The phone vibrated on the table. I glanced over and saw a text message on the homescreen. It was from Hebe and read Hey, is Dad with you?

Yeah I texted back.

K. Does he want anything?

I glanced over at Zeus before replying. I got it handled.

K.

I regarded the text mournfully, restraining myself from calling her up and giving her my "K" rant. I didn't care how dismal society became, "K" was not and would never be an acceptable response.

I tapped back to my messaging homescreen and pulled up Hermes' number. Hey, I typed. Connect Coffee House. One 16 oz. black, one 16 oz caramel hazelnut iced latte with whip topping.

I put the phone down and turned back to my computer. A blank, white screen gazed back, the little black cursor winking at me. I placed my hands on the keyboard, ready to type, when my phone buzzed. Glancing over at it, I saw his response.

I'm not your errand boy.

I rolled my eyes. Your dad says don't forget the whip I lied, flipping the phone over so that I couldn't see the screen and looked back at my computer. I was starting a new novel and wasn't quite sure how to begin.

It was days before I could look Isandros in the eye. The dream lingered in my thoughts, the memories leaking into my bloodstream and becoming a part of me. I forced myself not to think about what had happened, either the dream or the orgasm, but it was impossible not to. I began making excuses not to see him, as foolish as that was, in order to avoid the awkward silences that had started sprouting up between us. I tried telling myself that it was just a stupid dream. I hadn't actually done anything wrong. But I couldn't seem to convince myself.

I'd seen Olympia once since the bizarre interview in the armory. She'd been across the street from me, carrying her load of laundry. I'd caught her staring, and she'd immediately dropped her gaze and turned another way. Seeing her only made me think of the dream boy and something stirred in my gut, both painful and tantalizing.

Father had sent a letter to Pentares of Corinth, relating my eagerness to move forward with negotiations. We expected my bride to set sail for Troy within a month.

The pasture was the only place I could find any peace. Up there there was nothing but the wind and the smell of sheep and the sea. I'd walked across the Trojan countryside, allowing my mind to empty itself of all its convoluted cares. Every once in awhile I'd search the sky for any sign of the giant eagle, but I never saw him. Clouds would sail across the heavens like ships on the sea, and fluttering birds darted past like schools of fish, but the eagle, the king of the sky, never revealed himself to me.

I'd begun staying out in the hills later than usual, coming back after dusk, trying to avoid people as much as I could. Isandros would wait for me in the training yard. He never mentioned my strange new moodiness, but I could read the concern behind his eyes. Finally, after the fourth day, he cornered me outside the door of my house.

"Have I done something to upset you?" he asked.

I blinked in astonishment. "No, of course not."

"Then why do you keep treating me like I slapped your grandmother?"

I chuckled. "I'm sorry. Really. It's not anything you've done, it's just . . ." I trailed off, unsure what to even say. Honestly, not even I knew what was wrong. I just felt . . . empty inside. Like my heart had shriveled up to try and escape the pain of my circumstances. I looked at Isandros, my insides melting at the concern in his eyes. It made me happy. It made me very, very sad.

He tilted his head to the side, his curls falling over his forehead. "This is about your engagement, isn't it? You haven't been acting right since that night."

I nodded. That was part of it, but not nearly enough. "I don't love her," I muttered, feeling embarrassed to say it out loud. It sounded so childish. "I don't even know her. What if we end up hating each other?"

He stepped toward me and put his hand on my arm. My entire world shrank to the warmth and weight of it resting there. "You won't," he told me. "No one could ever hate you, Ganymede. You're too good."

I glanced up at him, meeting his gaze.

He smiled at me, his eyes tender. "She'll be a lucky woman."

I shook my head. "I'm not so sure. Even if she does learn to like me, what if I can't do the same to her?" I paused, weighing my next words. "What if I fall in love with somebody else?"

He frowned at me. "Are you in love with somebody? Is that the real reason for all this? Some girl's gone and caught your eye?" He grinned.

I glanced away from him, blushing. "No," I muttered.

He laughed. "Poor Ganymede. Love is a fickle bitch, isn't it?"

"Yes," I whispered.

