Aphrodite's Kiss by Julie Kenner Read Free Book Online

massive packet had gathered dust on her kitchen table. She’d finally sucked it up and sent in the main forms, but so far she hadn’t worked up the nerve to submit the Affidavit of Mortal Disclosure. Considering how Tessa had reacted to her husband’s revelations about his superpowers years ago, Zoë wasn’t real keen on telling her mother the same thing.
    But she had to tell her soon. The one thing Zoë had wanted for as long as she could remember was to be on the council, to work with her father and Hale. She reached into her tote bag and pulled out her wallet, sliding out her insurance card to peek at the photo she’d hidden underneath—her and Daddy after the first mission she’d been allowed to go on. Hale had gone, too. But since he’d turned invisible, he hadn’t made it into the picture.
    The mission hadn’t been any big deal—just some reconnaissance work so the mortal police would find some missing children—but after, on the steps of Olympus, she’d felt proud, special. Like she belonged.
    But that had been years ago. Since she was a halfling, if she wanted that feeling ever again, she had to formally apply for council admission. And that meant telling Tessa that—
    “Kyle Martin eats worms!”
    Zoë blinked, doubting the truth of the statement, but curious about the speaker. He was easy enough to find. Joey Tannin, the sixth-grade bully, was standing on a table, hurling Jell-O at poor Kyle, who probably didn’t eat worms, but looked like he’d gladly swallow one or two if it would get him away from the bigger kid.
    “Leave me alone!” Kyle howled, throwing his arms over his head to ward off bits of gelatin and marshmallows.
    “Joey!” Zoë stood up and headed toward the fray, armed with her best don’t-mess-with-the-lunch-monitor scowl. “What do you think you’re doing?”
    Joey turned, his foot landing in a clump of Jell-O before shooting out from under him. Jell-O went flying, along with a half-eaten slice of pizza, a pint of milk, and something that looked like a cookie but smelled like chicken.
    Joey yelped. Zoë lunged.
    His arms wind milled. Zoë focused, ready to perform some kid-saving levitation.
    But nothing happened. Nothing good, anyway.
    As Joey started to fall, tumbling off the table in a flurry of arms, legs, and Jell-O, Zoë started to panic. Her newfound telekinetic powers apparently weren’t putting in overtime.
    But she wouldn’t give up that easily. In the last few milliseconds before Joey and the Jell-0 went
splat,
Zoë lurched forward, aiming every smidgen of concentration right at the boy. She only needed a little bit—just a tiny levitation. Just enough to break his fall, but not enough to be noticed.
    Focus...
    She leaned forward.
    Focus...
    Just a little more
. And then ...
    Ker-thunk!
    Both she and Joey hit the ground. Zoë because she tripped; Joey because her levitation skills sucked.
    Sally Simmons, who taught kindergarten, rushed to help Joey, who was glaring daggers at Kyle. Across the cafeteria, Mrs. Wilson, the gym teacher, crossed her arms over her chest, stared down her nose at Zoë, and shook her head.
    Zoë blinked back tears.
Hopping Hera
. Why did she have to be such a klutz? All she’d had to do was levitate Joey—just for a second—and she couldn’t even manage to stand on her own two feet long enough to do that.
    And now she was sprawled out on the cafeteria floor, bits of lunch stuck to her, while all the other teachers stared at her as if she were a loon.
    It was absurd to think the council would want her. Even if she did work up the courage to tell Tessa, she wasn’t exactly a prime candidate. For one thing, she was an incompetent klutz. Hadn’t her little stunt just now proved that? Her senses were wacky, her aim was sporadic, and she couldn’t levitate worth a darn.
    Besides, as a halfling, she already had one huge black mark against her. And considering the 487-page application, it was pretty clear the council wasn’t into