Preface

"Where is she!" His voice sliced through the air like hammers on steel. Two metal crutches that looked oddly like toy robots held him up. One was gold and the other silver. They supported the strong man, his legs dangled, weak and useless. The god was repulsive but still intimidating. His face could be called something like ugly, but he glowed with importance. His strong body was layered in grime and sweat. He looked like an extreme body builder, except for one thing. He didn't have the confidence you would usually find on a face that belonged to a body like that.

"What is troubling you, Hephaestus?" A man that could only be the almighty Zeus looked at Hephaestus with confused and irritated eyes. Hephaestus had reached the two thrones In the middle of the row. His face was still red with frustration, but it increased when he heard Zeus.

"You know who I am talking of! Where did you put her? Only you could cause this!" Hephaestus seemed to be on the verge of exploding. "I have searched the universe over and over in my free time!" He said this truthfully, but Hephaestus had never had much free time.

"Hephaestus, you try my patience. May we talk about this elsewhere? You are making a fool of yourself." Lightning bolts seemed to strike with the flash of his eyes. Hephaestus was intimidating, but compared to Zeus he was like a pebble to a mountain.

"Zeus, what is he rambling about?" A beautiful, elegant, cat-like woman cut into the conversation. Her eyes snapped with ferocity at her husband. She was none other than Hera. She is the Goddess of marriage and the Queen of Olympians.

Zeus sat at her side uncomfortably. He shifted and stood, then glared at Hephaestus with deadly eyes. Hephaestus couldn't help but flinch. The Olympians began to gossip around them, wondering what was going on. None of the eyes looked away from Zeus, Hephaestus, or Hera. If their eyes did leave, it was because Hera made eye contact. No one in their right mind wanted to get on her bad side.

The Gods' gazes trailed after the trio as Hephaestus followed Zeus and Hera through a marble hall. Zeus was even more masculine than Hephaestus. The statues dedicated to him did not serve him justice. Power and Godliness was embedded in his every step. He was the king. No mortal or immortal could mistake him for any less.

They walked through grand doors that stood fifteen feet high. They were made of pure crystal with silver doorknobs. Everything sparkled. The site behind the door was blinding. Hephaestus stumbled slightly but recovered. After all, he had created all the furniture in here. He just hadn't seen it all put together.

The floors were tiled with sapphires and emeralds. The walls seemed to reach past the sky; in fact there might have been no ceilings. Clouds blocked their view, so he had no idea whether there was an end or not. Shelves and shelves of books and scrolls, plaques of brass and diamond, stone inscriptions and paintings decorated the room. It seemed to hold the history of every star in the sky.

Zeus sat on a ruby throne behind a glossy marble desk with a gaping crack down the center of the rock. Zeus touched it lightly and reminded Hera that he needed to get that fixed. Ignoring him, Hera walked to a tall window that looked out across Mount Olympus and Greece. Her face was troubled and angry. It was a widely known fact that Hera must know everything before everyone. If not, there are punishments.

Hephaestus was still bursting with frustration. His voice was strained when he said, "So? Where is she?" He couldn't help yelling. The jewels sparked red hot under his feet.

"Zeus, my dear, I seem to be uninformed of something important. Please, enlighten me." Her context seemed to be just curious, but her tone and face said otherwise. Her voice felt like a cold knife shooting through Hephaestus' spine. His knees buckled.

"It's nothing really, Hera. Hephaestus is just…" Zeus' voice trailed off. He was in trouble. Secrets are not good in a marriage, if anyone should know that, it's Hera. "I did not wish to involve you in such foolishness." His voice was reassuring, but his eyes sparkled with fear. Hera is a powerful being.

"Oh, well, now that I am involved, I'd better know what it is I'm involved in." She stepped behind Zeus to lay cold fingers on his shoulder. Zeus' eyes twitched from the terrible pain she must have shot through his whole frame.

"He has stolen Aphrodite!" Hephaestus roared. His whole body trembled with anger. The most beautiful woman was his, and she had suddenly disappeared two decades ago. (When you live forever a decade feels like a month.) The air around him sparked and snapped, as if he was exuding fire. The bushy red hair on his head flickered like flames, as well as the thick beard. But that was nothing compared to Hera's fury.

