OF WAR Anthology Novels 1-3

by Lisa Beth Darling

  “I can’t keep doing this. Get Athena to do it.”

  Zeus smirked and then snorted a laugh. “If I only could.” Then again, he’d probably have the same troubles with Athena’s eggs as she wasn’t much younger than Aphrodite. “At least Trinity’s good for breeding stock. I’m sure Raven will take quite the shine to her in the next few years.” Not that he was likely to be any great supporter of Raven’s offspring, but the result could be interesting. Entertaining at least. “No, it’s up to you.” Holding out his hand, a golden chalice appeared. “Drink it.” Always the prepared one, Zeus had a brand new batch of his potion brewed and at the ready, a much stronger batch.

  Aphrodite turned up her nose and shook her head. “I won’t do it.”

  “Have it your way then. I’ll tell him how you tried to kill Alena. We’ll see what Ares does then.”

  “Why can’t you just leave him alone? Why can’t you just let them be happy together?”

  Standing on the other side of the door, Hera was confused to listen to Aphrodite stand up for Ares and Alena. All of this new information coming at her so quickly was a little disconcerting, but it was filling in a lot of missing pieces.

  “What do I care about Ares’ happiness? Why should he be happy when I’m miserable?”

  “Oh, you’re always miserable,” Aphrodite whined and stomped her pretty pink sandal-clad foot onto the white marble. “That’s nobody’s fault but your own, Brother. I know you fail to notice it, but Hera actually loves you. You old goat.”

  “For once, Aphrodite and I are in agreement, my dear Husband,” Hera announced quietly as she made her way into the room. “What horrible deeds have you been up to now?”

  Zeus groaned as his old eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped slightly on his Golden Throne. “I thought I felt you. This isn’t your concern and you can’t change it. Ares and I made a blood vow, so just back off before you even get started. If you’re thinking of telling Alena, you can forget it, I’ve a feeling she already knows.”

  Aphrodite ran an exasperated hand through her honey blonde hair. “He’s impossible.”

  “Don’t I know it.”

  “Say what you will but I rule here and you will do what I say.” Zeus’ voice was stronger as he sat up and again held the chalice out to Aphrodite. “I will arrange for Ares to come to you tonight. Now drink it.”

  Feeling defeated and letting out a mournful sigh, Aphrodite took the chalice from her Brother and drank down the bitter contents. “There,” she said as she wiped the back of her arm across her chin. “This is the last time, I’m telling you Brother, I cannot keep doing this.” She threw the chalice to the marble floor and stomped on it.

  Hera picked up the crushed cup and took a deep sniff only to pull her head away from the wretched scent as her skin went cold and the chalice fell from her shocked hand. “Black magic? Are you out of your mind, Zeus? You’ll bring the Gods down on all of us for your insolence!”

  “Shut up!” Zeus barked. “Only fools, old wives, and most especially foolish old wives, believe in such rot.” He turned his icy stare to Aphrodite. “Now, you, bend over,” Zeus said with a sly grin before a golden syringe appeared in his hand and he stood up.

  Hera held a hand to her heart. “What in the name of the Gods is that?”

  “A little booster; come on Aphrodite, show me that fine ass of yours.”

  With a grunt, Aphrodite turned around, lifted her toga to bare her butt for him and waited for the shot. Zeus reached out with an aged hand and ran it across the smooth hump with admiration. Doing so made his old cock twitch and tingle as he sidled up to her, pressing his hips up against her and reaching around with his free hand to grab an ample breast, keeping her still and in place. “You were always so good like this,” Zeus whispered heatedly as he plunged the sharp needle into the flesh of her ass. “So good.”

  “Let go of me!” Aphrodite wiggled away from him after she felt the liquid inject into her skin. “Never again will you lay in my bed, Brother.”

  “Never again do I want to, viper,” Zeus countered. “Now go and get ready for the night ahead.”

  Aphrodite turned on the balls of her feet, her pink toga swirling around her, as she held her head high in the air and stormed out of the Throne Room.

  “I will put a stop to this, my Husband.” Hera stared through Zeus with her peacock eyes shooting daggers at him. “I will tell Ares not to go through with this wicked plan of yours.”

