Ares Read online

  Ares

  Gods of Old

  Book One

  by Edlyn Reynolds

  © Copyright October 2013 JK Publishing, Inc.

  ISBN#9781301305940

  All cover art and logo © Copyright October 2013 by JK Publishing, Inc.

  All rights reserved.

  Edited by S.M. Crouch

  Artwork by JK Publishing, Inc.

  Published by JK Publishing, Inc.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales are entirely coincidental.

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  Dedication

  I would like to dedicate this book to my amazing editor, Michelle, as well as some wonderful friends that I have made along this journey. Beverly Price, Shae Shannon, Jess Buffett and Jana Leigh. Thank you all for being there to cheer me on when I needed it.

  Would love to hear from you!

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdlynReynolds

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edlyn.reynolds

  Website: http://edlyn-reynolds.blogspot.com/

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  Books by Edlyn Reynolds

  Excerpt from Team: Alpha

  Excerpt from Deadly Spurs

  Excerpt from Dreamwalker's Duo

  Prologue

  In centuries past, the Gods were worshipped, idolized, and immortalized. They were often spiteful, and yet could be just as merciful as any other being.

  But, times do change.

  In days of old, sacrifices and prayers were offered, and monuments built. Here in modern times they have been relegated to nothing more than myths and legends.

  Their temples now lay in ruins, studied by archaeologists and tourists as mere curiosities of a society long dead. The Gods' names are barely mentioned, their deeds mostly forgotten and their lives misconstrued, written incorrectly or, all out lies.

  Scholars claim the Gods never truly existed. They say the myths were truly based on humans doing amazing deeds. They would be wrong. Very wrong...

  Chapter One

  Temple of Ares, Athens - present day

  “How long has it been since you’ve been here?” his brother asked.

  “Too long to admit,” he said, watching the group of students following their teacher and a guide around the temple.

  “If you look over here class you can see what some scholars believe to be the remains of a sacrificial table.” The instructor was pointing to a section of the rubble that had been partially cleared. The area was cordoned off by ropes to keep people from stepping on things they shouldn’t.

  Apollo shot him a look and grinned, “Did you ever actually have any sacrifices from the people?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. It’s hard to remember but I don’t think so.” The instructor, the guide and the students couldn’t hear them. They were cloaked between realms. Not really there and yet, there. “My worshippers were all about war, blood and death of their enemies. Not so much with the virginal sacrifices. I won’t say it never happened, because that could well be a lie, but honestly not ringing any bells for me.”

  Apollo gave a laugh as they both walked closer to the group. “I must admit, brother,” he tipped his head. “I’m ever so glad today’s fashions are not like they were a mere hundred years past.” He reached out and slid a finger over one girl’s bared belly. She gave a small shiver, not surprising, many humans were sensitive to things they couldn’t see or hear but existed.

  “That’s because you’re a man-slut, Apollo,” Ares said.

  “Come now, brother.” He gave a huge grin and gestured to the group. “Are you going to tell me you are not enjoying the titillating display of feminine flesh?”

  “That would be a lie, brother, and I must say, that it is a bit old. Too many women believe they need to show all to gain affections. There are so few these days who know a hint is sometimes so much more intriguing than the full monty.”

  “Oh, excellent movie reference, brother. I didn’t know you had it in you,” Apollo gave a laugh. “I will agree to disagree with you there though. I much prefer to see the wares before I purchase. I need to know just what I am getting.”

  “Man-slut,” Ares coughed into his fist.

  “Jealous much?” his brother gave a snort. “Really, brother of mine, you should do something about your apparent lack of female companionship. You’re becoming rather... Well, I hate to say this, but you really need to get laid. You’re much too uptight these days, brother.”

  Ares threw him the finger, but his attention was on the instructor again.

  “This is one of many statues of the God of War, or Ares, as you may better know him. There appear to be a few versions, most denoting a youthful appearance. He was often denoted as naked, wearing nothing but a helm and carrying a sword and shield, or a spear. He was also denoted as being fully armored. Some believe these statues,” the man gestured to the one before th
em, “were replacements for the originals. That when the Romans invaded and held Greece, they replaced them with ones created more in the appearance of their God, Mar, Ares’ Roman counterpart.”

