difficult since my mother (and any other god) could read my mind. I had to carefully conceal my thoughts and to date, I’d been successful. But successfully keeping the secret didn’t change the sad fact that Cadmus and I weren’t supposed to be together.
My father would have a fit if he found me with the servant. My mother would be more understanding, but she would feel obligated to tell my father. And in truth, I didn’t see what the issue was. Since the beginning of time, gods had fallen in love with mortals. Zeus himself had fallen in love with more of them than I could even count. I truly believed that it simply boiled down to the fact that I held a special place in my father’s heart. It was doubtful that he would ever consider anyone good enough to be with me. I sighed at the thought.
I plucked another blossom from a rosebush, careful not to stick my finger on a thorn. I had been out here, idly trying to find the perfect bouquet of fresh flowers for my bedroom for over an hour now. I was simply trying to do anything that would occupy my mind and my time so that I wasn’t dwelling on thoughts of Cadmus, my Phoenician prince. But it was a futile effort. Every thought that I had was of him.
Sighing, I knelt and sniffed at a perfect white rose. And then startled when a deep voice came from behind me.
“Little Harmonia,” a voice drawled. I spun, dropping my basket of flowers. Hades, the god of the Underworld, leaned on a nearby lotus tree.
I stared at him in confusion. “Hades. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be—“
“In the Underworld?” he interrupted. I nodded, watching him. Hades was a very interesting god. He carried with him an edge of danger, an air of mystery. He was startlingly handsome with his dark hair, olive complexion and dark eyes. His teeth flashed white as he smiled at me.
“And what brings you out here to the edge of the palace grounds, little Harmonia?”
His voice was like honey, smooth and sweet. As he talked, he walked closer to me. And the closer he came, the more I wanted to be near him. It startled me, this magnetism. I had heard of it before, how Hades had an impossibly strong charisma. He drew everyone to him, either with their permission or against their will. It didn’t matter. Something about him made you think that you wanted him. You felt like you wanted anything that he wanted. It was a dangerous position to be in and I took a step back.
“Why are you here?” I asked quietly. I glanced around, but I knew I was alone. I meant to be alone. It was my purpose in coming out this far. I wanted to escape my mother, to be where my thoughts were private so I could think on Cadmus without interruption.
“Cadmus,” Hades mused, reading my thoughts quickly. “Your father’s slave. Interesting that you would think of him in such a way, Harmonia. Scandalous!”
“It’s not scandalous,” I replied quickly. “Not at all. He’s simply a mortal.”
“A mortal indentured to your father,” Hades amended. “How do you know that he returns your feelings, Harmonia? As a servant, perhaps he just wants to use you to gain an early release from his bond.”
A horrible feeling grew in my chest as Hades’ words. I hadn’t even considered that.
“Of course you haven’t,” Hades answered my thought. “You’re still so young, so fresh. So beautiful.”
He trailed his slender hand along my cheek and I sucked in my breath at his nearness. He had such a dark energy, such a strong energy. It was difficult to resist even though my mind knew it to be a trick. I didn’t want him. I didn’t want anything about him. But my body thought that I did.
Hades smiled.
“I’m not so bad, am I?” he asked softly, stepping closer. “I mean you no harm, Harmonia. I am simply here to speak with my brother, Zeus. I decided to walk by way of the scenic route and happened upon you. Completely by happenstance, I assure you. But what a happy accident.”
“If you say so,” I mumbled.
“Oh, I do.”
“What do you want from me?” I asked uncertainly. It was well known that Hades didn’t bother with a person unless he wanted something from them. He threw his handsome head back and laughed.
“I want nothing from you, Harmonia,” he answered with a smile. “What could I possibly want with the goddess of peace?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered.
Whenever Hades was near, the air itself became heavy and thick, like a premonition almost. I found that I wanted to flee, but that I was afraid. I didn’t want him behind me. I wanted him to remain in front of me where I could see him.
“Oh, Harmonia. You are such a delight,” Hades smiled again, calmly and confidently. “I am not here to hurt you. I assure you. You must believe me. I just came upon you and happened to overhear your thoughts. But now I feel that I must offer you a warning.”
I raised an eyebrow. “A warning?”
Hades nodded. “A warning. My brother Zeus is not what he seems to be. I sense that he will somehow use you to his benefit. I see Cadmus in your future, but I see great distress, great sadness. Use caution when moving forward on this path, young one.”
My heart quickened in my chest at the tone of the dark lord’s words.
“Great sadness? Of what kind?”
“Sadness is sadness, Harmonia. It matters not what kind. And I do not know. I cannot see the specifics.”
“But you definitely see Cadmus with me?” I was both relieved and elated at the thought.
Hades studied me. “Yes. But you are missing the point. I see that you will suffer. You might want to try and avoid that.”