"Stolen Aphrodite? She is quite an extravagant woman. I and all those poor, wretched, ugly mortals you hunger for aren't enough?" Hera dropped her pleasant routine. Her black hair flew out of its elegant braids and snapped around her face as if a wicked wind thrashed around her. The room turned dark and cold. Zeus sat still in his chair, clenched fists on his desk, and lips pursed. He knew he had to wait out her tantrum to explain. Hephaestus felt very much out of place.

He deserves all of this! Hephaestus thought to himself triumphantly, even though a small part of him pitied Zeus. Hera had quite a temper and only he would put up with it. She will be with me again. Hephaestus left without being noticed. He didn't want to be a victim of Hera's most recent fit. And he had to find Aphrodite. He left thinking up new places to look.

The storm continued after he left. Zeus was steady, blocking out Hera's insults. She screeched at him, smacked him, and threw vases, books, and chairs at him. He barely even winced.

Once Hera realized that Zeus was hardly receiving her blows, she flung her hand out in his direction, his ruby chair flung back to the wall with some force that came from her fingers. Zeus looked up at her. It was his turn to talk. Hera walked in front of him, looking like a jungle cat glaring down her prey. He smiled, hoping to ease her tension.

The grin on his face set her off again. The clouds above them turned deep gray, almost black. Rain fell and thunder boomed, but no lightning. Not yet.

The other Olympians waited outside the crystal door, hearing the crashes and screams. Their faces were grim. They knew that if what Hera said was true, she may destroy the human world, maybe the whole universe. Just when they were starting to enjoy playing with the humans…

By the time Hera stopped screaming, she replaced herself in front of her husband. He sat chained to the chair with shackles of lava. He was sweating with pain and biting his lower lip hard enough to crack a mountain.

"No excuses?" She again retained the smooth, deadly voice she had when Hephaestus arrived.

"No excuses, just the truth. I did not take Aphrodite. I do not have her here or anywhere. She is with Gaia." Gaia is the name of the Goddess Earth. "She wished to be with someone other than Hephaestus, the only place that would be possible is on Earth." Hera wiggled her fingers at the sky and muddy gray clouds came to serve as a seat for her. She sighed and waved her hand as if to ask him to explain.

Zeus cleared his throat and glanced down at the restraining lava. Hera whispered a word and the magma disappeared into the floor. Zeus took a deep breath and relaxed. "She has fallen in love. I fear I have made a mistake in her chosen husband. Though Hephaestus deserves a woman of her quality, she does not agree. She came to me with Persephone to beg and threaten. I could not refuse. I am dearly sorry."

As Zeus finished his explanation, Hera stood and walked out the grand doors with a scary and doubtful expression.

Zeus sighed, why does she have to be so difficult? He complained to himself and sulked over to one of the enormous windows. As he massaged his arm, which had been hit by a wall sconce, he tried to cool his head and plot what he'd do next.

Hera stormed back into the room, causing Zeus to jump with surprise. He thought she'd left to scheme something malice. She was carrying a small bag about the size of her hand. The bag was made out of some unworldly silk, too soft and precious to be real.

She pulled the drawstrings to let it gape open. An indescribable color shone out of the bag. The rest of the room went dark. The only light was coming from the pouch. Only one thing could cause this; black magic. Zeus suspected that Hera had visited some monsters recently.

Hera reached in to draw a lock of golden hair out of the bag. The glowing strands were tied with a red lace bow. With the bundle in her hand and the bag left on a near table, she approached a wall with a mural of a waterfall. She touched the tips of her fingers to the wall and more heavenly light glittered from where her fingers felt the picture.

Water tumbled down, making the waterfall come to life. It grew out of the wall. Hera stepped back, not astounded as Zeus was. He had never seen magic like this before. As the water crashed down, it didn't hit the floor, it disappeared. As if there was a large, invisible hole it went through. The water didn't wet anything either, making Zeus ask himself if it was even real.

Hera dropped the lock she clutched in her hand. It fell softly, almost weightlessly, only to be overcome with the water.

