21. SOPHIE
This demigoddess shit is hard. What the fuck?
“You are destined to harness a great power that belongs to the infernal gods and elemental Fae. It’s important to practise your powers, so that when the time comes . . . you’re ready,” Danna explained. Sophie met her mother in the Gardens of Incrementum situated before the Isle’s waterfall before noon. Today marked day one of goddess lessons, as her mother coined them; “demigoddess lessons” didn’t quite roll off the tongue.
Her goddess powers were different to her Fae elements. Bigger. Stronger. Where her Fae elements bent and shaped existing elements through the will of her mana, her goddess powers gave her the ability to create and destroy. Her strong suit, given her Fae heritage, was the creation of nature. Supposedly anyway.
The sun beat down on Sophie’s shoulders and the humidity did no favours for her concentration. Her mother had her practise sprouting flowers in bushes, but her mana felt as if a stopper had been placed atop it. She could sense things and use her mana in small, inconspicuous ways but to create and form something? Sophie didn’t stand a chance.
Strong suit, my ass.
Sophie threw her hands up in the air, after the hundredth attempt at sprouting a flower. If she tried any harder, she’d be getting a hernia. Several, most likely. Sophie sighed. “I just can’t do it.”
“You can, Sophie. I can feel your mana. It is strong and unruly. You could do wondrous things with it. I know you can.” Danna was trying to be supportive.
Sophie scoffed. Her mana felt feeble. Insignificant. Useless. She couldn’t even get a freaking flower to bloom. How was she going to save a fucking realm with this? Pathetic.
One more time. One more time, and then you can call it quits.
Sophie closed her eyes in concentration, dived deep into her mana and willed it to course through her veins . . . just like how Kaine had taught her. Ick. His name soured in the back of her throat and made her stomach sink into a burning pit of mouldy trash.
Nope. Nope. Nope.Sophie tried to shake it off and was about to give flower sprouting another crack before the sound of feet hitting pavement sounded in the distance.
Sophie’s ears piqued at the noise. It was a large group of people running rhythmically. In time with each other. Sophie turned to face the oncoming crowd. It was the Tienthan – a team of muscled and winged bodies drenched in sweat. Leading them was an older male about her mother’s age. His wings of pure white were rugged with a few dents and healed-over wounds. Tendrils of his golden hair whipped across his face which bore what looked to be a permanent scowl. He looked positively murderous as he barked orders that Sophie couldn’t quite make out. The team of angels hit the deck to complete several push-ups. The older male barked out loud again and the team of angels shot up on their feet, resuming their thunderous run.
“Who is that?” Sophie uttered under her breath.
“That . . .” Danna let out an appreciative sigh. “. . . is Commander Ares.”
Sophie gaped at her mother who stood with a dazed smile across her face. Even in her admiring another being she looked the picture of innocence. “Did you just sigh appreciatively at that man?”
“My heart still belongs to your father, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a godly piece of art.”
Sophie made a small gagging noise. “Ugh, I don’t want to hear it.”
The two Taliesin women, or rather goddesses, watched in awe of the athletic angels that stormed the running path along the Gardens of Incrementum. The Tienthan and Commander Ares ran closer to them.
“Steady there!” Ares ordered his subordinates. The sweat-slicked angels skidded to a halt. “Three ranks!” They formed three rows facing Sophie and her mother. “Grandstand position, down!” The first row fell to their knees, the second row bent over by the waist and the final row stood tall, arms clasped behind their backs. They stood as still as statues. “Rest,” Ares commanded, a little softer this time. His troops relaxed slightly, in place. “Grab a drink, whatever you need,” he finished.
Commander Ares seemed just a touch older than Danna. His scarred tan skin glowed as if he spent days in the sun, wielding a sword and slaying enemies. It seemed fitting of the god of courage and war, Sophie thought. He stalked over to Sophie’s mother, with a sense of purpose. Quickly, the god bowed his head in greeting.
Sophie could have sworn that her mother blushed. Great. Her goddess lesson turned into front row tickets to watch her mother flirt with Commander Ares. Sophie wanted to vomit.
“Dearest Danna,” Ares smiled. Were those hearts in his eyes?
“Ares.” Danna dipped her chin and fluttered her eyelashes. Her skin emanated that golden goddess glow and her hair floated around her. She was an enchantress. Danna quickly turned to Sophie. “This is my daughter, Sofreya.” Her mother beamed with pride.
