The wind whipped against my face sending a light spray of water to chill me. I’d never seen anything so beautiful. I looked up and felt the sun’s rays heat my face. Everything felt so real, yet how could this exist without the humans knowing about it?
Achilles walked to stand on the balcony beside me and leaned his elbows on the stone railing. “This is my favorite spot in all of the Dark Court.”
“I can see why,” I said softly as I looked out over the ocean. A whale breached the water a mile or so away from us and sprayed water up into the air.
Achilles picked my hand up and turned me to face him. “Your eyes are glowing with energy. You’re even more beautiful when standing beside the ocean.”
The wind whipped my hair from side to side as Achilles and I stared at each other. The desire to kiss him was almost as bad as it had been with Ares, but thinking of Ares helped cool my hormones and allow me to turn away from him. “Thank you.”
A table had been set up in Zeus’ bedroom while I’d been on the balcony. I hurried inside and sat down in a chair and began piling meat and cheese on to my plate.
“So, what brings you here?” Zeus asked Achilles.
Achilles sat down beside me and nibbled on some fruits and cheeses as he spoke. “Let’s see, where to begin? Well, first let me tell you that Mother attacked Artemis and wishes to kill her…”
Zeus stood up and stared at Achilles. “Is that why you…”
Achilles held up his hand. “Yes, I only did it out of necessity.”
“Did what out of necessity, my dear son?” asked a woman.
Achilles was instantly out of his chair and standing beside me, his skin glowing.
The woman was beyond beautiful. Her skin was like buttery cream with a beautiful filigree design which glowed as she looked at me and Achilles. “You had better explain why you are assuming an attack stance against me.”
Achilles spoke softly. “She’s my fiancée, Mother. I will not let you hurt her.”
Hera looked at me with clear disdain. I met her eyes as I continued to eat. If she wanted to kill me she probably could, so I would at least die with a full stomach.
I won’t let her kill you.
My eyes flickered over to Achilles as he spoke to me, but I quickly looked back at Hera. Can’t she technically order you to kill me if she wanted to?
Yes, but she won’t do that because…
“Are you communicating telepathically?” she asked angrily.
Achilles glared at her. “You tried to kill her! What else could I do?!”
“You. Bound. Her?” She asked in angry pants. Her skin began glowing again and her eyes turned to white pearls as Achilles’ had done when I’d released his powers.
Bound me? What did that mean?
“There was no other way. I had to save her,” Achilles said angrily.
Hera stopped glowing and turned away. “You were always an impulsive man.”
I turned to Zeus since he wasn’t involved in their conversation either. I might as well get as much information from them while I was here. Who knew when the next time I’d be allowed to go to the sidhe court would be? “Do all sidhe have Greek names?” I asked.
Zeus smiled. “Technically we had the names first, but the humans used to believe that we were gods and so their stories were based on us.”
I looked from Zeus to Hera and then back to Zeus. “Is she really your sister?”
Hera gasped in shock and Zeus laughed. “No. Most of the family trees that the humans created are wrong. Hera is not my sister, only my wife.”
“So can you really use lightning bolts?” I asked curiously.
Zeus put his arm out, palm up. His skin started glowing and then a sizzling lighting bolt appeared in his hand. “Some of what the humans recorded about us is true,” he said.
“Wow.” I chewed on a grape when it occurred to me that “Ares” was a Greek name too. “Wait. Are the sidhe who the humans based their stories off of the only ones with Greek mythological names?”
Achilles opened his mouth to say something, but Zeus said, “Yes.”
I stood up from my chair and walked quickly towards the balcony. That was it. That was what Ares had been keeping from me. He is part sidhe too.
Achilles stood next to me and put a hand on my back. “I cannot tell you his story. It’s very personal and I feel it is best for him to tell you himself.”
“Who are you talking about?” Hera asked angrily. “I hate it when I’m out of the loop.”
Achilles turned around. “Why is she here? In your realm?” he asked Zeus.
I turned around and found Hera sitting on Zeus’ lap. Zeus sighed, “Well, son, you see…”
Achilles groaned. “You’re dating again?! You remember what happened last time?”
Hera shrugged. “It was a small battle.”
Achilles scoffed. “A small battle? You call World War Two a small battle?!”
Zeus turned to me and asked, “Do you have wings?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I didn’t know you had wings until Achilles showed me and I haven’t tried to get them out.”
Zeus stood up out of his chair, helped Hera sit down in it, then walked to me and took my hand. “Focus on your surroundings. Do you feel the energy from all of the living things around you?” I nodded my head. “Good, now focus on those energies and ask them to loan you some of their energy.”
If my life hadn’t been as crazy as it was I would have thought he was joking with me or that he was crazy. Instead I closed my eyes and asked the plants to borrow some of their energy. I opened my eyes when I felt the excess energy flowing through me and lighting my body up like a fluorescent light bulb.
Zeus smiled. “Good. Now close your eyes and picture your back. In the center of your back between your shoulder blades I want you to picture two vertical slits, one foot long each.”
