18. The Goddess of Love

Ares picked up Sage, carrying her weight easily, and pushed off from the ground. They shot up into the sky and the wind rushed violently passed them, swallowing Sage's shrieks. She clung onto Ares' neck, feeling like she'd left her stomach on the ground. Her teeth chattered together and the rush of cold air paralysed her. The city lights shone vividly below but she scrunched her eyes shut, unable to enjoy the view.

Ares swerved suddenly. His grip tightened around Sage and he could feel her heart pounding against his chest. A barrage of sparrows buffeted into them, their little claws and beaks smacking against Ares' shields. He dealt with them mercilessly, frying the little birds. It was easy, like a human squishing ants. He landed nimbly on the ground and set Sage down onto her feet. She cringed away from the crispy feathers that were fluttering down from the sky like snowfall.

"This is the old dock," she exclaimed, recognising their dismal surroundings. "Are we safe here?"

Ares shook his head a fraction, his keen gaze fixed on the sky.

"Not exactly." His eyes narrowed. Aphrodite was circling overhead, camouflaged from human eyes. Ares' observed the goddess' graceful movements. She was burdened by something. What was she carrying?

"Why have we stopped then?" Sage asked, giving up on trying to see what he was looking at. The docks was an eerie place, it's derelict warehouses cloaked in shadows. "We should keep moving."

"We're not running away."

"Why not?" Sage was outraged. He was the one who had told her Aphrodite was a threat and that her life was in danger.

Ares' jaw twitched, a flicker of emotion passing over his face but only for a moment – before his soldier's mask was back in place.

"Because I am the war god, and I will not run."

"But when we flew off-"

"It was to pick a strategic battleground."

"This is strategic?" She stared around at the deserted dock. But then she registered his choice of words. Battleground. Sage tensed, her nerves on a knife edge. Ares intended to fight. But what happened if he didn't win? She stopped scanning in the area and focused instead on the war god at her side. She'd seen him lift a car over his head, pet a horse that breathed fire and fly over the city - surely he undefeatable. Right?

Ares clicked his tongue. He'd been wrong, the question wasn't what was Aphrodite carrying, but who.

"Stay behind me." He directed. Sage had no intention of disobeying. Something heavy dropped from the sky, seeming to appear out of nowhere. Sage flinched and cowered behind Ares. He didn't react to the thing's sudden appearance. "Stay." He repeated, and he took the precaution of putting a hand on Sage's arm to keep her in place.

Sage stared at the fallen object, no – not an object – a person. She took half a step forward and Ares' grip on her arm tightened. "No."

"But that's..." As she was talking, the person who had been dropped from the sky groaned and rolled onto his back. He rubbed his head, seeming confused by what had just happened. "Ezekiel."

On saying his name, the gangster's head snapped up and his gaze met hers.

"Sage?"

A girlish laugh broke out and finally the goddess revealed herself, hovering in the air above Ezekiel. Sage gasped. The goddess of love was stunning. She had the gentlest face Sage had ever seen, with soft honey-brown eyes and a smattering of delicate freckles. Her hair was tied up and partially hidden by a translucent veil that fluttered in the breeze.

"Go to him, Sage." The goddess murmured sweetly. "Go to the man you really love."

Ares growled, his grip on Sage becoming painful and Aphrodite laughed once more. "I can see the hearts of mortals," she taunted. "I can see what's really in her heart."

"Liar." A throwing star appeared in Ares' hand and he quickly launched it.

Aphrodite cried out, her mouth gaping in shock. The star's cruel edge had wedged between her breasts. She pulled it out, healing immediately – but her face no longer appeared gentle. She was furious.

"You attacked me. Me." She let the blade drop to the ground where it clattered against the paving stones – speckles of gold shining on its edge.

"I won't listen to your poison."

Tears gleamed in Aphrodite's eyes.

"We've loved one another for over three thousand years, Ares."

"You never loved me. It was all a game to you. I should have sent you back to Hephaestus, the first time you approached my palace. No," Ares, amended – changing his mind. "I should have spared us both from you. I should have cast you from Olympus." He let go of Sage and conjured his sword. Aphrodite's eyes widened in fear, recognising the blade. The blade that was able to kill immortals.

She clenched her hands into fists, keeping her nerve against his blatant threat. Ares rose into the sky, gripping the sword in both hands. The sword's markings shone brilliant molten orange and his eyes glowed to match. Aphrodite carefully circled, trying to keep the space between them.

