Thank you all for reviewing, favoriting, and reading over everything. I promise this story isn't abandoned, but due to a LOT going on in my life I haven't had the time to do much with my stories.

I ended up losing my job, my house that I rent (because I have no money since my future roommies decided to ditch me for another place), and having so much in debt that I'm not sure how I'll manage. Hopefully I can find a job soon because if I have no internet, I honestly don't know what I'll do. Maybe send a SOS on top of my house?

Anyways! I'd like to say one more thing and that is a lovely thank you to my ever present beta FateMagician, because without them I would literally be high and dry. Plus dealing with me coming and going for weeks/months without word then willing to beta anyway? Worth it and best beta ever obviously.

With that, I hope you enjoy the story! Please let me know what you think and thank you all for sticking with me!

Time was a fickle creature when one did not pay attention to its passing. I lost myself to the bed, to healing, and I did not know how many days had passed before I could finally stand and even go to the bathroom by myself.

Bruadar had obviously been a constant at my side with Kerys attending on the other. Between the two I had not gone through any threats or heard of any rumors to harm me. In fact I was more of a spectacle than someone who hid in her room. Many colors passed through Gaia's halls as I healed and each managed to somehow gaze upon me as I would walk to strengthen myself.

I was not used to this attention and I honestly did not care for it.

Sure I wanted to be the strongest attendant and train daily to gain power. But now I found myself wondering why. Was it for prestige? For fame? Or for power, that to protect? This blasted healing that took a century and some change was too much for me to take. Already I overthought my intentions and driving forces.

Today I finally had enough of the glances and whispers and had gone to my favorite secluded spot in the whole of the Greek pantheon: Gaia's baths. Bruadar watched over me through the mental connection, and Kerys stayed on my shoulder as she absently watched and felt the aura around me. She had always explained aura in color and now I could assimilate the information in a whole new way. With my second sight I could see the magic in people; perhaps she could see another aspect of it that I could not.

"Relaxation is the ultimate place of healing, my dear Eveleen." Gaia's voice interrupted my thoughts and I looked up to see her stand before me in a silken robe of emerald green.

"I can't seem to, Gaia."

"Understandable." With that she dropped the robe and my mouth hit the ground long before the silken robe fluttered to the grass below.

I was not used to the nudity of the pantheon around me nor was I used to thinking of Gaia in this particular manner. Honestly as I gazed upon her with a red face, even I could tell she was a perfect, beautiful example of a god. There was no shame to her nor was she being nude to show she did not care. Gaia simply was. Her nudity meant nothing because she attributed no meaning behind it. She walked into the water and allowed herself to immerse in the perfectly heated pool I inhabited.

"You did not look away, Eveleen. I am impressed." Of course now I glanced away from her out of principle and to try to ease the blush on my face. Perhaps one day I would be made of sterner constitution. Today was not that day. "I could hear your troubled thoughts and I wished to speak of them with you."

I turned back to the god, who simply allowed her arms to splay across the grassy lip of the pool around her. "What do you mean?"

"You thought of why you wanted to become strong. I have not seen your convictions waver before."

Had I been wavering?

"I wasn't aware if I was," I allowed.

"You have been for some time," Kerys finally interjected. I cut my eyes to her but she was unrepentant in her affirming Gaia's statement. With a sound I dismissed her.

"You second guess yourself, Eveleen. I could feel your strength and conviction when you first set these lofty goals for yourself. You allowed yourself a marker to fight to. Why do you believe you are doing this for other reasons?" Gaia spoke with no judgement in her voice, as she always had. I was thankful for that.

"They keep watching me," I murmured. Uncomfortable even with the memory of the stares I finally glanced back to Gaia. "If I was doing this for recognition now that I know how it feels I do not want it. I don't like it."

"This is the first aspect of the darker side of Olympus. You are indeed gossip for the halls. An attendant who gained power was attacked in a way that could have killed you before your time."

