“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 lines, like flower vines covering my arms and face and as much of my body as I could see. I loved it. 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 that’ll fit.”
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 vigorously. “Yes, please.”
Achilles took my hand and led me 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 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 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 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. “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 conquer 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. “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 they.”
“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 and smoothed 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. Achilles helped me stand and then an attractive, white-skinned man with exquisite black scrolling designs stepped forward. “Greetings, Artemis. I’m Erebus.”
Erebus, God of Darkness and Shadow. I was actually meeting the Erebus. How cool was 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 c
oming 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, furrowing my brow. 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 blue, 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. 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. “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 both gasped. 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—”
Athena interrupted me to yell at Achilles. “You let Ares near her?”
Achilles held up his hand. “You’d better sit down.” Athena and Hera sat in a pair of chairs I hadn’t seen before. Achilles sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed. “Where to begin?”
Athena spoke through clenched teeth, “How about start at the part where Ares was near my daughter.”
“Artemis met Ares before I had a chance to find her.”
Hera looked at me. “Well, explain.”
I folded my arms over my chest, feeling angry at their reaction of Ares and defensive of him. “I am not just Artemis of the Werewolves or Artemis, Darren’s daughter. I am Artemis Lupine, mate of Prince Ares of the Werewolves. I am Ares’ passt genau.”
Athena wailed and began crying. “No. No! It can’t be true.”
Hera stood and started towards me. Achilles stepped in her path and said, “You cannot kill her without killing me, too. We’re bound, remember?”
I looked up at Achilles’ back in shock. “What? What do you mean by that?”
Hera stomped back to her chair and tried to console Athena.
Achilles turned around and sighed. “I planned on telling you, but we haven’t had time. When you’re bound to someone if that person dies, then you die, too.”
“So, if I die, you will die as well? Or if you die, then I die?”
He nodded.
“You’re a fool! You should have let me die. I’m not worth your life!” I yelled. I wasn’t ready to be responsible for someone else’s life.
Athena sighed. “We should have killed her when we were supposed to. No, I should have never fallen for Darren.”
I spun around and glared at her. “Ares is a good man. You have no reason to hate him like this. He has been great to me. Better than any of you have been!”
Athena stood up and glared back at me. “I will not allow my daughter to be mated with him.”
My skin began glowing as I grew madder. “It’s not your decision.”
“The hell it isn’t!”
“You lost the power to make decisions when you left me,” I yelled at the top of my lungs.
She blinked at me a few times before stepping back and sighing. “I see the wolf is very present in you.”
I gaped at her. “Just because I’m angry doesn’t mean it’s because of my wolf. You were just talking about how you should have killed me. What the hell is wrong with you people?”
Hera stood up and looked at me. “I will not allow you and Ares to bring another mixed blood into this world. Having two of you is bad enough. You will not be allowed to procreate.”
My anger rose again and with it, my Sidhe powers. My wings popped out of my back, and my skin glowed brighter than usual. I started to levitate off of the ground and said, “I’d like to see you try and stop us.”
Hera’s body began glowing, and she began levitating as well. “One son is not worth a pair of mixed bloods breeding!”
I hadn’t even felt him approaching, but then he was just there. A warm presence in the cold room. “Enough!” Ares yelled.
Hera spun around and glared at him. “You! Get the hell out of my Court!”
She started towards him, and I shot her in the back with a fireball. “Don’t you dare touch my mate.”
Achilles moved next to me and took my hand in his. “Artemis, please calm down. You do not need to fight.”
Ares rushed forward and had Achilles in the air by his throat before I’d even blinked. “You had better do some quick explaining Achilles,” Ares said through gritted teeth.
Achilles nodded, and Ares dropped him to the ground. Achilles rubbed his throat and whispered, “It was an emergency. Hera was the one attacking her in your meadow and she was sucking the life out of her. I only did it to save her.”
Hera said, “I would have killed her if he hadn’t done it. In fact, I’m still thinking about it.”
Ares growled. “Unless you want a war with the werewolves, I suggest you wipe that idea from your mind.”
“Ares,” I whispered.
Ares turned to me and for the first time really looked at me. He walked forward and grabbed a strand of my purple hair, looked at my wings behind me and then ran a fingertip along one of my new vines. “I wouldn’t have thought it was possible, but you’re even more beautiful now.”
I released my Sidhe powers and put my wings away and hugged him. He hugged me tightly and kissed my lips. “I’m sorry, Ares,” I said softly.
He stroked my hair and shushed me. “None of this is your fault, and we’ll deal with the predicament Achilles has put us into later.”
Athena h
issed, “Step away from my daughter.”
Ares and I turned to face her, and I said, “You don’t get to pick and choose when I’m your daughter. Either you want me dead or you don’t. You can’t keep changing sides.”
Hera sighed. “We should have killed Ares when we had that slut abort their baby.”
Ares growled and his eyes turned golden. I turned to Hera. “You killed one of his children?”
Ares turned away from everyone as he tried to calm himself. Hera sat down in the chair again. “He seduced and mated with one of the Sidhe women. Halfbreeds are not allowed, you and Ares are…exceptions, but we have strict rules for a reason. We made her abort the abomination before it had a chance to develop into,” she gestured at Ares, “this.”
Koda, who I hadn’t noticed until then, rushed forward and began trying to console Ares. Ares shrugged him off and turned around. The pain he felt leaked through our bond and it became too much for me. I could feel how much pain he was in, and it summoned my rage.
I ran forward and attacked Hera. She was quick though and dodged my first punch and managed to get up out of the chair and to a more open area. I attacked her with all of the training I’d received for my fight with Natasha. I opened three cuts on Hera before she managed to land a hit on me. She stumbled backwards, and before I could move to attack her again, Ares was in front of me and holding me. Achilles rushed forward and stood in front of Hera.
“Artemis. Sunshine. Look at me,” Ares yelled.
I pushed against him, trying to get to Hera. I wanted more of her blood. More blood from the one hurting my mate.
“Artemis, this is no longer a battle. You can’t save the baby, its dead. The mother has moved on and is happily mated to a new man. I’ve moved on and am happily mated to you. Please. Stop.”
I stopped moving and looked up at him with tears in my eyes. “They killed your baby. They separated you from your mate.”
He nodded. “Yes.”
Tears leaked down my face. “They want to do it again.”
“I know.”
I growled, the sound rumbling my chest. “I won’t let them.”
Ares kissed my cheek. “I know.”
His tenderness stole my rage, and I sagged against him, letting him hold me up against his body. He kissed my forehead and rubbed my back slowly as tears leaked down my face from the emotions we were sharing.
Artemis Lupine- The Complete Series Page 39
