So this is kind of a depressing chapter because there's lots of death BUT this isn't the end so have fun :)

Chapter Quote:
"Life's not fair and neither am I."
~Arador

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Chapter 12

Kyrian

Kiara sat on my lap holding our five month year old son, Kieran, in her arms. Three year old Killian and two year old Kellan played in the garden. Julian's son Alec wrestled with Kellan although with the former being the same age as Killian, he had the upper hand. My oldest son was climbing a tree when suddenly his foot slipped off the branch.

"Killian!" My wife screamed. The two of us ran over to him where he lay motionless on the ground. Kieran and Alec stood behind us, watching as I anxiously patted my son's cheeks to see if he'd wake up. I let out a sigh of relief as my son let out a groan.

"Let's get you up to your room," I said, lifting him into my arms. Kiara, Kieran, and Alec followed us. I set Killian in his bed. He curled up next to me, falling asleep.

"Uncle Kyrian, he be okay, right?" Alec asked. I nodded, assuring Julian's son that he would. I suggested the two of them go see Julian himself and hang out there for a little while. Two guards escorted them down. Kiara leaned her head on my shoulder. I kissed her head and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly? Sick. Like I'm about to throw up," she confessed.

I glanced down at her. "Are you-"

"Maybe. It's not like we've refrained from anything," she said, giving me a mischievous smirk.

"Think it'll be a girl this time?"

"I'm not psychic Kyrian. I have no idea. I want it to be. I want another girl around here. Penelope and I are extremely outnumbered here."

"Look on the bright side, you have Andromeda and another baby on the way for them. Maybe their third one will be a girl as well."

"Six guys to three girls are not good odds," she remarked.

"Do you want to keep trying until we have a girl?"

"What if we never have one?"

"That's what praying to the gods is for. Pray to Ares, pray to Artemis, pray to Aphrodite, pray to all of them. Ares is our patron god. Maybe he will be merciful and give us daughters. Give me Kieran and take a break."

Kiara kissed me on my cheek and handed my son to me. "I think I will do just that."

My wife left the room. Killian slept soundly. Kieran cooed in my arms. I couldn't believe how lucky I'd been in having three healthy children. It was unheard of. Not to mention my wife giving birth three times. I always panicked when she gave birth. Many women died from childbirth. It was a thought that terrified me each time I found out she was pregnant. But she wanted to keep trying for a girl. Honestly, so did I. I wanted a little girl to spoil. I'd been given sisters but they'd all passed away when they were little so I'd never gotten to experience siblings. It was all well and fine to have just brothers as siblings but to get a grasp at understanding women, I thought the best way was through sisters. If our future daughter/daughters were like their mother, they wouldn't put up with any crap their brothers tried. Seeing as how I'd never really experienced sisters, I didn't know much about women when I married Kiara. She taught me a lot, for which I was grateful for.

"Kyrian?" Zarek queried softly from the doorway. I turned around to face the Roman gone Greek. I'd never trusted him until he saved my life in battle, taking a nasty gash on his back from it. That'd been only a year ago. Zarek had gotten tall in short amount of time. At sixteen he was nearly as tall as me and Julian. I expected him to grow as tall as of me or taller. He kept his hair short, like me. His blue eyes were piercing and calculating but right now, all they showed were kindness and worry. "How's Killian? I heard he fell from a tree."

"He's sleeping but he's sturdy like his father. It'll take a lot more than a fall out of a tree to stop him. Who told you about him?"

"I was heading to go train when Kiara passed me. She looked anxious so I asked her what was wrong. She told me." The mention of him seeing my wife anxious brought out a slight twinge of jealously to me. Zarek had always favored Kiara over everyone here. I mean, she did save his life but it made me wonder if his affection for her was more of an infatuation. And Kiara adored him. He was one of her closest friends. I often saw them in the garden together with the kids, taking a stroll, simply talking. Often I would go over and join them out of pure suspicion that he was hitting on my wife. However, their conversations were nothing of the sort. Often it was about new scrolls they'd read. I remembered it had caused problems between me and Kiara, her relationship with him. No one here trusted him. The only other person that semi-trusted him was Julian, and that was because Zarek had helped save my life. I reminded myself that was only because Kiara had asked him. I trusted him now, but my relationship with him would always be friendly, not friends.

"Where is she right now?"

"With Penelope I believe. If you need to go speak with her, I would be glad to stay here and watch over Killian and Kieran," Zarek offered. One point where I did trust Zarek fully was with my kids. He adored them and they adored him in return. He was fantastic with them.