"Has anyone ever been attacked like I was?" I finally managed to ask as the silence lingered.

"Not in a long time. And that is why you are being regarded and sought out. It is against the rules for someone to harm another attendant. Gods are fickle creatures but our attendants, especially personal ones, are who we are in daily contact with. For all purposes you belong to us and become a part of us. An attack on a personal attendant translates to attack on the god who owns you. To keep the peace between us it is ruled against to try to kill another attendant." She shook her head. "But someone broke the rules to attempt to kill you." I could feel her magic pulsing in the anger she tried to keep leashed. "And they will not be made to repent for their sins."

"And if they try again?"

"I do not think they will attempt to kill you for years yet. Not in such an obvious fashion. It will come subtly and without form. Incidents that you will be in but no one will suspect they are interconnected."

"There is no way to avoid this, is there?"

"There is not," Gaia agreed. "Avarice and jealousy are one of many vices of Olympus, and especially by the gods themselves. With any change there will be an opposite reaction caused by the ripples of that change. I chose you and thus the balance of power shifted. You were trained by those held in high esteem of most of the pantheon. Another shift of power, another ripple in the string of fate. You are woven into the very fabric of Olympus, Eveleen, at the moment I chose you."

"What does fate have to do with anything?" I asked her. I didn't like fate, never had. I believed in free will and choice and was not one to idly sit by while things happened around me.

"Everything," Kerys answered with a sigh. "Have I taught you nothing? You have a fate string just as I do, just as the gods and mortals below them. Everyone has one though only a select few can know of their fates."

"The three sisters?" I remembered some of the mythology. Mostly from Disney movies, but who were people to judge? At least I could recall something.

Gaia laughed at my thoughts and continued with a smile. "Your movie Hercules is partially correct. There are the three sisters of fate: the Moirai. Clotho, Lahkesis, and Atropos."

"And for us, we worship the Morrígna. The three sisters of Badb, Macha, and Nemain," Kerys explained. "No matter what the pantheon we all answer to the strings of fate." Gaia nodded to the fae in acceptance.

"Past, present, and future. Each of these was, is, and will be fate in every aspect of every life tied to the web of creation. And yours is one of many strewn across the great spindle." She smiled at my unease. "But Eveleen, though your life is measured by Lachesis, your fate is not defined as such. You are more than a string of fate, you are my personal attendant Eveleen."

"And my friend." Kerys came down to place a hand on my cheek in solidarity.

"These things all lead back to the same question. Perhaps your fate was set to tangle with my own thread. Perhaps with Ares as well. But these are things that you should not concern yourself with. Whether or not the choices have been made in the future, you make them now. They are yours alone to make and even if they have been seen, they were made by you. The spinners merely see the strings, and know the life behind them. You are the one that lives it, the one that gives it the creation to even be spun."

Gaia stood in a languid motion and looked down to me.

"And what will you have your string say to the fates, Eveleen? Will they see someone who backed down because of attention from others? Or will they see someone who follows through on their boasts, lives to the promises made, and reaches the stars themselves? You have that choice, my attendant that I have chosen. I have seen your worth and judged accordingly. I am the mother of the earth, I have seen what was and what is, and of all the mortals on the earth I have chosen you as my companion. I will not make this choice for you on what your reasons are to be strong. But I know why you made this challenge in the first place; and I have faith that you will find the answer within you again."

And with that she rose from the tub and slipped on her silken robe again. Her very presence held the attention of many around her but as I watched her dress I realized: she simply did not care. The attention was so much more than I garnered and she must have the weight of this on her shoulders for as long as she was alive. Yet she dressed unhurriedly as if it were only her and myself together. Attention meant nothing to her because, like her nudity, she attributed nothing to it. As if she was sensing my epiphany she turned to me and smiled again.

"Now you think more like my Eveleen. See that which is in front of you. Reason that which you can discern. Know that which you understand. You are not human anymore."

