Erebus smiled and spoke in his incredibly deep voice, “The nighttime is the best for flying.”
It only took us one hour to fly from Ireland to France, but I was tired by the time we arrived. We made camp in a wooded area which was a short trip from the vampires’ nest. I found an area with few rocks and laid down in the dirt. Ares appeared next to me, but in wolf form. He was as handsome in his wolf form as he was as a man. I ran my hands through his thick black fur and kissed the tip of his large nose. As far as I had seen, Ares was the only black werewolf. It made me wonder why. I’d also never seen another white werewolf like me. Was it because of our mixed genetics? Ares laid down in the dirt and I scooted closer to him, letting his large wolf body circle around mine. Koda walked to us, also in wolf form and laid down facing Ares, he extended his paws so that they overlapped Ares’. Taking the hint I laid my head on top of their front paws and let them arrange themselves comfortably.
The sun rose earlier than I would have liked the next morning. I started to stretch when I remembered the vampires. I bolted upright, knocking Ares’ and Koda’s heads to the sides as I searched for them. Victor smiled at me and I remembered he was a born vampire and the sun didn’t harm him. “Your concern brings a smile to my face mon papillon. Dmitri is safely buried so you need not worry for him,” he said softly.
I exhaled and calmed my raging heart. “Sorry.” I laid back down against Ares and he sighed, rearranging himself around me. I slept for a couple more hours and then my stomach grumbled incessantly.
Ares walked into the trees and came out a few moments later dressed in blue jeans and a t-shirt. Koda was whining and kicking his hind leg as Ares walked back, but after a quick throat clearing from Ares, Koda was awake and whining unhappily as he walked towards the trees.
Ares wrapped his arms around me and asked, “So, what’s for breakfast?”
Victor straightened his shirt and said, “I thought it would be nice if we took Artemis out.”
I looked over at the black, white and red sidhe men, all with various vine and etched designs in their skin, sitting a few yards away. “Don’t you think they might draw attention to us? Not to mention me.”
The sidhe men laughed and all stood up. I watched in shock as their bodies began to glow softly and then each of them had normal looking skin. They looked as though they belonged in Greece. Achilles smiled. “We learned how to use glamour when we were going to be around the humans.”
“Glamour?” I asked.
Erebus said, “It’s a specific type of magic which alters our physical appearance.”
“Oh. Well how do I do it?” I asked.
Achilles picked my hands up and whispered, “Close your eyes. Picture what you looked like before you came into your sidhe powers and pull at your powers.”
I did as he said and when I opened my eyes I couldn’t believe that it had actually worked.
Victor stood up and dusted off his jeans. “Are we all ready?”
Koda walked out of the woods in jeans and a t-shirt and nodded his head. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Victor led the way to a small café where we could sit outside in the warm sunlight. Ares ordered my food for me since I couldn’t read the menu which was in French. It was nice having someone who could speak multiple languages so I didn’t look like a dumb American traveler.
Our food came out quickly and I ate every last piece of food. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was and I was thankful that Ares had ordered extra sides of eggs and bacon for me.
The men started talking in French and I felt extremely left out. Achilles smiled at me from across the table and then began talking to me telepathically.
They’re discussing the best place to have the sidhe wait. I will be going with you into the main door, but the other three will wait outside for our signal.
What signal?
Oh you’ll know it when you see it.
As the morning turned into afternoon the men continued to plan and Achilles continued to translate for me. The plan was rather simple, but they were being very meticulous about the small details. We ordered lunch at the same café and sipped on wine until dinner time. I was feeling pretty lightheaded when dinner came, but my quick metabolism flushed out the alcohol the third time I used the restroom. Each time I went to the restroom, one of the men would accompany me, though each time it was a different man. After we finished our dinner we walked back to the park and sat down in our camp spot. As soon as the sun went down an arm shot out of the dirt in front of me, making me gasp in shock and jump backwards.
Victor patted my arm and pulled me back down on the ground beside him. “It’s just Dmitri, rising for the night.”
Dmitri dug himself out of the ground and then shook like a dog to get the excess dirt off of him. Victor stood up and together they left to hunt for their meals.
I picked up a pine needle and set it in the palm of my hand and then brought fire to my hand, burning the pine needle. I formed a ball of fire in one palm and then started tossing the ball back and forth in my hands. Erebus was watching me with a small smile of satisfaction on his face. “Catch,” I yelled as I tossed the purple ball at him. Erebus caught the ball of fire and I watched in shock as it changed to a black ball of fire. He started playing with it before he tossed it to Achilles who changed it to a blue flame, played with it for a while and then tossed it back to me. As soon as I touched it, the flames turned purple.
“Why does the color change?” I asked curiously.
Erebus said, “The flame changes to match our colors. So anytime you use fire or touch it, it will become purple while Achilles will always turn it blue. We aren’t quite sure why it happens, but it does.”
We occupied ourselves with that for the next thirty minutes while we waited for Victor and Dmitri. They returned and stood twenty yards away from us as they watched our game.
“Could you please put that out?” Dmitri asked. Achilles tossed the ball up in the air. It went up and up and then disappeared completely. Dmitri smiled. “Thank you.”
