Now it was Ares’ turn to call forth the male of his choice. “Eros, God of Love, I ask that you watch over my Son.”
Eros began to make his way to his Father, but Zeus blocked his path with his staff.
“Apollo,” Zeus called out, “God of the Sun, and your Brother, is a better choice.”
Apollo came forward to stand next to Athena; he held out his arms for Raven.
Suddenly irate at his Father’s interference, Ares refused to hand Raven over to Apollo and instead drew the newborn away from him. “What’s wrong with my Son?” Ares challenged through gritted teeth, wanting to remind Zeus that they had a deal and he’d lived up to his end.
“Nothing, but its tradition,” Zeus offered with an underlying challenge in his tone. In the long running history of the Olympians, it was customary for a mother to choose her closest sister and a father his closest Brother. It wasn’t a law, but it was just as good. “Besides, Apollo has so much more to offer the boy, don’t you agree, Ares?”
If Ares and Apollo could stand to be in the same room for three minutes without killing each other, Zeus’ idea might have merit. Unlike the traditions and customs of Mortals, here on Olympus those chosen to watch over a child took a very active role and could go so far as to act as a second set of living parents, if need be. “I said Eros.” Next to him, Ares heard Alena breathe a sigh of relief.
Eros joined in the quiet protest as he moved to stand with Ares and Alena and to face Zeus. “He is my Brother, and I would be honored to watch over him.”
Zeus ignored his Grandson and the fretting woman at his side as he spoke only to Ares. “If you want this mongrel half-breed accepted as one of us without enduring his trials, you will hold to tradition.”
If he wanted to ensure the continuing safety of his family, then Ares had to go along and he knew it. “My Brother, God of the Sun, will you watch over my Son?”
“No,” Alena hissed.
“Be glad to.” Apollo reached out further for the baby but Alena slapped his hands away.
“Don’t you dare touch my son!” she cried in loud defiance, but when she realized Ares was not going to intervene, her voice dropped low and dark. “I remember you.”
The smile on Apollo’s handsome face grew wider and he winked at her. “I’m flattered.”
When Alena cocked her arm back to swing at Apollo a second time, Eros captured her around the shoulders and held her back. “Don’t, Maggie,” he whispered, “you can’t win this fight.” He kept a tight hold on her as Ares put Raven in Apollo’s arms, and she let out a shout of defiance as she stomped on his foot, causing his grasp to loosen. Tossing her head back, she connected with Eros’ jaw and broke the rest of his hold to lunge forward at Apollo, who’d turned his back on her. This time Ares stopped her and told her to stand her ground.
Apollo and Athena turned to Zeus with Raven nestled in Apollo’s arms. He had the audacity to kiss the boy’s head just before Athena put her hands over Apollo’s so they could present the boy to Zeus. “Father, my Sister Athena and I would like to present you with Raven, Son of Ares God of War.”
Ares waited for Apollo to state the name of Raven’s mother but he did not. It seemed that, at least during the ceremony, the plan was to ignore Alena completely and the tainted blood she brought to Raven’s veins.
Zeus gazed down at the boy for the first time and knew stormy times were ahead of them. He had it all well in hand and believed he had nothing to fear from the squirming infant with gray eyes. Raising his arms in the air to hold the staff high over his head, Zeus spoke the words Ares wanted to hear. “All gathered, now come and gaze upon this boy.” Apollo and Athena placed Raven all wrapped up in his cozy blanket upon the Great Council Table and took a step back from him. “If you find Raven worthy, you may lay upon him a gift as a sign of your acceptance.”
The Olympians wandered out from behind the table to gather around and catch their first glimpse of Raven. The baby boy stared back at them as though he already knew them. One by one, each laid a hand upon Raven’s forehead and bestowed upon him a gift; Hades gave Raven the gift of sensing Death. Poseidon gave the gift of the mastering the Seas. Hera gave the gift of Loyalty. Eros gave his Brother the gift of a True Heart to guide him. Aphrodite bestowed upon him the gift of Seduction. Athena gave her new Nephew the gift of Reason. Apollo bestowed the gift of Music. Lastly, Zeus came forward to touch the baby for the first time, and gave him the power to control the snakes of the land.