And with that she walked away from me. I started intently at the water as her words began to wash over my being, almost as if they had the second sight and the ability to reach my soul.

She did not care of these things because to her it has always been. She was a god. Yet…so was I. I was no longer human. These things that I thought of were my humanity showing even after all the time I had spent among the gods. She did not need a reason to be so she did not attribute meaning. The things I attributed so much stress to simply did not matter to her. Fate had brought me to be beside her, a choice that she had made to bring my string to intertwine in hers. I had chosen to strengthen myself. For myself.

My head flew up and my eyes widened as Kerys grinned beside me.

"I wanted to become strong, because I wanted to." If it was possible the grin widened and she flew in front of me to hover. "The challenge Ares presented. The feeling of inadequacy. All of it. These reasons made me want to be stronger, because selfishly I wanted to."

"Because you are Eveleen," she replied simply.

"And these things, the attention, the gossip, those things are consequences of my actions. But they aren't the things driving me. I make my own fate. I create my own story." My eyes much clearer than before, finally met Kery's eyes in front of me.

She poked me once on the nose, her way of telling me that I worried for nothing. "These are things you must know for yourself," she told me. "You are human. Your convictions will waver, you will fall back. But you are part god. And what you do with that part of yourself you must come to decide. For now, become strong as you wished to be."

To protect those who could not protect themselves. To show Ares that I could be of worth. To challenge myself to greater heights. These small things spun together to form my fate string. Each part of me coming together to form a whole.

"I'm Eveleen. And I wanted to become strong for myself."

And with that, the weight fell from my shoulders as if it was nothing. Perhaps it was not intended, but this test of my willpower lead me to greater strength in my mind. And I would need it for the coming times. To protect and to conquer.

My wandering mind eventually ousted me from the beautiful and relaxing pools of Gaia. I could feel the stares as I made my way down the halls, but this time, I could feel a difference of the weight of the stares. I was no longer feeling hunted. I felt uncomfortable with the attention and probably would be so for a while.

"Eveleen." My head lifted and my mind came down from the clouds of thoughts plaguing me. With a genuine smile I greeted my teacher.

"Giles." His smile was genuine and welcoming, wholly Giles and exactly what I needed at the moment. My relief must have been written on my face because his eyes gentled with understanding.

"Come with me. We will relax in the antechamber." He raised his elbow from his side and I hesitated, unsure of what the action was supposed to mean. "For a man of my time period, I am asking for your hand, here," he explained. With a blush staining my cheeks I placed my hand on his arm and he guided me down the hall. Belatedly I noticed the poise of which he was able to walk. It looked as if he glided effortlessly, each action carefully adjusted.

"You must have been a gentleman," I stated.

"I still am," he replied with a smile. I realized my mistake but smiled back at him. He did not take offense and I fortunately did not need to apologize. He knew me well enough to know that I simply didn't understand.

"When did you live?" I asked. "Wait, am I allowed to ask?"

Giles laughed at my backtracking. "I do not mind the answer. I was born in 1673 and ascended in 1714." At my look of confusion, he clarified. "I say ascended to mean when Gaia elevated me to Olympus to serve her. She is the epitome of what a master could, and should be."

"Ascended is a good word," I murmured. Thinking back about my ascension, I realized how sensational it had all been. At the time it was a bundle of nerves and fear but looking back with clarity the memories almost felt altered. The whole ascension had been a wonderful and beautiful experience. Taking every element and becoming ethereal? That was a moment to remember. Ascension indeed.

For a few moments both of us were silent as we navigated the halls. I, lost in my memories of ascension, and Giles, understanding where my mind was delving. As we finally arrived at the antechamber Giles led me to a bench by the waterfall and sat down beside me.

"Now that we are safe," he began jokingly, "What keeps you wondering the halls as if you were a wraith?"

"Thoughts I guess. Epiphanies. My humanity."