Ares shifted his focus to Sophie, ever the picture of calm and warm confidence. “A pleasure. Welcome to the Godlands.”
“Thank you. It’s an honour to meet you.” Sophie dipped her chin, surprised that coherent words deigned to leave her mouth. To be fair, her response sounded like something a stiff courtesan would churn. She still felt out of place when it came to other gods and goddesses and was unsure how to carry herself.
“I’m glad I caught you two ladies . . .” Ares looked to Danna with an intensity Sophie wasn’t ready for. Sophie noticed a bit of movement among the troops standing behind Ares. She felt a pull, like someone had told her to look in the direction.
Lo and behold, there knelt Ash. His hair neatly tied back into a braid and his muscled chest, glistening with sweat. He smiled brightly. Sophie”s heart squeezed just a touch as she lifted her hand and waved. Eros clambered his way to Ash from the back of the troop to whisper something in Ash’s ear. His expression immediately turned dark, and Sophie knew for certain that Eros had said something stupid.
Sophie let out a little laugh.
“Sophie?” Danna intruded Sophie’s amusing distraction.
“Um yes, definitely!” Sophie blurted out, not sure what she was responding to. She quickly looked behind Ares to find Ash now with his arms crossed while kneeling. Eros, Deymos and Nemy stood laughing around Acheron. They were clearly making fun of him. Sophie wished she could hear what they were saying.
“Great, you’re free to come by at eight.” With that, Ares bowed slightly and turned swiftly back to his soldiers. He barked, “Alright you fuckers, attention!” The group of Tienthan straightened themselves immediately, their backs rim-rod straight, staring at the empty space before them. “Rest.” They relaxed. “Jogging, change!” The pounding of pavement started again and Sophie watched as they left the gardens.
“I didn’t peg you for a dinner-with-the-council kind of girl,” Danna mused.
Sophie blanched. “Oh shit.” In her absentmindedness she agreed to having dinner with the council. The last place and the last people she wanted to see or meet, let alone have dinner with. Sophie groaned and kneaded her temples. “I got distracted,” Sophie admitted.
“Mhmm. I wonder who’s got you so wound up that even the most revered Olympian couldn’t hold your attention.” Danna hummed in amusement.
Sophie narrowed her eyes at her mum. “Oh please. I saw you two undressing each other with your eyes.”
Danna gasped.
Sophie snickered and turned to gather her belongings. She’d need to prepare for a dinner date with the council members. Sophie couldn’t have thought of a worse way to spend her night. She’d rather shit in her hands and clap than sit in a room filled with aristocrats and politicians. But she couldn’t back out now. She promised a damned god she’d be there and upsetting the god of war wasn’t high on her priority list.
Sophie’s head bobbed and her eyelids shut for longer increments each time she blinked. The council’s dining hall was a flurry of activity. Chefs and their assistants roamed in and out, replenishing the table with succulent meats and vegetables. While the company was dull, Sophie thanked the gods that her food was undeniably scrumptious.
At the dining table sat Ares, her mother, Cerri, Diafonia, Dikastis, Vestes and several other council members Sophie didn’t bother learning the names of. She knew the gods and goddesses that sat before her, sharing a meal. She’d read about them before.
Cerri was the goddess of rebirth and Sophie had recognised her from the visions her mother shared. Her eyes were worn, washed with hints of anger and resentment. Sophie remembered her worried tears as she let go of her son Lethe . . . Kaine. The goddess before her seemed like a ghost, dredges of the goddess she saw in her mother’s visions.
Diafonia was the picture of her core power – discord. The bright colours she wore stood out painfully against the dull council dining hall. A permanent smirk filled with mischief and trickery etched her face. Sophie could tell she too was tired of the other councilmen who drawled on and on about trade routes with other realms. Sophie knew she’d get along well with the goddess of discord.
Dikastis, the god of justice and the goddess of discord’s brother sat quietly, examining his food and politely nodding with the conversation. His bright blue hair was an interesting shade that Sophie had never seen before.
Last of the gods was Vestes. A shiver ran down Sophie’s spine. She didn’t know who he was or what his core power was. In fact, she’d never heard of him before, although the thrum of power that emanated from him and his air of arrogance could not be mistaken. The only thing Sophie knew about him was that he was head of the council, making him the right-hand man of Zeus – the god of all gods himself.
Vestes’s pale skin was a contrast to the stubble that peppered his sharp jawline. His thin brows and wrinkled face clued Sophie in on how old he actually was – centuries or millennia, she wasn’t sure. Though every time he opened his mouth to comment on something, Sophie fought to not roll her eyes.
