“Sort of. He kills them, then takes the victim back to the underworld. Baby, I may be a god, but I can’t go over my uncle. Once you’re there, you’re there for good.”
“Then where are we going?”
Ares noticed the white box he gave to Pan resting on the bedside table next to the now empty basin of water. He scooped it up and tore the lid off. He grinned when he found it still half full of little pieces of candy. “Home. We’re going home.”
“This is home.”
“We’re going to Mount Olympus. Athena found Pan’s nymphs and they’re fine. She’s waiting for us with Apollo. Artemis is already looking for Antonius. We’re going to find him and we’re going to end it.”
“The twins?”
“And there’s my little Greek mythology expert. Seriously, we have to go. Now.” He offered the box to her. “Here, eat a couple.”
She plucked a piece between her forefinger and thumb then tossed it in her mouth. She followed with a couple more. “Hmm. Tastes like chocolate covered honey.”
“It’s ambrosia.”
Her eyes grew large. “Only the gods can eat that.”
“Well, you’re not a god and I need to get you on the mountain. We might not need it but I’m not taking any chances.”
Juliet look worried. “Ares, Pan isn’t well enough to travel.”
“Ares, my boy. Where are you? This maze of yours is ridiculous,” A voice echoed from the tunnels above then.
It iced Ares’s heart. “Fuck, we’re too late.” He dropped the box on the floor and gripped her wrist. He concentrated his thoughts for a second on the hallowed halls of his old home.
A moment later, they were surrounded by the shadowed lush vegetation of Olympus. He glanced over his shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief. Pan and his bed were tucked among the trees and he was still fast asleep. He looked up at the stars overhead and smiled. They were always more brilliant here than anywhere else on the planet.
“Whoa.”
He looked over to his lover, his grin growing bigger. Olympus offered no resistance to Juliet. Whether it was the ambrosia or the fact it was never going to be an issue, it didn’t matter to him. She was here and she was safe. And strangely, it seemed like her greatest wish had come true.
She gaped at Ares then took in the sights around her again. “This is Olympus?”
He chuckled. “Yes, this is Olympus.”
“The home of the gods?”
“Former home of the gods. But to tell you the truth, DC isn’t much better. It’s loud and crowded.”
“You don’t live in DC.”
“See what I mean? Besides, just like now I didn’t live here. I lived at my temple in Athens until those bastard Romans destroyed it. Then I moved to the cave we call home now.”
The sound of footsteps followed by squeals tore Ares’s attention from Juliet.
Athena and Apollo strode towards them. Somehow, the goddess managed to hold back the gaggle of frantic nymphs ducking and weaving to get to Pan. The beautiful creature’s movements were fluid like water.
Ares pondered the idea that he should teach them to fight. They’d kick ass in the ring.
Athena growled as she spun to face the nymphs.
Each one piped down but fluttered out of control.
“You will let Pan sleep,” she demanded. “He’s been through hell. You can smother him when he’s awake and well. Got it?”
The angry huffs answered her.
Ares shook his head as he laughed. Not all nymphs were flighty creatures. Most were though and Pan seemed to attract the flighiest.
Athena glared at her brother. “Why would this bastard attack Pan?
“I asked Pan to look for him. I want him dead. It looks like Antonius struck first.”
Juliet stepped forward a pace or two. “He asked me why a woodland creature was looking for him.”
“So where do we go first?” Apollo questioned.
“I don’t have a fucking clue,” Ares replied
Athena looked at Juliet. “Do you have any ideas?”
Juliet shook her head. “No. I honestly haven’t crossed paths with him until the other day in Ares’s club.”
Apollo clenched his hands on his hips. “I’ll watch from the sky during the day. Artemis will during the night. We’ll also watch for Hades and Zeus. If they get close to Greece, we’ll warn you.”
Ares frowned at him. “Why do we give a shit about Zeus?”
