“I know,” I told him happily, because he had answered in precisely the way I’d hoped. “Which is why I’ll need assistance. May I have your permission to borrow your servant for the next couple of days?”
Ares face clouded over and he glared at me. “Nice try, little minx. No. You may not take my servant. If you need assistance, I will assist you myself. I’m in the mood for a good adventure anyway.”
I quickly fashioned my face into a mirror of the pout that Aphrodite frequently used with him. I’d seen it work a thousand times and so I prayed it would work for me.
“But father,” I said pitifully. “I want to please you. I want a good competition and it will be fun for you to watch your daughters compete to please you. Truly. I want to do this without your help. But I want to win- I desperately want to please you. May I please use your servant’s services ? Please? I have seen his battle skills here in this meadow this afternoon and we already know that he can defend himself against a dragon. I have faith that he is exactly the person I need to win the game for you.”
I held my breath as I waited for my father’s reaction. I knew he was considering it. Every Olympian loved a good competition. Behind him, Cadmus looked dumbfounded. Seconds ticked away.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Finally, after six full seconds of thought, Ares nodded curtly.
“Fine. I must admit that this ‘competition’ piques my interest. You may take my servant.” He turned to Cadmus. “But you will not sully my daughter.”
“Father!” I snapped. “I am a grown woman. Do not treat me like a child.”
But Ares didn’t even look at me, instead his gaze was still fixed upon Cadmus. “Do we understand each other?” he demanded of Cadmus.
Cadmus nodded curtly. “I have nothing but kind regard for you, Ares. I will not disrespect you in such a way.”
Ares looked appeased. “Very well.” He smiled. “This could prove interesting. I hope you surprise me, Harmonia. That would be quite a turn of events for you to best Ortrera in a hunt!”
Whistling, he walked toward the bath house, stopping only one time in front of Cadmus, lifting one finger.
“Don’t forget.”
Cadmus shook his head. “I won’t.”
“So be it,” Ares said. “Be on your way. Let the competition commence.”
He walked away and Cadmus turned to me in surprise.
“What is this about? You don’t seem like the kind of woman who would willingly hunt a dragon.”
“We’re not going to kill it,” I explained patiently. “We’re going to capture it. And then we’re going to bring it back here to replace the dragon that you killed. Father will be so pleased with you that he might forget that he thinks you aren’t good enough for me.”
“Your father thinks I’m not good enough for you?” Cadmus asked, his face so, so handsome as he grinned. “That injures me. What do you think?”
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the fact that my knees went weak every time this man smiled. “I don’t know yet. But I’d like the chance to find out.”
Cadmus threw his head back and laughed a laugh so rich that it felt like I was bathing in velvet. “Well, come then, little one. It seems we have a competition to start.”
As I followed him out of the clearing, I found myself thinking about that competition. Yes, we were competing with Ortrera. But I was involved in a competition much more important than that.
I was out to win Cadmus’ heart.
Chapter Five
The rules stated no magic.
As we made our way through the darkness of the mountains, over the steep paths and through the twisted vines that covered them, I found myself annoyed with my father’s spur-of-the-moment rules. Right before we left, he had unexpectedly burst from the palace with a list of rules.
1. No magic could be used. We couldn’t use any of our magical gifts or abilities.
2. Ortrera couldn’t take all of her warriors. She had to choose only one.
3. If either side killed the dragon for any reason instead of capturing it, the other side became the de facto winner.
4. Since we couldn’t use magic, we couldn’t travel god-style, by imaging where we wanted to go and simply being there instantly. We had to walk. Ortrera couldn’t ride her Pegasus.
5. If Cadmus laid a hand on me, Ares would kill him and Ortrera would win the challenge.
It was an exhausting list, particularly the part that stated that we had to walk. My legs already felt like rubber and the evening dew had made the grass slippery. I had slipped and almost fallen three times already.
“I don’t know why you men enjoy this kind of thing,” I mentioned to Cadmus. He was slightly ahead of me, pushing through the overgrown trails. He turned and grinned, his dark hair falling slightly over one eye.
“What? This isn’t fun for you?” he asked. I rolled my eyes, but had to smile. He was the kind of person who made you feel good just being around him. Or that was the affect he had on me, anyway.
“Not particularly,” I admitted. He smiled.
“If you didn’t want to do this, then that begs that question of why in the world are you? You’re a goddess. You don’t have to do anything that you don’t wish to.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” I told him as we continued walking. I stayed directly on his heels where I discovered that his scent was incredibly appealing, like cedar, musk and the outdoors. “There are strange rules and laws in Olympus and Zeus has his own ideas about things. It’s incredibly political and the gods back-bite and bicker.”
“But you don’t. Because you thrive in peaceful settings,” Cadmus observed. I nodded.
“I’m the goddess of peace. I definitely enjoy life the best when there is no conflict.”
“You make me feel peaceful just standing near you, you know,” Cadmus remarked. “I like that. You are a very soothing presence.”
I smiled. “Just doing my job.” He laughed again.
“You’re witty. I like that, too.”
I shook my head. You could tell that Cadmus came from royalty. He was strong and self-assured, confident and knew what he liked. But I could see humility in his eyes, too, a warmth that you didn’t normally see in a member of a royal family. Perhaps it came from being Ares’ servant for the past seven years. Or perhaps it was just a natural trait. Either way, it was an intriguing mixture of confidence and humility that made him incredibly appealing.