Healed by Fire Artemis Lupine 3

by Banks, Catherine

  For two hours we ran and played in wolf form, only stopping only to drink from a shallow stream which wound its way through the center of the coven’s property. I watched the fish swimming through it, going with the flow of the current and wished for a free life to swim where I wanted.

  After I had quelled the burning in my throat from our vigorous play I took off running again, but the beat of wings and the pressure of wind alerted me to the presence of a dragon.

  “Run, Chandra!” yelled Fira, Blu’s son.

  I spun around just as Fira gripped Theseus in one of his front red claws. I changed forms in less than a second and shot Fira in the nose with my fire, stopping him just as he was preparing to toast Theseus. Fira dropped Theseus and I ran forward to catch him, but he changed forms and released his wings just in time to soften his landing.

  Fira roared at me. “Why did you do that?!”

  “He is a friend, Fira, not an attacker. Besides, my fire does not hurt dragons so stop acting like I’ve harmed you.”

  Fira dropped to the ground and shook out his body. “No, your Sidhe fire does not harm us, but it is never pleasant to have unfamiliar fire touch your body.”

  “I had to stop you from killing him. Thank you for your protection and concern, but Theseus here is a friend.”

  Fira looked at Theseus a moment and then snorted. “A wolf-Sidhe halfbreed like you, Chandra. How interesting.”

  Theseus looked from me to the dragon and then back at me. “You know dragons?”

  Fira dropped his head and allowed me to pet him. “Yes. I am friends with the dragons. Well, at least Draco-Blu and Fira here are my friends,” I answered.

  Theseus started to walk towards me, but Fira growled. “I do not trust him, Chandra,” Theseus said.

  I stopped petting Fira and looked at Theseus. “I do not care if you trust him or not. Fira is my friend and has been protecting me for the past ten years. You will have to learn to accept the dragons or you will have to leave.”

  Theseus stared at me in shock. “You would send me away? You would live in solitude again?”

  I shuddered and whispered, “I would not like it, but I love the dragons and I will not dishonor their protection of me just for companionship. Besides, you are only coming to me now while they have been protecting me for a decade. Who would you trust more?”

  Fira yawned. “I need to return to the nest. Will you be alright for tonight?”

  I nodded my head and placed a kiss on the tip of his nose. “Thank you, my friend.”

  Fira growled once more at Theseus and then took to the sky. I watched him, longing to fly with him and then turned to Theseus who was watching me with an intense curiosity. “I am sorry if I offended you,” I said softly.

  Theseus smiled and then wrapped his arms around me in a hug. “You are loyal, which is a wonderful quality, especially in these dark times.”

  I relaxed into his hold and inhaled his scent loudly.

  “Well isn’t this cute? Two halfbreeds comforting each other,” snarled a menacing voice.

  I spun around and growled at the vampire standing before me. “How did you get in here?” I cast a Monitum spell, which created a butterfly that flew to Selene to notify her that I was in trouble and quickly moved back from the vampire, pushing Theseus backwards with me.

  “I have my ways, female. So, you found her at last, did you Theseus?”

  Theseus growled. “You know that I have to kill you now, right? I can’t let you report back to Maurice.”

  The name Maurice sounded familiar and a headache began in the front of my skull. I rubbed at it and took a step back, hiding slightly behind Theseus instead of standing protectively in front of him as I had been.

  I felt Selene’s presence growing closer and hoped she would be in time.

  “Has she found herself yet?” the vampire asked.

  “It seems we are all full of discoveries tonight. One of which is that I have a break in my barrier,” said Selene as she finally arrived. The vampire hissed at Selene, but she only laughed and said, “Oh, you poor stupid vampire. Did you really think you could come into my coven and threaten one of my sisters? I think your kind has grown cocky.” She raised her hands and then sunlight covered the vampire. He screamed once and then disintegrated into ash.

  Theseus stared at the pile of ash in shock. “I’ve never seen that spell before.”

  Selene smiled and put her arm around my shoulders. “Chandra discovered it.” She looked at my pinched face and her smile disappeared. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “My head hurts,” I said softly.

  Selene looked at Theseus. “You swore you wouldn’t reveal anyone’s name!”

  He swallowed. “I did not mean to. It was a name I thought she would have heard already.”

  Selene looked at him. “Who?”

  “The vampire king,” he said softly.

  “Maurice,” I whispered and then screamed in pain as my head throbbed and an image of a large winery in some foreign place and a handsome man whose smile was pure evil clouded my vision. “Why does it hurt when I say his name?”

  Selene placed her hands on my head and started chanting. Theseus picked my hand up in his and then placed his wrist under my nose to distract my senses. Ten minutes later the pain was finally gone. Selene glared at Theseus. “You will remember next time. We cannot afford to lose her nor have her powers released.”

  Theseus bowed. “I apologize. I will remember.”

  Selene walked briskly away without looking back. I started to stand up, but Theseus picked me up instead. I looked at his face and frowned. “You look familiar, like I’ve met you before.”

  He shook his head. “That’s not possible.”

  “Maybe I know a relative of yours then?”

  Theseus shrugged. “Perhaps.”