The second the water made contact with the odd item, the waterfall dissolved into blackish purple fog. A picture formed in the dark substance. It focused after a few seconds to show a woman, a young woman. She was with a man.

Aphrodite and Apollo formed, looking the same but different. The two were standing on the side of a street, looking into each others' eyes longingly.

Hera squinted at the picture, not believing what was right in front of her. She waved a hand over the scene as the couple kissed. Everything disappeared. The waterfall was once again paint and all was normal. Hera looked at Zeus.

His eyes were sincere as he watched the clouds above them soften. Sun rays shone through to glitter on the jewels around him. Hera glided over the space between them. She grazed his cheek with her lips and whispered an apology.

After he nodded his head in forgiveness, she straightened and closed her eyes. As she raised her arms slowly, all she had broken began to reform. The chilly air warmed and birds swooped down singing.

"So why did you agree to this in the first place?" Hera asked, still curious but not as involved as she would have been if it could affect their marriage.

Zeus's face hardened and he stared off into the distance, remembering something.

"Zeus, what if you were wrong? You could have chosen the wrong man for her!" Zeus glared at his son. He didn't like threats, especially since this spooked the memory of how his father and grandfather perished. Did Apollo have the potential to defeat his own father? He must prove them wrong. His fate would not be a deed by his own son, he was better than his dreadful forefathers.

"Just give us a chance, Father!" Apollo's voice thundered into his concentration. "Leave us alone for awhile to prove ourselves right or wrong. Please?" Aphrodite clung to Apollo's arm as he practically begged. They were a godly site, golden and beautiful. Their eyes pleaded for Zeus's consent.

Zeus grumbled for a moment and thought over it. If he refused, Apollo might defy him. If he did agree and was proven wrong, he'd be humiliated. Which is worse, death or being mistaken? "Very well, but we are doing this my way."

Hera shook her head slowly once Zeus finished explaining. She wondered what she would have done in that situation.

Zeus continued gravely, "And so I decided, if their souls are really meant to be together, as they told me they are, then it would be that way in any place and form possible. They are living in America now. I convinced our dear goddess of memory to empty their minds. They have been living as if they were human."

Hera's face was struck with confusion and awe. She hadn't imagined something like this could happen. She would have never thought to even try. Mnemosyne, the Goddess of memory and mother of the Muses, had been long forgotten by many. She was a wise woman with a very prized and powerful gift. Memory is not just remembering an errand or to meet someone later, it's the cycle of life, how to survive, everything in the universe. Hera felt ashamed for not speaking her thanks to the women for quite some time. Then a question struck her and she had to speak it, "But how did you manage to make them seem human? Mortals age so much faster than we do. It cannot be possible."

"This is the interesting part. Who could achieve something so miraculous? They would have to be nothing less than... the God of time." Hera gasped. Cronus, their father, was banished by his own children. His own son, Zeus, had become the king of the Gods by scheming and battling. It was a great battle that rattled the Earth. Hera was speechless so Zeus went on.

"I told them that the only way was to beg for assistance of that wretched Titan. The pair journeyed deep into the Earth. They found him and pled for his aid. He gave in. What they offered him, I am not sure of. But Cronus would jump at any chance to prove me wrong, right? I am either in grave danger, or completely safe and worried about nothing. I guess we will find out soon. Aphrodite and Apollo are confirming their love very quickly.

"I allowed them each one part of themselves to carry on their journey. They asked for their same eyes to keep. This has resulted in a problem. Apparently each and every fiber of our beings holds our memories, especially the eyes. I attempted to mend it slightly. I've changed Apollo's eye color, hoping it would prevent at least a few memories from revealing themselves. The transformation failed to help at all.

"As they have grown physically and are nearer to the age they look on Olympus and more alike themselves than they have been since then, the sight of each other is awakening memories they share. I sent Persephone to watch over them, disguised of course so they won't be reminded by her face. Unfortunately it isn't working as well as I planned. I'm afraid they have been acting exactly as they said." Zeus's face was plastered in worry. Did Apollo have the power to overcome him if he had reason? Was he in grave danger? Well, once thing was for sure.