“Welcome Raven, God of the Damned, to our fold.” A bolt of lightning shot from the tip of the staff toward Raven’s skull.
Ares and the others were so deep in sudden shock that this time when she cried out, “No!” Alena was successful in snatching her son away from the threatening streak. Zeus’ lightning bolt struck nothing more than cold marble, leaving a burned spot in its wake.
Zeus turned to her. “If you don’t allow this, he will not be one of us, not be an Olympian.”
“He isn’t one of you,” Alena sneered as she held her son close to her breast, “he never will be. I won’t allow you to lay this curse on him.”
“Curse?” Zeus spat, “it’s an honor, one that the likes of you could never even dream of attaining.”
Alena turned her gaze to Hades, wanting to gauge only his reaction to her question. “Lording over the Damned is an honor?” The grimace on Hades’ face was enough for her. While she had no doubt he was proud of his kingdom and good at his job, Hades might have preferred to be King of the Skies instead of Lord of the Dead. “You are tricky, Great Father; you would not do anything to honor my son, although you would have us believe otherwise.”
Hera, also unhappy with the designation Zeus wanted to give the boy, spoke. “Alena, you are preventing your son from taking his rightful place among us; what right do you have to do this? To deny him his birthright?”
“I am his mother. Who are you to try and corrupt him?” She looked up at Ares for support and wasn’t sure what she saw reflected in those deep dark pits.
“He will only grow to resent you, Celt,” Apollo added to the conversation. “When he’s older and realizes you stood in his way, he will hate you.”
Ares looked from his Son to his Wife and then to his rather eccentric Family. “Being an Olympian will always be Raven’s birthright. When he’s older, if he wants to take that chair, he will go through your Trials and he will master them. Until then, Father, my Son will honor all of his birthright, that on my side and the tainted lines of his Mother, the Fey.” Feeling the anger welling up inside of his brawny body, Ares shouted out, “Why don’t you write that into the record, Clio? This boy is Raven, Son of Ares God of War and Magdalena MacLeod.”
Clio scribbled down every word Ares’ spoke, much to Zeus’ chagrin. “Thief!” Zeus charged of Alena. “You would take the gifts offered to him but not the position among us? I shouldn’t have expected anything better from a filthy Celtic whore.”
Hera joined her Husband. “Bring Raven back here, Alena, and all of this can be overlooked. Prove yourself worthy of being the Wife of an Olympian and honor our traditions.”
“Go to hell,” Alena whispered vengefully. “He’s my son, not yours.”
“You condemn him to suffer,” Hera countered. “What kind of mother would do this to her son?”
“Suffer what?” Alena scoffed. “Not being a self-important, arrogant son of a bitch like the rest of you?”
Hera’s strange eyes narrowed on Alena, and the cold stare frightened even Ares, who stepped in front of his Wife and youngest Son to shield them in case she should attack. “Bring me the boy!” Hera hissed as she tossed a ball of rainbow light at Ares, who batted it away with the palm of his hand. “Give him to me!”
“You’ll have to do better than that, Mother,” he warned darkly before ushering Alena out of the Great Council Chamber with Hera’s screaming echoing in their ears.
Unwilling to stop him, Ares let Eros follow them without protest.
III
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Upon entering, the Fortress went into immediate lockdown. Every single door, open window, crack or tiny crevice shut up tight with a thundering bang. The steel and wood shutters slammed down, casting the occupants into darkness. The women came running from all corners as the three of them entered the throne room. “Take them upstairs,” Ares commanded. “Now, take them!”
Onya hurried Alena and Raven up the stairs along with the other women.
“I did what he wanted; I should have known he’d find way to wiggle out of it.”
“Out of what?” Eros asked as he followed Ares over to the Throne of Bones where the God of War gave it a good solid kick before plopping down onto the seat. Eros agreed that labeling Raven the God of the Damned was beyond the pale and deserved rebuking, but there was more going on here. “This has something to do with what had you in a tizzy the other day, doesn’t it?”
