Shadow of Hope (3 page)

     She sidestepped as Aries’ sword burst the wall of earth and brought her own down to
bare, pinning it to the ground. Aries retracted his blade with brute strength, and slashed a wide arc, coming through the earthen wall at her head. The top third of the wall slid to the ground in a heap, and she caught a glimpse of Aries’ blood lusted eyes. She leaned back, the blade missing by inches and delivered a backhanded strike where she figured his midsection to be.

     The sword stopped firm. She could tell it had not pierced flesh,
but struck instead some form of obstacle. Aries plunged through the lower half of the wall with a scream of rage, holding her sword in his left hand and thrusting his own straight at her undefended abdomen. She turned at a slight angle. The blow scraped off her cuirass, throwing sparks of gold and red. She took her left hand, balled it into a fist and smashed him in the nose with as much strength as she could summon. A sharp
crack
sounded, and crimson liquid burst forth from the injured area in a gush.

     She then dropped her hand and grasped Aries’ retracting
his sword arm, trapping it. She raised her knee and smashed it into his midsection, then his lowered chin, his head whipped back with the force of the strike. Aries stumbled, unbalanced by the power of her melee attacks, releasing her blade. His left hand dropped behind him and he hurled a dagger at her head. It came at her spinning horizontally; she turned her head at the last second, avoiding the steel as it embedded in the skull of one of Aries’ Templars. The man dropped to the ground with a soft sigh as his life left his body.

    
Perhaps his soldiers need better trained in alertness,
she thought sadly as the deep baritone of a howling wolf reached her ears. She looked straight at Aries and saluted with her blade.

     “It is time I take my leave.”

     She could see the surprise on Aries’ face. He spat a bloody goblet on the ground. “Then you yield?”

     “No. I am leaving.”

     Aries brows arched in surprise. “Then your men are dead.”

     A smile playing at the corner of her lips finally erupt
ing into a full out grin. “They are…if you can catch them.”

     Aries looked around at the shadows playing in th
e half lit field. No men save for his own were visible. They left before the wolf call sounded over the still night air. Gaia transformed into a spry, lithe bodied doe and took her leave as well. She could hear Aries’ screams from a mile away. She did not pity his men this night.

****

     Gaia knew it was a matter of time before the conflict reached its apex. She went to her daughter, Aphrodite, for council. As she reclined in her daughter’s lush quarters, she confided in her that she needed the help of Aphrodite’s husband, Hephaestus. It troubled her heart to make such a request. Hephaestus may have been Aphrodite’s husband, but Aries was her lover.

     She watched the sensuous movements of her daughter’s half clad, perfectly proportioned body as she steeped tea over the fire for them. Aphrodite came back with a tray of Ambrosia bread, and poured her mother’s tea. “I know I ask much of you dearest child, but I need help to stop your lover’s madness.”

     A delicate sigh escaped Aphrodite’s full lips, her brows furrowing in thought.

     “I know Aries plans ill for the humans,” she said, her voice sensuous and tender. “But as the gods created humans, should not it be our right to destroy them if the inclination so takes us?”

     Gaia sighed. “I fear you’ve been too long in the company of Aries to have so little value for the mortals. You’ve not seen them as I have. They are magnificent and foolhardy. A blessing and a curse. All that is for evil in the world, yes, but also all that is for good.”

     Aphrodite sat next to her mother. She lowered her head. “I can help you. I know you cannot promise anything, but all I ask is that you try to spare Aries.”

     Gaia hugged her daughter. “I will do what is within my power to spare his life.”

****

     Gaia knocked on the door of the little wooden house. A beautiful, yet plain featured woman opened the door.

     “
Mother
,” she exclaimed, hugging Gaia. She stood to the side to admit her entrance.

     “Aerith,” Gaia said softly by way of greeting. “I wish you would remain closer to your brethren. I know the war is hard on our ranks, but-”

     Aerith waved her hand dismissively. “I am but the daughter of the ranks, and my father is now dead. I know you loved him, as you do me, mother, but I cannot concede to this. I help the Guardians where I can, but rest assured I am not one of them. However, such talk is best saved for more tremulous weather. Please, mother, have a seat.”

     Gaia sat on a plain wooden rocker, one her daughter had crafted especially for her. It was far from lavish, cushioned with down, but Gaia preferred the simple, more rustic aesthetic anyways. Aerith fetched some water for tea, and brought out some stale bread and cheese, placing it on a small table in front of Gaia. Gaia partook of the offerings before cutting to the meat of the matter. “I need your assistance then. It is a matter of dire urgency.”

