28. Broken Arrow

Sage was standing in the bathtub showering. As the water cascaded down over her, she thought about Ares.

'I won't let anything hurt you.'

She remembered his arms embracing her. Holding her close...

She crossed her arms and held herself, her tears mixing with the clean water running down her face. Water droplets trailed down her icy skin, meeting the nasty rash that now grew up her arm. With a shaking hand, she picked up a razor from the side and removed its safety guard. The water thudding against the bathtub filled her ears, getting louder and louder.

She couldn't save herself from this nightmare. But she could save Ares. Perhaps this had always been in the back of her mind. Perhaps, this was why she'd tried to deny her feelings for so long. Because once she admitted that she loved Ares, she had to free him. She held her wrist up to the blade.

It was time to remove his love arrow.

Ares was on the rooftop, gazing out at the city below. His long coat flapped in the wind. He stood guard, his face stoic like a statue. All of a sudden, pain lanced through him. He cried out, groaning in agony, and put a hand to his chest.

In the cake shop, Jaz was sat in his office holding a matchbox. With meticulous care, he arranged the matchsticks so that they were all the same way around. He looked up suddenly, his gaze resting on a violin case set on top of his filing cabinet. He'd sensed something. Something bad. He rose quickly to his feet and opened the case to inspect the love arrow that was nestled inside.

Blood gleamed on the shaft of the arrow, weeping from the grain and turning the arrow's aura dark red. The love arrow was breaking. That could only mean one thing. Jaz's face drained of colour. Sage was dying. And the spell would soon be broken.

Ares materialised in the bathroom.

"Sage!?" He pulled aside the shower curtain and stared at her, horrified. Sage sagged, falling into his arms, the water puddling at her feet turning crimson. "You fool." Ares exclaimed, cradling her against him. "Why would you do this?"

Sage blinked sleepily. It had hurt more than she'd wanted, but at least it would end soon.

"I'm setting you free." She murmured. A tear slid down Ares' face, falling onto Sage's bloody wrist. "I'm sorry." She wanted to say more. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry for trying to kill him. But the fuzziness in her head was taking over and her tongue wouldn't form the words.

Ares' tears glowed like liquid fire and, where they touched her wrists, the skin stitched back together. The scars left Sage's wrist and shone instead on Ares' ethereal skin. These scars would last forever, becoming a vulnerable chink in his armour. His own 'Achilles heel'.

It was the price demanded to heal her. And Ares paid it without hesitation. He hoisted her out of the bathtub and carried her in his arms.

"Fool." He whispered, gazing sadly down at her sleeping face. How could she imagine that he was worth dying for?

Jaz arrived at the penthouse looking shaken.

"What happened?" He demanded.

"Sage tried to kill herself." Ares explained, holding the door open for him.

"Because of the obsession? I thought she was meeting up with the Mad Dog."

"Maybe it's not enough and she needs to be with Ezekiel all of the time." Ares' gaze lacked any jealousy. The bronze orbs were filled only sincere concern. If it would stop Sage from hurting herself, he'd tie Ezekiel to her with chains from Tartarus.

"Did she say anything?"

"Only that she was setting me free."

Jaz frowned. Ares led him to the room Sage was sleeping in. She looked peaceful. He'd dressed her in a fluffy dressing gown and had dried her hair.

"Where's her phone?" Jaz asked. He found the devise first, under a pile of clothes, and he used Sage's finger to unlock the screen. "Five messages from Ezekiel. All unanswered." Jaz's frown deepened. "These are from this morning. If she's obsessed, why isn't she replying?"

"If? She's been cast with obsession. We know she is."

Jaz put down the phone and examined the weeping sores on Sages' rashy skin.

"She's fighting the obsession."

"Impossible, no mortal could fight it."

But Jaz wondered... Love, might love be strong enough to conquer even obsession?

Jaz gazed down at Sage. Had she fallen in love with the war god?

But Ares had already dismissed the idea. "The obsession is dangerous. I was wrong to think I could manage it. Sage needs to be with Ezekiel." Ares straightened up, resolved.

"What are you thinking of doing?"

Ares' eyes glowed with intensity.

"I'm going to keep my promise to her."

Sage awoke feeling groggy and stiff. She yawned and rolled over.

"Shit!" She cursed, her memories flooding back. She was supposed to be dead. She looked down at herself. She was in bed, in a dressing gown and she felt very normal. Was this death? She somehow doubted it. Scrambling out of bed she made for the door just as it opened.

"Ah, you're awake." Jaz greeted, smiling genially. "I've made you some tea."

"How am I awake? What happened?"

"Drink some tea."

"I don't care about tea! Answer me."

Jaz sighed and set the tea tray down on the bedside table.

"You died. For about half a minute, I think. Ares was able to use his powers to mend you. But it was close." Jaz's expression became stern. "Never do something like that again, Sage."

"B-but-"

"Say it. I need to hear you say the words, that you will never do that again."

"I was trying to help Ares."

"Didn't you think about the rest of us! About me and Cesar and Markus!"

Ares had never seen Jaz so angry. "We care about you. I care about you! Do you have any idea how scared I was when I saw the love arrow break?"

It was like the breath had been knocked from her lungs. Sage stared at Jaz, unable to move or think properly. Jaz continued to rage. "I thought you'd died. I thought I'd failed you. I thought I was going to have to attend your funeral-"

"The love arrow broke." Sage interjected; her voice strange.

"Yes, it broke. You died, it was enough."

"So... so Ares is... where is Ares?" She felt oddly like she was floating. She couldn't feel the ground beneath her feet.

"He's gone, Sage. The arrow broke – freeing him. Without its effects controlling him, he didn't want to stay. He healed you and then he left. Said he was bored of the city. I think he fancied touring the world."

Sage sank down and sat on the end of the bed.

"He doesn't love me anymore?"

"No, without the arrow his feelings vanished." Jaz watched Sage's face carefully, seeing the pain in her eyes. She swallowed and nodded her head.

"Good... that's good... that's what I wanted." She managed to say, but her voice was breathy.

The doorbell chimed. They heard Sophia answer it, and for a moment – Sage wondered if it was Ares. Perhaps he'd decided that he wanted to say goodbye to her? But then she remembered that Ares wouldn't need to ring the doorbell. Sophia gave the visitor directions and they heard his footsteps as he headed for Sage's room.

The bedroom door opened and Ezekiel stood in the doorway, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Sage, are you ok?" He asked. Sage stared at him.

"I'm fine." But even as she said the words, tears filled her eyes. Ezekiel stepped into the room, his arms open wide and Sage quickly got up and rushed into them. Ezekiel held her as she cried and he patted her head tenderly.

Jaz turned away as the couple hugged, his expression sombre. He thought about Ares and his parting instructions.

'Tell Sage that I stopped loving her when the arrow broke.'

'But it's not true, is it.'

'Make her believe it, Jaz.'

The war god had looked utterly defeated as he'd stared down at Sage's sleeping face. 'I'm leaving her in your care.'