  The instructor turned to face the group. “There are also some scholars that believe this was not the original location for the temple. They believe the Romans actually moved it from its original place to this spot. There are markings on some stones that may give this theory some validity. There is also the fact archaeologists uncovered sites where bases for such temples were found, but no ruins.”

  “Alright, well,” Apollo shifted from foot to foot next to him. “This is bloody boring as all get out. I’m going to go and see if I can’t find something a little more fun to do. Catch you later, brother.”

  Ares didn’t reply and moments later, Apollo was gone. He continued to track the group. Listening in as the instructor, with the help of the guide, gave the class more information. Not so much about him or his temple in particular, but about the construction process. His brother had been right about one thing, the man was fairly boring in his teachings. He was passionate, but his topic wasn’t of any interest to him personally. Ares knew all about himself. He didn’t care about why or how the humans of the time had built his temple. They had and to his mind, that was the end of the story.

  No, he hung around because of a sensation. Something important was about to occur. Perhaps it had occurred already and he was about to find out what it was.

  Modern humans thought the Gods: Greek, Roman, Gaelic and so forth, were all myth. They really had no clue whatsoever. No, he was as real as the instructor before him. He was even more real because he’d been around for millennia. He’d watched the first humans take their first steps. He’d watched his father, Zeus, guide the humans through their first years. He had also watched as the humans had thrown aside their beliefs in the Gods to take up a single God.

  While he freely admitted he wasn’t anything like he’d been in his heyday. He still was a rather spectacular specimen, or so his mirror told him. He still had infinite powers, likely always would as long as man continued to war with his fellow man. One thing Ares could always count on was man picking a fight with someone else over the silliest of things. Land was a good example. Though in modern days it was more a show of force. Wars were about who had the biggest nukes and wasn’t afraid to use them.

  Not like war in his days. War was in the mud, bloody and vile. Hand-to-hand combat, swords, shields and spears. The screams of the wounded clearly heard even over the ringing of blade-to-blade.

  His brothers all believed him to be stuck in a rut. He was as modern as the next God. He’d gotten with the times. He’d had to. It’s not like he could run around in a chiton and sandals any more. Beyond that he’d gotten in on the technological age as well. He could work a computer, operate a vehicle, and hold conversation in modern English. Not the only language he spoke, but the one he usually conversed in unless otherwise needed.

  Shaking himself from his reverie, Ares jogged to catch up with the group. They were outside and heading along the hill toward the ruins of another temple. He couldn’t recall whose temple it was and it didn’t really matter any more in this day and age.

  No, that wasn’t what mattered. What really mattered was figuring out what was coming and why he was picking something up now after all these centuries.

  Chapter Two

  For far too long, Ava Von Maur had lived alone. She had to—otherwise the emotions and the pains of the people around her seemed to press in on her, making it hard for her to breath. However at this moment, she was in a place she didn’t want to be. She was in a place where she knew her entire life would change in the blink of an eye.

  Athens, Greece. Standing on the hilltop overlooking the temple of the Greek God Ares, she smiled. Shaking her head, she turned from the sight and moved away quickly. Rubbing her hands up and down her arms, she walked from the long line of people that were gathered to give their oohs and ahhs in ridiculousness. It was a farce, every single part of it was disgrace and it seemed only she knew it.

  Shifting slightly, she turned and moved from what everyone thought was the true temple of Ares but instead, she walked to a smaller less ornate building, which strangely enough still stood. It was a building none were aware of, save her. Her eyes saw it in the sands, she saw it for what it was.

  A seat of power.

  Stepping into the small stone structure she let out a breath. It seemed as if the world quieted the moment she walked into those stone columns and for a moment, she felt peace. She didn’t feel bombarded by the emotions and thoughts of others, instead she felt calm. Even in the halls of the God of War she felt at ease and to her that was more bliss than she could imagine.

  A full body shudder filled her from head to toe in the realization of calm and ease she felt. “It’s amazing, the truth of power can be found in the smallest of places,” she was speaking to herself of course, but it simply felt right to allow the words free here.