"I loved you both!" She retorted. "It was you that left me no choice. You wanted to keep me in a cage."

"I wanted you to love only me!" He bellowed and thunder rumbled overhead, as if in response.

"I can't! I'm the goddess of love."

"And yet you know nothing about love!"

The god and goddess stared at one another, both breathing heavily. Tears slipped down Aphrodite's beautiful face but Ares ignored them. The fire left his eyes and he glared at her, his anger replaced by colder hatred. "You only understand lust, Aphrodite. You're too selfish to feel real love."

Sage stared up at the two gods, watching them circling in the air. Rain began to fall, the heavy droplets soaking her upturned face.

"Sage," Ezekiel called out, getting up and attempting to rush over to her.

"No!" Ares swooped back down to the ground, blocking Ezekiel's path to her. He gazed imploringly at Sage. "Don't go near him." The war god swung out his sword, creating a gust with his motion that sent Ezekiel flying backwards. "You don't know her tricks like I do."

Still in the sky, Aphrodite was wiping her tears – trying to steady her quivering lip.

"You've decided that I'm evil. That it was never true love between us." She hissed, glaring at the war god. Ares kept his gaze on Sage, checking that she didn't run to Ezekiel's side. "And you've chosen this mortal."

"He didn't choose me." Sage interceded, addressing Aphrodite for the first time. "Eros hit him with a love arrow."

"Impossible," Aphrodite dismissed. "Our son is dead. He drowned in the waters of Lethe."

"Sage is telling the truth." Ares spoke up, surprised by Aphrodite's reaction. He'd expected her to know about the love arrow. Surely, able to feel love as she was, Aphrodite could feel that his love for Sage was created by magic. Unless...

Ares remembered the moment he'd realised where Eros' love arrow was aimed. He'd stared at Sage and he'd had one thought, not her. Ares' heart clenched. Had he already been falling in love with Sage before the arrow? Was that why Aphrodite couldn't feel the magic. Were his feelings... real?

Whilst Ares was in the grip of this epiphany, the others weren't being still or silent.

"You're lying!" Aphrodite yelled, white with fury. "I'm his mother. I'd know if my son was living."

The goddess of love outstretched her hand, directing her attention on Ezekiel who had risen back to his feet. Lilac light shone from Aphrodite's palm and Ezekiel hunched over, clutching his chest.

"What are you doing to him? Stop it, you're hurting him!" Sage cried out, staring at Ezekiel as the gangster fell to his knees.

"No pain is worse than that of a broken heart. Run to him, Sage. Run to the man you love."

Ezekiel hunched over, clutching his chest as if his heart were on fire, his face contorted into an agonised grimace.

"Ezekiel!" Sage screamed. She ran, without thinking, only aware that Ezekiel was being tortured in front of her.

The moment Sage ran out of Ares' shields, the goddess smirked in triumph.

"No, Sage!" Ares yelled, realising too late what had happened. He saw Aphrodite put her hand to her lips and blow a kiss in Sage's direction.

Obsession.

It was one of Aphrodite's powers. She could cast obsession into a mortal's eyes. It wasn't quite the same as one of Eros' arrows – it didn't create love. But the mortal would become obsessed with the first person or thing they laid eyes on. Ares had seen the devastation obsession could do to a mortal's life. He flung his long sword and the blade arched and spiralled in the air. The sword spun, before striking Aphrodite.

Lightening flashed across the sky, its stark light reflecting in Aphrodite's wide eyes. The goddess screamed as a deluge of gold blood sprayed out from her throat. She rose higher into the sky, her anguished wails swallowed by the storm with her doves flying protectively around her – guiding her back to the sanctuary of Olympus.

Ares barrelled into Sage, his hands circling her waist and pulling her onto top of him.

"Sage, Sage, Sage!" He gripped her head in his hands. "Don't open your eyes."

Sage blinked slowly, focusing on Ares. He sagged, defeated, laying on the rain-soaked ground with Sage on top of him. "Sage?" His expression was one of agony. What had she seen first? An animal, an object or a person? Panic gripped him. How could he help her, how could he spare her from any pain?

"What do you want Sage?" He asked her, his heart pounding in his chest. "What do you want more than anything else in this world?"

"Sage?" Ezekiel was on his knees and was crawling over to them. A trickle of blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. "What's going on?"

"You. I want you."