“Sofreya, your mother tells me you’ve decided to embrace your powers,” Diafonia mused. Her high-pitched voice broke the boredom spell that threatened to shut Sophie’s eyes.
Sophie cleared her throat. “When destiny calls, you answer, I guess.” She smiled politely.
Vestes scoffed. His pale skin, stretching with the movement.
Sophie looked around the room awkwardly. Does this guy have something to say?
Dikastis looked like he was going to facepalm himself.
Ares and Danna were too preoccupied with each other to even notice while Cerri sat there, wallowing in her own thoughts.
“Do you have something to share, Vestes?” Diafonia asked innocently, though the smirk on her face was contrary to her tone. She wanted mischief.
Vestes laughed aloud. “It’s just that if I were a half-breed, I wouldn’t even bother.” His comment quietened the whole room.
Danna broke her focus from the charm of Ares. An anger Sophie had never seen before rose from her mother in the form of a nasty snarl. “You, of all beings, will not speak of my daughter that way,” she warned from across the long table.
There was history there, Sophie could sense it.
Vestes took a sip of his wine, smiling into his cup. He leaned back into his chair and clasped his hands together. “Come on now, Dee, not everyone is proud of dallying with lesser beings.”
Oh hell no.
Sophie stood swiftly, her chair screeching behind her. She stood tall, towering over Vestes from across the table. The god had the audacity to smirk, his sharp features turning with amusement. Sophie pointed at Vestes with the wrath of a seasoned goddess and said, “If one more unsavoury word comes out of your unpalatable face, I’ll be sending you to the depths of the Shadow Realm where the only company you’ll have is your own pathetic thoughts.” The plates and chalices on the table shook with violence. It was all bark and no bite given the state of her powers, but no one else needed to know that. No one would speak ill of her or her mother. Not today. Not ever.
The remainder of the council room’s eyes widened at each other and the vibrating table. Though Vestes did not falter, nor did he baulk at the rumble of mana Sophie had accidentally let out.
Vestes sat tall in his chair and gave Sophie a haughty look. He eyed Sophie up and down her entire body. Disgust climbed down Sophie’s spine. The look Vestes gave her was slimy and something like hunger shone in his eyes. Sophie couldn’t have wanted to vomit more than she did in this moment.
Lecherous bastard.
Vestes lifted his head higher, satisfied with his observations. He looked at her, maintaining intense eye contact and said, “I’d like to see you try.”
The room violently shook again. Sophie was about to lunge across the dining table to strangle the creepy old god when a powerful, dark mana entered the room.
Everyone fell impossibly silent, including Vestes whose eyes darted to the being who had just entered, then quickly back down to his plate.
That was fear.
Diafonia leaned back in her chair, giggling. No doubt her core power of discord was revelling in its element in the council dining hall tonight.
Ares shot up from where he sat beside Danna, probably thankful for the timely interruption. “Acheron!” He stood up from his chair as Ash moved into the dining hall, his power electrifying the air.
The rest of the councilmen stood up from their chairs, murmuring their greetings as Ash strode by. They referred to him as the master of weapons. Sophie noted that. A weapons master at such a young age? That was a feat in and of itself. They were specialists in the field of weapons, often deployed in military units. Sophie didn’t realise that the Tienthan employed them too.
Makes sense, I guess. Just look at him.
Ash’s muscled form moved predatorily across the floor. He was a beast; Sophie would give him that. His white wings were by far the largest pair in the room. As he moved farther into the dining hall, Ash met her gaze. He gave her a curt nod. His only acknowledgment of her. His normally kind and playful face was now covered in a mask of stoicism. As he walked by Sophie to Ares, he lightly grazed her hand with the edges of his knuckles. It was subtle. No one else would have seen or known they touched hands except for them. She stilled.
What was that? Electricity shot up her arm from the contact as she pulled her hand back. He didn’t look at her though, but she knew he’d meant for that to happen. Sophie averted her gaze elsewhere, hoping no one caught her movements. Her eyes unfortunately landed on Vestes who’s head tilted in question. His mouth turned into a slow smirk.
Shit.
Before she knew what she was doing, Sophie turned on her heel and used the commotion of Ash’s entrance to leave the council dining hall. She was fed up with being in the company of people she didn’t care to know. At least that’s what she told herself. It definitely had nothing to do with the spark of Ash’s touch, stirring something inside her that she wasn’t at all ready to decipher.