Whatever it was, I was now a hundred percent sure that I hadn’t imagined the look on his face the night before. There was more to Ares than pride and anger.
My eyes moved to his lips of their own accord, and heat flashed through my whole body, settling below my butterfly-filled stomach.
“I won’t leave you again.” The words came out almost as a whisper, inaudible to me over the rising drum beat, readying my whole being for action. What kind of action, I didn’t know. But I was becoming desperate for anything.
Ares took a step back, and the drums quietened. He took another step, his chest heaving under his gleaming armor. The farther those flaming irises got from me, the more distant the drums sounded. Disappointment rocked through me, dousing out my excitement with an unpleasant dose of reality.
Ares didn’t want me. And I had just told him I wouldn’t leave him. Embarrassment coiled through my stomach, and my cheeks burned.
“I will teach you to fight with a sword.”
His statement cut through the heavy atmosphere and I took a breath, burying my arousal and shame as deep as I possibly could with a fierce determination. I clearly needed another word with myself, but I’d be damned if he saw how much he affected me. I would deal with this stupid crush later, alone.
“A sword? How will that help against the demon or war people fucking with my head?”
“Please, stop swearing.” He used the word please so softly, it took me by surprise enough to elicit a mildly apologetic eye-roll. “I’m offering you training in sword fighting, or nothing. Take it or leave it.”
I gave a growl of frustration, but we both knew what my answer would be. “Fine.”
“Which Lord spoke to you?” He abruptly changed the subject.
“Panic. He said that the Trial announcement would be in half an hour and you know where to go. Though I guess that was ten minutes ago now.”
Ares sighed. “It will be in his throne room. Zeeva, you have twenty minutes to teach her to block unwanted communication. I am going for a walk.”
“A walk?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
He gave me a hard look. “Outside,” he snapped, then rammed his helmet onto his head and stamped toward the large cabin door. I got a glimpse of deep green foliage on the other side as he stepped through, before he slammed the door shut again.
“Zeeva, do you hear drums when Ares gets mad?” I asked, turning to the cat.
“No, Bella. No, I do not.”
6
Bella
It turned out that trying to build a wall around my mind as Zeeva had taught me before had actually been the right thing to do. Only, blocking out people connected to my power required a bigger, better wall. I didn’t feel at all like I’d had enough time to practice when Ares returned from his walk.
“Tell me about Dasos before we go?” I asked him as he stamped into the cabin. He didn’t look at me, but he did answer my question.
“It is a forest realm. Filled with traps and unpleasant creatures. Much of it is derelict, and the citizens live in fortified homes amongst the trees.”
“Why do they live here at all? It doesn’t sound very friendly.”
“Panic pays his citizens a monthly wage.”
“Just for living here?”
“Yes. Each year the households that have lasted the longest get to compete for prizes.”
“Weird, but fair enough,” I said, shrugging. “What’s the longest anyone has lived here?”
“Eight months.”
I blinked. I’d expected him to answer in years. “Oh. So... It’s quite dangerous here then?”
Ares finally looked at me, through his helmet eye-slit. “The feeling of panic is a powerful weapon. It causes people to make very bad decisions. Fatal decisions.”
The warning in his words was clear. Trepidation rumbled through my chest. “OK. I got it. Don’t panic. Don’t make stupid decisions.” When it came to Ares I felt like I was the freaking queen of stupid decisions, but I didn’t need to share that.
Panic’s throne room looked like it had seen better days. Much better days.
I turned in a slow circle, staring at the crumbing stone walls around me. I had visited castle ruins in the north of England very similar to what I was looking at. The circular room was massive and the ceiling so high I couldn’t really see it properly. Vines and creepers spread across the pale, broken stone everywhere I looked, and the air smelled damp. A breeze whistled through cracks in the walls and I rubbed my arms as the hairs rose.
“This place is a dump,” I muttered, eying the only furniture in the room; a large stone chair and iron dish in front of it.
“Isn’t it?” Panic’s voice rang through the empty space, and with a flash, the three Lords appeared before us. “I only use it for formal occasions,” Panic smiled at me. “My other castle is much nicer. If you ever want to see my private rooms, please do let me know.” His eyes darkened as he stared at me and I narrowed mine back at him.
“Hard pass.”
“Shame.”
Terror stepped forward, his marble feet loud on the old stone floor. “How did you fare with your demon?” he asked me, black patterns swirling across the surface of his featureless face.
“You know damn well how I fared,” I spat. “Why are you working with her?”
“She can offer us something our once mighty leader can’t,” said Terror, with a small shrug.
I felt the pull of Ares anger in my gut.
“And why is she bothering with you?” the God of War asked tightly.
“We have something she wants,” Panic sang.
“What?”
“As if we would tell you,” smiled Pain.
“Is it us?” I asked.
Terror gave a soft chuckle as the other two snorted. “Baby goddess, we already sent you to her on a platter. If it was you two she wanted, she would already have you.”
“You will regret your lack of respect toward me.” Ares’ voice was low and menacing and when I felt the pull in my stomach, I released my hold on the cord connecting us just a little. My lips parted in reluctant appreciation as his skin flared to life with a gold glow, and power rolled from his gleaming armor.
I dragged my eyes from him in time to see a tiny look of doubt pass between Pain and Panic.
“That’s a risk we have opted to take,” said Terror smoothly.
“No risk, no reward,” added Panic, his trademark smile back on his handsome face.
“You had better pray that your risk pays off. My punishment will far exceed your potential reward.”
“One is not living, if one does not fear death,” the Lord purred. Ares stiffened.
“Let me assure you, you will welcome death by the time I am finished with you.” The warrior god boomed the threat, and everyone in the room except Terror instinctively stepped back. Even me.
“Panic, shall we proceed with the announcement?” Terror changed the subject without hesitation, dismissing Ares completely. A low rumble began, and the pull in my stomach intensified. Making a quick decision, I released my hold on my power, letting Ares take it.