Fire and Fantasy: a Limited Edition Collection of Epic and Urban Fantasy

by CK Dawn

  “I don’t know what to say to that.”

  “Nothing for you to say, not really. It is what it is.” She returned to the bottle of water as thirst reemerged. “Let’s say your theory is correct and Ares is pitting us against each other. That means he wants you dead, specifically. What did you do?”

  Deep breaths and an expression of guilt passed over his face. He’d done something major. Something that would elicit the want for revenge. “I killed Harmonia.”

  “Whoa, she was one of the good ones. I mean, if any of them can be considered good.” Harmonia was the Goddess of Harmony. She was the exact opposite of Ares who raised hell wherever he went. She was also the daughter of the God of War and his lover, Aphrodite. “Both parents are back and you killed their precious daughter? You had to have known that wouldn’t go over well.”

  “Yeah well, as far as I am concerned, none of them need to be here. Even if considered one of the good ones. Hell, there are no good ones.” He said it with so much resentment and bitterness in his tone that Asa had to do a double take. There was so much more to him that she needed to figure out.

  “I didn’t even feel her return.” Asa racked her memory and she hadn’t felt the beacon that announced the arrival of the goddess. Something wasn’t right. How was it that she felt beacons that he hadn’t and vice versa? Ares was playing with her, but how long had he been in her head?

  “Her arrival wasn’t complete, there was no time for a beacon to go out.” He smiled proudly. “I intercepted her.”

  “Intercepted? Explain?”

  “There is an order to their return. Call it luck, call it whatever you want to, but I figured out the next vessel to be inhabited. And I was there when she decided to take over the body, only I didn’t let it happen.”

  “And you killed her?”

  “Mid transformation.”

  “You do realize that doesn’t actually kill a god, only the body it intended to inhabit, right?”

  “Yes, but it does send the spirit away from here, and not back to wherever the hell they are coming from. It sends them to limbo, a place where even the gods may never escape.”

  “Interesting.” She’d heard the theory before but she never thought it plausible. Besides, there was no way to verify if it were true or not. Hell, as far as she knew, limbo didn’t exist at all. “I’d never considered that. Though limbo is but a place of imagination for all I am concerned.”

  “Well, not all of us have access to ancient magic.” He nodded at her pouch. “Some of us have to use our brains, and a bit of modern technology. Believe it or not, but none of the ones taken out in this manner have yet to return.”

  “Let me ask you a question, and it’s a bit off the topic. Why are you so against the gods?” She stared at him, watching closely, scrutinizing every moment, every detail. If he showed even a hint of hesitation, of resistance to her question, she would be on him.

  “This is what I was raised for.” He moved to the couch, long strides carrying him there in just a few paces. She joined him on the worn piece in a room lacking much furniture. “For centuries, my family has been preparing for their return, knowing that one day, they would come back in an effort to not be forgotten. We know that their powers lie within the hands of those who believe. If gone long enough, people not only lose faith, but they begin to forget. Lessons of the gods are being taught less and less, stories fading out like ashes.

  “The problem with having the gods of Olympus return, is that with them comes all the chaos that they once created. Look at their history, look at how they treated those who were meant to worship them. Entire cities were demolished just because a god had a fit. Women were used, giving over their bodies and producing the children of gods who had no intent to take part in raising those children. They were left alone, desolate and tarnished, yet that didn’t matter. The gods are petty, greedy, and relentless. So many suffered at their hands, those who were meant to protect the people were the ones to bring them to their knees! They are no better than the rest of us.”

  “So why not just kill everyone?” The room fell silent, not just inside but outside of the walls, the city itself quieted as they spoke. Asa wanted to understand what really fueled his fire, his hatred. It was more than what he said; he was smart, and just because something was told to him didn’t mean he would follow it blindly. “If you feel that humans are just as bad, just as flawed, why doesn’t your crusade include the extermination of them?”

  “Excuse me?”

  She repeated her question with clarity. “You say they are just as bad as humans, as demigods, so by that logic, we are all demonized. Shouldn’t everyone be snuffed out?”

  “You can’t honestly sit here and tell me that you do not know the difference, that you do not understand. Why else would you be here if you didn’t get it?”

  “Look, I get it. I, too, have my reasons for wanting them gone, and they are similar to your own, trust me. However, I would say, demigod Carter, you may want to reconsider your goal. Apparently, at least one of your parents was in fact a god, or at the very least, a descendant of one.”

  “There is no proof to that claim.”

  She pulled the pin from her pouch, which still glowed with the spiral of colors, and placed it in the palm of his hand.

  He turned his hand over, allowing the pin to fall to the floor. “That’s your magic, your belief, not mine.”

  “Okay, deny it if you want.” Retrieving it from the ground, she returned it to the safety of her pouch. Such a powerful tool could not be tossed away so easily. If found by the wrong person, it could be used to connect to the power used to create it, a power that did not need to return to the world.

  “Now that we know we aren’t trying to kill each other …” Carter wanted to change the topic. He was no demigod, no matter what her magic pin told her. That would never be something he would accept as his truth.