"Ah, those are heavy thoughts indeed. What is the epiphany you have reached, my dear?" If Gaia gave off the vibe of a motherly figure to all, Giles was her equal to a fatherly figure. I trusted him as much as anyone here on Olympus and with that knowledge I was able to open up to him.

"The attention everyone gives me. I don't like it," I admitted. "It makes me uncomfortable to be the center of so much attention and gossip. I understand why, I mean, I would do the same to another person if they went through what I did, but it doesn't mean I enjoy it." Giles nodded with understanding.

"I believe I said this before, but gossip is an unfortunate byproduct of high society. Especially of my time." He shook his head as if remembering. "Here it is the only thing that passes years of service. Monotony is the chief complaint of these halls and most suffer from ennui."

"Ennui?" I asked.

He thought for a moment, attempting to convey the meaning. "Listlessness. Lack of excitement."

"Ah."

"With that being as it is, most take their time gossiping with one another. I, myself, devote most of my free time to helping the mortals below. Most do not unless they are dictated or required to by the god they serve."

"I see." I thought for a moment, back to my epiphany. "I want to protect them. The mortals I mean. Maybe it's because I'm so fresh here that I still feel connected to humanity but…I can't forget the hardships of being human. The day to day trials that, well, really don't exist here."

"You are correct. Most forget their roots. Time is the great power of these halls and most have forgotten their mortal roots. I would advise you to remember them."

"But aren't I a god now? Should I not give away humanity and embrace who I am?" Giles shook his head with a small smile on his face.

"Do you know the yin and yang symbol?" I nodded. "It states that darkness is equal to light. They cannot exist in one another. In fact, each has a speck of the other in its core. Your humanity and godhood are much the same way. You exist in both worlds with one foot in each. We are not gods. We are not mortal. We are in between with a lifespan that stretches centuries. We are unique creatures, Eveleen, because we can see the merits and downsides to each side. But at our core we have both humanity and godhood."

"So…I don't have to pick….one or the other," I thought out loud. "Because I'm both."

"Sometimes you identify more with one side of yourself. A dominant side. Sometimes you feel equal parts of pull. There is no right or wrong answer to this. But know this: you cannot deny one or the other. To reach the true potential of yourself you must realize you are both, yet neither." With a smile he turned toward the cascading waterfall in front of us. "But all of this, my dear, this is something you should not worry about in this manner."

"But we just spent all this time….?" I asked, trailing off at the end unsurely.

"I spent all this time to come back to my original point I wanted to make. These are parts you are looking at. You are not looking at the whole picture. Each part is influenced by your actions and memories. These come together with your dark and light to create something unique. And do you know what it creates?"

"Unity?"

"It creates Eveleen." I blinked at him, surprised, then settled into a smile. "Do not worry about finding your roots now. Find out yourself, and know thyself. Learn what it is that makes you smile, that makes you laugh. Learn the things that anger and frustrate you. Learn what you can for you to realize your core and true self. Each half will come in time to intersect. See as yourself, not as god or mortal. Your eyes see well enough to live your life."

"You're a treasure, Giles."

"I know," he replied with an uncharacteristic smirk. It made me laugh and Giles finally settled into another smile.

"Do not worry about those who stare and make you uncomfortable. The epiphany you had, whatever it may be, is only that: an understanding of an idea. Ideas must have time to take root into your core and become something wrapped around the many strands of your soul. It will take time for you to put into place this new knowledge you acquired. Do not fret for now. Live your life as Eveleen. Follow the goals you set for yourself. That is a good bar to aim for. Along the way you will learn who you are and I will enjoy watching you find your path."

"Do you believe in fate, Giles?"

"How could I not?" he answered immediately. "But my belief of fate is different. A fate can spawn many threads, but they are only found at the moment of choice. You choose the path to follow and the strands merely reflect it. As to if someone knows my fate, perhaps the sisters do. But they do not share particulars and I do not care to ponder on the probabilities. I will live my life as Giles and choose my own fate string. That is the way I live."

