The Warrior God (The Ares Trials #1) - Eliza Raine Page 0,15

facing Underworld demons without it. Or hulking armored giants with no sense of humor.

“I am glad you came back here.”

I jumped so hard in surprise that the blade slipped from my fingers and landed on the threadbare carpet.

“Zeeva!” The bastard cat appeared on my bed, her tail swishing.

“You are aware you are unlikely to see this place again?”

“Yes, and good riddance,” I said, picking up my knife, pulse slowing.

“I mean London, not this awful apartment,” she said, her mental voice laden with distaste.

I faltered. I wouldn’t miss this shithole, but London? The city was special.

“Does Olympus have musicals?” I asked hopefully.

“Olympus has plays beyond your wildest dreams, but I doubt you shall ever see them,” she answered.

“Why not?”

“Primarily because I would be surprised if you survive Ares and his realm,” she said bluntly. I scowled at her. “But even if you do, you can’t stay in Olympus.”

A sick feeling churned through my stomach. The only reason I wasn’t completely freaking out was that Olympus felt so right, even though I’d barely spent an hour there.

“Why can’t I stay?”

“You are of the mortal world now. You need power to live in Olympus if you are not raised there.”

“I have power! That’s why Ares wants me!”

“But you can’t use it yourself.” Her tone was that of every teacher I had ever known when I failed to do what I had been asked, and at that moment I realized what she was doing. She was goading me.

“You want me to learn to use my power?” I asked. Her amber eyes flicked to the door, where Ares stood beyond.

“He will not teach you. You may only rely on yourself.”

“Can you teach me?” She bared her needle-like teeth.

“Your power could not be more different than mine. I can teach you nothing.”

I didn’t think that was true, given that I knew fuck all. When you were starting from zero, anything at all was more than nothing.

“Well, as it happens, ‘learn magic war power’ was next on my list, right after ‘arm myself’,” I said haughtily. Her eyes moved to my knife, safely folded shut as I pushed it into my jeans pocket.

When she said nothing else, I grabbed my deodorant and a few other bits from the hanging shelves in my washroom, then zipped up my bag, mentally crossing the items off the packing list I’d made in the desert.

“You know, I might not want to stay in Olympus,” I lied, as I slung one strap of the backpack over my shoulder and looked at the cat. She blinked slowly.

“You want to stay,” she said. “As a true goddess, you could explore a world that is truly limitless. Realms that float in the sky, reside in volcanoes, are submerged in golden domes in the ocean. Ships that soar through the sky. Magic that can provide endless experiences, tastes, feelings, desires. People, gods and creatures that will obliterate the boundaries of your imagination. Stories that will leave you desperate for more. And adventures that will never end if you do not want them to.”

The bag slipped off my shoulder as my muscles went slack. Zeeva was describing my greatest dream. A world where I could not get bored. Where my boundless energy and vivid imagination could be constantly absorbed. My eyes were glazing over as I imagined it, my drab, moldy, tiny apartment vanishing behind a vision of freedom and life.

“And I can only stay if I have magic?” I breathed.

“Yes.” The vision cleared abruptly, my mushroom-colored walls slamming back down around me.

The idea of actually having or using magic was something my brain had so far refused to dwell on. The fact that I had heard my own apparent War power referenced countless times in the last crazy few hours didn’t make it feel any more real or true.

I mean, it wasn’t like I didn’t believe it. Why the hell would Ares have shown up in my life otherwise?

But I didn’t feel like I had any magic power. And as arrogant as it might have been, I had enough confidence in my ability as a scrappy but pretty accomplished fighter to not have to process the idea. I could survive without magic, I was sure, so I was focusing on Joshua, and arming myself. Things I knew about, could work with and control.

But if I ultimately needed the magic to stay in Olympus... That changed things. That was a motivation I could use, that I could force my brain to accept. I’d show that stuck-up cat