The War God's Woman

29. The Dog's Master

Sage slowly wiped tables in the cake shop, her gaze distant and lost.

"She's been like this for days." Markus muttered to Cesar, both men watching Sage walk blankly past them. "It's like she's here but not here. What do you think's happened?"

"That guy hasn't been coming to the shop lately." Cesar mused. Ares' worshippers were bereft in his absence. Many were eating to comfort their hurt feelings. It was doing great for sales.

Markus rubbed the back of his head.

"Do you reckon they broke up?"

Cesar shrugged but nodded. They watched Sage trudge glumly into the kitchen. Markus nudged Cesar. "Go say something to make her feel better."

"Me?"

"You're good at this kind of stuff. Just don't put your foot in your mouth."

Flustered, Cesar shuffled into the kitchen after Sage. He stood beside her at the sink and put on a pair of marigolds.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked tentatively.

"I'm not thinking anything." They washed together in silence, the awkwardness making Cesar tremble. Sage didn't seem to notice that he was still standing there.

"Where's Ares? I haven't seen him around lately."

"He's gone." Sage's voice was monotone.

"Oh." Cesar bit his lip. "Do you want to go out and get drunk tonight?"

"Not really."

"We could watch cheesy movies and eat junk food?" He suggested. Sage didn't immediately say no but she seemed apathetic.

"Come on, Sage." He whined, clinging onto her arm and dripping soapy bubbles down her uniform. "It will be fun. We haven't hung out together in ages." He pouted his lip. "I'll even let you put a face mask on me." Last time she'd tried he'd dramatically characterised the experience as being 'touched by the hand of death'. His ability to cope with the cold sheet on his face had been non-existent. Sage's gaze softened.

"Ok."

                        After their shift, the two friends linked arms and headed for the supermarket.

"Do you not do deliveries anymore?" Cesar asked as they blazed up and down the aisles.

"Not for a while now. There's been too much trouble with the gangs so A-" Sage stopped talking suddenly. She'd been about to say 'Ares'. "So, I decided it was best to take a break..." She mumbled. She grabbed the nearest thing off the shelf and chucked it into their trolley.

Was Ares thinking about her at all? Had he forgotten her already? He'd been alive for thousands of years. Perhaps these last few months had been nothing to him. 

Was he with Aphrodite?

This thought kept creeping upon Sage lately. She'd lie in bed and picture Ares with the beautiful goddess of love. If the ancient lovers reconciled, Sage was sure that Ares would forget her immediately. How could she, a normal human, compete with an immortal? 

Sage stared down at her flawless wrist. Ares had saved her life, surely that meant something? That he'd forgiven her for trying to kill him? That she wasn't nothing to him? But he hadn't waited to see her wake up. He hadn't said goodbye...