  “Who said we knew that?” She looked at him and grinned. As far as she was concerned, the jury was still out on him. “You’re no god, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t an enemy.”

  “Fine, but what do you want to do now? Ares is out there and trying to pit us against one another.”

  “Let me guess, you’re going to suggest we team up?” It was the obvious conclusion and a terrible idea, but Asa knew that was where things were headed. If Ares planned for them to meet, he planned for them to team up. They were playing straight into his hand.

  “Yeah, why not?”

  “And how am I supposed to know that you won’t turn on me?” A raised eyebrow was the punctuation to her suspicions. “For all I know this is a trap, and you’re a part of his sick game.”

  “Hell, you don’t know that, but I’m not the one who came looking for you, remember? Besides, you’re looking to get to Ares, right? If I’m working for him, like you seem to suspect, eventually I’d lead you to him. It would be a part of the job description, I’m sure.”

  “I suppose now you will suggest that we partner up.” She rolled her eyes. Yep, play right into the god’s hand.

  “I don’t see why not. Makes sense to me.” He shrugged and leaned back on the couch with his arms crossed behind his head.

  “We’ll see.” Rising from the worn couch, she headed for the door, leaving the stretched out demi-god smiling smugly.

  “Where are you going?” He cocked his head to the side as he watched her ass sway with each step.

  “Well, I’m sure as hell not staying here.” She glanced over her shoulder, catching him in the act of gawking at her, and winked.

  “That doesn’t answer my question.” He stood. “I don’t even know your name.”

  “Well, good thing that you’ll see me again.” She could tell that he was gearing up to protest her departure and continued. “Look, I’m not going far. You can trust that I will return. Bright and early.” The door pulled shut behind her and Asa knew that she’d made a huge mistake in partnering with Carter. The feeling in the pit of her stomach, the tight
knot and the nauseous feeling were her confirmation. She’d felt it once before. It was the night that would lead to the worst times of her life. It was the night that Ares would decide to betray her.

  “So that’s it?” She stared at the back of the man who had just ravished her body and moments later, crushed her soul. “You come here to tell me that I will never see you again? You aren’t coming back to me again?” Her voice cracked as the sadness, the weight of heartache, settled in.

  “What is it that you would have me do, Calypso? I would think you would be happy that I, at the very least, came to say good-bye.”

  “Stay here, with me. Why must you go back there? Why must you leave me?” She was on her knees now, literally begging the man to come back to her bed, and not leave her.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You would have me leave Aphrodite, the beauty who waits for me in the heavens? I think not.” He nearly laughed at her foolish request. Of course, he would not turn away from a goddess for her.

  “She isn’t even yours to have!”

  “Excuse me?”

  “She is married to another, is she not?”

  “She is mine!” The power of his voice, the anger that she incited was enough to move the ground beneath her feet.

  “I’m sorry. I …” It was far too easy for her to forget just who he was, the power that he possessed. She’d never seen him as angry as when she’d spoken those words. She’d never seen him display that amount of emotion at any point of knowing him. She backed away from the god, the man she’d become so close to. “I thought I was more to you than just another conquest. A simple distraction from your endless life.”

  “No, Calypso, you are so much more than that, but …” He didn’t need to finish the statement that would no doubt end in insult to her.

  “But, I am not enough for you. I will never be enough.” He didn’t need to say it. She’d known it all along. It was the reason she had beat herself up for not having turned away from him when he’d first arrived on her island. At the end of the day, he was a god, and being with her would never satisfy him, not in the long term. Everyone knew of his love for the woman who was not his own. Hell, he clearly wasn’t the best at hiding his emotions when it came to her. She was not that woman, she would never be.

  “You are not.” He didn’t have to say it, she didn’t need to hear it, but there it was. Like a brick wall, it stood between the two. His confirmation, that she, a nymph, would always be his, but he never hers.

  “I know, I’m not a goddess. I’m not eternal as you are, as she is.” She refused to let him see her tears though they were evident in the tone of her voice. She turned her back to the god whose fury had calmed. “Fine, go, leave me be.” She paused, taking a moment to consider her own heart. And then, with less confidence than she wanted, she posed her request, “Please, do me this favor. If you leave today, with your intentions as they are, keep them that way. Do not change your mind, do not come back here. Allow me to live my life, without you, completely.” Her request was reasonable and considering his position, she thought it would be an easy one for him to agree to. Of course, this assumption was incorrect. He, like every other god, felt that he had the right to live and act as he saw fit, regardless of how it affects those who he saw as lesser-thans. Her needs, her wants, were of no real concern for him.

  “Are you suggesting that you would turn me away if I were to visit you again?” he asked her incredulously, anger mingling with the disbelief in his tone.

  “Yes, for my own well-being. Do you think I should deny myself that? I’m not even sure why you would want to return.” The sound of the ocean, the waves, the quiet movement of wildlife, it all went silent. She gazed out of the opening of their hidden cavern. Still, the moon’s light bounced off the dark waters. This would be their last night together.

  “You would deny me?” As if unable to fathom how she could ever turn him away, he repeated his question. Perhaps she simply did not understand him the first time.

