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

by CK Dawn

  Realization hit her. This was a curse, this could be broken and she had proof. For the first time she looked at herself, cursed reflection and all, and there was excitement in her eyes. There was so much more to her than she had ever known; so much that she would not have discovered if not for the one who broke her heart. Quick to realize the advantage that had been given to her, perhaps by chance, she devised a plan. She would not live the rest of her life, shackled by this curse and the god who hoped to keep her hidden. She would find a way to get enough power, enough magic, to rid herself of the curse for good!

  While he was celebrated, the one who took away her freedom, lifted by those who worshipped him and the other gods, she retreated into the obscurities of life. She would let him have his praise and continue to keep her existence hidden. It wasn’t as if he would be searching for her. He hadn’t attempted to investigate the reports of her diminishing appearances, or even come when the stories of her death rose to the heavens. Foolish of her, but she hung around, waiting to see if he would. He’d all but forgotten about the woman whose life he’d ruined all for his own selfish means. Her outrage was no longer a crazed display meant to torment those who lived in, or dared to attempt to visit the city of Thebes. She became more strategic in her targets. Those of power, or strength, they were her prey. Magical beings, but no one too high in their ranking. She was playing a long game. Settling for the lesser-thans, and avoiding anyone too powerful, made sure that no unnecessary attention came to her. For the sake of keeping up her appearances, she would still pick off the random traveler here and there. If she went missing, he would send someone else, another beast to replace her, or perhaps to hunt her down. The last thing she needed was for there to be a new monster put in place to ruin her plans.

  She lived no more as the sphinx, but she could never be her true self again. The reflection in the mirror, the face she longed for, would still be hidden behind a veil. Only this time it was a veil of her choosing. She could not risk returning to her old visage or the life she had before. She did not want to run into her former lover. There were few others who knew of her, but she feared that he would find her. She created a new identity for herself. The new face was one that could make her smile, and one he would never recognize. She was gone and not one soul mourned her. Not even the one who claimed to have loved her.

  Asa was the name she assumed. Over time, she blended into the thread of humanity, taking on different identities and fading into the background when necessary. It wasn’t hard to stay hidden when no one was looking for you. All she had to do was remain careful, and make sure not to bring too much attention to her dealings. She continued to consume those of power—those who, like her, would not be missed—and with each one, her power grew more. As the gods of Olympus fell, with the human population losing their faith and their idolization for the ones who did more to torment them than to protect them, Asa rejoiced. She would be free of the shadows! She could live the life she desired. She could feed on those who were more powerful. That is exactly what she would do … because unlike everyone else, she was no fool. Faith or not, gods were eternal. They would return, and when they did, she would be ready for them.

  Two

  She was living a life, one that appealed to her. Her title: self-appointed bounty hunter. When the supernaturals got out of hand, she moved in and cleaned up the mess they made. She became the boogey man, the justice for those who would otherwise go unchecked. In the process, she kept herself strong and her skills sharp. Like always, there were few who knew of her, and no one who knew her entirely. Her story, her life, would remain a secret shared with no one.

  She wiped her mouth, cleaning away the remnants of her latest target. No matter how neatly she tried to eat, there was always a mess. Her food rarely went down without a fight. The meal of the day: vampire. Vincenzo, an asshole who was running rampant, ripping his way through cities with no regard, had caught her attention a few weeks prior. As always, she appeared and issued her warning. A warning he ignored.

  “You’ve been a bad vampire, you know. The tales of your work have spread far and wide.” Shadowed by curtains she spoke to him. The vampire had occupied the New Jersey condo of a chubby man he’d finished off what she thought to be a week prior judging by the smell rising from the body in the middle of the floor.

  “Let me guess, you’re here to tell me to change my ways.” The tall man was unbothered by his mystery guest. She must not have been the first. He turned, allowing the moon to light his features. He was unimpressive. Wimpy for a vampire. Though he possessed strength, his pre-immortal body had been a small one and it remained the same—frail, boney, the body of an adolescent boy. No wonder he was running around like a child throwing a tantrum. “What the hell do you think you are going to do about it? What can you do that all the others haven’t tried before you?”

  “Oh, I’m going to make sure you clean up your act, Vincenzo. I have no appreciation for your antics or the attention it is starting to bring. So, we are going to do some corrective behavior treatment, so to speak.”

  “Oh really? Mystery woman, please, do tell, how exactly do you plan to do that? This is only act one, there are so many more in this production!”

  “Simple, it’s time for curtains to close!” Wings unfolding from her frame knocked the curtains aside, and where once stood a small woman, emerged a beast. Vincenzo tried to first run, but when the serpent wrapped around his leg, breaking the bones within, he turned to fight. It was futile. Her mouth opened like that of a snake, jaw unhinging, and the teeth of a lion slammed down, cutting through flesh. Wings folded around her prey as she finished her meal.

  * * *

  The air was fresh; recent rains left behind a scent that always brought a smile to her face even if there was an unknow piece of flesh by the corner of her mouth. She removed the mobile device from her pocket and ordered a ride. Spotting a park across the street from the complex, she chose to distance herself from the crime scene.