A question appeared in Hera's mind. "Apollo is supposed to be pulling the sun; after all, he is the Sun God. Who could take his place?"

"He did the unthinkable. He'd sworn to never let another being steer his chariot, but he has broken that promise. He has a son, from very long ago, whom he taught to control his horses. The boy is surprisingly very capable and the horses love him. After all, a couple of decades aren't very long. He thinks the boy will be able to handle the horses for that short period and I do not object."

"He broke his promise?" Hera asked, stunned by this unexpected turn of things. Apollo had almost never broken a vow, especially one with so much importance.

"Yes." Zeus replied solemnly.

"They have fallen in love." Hera stated, sharing his concern.

Chapter 1

Persephone sniggered and wiggled her fingers at a mortal man nearby. "That one is adorable! Look at him, Dove!" Aphrodite responded to her nickname and turned her head. Dove meant love, peace, and beauty. These were all of Aphrodite's traits, which meant it was the perfect nickname for Persephone to call her.

"Oh, you are right. But I already have enough trouble on my hands, thanks to men. I do not wish for any more!" She looked away as the handsome man winked at her.

She sighed.

"Oh, just forget your troubles! We are in Paris. I am sure mortal men aren't nearly as hard to handle as confident and over-powerful Gods." Persephone stood and smoothed her purple silk dress with her delicate hands. The gown complimented her shape and flirty eyes. "Let's go," She pulled Aphrodite along and finally convinced her to dance.

Each person Aphrodite danced with was awkward and nervous. She just wanted them to act like she was normal. One actually had the nerve to make small talk.

"So where do you come from? You do not sound like you're from here." He asked with a French accent. Aphrodite could tell he was a cocky one. His accent was cute, but she liked Greek better.

"Greece," She replied.

"Ah..." He nodded his head and smiled as if he'd just been told an important secret but he'd known it all along. She hated when people did that. "I have never been there, but I've wished to. Is it beautiful?"

"Yes," She knew she was making it hard for him to talk to her, but she didn't want to talk to him. She wanted to talk to someone else.

"So how long are you here?"

"I'm not sure, I travel a lot."

"Oh really, that must be interesting! Where have you been?" He asked enthusiastically, happy he finally found something to make conversation out of.

"Everywhere," She answered and his face fell; he was getting frustrated. This woman was beautiful but extremely sour in his opinion.

"Oh…"

"Yes," Aphrodite was anxious for the song to be over but dreaded the thought of dancing with another mortal man. She wanted to dance with the sun.

"It was nice to meet you, Madame." The man said as he kissed her hand and left. The song had finally ended. She smiled and sighed, hoping to just sit in the corner and sulk. Unfortunately as soon as Aphrodite had found somewhere to hide, Persephone had tracked her down.

"Let's have fun with no worries! Please?" Aphrodite shook her head. "Fine, be a downer. I am going to go enjoy myself. Oh and by the way, your wannabe husband is here." She smiled at the muscular man walking in their direction.

Aphrodite laughed. It was a glorious sound that was both elegant and infectious. Several people around the room stopped to listen while it lasted. The man walking towards her skipped a step and almost tripped when he heard her. "Which one is it, Persephone? There are a lot." Aphrodite said but not in a cocky way, almost sadly. She wished she could find love the hard way, not just turn around to find men bowing at her feet.

"The one," Persephone whispered and left her dearest friend stunned and nervous.

Aphrodite felt a warm hand, as warm as the fiery sun, stroke her shoulder. The god of sun stood behind her. She could barely think straight, she wasn't expecting him to be here. His radiating heat was something only the gods could withstand. All the mere mortals in the room were blind to it, only Apollo's invisible disguise -which all the gods wore when they were around mortals- was saving them from instant death.

"May I sit, Mademoiselle?" His voice made Aphrodite's heart melt as her cheeks turned rose pink. Her soft skin looked like it could be made of actual petals.