“Congress is about to recess,” Athena informed him. “The president is planning to send Dad on a diplomatic mission. Or at least that’s what Dad is manipulating him to call it.”
Ares sighed. “Athena and I will hit the streets.”
Juliet stomped her way in front of him until they were nearly nose to nose. “And what am I supposed to do? And what do I do when the sun comes up?”
Ares wrapped his hands around her shoulders hoping to settle her down. He doubted it was going to help. “Just stay here with Pan and his girls.” He lifted one hand to point into the enormous stone temple at the peak. “There is a vault or two in there that leads to my Dad’s inner chambers. Trust me, they’re comfy digs. Catch a catnap or two.”
“There has to be something I can do.”
“There is. Stay here and just be beaut—”
Juliet’s growl came from deep in her throat. It was almost inhuman. It shut down Ares’s words. She glared at him. “Ares, I swear if you tell me to sit here and be beautiful, I will throat punch you. Hard.”
He scowled at the sudden eruption of laughter around them.
Even a few of the nymphs got in on it. Pan sat up and mumbled a couple of words then fell back on the mattress asleep.
“Fine. Think of anyone you might still be in contact with who might know where he is.”
Juliet looked away for a moment as she gnawed on her lower lip.
Ares’s cock twitched in response. This was not the time to deal with an erection.
“There might be some people I can reach out to.”
“No. You’re not leaving this garden. Give the names to me and I’ll do it.”
“They don’t know you.”
“I don’t give a shit. You’re not leaving. You do and I’ll put you over my knee.”
Juliet smirked at him. “Is that a promise?”
“I’m about to hurl,” Apollo interjected.
Ares glared at him then returned his focus on Juliet. “How are you possibly going to reach someone without leaving, huh? Are you going to reach in their head or something?”
“Or.” Juliet reached into her back pocket. She pulled free a small phone and flipped it open. “I call them. Look, I have a signal here.”
“A vampire with a cell phone plan. Nice,” Athena replied.
Juliet grinned at her. “A vampire who buys minutes. I’m never in one place for long.”
“Where did you get money to buy minutes?” Ares demanded. “And how long have you had that thing?”
She pressed a long, lingering kiss on his lips.
If he wasn’t completely hard before, he was now.
“We don’t have time for that now Mr. War. When this is all over we’ll talk.”
“Some days, Juliet.”
She stepped away from him and swatted him on the ass.
Ares watched her wander across the lush green grass to the cracked granite steps that led to his father’s throne. A second later, the scene disappeared from his sight.
* * * *
Ares stormed through the streets of Vancouver bathed in the light of the full moon. Artemis and Athena were on his heels, both dressed in black. With the mood they were in, both of his step-sisters were highly dangerous. And at the moment, he couldn’t be more grateful for them both.
Artemis combed her dark curls with her fingers until she could wrap it up in a ponytail. She glared at her brother. “Exactly why are we here?”
“There were reports of two suspicious deaths in the past two days,” Ares answered. “Bloodless bod
ies. Apollo heard someone talking about it being on the news.”
“Could it be Juliet?” Athena asked.
Ares stared at her for a moment. There was an ache in his core that didn’t come from his own body. Juliet needed to feed. She was starting to go crazy. But being the obedient lover she was, she stayed put on the mountain.
Pan and the nymphs weren’t in any danger. He could feel in her heart that she considered them family. He was going to have to find someone to send back to her soon before he went insane from the pain too.
“No,” he answered. “She’s never left Olympus. Which is good since we’ve crossed paths with Hades and Dad more than once. They’re tracking these deaths too.”
“Ares, we’ve been to five cities in four days. Have you ever considered that we may not find this guy?” Artemis questioned.
Ares glared at the goddess. She and her twin, Apollo, were the exact opposite from Ares and Athena in looks. Her brother was the blond and fair skinned. Artemis was the dark and rugged one. Ares would have found the dangerous image appealing if she weren’t his half sister.