  “Yes. As I said, I cannot go through this with you again. I cannot allow you to play with my heart.” She called strength to her voice. She had to show him that she was serious in her demand. She needed to be free of him. Entirely. He couldn’t expect to be able to hop in and out of her bed when he saw fit, especially after crushing her in such a way.

  “Calypso.” The timbre of his voice dropped, vibrating in deep tones. It was how he said her name that first time, it was how he said her name each time he meant to persuade her to bend to his will. When she did not respond, he repeated his verbal caress. The sound of her name crossing over in his deep tones, which always held a sense of urgency and anger, no matter what the situation was, it did something to her that she couldn’t understand. Just as it had the first time, and every time that followed, her stomach flipped, her legs struggled to perform their function, and she became aroused. This time, however, she would not give in.

  “Ares, please, don’t. Not now, not when you are breaking my heart.” She turned to him to finally allow him clear view of the tears flowing down her face, evidence of her pain, of the hurt that he had caused her. “How could you be so reckless with me?”

  “Calypso,” he murmured, but she looked away from him and shook her head. “Fine. I will go, but I shall return.”

  “Why?” she questioned. “What is the purpose of your coming back here? You don’t want me! You just told me that I am not now, nor could I ever be enough for you. You want her, you have her, so go be with her. Have what you wish and leave me be!”

  “This is not over,” he stated.

  “You request that it is, so let that be it. Let it be done. Do not return.”

  He left her. Standing alone. The sounds of her home returned, but they were hollow, and made no impression on her. The ocean which usually called to her—soothed her with the sounds of crashing waves, the chatter of dolphins, and the eclectic music of other creatures which dwelled within—did nothing for her. It was all just noise. The creatures that approached her, scurrying about, were nothing more than nuisances, not the returning friends she once viewed them as. He’d taken away her happiness, he’d taken away her love, and yet, he was still not done with her.

  Five

  Slow taps, just loud enough to call his unconscious mind out of its dream state. First in slow succession and then coming more rapidly. Just as promised, Asa was back at Carter’s apartment, just moments after the sun returned to the sky. She smiled at him when he opened the door wiping the sleep from his eyes and frowning.

  “Bright and early! Remember?” Smiling, she held up two cups of Dunkin Donuts coffee. In her opinion, it was still the best available.

  “It’s not even seven o’clock yet. You’ve got to be kidding me.” Leaning his head against the edge of the door, he stared at the woman in disbelief.

  “You mean to tell me you didn’t get enough rest? What did you do after I left?” She looked him up and down. “On second thought, never mind, I don’t need to know what kept you up last night.”

  “Very funny.” He stepped back, swinging the door open wider to halfheartedly invite her inside.

  “So, I figure we can start the day off right, form some sort of strategy for how we are going to proceed.” She bounced across the threshold, handed him his own cup, and plopped down on the couch.

  “Oh, so now you’re all for teaming up?” The door slid shut and he put the lock in place.

  “Why not? I mean, it’s not like I’m just going to be able to leave here and forget you exist. Obviously, there is a reason we were brought together. If Ares really is behind this, he isn’t just going to drop the issue. He was never one for letting go of a grudge.”

  “Why do you talk about him like you know him?” He sniffed the coffee and frowned. Just how sweet did she need the stuff to be? The thought of drinking the beverage which had obviously been loaded with cream and sugar made his stomach turn.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You talk as if you two were once friend
s. I mean that is hardly possible, but it’s weird.” He placed his cup on the counter and frowned as she sipped her own.

  “I’ve read up on him.” A simple response and an obvious lie.

  “And through your readings you developed a personal vendetta?” No, her story wasn’t adding up and it was much too early for him to give a damn about pressing the topic.

  “Why does it matter?”

  “Hey, I explained my reasoning to you. I think it’s only fair that you afford me the same courtesy.”

  “Look, like your family, I have my reasons for not wanting the gods to return. Ares is just one that always seemed to rub me the wrong way. God of War, never caring what his callous ways did to others, the lives that were lost or destroyed because he felt like it. This world is shitty enough as it is without him returning to make it worse.” She sat down on the couch where they were the night before. “Does that suffice as reasoning enough for you?”

  “I suppose it will have to, but I know that there is something more you aren’t telling me.” He left her in the living room by herself, officially abandoning the gifted drink, without so much as a thank you. He called over his shoulder, “In time you will tell me!”

  “Don’t hold your breath,” she muttered as she sipped more of her coffee and smiled. She loved a good cup of joe, easy on the cream. Though she had his loaded with the stuff. She had to poke at the bear a little bit. Just because she was agreeing to play along, didn’t mean she was a fool. There was still a very real chance that Carter was working for Ares. If he didn’t know who she really was, she damn sure wasn’t about to offer up the information for him.

  Carter stepped into the shower, the warm water slowly heating as he let it run down his back, relaxing muscles as it passed. He wondered what the hell he had gotten himself into. He’d always believed that going after the returning gods was the right thing. He was sure that the path he’d been set on so many years ago was the one that was meant for him. The problem he faced was that last year had caused him to question if that were still true. The woman who sat in his home, waiting for him to pull himself together, was yet another reason for him to question his choices.