Chapter Two
"Am I even wearing this correctly?"
I looked up from cutting fruit into cubes for a snack and almost choked on the apple that I had stuck in my mouth. Heat went straight to my groin at the sight of Ambrosius entering the kitchen. He'd changed out of the heavy steel armor and into proper clothing to be worn in this kind of climate. The outfit was entirely black, light and breathable and easy to take off. His black keffiyeh fell around his shoulders to be used for later when we left the mansion. The only colors were the brown and gold designed belts around his waist to keep his robes together and his weapons within reach.
And seeing him decked out entirely in black only made his blue eyes more vibrant. Like the clear skies of the desert. And it only made my body ache even more. I wondered how perfect he'd feel up against me, skin to skin. I wanted to feel those muscles flex and bunch beneath my hands.
"Yes," I said, finding my voice and clearing my throat as I removed the apple and pushed the plate toward him, watching him cock his head at it curiously, "We'll be heading out to the horses so that I can get you comfortable on one before we head into town to make a supply run." Ambrosius just nodded, still eyeing the food before he picked up a couple pieces of fruit and popped them into his mouth. I salivated just watching him slide a strawberry slice onto his tongue.
The amount of sexual arousal I felt in that instant was inconceivable.
"I'll summon Remi to ready the horses." I said, trying to distract myself. Ambrosius's face screwed up at my words, but he said nothing as I held my hand out and ordered Remi from the ring. Remi appeared a moment later after the dark cloud that made up his molecules reformed him. He hesitated at that sight of Ambrosius, who eyed him warily.
"Ready the horses, Remi. We're going on a supply run." I informed. Remi made a face.
"Get the horses ready, Remi. Get a room ready, Remi. Want me to wipe your ass and bake you cookies while I'm at it?" He demanded, putting his hands on his hips. I shrugged.
"Cookies sound good."
"So does suicide." Remi deadpanned, but he spun on his heel and left the kitchen through the sliding glass door that let out into the courtyard so he could go through the whole house to get to the stables faster. I shook my head and turned to the fruit, picking up a few pieces and noticing Ambrosius's frown out the corner of my eye.
"You let him speak to you like that?" He asked me. I chuckled, pushing off the counter as I went to put the bags of fruit away in the fridge.
"Remi is a free-spirit, contrary to his slave brand. Telling him what to do would be like telling a wall to move. I'd have better luck training a defective ADHD hamster than him. Besides," I said, closing the fridge and turning back to Ambrosius, "I find his insubordination refreshing. To the point where I could probably call him my only friend. Don't you have a friend like that?" Ambrosius's frown deepened.
"I don't have friends." He stated. This time, it was my turn to frown. Even I, as far out into the nothingness as you could get, had a friend. Remi was probably my only friend. I had a few spotted acquaintances as well, and of course, my siblings, but at least a friend.
"Surely you have one friend." I offered. Ambrosius waited a moment, then looked down at the strawberry between his fingers before he ate it and shrugged, averting his eyes. There was a distant pain flitting through his eyes, and while I would normally ignore such a thing as none of my business, I couldn't help wanting to soothe it.
"I have a bodyguard," He said at last, but his pained expression became stoic and his thoughts were barred from me as he looked at me, "But we're not close anymore. He rarely speaks to me now and when I try to make conversation, he doesn't want to carry it. I'm sure it has something to do with my father."
"Is there truly no one else?"
"Not even my mother speaks to me."
"Persephone?" I asked, perplexed. I would have thought Persephone of all people would be a kind and gentle mother. I had pictured her as a sweet and caring woman, on the petite side. I could easily imagine someone like that coddling Ambrosius. However, he nodded to my question and seemed to grow uncomfortable with the topic.
"So, what is this town like that we are going to?" He asked instead. Part of me wanted to press for further details, which stunned me. I wanted sex, not a committed relationship, especially with the Son of Hades. Hades would slit my throat if he found out I had slept with his son. And my father would think of it as an act of disrespect and probably box my ears for it, or take away my powers. I didn't want to imagine it. So I went with the safe side and decided not to press Ambrosius for his life's story.