     Aerith’s blue eyes belied her surprise. “Why did you not mention so earlier then? I would full well have heard you out before engaging in tasks of hospitality.”

     Gaia waved her off. “It is quite urgent yes, but not an urgency of such an immediate nature.”

     Aerith’s blue eyes shifted with uncertainty. “What is an urgency if not immediate?”

     Gaia waited a moment before responding. “Let us say that the die has been cast, and that part cannot be avoided. But if we act soon enough, the stakes may yet be changed, and our losses minimized.”

     Aerith put her hands on her mother’s, cupping them tightly. “Then as it is within my power, mother, so I shall help you.”

     Gaia removed
her hands and pulled out a palm-sized locket with a strangely colored chain. It was heart shaped and the setting contained a dark mirrored piece of glass as opposed to an actual gem. Though it would pass as a gem for prying eyes unaware of its true nature. “The urn of Pandora, for which so much innocent blood has already been shed, cannot remain in this realm while Aries yet lives. I need you to guard this with your life. Keep it safe, pass it down, and never let it fall into the wrong hands.

     But now you must flee your home and go into hiding. I know it’s much to ask of you, but the fate of humanity now rests squarely on your shoulders. I am sorry for this burden, my child.”

     Aerith’s eyes watered, but her features remained strong. She nodded. “I will give my life to this cause, mother, and the lives of my ancestors as well.”

     Gai
a hugged her daughter, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I know. Now go to the cabin you knew as a child. I will send you a protector.”

     Aerith packed a small amount of provisions and left. Gaia knew she would never see her daughter again, just as she knew Aerith would never look back.

Chapter: One

Present Day

     The sultry Chicago air settled around Aries like a cloak as he took another sip of whisky. He wore a solid black Ralph Lauren suit, red tie and black Medina Loafers. His right hand held a
fat Cuban cigar. Its tangy aroma flooded his nostrils, wafting over the confines of the Vertigo Lounge’s deserted skybox. Spread out in his lap laid a copy of the
New York Times
, open to page four, which proclaimed fourteen dead in a recent insurgent attack in the Middle East.

    
Such small numbers and in so desolate an environment,
he thought with a tinge of despair. Where were the days when the front pages were littered with casualties and death tolls longer than a stock market ticker? The days of Hitler, Vlad Tepesh, and the Wild West? He sighed.

     He stood and walked
to the front skybox wall overlooking the entire city. Thick glass windows sat partitioned in concrete housings. The view was less than appealing from here. He closed his eyes and found himself on top of the skybox wall, inhaling the gritty Chicago air.

     “Lord Aries.” The voice sounded from behind him, lower than the elevation at which he now found
himself. He turned, his face bearing a broad smile of genuine enjoyment. “Lucian, my dearest friend! Come forth, the view is splendid from up here!”

     “I’d rather not, my Lord. I am mortal and liable to fall.” Lucian’s husky baritone betrayed no sign of fear. Aries waved his hand.

     “As though your Lord would allow you to repaint someone’s hood down on the street. Come, man! Where’s your sense of adventure?”

     “I am mortal, and liable to be seen by staff as well.” The sound now came from Aries side, so close that he could feel the heat of Lucian’s breath upon his lobes.

     Aries snorted, clasping Lucian to him in a brotherly embrace. “Any mortal who interrupts can go for a skydiving lesson, free of charge. I have want of blood, Lucian.”

     He clutched Lucian tighter and waved his hand over the city, encompassing the entire scope of the immediate and the beyond. “America! Home of the free! Land of the Brave!
One nation under God!
”

     He released Lucian and made a disdainful face, hawking up a glob of phlegm and spitting it onto the streets below. He
turned his face grim. “I beset one fool president to craft a war in the Middle East, now half forgotten and only occasionally publicized.

     One nation under god indeed. But their god is avarice, complacency and ignorance.”

     Lucian shrugged. “All ideal conditions for war, my Lord.”

     Aries raised a finger. “For
starting
a war, yes! But not
continuing
it! As long as these blind sheep are content to graze on greener fields and forget the suffering of others, they forget the immediacy of war. It’s a fairy tale being enacted by
dramatis personae
in a far off place. It has
no
relevance to their lives whatsoever!

     Greed is good for war, but
idealism
is better for war. Don’t you see, Lucian? All of my starters have been men of idealism! The Crusades, the Witch Hunts, the Puritans! All killed those they opposed
because of their
ideals!

