by Maya Daniels
“He’s alive for now.” She could almost hear his brain working behind his narrowed eyes. “Or maybe we’re approaching this the wrong way. Maybe if I bring him here and drain him in front of you, you’ll be more willing to talk.” One of his perfect eyebrows lifted as if in question.
“He means nothing to me,” Artemis chuckled, shaking her head “You know,” she began. Lifting herself off the ground, she started pacing in front of him “I heard all these stories about you. The vampires, top of the food chain. I expected a lot more from you and your kind.” Tsking at him, she made sure to display as much pity as she could manage. “Our younglings are stronger than you. When that portal opens, and have no doubt it will, it’ll be a slaughter. I’ll make sure to look for you when that time comes.”
With a terrifying growl, Claude slammed his body into the bars of the cage, reaching his arm between them, trying to grab her. Twisting out of his way in a smooth motion, Artemis grabbed hold of his arm as she wrapped it around her own, making sure he couldn’t escape. Yanking his head back by a handful of his long hair, she slammed it against the bars, making him hiss as a crunching sound was heard when his nose broke. Everywhere the iron touched her skin was sizzling and hurting, but it was worth the pain when she saw blood dripping down his porcelain skin and covering his lips and chin. Just as she was planning to go for the kill, that alluring smell filled her lungs and she staggered back, releasing her hold on Claude.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Raphael was at Claude’s side so fast that wind rustled Artemis's hair. “Claude? What were you thinking!!” he practically yelled in his king’s face.
“What I was thinking?” Slamming both his hands into Raphael’s chest, Claude sent him flying into the bars of the cage with such force that the cage slid a foot to the side. “What was I thinking?! This is a monster, Raphael!” he screamed in Raphael’s face. “It’s not a woman! It’s not some poor suffering soul that needs saving or your fucking ticket to redemption of past sins! It’s a fucking monster that will kill us all! And you’re keeping her alive!”
“And she will stay alive until I have all the answers!” Raphael’s voice surprised Artemis; it was deceptively calm. Too much so. “Go upstairs, Claude. Go play with your subjects, have your parties, orgies, whatever it is that you do. Stay away from this place until I’m done. If not…” Lifting himself up, Raphael tugged on his sleeves, straightening his suit jacket. “If not, I believe a battle may be overdue.”
“After all these years, you would fight me for her?” Gaping in astonishment, Claude flings a hand in her direction.
Without a word, Raphael just watched him stoically. Confusion made Artemis lightheaded and she frowned, looking at the one vampire that she didn’t have the urge to kill but hated more because of it. Why in all the worlds would he try to protect her? He is her jailer. The feel of his fingers on her face comes, uninvited, to her mind, and the pounding of her heart like a war drum got his attention. He didn’t react, not really. Artemis was watching him so intently she couldn’t help but notice the subtle stiffening of his shoulders, the barely perceptible tilt of his head towards her and most of all, the slight lift of the corners of his full lips. Claude’s angry roar jolted her out of her fascinated observation.
“Until sunrise, Raphael! She has until sunrise to give you answers.” Spittle flew from his mouth, and with his hair all mussed up, he looked like a wild animal. “After that, she’s mine!!” With those last words, Claude left the garage so fast that the door banged twice, loudly, before falling from the frame and crashing to the ground. In the silence, the feminine giggle got Raphael’s head snapping in her direction. Artemis was more surprised than anyone else.
What the hell was wrong with her? Artemis couldn’t believe her own ears. She’d giggled! That hadn’t happened since she was a youngling, and now here she was, laughing with her enemy while they’re threatening her life. She must have had a horrified expression on her face, because Raphael tilted his head as his eyes softened and his lips curled up slightly. The expression on his face made butterflies dance inside her and feelings bubble up, tickling her throat. Her breathing deepened as she struggled to take a full breath. And while she had the internal struggle to not show weakness or reaction, he merely watched her. She could almost feel that pull towards him like a physical thing, making her drown in his green eyes. Fear gripped her that he might not need to kill her; she would sign her own death warrant by letting him drain her blood willingly if this continued.
“I will tell you nothing.” Her voice was breathier than she liked, but at least the silence was broken.
Still watching her with that soft look in his eyes, he squinted a little before starting to take his jacket off. Artemis stiffened for a split second before her instincts took over and her knees bent slightly. She was ready to pounce in a blink of an eye. What made her frown was his deep sigh and the shake of his head at her reaction. Before she could process the absurdity of the situation, he folded the jacket in half and dropped it next to the cage. Without giving her time to react, Raphael turned his back on her and sat down, leaning back against the bars.