“It’s not your concern,” Ares said and pushed Eros away from his face. Zeus really had it all figured out in his mind; Ares saw that now. Once Alena heard that Raven was to be the God of the Damned, he was counting on her putting a halt to the ceremony. What choice did she have? To her it was one of the worst curses that could be laid upon anyone. It had a double meaning and Zeus was thrilled to shove that particular dagger in Ares’ damned heart. The God of War was heading to Tartarus when he left this Earth and everyone knew it—except Alena, probably. If Raven took his position as God of the Damned, then Raven would Lord over his own Father in Life and in Death. “If you’re going to stay on this side, you’d better watch your back, Eros. You’ve just made a powerful lot of enemies.”
Eros nodded and let out an ‘ummmm’ sound as he gazed upon Ares. His stance didn’t win him any favors with Zeus or Apollo and certainly not with his Mother, Aphrodite. It seemed it was possible that for all of her kindness toward Alena, even Hera was siding with her Husband. That left the three wild cards—Athena, Poseidon and Hades. “I realize I was the only acceptable choice, but I was still honored when you called my name, Father.”
“You don’t think I’d let Apollo watch over either one of you, do you?”
“You seemed willing enough,” Eros reminded his Father quietly. “But then again, I imagine that was some deal you struck with Zeus so that Raven would be accepted without Trial or Question. What did you have to do to make that happen?”
An angry whisper interrupted the conversation from the doorway. “Yes, Ares, what did you do? Why were you willing to let them ignore me, discount me as Raven’s mother?”
“Damn it, Alena! Go back upstairs!” Ares roared when she skittered into the room. “Stay with the women!”
“This is our son, our life, I’m not going to be kept in the dark.” Briskly passing by Eros, Alena took her seat upon the throne Ares made for her. “Spill it, all of it, now.”
Happy to be more than a fly upon the wall, Eros sat on the floor with his legs crossed Indian-style and gazed up at his Father and new StepMother while resting his golden chin upon his golden hands. “By all means, go on, Ares, talk.”
Ares sat silent and stone-faced on his Throne of Bones. He had nothing to say to them. Even though he had used his warrior’s mind to form the strategy where his Blood Vow was concerned, he wasn’t ready to test the theory. Besides, stone cold silence seemed the best course of action at the moment.
Alena sat there very ladylike and made a comment light as air but heavier than lead. “I know you slept with Aphrodite.” Eros’ mouth dropped open as Ares’ head slowly pivoted toward her voice. “Your Parents are getting back together; you should be very happy.”
Ares knew he should keep his mouth shut but he couldn’t do that. “Like hell we are. Why would you say something like that?” The scars on the palm of his hand and forearm started itching. If he started talking about this Zeus would know and then all bets were off. Any of those three heretics would be free to start spouting off their twisted versions of the truth to Alena.
“I saw it. You and her,” she hissed in a whisper. “Here,” Alena touched her head. “I even know when; what I don’t understand is why.”
Sitting there trying to not show any expression other than a tightly set jaw, Ares hid the shock of her words. Alena saw him and Aphrodite in her mind, a dream, a vision; that was why she asked him if he still loved her right after she gave birth to Raven. The itching grew worse until it began burning. Ares clenched his fist and he kept his mouth shut. His staunch silence infuriated her.
“Was it enjoyable? Satisfying?” Alena taunted as she leaned over the arm of her throne and craned her neck toward him, wanting to read the answers to her coming questions in his eyes. “Was it worth it? Is she better than this old witch, this filthy Celtic whore?”
“Alena! Stop it!” Ares roared and ripped off the gauntlet under which his forearm burned. Tossing it to the floor, he rubbed the burning flesh so hard he thought that it would reopen. “Leave me alone.”
“Blood vows,” she said with a titter that nearly mocked Aphrodite’s favorite condescending tone. “Why? So she wouldn’t spill your lustful secret?” Her voice dropped dark and low. “But that’s not all I’ve seen, my Love. Why isn’t Olympus in the stars? You never answered. Where is this place all of you came from? Is it in the stars? Why do you all hate the Celts so much? What did we do to you? Or, did you…do it to us?”
“I can’t speak of any of this so leave it alone,” Ares interjected heatedly. That wasn’t exactly true. Ares made Zeus, Apollo and Aphrodite swear never to speak of it outside the four of them. Ares didn’t specifically include himself and no one seemed to notice. The burning itch warned him that while he might not be spilling all of the beans, there would be consequences. “Just be silent.” If nothing else, he’d had about all he was going to take in the form of insult today.