  “Tell him what you want, Wife. If he breaks his vow it’s Alena and Raven’s lives on the line and he knows it.”

  III

  Raven was sitting at dinner with his mother and Father when Apollo suddenly knocked at the door and was carefully led into the dining room by a nervous Onya. “My Lord Ares, your…Brother is…here to see you.”

  Ares looked up from his plate to see Apollo standing there with a smirk on his face. He couldn’t remember the last time Apollo darkened the door of his Fortress. “What is it?”

  “Zeus needs to see you, tonight,” Apollo announced and then looked over at Alena with a beaming smile. “Congratulations, my dear, we understand you’re about to bless us with another child.”

  After the loud sound of Ares’ fork crashing against his plate echoed in the air, the silence was heavy and resounding. “Who told you that?” Now he knew why Apollo was here; Zeus wanted to tell him that it was time to bed Aphrodite again.

  “A little…bird,” Apollo tittered, and glanced briefly in Raven’s direction.

  “Boy?”

  “I was over at Trinity’s today and I told Aphrodite. Why, was it a secret or something?” Raven asked with as much innocence as he could muster.

  “We were waiting for a more appropriate time to tell everyone. This wasn’t your secret to tell. I’m disappointed in you,” Ares warned his Son.

  “Sorry.” Raven shoved a forkful of baked potato slathered in sour cream and bacon into his mouth.

  “I’m sure you would have rather waited until after the delivery, Brother, but our Father’s waiting.”

  “Tell him I’m having dinner and I’ll be along when I’m ready.” Even though he’d lost his appetite, Ares picked up the fork and stabbed the roast beef on his plate. “Go on, go, get out of here Apollo.”

  “As you wish, Brother, I never like to intrude,” Apollo said gently and then winked at Alena with a grin. “Be seeing you, my dear.”

  “Not if I see you first,” Alena returned coldly.

  IV

  Ares called it an early night for the family and sent Raven to bed just after dinner along with his mother, who was very unhappy at the expected but unwelcome turn of events. Ares collected his thoughts in the kitchen for a few minutes after sending Alena and Raven upstairs; when he made his entrance into the bedroom he was carrying a silver tray laden with a porcelain teapot, two cups, creamer, sugar bowl, a plate of amaretto cookies and another plate of coffee cake.

  Alena was already in bed with the TV going, her arms crossed angrily in front of her as she blinked her determined eyes over and over, turning the channels. “I brought you some tea,” Ares announced as he neared the bed.

  Alena nodded and then gave him a cold grin. “I remember what happened the last time you made me tea. What was it? Oh yes, you cheated on me and Aphrodite ended up pregnant with Trinity.” She turned away from the cup he was offering her. “I think I’ll pass.”

  “Alena, don’t make this any harder than it has to be, hummm? Just drink the tea and go to sleep.”

  “What’s the point? I know where you’re going. I know what you’re going to do.”

  Ares wasn’t sure what the point was other than to make her more comfortable while he was off doing the wicked deed. “So you don’t have to think about it while I’m gone.”

  “No.”

  “Please? For me? So I know you are here sleeping in our bed with our baby inside you and our Son is in his room. So I know you are safe and not worried; you can yell at me all you want tomorro
w but tonight I want you to sleep.”

  Begrudgingly Alena took the cup he was offering along with an amaretto cookie and then made room for him to sit on the bed with her. “I hate this.”

  “I know, I do, too.” Ares cradled the back of her head and laid it on his shoulder. With the other hand he lifted the cup to her lips. “Drink.”

  “It’s not right,” she protested and tried to keep from crying. Why should something that was supposed to bring so much joy and happiness, like the birth of a new baby, bring so much sorrow? It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

  “I know,” Ares soothed and held her close as he watched her take the first sip. “Believe me, Alena, I don’t take any pleasure in this. Not in being in her filthy bed and never in hurting you.” Alena did believe that, but it didn’t make the jagged little pill go down any easier and neither did the rushed gulps of hot tea. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep in his arms and he tucked her into bed with a kiss. “I love you.”

