Her embrace changed, became softer. Gentler. Almost tender. “You guys will work through this. You always do.”
“She’s really done with me, Morri.”
“Then maybe it’s time to let go and move on. Just because you’ve invested years with someone doesn’t mean you need to throw good after bad, you know what I mean?” She sighed again. “Come inside. Not everyone in Tír na nÓg needs to see your business played out on my lawn.”
He stepped inside.
“Here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to go upstairs into my wetroom—”
He smirked. “Is that what they’re calling it?”
She snickered. “It is.” But she pushed him toward the stairs. “You’re going to go upstairs and you’re going to take a nice, long soak in that bath. Even you could swim in it.”
“Oh, that’s that thing you were talking about that covers your knees and your rack at the same time?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes. It can even cover your knees and your rack at the same time.” Morrigan poked him in the chest.
“I don’t think this pouting in the bath thing works the same for gods as it does for goddesses.”
“Lots of things work the same for goddesses as well as gods. Plus, you like to preen. You can look at yourself in the mirror like a pretty bird. Who’s a pretty bird?” she teased.
“I am not Corvinus.”
“No, but you guys share a love of your own reflection. Look, get in the bath. Use the bath bombs and the—”
He perked. “There are bombs? Well, why didn’t you say so? I’m game for anything with bombs.”
“Not those kind of… never mind.” She flicked her wrist and smiled. “It’s all set up for you. Go on now. I’m just going to run out and get some pizza, okay? When I get back, we’ll watch Bridge on the River Kwai and eat pizza.”
“Meatlovers? With extra meat?”
“All the meat you can handle, big boy.” She winked at him and pushed him toward the stairs.
“Hey, that’s not what I meant.”
“You got a problem with guys who like meat?”
“Of course not. They don’t call it the Greek way for nothing.” Ares winked back at her, finding comfort in their usual banter.
“Go on, then.”
He traipsed up the stairs. He really wasn’t sure how a bath would make him feel better, but Morrigan swore by it. He knew she wouldn’t lead him astray. Unless he deserved it.
“Hey, wait a minute. This isn’t a trick to get me to throw myself in a volcano or something?” At her eye roll, he added, “It’s not that I won’t do it. I mean, if it’s what you require to forgive me. But I want to know what I’m getting into.”
“Ares, you should know me better by now. If I wanted you in a volcano, I’d put you there myself.”
He finished making his way up the stairs and when he emerged into the wet room, there was a deep bath that could probably have held a party. A fire burned in the grate against the wall and the room smelled like cinnamon and cloves. Warm and cozy. Just like Morrigan.
Ares wasted no time getting naked and settling into the water. A goblet of warm spiced wine with a dash of ambrosia appeared next to him and he drank it down.
A heavy sigh escaped him and he realized that maybe she was right. This was nice. Except for the boner he had and the bad-wrong-forbidden thoughts he had about Morri.
He didn’t even look at himself in the mirror.
6
MORRI
She and Aphrodite were not the best of friends.
They weren’t really more than acquaintances. In fact, if not for the fact that Ares was her best friend, Morrigan would never have had cause to interact with the Greek Goddess of Love.
And that would’ve suited her just fine.
More than fine. Morrigan didn’t need all that drama in her life. She was also wary and mistrustful of any other being who could inflict emotions on others. It was a mighty responsibility and gods and goddesses were no better than humans when it came to using their powers.
Granted, when dealing with her powers, Aphrodite didn’t seem like an asshole, but she saw another side of the goddess through Ares’ interactions with her. And again, she knew there were two sides to every story and that Ares, on his best days, could be trying.
But this right now? It was bullshit and needed to be resolved. So Morri was going to stop at Aphrodite’s temple on the way to get pizza. Ares need never know.
Standing outside of the pink temple on the marble steps, Morrigan carefully considered her options again. This wasn’t something she’d ever done before. She’d always refused to get involved in their spats.
Only this was serious shit.