Alena just kept right on going. “I hope you got something out of it seeing as your night of passion almost cost you Raven.” Alena stood up; she wanted to smack him, just grab him by that beard and that smug face and smack the every-loving hell out of him. Instead, she made the mistake of turning her back on him. “We could have died and you were off fucking her—weren’t you?”
In a flash, Ares was off the Throne of Bones and on her back. Both of his arms wrapped around her slender frame, gripping her in a bear hug. Ares pressed her tightly to him. “You listen to me, I hate that bitch, and I got no pleasure from being in her bed.” The strong muscles in his arms flexed and tightened their hold on her so that she could hardly draw breath. Ares whispered hotly, “I did it for you, for Raven, and today you turned your back on my sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice? Gimme a break.” Even though Ares could easily crush her to death, Alena wasn’t going to let that silence her broken heart. Not even the sight and smell of his scarred flesh beginning to smoke would hold back her tongue. “Don’t play martyr with me, it doesn’t suit you in the least. Sacrifice my ass,” Alena spat, unafraid of her Husband, the God of War. “You were willing to have me erased from my son’s life just so he could be part of your pathetically insane Family!”
“Ares, let her go.” Eros stood up to intervene, but the warning in his Father’s icy stare stopped him. “Maggie, be quiet,” he advised, standing there trying to ready himself to do what he could against Ares, which wouldn’t be much. “Stop goading him.”
“That wasn’t part of the bargain,” Ares confessed and let Alena go. “I would never betray you that way.”
“Just in other ways,” she whispered and walked away from him, her heart breaking. Alena felt her breath hitching harshly in her chest as her eyes welled with tears. To see it in her mind was one thing, but hear him confess to it was another completely. The one person that she’d ever had in all the world to love and to trust just stabbed her in the back. Good reason, good intentions or not, how would she ever trust him again?
There she was, standing in front of him, trembling, her eyes misty and her face crestfallen. All Eros wanted to do was take her in his arms and tell her everythin
g would be all right. This was just Life on Olympus and nothing more. As their eyes met briefly the agony that he saw staring back at him tore at his heartstrings. When his arm moved ever so slightly upward as if to touch her she turned away from him.
Keeping hold of her anger for just a moment longer, Alena turned to face Ares and meet him eye to eye just before she leapt up to slap him across the face as hard as she could. His head snapped back on his neck from the unexpected force of the blow. With her hand stinging as much as the tears in her eyes, she stormed out of the room before the deluge of tears spilled down over her alabaster cheeks. Holding up her gown with one hand and the other hand pressed to her face, she ran up the stairs to her son.
Standing in shock, his cheek stinging, his ears ringing and his forearm still smoldering, Ares watched her go.
Eros understood his Father’s predicament. “You don’t have to talk, I think I’ve got it. Just let me bounce this off you,” Eros crooned as he crossed his sinewy arms over his bare chest. The wings on his back ruffled and then settled. “I gather I’ll be welcoming another sibling soon, a full-blood. That’s what Zeus wanted, why you came to my house inquiring about my potency and how intimate I may have been with my Mother?” Eros paused for a moment as he scratched the side of his head and then began to wonder aloud. “Why you? Is there something wrong with Apollo? He seems to still be getting the job done for Mother. Is there something wrong with me for that matter? I would think more children from you would be the last thing Zeus wanted.”
“Me too,” Ares muttered as the burning in his forearm and the palm of his hand began to subside. At least Eros understood how to get around the restraints of a blood vow. If Eros just talked and Ares said nothing, eventually the truth outted itself, but Alena wasn’t satisfied with Ares’ silence; she took it for tacit hubris and him being a stubborn asshole. At least now he understood why Alena asked him if he still loved her the night Raven was born; she already knew where he’d been and what he’d been doing. With his eyes smoldering as much as his arm, Ares sniffed in a breath through his nose as his upper lip curled and he began wondering how it all fell apart so quickly. Then realizing if what Alena said was true and she’d had a vision of him and Aphrodite, then she was holding out on him as well. Ammunition was always a good thing to have in stock.
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