I smiled at him. His words put me at ease and thoughts into order as none of my earlier musing could ever do. "I'm glad I met you, Giles."

"And I you, Eveleen. Do not fret more than you must. The more you fret, the more you do not live your life to the fullest. Experience each day and treasure it. For you won't know when your time is up." I shivered with vague memories and sensations of Tartarus.

"You are right." He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You have seen for yourself horror and death. You now have a unique perspective gained from this terrible encounter. That makes you special, Eveleen." With that he lifted his hand and stood. "Please attempt to get some rest. You have walked much today and do not need to exert yourself more." As he lifted me to my feet and guided me to my room, a stray thought struck me.

"Giles, did you come to find me on purpose?"

"Fate is a strange thing indeed," he mused. I laughed: that was not a subtle yes.

"Thank you, Giles. Between you and Gaia, I don't think I will worry much longer."

"Then we have done our jobs as caretakers. Please rest well, my dear."

With that he left me in my room and I smiled again at the door. Between Gaia and Giles I was sure to become a fine adult. For now I should just look for an adultier adult. With a giggle I began to change and as I did, my mind wandered once again.

Gaia did not attribute meaning to anything she did not want to care about. Giles believed that two halves were essentially different enough to become a whole. Each person with different views on fate, yet congruent theories. I had gone through a lot of changes since I had arrived here on Olympus and I had been so busy training that I had not had the time to train my mind or spirit. I hadn't understood how different I had become until the feelings and thoughts I had pushed aside became wholly apparent.

In the end though, Gaia and Giles were right. I was a hybrid of different parts, thoughts, and memories. I was simply Eveleen. A character that changed but the core stayed the same.

I smiled and slid into bed, fingering the amulet that Morpheus had given me. It was warm to the touch and I knew that the Oneiroi was inhabiting the medal. He knew I was getting ready to sleep and I liked to think he warmed the amulet to let me know he was watching. If he did, it was an effective tool for relaxing me.

"Thank you, Morpheus," I murmured as I had every night. The amulet hummed in satisfaction, as it had every night after my thanks. With a smile I allowed him to drift me off to safe dreams, as he had every night after my attack.

It had been so long since I had dreamed freely that I did not recognize what was occurring until I was already caught within the confines of the dream world.

This time I was caught by a waterfall flowing into a beautifully blue pool of water. Green foliage dotted the rocky landscape around it, leaving only one entrance to the water before me. I could feel a fine, warm sand under my feet and the heat of the sun above me. It was hot, but not overly so, with a breeze that was only strong enough to ruffle a few strands of my hair.

I wore a beautiful bathing suit: one that was red as fire. Dazzling rubies lined the strings holding the fabric on me and orange streaked across the rose red of the cloth. Silk whispered against my legs and brought the finest touch of cloth I had ever felt across my skin. Though my feet were bare it did not matter. With the sand squeezing between my toes I felt more comfortable without shoes.

It was a beautiful place and one that I would dream of visiting one day. Which meant that I was brought here.

"I wonder why I never dream of this freely."

"Perhaps if you learn to finally harness your god powers, you could go here freely." The words of real Ares but with the tone of dream Ares. A lovely contradiction that I was beginning to grow used to. To look forward to. A smile was on my face before I could stop it, so I did not try.

"How were you able to dreamwalk with me? You should not have been able to do so."

Finally I turned to see the god in question. He was so achingly familiar to me as he wore the same clothes as he had when I first saw him. It seemed like so long ago that I had been distracted by the black V-necked attire but I certainly had not forgotten. His arms were crossed over his muscular chest and he was fairly aggravated at my question. It only made my smile widen.

"I was forced to ask for entrance into your mind, if you must know."

"Good. Morpheus guards me well. I'm lucky to have him close."