I nodded and he came and sat next to my son. Kissing Killian on the head and handing Kieran over, I left the room, going to Julian and Penelope's house. I let myself in. We were so close that we were practically family. Kiara and Penelope were hoping that one of our kids got married.

"Kiara?" I called out.

"In here!" she replied, coming into the main entrance. "Why aren't you with Killian? Where's Kieran?"

"Zarek is watching them," I told her. Striding up to her, I cupper her face and pulled her into passionate kiss. My wife wrapped her arms around my waist. When I broke it off, she was out of breath.

"What was that for?" she inquired. "Not that I'm complaining. I mean there's a reason we've had three kids in the past three years and a fourth on the way."

I laughed. "I just wanted to show you how much I love you."

Kiara rested her chin on my chest, craning her neck up so she could at me. "Are you getting jealous of Zarek again?"

"No, of course not," I lied. When she raised her eyebrows, I sighed, "Yes."

"Kyrian, how many times do I have to tell you that you have no reason to be jealous of Zarek?"

"I trust you, Kiara. I don't trust him. He's young, he's handsome, he's tall, and he adores you. He would die for you." I ran my hand through my hair.

"So then tell me why I've chosen to have four kids with you? If I was in love with him, you and I wouldn't be doing the things we are. And if I really was in love with him, I'd be having his kids, not yours. Zarek knows I see him only as a very dear friend. I owe him for getting me, you, and your mother out of Rome. Showing him kindness was the least I could do. Being his friend was my choice. Zarek looks up to you and Julian, more than he cares to admit. I know he's Roman, but he's more Greek than Roman now. Be kind to him. He didn't know what kindness was before he came here."

"Anything for you, vasílissá mou," I promised. She pulled her lips back to mine. We only stopped when we heard, "Eww!"

The two of us looked at Kellan and Alec in the doorway, making disgusted faces. The two of us laughed, picking them up and bringing them into the kitchen. Penelope sat with her new-born daughter, Andromeda. She beamed at me. "Hello Kyrian!"

"Hello Penelope, how are you today?" I asked.

"I'm doing splendidly well. And yourself?"

"Very well." I sat on the floor and played with the two boys while Kiara and Penelope talked. We'd only been talking for about five minutes before there was a knock on the door. I went and opened it. Zarek stood there with a wailing Killian and a baby Kieran who was staring at his older brother annoyance. Zarek looked totally lost and confused.

"He woke up and wanted you and Kiara. I can't get him to stop crying," the Roman said.

I chuckled. "Come here, Killian."

I took my son from Zarek's arms. Killian instantly stopped crying, wrapping his arms around my neck. Zarek bowed, starting to leave, saying he was going to bring Kieran to his room, but I stopped him, inviting him. He seemed surprised by my offer. I'd never asked him to hang out with me or in groups. However, he agreed, walking into the house. When we entered the kitchen and Kiara saw her son, he started waving his arms for her. I set him down and he went running over to her. She picked him up and set him on her lap. We spent a good four hours there. Julian came in about midway through that time. Kiara and I left when it was dinner time.

When the sun set, we put the kids down for bed. I carried Kiara to our room, setting her gently on our bed, and crawled on top of her.

"How's your brother?" I inquired. Kiara sighed. Her relationship with her brother had turned strange. After Elysia and Kiara's father had passed, Taren had gone slightly mental. On top of that, his son Adonis was weak and feeble. I was honestly amazed that he'd lived this long. Truthfully, I believed Taren to be jealous of Kiara. She had a living spouse and three strong, healthy children with a fourth on the way. If I'd been in his position, I might actually be jealous too.

"Taren is... being Taren. I fear for his sanity. His letters are more rambling than ever and angrier. I don't know what to do or how to respond so I just try to alleviate his fears as much as I can and ignore the snide remarks he makes about how perfect he thinks my life is. I mean it is perfect, but I'm not going to tell him that."

"I'm glad you're far away from him. He seems unstable. I fear for your mother's safety now."

"I think the only thing keeping Taren from going completely mental is my mother. I worry about her too but she has her guards. I can only pray they keep her safe."

I kissed her on the nose. "Do not overthink it too much. It makes you stressed, and surely the stress won't be good on the baby."

Kiara smiled. "It surely is not. Get some sleep General. You have training tomorrow all day and you're not fun to be around when you're grouchy."

At that I laughed, rolling off of her. She rolled next to my side, resting her head on my shoulder. Within minutes I was out like a light.

