The Heart of War (11 page)

Kat had been waiting for Ares in his bed when the call came up the steps and her blood ran cold. “If he thinks she’s going to use my things, he’s out of his mind!” she growled to no one.

“Now! Woman!” Looping Alena’s arm through his, Ares led her down to the lowest level of his home where a whirling hot spring awaited bubbling up in a stone-lined tub big enough to accommodate a dozen people. The sprawling room that the women referred to as The Spa had a wide variety of uses other than bathing. Currently there was a large weight set and bench off in one corner.

Maggie let out a little gasp shortly after they entered the steamy room. With flashbacks of Ceres Agar threatening to flood through to the front of her mind, she tried to cover her involuntary reaction. “How many rooms are here?”

“Nine,” Ares answered. “Don’t go wandering around down here,” he advised. “There are things that will make you uneasy.”

She saw one already and that was enough.

2

With a loud grunt, Kat tossed off the skins under which she had been keeping warm as she waited impatiently for Ares to finish with that stupid little twit. She opened the unlocked door to the chamber she shared with the other women. “Onya! Bring me your salts and your soaps! Your shampoos, too!” she hissed. When the young woman appeared at the top of the long winding ramp leading down to the chamber, Kat snatched the bottles from her hands with a great huff and stormed off out of the bedroom. Building up a good head of steam as she stomped her way down to the spa on the lowest level of the cave, she found Ares standing by the pool of hot bubbling spring water with that little bitch at his side. She thrust the bottles at him. “Here.”

Ares grabbed them, looked at them, and then looked down at her with cold eyes. “These are not yours. They belong to Onya.” Ares knew that because Onya loved Lavender; she adored it, in fact, so it was the scent he always brought to her. To Kat he brought Almond & Honey, which was her favorite for bathing. “I thought I asked for
your
things.” He thrust them back at her.

“What’s wrong with these? Are they not good enough for
her
?” she shot at Ares while she stared daggers at Maggie.

“I’m sure they’re fine,” Maggie stammered but was too afraid to reach the bottles in Ares’ hands. “It’s been so long since I was able to bath in a hot tub with real soap and shampoo no less.” Such luxuries didn't exist in an African refugee camp.

“You heard her; she doesn’t have a problem with it,” Kat huffed as she turned her back to him meaning to storm out of the room.

“But I do,” Ares countered as he grabbed her arm and turned her around. “Take these back and bring me your own.”

3

With her upper lip curled and the bottom one quivering, Kat took the bottles from him and walked out. Muttering to herself on her way back to the bedroom, she passed the throne room where something gold glittered on the floor by the hearth. “Little bitch,” Kat spat as she took in the sight of the chastity belt. She glanced back in the direction of the lower level of the cave and the spa. “If he thinks he’s putting her in my bed again, he’s got another thing coming.” Kat put up with the other women simply because Ares’ sexual appetite was far more than one mere mortal woman could satisfy. She did not like the way he looked at the new arrival, the way he spoke to her, or the way he took her to his bed last night and cuddled her close. This was not like him, not in the least. Kat had been here too long, seen and done too much for him to have some gray haired old biddy displace her. For now she would play along, she would wait and watch. If he kept getting closer to her, she would take action.

“Better?” Kat said as she entered the spa once more and handed over her own bathing products, the finest of each that she could find. “Enjoy your bath,” she spat and then turned to leave the room.

“Where are you going?” Ares asked as he grabbed her by the upper arm. “Stay here and help our guest.”

“Why don’t you bathe her? For that matter,” she looked past Ares to Maggie who was standing by the water, “she looks capable enough to me. Why doesn’t she bathe herself?”

“You’re being rude, woman, you know I do not like that,” Ares warned and his grasp tightened. “She is a guest in
my
home, you will treat her accordingly. Am I understood?”

Maggie suddenly had visions of drowning in her mind. “I can bathe myself,” she said softly. “I would rather do that, if it’s all the same to you, Lord Ares.”