“By not being with Cadmus?” I couldn’t believe I was asking such a question of Hades. As if he would give me an honest answer. He had to have some sort of angle here, I just didn’t know what it was.
He nodded. “If it were me, I might choose to avoid Cadmus. In doing so, you might avoid the heartache that I see in front of you. But I doubt you will do so. The heart wants what the heart wants, does it not?”
With that, Hades winked and continued on his way. He stopped only to pick up my flowers and replace them into the basket, handing it to me. As his fingers brushed mine, he leaned in and kissed my cheek smoothly.
“You’ve been warned.”
And he was gone.
Chapter Four
“He’s a mortal, sister.” Ortera, my half-sister, stared at me in consternation from across my bedroom.
She stood in the light of the window and I marveled, as I always did, at her muscled form. She was as thick as a tree trunk, but there was not an ounce of fat on her. She was a lean, efficient warrior, a status that served her well as a queen of the Amazons.
“So?” I raised an eyebrow as I slipped on a clean white shift. Belting it at the waist with a jeweled golden belt, I returned her gaze. “Yes, Cadmus is a mortal. I don’t see the issue.”
Ortrera snorted. “That’s because you can’t see anything clearly at all right now. All you can see is him. He will break your heart, you know. He will disappoint you eventually. They always do.”
“Honestly, Ortrera,” I sighed. “I do not understand why you dislike men so. To my knowledge, you’ve never been affronted by one.”
“Of course I haven’t!” Ortrera’s eyes flashed. “Or it would have been the last thing that particular man ever did.”
I sighed again. Ortrera’s very personality was fierce, much like our father’s. But unlike Ares, she never allowed herself the chance to relax or laugh. It was as though she felt she had to prove to the world that she was as capable as any man. It had to be exhausting.
“And father knows. I can tell,” Ortrera added. “He’s watching, so you had best be careful.”
“I haven’t done anything!” I protested. “Cadmus and I have only been alone a few times. We’ve only kissed. A crime has not been committed, I assure you.”
“Tell that to our father,” Ortrera muttered. “I’m sure he would just love to hear it.”
Picking up a silver hairbrush, I combed my dark hair and wrapped it into a coil at my nape.
“Yo
u never said what you needed, sister,” I reminded her gently. She had arrived before I was even out of bed and all she had done was talk badly about men, mortals and Cadmus. “I know you must have had a purpose in visiting me so early.”
She nodded. “Father told me that you wished to learn to hunt. I came to tell you that my warriors and I will be leaving for the mountains at dusk. If you’d like to come, I will give you instruction.”
I shuddered without realizing it at the sheer memory of attempting to shoot the peacock. Ortrera smiled. “I see that capturing a dragon doesn’t interest you?”
I glanced at her sharply, setting my hairbrush down on the dressing table. “A dragon?”
She nodded again. “As you know, father has never found a suitable dragon to replace the one your mortal killed. We have heard tales of a magnificent specimen that supposedly lives in the mountains beyond the villages of Cattan. My warriors and I are going to seek it out and if it is as large and fierce as the villagers claim, we will capture it for Ares.”
I stared at her. “Only you, Ortrera, would seek out a wild dragon.”
She laughed. “To each their own,” she agreed. “I’ll just leave you here to your…embroidery.” Laughing, she pivoted and walked away.
I started to feel annoyed at my sister’s insinuation that I was a simpering female who sat around and embroidered all day, but a brilliant idea interrupted me.
If Cadmus could capture the dragon and replace the one he had killed, Ares would look upon him favorably. Perhaps, he would look upon him favorably enough that he would not kill Cadmus for being with me. I gulped. It was worth a try. And it just might work.
I forgot about anything else but finding Cadmus and I slipped from my rooms before I could change my mind.
* * *
I found Cadmus with my father, which was exactly the place where I wanted to find him the least. I had hoped to speak with him alone. But my disappointment was short-lived as I watched them swing their heavy swords at one another. I gasped in alarm, afraid that my worst fears had been realized, but quickly realized that they were simply practicing.
Cadmus was shirtless, a fact that instantly muddled my thoughts as I watched his muscles ripple with each of his movements. Even sweating as he was, he was breathtaking. Expertly, he fended off my father’s blows and then returned them with his own. It was difficult to say who was more skilled with a sword.
My father, the god of war himself, was an expert to be sure. But Cadmus made their exercise as smooth as a dance. It was exhilarating to watch.
They battled to and fro, with each having the upper hand at one point. Finally, my father’s voice boomed across the clearing, echoing off of the bath house that they were sparring next to.
“You will lose to me this day, slave!” He lunged forward and parried, while Cadmus instinctively leaped backward. Ares’ face clouded and he moved forward once again. Cadmus laughed.