  As she swung, letting her legs dangle beneath her she leaned back, holding herself in place as the night sky hung ahead. She stared at the stars. The grip on the chains tightened, the breath in her chest escaped but didn’t return; she was stuck, frozen, the air around her still. The beaconing. The gods were returning.

  This was the moment she’d been waiting for, the moment she’d been preparing for. As she hung, frozen in time as the energy of the earth shifted, she had one very clear thought: The gods are being reborn. After eons of being absent, their spirits were finding their ways back to the land of the living. He would be among the ones returning. From that moment, she waited for him to return. Each god that came back felt different. The signature of their energy matched their character. When Poseidon returned just off the coasts of Florida, she felt the moisture rise in the air, and noted the change in the tides. When Demeter returned, the earth flourished, happy for the goddess that might heal it. Too bad she, like the others, had to be removed. If one comes so shall the rest. Even the good were a threat as they served as a link, a connection to the world that the others could use to come back. The moment it happened, she felt it. A ripple in time itself, the world became an angrier place, those who were hostile displayed it easier and those who were passive became anxious and unsure of what was to come. He was back, and she would be sure that he suffered for all that he had done to her.

  Her search for him was the thing that brought her back to New York. A dirty, dingy place that smelled of trash and pulsed with the restless energy of those who were trying to prove something, not only to themselves but to everyone around them. The world had come full circle, greed and chaos consumed every corner of the earth. Not that it had ever really changed. With the advent of modern technology, mass and constant communications, that negativity had only increased and rapidly. The human population was destroying the earth, and that was the very reason the gods sought to return. Without the earth, without people to praise them, the power they had, even the scant echoes of who they on
ce were, they would cease to exist. Perhaps it was selfish of her, by returning they may very well have saved the earth from damnation, but what hell would they have brought back with them?

  * * *

  Regardless of what their return meant for the world in general, she wanted them to stay gone. She liked her life without the interference of the gods. Should they ever return and regain their full power, she would have to go back into hiding. Without a doubt, she would have a target on her head. He wouldn’t be the only one after her. Over the years, in her search for power, she’d done more than enough to piss off the other gods. The count of all the creatures, the beloved pets of the gods, that she had taken out, was astronomical. Some species gone instinct at her hands. Hey, she had a rough patch when the power got the best of her. Everyone had growing pains, she was no different. They would be out for revenge for the loss of their precious toys. So, instead of using her gifts to clean up the messes of the supernatural creatures—the vampires, demons, and witches—she turned her focus to snuffing out the returning gods. One by one, before they could restore their power and realize that she was still out there.

  When a god’s spirit returned to earth, the arrival emitted a beacon, an announcement of their power. It was a piece of the puzzle that worked in her favor because until they were restored they could not return to Olympus. That beacon was one that she and every other creature of magic felt. Only, unlike the others, she knew exactly what it was and she allowed the beacon to draw her to her enemies. She capitalized on their weakened state and the limitations of the human bodies they were forced to inhabit. Of course, she had yet to face any as strong as he, but that wasn’t enough to make her back down. The others were means for preparation, training. The more she faced, the better prepared she’d be for him.

  The time to face him was approaching, and not only him but his claimed love. The goddess for which he ruined her life. Asa felt her spirit just as she did the others when she crossed over not long after he did. How fitting that they should suffer together. She imagined that their souls would be compelled to find each other. The distraction of their desire to be reunited would be a factor that would work in her favor. Neither of them would see her coming.

  Calculating her plot, the approaching realization of her revenge, Asa smiled. The skies opened and pour rain onto her shadowed figure as the heavens themselves cried for the continued loss of its former inhabitants.

  New York. She’d watch the city change over the years, from the days where the streets were overloaded with immigrants who were there in hopes to find a new start for themselves, to the current times when the streets were alive with the excitement of the creative, the innovative, and the dreamers. Even in the current times, the energy, and the expectations, were just as high. Everyone she passed as she walked along the streets, which told of years of neglect, were radiating the highest of hopes. Every one of them looking to fulfill a dream, a purpose. New York was without a doubt the place for her. She had the biggest dream, the greatest hope. Only, unlike most of the sad people she passed on the streets, she would achieve her goal. Failure was simply not an option.

  Though she wanted to stay there, she knew her target was on the move. Heading west and fast. Something had changed in the last few days. Perhaps he knew she was coming. Even if he didn’t know it was her, he knew something was happening with the ones she had taken down. No way had that been lost on him, the God of War. He would have immediately picked up on what was happening and started strategizing on how to avoid his own demise. For that, his skill as a warrior, she gave him credit. He was already on the move, but she knew this modern world a lot better than he did. It wouldn’t be long until she caught up with him.

  Three

  “Who is it that visits my land?” The songlike voice of the woman of the sea echoed around the visitor, raising his temperature and arousing another side of himself. There hadn’t been many visitors to her land since she was made to release her love, Odysseus. Angered and wanting to escape her isolated life, upset by the orders of Zeus who denied her true love, she’d been suspended in an eternal sleep. It wasn’t until she felt the presence of her new arrival that she awoke.

