Ares' Temptation (12 page)

Chapter Seventeen

Bait

The waves lolled back and forth.

A seagull cawed three times.

Kaye coughed up water. So much water she wondered if that was all she’d eaten for breakfast. Pain erupted behind her eyes as she squinted against the sun. Her skin burned like she’d been lying out there for hours. Why hadn’t she put on sunscreen?

She sat up in the sand. No towel. No umbrella. No other person for miles on either side.

Where was she?

“Hello?” Kaye called out, then remembered her fight with the merman and covered her mouth. She glanced at her body. Besides the red welts on her legs, everything looked in place.

So what the hell did he want? And why’d he leave her on a desert island in the middle of nowhere.

Kaye stood. Her lips were parched and split from the sun. When she licked them, she tasted blood.

She had to look for water, then shelter. Wasn’t that the right order? She thought back to all those
Survivor
episodes she’d watched with Syrinx. But all she could remember was the fights and how to get voted off the island. In this case, she wanted off as soon as possible.

Just piss off the leader, and you’ll be all set.

Except no one was here. Just sand, sand, and more sand.

She kept walking. A dense tropical forest with palm trees lined the center of the island. It was either that or the ocean stretching for miles without a single ship. Without Ares’ powers, her chances of swimming were zero to nil.

She walked toward the palm trees. A hairy coconut lay on the sand. Maybe if she could break it open, she could drink the juice. She smashed it on a rock. The coconut bounced off, unharmed.

Great.

That silly question people used to ask came back to her.
If you were on a desert island and you could only take one thing, what would it be?

Duh. A water bottle.

Kaye dug her fingernails into the coconut with no success. No. A big damned water tank. A swimming pool full of drinking water.

She could daydream all morning, but the coconut was still as hard as a freakin’ rock.

The water on the horizon changed. Kaye stood, dropping the coconut.
No. It couldn’t be
.

The ocean rose in a wall, like a giant tsunami. Kaye backed up and grabbed onto a palm tree. Boy, was she having a bad day.

The wave reached the shore and dissipated instantly as a large merman with shaggy, white hair and a long beard slithered to the sand. His chest was bare and rippled with muscles, ending at the waist in glittery aqua-green scales. In one hand he held a trident.

Kaye dropped her arms to her sides, gawking. Now she really was doomed.

Seaweed, fish, and shells fell from his beard as he slithered onto the beach. His eyes glowed iridescent like the other merman’s, but something else was there as well—a complacency, an arrogant snobbery much worse than Ares’.

He spotted Kaye and smiled wickedly, like she was some new pet he could torture. “The mortal.”

“What am I doing here?” Kaye narrowed her eyes and tried to look fierce.

Poseidon stuck his trident in the sand and leaned on it smugly. “You’re the bait.”

“The bait?”

“To lure Ares to my domain.”

Kaye stepped forward. She didn’t want to seem like some lost monkey clinging to a palm tree. “What makes you so sure he’ll come for me?”

“You met my son, Triton?”

Kaye nodded. “If he was the creepy abductor, then yes.”

Poseidon ignored her taunt. “Triton witnessed your brave act in the aquarium to save Ares. You’d give your life for him.” Poseidon picked a crab from his beard and flung it back into the sea. “Love is not a one-way current. A woman only sacrifices herself if the man feels the same.”

“Well, I’ve got news for you.” Kaye put both hands on her hips. “Ares left for good right before Triton grabbed me. He’s not coming back to the mortal world. So there’s no way for him to know I’m here. He won’t show up. You might as well take me back.”

Poseidon laughed. “Mortals are so quick to judge.” He slithered toward her.

Kaye resisted the urge to cringe back.
Show no weakness.

The merman stood two heads taller than her. His scaly waist stretched three feet across. He smelled of tangy sea brine and fish, and his scales oozed gelatinous goo.

The myths of his attractiveness were highly overrated.