  I waited for him to tell me his parents, but he just walked in silence as he carried me back towards the main building. “Who are your parents?” I finally asked.

  He sighed. “Chandra, I cannot say any names. You only heard one name of a person you aren’t even tied to and it caused you pain. What do you think hearing a name of a person you are tied to will do?”

  “You know my true name, don’t you?”

  Theseus sighed. “I hope Draco-Blu comes back soon. You ask too many questions which could kill you or everyone else.”

  I rolled my eyes. “And you are a dramatist.”

  ~~~

  Chapter Three

  Trying to work with the children was impossible with Theseus around. For one, they couldn’t take their eyes off of him. The girls were mesmerized by his beauty while the boys were mesmerized by his masculinity. Second, my classroom had been transformed from a children’s introduction to magic class to a coven’s introduction to halfbreeds class.

  Did it bother me that they wanted to learn more now that Theseus was here? Yes. Why wasn’t I interesting enough for them to analyze? Or was it because I didn’t know my past or how I’d learned my powers, while Theseus did?

  Theseus stood at the front of the room shirtless with his back to us, his body shining as he called his power and released his wings. Those who were gathered watched intently as he pulled his wings out and put them back again and again.

  “Does it hurt?” one of the girls asked.

  He shook his head. “No, it feels good actually. Like when you have a spot in your back that needs to pop and then you turn just the right way and it pops.”

  “Unless someone forces your wings out. That hurts,” I said quietly as I remembered the painful event.

  He turned and looked at me in shock. “Who did that to you?”

  “A full blooded Sidhe who likes to annoy me,” I answered vaguely. I was not about to tell him it was Dionysus. As much as he annoyed me, he had kept my true lineage a secret.

  “Can you show us the process of shifting to warrior form?” James, the smallest but most intelligent boy in my class asked.

  What would the werew
olf prince’s half shift look like?

  Theseus closed his eyes and his glow faded. I pushed myself off of the wall I had been leaning on and walked out of the classroom. Obviously my services were not needed here.

  I walked north and entered the arched hedge which led into the rose garden and the mini labyrinth Selene had created. The witches had a spell on the garden which kept the flowers constantly blooming. Once I entered it no other scent except roses filled my nose. Bees hummed loudly as they pollinated the roses and went about their business. The bees never bothered us, even when we entered the labyrinth so we never bothered them.

  I made my way through the small labyrinth, running my hands along the thick bushes. The first time I’d entered the maze I’d gotten lost and it had taken me an hour to find my way back out. I knew I could have just flown out, but I was determined to find my own way. Now, the path was as familiar to me as walking up to my room in the house.

  I finally made it to the center of the labyrinth, which was a rectangular clearing about twenty square feet wide. I sat and ran my hand through the cool green grass. A small rabbit hopped out from underneath the nearest shrub and stopped in front of me, twitching his nose and moving his ears to pick up any sounds. Reaching out slowly, I began to stroke the rabbit’s ears as I drifted off into my trance.

  My thoughts always strayed to the prince and the strange connection I could feel in me. It was like a cord, one which if I focused on hard enough could be followed to him. But that was impossible, or it should have been. I also felt a second connection to someone or something, but I couldn’t figure out what it was or what it meant.

  If he was my mate then why had I been alone as a wolf for so long? Why had he not found me until now? If he was really my mate then he should have been able to find me twenty years ago, or more. And why couldn’t I remember anything?!

  I had no idea how long I’d been a wolf because my mind had deteriorated into simple animal urges and instincts at some point and I would still be there if it hadn’t been for Selene finding me and rehabilitating me. I knew that I’d gone through several generations of one wolf pack before leaving them for a new one and going through several additional generations with that pack, but I couldn’t count the number of years. I was almost afraid to. I did and didn’t want to know how old I was. I looked about twenty, but preternaturals age much slower than humans and in varying scales depending upon the race.

  Maybe the prince didn’t want me? No, I couldn’t believe that. It hurt just thinking that.

  I still vividly remembered the goddess, or Sidhe woman as I understood now, who was my earliest memory. I had tried to find her again and the place we had been at, but was unsuccessful.

  My irritation was growing and the rabbit’s fur twitched beneath my tense hands. My stomach growled in hunger and for a fleeting moment I thought about eating the rabbit.

  “Chandra?” Theseus called.

  “In here,” I answered softly as I shooed the rabbit away, closed my eyes and started humming softly to meditate.

  I felt his wolf as he sat down in front of me. It was strange to be able to feel someone like I did now. Had the interaction with the werewolf prince unlocked some of my powers?

  I opened my eyes and asked, “How did you find me?”

  He tapped his nose. “Scent trail. Are you feeling well?” he asked softly.

  “Headache,” I whispered. “I hope Blu returns with news from the Council soon.”

  “How long until your dragon friend returns?”

  “I do not know. It depends on how quickly the Council makes a decision.”

  “Would you like to go for a run?” he asked cheerfully.

  I shook my head. “No, I think I’d just like to sit here for a moment.” I started humming again and slowly slipped back into my meditative trance.

