Ares' Temptation by Aubrie Dionne Page A

the shop, but Syrinx had already turned the lights off. No matter. This burst of energy would probably wear off in time. If it didn’t, she’d run out of war movies to rehearse her moves. She’d already been through half the action and adventure movies on Netflix. Soon she’d end up watching the old black-and-white stuff. I’d go back to foreign drama before that happened.
    Kaye parked at her apartment and climbed the steps three at a time. She didn’t even need a car anymore. She could have run the ten miles to the shop and back again. Without all the traffic lights, running might even save her time.
    A UPS package lay at her doorstep like the Holy Grail. She’d been waiting for this ever since she woke up feeling like she could take on the world. Kaye dropped her purse on the floor and tore the box open.
    A silver sword with a rhinestone-crusted hilt glimmered in the hallway light. Excitement spread through her. Kaye brought out the sword and tested the weight in her hands. Perfection .
    “You’re not going to use that on me, are you, dear?” Henry called from down the hall. He wore his red, plaid jammies and held a cup of hot tea.
    “Of course not. It’s just for…self-defense.” Kaye sheepishly put the sword back in the box. What ridiculous urge made her unleash the sword in public, she had no idea. Just a few days ago, she had lectured Ares on peace. Now she was flaunting a deadly weapon.
    Henry bent down and picked up the pizza flyer on his doorstep. “I feel safer already.”
    “Good.” Kaye smiled and opened the door to her apartment. She wasn’t sure if safer was the right word, but she did feel different. A bold, independent confidence surged through her. She wasn’t the ugly duckling anymore. With the sword in her hands, she was a swan.
    …
    Ares tucked his checkered shirt into his new pair of jeans and looked in the mirror. Twenty-first century clothing lacked any decent protection. In battle, this attire would hardly stand a chance.
    Alas, the battles he fought nowadays occurred over china and silverware. His new sword was his wit and charm; a dull blade at that. Ares shook his head as he stashed his armor in the closet of Pan’s guest room. He only hoped he’d have use for it soon enough.
    Since no one had contacted him, he had to assume his father and kingdom were safe. He could not let word spread of his absence, or beast and god alike would use it to their advantage.
    So Armin Warhammer it was.
    Down below, Kaye’s steel chariot pulled up in the circular driveway right on time. Ares closed the old suitcase he’d found in Pan’s attic and walked down the steps to meet her. He tripped on the second-to-last step, but caught himself, breathing with relief. As much as he despised it, he now always held the railing as a precaution, like an old man.
    An old man.
    Panic sped his heart. Every day he died a little inside. An old man is precisely what he’d become if he didn’t regain his powers. He had to believe he could. He had to believe in his ability to strategize, and in Kaye’s capacity to love.
    Surprisingly, when he stepped out the door and saw her smile, his worries withered away.
    She lowered one of the windows. “Ares, I mean Armin. Ready for the time of your life?”
    Ares thought back to a chapter in Kaye’s book when Kylie asked Mace—formally known as Mr. Hottie—if he was ready to accompany her to his sister’s wedding. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” he quoted.
    Kaye’s eyes widened in surprise. “No snobby rhetoric? I’m impressed.”
    Ares opened the door of the chariot and threw his suitcase in. Three of Kaye’s black bags were stacked in the corner, one so long it could have been a sword. He blinked the thought away and took his seat beside her. “I’ve been studying your book.”
    “I can see that.” She pushed her foot forward and the chariot lunged forward with no horses to pull it.
    Ares clutched the handle on the door. He’d never ridden in