The Titans Curse: Apollo's Daughter

Aphrodite's Plan

Percy's POV

The back door of the limo opened right next to me. Before I could step away, the point of a sword touched my throat.

I heard the sound of Zoe, Skyler, and Bianca drawing their bows. As the owner of the sword got out of the car, I moved back very slowly. I had to because he was pushing the point under my chin.

He smiled cruelly. "Not so fast now, are you, punk?"

He was a big man with a crew cut, a black leather biker's jacket, black jeans, a white muscle shirt, and combat boots. Wraparound shades hid his eyes, but I knew what was behind those glasses, hollow sockets filled with flames.

"Ares," Skyler growled out behind me.

The war god glanced at her. "Ah, tiny daughter of Apollo. My favorite of you twerps." He took note of her gold bow aimed at his heart "At ease, children."He snapped his fingers, and their weapons clattered to the ground.

"This is a friendly meeting." He dug the point of his blade a little farther under my chin."Of course, I'd like to take your head for a trophy, but someone wants to see you. And your little girlfriend may not like it. Plus I never behead my enemies in front of a lady."

"What lady?" Thalia asked. Ares looked over at her.

"Well, well. I heard you were back."  He lowered his sword and pushed me away. "Thalia, daughter of Zeus," Ares mused. "You're not hanging out with very good company."

"What's your business, Ares?" Skyler said, venom lacing her tongue. "Who's in the car?"

Ares smiled, enjoying the attention. "Oh, I doubt she wants to meet the rest of you. Particularly not them." He jutted his chin toward Zoe and Bianca. "Why don't you all go get some tacos while you wait? Only take Percy a few minutes."

"We will not leave him alone with thee, Lord Ares," Zoe said.

"Besides," Bianca managed, "the taco place is closed."

Ares snapped his fingers again. The lights inside the taqueria suddenly blazed to life. The boards flew off the door and the CLOSED sign flipped to OPEN. "You were saying, tiny girl?" 

"Go on," I told my friends. "I'll handle this." I tried to sound more confident than I felt. I don't think either Skyler or Ares were very fooled.

"You heard the boy," Ares said. "He's big and strong. He's got things under control." 

My friends reluctantly headed over to the taco restaurant. Ares regarded me with loathing, then opened the limousine door like a chauffeur."Get inside, punk," he said. "And mind your manners. She's not as forgiving of rudeness as I am."

When I saw her, my jaw dropped. I forgot my name. I forgot where I was. I forgot how to speak in complete sentences.

She was wearing a red satin dress and her hair was curled in a cascade of ringlets. Her face was the most beautiful I'd ever seen: perfect makeup, dazzling eyes, a smile that would've lit up the dark side of the moon.

Pick the most beautiful actress you can think of. The goddess was ten times more beautiful than that. Pick your favorite hair color, eye color, whatever. The goddess had that. When she smiled at me, just for a moment she looked a little like Skyler. Then like this television actress, I used to have a crush on in fifth grade. Then... well, you get the idea.

"Ah, there you are, Percy," the goddess said. "I am Aphrodite."

I slipped into the seat across from her and said something like, "Um uh gah."