I woke up just as the sun was rising. Kiara wasn't in my arms anymore so I rolled over to find her. When her side of the bed was empty, I opened my eyes. She was gone. Groaning, I got up out of bed and wrapped a cloth around my waist. Just as I'd securely fastened, a scream ripped through the halls.

Kiara.

I shouted her name, racing out of the room. Zarek came sliding around the corner, running with me. We shouted her name again so we could find her, but it wasn't difficult. We stopped in front of Killian's room whose doors were wide open. Kiara was searching frantically for something in the room, tears streaming down her face.

"Kiara!" I exclaimed, forcing her to face me.

"Killian! Where's Killian?!" she cried. I dragged her away from the dead guards as I ordered Zarek to go get Julian. He started to protest, telling me what if more attackers came, but I barked at him to follow my orders. He scurried out of the room. I turned my attention back to my wife who was shaking in terror.

"What happened?" I asked softly, trying to hide the fear in my voice.

"I woke up a few minutes ago because I felt the need to check on the kids. Kieran and Kellan were both fine. It was when I went to Killian's room that I discovered... this," she explained.

"What in the gods' name happened?" Julian demanded, coming to a halt in the room.

"Put the city on lockdown. No one leaves or enters this place. I want every house, store, cart, and park searched. Killian is missing," I said grimly. "Zarek, escort Kiara, Kieran, and Kellan down to Penelope's house and stay with the both of them. Do not leave her side, understood? And no matter what, do not let her convince you to come back up here."

"Yes sir," Zarek responded. He gently took Kiara out of my arms, leading her away. Julian had already high-tailed it out of there to go follow my orders. I stared at the gruesome scene before me. Three guards lay slain on the floor, blood seeping out of their sliced necks. There must've been at least three attackers for them to have been able to kill my guards. I'd hired my elite to guard my children's rooms. It took someone with serious skill to defeat them.

"Kyrian?" My mother's voice piped up from the doorway. I faced her. "What happened?"

"I don't know Mother. I have to go. I need to find Killian. He's missing. Go be with father, tell him what happened. Do not leave his side," I commanded. My mother nodded and hurried out of the room. I left myself, getting onto my horse and riding out into the crowds with Julian and ten soldiers at my side. Most of my other soldiers were already out searching for my son. People moved out of our way quickly. Some called out to me, praising me. Some women asked me to come to their bed. I ignored all of them. My sole focus was finding Killian.

We searched all day and all night. We left nothing unturned. We inspected everywhere three times over but it was to no avail. My son had disappeared.
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Twenty years later...

Kiara

"Taren," I said with a smile, giving my brother a hug. He returned it half-heartedly. My once handsome brother had grown almost unrecognizable. His hair was below his shoulders and his beard went past his neck. I turned to my nephew Adonis and gave him a hug. He was so weak it felt as if his body would break beneath me.

Taren and Kyrian shook hands before we introduced our kids. My brother knew of them but he'd never met them. This was the first time I'd seen my brother since Elysia died.

"Brother, this is Kellan, the oldest at twenty-two and heir to the throne. Next it Kieran, twenty-one. Then Kalen at twenty. Our oldest girl is Karina at nineteen, and then we have the twins at eighteen: Kara and Kira," I presented. The boys bowed, the girls curtsied. I turned to mine and Kyrian's guards.

"They were the accidental babies," Kieran whispered to Adonis. Kira and Kara slapped him on the arm. He merely grinned. One glare from me and the grin vanished.

I continued. "This is Julian of Macedonia and Zarek of Moesia. They are our personal bodyguards. Julian's family has travelled with us since his son Alec is engaged to Karina. Alec is his oldest son. Andromeda is next, then Adrian, then Adras."

Zarek, Julian, and his family bowed.

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I must attend to business matters. I will have my servants show you to your respective rooms," Taren said. He bowed away from us. Mine and Kyrian's room was the largest. Julian and Penelope, and Zarek were placed next to us. The girls all shared one room. The boys shared two. My boys had their own and so did Julian's.

"I'm excited to see the competition tomorrow. I've never been able to see them before," Kyrian said, flopping himself onto the bed. I did the same.

"I remember seeing them when I still lived here. It's quite the show. The games start tomorrow. We should get some rest. The day will be long and unlike Thrace, there is not always a breeze to cool us down," I remarked. Kyrian and I fell asleep easily.

