The commotion started just as Lexi and Anna left the hut. Minotaurs dashed in all directions, abandoning their projects and disappearing behind trees and under shelters. A group of males grabbed spears as they gathered in a circle near the fire pit, joined by the male leader who took up a spear as he brushed past Lexi. Anna spoke with one of the female leaders, who made a hand gesture that mimicked the shooting of an arrow from a bow. 

"What's happening? Why is everyone in a panic?" Lexi asked as her heart beat out a frantic rhythm.

Anna turned to Lexi, her eyes wide and disbelieving. "There are gods in the forest. They have come for the hunt."

"But that can't be. I talked to Zeus this morning, and the council has agreed to a temporary cease fire...of...the... Oh, crap. Ares!" Lexi knew this was her fault. She tried to get her way with the council of the gods, and she had pushed them too far. "I'm going to stop this. Will you come with me, Anna? I might need a translator."

"You want to go out there?" Anna still wore an expression of disbelief as she pointed to a troop of minotaurs charging into the woods, a trail of dust pluming in their wake. "The minotaurs are peace-loving, but you don't want to be anywhere near them when they're armed and angry."

"But I need to get to the gods. I think I know who it is, and I think I can bargain with him." Lexi knew who would get the better end of the bargain and who was going to get screwed, but she had to try. "It's okay if you don't want to come, Anna, but I have to do this."

Lexi took off after the minotaurs, keeping a safe distance away and hoping the sound of their heavy footfalls would cover her. Fortunately, she had chosen to wear pants for her visit to the forest, although she didn't expect to be chasing behind a herd of minotaurs armed with spears. What were they up to, anyway? Were they going to fight back? Was the hunt more like a battle than predator versus prey? No wonder Ares enjoyed it so much. But what about the hunt she and Sella witnessed? What kind of father would bring his young son into battle? Maybe the minotaurs had been traveling to the lake for water and were ambushed by Kade and Hades. Lexi's stomach seized up when she thought of Hades taking down a minotaur. That was not the Hades she knew.

Although she had lost sight of the minotaurs, Lexi felt the vibration of their hooves and heard the distant sound of breaking branches. She followed her senses deeper into the woods until the only sound was her own breathing, which came in short, forceful gasps. It was time for a break. A large tree offered her back a sturdy resting spot, and she slowed her heart rate, something she had practiced when the thrill of competition interfered with her ability to perform. There was no sign of Anna. Apparently, she didn't want to risk getting skewered. Lexi had learned during her short time in the underworld that nymphs were pretty fearless, so Anna's absence had her questioning the intelligence of her choice to bolt into the forest behind a herd of armed minotaurs.

A sharp cry broke through Lexi's thoughts. It sounded like a minotaur, but she couldn't tell exactly what direction it had come from. Was it a cry of pain? Should she wait for another? A wail followed the cry, only this one sounded human, and Lexi took off toward the voice. The forest floor was unforgiving, congested with underbrush and debris, and she focused her efforts on not running into trees or tripping over their enormous roots as she ran. A better pair of shoes would have been nice, as the hiking boots she had brought from home were clunky. The sounds of battle guided her forward, and she finally caught sight of the minotaurs. Their spears were raised above their heads as they whooped and snorted. If she didn't know better, she would swear their cries sounded triumphant.

The risk of getting a spear thrown at her was high, so Lexi stayed well out of range of the minotaurs as she attempted to get a look at what they were shouting about. The first thing to catch her eye was a god taking off a black cape and kneeling over something under a copse of trees. The god looked a helluva lot like Ares, and he had another god with him. They both crouched on the ground, their expressions serious. Had they made a kill and were inspecting their handiwork? It wasn't until Lexi stepped closer that she realized they were not kneeling next to the body of a minotaur, but the body of a god. He lay sprawled on the ground with a spear sticking out of his chest. Lexi's movement alerted Ares, and when he looked at her, his face was as pale as the moon.

With no regard for the pack of minotaurs waving their weapons menacingly, she rushed toward Ares and the fallen god, sliding to a stop and dropping to her knees. Although Ares was never at a loss for words, even when he was pretending to be Philip from South Africa, today he was as mute as the dead. Lexi looked at the face of the wounded god, taking in a sharp breath when she realized it was Jules, the future javelin champion and son of Ares. He, too, had a face as pale as death, but his eyes were open and he managed to smile at Lexi.

"Are you an angel? Have you come to take me to Gaia?" His words sounded strangled as he forced them out.

Lexi held back the tears threatening to cloud her eyes. She needed to keep her head on straight if she was going to save this young god. "I'm here to help you, Jules. Don't try to talk, but I want you to keep your eyes on me."

