The War God's Woman 2

74. Pleading Guilty

Ares and Hephaestus materialised in the underworld. The moment Ares felt the strange air of hell against his face, his gaze sharpened. The bracelet on his wrist stopped glowing and the war god clenched his hands into fists.

"You defeated Typhon. Together." Hades' rasping voice came from the shadows. 

The bracelet snapped, clattering to the ground – its gems scattering across the wet stone. 

Hades stood before his two nephews – his cold, dead gaze lingering on the smithing god.

"We have come to return him." Hephaestus' expression was guarded as he eyed the god of death warily.

Hades turned his pale gaze on the war god.

Ares conjured his sword – in one swift move he swung at Hephaestus' neck. But Hephaestus caught the blade. Gold blood slid down the steel weeping from Hephaestus' palm. His large arm shook but he stood firm, keeping the blade from killing him.

"Why?!" Hephaestus stared at Ares. Why was Ares turning on him? Cold dread sank into his stomach. "No," he breathed. "Was it all a lie?"

"Not of my making." Ares spat. 

It was Hades' quick gaze that spotted the broken bracelet.

"Hecate's curse. You were under another's control." Hades murmured, understanding.

Hephaestus staggered back. His dark eyes shone with tears. All those words Ares had said, about regretting their past, about forgiving him – none of it had been real...

"Sage..." Hephaestus breathed. "She stole the bracelet from me." He realised. He thought back, to Sage's sudden change in behaviour – her keenness to go to his workshop and to keep it a secret from Ares. "She planned it all..."

Ares growled, slashing with his sword and Hephaestus felt the blow tear through his hand – slicing through the bone. Hephaestus roared in agony. The smithing god's hands had the power to create beautiful and wonderful things – but in that moment, he lost one of those hands.

Clutching the stump of his wrist against his chest, Hephaestus dematerialised. 

                He teleported to his workshop, where he fell to his knees. Electra flew to Hephaestus' side, her little face panicked when she saw the blood pouring down his arm. But he didn't see the nymph. Hephaestus sobbed, his heart throbbing. He'd been betrayed. 

Sage had betrayed him.

                   Ares handed Typhon over to Hades.

"Lock him the darkest depths of hell." He spat. Hades nodded and pocketed the orb in the folds of his grey cloak.

"The immortals are angry." Hades warned him. "They will not forgive you for this." 

Ares ran his hands through his hair. "You must tell them about the humans involvement." Hades urged. 

"If I tell them Sage dared to enslave a god, she'll be punished."

"You still  want to protect her?" Hades' voice was a dark whisper. "You love her, even now?"

Ares' expression hardened.

"Like a fool I loved her. Never again." The war god vanished. 

Without the glow of Ares' sword, the shadows seemed to grow. With heavy shoulders, Hades stepped backwards – melting once more into the darkness.