Beauty's War (Gods Reborn Book 1)

by Anna Edwards

  “Give her back.”

  “Her?” Pluto’s eyebrow raises in question. “I took a her?”

  “You know what you did. I don’t care about the decree says we can’t kill each other’s factions for the sake of the Earth. If you don’t give her back, I’ll hunt every member of your team down and slaughter them. I’m the God of War–you want one, you’ll get it.”

  “Well somebody has got their panties in a twist over this ‘her’, haven’t they? I find that very interesting.” Pluto waves his hand and my spear is spun away from his throat and into the wall. I call it back, but his magic keeps it in place. “I think this ‘her’ you want is someone I definitely need to keep within my protection, if I do indeed have her.” Pluto waves his hand again, and my body flies through the air and smacks against the glass of the window. “It’s so pretty out there. Look at the police lights. Look at the fires that have started, the fights, the anger, and the agony. It’s like being home. You’ve created that…all for this woman I’m supposedly holding. It’s beautiful.” He stalks up to me, and I try to move to attack him, but I’m frozen under his strength. The shadows stalk with him, revealing him to be the personification of the devil that he his. “But then, beauty’s what all this is about, isn’t it?” He leans forward and whispers close to my ear. “I know who she is. Venus, love and beauty. Too powerful to let you and your father have. It’s better she’s destroyed, and I’ll be the one to do it. Your feelings for her are a bonus. They allow me to bring the Underworld to the surface. Don’t fight the anger you’re feeling, Mars–let it consume you, take over you mind. I wonder how bad it will be when I finally kill her.” He laughs, and the air reverberates with his demonic darkness. I want to fight back against him, but my strength is waning. “Look at the trees, Mars, and the grass. They’re dying. The beauty of this land, which you love, is being destroyed. She’s coming into her powers. Her emotions from the pain she’s suffering are destroying the world. If you think I’ll give her back to you, then you're surely mistaken. I’ll keep her alive and take a piece of her, for as long as I can, until Hell on Earth appears.”

  I let out a massive cry of anguish and frustration. I want to snap Pluto’s neck. He may be my uncle, but I want him dead. Rid the Earth of his malevolence and leave it in peace.

  Pluto addresses his shadows next.

  “Take him back to his father. He’s not ready for me, yet.”

  I find his words really strange. I go to argue with Pluto, but I’m thrust through space to my father’s office. The shadows drop me in front of him, and my spear lands next to me.

  “Pluto sends your trash back to you,” they echo before vanishing.

  My father looms over me with a stern expression on his face. “Are you going to listen to me, now, so that we can rescue Venus, or not?”

  I jump to my feet and prepare to warp back to Pluto. This time, I won’t come back empty handed. I’m stopped, though, when a piercing scream cripples me. It’s Vicky, I know it is. My father and brothers surround me when I collapse down onto the floor. Every moment I allow the war to take over my mind, I’m failing her. My eyes shut as I try to listen for her again.

  “Mars?” My father touches my shoulder, and I look up at him.

  “Help me find her, please.”

  “Calm your mind,” my father urges. “Stop the fighting in Rome before it’s destroyed beyond recognition.”

  I settle my mind, and for the first time since I found Vicky missing, there’s silence in my head. Peace–except for the soft whimpers of the woman I need to rescue and protect.

  Chapter Twelve

  VICKY

  I can’t block out the screams. With her eyes screwed shut, and sobs that mirror my own–Susan. Naked and bound, writhing in pain as the monster thrusts into her again and again.

  Every single second of her suffering is there running in a loop on the electronic tablet screen.

  My captors’ sick fun is to make me endure it. When I could bear to watch it no longer and looked away, he just laughed and raised the volume.

  I have no clue how many hours I’ve had to suffer this. Alone. Terrified. Body pulsing with bruises and the wounds inflicted from the smack of his belt. The blood stopped oozing. I know, if left untreated, I could get an infection. Maybe that’s how he wants me to go. Slowly and in agony.

  Bolts scrape against metal.

  Raising my eyelashes, I look toward the door.