     Oh for the days when my presidents need not goaded into war, but went wholeheartedly to vanquish the forces of ‘evil’! But now each must
be given a prize, a little nugget of incentive that will ‘justify’ the cost of bloodshed.”

     He snorted. “As if you could ever put a price on a man’s blood.
That
is the reward, Lucian! Don’t you ever forget this!”

     Lucian’s features were sober. “I won’t my, Lord.”

     “I must advance my plans with haste,” Aries said, clapping his hands and jumping back down onto the sky deck. Lucian followed with spry agility.

     Aries walked over to his seat and pulled out a manila folder. He handed it to Lucian, who took it with a bow and opened it, examining its contents. “That is the current holder of the portal. We get
it from her, and we can begin our plans to destroy that god damn urn.”

     Lucian looked up at Aries, his eyes questioning. Yet he did not speak. Aries again clasped his shoulders. “Say what is on your mind, Lucian. I am not that incompetent fool Zeus, that I would throw lightning from on high for a mortal’s forthrightness. In fact, I savor the bold, and trample the weak of will. The only thing I destroy is weakness, which is synonymous with failure. Understood, Lucian?”

     Lucian bowed his head. “Yes, my Lord. What I meant to say then, was you do not wish the urn to survive? I thought you only needed its contents destroyed. Rumor had it back then that the very urn itself was yours, and stolen from you by Zeus himself.”

     Rage flooded Aries’ soul at the memory. His urn, his toy to t
orment humanity, not yet perfected, and that god damn arrogant fool Zeus took it and unleashed it upon the world, incomplete in its scope at the time. Though his eyes flared, Lucian did not cower. Aries noted and approved. He calmed himself. “The urn has little relevance now, my friend. It has been spent prematurely, like some adolescent boy trying out a whore for the very first time. Zeus ruined the whole thing, as usual.”

     He waved his hand. “No matter though
. My true brothers and I now plan something just as good. The so-called Armageddon. End-of-days, what have you?

     No. All we need now is the portal. And then these apathetic fools shall see what real war is all about. You know what to do, Lucian. Do not fail me.”

     Lucian bowed once more. “I shall not fail, my Lord.”

     W
ith that he was gone, and Aries stood alone on the sky deck once again.

Chapter: Two

Zoe locked up the veterinary clinic and headed toward her car. She pulled the keys out of her purse as she walked toward it. They slipped from her fingers, landing on the ground. She let out a small groan as she bent down to retrieve them. Her knees popped in protest as she scooped them up. Having knelt down on one knee, she found it harder to get up as quick as she got down. And while she wrestled with this annoying little fact, she noticed a pair of shoes peeking out from behind the tires on the driver’s side. Unsure what to do she remained on the ground a moment longer.

Who the hell is that?

She glanced around the small parking lot and didn’t see any other vehicles. She needed to get up, but going to her car seemed like a bad idea. She had no clue who the person attached to the shoes was. The thought of running crossed her mind, but after the day she had she wasn’t sure she was going to make it to the car walking, let alone running. She stood, her body groaning in protest, and walked toward her vehicle.

She pulled the necklace from her shirt, took a few more steps and held the heart shaped mirror angled to the side. She didn’t get a good look, but she saw enough to know that running might be for the best. He appeared to be in his mid to late twenties and in a lot better shape than sh
e was. She needed a head start…a really big head start.

“Aw man,” she said, loud enough for him to hear. “I forgot my stethoscope.”

She headed back to the clinic. If she could make it inside she could lock herself in and call the police. She would have used her cell phone, but there was no way she could run and dial.

Picking up the pace, she was about fifteen feet from the door and about twenty feet from the stranger. She heard footsteps and they were moving faster than her feet. Plan A was a bust; it was time to move to plan B. She took off running with everything she had.

Lack of oxygen clouded her thoughts, but getting somewhere where there were a lot of people was her only goal. Then she would have witnesses for whatever this stranger had planned. She hauled ass down North Milwaukee Avenue. At this time of day there would be plenty of people out shopping, eating and leaving work. Crowded, exactly what she needed.

Her legs began to cramp, and her lungs burned. Hitting the gym was now a new priority.
How and when did I get so out of shape?
She shook her head to clear the wandering thoughts.
Focus!
She turned the corner and noted the 1 On 1 fitness center.
I need to come back here later.
Holy shit, I’m out of shape.
As she passed the second entrance, a pair of strong hands grabbed her arms and yanked her back.

“Let go of me!” she screamed. She struggled to get away, but he pulled her closer and held her tighter. “Help!” she yelled.

People stopped and stared at her, but at this moment she wanted all of Chicago to see her. She would not be a victim. She would not, a screaming lunatic absolutely.

