Jessie Harrell - Destined

DESTINED

by

Jessie Harrell

Mae Day Publishing

Mae Day Publishing

Jacksonville, FL

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2011 Jessie Leigh Harrell

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without the permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper or broadcast. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

Cover designed by Joshua Longiaru

Cover photography (c) Perri Eriksen

Book layout by Heather Kinn

Printed in the USA

First Edition

ISBN 978-0-615-50095-9

Chapter 1 - Psyche

My stomach churned as the smell of ground charcoal and nearly-rancid oil smeared across my eyelids. Whoever decided that greasy anything should be part of a daily beauty routine deserved permanent exile.

The stink never seemed to bother Maia though. She hummed quietly while layering on the goop and it was driving me nuts. My teeth ground into my cheek until I managed to shred another piece of skin.

Will you stop fidgeting? Im going to have eye paste all over your face if you dont hold still.

Servant or no, Maia was good at keeping me in my place. Sorry. I stopped chomping my cheek in favor of twitching my foot.

Maia placed her weathered hand against my forehead; her eyes wrinkled around the edges with concern. You dont seem yourself today. Are you sure youre well?

My eyes darted to the bird sitting on my bookshelf. Maia followed my gaze and gasped.

Good heavens, Psyche. Howd a pigeon get in here?

She dropped the makeup onto my vanity and made as if to shoo the bird away. Instinctively, I snatched her wrist.

No, dont. I let her in. I paused, debating whether it was worth correcting her that the bird was actually a dove, and not a pigeon. Or noting that the dove would turn into Aphrodite as soon as Maia left.

Better just to let it go.

I like having her here. Im just worried Father will make me get rid of her. I met Maias eyes and plastered on my best smile the one Aphrodite helped me master when she wasnt a bird.

Maias shoulders relaxed and she started in on phase II of my beautification regimen: crushed mulberry blush. But there was no relaxing for me.

Something was up. This was the fifth day in a row Aphrodite had come to visit. Sure, shed shown up a couple of months ago, just after I started getting daily admirers at my window. Shed said she liked watching beauty get the attention it deserved. It was part of her domain, after all. And then shed dropped in randomly after that, but not daily.

Even though I pretended like nothing was different, I knew she wanted something. Something more . Goddesses dont just hang out with mortals for the fun of it. But what?

Was she somehow soaking up the energy from the crowd outside? If so, would she want me to stand at this window every morning for the rest of my life? And then what would happen when I wasnt young enough, or pretty enough for her anymore?

I gulped when I was struck by an even worse thought: what if she was spying on me, watching how I reacted each morning. Would she call me out for Hubris after being the one who encouraged me to really pan to the crowd?

My chest constricted under the weight of my worry; my nerves felt frayed, like the end of rope thats been snapping in the Aegean breeze too long.

Maia has got to stop humming!

I started to turn my head so I could ask her to knock it off, but she just brushed at my tangle of curls harder when I moved. Maia, please, I moaned, can you quit with the humming right now?

With Maia now silent, I was left with only the rhythmic brushing of my hair and the dove-made tapping. Her nails clicked against the wooden shelf where she paced. As honored as I was by her presence, I almost wished I could reverse the past few months. I wouldnt have sat for the portrait at the art academy. The artist wouldnt have gotten famous by drawing my face. My face wouldnt have ended up floating around Greece. And Greeks wouldnt have started showing up at my door to see if the real thing looked as good as the paintings.

Even the tokens of admiration they brought with them were inadequate to pay for all Id lost. My parents coffers were robust and juicy, but my life was sucked dry. I wanted shopping trips to the Agora with Mother, jaunts to the Baths with my sister, gallops through the fields on my horse all things Id been denied in the name of safety.

As Maia finished looping my favorite silver headband into my hair, Aphrodite-the-bird fluttered down to the vanity for a closer inspection.

Shoo. Maia flicked her hand at Aphrodite before I could stop her. Get off, you dirty, old thing.

Stop. Leaping to my feet, I scooped the bird goddess into my palms. The feathers around her neck stuck straight out and her head bobbed frantically as she gurgled up a strangled coo sound.

There, there, I crooned as I stroked her with my fingertip. Maia didnt mean that.

Maia huffed. Dont know why I bother trying to help you sometimes.

Maia, I said, dragging out her name and giving her my best pout. You know I love you. Dont go away mad, okay?

She sighed. I know. Just go away. As she moved to the mahogany door, Maia gave a pointed look over her shoulder at my window. Your admirers are waiting. Wouldnt want to disappoint them .

Whats that supposed to I started before the door clicked closed. Mean?

When I turned around, Aphrodite sat sprawled across my marble vanity, her legs crossed at the knee as she reclined.

She, Aphrodite nodded her head at the door before flicking a golden tendril over her shoulder, is no fun.

I eased down onto the stool beside her, glad to see she didnt look as angry as Id feared. Maias not that bad. I just dont think she likes all the people hanging around outside. Its gotten a lot worse lately.

Aphrodite raised a narrow eyebrow. Worse? Youve got admirers flocking from every corner of Greece to lay gifts at your feet in exchange for one glimpse of your face. Thats not a bad thing.

I nodded, but had no response. Goddesses might enjoy collecting tributes, but for me, it felt wrong.

Aphrodite plucked a bottle of lily-scented almond oil off my vanity and rubbed it into her arms. You heard what she said, didnt you? Aphrodite asked.

About me disappointing the admirers?

She shook her head. Not that. She said I was old.

Dont be silly. I almost said ridiculous, but then remembered who I was talking to. Youre the most beautiful goddess in Greece. And youre not old.

She set aside the oil and clasped my face in her palms. No, shes right. I have a son your age. Youre the new beauty in Greece, Psyche. Its you now.

Whoa. I was pretty sure accepting that compliment would earn me unending torture in Tartarus one day. While I was still stammering for something to say, Aphrodite nimbly hopped to her feet and circled the room. I can feel it. Todays the day.

Her crystalline eyes were wide and wild and I didnt like the direction this conversation was headed.

With more drama than any actor, she flung her arms toward the wooden shutters still barring my window. Go to your people. Theyre waiting.

What? It came out more a stammer than an actual question. They werent my people. They were subjects of their own cities; devotees of the gods. But mine? Never.