He patted my shoulder, and suddenly it didn't feel quite so good. "You'll make it through. Just give the girl a chance. And if she doesn't turn out to be everything you've wanted, well," he winked at me. "Who says you need to spend every night in her bed, huh?" He patted my arm again and headed off in the opposite direction, leaving me staring after him

The next day when I took the flock out, I headed in a different direction than I normally did. I went north, keeping the sea to my left and the wild hill country to my right. The hills were steeper here, and less vegetation grew. There was enough for my herd though, so I didn't worry too much about it. I led them far out into the wild, the city vanishing behind us. After a couple hours the landscape had changed dramatically. Lush pastureland spread out around me in a long plateau. At the furthest edge, the earth dropped away, leaving a sheer cliff-face, the surf pounding against the thin stretch of beach a hundred feet below. I picked my way to the edge of the cliff, feeling the sea breeze ruffle my hair and tug at my clothes. I tilted my head back and breathed in the briney air, letting it wash over me and blow away my heartache.

A shrill cry caught my attention. Opening my eyes, I saw the golden eagle wheeling above me, his beak and claws glinting in the bright light. He flew out over the sea and dove, his wings curling in around his body until the instant before he hit the water. His wings unfurled and he skimmed over the surface of the waves, catching a large fish in his talons. I watched as the eagle labored to keep the squirming fish aloft, but after a few moments he let go, the fish living to see another day. The bird swooped upwards again, his sharp eyes searching for another catch. I stood watching him for quite some time, envying him his freedom. Occasionally he'd let out a shriek of exultation, whirling and diving without a care in the world. At last he must have grown tired of all his failed fishing attempts and went in search of less slippery prey, flying up into the clouds until I lost sight of him. I returned my gaze to the sea. I wondered if my betrothed had heard the news yet. Would she weep when she found out she was being shipped off to a city she'd never seen? Or would she rejoice to be getting a husband before she became an old maid? One of these days I'd get the chance to ask her.

Something hit me on the back of the head. I cried out, more from surprise than pain. The blow had pushed me to my knees and I whirled about, searching for my attacker. Another scream filled the air. I looked up. There was the eagle, flying away from me, something red in his claws. I gaped, and reached up to my head. Sure enough, my shepherd's cap was gone. The bastard had snuck up behind me and snatched it away.

I watched him go, expecting to see him drop the cap into the ocean. He wheeled in the opposite direction though, and flew a few more seconds before releasing the cap, probably realizing that it wasn't food. I huffed and ran over to get it, being sure to keep the eagle in sight in case he swept around again and tried to take my head off this time. The bird flew off in the distance and disappeared behind some trees.

I reached the area where I'd seen it fall, but still had to search around through the underbrush before I spotted it. It was snagged on a thornbush a ways away. I pried it out of the thorns, sticking myself a couple times in the process.

"What happened?" someone asked from right behind me.

I started so violently that I dropped the cap again. I turned to see Olympia standing there, her hands tucked behind her back as she regarded me. "What in the—where did you come from?" I sputtered.

She raised an eyebrow at my tone. "I've been here the whole time," she replied. "I was walking along the beach and saw you standing at the edge of the cliff. I came up to make sure you weren't thinking about jumping." It was difficult to argue with her assurity, but I hadn't seen her down on the beach. I told her as much.

Olympia frowned. "You must be blind then." She changed the subject before I could reply, pointing at the cap in my hands. "Why do you wear that thing?"

"It's a shepherd's cap," I muttered, putting it back on my head. "I'm a shepherd."

"I thought you were the prince?"

"Yes, well, I'm the third prince, which means I get to watch the sheep." I turned and walked away from her, back toward my vantage point over the sea. I was hoping she'd leave, but I doubted it. Sure enough, I heard her following after me, her bare feet whispering over the grass.

"Do you like watching the sheep?"

I laughed a little. "Nobody likes watching sheep. Sheep are the stupidest animals alive. And the dullest."

"I don't know, it seems like it might be fun." We'd come to the edge of the cliff again. I looked down at the crashing waves beneath me, watching the foam collect at the edge of the sea.

"It's not," I told her. "But sometimes it is nice to get away from the city."

She made a sound of agreement. I could feel her eyes on me but I kept my attention on the sea. I was a little nervous, being out here all by myself with this girl. She didn't really look like a harlot, but I remembered all too clearly the feel of her lips as she'd kissed me.

"Why are you out here?" I asked.

I saw her shrug in my periphery. "I like being alone sometimes. And the sea is beautiful."

I glanced over at her. She was looking out at the sea now, her eyes squinting against the afternoon sunlight. I turned to do the same. "I'd love to see more of it," I said.