He swung his trident by her face. Kaye flinched, shying away. The third point sliced a lock of her dark curls. The hair fell to the sand, and Poseidon picked it up. “We shall see how much Ares values your life.” He turned around and made his way into the ocean, leaving a gooey trail of scales and saltwater.

“Wait. What if he doesn’t come to get me?”

Poseidon turned around with a glimmer in his eye. “This is my favorite island. Stay awhile.”

Kaye gagged in horror as Poseidon disappeared into the sea.

…

Ares swung his blade, severing the arm of a giant octopus the size of his father’s temple. The other seven appendages swung around him, grasping for his ankles and arms. He glanced at Apollo, who wrestled with a giant crab along with several of his soldiers. They could handle the creature, but Ares was on his own.

It would take too long to hunt down each tentacle and cut them off one by one. He sheathed his sword. A tentacle swiped at his head, and he ducked.

A surefire way to the top.

Ares waited for another tentacle to hit him. One came at his stomach, and he let it take him down under the water. Holding his breath, he reached his arm around it and held on. The beast flung him back and forth, then up ten feet above the shore.

He’d only have one chance. If he missed or slipped, he’d end up submerged in the deeper waters where the mermen would pull him under. A calm confidence came over him. He would not miss.

Ares rode the tentacle as it swung close enough to the mantle. He released his grip and jumped. As he fell, he unsheathed his daggers. Ares hit the mantle and started slipping. He jabbed each dagger in the hide to stop himself from falling twenty feet into the sea.

The octopus reared up. A tentacle grasped Ares’ boot, the suction cups as large as his palms. It pulled, and Ares held on, gritting his teeth.

If he lost his grip, the beast would fling him half a mile into the sea. In full battle armor, the water would slow Ares down. The memory of his orange swim trunks popped in his head, and he pushed it away. He couldn’t think of Kaye now.

He tightened his grip with one hand and released the other, swiping at the tentacle. He managed to cut a gash in the arm, but the beast still held him by a few tendons. Ares swiped again and hacked the tentacle in half. The severed part still clung to his boot.

Kicking the tentacle away, he climbed until he reached the zenith of the octopus’ cranium. Standing upright, he straddled the beast, sheathed his daggers, and brought out his sword.

If this beast reached the town, it would destroy entire buildings, killing hundreds. As magnificent as it was, he had to stop it.

Ares raised the blade above his head. He brought down the sword and pierced through the beast’s mantle, right into its brain. The beast stumbled, then fell forward, splashing into the sea. The six remaining tentacles writhed, then slowly dropped, one by one. Ares slid down one of the tentacles and jumped to the beach.

“Excellent work.” Apollo clapped his shoulder. “But your adversary did not have pincer claws.” The other soldiers forced the remaining sea creatures back. The battle was won.

“Yes, but how many limbs did yours have?”

Apollo smiled. “You have me there.”

They walked along the shore, searching for dead or wounded. Apollo kicked at the shell of a giant crab, verifying it had been killed. “It is good to have you back. Without you, this battle would have taken twice as long, and more would have died. Tell me, where did you learn such fine footwork on the beach?”

Ares paused, not sure whether to bring up his time with Kaye. “A game the mortals call volleyball.”

“Volley-ball?” Apollo mused. “Sounds like great fun.”

Ares considered Apollo’s speed and hand eye coordination. “You would excel at it. I’ll teach you sometime.”

Unable to fight on land, the mermen were forced deeper into the sea. Ares watched the waves of their retreat.

“You have good memories of your time with mortals?” Apollo’s question sounded innocent, but Ares’ brother didn’t waste time on frivolous conversation.

“I do.”

Apollo’s face grew serious. “Do you consider returning?”

His question struck Ares like a slap to the face. “The urge is within me. Kaye and I did not part on good terms.”

Apollo took time to respond. Ares could tell his brother held back deeper emotions. “Consider us, dear brother. This battle may be won, but the war will go on. We need you.”

