APOLLO

With my hand slapping her hips, I kept carrying her inside the temple so I could guide her to the bathtub.

Thanks for my power,no sound will get out from that room. And another enchantment to none to get in.No matter what this woman would get out, none would listen to it. But it was a lot of energy for even that as I also lit up the candles with my own two hands. Pouring warm water and flower petals inside it was the easy part but undressing this woman was the true fight.

‘’I can do it myself’’She said, drunk, slapping my hand away from her.

‘’It’s better for your hands to not be close to yours…’’Reaching my fingers once again in her clothes was once again a failure as she kicked me right down to the water. I let my body go down, watching the golden thread flow tide up on it perfectly. The water was warm enough for the drug she consumed to worry off quickly without any reason to lock her up for hours…

Wait, why am I helping her?

I opened my eyes to see now a woman with scars on her naked body, staring at me as she dove on the water.

Oh.

I grabbed her by the arms and pushed her above the water, making both take a deep breath.

‘’Are you insane?’’I shouted, making an echo. But she laughed out loud, showing the fake beard to fall off. Even intoxicated she had such an interesting laugh. So loud and harsh and yet her lips formed a beautiful bow with her dimples showing up.

‘’Alright’’I panted, looking at her deep eye.’’I shall go.’’

‘’No, stay.’’She pouted, moving her head back.’’Swim with me.’’

My eyes fell down to her collarbone and noticed how close her chest was to my torso. And then it hit me. We were all alone. She was so close to me without any clothes.

She was driven by lust and poison to me. She was all mine now, all vulnerable. So easy. And yet…

‘’I shall stay with you’’I cupped her cheek. One more grin from her.

‘’But not inside ‘’And I pushed myself out of the tub.

I was hiding behind a column for the woman to be ready. And my mind rushed to a million thoughts in my face could not stop getting all flushed.

I could have kissed her harshly, I could have laid her down in bed, I could have made her sing like a swan, her lips kissing every part of me, and…

‘’What’s the matter with me?’’I muttered.

‘’Come here’’She said dryly. Seems the toxins were now gone from her body.

Walking back, I wasn’t expecting her to still be inside the water. The steam became heavy from the heat and her gaze looked at me all so deadly as if she was actually going to kill me.

‘’I…’’my lips rang.

‘’Jump in the water.’’

And my chest tightened to listen to her lips muttering it like a command. My eyes were wide open as my face continued to feel all so warm.

‘’My oracle’’I returned back to my flirtatious act.’’What will the people say?’’

‘’Just jump you fool,’’

Perfect the moment to take my revenge. But the moment I let down my chiton, she turned her back on me.

‘’Oh, my oracle, do not be shy now, I remember how much you wanted.’’

‘’The oils are there’’She pointed with her fingers at a few jars.

Oh. She wanted me to bathe her.

I moved the jars close to her and fell to the water, splashing her back with my weight, but still she did not move.

I poured a little oil and abrasive on my hands and moved it first on her hair. I was a servant once for a prince, getting used to bathe him and treating him like a servant should treat a future king. But she was no king, not even a queen.

And yet.

‘’Thank you for tonight…’’She muttered.

I let out a chuckle as I rubbed her curls.’’Of course.’’

And she turned her entire body back to me with glaring eyes facing me once again.

‘’Why did you come?’’She asked.’’Why did you do this to her?’’

She was so infuriating that my lips tried to make a snarl but ended up as a slide smile‘’Oh, so you wanted to die.’’

‘’Why did you come?’’

Because I hate you.

‘’To make sure…’’

‘’Not lies.’’

‘’Alright’’I laughed harshly at her, leaning down at her mouth.’’What did you do the night when Perseus arrived.’’

Her expression shifted from shock to fear and then anger. Her fingers now moved on my throat. She didn’t even care to remember what I did to that woman before her. If she could now, she would have choked me to the water….Was this her plan?

But instead, she turned her back on me once more, showing her poisoned arm. The wounds were more fatal as they found the upper part of her arm and shoulder plate as it was spreading close to her lungs.

What if I healed her? Giving her more time? What if I saved her?

But I did not.

I began to rub it slowly, as she let out a painful sound.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

It should have been pleasing for me. Why was it making me sad?

‘’It was Deimaria’s father’’She announced to me.

‘’He came for a prophecy about his cattle…Myrto told me that he had a family too. A family that he was preferring to dress his family with bruises and scars rather than fabrics.’’

Oh.

‘’He was a good father’’ I said with a calm tone but the woman scoffed. Why was she scoffing?

‘’What kind of a father is good when children and wife are shedding tears because of him?’’

‘’It is respect.’’I explained calmly to her, remembering ‘Father’s’ words and lessons.’’It is the only way for the children to understand the true meaning of lo-’’

‘’Do you love your father?’’The woman asked me and for just once, I had no words to answer.

I kept staring at her back, scars were drawn all over her bronze skin, flower petals falling from her curly hair as beads of water caressing the end of her flesh.

