Just A Magician

Walking home from work, Sage frowned uneasily. Skelrun's tags were everywhere – marking the city. Sage shivered as she passed yet another business with a broken door and smashed out windows. Skelrun might have murdered his rival, leaving him free to claim the streets, but some people still weren't bowing to him. The more resistance the gang encountered – the uglier things were getting. Sage stuffed her hands into her pockets. Had the Mad Dog been the one to smash up these buildings?

Her heart sank – feeling like a lead weight in her chest. She'd overheard many people in the café complaining about the raised 'protection' fees. They'd whispered that anybody refusing to pay was having their knee caps shattered by the Mad Dog. She didn't want to believe it. But Ezekiel was being cursed pretty universally. It was hard to ignore.

Sage hung her head sadly. What could anybody do? The gangs had always terrorised the neighbourhood, they'd built these streets with their brotherhood and blood shedding. If the police couldn't stop it – then who else could? Sage froze mid-step - her eyes widening. Perhaps... a god?

"No," Ares dismissed. With peculiar elegance he was perched on her kitchen counter – very much like a cat. She'd found him in her flat when she'd arrived home, her locked door having been no deterrent for him.

"No? But you're a god. Surely you can stop the fighting-"

"I'm the god of war," Ares interjected – pointing at his handsome face. "Why would I stop men fighting?"

"Because it's wrong."

"How so?" He seemed truly lost.

"People have to die."

"Don't you care at all?"

Ares shook his head, his gaze steady and innocent.

"War makes me stronger."

Huffing, Sage turned – banging the cupboard doors as she crossly searched for a mug. Ares sighed. He didn't know how to make her understand him. "I don't care who starts the fighting or who wins." He explained slowly, gauging her reaction to his words. Sage was still refusing to look at him – her expression fierce. Ares leapt down lightly from the counter and stood in front of her. He reached for her cheek to caress but Sage pouted and jerked away from his touch.

"Don't worry," Ares murmured – his deep voice as soft as falling snow. "I've already sworn that I'll protect you. With all the violence here -I'm growing stronger. Aren't you proud to be the lover of such a strong god?"

"Strong?" Sage's expression was very dismissive. "I've only seen you conjure a sword. You're a magician at best."

Ares' eyes glowed. Challenge accepted.

Sage stood in the dimly lit carpark with her arms crossed.

"Can a magician do this?" Ares asked – his mouth stretching into a broad grin. Sage's jaw locked – in a fierce struggle to not show any emotion – as she watched Ares lift a car above his head.

"Fine," she spat – shuffling her feet.

"Wait," Ares called – seeing that she was about to leave. "You haven't seen how far I can throw it."

Sage was out of breath from running.

"Are you crazy!?" She exclaimed – panting heavily. She put a hand over her pounding heart and leant back against a bench for support. "You threw a car! Do you want to get us both into trouble?"

Ares shrugged.

"If I got into any trouble, I can always get us out of it." He asserted confidently. The only reason he'd run along with her was because he'd enjoyed her holding onto his wrist.

"Why aren't you out of breath?"

"That wasn't fast for me."

Sage scowled and concentrated on breathing. Ares was going to drive her crazy – she was certain of it.

Ares watched Sage closely, enjoying how her chest was rapidly rising and falling and the flushed glow to her cheeks. She was beautiful – even when glaring at him. In fact, he realised he preferred her glares to her sugary sweet smiles. Her glares were real.

"I'm exhausted." Sage complained, making Ares smile.

"Want me to carry you home?"

Sage was sceptical. Ares crouched down in front of her, offering his back for her to clamber onto. When she didn't immediately move, he reached around to pull her – scooping her easily up into the air. Sage's posture onto his back was stiff, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"You're sure I'm not too heavy?" She asked as Ares walked in contented silence. He snorted.

"I've worn armour ten times heavier than you."

It was quite nice, Sage mused, to rest and wrap her arms around Ares' broad shoulders. His hair smelt amazing and felt soft against her face.

"What's Olympus like?" She asked as they neared her street. Ares hesitated before answering, unsure how to describe his home.

