Chapter 11 Soraya
Something doesn’t feel right. My hand creeps to the cold side of the bed.
Ares didn’t come to bed. Maybe he needs to process Elias’s death.
I don’t know exactly what happened, but I saw the blood; it was vicious.
Or maybe he is no longer interested. I sigh.
I need to get up and start my day. I can already hear Nisa laughing downstairs.
I didn’t get to sit and talk with her last night because finding a mutilated hand in a box will have you messed up for some time.
I took ten minutes to bathe and change my clothes. As I head downstairs, I can hear Nisa and the low baritone in Ares’s voice.
Throwing my shoulders back, I pass the dining room, pushing my shoulder against the door. I put a smile on my face.
The moment Ares sees me, the small smile he had drops, and he turns to the coffee machine.
“Raya, morning.” Nisa spins on the barstool.
“Good morning.” Mentally, I am waiting for him to say something.
“Morning,” I hear him say under his breath.
I walk up to Nisa and pull her close for a hug. “Phobos is coming for you today?”
“No, Ares is dropping me.”
I smile up at him. I could be wrong, but he was just…no, he has no smile on his face. In fact, his eyes are not meeting mine.
“I will meet you in front, Nisa.” He gives me a tight-lipped smile and leaves the kitchen.
Nisa hops off the chair. “Bye, Raya.”
“Bye, honey. Enjoy your day,” I reply, watching the door swing behind them. Was it something I said? Maybe it’s all in my head. I grab my coffee and head down to the vault.
ARES
After dropping Nisa off at school, I swing by my office. I ignore staff members who are trying to get my attention. I rush into my office and stand by the tall glass windows, looking out to the sea. Was it Poseidon who wanted me dead? He never liked me. Or maybe it was Apollo? That selfish prick.
“Did you see the hurt in her eyes?”
I refuse to acknowledge Aric. Because I saw the unshed tear and the way she covered it up with a smile. It took all of me not to turn around and hold her in my arms.
When Elias said she was his, my blood boiled. She doesn’t belong to anyone but me.
“She’s not fucking property.”
I close my eyes and inhale. I have a god or goddess who wants me dead. Meanwhile, I have the power of a demigod. How can I protect her? I should feel happy about Elias’s death; instead, I feel like I am still fucking fighting. All because I have a faceless enemy that I can’t defeat.
I stare down at my hands. I have crushed kingdoms with little effort. Killed gods. Yet this woman has undone me.
I can’t let my enemy see that she is the one person I would burn Olympus for.
“And Talia?”
“And Talia, I have a duty to set her free.” I drag my hand down my face. Is it right for a god to feel like they are spiraling?
I stand in silence, accepting my new resolve to stay away from her.
“So, is this what you do in the office? Brood near the windows, looking out into the city like a Great Value Batman?” The voice sounds slurred.
My sword manifests in my hand as I take two long strides to Dionysus.
He raises his hand and smiles. “I come in peace.”
“I should kill you where you stand.”
“No, no, let’s hear what he has to say.”
Dionysus rolls his eyes. “You don’t ask me how I am doing? If my cult is still thriving, nothing.”
“How are you, Dion?”
Dionysus smiles. “I am cunt-stipated.”
Under different circumstances, the word cunt-stipated would be funny. “What is that?”
“I am experiencing a spiritual blockage caused by dealing with cunts all day, yourself included.”
My nose flares as I smell the scent of myrrh and sour wine.
“Talk.” I press the tip of the sword closer to his throat.
Dionysus presses his throat closer to the tip of the sword, just enough for it to prick his throat.
I watch a tear of gold blood slip down his throat. He laughs as if death is something funny to him. He moves away and goes to my drinks cart. He pours himself some whiskey and throws it back.
“This is good.”
I don’t respond. My sword is still pointed at him.
Only Dionysus would wear white bell-bottoms with a magenta silk shirt and a dark green belt.
Every time he moves, the little bands on his hands make noise.
“I came to clear my name. Whatever is happening, I am not a part of it.” He drops himself into a chair. “Why, by the fates, would I want you dead? Granted, I don’t like you, but sending you to Tartarus? Too much work.”
I don’t answer; I just watch him, waiting for him to fuck up so I can kill him.
“You have an aura cascading down your shoulders. Even with that limited power supply.” Dionysus crosses his legs. “Either way, whatever you think I did, I didn’t do it.”
“You’re lying,” I murmur.
“I don’t have time to lie or sugarcoat shit. I am not fucking Willy Wonka.” Dionysus drags his hand through his greasy hair.
My gut tells me he isn’t lying. I drop the sword at my side.
“So the gods are talking about you and this mortal. Maybe now you can—” Dionysus stops.
I look up at the ceiling, squinting.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. I’m just watching my last fuck fly away.”
Dionysus huffs. “That’s your problem right there. You need more fucks. Both physically and mentally.”
“Say what you need to say and leave, Dion.”
“He is beginning to annoy me.”
Dionysus smirks. “Tell your other half to chill; I can hear him. Aphrodite, Athena, and Artemis came to my domain some days ago. That’s all I have to say.”
“How can you hear Aric?”
Dionysus slides down the chair and spreads his legs wide. “I am the god of bacchanalia; that fringes on insanity. So fill in the blank.”
I don’t answer, and neither does Aric.
“Look, maybe I can help you, and we can work together in the future. You will owe me.” Dionysus bites his lip. “Having the God of War in debt to me is appealing. What do you say?”
“There is an educated reason why I don’t give a fuck about you and your bullshit,” I reply.
