Stalk the Moon

by Jessica Lynch

  “This is Noelle.”

  “The latest Artemis reincarnate,” Hephaestus acknowledges. He sniffs at me, unimpressed. “Still at half power, I see now. Pity. Despite the glow, you haven’t fully accepted her yet.”

  “I’ve accepted the damn bow,” I snap, brandishing it. “Isn’t that enough?”

  “You’re Artemis all right. Even after all these years, I’d know that bow anywhere.” His gaze slides over to Hunter. “I told you that you’d give it to her one day, didn’t I? Saw the magic yourself, aye?”

  “Yeah. Just like you said it would.”

  Hephaestus turns to look at me. “Orion’s been holding onto your bow for ages, keeping it safe. But it’s glad to be back with its mistress.”

  After everything that’s happened, I don’t even question the idea that Hephaestus can somehow communicate with my weapon. I chalk it up to some more magic. Fine. But there’s something I can’t ignore. I thought he said Ryan before. But, this time—

  “I’m sorry. Did you say Orion?”

  “Aye. It’s his name. What? Didn’t he introduce himself?”

  I think back to the night I arrived, when Hunter was building the fire and I realized I didn’t know his name. I could’ve sworn he said Ryan, but he’d been choking on the ash and the fire. He might’ve said Orion. He probably did. He tried to get me to see that I was Artemis right from the beginning.

  And, because it bothered me to hear her name at first, there’s a good chance I purposely heard the wrong name when he gave it to me. Artemis would’ve known who Orion was, so it makes sense that I jumped on Ryan. It never fit him. Even I could see that. He’s been Hunter since then.

  Now I have his real name. His Other name. And I have no clue what to do with it.

  Come on, Artemis. Help a—what did he call me? That’s right. Reincarnate. Help a reincarnate out. How do you know Orion?

  I wait for a second, hoping that that might actually work.

  No answer.

  I shrug. As if it could be that easy.

  “Yeah. You’re right. He did. Sorry. I thought I heard you wrong.”

  “Then why would I be saying anything else? Sure as you’re Artemis reborn, you’d find your true path with Orion and Apollo. Considering the newest sun god to cross the mirror, thank Zeus it was Orion who found you first.”

  Another sniff from the burly blacksmith. Having met Alex, I get it, but jeez. My “brother” doesn’t make friends anywhere he goes, does he?

  Next to me, Hunter is nodding his head in agreement. I roll my eyes. Just what I need. The two of these guys ganging up on me when they’re the ones holding all the cards and I’m walking around empty-handed. It friggin’ sucks.

  Since I’m feeling a little attacked, I decide to give as good as I get.

  “Let me guess. You’re another one who believes this baloney about gods and fate and fairy tale stories?”

  26

  “I don’t have to believe it, lass. I’ve lived it before, and I live it now.” He takes my measure again, sizing me up. “And you know as well as I do that they’re no fairy tale. For one, they rarely have a happy ever after.” Crossing his arms over his massive chest, Hephaestus peers at me and says, “At least, you should. How long has it been since you arrived?”

  I shrug. To be honest—and I’m not about to admit this out loud—I’ve been thinking of my time in the Other in terms of has it been three days yet? And, wouldn’t you know, we’re creeping up on 72 hours.

  My lips quirk. “Three full days.”

  “No wonder. It takes weeks for the power to manifest, months for the memories. I take back what I said about being at half strength. I haven’t been to the village in years, so I thought I missed the hum of your arrival. My mistake. I was thinking a full turn of the seasons has gone by at this rate, not mere days. Impressive, lass.”

  It’s the first time Hephaestus has been anything but haughty. I think I’ve earned a little bragging. “I was glowing the first night I landed here.”

  “You’re a strong one, aye, I’m seeing that now. It happens, with some of us… the main twelve mostly.” He pauses, his dark gaze finding Hunter. “It’s rarely a good thing.”

  Hunter unflinchingly meets his stare. “I know. I’ve known for days. Doesn’t matter.”

