OF WAR Anthology Novels 1-3

by Lisa Beth Darling

  “One more little push, ok?” Hera asked as she gazed upon the scene of the proud new parents. Giving a tug on the umbilical cord still sticking out of her and Alena doing what she could to muster enough strength to give a little help, the placenta slipped out and onto the floor where it burst open. Looking down at it, it seemed as though a werewolf had tried to claw its way through the birthing sac. Hera began to worry just as she began to hope that all foreboding signs were nothing more than coincidence. “All right, now to you, my dear. Ares, take your Son for a moment.”

  Alena didn’t want to let go of Raven now that he was here; she wanted to hold him forever. Kiss him. Hug him. Never stop telling him that she loved him. It was with a bit of hesitancy she handed him to Ares, who took the boy in his brawny arms and beamed down at the infant with pride.

  “Make them a little wider, Mother, so we don’t have this problem next time,” Ares encouraged.

  Using her powers, Hera healed Alena’s broken hips, leaving them as nature, and not the golden chastity belt, intended: a little bit wider.

  II

  While Alena lay on the clean sheets of the bed that they shared in the Master Bedroom, Ares and Hera stood by the hearth taking in the scene of the new Mother with the baby at her breast. It was heartwarming to say the least, but the air between Hera and her Son was cold. “You almost lost both of them tonight; why did you wait so long to come get me?” Hera admonished, knowing how close they’d all come to having an unwanted visit from Hades. Hera moved in a little closer as she dropped her voice to a tight whisper. “You stink of Aphrodite. That’s where you were, isn’t it? I thought things had changed with you, Ares. You so bitterly disappoint me.”

  Standing there with his arms folded across his brawny chest, Ares wanted nothing more than to tell her what happened in her absence and just how it came to be that both Alena and Raven were nearly lost to them. He wanted to tell her what a deviant son of a bitch her Husband was being. A promise was a promise, and in this case breaking it could have deadly consequences. Dropping his stare from hers, “It’s not your concern, Mother.”

  Gracefully rising to her feet with slow purpose, Hera drew in a breath and gave her Son a wan smile. “I see my presence is no longer required.” With no more words for Ares, she nearly floated over to the bed where Alena was smiling endlessly at Raven. “You did very well tonight, my dear. He’s beautiful.”

  “Thank you, Great Mother.”

  “Get some rest now, and in a few days you’ll be up and dancing around with him in your arms. Congratulations, Alena, he’s a fine boy.” Hera bestowed a kiss on Alena’s forehead and another on Raven’s soft cheek. “Good night, my dear.”

  Still standing by the hearth, Ares watched and listened as his Mother bid Alena a good evening, knowing that Alena would soon ask him where he’d been. From the sound of things, she was about to do it in perfect speech. How like Zeus to keep his word at a moment so opportune for him. At least it seemed the old man intended to keep his word; Alena’s gray eyes were clearer than he’d seen them in weeks. They were sparkling at Raven as she ran her finger along his chubby little cheek. In a few moments when she looked up at him and posed the question, ‘Where were you?’, he would have no plausible answer.

  “Aren’t you…going to…come over here? With us?” Alena invited. She was running on what was left of the adrenaline still coursing through her system and nothing more as she lay there with every muscle in her body quaking from the suddenly violent strain of delivery.

  “Not yet.”

  “Ares—” It was no good; he walked out of the bedroom without looking back.

  Staring down at the baby in her arms, taking in the silver streak in his wavy raven hair and the sparkle in those gray eyes, she whispered to him, “I knew it was you. I knew it.”

  III

  Ares went to the hot spring in the Fortress. One of the reasons he chose his island was the hot spring in the cave. He adored soaked in the swirling, steaming water, and today he needed it. Stripping off his bloody cloths and stepping into the tub, he ducked under the water, hoping it would be enough to wash the scent of the Goddess of Love from his body, but it would never be enough to take the stain from his heart. Knowing he was deep inside Aphrodite while his Son tried to literally claw his way out of Alena’s body would haunt him the rest of his life. He couldn’t face his Wife; he would be forced to very soon, but not just yet.

