Twists and Turns

What is it with demigod dreams? Seriously, I'll never understand why I can't ever enjoy a dreamless sleep without divine intervention. By the way, I'm still waiting for that dream where I can prance around a world made of blue pancakes and my mom's cookies. Maybe the mountains could actually be giant coke bottles, frothing at the brim with blue soda. Mmm. If only…

On the note of divine intervention, it seems like I could blame just about all aspects of my life on that, especially when I brought myself into a fuzzy consciousness, only to realize I was most definitely not lying in bed with Piper and Annabeth to either side of me.

Some type of conservatory or indoor garden seemed to be my dream's destination of choice. Across the ceiling stretched a dome of stained glass panels. Their frosted texture filtered most of the light in shades of red and purple. A ring of statues, each depicting a meticulously sculpted figure of harrowing beauty, surrounded a central fountain. The spout of water showered what appeared to be statues of two lovers in the throes of passion, lost in the embrace of their partner's loins. Rose bushes, perennials, and countless other flowers I could never identify decorated the interior garden. Upon a bench of polished white marble, I sat, noting the gold veins etched within the glossy surface. A column to my left reached for the ceiling, holding up nothing but the air above it. To my right, another column mirrored it, but was broken down to its midsection.

"Seems like someone had a fun night," a sultry voice called from across the fountain.

Compelled by some unknown force, I stood up and strolled around the fountain, trying to ignore the fine details of how much the loving statues seemed to enjoy one another. Anything I could turn my attention towards, I took advantage of. Anything. The glossy stones paved into a walkway. The loamy soil feeding the flowers. The stained glass ceiling that depicted a fractaled orgy in progress… Okay, maybe the last one wasn't a good idea.

"Enjoying the view?"

Don't look! Don't look! Don't look! Dammit!

My breath caught as I gazed upon the figure sitting on the marble bench. Adorned in a claret silk robe, her long legs crossed, mirroring her arms, was none other than Aphrodite. A slight pout was affixed to her full lips. She eyed me with a mix of hunger and contempt, as if I were a satisfying one night stand who couldn't go for a second round.

Nowhere I looked was safe. Every inch of her body, from her perfectly pedicured toes to her ever shifting hair, left my mouth watering and my arousal growing ever more ravenous.

With a single finger, she beckoned me forward. Despite every cell in my brain screaming "No!" my body refused to listen and obeyed her silent command. Only when I stood close enough to smell her fragrant perfume did I manage to halt myself. Much like her appearance, it seemed to shift from one scent to another, adjusting its aroma to my liking. One moment, it smelled of pomegranate and roses. The next, it smelled of caramel and fudge.

"Hmm." She twirled her finger through her currently golden hair. "You look tense. Why don't you take a seat?" She gestured to the open space next to her.

Muscles tensing, I strained to maintain my composure and avoid moving forward.

Don't trust her! Don't trust her! Don't trust her!

Like a mantra, I repeated those words over and over in my head. Eventually, I managed to focus on them rather than the single gesture. She pouted, which made me almost immediately regret my choice to stay standing.

No. Please don't do that.

"I'm not going to bite, Percy… Well, unless you ask me nicely." She giggled to herself, a sound like doves fluttering in the wind.

Focus!

"Aphrodite," I said, not bothering to grant her any formalities. "Why am I here?"

Her pout returned. "To clear the air. I think you've reached some rather unsavory conclusions about me these past few days."

That answer was more than enough to help me clear my head. Shaking off whatever sway she had at the moment, I turned my gaze to the garden.

"Are you saying that you have nothing to do with the events from the past week?"

"I'm saying nothing of the sort. What I am saying is that you don't have the full picture."

Much to my regret, I returned my eyes to her. Those ever shifting eyes shimmered into a pearlescent purple and orange, as if a sunset were staring into my soul.

"And what would that picture be?"

I think that's what I said, though it may have come out like "Uhhhhh…"

She clicked her tongue. "Always business first. Never pleasure." She uncrossed her legs and recrossed them, not so subtly pulling my attention to her supple calves and the slightest peek of her lower thighs. "You need to learn to indulge a little bit."

I can think of a few things I want to indulge in.

I pinched myself.

"If you're not going to give me an answer, can you at least send me off? I have things to do."

"Like joining my daughter in the throes of passion?"