He walked forward to the pool of water and I followed him to the edge. The clear water lapped against the sand and so I stepped into the water myself. It only went to my ankles but the water was cool to the point of refreshing, feeling as a cooling balm against the sun on my skin.

"So it seems while I was gone, you allowed yourself to be attacked." I glanced back to Ares to see him watching me, judging me.

"So it would seem," I replied genially. "Though this attack I don't think I could have allowed or disallowed." He made an incredulous noise in the back of his throat. My eyes narrowed at that and I turned more to face him. "I have not been taught how to protect myself in my sleep. I was always taught that I was safe here. That no one would attempt to kill me."

"Then you are more the fool than I thought." As my body bristled I could see his lips twitch with amusement. "A warrior must be prepared for anything. Never take the word of another."

"So I should not take your word?" I could not tell which Ares looked at me right now. His eyes were different, hard to read. His mood muted and I could not seem to think of what the gaze on me was from.

"A word of a god is capricious at best. You know this." I shook my head.

"No, I do not. Gaia has been loyal to me and steadfast. I have seen her strands, and I know her, Ares. She is not like that. She is my master and I choose to serve her willingly."

"A word of a servant is not one to be believed." Ah! Here it was! The start of our conversations as usual. With this the tension melted away and I finally turned fully to face him.

"But a servant would be the one that knows the master better than any other. They must know whom they serve, and the way you treat those with less power than you shows your true nature."

"A servant who lives for their master is no more than a puppet. Blind to their faults and praising the traits they find most desirable. You cannot ask a loyal servant on the true nature of their master. They are skewed, unable to see the entire picture."

"A master who can draw loyalty from a person is one to be expected. You do not give your loyalty to someone who makes you fearful or who treats you wrongly. Only someone with the right values can draw that from a person." I giggled at the thought, and spoke the truth. "Even you are such a master, Ares, for all your talk of capriciousness. Your warriors follow you. Do you mean to say that their commander is not someone who should be listened to, to be followed?"

"I, of course, am above reproach." Now it was my turn to snort at his statement and judging by the way he did not reprimand me, he meant it to be somewhat of a joke. "What I mean to say is be cautious of who you give your trust to. Do not misplace it, even in Olympus. Many will use that to attack you at your most vulnerable."

Was Ares warning me as much as he was able? I was not good at reading in between the lines but did he know who had attacked me?

"I only trust few, great Ares. But this attack was in my dreams. I did not follow anyone blindly to Tartarus." I shivered as the echoes of the wailing howls permeated my being again. "I would not follow Gaia into a place like that. For no one would I brave that place again." I took a breath to steady myself. "But she would not ask me to go, because I am important to her. And now I'm protected even in my dreams so no more attacks will happen here."

"It is true that the Oneiroi stands guard. But complacency is a sin that will get you killed. Train hard to overcome this attack. Become a true warrior."

Sadly I shook my head. "I cannot train yet, Ares. I have no magic and my soul isn't healed yet."

"Your soul is healed, mortal, and make no mistake. You will get back to training tomorrow." The high handed tone had me quirking an eyebrow and taking a step towards him, leaving the coolness of the water to show that I was not afraid of this demand of his.

"How can I do that with no magic?" I intrinsically knew that I had none.

I could feel the faint pulse of my second heartbeat if I looked hard enough but I knew would not come when I called. I knew well enough that my magic had been unconsciously supplying itself to become croí. I knew I had nothing left to train. I knew my body ached as if it fought a thousand battles over the course of a lifetime and knew it had nothing more to give me than what I could walk.

"Throw out what you know you stupid mortal." Before I could bristle at the unwanted mind reading he appeared before me. All arrogance. All Ares. "You know nothing, mortal."

With that he placed a hand on my stomach. Heat blossomed from his touch as goosebumps spread from the contact of his skin on mine.

"What are you doing, Ares?" I could not help to react to his touch. He had never touched me like this before. Not without the fighting or the kissing. A touch from him was personal, so much more so than the passion fueled strokes of before.

