by April Zyon
She sighed and nodded. “I know, and I understand. I just don’t know what to do or how to do it. Before, the Gods were only stories passed down by my family, but now I’ve seen not one but two of you. How do you explain that? I don’t understand what’s happening. I’ve always been different; I’ve always been able to see and hear the truth even when it’s given in such a convincing lie that anyone would believe it including the one telling it, but I’ve never fallen for that. But why now? Why am I seeing you all now?”
“I let you see me, and Dion has let everyone see him for centuries,” he told her quietly. “But I’m sure that what I did, opening that doorway between our worlds, is why you recognized him for who he was so quickly. You had a taste of what a God’s power is and recognized it in him. Even though he rarely bothers to push much of anything at anyone anymore.”
“I’m a bit overwhelmed,” she admitted to him. “Why did you let me see you?” she asked softly, taking a step closer to him so that they could talk without others listening in, but still hear each other over the music. “That’s been something I’ve been very curious about. Why did you let me see you that day?”
“Honestly?” he shrugged. “I don’t know, but I needed to. For whatever reason, I knew I had to reveal myself to you. I likely could have resisted the impulse had I worked at it. Remained hidden until you left the temple, but your words about the statue, they pulled at me.”
“Thank you for showing yourself.” She admitted to him, “I’m very glad that you did. The stories of the Greek Gods have been passed through my family from generation to generation. There is even a book detailing all that you have accomplished and attempted. One for each of the Greek Gods. I was entrusted with your book,” she told him with a shrug. “Strange I know, but my family is a bit on the strange side too.”
“You have a book about me?” he asked. He sounded, well, kind of a cross between intrigued and terrified. “What exactly does this book say? I think I really need to know what’s in there; I doubt it’s overly accurate,” he muttered the last words. “Given how the rest of history views me and my supposed deeds I’m terrified to see what yours claims.”
“Uhm, no. This book is drastically different from how history and myths depict you. According to Mother, it was started a long time ago by one of my ancestors, one of your high priests. All of the Greek Gods had high priests, and all of them decided that it was time for your true selves to be written of and not what the bards sang as your truth. So before writing was ever invented these men gave their stories to their pupils and so on. Master died, pupil took over, and the stories never wavered from Master to pupil. Ever. You are welcome to read it, though. I would like to find out if it is all true or not.”
“Hmm,” he made a face. “Still terrified. But I may read it if you’ll permit. At least the first little bit. If that isn’t the truth, then the rest of the book definitely would not be.” He looked around then before glancing down at her. “Will you stay, Ava? Stay and come have a drink with me. If you wish to still leave I won’t stop you, it is your right to make such a choice.”
She had to think for a moment and then finally nodded. “I’ll stay,” she said softly. “I honestly hadn’t meant to offend you. I hated that you just up and vanished without telling me why you were upset. I think I might have called you some not so nice names after it, but those I won’t apologize for because you did leave in a huff and everything.”
“Your words pissed me off, it was best I left before I said something I couldn’t take back. Words of the Gods hold power and can cause untold harm. I wouldn’t inflict that on you for any reason just because your words pricked me.” He put a hand on her back and urged her towards the bar. “As to the names you may have called me, I’m sure they were well chosen.”
“I think that I said you were childish and fucking petty.” She wouldn’t sugar coat anything, not for anyone. Life was far too short for that. “So yeah, I was just a bit pissed off at you,” she admitted, once again blushing hard. “Are we good now?”
“Yeah, we’re good. As I said, I can’t blame you for your words. They stung, but-” he shrugged. Leaning on the bar, he signaled to the woman behind it. “What would you like to drink, Ava? And no, the drinks do not have to be with the theme; thank the Gods. Dion didn’t go that far. Though the menu, well, we could be in trouble since he didn’t answer my questions about it earlier.”
“Oh, God,” Ava groaned, “My stomach hurts already,” she teased. “I just want soda, please. I don’t drink.” She had a father who had been an alcoholic, and she had vowed she would never, ever drink. “If the food is bad what do you say we slip out of here and find some burger place that might be open?”
“Deal,” he nodded. “Soda for the lady and I’ll have two fingers of scotch, the good bottle, neat.” He turned to face her then, an elbow on the bar. “Though we may want to change before we go to the burger place. I can’t even imagine the looks I’ll get in this damned getup.”
“Good point.” She looked down at her gown and shook her head. “I can’t believe that he would send me this gown. It had to have cost upwards of seven figures, at the very least.” And it was spectacular. “Don’t get me wrong; I think that it’s an amazingly beautiful gown, but wow. I feel as if everyone is watching me and waiting for one of the diamonds to fall off.”
Collecting their drinks he passed over her soda. “I won’t tell you what it actually costs until you’re in something else. And, just so you know, he created it specifically for you. It’s yours to do with as you wish after the event. Don’t offer it back to him; you’ll just offend him, and it won’t be very pretty to see him having a fit.”
Taking her elbow in a light grip, he guided her through the room towards a table where their names were on plates. Dion and another person, the name of whom she couldn’t quite see, were seated with them. Ares pulled her chair out for her and waited for her to sit.