"You're the only one worth looking at."

Lexi put her finger to Jules' lips as she looked at Ares. "You're the expert at weaponry. How do we get this spear out of him without doing too much damage?"

It took Ares a moment, but he managed to shake his head, speaking mostly to the ground. "It's no use. His lungs have surely been punctured. The spear is the only thing keeping him..."

"Ares, listen to me. We have to at least try. Please, let me try." A tear pricked her eye and she wiped it away, determined to maintain her wits in spite of the blood pooling under Jules' back. "You get the spear out and I will do the rest, but we have to hurry. I can't replace the blood he's already lost."

Ares' eyes had glazed over, which was not a good sign. This was the god of war and bloodshed, and here he was in shock. Had he never lost a loved one before? Had he ever truly loved before? The other young god stepped up to Ares, speaking over his head.

"Ares, I will hold the spear if you break it. You are the stronger one."

Ares looked up at him, probably hearing the irony in his words, and Lexi watched the color and bravado return to Ares' face. "That's a damn good idea, Gunther."

They both huddled around the spear, and while Gunther held the wooden pole where it met with Jules' chest, Ares took hold of it just above Gunther's hands. With a loud grunt and a resounding crack, Ares broke the shaft, leaving a shred of splintered wood at the break site.

"Good. Now, one of you needs to roll Jules onto his side while the other one pulls out the spear," Lexi said. "Can I use your cape, Ares, to stop the blood flow?"

"Of course." Ares handed his cape to Lexi as he spoke to Gunther. "I'll roll Jules and you pull out the spear head. Can you handle that?"

Gunther didn't look too sure about his job as bloody spear remover, but he knelt next to Ares and nodded his readiness. Ares placed his hands under Jules' body and tilted him upward. Jules groaned in pain as his arm fell limp across his body, and Lexi caught a glimpse of the blood puddled beneath him. The situation did not look good. Gunter did his job valiantly, gritting his teeth as he slowly withdrew the spear head. Lexi cringed, hoping the splinters would not imbed themselves in some critical body part, but they would worry about that later. The spear was out and Lexi bunched up the cape and pressed it against the gaping hole in Jules' back.

"Okay, lay him down again. The cape should put pressure on the wound while I work on him."

Jules' face was devoid of color, except for a hint of sickly yellow, and his lips were turning blue. Lexi pressed her hands over his injury, staving off the blood and picturing him the way he was when he had arrived late to dinner at the palace of the gods, looking like he would rather be outside jumping hurdles. She remembered the way his chest puffed up as he boasted of his javelin skills when he escorted her and Hecate home. He was the picture of health, a youthful, handsome god, ready to take on Olympus and eternity.

The tingling in her fingers grew more intense the longer she held them against his body, and with this realization she noticed his chest was not rising and falling under her hands. Jules had closed his eyes, and a white, etheric glow had replaced the sickly pale he wore moments before. He looked peaceful, but she worried it was not the sign of a god returning to life.

"Oh, no you don't," she said. "It's not time to go, Jules. There is much more for you to discover."

Keeping her hands on his wound, she leaned over his mouth and kissed him. She wasn't sure what provoked her to do it, but if nothing else, maybe her gesture would carry him more sweetly into the next world. The warmth was draining away from his lips. Not even his breath warmed them, but she didn't stop. She emptied her own breath into him, imagining her life force soaking into his skin, healing every part that had been damaged. A tear escaped her eye and dropped onto his cheek. When had she begun to cry? She barely knew Jules. In fact, he had impressed her as the typical privileged, egotistical god. Yet she felt such love for him at that moment, he could have been her brother or her lover.

The movement was subtle, but she felt it against her lips, then the warmth followed in a rush of air that came from his mouth. Jules sucked in a breath and Lexi leaned back, giving him plenty of space to take in all the oxygen he needed. His breathing came in erratic spurts and he started to choke, as if something was blocking his airway. She looked at his wound, hoping she hadn't made matters worse. Other than the blood staining his chest and shirt, his skin had sealed up, leaving a jagged pink scar. Oh, gods. Was he choking on blood that had filled his lungs? Had she brought him back, only to have him drown?

Lexi did the only thing she could think of, she leaned over him again and gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation. She had never performed it on a real person before, only plastic dummies in health class, but after a few seconds, Jules responded. He wasn't gasping for breath, and he seemed to be attempting to speak. It wasn't until she felt him purse his lips to kiss her that she pulled away.

"Don't stop," he said as his eyes fluttered open. Jules managed a faint smile as he gazed at her through heavy lids. "So, this is heaven? I think I'm going to like it here."