"I'm giving you myself, Eveleen." When my name spoke from his lips I could not help the gasp or the shudder of my body betraying me. I could not help but to focus on his perfect lips even as they widened into a smirk. "You will take me inside you." Was I going to have sex? Here? Now? Was I even ready for this?

Instead his hand flared red and I had only enough time to open my eyes before raw power slammed into me. I can't describe the feeling of his magic coursing through my veins. It was brutal and gentle as it barreled its way through my system; it was overwhelming and I could feel him. I could feel Ares inside me in a way that I could never have even begin to think to feel someone.

"Feel me, mortal." His god voice commanded my being and his magic inside flared at the use of his power. My head threw back as the heat mounted and I could do nothing but do as he commanded. My magic swirled with his, became one with his, a bright orange yellow that blazed as bright as the stars. I could see myself glow with the intensity of the magic inside me even with my human eyes

"Oh god." Heat spiraled in my stomach but I knew it wasn't due to his magic. This was something different. What I had dreamed about before but would never tell him. "Ares," my voice pleaded.

"Look into my eyes and I will give you what you want."

I will never know if it was due to the command or the want to feel what was going to be the best feeling of my life, but I lifted my head forward and looked straight into his eyes. They were darkly intense, blacker than hair of the Oneiroi himself. His smirk was not condescending because he knew, oh did he know what he was doing to me. This was passion Ares.

"When you think of pleasure, you will think of me."

Gone. I was too far gone to care, too far gone to hear. Everything spiraled into the feeling of the light blazing inside me, the merging of our magic, and the grip on my soul. He was there.

"See me, Eveleen."

The way he said my name, it was not fair to have a voice that decadent or appealing. Yet even as I thought my eyes already had closed and opened to the second sight and I gasped. His strands were strong and tough as the great roots of a tree. They shone with the force of the magic being placed into me and they gave the red glow from the very core of Ares himself. He shone with the brightness of Gaia yet with a simple complexity that did not surprise me. This was Ares. This was his core. Who he was and I could see everything with my eyes.

"Give yourself to me."

I was lost to the storm of magic and could not have stopped myself from flying my consciousness through his hand to reside in him. I felt his power, his strength. I sensed his passion. His fighting spirit. His energy flowed past me even as I stretched myself in him. Instinct ruled me as I explored him as a mortal could not. My orange yellow strands merged with his red ones, caressing him with such a light touch they vibrated under my magic.

"I see you, Ares."

My voice was power and perfection of the god powers shining inside me. I was not mortal, I was god, and in this moment I was connected on another level to a being that I could not have helped but want or need. His resolve was absolute. His need of me great. There was no more barriers between us in this moment. It was feeling.

My body responded to his touch like a woman starved. I could feel my body shaking, wanting, needing release from the intense magic inside of me. The raw essence of Ares' red strands attached to my very soul. I couldn't hold this much longer, I was going to explode.

I needed him.

Please.

"I ruin you for mortal men, Eveleen."

With that his strands locked deep into my soul and his power flared around me and into my true being, whipping around to touch every strand inside of me. My body froze as I crested the precipice, my mouth open in a silent scream. Then the vortex exploded and everything crashed over me like the tides on a storm. I did not recognize the moaning shout that escaped my mouth but neither did I care or try to stop it.

Then he kissed me and our strands touched on our lips, and oh god it was another heat that exploded inside me all over again. I could feel him move against my mouth again and again, greedily taking in all of my sounds that I could not help but make. To feel his strands brush against mine with only a kiss…I had never felt anything of this magnitude before. I was frozen and stuck in this time of Ares in me. Around me. Touching me.

The waves crashed against me again and again, but slowly started to fade out as the storm eased. His magic was no longer coursing through me. My own magic now sustained the heartbeat I felt. He held me as my body shook against his, rippling in pleasure from the aftershocks of what had occurred. I watched him with my second sight, still inside him even after my body began to calm.

