“Where do vampires come from?” Athena countered. “Eastern Europe is rumored to be their place of origin. But do you seriously think they’re still there?”
“Studying on your Bram Stoker, huh?” Artemis rolled her eyes at her sister again. “These things are myths, legends, folklore.”
Athena pointed back at her. “Keep doing that and your eyes are going to roll out of your head. What folk story do you chalk that up to?”
“Plus,” Ares added. “There’s a living, breathing one on Olympus that we’ve both watched feed.”
“If you would have kept your cock out of her, this wouldn’t be our mess now.”
Ares spun at her. “You can go at any time, Artemis. No one begged you to help.”
The air was silent and thick for what seemed like an eternity.
Artemis huffed. “Whatever. Apollo would kick my ass if I left. Besides, you’re almost decent now that you found this girl. I’ll see it to the end. So, Romania anyone?” She raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
The sidewalk outside the bar transformed to a cold, gothic castle. Ares reached out a hand to steady himself as he snarled. Maybe Athena was right. The sudden jump through space and time sucked balls. “Look around,” Ares instructed. “See if you find anything.”
“Not to break up the party,” Artemis replied. “But I have to split. I’ll send Apollo back for me.”
“See you later?” Athena questioned.
“As soon as my shift is over,” Artemis confirmed.
Athena nodded. “Keep an eye out.”
“Of course.” Artemis was gone in the blink of an eye.
The other two siblings glanced at each other before they wandered off on their own.
The gods searched the castle then journeyed through the village below the castle. Over the next three days, they kept up their mission, slowly spreading over miles of forests, rocks and towns. Artemis and Apollo swapped places back and forth so the other could continue the tasks assigned to them thousands of years ago. It also gave the god or goddess riding across the sky a bird’s eye lookout for Hades, Zeus and Antonius.
Ares felt gratitude and sorrow when Juliet discovered the body he sent to her. Moments later the bone deep ache she shared with him dissipated. After three days, it was starting to burn again. At that moment, it was a minor irritation. He just hoped he could keep it that way.
Ares scoured the outside of a small rustic village looking for clues. There had to be something. He was tired of dead ends. He shoved the branch of a young evergreen aside to step through.
He glanced around in confusion. There were no trees, no cottages, no birds’ songs. There was the bustle of people hurrying by as a soulful melody played in the warm air. Down the street, the Empire State Building stood proudly over the city below. He shook his head confused then dropped into stance.
“Oh, sit down. If Artemis and you can do it, so can I.”
He turned to find Athena perched in a chair outside a cafe. She nudged a lidded paper cup towards him across the table beside her. “Drink. Relax.”
“Athena, I don’t have time for games,” Ares demanded with a snarl.
“Ares, I need a break. We have been going non-stop for days. I need a break. And so do you.”
“I need to destroy Antonius. I need to protect Juliet.”
“Then sit down. I want to run something by you before I send it to Apollo and Artemis to confirm.”
He slumped into the chair across the table from her and took the cup in his hand. He took a sip of the hot liquid. Coffee was never his thing but this hit the spot. “What do you want to tell me?”
Athena set her cup on the table and turned from him. “I actually heard it here just a few minutes ago from a group of folks not speaking English. It was an African dialect. They were telling stories from their home villages. One guy told the others about a pale, ghostlike figure that sucked the blood out of his victims. He was able to detail it down to the blond ponytail and ice blue eyes. And when the others commented what a tale it was, he replied that his cousin died of this last week.”
Ares eyes grew wide. “Did he say where he was from?”
“No, unfortunately. There was some nonsense about going to a play and they wandered off. But it sounds like the son of a bitch is in Africa somewhere.”
“It’s a big continent, Sis.”
“But it’s one instead of the world. We’re narrowing our search to one land mass.”
Ares slowly stood with a growl. “Great. But we have bigger issues.”
Athena followed his direction but stared at him. “What do you mean?”