Kat held her tongue even though it was difficult; she waited for his reply, loathing the submissiveness in the woman’s voice and the way she called him ‘Lord Ares’. “Fine,” Ares said finally. “Leave us, woman.” Letting go of her arm, he gave Kat a shove. “Go to your quarters; perhaps Onya will finish you off.”

4

Before he left the room, Ares told Maggie that she was to return to the throne room when she finished bathing. Then she was alone with the whirling tub and the weight set. The water was very hot and the steam filled the room, making the air moist and thick. Maggie let out little grunts and groans as she walked down the three steps to the bottom of the pool, the hot water against the tender skin of her open sore feet and then against the tender sore flesh between her legs. Maggie couldn’t decide if it felt good or if it hurt. All she knew was the belt was finally gone, for good or ill was yet to be determined.

In the hot water, she sat with her back to the weight set. Using the heavily scented shampoo Maggie worked up a thick lather in her gray hair. She’d been happy with just ridding it of the salt and sand earlier in the day but now with the sweet scent rising to her, easing her mind and her soul, she began to remember what it was like to live in civilization…here in this place without electricity. Wasn’t that a hoot? She washed her skin with the scented soap, again working up a heavy thick lather and blowing some of the bubbles around the room with a little titter. Strange how sometimes the smallest of things could bring so much joy. When she was clean head to toe and all cracks in between, she lounged in the churning water and nearly fell asleep. She found she had little desire to leave this tub, the water, the hot blessed water now felt wonderful between her legs, it soaked away her aches and pains as it cleansed the new wounds. There was a place like this deep in the woods where she grew up. It was not in a cave, but it was secreted like this place, more like the pool she had encountered earlier in the day, open and airy. Steam rose day and night and the Fey were often found gathered there bathing, chatting, and making love. In a very strange and unexpected way, this place made her miss her home. That was something she had not done in over a hundred years. Unlike the mortal world, this place reminded her of who she was and what she was. Out there, she could blend in with the others and pass herself off as one of them; she had done it so long she believed her own lies. Here there was no blending, no fitting in.

“Are you done yet?”

“What?” Maggie turned around shaken out of her daze and dreams of long rolling green hills.

“You’ve been down here two hours,” Ares said. “I came to make sure you hadn’t drowned.” He held out a large towel to her. “Come, it’s late, I’ve a room for you.” She grimaced. “Not that one.” Ares shook his head as her face brightened again and she took the towel from his hand. He noticed that she was very careful to avoid looking at the weights in the corner. “Do you have something against body building?”

“Not particularly. Where are my clothes?” Maggie asked, wrapping the towel around her body as she emerged from the hot spring.

“I burned them,” Ares admitted. “They were rags,” he said quickly, “the ocean turned them to tatters. I will give you new clothing.”

“I see what the normal dress code is around here.” She rolled her gray eyes. “I’m not sure I’d look good in a bikini made of animal skins.”

“I bet you look just fine in it,” Ares complimented as the image skipped through his head. He led her out of the spa and through the cave to a room on the second level near the steps to his bedroom. “You will stay here,” Ares said as he opened the door. Maggie stepped inside to see a rather a cozy room. It had a fireplace, a dresser, an armoire, a small table, a chair, books, and a bed that was not made of stone. It had an honest to God mattress with real blankets and pillows. She looked up at him with questioning eyes.

“Not everything in my home is hard and cold,” Ares intoned as he held out a brass key. “For the door.”

“You have problems getting through locked doors?”

Ares snorted and then chuckled. “Doors are not a problem for me but you’ll feel safer this way.” He closed her hand around the key. “There are others here besides me. You will find suitable clothing in the armoire. You will also find bandages and salves in the vanity over there. I would offer to help you but I do not think you would accept my assistance in this rather delicate matter.”

“You would be correct.”

Ares sighed. “You know, I don’t believe anyone has more experience tending wounds than I do. I could be of help to you.”

Maggie nodded her head and her gray eyes misted over even as she tried to stop the tears welling in her eyes. “You already have.” Without thinking about it and before she knew what she was doing, Alena rose up on her tiptoes and placed her hand on his shoulder. Ares thought she wanted to tell him something quietly and he bent his head to listen.