  Instead of my captor, a man in an elegant suit stalks into the room with a confident ease. Handsome, tanned, his dark hair is sprinkled in places with grey. Brown eyes meet mine. There’s something about them, a coldness that sends a chill through my veins. He doesn’t look surprised to see me.

  Any thoughts of help die.

  “Vicky.” A smile curves his lips beneath his trimmed mustache. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, at last. My name is Pluto, God of the Underworld.”

  “Please, just let me go.”

  Thrusting his hands in the pockets of his trousers, he surveys me at leisure. “You're far too valuable for that, my dear. No. We can’t have you running back to Mars. Not when things have started to get interesting.”

  Swallowing, I try to draw moisture into my parched throat. “What things? What are you talking about?”

  “Snatching you is driving him over the edge. The God of War is on a rampage. Rome is in chaos. Blood is being spilled on the streets. The human population is in turmoil. It’s glorious.”

  Mars has done all that?

  Shifting in my chains, I wince as pain shoots through my sides.

  “Soon, it will consume him,” Pluto continues, glee in his tone. “He’ll turn to his darker nature, and then he’ll be mine.”

  I shake my head weakly. “No. He won’t do that. Not for me.”

  “Oh, but he will.” Leaning down, he runs his fingers up my bare leg to my curl-covered mound. “The Goddess of Love and Beauty holds him and his feelings in the palm of her hand.”

  The touch makes me flinch. “You’re just as warped as the other guy. I don’t have power over anyone.”

  Pluto chuckles. “Ah yes, Mario. My pet psychopath enjoyed playing with your friend so much.” His dark eyes flick up to the tablet positioned on a table beside the bed. The scenes of my friend’s rape and torture unfolding over and over. “He can’t wait to get started on you properly.”

  His words send my stomach into knots. As fear clutches my heart, my breathing becomes fast and shallow. “No.”

  “Oh yes. But unlike Susan, he’s allowed to drag this out. I want you to truly suffer and Mars to feel every delicious second. When your mind and body are finally broken, only then will you be allowed death.” Cupping my breast his fingernails bite into the supple flesh. “Sex with you, Venus, is rumored to be life changing. Maybe, I’ll give your cunt a try before I slit your throat, so I can see what all the fuss is about.”

  I can’t escape. Curling inside myself, I try to hide from his malicious laughter. They’re going to destroy me. All because they believe I have some kind of control over the God of War.

  Whimpers leave my cracked lips, but I focus on Mars’ face. The power of his aura. How he held me safely.

  Footsteps register. Glancing toward the door, I find my torturer has returned.

  “Master.” Lowering his head, he gives Pluto a respectful, loving look.

  The God of the Underworld smiles. “No rushing, Mario. I want you to have fun without killing her. That pleasure will be mine, but anything else your sick little mind comes up with goes.”

  “Thank you, oh great one.”

  Turning back in my direction, Pluto’s eyes burn through me. “I’ll see you again soon, Venus.” With that, he vanishes.

  Mario looms over the stinking, dirty mattress. Bare chested streaks of red are dried across his flesh. Blood? The smell is metallic.

  He grins when he sees I’ve noticed them. “From another slut down here. She didn’t like it so much when I played with my knife.”


  Bile rises in my dry throat. I want to scream but I know it’s useless. There’s no one to help me. I’m in Hell, and there’s no way out.

  Moving to the electronic tablet, he switches off the video. “Time to make our own film. You’re going to be the star, and when we’re done, we’ll send it to Mars.”

  “You’re sick,” I croak.

  Ignoring me, he jabs buttons until my image is clear on the screen.

  Skin pale, the abuse on my naked body is clear for anyone who watches it to see.

  Hands moving to the buttons on his jeans, Mario eagerly strips down. His cock bobs up, and the tip glistens with precum.

  This isn’t happening….I keep chanting in my head. Panic building, I twist in my bonds only adding to the bruises they’ve already caused.

  “Don’t look so frightened,” he tells me, grabbing a fistful of my tangled hair. “You’ll like this bit.”