"Where all have you been? What cities have you gone to?"

I shook my head. "I've never been away from Troy."

She seemed surprised. "Never?"

"Nope."

She appraised me. "How old are you, Ganymede?"

"Seventeen."

"So young," she murmured.

I looked over at her. "You're not exactly ancient yourself," I pointed out.

She grinned. "Where would you go, then, if you ever left Troy?"

I considered it. "Somewhere far away," I said. "Somewhere nobody's here's ever even heard of."

"What would you do there?"

I smiled a little sadly, thinking of my paradise. "I'd live."

Olympia studied me, seeming to hear the edge in my voice. "You aren't living here?"

"Not really."

We were quiet for a bit, neither of us seeming to know what to say. "I'd like to see Paphos," she said at last.

"The birthplace of Aphrodite," I said. "That doesn't really surprise me."

"Why?"

"You seem like the kind of person who'd spends a lot of time making herself beautiful."

She scoffed, but didn't try to argue. "Not all of us wake up looking as perfect as you do."

"Nobody wakes up looking perfect."

"Of course not," she said sarcastically.

We lapsed into silence again. The wind was blowing a little harder now. It pulled some of her dark hair out of its braid, and blew it around her face. I tried to keep my eyes to myself so that I didn't give her any of the wrong ideas, but it was difficult not to look at her. I kept thinking about the boy in my dreams. He might have been her brother, they looked so alike. I sighed. If only Olympia had been born a boy. I shook off the thought, ashamed of myself. I loved Isandros. It was wrong to fantasize about another man, even one that didn't exist.

She was watching me again, her eyes as blue as the sky and sea before us. "Why was your cap in the briar bush?" she asked suddenly.

"An eagle stole it."

She raised an eyebrow.

"It did," I huffed. "Right before you showed up. The thing flew right over my head, yanked it off and dropped it in the thorn bush."

She smirked. "Maybe he thought you looked better without it."

I rolled my eyes.

"What? You think eagles don't know what's fashionable?"

"I think you're reading too much into this."

"Ha!" she lunged toward me and plucked the cap off my head before darting away.

"Hey!"

She dangled the cap in front of me, grinning like a lunatic. "See, you look much nicer without it. Let the world see your pretty hair."

I tried to grab it back but she danced out of the way, laughing.

"Give it back!"

"You want it?" she asked, "Come get it." And she took off running, her skirt flying out behind her. I raced after her, surprised by her speed. Her laughter peeled across the pasture, and to my surprise I found myself laughing along with her.

"Give it back!" I called.

"Never!"

I was gaining on her. Her skirts were beginning to slow her down and she was laughing so hard that she couldn't focus on running. Right as I was about to close my hand around her arm, she dashed to the side and I stumbled, my hands clutching at the air.

"Missed me!"

I turned to see where she'd gone. She was standing at the edge of the woods, waving my cap in her hand.

"All right, give it back," I called, reaching out my hand.

"Huh-uh."

"Olympia," I said, using my best prince-voice. "Give me back my cap."

She stuck out of her tongue and vanished into the forest.

I shook my head in amazement. She really was mad.

I jogged into the forest, taking a moment to let my eyes adjust to the dim light. "Olympia?" There was a giggle from above. I looked up. She was perched on a limb high above my head, swinging her leg over the side. "How did you get up there so fast?" I asked.

She just smirked at me.

"Why don't you come down?" I said. "I don't want to climb up there after you."

"Then I guess you don't want your hat back."

I shrugged. "It's not like I can't get a new one, you know."

She shrugged as well but tossed me the cap. "Fine, if it means that much to you. But I don't want you to put it on. You're hair's too pretty to be covered up.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever makes you happy, I guess." I bent down to retrieve it. There was a rustle of fabric and before I could stop her, Olympia jumped down and landed right in front of me.

"Are you crazy?" I demanded. The limb she'd been sitting on was more than halfway up the tree. She could have easily broken her legs.

She brushed her hands together, completely unconcerned. "Calm down, Ganymede everything's—get down!"

Olympia's hand slammed into my shoulder, knocking me down. I landed on my stomach in the dust, my face full of prickling grass. There was a brilliant light above my head and an inhuman shriek that made my blood freeze in my veins. I looked over and couldn't believe my eyes. There, at the edge of the clearing, was a snake's head as big around as a bull with steam curling out of it's maw. It was so massive that the head was all I could see, the rest of it's body hidden by the undergrowth.