“I think not,” he grinned, heaving yet another heavy blow, which my father deflected. They both must be exhausted. They were dripping in sweat, so heaven only knew how long they had been at it. Or how much longer they would continue. I decided I would have to take matters into my own hands to end it.
Stepping from the corner of the bath house, I walked toward them and they both stopped in surprise, dropping their swords to their sides.
“Daughter,” Ares said at the same time as Cadmus murmured, “Harmonia.”
Ares shot a disgusted look at Cadmus before stalking toward me.
“Put some clothes on,” he grunted over his shoulder. Cadmus grinned from behind him, but made no move to comply. I smiled.
“What do you need, Harmonia?” Ares demanded. “We’re busy here.”
“I see that,” I nodded. “Impressive skill…both of you. I’m here to say thank you for having Ortrera offer to teach me to hunt. I think the trip to the mountains sounds exciting and so I will be going.”
“You will?” Ares arched an eyebrow doubtfully. “You’re going to camp in the mountains?”
“Why do you look so surprised?” I grumbled. “You act as though I never get my hands dirty. It’s annoying, father.”
He laughed. “Don’t get your back up, girl. I am only giving you a hard time. Enjoy your time with your sister.” Ares turned to return to their sparring, but I grabbed his arm. He turned back around in surprise. “Yes?”
“You didn’t give me the opportunity to finish,” I told him. “I’m going. But I’m not going with Ortrera. I think a competition sounds fun.”
My heart began thudding in my chest. If I didn’t sell this, he would never bite, which would ruin everything.
“A competition?” Ares asked in confusion. I nodded.
“Yes. I’m in the mood for a game, father. I think it would be fun to compete with Ortrera and see which of us can bring back your dragon for you.”
Ares was still for a moment and I could see that he was choosing his words very carefully so as not to hurt my feelings. It was commendable and I loved him for it. Nonetheless, I kept my expression neutral.
“Harmonia,” he began cautiously. “Your sister is a skilled warrior. I trained her myself. It would not be a fair competition.”
“I know,” I told him happily, because he had answered in precisely the way I’d hoped. “Which is why I’ll need assistance. May I have your permission to borrow your servant for the next couple of days?”
Ares face clouded over and he glared at me. “Nice try, little minx. No. You may not take my servant. If you need assistance, I will assist you myself. I’m in the mood for a good adventure anyway.”
I quickly fashioned my face into a mirror of the pout that Aphrodite frequently used with him. I’d seen it work a thousand times and so I prayed it would work for me.
“But father,” I said pitifully. “I want to please you. I want a good competition and it will be fun for you to watch your daughters compete to please you. Truly. I want to do this without your help. But I want to win- I desperately want to please you. May I please use your servant’s services ? Please? I have seen his battle skills here in this meadow this afternoon and we already know that he can defend himself against a dragon. I have faith that he is exactly the person I need to win the game for you.”
I held my breath as I waited for my father’s reaction. I knew he was considering it. Every Olympian loved a good competition. Behind him, Cadmus looked dumbfounded. Seconds ticked away.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Finally, after six full seconds of thought, Ares nodded curtly.
“Fine. I must admit that this ‘competition’ piques my interest. You may take my servant.” He turned to Cadmus. “But you will not sully my daughter.”
“Father!” I snapped. “I am a grown woman. Do not treat me like a child.”
But Ares didn’t even look at me, instead his gaze was still fixed upon Cadmus. “Do we understand each other?” he demanded of Cadmus.
Cadmus nodded curtly. “I have nothing but kind regard for you, Ares. I will not disrespect you in such a way.”
Ares looked appeased. “Very well.” He smiled. “This could prove interesting. I hope you surprise me, Harmonia. That would be quite a turn of events for you to best Ortrera in a hunt!”
Whistling, he walked toward the bath house, stopping only one time in front of Cadmus, lifting one finger.
“Don’t forget.”
Cadmus shook his head. “I won’t.”
“So be it,” Ares said. “Be on your way. Let the competition commence.”
He walked away and Cadmus turned to me in surprise.
“What is this about? You don’t seem like the kind of woman who would willingly hunt a dragon.”
“We’re not going to kill it,” I explained patiently. “We’re going to capture it. And then we’re going to bring it back here to replace the dragon that you killed. Father will be so pleased with you that he might forget
that he thinks you aren’t good enough for me.”
“Your father thinks I’m not good enough for you?” Cadmus asked, his face so, so handsome as he grinned. “That injures me. What do you think?”
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the fact that my knees went weak every time this man smiled. “I don’t know yet. But I’d like the chance to find out.”
Cadmus threw his head back and laughed a laugh so rich that it felt like I was bathing in velvet. “Well, come then, little one. It seems we have a competition to start.”
As I followed him out of the clearing, I found myself thinking about that competition. Yes, we were competing with Ortrera. But I was involved in a competition much more important than that.
I was out to win Cadmus’ heart.