"The souls have taken to calling it the Lost City, even though it's not a city at all. Just a congregation of souls that have yet to undertake their tests, or are in search of them," I explained as I led Ambrosius away from the kitchen and across the courtyard to the opening that went straight through the house and to the horse stables, "It's a good place to get food and trinkets. Think of it as a market place. Crowded, but full of interesting things." For a moment, yearning flitted through his blue eyes before fading and his lips twitched downwards.
"I have no money." Ambrosius pointed out, sounding a bit disappointed.
"Your father left you with nothing?" I asked, surprised at that. Ambrosius clenched his jaw at that.
"I didn't get paid for my last errand."
"You get paid?"
"Don't you?"
"Well, I have a job, and I do get money, but the money is from my father. So, I suppose I work for it, but... Well, you're a god. You don't work."
"Try telling that to my father." Ambrosius bit off and went silent, obviously not liking that topic either. Okay, I decided, anything regarding family and working was completely off the table as possible conversation topics. Although, that took away a good portion of things to discuss, so what possibly do I converse with him about? How was I supposed to know what things to do to lure him into my room?
This might take a lot longer than I thought. That's unfortunate... But I haven't had a good challenge in a while, so this was a good thing. It would most certainly be worth it in the end. I admired the way the sun fell down across him, making his glossy black hair glisten and blue eyes reflect the light almost in the same fashion an animal's did at night. It was eerie and beautiful at the same time.
We crossed the yard to the stables. Four large horses made sounds of delight at receiving attention. Remi was currently saddling up my black horse that I'd named Bethani. The other horse, a sleek brown with a patch of white running down the center of its face, named Reti would be Ambrosius's horse. Reti was a good beginner horse, calm and obedient with a thing for carrots.
"All right," Remi said, backing away from Bethani, who nuzzled the back of his head and made him scowl, "I told you, we're through, Bet. Quit flirting." As if sensing his sarcasm, Bethani nickered and nipped at his butt, making Remi yelp and jump away from him, glaring at her as she threw her head back and whinnied, almost like she was laughing at him. I chuckled, stepping up to Bethani to stroke her face.
"There's a good girl," I told her gently, then leaned in close to touch my nose to hers, "You can do better than him." Bethani whinnied and I chuckled again. Remi pouted, folding his arms over his chest, then took a huge step away from Ambrosius when he approached Reti. The way Ambrosius looked at him told me he had never been on a horse.
"Remi," I said, making the shapeshifter nearly snap his neck to look at me, "Go ahead of us and scout the vendors. We'll be there shortly." Remi scowled, but thankfully didn't make a big deal about it, probably not wanting to agitate Ambrosius. The two had certainly gotten off on the wrong foot. Remi vanished in a plume of smoke that shot into the air and sailed off. Ambrosius glanced away from Reti to follow Remi with his eyes until he was out of sight, then the Greek turned to me. I just smiled politely, backing away from Bethani to approach him and Reti.
"I take it you've never been on a horse." I said, stroking Reti's dark mane. Ambrosius frowned.
"No. We don't use horses."
"Pity," I said, smiling when Reti tilted his head to nuzzle against my face, "Horses are my favorite of all creatures. Loyal, useful, and friendly. At least these two are. Buttercup is Remi's and Tito is still too young for a rider. He's... wild." We turned to look at the last horse in the stables, Tito. A pinto horse with eyes that watched you like a sniper rifle. Even looking at him made him kick the stables and huff at us. His polite way of saying fuck off. Ambrosius grimaced, then looked at me.
"They're huge. What if they step on you?" The question was oddly adorable. I'd only ever had a child ask me such a thing.
"It'd hurt like a bitch," I responded, making Ambrosius grimace further, "But don't worry. Reti is very good with newbies. He won't let you get hurt." As if to agree with me, Reti nickered and bobbed his head at Ambrosius, as if urging him to get on. Ambrosius still looked uneasy, but allowed me to lead him to Reti's side.