He nodded down the street. Half a block from the cafe stood two men standing next to an expensive town car, one a handsome, well dressed business man and the other gaudily dressed and dripping in gold. They were surrounded by men dressed in black suits with military buzz cuts, all of them a foot taller than their bosses. Both men’s gaze was locked on them.
He heard Athena blow out a sharp breath. “Shit. Dad and Hades.”
Ares watched as Zeus and Hades strode down the sidewalk towards them. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Athena. Was his sister about to turn on him?
She smiled and winked at him. Then she wove around the table to meet her father. “Daddy.”
Zeus wrapped Athena in an affectionate hug.
Ares snarled at Hades as the god of death smirked at him.
“Hey, sweetpea,” Zeus addressed his daughter. “What are you up to?”
“Just having coffee. What brings you and Uncle Stan to New York City?”
Zeus lifted his gaze to lock with Ares. “We’re looking for someone. Romeo, how are you? Staying out of trouble, I hope.”
Ares noticed the growing number of news reporters gathering around them. The Lynch family always provided a juicy piece of gossip when more than two of them were in the same room. And Ares rarely kept his trap shut. “When have I ever done what you wanted, Dad?”
The crowd murmured in response.
Zeus’s brow creased and nostrils flared just a bit. The mortals around them would never notice but the gods did. “Son, you need to think about your family for once.”
“When has the family thought about me? And I am thinking of the family. Mine, not yours.”
Zeus’s eyes widened. “You didn’t.”
“Soon, Dad.”
Zeus turned his attention back to Athena.
Hades kept grinning.
It was making Ares uneasy.
“Anna, please talk some sense into your brother,” Zeus instructed.
Athena looked at Ares then back to Zeus. The crowd around them grew bigger. “Daddy, Romeo is right this time. What he’s doing, what we’re doing, is best for our family. Please, Dad, just let us handle it.”
Zeus shook his head as he let go of his daughter. “I’m disappointed in you, Anna. You’ve spent too much time with him. He’s corrupting you.” He glanced at Hades. “Let’s go. We have business to attend to.”
Ares watched Athena’s face fall. Her eyes held a sheen of tears. He growled at Hades. “What are you smiling at, old man?”
Hades’ grin grew bigger. “I just caught the scent of something. Floral. Aromatic. Reminds me of home. Well, not my home. But my family’s home. It brings back memories of the good old days.” He winked at Ares as the two men stormed off and the crowd dissipated.
Ares stared at this sister. “We need to contact Apollo and Artemis now.”
She sniffled. “I know. Give me a second.”
He huffed. In the past few weeks since Juliet came into his life, he did things that went against his nature. This was about to be another. He wrapped his arm around Athena and hugged her to him. He couldn’t remember if he ever embraced her before then. He seriously doubted it. “Hey, it’ll be okay. Dad will forgive you. He adores you.”
“I know. It’s not the first time I’ve crossed him. I just hate it when he says I disappointed him.” She paused a moment. “You’
re hugging me.”
“I know. Enjoy it. It won’t probably happen again.”
“It’s nice.”
“Fantastic.”
They stood like that for a moment or two before she shrugged his arm off her shoulders. “Come on, let’s message Apollo and head to Africa.”
The god and goddess wandered into the bustle of people that passed by the little cafe. No one noticed as they disappeared from sight.
* * * *
As the moon appeared overhead, Apollo appeared again with Ares and Athena. He brushed a blond lock of hair from his face as he ground the toe of his boot into the damp soil. By the way he squiggled in place, Ares swore he acted like a toddler.
“Something you need to tell us?” Athena questioned. It was easy to tell she was annoyed. The fact they had neglected their daily way of life to hunt the bloodsucker on little sleep and little food would irritate anyone. Not that the gods needed them but they were nice luxuries.
“Do you want the good news or bad?” Apollo countered.
“I haven’t showered for a week and I’d kill for a couple pieces of ambrosia. Start with the good.” Athena glared at him.