So she knocked.
A tearful, puffy-faced Aphrodite opened the door and seeing Morrigan, launched herself at her.
Morrigan, for her part, thought it was an attack. It took her a moment to process the other goddess was hugging her.
This did not bode well. Not at all.
So Morrigan hugged her back and patted her like she would a child. She was the Goddess of the Hearth after all—the maiden, the mother and the crone. All of which knew how to give comfort.
“Gods, you smell like him,” Aphrodite murmured as she pulled away. “Is this it, then? Did he send you to tell me that you’re finally together?” Aphrodite, even though she’d broken the embrace, she was still holding on to Morrigan’s forearms. There were tears in her eyes, but so much more. Sadness, pain… but hope and joy, too.
“I… no.” Morrigan shook her head. “I don’t understand you.”
“What’s not to understand?” Aphrodite pulled her up the stairs. She was surprisingly strong. “I’m Love. Seeing my power fulfilled always brings me joy, even if it’s at personal expense.”
“Dude. You have to stop this matchmaking thing between us. It’s not going to happen. That’s not who we are to each other.”
Her temple smelled like chocolate. All in all, not a bad thing. Although, it was making her hungry.
“It’s not who you were because I was in the way.”
Morrigan summoned all of her patience and tried explaining again. “Have you ever stopped to think maybe I don’t want to be in love with him? I know him too well.”
“Too bad.” She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes. “I can’t undo that kind of magic.”
“You said something as a child when your powers were new…”
“No.” Aphrodite said, speaking slowly and calmly. Almost as if she were trying to be as patient as Morrigan was struggling to be. “Maybe it was me at first, but I looked. The love you have for each other, it’s like… have you ever been to Asgard?”
Morrigan wondered if the other goddess was fucking with her. She’d been to Asgard with Thor and that ill-fated affair… but seeing nothing nefarious from the other goddess, she said, “Yes.”
“Yggdrasill. It’s the tree of the world between you and you both planted and watered the seed all on your own. It had nothing to do with me after you were adults.”
“Then why aren’t you angry at me? Why did you let me in your home?”
“Because I’ll always love Ares. He’ll always love me. When it doesn’t hurt anymore, I’ll want him to be happy.”
“You are so frustrating. If you could’ve both found that sentiment eons ago, you’d be happy together instead doing shit like starting The Trojan War.”
Aphrodite’s eyes narrowed and a thundercloud appeared briefly over her head before disappearing. “Maybe you weren’t aware, but that is The War That Shalt Not Be Named.”
Morrigan waved her off. “Yeah, yeah. For him, too. See what I mean?”
“No, I looked. I was always afraid what I would see if I used my power and looked. But I finally did.”
“I don’t know what you saw, but maybe you were wrong.” Morrigan held up her hand between them. “And before you get insulted and try to smite me, you haven’t seen him. He’s at my temple in Tír na nÓg. He ne
ver comes to my temple. He hugged me. He never hugs me. He told me he knows he’s shit and doesn’t deserve me. You broke him.”
Aphrodite sniffed and straightened. “He said that? Used those words?”
“Yeah.” Morrigan nodded emphatically. “I wasn’t talking to him because he left last night without telling me—I know to see you home—but damn it, he never tells me. He always ditches me. So I wasn’t speaking to him. Anyway, he comes to my temple all charming. You know, as he does. Then—”
Aphrodite cupped her cheek. “Sweetheart, that wasn’t me. I didn’t break him. You did.”
Morrigan jerked away both from the caress and what Aphrodite was saying. “No. He just needed comfort. The foundations of his world are gone without you.”
“Someday, the three of us are going to be together and you and I are going to laugh about this conversation.”
“If that happens, I’ll dress up like Cinderella.”
“I will hold you to that, Morrigan.” Aphrodite nodded, as if she had it all figured out. “Where does he think you are?”
“Getting pizza.”