  At least I was in my trance until a cold hand touched my face. “The dark approaches. Fire will consume and restore, happiness and pain must be experienced collectively. Death for three will be the end.”

  I opened my eyes and looked up at Margenta. Her eyes were opened wide, but only the whites were showing. A prophecy. Margenta was using her power of prophecy on me. “Who are the three?” I asked softly so as not to awaken her from her trance.

  “Starlight, twice stars and moons. Those are the three.”

  “When?”

  No response.

  “Can the path be altered?”

  “Fate can always be changed. Decisions must be made. But the death is unchangeable. Death requires the lives and Death will not be denied.”

  “Can another life be traded?”

  “Death will not be denied the three. A decision will be made, but not by thee.”

  Margenta’s eyes closed and then she gasped in a huge lungful of breath and dropped to her knees beside me. “What happened?” she asked.

  “Prophecy,” I whispered.

  Her eyes widened in shock and she looked at me in horror. “No, oh no. Chandra I am sorry.”

  I smiled and patted her hand reassuringly. “Your Sight is a gift and I thank you for using it on me. You should take a lavender bath to calm yourself.”

  She nodded her head and walked on wobbly legs out of the rose garden.

  “I need to relay this to the ones who sent me,” Theseus said.

  I nodded my head and stood up, brushing my backside off. “I need to seek Selene’s advice as well.”

  “Are you alright?” he asked, concern evident in his voice and eyes.

  I smiled and nodded my head. “Yes, I have heard many doom prophecies since coming here. I expected one day to hear my own.”

  He didn’t seem convinced, but he left. I sagged to the ground and held my head in my hands. Why me? Why now? What the hell did it mean?

  “Are you alright, Sister?”

  I looked up and took Selene’s extended hand. “No.”

  “Margenta came to me very distressed. Would you care to enlighten me as to what has happened?”

  I exhaled and asked, “Could we go to your office first?”

  Selene smiled and put her arm around my shoulders. “Of course. And when we get there I will brew you some relaxing tea.”

  “A shot of whiskey might be better.”

  Selene laughed and my despair lightened slightly. She could always lift my mood. Of course since she said I was surrounded by despair and darkness, that wasn’t a difficult task. We walked into the main building and to her office in the east wing on the first floor. I sat down and watched Selene boil water and add leaves. She waved her hand and a pen and a piece of paper appeared in front of me. “Write down the prophecy and any answers she gave you to questions you asked.”

  I did as she asked and then flipped the paper around so that she could read it when she sat down. She set a cup of steaming tea on the desk in front of me and then sat down in her chair. I sipped my tea and looked around the room. The walls were painted black and aside from the desk and three chairs, only a small overhead light adorned the room. It was the perfect room for a witch to perform spells and meditate in privacy.

  Selene’s cup shattered as it fell to the floor, making me jump up out of my chair.

  “Selene?!”

  She bent down and started picking up the broken pieces. “I’m alright, Chandra. I’m sorry I startled you.” Our eyes met and she swallowed nervously. “Her prophecies have never been wrong.”

  I plopped down in the chair and sighed. “I know.” I could smell Selene’s fear and it made me worry. I’d never known the witch to be afraid. “Selene, why are you so frightened?” I asked.

  “I need to do some research. You should return to your room and rest. I’m sure this has taken a lot out of you.” She stood and walked to the door, opening it for me.

  I had never been dismissed by Selene like this before. “Very well,” I whispered as I walked passed her.

  I walked to my room and sat down on my bed. My room was small, just big enough for my dresser and bed, but it had its o
wn bathroom and since only I lived in it, it was fine for me. It was like a little den where I was safe and could curl up in the dark, away from all of the scary things which hunted when the light disappeared.

  Divinations were always tricky to decipher because sometimes they meant exactly what they said while other times they were metaphors. Plus you couldn’t figure out what it meant until it was happening and by then it was too late.

  I could feel Theseus’ approach before he walked in. He stopped in the doorway and looked at me with a carefully neutral expression on his face. “What did Selene say?”

  I was still unaffected by his appearance, which was strange. It seemed unnatural for a woman not to be affected by him. I could see that many of the witches were, so why wasn’t I?

  “Nothing. What did the werewolf prince say?” Just the thought of him sent my heart twisting. How could a man I didn’t know affect me like this?

  “He said quite a few swear words and then broke a few things. Then his second in command took the phone and told me that they would contact us if they deciphered anything.” He sat down on the bed beside me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “Are you alright?”

  I scoffed. “I’m great. I’m being lied to by someone I thought was my best friend. I discover a man who may or may not be my mate who may or may not have abandoned me. And now one of my sisters foretells a prophecy that I think talks about my death.” I flopped backwards onto the bed and growled. “Life is great.”

  “Let’s go outside and play,” Theseus suggested.

  I shook my head. “No, I think I just want to sleep.”

  “We could fight if you wanted. I might even let you win once.”

  I smiled despite my mood and sat up. “You’re on.”

  We walked out of the house with my sisters staring after me with solemn expressions. I gritted my teeth and followed Theseus out to the garden. Theseus stopped and turned to face me, his face serious as he stretched his legs and arms. “Are you ready?”