"Grip the horn of the saddle to pull yourself up. Put your foot in the stirrup to give yourself momentum. I'll be here in case you lose footing." I told him. Ambrosius glanced around for a moment, like he was wishing lightening would strike him so he would have an excuse not to ride, but he reluctantly gave up hope and reached up to grip the saddle and pull himself up. He wobbled for a moment and instinct had me reaching up to steady him by the hips. He shot me a look that made me drop my hands.
Intriguing. It wasn't like he was angry. It was more like he was confused as to why I touched him.
I simply smiled, watching him settle into place before I went to Bethani and heaved myself up, getting comfortable in the saddle. I picked up her reins and steered her, nudging her on the sides to urge her forward. Ambrosius looked frustrated as he copied my movements, and Reti being the polite horse he was, obeyed Ambrosius's awkward instructions and trotted along beside me as we made our way around the house and down toward the gates.
"The symbol on the lock," Ambrosius said, staring at the gates as I waved my hand in front of them so they would open, "That's the symbol of the United Pantheons. Right?" I nodded as the gates opened and led the way out, a small ripple of power surrounding us as we did so, indicating we were leaving my property and entering the realm of purgatory.
"It was the United Pantheons that agreed to create purgatory." I responded, making Ambrosius tilt his head curiously.
"I thought it was an agreement between God and Lucifer."
"No, they suggested it and the other pantheons agreed. Big decisions like this cannot be made by just two gods. It has to be agreed upon during a meeting."
"So God attends the UP meetings?"
"No," I admitted with a shrug as we moved through the sandy dunes toward the oasis that housed the Lost City, "Jesus is his representative, sometimes the archangel Michael. Each pantheon has its own representative. For example, ours is my sister, Dania. Sometimes it's me."
"And for the Greeks, it would be my father, sometimes Demeter."
"Yes," I said with a nod, letting go of the reins to pull my keffiyeh over my head to prevent severe sunburn, and Ambrosius mimicked my movements, "The meetings are generally held four times a year, for each season. Seasons may just be a changing of weather to mortals, but to us, it is a new beginning and that requires checking up on universal laws and death counts. Recently, there've been a couple more meetings than usual. Mortals are dying off rapidly."
"I noticed that," Ambrosius commented with a frown, "How is that possible? I thought they advanced their technologies. Wouldn't that make them live longer?"
"They're not dying of natural causes, not really," I explained, "Because humans are inventing more and more ways to make their lives easier, they are creating new diseases and new ways to die. It's a balance, but a dangerous one. With every discovery they make on how to save a life, they are destroying one in the process. They also seem to be forgetting traditional ideas."
"Such as?"
"Well, first of all, a good portion of them are against equal marriage, as they've come to call it. They actually kill or attack people who prefer the same gender, or wish to change their own gender. Once upon a time, this was accepted amongst mortals and in fact, revered in some places. However, mortals have come to cringe at the sight of two men or two women holding hands. They also shun nudity and sex. They've labled it as something shameless and horrid."
"I don't understand."
"Neither do I."
"Is that's what's killing them? Intolerence?"
"That and many, many other things. They've developed new sexual diseases, new cancers. Hell, I remember when cancer wasn't even a thing. The only diseases I'd seen in people were things like dying of infections. Or beheadings. Normal things."
"Because beheading is totally normal." Ambrosius deadpanned. I smirked, admiring the way Ambrosius expressed his sarcasm with a crooked scowl.
"It is to me," I answered, "Having humans flood purgatory from valiant deaths. Now brought down by their own inventions."
"Prometheus should have never given them fire." Ambrosius muttered. I shrugged.
"It was fate. Humans are only walking the path that was carved for them. One day, they will cease to exist. Billions of years from now when the sun gods close their doors." I explained. Ambrosius frowned at that and seemed to be soaking in all the information. It was a depressing topic, though. One day, humanity would cease to exist on the mortal plane. Said mortal plane would be destroyed and the gods would have to forge a new one, new humans. And hopefully this time, we could keep them in line and prevent the destruction they brought upon themselves.