  Positioning my straining neck, he pushes the tip against my lips. “Open up. If you do a good job, I won’t cut off your tits.”

  I don’t want to obey, but I also don’t want to feel his blade ripping through my skin. On a whimper, I comply.

  Hard, salty, his manhood is shoved roughly into my mouth.

  I gag when it hits the back my throat. Without warning, he begins to thrust vigorously.

  “Oh yeah. That’s it,” he growls. “Keep your eyes open. Let the audience see how much you’re enjoying giving me head.” Yanking my locks, he makes sure everything is being recorded.

  I stare into the camera with a tormented gaze. I don’t want this, but what choice do I have? What will Mars think when he sees it? Will he truly slip into something evil? I don’t want to be the cause of so much death and misery.

  A tear trickles from the corner of my eye as Mario fucks my mouth.

  He doesn’t last long. With several sharp pumps, he groans, letting his cum stream onto my tongue. Pulling out, he makes it dribble from my lips to collect on my chest.

  Coughing, spluttering, I heave in air.

  Giving a sigh of contentment, he gathers a wad of tissue paper from the table to wipe himself clean.

  Retching, I spit out his semen, trying desperately to rid myself of his vile taste.

  “Not bad,” he tells me. “Better than your friend Susan. She was all teeth. Of course, she stopped using them after I sliced off a couple of her fingers.” Swiveling to the camera, he runs his thumb over his bottom lip. “Did you like the show Mars? Want to see some more? Want to hear her plead?”

  Snatching something off the table, he stalks around the mattress to my legs.

  “No, please, no.”

  Mario’s knife glints in the flaming torch light, a flash of deadly silver.

  Crawling onto the end of the bed, he moves between my thighs.

  With the restraints so tight, I can’t close them to protect myself, and from his smirk, he knows it too.

  “This pussy belongs to us now.” He directs his words toward the computer tablet that’s still recording. “And it should be marked as such.”

  Back bowing, a scream breaks from my lips as pain slices through my groin. I feel every second as he cuts through my sensitive flesh.

  Hand pressed on my stomach, he holds me down mercilessly.

  It feels like an eternity before he finishes, and even then, the agony remains, my skin wet with the fresh blood.

  Ignoring my crying and whimpering, he eagerly clambers away from me and back to his electronic toy. Grabbing it, he moves back to hold it over where he worked.

  Pluto. The name is carved in oozing red just above my blonde curls. A brand of ownership.

  “The next time we make a video, she’s going to have my cock in her pussy and then her ass.” Mario boasts, voice shaking with sexual excitement. “I hope you’ll be looking forward to it, Mars. I wouldn’t want you to miss it.” Bringing the device up to my face, he holds it above me. “Anything to say to your boyfriend, Vicky?”

  “Please.” I can’t hide my hopelessness. “Don’t let them win, Mars. It doesn’t matter about me.” The words come out broken. “Don’t let Rome fall with death and destruction. You’re stronger than that.”

  My captor gives a snort. Jabbing the button, he ends the recording. “So pathetic. Hell on Earth is destined, and your pretty little speech won’t change a thing.”

  Twisting my face away from him, I stare at the wall.

  Chapter Thirteen

  MARS

  Vicky’s screams send shivers all down my spine. The fear and horror in her eyes has my mind calling for destruction. I want to rain down retribution on the society that gave birth to a man who can do those vile things to another person. Humanity is dead. My father shuts his laptop down, and the video stops playing. I welcome the peace to my ears, but the vision of her suffering is forever imprinted on my retinas. It will haunt me, even though I can’t see it anymore.

  “Did anyone recognize anything about the surroundings?” my father asks, looking first at me. But when I just raise an incredulous eyebrow at him as if to say ‘did you actually expect me to see anything apart from Vicky being forced to swallow another man’s dick?’ he diverts his attention to my brothers. “Apollo, Hercules?”

  Apollo speaks first, “It’s a church. It seems familiar. I need to think.”