“I know.” The war always continued, whether it was with Poseidon, Hades, or all the other gods and goddesses and beasts inhabiting their volatile world.

“Commander, lieutenant.” A soldier from the fourth battalion stood before them. “There’s something you must see.”

“What is the matter?” Ares stepped toward the soldier.

“A prisoner. He has a message, and he refuses to speak to us. He asked for you.”

Dread spread through Ares’ gut. This battle had been too easy to win, a ploy to get their attention. Poseidon must have a larger plan. “Show me.”

They walked toward the edge of the sea where a merman lay on his back. A gash across his chest oozed blue-black blood.

Ares stood over him. Normally, seeing a wounded enemy had no effect on the God of War, but this time, he felt the urge to help him. He turned to the soldier. “Get him a healer.”

“Yes, sir.” The soldier jogged away.

Ares ignored Apollo’s questioning gaze. “I am Ares. With whom do I speak?”

“Pacifican, third battalion of the deep sea.”

Ares leaned over him. “What is your message?”

The merman reached for a shell on a chord tied to his neck. He cracked the shell open and pulled a dark curl out.

Ares fell to his knees in devastation.
Kaye
. It had to be hers.

He took the lock and held it to his cheek. The hair was silky against his skin and smelled of wild strawberries, eliciting sweet memories of soft kisses. “What has Poseidon done with her?”

The merman coughed, and water trickled from his mouth. “She is alive. Held captive on the third island off the coast.”

The price would be high, but Ares was prepared to give his life. “What does he want?”

“For you to come alone.”

“Impossible.” Apollo stepped in. His voice fell to a whisper. “Brother, this doesn’t sound like you. In the past, you’d be the first to start a full-scale invasion.”

Apollo was right. But Ares wasn’t the same man who’d left Mount Olympus to track a witch. After meeting Kaye, all life seemed more precious. “I’m going alone.”

“To go alone into the crux of enemy territory is suicide. I’ll gather the armada.”

“No.” Ares stood and held his brother back. “No more large battles.”

Apollo shoved his face in his brother’s. “I will not stand by and let Poseidon’s seamen slaughter you.”

Ares remained calm as a moment of clarity hit him like a warm bath of light. He must go alone. It was the only way to defeat the Sea God once and for all. “This is my chance to reach Poseidon. Too many have died on both sides. If I succeed, we will have peace.”

Apollo shook his head. “We can’t trust him. He’ll have his seamen kill you before you reach him.”

Ares’ anger flared. “You underestimate me, brother.”

“Your feelings for this…mortal have clouded your vision.”

“No.” Ares held his brother’s stare. “If anything, they’ve made it stronger and given me clarity where battle lust would clog my senses.”

Apollo sighed. “You truly think she’s worth it?”

“I’d save her even if I didn’t think it would save the kingdom. But it will. You must trust me.”

“I trust you. It’s Poseidon I don’t trust.” Apollo stared at the sea with loathing. “Don’t turn your back on him, and don’t fall prey to false hope. Given the chance, I’d chop off his head.”

His brother’s council was wise. “I will be careful.”

Apollo backed down and bowed his head. “You will always have my allegiance.”

“And you will always have my friendship.” Ares clapped his brother on the shoulder. “See to it this merman is healed and returned to his people.”

“For what reason?” Apollo stared at the merman in disgust.

Ares had once had the same reaction, but now he only saw suffering. “To tell Poseidon I’m coming.”

Chapter Eighteen

Replica

Kaye hit the coconut against the rock again. This time she almost missed and scraped the side. The unbroken coconut fell at her feet.

Damn it.

She’d die of thirst before Ares even noticed she was gone.

That’s
if
he was coming.

Being the bait sucked. Sure, she’d be glad to see him again, but she wouldn’t want him falling into the hands of the enemy because of her. And she also didn’t want to die here on this deserted island as one of Poseidon’s play toys.