My cheeks heated up, but I stood my ground. "You're the one who forced her into the harem."

Her eyebrow raised. "Is that all? Oh dear, you know so little."

As she let out a small round of breath taking laughter, I felt the heat in my cheeks traveling to my fists. "What did you do?"

"Many things," she replied without hesitating. "But I intended for so much more, and then that little peacock of a queen had to overplay her hand."

"So Hera is the one who's causing all of the problems?"

"Well, not all of them, though your night with Annabeth was certainly not a result of my work. It was rather unfortunate." She giggled to herself.

"Unfortunate!?" I took a step forward. "She… she… I've never been..."

She placed her fingers over her mouth. "Oh dear, did I say that out loud? Oops." When her hand pulled away, her smile turned coy. "So you want the truth? The full truth?"

My brow furrowed. "Just like that? You're really going to just admit everything you've done? What's your game?"

"Right now? It's simple. By being honest with you, I run little risk in losing what I want."

"And what would that be?"

She licked her lips. "You."

Even if time weren't so difficult to tell in dreams, I couldn't be sure how long I went before I could speak.

She wants me!?

In that moment, I attempted to pry my eyes away from her robe and how it clung to her hourglass figure. From the subtle cleavage at the top to the discreet manner she tugged away the robe from her legs, every inch of her picture perfect body seemed all the more alluring the moment she said that word.

"An.. and… and how did you plan on getting me? I'm not leaving Annabeth."

"If not for Hera, you wouldn't even realize you were already. But no, she just had to give her that bottle."

My burning fists began to tremble.

"Oh, don't worry yourself so much. She'd never let Annabeth die in such a boring manner."

"Boring!? She was poisoned!"

She rapped her fingers along the polished bench. "In a world where you can be ripped apart, burned alive, eaten, or blown up, suffice it to say that poison is a rather underwhelming manner to leave this world."

As much as I wanted to make her eat her own words with my fists as the main course, I couldn't deny the sad truth she spoke. Though still clenched, my fists hung at my sides, no longer shaking.

"Is that all?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? In such a hurry to get away? Is the premise of me wanting you for myself that intimidating."

A cold sweat ran down my neck. Despite her only having said that a few moments prior, I had almost forgotten about it the moment she mentioned Annabeth. I forced a swallow. "I already told you, I'm not leaving Annabeth."

"Aren't you?" She leaned forward, offering a none too subtle show of her cleavage. "Poor, poor Percy. Still in denial? After everything you've done…" Her tongue ran over her lips. "As much as Hera's overenthusiasm hindered my plans, I can quite comfortably tell you they aren't ruined completely."

"So offering up your daughters is supposed to…"

A bored yawn interrupted me. "Just my daughters? Oh, Percy. You wouldn't have this harem if not for me."

If any time passed at all, I couldn't be sure. I probably said something intelligent along the lines of "Whaaa…?"

"You honestly think your father would recommend this for you? It only took a few whispers in his ear to convince him. Of course, he was still lost in his little… split self issue, but as far as he is concerned, he came up with the idea himself."

The cold sweat from earlier seemed to run down my spine. Knowing Aphrodite, she wouldn't lie about something like this. She loved to gloat. However, I couldn't see what her endgame was. What could she possibly gain by telling me?

"So… what? Giving me a harem is supposed to impress me? Quite the opposite."

"Impress you? No no no. As my bloodthirsty boy toy would say, I'm trying to break you down so I can build you back up."

My teeth ground together. "What's that supposed to mean? My skills aren't good enough for you? You needed to throw your daughters and several others under the bus in order to bring me up to your standards?"

"Mmm. I can see why Silena loved when you got rough with her. That pent up aggression…" She shivered in place, none too subtly sliding a part of her robe off her shoulder. "To answer your question, your skills aren't the issue. It's that damned loyalty to your girlfriend. The harem has been working wonders to break you away from her. In a span of days, you've taken on more lovers than Apollo and Hermes combined."

I stumbled back a few steps, silent as I took in her words. "So you've turned me into a manwhore. Congratulations. Do you want a medal or something?"

She batted her eyes while twirling a lock of her currently scarlet hair. "I want you as my personal lover. My new Adonis. All to myself." A small pout formed on her lips a second later. "And before you pull the Annabeth card again, tell me what's the point in refusing? An eternity of pleasure with me, does that honestly seem so bad?"

