Ares And Mia

Chapter 40

"Go, go!" I take off sprinting as Eros tucks his bow against his arm, disappearing from sight. I push through foliage and leaves, the forest terrain catching against my clothing. We were on a mountain of sorts, one that I guess the Olympians used to train in. There were rivers, ravines, and different types of landscapes all around. It was a combination of everything that they could ever face--well, land wise. 

My foot catches in a ditch and I stumble, before hoisting myself up with the help of a low hanging branch on a sturdy tree. The sheath of arrows on my back stays stiff as I run, strapped closely to my chest. We all had one, paired with a wooden bow that looked like it was made out of pure bronze. 

And somewhere, in this mass of trees and rocks, was Ares, hunting us down with arrows that could easily cut through my body like a knife through butter. 

For Eros and I to win, we had to pass through an arch at the edge of the mountain. Where was this arch, you ask? I have no clue. 

The side of the mountain gives way to a sheer cliff and I half slide-half fall down the side. A hand wraps around my arm and I look up, a dagger already in my hands. Eros yanks me to my feet, purple eyes bright. "Holy shit, he's fast. What the hell are we going to do?" I pant, wiping at the sweat on my forehead. 

"I think he wants to split us up," I heave a breath, before looking up at the canopy trees around  us. The shade was absolute, there was no clear way to have an upper hand. Eros looks through the trees before glancing in the other direction. "so we can't be sepa--"

"Don't you two think you're a little too relaxed?" I spin around, drawing the bow and an arrow. Ares doesn't even have an arrow notched at the string, instead, he's watching us with an acute curiosity. "Standing around and talking? That doesn't seem too sm--" I send the arrow toward him. "--art." The arrow snaps in half in his hand. 

"An attack from head on? Did you really think that you could get him!?" Eros elbows me in the side and I draw another arrow, swallowing.

"It made sense in my head for some reason!" I throw myself in the other direction as three arrows, fired at the same time, embedded the  dirt that Eros and I were standing on. This... This was a bad idea. I push myself up, just as I see the bow in Ares's hand levitate slightly, along with the contents of his sheath. 

I don't wait to see what he does. That's something someone stupid would do and I, for one, know better now. Dodging past a tree, I jump over the small fence that stretched through the ferns. I skid to a stop, looking around frantically. 

Before me, was a wooden bridge that I've only seen in movies. One that was made with rotting wood and rope, connected to two poles at either end of a foggy ravine. The space between the two was nearly 50 feet, enough for me to plummet into the depths of the misty void below. 

Or... Well, with everything that's been happening recently, I wouldn't doubt that I was living in some dramatic movie. 

I glance at the rope, then at the bow and sheath against my body. I pull them off, leaving them at the poles. The less weight the better. I exhale, knees feeling like jelly as I pat the daggers at my side. Come on, Mia, you've got this. 

I step onto the bridge, the wood immediately feeling like it was bending at my heel. I cringe, before pushing forward, moving my foot to the next. The individual panels felt moist and impressionable, my footsteps outlined behind me in the rotting wood. I grip onto the  rope, cold sweat running down my back. I'm shaking, but I move with fluidity and my eyes are glued to the trees on the other side of the mountain. 

Keep going. Keep going, keep going. Heights are nothing compared to what I'm going to have to  face. I hear a rustle from the trees that I came from, my heartbeat tripling in my chest. The arrows.  

I can't fight in a long distance battle. I spin around, noticing that I've crossed at least two thirds of it. And I see him out of the corner of my eye. He's nowhere close to me, but who knew what he could do? 

Ares has the string of the bow pulled back, aiming it at my equipment that I left behind. I swallow hard, moving forward with haste. The bridge shakes. 

There's a faint sound of something flying and my vision tilts. My entire body follows, as I realize that it wasn't my vision, it was the entire bridge. A scream catches in my throat as I don't have enough time to even focus on opening my mouth. Both of my hands grip at the rope as the entire support collapses, swinging me through the mass of damp air. 

Holy. Fucking. Shit.  

Was he actually trying to kill me!?

My body slams against what feels like slick moss, the breath knocked completely from my chest. I cough, gasping as I try to recover the hold that I had on the rope. I turn back, glancing at the poles. 

He shot through both ropes on either side, with one arrow, now sticking out of the left pole. I grit my teeth and he tilts his head at me, his lip quirking up in a smirk that I find, for the first time, infuriating. Ares raises his bow once more, sending an arrow less than a foot away from my head. I don't flinch.

He already taught me how to look unbothered.

'It throws them off their momentum. There are very few beings that would decline an offer to torture someone weaker than them. Don't let them enjoy it.'

I mimic his smirk and I let go of the rope with my right hand. My left shoulder burns immediately, but I maintain eye contact with him. I tap my forehead twice with my index finger, taunting him in the most reckless way possible. 

Ares's eyebrows shoot up, a baffled look on his face. He looks like he's laughing, but I can't hear him. I grab the rope with both hands and he disappears, just as Eros pulls me up from the side of the cliff. "We need to get you the hell away from Ares, you're already acting like him." 

- - -  

I yawn, the sparring time having ended a few hours ago. I walk into my room, rolling out my sore shoulder. There's a faint knock on my bedroom door. Knock? I turn slowly, narrowing my eyes. Phobus doesn't knock like that. Ares just appears. 

Apollo? Why would he come at this time? I walk toward the door, unlock it, and turn the knob. The second the door opens, the hair on the back of my neck sticks up. My heart seems to stop in  my chest as I take in the person before me. Tall, intimidating, and very, very much an enemy. 

"Hello, Ms. Williams." 

Zeus.

- - -

the calm before the storm :) 

anyways,  thank you so much for reading! it's been  nearly 2 years since i started this story?? it doesnt even  feel like that long, but gOSH THATS  A LONG TIME! thank you so much  for sticking with me this long, ur the best!

im thinking about having this book selfpublished, but its still being edited and such, so maybe a rewrite too??

soooo chapter review time!

look at them go haha, besties for life

mia's tap on the forehead, ares's reaction :)

what do you think zeus is doing? why did he come meet mia? what's happening next????

be sure to comment, vote, and  share! thank you so much for reading! :)