by Maya Daniels
A deep, tired sigh escaped her lips as she followed him through the hallways and into the fighting arena. Of course this would be her punishment. What better way to satisfy Lazarus then let him watch her bleed? Or kill. He looked over his shoulder at her before veering right and heading to the elevated balcony so he could see the fights better. She ignored everything as soon as her boots hit the sandy grounds. Everyone was already there, the surrounding seats filled to the brim. Shouts and screams echoed as they saw her stride into the center. Before she got there, Lazarus’s booming words stilled her steps.
“Leave the bow and arrows. No weapons allowed.” He stood, staring down at her from his perch. “We don’t want you losing another one of your arrows, daughter. Not before you find the missing one, anyway.”
Gasps, then silence followed his words. He had never before spoken openly about why Artemis was punished. The reasons always got around through gossip, most probably thanks to Ivy. Artemis was not sure if this was because of the arrow or because she had mentioned the magic human. Her mind spun with the implications as she walked confidently to the side and gently pulled her favorite weapon off her body. Laying the arrows on the ground, her fingers trailed over the bow, finally dropping it next to them as she calmed her breath.
Shouts announced someone else entering the arena and Artemis cleared her mind. She could think about everything after she was done here. While she healed, she would let her intuition help her make sense of everything she’s learned. Hopefully it will bring her some clarity or at least point her in the direction of some answers. Turning around, she saw that her first opponent was another warrior from the Hunt. She couldn’t even remember his name, but she knew his face. His chiseled body moved fluidly towards her as muscles jumped and bunched under his exposed skin. Such a shame that she would have to mark his handsome face. She smiled predatorily as she looked at him through her lashes. Artemis stretched her fingers at her sides before clenching her fists. Walking up to the center of the arena to meet him, her smile never wavered. She watched his silvery eyes track her swaying hips as she approached him and lust flared bright for everyone to see. When she finally stopped a few feet away from him, he lifted his eyes to her face. Her smile grew and his eyes widened while his throat bobbed as he swallowed.
“Such a pretty face,” she mused gently, making him take a step back “Such a shame I will leave my mark on it.” With those last words, she jumped up, and kicking out her boot, she connected hard with his chest, sending him sprawling a yard away on his back in a cloud of dust.
Landing with bent knees, she straightened up and slowly walked towards him. He was trying to lift himself off the ground, shaking his head to clear it. When he saw Artemis nearing him, he scrambled up and took a fighting stance.
“That’s much better.” She praised him like she would a youngling. “Let us give our king the show he so desperately desires.”
The opponent's screams were not heard for long before they were replaced with another's. And another’s. And another’s. Artemis didn’t stop until she saw her last opponent. Her power was waning, she had blood running down into her left eye from the cut on her face and she was slowing down, but at that moment new strength cursed through her veins and her smile bloomed again.
“I was hoping you would face me here today!” she told him.
After calming himself down by breathing the chilly night air, Raphael returned to the store. Without stopping, he walked through the curtain at the back straight to the room on the left where he’d laid Iris on a couch and left her with Danny. The witch was still as pale as a corpse and unconscious, while Danny was wiping her forehead with a wet cloth. When Raphael walked in, Danny looked up at him with sad eyes.
“I see she’s not awake yet.” Pulling up a chair next to the dingy couch, Raphael sat down, leaning his forearms on his knees, and steepling his fingers.
“No, she’s not.” A sigh escaped Danny as she dropped the wet cloth into the bowl of water on the ground next to her feet. “It takes a toll on her when she uses a lot of magic. I sent the girls home with their mothers as well.”
“And this happens often, I presume?” He tilted his chin towards Iris. Although his words were conversational, he saw the young woman stiffen.
“I have no idea what happened back there.”
“I only asked…” Raphael started, but she cut him off.
“Nor do I care what happened, or what she does.” Danny glared at him. “I work for her. This is my job, and all I want is to do it and go home. I don’t need, or want to know what goes on behind closed doors.”