An insistent cawing drew her attention. She whirled around and found a black bird perched on a vine above her head. A raven? On a tropical island?

The bird took off, flying to the sand beneath a tree where a bottle of Dasani sat against the roots.

She must be hallucinating. It was one of the symptoms of dehydration. Soon, she’d pass out.

Hallucination or not, Kaye flung herself forward. She picked up the bottle. For a hallucination, it felt wonderfully cool and moist in her hands. She unscrewed the cover and gulped the delicious liquid. Water had never tasted so good.

The raven cawed again.

“What the hell do you want?” Kaye laughed. She had no idea why she was talking to a bird. Then she remembered the Tom Hanks movie,
Castaway
. That was it. Didn’t he start talking to a volleyball?

The bird pointed its beak toward the trees as if it understood her.

“What? You want me to go in there?”

“Caw.”

What kind of critters inhabited this island? Snakes, hairy spiders, and roaches came to mind. Sloths, too. Those things were harmless, but they gave her the creeps.

The bird cawed again.

“All right. All right.” Coconut in one hand and the Dasani in the other, she picked her way through the ferns barefoot.

Black feathers ruffled from the back of a palm tree. The shape turned, revealing a humanoid form.

“Hekate?”

And she’d thought her day couldn’t get worse.

Hekate smiled, but it wasn’t wicked. Her eyes were almost kind. “I see you’ve found my little gift.”

Anger prickled the hair on the back of Kaye’s neck. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t throw this coconut at you.”

The witch spread both hands. “I mean you no harm. I’m here to help.”

“Help? You got me into this mess in the first place!”

She held up a finger. “Precisely why I’ve cleared my busy schedule to help you.”

Kaye narrowed her eyes. She didn’t trust this woman any more than she trusted Poseidon. But seeing as she couldn’t go anywhere, she didn’t have much of a choice. “I don’t understand.”

“I never meant it to get this far. All I wanted to do was teach Ares a lesson. I knew you’d have to get over him, but I didn’t intend for you to become Poseidon’s prey.”

What was this? A witch with a conscience?
Beggars can’t be choosers
.
Whatever her motivations are, as long as she wants to help, I should take advantage.
Kaye straightened like a queen giving orders. “Then get me out of here.”

Hekate snorted. “I’m not that powerful. I can’t just snap my fingers and snatch you away. I’m in the Sea God’s realm, and Poseidon is much more powerful than I am.”

“So how are you going to help me?”

“I’ve brought this.” She held out her hands, and Kaye’s sword appeared, polished and ready to go.

Kaye’s hope dropped to her feet.
That’s the best she could do?
“That’s a replica. It’s not even a real sword. Besides, I don’t have Ares’ powers anymore. I’m useless.”

Hekate looked sheepish. “The powers became a part of you, and when it came time to break the curse, I could not completely separate them from who you are. I’m sorry. I tried.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you might have a little more oomph than you used to. That and…” She muttered. “You might live an extra two hundred years or so, give or take.”

“What?!”

Hekate shrugged, and her crow-feather cape rustled. “Sorry. I tried my best.”

Kaye took the sword. Hekate was just setting her up for failure, as well as ridicule. Poseidon would have a field day if she came at him with a movie prop. “I don’t believe you. I don’t feel any different.”

“Tell me this: are you as clumsy as before?”

Kaye thought back. No tripping, no tumbles, no broken antiques. At least not yet. “No.”

“Voila.”

Was this a lie to boost her confidence? If what the witch said was true…Kaye couldn’t even worry about the repercussions. She had to get off the island first. “You want me to go up against Poseidon with my replica sword and the leftovers of Ares’ powers?”

“Not just you. Ares is on his way. But the odds are stacked against both of you. You will need to use it.”

“Ares is coming?”

Hekate nodded with certainty. “He’d give his life to save you.”

“Only because of some sense of responsibility.”

