The Hated God's

Jaz and Sophia sat across from one another – the empty tea cup on the table between them.

"Give me a drink that will stop me from having to obey him." Sophia demanded.

"I can't, it's your fate."

"My fate?" Sophia's nostrils flared. She would not accept that it was her fate to be some kind of slave.

"The curse was placed on your bloodline to last for 3000 years. You have no choice but to be a servant to the gods, just as your great grandfathers were and how your great grandchildren will have to be." Jaz explained, his tone gentle but firm.

"Ares isn't a god. He's a monster." She seethed. What kind of god would take over her home? What kind of god would force her to hand over a fortune? "There must be a way..."

Jaz glanced out of the window. The sprawled blue sky didn't have a single cloud and, already, the sun was beating down – melting the tarmac. It was going to be another glorious summer's day. The shop was filling up and Jaz lowered his voice so that they wouldn't be overhead.

"One of your ancestors was named Ganymede. He also suffered from this curse. Zeus fell in love with him and took him as a lover. The king of the gods showered Ganymede with riches – but even Zeus couldn't free him."

Sophia considered this.

"Ganymede had the wrong idea," she mused. Fellow customers were casting looks at Sophia – eyeing her designer clothes and handbag. She raised a perfectly manicured hand, tucking her hair behind her ear and revealing large, weighty pearl earrings. "He tried to seduce the gods. I'm not going to play that game. I'm going to destroy them. Whatever it takes – to break this curse." She rose to her feet and soothed down the front of her dress.

Jaz seemed unconcerned by her words.

"You'll need to come back every few days for more tea – or the haziness will return."

Sophia nodded.

"I'll be back." Reaching into her purse she pulled out a fistful of crisp notes and placed them on the table. Jaz's lips curled up into a smile and he quickly pocketed them. He dearly loved rich people.

Whilst she was supposed to be counting stock in the store cupboard, Sage surreptitiously used her phone to look up 'Ares, the god of war'.

"The hated god..." she read aloud. According to the website – Ares was even despised by his fellow gods. Sage considered this. Whilst she wouldn't usually rely on Wikipedia – the theory did check out. He'd already told her that he was exiled from Olympus.

Sage carried on reading. "Whilst Ares was still an infant, he was captured by two giants and put into a bronze jar..." She pulled a face. Now the website was becoming far-fetched.

"Hello," Ares greeted. Sage would have screamed in shock but Ares quickly put a hand over her mouth to silence her. Once her heartbeat had returned to normal, he let her go.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed, glancing around at the confined space. Ares shrugged. He looked moody.

"It's not my fault that I missed you."

Sage bit her lip. She wondered if he knew that her heart had fluttered just then. She shook her head – trying to clear it.

"Because of the love arrow?"

"Yes."

Remember that, she mentally chided herself. He only cares about you because of a magic arrow. It's not real.

Sage took a step back, trying to create space between them.

"I'm working."

"Nobody knows I'm here." Ares' sultry voice made her shiver and his eyes danced with mischief as he closed in on her. Sage's back was against the shelves and she gulped. "We could be very quiet," he purred. Sage trembled. Tenderly, Ares stroked her arm – caressing her soft skin.

"I looked you up today." She commented, hoping them to distract them both.

"And?"

"The internet doesn't think that your married."

Ares' gaze softened and he smiled.

"I'm not married."

"But you do have a bunch of children."

He shook his head.

"Your internet is wrong there."

"You don't have children?"

Ares leant forward and ran his nose against her skin, breathing in her scent.

"Kiss me and I'll tell you," he whispered.

Sage's inside squirmed. He was so close – his strong arms caging her in – making her feel cocooned by his masculinity. Her gaze drooped to the hard expanse of his chest and fingers twitched – keen to go exploring. He was beautiful.

She shook her head.

"Tell me anyway."

Swooping down, he planted a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"I have one son, Eros."

Sage frowned.

"But... he shot the arrow."

"I didn't raise him well."

Ares kissed her cheek before taking a step back. Sage felt an odd mixture of relief and disappointment.

"If we have children, I'll try to do better."

Sage's cheeks flushed crimson. He was already talking children...

"I've got to get back to work."

**

Ares stood on the roof of the city's highest skyscraper, his feet on the edge. The wind made his long trench coat flap out around him – reminding him of the cloaks that he'd used to wear into battle. He sighed in frustration. How had he been foolish enough to let this happen? He was a god, yet he'd sacrificed himself for the sake of a mortal. It was degrading.

Video singkat akan diputar setelah bab cerita ini.

Bebas iklan

He was the war god – he'd lived for glory, bravery and bloodshed. Now, he was contemplating ways to woo a woman. He thought of Sage and he winced. Even in his thoughts she was beautiful.

A pulse thundered across the city and Ares tensed. Another god was descending. Was it Eros returning? Or, perhaps, her...? The sky darkened, clouds black as night appearing to block out the light. Ares' hands clenched into fists. He knew that stench.

"Uncle Hades." He greeted, through clenched teeth. Ares turned to face the ancient god.

Hades stood on the centre of the roof. He was wearing shimmering black robes that wrapped sensually around his slender frame. His pointed face was deathly pale – the skin stretched tight across his sharp bones. "It's not like you to visit," Ares observed warily.

Hade's thin lips pulled back to reveal his pointed teeth.

"You hurt my dog."

"I'm pretty sure Cerberus won that fight."

Hades glowered at his cocky nephew – his eyes flashing icy blue.

"Nobody hurts my dog." Hades raised a hand, his thin fingers flexing. Ares flinched and clutched his head. Terror crept into his mind, blinding him.

Ares groaned – falling to one knee. With grim effort, he summoned a spear in his grasp and launched it at the god of death. Hades side-stepped the missile with casual grace. But his concentration had been broken. Ares sighed in relief - the bubbling terror gone from his mind.

"You know why I did it." Ares grumbled, rising to his feet.

"You wanted to return to Olympus via the underworld." Hades correctly guessed. "Though I'm mystified as to why." The god of death smiled, his mouth stretching horribly wide. "Nobody there wants you."

Ares tried to keep his face composed but Hades read the pain in his amber eyes – and laughed cruelly.

The ancient god vanished and Ares was left alone, the cold air freezing the sweat that coated his skin.

Hades' departing laugh lingered in the wind.

The ancient god vanished and Ares was left alone, the cold air freezing the sweat that coated his skin.