The games lasted for three weeks. The boys loved it. I was impartial. Many of the times, men were killed. I didn't quite understand men's love for a sport that got them killed. My daughters, Penelope, and Andromeda acted like we were paying attention but mostly we just talked about random things.

On the last night we were there, there was a big feast for our family. It was held in the throne room. The men sat on one end, the women on the other. That was how my family had always been. Kyrian and I shared glances with each other at throughout the meal. I could tell he wished to be seated with me. At least he had Julian and Zarek though. At the end of it, Taren stood up, clearing his throat for a speech. "Family, friends, I never thought the day would come when I would welcome a Roman into my palace." He grinned impishly at Zarek who smiled nervously. He hated being reminded of his heritage. A flare of anger towards my brother erupted, but I stayed silent. "But this year is a year for new beginnings. I have a special surprise just for all of you. If you would, please follow me."

We all got up. I made my way to Kyrian's side. I whispered into his ear, "I'm getting a bad feeling about this."

"Stay close to me," he replied. His grip tightened on my hand. I had no idea where my brother was leading me. While I recognized the part of the castle we were in, I didn't remember anything of importance being down here except for the dungeon and a storage room.

"I want to show you what happens when people make me angry," Taren said. He opened the door to the storage room. Penelope fainted. Andromeda was sick. My daughters paled so badly I thought they would faint. Zarek, Julian, Kyrian, and I stared in utter horror at the sight of our dead guards. All of them.

Kyrian pulled out his sword. "What is the meaning of this?"

"My whole life, my dear little sister outshined me. She was the strongest, the smartest, the kindest, the most beautiful. What was I? The future king. That was it. No one adored me like they did her. Then she marries you and has beautiful children just like yourself. What happens to me? My wife dies and my son can barely walk on his own. I cannot win my people over with kindness, so I will win them over with fear," Taren declared. "Guards!"

Hundreds of guards poured into the hallway, spears, swords, bows, and shields at the ready. The adults and I formed a protective ring around the kids.

"Taren, call them off!" I ordered.

He slapped me. "I don't take orders from you, bitch!"

"You dare touch my wife?!" Kyrian demanded. I held him back, but only barely.

"You will all die. I will live. I've made a deal with the Romans that if I handed you over to them, that for as long as I shall reign, Athens will not be attacked by them," Taren informed. "And I have the honor of watching you die. Valerius!"

The Roman I'd come to loathe stepped next to my brother. Zarek tensed beside me. He hadn't seen his brother since he'd left Rome. His brother was now almost Kyrian's height, only an inch shorter. Zarek was still shorter than him. Kyrian and Julian growled.

"Cuff them and bring them to the dungeons. Any of you fight, I will kill the kids," Valerius warned. Reluctantly, I listened to the Roman. We were completely outnumbered. There was no way of getting out of here alive.
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A week later...

In a week, I'd lost almost everything dear to me. Two days after we'd been captured, Julian, Penelope, Kyrian, and I watched as our sons were marched out into the arena, tied to a post, and shot full of arrows until they died. The arrows were specifically shot in places so that they wouldn't kill. Our sons died painfully, slowly, and I felt myself dying with them. I'd cried so much during the event that I had no tears left in me that night. I sat numbly against the wall, listening to my daughters and Andromeda sobbing for their lost brothers. The day after that, I was forced to watch as Valerius's men took my daughters and Andromeda for their own before brutally dismembering them. I'd screamed myself hoarse that day, losing my voice. The day after that, Kyrian and I were forced to watch Julian and Penelope be beheaded. I sobbed uncontrollably, begging my brother to stop. Taren laughed.

I was put in the same cell as Zarek. Kyrian was in the cell across from me. I don't know why they kept us apart but kept me and Zarek together. Every day I was forced to watch Zarek be beaten and tortured. His face became so disfigured that I barely recognized him. After five days of torture, he started lashing out at me. If he hadn't been chained to the wall, I believed he would've actually tried to kill me. I tried to reason with him, to tell him I couldn't stop it no matter how hard I tried. He'd yell at me to shut up. I wouldn't stop trying but I knew when to be quiet. I listened to his labored breathing until I fell asleep.

When the week was up, the three of us, broken and exhausted, and beaten in Zarek and Kyrian's case, were escorted to the arena. Zarek and I were brought up to stand next to my brother. Kyrian was brought into the arena itself.

"I believe this will be my favorite of all. Kyrian, meet your opponent," Taren announced. My breath left me as a man with blonde hair and green eyes stepped into the arena. He was dressed in Roman gear, but there was no mistaking the resemblance he held with me and Kyrian. Valerius kneeled down next to me and whispered, "You remember your son Killian, right?"