“Thank you,” she whispered and took the seat he offered to her. “Yeah I’m pretty positive that if I were to know how much this cost I would die. Did he have costumes made for everyone?” she asked quietly.
“Mm,” he sipped his drink. Setting it aside he shrugged, “Yes and no. He doesn’t have to have them made. He can just imagine what he wants someone to wear and create it. Same as all Gods can,” he told her quietly. “In some cases though, he likely purchased locally. In others, there wouldn’t have been time to have them made so, poof!” He waved a hand to indicate her gown, “Yours, he created once he got a look at you and after he stopped yanking my tail. Actually, it was after he managed to escape the beating I had planned.”
That had her grinning, “Why would I be special? I’m literally nobody. I’m not powerful; I’m just a weird person who can see you Gods for who and what you are. That's about the only thing that makes me different from every other person here.”
“You really have no idea,” he said. He shook his head with a small grin, “Oh, Ava, Ava, Ava. Life as you know it is going to become one hell of a whirlwind. You’ll likely be meeting the entire family soon enough. Later, when we’re not surrounded by so many people, I’ll let you know which ones to watch out for.”
“Okay, please explain that statement?” she requested quietly as she leaned in closer to him. “Should I leave? Maybe I should go to Antarctica. I don’t recall any of the Greeks being all that loving of cold weather, so maybe that’s where I should go.”
“They won’t need to come to you, Ava; they can bring you to them.” He looked at her and sighed softly. “Although,” he pursed his lips slightly and looked towards his brother. Then he looked around the room before lifting a hand, palm up and started to murmur. The language she didn’t understand, but then again, with a soft glow starting in his palm, she really wasn’t paying much attention. A moment later a dainty chain and pendant, the symbol of Ares, lay in his palm. “Tuck this into your pocket or purse until later. Put it one once you are out of this outfit, it shoul
d hide you from them. Unless they come looking and walk up to you, but they won’t be able to just grab you.”
She took the pendant from him and looked at it. “Why?” she asked and tucked the necklace into the bodice of her gown with a swift and quick turn and move. “Why would you do this for me?” she asked and lay her hand on his arm once more. “What’s going on? Would you like to leave so that we can talk?”
“Because, I’m the one that exposed you to them. I can’t let you be hurt by my error. There is something else I should tell you about. If you hold the symbol in your hand and think of me. Picture me, my face, my voice, all of that, you can summon me. I’ll hear you and come to you as quickly as I can. None of the others can override that, but if they see you wearing it, they will try to take it off of you. They can’t just snatch it with a snap of their fingers, not once it’s on you. They will have to physically grab it from your neck.”
“Right, yes; that would be bad. I wouldn't want them to take something that means this much.” Well, to her, at least. It meant a great deal not because a God gave it to her, but because HE gave it to her. That was a hell of a difference in her mind. “Thank you for that. I do appreciate it.” She felt a little hurt though and added, “But you don’t have to give me something simply because you feel guilt ridden to do so.” She wanted to give it back to him but couldn’t find it in her to let it go. “Never feel guilty for something that honestly wasn’t your fault.”
“I didn’t give it to you because I felt guilty, Ava. If I wanted to just protect you, I could have put a mark on your skin to hide you from the Gods. I gave you the necklace because-” he clammed up. He also blushed, he looked embarrassed. “Because I wanted to,” he muttered. Grabbing his glass he swallowed the scotch down fast in one big gulp.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “For wanting to.” She leaned in even closer to him when someone came near her. “I don’t understand a great deal of what is going on, but I do know one thing for sure; you mean something to me. It’s odd, I know it’s likely something you hear quite often, but I truly do want to get to know you. You. Not the myths, not the stories; just you.”
His expression was odd when he looked at her. “No one’s ever said that. No one has ever wanted to get to know me. They all want something from me or to hear of my biggest, bloodiest battle or some such nonsense. No one’s ever requested to know who I am outside of the myths.”
“That’s who I want to know. The real Ares. I just-” She shrugged. “All of my life you have been different to me. My family has kept close chronicles and all my life I just knew that they were wrong about one God; you. But it’s more than that now. Now that I have met you in person, I see you as more. I know how crazy that sounds but it’s the truth. I see you as a man. One that I honestly like.” One she was heavily attracted to.
“How do you know I’m not much, much worse than the stories?” He was watching her as he asked that question. “I could be, Ava, and you’d never even know it.” He was trying to scare her. Why she didn’t know, but there had to be a reason.
“I feel it,” Ava said simply. “Deep down inside. I don’t know how or why, but I do. I feel that you would never, ever hurt me.” Maybe she was just off her rocker insane or something, but she truly believed that he wouldn't hurt her.
“You are not weird; quit saying that,” he muttered. “And you’re right; I won’t ever hurt you, Ava. Anyone else,” Ares gave a shrug. “But never you. I don’t know what you’ve done to me, little darling. I fear that you’ve already got me wrapped around your little finger. I have no clue how it’s occurred or when it did, but it’s happened.”
“Well, whatever happened hit both of us,” she admitted quietly. “Dance with me?” she asked suddenly. “I would like to know what it feels like, even if it’s just the one time, to dance with you.” To be held in his arms, to feel the beating of his heart under her cheek.