Raphael eyed the woman speculatively. He knew that if he pushed, she would only clam up, but he wasn’t sure how to handle the situation. His isolation gave him little opportunity to improve his interactions with humans. After her outburst, which almost made him laugh, Danny busied herself with changing the water in the bowl and replacing the cloth, ignoring him like he wasn’t in the room.
Straightening himself up and leaning against the back of the chair, Raphael stretched his legs in front of him, crossing them at the ankles. lacing his fingers together at the back of his head, he pursed his lips. Playing nice with the human was taking him nowhere. He wanted answers, which he wouldn’t get by her turning into a blubbering mess and telling him what he wanted to hear. A change of tactic was needed, but not one so drastic that he would need to start playing nursemaid if she began to faint or scream. A shudder racked his frame. Triggering a drama was not his favorite pastime. He didn’t want her freaking out, but fear was a powerful tool to use. He should know; he’d used it for a long time before pulling himself back from everything.
One second, Raphael was leisurely stretched out on the chair, the next, he was looming over her, one hand wrapped around her throat, and a high-pitched scream ripped from Danny’s mouth. His fangs were glistening and his eyes were like burning fires too close to her face for comfort. The bowl full of water dropped to the floor, shattering in a thousand pieces and soaking both their legs up to the knees. Fear made her freeze, staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights.
“I will ask the questions and you will give me the answers, human.” His words were little slurred through the long fangs, making her shiver in fear.
“I-I... I don’t know…any-anything” Danny stuttered through numb lips, looking at Raphael with wide eyes.
“Oh, but you do.” He cocked his head to the side, and his eyes flicked from her face to her pulsing artery on her neck and back. “What type of magic is she using?”
“I d-d-don’t know.” Her teeth started chattering, and Raphael realized he might’ve gone a bit too far.
“I will not hurt you.” Taking a step back, he made sure his fangs retracted and his eyes went back to their natural color while removing his hand from around her neck. “I have no time to play games. Tell me what I need to know and I will leave you alone. What type of magic is Iris using?” he looked at her expectantly.
“I honestly don’t know.” Still shivering, Danny gripped her trembling hands in front of her.
“What type of a witch is she?” Raphael was getting frustrated again.
“That is her story to tell, not mine.” Taking a deep breath, the color started returning to Danny’s face. “I’m neither a witch nor do I understand the types of witches. I’m very serious when I say that this is my job. It’s not stressful…” her words trailed off, and she grimaced. “Well, it wasn’t until today. It pays the bills. That’s all I know and all I can tell you.”
“And you want me to believe that she never talks about it or that you’ve never asked questions? “He folded his arms on his chest.
“I can’t tell you what to believe.” She kept looking at him warily.
“What is it that you want to know, vampire?” The tired voice was soft, but he heard her words.
“You’re awake!” He whirled towards the couch, seeing Iris watching them with tired eyes. There were dark circles under her eyes like she hadn�
�t slept for a year.
“And wishing I wasn’t.” Iris groaned as she swung her legs off the sofa.
“This is my cue to be gone!” Danny bolted out the door as fast as her feet would carry her. Raphael ignored her, staying focused on Iris.
“I’m assuming that asking you to open that portal again is out of the question, then?” He lifted an eyebrow.
“Why the hell would I want to do that? Were you blind? Did you not see what came out of it?” Iris glared at him as what little color she had on her face drained. “I was praying to a goddess. At first, I thought it was Artemis, with her bow and all. That was not a goddess, I assure you. Something is wrong, and I have a feeling I helped it unknowingly.” Her chin dropped to her chest.
“Why are you doing these worship dances, anyway? What kind of a blessing are you looking for?” Raphael looked at her curiously.
