The War God's Woman 2

39. In a Field of Fire

Hades poured the vial, the clear liquid touched Ares' lips and then...

Ares spat it out. 

The war god turned his head to the side, letting the liquid drip down his jaw onto the floor. Hades' eyes flashed.

"You'll die if you don't drink." The god of death hissed. Ares wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and collapsed against the alter.

"I'm the war god." He rasped weakly. "I'm not afraid of dying."

"What do you fear then?" Hades stood back as Ares sat up. The war god grunted in pain. What did he fear? He swung his legs over the side of the alter and stood up. The pain in his chest tore through him and Ares knew that Hades wasn't wrong. He really was dying. He stared down at the puddle of liquid at his feet. One sip, and his broken heart would be healed. But he knew what he feared most.

"Having nothing left to fight for."

With his last energy, Ares dematerialised. Hades stared at the where his nephew had been standing, and sighed heavily. But at that moment, a bedraggled Eros appeared.

"We did it! We broke the... But – where is he?" Eros stared down at the altar. "Was I too late?"

"He chose death."

Eros staggered back and bowed his head, regret glowing in his golden eyes.

**

                            Eros materialised in Sage's hospital room.

"What happened?" Sage demanded, an edge of hysteria in her voice. The waiting had been driving her mad. She read Eros' face and her mind went blank with panic. She leapt from the bed and grabbed Eros by the arm. "Tell me."

"The spell between you and the mortal is broken. The gangster's life is no longer threatened by any words you speak."

"And Ares?"

"He didn't take the drink."

Sage smiled, barely daring to believe it.

"He still remembers me – that's amazing, isn't it? Why do you look like that?"

"Sage, I was too late in getting to the underworld. Ares refused to drink and forget. He left to die in a place of his choosing. And I can't find him."

Sage's face drained of colour. She ran her fingers through her hair, tugging at the roots.

"We have to find him." She needed to heal his heart, before it was too late. Where would Ares choose to die? There were so many places she knew nothing about, Ares had thousands of years of places to explore. "Thrax..."

"What's that?"

"His warhorse. Ares would want to say goodbye to Thrax. Where would a fire-breathing horse be?"

Eros blinked.

"I have no idea."

"Think!" Sage's grip tightened on the love god's arm. "Thrax can fly. He is like a flying, burning fire ball. Surely, there's only so many places in the universe where he'd fit in."

"I... might know a place."

"Take me there."

Eros nodded. He scooped Sage up in his arms and together they vanished.