The Warrior God (The Ares Trials #1) - Eliza Raine Page 0,5

trouble.”

Indignation spiked in me, but faded fast. I both caused and attracted trouble all the time. There was little point in denying that.

“So Joshua knew about all this?” I waved my hands around the room, and the flames either side of me leaped and danced in response.

“Yes. He will have known you had power and would have been trying to help you manage it. I doubt he knew who you truly were. Just that you were of Olympus.”

Disappointment speared my gut. Along with a dull sense of betrayal.

“And my cat?”

“I don’t know,” answered Persephone, looking curiously at Zeeva. I looked down at her too, normal-sized now and sitting a foot away from me. As usual, she didn’t deign to look back at me.

“I was assigned to watch over Enyo a long time ago,” the woman’s voice from earlier said.

“By who?” asked Persephone, before I could ask the same thing.

“Hera,” she answered, and Persephone smiled.

“Hera is a kind goddess and a fair ruler,” she said to Zeeva, and the traitorous freaking cat actually nodded her head at the Queen.

“So...” I rubbed my hands across my face. “Just to confirm, you’re saying me and my cat have magic powers and are from a secret Greek mythology world?”

“You have the power of war. It is mostly anger, strength and violent tendencies,” said Ares gruffly.

Well, I mean, that would explain a lot. Like, a hell of a lot. Maybe this wasn’t so cream-cracker crazy after all.

“And Joshua and other... Guardians have gone missing?”

“We do not have time for this!” Ares snapped, stamping his foot on the marble. I didn’t flinch, straightening my own spine instead as a response. Other people’s rage triggered my own, and I clung to the solidifying feeling, the sharpening of my focus. “I need my power back, before my realm discovers what has happened and rebels against me!” Ares shouted.

“We need to find Joshua!” I protested, looking at him. “Fuck your stupid powers; a man has been kidnapped!” A vision of Joshua’s lifeless face flashed through my mind, and I clamped my jaw shut, trying to hold on to my fragile focus.

I needed to concentrate on one thing at a time, and that had to be finding Joshua. He may have lied to me about who or what he really was, and who or what I was for that matter, but he had been helping me. And now I was the only person that knew what had happened to him. I was all he had.

Understanding all this other madness would have to wait; I needed to make sure he was safe first.

“My powers are significantly more important than the disappearance of some minor guardian,” said Ares. My fists clenched, but Hades spoke, and we both turned to him.

“Ares, you may not kill Enyo for her power. I forbid it.”

The god of war snarled, and I failed to stop myself giving him a sarcastic smile and a middle finger flip. He bared his teeth at me.

“There is another way you can gain your power back, as we have already discussed. Oceanus is the only being stronger than Zeus. Ask him for help.”

“Hades, I am not a puppet and I will not ask a Titan for help!” Ares said loudly. His enormous body was practically bulging out of his armor as his muscles tensed. I recognized the signs of trying to contain a fierce temper.

“Then you are destined to be powerless forever,” shrugged the smoke figure. “Unless she agrees to share her power with you voluntarily.”

“Why would I help him?” I exclaimed. “He’s an asshole! For all I know, he kidnapped Joshua himself!”

“He is not guilty of that crime,” said Hades.

“Being an asshole, or kidnapping my friend?” I snapped back.

“The kidnapping,” Hades said after a pause, in which I was sure I heard a chuckle. “A number of demons escaped the Underworld in the chaos of Zeus’ fleeing. I have reason to believe that one of these demons is responsible, and I have heard they are seeking refuge in Ares’ realm.”

“That is not my problem,” barked Ares.

“As ruler of Olympus, I am making it your problem. I want you to find this escaped demon and the stolen Guardians. I have no authority in your lawless land. It must be you.”

“If I return to my realm, I will be overthrown without my power!”

“Then you and Bella must work together.”

“No. I want no part of this,” said Ares.

“It is my command as your King, Ares,” said Hades, and the slither was back in his