Dionysus shrugs. “Have it your way.”
With that, he disappears. My shoulders drop, and the sword fades away.
“What the hell am I to do, Aric?”
I am met only with silence. I walk to my table. Best I drown myself in work.
SORAYA
Cheese bubbles slowly on top of the lasagna as I pull it out of the oven. Food brings people together, or so I thought. I told Phobos and Deimos to come to dinner. Both are busy, and Hecate is M.I.A. I don’t really have friends that I can call over, so it’s just Nisa, Ares, and me.
Garlic bread, a toast salad, and lasagna sound like a splendid meal to me.
“Oh, that smells good, Raya.” Nisa bursts into the room.
I chuckle as I take off my oven mitts. “Well, good evening to you, Soraya. How are you? How was your day?”
Nisa snickers. “Sorry. Good evening, Soraya. How was your day?
“Great, munchkin. Go wash up and then come eat dinner. Where is Ares?” I ask and kiss the top of her head.
“Office. I’m going to my room, then I’m coming back to eat.”
“Tell him dinner is ready on your way back.”
She skips out of the kitchen, and I stand, wondering if he’ll come to dinner. Maybe yesterday was a lot for him to process mentally, and he needed space.
This evening would be different.
Dusk settles into night by the time the lasagna is ready. I set the table and take a seat opposite Nisa, Ares’s place waiting at the head. Nisa talks about school while we both wait for him. Maybe we should start eating.
“Sorry for being late.” Ares pulls the chair and sits.
I study his appearance. Dark blue shirt, charcoal pants, and he smells like whiskey and peppermint.
I take my time sharing the food. I take up Ares’s plate, and he stops me. “I will plate mine.”
Shock fills me as I watch him listen intently to Nisa while plating his food. He doesn’t touch it. He pushes the plate away.
The lasagna tastes like paper. All I am able to do is listen to Nisa as she talks about school and her new art teacher.
A few minutes later, I get up and begin to clear the table. Nisa and Ares also get up.
“I can do it, Raya.” Nisa picks up the plates and carries them into the kitchen.
Ares pushes back and begins to walk away from the chair.
“You’re not carrying your plate?” I ask, feeling more annoyed than sad.
“Right.” Ares grabs his plate and cutlery.
As he turns away, I can feel the distance growing between us minute by minute.
“Are you coming to bed tonight?” I ask, gripping the back of the chair and steadying myself for his response.
He doesn’t look back. “I have a ton of work to complete, so I may sleep downstairs. I don’t want to wake you.”
“I don’t mind…”
He nods and walks away. I think it’s time for me to find my independence again. That night after cleaning up, I sent an email, reaching out to my old job, asking them if there are any openings.
It doesn’t take long for me to receive a reply. I can start work in the morning if I please. Tomorrow at 10:10 a.m. I will be back at work.
I close the laptop and head downstairs. Let me inform Ares.
ARIC
Ares went into rest when we entered our office. I sit on the sofa and demolish the lasagna. It melted in my mouth. Now, an empty plate is staring back at me.
“We have a ton of work to finish.” The burn pulses on the side of my face.
“I want to talk to—”
“Fuck no, Aric. We agreed.”
“I didn’t agree to shit. But I understand.” I understood that I was not powerful enough to defend Soraya from the gods. But hell, seeing her looking sad, it hurts me.
I find myself sitting behind my desk, signing off on some new contracts.
A knock stops me. “Come in.”
I close my eyes, inhaling her scent from behind the door.
The door opens, and Soraya sticks her head in.
“Hey, can we talk?”
“No.”
“Sure, flower,” I reply, and she visibly relaxes when she realizes that it’s me and not Ares.
She walks in, her shorts molding to her soft thighs and ass. The camisole lace top is holding onto breasts that I long too—
“Focus, Aric.”
“I, uh, I got back my job, and work starts back tomorrow.” She smiles brightly and rocks.
“Why does she want to work?”
I swallow, trying to keep Ares at bay. “Do as you wish.”
She nods and exhales. “Thanks. I want to leave here around 9:15 a.m.”
“Again, whatever you want to do, Soraya.” I look up at her, trying to look bored. “Is that all?”
She folds her lips like she wants to say something, but she changes her mind and nods and walks away.
The moment she leaves the office, frustration rages in my bones.
“She needs protection, Ares.”
“Keep it limited.” His voice is clipped.
“This makes no sense. I think you’re pushing her away for more than you say.” I pace the room.
Ares remains silent. I know I’m right. The chalice catches my eye; it’s still sitting on the side table. You would think he would put it downstairs in the vault, but then the thought hits me.
I close my eyes and inhale, searching for my other half in my mind. “You’re having a problem choosing between Talia and Soraya.”
I find Ares standing in the darkness of my mind with his hands stuffed in his pockets.
“Hecate said—”
Ares turns, and his eyes are red with rage. “Fuck Hecate. There is no other way. No loophole.”
I walk up to Ares and place my hand on his shoulder.
“We don’t know that.”
Ares shrugs my hand away. “That’s the point. Let her go live her life. She won’t die by my hands.”
“Ares…”
Ares laughs bitterly. “Look at us, me. Swirling in insanity. My reality has fallen from me. I am looking at the humanity of myself manifested.”
“It will only get worse,” I reply.
Ares looks back at me with unshed tears. “Then we shall revel in our insanity.”
I bend my head, feeling his pain bleed through me.
“Indifference is the only shield that I can forge, Aric. It’s the only way.”