“No.” Hekate pulled a fern from the ground, studied it, then scrunched the stem up and stuffed it under her cape. “He cares for you. Back when he was cursed, he asked me to spare you the heartbreak. He couldn’t stand lying to you.”

“So why didn’t you?” She unsheathed the sword. The hilt settled in her hand like it was meant to be there. If she sharpened the blade, the sword would at least be a weapon—better than throwing coconuts.

“You had a right to know.” Hekate’s crow flew to her shoulder, and she reached in her cape and gave it a seed. “Besides that, I’d already cast the curse. I could not alter the end product.”

“It’s not right to curse innocent people.”

“I was blinded by revenge. I wanted to sever Ares’ head, as he had my brother’s. But what would that achieve? Another member of his family killing another one of mine. The cycle would continue until both of our families dwindled. The curse was the only way to slow Ares down, to make him see there’s more to life than spilling blood.”

Kaye nodded. Ares had changed from frowning at Syrinx’s wedding to buying Grammy a birthday gift. Hekate’s curse had worked, even if it had also brought her here, to this forsaken place.

“Don’t give up on Ares so quickly.” Hekate pet her crow. “You are his salvation.” Smoke rose around her body, and she started to disappear. “May the fates be with you. Or in your words, good luck.”

Kaye swung the sword, cutting a gash in the foliage. She hadn’t lost her touch. “With Poseidon or Ares?”

The raven cawed.

Hekate raised a hand in farewell. “With both.”

…

Ares transported himself to the third island off the coast. A powerful god could travel in an instant, but his army would have to sail over Poseidon’s monster-infested seas. He could not take that risk. Kaye was his responsibility, and he alone would save her. If he could stop Poseidon at the same time, all the better.

Palm trees blew in the breeze, and the waves lapped lazily at the shore. He unsheathed his sword, undeceived by the calm surroundings.

“Kaye!” He turned in all directions, senses heightened.

No answer. Was this one of Poseidon’s tricks?

The ocean rose in a great wall, coming at him with tremendous force. Ares stepped back. A sword would do no good. Had his faith in his uncle been misplaced? Would Poseidon be so underhanded?

If so, he’d fight those mermen to the death under the sea. With his powers back, he could hold his breath long enough to take an army down with him. Poseidon knew that, and he wouldn’t trade so many men, even for one powerful god.

Ares stood his ground.

The wall lessened as it reached the shore, and Poseidon swam from the wave into the shallows in a glorious crashing of waves. He slithered forward and jabbed his trident into the sand. “Ares, son of my brother Zeus, and God of War, you have come.”

Ares had no patience for formal pleasantries. He pointed his sword at the Sea God. “Let us end this battle right here. Right now. With the two of us.”

Poseidon laughed, and eels slithered from his beard into the waves. “Unnecessary. I already have you.”

Ares growled. His hands tightened on the hilt. “Not without a fight.”

“Oh, I think not.” Poseidon raised a hand and three giant crabs, each as big as Kaye’s metal chariot crawled from the sea.

Ares was not impressed. “I can take them, and you.”

Poseidon raised his giant, hairy, white eyebrows. “Maybe you can. But you will not try.” He gestured toward the palm trees. “Get the mortal. Bring her here.”

The crabs scurried forward, and Poseidon turned back to Ares with a smug smirk. “You will trade your life for hers without a fight.”

Ares’ hopes fell. Poseidon had him. He would not allow anything to hurt Kaye, and if that meant giving himself up, then so be it. But he wasn’t a fool. He kept his sword raised. “I’ll need a message from my brother saying she returned unharmed.”

“That can be accommodated.”

Pride surged within him even as the bitterness of defeat spread. “You may take my life, but you will not defeat my army, my brothers and sisters, and my father.”