  Making his way out of the bedroom he noticed the door to Raven’s room was slightly ajar; when he opened it fully the wolf dashed out and into Ares’ bedroom. “Come back here,” Ares hissed as he went after it only to watched Spirit Walker jump onto the bed and lay down close to Alena. Maybe the wolf sensed something he didn’t, maybe it was trying to warn him that Apollo might take this opportunity to slip into the Fortress. “Guard her with your life.”

  “What’s goin’ on?”

  Ares looked down to see Raven standing in his doorway wiping his eyes. “Nothing, go back to bed, boy.”

  “‘K,” he wandered away from the door.

  Ares watched him climb into the bed and hunker down for the night. Feeling all was safe and secure he let himself out of the Fortress.

  Raven climbed out of the bed the second his Father started down the stairs. With Ares headed for the door, Raven headed for the third floor to watch him wander out into the snow. At first Raven thought he was headed for Aphrodite’s Temple, but Ares made his way to the Grand Palace instead. Sitting in the window looking out the starry night, it wasn’t long before Ares emerged and then made his way to Aphrodite looking very unhappy. “Enjoy it, Pop.” Raven was pleased knowing it had been him who caused this sudden turn of events. No matter what the Olympians said, he was smart and he did have power here. This was proof enough of that much.

  The downside was that soon, if he wasn’t careful, he’d have two more siblings to deal with. Raven already had plans for dispatching two of them; he’d work on the third in due time. Until then, there was tonight. He thought about dashing over there, sneaking in and watching them fuck, wondering if it was different from when Ares did it with Alena. He’d like to see Aphrodite without that toga and run his hands along those curvy thighs up to those big tits. Maybe while he was there he could slip into Trinity’s room and show her what adults did in the night.

  Before he could turn away from the window he thought he heard his name being whispered on the wind.

  Raven. Raven.

  The boy looked around the room but saw no one, yet the sound kept coming to his ears or maybe it was inside his head, he couldn’t really tell. All he did know was that he couldn’t stop hearing it and wanting to go toward it. “What?” he whispered to the dark. “What do you want?”

  Raven. Raven.

  Turning his attention back to the window, Raven saw Apollo standing on his stoop staring at the Fortress with glowing gold eyes. Rather than walk, Apollo seemed to float over the top of the snow as he descended his steps and made his way to the outer gates of the Fortress, calling his name over and over; Raven, Raven.

  With watery eyes and a tingly head, Raven watched Apollo pull open the heavy outer gates and then, Apollo stopped, he stood in the snow and looked up at Raven. Open the door, boy, let me in.

  While Raven clearly heard the whispered order, Apollo’s lips never moved. Almost as though he were in a trance, Raven wandered from the third floor to the front door of the Fortress. For only a moment, he paused with his hand on the lock but then he heard his name again and he watched as his thumb flicked the lock open without his hand telling it to do so. Opening the door, the biting cold wind whipped up into his young face, threatening to bring him out of the daze Apollo put him in. “What are you doing here?”

  Apollo spoke in a dark husky tone as he hovered so closely to the steps, it was easy to think he was standing there. “I’ve come to see your mother, boy.”

  Raven stuttered, “She’s sleeping.” Funny, he felt a little sleepy, too, and just a few moments ago he was wide awake with his brain working at full-tilt on how to get rid of Trinity and not one but two coming siblings.

  Outside in the cold night Apollo spoke to the boy in very soft tones, never raising his voice but instead using his powers to hypnotize Raven into helping him for the night. The boy was so young and impressionable, getting into his head was child’s play. “Deeply I imagine.” Apollo lips turned into a sly grin. He still had one small problem; Ares’ nose was legendary and if Apollo were to step foot over the threshold for any length of time his scent would linger in the air. Not to mention the golden dust he exuded would leave a mess all over Ares’ sheets and that wouldn’t do. If Ares were to detect Apollo in his bedroom, things would only go badly from there. “Go get her, bring her out here for me.”

  “How?”

  “You’re a smart boy and a very strong one,” Apollo complimented as he crouched so as to be eye-to-eye with Raven, “just pick her up and carry her to me.”

  Raven didn’t doubt his physical and mental ability to carry out the mission, but there was a foreseeable snag. “What if she wakes up?” She could start squirming or screaming and wake up the whole mountain.

