Chapter 42 A Prison Of Thorns

• Aphrodite's Point of View
• Hours, maybe even more, had gone by since Zeus had stormed out of the room, leaving me to suffer in this suffocating silence. The twins are agitated; tiny cries continue to remind me that they need more than just love, but something they wouldn't get if I failed or lost my strength. It's hard not to when your mind is spiraling into fear and desperation with such rapid succession that time itself blurs around you.
• The door creaked open, and my body tensed. My eyes snapped to the entrance, half— expecting Zeus again, but instead, it was the healer. She carried a tray with food, a pitcher of water, and some herbs, her face blank as she approached. She set the tray down on the table beside the bed, her movements hasty as if she wished she could leave as quickly as she was there.