I blushed and said, “I was gone over a hundred years. I didn’t know…”
Ares asked, “What about you? I won’t be angry since you didn’t have your memories, but…”
“No!” I yelled a little too loudly. I lowered my voice, “No, I didn’t. I lived in the witches coven surrounded only by women. Oh and Draco-Blu, but no I didn’t.”
Ares hugged me again and kissed my cheek. “I still can’t believe you’re here after so long.”
I laid my head on his shoulder and sighed happily. “It does feel like it has been an awfully long time since we’ve been together.”
“Yes, well, could we finish with the introductions?” Achilles asked with a hint of anger in his voice.
“I’m still curious to see what Artemis meant about gaining power,” Victor said behind us.
Ares walked with me back to the bowing group. “You just need to accept them as your followers and we can move on.”
“Um, okay. I accept you as my followers,” I said nervously.
The group stood up and then returned to the house. How could all of them fit in there?
“Alright, show us this new power,” said Victor.
I looked around. “Are there any vampires who could be hurt by the sun here?” Victor shook his head. I lifted my hands up in front of my chest, palms facing each other. Warmth filled my body as I called upon my magic, which was much easier now that I was whole, and a ball of sun formed between my hands. I looked up and found Victor, Ares, Koda and Achilles staring at me in complete shock. “Sunlight,” I said.
All of the men walked up to me and examined the orb of sunlight I held.
“Incredible,” whispered Ares.
“I didn’t know any of us could do this anymore,” said Achilles.
“How big can you make it?” asked Victor.
Theseus said, “She sent it out in an expanding ring to turn a group of vampires who had surrounded us into ash.”
Victor’s eyes widened. “Show me.”
I shrugged and released the orb and then formed a ring of sunlight around my body. I gathered my magic and then sent the ring out, expanding it as it moved farther away from my body. Instead of letting it go as I’d done previously though, I held it when it was about a mile in circumference.
“Remarkable,” said Victor. “No wonder my father renewed his quest for her. Who did you do this in front of?”
I looked at Koda. “The guy you were asking me about. I did it in front of him.”
Koda’s eyes widened. “Oh no.” He turned to Ares. “I think she met Apollo.”
Everyone went still at the mention of his name. “Who’s Apollo?” I asked softly.
Ares shook his head. “We don’t have time to talk about him. We need to get everyone together and move. If it was Apollo, he’ll be searching for her.”
“Ares! Why are you still keeping me in the dark?”
Ares sighed. “He’s the leader of a faction of vampires, which are stronger than the normal ones. Apollo is taking beings like trolls and Sidhe and turning them into vampires. He alone controls the group.”
Vampire-Sidhe? Unbelievable.
Ares picked up my hand and smiled. “Come on, let’s hunt first.”
Koda shifted forms, shredding his clothes and then pranced along the beach as he waited for us. Theseus, Achilles and Victor walked to the house while I stripped. Ares watched me and I felt the blush on my cheeks before I realized I was embarrassed. I shifted forms and stretched. Ah. It feels good to be a wolf again.
Ares licked my muzzle, now in his wolf form. Ready?
Koda yipped and ran up the beach towards the distant trees. I chased after Koda and Ares ran at my side. I caught up to Koda and nipped his flank playfully. Too slow. I sped past him with Ares right on my heels.
Koda dove under my legs, making me tumble head over tail and then Ares was on top of me. We nipped and played for what felt like hours before collapsing into a pile together. Ares and Koda shifted positions until I was lying between, their heads and tails forming a circle around me. Finally, I was back with my pack. After so many years as a lone wolf I couldn’t imagine a better place to be.
After our pack nap, we returned to the house which I thought would be filled to capacity, but it was strangely open. “Where is everyone?” I asked.
Achilles pointed down. “Underground. We built a lower level down there to accommodate the large number of our pack.”
Victor asked, “Where did you learn that new sunlight power, Artemis? Did the witches teach you that?”
I shook my head. “A vampire attacked me one night while I was walking back to the coven. I just kept thinking how the fight would be a lot easier if I could use sunlight instead of fire and then, boom, sunlight burst out of my hand and poof went the vampire. It took a while, but Selene managed to create a spell which lets her do a similar thing.”
Victor tapped his chin thoughtfully. “It might be beneficial to us if we contacted the witches and asked for their alliance in the upcoming battle.”
Ares nodded his head. “I was thinking the same thing. I wanted to stop and talk to Selene anyways and thank her for protecting Artemis all these years.”
I looked at the amount of space between Ares, Achilles and I. Why were they now staying apart from me?
Achilles looked at me and I remembered he could hear my thoughts. He smiled and walked to me, taking my hand. “It was nothing intentional, we just didn’t want to overwhelm you too much or cause problems.”
I felt a piece of me calm and looked at Ares. “Are you still bothered by this? When I left you two weren’t really on the best of terms.”
Ares smiled. “We have worked out our issues.”
Somehow I didn’t think they had resolved the one major issue we had between the three of us while I was gone.
I walked to the living room which was sparsely furnished and sat in a rocking chair facing the rest of the couches. “Now, how about you all fill me in on the last one hundred and five years?”
