The War God's Woman

37. Battle Plan

Ares drank heavily, drowning his sorrow with the nectar of the gods. His eyes were bloodshot and shadows flickered and danced over his aura.

"You're on the edge, nephew." Hades purred, materialising from the darkness. Ares blinked blearily up at the god of death.

They were on the highest rooftop of the city, with the city's lights casting a blurry haze through the smog. Hades raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by Ares' state. "In our history, demi-gods have risen to become gods. Those that once ruled the world have become trapped beneath it." His cold blue eyes flashed intently. "And those with blood of gold can still fall."

Ares snorted.

"I have fallen. I was exiled from Olympus, remember?"

"Exiled, yes." Hades' voice was harsh, seemed to scrape against the wind. "Yet you are still an Olympian. But if you degrade yourself, you can fall further."

Ares frowned bitterly and raised his hand to drink again from his goblet. But the goblet vanished.

"Uncle." Ares seethed through clenched teeth. But Hades' returning stare was dispassionate. 

 "Look at yourself, Ares. You were once the Crown Prince, the future ruler of Olympus. You're a far cry from that now."

Ares looked down at himself and his shoulders sank pathetically.

"Nobody wanted me there anywhere." He murmured sadly.

"True." Hades replied, flashing his fangs. "But you made them accept you."

Ares' gaze wakened from his drunken stupor, regaining its sharpness. 

He'd once made the Olympian's accept him as one of the Twelve. 

Could he make Sage accept him in her heart?

**

Sage gloomily did her food deliveries, knocking on doors with more aggression then was strictly necessary. Ares was avoiding her. She ground her teeth in frustration. If he would just appear and talk to her about it, she could explain everything. She could explain that Ezekiel was her friend and that she was just worried about him. That he'd misunderstood her.

But the longer Ares was making her wait, the more she often she flipped – to stubbornly not wanting to explain anything.

"I've been accepting!" She ranted out loud, alarming a stray cat. "I accepted that he has a crazy ex who he's basically been in love with for the whole of time!"

Her dark thoughts riled her up, until she finished her shift with far more energy left then usual. She phoned Cesar.

"I've finished my deliveries. I did an extra shift at the café this morning. And I've cleaned the flat. I deserve a break tonight." She was about to suggest drinks on Castle Hill when Cesar interrupted her, sounding strange. 

"I made a cupcake with Markus' face on it."

Sage stopped stomping down the pavement.

"What?"

"I've made a cupcake." Cesar repeated, sadly. "But now I can't eat it. It's been next to me all day."