37. Battle Plan

Ares drank heavily, drowning his sorrow with the nectar of the gods. His eyes were bloodshot and shadows flickered and danced over his aura.

"You're on the edge, nephew." Hades purred, materialising from the darkness. Ares blinked blearily up at the god of death.

They were on the highest rooftop of the city, with the city's lights casting a blurry haze through the smog. Hades raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by Ares' state. "In our history, demi-gods have risen to become gods. Those that once ruled the world have become trapped beneath it." His cold blue eyes flashed intently. "And those with blood of gold can still fall."

Ares snorted.

"I have fallen. I was exiled from Olympus, remember?"

"Exiled, yes." Hades' voice was harsh, seemed to scrape against the wind. "Yet you are still an Olympian. But if you degrade yourself, you can fall further."

Ares frowned bitterly and raised his hand to drink again from his goblet. But the goblet vanished.

"Uncle." Ares seethed through clenched teeth. But Hades' returning stare was dispassionate.

"Look at yourself, Ares. You were once the Crown Prince, the future ruler of Olympus. You're a far cry from that now."

Ares looked down at himself and his shoulders sank pathetically.

"Nobody wanted me there anywhere." He murmured sadly.

"True." Hades replied, flashing his fangs. "But you made them accept you."

Ares' gaze wakened from his drunken stupor, regaining its sharpness.

He'd once made the Olympian's accept him as one of the Twelve.

Could he make Sage accept him in her heart?

**

Sage gloomily did her food deliveries, knocking on doors with more aggression then was strictly necessary. Ares was avoiding her. She ground her teeth in frustration. If he would just appear and talk to her about it, she could explain everything. She could explain that Ezekiel was her friend and that she was just worried about him. That he'd misunderstood her.

But the longer Ares was making her wait, the more she often she flipped – to stubbornly not wanting to explain anything.

"I've been accepting!" She ranted out loud, alarming a stray cat. "I accepted that he has a crazy ex who he's basically been in love with for the whole of time!"

Her dark thoughts riled her up, until she finished her shift with far more energy left then usual. She phoned Cesar.

"I've finished my deliveries. I did an extra shift at the café this morning. And I've cleaned the flat. I deserve a break tonight." She was about to suggest drinks on Castle Hill when Cesar interrupted her, sounding strange.

"I made a cupcake with Markus' face on it."

Sage stopped stomping down the pavement.

"What?"

"I've made a cupcake." Cesar repeated, sadly. "But now I can't eat it. It's been next to me all day."

"..."

"Should I tell him about it?"

Sage blinked. Oh, Cesar...

"No. Honestly, probably best to never mention this. Ever."

"Even if it comes up in conversation?"

"How would it come up?"

**

An evening of dealing with Cesar's antics did at least get Sage's mind off her own worries. If only for a little while. The next day,  she tried to keep busy. The café was a useful distraction. She was serving two cake slices to a table when she sensed a stir in the air. All of Ares' admirers craned their necks to appreciate his entrance. They'd been starved of a sighting of him for days. Now, their patience was rewarded. Sage turned to face the door, alerted by the swooning customers and her mouth went slack. Ares looked stunning.

He'd changed his image, wearing lighter clothes with a buttoned low shirt that revealed most of his sculpted torso. His hair was stylishly messy, the bronze tips brushing his shoulders and his tight trousers hugged his figure.

"Good bum." One woman hissed to her friend. Great bum, Sage mentally corrected.

Sage was so dazzled by his entrance that she forgot momentarily to even be mad at him. Ares sidled up to her, ignoring his adoring fans and smiled disarmingly.

"Morning, Sage." He purred. Sage's stomach flipped. This wasn't playing fair. She'd been prepared for his anger, not his charm.

Holding her gaze, Ares clicked his fingers. All the world around them froze. Sage blinked in surprise, staring around at the customers that were frozen in a tableaux. "Fancy a break?" He asked her. Without waiting for a reply, he took Sage's wrist and pulled her out of the café. The world seemed eerily quiet, with no cars or people moving. Even the birds were frozen in flight.

"You can freeze time?!" Sage exclaimed. He smirked.

"For a little while. Long enough for a date."

Sage looked at Ares, bemused. Was he seriously asking her out on a date during her work shift – by casually freezing time in place?

The whine of a horse made Sage turn and she smiled at the entrance of Thrax, Ares' fire-breathing war horse. "How about a ride?" Again, he didn't wait for Sage's answer. He picked her up and placed her on Thrax's back before clambering on behind her. "Don't worry, I've got you." He reassured her, as Thrax unfurled his fiery wings.

"WOAH!" Sage yelled and Thrax broke into a canter before taking off.

Sage's heart pounded as she saw the street fall away beneath them and they soared higher and higher above the city. "This is completely insane!" She cried and then laughed breathlessly. Ares grinned, loving the sound of her laughter.

Make her fall in love.

That was the battle plan. And part A, was to show her the advantages of dating a god.

Thrax swooped, making Sage's blood pump with excitement as she clung onto him. Ares patted Thrax appreciatively. Ezekiel wouldn't be able to give her a date like this...

Part B of the battle plan – was ensure that she could never leave him. Ares' hold tightened around her.

Sage's heart fluttered with excitement. All her frustration with Ares was forgotten. He seemed to have let go of the text misunderstanding, he hadn't mentioned it at least. Sage grinned, happy to nestle in his protective arms.

"Ares?" She murmured, when the noise of the city returned. Time had resumed.

Sighing, Ares urged Thrax to land on the roof of a building, his fiery wings retracting. Sage dismounted and peered over the roof's edge. The café was just opposite. She saw Cesar cleaning tables through the window. Sage's grin widened. She could slip back in before anyone noticed she was gone.

"Did that hurt? Freezing time like that?" She asked, turning back to face the war god. Ares shrugged casually.

"It was a bit uncomfortable." He admitted. "But I wanted to do something for you."

He smiled down at her and brushed the strands of her fringe out of her eyes. "I missed you." He whispered silkily, in a voice that seemed to caress her. Sage had lost the power of speech. Ares' hand moved to stroke across her cheek. "I'm going to give you the world, Sage. I'll make you a goddess here on earth." He smiled contentedly and Sage's legs were left weak from that smile.

The war god was dazzling her.