Aricles froze on his way to the stable as he felt a now familiar presence that made him sick to his stomach.
Apollo.
Ready to battle, he turned on the Olympian and glared at him.
“What do you want?”
With a sinister smile, Apollo ran a hungry gaze over Aricles’s body. “What I want is not the same reason as to why I’m here.… It seems my mother learned something quite fascinating about you and the goddess you serve.”
His blood ran even colder as he steeled himself to show no emotion whatsoever. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He tried to step around the Greek god, but Apollo cut off his path.
“Oh, I think you do. And I have a little proposition for you.” Apollo raked him with a smirk. “You will either get a cold and be unable to fight in the next couple of battles we intend to initiate, or I’ll tell every god in existence that our little justice queen is doing the forbidden dance with her champion. In fact, for all I know, she’s having sex with her entire Ēperon.”
Growling, Aricles started for Apollo, but the god blasted him back so hard, he rebounded off the wall.
“Don’t push your luck, Atlantean. You’re not that good, either in bed or out of it.” Apollo closed the distance between them and seized him by the throat. Using his powers, he held Aricles completely immobile. “Will you cooperate, or do I ruin her forever? Have you any idea of the mockery she’ll endure? Or what the other gods will do to her for violating her sacred duties as an impartial judge?”
Bile rose in his throat at the prospect, but what choice did he have? No one could ever learn about him and Bathymaas. It would destroy her. “I’ll do it.”
“Good, boy.” Apollo ran his finger down the side of Aricles’s face. “Pity I don’t have more time for you today. But I have a battle to plan. Next time, however…”
Aricles jerked away from him, wanting to plant his xiphos straight through the god’s stomach.
If only he could, but their weapons only worked against the gods when Bathymaas charged them.
Apollo stepped back and raked a sneer over him. “By the way, I’m not the only one who knows about you two. There’s another god, so if you’re thinking you can spear me during battle and protect Bathymaas … think again. So long as I live, my mother will remain quiet. Should I expire too soon, everyone will know about your transgressions. Both with Bathymaas and with me. So much for your vow of chastity, right?” His smile turned even more mocking. “And tell me how much your goddess would love you if she ever found out that I had a piece of your ass, too? And if you breathe a word of this to her, I will see her powers stripped and kill her myself.”
Aricles looked away as shame and fear filled him. A tic started in his jaw as he gripped his sword and forced himself not to attack. “I will never understand how the Greek people stomach you.”
And he was going to find a way to kill this bastard. Sooner rather than later.