Kyros' Secret (Greek Myth Series Book 1)
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Authors: Elizabeth Rose
Kyros’ Secret
By
Elizabeth Rose
Copyright © 2000/ 2013 by Elizabeth Rose Krejcik
This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarities to actual organizations or persons living or deceased is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without the author’s written permission.
Cover created by Elizabeth Rose Krejcik
ISBN – 13: 978-1508807001
ISBN – 10: 1508807000
Books by Elizabeth Rose:
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(Legacy of the Blade Series)
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(Daughters of the Dagger Series)
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Ruby
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(Madman MacKeefe Series)
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Onyx
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Ian
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(Barons of the Cinque Ports Series)
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The Baron’s Destiny
(New)
☀
(Elemental Series)
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The Dragon and the Dreamwalker
✛
(Tarnished Saints Series)
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Tarnished Saints’ Christmas (Prequel)
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Loving John (Winter)
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(Greek Myth Fantasy Series)
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(Short stories)
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(Cowboys of the Old West Series)
❤
(Tangled Tales Series)
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Just A Kiss
(New)
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Beast Lord (coming soon)
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(Single Title)
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The Caretaker of Showman’s Hill
(Gnarled Nursery Rhymes)
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Muffet (coming soon)
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Table of Contents
Thera, Goddess of Sensations, closed her eyes and pulled back the bowstring slowly. Killing a rabbit should be an easy task, but she knew it would hurt her more than it would the poor creature she hunted. She didn’t need to see her prey, for her hearing was so acute she’d learned to pinpoint the animal’s hiding place by the sound of its frightened breathing.
“Go ahead, Thera,” came her father’s voice from behind her. “Kill the senseless thing just like I’ve instructed you.”
Thera felt the lump in her throat as she swallowed dryly. It wasn’t easy being the daughter of Ares, the blood-thirsty god of war. And she knew in her heart she could never be the warrior he wanted her to be.
The tip of her arrow dropped a little as she felt the coppery taste of the rabbit’s unshed blood in her own mouth. It was times like this that made her curse her powers of the senses which graced her as a goddess - her only attribute in being born the second twin of Ares and Aphrodite.
“Raise your arrow and finish the job, you coward!” Ares’ voice wasn’t more than a hot whisper in her ear, but it rattled her brain as much as it did her nerves.
Her finger twitched on the taut string, as she wanted nothing more than to please her father, but at the same time being the daughter of the goddess of love, she found it hard to kill a defenseless creature.
“I can’t.”
“You will.”
“I won’t!”
She opened her eyes but kept the bowstring taut and the arrow aimed. She felt her father’s gaze burning a hole through her and felt his anger mixed with shame.
“You’re worthless, Thera. You’re the cursed second-born twin and you know you really shouldn’t be a goddess at all. You’re weak. No god will take you to his bed knowing you act more like a mortal than the immortal goddess you are.
He was goading her, appealing to the war-like blood he’d spawned in her veins. She felt the rage choking her as her loving instincts fought the forces of dormant hatred within. She wasn’t like her sister, Harmonia, who’d learned to balance the forces of war and love. No, she wasn’t as pretty or as strong as her mother’s favorite child. She knew the gods laughed at Ares behind his back for fathering a weak-willed daughter such as herself. And this only made her father more determined to sway her to fight in his army and live by his war-like ways.
“I won’t kill just for the sport of it.”
She lowered her bow and turned to look at her father. Dressed in black leather from head to toe, his well-groomed body seemed almost contradictory to the destruction and havoc he usually caused. His black hair fell in waves, slicked back from his chiseled face. His full lips curled up in a slight half-smile, exposing a mouth of perfect white teeth.
Thera felt a chill run through her as his dark eyes bore into her. She respected Ares as a god, but feared him and felt uncomfortable by his presence. He had used the gift of eternal youth well. His appearance made him look not much older than her own age of seven and twenty summers. She groaned inwardly, knowing at birth, Zeus, her grandfather had bestowed upon her these same gifts of eternal youth and immortality. Now, not even death could take her away from the sensations and the turmoil that battled within her soul.
Ares held out his leather-clad arm and an enormous raven appeared from nowhere. Thera recognized her father’s latest pet, smiling inwardly as she thought of how much it meant to him.
