War of the Gods

I still couldn’t believe what that man told me. I have been working out all the possible ways to make it false, but it doesn’t fit right. I don’t know if it’s just because I have been told all my life that Acacius was my father even though I look nothing like him and barely like my mom. How can one man change the way I think about the person who raised me? Is this really happening for that matter?

Now that I think about it, what was he doing in Zeus’s temple? If he is Ares, then why isn’t he in his own temple? He couldn’t have just wondered over out of curiosity. He was there on purpose. He wanted my attention. Maybe he was following me around all day. Okay, maybe I’m just being paranoid, but he had to be there for me. He has something up his sleeves making me want to look up them.

“Babe, go to sleep,” Alex grumbles beside me. His head is buried in the pillow with the blanket pulled up to his chest. It reminds me of how Anicetus would sleep when we had to stay in the hotel for a few months because of the house been flood by old pipes.

There were only two beds in the room they gave us. Anicetus and I shared one of the beds while Eudokia slept in the bed with our parents. It’s not something that I want to experience again. Not because I had to share a bed with my brother, but the hotel room had a strong smell that made me want to puke just thinking about it.

“Sorry, Alex. I just can’t sleep,” I whisper back to him. I sink back down on the queen sized bed and try to find some rest even though I'm not really tired. I still have thoughts running in my head at a million miles per hour.

I feel Alex moving around before he throws his arm around me pulling me close to him. “Stop thinking too much. We both won’t get any rest if you do,” he mutters in my ear before he yawns quietly.

I don’t sleep at all. I just remain still staring at the darkened wall. Alex snores softly into my ear. I stay like that until the morning. I do try to get some sleep, but my thoughts wonder back to yesterday. I have tomorrow to talk to Mom. I can only hope that she will give me the answers that I’m hoping for.



Isadora stares at me as I move around the kitchen preparing lunch. She has brought over some dresses for tomorrow. I barely even looked at them when she showed them to me. Of course, I’m sure she is going to tell me which one to get. I will be stubborn and want the other one. Of course, I could be walking into the one she wants me in. She isn’t that stupid when it comes to knowing my personality.

“So, I think that Iason will finally propose to me,” she says excitedly bouncing in her chair. She has been holding this in since she popped up at my door.

Isadora DiMattei is a sharer of everything. She will tell everyone about her engagement way before her boyfriend actually pops the question. I can only wonder where she is getting this outrageous idea. Of course, she is dating Alex’s boss which she believes that she is better than me. I just let her think what she wants.

“What makes you think that?” I turn to look at her for a second letting her get this out of the way. I have learned if I don't let her talk about it. I will have to listen constantly about whatever it is that she wants to tell me.

“Well, I overheard him talking to Alex, and well, they were talking about kind of jewelry that he should get for me,” she explains. "Although I don't know why he would go to Alex."

I want to say that he could just be getting her a necklace, but I don’t want to listen to her tell me how I don’t know her boyfriend like she does. Instead, I nod my head in agreement even though I don’t think Iason will ever settle down with anyone, but that is just my opinion about him. Iason likes to play around with an assortment of girls at one time. Isadora is the first that I have seen him slow down a little bit.

“I would be Isadora Bawolf instead of Isadora DiMattei.” She eagerly jumps up and down. She drops her magazine to the floor landing open on a page fulled with images of lingerie.

“Getting ideas for your wedding night?” I ask turning back to make sure that the vegetables don’t burn. I have a fish baking in the oven making lunch be a little easier on me.

“These are for your wedding night,” she corrects me.

Thankfully, I’m not facing her, so she can’t see me blush. I can’t believe that she thinks that I’m actually going to wear that for Alex. There is no way that I will be comfortable wearing lingerie for him. I would probably just throw them away as soon as I got them. I hear the front door open.

“Babe, we’re here,” Alex calls walking into the kitchen to see me cooking. He has a huge smile planted on his face. I could only wonder how his morning was.

