Page 33 of The Night Belongs To Lovers

Channeling the power in his Titan-inherited blood to project an aura of utmost confidence and strength, Coriolanus mustered his courage and prodded his steed forward with a gentle tug. Though fear had been trained out of him by the Roman military, he wasnot so arrogant or foolish to think caution was not warranted. Although he would fight back if required with everything he had, the warrior-god knew he stood little chance against such a formidable assembly, especially without Olympius beside him.

“Godling, go no further!” a god’s thunderous voice rang out.

Coriolanus heard the command both with his ears and in his mind, and it was painful. He stopped abruptly but held his ground as the gods moved closer to him. Their forms were cast in light so bright their faces appeared obscured.

The warrior-god understood well that it was a ploy to instill fear and awe in those they considered their inferiors, as was referring to him as a godling, but all it did was cause him to smirk. Coriolanus was unimpressed by their tricks.

“Do you not know our laws, godling?” the helmeted goddess gently asked as she moved to the front of the group, a majestic bird of prey perched upon her shoulder.

Coriolanus was uncertain how to answer. He did not know the laws, as Olympius rarely spoke about other immortals or their governance, so he remained silent.

“I see,” the goddess stated solemnly. “Mortal shall fight mortal, godling, and man shall govern over man; we gods no longer act directly in their wars or politics. From the tragedy at Troy, we gods have learned that it is best to be above, not amid. Seeking amusement, yes, we influence, manipulate, and provide gifts and insight to them from a lofty position or through our oracles. Still,except under exceptional circumstances, we do not actively involve ourselves in mortal affairs, especially large-scale undertakings.

“Your Maker, Olympius, child of the Titan Coeus, is justifiably aggrieved, but his desire for revenge for these long-past misdeeds is still not a matter worthy enough for us to grant an exception to our rules.”

“Not that he ever asked for one, the disrespectful mutt!” a different, angrier god shouted. “War is my domain!”

This god’s voice chilled Coriolanus’ skin. It was like the sound of metal against metal to him, sword against sword. The warrior-god knew who this fierce immortal was without question, as he had glorified this war deity in his mortal life.

“We shall waste no more time discussing this!” the thunderous voice boomed. “Olympus has decided. Your army will disperse, and this vendetta against Rome, of which we are its patron gods, shall proceed no further.”

“Will you obey, godling?” the soft-spoken goddess asked. Though her voice carried like a song, power and authority resonated in the tone.

Coriolanus was uncertain about what he should do. He had pledged to Olympius that he would see this through. If he were to withdraw now and disband his army, which he had spent two years building and leading, it would be an act of weakness and disrespect to his Maker in deference to another’s authority.

No, these gods would not order him around; who were they to think they had dominion over him? Coriolanus only knew themfrom his mortal religion. He wondered if the stories of their great power might be exaggerations told by poets and orators, puppets these narcissistic immortals likely manipulated.

Coriolanus could not abandon the mission, even if he felt it was no longer meaningful to him. It meant too much to Olympius, and his Maker meant everything to him. No, he would betray neither trust nor love, remaining loyal even in the face of potent threats and danger.

“I will not,” the warrior-god replied, his voice steady and unyielding.

The goddess whispered, “So be it.” Her words carried a weight of sadness and finality.

Then, with a grand thunderclap, Olympus went to war.

THE APPARITION

The Past

AGAINfree from its spiritual prison and given another opportunity to inflict misery upon its murderer, the apparition watched with glee as Olympius’ progeny stood alone against half the Olympian pantheon. Yes, his army was behind him, but what was even five thousand mortals strong against the might of Olympus in the day, at the peak of their power?

A mighty assemblage stood before Coriolanus: Zeus, King of the Olympians and protector of the state; Hera, Queen of the Secundus andprotector of women; Ares, god of war; Athena, goddess of wisdom and strategy; and Hermes, god of trade, herald, and messenger of the gods.

The apparition also keenly sensed Apollo’s radiant aura somewhere above his brethren high in the sky; it especially hated Apollo. The apparition knew that the upstart Olympian, with help from his Maker, Zeus, had supplanted Helios, the child of the former Titan’s long-missing brother Hyperion, as the god of sun and light. Helios was cast aside like his direct Titan lineage meant nothing.

The former Lord of the Night had little love for its sun-worshipping brother or any of his progeny; still, the humiliation of any Titan—or Titan-born, even though Secundus, by an Olympian was an unforgivable insult.

Though invisible in the material world, the apparition was initially concerned that the powerful gods would detect its presence and attempt to interfere with it, but none approached.

Interestingly, Athena and the majestic owl perched atop her right shoulder both turned—simultaneously—in its direction once. They stared momentarily before shaking their heads in unison in apparent bewilderment before returning their focus to Coriolanus.

The apparition realized it had been sensed but not seen and took that as a sign The Fates protected it from being discovered, not allowing even gods to meddle in their judgments.

Secundus bastards—so arrogant in their posturing! Flaunting the power given to them by my brother. Just like Olympius. And look athow our children repaid us for the gift of immortality, for godly power, Chronus! Foolish, trusting, love-struck Titans, were we to—

But the apparition could not finish its thought, suddenly distracted by the carnage beginning before its ghostly eyes.

Moving with lightning speed, the mighty Olympians descended upon the mortal army. The soldiers were blinded by Apollo’s light, making it nearly impossible to see their attackers.

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