  Onya rushed in after him. “Is it true? Is it true? Is Raven here?”

  In her shining young and hopeful face, the God of War saw another stall tactic. “Oh yes, he is, Onya. Why don’t you go up and see him? I need to clean up a little, hummm?” He tossed his stare toward his bloody clothes and held up his arms to show her the blood still clinging to them.

  Onya was young, but she knew Ares fairly well and she did not get the feeling he was being completely honest with her. “Yeah, probably a good idea, you don’t want to hold him like that.”

  “No,” he agreed with a smile, “bring the other women, have them take up the blankets and things they have made. I’ll be up…shortly.” Not waiting for her to answer, Ares ducked under the hot water once more.

  Onya did as she was asked mainly because she didn’t want Alena to be alone. The women went rushing into the bedroom to get their first look at the new little Master of the House with arms full of baby things. Iris loved to knit, Arianna liked to crochet and Onya liked to sew. Between the three of them they anxiously created more booties, hats, sweaters, blankets, little pairs of pants and stuffed animals than Raven could ever want, certainly more than he’d ever need.

  Cautiously making their way over to the bed in an excited group of smiles, they peered down at the naked bundle of joy nursing so steadily at his mother’s breast. “He’s beautiful, Lady. Look at him, he’s just perfect,” Iris cooed as she grinned wider and then held out a soft blanket she’d knitted for him. “Here, you can wrap him in this.”

  “I’ve got booties,” Arianna added and held out a pair.

  “I got the important stuff,” Onya chimed and handed over a stack of cloth diapers while the others laughed. “Are you hungry?” Onya asked dazedly but then her own words settled in her head. “You must be starving. Thirsty?” She looked around the bedroom. “They didn’t even leave you any water. Go, shoo, go on, go bring her something tasty—something really good— and a cold drink.” She waved her hands at the two women who kept smiling as they began to disperse, ready and willing to take care of their Mistress. “And something chocolate,” she called after them as they went through the door. “So hard to find good help these days.”

  Alena giggled and held her hand out to the young woman. Alena was the Lady of the House but Onya quickly emerged as the leader among the women; she slipped into Kat’s role with grace and kindness. “You take such good care of me, my Husband, and now my Son, thank you.” Raven was still nursing but his eyelids were beginning to droop.

  “Gee, he didn’t have any problems latching on, did he?” Onya remarked happily, watching the sleepy baby suckle. “Like Father, like Son.”

  Again, Onya made Alena giggle; she was so sweet and honest, and it was hard not to be caught up in her exuberance. Onya was right; most newborns came out of the womb and slept for hours. Raven demanded nourishment almost immediately and he hadn’t let up. “Now tell me, where is my Husband?”

  Something was going on and Onya wasn’t sure what it might be, but decided it best to just tell what she knew. “He’s getting washed up. He still had…um…stuff…on his hands and his shirt. He’ll be in soon. Can’t hold the baby when you’re such a mess.”

  “Of course not.” Alena let go of Onya’s hand with a sad smile. She didn’t feel the girl had lied, but she didn’t feel Onya told the whole truth either. “Was he with you when I went into labor?”

  There was little mistaking the underlying tone of accusation in Alena’s calm voice. “Me? No.”

  Looking past Onya to the open door, Alena asked, “One of
them? It’s all right, Onya, you can tell me. I know my Husband has certain needs.”

  Onya sat down on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know what’s going on and I don’t know where Lord Ares went after I brought the stew to you. I didn’t see him again until just now in the whirlpool.”

  It seemed to Alena that she slept rather uncommonly deeply tonight. Exhausted though she may have been, she didn’t think it normal to wake from sleep to find oneself in such late stages of labor. Surely Raven’s arrival should have woken her immediately.

  The image of Ares in bed with Aphrodite, sweaty and breathless tangoed through her thoughts, making her heart heavy when it should have felt lighter than warm air. “How long ago did you bring the stew?” It was morning for all Alena knew with no windows around her.

