Page 10 of Flamesworn

All she could see wasAres.That wild, firelit smile, those bright eyes that flickered like a bonfire, theothernessthat radiated from them in waves. She couldn’t quite understand that the being she’d slammed against a wall was agod—and not just any god, but the god ofwar,the Gracious One to whose shrine she’d made her offering at sixteen. This was the god she dreamed of sometimes, alone in her bed and wondering if they’deven notice her among the others who’d surely asked for their patronage.

And oh, they’d noticed her, hadn’t they? She was still shaking as she thought about pushing Ares against the wall, the way they’d moaned and asked for it harder. A hot, liquid pulse of pure want shot through her, but she blamed it on the adrenaline rush and tried to ignore it. For now, they had concerns other than her inappropriate response to the god of war showing up and kneeling for her.

Evander joined them in the room, his face carefully blank. “Soldier Akti, report.”

Shame burned through her as she remembered earlier, her inability to take stock of the situation and respond to a direct order. She snapped to attention, saluted, and said brusquely, “My apologies, Strategos, for my earlier inaction.”

“Yeah, Dad, she’s sorry the only thing that makes her miss a muster is the god of fuckingwarshowing up in the middle of the night,” Theron said, ending on a yawn.

“I didn’tmissit, andyoushowed up later than I did!”

“SoldiersAkti,” Evander snapped, with a warning look at his son.

“I think we should go to the house, don’t you, babe?”

That was Aleks, who had the remarkable ability to defuse any situation with his warmth and good humor. Maybe she was a little biased, but Kataida thought he’d be better at it than Azaiah, who had such an air ofstrangenessabout him. Then again, maybe Aleks would be the same in a thousand or so years. Azaiah was one of the kindest beings in the known world, according to Aleks, who Kataida still thought was probably somehow even nicer.

Evander, who still wasn’t entirely able tobelievein gods, much less accept that he was married to a future god, gave a slight nod. “Yes. That’s fine. I’ll have Stavros send word toAtlas and the other high-ranking officers. Menelaus is already organizing a scouting party to see what sort of damage has been done to the watchtower.”

“And the soldier who came here? Is he all right?” Aleks asked, clearly concerned. He frowned. “And the others from his regiment?”

“He was given a rudimentary physical earlier. He’s unharmed physically, but that’s not the issue, with him, I don’t think. I sent him to Adrastus. He knows a thing or two about, ah, more mystical trauma.”

Aleks nodded. “Yeah, he does. That’s good. And the rest?”

Evander shook his head, expression grim. “No survivors.”

“What?” Aleks blinked. “How could that many Arkoudai– How did I not–”

“I would imagine he was there,” Evander said, carefully, putting a hand on Aleks’ shoulder, “Azaiah.”

“He didn’t say a word when I went to get him!” Aleks huffed, and he genuinely did look a bit annoyed, which wasn’t an expression that Kataida was used to seeing on him. He was usually easygoing to the point of being practically horizontal. Maybe there was something to be said about the god of war returning, bringing so much tension and unease with them. “I think sometimes he forgets that I care about the rest of the Arkoudai, not just my family!”

Evander would usually smile at that–he loved how much Elena and Aleks both adored Arktos. All it evoked now was another light pat on the shoulder, and then Evander led them out of the civic building. She could hear people moving about, scouts and officers gathering supplies and handling the complicated system of sending orders throughout the country, and she would have much preferred to have been given an assignment, not escorted to an interrogation.

“Hey.” Aleks had fallen in beside her as they headed back to the house that he shared with Evander and Elena and Malik. “Look, I know how this feels. Gods showing up, being very into meeting you, it can be overwhelming.”

Kataida laughed. She laughed, and clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. She couldn’t seem to stop the wild, hysterical giggles, and that was decidedlynotlike her. The only time she’d ever done that, it was thanks to some of that intensely strong herb that she and Elena had smoked once, when Malik was about three and they’d found a patch of it wild in the garden. They’d blamed Theron for it growing there in the first place, though that was never proven.

Aleks just patted her on the shoulder, much as Evander had done to him. “I know. Like I said, it’s a lot.”

Maybe that had beenhishallucinogenic herb. Maybe it made a little more sense now why he would need it.

Elena was awake when they returned, hair braided, very pregnant and already making tea. She looked worried, rushing forward to hug both Evander and Aleks both, then giving Theron’s hand a squeeze and, in her very astute way, correctly ascertaining by Kataida’s crossed arms and baleful expression that she was in no mood to be embraced.

“There’s been an attack,” Evander said, and Elena’s face went white. “The soldier Castor Kintos was found by a routine patrol a mile outside of the city. He’d collapsed. He’s unharmed, at least physically, but what he said he saw….”

“Can we not mention the god kneeling for Kat yet, or…?”

“I– What?” Elena looked between Theron and Evander, then glanced at Kataida. “Was Azaiah here because of the soldiers, then? But why–” She stopped herself. “One thing at a time. Who was it that attacked the northern watchtowers? Mislians?”

“No. Mislia’s government is relatively stable now, at least from what Yannis told me. Markos’ demon relayed thatinformation,” he explained, referring to one of the children that Elena and Aleks had found on their way to Axon. “The man called himselfthe Beastand spoke Senex. We’re sending a scouting party with supplies, but we won’t know more for some time. It could be a diversion, perhaps, but from what? Mislia was the last unstable government in Iperios.”

“Well maybe it has to do with the god of war showing up again. Oh, sorry, were wekeeping that for later?”

“Theron,” Evander snapped, looking far more irritated than he had in the civic building. “I’m not in the mood.”

“You’re– Dad!” Theron looked around the room, scowling. “Maybe you’re used to gods appearing because of Azaiah and his man, but some of us aren’t, and in case you missed it, this was thegod of war.”

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