Victor looked at Ares and smiled. “It’s time.”
Ares exhaled. “Alright. Let’s go.”
We ran for an hour through the city streets, just fast enough the humans wouldn’t see us as we ran. As we approached the mansion I could feel the evil that resided there. I could feel the hundreds of vampires and the king of evil himself, Maurice. My heartbeat picked up as I grew more nervous and my palms began to sweat. What if we couldn’t defeat him? What if Ares died? The thought of Ares dying ripped at my heart and brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’t let him die. I had to keep him safe.
Victor guided us through a back entrance and then we were at the front doors. The guards opened the doors and bowed as we walked by. Victor led the way through the giant mansion and into a large ballroom. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings and made me feel as though we’d been taken back to another time period.
“Greetings,” Maurice said. His voice sent shivers down my spine and would have made me tuck my tail between my legs if I was in wolf form.
Ares picked my hand up gently and his reassurance gave me strength.
Victor walked forward and bowed. “Greetings, Father.”
Maurice’s gaze never left mine as we walked towards his throne. The throne was gold, seemed to be carved out of a giant piece of gold actually, and glittered with gems. “I’m so happy that you came.”
“Father, we have heard a rumor that the vampires and dhampirs that have been hounding Artemis may have been sent by you. Is this true?” Victor spoke in such a calm voice that I almost believed he was simply asking about a rumor.
Maurice began speaking, but I realized he was speaking to me. “I can give you anything in the world that you want. I could let you rule an entire nation if you wanted. Whatever you want, tell me and it’ll be yours if you join me.”
“I can’t join you. I can’t allow you to kill off the entire human race,” I said angrily.
Maurice stood up. �
��Join me or those you love die!”
I looked at Ares and then at Achilles who were both smiling at me. It was then that I realized no matter how much I wanted to keep Ares and Achilles safe, they would have to fight beside me to accomplish our safety. I squeezed Ares’ hand and looked back up at Maurice. “Verus amor vincit omnia. True love conquers all. No, I will not join you. I will not leave the ones I love. I will stand beside them and fight you and die if I have to.”
Maurice’s face changed and I saw his true face, his vampire face, and immediately my skin went cold. The King of Vampires in battle mode was something no human should witness. He was truly frightening.
The doors to the ballroom started to shake and Victor yelled, “Get ready!”
Achilles’ body burst into bright color and he raised his hand straight up over his head, shooting a blue fireball through the ceiling. That must be the signal.
Achilles smiled at me and then Erebus, Eros and Heracles flew in through the ceiling. As soon as they landed the fight began. Hundreds of vampires poured in through the ballroom doors and headed towards us. Ares body rippled as he took a half-shift and started attacking the vampires with Koda beside him in wolf form. Achilles shot fireball after fireball at the vampires, catching some on fire and tearing holes through others. Victor and Dmitri pulled out swords as they fought against their own kind. Erebus, Eros and Heracles fought in a small circle with their backs together. I stood in the center of them all and smiled. It was my turn to fight. It was my turn to prove my worth.
Closing my eyes I concentrated on the powers that resided within me and focused on the plants outside of the building and all of the living things nearby to draw on their power. I summoned a portion of my energy, turned my hands into paws with extended claws and opened my eyes. My body was glowing brighter than anyone else’s, making the vampires shield their eyes. I screamed my battle cry and leaped into the battle. Bodies fell before my wrath as my primal fighting instincts took over.
I thought we were winning, but as soon as we killed a portion of the vampires in the room, more would come in to replace them. I started moving further away from my group when I saw him…my dad. Darren was standing beside Maurice and looking out over the battle. His eyes stopped on me and he growled, his lip pulling up in a snarl. He moved away from Maurice and towards me. I tried to head back towards Achilles and Ares, but the vampires had clustered together to keep us separated. I couldn’t fight Darren. I couldn’t win against him.
“Ares!” I yelled frantically as Darren came closer to me.
Ares stopped his fighting and turned towards me, his eyes widening when he saw Darren. Ares started to make his way, but he was too far away and there were too many vampires in his way. I turned around in search of Achilles, but I couldn’t see him over the vampires standing in front of me. I clawed and slashed and burned the vampires, but no matter how many I killed I couldn’t get closer to Ares or farther from Darren.
Suddenly Darren’s hand grabbed me by the hair and jerked me backwards. I yelled in surprise and he put his hand around my throat. “I should have done this eighteen years ago.”
I struggled against him. “Please, dad. Please.”
Darren smiled. “Did you actually think I loved you? Did you think I could love a halfbreed? You were nothing more than a mistake. I wanted to mate with your mother, but I didn’t want you. I never wanted you.”
His words hurt worse than anything I could have imagined. “Then why did you raise me? Why keep me alive?” I asked as tears leaked down my face.
“I was training you for Maurice, but then you had to go and betray me by leaving with Ares.”
“I didn’t betray you. He’s my destined mate. Please dad. Don’t do this.”