"You," I breathed. "You're the one that kidnapped him."

"My grandfather actually. You have no idea the satisfaction I will get from watching your son, or mine now, slaughter your husband like the pig he is." I struggled vainly against the guards that held me. One of them clamped a hand over my mouth, preventing me from crying out. I watched as my husband and lost son exchanged blows. Kyrian may still be in top form, but he wasn't as young as he used to be. Killian was young and agile. He nicked my husband more than Kyrian nicked him. Killian placed a well-aimed kick to Kyrian's gut. My husband went down. I bit the hand that was placed over my mouth. I shouted at the top of my lungs, "Killian!"

The fatal blow he was about to deliver to my husband stopped in midair. Both he and Kyrian looked over at me. Kyrian's eyes met mine before he looked back at Killian. I saw him mouth our son's name. Killian looked down at his real father.

"Kill him son!" Valerius commanded. Killian appeared conflicted. For whatever reason, he was doubting his adopted father. Kyrian stood up. He said, "Kill me son. For I will not kill you."

Killian threw his spear into Kyrian's left shoulder. Agony ripped through me as I screamed for my husband. I kicked my holder in the groin and jumped the ten feet down into the arena. I felt something in my ankle snap. It was probably broken but I ignored the pain. I slid next to Kyrian, cupping his face and bracing my forehead against his.

"Kyrian, it's going to be okay. You'll be put in Elysium," I whispered.

He smiled weakly. "How do you know that?"

"Because I know everything."

At that he laughed, blood trickling out of his mouth. "I know better than to argue." Mustering up all the strength he had, he yelled, "Valerius! I will get my revenge on you!"

I heard the Roman laugh but I ignored it. Instead I said, "You get Valerius, I get Taren?"

"Deal. I love you, Kiara. You are my vasílissá mou and will always be my vasílissá mou," He croaked out.

I kissed him gingerly. "I love you, Kyrian, my General."

He closed his eyes and I heard his last breath leave him. I wept over my husband's dead body until someone pulled me off of him. I thrashed, nailing the person in the shin. They let go of me and I scrambled away, facing my brother determinedly.

"Taren! I swear on my life, I will kill you for all that you have to killed and tortured: Kyrian, Kellan, Kieran, Kalen, Karina, Kira, Kara, Zarek, Julian, Penelope, Alec, Andromeda, Adrian, Adras, and Killian. You will suffer pain before I end your life. I swear to it on Ares," I snarled. Taren flicked his fingers and I felt a blade go through my throat.
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"Awaken, Kiara of Thrace," a deep voice ordered. I opened my eyes. I was in the middle of the arena again, except there was no one else there, no shred of evidence that I'd just watched my husband murdered right before my eyes, no shred of evidence that my brother had had me murdered.

"Who's there?" I demanded. A muscular man, taller than my husband, with dull blonde hair and glittering blue eyes shimmered in front of me. He oozed danger and death. He meant to intimidate me, but after everything I'd seen, it didn't faze me.

"You do not recognize your patron god?" he quipped, a humorous tone in his voice.

I blinked. "Lord Ares?"

"I see you know me. I heard your promise you made to your brother. Did you mean it?"

"With every part of my being. He tortured murdered my family and friends in front of me. I want him dead."

"I can give you what you want, but it comes at a cost."

"What is it?"

"You become one of my soldiers. You become immortal. I will leave your soul because it will allow you to walk in the daylight. I will give you powers to fight the evil of the world, demons, Daimons, and worse."

"Why choose me and not my husband?"

"Artemis got to him before I did, and you swore your vengeance on me, not one of the other gods. That is why. Do you agree to be my soldier?"

"I want you to do one more thing: I want to remember myself as Princess of Athens. I want no memory of my husband or kids. I want to remember murdering my brother and my reasoning to be that he betrayed me but not the full explanation. I do not want to remember what I felt this past week Ares."

The god studied me curiously. "You're a strange one. I cannot promise you full amnesia on this. I can build a wall for you but don't scrape at it or else many of your memories will come back. Also, if you come into contact with someone from your past, it might break the wall. Lastly, once I put the wall up, I cannot take it down, only you can. I can help you find the tools you need to break it but not do it for you. Do you understand?"

"And what if I run into people who know me?"

