APOLLO

  She was colder than ice, her touch was making my body shake. But her skin was so soft. Clouds could be jealous of her. Her lips were harsh, and yet I wanted to taste her sweetness again.

  Now, under the moonlight and golden threads, she was resting all nuzzled like a wild cat on my chest.

  Go with her?

  How could she ask me something like that? A god, following a mere woman? And yet, I wanted to say yes, the moment she asked me that question. I would follow her until the end, just to see her smile anytime she wakes up.

  And then, the steps of a fast doe were approaching closer and closer. I moved my body close to Lyssandra, who was sleeping deeply, and my arms created my bright bow.

  ‘’Do not-’’Artemis cut my bow in half with her dark arrows. Looking at the side where the arrow was shot, I found my wild sister sitting above the tree.

  I could not hide from her, could I?

  A laugh escaped from my lips as I kept my hands close to Lyssandra’s body.

  ‘’What are you doing here, sister?’’I asked her, but she got down from the tree with her eyes filled with guilt. Aphrodite flew on the golden tree and kept watching the two of us.

  ‘’It has to be done,’’spoke Artemis, and she showed her bow once again.

  A wind of terror crushed on my spine, and when I tried to speak, a pair of broad arms grabbed me and moved me away from Lyssandra. Turning the angle of my head to the right, I found Ares behind me, trying to avoid my gaze.

  ‘’Wait, wait’’My voice stuttered as Artemis moved close to Lyssandra. Her bow is all bright like the stars, and her form makes a crystal arrow.

  My body struggled to get away from Ares’ grasp. She could not die. She shouldn’t die from her.

  ‘’Artemis please’’I begged my sister, and in response, her brow twitched.

  ‘’Do you hear yourself?’’She barked at me. ‘’You, beg me, to spare the woman who wronged you…’’She took a deep breath.’’I did not speak for moons now, but you…you can’t do this’’

  ‘’Sister, listen to me’’I let out a heavy pant as Lyssandra kept sleeping all quiet in the cold grass. The threads of the sheep wool were still bright like gold, and that meant none could see us. None could see the banished goddess killing Lyssandra.

  ‘’And you dare to do it?’’I mumbled. ‘’For what?’’

  She remained silent.

  ‘’Tell me, sister, why do you kill a woman? ‘’

  Another silence.

  ‘’I told you, she is my problem.’’

  ‘’You think’’Her voice broke.’’That everything is about you?’’Her face shifted to a wild rage. ‘’Because of someone like her, we are dying too, because of her, after she is done with you she might follow us, kill us.’’ She touched her chest as she was restraining her fear, her agony. Her pain. Everyone’s pain

  ‘’She wouldn’t’’ I stated.

  ‘’How can you trust-’’Her words were cut off as soon as she realized it. And I kept fighting my damn brother’s strength.

  ‘’Brother what have you gotten yours-’’ She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.’’It must be done.’’

  Her arrow aimed for Lyssandra once more.

  ‘’And then what?’’I asked. Artemis faced me. ‘’You think if you kill her, it will stop? There are so many people who think like her, because of our abandonment, our ignorance-’’

  ‘’Then,’’A deep breath.’’It’s a start.’’

  And suddenly, Ares let me go.

  ‘’I can’t do this’’He whispered, and as I looked at him, I knew that he was ashamed of what it was for.

  I rushed fast to my sister before even hurting her, and I grabbed her by the hand. Her wild features faced me. How angry she was, how…we were all starving. We were all furious. And it wouldn’t stop. Not for a while. But I could not help that it was my fault, my hubris, that it ended like that.

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  Her ears lowered, and her eyes opened wide as she looked down at Lyssandra.

  ‘’What is happening?’’Her voice broke and moved away.’’What was about to…’’ She covered her mouth and took a deep breath, moving her hooves close to Lyssandra’s bag.

  ‘’What’s with that woman, why…’’Her lips were whispering.

  ‘’I do not know but’’I walked closer to her.’’When I say that I know what I am doing I-’’

  She pushed me away and took one more step back.’’Your feelings are killing all of us’’She barked, and a sound echoed right behind us. A black bottle was about to fall from the bag. I got near it, and when I got it out, the drums on my chest stopped.