“Stop yelling and tell me my why you were running.”

She turned and looked down at his feet. He wasn’t wearing shoes. Her eyes followed the line of his leg, dressed in black exercise pants, up to his bare chest, and he wasn’t breathing hard, unlike her who was one breath away from hyperventilating. She glanced up and saw his face. Handsome, but not in the traditional sense, and not with the frown plastered on his face. He had dark brown hair currently sporting a messy do, hard jaw line and dark brown eyes that glared at her.

“You weren’t chasing me?” The words left her mouth before she could take them back. She would have smacked her forehead, but her arms were now cramping from the lack of oxygen. She would say her brain had used it all, but by the last statement she knew that could not be true.

“No, I wasn’t,” he said in a deep stern tone.

“Oh, okay.” She looked through crowd. She didn’t get a look at the man who chased her, but he wore brown dress shoes. She looked at the feet of the people passing and it looked like everyone was wearing brown dress shoes. She shook her head in frustration.

“Would you like to tell me why someone was chasing you?” he asked a little shorter then she would have liked.

“Maybe we should go inside. I need to catch my breath then call the police.”

He turned, opened the door and walked in, letting the door shut on her. “Thanks for holding the door for me,” she mumbled under her breath, as she opened it and followed him inside.

He stood as if he was waiting for something. She pointed to the chair. “Can I sit here?”

He nodded and folded his arms.

“I’m Zoe.” She extended her hand, but he did not extend his, he stood starring. “Usually when someone introduced themself the common courtesy is to exchange greetings. So let’s try this again.” She stood and extended her hand again. “I’m Zoe.”

“Evan.” He walked away.

“Nice to meet you Evan,” She yelled, making sure he heard.

She dropped back into the chair and took her phone out of her purse. She lifted the purse again.
I need to clean some of the junk out of here. I bet it weighs five pounds.
She searched through the contents and was pretty sure there wasn’t anything she could remove. She carried some emergency vet supplies and knew as soon as she removed them, she was going to need them. She shook her head
. I guess that means I’ll need to start working out.

She opened her phone as Evan returned tossing a bottle of water at her. It smacked into her chest before landing on the ground. “Ow!”

“You were supposed to catch it,” he said.

“A little warning would’ve been nice. Even better yet, walking over and handing it to me would’ve been nicer.”

“You’re welcome.”

She picked up the bottle
, opened it, and chugged down the water. The coldness bit at her throat as it went down, but the moisture was a welcome relief. “Thanks,” she said as she twisted the top back on. The room was large with a wooden floor. Punching bags hung from all four corners, and weights lined two of the four walls. A door to the outside that entered into the room was on one wall, with a row of metal folding chairs on either side of it, and a door that went to the rest of the gym, she presumed, was on the other wall.

He pulled a chair out from the wall and placed it in front of her, before sitting. “Tell me what happened.”

She sat there for a moment. Why the hell should she tell him anything? He had not been very nice to her, but he did save her from passing out. She knew she was not going to be able to go much further and then who knew what would happen? She decided she would tell him what occurred and then call the police. She recited the story to him and when she finished he let out a long sigh.

“What?” she asked.

“So you were running from someone who could’ve been tying their shoe next to your car?”

“He wasn’t tying his shoe.”

“And you know this because-”

“Because I had a bad feeling and I’ve learned a long time ago to always trust my instincts, they’ve never steered me wrong.”

“So your
instincts
told you to run?”

“You know what
-,” she stood, “-never mind. Thanks for helping to calm a crazy chick. Thanks for the water. Thanks for making me feel like an idiot. You’re work here is done. I was scared, but thanks to you, I feel like a fool. Mission accomplished. Nice job!” She turned and headed for the door, he grabbed her arm. She took a deep breath. “That’s the second time you’ve grabbed me. If I were you I’d let go now.”

“Or what?”

She turned swinging the five pound monster at his head. He ducked missing the first round, and as it came back, he grabbed the strap. The momentum of the purse remained uninterrupted, however, and the bag itself smacked into the back of his head. “Or that,” She said with a smirk.

He released her arm. “What the hell do you have in that thing?”

“Tampons. Boxes and boxes of tampons and as you can see I’m PMSing so let’s call it a day, and part ways.”

He grabbed her again. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you leave.”

She pushed him back. “Try and st-”

She clutched her stomach as a cramp hit, and the room starting spinning. She put out a hand on his shoulder to steady herself, and ended up falling into his arms. “Feel sick.”

“…water…you…leave…protect…”