"I can do the same to them. I can make it where they can only get full memory of you when you get it of them. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Once you've killed your brother, I will do what you have asked me. Do you agree to your terms and conditions?"

"I do."

Ares grinned. "Then my little soldier, go get your vengeance."
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I woke up in a bouncing cart. My eyes were greeted with a starry night. I sat up and looked around. Two men drove the cart, ignoring the dead person who'd just come back to life behind them. I crawled up behind them and slipped the dagger out of one of their sheaths. With no remorse, I killed them. I took one of their cloaks and draped it over myself. We hadn't made it far out of the city but I also knew that the guards wouldn't let me in. It was a good thing I knew Athens like the back of my hand. I snuck onto the palace grounds. Servants walked past me. The ones that recognized me widened their eyes. With one deadly glare at them, they stood frozen in place. I made my way into the palace. I kept my head down until I felt someone behind me. Turning around, I saw four kids. I recognized them as Valerius's. They stared at me in terror. I could kill them, but I wouldn't. They were innocent. Instead I smiled at them. They scrambled away, no doubt to tell their father they'd just seen a dead woman walking. I continued my way towards my brother's room, stopping by the weapon's room to grab a bow and arrow. As I stepped out, I saw Killian being led away in chains. The two guards didn't see me. I nocked an arrow and fired at one. It killed him instantly. The other one barely had a chance to look up before I shot him too. Killian closed his eyes, expecting to be killed as well. Instead, I used my new telekinesis powers to unlock the shackles around his wrists and ankles. He opened his eyes. I was already moving away. I heard him following me.

"Mom!" he said. "Wait!"

I halted in my steps, glancing behind me. Killian swallowed nervously before saying, "I'm sorry I killed dad."

"It's not your fault. You didn't know any better. Go, before you are caught."

"What are you going to do?"

I started walking away. "Keeping a promise to my brother."

Killian didn't follow. I heard my brother in his room, shuffling about. I drew my bow, and opened the door with my foot. When he turned around, I fired an arrow into his chest. His eyes grew as big as the moon when he saw me. I shut the bedroom door and stalked towards him.

"You're- you're dead! I had you killed!" He stammered, stumbling backwards.

"And someone heard my promise for vengeance. A thousand years would not sate me for all the pain you have caused. But I will kill you, and I will kill you slowly like you did my family. I will shoot you with arrows like you did to Kellan, Kieran, Kalen, Alec, Adrian, and Adras. Then I will cut off your arms and legs like you did to Kira, Kara, Karina, and Andromeda, then I will stab you in the shoulder like you forced Killian to do to Kyrian, and I will behead you like you did Julian and Penelope. Finally, I will carve my name into your torso so everyone will know who you were killed by." My brother started to yell for help but I slapped him so hard he went flying into the wall. He struggled to sit up but I fired six arrows into him, one for each of my sons and one for each of Julian's. I grabbed Taren's sword of the table and in four quick motions, I sliced off his arms and legs. I stabbed him in the left shoulder with my dagger. I then grabbed the sword again and pointed it at him. "Any last words?"

My brother blubbered like a baby, begging me for mercy. But he had shown me none when I'd ask some from him. With a sneer, I chopped off his head. Once more taking my dagger, I carved my name into his skin in big letters so no one would miss it. Satisfied with my handiwork, I entered onto the balcony and leapt off the side. I walked through town. I felt eyes on me. These people used to worship me, shout my name when I walked these streets, but now all I heard were terrified whispers. I smiled to myself. I coasted up to the gates blocking my way to the outside world. The guards pointed their spears at me. When I didn't move, they threw the weapons at me. I caught them and threw them back, impaling the guards. They fell over the walls with a thud. People screamed, backing away from me. Some men tried to attack me but with a single punch, they were all sent flying back. I scaled the wall and jumped over the other side. When Athens was out of sight behind me, Ares appeared in front of me. His eyes held a certain pride in them.

"I chose well. I must ask you though, why did you let the kids and your son live?" Are questioned, leaning against a tree.

"I was not going to make the children pay for the sins of their father. As for Killian, he is my son who did not know who his true parents were. He was innocent," I replied immediately. "Where is Zarek?"

"After you were killed, the Romans high-tailed it out of Athens with Zarek in tow. You couldn't have stopped his fate."

My heart sank. "I want to forget now. I want you to enact our deal."

The god of war nodded. He pressed her fingers to my forehead.
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That turned out to be a lot more gruesome than I thought but I hope you liked the chapter :) I don't know if anyone is reading this so if you are, just one review would make me very happy!