I don't know what kind of willpower came over me. Honestly, any man with a beating heart and half a brain would give anything to get in bed with her once; and here she was, offering to take me into bed multiple times.

"I already have an eternity of pleasure thanks to you. With people that I actually care about. Not to mention, your daughters are some of my most willing bed partners. I doubt I'll need any additional partners with them around."

"Is that so? Just think; my daughters could, and most certainly will, give you the greatest pleasure of any girl on that island. Still, their skills pale in comparison to mine. The things I could make you feel, the things I could do to you… for you." She dragged her teeth over her lower lip, a lustful gaze transfixed on my body.

Tempting as it was, I could still rely on my last brain cell to save the day. "You're not taking me as some prize. I'm not sleeping with you."

That was evidently not what she wanted to hear.

She clicked her tongue. "Do you realize how easy it could be? With a snap of my fingers, you'd grovel on the floor, awaiting for me to strip away my clothes so that you may please me in any manner I see fit."

"Do it then," I challenged.

She pouted. "So boring. So uninspired. What fun is there if I simply chose to control you? No, I want you to choose me. "

Once more switching her tone, her stony gaze morphed into one of mature seduction. Her head bowed as she gazed upon me through her fluttering lashes. Her robe slipped a few inches lower, exposing much of her upper arms, along with the upper half of her supple bosom.

Think of something else! Think of something else! Think of something else!

"What's your goal with all of this? You could take just about anyone in the world as your bed partner. Why me?"

Her bowed head tilted to the side. "Maybe because you're putting up a fight. Maybe I like the chase. It's so refreshing to have a man who won't try and offer me untold pleasures if I invite him into my bed." She stuck her finger into her mouth and faked a gag. "Please, as if I would just let anyone touch this body."

Says the goddess with the most children running around.

"If you were just after the chase, you wouldn't have gone through all this effort. You could just as easily charm me into your bed. You want me on your side; that much is clear. What I want to know is why?"

She tossed her arm over her head and laid herself across the bench in an overly dramatic fashion. "Okay, I confess. With you, I can finally gain the influence I need to control the ruling of Olympus."

I rattled my head. "Run that by me one more time."

An exaggerated sigh left her lips. "To understand it, you would need to understand my current position. Hardly any of the women would give my wishes a second thought. So I must turn to the men. Hephaestus and Ares are all too easy to manipulate. Dionysus-"she curled her lower lip "-I need only toss him a few grapes and pull out a tit and he'll beg like a puppy. Apollo need only believe he ever has a chance of gracing my bed. Hermes gets his nightly shows of me pleasuring myself, though he believes I never notice. That leaves only Zeus and your father. Zeus gets enough women to ensure I can't ever lure him in. But Poseidon. Well, he remained steadfast until he gave me one weakness." She tilted her head with an apologetic smile. "You. With you, Poseidon's favorite son, wrapped around my finger, he would soon follow. And with him, I hold the power of half of Olympus in my palm."

"That's… a lot to take in." I shook my head, attempting to clear my thoughts. "Still, turning me into some obsessed boytoy seems extreme, don't you think?"

"Extreme? Oh, my dear little Percy, you have no idea. But to give you some more context, I'll let you in on a little secret."She beckoned me forward with a single finger.

Against my will, I marched forward and stood directly between her spread thighs. Leaning forward, she took my shoulder into her velvety grip.

"You know how the gods' image is a reflection of how their worshippers view them?"

I nodded.

"Well, you need only take a look at the statues of them and see how their… image may be affected."

A frown formed on my lips, eyebrows furrowing. "I don't look at the statues, so-"

"To put it simply, they're lacking something..." her hand slid down my torso, halting above my pelvis "... in this department."

My eyes bugged the moment her fingers pressed against my stirring erection. Against my better judgement, I couldn't swat her away, nor could I prevent the heat in my loins from growing.

"You see, it was believed that a small cock was a sign of wisdom. Well, I can tell you that most of them lack wisdom, so their lackluster pricks are rather infuriating."

My knees practically collapsed under my weight. Whether from the unnecessarily disturbing image I had of the gods (my father in particular) or from her hand massaging my thankfully clothed erection, I couldn't tell you. Fortunately, the image of my father's… Yeah… Not even going to continue that train of thought. Anyways, it managed to distract me just enough that I could pull away.