"So, what do you do at home, Ambrosius?" I asked, changing the topic. Ambrosius looked at me like he didn't understand the question.
"Uh, work, I guess," He muttered thoughtfully, "Train. Sleep."
"No hobbies?" I asked. Ambrosius thought about it, and I noticed the way his cheeks pinkened for a moment before he cleared his throat and shook his head. I wondered what that meant. I was tempted to send my powers out to search his mind, but he was a god. He would feel it the instant I did so and become offended, and that was the last thing I needed to do right now. My point was to get him to like me.
I had honestly never been so intent on having sex with someone in my life. I couldn't think of anyone else with Ambrosius around. His very presence was intoxicating. The way his black hair fell across his face, his glowing blue eyes, and his olive skin glistening. Those wet lips with a tongue that darted out to moisten them every so often. The way his fingers wrapped around the black leather reins and the muscles in his back flexed as he moved.
I could just imagine him writhing beneath me. It was obvious he'd never felt the touch of another person sexually. There was an innocence wrapped around him that I am sure Hades had put there to make sure his son was the perfect little soldier. It was a classic case of overprotective daddy trying to turn his son into the perfect being.
Good thing my powers protected my mind, otherwise, Hades would be furious to know I planned to deflower his precious baby boy.
Not that Ambrosius was a boy. He was a god, and a man. Gods aged very quickly and could pause the aging whenever they pleased. Ambrosius looked like he was probably in his mid-twenties, when surely he couldn't be more than a few years old.
"What about your hobbies?" Ambrosius asked at last. I smirked at his attempt to avoid an awkward silence.
"I enjoy collecting ancient artifacts and antiques," I responded, "My sister, Dania, visits often and she brings the most intriguing of trinkets. I value her visits as much as her gifts. I also spend a lot of time with my horses or swimming in the pool that you saw in the courtyard." Ambrosius looked awed at that, almost envious, like he wished he too could find a hobby.
And I'd be happy to give him one.
We remained silent for the rest of the thirty minute ride to the town. Most of the buildings were about the same size, two or three stories high, with one that was occasionally taller than the rest or wider. Hundreds of tents and vendors had set up shop along the dirt streets that were wide and made just for the bustling shopping crowds. Balconies homed scantily clad creatures, ranging from shapeshifters to earth demons, who waved and crooned down at passer-byers. On the outer edges of the city, the quieter sections, were lush patches of flora that surrounded fresh water pools where children collected water or splashed and played excitedly.
The exotic sound of tambourines and flutes mixed with fast moving drums, a harp being tenderly plucked at from one of the open windows, a violin singing beautifully with a woman's strong soprano "ah". There was an open stage at the center of the city near a large fountain spewing water around a statue of a woman reaching for the sky, wearing only the transparent robes of a priestess.
On the stage, the source of the music came from a group nestled in one corner while three slender women twirled and beat the wooden stage with their bare feet, their jewelry jingling and singing as they swayed in time with the music. Belly dancers, a favorite part of the city.
I glanced at Ambrosius. He watched the stage with interest and I saw his finger twitching, like he wanted to tap a beat along with the music. A smile curved the corner of my mouth. He definitely enjoyed the music, and the way he watched the dancers wasn't obscene, like a few of the men who licked their lips and rubbed their palms against their groins.
No, Ambrosius's gaze was one of a man who truly admired the way the human body could move in time with exotic sounds thrown together by just pieces of wood and string and metal combined.
"You like music." I stated. Ambrosius snapped out of his trance and a sort of wall fell across his features so that he became stoic.
"Who doesn't?" He asked. I smirked, averting my eyes.
"You like dancing as well."
"I never said that."
"No, but your eyes did when you saw them dance," I commented and Ambrosius's cheeks colored pink, "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Ambrosius. Really. Dancing is a fine art that takes years to perfect. It's rare that you can come across someone who is so in tune with the inner workings of music." Ambrosius frowned.
"Soldiers don't dance."