“I can’t stop,” he told her. “It’s a matter of time before Zeus and Hades find out that I hid Juliet on Olympus. I can’t let them get her. I understand if you’re out.”
Artemis huffed. “I’m not out. It’s just frustrating. That’s all.”
Ares opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by the vibration of his phone. He swiped it out of his back pocket and checked the screen. He answered it even though the number was foreign to him. “Who is this? How did you get my number?”
The feminine voice on the other end was weak and shaky. “Hello to you too, asshole.”
A smile spread across his lips as his heart skipped a beat. It always did when he heard Juliet’s voice. “Hey, you. What’s up? You sound like shit.”
“I need to feed,” Juliet answered. “But that’s not why I called. Do you remember the bartender from the bar we first met at?”
“How could I forget? I made you come right there in front of him. Just like I did the other night.”
“Yeah. I didn’t even get clear of Pan and the nymphs before you dropped me on the ground in a puddle of goo. Not that they noticed. Once Pan was well enough, the nymphs fought each other to mount him. It’s been like a porno up here. Anyway, stay out of my thoughts with that sort of shit.”
“Baby, you were begging me for more. Remember? Don’t deny it.”
“Ares?”
“What, beautiful?”
“The bartender, Matt. He saw Antonius. He’s been there several times in the last two weeks.”
Ares felt his mouth drop. “Why didn’t you say that before?”
“I tried. You went on about fucking me by telepathy.”
“I gotta go. I’ll get you someone to feed on soon. Don’t leave that mountain.”
“I won’t. Hurry.”
Ares ended the call and turned to his sisters then glanced around them at the bustling street. “We need to get somewhere more private.”
“You’re not my type, Bro.” Artemis cocked a grin at him.
“Where are we going?” Athena asked.
“This little dive bar where I first met Juliet. Her friend has seen Antonius.”
Ares led them down the busy sidewalk as he searched for a place to stage their escape. He lost track of how many blocks he walked with his half sisters on his heels. He heard a voice shout several times over the noise around him. He blocked it from his mind as he studied his surroundings.
“Hey, I’m talking to you.” A hand grabbed his shirt, scraping the flesh beneath.
Instinct kicked in before Ares focused on who had a hold of him. He threw a punch into the guy’s gut then landed a cross square in the nose. Ares looked down to find Dillion crumped at his feet, a thin trail of blood trickling down his lip. People around him gasped and cried. He was sure one was Artemis.
“What the hell was that for?” Dillion whimpered.
“Don’t grab me like we know each other,” Ares demanded. “Just because we landed the same piece of ass doesn’t mean we’re amigos. Where the fuck is Aphrodite anyway?”
Dillion pointed at Athena and Artemis. “She doesn’t like those two.”
“No shit. What do you want?”
“I hear your people want Juliet dead.”
“Our people? What the fuck? Do you know who my people are?”
Dillion blew his nose into him palm leaving it soaked in his own blood. “Whatever. Call them off. I get first dibs.”
“No one is getting ‘dibs’. She’s mine. And I’ll stop whoever tries to hurt her. Do you understand me? I thought you’d get that hint after our time in the cage.”
“Do you know who you’re dealing with, asshole?”
Ares chuckled. “I do. A pissant mortal still bleeding from my one punch. Too bad Juliet isn’t here. She needs to feed and she could be finally rid of you. Come on, ladies.”
He led them away from Dillion still slumped on the sidewalk. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could tell the mortal had trouble standing up. He waved for them to follow him into a side alley. They wandered down the thin, dank passageway between the towering buildings trying to shake the mortals around them. They wove around a couple of sleeping bums and someone clearly up to no good. As they reached the end, they disappeared into thin air.
He heard a squeak as the door of the bar appeared before him. He glanced down the street at the convention center where this all started. That was a hell of a fight. He held back his godlike strength until the little shit cut him open. Then Ares turned up the power and ended it.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Athena flutter as she smoothed her clothes. It was easily to tell she was flustered with the sudden trip to another country. “You okay, Sis?”
