Read Army of the Goddess: A Bona Dea Novel (Stormflies Book 2) Online
Authors: Elizabeth N. Love
“Honestly, if I were not married to Quinn, I probably wouldn't be considering it. But Quinn wants to be a father, and I want give the world fresh minds and hearts,” Axandra revealed, her voice timidly quiet.
“Well, I guess it doesn't really matter. Your husband will make an excellent father, and he'll be doing most of the work while you're busy traveling the world as you do,” Annie assured with all good intentions.
Homer scowled at the older woman. “Who's digging a hole now, you old post. Honesty is one thing, but you don't need to tear the young woman down. Good Goddess, Annie. Hold your tongue.”
“I am a very honest woman. I won't apologize for who I am.”
Axandra folded her napkin neatly on the table and pushed her chair back. “If you'll excuse me, I'm not really hungry. We can talk about the rebuilding at another time.” She left quickly, not giving either the opportunity to call her back. She heard Homer chastise his lunch mate again, more fiercely this time. Axandra needed to remember to thank him later.
Not the motherly type
. Honest but hurtful words. Annie truly didn't mean to be hurtful, but ignorance was no excuse. How does one flat out diagnose someone as not being the motherly type—whatever the bloody hell that meant! How could one tell when there weren't any children involved at the time? When children come into the lives of their parents, mothers and fathers change to accommodate. Having a baby isn't easy, and everyone would have to adjust, not just the parents. In this case, an entire building worth of people would have to adapt to the unpredictable schedule of a baby.
By the stars! It was like bringing another child into a family of twenty-five, and Annie was the first on the protest list of jealous siblings. Perhaps the Head-of-Council wanted to be able to get the Protectress into an established routine before they threw in a wrench, perhaps actually achieve some goals before life went off course again. Whatever Annie's reasons, the old woman was just plain mean to say those words out loud to a woman trying to put together a family of her own. People could think whatever they wanted, but putting it to voice was uncalled for.
She held enough doubts in her head about her ability to nurture her children. But, she had endured a lot worse in the past year, so dealing with a crying, needy infant seemed preferable to dealing with whiny, equally-needy adults.
With no clear destination in mind, Axandra found herself heading out into the garden behind the Palace. With summer in full swing, the air outside the climate-controlled walls immediately stifled her lungs with heavy humidity and powerful heat. The potted plants looked like they were melting, wilted from the direct sunslight. Not wishing to run back inside just yet, she steered for the nearest shady arbor, beneath the lock-leaf tree, the same tree that rose up ten meters outside her bedroom windows. A thousand small leaves locked together along their serrated edges to create canopies, offering broad shade to the ground like living umbrellas.
Not sure if she should cry about her hurt feelings, or scream, or just give up worrying about an old woman's petty thoughts, Axandra plopped down on the contoured wooden bench. The sultry climate prompted beads of sweat to form and roll down her back, dampening her sheer tunic and camisole. She was glad her hair was already up in a knot away from her neck.
She believed she'd already wrapped her head around her wishes, but Antonette's statements floated all of the doubts back to the surface of an overflowing pool. Did she really want to go through with giving birth and becoming a mother? One: Quinn wanted children. Two: She loved teaching children. Three: The world needed to see that the Protectress was a normal human being, no longer affected by the “curse” of the Protectresship. Three very important and valid reasons. Were they the right reasons for her?
Yes,
she decided.
Yes
. These were the three reasons that convinced her to go on this path.
Perched on the edge of the bench, she rocked back and forth for a few moments, bucking up resolve to head back inside with a content smile on her face. This was not an easy task. She sought something in her mind to help settle the turmoil stewing in her chest. She used one image to bring the boil down to rest.
Maybe now was the moment that she announced the news she had kept secret for the last two weeks. She hadn't even told Quinn yet, but he seemed so preoccupied with another matter that he avoided her company the last several days.
Best to tell him first.
+++
To be continued in
Revenge of the Goddess
…
Thank you for taking time to read
Army of the Goddess
. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author's best friend and much appreciated.
Elizabeth N. Love is a small town Kansas native. She first became interested in story writing at the age of nine when a class project required the students to complete a children's book to be read by first grade students. Since that time she has rarely been seen without a notebook or computer at the ready. Elizabeth holds a B.A. in English with an Emphasis in Creative Writing from the University of Kansas.
In 2001, she received 5th Place Honorable Mention in the Science Fiction Writers of Earth annual competition, in which her short story Look Through went up against over 230 stories from across the globe. Her main reading and writing interests are fantasy and science fiction.
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