Iason follows him into the room. Iason has shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. He is a tall person with tattoos that poke out from the top of his grey shirt. He walks with a bit of a limp. He had broken his leg a few months ago. He had finally got the cast off, but he still has that annoying limp of his. He will refuse any help any tries to give him even when he broke his leg. He was so determined to do everything for him making it impossible on Isadora to help him.

I smile as Alex gives me a quick kiss on my lips. I indicate for him to go sit down as I greet Iason with a kind hello. There is no need to be mean to the guests in the apartment even if I don't really like him.

“It’s been awhile, Eutropia. How have you been?” he asks kindly.

This is how we always act. It’s like we just met acting politely to each other. In reality, we are two very different people which probably get along at all if it weren’t for the mutual people that we know. We only talk to each other when we have to, and not because we want to. We’ll place nice in front of others as long as we won’t be left alone together. It’s our unspoken truce that we made when he started dating Isadora.

“I’ve been well,” I answer. I don’t ask how he is because he will just tell me the same thing. There is no point.

“Isadora, I thought you would have been here later,” Iason says ignoring my reply like he always does. I really shouldn’t have bothered.

“I wanted some girl time with Eutropia, dear. She has classes in the afternoon today,” she explains.

I feel like an idiot now. I had a class today. It is the last one of the year. I had a test that I have even studied for. I run a hand through my long brown hair and sigh. Hopefully, it’ll be easy. I grab the baked fish out of the oven and set them on the counter thinking about how I’m such an idiot.



I seem to make it through the test. I step out of the classroom shrugging my purse over my shoulder. I look up to see the man from the temple standing on the other side of the hall. He falls into step with me. His black shirt hugs his torso making every girl start to drool at him. Some of them glare at me when he gives me a smile.

“I thought you wanted me to pray to you when I wanted to see you,” I ask him sarcastically.

“Oh, you’re so funny. You can pray to me when you want answers. We are in public, so you have to behave,” he orders. He doesn’t sound angry. He is just being bossy which is something that he is probably used to.

This guy has a lot of nerve to show up to me without me asking him to or rather wanting him to. He is two or three inches taller than me allowing me to strain to look at him. The more I look at him the more he does look like the god that he claims he is. Of course, I don’t really want to admit it. If I did that, I would have to face the fact of him telling me that I’m his daughter.

I walk past the parking lot heading towards my apartment with a light wind blowing around me. I actually kind of wished that Alex would let me get a car. He claims that we don’t have enough money to afford another car. Some part of me doesn’t believe his words. He happens to be a little old fashioned. He thinks that I shouldn’t even go to college, but I won out on that argument.

“Don’t you have a car?” Ares asks looking around when he notices me walking past every car parked out front.

I just look at him. It’s like he read my mind. I shake my head thinking that may be impossible. “I’m not allowed to have one,” I answer.

That throws him for a loop. He doesn’t say anything for a few minutes. I never thought that a god could be as speechless as this one appears to be. His face turns from thoughtful to anger in a split second. He carries himself in such an aggressive way. Anger can be frightening on certain people, and frightening is an understatement when looking at the dark-haired man beside me.

“Not allowed?” he questions through gritted teeth. “Who says that a daughter of mine is not allowed to own a convenient piece of technology?”

The talk of technology seems foreign to him. He looks like it has left an odd taste in his mouth for a second or two but manages to keep a straight face after that. I think about telling him about the situation with Alex, but I feel that would be useless. Therefore, I don’t answer his question even though he wants an answer now. He grabs my arm just below my shoulder, and one of his fingers makes contact with my skin.

Again, like the last time he touched me, I see a vision of war. It’s not the same war. That’s the only thing different. There is still death all around me, and a part of me is excited this time. People fight all around me tempting me to do the same, but I’m standing looking at the carnage of it. I’m only an observer to this vision. I try to move from my spot, but I’m stuck. It’s like my feet are glued to the ground.

I can feel a victorious grin on my face. I’m enjoying it. A part of me tells me this is my nature even though the rational part of me is telling me that I shouldn’t enjoy war. I’m not a soldier. I’m a woman going to college for business with an older brother and younger sister. The sickening part of this is I don’t truly care about any of that looking out at the men fighting for what they believe is theirs to claim. They die for what they think is noble and hope to be rewarded in the afterlife for their glory.