  Turning back to Lyssandra, who was now sleeping all peacefully.

  ‘’Is this Typh-’’ Ares tried to speak, but I could not listen to it. Not anymore. She was poisoned, she said it herself. If she were alive, everyone would be in pain. She came here to kill me, fool me.

  No, what am I saying? She wouldn’t, but what if she found out the…no, no, she couldn’t have.

  And if she opened the bottle, she would die.

  ‘’Don’t you see?’’Artemis tried to make me see what she was. ‘’Leave her alive and she will-’’

  But her fate was to die. What if I hung it? Go with her and protect her. But I couldn’t do it, could I? I had no time. I faced the sky and saw that the sun was slowly rising.I had to make something now. And her fate would be sealed just like I have seen in my vision.

  ‘’What if you make her an immortal’’ Hermes’ voice echoed above the trees where he was sitting right next to Aphrodite. There was his smile again. ‘’I have a few apples to spare, if you love her that much’’He let out a groan.

  Artemis faced him with disagreement, and I had to agree. I wanted her to live forever, never get old, be mine all and forever. That would kill her. Years ago, I would have given her a forest filled with golden apple trees, but now it is different.

  ‘’I thought that you loved her’’Hermes commented and flew right close to me.

  ‘’You do not know what you are talking about’’I narrowed my eyes and looked at Lyssandra.

  What are you here for?

  I cannot save her because it will kill me. If I knew, I would stay alive, but I would betray her remaining trust in me. Immortality would kill the woman she was now. She could kill me, I could kill her. I never wanted something so much that even touching it could kill me.

  Why are you here?

  And it hit me. For everything to go on the way of the fates, for me to live was the hardest thing I could do. And it was aching my heart.

  Nothing. I lowered my body close to Lyssandra and let my kiss rest on her forehead.

  She was cold and harsh, and I simply wanted the beating in my chest to start again. But I began to walk away. My sister was always right, and I hated that I had to admit it now. I gave Hermes the poison and the bag, and looked him deep in the eyes. And he looked at me, unsure.

  ‘’Hide it, drink it, I do not care’’

  And he vanished within seconds.

  ‘’You are leaving her?’’Now, Artemis acted surprised. And I held a smile upon my painful face.

  ‘’Of course I am. Why should I stay with a mere mortal like her?’’ My body turned back to my bright form, and turning back, I saw Artemis and Ares looking at me, confused. Then, my sister groaned and rushed away from me.

  ‘’Unbelievable’’She muttered and walked far from us until we could not see her anymore. And now, it was Ares and I who were still staring at me.

  I let out a harsh laugh and moved close to him as the sun moved up.

  ‘’Well, seemed that I didn’t have to do anything, but following your idea was interesting’’

  No response.

  My hand moved on his chest as I looked up to see his steady eyes. ‘’Making her fall for me, how fun it was, she was all pathetic.’’

  None else spoke besides me.

  ‘’And now, she will face the punishment and all of her dreams and trust will crash out just like I wanted’’I laughed and saw the sun finally in its right place with that woman still asleep.

  ‘’You can stop now’’Ares commanded me, and my smile slipped from my mouth, and I kept staring at her falling asleep.

  I bit my lower lip, feeling a row of emotions that were trying to get out of my eyes.

  ‘’No’’Rage.

  Ares kept staring at me, and I kept barking.’’I want her to end up begging for my mercy’’

  ‘’Apollo’’Ares whispered, and I was about to slap his face, but he caught my wrist and kept looking at me while my whole body was shaking.

  ‘’Stop looking at me like this, you have no idea what I am feeling’’I spat

  And he took a deep breath as he spoke.

  ‘’War is not only on a battlefield’’His eyes filled with sorrow.

  My body relaxed listening to these words, and he let me go. But I lunged back to him with tears in my eyes, and my voice began to bawl. I tried to look back at Lyssandra, which I could now not reach. I could not touch her again. I could not look at her again, nor could she look at me.

  How can I live while the one that I want has another destiny?

  And my brother embraced me tightly, whispering to my ear.’’I know,’’

  ‘’I can’t’’I took deep breaths while the sound of my chest began to rush, and I could not breathe. ‘’Why do I have to feel like this?’’

  ‘’That’s how mortals feel when they lose their loved ones.’’