Bathymaas inclined her head to the goddess. “Thank you for letting me know. I won’t forget your kindness.”
Nodding, Athena left Bathymaas to her thoughts.
Bathymaas teleported instantly to the camp where she found her men attempting to tear Aricles apart. They had him bound naked on the ground while they took turns lashing, kicking, and stomping him.
While Caleb didn’t participate in the abuse, he didn’t stop them, either.
“What is this?” she demanded as she moved to protect Aricles from them.
They stood down immediately and backed away.
Her hands trembling, she cut the ropes that bound her husband. The pain in his eyes wrung her heart.
Aricles wiped the blood away from his lips. “It’s just a mild disagreement, goddess.”
She was aghast that he’d dare defend them after the cruelty she’d just witnessed. Enraged, she touched one of the horrid whip marks on his back. It was a full quarter inch deep and left his skin bleeding and ravaged. “If this is mild, I’d hate to see severe.” She covered him with her cloak. Rising to her feet, she passed a chiding stare over all of them.
None of them appeared the least bit contrite. If anything, their eyes held a light that said they’d be back on him as soon as she was gone.
Bathymaas ground her teeth before she stepped away. “Aricles, walk with me.”
Each of the men spat at him as he approached her.
Even his own brother.
And that broke her heart and ignited her fury.
Bathymaas scowled at them. “You are a team.”
“Were,” Haides snarled. “Now we’re two men down. None of us want Aricles with us after this.”
She saw the unity inside their hearts and it sickened her. “Galenus? Are you in agreement?”
He glared at his brother before he nodded.
Aching for Aricles, she led him away from the camp while the others started the preparations for Hector’s funeral. She felt for his loss and bled over the needless sacrifice. Hector had been a good man.
But right now, her thoughts were preoccupied with her husband.
She sighed heavily. “Tell me what Apollo is using to keep you from fighting.”
“Bathia – ”
She stopped and turned to face him. “I want the truth, Ari. Tell me.”
Anguish darkened his eyes as he glanced back to the Ēperon. “He knows about us, and if he finds out that I’ve told you, he’ll kill you.”
She scoffed at the ludicrous threat. “He doesn’t have those powers.”
“But he has the power to tell the other gods that you’re no longer virgin.”
“So what if he does?”
His blue eyes singed her. “You will be shamed.”
“There are worst things in this world.”
He shook his head. “I can’t allow that to happen to you because of me. I can’t.”
“And I can’t allow you to be called a coward by your brother and friends for protecting me. How can you ask that of me, your wife?”
“Bathia, please.”
She glanced down at his ravaged body and shook her head. “I won’t allow this. I won’t.”
Before he could stop her or she could reconsider, she took his hand and returned them to where the others were preparing Hector’s body.
Aricles started away, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her. When he opened his mouth to protest, she gave him the hottest kiss of his life.
Utter silence descended. Aricles felt the heat creep over his face as he realized they were the center of everyone’s attention. Pulling back, he swept his gaze across five pairs of widened, shocked eyes.
Bathymaas turned to face them. Stepping back against his chest, she pulled his arm around her waist and held it there. “Aricles and I are married. The Greek god Apollo found out and he threatened to discredit and shame me before the other gods unless Aricles refused to fight. To protect my honor and name, he has allowed all of you to insult and attack him, and I will not stand for him to be hurt again. By anyone.”
Aricles wouldn’t have thought they could have been more shocked.
He was wrong. For several minutes no one moved or spoke.
They didn’t even blink.
Not until Galen stepped forward and punched him. Hard. “You bastard! You married and didn’t tell me?”
Bathymaas moved to blast him, but Aricles caught her hand before she could damage his brother.
“It’s all right, my lady. That’s his normal reaction.”
Her eyes flashed red. “He needs to find another.”
Galen shook his head. “How could you have not told me? I’m your brother! Your twin! When did you marry?”
“While you were all gone,” she answered for him.Malphas cursed as he glared at Aricles. “Have you any idea the shit storm you’re about to unleash?”
A tic started in Aricles’s cheek before he nodded. “It’s why I backed down from the fighting.” He glanced over to Hector’s body as tears blinded him. “I didn’t want anyone hurt. Least of all Bathymaas.”