Aphrodite stuttered as she responded, "Aloha. Oh I mean Bonjour! Oui, you may sit, my Sun." Her fingers trembled as she nervously fixed her hair. Apollo was the only living thing, man, beast, or god that could make her nervous. Usually she was the one that made people sweat, like she was now. Luckily, Apollo was just as anxious. But he wasn't caught off guard and he had been practicing what to say to her in the mirror for hours. Aphrodite definitely didn't have the upper hand in this situation.

He ignored her stumble on words. "You look magnifique. That color suits you well. How did you manage to find a blue so close to that of your eyes?" Speaking of eyes, his were locked on hers in an unmoving grip. She was lost in the stormy blue intensity, unable to comprehend what was happening around her. She just knew she loved this man, not the one she was forced to marry. She knew that looking at him now is how love is supposed to feel. When she looks at Hephaestus her heart breaks slightly, because she also knows that she can never be with her true and honest love: Apollo.

Apollo lost his thought, too. If only there could be a way. He hated to feel guilty of loving. He hated scheming and sneaking just to be with someone. There had to be a way. Aphrodite and Apollo shared thoughts. They yearned for free will, knowing that there was an extremely small chance they would ever get it.

"I have to find a way," Aphrodite stood abruptly, the dress sliding on her skin made a sound you'd imagine two clouds make when they touch. She wandered around the grand room, amazed she was able to break his trance and function correctly. Apollo followed behind her, wondering if she was functioning correctly. It didn't happen often that either of them could break eye-contact without an outsider's assistance. This made it difficult to keep their love on the down low.

Aphrodite found Persephone by her light. Each god had an aura that expressed their power. All different colors and feelings exuded from it. Persephone's was made of several shades of green, pink, and yellow: spring colors that meant growth. But of course, it was blind to mortals.

"Persephone, we need to speak. It's urgent." Aphrodite interrupted her. She stared at her until Persephone subdued and bade farewell to the strong, dark-haired man she was flirting with.

They made their way through the crowd of nicely dress people. Persephone followed angrily and Apollo, he was just confused. They found a quiet and private room that looked much like the room they had just left. Tapestries and sofas of red and gold adorned the room. The ceiling was also painted with such detail that you didn't want to look away.

Persephone turned on Aphrodite once the door was shut. Her hair flared around her face, the strawberry-blond locks whipping unnaturally. "What is so urgent that you interrupt an immensely interesting conversation?" Her hazel eyes blazed. Persephone rarely got angry. There were only a few things that made her mad, and this was one. Aphrodite had butted in on her fun.

Apollo went to Aphrodite's rescue immediately, even though he had no idea what for. "May I be so bold to remind you that you have a very faithful husband counting down the months until your homecoming? He deserves more respect than what you give him."

She glared at him with scarlet cheeks, threatening with her eyes. "You are not one to speak, Mr. I-love-a-married-woman-but-it-doesn't-matter-for-me-because-I'm-so-hot-and-I-can-play-a-turtle-shell!" She stepped closer to him and waved her fingers at the floor. A thorny vine was slithering though an open window nearby. It reached for his ankle, but before it could grab a hold, Apollo thrust his index finger in its direction, causing it to scorch. The plant retreated quickly, whipping and smashing. Its path was left in pieces.

"Stop that now!" Aphrodite screamed before it could get any further. She pointed to two seats, which were as far away from each other as possible. They sat obediently, not able to resist for some reason. "It is urgent and might actually solve what you were just quarreling about!" Persephone and Apollo shifted in their chairs anxiously.

"We all know I do not love Hephaestus as Zeus predicted I would. And what he says goes. Imagine what would happen if I told the others," she gestured in the direction of Mount Olympus, "about this. It could be the end of his rule. The all-mighty king is not supposed to be wrong. This could mean that it is not rightfully his throne! And we very well know that any of his brothers and sisters would gladly take his place."

They stared at her, still baffled. Persephone spoke hesitantly. "What are you suggesting? You want to banish the father of your love and best friend?" She looked into Aphrodite's eyes. "I am sorry, but I cannot do that. As cocky and wrong he may be, I love my father." Apollo nodded in agreement. He was still puzzled. This didn't sound like something Aphrodite would do.