The men all took seats facing me and looked at each other for several minutes before Koda began. “When Hera stole you, things went a little crazy. Ares and Darren were fighting, but when you got teleported to such a far distance, his strength sapped and Darren got in a few good shots. More vampires poured in and with both Ares and Achilles distracted we knew we wouldn’t win. So, we ran.”
My mouth gaped open. “You ran away?”
Koda nodded his head. “Yep. We turned tail and ran. We escaped to Lyngvi, but when we got there Darius had us thrown in jail for some fake charges. He knew he couldn’t have us murdered, but not even mom could get us out. So, we were all stuck in jail for fifty years.”
“That’s a pretty harsh punishment for fake charges.”
Koda shrugged. “Fifty years isn’t as long as it is to humans.”
“How’d you get out of jail?” I asked.
Achilles said, “Hera.”
I turned to him. “Hera got you out?”
He nodded his head. “She popped into our cells and took us to her Court.”
“Why would she help you when she was the one who repressed my memories?” I asked with a bit of an angry tone.
“Because I never intended to keep you separated for so long,” said a familiar female voice.
I spun around and before I’d even thought it, my wings were out, my skin glowed and my hands became covered in flames. Every eye was focused on me as I floated above the ground and glared at the woman who had caused me so much pain and separated me from my pack and myself for so long. “What are you doing here?” I asked in a voice that boomed with power.
Victor circled me slowly while Ares and Achilles moved closer to me. “She really has grown in power. I thought she only meant that she had learned a new spell, but this…this is incredible.”
Hera kept her gaze level with mine, but for the first time I saw fear in her eyes. “Artemis, please let me explain.”
Anger boiled inside me a
nd in a millisecond I moved across the room and had Hera up against the wall by her throat. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip your head off right here and now.”
“I only did it to save Achilles. Please, you must understand what lengths a mother would go to save her child.”
“I know nothing of a mother’s love!” I shouted at her. “Or have you forgotten that I was supposed to be killed when I was born?!”
Ares and Achilles each touched one of my arms. “Calm down, please,” whispered Achilles.
Ares whispered, “We believe Hera and have forgiven her. Please, let her go.”
My primitive side screamed for vengeance, but I subdued it and released her and my powers. “Fine, but if you so much as give me a cross look, I’ll kill you.”
Hera started to open her mouth and then thought better of it. “You’re more a queen now than you were before.”
I turned away from her and stomped to the other side of the room. “Why were you helping Maurice?”
“At the time I thought he was the most powerful and couldn’t afford to lose my people in a fight against him. Had I known that you were indeed the prophesized one, I would have never agreed to assist him. But I didn’t follow his instructions exactly. You see, he wanted me to kill you, but due to Achilles binding you two together, that would mean killing my own son. I did the only thing that could keep you both alive.”
“Alive, but terrified,” I whispered to the fireplace mantle in front of me.
“I am sorry, Artemis. If I could find a way to make up for what I’d done, I would,” she whispered.
I turned back to Ares. “So, while you were locked up, Maurice took over the human world?”
He nodded his head. “He completed the take over and instead of being equal with the other races, he took over as king.”
“And then the reign of terror began.” I looked at Koda. “Why were halfbreeds being kidnapped?”
“The vampires kidnapped some in an attempt to find you and to build their army, but we also went to the already living halfbreeds we could find and asked them to join our pack. Each that we asked came willingly.”
I paced along the living room floor. “What’s our plan? How does this Apollo guy figure into it?” Hera’s body stilled and it looked like she wasn’t even breathing. I walked towards her. “Who’s Apollo?”
She swallowed and then her queen face was back on. “No one of consequence.”
Before I could say anything she disappeared. I growled angrily and punched the wall, which buckled under my fist. “Why does everyone always hide things from me?!”
A man that looked to be in his late teens ran into the house. “Ares!”
Ares rushed to him. “What is it?”
The man caught his breath and then noticed me. “Oh. Wow.”
I frowned at him and he started to move towards me, but Ares growled at him. “Speak!”
The man shook his head as though clearing it. “There’s a group of vampire hybrids coming this way. That guy is leading them.”
I rummaged through my bag until I found an open backed shirt which Selene made specifically for me to wear while my wings were out. All of the men looked at me questioningly as I stripped out of my current shirt, which was ripped since releasing my wings, and put on the new one. I shimmied out of my pants and put on a pair of short shorts and then put my fists touching in front of me. “By the power of the stars, grant me a weapon to fight this foe.” I pulled my hands apart and a sword of light appeared between them.
“Who taught you that?” asked Achilles in shock.
I shrugged. “I dreamed the words and when I tried them the next morning, it worked.” I traced the outline of one of the vines on my face and whispered, “May the stars and moon aid me in my battle for peace.” My power as well as the power of the moon and stars made my body glow bright and my vines surged with power. I smiled at Ares. “See you outside.” I ran from the house and onto the beach where I could just make out the group coming my way.
Ares appeared at my side. “Artemis, please. Just wait in the house.”
I laughed. “That didn’t work before and it’s definitely not going to work now.”
Ares sighed. “Fine, but please, stay beside me.”