A small pout affixed itself to her lips as she sat up and pulled herself from the bench, leaving her robe behind. "So you're still playing hard to get?" She pressed a curled finger to her lips and giggled. "Whatever fantasy you have, name it. I can let you indulge in it, and more."

Don't do it! Turn away! Think of something else! Think of Annabeth!

But… just look at her… She's… she's…

I forced a swallow and turned my attention to the ground, attempting to shake the image of her naked body from my memory. "I said no." Not even I could be sure if that's what I said. My memory turned fuzzy.

Did I tell her no? Why?

"Rather persistent, are we? Perhaps a demonstration then."

With a snap of her fingers, a soft breeze rippled from her palm and fluttered across my hair. Three distinct pairs of hands embraced me from behind. One warm, one methodical, one nimble. I turned.

"Any man's fantasy if history is to be believed," Aphrodite cooed. "All three virgin goddesses pledging themselves to you at once." She strode forward, her movements as fluid and smooth as a stream.

I attempted to take in the sight of all three. Not the easiest task when they were all naked before me.

"For years, I've studied their bodies, observing them as they bathe, as they sleep. You wouldn't be able to tell them apart from the real things. Who would you pick first? The goddess who's treated your wounds and illnesses since you've arrived on Galínios? The mother of the woman you love, who forbade such love years ago? The maiden for whom you've engrained an unbreakable respect for man's potential?" She hugged me from behind, igniting a flare of warmth that pulsated across my body.

As Aphrodite spoke of every goddess, each stepped forward during their respective description, cupped my cheeks with their palms, and pressed a kiss to my lips. By the time Artemis' image pulled away, practically all my brain functions ceased to work. My knees buckled beneath me. If not for Aphrodite holding me from behind, I would have marred the beauty of the garden with my bloody nose on the stone path.

This isn't real.

Who cares?

This isn't real!

Who cares!?

This isn't real!

I extricated myself from Aphrodite's grip and whirled around. A mistake in hindsight, given her flawless form, but I forced my gaze to focus on hers. I balled my fists in an effort to stall their trembling.

She tilted her head and curled her lip. "I suppose you're already desensitized to the idea of being surrounded by beautiful women. Pity." For a few seconds, she hummed, twirling her platinum blonde locks with on hand as her other not so subtly shifted to pressing up her supple bosom. "Well, perhaps the opposite approach should be taken."

With another snap of her fingers, the air to either side of her flickered with light before revealing… me. Two of me, standing completely naked and ready for a tossle in the sheets.

"What the…" I took a step back.

"Tell me this doesn't make you curious," she said. Both of her hands drifted to the clone closest to them. She stroked the shoulder of each.

I flinched.

"Was that—"

"Everything they feel, you feel. Imagine the possibilities."

To prove her point, her hands trailed down the torsos of each clone. Her velvety fingers stroked lower and lower, igniting facets of—

"Stop."

She stopped. A pout tugged at her lips. "Still not in your tastes? Pity." She waved her hand and the clones vanished in a cloud of pink mist.

As if trying to balance out the time I've spent looking at her front, she turned around and strode towards the marble bench, swaying her hips as she did.

"Over these past few days, you've developed quite the disdain for me. Why not put that frustration to… better use?"

Both hands reached out, directed towards the tops of the pillars on each side of the bench. Two celestial bronze chains materialized and lashed out from the apex of each column and wrapped around her wrists. Once retrained, she swayed her body from one side to the other, taking care to exaggerate the motions of her ample behind.

"I'm completely at your mercy. Do with me whatever you wish."

I won't deny that the offer was far more tempting than the previous, perhaps greater than her first offer as well. The urge to both take her from behind like a slut and punish her for her previous actions made the offer far too tantalizing for comfort. After all, I need only walk a few paces forward and I could have the goddess of love for myself.

I— I'm sorry.

Khione… I don't know what it was that brought my thoughts to the snow goddess. The fact that she was a goddess? Maybe. Perhaps she served as a reminder that I had a goddess of my own already. Above everything else, I think it was the helplessness, the vulnerability. She was presented to me and free to my wrath.