She gasped, "Of course not! How could you think I would do that to either of you?" She sighed, "This is just an idea. I know it's wrong, but I think blackmail could solve our problems." They blinked and let it sink in. Aphrodite's eyes darted between them anxiously.

Apollo sucked in a breath when he realized what she meant. "If we spoke to him about this we could do almost anything we'd like!" He grinned and leaped to his feet to pull Aphrodite into a tight embrace. They stood there happily.

After a minute, Persephone cleared her throat uncomfortably. "May we continue? If not, I want to go hug someone too." She said with a hint of humor in her voice.

Aphrodite and Apollo separated and blushed. "Right," Apollo grunted. "I was saying that we would just need two of his favorite people to convince him." He grinned, "Perhaps two of his favorite children?" He winked at Persephone. She smiled.

For the rest of the night the group of immortals enjoyed themselves. Persephone returned to flirting and Aphrodite and Apollo left to dance their special dance. They had made it up one night and they could never forget it, nor remember it when they weren't together. The steps just came back to them once they began dancing.

"So first you and Persephone will go to him and then we will?" Aphrodite asked for the hundredth time that night. She was so excited and wanted it all to be perfect.

"Yes, and right now, you and I will dance." He took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Apollo smiled his secret smile. This was a smile he reserved just for her. Then he pulled her into position and soon enough, a crowd had gathered around them to watch them with dropped jaws. Aphrodite wasn't able to dance very well on her own, but when she was with Apollo, wonders took place.

"I don't like sharing you. It isn't fair for them to watch you when it's my turn." He gestured toward the crowd and chuckled as he spun Aphrodite out. She closed her eyes as she twirled. He pulled her back in and let go of her completely. She lost her balance and at just the right second, he bent over and swept his arms underneath her before she hit the ground. "The grand finale," He whispered.

Aphrodite laughed, out of breath, and stood. "Let's go somewhere else." Apollo suggested and she nodded. They struggled to make it through the body of people trying to compliment them. Once they made it through the door, they took a deep breath of fresh air.

They strolled and admired the grand architecture and glittering lights of the city.

"Where should we go?" Apollo asked after a few quiet moments.

"Somewhere warm," She shivered as a breeze lifted goose bumps on her arms. Apollo took off his coat and wrapped it around her. She blushed again as he took her hand.

They turned a corner to find a fountain. The water tumbled down wispily. "Would you want it to be day or night?" He asked.

"Day," she replied.

"Hold on tight," He whispered and she squeezed his hand. The ground gave out beneath them as they soared through bright colors. Neither let go of each other until their feet safely reached the ground again. Their eyes opened to find a beach before them. Cami's heeled feet sunk in the soft sand. They were on Olympus Island, a place no human knew of. It was rarely ever talked about, all gods agreed to keep it a secret. Aphrodite grinned widely, not expecting to come here, she had never been and didn't know what to expect. But it was perfect.

"Is this okay?" Apollo asked as her smile made him want to yell in triumph. He loved to make her smile.

"Okay? This is perfect! Except, I can't exactly swim in this..." The instant he heard this, he was gone. Where he was standing before was now a small white slit. It glittered and she heard faint music and a woman's voice coming from it.

"Would you prefer debit or credit?" And a second later the sparkling space was gone, replaced by Apollo. He was holding a shopping bag. He took her hand happily and led her to a cobble stone trail only a few yards away from the beach. The path wound through tropical trees and plants. It ended in front of a large hut. The walls were mad of bamboo and the roof, palm leaves. Trees and flowers decorated the land around it. It seemed as if they were actually in heaven.

"Did you know that once Dionysus was drunk somewhere in Egypt and told a mortal about this place?" Aphrodite gasped, and Apollo quickly continued, not wanting to ruin her mood. "Of course he wasn't able to tell much; Zeus stopped him. But the man he told called it Paradise, and that's where that term comes from."

Aphrodite's face brightened again. The fact that she was in Paradise with Apollo made her think she'd never be sorrowful again. But deep in the back of her mind, the thought of Hephaestus itched.

They walked through some stringed seashells hanging in the doorway. What was inside was not what you would expect at all. White walls fifteen feet tall went on and on, appearing to be a great hall. Doors and windows decorated it along with several paintings and statues. Mona Lisa hung on the wall next to Michelangelo's statue of David.

