“Thank you for teaching me.” Kaye spoke breathlessly, still transported by the music.
He smiled. “Only a true warrior appreciates the meaning, and you have done so tonight.”
They sat together in silence. Kaye leaned toward him, wanting him to hold her in his arms and run his hands all over her body, but Ares pulled away. “We have another event planned for tomorrow?”
Disappointment stung her chest. “Yes, Grammy has asked for us to join her on a tour of the coast.”
Ares studied her for a moment as if deciding what to do with her. “You should get some sleep.”
The finality in his voice stopped Kaye from arguing. They’d spent the whole day together, and their relationship had grown deeper. She should be content. Why push it to the next level? They still had the rest of the week to explore each other in more physical ways.
Kaye took the bed, and Ares stayed on the couch. She turned her back and curled under the sheets. Had she pushed him away last night by moving too fast? Now his gentlemanliness seemed a little too chaste. Why didn’t he make a move?
…
Ares was not fond of boats, especially small ones with a glass bottom. Never mind the fact they entered Poseidon’s realm. Normally, mortals didn’t concern the trident holder. But, having a god among them may tempt his fury.
If Ares was indeed still a god.
His stomach flipped as he boarded The Mermaid’s Tail. He grabbed the rail.
“Don’t have your sea legs?” Bradley teased as he sipped a beer from the portside.
Ares had been on thousands of different kinds of boats over the eons: the Abydos funeral boats of the ancient Egyptians, the Greek’s triremes, three-masted pirate ships, and Victorian skiffs. But he’d never felt the deck move so precariously under his feet. It must have been another side effect of the curse.
Kaye jumped on deck with ease and pointed a finger at Bradley. “Need another game of volleyball to put you in your place?”
“Beginner’s luck.” Bradley smirked.
Kaye moved toward her brother, and Ares placed a hand on her shoulder. “Let it go.” Another strangely beneficial side effect of the curse was a calmer disposition. In the past, he would have had that man’s head.
“He shouldn’t be such a jerk,” Kaye growled.
“Remember why we’re here.” Ares gestured toward where Grammy sat underneath her flamingo umbrella.
Kaye smoothed over her hair. “You’re right. I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately.”
He had an idea. As Kaye inherited the powers of athleticism, confidence, and gracefulness, she also experienced heightened levels of aggression, frustration, and anger. He’d seen it in himself.
The boat began to move, taking them into the aqua green waters of the lower Keys. A small yellow fish darted underneath the boat.
“Look!” Mrs. Underhill pointed. She stood next to Mr. Underhill and a few of Kaye’s uncles and aunts. “Grammy, can you see it?”
“I may be old, but my eyes are still sharp as an eagle’s.” Grammy wheeled her chair over to Ares and Kaye. “With these bottle-thick glasses of course.”
Ares smiled. He admired her spirit. To go on a boat at ninety years old in a wheelchair took courage. He would bet she was just as brave as the lieutenants in his army. Kaye had inherited that bravery, and the powers brought it out.
If only he didn’t have to take them away.
“You’ll find a way.” Grammy glanced up at him. “Enjoy the journey.”
Ares froze. Could this old woman—this mortal—have powers of her own?
Kaye squeezed his arm and whispered, “Don’t mind her. She talks nonsense every now and then.”
Ares kneeled next to Grammy. “What do you mean? Find a way how?”
“Would you look at that coral?” Grammy smiled at him as if she hadn’t heard his questions. “Reminds me of this episode of Gilligan’s Island.”
“Gilligan’s Island?” Ares shook his head. “Where is this Gilligan?”
“He was lost as well, trapped on an island without any way to get back to his people. He found a way.” Grammy tapped on Ares’ arm.
A shimmery tail disappeared into the kelp at the bottom of the sea. Ares glanced around to see if anyone else saw it, but everyone was still infatuated with the little yellow fish. Adrenaline rushed through him. Word traveled quickly on Mount Olympus. Poseidon could have heard about Ares spending time in the mortal realm and tracked him here to spy.