“Let me hug you one more time. Then go back to him and let things happen as they may. Don’t fight it. You’ve seen how that turned out for Oedipus when he tried to fight his fate.”
Aphrodite hugged her again and it seemed grief wracked her body in tremoring shudders.
“If it causes you such pain to hug me, why are you doing it?”
“Because you smell like him, and you always have. He says you smell like cinnamon and cloves, but to me, you’ve always worn his scent and I used to hate you for it. I want to hate you for it.”
Morrigan realized now just how hard this was for the other goddess. “I’m sorry I came here. Aphrodite, you know that no matter what’s happened, I never wanted to cause you any pain.”
“I know that. Even when we were jealous of each other.”
Morri didn’t try to deny that there were times her jealousy got the best of her. “It’s not easy to be pushed aside for someone else.” She meant all the times Ares had left her hanging because Aphrodite needed this or Aphrodite wanted that.
Only Aphrodite said, “No kidding.”
They laughed together.
“Maybe now that we’re moving into our rightful places, we can be friends,” Aphrodite offered.
Morrigan didn’t have many friends. Really, it was only Ares. Her nature was too complex for most gods and goddesses. Those even who had duality didn’t understand her triplicate nature. That’s not to say she didn’t like them, or they didn’t like her, but there was a lack of deeper connection and understanding.
“Is the offer open even if Ares and I don’t become what you say we will?”
“Of course. And if you need anything, in the scope of my job or not, my temple is open to you.”
She pursed her lips, debating whether to ask the question that was on her tongue. Morrigan wasn’t unmindful of Aphrodite’s pain.
“I know what you want to ask.” Aphrodite nodded. “You can’t stand to see him in pain, can you?”
“Can you?”
“Not real pain, no. But that’s up to him when he’s done hurting. Not to you, not even to me. All I can say is be there for him, like you always are. Like you always will be.”
Morrigan felt something warm in her chest. It was almost like the bloom of a flower spreading across her torso. She’d never felt it before, not like this.
“I guess they’re right with what they say.”
“What’s that?” Aphrodite asked.
“Love is kind.”
“I try to be. But I’m only a goddess. The power I wield is so much more than me.” She pressed her lips together, but her eyes teared up again. “I have all of these zen thoughts and philosophies, but my heart grieves. My very essence hurts, but my power? It’s joyous. It resonates for you. As much as I wish I could hate you, blame you, I don’t.”
“I don’t know that I could be as forgiving,” Morrigan confessed.
“You are. You are the mother, too. Mothers forgive. Mothers sacrifice. Here you are in my temple asking me to help someone you love. Don’t sell yourself short because all anyone else sees is the war goddess.”
Morrigan felt like she’d been punched in the face. Her nose tingled. “Damn. I think I’d rather happy ever after with you. You’re the only one who sees that part of me. Wait, no. I know Ares sees it, he just chooses to ignore it.”
“He ignores it because it makes you too perfect. It makes you everything he wants.”
“So I guess you’re not going to relent and take him back?”
“No, Morrigan. It’s wrong for both us. You’ll see that soon enough.”
Her interaction with Aphrodite was nothing like what she expected it to be and it had given her none of the answers she wanted or that Ares needed.
“If you change your mind, Aphrodite…”
“I won’t. But if I did, I’d tell you.”
“And uh, you know in honor of our new friendship, if you need anything?”
“Thanks, Morrigan.” She gave her a sad smile. “Maybe you can send Corvinus to keep me company when it’s time for him to get used to a new way of doing things. I promise to spoil him terribly.”
“Sure.” She didn’t bother to argue. She might send him over just so Aphrodite would have someone to talk to who wouldn’t try to give her any advice. Corvinus was good about that. He was the best. He’d hate everyone for Aphrodite like the best ride or die bitch.
After leaving Aphrodite’s, she stopped at the little pizza shop on the Lane. When the cyclops owner saw her, he called out, “Ares special?”
“That’s the one.”
She waited for his pizza to be done and didn’t pay much mind to the other gods and goddesses until Poseidon walked through the door.
