«Aphrodite's Daughter» by Alana Church

The finale of “Aphrodite's Children.” For twenty years, the Goddess Aphrodite has lived with her chosen, Phaedra. But Phaedra's daughter is approaching adulthood. When an ancient evil returns to trouble her family, Phaedra and her daughter, Titania, must make a fateful choice. Will Titania allow the goddess to merge with her?


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PG Excerpt ~~~~~


“Now, for a little more detail, here is our new chief of campus security, Captain Hinton.”
A tall, thin man stepped forward. His face was bony with overhanging brows and dark eyes. His hair was iron-gray, cut so short as to seem almost stubble. A wooden billy club, painted black, hung at his belt.“Right,” he rasped, looking out over them. “You.” His black gaze found Titania, and he pointed at her. “Stand up.”“What?”“Stand up, girl!” he barked. “Are you too stupid to understand plain English?"“Captain Hinton,” Doctor Heineman protested weakly, “I don’t think…” he stammered to a halt as the officer turned a feral gaze on him.“I speak English perfectly well,” Titania said coolly, rising to her feet.Hinton cocked his head, his eyes roaming over her body. Titania flushed, fighting the urge to hide herself. There was something about those black, unfeeling eyes that made her feel…dirty. Ashamed. As if her body wasn’t something to be proud of, but rather something that should be hidden.“This is an example of what not to wear around campus, girls.” Hinton’s harsh voice jerked her back to reality. “Look at her. If she went to a bar or a party at one of the fraternities dressed like that, she would have a good chance of being raped. And it would be no one’s fault but her own.”A disbelieving titter ran through the room as Titania’s jaw fell open. Her fault? What century is this…this idiot from?“I’m sorry.” She kept her voice sweet. “Did you just say if a woman gets raped it’s her fault?”“Do you really think your clothing is appropriate?” he shot back.“This? Yes. I do. It’s August. It’s ninety degrees outside. Should I dress like a nun and get heatstroke just to keep you happy?” She folded her arms across her chest, daring him to continue. The light, loose skirt, falling to mid-thigh, displayed quite a bit of her legs, which were naturally dark with her parents’ Greek heritage.The blouse might have been a little risqué, but she wasn’t going to admit it in front of this jerk. Beige in color, it was almost gauzy, and though it covered her arms almost to her wrist, it left quite a bit of her stomach uncovered. And anyone who looked closely enough could see the outlines of her aereolae. But the feel of the blouse on her bare skin had been so sensuous when she put it on that morning that she hadn’t been able to bear the thought of wearing a bra.“You should dress modestly,” Hinton snarled. Some of the other students were watching, wide-eyed, unable to believe just how quickly a boring lecture had turned into a verbal battle. “If you don’t want to be treated like a tramp, don’t dress like a tramp. Who could blame a man if he thought you were asking for a little action? Women should-““Bollocks.”Titania’s head jerked to her right. Three seats over, a tall young man shambled to his feet.“Are you saying that men are too stupid to understand what
the word ‘no’ means, Captain?” The broad cockney accent was full of derision.
“Where I come from, we usually learn that when we are about six months old. Of course, you colonials were always a mite slow. But I would expect anyone
admitted to this university would have a grasp of basic English. Even
Americans.”