Aphrodite's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Aphrodite stepped barefoot into her golden bathhouse and faced the shell-shaped cauldron at its heart. Pink steam curled above the rim. She wanted one thing: a potion strong enough to lead every mortal to their true match. She checked her workbench. Vials of rose oil, crushed pearl, and sea salt waited in neat rows. One ingredient was missing. She did not know its name. Guess wrong, and love would twist into obsession. She lifted a dried petal, then a drop of nectar. Both felt thin in her palm. Neither sang the right note. Her white dove circled above her, watching with bright dark eyes. The dove dipped low and shook her wings. A single luminous feather drifted down and landed on the cauldron's lip. It shimmered with soft gold and pink, gentle as a held breath. Aphrodite understood at once. True love asked for something freely given, not taken. She picked up the feather and let it fall into the brew. The steam turned clear and steady. The pink became a warm, honest rose. She smiled, then her smile faded. The dove was her sacred companion. To finish the potion, she would need more feathers — and her dove had only so many to give.