She kissed his bearded cheek and then nuzzled her own against it. “Thank you.”

The gesture was simple, innocent, and heartfelt. It made the God of War swallow hard as he was once again stunned into silence. The best he could managed was, “Good night, Alena.”

Chapter Six

A Hunting We Will Go

1

Alena spent five days wandering around Ares’ island and his home with no direction or purpose.  She tried to give Kat as wide a berth as possible. Every time they crossed paths the woman stared daggers at her and Alena would quickly lower her head and scurry on her way. She had no wish to upset the Lady of the Cave and understood that her presence was more than just an annoyance. As Alena was a guest, Kat could not order her around and Ares was visibly displeased if she tried.

Ares tried to make Kat treat Alena as she would any other guest but the problem was Ares hadn’t had a guest on his island in centuries. All of the women here catered to her and that was the way Kat liked it. When Ares insisted she serve Alena or wait upon her, Kat balked. Alena, not wanting to cause any friction, always took the peaceful way out of any situation saying she could do something on her own and didn’t require any assistance.  She meant it to defuse the situations, but in the end it only made Ares smolder as his orders were not being followed.

Although why Kat, so beautiful and strong, should feel threatened by her Alena did not know. Surely Kat knew that Ares was not fond of taking virgins and that he did have plenty of women to keep him warm and satisfied. Kat put up with them although it was clear she was the boss and was very accustomed and comfortable telling the other women what to do and when to do it.

Alena thought it best to avoid both Kat and Ares as much as possible and for as long as possible. She tried to make friends with some of the other women; Onya was particularly nice to her. Onya was the cook, and while on her walks Alena would pick fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables and other wildly growing things for the meals Onya prepared.  The young woman seemed to like that very much and on each night had invited her to stay in the kitchen and help as she cooked dinner. Onya wasn’t looking for the assistance, but the company, and the two of them made small talk as they made the evening meal for all who lived on the island. She was a sweet young woman and Alena quickly took to her.

While Ares’ other women spoke to her without a nasty undertone, she did not think she would find any warmth and sisterhood among them as they were not very friendly with each other.  It seemed Ares was in high demand among his women and he was rather choosy. Those he tended to neglect were particularly grumpy and more apt to jump when Kat told them to, hoping she’d put in a good word for them or something.

Ares treated them more like possessions than people.  At any given moment she could walk around a corner and be face to face with him putting that staff of his to one or two or three of them. Night after night she heard the sounds coming from Ares’ bedroom above her.  Sometimes they made her stuff her head deeply under the pillows and blankets, holding her hands to her ears while she hummed a tune or tried to think of something—anything—other than what might be going on above her. Other nights they were intriguing and she would listen, letting her mind run away with her as it conjured up scenarios to match the sounds.

The few males on the island who served as Ares’ guards were well tended to, well housed, well clothed, well fed, and from what she’d seen last night they were well fucked when Ares allowed it.  Ares and his guards sat around the huge rough table in his throne room, drinking, smoking cigars and playing poker. They laughed, drank and played until the wee hours of the morning while Ares’ women—those who appeared to Alena to be the least favored of them—waited upon the men, bringing whatever they wanted and giving them whatever Ares told them to.  He seemed fond of betting their favors along with coins of gold, even fonder of watching them pay his debt. The women didn’t seem to mind; they especially appeared to enjoy their encounters with the twins Daniel and David. They were identical in every way from the sandy hair atop their handsome heads to their piercing blue eyes and sly shy smiles. However Nicco, the Captain of the Guard, and his closest companion Scopas did not seem to be so welcomed by the women. They paid off Ares’ debts to those men but they did not coo and they did not smile.

She was tired, so tired. She hadn’t slept well since her first night and she could hardly remember that. Night after night when Morpheus came, it brought the strangest dreams that she was falling. Falling. Falling down and down from a very great height, the wind swept past her, making her cold and just before she could hit the bottom—or in this case what looked like water—she woke up stifling a scream. On at least one occasion, she would have sworn there was someone in the room, hidden in the dark corner, when she woke.