Her thick sheets of fake fur wouldn’t keep her warm, and her legs were coated in a cold sweat as she fought to find a comfortable position.

Lukus, a son of Olympus. This put him nearly on par with Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Hermes—all full-blooded sons and daughters of Olympians. As a demi-god, he had less power, but he’d develop a few abilities with time.

He was intriguing, she had to admit. When he’d stood before her, inspecting her, studying her, she’d gotten a whiff of him. Something potent coursed through his veins, but she hadn’t been able to place it until now.

Another son for the goddess of love—what does this mean?

She wasn’t sure how this information affected her, and yet Gaia had made it a point to tell her. Was it because Rhea was the mother of Olympians, making her de-facto Lukus’ grandmother? Gaia’s tone had been ominous, seeped in a sinister tonality that caused Rhea to shudder, still now, swathed in blankets.

“It means something,” said the voice, ever so skilled at interrupting Rhea’s rare moments of quiet.

She’d extinguished all her candles and pulled her curtains shut to mute the intense Olympian sun. She’d even sipped on some sweet ambrosia tea laced with chamomile and honey—but she still couldn’t sleep.

And how she needed slumber. It felt like she hadn’t gotten a proper night of rest in weeks. Strangely enough, her restlessness commenced when she’d first started hearing that damned voice. When it woke in her mind at all hours of the night, whispering at her to go feed, go drink, go explore.

She’d done enough feeding and drinking for a while, she thought. Themis’ blood was potent, quenching Rhea’s thirst with only a few drops. Yet the voice had urged her to keep going, to leave nothing but a slither of ichor before spurting toxins into Themis’ veins.

And exploring? Up here, in this palace where gods would now be more on their guard than ever, tiptoeing down corridors, looking over their shoulders, hiding in corners to ensure the coast was clear? No, Rhea didn’t want to venture out with such tension in the air. And more so since she’d been among the last goddesses in Lukus’ line-up, when he’d convened everyone earlier. Few had lingered in the throne-room to witness her, standing by Hera, undergoing Lukus’ scrutiny, but she wouldn’t risk it. Rumors flew fast in Olympus, and it was a matter of time before Zeus sent a horde of muscular cup-bearers to chain her wrists and throw her into the dungeons.

“He will do no such thing.” The voice’s timbre was sincere, almost sweet; but it wouldn’t fool Rhea. It wouldn’t stay soft for long. “No one will accuse you, though they seem to link these attacks to what happened to Eros and Psyche. Hera is a bitch, everyone knows that. That’s why they have no issue with Athena’s accusations. But you? Never.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.