Even further, my thoughts strayed to Palírroia. More than once, she offered herself to me, presented herself for punishment. She may not have been bound by chains, but she was just as much of a prisoner as Aphrodite looked at the moment. As I gazed upon her naked body, all I could see was the beautiful cerulean skin of Palírroia tarnished by the scars on her back.

"No," I said, turning away. "That's not—"

"You're right. You can tie anyone up whenever you want." The chains melted away as she turned to face me once more. "But I doubt anyone else can give you this experience."

Before I could retort, her appearance shifted into a solid image, unshifting beyond it. When it finished, I found myself staring upon a peculiar sight. An olive tan clad her lean figure, which grew substantially in height. Thick locks of jet black hair swept over her shoulder, framing a statuesque countenance. Piercing sea green eyes locked with mine, making it near impossible to look away. It was like… Like…

"Have you ever heard of the term 'Go fuck yourself?'" She returned to the bench and spread her legs with a vexatious smile on her lips. "Well, now you can."

My stomach fell to the floor. I tore my eyes from her body and latched them on a nearby statue. If I weren't dreaming, I have no doubts about where my most recent meal would have ended up.

"You're sick in the head, you know that?" I leaned forward with my hands on my knees, attempting to steady my spinning vision. "How could you think…?"

Before I could bring myself to a complete thought, a gentle hand brushed over my shoulder blades. With a shudder, I whirled around to meet a less than gentle expression on Aphrodite's face. Despite the sneer straining to break apart her flawless features, I took solace in that she no longer resembled a female version of me.

"Perhaps I moved too quickly." She circled me, running her hands over any part of me she wished. "It seems she really did hinder my plans." Crossing her arms under her voluptuous chest, her sneer molded into a solemn frown, as if she were truly saddened by the recent developments.

"You didn't play any part in my attack against Khione?"

The question seemed to stir her from her thoughts. "No. That was all Hera. I put together the harem, but she… Well, she decided to make some changes, otherwise she would have already gone blabbing to Zeus. While I may have put together the harem, I've made no malevolent actions against you or your harem members. On that, I swear upon the River Styx."

Even in my dream, thunder boomed.

I stumbled.

But if she's telling the truth, then…

"One more question. Ever since we were sent to Galínios, the other girls have all seemed to develop strong sexual urges for me. Some kind of magic veil has been twisting their thoughts and feelings. Was that your doing?"

Her brow furrowed. "Do you realize how much energy and effort it would take to place a veil of aphrodisiacs over an entire island? No, I simply imbued your hormones with powerful pheromones that surpass that of my children. The longer someone stays around you, the more aroused they become. Simple.

"Of course, some are more easily influenced than others, and their predisposition towards you may influence their feelings as well, but they all come around in the end."

It took me a few seconds to pull my jaw off the ground. "You swore you didn't—"

"There's nothing malevolent about it. It's to help ease you into the situation, along with everyone else. Of course, you've hastened the process significantly for some, but I had no say in that."

I frowned. "Meaning?"

"I underestimated how many times you would repeat your partners. I only expected you to claim everyone once before the effects wore off. But you've given Piper four direct shots of cum, all of them inside of her. And then there's Artemis' former lieutenant—"

"Zoë."

"Irrelevant. But she's going to need another… injection before your time limit runs out. Otherwise, she'll be afflicted by the curse. But once you give it to her… Well… you know what'll happen." She shrugged. "You weren't supposed to give them more than one dose, except for maybe Annabeth, but it wouldn't have mattered for her."

Needing a place to sit down, I made my way to the bench. Upon arrival, the discarded robe became much more apparent. Against my better judgement, I picked it up and held it out to her.

Her eyebrows sagged, but she took the robe nonetheless. "Perhaps I did underestimate you." She wasted no time in redressing herself. "You already have one goddess to claim. Perhaps we can visit one another again under… better circumstances."

I shook my head, incredulous. "You won't stop, will you?"

A playful smile tugged at her lips. "Can you blame a girl for trying? You have more lustful eyes on you than you realize. If and when you decide to come around, I'll keep myself nice and ready."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Is that all?" Despite having a strong desire to grab ahold of her and give her everything she wanted and more, the moment she stopped focusing her attention on seducing me, she seemed almost… normal. Well, as normal as you can get for a drop dead gorgeous Olympian goddess.