"These aren't the actual things, right?" Aphrodite asked in awe.

"They are. The ones that people think are real are just replicas. We have had these for centuries." Aphrodite gaped at the art. She stroked the bust of Nefertiti and looked around again. She stopped mid-step, shocked by seeing a statue of herself. Venus de Milo stood in a bright corner of the room. One arm held a shield and the other held a mirror. "This one is one of the most treasured. The replica we made wasn't finished when it was found. It has no arms," Apollo laughed as Aphrodite stared blankly.

Several times she almost felt like fainting from shock. Many sculptures of Apollo were displayed. He seemed popular for this. There were also statues of Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Hermes, Medusa, and Achilles. She found Starry Night and Sunflowers by van Gogh. Creation of Adam and Delphic Sibyl by Michelangelo decorated the white walls, too. Picasso had several art works exhibited. And some art she didn't even know the name of.

"What is this one?" She pointed at a painting of a landscape.

"That's another by van Gogh. The replica we made hasn't been found yet. Many of these are unknown." Aphrodite stared at him, her eyes wide.

"Why haven't I been told about this?"

"Would you believe it without seeing it?"

"Probably not... " She said as she trailed her fingers along some of the statues. She came to a marble table with several piles of old parchment. At the top of one of the pages was Shakespeare's signature. She read them in shock.

"Are these Shakespeare's plays?" She said, her voice cracking in astonishment.

"Yes, calm down though, ok?" He chuckled and stroked her cheek. "Some of the replicas we made were burnt of stolen, many different fates. So not all of these have been read," Apollo studied her anxious face. She was eager to read these treasures. "Do you want to go swimming? I could teach you how to surf?" He asked. He felt bad to not let her read them, but he knew that he didn't have an unlimited amount of time with her.

"Oh, yes. Of course, I'm sorry. I was just distracted." She tore her eyes off of the papers and smiled at Apollo. Then she forgot all about Shakespeare and Picasso. "What's in the bag?"

"You didn't want to swim in that pretty dress, did you?" He asked and handed one of the shopping bags to her. Then he pointed to a door and told her she could change in there.

"I will be out here when you're ready."

Aphrodite nodded as she walked slowly, trying not to let the art catch her eye again. She stopped abruptly and turned around. "What is the Stonehenge?" She asked. She figured that if all these wonders were known by the Gods, why not this one?

Apollo laughed again. "At first Hades was fine with his entrance to the underworld. But he got bored with it and decided he would like it better if he had something grand. He started creating it, but never finished. Many people buried their loved ones there, believing it was a door to the afterlife. It's funny, isn't it? That an unfinished project is a wonder of the world?" He chuckled and Aphrodite tried to laugh a little. How did she never learn these things? She had been alive for quite some time. She realized that being with Hephaestus; she had been locked away from the world. As she thought about the last few centuries with him she could only remember leaving his silver castle maybe a dozen times. With Apollo she learned new things every day.

She walked into the room she was directed to and found a mural of a sunset on the walls. Something caught her eye. She could see a man in a carriage pulling the sun. White horses shone brightly at the front. Aphrodite smiled as she looked closer at the man. She could see a painted Apollo grinning at her, his tight muscles pulling on the reins of shining horses. He looked like he was laughing. Aphrodite giggled quietly and forgot about everything for a few seconds.

Aphrodite looked around the room again and saw a stone the size of her fist floating in the center of the room. She gaped. It was bright orange and shimmered yellow. As it rotated, rays of light shone around the room. How did she miss this? She walked back to the door and looked around. It was gone. Then she went to where she was standing before. It was there again. She looked up and down the walls, searching for anything that could make sense of this and noticed a beam of light shining on the stone and turned around. At the top of the wall there was a small crystal window. The light beaming through the window revealed the stone only when you stood right under it.