  “Isn’t that a good thing? Blowing through this story so quickly? I’ve already been here three days. I’ve got to get back.” Since I don’t want to sound crazy that my only concern is the stray cat that lives in my condo, I try to at least pretend I’m an adult. “I’ve got work in a couple of days. If I’m not back by then, I could lose my job.”

  Hephaestus scratches the underside of his jaw, looking over my head. “You didn’t tell her?” he asks Hunter.

  Before my trusty guide can answer, I hold out my hand. Palm up, fingers curled in, like a bowl. I snort under my breath. “See this? The amount of information Hunter’s willingly given to me might just fit in here. Maybe. Barely. So no, whatever you’re talking about, I’m betting he didn’t say a word.”

  Hephaestus’s chin dips as he peers at my outstretched hand. A snicker escapes. “You’ve got wee little hands.”

  He’s so blunt, I can’t even be mad. He’s not wrong. I’ve got baby hands. “Yeah, well, that’s my point.”

  “Noelle.” Hunter’s fingers close around my wrist, tugging me gently. I didn’t even know he moved until he’s right there. “Three days may seem long to you now, but it’s a blink of an eye to someone like me. There’s so many things I want to tell you… that I can tell you, there just hasn’t been enough time yet.”

  I shake him off. I don’t know what’s worse: the clear worry in his drawl, the pleading or the countless reminder that he’s purposely keeping something from me. I don’t give a crap what his reasons are. How can I trust him when he won’t be honest?

  Of course, that makes me remember his ‘I’m just being honest’ spiel and the aftermath of that.

  Shoving all that to the side until I can really process it, I turn my focus back on Hephaestus. “Time. Hunter said time. That’s what we were talking about, what you think he should’ve told me already. What do you know that I don’t?”

  I brace myself for a smartass answer. If it were me, I’d have at least five for a flippant comment like that.

  To my surprise, Hephaestus actually offers me a serious response.

  “When you get down to it, living your tale ain’t no time at all. No, it’s when you decide… are you after a normal, mortal life mirrrorside—” He stops, turning to spit in the dirt before continuing, “—or would you like to become who you were born to be, staying in the Other with all the power and magics that are your birthright?”

  I know what he’s picked. Hephaestus. I doubt his parents were really that cruel.

  “You only have until your story ends to decide. You live it out to its conclusion and the choice is yours. The clock starts again. And your life, one way or another, is your own. Understand?”

  Understand?

  Yeah. Right.

  I have so many questions, it’s like I’m on an episode of Jeopardy. With Hephaestus, I hit the friggin’ jackpot. I’ve finally found a guy who's willing to clue me in to what the hell’s going on.

  I don’t think Hephaestus has any ulterior motives. Not like Alex. Definitely not like Hunter. It’s a miracle he hasn’t stepped in to tell Hephaestus to shut up yet, though that’s probably more because he’s sulking at the way I shook him off. I’ve got to make the most of this opportunity while I can.

  I know better than to try and convince Hephaestus to fill me in on whatever story I’m currently trapped in. Even though I bet he knows, that’s a surefire way to get Hunter to interfere. I can’t risk it.

  Instead, I ask, “How will I know that the story’s over?”

  “You’ll know.”

  No. I refuse to accept that for an answer.

  “What’s that supposed to mean? Does, like, a big the end appear in the sky, written in firew
orks or something? And then a portal appears, surrounded by confetti and fanfare? Because that’s all I got. Other than that, I’ve got no fucking clue!”

  Silence descends on the cave once more. All I can hear is my heavy breath and the crackle of the fire in Hephaestus’s stove.

  And then his laughter booms out, so loud I somehow manage to resist covering my ears with my hands. Something tells me that Artemis would never flinch in the face of a fellow god.

  His hands on the belly of his smock, Hephaestus looks past me, sharing the first happy grin since he invited us into his cave. “Feisty one, ain’t she?”

  “You have no idea.”

  Is that the sound of pride I hear in his tone?

  I turn and bare my teeth at Hunter. This is serious. “Look. You won’t tell me anything important. Fine. Stand there and look pretty while I figure this out, okay?”

  Hephaestus’s chuckle grates on my nerves. “Take the compliment, lad. Olympus knows I’ve never received one.”