“You are wrong. I will find their weakness, just like I found yours, and take them down one by one. You think I enjoy my confinement to the sea? I can never travel beyond these waters. This ocean is a prison until I drown the whole damn realm.” Poseidon’s gaze glowed like a disgruntled lunatic’s. “Zeus’ lands will be mine.” He scanned the palm trees. “Where in Hades’ Underworld is that mortal?”

“Hi-ya!” Kaye jumped from the ferns wielding a strange-looking sword. One of the crabs followed her, clicking its pincers. She ducked as it swiped at her head then stabbed it in the underbelly. The crab teetered, then fell.

Ares gawked in surprise as pride swelled within him. That was his Kaye. Just like Grammy—a fighter until the end.

She kicked the crab’s pincer claw away and swung her sword in an intricate pattern of crisscrossing arcs. The other two crabs crawled from the beach, claws up and ready for battle. Kaye hit a claw with her sword, forcing the crab back. “Ares, fight!”

Right.
Regaining his senses, Ares knocked Poseidon’s trident from his hand. Caught by surprise, the Sea God fell. He recovered quickly, rolling in the shallows. His trident lay in the sand, five feet from the where the last wave spread upon the sand.

Ares stood between Poseidon and his trident, wielding his sword. “Go back to your ocean, and be content with what you have.”

“No!” Poseidon’s face grew red as he drew upon his powers. A tidal wave rose from the deep sea.

“Hades’ Underworld.” Ares backed onto the sand. “Kaye, get back!”

“I’m a little busy right now.” Kaye had felled another crab and now faced the third, dancing back and forth and sparring with its larger claw along the jungle’s edge.

Ares ran toward her as the wave hit the island. For a moment, everything was submerged in the water. Ares grabbed Kaye and brought them to the surface. As Kaye gasped for air, the wave dragged them back into the sea.

“Find something to hold onto.” Ares swam against the current, but the tide was too strong. They were going in.

Kaye grabbed a vine and reached for Ares.

His fingers slipped through hers. He held his breath and gripped his sword. Disoriented, he allowed the current to take him deeper into the sea. If he had to face Poseidon this way, then so be it. His sword worked under water as well.

Mermen swam around him, predators around their prey. Ares knocked the first one unconscious with the hilt of his sword. He slashed through two more before they backed away. They were no match for him. On the other hand, Poseidon’s skills only strengthened in his own domain. On land, Ares could take him any day. In the sea…that was another story.

Poseidon came at him like a shark. His sword clanged against the trident as Ares deflected the sharp points centimeters from his face. The Sea God slammed into him, and they wrestled, sinking deeper into a ravine where only the faintest rays of sun shone.

Ares’ chest tightened. Poseidon would bring him deeper and deeper. The Sea God could stay under for years, but Ares, even with his powers, would weaken without air. He punched Poseidon in the face, then slashed him back with his sword. Blue-black blood oozed into the water. The cut was superficial, but it surprised Poseidon enough for Ares to grab his beard and pull him skyward.

He swam towards the light as Poseidon writhed in his grasp. The Sea God speared the trident at his feet, forcing Ares to release him to evade the blow. Ares dove up and away, swimming feet over head until he righted himself and brandished his sword. They hung suspended, facing one another.

Poseidon speared his trident again, and Ares caught the prongs in his sword. They locked in a battle of wills, each one’s muscles bunching with the force. Poseidon drew strength from the sea. Normally, Ares drew his strength from his sword and the thrill of battle, but instead, he tapped into his feelings for Kaye. He wanted to keep her safe. But more than that, he wanted her, and the only way for them to be together was to defeat Poseidon.

Ares’ will strengthened, and he pushed Poseidon back, slashing the hand holding the trident. Poseidon released his weapon and clutched his bleeding hand to his chest.

Ares paused, suspended in the water as his hair and limbs moved back and forth with the current. A week ago, he would not have hesitated to deal the fatal blow. Poseidon had kidnapped Kaye and attacked his father’s lands, and he would not hesitate to drown the whole mountain under a mile of seawater.