Or it could have been his imagination playing tricks. Ares watched for another fifteen minutes while Veronica chatted with Grammy and Kaye about her baby.
Kaye turned back to him and frowned at his silence. “Don’t worry about understanding Grammy. Sometimes she just doesn’t make any sense. Let’s sit over here.”
Ares followed her to a bench by the railing. “Did you see anything in the depths back there while you were talking?”
“Like what?” Kaye started spreading sun tan lotion on her shoulder, and Ares had trouble concentrating.
He didn’t want to scare her with imaginary concerns. “A fish’s tail?”
“No. Just the little yellow fish.”
Ares nodded. He would have to keep watch in case.
Kaye pursed her lips. “Grammy’s a very smart lady. She taught physics at the college level for years. It wasn’t until my granddad passed away that she started acting strange, babbling about inter-dimensional planes and seeing him again. Eventually she started doing almost nothing but watching TV reruns.”
Inter-dimensional planes may sound strange to Kaye, but Grammy’s studies made perfect sense. Hades’ realm in the Underworld could be breached by magical means. Perhaps it could also be reached by science.
Kaye adjusted the strap of her bikini, heating Ares’ blood until he wanted to snap the strap off. “My mom doesn’t think she gave up. She thinks Grammy found him, but either she couldn’t tell anyone for some unknown reason, or she didn’t like what she saw.”
“Could be either.” Ares studied Grammy with compassion. So stubborn and so smart. She was a lot like Kaye.
“You mean you believe her?”
Ares nodded. “Hades guards his Underworld well, but as you know, the door between the mortal world and the god world can be opened. She may have connected to the Underworld and been wise enough to close the portal before something dangerous happened, or Hades may have scared her off.”
“You think she got a chance to talk to Grandpa?”
“She might have, but as for bringing him back from the Underworld, that is a feat of which only certain gods are capable. Maybe she realized that. Or maybe, he wasn’t there to begin with.”
“Whatever happened, she’s at peace now, and I’m not going to drudge up old memories by asking her.” Kaye sniffed and turned to Ares with fear in her eyes. “Is that where we go when we die? The Underworld?”
Ares shrugged. Who was he to know for certain? “There are many levels of existence and many worlds all connected by threads of space and time. Perhaps the Underworld is just another possible stop along the way.”
A cold wet splash hit his shirt and shorts. Ares glanced up in surprise.
Bradley had upturned his beer. He swayed and grabbed the rail. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to spill. Seems I’m just as clumsy as you and Kaye.” He slurred his words.
Ares reached to hold Kaye down, but he wasn’t fast enough. She stood and grabbed Bradley by the collar, then pushed him against the rail. “How dare you.”
One more step and they’d both fall overboard.
Everyone else grew silent, but Kaye didn’t notice. She stared at Bradley like she would kill him, her fingers tightening on his throat. Bradley coughed and wheezed, unable to speak.
Ares knew this rage like an old enemy. He’d been a prisoner of its powers until it had consumed him, blinding him to the world. Entrapped in rage, he knew no responsibility or consequences.
Only now, rid of the powers, could he see the loss of
control for what it truly was. That was when war crossed the line and became war for war’s sake. Instead of justice, it was revenge.
“Kaye.” He spoke tenderly, trying to keep calm. If anything happened to either of them, it would be his fault for not containing his powers. Ares breathed deeply, feeling her pain. If he’d brought himself back from the brink, he could save her. “Think about what you’re doing.”
She ignored him and shook Bradley as he lost consciousness. “I should throw you overboard.”
“Kaye,” Ares pleaded. “This is not you. He’s your brother. Let him go.”
Kaye gritted her teeth and snarled like a beast. “He teased me for the last time.”
“Love leads to peace.” Grammy had wheeled her chair behind them. Even though her voice was soft, it cut through the rhythmic crash of waves.