“We were in Canada. Now we’re who knows where.”
“Illinois.”
Artemis scowled at her then rolled her eyes. “There was a brick wall ahead of us. What the fuck did you think was going to happen? How the hell are we siblings?”
Ares gripped the doorknob and turned it. “Because Dad likes to fuck anything that moves. Let’s go.”
The three gods stepped inside the cool confines of the tavern. There were a few groups of people sitting around the tables and a couple at the bar. Ares studied each group then frowned. The dark polished wood glimmered in the light of the amber sconces mounted to the wall. There were no windows to speak of.
“Do you see him?” Athena questioned.
“I have no idea what he looks like,” Ares admitted. “Plus it’s daytime. He won’t be here until later I’m sure.”
“You mean we’re on a wild goose chase?” Artemis demanded with a snarl.
Ares growled back. “No, we get a table. I’ll search Juliet’s memories for him. It’ll be difficult. She’s in so much pain, she’s putting walls up. But I can get around them.” He pointed to the corner booth. “Have a seat. I’ll find Matt and get us a pitcher.”
Ares leaned against the bar as the two goddesses slipped across the leather and nestled in the corner. He checked his phone then huffed. The other patrons shuffled around him irritated. Matt sucked as a bartender. He must be more concerned about yanking himself off in the back.
A shoulder collided roughly into Ares. The pale blond man with eyes the color of ice glared at him then smiled. His clothes were seriously outdated.
Ares opened his mouth to cuss the guy out then froze. The guy had a tinge of red on his very long canine tooth as he licked it. That and his image was non-existent in the long mirror mounted behind the bar. There were two men standing there. Ares only saw his own reflection. “Athena. Artemis. It’s him,” he called.
The two goddesses scrambled over each other to get out of the booth.
Antonius shot a condescending stare at Ares. “You are no man for her.”
“I’m all the man she needs, asshole. And I’m not a man. I’m a god.” Ares lunged at him with a wicked g
rin. He was going to enjoy watching this bastard suffer as he killed him. It wouldn’t be hard. All he had to do was drag him outside and he’d be dust in seconds.
Antonius laughed when Ares grabbed hold of his coat. A second later, he disappeared from sight.
“Where’d he go?” Artemis questioned as they scurried across the bar to him.
“Disappeared,” Ares answered. “But there was something odd. He was licking something crimson off his fang.”
He ducked around the couple lost in conversation at the bar then shoved through the door where Matt watched him pleasure Juliet the time they were there before. It led to a small, almost sterile back room where the extra alcohol and supplies were stored. Everything was white but the stainless steel racks and the splatters of blood that dotted every surface.
At their feet laid Matt and a waitress a little younger than him. Both were dead. Matt had the telltale dots on his neck while the girl had a steak knife planted in her chest that had to sever her heart in two.
“Shit,” Artemis breathed.
“How did he do that?” Athena demanded. “It’s daylight out.”
“The bar is designed to keep light out. Juliet has no problem existing in our cave during the day as long as she isn’t exposed to sunshine. He probably reappeared someplace where it’s night.” Ares let go a long sigh. This mess was only getting worse. Now innocent mortals were losing their lives. The fact that Antonius attacked someone Juliet knew wasn’t just a coincidence.
He squatted down between the two bodies and nudged around of any other signs of trauma. “Get those people out of here. Tell them Matt fell ill and has to lock up.”
“What are you going to do?” Athena queried.
Ares sighed again then he raised a hand over the waitress. Slowly she disappeared. His voice was barely audible. “Juliet has to feed.”
Chapter Ten
Most of the patrons were already gone when they stepped out into the bar. The last few took the hint quickly. They must have sensed something was wrong. Ares escorted his half sisters from the tavern and gripped the knob for the door. His strength crushed the lock shut. It’d be days before anyone found the body. The evidence of Antonius’s bite would be long gone.
“We need to find out where this bastard lives,” Artemis stated.
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