Olympia stood in front of me protectively, facing the creature. The snake reared up its head and opened its mouth, it's gullet glowing red as an ember and getting brighter by the second. Before I could stop her, Olympia ran toward it and leapt into the air. The snake unleashed a volley of fire, instantly incinerating her. I saw her body dissolve in midair, ashes blasting back from her glowing bones. I pushed myself to my knees and screamed her name, knowing it was too late.

Then I realized what I was seeing. The glowing figure that I'd thought was Olympia's ignited skeleton was actually a man. He landed in front of the snake, his skin brilliant as molten gold, his hair shining white like hot iron. He stretched out his arms before bringing his hands together with a boom that shook the earth, blew back the trees and made my hair stand on end. A twisted bolt of lightning arched out of his fingertips, blasting the creature to cinders and bone. The snake screamed and jerked as it was obliterated. Then, as quickly as it had begun, it was over. The snake was dead, nothing but smoking remains. The man slowly lowered his hands, balling them into fists at his sides. He stood with his back to me, the fiery glow fading from his skin until it was no more brilliant than my own. His clothes—Olympia's dress—had burned away, just like Olympia herself.

I sat there, staring at him in horror, my mind refusing to believe what my eyes had just witnessed.

"Are you all right, Ganymede?" he asked. His voice was deeper than my own and smooth as honey.

I didn't answer. I couldn't.

The man glanced over his shoulder at me, allowing me to see his face for the first time. I felt a pang in my chest. He was beautiful, his long, straight nose and sharp cheekbones softened by long waves of silvery blond hair and lips shaped like a bow. His jaw was covered by a beard the same silver-blond color as his hair. He contemplated me a little sadly, eyes as pale as the noon-day horizon. "Ganymede?"

I gaped at him, my mouth opening and closing like a fish. "What happened to her?" I finally asked, not sure what else to do.

He made an amused sound, though he was still watching me warily. "Olympia? She was just a glamour. The lizard burned the magic away."

I nodded, trying to get a grip. "So, she never really existed then. All right." I eyed him, doing my best to keep my eyes from wandering any lower than his face. "So if Olympia was a glamour, as you call it, then who are you?"

"Can't you guess?"

"You're Zeus?"

He smiled. "I knew you were smart."

"Not very." I rose to my feet and glanced away from him. "Can I go home now?"

"Of course, if you want to."

I turned away and walked out of the woods, my limbs stiff as an automaton's, my mind a jumble of incoherent words and images. I could feel his eyes on me, but I was too afraid to look back. Too afraid of my own emotions to let him see my face. I half expected him to follow me, but he didn't. I gathered up my flock and took them back to Troy, shooting nervous glances over my shoulder the whole trip back.

It was too early to put to sheep back in their fold, but I found one of the servants to take over for me. It might have been irresponsible of me, but I had too much on my mind to bother with such things. I trudged through the byways of Troy, trying to come to terms with this new development. In the light of this new information, I reviewed my short acquaintance with the strange girl Olympia, a young woman who had shown up unexpectedly one day and forced her way into my life. Now I knew that the girl hadn't been a girl at all, but the king of the gods disguised as a woman. I recalled the unprecedented power of her eyes, the way they sucked me into her world and made me forget to breathe. I blushed furiously when I recalled how she'd pushed me up against the back wall of the armory, her hands in my hair and her tongue trying to tease it's way past my lips. That had been a Zeus' tongue, a man's tongue and a man's lips and a man's body pressed up against mine. It was mortifying. It was arousing.

I halted in the middle of an empty street and covered my face with my hands, cringing as I remembered my actions. I'd been rude to Zeus. I'd pushed Zeus away. I'd chased Zeus through a meadow at the edge of the sea like he was an ordinary human being. I groaned, trying to escape the memory. What had he thought of me up there on the cliff, droning on about sailing away from Troy like some stupid actor in a melodrama?