Kaye’s grip loosened. She released Bradley and stared at her hands as if they weren’t her own. Bradley fell to the deck coughing. Mr. and Mrs. Underhill knelt beside him as Veronica called for the boat to return to port.
Ares placed an arm around her and pulled her close. Kaye began to cry, burying her head in his chest. “I don’t know why I did that.”
“All is well. Bradley will live.” Ares ran his hands up and down her back. His powers had done this, turning her into a monster like they had to him so many times. “It’s my fault.” Ares cupped the back of her head in his hands. “I should have told you.”
A seagull cawed above them. Ares turned his head to the sky. The birds flew in formation in the shape of a V. In the center, leading the others, was a black crow.
Hekate. She was here, always watching to see if he’d break the curse.
Kaye pulled her head up from his chest. Her eyes were red, and tears stained her cheeks. “What should you have told me?”
Ares swallowed a lump in his throat. Guilt and pain welled up inside him. “Nothing.”
Chapter Thirteen
Insecurities
The plastic chair in the waiting room at the Lower Keys Medical Center dug into Kaye’s back as humiliation and shame burned through her. She buried her face in her hands, unwilling to meet the questioning gazes of the other family members. That person on the boat wasn’t her. Never had she raised a hand to anyone before.
The emergency room took Bradley in only as a precaution, but still she couldn’t stop feeling like a serial killer. Thank goodness Ares sat beside her, offering his continual support, rubbing her back.
“Can I get you some coffee or water?”
“No. I’m fine.” She pried her hands off her face and glanced around the room.
Her mother talked with Veronica and her father across the room. The other aunts and uncles had taken Grammy back to the resort to wait for a phone call. Besides Ares, no one had said much to Kaye.
They probably thought she’d lost her mind. She couldn’t blame them. If someone had strangled her over the railing of a boat, she’d have given them a certificate of insanity. Sure, Bradley had teased her and Ares, but a few snarky remarks shouldn’t elicit a murder attempt.
Her mom broke off from the group and took the seat on Kaye’s other side. She squeezed Kaye’s shoulder. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m shocked and mad at myself.” Kaye shook her head. “My anger took over, and I had no control over what I was doing. I know that’s not an excuse…”
“It’s okay. These things happen sometimes when unresolved feelings from childhood rear their ugly head.” She folded her hands in her lap and paused as if thinking about how to word the next phrase. “There’s something I never told you about Bradley.”
Kaye blinked and sat up straighter. “What do you mean?”
“He has a learning disability.”
“What?” Perfect Bradley? Captain of the track team, president of the student body, first in his class with straight A’s, science fair wins, presidential awards.
Her mother nodded. “He’d be very angry if I told you, even now. But I think you need to know, to understand why he is the way he is. It’s not an excuse for his behavior, just an explanation. I should have told you a long time ago.”
Kaye glanced at Ares. His face showed no emotion either way, but he nodded in encouragement. She turned back to her mom. “What does that have to do with me?”
“Bradley takes competition very seriously. He feels like he has to prove himself, again and again to beat the disability.”
Compassion spread through her. “All this time I thought he was competing against me, and he was competing against himself.”
The doors opened, and Bradley came out with a nurse. Veronica rushed to him, followed by her mother and father.
“I’m fine.” Bradley waved them off. His cheeks were red. “Just a little bruising.”
Bruising? Remorse stung her gut. Was she strong enough to cause bruises?
They thanked the nurse and began to walk toward the exit.
Kaye touched Ares arm. “You go ahead.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I have some unfinished business.” She raised her voice. “Bradley?”
He turned around and broke from the group as the others walked out.
Bradley stopped Ares as he passed him. The two men faced each other, and Kaye braced herself for the worst. “Sorry about the beer.” Her brother’s voice was penitent.
Ares nodded. “No offense taken.” He continued out the door to join the rest of the family.
Everyone left the waiting room except for Bradley and Kaye.
Kaye bit her lower lip. For something like this, sorry didn’t cut it. “So you’re gonna be all right?”