Darren laughed. “You’re pathetic.” His hand tightened around my throat and my air cut off. I gasped for air and clawed at Darren, but no matter how many gashes I opened, his grip didn’t loosen. Spots covered my vision as I began to go unconscious. Ares yelled and then I was on the floor, gasping for air. I turned around and watched as Darren and Ares fought. I’d never thought of Darren as terrifying, but as I watched him fight Ares, he was one of the most terrifying beings on the planet.
Darren changed into his wolf form and jumped a few yards away for a chance to recover. Ares changed forms as well and charged after Darren. I wanted to keep watching, to help if I could, but the vampires surrounding me had started moving closer. Achilles yelled in pain at the same instant that Ares did.
Maurice yelled, “Join me, Artemis, and this can all end!”
White hot anger flowed through my veins. Death. I wanted all of these vampires dead. Permanently dead. I wanted my loved ones free. I wanted to be free. I closed my eyes and prayed to whoever or whatever might be listening to help me. I had to save them. Warm wind surrounded me in a mini tornado and then power filled me. I’d never felt so much power before and it made me dizzy. I stood up and whispered, “Kill the vampires.” I felt as though my skin was going to burst and then all of the power left me in a giant explosion. I screamed in pain as the rush of power left me and fell to the ground on my hands and knees.
The room was eerily silent as I opened my eyes and stood up. I soon realized why. Every vampire, except Maurice, Dmitri and Victor were gone. Ash sifted through the air, but no bodies remained.
Maurice yelled, “Now!”
I looked for Ares, but couldn’t see him. I tried to stand up, but strong hands grabbed me.
Ares and Achilles screamed, “No!” in unison and then I was traveling through a black spinning vortex I recognized too well. The spinning stopped and my nausea quickly vanished. I stared in shock at the house Darren had raised me in.
I spun around and glared at Hera. “What are you doing?!”
Her body was glowing and she never looked so much like a goddess as she did then. She placed her hands on each side of my head and whispered, “What is necessary for my son’s survival.” She started speaking in another language and then pain filled every cell of my body.
I started to scream, but then horror froze my limbs as I realized what she was doing. She was stealing my memories. The fight with Maurice. The last night that Ares and I made love. Achilles telling me he loved me. The training with the sidhe. Matt’s death. Victor. Matt. Koda. Achilles. Ares. I screamed and fought against her, but she was too strong and I was too weak.
Every memory that I cherished was pulled from me and increased the hole I felt widening inside of my heart. People’s faces whom I loved began to disappear. I couldn’t remember my mother. I couldn’t remember what Koda or Achilles looked like. I couldn’t remember Ares scent or his face.
“Ares!” I screamed as the memories of him disappeared in a flash of painful magic.
Hera screamed and then released me as I fainted.
~~~
Chapter Ten
The woman standing before me was stunning. She was glowing as though an internal light was on. Part of me wanted to call it her powers, but I didn’t understand what it meant.
She smiled down at me and held out her hand to help me stand up. “Are you alright, child?”
I rubbed my sore head and stood up on shaky legs. “I…I think so.”
I looked around at the place I was in and asked, “Where am I?”
She whispered, “You’re safe and so is everyone else. That’s all that matters for now.”
“What do you mean? Who are you?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I cannot tell you that.”
In a flash of light she disappeared and I was alone. Had she been a goddess? Or perhaps a witch?
I rubbed my hands down my arms, realized I was naked, but decided it wasn’t important at the moment, and turned to look at everything around me. I was in front of a house, but it didn’t seem particularly special to me. A town was near, I could smell gasoline from vehicles, but I couldn’t smell people. That seemed odd, but I didn’t let it bother me at the moment.
I smelled trees n
earby and that drew my attention. I stepped into the shelter of the trees and heard a wolf howl in the distance.
A wolf. Yes, I was part wolf. A…a werewolf.
I closed my eyes and willed the wolf side of me to take over. My body changed and I ran deeper into the forest, calling out to any of my brothers or sisters that might be nearby. I felt lonely. So incredibly lonely that it hurt.
A pack of small wolves came from the shadows of the forest and surrounded me. These were obviously not werewolves like me, but I needed a pack to run with. I couldn’t stand this loneliness anymore.
I dropped my head submissively and whined, asking to join their pack. The alpha, a grey wolf with a large scar down his throat, walked forward and growled at me. I dropped to the ground and he moved forward to sniff my stomach. The rest of the pack came forward and I was recognized as a friend. The pack ran and I ran with it, now a member of it.
That was strange too. Why would the pack accept me so quickly? So many strange things without answers.
There was something important I was supposed to be doing, but I couldn’t remember what. I felt something missing inside me. Two big things. Yes, there were two things missing inside of me, as though pieces of my heart were gone, but I couldn’t remember what to do to make me whole again.
I shook my head, cleared the human thoughts and let the animal within me take over. I barked and ran after the others, happy in the moment of the chase as we raced after a herd of deer.
###
Connect with Me Online:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/catherineebanks
My blog: http://www.catherinebanks.blogspot.com
Artemis Lupine Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Artemis-Lupine-Series/179945740858
Series Email: [email protected]
Kiss of a Star Artemis Lupine Page 15