Iris watched him for few moments as if weighing her options—whether she should trust him or not. The argument she had with herself was clear in her eyes as he watched her and waited. Grabbing hold of the sofa with both hands as if to ground herself, or maybe for courage, she nodded at him, confusing the shit out of him.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had these dreams…” At those words, Raphael snorted and Iris glared at him.
“Sorry.” He cleared his throat, letting the expressionless mask he usually wore take over his face. “Please, continue.” He waved her on.
“As I was saying, I’ve had these strange dreams that didn’t feel like dreams at all.” Her eyes flicked towards him as if expecting him to interrupt her, but he waited patiently. “In those dreams, I’m in a beautiful room and everything is brighter, the colors are more vivid and the air feels like it’s caressing your lungs as you breathe it. There is also a woman there. She’s so beautiful that it hurts to look at her. She glows like the sun. That’s why I thought I was praying to a goddess. She has been teaching me the dance, the songs…everything, really. She taught me all of it in my dreams. And every time, without exception, she would tell me, “Pray for Artemis, child. She is your salvation.”” Iris stops her rambling and took a deep breath. “More like my doom, from what we know now, huh?” She looks at him sheepishly before dropping her head and looking at the hands folded in her lap now.
“I need to find that creature.” Raphael spoke calmly, although his gut tightened at the thought of what he had seen and what she was telling him now.
“Why?” Iris lifted her head and looked at him through her hair where it had fallen over her face.
“She killed some of mine. I need her to pay for it.”
“If you think any of us stand a chance against her, you are sorely mistaken.” Her voice was a tired monotone. “No offense.”
“None taken, but I do need to find her.” Raphael didn’t back down, although he was aware Iris spoke the truth. Everything in him screamed that he needed to find the creature.
“How do you know it was her that killed your people?” She frowned at him. “I’ve never seen anything like her in my life.”
“She had the same arrows as the one we found. It’s definitely her.” He was getting more confident by the second.
“You have one of her arrows?” Jumping off the couch, Iris swayed, and only Raphael’s quick reflexes saved her from face-planting on the floor.
“Easy, witch. Yes, I have one of her arrows.” He lowered her back to a sitting position.
“Can I see it?” Iris looked at him, her green eyes stark on her ashen face. Before she could blink, he was gone and back, making her hair fly around her face.
“Here it is.”
With shaky hands, Iris took the arrow and examined it. Her fingers glided gently over it as she turned it around. Bringing it closer to her face, she looked closely at the intricate designs and symbols on it, seeing their faint glow sparkle everywhere her fingers touched. Lifting her index finger, she poked at one of the symbols and it gave her an electric shock, making her jump. Her eyes snapped to Raphael’s. She stared at him for a long moment before deciding that she had to trust him. If what she suspected was in fact about to happen, she would need to trust someone, and the vampire was an excellent ally.
“I think you were right about the Wild Hunt.” Taking a deep breath, Iris didn’t take her eyes off his. “And they are trying to open the portal. The problem is…” She chewed on her lower lip. “I think I helped them.”
“Can we stop it from opening?” Raphael had a horrible feeling about what her next words would be. He wasn’t disappointed.
“No, we can’t.” Iris pressed her lips in a thin line. “But, I think I can bring her back again if I use this arrow as a beacon.” She pointed it at him, making him jerk his body away from it.
“And how do you know this?” He narrowed his eyes as he pulled the arrow out of her hands. He should snap her neck. It was because of her that his friends were dead. He should do it, but he couldn’t. He needed her help. Without it, they were all doomed.
“Because I use Fae magic. It has been through my lineage for generations. In my family, all women have the dreams.” She lifted her chin proudly. “If we are going to bring her back, you had better be sure you can hold her without getting us all killed.”
“And how would I accomplish this?” Both of Raphael’s eyebrows went up mockingly.
“Iron, vampire. It weakens them a lot, and we actually might stand a chance to survive long enough to find out what is going on. You’ll need iron. Lots and lots of iron.” She smiled humorlessly.