Everything that I’m feeling is sickening but exciting at the same time as I look out at the faces of the warriors. The smells of blood, sweat, and dust are intoxicating with the promise of the battle and of the victory that is soon to be achieved by the pale-skinned warriors.

The screams of the dying and hurt loudly ring in my ears. There are a few praying asking to be spared or for their family to be safe. Some crawl out of the way hoping not to be trampled over. Tears fall out of the losing side, but they won’t forfeit which would make things easier on them.

There is a man with long black hair looking as if he’s death itself. He isn’t fighting. He is lurking around the dead bodies claiming their lingering souls. Then the vision ends abruptly. I blink my eyes and look at Ares.

“You’re the god of war,” I whisper shocked. There is no more denying that. There is no way, not after two vivid visions of war.

“What did you see?” he asks more gently pulling his arms away from me.

I give a short summary making it seem as casual as I possibly can, but is it probable to make war sound like an everyday conversation. Of course, I could say the same about enjoying the war as if it’s a favored hobby of mine.

“That was a dirty one,” he says tossing the vision aside as if it’s nothing. “Anyways, I came to see you just to make sure you are okay. I need to be going.”

He gives me a smile before walking off to a tall blond man standing on the other side of the street. The blond is handsome with his long hair down to the middle of his torso. He had model like features with perfect cheekbones and an eye-catching jawline making every girl look his way. He catches me staring and gives me a smile causing me to blush.

I smile back trying to be friendly before forcing myself to walk across town to my apartment. What have I come to so soon? I believe that the man from the temple is who he says he is, and now I want to seduce a stranger just because he looks like he has been sent from the heavens. I need to get my priorities in order. This has been in twenty-four hours. There must be something wrong with me, and I really need to talk to my mom before anything else happens.



I get home to no one home. I notice Alex left his sweater thrown over the couch. I shake my head at this. He does this all the time. He always forgets to put things where they belong. I’m left with the job to clean up after to him. He is good about putting his dishes in the kitchen, so I can’t say that he is messy.

I hear a knock on the door as I come out of the door. I feel my nerves shoot up when I open the door to my mother and Eudokia. They both look alike which brings me back to wondering about Ares. “Mom,” I greet trying to keep a smile on my face. “You’re here early.”

“I know. I just didn’t want to wait any longer so I drove out,” she answers with a happy smile as she walks past me.

“Hey, Eudokia. How’s school?” I ask her.

She rolls her eyes without muttering a word. She didn’t want to be here. She would have preferred that she just stay home alone. My mother told me on the phone she has a hard time trying to get my sister to leave her room for supper. She appears to be healthy, but I’m sure she eats more when they aren’t around.

“Is Alex home?” My mother asks turning to look at me from the living room of the apartment.

“No, he’s at work. He probably won’t be home until later today,” I reply walking to the kitchen. “Do either of you want something to drink?”

“Water,” Eudokia answers quickly before throwing herself on the couch and pulling her phone out of her pocket.

My mom follows me in the kitchen. I can already tell that she is planning on making supper before she makes it to the fridge. She believes that she is the one to cook for her family when she is around. She doesn’t really like it when someone cooks for her. She has let me help out, but that means I just get to mix things together while she does the rest.

Eudokia mutters a quick thanks after I hand her a glass of water. This is how she typically is. She doesn’t like to do things unless it’s something she wants to do. Mom and Acacius let her get away with it and complain about how she acts later. I’m sure Eudokia parties, and our parents ignore it. I know some of the people she hangs around.

Eudokia’s best friend is Anthousa whose older siblings are known to either have a party or being at a party. Anicetus took me to one of those parties when I turned sixteen. I still remember the headache from pounding music that could be heard from two streets down. I don’t know if Anicetus even remembers the party because he kept on drinking alcohol even with me bitching at him about it.

“How are the two of you getting along?” Agathe asks pulling me out of my thoughts as she starts to chop some of the vegetables.