"Are you a soldier?" I asked. Ambrosius didn't answer. He seemed to be considering my words, as if there'd been a sliver of hope in them that he wanted to cling to desperately. For a moment, I ached for him. Hades had truly driven him into a cage. Ambrosius didn't have any hobbies that he indulged in, no friends to share secrets or hopes or dreams with. He was alone in the palm of his father's hand, like a marionette.
We didn't speak anymore as we made our way to a watering hole and dismounted from our horses. I held my palm out and summoned Remi, who twirled from the sky and came down to land in front of me, smoke coming together to create his form.
"This place is alive today," Remi commented, wiping a lipstick smudge on his cheek and grinning, "They have a sale at one of the nearby brothels." I rolled my eyes and Ambrosius actually blushed at that and pulled at his keffiyeh to hide his face, eyes averted. I tried not to smirk at the adorable reaction, then turned to Remi, who was eyeing a prostitute as she sauntered on by, licking her lips at Remi. I cleared my throat and Remi snapped to attention, but pouted.
"She totally wanted me, boss, you can't just ruin my groove like that."
"Yes, well, you'll have to entertain your whores here," I responded flatly, "Watch the horses. Ambrosius and I are going to the market." Remi didn't look at all pleased by the order, but he didn't argue as he led the horses away from us. I turned away and headed to the market with Ambrosius beside me the whole way. I made sure to keep an eye on him, but he wasn't behaving recklessly. He just watched everything around him like a fascinated child. Judging from the way he reacted, he'd never been to a place like this. Everything here was new and amazing to him.
"So, how do your brothers fare?" I asked as we walked along the tents. A few buyers would call out and wave their products, but I'd learned to ignore most of them. The ones that called for attention were usually the ones who wanted to trick you or lure you into their clutches.
"My brothers," Ambrosius echoed for a moment, then blinked as he returned to reality and looked at me with a frown, "I don't speak to them."
"Your father?"
"Yes."
"That's a pity. I've heard many good things about your brothers."
"Oh," Ambrosius murmured, "What kinds of things?" I shrugged as we came to a stop near a vendor that was selling tropical fruits with sweet scents that attracted me to them, so I began to fill a bag.
"Malachi has increased the size of Inferi to give shelter to the homeless in Styx. Theo has been assisting him. Zelios has created a new drug that will keep the dangers of Tartarus buried deeper. Cain and Abel have come to accept one another, and Abel was even given a chance at a trial to become warden of Elysium again. Cerberus hasn't killed anyone, and Charon seems happier. At least, this is what people tell me. Do you really not know?" I asked him, studying a papaya and placing it into the bag. When Ambrosius didn't answer, I looked up to see him looking down at the ground. His expression was pained, and a wave of guilt surprised me.
"Apologies," I said, making him blink and look up, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Ambrosius glared.
"I'm not a child. You didn't hurt my feelings. I don't care about them." The response was too conditioned to be sincere. It seemed Hades had hammered that into him as well. So I said nothing, just turned away from him to pay for the fruit. The vendor nodded and kissed my knuckles as a response before I moved onto the next vendor. Ambrosius just followed me in silence and was putting on that air of stoicism that I wanted to badly to shatter.
Hades had truly destroyed this wonderful person. I could see the wonder and curiosity and brilliance beneath the fascade Ambrosius was forced to wear. There was an actual person beneath that armor of resignation, and I wanted to bring him out to play. It was time someone clipped the strings to this marionette.
"You'll love my sister," I said, making Ambrosius look at me in confusion, "Dania. She's a bit wild and difficult to handle at times, but very amusing and talkative. She has many stories from her visits around the universe. Also, she's a kleptomaniac, so if you have any valuables on you, try to hold them close. If she sees something she likes, she'll do anything to get at it, even if it means chewing through your wrist."
"Wait, what?" Ambrosius asked, baffled. I smirked, happy to tell him my favorite part of Dania.
"Dania's a cannibal. She'll literally eat you if you get in her way."
"That's... freaky." Ambrosius managed. I chuckled as we came to a stall where they were selling handmade leather items, picking up a money pouch to examine the craftsmanship.