I pictured exactly what he said and then felt my skin rip apart and my wings flare out behind me. The pain forced me to my knees and my body sizzled as though I’d been electrocuted. Zeus helped me stand up and walked around me to look at my wings and body. “Interesting,” he said as he came back to face me.
“How do I move them?” I asked after the pain had subsided.
Achilles smiled from beside me. “You just think what you want and they do it. Once you get used to it they move like your arms or legs, almost without thought.”
I moved my right wing forward and stared at the purple wings with purple vines. “Purple vines?”
Zeus whispered, “They match your eyes, your new skin marks and the streaks in your hair.”
“Streaks? Skin marks?” I started trying to pull my hair forward, but Achilles grabbed my wrists and then Hera snapped her fingers and a full length mirror stood before me. My black hair was now randomly streaked with purple. It was very punk and yet I loved it. My skin was a lighter color and I had thin purple vines, like flower vines covering my arms and face and as much of my body as I could see. I loved my new look. I looked tough and beautiful at the same time. I looked hot! But…what would Ares think? Would he still think I was beautiful?
Of course he will.
I looked at Achilles and smiled. “Thanks.”
He smiled back. Anytime.
Zeus cleared his throat. “Okay, now to put them away you simply imagine your back, flat and devoid of any slits or wings.”
I closed my eyes and the wings disappeared. My shirt flapped forward and I clutched it to the front of me. “Great, another way to ruin clothes.”
Achilles laughed. “It’s alright. I’m sure we have some clothes you’ll fit in.”
Zeus disappeared through a side door and then came back out with a large t-shirt. “It’s a little big for you, but it’ll work for now.”
I pulled the shirt on and smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”
Achilles asked, “Would you like to explore?”
I nodded my head vigorously. “Yes, please.”
Achilles t
ook my hand and walked us back out to the balcony. His wings popped out of his back and then we were up in the air. He made his way beside the water and then to the village we’d originally walked through. He set me down on my feet and then took my hand in his and led me through the town.
I stopped at a booth where a red and blue colored sidhe woman was selling strange looking items. Achilles started steering me away then whispered, “They’re magical items that you have no need for.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why do men hate shopping so much?”
He continued leading me through the town and then out into the green fields surrounding the castle area.
I relaxed and asked the question I’d been dying to know the answer to, “So, were you really the hero of the Trojan war?”
Achilles rolled his eyes. “Yes, I was the one who thought of the Horse, but I’ve won many other wars besides that. Unfortunately Ares was with me and as the ‘God of War’ they gave him more credit than they gave me.”
“So you two used to be close then?”
Achilles nodded his head and then sighed longingly. “It was a long time ago though.”
“So, why the ‘Achilles Heel’?” I asked, having been curious about that as well.
Achilles laughed. “If I had a dollar for every time someone has asked me that I would be able to buy the world.” I stayed quiet and waited for him to explain.
“Well, as you can imagine a hit to my heel won’t kill me, but during the Trojan War I was in a terrific fight. I’d been shot by arrows and one of the Trojans was exchanging blows with me. I was growing weaker as the metal in the arrows stayed buried in my skin and then just as I was attempting to use a large portion of my magic some bastard shot me in the heel with an arrow. I screamed in pain and then my Mother appeared and using her ability to teleport, took me somewhere to safety. Unfortunately all the humans saw was me get shot in the heel by an arrow and then disappear in a flash of light. Can you believe that they all thought I exploded? Simply ridiculous!”
I laughed and then quickly tried to stifle it. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh…”
He put his hands on his hips and said, “Really you didn’t mean to…” and then he tackled me to the ground, tickling me in every ticklish spot I had. I was laughing loudly and struggling against him, but he seemed to be an expert at tickle torturing. I finally had to concede and yelled, “I surrender!”
He collapsed onto the ground beside me and laughed. “I haven’t had that much fun in a while.”
I sighed and sat up. “Me neither.”
He sat up beside me and pushed my hair behind my ear. “You have fun with Ares.”
I nodded my head. “Yes, sometimes, but the fun times are always clouded over by the awful times.”
Achilles smiled. “You’ll have good times with him again. He’s a lot of fun to be around when he’s not trying to win wars or conquering the human world.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes and then Achilles asked, “Has Ares told you where each of the main races come from?”
I shook my head.
Achilles twirled a blade of grass between his fingers as he spoke. “We are children of this world, though from different parts. For instance, the werewolves are Children of the Moon, which is why your power to change comes from the moon. Humans are Children of the Sun, though their species has a strange desire to forget their histories instead of remembering and I’m sure none of them understand that. We, sidhe, are Children of the Stars.”
He paused and I asked, “What about vampires?”
He tore the blade of grass in his hand into two and whispered, “Vampires are Children of the Darkness, which is why the sun harms them and they are so powerful at night.”
“So, I’m half star and half moon?”
Achilles nodded his head. “Yes.”
“Which is why I’m so powerful?”
“Which is why you have the potential to become extremely powerful. You are powerful, Artemis, but you are not able to harness your power like Hera or Maurice who are thousands of years older than you. Though, with practice and time you will become more powerful than them.”
“Which is why they want me dead?”