"Clouds float above and below. And the sky, it's different then it is here. It changes colour and shades – constantly moving through the colours of the rainbow. When the sky shines gold it's the most beautiful thing in the universe. The rooftops of the Olympian palaces sparkle, reflecting the warm sky, and the air seems to murmur and sing."

"You think its beautiful?" The most beautiful thing in the universe, was how he's described it. "I thought you were only supposed to appreciate war and bloodshed."

Ares foundered, uncertain. "Maybe," Sage mused – smiling, "you're more than just the brutality of war personified."

Ares frowned.

"More?"

He felt Sage nod in reply. "I've never been accused of being more before."

"Perhaps you limit yourself too much."

They both considered this, quiet as they mulled in their private thoughts. Sage was considering the possibilities, perhaps she could still persuade Ares to stop the fighting – if she could get him to change his attitude to violence.

Ares meanwhile, was thinking about Sage. She seemed to be softening to him, could she be falling in love? He desperately wanted her to fall for him.

They reached Sage's apartment.

"Hold on, I'll find my key."

"No need." The door swung open and Ares passed over the threshold – stooping so that Sage didn't hurt her head on the door frame. The door closed shut behind them without Ares having to touch it. Sage shook her head - would she ever get used to this?

"It's your fault that I'm in love with you. I took the arrow for you. You have to responsibility."

"How?"

"Be my woman."

Sage hit against his chest.

"That's not fair!"

"You're rejecting me?"

"Yes!"

"This is unbearable," he uttered the words softly, "I only love you more."

Sage rolled her eyes.

"Put me down."

"On the bed? Gladly." Ares lowered her down on the bed and hovered over her, his nose skimming her collarbone as he soaked in the sight of her beneath him.

Sage's heart pounded rapidly. This was a very intimate position. She put her hands on his chest, attempting to push him away, and got a feel of his hard, muscular chest. It was like his body had been carved from stone. "You know," he murmured huskily, his nose against her throat. "Gods make fantastic lovers." He kissed her neck and Sage gasped.

It was hard to think straight but Sage did her best.

"This is wrong," she protested – her voice embarrassingly breathy. "You're only doing this because of... an arrow." His hands roamed her body and Sage murmured contentedly. She closed her eyes – close to surrendering. "Don't... don't you love somebody else?"

Ares' lips trailed down her throat and to her chest – kissing over her racing heart. "What about Aphrodite?"

The effect of Sage's words was instant. Ares stopped what he'd been doing and his head snapped up to face her. Sage's eyes fluttered open and she tried to understand Ares' expression. "The internet has a lot to say about you and the goddess of love..." Sage held her breath, waiting for Ares to say something.

He was no longer touching her at all.

"It's over between me and... her." His tone was brusque and Sage shivered. All of the warmth seemed to have been sucked out of the room. But Sage had a clear head now and she was determined to press the issue.

"Since before or after the love arrow?"

"Since she tricked me and I got exiled from my home."

Sage finally realised what she was seeing in his intense gaze – pain. The mention of Aphrodite had hurt him.

"Sounds like a bad relationship. But it doesn't seem like it's ended."

"It has," Ares growled.

He rose up from the bed and turned his back on Sage – escaping her scrutiny. Sage sat up and leant back against the headboard.

"What happened?" She probed. Ares ran a hand through his bronze hair.

"She chose my brother. It was him that she loved – not me. I was just a pawn. An obstacle to Hephaestus becoming Crown Prince. I was nothing to her."

Sage bit her lip. She knew Ares was holding out on her.

"But she wasn't nothing to you."

"It's in the past." Ares turned – finally looking back at her and Sage flinched, intimidated by his dark glare. "Now I have you. Another woman who will never love me." He left, disappearing as if he'd dissolved into mist.

Sage stared at the empty space. She hugged herself – feeling strange. She knew what it was like, to be used by someone you loved. It was what her father had done – taking her money since she was old enough to earn it. She knew the lingering pain that rejection left behind.

Sighing heavily, Sage flopped back down on the bed.

"Oh, war god," she murmured sadly.