“Yeah.” Bradley rubbed his hand on his neck. “If you were trying to kill me, then you failed.”
“I don’t know what got into me.” Kaye shook her head. “What I did was totally unacceptable, and I’m sorry.”
Bradley’s face softened. “It’s okay.” He gave her a half smile. “I was drunk, and I pushed you too far. I shouldn’t have teased you and your boyfriend.”
Kaye froze in disbelief. Bradley was apologizing? To her? After she tried to kill him? Some people really did grow up. She thought about him living with a secret learning disability. What would their lives have been like if she’d reached out to him, if she’d known? “I always looked up to you as a kid. You were so perfect, so good at everything, and I never told you so. I guess I thought you didn’t need the support. I should have.”
“We should have supported each other,” Bradley acquiesced. “You were always getting hurt and going to the hospital, and I was too busy with my own life to come and visit.”
“Listen, I don’t want to compete with you anymore. Friends?”
He offered his hand. “Friends.”
The door opened, and her mother peeked in. “Just making sure everything’s okay with you two.”
Bradley clapped Kaye’s shoulder. It stung, but the gesture also filled her with relief and a sense of camaraderie. He glanced at their mother and smiled. “Never been better.”
…
Ares stood with Kaye’s family outside the hospital. She’d been in there with Bradley for the last ten minutes. Was she making amends or embroiled in another fight?
Her mother had gone in to check on them and hadn’t come out yet. He glanced at the unmoving door. Kaye needed her own privacy to resolve the issue, but the urge to protect her built inside him. He’d wait another few minutes, then go in himself.
Granted with his powers, she could protect herself. He was the one who needed help.
A black crow walked across his path then took off, flying around the side of the building. Ares narrowed his eyes with anger. Then, an idea brightened his thoughts. All this time, Hekate had been in charge. He had to start taking matters into his own hands, turning the tide of battle.
Kaye’s family wouldn’t notice if he slipped away for a minute. Ares followed the bird around the side of the building.
He tripped. “Hades’ Underworld!”
The grass seemed even. It was his clumsy footing, as a result of Hekate’s damn curse.
“I see you still have work to do.” Hekate leaned forward on a park bench surrounded by pigeons. She reached into a brown paper bag and pulled out a handful of sunflower seeds. Even though the temperature rose upwards of a hundred degrees, she huddled under her crow-feathered robe like it was winter on Mount Olympus’ highest peak.
Ares held his breath, trying to calm himself before he lurched after her. She’d disappear in a puff of smoke, and then he’d never get to ask the questions burning on his tongue.
“I know you’ve cursed me for a reason. But Kaye has done no wrong. Leave her out of this.”
Hekate laughed. “I see you’ve developed a fondness for her.” She spread another handful of seeds over the grass. “This curse has developed better than I could have hoped.”
“She’s innocent,” Ares growled. “Your quarrel is with me.”
The old witch waved her hand over the pigeons’ heads. “Innocents die in war all the time. It is an ugly consequence. What’s done is done. There is no other way to break the curse.”
“Then spare her feelings. If I can get her to love me, remove the curse without her knowledge.”
Hekate pointed a finger at his forehead. “You don’t want her to know your true intentions? Eh?”
“My true intentions are to protect her.”
“Ah. So noble. So valiant. So quick to kill in the name of that honor.” Her last words turned sour with bitterness. Hekate emptied the bag. “Once the curse is broken, the truth will be revealed. What she thinks of you is your problem, not mine.”
He stepped toward her, and the pigeons scattered in flight. “You vile, callous witch.”
“You didn’t seem to care about her opinion before.”
“I care now.” He lunged.
The witch disappeared before he reached her, and his hands closed on black smoke.
“By the flames of Hades’ Underworld.” Ares squeezed his fists. No other way to break the curse? To save Kaye from heartbreak?
He collapsed onto the park bench. She would find out he’d used her to regain his powers, and he would hurt her. He would lose her. There was no other way.
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