  “I don’t know, five or six hours ago.”

  Five or six hours. Where had he been all that time? Someplace where he obtained a new scar, that was for sure.

  “There are my Wife and my Son,” Ares said as he came into the room, still trying to prepare a reasonable explanation for his absence.

  “Hello, my Love,” Alena cooed. “He’s falling asleep, but do you want to hold him?”

  Onya stood up. “I’ll leave the happy family alone now, my Lord. Iris will bring up that food for you, Lady. Congratulations to both of you, he’s a very handsome boy.”

  “Thank you, Onya.”

  Ares took the dozing Raven away from Alena’s breast and the baby let out a jolt as though startled as he began to cry. “I guess he’s not done.” Ares put the boy back into the crook of his mother’s arm. “Are you all right? I didn’t want to break your hips…I never want to hurt you Alena, but…”

  “It was the only way, I know. You did the right thing.” The pain had been excruciating when her hips snapped but she understood why he did it, that he hadn’t done it with malice, and she even admired his strength of will. Alena doubted she would be able to do the same thing in that situation even if she had his considerable physical strength. “What did Zeus want? What did he make you do?”

  “It doesn’t matter what the old man wanted, it’s over now. All over.” Hoping his eyes weren’t giving him away to her, Ares slipped into the bed next to her and Raven, who was now fast asleep. “He’ll never bother us again.” Reaching one arm under and then around, Ares brought both of them in close as he reached across her to touch his finger to Raven’s cheek.

  “Tell me,” Alena insisted in a quiet whisper. “I don’t want any secrets between us.” If that were true, then she would tell her Husband about the visions instead of hiding them from him out of fear. “You can take off the shirt, I already saw the scar.”

  Ares let out a long mournful sigh. “You don’t want to know; it was disgusting and you would object, but…it’s over now. Let’s not start out our Son’s first day with us this way.” Ares pulled her and the new baby in close to wrap his arms around both of them.

  Living on Olympus, Alena became intimately associated with the phrase Ignorance is Bliss and couldn’t agree with it more. She hated it here, hated the people, so smug and self-righteous. The idea of raising Raven here among them was most distressing. Resting her head against his chest, she took in the comforting sound of his heartbeat and the warmth of his skin. “Just tell me you’re all right, that you still love me, and I’ll let this go.”

  Ares was taken aback by the three tiny words hidden in her pleas. “Still love you? What could ever make me stop loving you,” again he looked to the newborn suckling at her breast, “when you have presented me with such a fine Son? I will love you until there’s no more breath in my body,” he swore and kissed her forehead. “I’m fine; never worry about me, hummm? I’m so sorry my Father kept me from being here with you tonight, but I promise he will never do it again.”

  For now that would suffice. She would trust in her Husband, that he knew how best to deal with the wicked members of his strange Family. Raven was here now, she had much to do and was looking so forward to doing it. If Ares was willing to not worry about Zeus, then perhaps she should just let him. The baby asleep in her arms, his lips still lightly wrapped around her nipple while his little palm pressed against her breast, she settled down in Ares’ arms. “I thought I said you could take off the shirt.”

  Alena always did like to nuzzle her cheek against his bare flesh. Ares pulled the shirt over his head before settling in for the night with his Wife and new Son in his arms, knowing that he just dodged a heat-seeking missile with his name written all over it.

  One that could yet boomerang on him and blow his world to bits.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tumbling Dice

  I

  Today was a very big day in the life of the newborn Raven, and his mother was scrambling around the bedroom as he cooed in his cradle. “Would you stop?” Ares said as he came up behind her and put his hands on her slender shoulders. “You should still be resting, though it is very good to see you up and walking again.” Turning her around in his arms, Ares brushed the hair away from her eyes, which were no longer faded and distant but bright and sparkling.