Do I love him?

‘’Your hands are shaking’’The woman noticed as I faced my fingers who were clenching her venomous arm.

‘’So what did you do?’’I asked her and she took a while.

‘’He was going to keep hurting them and he was willing to kill me too, driven by anger and pride. Adamantious and the others would have been punished and hurt so’’

A deep breath.’’I am not regretting it.’’

So that was it? She killed him because he was cruel? She took a power that was not given to her and acted just? Sacrificing someone in my name for my father? Because he was…

All this because she acts all prideful.

‘’I don’t…understand’’I mouthed as she ignored my statement.

‘’Don’t you care about your life?’’Asking now with anger in my voice, I could hear her heart beating faster.

Each action is more rational than the other.

‘’You do not know me but you are sharing me secrets that can harm you. ‘’I repeated to her.

‘’You are inviting me to join you naked.’’

‘’You undressed yourself’’She reminded me.’’You could have entered with your chiton.’’

‘’How little do you care about your life, Oracle? Trusting a man so easily, with secrets and with your own ‘’I made a mocking scoff as I watched her shoulder plates rising.’’Sacred body so close?’’

With that question, the woman’s hands reached behind her for mine and as she moved them to her waist, I could see them travel up on her stomach, on her chest, on her collarbone, and her sensitive neck.

‘’Do it then’’She commanded.

I flinched with such confusion.

‘’If you actually want to harm me, now it’s your chance. I will not stop you.’’

Do whatever you want with my life, I am all yours.

Is he treating her life as if it is a bad joke? Does she think that I won’t do it?

None will listen to her screams for help, none will notice or think to come and save her. I have her now where I wanted from the beginning. Her life in my hands, on her knees, and my flesh covering her throat.

Absolute perfection.

‘’Such a foolish woman you were’’I whispered close to her ear as I opened my fingers and was ready to cut the thread of her life.

I could see it snap, her final breath being driven underwater, her body floating to the bath. No blood coming from her, no fight, no struggle, no screams.

And yet I could not see it with my own two eyes. I could picture it, I could even taste it. But I could not do it.

What is happening to me?

She turned close to me now, so close that I could smell the honey that remained on her chin.

A smile upon her face’’I was right,’’

My flesh began to warm up even more as her thumb leaned close to my lower lip and caressed it so softly. Showing it to me now I could see a rose petal that was once stuck on my mouth. I didn’t even realize it.

Was this a trick?

‘’Knew what?’’My brow arched and cupped my fingers on her chin.

‘’That no matter how much you might hate me, you won’t hurt me’’

Oh.

OH.

So that is it.

It’s not that I couldn’t hurt her, It’s not that she wouldn’t let me.

I did not want to hurt her.

She was the one who had control over me. All the power, my power and mind, it was hers. It was not her falling on her knees. It was me. It was not her thoughts being conquered by my presence and name but my thoughts were surrounding only her.

And I loved it.

‘’Are you…happy?’’ My voice began shaking and looking down to her collarbone I could notice how much her breath was quickening.

‘’Maybe’’She squinted her eyes and leaned her lips closer.

‘’What is it now?’’I asked with a pout but instead of responding, she cupped my cheek.

All alone, both bare naked with one to come in or listen.

Please. My lips mumbled those words. Please kiss me. I am begging you.

Her gaze shifted right to my lips, squeezing her heavy brows together.

‘’Goodnight’’She whispered and with that she stood up, walking away from the bath.

‘’Wait,’’ I tried all startled to walk out but she was now dressing herself up.

‘’My oracle,’ Water and sweat was dripping from my entire body, my chest was aching in pain and then as I looked at my hands I could see the thread of the golden shee fading.

Not now.

Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes made it easy for me to disappear before it was too late.

The forest that I ended up in was supposed to be so quiet. And yet I could listen to one strange sound.

Bum bum. Bum bum. Over and over again

‘’How did it go?’’Hopped Artemis close to me with Aphrodite and Ares following her pacing.

‘’Apollo what happened?’’Her hand squeezed my shoulder carefully.

What happened? I could not breathe, My body had been showered by cold sweat, my eyes were darting, my lungs were burning, and my chest…my chest.

I rested my hand on the center of it, letting out a groan of pain.

‘’What did she do to you?’’asked Artemis furious.’’That is it I will go and.’’

‘’No’’I snarled at her and she looked at me so petrified.

I did not want to make my sister look at me like I looked at…

Do you love your father?

Why are those words so…

‘’I am sorry’’I moved close to her and curled a sweet smile on my lips. Her ears flickered with Aphrodite now flying near me.

‘’Apollo just tell me what is wrong,’’ Artemis spoke once again.

‘’It is nothing’’I lied to her with a smile and yet that pain…

I could not look them in the eye. Walking away was the only solution.

The river was cold that time of year. So perfect for my face to be pushed in. But when I got out, my face was still boiling.

‘’You…’’ I panted and turned to the fat white dove who was watching over me.’’Knew didn’t you?’’