And why had he disguised himself as a woman? Why had he tricked me? I chewed my lip, refusing to believe that it had been in pursuit of me. Why would the king of the gods try to seduce me, a mortal, a boy, when he could have anybody he chose? It must have been some sort of mischievous joke. Maybe he'd figured out my secret and wanted to poke fun at me. Maybe the gods had made a wager to see if the homosexual prince of Troy could be convinced to bed a woman. I shook my head, so humiliated by the thought that I began to cry, tears trickling down between my fingers, adding to my shame. I couldn't make the tears stop so I ran and hid behind a rubbish heap where nobody could see me. I sank down behind the heap and curled my arms around my knees and cried, feeling more miserable than I ever had. I was so stupid and wretched that even the gods had begun to make sport of me. In that moment I truly began to hate myself, and I hated myself even more when I remembered how Zeus had looked after killing that serpent. He'd been the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, far lovelier than the Olympia glamour. If that person had pressed me up against a wall, I would have given him anything he wanted. I was sure he'd seen my admiration. I could only wonder if he'd gone home and told the other gods about it yet. That possibility made me cry even harder.

I stayed there for too long, sobbing like a little boy. At last I managed to compose myself enough to head for home. I hurried back to my father's house, keeping out of sight as much as possible. When I did meet people I was careful to look away from them so that they wouldn't see my bloodshot eyes. I was almost there when I rounded a corner and nearly smacked into Isandros. He grinned at me for a moment before he noticed. I tried to turn away but I knew that he'd seen.

"Ganymede?"

"Please excuse me," I muttered, trying to move past him.

"Ganymede, wait, what's the matter?"

I kept walking, but he reached out and caught me by the elbow. I stopped. I couldn't deny him anything.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I said, keeping my face turned away from him.

"Did someone hurt you?"

I looked back at him. His gaze was earnest, a dangerous glint in his eye. He's ready to defend me, I realized with a start. Warmth spread through my chest. I gave him a small smile. "No. I'm fine. Really." And in that moment I was.

He shook his head, not believing me. "Tell me who did it."

I considered. Should I tell him what had happened? Would he even believe me? I wasn't sure whether I believed it myself. "Honestly?" I said at last, "I did it to myself."

He narrowed his eyes. "I don't believe you."

"No, it's true," I said. "I was stupid. I pretty much walked right into it."

"Ganymede, what are you talking—"

"Do you know what I am?" I asked suddenly, before I could change my mind.

"What?"

"Do you know what I am?"

"You're . . . the prince."

I took a step closer to him, my heart teetering between joy and terror. Even the gods knew about me. If the gods knew, surely everybody else did too. Maybe I'd been wrong all along. Maybe I'd been the blind one. Maybe this boy was just as good a liar as me. "I like boys," I whispered. "I like men the way other men like women."

Whatever he'd been expecting me to say, it certainly hadn't been that. Isandros blinked at me, seeming uncertain what to do. "Um, all right," he said.

I scrutinized his expression, not knowing if he'd fully understood what I'd been trying to tell him. My sudden bout of courage was quickly slipping away, and I wanted to run and hide from him. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself onward. "What I meant to say, Isandros, is that I . . . I like you the way other men like women."

Isandros dropped his eyes from my face, staring at the ground. "I see."

My heart plummeted. I sucked in a ragged breath, my eyes filling with tears again. "I'm sorry," I blubbered. "I'm so sorry, Isandros." I fled from him, turning away from my home, suddenly wanting to be anywhere but here. He didn't try to stop me.

I ran outside the city walls, out into the wilderness beyond. I ran until my lungs felt like they would burst and then I stumbled to a walk, only to run again as soon I had energy enough. My feet carried me up hills and led me me down nearly unseen forest paths. I didn't care where I went, I just couldn't be in that city anymore. I couldn't be near anybody who'd recognize me. I felt like such a fool. What had I been thinking, telling Isandros that? Had I gone mad? But even so, now I knew. There could be no more hope for us. He didn't love me back.

I sobbed as I ran. This pain hurt a thousand times worse the Zeus' games. This was the kind of pain that drove men to fall on their swords to end it all. I kept running until the sun began to set and I was miles away from home. The hills became steeper and more rugged, but I kept on going, trying to outrun my fortune. At last I came to the top of a mountain, my legs trembling from exhaustion and my mouth parched. I sank down onto the ground and looked over the world. I could see Troy in the far distance, a city of pale white stone shining like a beacon in the fading light. The sea was beyond it, a thin blue haze at the edge of the world. Dusk was descending over the east and the west burned with orange flame as the sun sank over the horizon. I looked up at the sky, watching as the stars began twinkling into existence, wondering if I'd ever be able to get far enough away from this place.

I heard a rustling sound from nearby. I glanced down the hill, half expecting to see a bear lumbering up the slope. A figure was striding toward me, his pale hair catching the last few rays of sun. I made a face and slunk back away from the edge, hoping he wouldn't see me.