Nodding he stood and offered his hand. Helping her to her feet, he walked her towards the dance floor. There were a couple of other couples out dancing, but since it was just piped in music most people were talking and mingling.
“I should warn you, I’m not very good at this sort of thing. Dancing, I mean. It wasn’t exactly part of my life on a regular basis.” He faced her and let out a breath, “So if I stomp your toes, I apologize profusely ahead of time.”
“It’s okay. I’m not very good at it either, but I want to try, with you.” She had never been a very good dancer, but she wanted to dance with him simply to be close to him, and that amazed her more than she could possibly explain to him.
“That was a lie,” he said shaking his head at her. “I’m a God,” he murmured. “You can’t lie to me or any other God. But I’ll take it, mainly because one of us has to know what the ever loving hell they are doing out here.”
She smiled and said, “All right, I’ve never been a very good dancer. I wanted to dance with you simply because I wanted to be close to you. I want to know what it feels like to have your arms wrapped around me and us moving. I want to know what it feels like to be held by you. That’s the truth.”
“That is the truth,” he said quietly to her. Smiling he took her hand in his and pulled her close, his other hand on her waist. “Well, I know enough that we can probably manage one or two dances. After that, though, they’ll realize it’s the same movements every time.” He waited a moment and then began to guide her in a simple movement.
“I don’t mind the same movements,” Ava said with a grin. “Sometimes it’s kinda nice to be able to know exactly what is going on and when it’s going to happen.” She laid her cheek on his chest and sighed happily. “This is very nice. I have literally never felt this relaxed and happy in my life.” Truth.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” he said softly. He pulled her in closer to him, their movements slowing a little. His breath on her cheek was ruffling some loose hairs; his hand was warm on her back, and his body, oh his body, was pressing in tight and hot against her front.
She wrapped her arms tighter around him. “I think that this is something that I could become accustomed to; dancing with you, that is.”
“Well then, one of us should take lessons,” he laughed quietly. “Or maybe we both should so we each know what the hell we’re doing out here.” He was talking long term, interesting. “That is unless I grind your toes into the floor, and you decide I’m more of a hazard than not.”
“I would very much enjoy taking lessons with you. If you wouldn’t mind taking time out of your busy schedule; but I have no idea where we would go to get lessons. Do you know of where we could take them?”
“I wouldn’t mind at all. I don’t exactly have a lot to keep me busy anymore; besides my interfering family, that is.” His hand on her back was moving up and down slowly. “Are you planning on staying in Ireland?” he asked quietly. When she looked up at him, he shrugged. “You did ask about lessons around here.”
“Right now I’m at loose ends to be perfectly honest. I sold my family home in America and cashed out all of my bonds and CDs. I have a trust fund that was left to me by my grandmother, so I guess right now I’m just trying to find myself or something like that. Honestly, I just wanted to get out of America and the family members that were dogging my heels trying to get cash from me. Money grubbing asshats.”
“Well, wherever you settle I’m sure we can find somewhere that gives dance lessons. Do you have any idea where you might end up living?” he asked, his tone curious.
“Not the first clue. Honestly, I’ve been letting the winds push me here and there. I’ve no true destination in mind. The only family I have left are a bunch of vultures, so I honestly don’t care where I live as long as they can’t get anywhere near me.”
“I can understand that,” he murmured. “Well, is there any place in the world where you’ve always wanted to live? One place where you thought, this feels right, this feels like home? A place where you could see yo
urself walking the streets? A place where you wanted to fall in love, have kids and grow old?”
"So far I haven't found that place. Traveling alone is fine, but it can get lonely.”
“Well, you’re not alone at the moment. Maybe I can help you in your search. I’m cheaper than a plane ticket after all, and faster. Getting places I mean, not anything else.” He let out a groan, “I have no idea why I just clarified that. It’s like my brain is fried anytime I get near you.”
“Well, I’m glad that I’m not alone in the fried brain department. I’m very happy that I’m not alone in being all tied in knots when you’re around. I swear you come close to me, and I forget just about everything.”
“Well, that is useful to know. If I can ever get my brain to work in the same room with you that is,” he muttered. But he was smiling when he said it. Then he looked around. “Do you want to get out of here?”
“I really don’t want to be here anymore,” Ava said with a laugh. “I would much rather be anywhere but here, please. I have no idea where to go or what to do, but we can figure out something.” She looked down at the gown and added, “And while this gown is stunningly beautiful, I think that it would be best if I were out of it and in jeans and a sweater instead.”
“All right,” he smiled. “Let’s go to the bar. We’ll have one more drink while we edge our way closer to the doors. We’ll stand, chatting, maybe admiring that painting there. Then, when Dion’s back is turned, we’ll ditch the glasses and get out of here. We’ll go up to your room so you can change, and I’ll just switch out my clothes. Then we can literally go wherever you would like to go.”
“I think that sounds like a marvelous plan. Would you be willing to do something with this gown so that it’s cleaned and put away? It’s likely worth more than a small nation, so it needs to be protected.”
