Page 134 of Crown of Olympus
Aros shot to his feet, knocking over his chair in the process.
“What the fuck?!” he yelled, staring down at his crotch. “Aphrodite, what did you do?!”
The goddess in question cackled mischievously.
I stared, transfixed, eyes wide as saucers. His breeches grew tighter with every passing second; then, with a sharp rip, the crotch seams burst open, revealing his white undergarment-clad package, which was growing at an alarming rate.
Rufus, his manticore, sniffed at his pants and growled at the still-growing appendage. It grew until it looked painful.
“Careful, Aros. If you turn, you’ll poke my eye out,” I joked, giggling at the predicament he’d found himself in.
“You ate the lemon pastry, didn’t you?” Aph howled knowingly. “Of course… it’s affectedyou…like this.” She barely managed to get the words out between giggles. “That particular pastry enlarges the thing you find most physically attractive about yourself.”
The table erupted in laughter. Even Aros found the humour in it, swinging his arm-sized cock around. The undergarments were quite literally holding on by a thread, but Aros showed no shame in his exposed… truth.
As the laughter subsided, I reached for a glass of water, trying to quell the increasing heat within me. Only after finishing it did I register the lavender-like aftertaste.
Oh, shit. That’s not water.
This should be interesting,Vel drawled from her corner of the room.
I didn’t feel any different. Yet.
I looked down — none of my appendages were growing, shrinking, or changing in any way. I turned to Aphrodite, ready to question her, but froze with the words partway out of my mouth. Where my friend had been sitting a moment ago, now sat a muscular bearded man. A mortal, judging by his attire.
“Who are you?” I questioned the long-locked man, and I felt four sets of godly eyes snapped to me in confusion. The man’s brows pulled down as his eyes darted to the empty glass before me. Understanding lightened his features, and he laughed — a tinkling, distinctly feminine laugh. Aphrodite’s laugh.
Godling, are you alright? It’s Aphrodite,Velira’s voice sounded puzzled.
I sent back a mental image of the male I was apparently hallucinating and felt her confusion trickle down the bond. Vel rose to her full height and padded over to sniff at the stranger.She sent back an image of Aphrodite lounging in her seat — in exactly the same pose as the mortal.
It’s definitely her.
“Who do you see?” the man asked in Aphrodite’s soft voice.
“A man — a mortal, I think. Deep brown eyes, tanned skin, like he’s lived his whole life outdoors.” Aph inhaled sharply. I continued, “He has long chestnut-coloured hair and a close-cropped beard in the same shade. He looks sad. Aph? Who is he?”
“Adonis,” she whispered as the man clawed at the skin over his heart.
Giving her a moment, I turned away to take in the rest of the room. Figuring the animals were a safe bet, I looked directly at my dragon.
“Vel,” I breathed, “you’re huge! And covered in steel armour?” She only hummed in response.
“You’re seeing our greatest desires,” Aphrodite explained softly. I heard Caelus shift in his seat, but I wasn’t quite ready to confront that particular truth.
I narrowed my eyes at the next object hovering midair.
“Steak,” I said quietly. “Thick, juicy steak.” Aros guffawed, which I assumed meant it was Rufus I was now looking at.
“Lykos looks the same, maybe a tiny bit smaller?”
A pause. Then, “He says it must be his mate you’re seeing. He lost her when the Khyonian wolves died out,” Caelus clarified, his tone exposing the melancholy he felt from his wolf’s bond.
“Your fox has turned into a bunny, Arch,” I laughed as the little critter bounded around the room, zipping under the table and peering out from behind the god’s legs.
“And your wolf is as big as Lykos,” I signed to the god of sun. I looked up at where Apollo had been seated and frowned. It was not a person in his place, but a gilded, gleaming lyre.
“An instrument?” I asked, expecting no answer since the lyre had no visible limbs with which to sign back.