Apollo grinned. The smile was nearly as bright as the sun he pulled around in his new sports car. “I looked into the story you told me to. The legend is true. Supposedly, in South Africa, near The Amphitheater there is talk of a pale ghostlike figure that drinks blood. It has to be true. The nearest villages report a mysterious body count every year.”
“The Amphitheater?” Ares interrupted.
Athena glared at him. “A row of cliffs.” She turned back to Apollo. “Please continue.”
Apollo sighed for full dramatic effect. “As I was saying, the locals talked about this creature like he was a monster. He has long, almost white hair, pale skin and eyes like ice. He’s been attacking their villages for centuries. He latches onto their necks and drinks their blood.”
“That has to be Antonius,” Ares confirmed.
“Great.” She looked back at Apollo. “And the bad news?”
Apollo’s smile faded. “Zeus and Hades are in Italy and closing fast on Olympus.”
“Shit.” Ares spat on the ground and looked at Athena. “The scent Hades picked up was on us. He could tell we were at Olympus. Great work, Apollo. We need to finish this.”
“We should head to South Africa right now,” Athena added. “We can stake out the cliffs. It’s remote, lots of dark places and far away from the stereotypical gothic scene. It’s the last place someone would look for him. It’s an ideal place for a vampire to call home.”
“I’ll have to bail on you before daybreak,” Apollo replied.
“It’s all right,” Ares assured him. “Athena and I can handle this. Thanks for the information though.”
“Happy to help.” Apollo vanished.
Ares closed his eyes and concentrated his thoughts on moving him and Athena. The warm, dry air of the desert caressed his face. He thought of Juliet, of her tender touch and her soft kisses. He needed to end this, then he’d spend a month in her arms. He wouldn’t go anywhere without her again.
He opened his eyes and scanned the dark horizon. The world dropped off sharply just a hundred feet in front of him then spread out as far as the eye could see. A mist of fog rolled over the edge towards him. It was terrifying and breathtakingly beautiful all in one.
He glanced to his side to see Athena walking away also studying the cliffs. With each step, her black clothes melted away and was replaced with a brilliant white chiton. She held her spear in one hand and had a gold shield strapped to her opposite arm.
He pressed his lips together as he watched her. Then he glanced down at his clothes. This attack couldn’t compare to any other war he ever waged before. The Trojan War paled in comparison. Even though there was only one singular creature that opposed him, this one beat them all. For the first time, he had something to lose.
His heart. His soul. His Juliet.
His T-shirt and jeans slipped away into nothing. His own chiton, the one he hadn’t worn since he walked off Olympus thousands of years ago, took their place. Leather sandals replaced his designer boots. His shield was secured to his arm and he clenched his sword in his opposite hand.
He stormed off along the edge of the cliff. It was time to find out where this son of a bitch lived.
The darkness that surrounded them made it almost impossible to see anything. As the night sky lightened a touch with the rising sun, Ares saw the crevice. He sheathed his sword then sat on the rough ground. He eased himself off the cliff then clung to the rocks to climb to it. He hung onto a ledge and swung his body until he could drop inside.
He cupped his hands together. A small ball of gas and fire grew between his palms. Usually, he only created light. In this case, though, a tiny sun would work in his favor. He let it guide him down the tight, thin corridor deeper into the cliff.
He took in the opulence of the cavern room before he saw the occupant.
Antonius hissed, his icy glare full of venom as he stared at the sun in the god’s hands. His skin started to crack from the glow. “You insolent bastard,” Antonius seethed.
Ares cocked a grin at him. “Surprise.”
Antonius disappeared for a moment then was back. His pale skin blistered red as he growled. “Extinguish that. It’s rude to bring that into my home.”
Ares spread his hands to make it bigger. “Ask if I give a shit if you think it’s rude. You cursed Juliet, my Juliet. I am going to destroy you slowly.”
“I made her immortal.”
“I would have made her immortal. I would have made her a goddess.”
Antonius’s snarl became a whimper. His skin broke into fissures. He tried to disappear again but quickly returned to his form. “Then why don’t you now?”