"I feel…" I didn't have the words or the capacity to think yet. The orange yellow of our combined magic was slowly pulsing into a faint shade of yellow green and his magic slowly began to guide me out of his body and back into my own.

"This is what it means to be the lover of a god. You are no longer mortal, girl."

"Lover?" Slowly he placed me onto a rock that appeared behind me and stepped in between my thighs. My core was still aching from earlier and it began to flare again as his skin brushed against my most intimate place. His hand held my waist as his other grabbed my chin and yanked me up to meet his gaze.

"Not yet. Today was your reward for surviving the gates of Tartarus. It takes a true warrior to fight to keep their soul in the cracks of the gates. To hear you had made it through, with no more than exhaustion?" He chuckled with pride and smirked at me with that beautiful, sinful mouth. "I did not give that sash in error, girl."

"I was scared," I admitted to the god of my dreams.

"But you overcame," he purred, lowering his head to nuzzle his lips on the top of my ear. I shivered at the contact.

"I called for you, you know." With that he stopped and lifted his head. "I don't remember who I called first, but for some odd reason I thought if no one else would save me, you would." He watched me with his dark eyes and I regretted instantly the revelation I spoke.

"I did not hear it."

"Would you have come?" Why could I not stop my stupid mouth or the questions? Usually I could at least hold my tongue.

"Perhaps," he allowed. "Not many people call my name in desperation from the dreamworld. I would have been intrigued at most."

"Even for me?"

"For you, it would be different."

"How so?" This time he did not answer, and belatedly I did not think I was ready to hear the answer. "Thank you, for visiting me." With a slight noise he only lifted his head down to the other ear and nuzzled it as he had before. I knew he was done answering my questions as my body reacted to his touch. Hesitantly I placed a hand on his hair and was delighted to feel the silky strands underneath my fingertips. He made a noise of approval deep in his throat and I shivered as he nipped at my ear instead.

"It is part of your reward." Here we were again. Common, understandable ground. Safety. I took a breath and tried to reign in my errant mind.

"Speaking of reward, I want to go here in real life one day."

"You are in no place to demand things of me," he retorted easily.

"Ah, but there is a difference of demanding and wanting. Even you should know this." I allowed my fingers to brush through his hair and his hand went to my hip and shifted my body to allow more touching.

"I know the games females play and know that want is symbolic of a demand." I laughed.

"You have me, that's probably true. But I truly do want to visit a place like this for real and experience what it's like in the real world. I've never been someplace exotic like this before. I want to go." His thumb drew circles on the skin above the red swimsuit, barely delving under the suit to tease me. It was working wonderfully.

"Perhaps if you earn the trip, I will deem it your reward." With this I smiled. It was a close to an agreement as I would get, even for Dream Ares.

"Deal. I will continue to train hard so I can see this for myself one day." Again he made a noise deep in his throat and he finally lifted his body up and away from mine. I admitted that I missed him against me and missed his touch.

"Do that, girl. I will be watching." With that he left me on the rock and exited my dreamscape.

"Earn a trip to here, huh? I could definitely be down for that. Especially if Achilles gets to go in a swimsuit." With a giggle I couldn't help but blush at the visual. One day I might be able to imagine a man shirtless without blushing, but it was not this day.

Perhaps to cure me I should line up every man in Olympus and have them all sensually half naked. I would either die of embarrassment or be cured instantly.

With the image of that I lost myself in my laughter and blushing face. As I calmed down I requested a different dream from Morpheus, which he granted. These luscious dreamscapes were for me and Ares only. I did not like visiting them alone.

Without him, they were empty. Bigger somehow. As if there was a void that could not be filled. My dependency to Ares in the dreamworld was appalling, but I was coming to accept that.

A simple part of me, a part of the whole, a part that made a speck of Eveleen.

I would accept the dependency as myself, because I was simply Eveleen.