“You’re not killing for sport, daughter.” He ran his finger over the raven’s feathered head. “I want the rabbit for my supper.”
The raven cackled a throaty laugh in mockery, which only brought more unwanted feelings rising to the surface inside Thera.
She looked past her own short leather skirt to her booted feet, not wanting to fall under her father’s hypnotizing eyes.
“You don’t need me to hunt,” she reminded him. “With the shake of a finger you have all the food you need.”
“Ah, but you’re so right, Thera.” Ares held the raven up and admired it as he talked. “I don’t need you to hunt … I just need you to kill.”
The rabbit darted past them and disappeared into the brush. Thera took a deep breath, feeling its relief and walked over to the empty spot.
“Just once is all you need to kill and then the rage and glory of war will be imbedded upon your soul. Just once is all you need to feel the triumph of power over your mother’s weak blood that flows through your veins.”
Thera felt her mother’s presence even before she turned to look. Materializing out of thin air came Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, and Thera’s twin sister, Harmonia.
“Since when is the power of love weak, Ares?” Aphrodite’s thin, white gown clung to her voluptuous breasts and flowed down her body as she spoke. Harmonia stood next to her looking more like her mother’s twin than Thera’s.
Thera had her father’s coarse black hair, while Harmonia inherited the fine, gold silken hair of their mother. Thera was built tall and lean like her father, while Harmonia was petite, yet curvaceous and feminine in all ways.
“Aphrodite, you’re not welcome here,” snapped Ares, placing his pet on his shoulder.
“That’s not what you said the night our daughters were conceived,” she reminded him. “As a matter of fact, I remember you saying how strong love was that night.”
The raven croaked a protest, and Harmonia glared at it with disgust. “Let’s leave this filthy place and go back to our chambers,” she begged her mother.
“I’ll go with you.” Thera broke in, truly wanting to leave the forest though she usually loved to spend her days in nature. Today just wasn’t one of those days.
“You’ll stay until you’ve killed,” warned her father. “After that, you’re free to go.”
“I’ll not stay and watch this,” Harmonia said and disappeared from sight. Thera didn’t regret her departure.
“You really think Thera is going to be the one to start your next war between - ”
“Silence!” Ares interrupted Aphrodite. “This is none of your concern.”
“A war? What war?” asked Thera.
“You haven’t told the poor thing, have you?” Aphrodite laughed and started to disappear.
“Mother wait for me.” Thera tried to move toward Aphrodite, but Ares raised his hand and without touching her, sent her sailing back against the trunk of a tree.
“You’ll kill before you leave my sight. Is that clear?”
Thera watched as her mother’s wispy form faded in and out. The woman’s laughing voice echoed the carelessness in her heart. Aphrodite was the Goddess of Love, but conceit was another trait that should have been noted. She thought of herself as too beautiful to even be seen with her plain daughter. Thera knew without a doubt her mother didn’t want her any more than her father did. Aphrodite’s laugh may have been directed towards Ares, but in a way she knew it was also directed toward herself.
Thera got to her feet and started toward her mother. This time, Ares just raised his elbow and an unseen force pushed her face-down to the ground.
“You pathetic child,” came her mother’s voice. “You’re a goddess, now start acting like one and use your own powers and quit groveling at your father’s feet.”
Thera had only used her powers once or twice in her whole life. She didn’t like the way they made her feel. She knew it could be dangerous to get too used to her abilities. Power had been the downfall of many a god and goddess. She knew her emotions weren’t stable enough to know when to use her powers and still be able to stop if she had to.
“Kill, Thera, or I’ll be forced to punish you!”
Thera felt the bolt of energy coming straight for her back and thanked her sensations. She rolled out of the way just as a tree split and caught afire.
“Leave the girl alone, Ares.” Aphrodite protested until Ares looked her way and raised his hand. “You’re on your own, Thera,” she called as she left. “Act like a goddess or you’ll have to learn the hard way.”
Thera’s heartbeat quickened. Her mother’s form disappeared and Ares turned back towards her.
“You see, Thera, no one’s going to protect you. Now pick up your bow and let’s get on with our little lesson.”
“I want to leave.”
“You’ll kill first.”
“I won’t.”