  “Shut up,” I snap at him. “You know you’re pretty, too.” From behind me, I almost swear I hear Hunter growling. The rumble in his chest travels right down his arm and he yanks his hand back from my shoulder right as I feel a tremor.

  I ignore him. I have to. I won’t let them distract me. “Okay. Fine. You all win. I believe this BS you’ve been selling me since yesterday morning. I’m in a story that I don’t know anything about. My part? No clue. The end? Sure. Whatever. I only wish someone would tell me why.”

  “Why?” repeats Hephaestus.

  “I know we’re in a cave, but the echo in here isn’t that bad. Yeah, I said why. I mean, what’s the purpose of it?”

  And, I swear to God, if either one of them says magic, I’m gonna start to glow again. I’ll show them fucking magic.

  As if my earlier assessment of him as a pirate wasn’t spot-on enough, he’s wearing a puffy, frilly white shirt that looks like it belongs on a hundred different romance novel covers. Well, almost. This one actually covers his wide man-chest, but I wouldn’t call it tame. The way his muscles bulge as he reaches out and tosses his leather smock onto a nearby workbench is really obscene.

  Yeah. I probably shouldn’t have told him he was pretty.

  Then Hephaestus starts up in his musical voice again and I forget everything except what he’s saying to me.

  “The purpose… the reason why these Greek myths—and it’s not just our pantheon who survives here in the Other, but the only one that matters to us… the reason why our stories are told and retold, enacted and re-lived until this day is easy to say. It’s life.”

  And… he’s lost me. “What?”

  “In Ancient Greece, the myths were used to explain everything,” Hunter chimes in. He’s put a few feet of space between us, glaring over at Hephaestus as he gives in and—shocker—actually answers one of my questions. “Weather, religious rituals, the meaning of life, the finality of death. Everything, darlin’. Eons pass and people are still inherently the same. You know how they say history repeats itself?”

  I nod.

  With a big wave, he gestures to all three of us. “Here we are. Livin’ proof.”

  “He’s right. The stories need to be told, remembered, passed on. And, aye, they have a tendency to repeat, that’s true.” Hephaestus shifts, talking to Hunter. “For your sake, boyo… I hope it doesn’t. I hope it ends differently.”

  “What’s that mean?” I demand. Up until that point, I was on board with this explanation. It actually kind of made sense to me. And then the riddles started up again. I stamp my foot. “What’s going on?”

  Hunter starts forward. In three strides, he’s moved in front of me, throwing out his arm as if shielding me from whatever the blacksmith is going to say. “Hephaestus, don’t—”

  Hephaestus makes a point to look at me and only me. And I know I’m the one who asked for his attention with my last demand. Still, it’s a little freaky.

  “Don’t you wonder why you’re here?” he rumbles. “In this time, in this place, with Orion?” My heart starts to thud when I hear that name again. Orion. Boom. What is going on with me? “It’s because the actions, aye, the very decisions of every Artemis that came before you have led to this moment.”

  He reaches out his hand. Without a word passing between us, I know exactly what he wants. I offer him my bow.

  Hephaestus doesn’t take it. He runs one finger along the length of the silver limb. “I knew the last Artemis who held this bow. I watched her story play out, and I was there when her path back reappeared. She took it, but only because she felt she had no other choice.” He pauses, a shadow falling over his striking face. “Her name was Emily. She wasn’t quite as wee as you are.”

  “Emily.” Is it weird that I feel a strange kinship with this other Artemis? “What happened to her?”

  “Lived her life on the other side of the mirror. The clock starts again,” he says, and I still don’t get what that means. “She must’ve grown old, then died. It’s the only way for us to get passed on. Then you were born and the long wait began before the magic found you and brought you here where you belong.”

  Belong.

  My first reaction is to turn and gaze at Hunter. He’s moved up to glaring daggers at Hephaestus—if the big man notices, he doesn’t care—and I’m glad. My brain catches up to my heart a second later and I’m staggered by the realization that, when Hephaestus talked about belonging, my only thought was of Hunter.