“We get along pretty well. I have something to ask you.” I decide know is a good enough time to bring it up. She will be caught off guard, so why not? “Is Acacius my biological father?”

She drops her knife for a second on the counter. She looks at me questioningly. “Why would you think that he isn’t your father?”

“I don’t look like him for one, and for two Ares told me he was my father,” I point out hoping she will tell me something.

She picks up the knife and start chopping again. She doesn’t say anything for a while. She just stares at the food. Her greying hair falls forward covering part of her face. Her thoughts swirl around in her head. She opens her mouth to say something, but she closes it just as quickly. She sighs before starting, “Eutropia, you can’t believe what everyone says.”

“Oh, that’s funny. You think this Ares is a fraud? It’s kind of hard when I saw two of the wars he has been in when he touched my skin. Don’t lie to me,” I demand. “I just want to know the truth.”

“I know that is what you want, but do you really want to be the daughter of Ares or normal? If you know the truth, you will have to live up to his wishes,” she argues.

“Mom, this isn’t about me being normal or not. Even if I don’t know anything, I will still be his daughter,” I bark at her. “Tell me everything.”

“Fine. Sit down,” she orders. “I was already married to Acacius, and I had your brother already. I was young and stupid at the time. I met Ares and fell under his spell immediately. He was beautiful and knew how to seduce. I know that I shouldn’t have done it, but I did. He told me that he wanted to have a child with me, but he wouldn’t stay with me no matter how much I begged and told him that I would leave Acacius. He just told me that it was only going to be this time. Then we had sex.

“A month after that, I found out that I was pregnant. I prayed to him telling him what is going on. He appeared to me with a smile. He told me, ‘She will be my daughter, and I will come get her when the time is right.’ He even named you. After that he was gone. He would only answer my prayers if they were about you. He cares about you deeply. He didn’t like that we didn’t treat you as if you were a goddess, but Acacius and I agreed to raise you human. We tried to keep him out of your life as much as possible, Eutropia,” she finishes.

I look at my hands trying to think of what to do. I’m sure there is still more to the story, but she doesn’t want to tell me. I know that I push for more she will only close of to me, and I will be stuck. I try to think of what I should say. What do you say when your own mother admits this? She cheated on who I thought my father was, and then she doesn’t want me to know the truth. I can’t help but feel angry

“I know this is a lot to take in,” she notes. “At times, I wish that I didn’t fall under his charm, but I couldn’t help myself. You say you met him. You should know to some degree what he is like.”

“I know that he is right and on some degree protective,” I point out. “If he was charming, he was trying to get you under his spell. Or you are just weak willed and don’t care that you could have said ‘no’. He would have reasoned with you.”

She nods understandingly before going back to cooking. I go back to the living room to see Eudokia still texting someone on the phone. I don’t ask who she is talking to because I don’t care. I turn the television trying keep my mind away from the obvious.

I know I will have to go to his temple as soon as possible there is no denying it anymore. My mother just confirmed it. If this was some other universe, I would be a human and in love with Alex. I would worry about if he is the right choice or the wrong one. I wouldn’t have to ask my mother about my father. That is some other universe that I only wish was this universe, but of course, I’m stuck in the one where I have to worry about my love for Alex, and I have to ask about my parents. I guess I’m going to get used to it quickly.

“What were you and Mom talking about?” Eudokia asks looking at me.

“Oh, just about the engagement,” I lie. “I just wanted to know how things were for her when she first got married.”

She nods turning her attention back to her phone. Things have been like this for us. We have never really been close like I’m with Anicetus. She has always been the spoiled one and got everything whereas I had to work for it if I wanted it. I didn’t just say I want this.

I look at the door as it opens to Alexandros. I smile as he walks to me. He gives me a quick kiss on my forehead. “I have to write something down before I forget, alright? Don’t eat without me,” he whispers in my ear before straightening back to his full height and giving Eudokia a kind greeting.

When he comes back out of the office, supper is ready. He sits down as everyone else gathers around. Mom tells us that Acacius will be here tomorrow with Anicetus and Bernturd. I can only hope that things will go well.