"One last thing." She tightened the belt around her robe. "You seemed to have issues regarding your refractory period." Playful light danced in her eyes. She waved her hand, releasing a soft pink glow from it. "That shouldn't be an issue any longer… Well, as long as you're with one of my daughters."

Before I could reply, she giggled and waved her hand before me, dissolving away the dream and sending me off elsewhere in the land of Morpheus.

Or Apollo…

When my vision came once more into focus, I found myself in a room adorned with far more gold and red than I was comfortable with. The bright aureate slabs of shimmering metal emblazoned with emblems of the sun along the trim made up nearly all of the walls. Even without an evident light source available, the room seemed cast in a neverending glow of gilded luminescence. Of course, the haughty sun god in question stood tall in the corner, a playboy smile engraved on his face.

CRASH!

My head snapped in the direction of a nearby doorway. A frustrated grunt sounded out, but Apollo kept up his smile. With a bottle of golden liquor in hand, muttering to herself, out came Athena with a none too pleased expression.

Apollo didn't seem to notice. "You know, you can drop the act. If you wanted to spend some time with me, you only needed to ask."

Athena shot him a death glare. Her stormy eyes were dark and wild, as if she hadn't slept in the last week, and was using the alcohol as a method of staying awake. Her attention returned to the bottle, reading the labels and popping open the bottle to take a whiff of the contents.

"Ooh, good choice. But if you wanted to destroy the room, I'd recommend we give that a shot after a few drinks." He wiggled his eyebrows and made an attempt at flexing.

Needless to say, she didn't care. Without a word, she flung the bottle towards his head, giving him a split second to duck.

CRASH!

Though the shattering glass did little to faze him, the golden liquid splashed over his back and shoulders, dousing his upper body with the Olympian grade liquor.

"Oh, man, that was vintage!" He held his arms out to either side as he mourned the loss of his alcohol. "Unless… Ooh, I didn't think you were into that. If you want to give me a nice tongue bath, I won—"

A heartbeat later, Athena rushed him with murderous intent clear in her eyes. No doubt, she'd been in his company for much longer than she wanted to. An odd dagger appeared in her hands and she pressed it to his throat.

No. Not a dagger. Rather, it was the broken neck of a very familiar wine bottle. Regardless of the object's original purpose, she pressed the bottle into his throat and took extra care to dig it into his skin, drawing golden ichor from his throat.

"You continue this senseless endeavor," she growled, "and I will make sure your entrails are indistinguishable from your sister's wolf feed."

"Okay," he squeaked. "Point made."

She pressed it deeper for a second longer, drawing a steadier rivulet of ichor, before pulling away the bottle neck.

"Look, you've already searched my stores. I don't have whatever you're looking for."

With weary eyes, she held up the broken bottle and inspected it, taking another whiff. "Something this strong can't be made from Dionysus these days. Silenus is far too indulgent to give away his supply. The Oenotropae are a possibility, but this exceeds their usual product." She continued rambling through different possibilities.

"Try Demeter," Apollo said, evidently interrupting her train of thought. "She has this really potent pomegranate wine that Persephone gives her during her return trips."

Athena nearly crushed the glass beneath her trembling grip. "This doesn't smell like pomegranate. It smells… flowery."

Apollo attempted to sidestep around her as she continued going through possibilities and made haste to inspect the recently destroyed wine cellar.

"Not the Goldschläger!"

My dream faded away once more, giving my eyes a respite from the ostentatious light of Apollo's home.

For a brief moment, I thought I had woken up. The night sky shone brilliantly, with the constellations shimmering through the blanket of darkness. A strong Pacific breeze rippled across my hair.

That's when I noticed the reindeer. They were beautiful creatures, noble to behold. And they were flying, drawing a chariot of pure silver.

I forced a swallow, realizing that maybe I was better off in Apollo's company. Unlike my present company, he didn't try to kill me.

"It's a beautiful night," Artemis said. "Though the lack of a certain constellation has been difficult to ignore."

"Lady Artemis!" I attempted to bow, but the cramped space of the chariot resulted in me nearly throwing myself from the open back.

She didn't seems to notice. Her flavescent silver eyes stared ahead, lost in the night sky. "I… It seems I've wronged you… Perseus."

I steadied myself against the railing. Though I may not be nearly as apprehensive about heights as Thalia, I couldn't ignore the lack of a safety rail in the open chariot. Regardless, Artemis kept the ride smooth, free of any turbulence.

