Page 12 of Falling for the Devil

Of course, her sister had lectured her non-stop since returning from dropping Lucifer off at his rooms and arriving in her chambers. Diana had tuned her out shortly. Sunlight had still filtered in from the windows. Now, only blackness peeked in.

Athena herself had taken over combing Diana’s hair and sent the servants away. Her most valued companion was missing, most likely causing mischief in the kitchens. She was grateful she would be saved the embarrassment of being lectured to in front of others about her abhorrent behavior. Her sister yanked on her tangled web of red locks making her eyes water and elicited more than one yelp of pain during the process.

Staring into the mirror, Diana and Athena locked gazes. The slimmest hint of pity dimmed the elder’s eyes. Her smug lips turned down in a sad frown. “No need to get yourself too dressed up. It’ll only make it appear you wish to garner the archangel’s attention, which”—she yanked the comb through a knotted swath of hair—“would be a horrible idea. Apollo is already stomping around and even raised his voice to Father that Lucifer should not be near you at all. I swear, your twin is more concerned with your reputation and chastity than you are.”

Diana stood, wrenching the ebony comb from her sister’s hands before she ripped her hair from her scalp. “Why? What did Apollo say?”

She unsnarled the last of the hair knots while eyeing the dress selections her primary maid left displayed on her vast bed. All lovely garments with sheer fabric and cleavage-revealing cuts. One particular item could barely be considered more than a cloth. She picked up the swatch of lilac fabric and turned back to Athena.

“Then why... this?” She raised the item higher. “These dresses aren’t even from my wardrobe. This clearly is more to Aphrodite’s liking.”

Athena’s eyes narrowed. “Interesting.” She began shifting through the dresses, raising each one up for closer inspection. One item radiated iridescent sparkles and not much else in the way of coverage. She held it against her body while staring at herself in the reflecting glass. “Definitely not yours. Much too sultry for the virgin goddess.”

“You don’t believe the servants mixed up my wardrobe with Aphrodite’s, do you?” It was the simplest explanation, but not once in all her existence had her attendants made a mistake.

“No, I don’t think so.” Athena’s expression clouded. A finger tapped her chin in time to the music floating in from the windows.

Zeus had spared no extravagance for the revered guest. A full orchestra had set up on all sides of the palace, in every open entry way, and played sweet ballads in perfect harmony.

“No... no, he wouldn’t dare...”

“Wouldn’t dare what, Athena? Who? What are you speculating?” Diana’s skin tingled with anticipation. If anyone could figure out what was going on, it would be her sister. No one got anything by her, not even the military strategy genius, Ares.

Athena turned wide azure eyes to Diana, dropping the dress she had been holding. “I think Father wants Lucifer to notice you, wants him to be tempted by you.”

Did someone just punch me in the gut? That’s what it felt like. Despite the overwhelming need to double-over, lie down and curl up into the fetal position, Diana stood her ground with her back ramrod straight. The only visible sign of her distress came from her toes clenching and unclenching against the marble floor. “Why? That makes no sense. He has always been such a strong proponent of my virginal status. Why would he wish to jeopardize that?”

“I can’t be certain, but whatever Father intends, it cannot be good. I’d be extra careful while the archangel is here. Avoid him if you can. And if you can’t, keep things pleasant but not too pleasant. Cordial. Don’t even glance at Lucifer.” Suddenly, her face lit up, mischief brewing behind her eyes. “Change of plans. Let’s play along just to see where this is going.”

Diana’s thoughts spun in a muddled swirl. What was her sister getting at? “So, you want me to play nice or play hard to get? I’m confused now.”

An evil grin spread up Athena’s lovely golden face, revealing perfect white teeth behind her plump lips. “Both.”

A tendril of fear traced its way up her spine. Diana was certain of one thing—she was a pawn. She had never been more than a game piece to be played by Zeus. She had long ago accepted that. But having Athena manipulate her, it didn’t sit well with her spirit.

When would she be master of her own life?

SOUNDS OF LAUGHTER and music filled the halls of the palace, giving off the atmosphere of a glorious party, but the lump in Diana’s heart only grew colder the closer her feet carried her to the dining hall. Her sister had spent the last hour pinching her cheeks to force a blush; curling her eyelashes which, after the procedure, looked exactly the same as beforehand; piling her hair on top of her head with loose tendrils curled to perfection over her shoulders; spritzing her all over with jasmine perfume; and then arguing over the objectionable dress... if it could be called that. Diana’s porcelain skin was barely covered at all. The sheer fabric draped over her breasts, knotted in between them where the gathered material was pulled tight with silver rope, scratching her delicate abdomen. The rest of it flowed down to the tops of her thighs where it ended. Never had she worn anything so revealing, not even to sleep during the hot and humid nights when she’d last visited her uncle in the Underworld.

“This is such a bad idea,” she whispered to herself, for Athena had abandoned her to get ready for the festivities. Her fingers worried at a strand of hair, twirling it around her finger then unwinding it, only to repeat the motion.

Loud, boisterous voices accompanied the approach of heavy boots hitting the floor behind her. She scurried off the main corridor to hide behind a statue of the great king of the gods that was almost as large as Zeus’s own ego.

There is no way I’m walking in there looking like a harlot. I have nothing to prove! Let my sisters play loose all they want, but this... is not who I am!

Decision made, as soon as the party guests—high-ranking soldiers on Ares’s legions by their shiny dress armor and royal blue capes—passed by and the door to the dining hall swished closed behind them, Diana peeked out to check that no one else wandered the corridors to find her in such a state then she reached down to pull off the strappy silver high heels her sister had insisted she wear. If only she had Hermes’s speed! She stepped out to bolt back to her rooms.

“Ah, there you are, Diana! I’ve been searching for you. You’re late. And you are never late. It’s not polite when we have such esteemed company to entertain.”

Bloody pit of Hades!

Frustration and embarrassment mingled, freezing her in place. She could risk ignoring her father, but... he was Zeus! He could—and probably would—strike her with a bolt of lightning if she did. He’d done worse when she was younger and disobeyed. Instead, she tugged on the hem of her dress, trying to make it lengthen with her will.

Wait! He hadn’t called her Artemis, her given name. Ever since she’d made it known she preferred Diana, he had ignored her pleas and not once used the name Diana. He truly must be up to something deceitful.

“Yes, Father! Good evening, I was just going back to change my outfit. I find that I’m rather chilled.”

It was a ludicrous statement, of course. But she could back it up with all the goosebumps ravaging the skin on her arms and legs. Without waiting on him to answer, she pivoted in the direction of anywhere away from the festivities.

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