Aphrodite walked towards it and hesitantly touched the giant jewel. Apollo's voice spoke softly in her mind. "Aphrodite." She raised one eyebrow. What is this supposed to be? Is it just supposed to tell me what my name is? She decided to just forget about it now and ask him later, but somehow it made her happy to hear her name from that stone. For some reason, she wanted to cry tears of joy. What is going on! Goddesses don't have mood swings!

"Aphrodite? Are you almost ready?" Apollo asked outside the door.

"Oh, yeah, just a moment!" She yelled as she slipped out of her dress and into the one piece swimsuit. Thankfully Apollo wasn't the kind of guy that takes advantage of the opportunity and gets a little bikini. As soon as she was dressed, she transported to her castle, being sure not to be caught by Hephaestus, she put her dress away and hurried back to the room she'd been in. Once you've seen a place in a picture, been there, or have seen it from a distance, you can go back to it anytime. Now she could visit the island whenever she wanted. Well, whenever Hephaestus would allow it.

"Oh, good, I was getting worried." Apollo asked as soon as she walked through the door. He was shirtless, only wearing a pair of swimming shorts. Aphrodite was momentarily dazed by how tan and muscular he was.

"What kept you?" He asked and noticed she had let her hair out of the fancy up-do she'd been wearing. It tumbled down like rays of golden light. He longed to reach out and comb his fingers through it. He imagined it would feel like daisy petals.

"The mural was amazing. And then the stone in the center of the room."

"You saw that?" He asked, slightly shocked. "Did you touch it?"

"Yes, it said something. Well, it was your voice. What is it supposed to do?"

All of a sudden Apollo was nervous. He wiped his hands on his white swim trunks as if they were sweaty and he looked away from her gaze. "It..." He looked at his feet and chuckled slightly. "Well what did it say?"

"I asked first." She said stiffly. She was getting kind of nervous now, too. She wondered if it told her what he deeply hated, or who he lied to. She stepped closer to him. "What does it say?"

"If it said... Just don't be mad, okay?" He looked at her and she could see the tension in his eyes.

"I promise I won't be mad." She couldn't be mad at him. She only worried about how fragile her heart was.

He looked everywhere around him, avoiding her eyes. Then he sighed and spoke quickly, as if he wasn't immortal and his life would end very, very soon. "It tells you… It tells you my deepest love or desire. Every god has a room with a stone in the center. You have one too… I didn't go in it though! I wanted you to see mine. I wasn't sure if you'd find it. I have no idea what it said. Well I have an idea, but… I'm not sure." Aphrodite crashed into him. The impact almost knocked him over. For a short second he was afraid she was going to hurt him.

"I love you, too! I love you, I love you! I love you!" She yelled and repeatedly kissed his face, leaving lipstick marks on his forehead, cheek, nose, chin, and eyes. He smiled.

"So what did it say?" He said once she was just hugging him. "We can't hear our own. We can't even see the stone. What does it look like?" Aphrodite was on her tip-toes so she could wrap her arms around his neck tightly. Apollo felt his blood circulation being cut off.

She loosened her grip on him and stood flat on her feet. Her head only reached his shoulders so she had to look up at him. "It was the brightest orange I have ever seen. It seemed like there was a mini sun inside of it. Rays of yellow and gold shone out of it and it sparkled. It was beautiful! I could tell it was you. It… It almost shows your character. It felt like the more I looked at it, the more I learned about you. Your voice was just a whisper. You said my name."

He kissed her quickly and let go, heading for the door. "Let's go swimming!"

"Wait," she called and grabbed his hand. "Where's my room? I want you to hear what it says." She said this confidently.

He took her hand and led her to her room. She looked in and saw the mural. Aphrodite stood on sea foam in a beautiful blue ocean. Naiads surrounded her singing as doves flew. White water draped over her body in the shape of a dress. Apollo gasped next to her.

"Go touch it," She told him and let go of his hand. He didn't move, he just stood there and stared. "Go!" She pushed his shoulder. He blinked and looked at her. She laughed.

"Oh, right. Okay," He walked underneath the small crystal window and his face brightened up. He smiled one of the biggest grins she's ever seen. This made Aphrodite giggle. He reached for the air; well that's what Aphrodite saw. Then he took a deep breath and touched it. A second later a tear rolled down his cheek.