"That's okay. I'm used to having people try to kill me."

If her smoldering glare was anything to go by, she didn't like my reply. "I didn't make this decision lightly. Should I wish, I could send you on your way and I could continue my previous actions."

I forced a swallow. However, despite her words, they seemed… less heartfelt than expected, as if she were rehearsing a line for the fiftieth time.

"You don't want that though, do you?"

Her attention returned to flying the chariot. At the speeds we were traveling, I estimated a few miles passed before she spoke again. "I still want my friends back," she whispered, her voice nearly lost in the wind. "I always will."

In an effort to stay quick on my toes, I blurted out my reply before thinking. "You can visit them whenever you want. They'd love to see you."

Her grip on the reigns tightened. "It's not the same," she growled. "And how can I… how can I meet their eyes after… after you…" A silver tear dripped down her cheek.

I wasn't sure how to respond. After all, how could she react?

She sniffled. "My best friend has lost her chastity. Given it to you willingly." She slumped forward, bracing her forearms on the chariot's edge.

"Zoë and I haven't… well…"

"No. But I know what you have done together. I know how her feelings are at war with each other." She grit her teeth as argent tears free flowed from her eyes like mercury.

I took a step forward to rub her shoulder, but pulled back at the last second. Unlike the other girls in the harem, she could hurt me if she wanted. Even kill me. Worse yet, she could turn me into a pigeon and shoot me out of the sky.

"They're taking their oaths seriously. But I can't let them suffer because we waited too long."

She glanced in my direction before returning her focus on the sky ahead. "I know. But they're also enjoying the pleasures you're giving to them. To see Zoë so full of joy after the life she's lived… It was so heartwarming, but… but the cause of it…" She shook the thought from her head. "I don't know how. I don't know when, but one day soon, I'll find a way to make amends, for her sake and for mine."

"You don't have to do anything! Seriously. Just… no more monster attacks."

Her eyes met mine once more, but this time she held my gaze. "You truly are too damned selfless these days. Didn't you tell her it was okay to be selfish?"

My cheeks heated up. So she really did see everything that happened.

"In moderation. But you've given up enough already. Just pay them a visit every now and then. I think that'll work wonders for them."

"Perhaps," she said. "I'll consider it."

She remained silent for a while longer. Behind us, the telltale signs of Apollo's arrival gave way. A minute sigh left Artemis' lips. "I suppose I have you to thank for the recent influx of hunts. The Romans have given me more offerings in the past day than they normally do in a month."

I shrugged sheepishly. "You seemed like you needed a distraction."

A slight smile tugged at her lips. "On that, we agree." She craned her neck behind her to see the rosy beginning of the dawn. "I suppose this is where I leave you. I know not when I'll see you again, but hopefully they'll be under… better circumstances."

Just like Aphrodite before her, she waved her arm and dissolved my dream's connection to her, sending me into the final moments of my slumbering self.

A/N - No, I'm not dead. No, Corona hasn't claimed me (though the quarantine hasn't been easy, as I imagine is the case for many of you). However, this does bring me to something... important.

We all knew this day was eventually going to come. As it stands, within the next 24 hours or so, I'll be shipping off to basic training. I needed to get this one last chapter out to you all before that happened. I couldn't live with myself otherwise. You deserve that much.

On a similar vein, we have officially passed the one year anniversary since this story's beginning. I've come across so many great readers since that time. From those who read from across the world to my close circle of Discord members to even the writers of an erotic game, so many of you have left your mark on me, and I humbly thank you. In celebration for this event, and as a type of farewell gift, I offered a poll to my Discord members. Of those who voted, an overwhelming majority agreed on the same celebratory option. If you wish to get a look at the face behind the story, head over to my Discord server. I have officially carried out a face reveal, and will leave the image there indefinitely.

There are no questions this time around. I won't be available to read your responses unfortunately. Still, I do ask that you review. When I do come back, I'd love to see what your thoughts were for this chapter, and for the story as a whole. I can't promise when the next update will be. At this point, the best I can promise is that I'll write when the time is available. Still, I would expect to wait a couple of months before the next one comes out.

Each and every one of you have my thanks. Whether you're a guest, follower, or active reviewer, you all have contributed to making this story what it is today.

As always, leave your thoughts. This is Ronin signing off.