Malphas growled. “Now I want to punch you… But I understand.” He rubbed his hand against the gold necklace that never left him. “The heart wants what it wants, and nothing will deny it. But damn…” He turned his glare to Bathymaas. “Damn.”
Monokles scowled. “So what does this mean?”
Malphas gestured to Bathymaas. “The gods will attack her for this. Openly. Those who hate her will say that she can no longer perform her duties because she’s been corrupted by the touch of a mortal. And they will be after Aricles with everything they have.”
Phelix narrowed his eyes on Aricles. “I still don’t trust him. He bowed out when we needed him most.”
“To protect his wife,” Haides reminded Phelix. “Right or wrong, I doubt there’s a one of us who wouldn’t do whatever he had to to keep his woman safe.”
Monokles nodded. “He’s right. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect my wife and her honor.”
Galen hugged Bathymaas and then his brother. “I hate you.”
“I hate you, too.”
Bathymaas scowled at Aricles who smiled at her then explained their contradictory words. “We don’t mean it, my lady. Rather, it’s our way of saying that we’re still mad, but are willing to forgive.”
“Mortals are so strange…”
Caleb nodded in agreement. “And we have a man to bury and mourn. Let us attend to that and then we’ll deal with this next disaster.”
Bathymaas teleported Aricles into his tent so that she could clean him up and dress him. “I can’t believe you allowed them to do this to you.”
He shrugged. “I would gladly suffer this and more to keep you safe.”
And that was why she loved him so. Brushing his hair back from his eyes, she sighed. “Apollo will be coming for us.”
Aricles swallowed hard as a wave of pain went through him. He started to tell her what Apollo had done to him, but the words froze on his tongue. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to say out loud the horror of that day.
Please don’t hate me, Bathia, when he tells you what he did to me.
But in his heart, he knew that she would never look at him the same way once she learned of it. And that made him every bit as sad as the loss of Hector.
It’s all my fault.
He should have been strong enough to fight Apollo off.
And now…
Kissing her on the brow, he knew that he had to do something to stop Apollo. And what he intended was as stupid as it was brave.
January 23, 12,248 BC
Aricles frowned as he heard a fierce fight going on in Bathymaas’s temple. Grabbing his hoplon and xiphos, he ran toward it as fast as he could to find Apollo blasting Bathymaas.
Without hesitation, he went for the god and attacked him with everything he had.
Apollo cursed as Aricles knocked him away from her. The Greek god blasted him, but Aricles didn’t care. He ignored the pain and continued on, beating the god until Apollo was pressed against the wall.
Unprepared for Aricles’s ferocity and skill, Apollo staggered back then fell to his knees. “Everyone is going to know about the two of you! Everyone!” Then the coward vanished.
Releasing his battle cry, Aricles still wanted the bastard’s blood for attacking his wife. He dropped his weapons and ran to where she sat on the floor. Her left cheek was bruised and swollen. Her nose bloodied.
“Bathia?” he breathed, terrified for what Apollo had done to her.
Tears welled in her eyes as she laid her hand against his cheek. “My poor Ari.”
Confused, he scowled at her words. “Did he rape you?”
“No. I attacked him.”
Relief flooded him, until she spoke again.
“Why didn’t you tell me he raped you, Ari?”
Unable to meet her gaze, Aricles withdrew from her. He didn’t want to see disdain or hatred in her eyes. Or worse…
Disappointment.
He was the one who was supposed to protect her. But how could he when he lacked the strength to protect himself?
She closed the distance between them and placed her hand on his arm. “Ari, talk to me.”
“What can I say, goddess?
Bathymaas ached at the anguish she heard in his voice. At the shame she saw in his eyes as he refused to look at her. “Sweetie… it wasn’t your fault.”
He finally met her gaze and the raw fury there scared her. “You think that makes it right? I’m a man, Bathia. A warrior.”
“You’re mortal and he’s a god.”
“And I’m supposed to keep you safe.”
She shook her head. “He came at you from the shadows. It was a coward’s attack because he knew he couldn’t defeat you if he attacked you as a warrior.”
“Still not helping.”
Cupping his face in her hands, she forced him to look at her. “I love you, Ari, and I never meant for my love to hurt you.”