  “Do you mean to say that you know not who I am?” he called out to the hidden figure with a voice that emanated power.

  She watched him from her distant hiding spot. Never had she laid eyes on such a specimen. He was clearly more than a mere human—pure power radiated from him and called to her inner sexuality. It had been centuries of dreamless slumber without the touch of a man. How it must feel to be taken by a god such as he. He was strong, with a body that told of the battles he’d endured. What hell he must have faced to leave scars upon his muscled arms. The bright auburn tones of his hair appeared to be nearly ablaze when the sun touched the strands. It was no wonder so many descriptions of him said he had hair of flames.

  “I have my theories. You do seem,” she paused, “familiar.”

  “Reveal yourself to me and find out for yourself if your theory is true,” he baited her with innuendo.

  “Why should I be so trusting?” Why would a god such as he be there to visit someone who Zeus himself had saw fit to punish? What was his end game?

  “Have I given you a reason not to be?” He turned in the direction of her voice, but was unable to find her with his eyes. She watched, intrigued as he scanned the area for her figure.

  “I suppose not.” She inched closer to him, but remained hidden, not yet ready to reveal herself to him.

  “Please, I beg of you, show me the face to which such an alluring voice belongs.” He heard her movement, but couldn’t yet distinguish the rustling caused by her from that of the wildlife around them.

  “Well, I could never turn down such a fine man begging to see me.” In front of him, the trees parted and the curvy frame of a nymph appeared. Toffee-colored skin paired with a long, dark curtain of hair that covered her breasts, the woman looked like that of Eve, except she sported no leaves covering the neat puff of hair between her legs from the world. She walked toward him, her body moving with the same melodic feel that her voice coated him with. The vision of her was only enhanced by the oasis surrounding her. The island was heaven on earth. Lush, green scenery with a crystal blue waterfall off in the distance. The white sand was warm and a stark contrast to her skin. As she moved the birds flew from their perch in the trees, creating an angelic moving halo above her head. She was beauty, she was perfection.

  “Oh, how lucky I am that you could not deny me my request!” He beamed as he watched Calypso approach him.

  “So, you are him,” she said, having laid eyes on the guest. “To what do I owe the pleasure of having such a god visit my island?”

  “I’ve heard tales of the temptress of the sea, and I wanted to see for myself who could lure such a high number of men to their death with simply the call of her voice. I wasn’t sure if you still existed, or if you ever did.”

  “Yet, here you are, curiosity having gotten the best of you. What is your determination now that you have laid eyes upon me?”

  “Oh, I would quickly fall to my knees for just a kiss.” He flattered her with compliment.

  “You gods, all so loose and free with your praises. Tell me, how many demi-gods exist now because of you falling to your knees at the feet of a beautiful woman? Why should that be a compliment to me?” she teased as she danced a circle around him.

  He ignored her question determined, to get what he came for. “I would like for you to sing for me.”

  “Sing? After the tales you’ve heard, your wish is to hear me sing?”

  “Yes. I am not worried of its affect. However, I do wish to hear your voice, your true voice, not this masked tone you present to me now, as lovely as it is.”

  Calypso was no fool; gods did nothing if there wasn’t a cost attached. Why should I? After spending so long by herself, she needed a promise of something more. “If I should sing for you, a god, what favor would you allow me?” Her movement c
eased and she poised herself in front of the visiting god.

  “What favor is it that you wish for, Calypso?”

  “Mmm, the sound of my name rolling off the tongue of the God of War. How delicious.”

  “Would that suffice as a favor?”

  “Only if you’re calling it out while I ride you like the stallion I know that you are.”

  “That is what you want?” He laughed. “Physical pleasure is your great demand?”

  “I’ve never had the pleasure of bedding a god. Why should those lowly humans be the only ones to enjoy such a pleasure.”

  “So, you wish to take me to bed, in exchange for a song?”

  “Yes, my god, that is what I wish. I’ll sing for you if you should grant me your continued companionship. I’ve been alone for such a long time.” She pouted.

  “Is that a request for me to return?”

  “Yes, in part. I wish to no longer live my life alone. Promise to give me a life that doesn’t leave me by myself and I shall sing for you whenever you please.”

  She thought back to that day often, and each time she wished she had told him to take his ass back to Olympus. She should have continued sleeping, even without dreams—it was better than what he’d do to her. His visits became more and more frequent, as he became more addicted to her touch. She’d sing for him and he’d call out her name as he entered her from every angle possible, both humanly and not. In time, she came to long for him. She rejoiced when he visited, bringing his rage to her bedside, and she sulked when he was away. He kept his promise; her life was no longer one of complete solitude, but the times when he left her alone felt a thousand times worse than the extended years she’d spent without another soul even knowing of her existence. Though she thought it impossible, she’d come to miss those times when her heart ached a lot less. Not even those who passed on their boats dangerously close to her home were tempting to the nymph. She wanted only one and she suffered knowing that he was likely in the heavens with a goddess who, unlike her, was meant to be at his side.