“Hey, fancy seeing you here.”
He gave her a grin. “Even I get cravings. This is the best pizza in the world. What are you getting?”
“The usual. An Ares special.”
“All the meats? I personally love pineapple and pepperoni.”
“Oh, me too.” She smiled.
“We should do that sometime. Sneak in the pizza to your favorite pub. Nothing better than a good, dark Irish stout with a deep dish pizza.”
Her mouth watered. “Definitely. Next Saturday?”
Yeah, see if fate was going to make her do anything she didn’t want to do. She and Ares were not a good match. He didn’t even like stout. He drank Budweiser. That was how she knew they weren’t really be meant to be together. They were friends.
And that’s how they were going to stay.
7
ARES
He didn’t notice how long she’d been gone until she reappeared in the wet room, holding a cardboard box the smelled of delicious pizza.
“Didn’t know we were eating in the bath,” he said casually.
Morrigan coughed and turned away. “I didn’t know you’d still be in the bath. I thought you’d be watching Netflix back at your temple or something. We never hang out at my temple.”
“Oh, I see. So, you just decided to appear wherever I was, huh? It wasn’t because you wanted to look at me naked?” He liked teasing her. It was one of his favorite past times, really.
“Oh, please. Seeing you naked is like looking at a newspaper. Everyone’s seen it.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s not pretty.” He flexed his biceps. “Come on, you know that’s a good headline.” He indicated his muscles.
She put the pizza box down. “Poseidon’s is bigger.”
He spluttered. “Excuse me, what? I don’t think I heard that correctly.”
She grinned with an evil glee. “I’ll speak slowly so you can understand. I said, your brother’s is bigger.”
He cocked his head to the side. “You only say that because you haven’t really experienced what I have to offer.” He flashed her a smug smile. Morrigan could never resist a challenge. He liked that about her.
>
“You think so? Well, I’m going to experience all he has to offer on Saturday. We’re going out for pizza.”
“Your idea of date with my brother is the same thing you do with me?”
She snorted. “Please. We’re going to drink real beer.”
“Good for him. But I bet you don’t sleep with him. I’ve been your best friend since the world was young and I still haven’t gotten under your battle armor, so I don’t think he has much hope.” He meant it to be a dig, a quick-witted rebuttal that was just that—an arrow. But he didn’t know it would smite him back.
He didn’t know he wanted under her battle armor.
No, that was a lie. If she wasn’t who she was, if she didn’t mean the world to him, then he’d want under her armor and between her strong thighs.
The intensity of a memory flooded him—not a memory, the memory. The one where they’d almost kissed. The one where they’d had the good sense to put their friendship before whatever new and strange feelings they had.
Her cheeks were flushed and he wondered if she was reliving the same moment. If she wondered what it would be like with him.
He had to push those thoughts away. Just like then, he was hurting. He was looking to her to be a bandaid.
No, fuck that. As if Morrigan, the motherfucking Morrigan, could ever be something as inconsequential as a bandaid. She could be a wound, a scar, a tattoo—even a bullet, but never a bandaid.
She laughed, the sound higher-pitched that her norm. He could tell she was nervous, uncomfortable. “As if that’s a thing that can happen.” Morrigan turned to leave. “Put on some pants, leash your war hammer, and let’s have our pizza, okay?”
“No. Hell no. You’ve insulted my prowess and my war hammer.” He started to get out of the bath. He didn’t know why he enjoyed riling her, or what particularly perverse maggot was gnawing through his brain now, but the moment had become a runaway train and there was no stopping it.
She put her hand out. “Ares, seeing you naked will have no effect on who I decide to sleep with. Specifically, your brother. If anything, I mean, since you’re so proud of it, it might make me so eager I have to go to Atlantis right now. Then where will you be? Alone in my temple with pizza and your flagging war hammer.”
Ambrosia Lane 1-3: Saranna DeWylde Page 52