  “Peace. Calm. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this much at ease.” Of course people would think her mad if they came upon her and found her speaking as she was but honestly she didn’t care. She had survived the institutions once in her life. She would survive them again if they placed her back into one.

  Ava wasn’t insane, she was something else. She was an emotional empath. She was also a mind reader. Those two things didn’t work out very well together at all. What was worse, she could see things no one else could. She could see the truth in a mass of lies. She was far too different to be a part of humanity.

  Moving from the spot she had rooted, she walked to a statuette and frowned. “This isn’t right.” She didn’t know what was wrong about it but there was something impossibly wrong with the statue. It was as if it felt off somehow. “What is wrong with you?” she asked and lifted a hand to touch the statute in question. “This is not how you should look.”

  Chapter Three

  There was an interesting comment from a tourist. Still out of sync with the modern world Ares moved closer to the female. Cute, very cute. She was staring at one of the Gods awful statues, which was supposed to denote his likeness. Bull fucking shit.

  It had been a Roman General’s son, or so he believed, who’d been the one to stand for the artist. The mere child had held nothing of what made Ares feared, worshipped or hunted by the opposite sex for centuries. He who wins wars and rules gets to adjust history to fit their particular mold of events. Fucking Roman scum.

  Turning his attention back to the woman he frowned. There was something...different about her. She had an aura, not quite right for a human and yet, definitely not of the Gods. Interesting. Could be she was a great-great-great descendant of one of the many Gods. Could explain the unusual aura she held wrapped around her. It was sensual, strong and yet, he frowned harder, something wasn’t right about it. It was as if there was something very wrong with her.

  No, not possible. Whoa! Where the hell had that thought come from? Blinking, he paced away and turned to view her from afar. Yup, the brain was still saying she was as perfect as there was. Yes there was something off, perhaps jammed in her aura but otherwise, she was delightfully sublime. Hmmm, perhaps it was time to mingle with the humans a little. Yeah, he could go to the club and settle for a groupie, but this little human female—intrigued him.

  Moving toward the doorway, Ares looked around. Seeing no others nearby and after ensuring she was still focused on the statue, let his body come fully into her realm. Stepping closer, he cleared his throat lightly. Nothing, she was still mumbling to the statue that it wasn’t right. Clearing his throat again, he smiled when she finally heard him and whipped around. “I don’t think they like you petting their ancient statues and I’m pretty sure if any Roman heard you saying that,” he pointed to the statue, "there was something wrong, they’d likely haul you to the Coliseum.”

  Ava turned to face the man and took a large step back. “Son of a bitch.” Her heart b
egan to pant, her chest tightened as she looked at the man before her. “You,” she breathed out the word softly. She stepped away from the larger than life man until her back hit the wall. “No one can see this building. How could you find it?” She knew though. “You are him.” She didn’t know how she knew that, but she did. “That’s why the statue is off. It’s not you,” she whispered and licked her lips. “How?” She had thought the myths were gone and she no longer would have to face those who had been there once but were no more. Was he a ghost? No, that wasn’t right. “Tell me your name.”

  A single black brow arched up toward his hairline, matching black in color. He blinked his dark blue, silver tinted eyes at her. “My parents named me Ares. And you are?” he asked. He didn’t move any closer, yet his presence seemed to overwhelm the small building. In fact, other than the eyebrow, he really hadn’t moved more than his lips to speak to her. Why then did he seem closer?

  Ava tried to step back but the wall at her back stopped her. “Ava,” she told him honestly. “You are him,” she whispered and swallowed, hard. “Holy mother of fucking God you are him.” Holy Christ! It wasn’t possible. No it wasn’t possible. “You are not supposed to be on this side of the realm or whatever it is you call it. This is the land of humans, not the Gods, right?”

  Both brows went down in a frown of confusion. “Why not?” he asked and tipped his dark head slightly. His slightly crooked nose was wrinkled a bit, but softened the lines of his face. It was a face that could easily be chiseled from stone. Strong jaw, with a hint of a beard there, high cheekbones, strong brow and a nose that looked to have been in a fight or two. “It’s not like you own this realm. Plus, technically, daddy dearest was the one who created your people, so you’re really more like tenants.”