  “If I know your Father, Raven, and believe me I do, she isn’t going to wake up until way past dawn no matter what happens in the meantime.” Once Raven got Alena out here then Apollo had the option of just doing what he wanted to do right here on the snow or dashing back to his Temple with her for an hour or so. He’d make sure she was good and clean—completely gold dust free—when he was done with her so Ares’ olfactory abilities wouldn’t be an issue. “Go and get her for me.”

  “Why? What are ya gunna do with her?” Raven’s head kept growing heavier as though he could barely hold it up on his shoulders any longer.

  Apollo chuckled, “I have special plans for her.”

  “Yeah? What? Can I watch?”

  The chuckled grew deeper before Apollo answered, “If you hurry up about it, I’ll let you do more than that.” Out there in the cold, anticipation began to mount as his mouth watered and his heart beat a little faster.

  Raven wandered back inside, made his way up the steps as though he were in a dream. In his parents’ bedroom he found his mother sleeping with Spirit Walker at her side. “Get off the bed,” Raven snapped his fingers and the wolf looked up at him with questioning eyes. “I don’t care what Ares said, I’m your master, now get.” Slowly the wolf slunk off the bed and trotted into Raven’s room with its tail between his legs. Slipping his arms under her limp body, Raven easily lifted Alena from the bed. He bobbled a little bit as he settled her weight in his arms and she threatened to tumble to the floor, but Raven recovered in time. Holding her as closely as he could, Raven teleported to the bottom of the stairs and began carrying her down the corridor to the open front door.

  If one thing could be counted upon on all of Olympus, it was Eros’ eagle eyes. Nothing escaped him as he kept his constant gargoyle-like watch perched high on his Tower. When Raven went inside, he floated down to the snow between the outer wall of the Fortress and the door. “What are you doing?”

  Apollo wasn’t happy to see his Nephew tonight. “Go away Eros, I’m finally getting what’s coming to me and you’re not going to stand in my way.”

  Eros looked to the open door and to Apollo standing twenty feet beyond it. “What’s wrong, Apollo? Too chickenshit to sneak into my Father’s house when he isn’t here and take what you want f
rom him? You sent my little Brother to do your dirty work? I wonder what Ares will think of that.”

  “And don’t forget to tell him how easy it was to persuade Raven to hand over his mother to me. He even wants to help,” Apollo smiled, “should be quite the night for young Master Raven.”

  “Go home now, Apollo or I’ll fly off and have Ares here before you can even lay a hand on a single silver hair of her head. You’re not getting what you want tonight.”

  “You always have to spoil everything, don’t you?” Apollo huffed. “My day will come, I will have her and you won’t stop me, no one will.” Hovering just above the snow Apollo turned quickly and made for the heavy doors of the outer gate just as Raven appeared in the open front door with Alena in his arms.

  Raven was about to shout out to Apollo when he saw Eros standing there. “What’d you do?”

  The boy had a strange dazed but angry expression on his face that told Eros Apollo had been in the boy’s head, using him to do his bidding. “Saved your ass; give her to me.” Eros held out his arms. “You should be ashamed of yourself; get back inside and get to bed.” Raising a bronze foot in the air, Eros gave Raven a kick in the ass to get him moving as he followed the boy up the stairs. “You’re the man of this house when Ares isn’t here, Raven, you’re supposed to protect those who live within these walls, not abuse them, least of all your own mother.”

  “Who are you to tell me what to do?” Raven’s words were slow and mumbled.

  “I’m the one who isn’t afraid to tell our Father what you’ve been up to…with your mother and Onya,” Eros threatened sternly as the haze slowly lifted from Raven’s eyes. “Yes, I know all about it, Raven. I see Ares’ talk with you has done no good and that you still have a lot to learn, little Brother. First and foremost is that Apollo is not your friend, and he is certainly no friend to your mother. Do you know what he was going to do with her?” Eros looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms, grateful that he’d gotten here in time to save her from a fate worse than death.

  Standing in the hall Raven let out a sigh, shook his head and then raised his hand to it as though he had a headache. “Hey! How’d you get in here? Where you goin’ with my mom?”