Anger bubbled up as Artemis watched her last opponent stroll towards her as if he expected to be the winner. There was an arrogance in his demeanor that she looked forward to squashing under her boots. She watched him approach, not letting the urge to wipe the blood off her face pull her focus away from him. She had enough time to calm her breathing before he stopped in front of her, cocking his head to the side.
“You okay?” A frown pulled his eyebrows down as Fern watched her.
“I’m very well, thank you.” Artemis gave him a toothy grin, more a baring of teeth than a smile, before adding, “Protector…or should I call you Ambassador?”
The widening of his eyes, albeit barely perceptible, was all the confirmation she needed. She guessed correctly that he was the one going through the portal to be in contact with the human. The question burning inside her was, why? Why would he be in contact with a human, and especially in her name? Too many things started to make no sense. Too many doubts and red flags began to fracture the firm convictions she had built her entire life around.
“We don’t need to fight. Lazarus has already gotten his fair share of entertainment.” Fern tried to change the subject, making her angrier. “And you have received enough punishment, if you ask me.” He waved his hand, encompassing her disheveled appearance.
That was enough for Artemis. She struck like a snake. The heel of her palm connected with his chin, flinging his head back before Fern had time to blink. Multiple fast punches caved in his torso, making him grunt in pain, and a round kick sent him to the sandy ground with a clearly-audible thud. Flipping her braided hair over her shoulder, she walked up to him and stared him down. He was curling up with his arms wrapped around his stomach, struggling to lift himself up. She might have sent some of her power in her hits, but it was part of her, not a weapon. At least in her book it wasn’t.
“How is that for someone that has had enough punishment?” she spat at him. “But worry not, Protector. I have plenty more where that came from.” She sneered as she bent down to look at him, her hands on her hips.
“There is no need for this, Artemis.” Fern coughed as his face twisted in pain. “I can explain…”
“Why is it that you always have things that you need to explain to me, Fern?” Straightening up, she placed her boot on the side of his face, pressing just hard enough that he let go of his stomach so he could try to push her foot away. “Have you ever asked yourself why that is? Huh?” Through clenched t
eeth, she pushed the words out.
“There are things that I cannot say since I have given my vow. You know I can’t break an oath to our king. You have made them, too,” Fern grunted in pain.
“You have made an oath not to tell me things?” Removing her foot, she grabbed hold of his hair and lifted his head. “What is so important that he doesn’t want me to know? Speak!” She shook his head.
Fern just pressed his lips into a firm white line and scrunched up his eyes. He wouldn’t even look at her, and it made her even more angry. He was the closest thing to a friend she had, and here she was tempted to end his life right there in the middle of the arena. Rage burst through Artemis at the thought of anyone manipulating her, and it distracted her long enough that she was caught off guard when Fern twisted his legs around and flipped her onto her back. Straddling her waist, he trapped her arms with his legs. Leaning down, his hair, now released from the tie that had held it, hung over them like a curtain, shielding both their faces from view.
“Don’t fight me on this, Artemis, it’s what he wants,” he hissed at her. “There are things that I don’t even know, but I’m trying to find out. I can’t do that if he doesn’t trust me.”
“Things like what, you two-faced snake? Like the lies you have all been feeding me?” She laughed without humor. “Oh, yes. I’m onto your plotting and betrayal. When I find out exactly what it is, there will be no place for you or him to hide.”
“Keep all that to yourself, Artemis. Things are not as we have thought. There are hidden agendas behind his plan to attack the human realm. Armies are training out of sight.” Fern pretended like he was struggling to hold her down, making her frown at him.
“I’m leading the armies, Fern, that's not hidden from me. Stop trying to manipulate your way out of this.” Using her power, she flipped him over her head and jumped up. “The time for talking is over.”
She kicked him, raising him off the ground and sending him tumbling away from her. She watched him slowly turn onto his side and raise up on one elbow as he coughed out blood. The ground blackened where the drops fell. Artemis walked towards him with hesitant steps.