  I've always been a big believer in fate. It’s why I’m not really fighting this whole thing as much as I could. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. I’ll do what I have to, play whatever part they expect of me, as long as I get to go home. Before the end of the story if I can help it.

  I… don’t think that’s gonna be an option.

  The soft lilt to Hephaestus’s voice draws my attention away from Hunter and back to him. “You can still be who you are, lass. It’s just, on the Other side, with the magic, you can be after something more.”

  “You Irish and your talk of magic. You make it sound so simple.”

  Hunter’s right. That’s not a bad thing, though. For the first time since I landed in the Other, I understand what I’m doing here. I really am just one more in a long line of… I don’t want to say chosen ones…. But, well, fuck it. I’ve been chosen by Artemis. Now I’m here, with a decision of my own to make.

  And now I think I kind of want to see this play out all the way to the end.

  “We’ve argued over this for many years.” Hephaestus makes an impatient sound in the back of his throat. “I see even now that it’s all begun for you at last, you still don’t see it my way.”

  “Why should I? Nothing’s changed.”

  Hephaestus dips his head. “Aye, I know, and I’m sorry for that. Maybe you should've stayed in the caves with the rest of us. It can’t hurt you if it doesn’t find you.”

  I barely sense Hunter move. One second, he’s standing off to my left. The next? He’s right by my side. He slings his arm easily around my shoulder, pulling me close until we are hip to thigh. I’m so surprised by his blatant act of possession that I don’t even try to fight it.

  Okay. I might even slip my arm out from under my cloak and wrap it snugly around his lower back. I can’t help it. We’re a perfect fit.

  His drawl has a hard edge to it when he says, “I wouldn’t do anything different.”

  “I never doubted it.” Hephaestus is staring at the place where Hunter’s arm rests on my shoulder, a look of longing flashing across his face, almost as if he wants someone of his own to hold close. With a harsh sigh, he shakes his head and turns his back on us. “You’re a better man than I, Orion.”

  “I’m only a desperate one.”

  In answer, Hephaestus walks over to his forge, picks up his hammer, and slams it against the anvil again. Clang. Sparks fly and I lean into Hunter, wary of another flash of flame heading toward us. Nothing happens. I relax, but don’t pull away from the safety o
f Hunter’s embrace. I don’t think I could if I wanted to. His hold is iron-tight.

  “You can hide in your cave all you like—”

  “I’m working,” Hephaestus interrupts harshly. The fire in the grate burns so brightly, it’s nearly white. “Never hiding.”

  Hunter keeps going, only pausing to shift his body so that he’s in front of me. The big idiot is trying to be my shield again. “—But I’ve learned the hard way that there’s no stopping fate. When it happens to you, you’ll know it. You might even try to put it off, give it up. It won’t work. And I’m sorry for you. All I ask is you don’t feel sorry for me.”

  “The hard way?” I pipe up. “What are you talking about?”

  He shakes his head.

  “Hunter.”

  “Later, Noelle. Yeah?”

  I let it go. For now. I’m gonna remember that, though.

  I’m not the only one who’s willing to let it drop.

  “Enough of that. Come.” Turning suddenly, Hephaestus snaps his fingers. A row of torches sparks to life, lighting a path that would lead us deeper into the cave.

  I huff, undeniably amazed. “Show off.”

  A hint of a smile plays on his lips. “Just had quite a bit of time to practice, lass. Now, you live here long enough, you’ll be pulling off grander tricks than these. You’ll see.”

  “She’s not stayin’,” Hunter says before I even get the chance to open my mouth. “I told you that that’s why we’re here. She’s searchin’ for a way back and I’m gonna help her.” He swallows heavily. Tucked under his arm, I watch the rise and fall of his Adam’s apple. “I promised.”

  “Like I said before then, lad. No sense in that head of yours. Ah, anyway. Come. Let me feed you both before I send you on your way. This one, I can hear the grumblin’ from halfway across the cave.”

  I’m never going to apologize for wanting to eat. I will, however, admit to not even noticing that my stomach was growling. I’m hungry—of course I’m hungry, since our snack of dry meat was ages ago—but food is the last thing on my mind.