  “Feels good,” she agreed readily. No longer being stuck in bed was almost heavenly, and being able to easily put one foot in front of the other nearly divine. Alena felt wonderful, her head was no longer foggy and she had no trouble saying what she meant. Best of all, along with the fog her visions were gone. Those dreadful images no longer ran constantly behind her eyes. If they could just get past today without any trouble, she felt that all would be just fine. It might even return to something resembling normal. Maybe she could even convince Ares to take her and Raven away from Olympus for a while. A long peaceful vacation on the island where the sun shone brightly, the sand was warm beneath the toes, the sweet scent of grass mixed with the salty air. “Do I look all right? I mean, I—”

  “Beautiful, as always,” he complimented without hesitation. She was beautiful, standing there so fidgety with her silver hair pulled up away from her finely featured face, bringing the beholder’s attention first to those enchanting eyes. The length of her hair fell about her shoulders in soft ringlets until the ends glistened against the sweetheart bodice of her wine colored gown. Ares couldn’t help but admire the way her breasts, full with milk for Raven, strained against the velvet, almost daring him to reach out and touch them. He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear, “I can’t wait to make love to you again.”

  Alena let out a low moan as his breath lingered hot against her neck and his words filled her head with delight. “Me either,” she confessed and put her hands on her considerably flatter stomach. “I can get a lot closer to you now.” She stepped into his embrace, wrapped her arms around his brawny frame and hugged him tightly. “There are many things I’ve missed about our bed.”

  “Soon,” he promised, “we’ll have a night to end all nights.”

  A sultry shudder went through her as her skin prickled with life, remembering the long sweaty nights of their honeymoon not so long ago. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  “Not as tightly as I will hold you.” He brushed a kiss across her lips, wanting more, but Raven began to fuss in the cradle and Alena left Ares’ side to tend to him. With the baby snug in her arms, she was all aglow and he fell even deeper in love with her. “Ready?”

  “As we’ll ever be,” she said with a forced smile. “At least the food will be good.” The company was always horrible; the one thing Alena could always look forward to at these Olympian Family Gatherings was a plethora of tasty treats. It almost made up for the rest of it…almost.

  “My Mother does oversee her staff well, doesn’t she?” Ares chuckled as he put his arm around her shoulders and led them out of the bedroom to the front door.

  II

  Standing side by side at their rightful places behind the arced marble table, all of the Olympians gathered in the Great Council Chamber for Raven’s presentation to Zeus, each of them dressed in their best attire as they stood straight an
d tall, their crowns placed proudly upon the tops of their head. None of them was smiling, they were only staring at the new family from cold orbs. Other than Hera, it was the first time any of them saw the newborn as tradition forbade them from doing so until now. As such, Ares, Alena and Raven had three very peaceful and relaxing days, but that was about to end.

  Behind and around them were the Muses and Graces looking somber, while Clio sat at a small table, plume in hand, ink well and parchment before her to record every word spoken today for posterity.

  Feeling insignificant, Alena stood next to Ares, who had Raven in his arms. She looked up at him and noticed he wasn’t wearing his crown; he’d left it back at the Fortress sitting on a shelf with the scepter right where they’d been since Zeus returned them. Walking to the middle of the room, Ares stood and waited for his Father to address him. It seemed to her Zeus glanced briefly at Aphrodite, who gave the slightest of nods before he smiled and then walked out from behind the table. “My Son, Ares, comes before all of us today to present us with a new Olympian.” The Old Man’s eyes went from Raven to Aphrodite and then back as the smile grew a bit wider and Alena felt her heart begin sinking. “Who will present this boy to me?”

  In Olympian Tradition, the parents of the child being presented designated one man and one woman to promise to stand guard over the child for its lifetime, to guide it, to teach it, to take the place of its parents should something catastrophic befall them. Other traditions might call such people ‘god parents’. Ares and Alena chose those for Raven, though the decision had not been hard as it appeared there were only two qualified candidates. Alena was to speak first, but when she stepped forward Zeus called upon Ares, who was instantly insulted by the slight to his Wife, but did as Zeus wanted. “Athena, my Sister, Goddess of Wisdom, I ask that you watch over my Son.”

  Athena smiled and stepped forward to walk past Zeus and stand in front of Ares. “I accept with pride and gratitude, I will not fail you.”