"I know you're there," he called.

I sighed and didn't respond. I didn't know how much more I could handle today. I'd expected him to keep walking up the same path I'd taken, the one that wound up the side of the mountain, but then I heard a whooshing sound and suddenly Zeus was standing in front of me. He gazed down at me, his face serious.

"It took me a while to find you," he said.

I didn't reply. He was wearing clothes now, a deep green chiton with silver colored himation draped across his shoulders. His hair was woven into a braid with a few wisps coming loose and framing his face. A golden circlet rested on his forehead.

"What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I needed to get away."

He studied me, noticing my red, swollen eyes and tear stained cheeks. I glared back at him, wanting him to see what he'd done. Wanting him to know what he'd put me through.

"Oh, my little prince," he murmured.

I drew in a ragged breath. "What do you want?" I asked, shocked that I had the courage to confront him.

"What I've always wanted," he replied, walking toward me. He knelt in front of me and looked me full in the face, those piercing blue eyes unraveling my soul. He reached out and brushed his knuckles down the side of my cheek. My skin burned where he touched me.

"I don't want you here," I said, trying to ignore my body's reaction to him.

"I'm sorry for lying to you."

I glared at him, wondering what kind of game he was playing now. "Why did you?"

His lips tilted up in a shy smile. "I figured you'd want a girl more than a man."

My cheeks blazed. "I don't believe you," I whispered.

He narrowed his eyes. "No? Why not?"

"Because there's no reason for you to want me that way! You're the king of the gods. You're married to the most beautiful goddess in the world. You could bed anyone you want, any time you want. Why would somebody like that be interested in somebody like me?"

He appraised me, his head tilted to the side. "What do you mean, somebody like you? Haven't you ever looked in the mirror? Do you know who you are? You're a prince, Ganymede. And you're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen." He caught my hand in his and pulled it toward him, playing with my fingers as he spoke. "I told you before, you remember? I haven't been able to sleep since I saw you, that day out in the field. I had to find out who that beautiful boy was, sitting out there watching the sheep. I disguised myself as a laundress and searched through the town, hoping to find you." He glanced up at me from beneath his lashes, just like he had that first night I'd met him, disguised as Olympia. His eyes froze me in place, reducing my thoughts to a crawl.

"Wait," I said,trying to regain my power of speech. "When did you see me with the sheep?" The only time I'd seen Olympia out in the pasture was earlier that afternoon.

Zeus grinned. "How much do you know about me, Ganymede?"

I thought about it as he continued to fiddle with my hand. He linked his fingers between mine, gently pressed his thumb into the center of my palm, massaging it. He studied my fingernails, running the pad of his thumb across their edges. It was very distracting. "Why are you doing that?" I asked.

He shrugged. "You interest me. I want to know all of your secrets."

My heart sped but I kept my voice neutral. "And are my fingernails revealing anything to you?" I asked drily.

"Mmm, a great many things actually." He glanced up at me. "But you didn't answer my question."

"I don't know. I know all the basic things about you. The things the priest taught me."

"Like what?" He only sounded half interested, his focus still on my hand in his lap. His left hand was skimming further up my arm, brushing over the blue veins in my wrist.

"Um, like that you're the king of the gods."

"The priest really knows his stuff, doesn't he?" Zeus said. He was gently squeezing his hand around my arm then pulling it away, watching the white imprint fade as the blood rushed up under the skin.

"I know you are the god of the sky and that you bring thunderstorms."

"Very insightful."

I blushed. "All right, I know that you have five siblings, who I won't name, and I know you've fathered dozens of other gods and heroes who I also won't name. You have a temple at Knossos, married your older sister, and apparently have a strange fetish with hands."

He turned to look at me. Without breaking eye contact, he brought my hand up to his face and sucked one of my fingers into his mouth. I gasped, instinctively trying to pull back. He tightened his grip around my wrist, not letting me go anywhere. He sucked my finger deeper into his mouth until the entire thing was inside. Zeus swirled his tongue around it, making me gasp again. It felt strange and disgusting and good.

He pulled back, releasing my finger with a plop sound. "For your information," he said, as if nothing had happened. "I married two of my older sisters. And two aunts. And one childhood friend."

I was still reeling from the finger sucking. "What else do you want me to tell you about yourself?"