I kissed his lips and whispered, “Yes, Alpha.”
Ares kissed me a little bit longer, nipping my bottom lip at the end which made me growl in frustration. “Just think of that as incentive to stay alive for the private celebration afterwards.”
The rest of our group and pack joined us, standing behind Ares and me. The man Koda referred to as Apollo stopped across the beach from us with his vampire hybrids fanned out behind him. “Surrender the girl and we will leave the rest of you alone.”
Ares growled, but I laid a hand on his arm. “No, it’s alright. Let him have me.”
Ares looked shocked for a moment before he smiled, understanding that I had a plan. I walked slowly across the beach towards the stunned Apollo. He watched me in silence and then asked, “Who are you?”
I stopped walking and stared in shock at his face. He looked like a male version of me. “I’m…Artemis,” I whispered.
Apollo blinked a couple of times and then shook his head. “I’ve been sent here to collect you.”
I snorted. “I’m not a urine sample to be collected.”
The vampire hybrids behind Apollo shifted nervously as I walked closer to their leader. I started to reach out towards him, but a sword appeared in Apollo’s hand and I barely raised mine in time to block his strike. “Do not touch me,” he growled.
“You’re a halfbreed, like me,” I whispered as our swords ground against each others.
“I am nothing like you,” Apollo growled as he pivoted and sliced at me.
The moment broken, the hybrids rushed towards the halfbreeds and the battle truly began. Apollo matched me strike for strike. I couldn’t break through his guard, but he couldn’t break through mine either. Ares appeared at my side and slashed at Apollo with his claws, but Apollo jumped backwards and his wings popped out of his back. Achilles ran forward and jumped into the air, his wings extending as he jumped and his sword appeared in his hand. Apollo blocked Achilles’ attack, but fell to his feet on the ground.
Three hybrids rushed over to protect Apollo from us. I decapitated one and rushed around the others who were distracted by Ares and Achilles. Apollo was ready for me though and blocked my attack easily. I shot fire at him, but he deflected it away. “Who are you?!” I screamed angrily. “Why do you look like me?”
Apollo growled, but then Darren was suddenly running down the beach towards us. I gasped in shock, and fear made me freeze. Apollo swung his sword at me, but stopped with the edge pressed to my throat.
I whimpered, “Darren.”
Apollo growled angrily and pressed the blade harder against my throat, but still didn’t draw blood. “Why don’t I want to kill you? Is this some type of spell?”
Darren slowed and walked towards us. “Kill her, Apollo. Kill her now.”
“You’re my father! Why do you despise me so much?” I asked as tears leaked down my face. Due to my memory problem I hadn’t had time to deal with the words he had spoken to me during the battle.
“What do you mean your father?” Apollo asked in shock, his sword pulling slightly away from my throat.
Darren growled at Apollo who shuddered. “Kill her, son.”
“Son?” I gasped. I looked at Apollo and understood. “You’re my brother.”
Apollo shook his head. “No. That can’t be. You told me I was your only child.”
Darren groaned. “I thought maybe one of my twins could be a worthy child, but apparently you are both worthless.” Darren reached for the sword in Apollo’s hand, but it disappeared into Apollo’s skin. Only another Sidhe could use the swords we possessed.
“Explain this!” Apollo yelled.
Darren struck Apollo so fast that I only heard the sound and then Apollo was on the ground.
I started to move towards him, but Darren grabbed me by the throat and picked me up. “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”
I struggled against him and then relaxed. He was my dad and it hurt that he hated me, but I was a warrior. I was a powerful being and I would not be strangled by this man. I pulled my sword up and stuck it through Darren’s stomach. He looked down and laughed. “You think that little thing will kill me?” His grip tightened and black spots began covering my vision. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t call my power. How could this man have so much power over me?
“Ares,” I gasped with what air I had left.
I heard a responding snarl and then Darren was fighting with one hand while he chocked me with the other. The power he possessed was like nothing I’d ever encountered before. His aura was bright red and the sheer amount of power frightened me. Darren tossed Ares backwards and then slammed me onto the ground. He touched the sword, making it disappear from his stomach and then changed his hand to a paw. He raised his three inch claws over my throat. “Time to finish your pathetic life,” he said with a snarl.
I closed my eyes and waited for death. I didn’t want to die and I wanted to be strong, but Darren was too strong. He had to be close in age to Ares. His blood called to mine and I could not kill him. I opened my eyes a moment later to see his claws stopped an inch from my throat. I held my breath to keep them from getting closer to my skin and looked from Darren’s shocked face to the blade protruding from his chest, where his heart was. Darren’s body fell lifelessly to the ground.
I expected to find Achilles standing behind Darren, but it was Apollo. “None shall harm my sister,” he growled angrily.
“You saved me.” I said in shock. “Why?”
Apollo rubbed his temples and looked from me to Darren’s body and back. “I…I don’t know. I couldn’t stand by and let him kill you. I just…my body moved on its own.”
Ares growled from behind him and then Apollo took to the skies. “Fall back!” he yelled to what was left of the hybrids.
Ares started to go after him, but I grabbed his hand. “No! Let him go.”
Healed by Fire Artemis Lupine 3 Page 9