“Shut up.” Aries grew the sun in his hands.
Antonius shuddered then squirreled his body in a ball.
Something screamed past his ear and impaled Antonius. “What the fuck?” Ares demanded.
Athena approached, her bow still drawn with a new arrow in its place. “It wasn’t meant for you.”
Ares stormed to the fallen vampire and pulled Antonius to his feet.
Despite his contorted face, he managed to laugh at Ares. “You can’t kill me.”
“Wanna bet?” Ares lifted him off the ground a few inches by the collar of his coat. He strode through the narrow corridor towards the mouth of the cavern. The sky ahead was no longer black but now a midnight blue. The first ray of sunlight had cracked through the night.
Antonius weakly struggled against Ares grasp. “You cannot. Stop. Please.”
“Give me one reason why not.”
“I will give you anything you want.”
He pulled Antonius close until they touched noses. “I want Juliet free of her curse. And free of you.”
“I cannot release her from her curse. But I will let her be. Just have mercy.”
Ares heard a feminine laugh behind him followed by Athena’s voice. “Do you know who you’re talking to? He’s Ares, the god of war. Mercy is not a word in his vocabulary.”
Ares pursed his lips tight as he glared at the vampire in his grasp. “Maybe this time I do.” He set Antonius on his feet but didn’t let go of his coat.
“After what he did to Juliet?” Athena asked incredulously.
“She’s safe. I will keep her from harm. And I don’t give a shit how it happens but soon, she won’t be a vampire.” He smirked at Antonius. “And dumbass here gave me his word.”
Antonius gripped tight to Ares’s hand and fought to pry it off. His fingers were weak. The arrow embedded in his belly must have sapped his strength. “Let me go, you oaf. The sun is rising. Do you want me to die?”
Ares let go of him with a tiny shove. “Get out of my sight.”
The vampire hissed as he chuckled. “Hardly. Do you truly believe that I would let Juliet go? She was mine long before your pathetic attempt to claim her. I la
id my fangs into her. I turned her to become my queen. I couldn’t help that her poor, fragile, useless human heart refused to let go. She could have ruled the world at my side. But it doesn’t matter. She will never be yours. You may take her body, but her black heart and soul will be mine for eternity.”
Ares roared as he lunged at Antonius. He felt his flesh burn as his temper peaked. The ground beneath them shook in chorus with his rage.
Antonius’s legs buckled as he tried to steady himself on the quaking rock. Pieces fell from beneath him. The cliff face tumbled down taking the vampire with it. As the passed through the lone beam of light, Antonius’s body burst into flame then turned to dust.
“What an asshole,” Athena replied, punctuating each word.
Ares sucked in several long, steady breaths to control his stampeding heart. His head snapped up to attention as he heard a familiar scream.
Juliet.
He craned his neck outside the cave, clinging onto the cliff to get a better look. Athena held tight to him as her body leaned in tandem with his. It wasn’t hard to miss to source of the shout. Dillion had Juliet by the throat and was holding her over the edge of the cliff. Day was starting to break. Even from the distance, Ares could see her skin smoke and crack.
He closed his eyes and willed his sister from him. Then he thought of the top of the cliff. A second later, his sandal clad foot touched down on the top of The Amphitheater.
“Let her go,” Ares demanded. If he moved quickly enough, he could grab Juliet from Dillion and take her away. Or he could just jump her back to their cave or Olympus. How the hell did the American get there anyway?
His thoughts froze in his brain as Dillion ran her through with a silver spike then let her go.
Juliet stared at Ares one last time before she stumbled off the cliff edge into the mist below.
“You bastard!” Ares drew his sword from its scabbard. He didn’t see where he struck. He lashed out in a white hot blind rage. He didn’t settle until he found Dillion lying dead at his feet.
He scurried to the edge and looked down for any sign of Juliet. All he saw were the puffy clouds of fog that gave the Amphitheater its haunted look. He stood up to move himself to the base of the rock face. Maybe if he found her, he could save her.
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