Achilles didn’t respond, but I knew the answer. Now, it made more sense. With the combined power of two dominant races I had the ability to surpass any being who was a purebred of any one race.
We walked back to the castle and then out to the balcony. I asked, “Can I see my mother?”
Achilles smiled. “Of course, but she lives in the Light Court, so we’ll have to wait…”
Hera stood up and smoothed down her dress. “Nonsense. We can be there in an instant.”
Achilles rubbed his temples with his fingers. “Mother, please.”
Hera smiled. “You have no need to worry now dear. Achilles has seen fit to save you from any desire I might have had about killing you.”
Zeus waved at me. “Goodbye, dear. It was nice to meet you.”
Achilles walked to Zeus and quickly spoke in his ear before hurrying over and grabbing my hand. Hera grabbed each of our free hands and whispered, “This might make you a little queasy,” and then we were in a black spinning vortex. At least, that’s what it felt like to me. When everything stopped spinning I dropped to the ground and tried my best not to throw up.
Achilles whispered, “You’ll be alright in a moment.”
“Guards! Take Achilles and Artemis to their chambers. Someone else go find Athena and ask her to report to the Prince’s chambers.”
I looked up and stared at the men standing in the hallway. Each of them was a different color and each had various patterns and designs on their bodies like Achilles’ vines. Achilles helped me stand up and then an attractive white skinned man with exquisite black scrolling designs across his arms stepped forward. “Greetings, Artemis. I’m Erebus.”
Erebus, God of Darkness and Shadow. I was actually meeting the Erebus. How cool is that?!
“It’s an honor to meet you, Erebus,” I said sincerely and as normally as I could when I secretly wanted to jump up and down as giddy as I was at meeting “Gods”.
Achilles took my hand in his. “Take us to our chambers.”
Erebus frowned at Achilles, but he shook his head and turned around. “This way, please.”
Why were you so mean to him?
Don’t let Erebus deceive you. He’s extremely powerful and very conceited.
It seems as though vanity runs through most sidhe’s veins.
Achilles laughed and squeezed my hand. “You’re right about that.”
We walked through several stone hallways much like the ones in Zeus’ castle before finally coming to a bedroom. Erebus stood on the outside of the bedroom and smiled. “Here it is.”
I smiled back at him and walked inside. The room was decorated in various shades of blue and was as large as Darren’s house had been. Achilles shut the door and then walked quickly to the dresser. He opened the drawers and pointed inside. “These are all yours.”
I stepped forward and looked down into the drawers and at the various folded dresses and corsets. I pulled out a dress that matched my eyes and held it up in front of me in the mirror. “It’s perfect.”
Achilles whispered, “You’re perfect.”
I turned and looked up at him in shock. He ran his thumb down my cheek and bent down, his lips a breadth away from mine when someone knocked on the bedroom door. He stepped back and I walked quickly to the bathroom to put on the corset and dress. Luckily the corset was the kind you tightened and then simply zipped up. I smoothed the dress into place and adjusted the bodice a few times before I was happy with the placement. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror and touched a couple of the purple highlights. The dress definitely looked great with the highlights and my new skin designs. I stepped out of the bathroom and stared at the doorway where my older, blonder, more blue twin stood. At least we could have passed for twins in the human world, if she hadn’t been b
lue, but with her in the same room as me I could feel the power she possessed and the difference in age. She stared to walk towards me and I felt incredibly nervous.
“Hello, daughter,” she said softly.
I swallowed and tried to fight the tears in my eyes. “Hello, mother.”
Are you going to hug her?
I don’t know. I never knew she was blue. Should I hug her? Do you even think she wants to hug me?
Before I could decide, she rushed forward and hugged me against her, crying. “Oh, I’ve been such a fool.”
We held on to each other for a few more minutes, each of us crying softly. When we pulled back she looked from me to Achilles and then back again. “Why are you able to communicate mind-to-mind?”
Achilles actually began looking nervous, he stepped back a few feet and said, “Well, you see Hera was upset and was trying to kill Artemis so I bound her…”
Athena was known by the humans as being the Goddess of Wisdom, the one who was the best strategic planner. As her skin began glowing and she turned on Achilles, I could see why a Goddess of Wisdom would frighten you and you might consider worshipping her. “You bound her?! How could you do such a thing?!”
“Hera was going to kill me,” I said in defense of Achilles.
Athena stopped glowing and looked at me. “Do you understand what it means to be bound?”
I shook my head and Achilles said, “I haven’t had time to explain it to her.”
Hera took the opportunity to walk into the bedroom. “Aw, I see you’ve been reunited with your daughter.”
Athena nodded her head. “Yes, but Achilles was just about to explain to Artemis what it means to be…”
I held up my hand and looked at Achilles. “How long until Ares is here?”
Athena and Hera gasped in shock. Athena asked, “What do you know of Ares?! Has he hurt you?”
Hera’s skin began glowing. “He better not show his mongrel face in my Court.”
I looked at Achilles frantically. “You said he was going to meet us here. You said…”
Kiss of a Star Artemis Lupine Page 10