"Indeed. Dania is my darling baby sister and entertains me to no end. I'm sure you'll get along famously." I responded. Ambrosius's expression said he highly doubted it, but I had yet to meet someone who truly hated Dania. For all her horrific qualities, her personality was an addictive one.
Our conversation faded at the sound of music becoming louder and faster. People parted to make way for a group of percussionists and the people with them who were performing tricks and exotic dances. One woman backflipped out and twirled around, throwing her arms out so purple magic flew from her fingers and glittered. She twirled and danced, feet sliding through the dirt as she wiggled her hips and threw the magic around her like scarves. A man joined her a moment later, looking like her twin. He too carried the magical scarves that he spun around him as he spun and flipped through the air.
Ambrosius's fascination made me smile when I turned to see him entranced by their dancing. People were clapping and children laughing and cheering at the sight of them. A man passed by the crowd, holding out a leather bowl to collect change for their performance. I withdrew several coins and dropped them inside. The man kissed my knuckles before moving down the line to collect money.
"Why do they do that?" Ambrosius asked, watching the man leave. I raised an eyebrow.
"Which part?"
"Er, the dancing and the kissing."
"The dancing is their career. They do it because they love it, and they need to do something to get paid. The kissing is because they know who I am and respect me for it." I explained. Ambrosius let that sink in and went back to watching the dancers with a longing that made me chew my bottom lip thoughtfully. Ambrosius enjoyed dancing, but it seemed he couldn't bring himself to admit it or even do it himself. Even though his foot was shifting in the dirt ever so slightly, like he was getting an itch to dance and needed someway to scratch it.
And a sick thought crossed my mind. Part of me didn't want to act on it, but I couldn't resist. Ambrosius had been raised to be a soldier. His shell was going to be difficult to crack and it would take something very strong to do so. If I had to take this step to do it, it'd be worth it.
"I'll be right back." I told Ambrosius, who frowned at me.
"Where are you going?"
"Visiting a friend. You can stay and watch." I responded. Ambrosius didn't look comfortable with the idea, but was quickly distracted when another man and his partner came twirling out of the crowd and beat the ground with their feet in an intricate pattern. I smirked and moved away, heading a few vendors down where a man was selling exotic herbs and alcoholic beverages. He was a very thin lanky man with dark stubble shadowing his face, features of that of a typical Arabic man. His dark hair was pulled back into a braid that was decorated with red ribbons. As soon as he saw me, his face lit up.
"Thorn!" He exclaimed, stepping away from his stall to greet me with a bear of a hug. For a thin man like Jara, he could hug like a beast. He stepped back, returning to his stall to grin at me.
"And what can I do for you today, my lord? Looking for something special?" He asked, wiggling his brows. I chuckled, glancing down the line at Ambrosius, who was still entranced by the dancers, then turned back to Jara.
"Actually, yes... See, I have a friend who is a bit too stiff and I think he needs to loosen up." I responded. Jara arched a brow and followed my gaze down to Ambrosius before his eyes widened and he looked back at me.
"A god?"
"Yes." I replied. Jara nodded thoughtfully, drumming his fingers to his chin, then snapped his fingers and moved to a small cast iron bowl that held a vibrant red flower. He picked up a few, placed them in a leather pouch, then moved to pick up a bottle of wine, handing them both to me.
"Mix these two together over a fire until its warm. The warmth will melt the flowers down into the alcohol. It'll be perfect and undetectable." He informed. I nodded, taking the items and handing him the money with extra as a tip that made Jara's mouth fall open.
"My lord--"
"Think nothing of it, Jara. Trust me, you're doing me a very big favor, and this is my appreciation."
"Thank you, Thorn!" Jara kissed my knuckles and I nodded my head to him before I returned to Ambrosius's side just as the parade continued moving on down the street. Ambrosius turned to me, looking a little disheartened. He obviously wanted to watch them dance forever. I smiled.
"I believe we have all we need. Shall we go now?" I asked. Ambrosius just nodded solemnly, but returned to his staunch soldier stance as we made our way back to the horses.
Don't worry, Ambrosius. It's time you had a vacation where you can let lose.