He grinned at my reaction and sucked another finger into his mouth. It wasn't as shocking this time, but seemed even more erotic. I could only stare helplessly as he did it, his eyes never leaving mine. "What is my emblem?" he said, once he'd released me.

"Uh," I was having difficulty thinking. Zeus was kissing me, pressing his lips into the palm of my hand and moving downward, his lips barely brushing against the skin of my arm. It made my hair stand on end.

"Ganymede? What is it?" he whispered, pausing to nibble at the sensitive skin near my inner elbow.

"It's, it's an eagle, isn't it?" I answered. He was so close to me now, I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

"Mmm," he hummed into my skin. "That's how I saw you."

"What?" He'd reached the top of my shoulder. I could feel his beard brush over my skin, his lips ghosting over my collarbone.

"The first time I saw you. I was an eagle." He began kissing my neck and I forgot my own name.

"Oh," I whispered. I'd been answering him, but he took it as an invitation. He pushed me back, laying me down against the sandy ground. He hovered over me, doubling his efforts. He kissed me, hard, one hand on the side of my head, the other drifting down over my body before sliding up my inner thigh.

I froze, pulling back from the kiss. This was too fast, we were going way too fast. He looked down at me, his pale eyes clouded with lust. It made my heart skip a beat and also made me afraid. He was a god. I couldn't say no to a god. "Please," I pleaded. "Please, stop."

Zeus blinked at me, his face expressionless. For a moment I wasn't sure if he was going to listen to me. Then he rolled off and allowed me to sit up.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, straightening my clothes.

He was looking away from me. I bit my lip, afraid that I'd made him angry. Finally I heard him exhale loudly through his nose. He turned to face me, his expression apologetic. "No. Forgive me. I got carried away."

I blushed and looked down. "It's all right."

He reached out and stroked my cheek with the back of his knuckles. "You were crying when I first arrived. Why?"

I turned my head away from him, ashamed of myself. Every time I was near Zeus, I seemed to forget that the rest of the world existed. Now my memories came flooding back. Isandros' rejection, Zeus' 'torment'. After what had just happened, I wasn't sure about the second one now, but the disappointment I felt about the other was still raw.

I felt his fingers grip the edge of my chin and turn me back to face him. Those extraordinary eyes lifted the secrets out of me. "He doesn't love me," I told him. "Isandros doesn't love me. He never did."

"And you loved him?" he asked, his eyes softening.

I nodded, swallowing hard. Would he be angry about that?

"This Isandros is a fool, then." Zeus said, his hand keeping my face from turning away again. "I'd give anything to be able to have your affection."

I blushed crimson. "You don't mean that."

"I do."

I looked up at him, my eyes wandering over his lovely face. "You know, you don't look like I always imagined you would."

He smirked. "Disappointed?"

"Not at all," I smiled. "I always thought you'd look like an old man."

"Well, I look older than you do." It was true. Zeus looked like a man grown, not a boy like Isandros. It was a different, exciting kind of beauty.

"I don't mind," I said.

We looked at each other for another long moment, neither of us speaking. The breeze blew my hair into my eyes and he reached up to smooth it back.

"You said earlier today that you wanted to get away from Troy," he said. "Is that still true?"

I nodded. "Now more than ever." I cringed to think about going back to the city and meeting Isandros.

"What would you say about coming home with me?"

"Home? You mean, to Mount Olympus?"

He smiled, "Would you like that?"

I couldn't believe my good luck. Then I realized something and my elation fell.

Zeus noticed. "What is it?"

"How long would I be staying there? Only, only for a little while, right? Then I'll be sent back?"

"Did I say that?" He leaned forward a caught me in a kiss. Every thought I had fled, my entire world condensing to feeling his mouth on mine. After a moment he pulled away and laughed at my expression. "You liked that, did you?" he asked, running his thumb across my bottom lip. "I liked it, too. No, when I asked you to come with me, I wasn't talking about just for tonight, I was talking about the foreseeable future. I want you to live with me."

I bit my lip, unsure how I felt. I barely knew this man. I was attracted to him, but I didn't love him. Was I about to make the biggest mistake of my life? And yet, what was left for me in Troy? A future wife I couldn't love? Secret flings with young men behind her back? Seeing Isandros' face every day, knowing that I'd destroyed our friendship? I met Zeus' gaze, saw those crystal eyes looking back at me, and I suddenly knew what I was going to do.

"Take me away."