From Ashes and Dust (Book One)

Chapter 17.1

It was fortunate the planet they'd landed on was in the midst of a storm. Surrounding them, a forest of trees appearing to be a breath away from kindling stood like rotten figures. The trees were hunched over, beaten down by whatever had laid waste to the nutrients of the earth. Barren limbs fell to the ground in heavy thuds every few moments like an encore to the rumbling thunder.

Enyalius stepped wide over a branch. "I can't wait to get off this planet," the god grumbled.

"In such a rush to leave behind the first lead we have on your father?" Vatra teased. She wiped strands of hair from her field of vision.

The rain pelted them incessantly.

"If I know my father at all, he'd have taken his chance to escape and run," Enyalius replied. "As much as he loves a good fight, he's also not a complete fool."

"I don't know, I've always found him to be quite foolish," Vatra commented. She avoided a thicket of dead branches with careful steps and kept a sharp gaze around them.

Enyalius scoffed. "Are you truly always this sarcastic?"

"Dead serious," Vatra said.

"Anyways," Enyalius continued, "like I said earlier, my priorities have changed. Maybe it was my time behind bars that made me reevaluate my desire to reunite with dear old dad, but I'm no longer interested in associating myself with him."

Vatra nearly tripped over a rock blocking their path through the trees. "Just like that?"

The god shrugged casually. "Sometimes things are that simple, love."

"They're never that simple with you," she retorted. "What about your mother, huh? And that precious godkiller of yours? You really think I'd believe you'd abandon Ares, too? Don't think I forgot about those pieces of your identity as a war god."

Slowing to a halt, Vatra folded her arms and refused to follow Enyalius any further. She gave a glance around for anyone before narrowing her eyes on the back of Enyalius' head. His hair had slicked down the nape of his neck, and rain dripped down to the jacket over his jumpsuit.

A heavy and irritated sigh escaped Enyalius' lips. He turned on his heels, the usual cocky grin on his face gone and replaced with a deep frown. "You really want to have this talk now?"

"I doubt I'd ever want to be alone with you ever again, so, yes," Vatra said with a nod.

"Enyo, my mother, refused to leave Earth like many of the gods. She died there. And I lost my godkiller on Earth, too, when a beast consumed my ship and crew some thousand years ago. Are you happy with my answers?"

Vatra clicked her tongue. She didn't know about Enyo's death. Though, she'd have been lying if she said she was sad to hear about it. "So, why even go through all the trouble of hiring me to get Ares back for you?"

"I didn't know it was you," Enyalius dead-panned.

"Answer the question," Vatra shot.

Enyalius' frown deepened even further. He visibly chewed his bottom lip and tapped a forefinger to his arm. "I thought I needed him to help me break the curse that kept me from hurting anyone else."

"And why don't you think that now?"

"When you blew up the ship, I was left behind to deal with the crash. The soldiers came for me. Call it instinct to defend myself, I don't know, but I picked up a weapon and I actually killed several of the guards to escape. Somehow, I can harm others now. I realized I didn't need my father, after all. I never really wanted to go back to being who I was before, anyway. This all gave me the perfect out of having to see him again," Enyalius explained.