  “Take your time. We’ve got all day.” My voice drips with sarcasm. “I’m sure being a human he can’t get it up again for at least another hour. It’s not like he could be raping her as we speak.”

  “Mars.” The tone in which my father says my name tells me to control my anger. He’s fighting a lost cause, though.

  “It’s a church. We only have in excess of nine hundred of them here in Rome. What are we waiting for?” I reply and slam my fist on the desk. The silence that has existed in my head for a short time now erupts with the growls of a fight. It’s a joyous sound. At least someone is doing something and not debating their fate.

  “I thought you’d pulled your head out of your ass. I see it’s gone back in.” My father pushes my hands off his desk and steps in front of me. I get to my feet, and we stand nose to nose. “Hercules, take him up to the heavens. His stupidity is causing us to risk losing Venus.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I snap and shake my brother off when he grabs my arm. Hercules may be known for his strength, but we’re actually equals on that score.

  “Then think,” my father spits at me. “We know that church, feel her, sense her, recognize the features around her and not the suffering she’s experiencing. She’s close to death….I feel it. I know every time a human god dies. Ironically, that’s the only time they’re revealed to me. Unless we stop this now, you will lose her.”

  I don't know why I’m struggling so much with my emotions. I’ve always been so strong and controlled before. It seems as though being inside Vicky has given me an empathy I’ve never had before. I’ve known wrong and right all my life, yes, but I’ve swayed toward the latter in a bid to rid the world of war. Of all the god’s, I’m the ticking time bomb. By losing my mind, I destroy the Earth. I have to focus. I motion for my father to lift the laptop lid again. He does so and restarts the video. This time, I focus on Vicky’s surroundings with all my strength and concentration. I know if I look at her face, then I’ll lose myself again. I can't do that. The voices of violence quieten in my head, and all I hear are Vicky’s sobs.

  “Don’t let Rome fall. Don't let them win. I see the truth of what this city is, now. Its beauty is in the lines of history that are everywhere. Fight for it, Mars, please.”

  My breath hitches, there’s no noise coming from the computer-tablet. No, it’s in my head instead. My eyes widen, and I stare at my father.

  “She’s finding her power,” he exclaims. “You hear her?”

  I nod dumbfounded and look at the screen. Skulls are everywhere on the paused image. I examine their eerie presentation. The sound of an explosion echoes through my thoughts, and we all look toward the window. A building has ex
ploded–flames erupt in the night sky. I blink a few times. A battle cry sounds in my head, and I wince at the loudness of it.

  “Mars, you have to stay with us,” my father implores. He’s finished being angry at me. He’s desperate now. His worry for his family, the humans, and Rome twisting in his gut. I look back to the computer screen, and my brain scans through all the places in Rome. I see the city as if flying above it, darting in and out of places with a skillful weave. As I approach the Barberini, my body begins to weigh heavier. I can feel myself sinking into the floor. The buildings are crumbling, the edges jagged like a half-eaten biscuit. The water in the fountain square is green and moldy. This isn’t normal. The beauty of this place is breaking down. That’s it, the key to finding Vicky. She’s the Goddess of Beauty and Love, and her powers are coming to her. If I follow the souring of the land to its source, I’ll find her. My heart rate picks up, and I hear, softly in the background of my thoughts, the encouragement of my father and brothers. I fly a little higher in my mind, and I see the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. The skulls! That’s it. The crypt to the church is littered with them. My mind comes back to my body, and I blink a few times.

  “She’s at Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini,” I tell my family, and holding my hand out for my spear, I dematerialize before my father can stop me.

  In no time at all, I’m at the church and bursting through the door. It’s late, so even though the city is always busy, it’s quiet in this place since most worshippers are asleep. That’s why he chose it. My father and brothers appear at my side ready for the battle. My father holds his lightening bolt, Hercules his daggers, and Apollo his harp. I’ve always wondered about his choice of weapon, I guess I’m about to find out. A scream comes from below us, and I gasp out loud when blood starts to run down the walls of the church.

  “We don’t have much time. Stay together,” my father orders. “We don’t know which, if any, of Pluto’s men are down there.”