Thera’s eyes drifted to the bow and arrow lying next to her hand. She felt the disgust of her mother and the bitterness of her father. Her own fear melded together with these emotions and her mind began to think that to kill one small rabbit wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Ares chuckled, obviously knowing her thoughts. “Pick up your bow, Thera. Today you’ll become a warrior.”
The raven flapped his wings upon Ares’ shoulder and its dark eyes focused on her own bright blue ones.
“I just have to kill once and then I’ll be free to go?” asked Thera.
“That’s what I said, wasn’t it?” Ares ran his hand over his short beard.
“And you’ll never bother me about killing again?”
“Never. Now do it, for you know you really want to.”
Anger pushed its way through Thera’s veins. She shivered as the war-like side of her suddenly seemed to come to life. She never wanted to kill before, but now she felt she did. One arrow was all it would take. One death and she’d be able to leave this whole situation. She’d show her father she could be strong. She’d show her mother she wasn’t as worthless as everyone thought she was. She’d play Ares’ little game and then it’d all be over.
“There’s a deer just beyond the trees, Thera.” Her father crossed his arms and waited.
Thera didn’t need to ask where. She could feel its presence. She picked up her bow and cocked the arrow. The deer was eating grass in a clearing just up ahead, not even aware of their presence. One clean shot and it wouldn’t even know what happened.
She glanced over her shoulder and caught her father’s triumphant grin. His huge black raven was perched upon his shoulder, just waiting to dive in and scavenge the meat as soon as she’d made her kill. Thera pulled back the bowstring quietly and lined up her shot. The deer raised its head for a second.
“Kill it!” came her father’s hoarse whisper. “Kill the senseless thing already.”
“I will, Father,” Thera answered, feeling like she was in a trance. “I will kill for the first time in my life.”
“And you’ll enjoy it,” Ares reassured her. His laughter burned her ears while the cawing of his raven pierced her heart.
Thera spun on her heel and released the bowstring. The arrow made its way to its victim. The animal fell to the ground, dead on contact.
Thera lowered her bow and gloated at her father. “I killed, Father. And you’re right, I do feel good about it.”
Ares’ face darkened and his eyes bore fire. He looked to the ground and let out a curse.
“You’ll pay for this, you little fool. You’ll not get away with what you’ve done!”
Thera felt his sadness but did not regret her action.
“I killed for you, Father.”
“You are a damn fool, Thera,” answered Ares. “You never should have killed my favorite raven.”
* * *
Kyros stretched out on the lush grass, his hands behind his head as he stared up at Mount Olympus. Home of the gods and goddesses. Palace of the fierce and feared rulers. Kyros’ own late father, King Mezentius had never favored the gods, even though it endangered his life not to. Kyros carried on his father’s dislike and had just cause for his feelings. After what Ares had done to them, it was no wonder his father died from nothing more than sorrow.
Kyros heard the sound of hoofbeats and jumped to his feet, grabbing his sword from the ground in preparation.
“Kyros?” called a voice from behind some brush. “Are you here?”
He took a deep breath and replaced his sword.
“Yes, Chiron. I’m here.”
He watched as his close friend, the old centaur, Chiron, trotted out from behind a bush. From waist up the old man was human like himself; from waist down he was nothing more than a horse. With a swish of his tail, Chiron came forward, his bow and arrow flung over one shoulder.
“You’re late.” Kyros greeted his old friend with an embrace. “I feared my brother may have found you and brought you back to the castle to use you as this evening’s entertainment.”
“No, my good friend. Pittheus may have succeeded your father as king of Trozen, but he’ll never be a good enough warrior to capture me.”
“It’s time for the Centaurs and the people of Trozen to unite.”
“You’re a dreamer, Kyros. It’ll never happen.”
“My father had this dream,” Kyros reminded him, “and almost succeeded in uniting the people of Trozen and the Centaur race.”
“Yes,” agreed Chiron. “And because of his foolishness, Ares punished him, or have you forgotten? After all, you were the one who really paid the price.”
“I think you know the answer to that,” said Kyros. “Ares’ curse upon me is probably the reason for my father’s death. He died of a broken heart and I couldn’t even be there to comfort him when he passed on.”
“Your father was a good man,” said Chiron, “but now that he’s left this world, the union between centaurs and Trozens will never happen. Pittheus will see to that.”