Artemis couldn’t do anything but stare at the back of his head. In his right mind, the bloodsucker had not just turned his back on her but had made sure she could rip his head off if she wanted to! Her heart picked up a beat and she clenched her hands in tight fists while almost panting, like she had fought an army. It must be some game, some trick.
“Either try to kill me or sit down so we can talk.” Raphael rubbed his hands over his face while his deep voice wreaked chaos in her. He sounded exhausted.
Wary of his agenda and of everything else that happened in the last hour, Artemis walked away from him and sat down away from the iron bars, staring intently at the back of his head. The black shirt he was wearing was stretched out, hugging his shoulders, while her fingers twitched to reach out and touch him. She clutched her knees to her chest so she wouldn’t do anything stupid as she watched Raphael roll up his sleeves up to his forearms, his biceps bunching the fabric and luring her eyes.
“I’m not sure there is anything to talk about,” she told him, absently, and he stopped his movement when she spoke.
“No creature decides to go on a killing spree without a reason unless it’s gone insane. I should know that, since I’ve done it.” After he finished rolling up his other sleeve, Raphael leaned his head back on the bars. “And since you are very clearly sane, I need to know what brought this about.”
“You sound very certain of my state of mind.” Artemis snorted at his words. “What makes you think I’m sane?”
“Good point.” Raphael chuckled turning his head so she could see his profile “Sanity is a relative term, isn’t it?”
“What is it that you want from me?” He stopped his chuckling as she spoke. “I will not tell you anything that will harm my people. You must know this.”
Quietly he replied, “Is that what you think I’m trying to do? Harm your people?” Artemis could see his forehead bunching up in a frown in profile “Do I need to remind you that you came here after the devil only knows how many centuries? You came to us and started killing.” Taking a deep breath, Raphael shook his head.
“Some debts need to be paid, bloodsucker!” Artemis hissed at him. “Some debts are not forgotten, no matter how much time it takes to collect!”
“And that is exactly what I need to know.” His words were so quiet she could barely hear him. “Who has done what to unleash this hell upon us?”
“You think this is hell?” Artemis snickered. “They were just at the wrong place at the right time.” Tilting her head, she watched him stiffen. “I was simply curious and played with them a little.”
“Taking a life is a game to you?”
“If said life has debts to pay?” Artemis sobered up at his words. “Yes!”
“What is this debt that you think we owe? Don’t you want to talk first and see what can be done before an all-out war starts? I
nnocent humans will die in the process. Do your people have so little regard towards life?”
“I don’t want to talk nor do I care if all humans die!” Jumping up, Artemis glared at him. “I want revenge!”
At her outburst, Raphael froze. They were still as statues for long moments, his mind swirling with a million thoughts at once as she glared at him.
“Revenge for what?” Pushing himself off the ground, Raphael slowly turned to face her. His green eyes sparkled in the lighting, making them seem like glass orbs. “Who is the one that wronged you so that you seek revenge?”
Artemis watched him and all her fight drained out of her. He appeared calm, but that was only a mask. At her words, the temperature in the place had dropped by a few degrees and his chiseled body seemed almost to have turned into marble. His beautiful face was shaded with shadows that danced off of his high cheekbones and perfect aquiline nose. His full lips were pressed firmly together and a muscle was ticking in his jaw.
Unaware of what she was doing, Artemis slowly walked towards him. The way he was standing and the energy coming off of him was telling her he was more upset on her behalf than interested to hear who would die next and for what. Without thinking, she lifted her hand, and reaching between the bars, she cupped his face. Closing his eyes, Raphael nuzzled her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her stomach clenched at the touch and her heart sped up, making it difficult to breathe. At the quickening beat, his eyes snapped open, looking straight at her.
“Revenge for what?” He repeated his question, placing his hand over hers and trapping her there.
“My mother.” Her nostrils flared as she struggled with so many conflicting emotions that everything around her started to spin. “Your people and the humans killed my mother.” It was difficult to breathe, and Artemis was grateful he had hold of her hand. It was the only thing keeping her standing.
Raphael cursed out loud, closing his eyes tightly as if her words pained him. She wondered why in the world he would even care about her mother. When louder cursing came from him, she sluggishly lifted her eyelids, unaware she’d had them closed. Everything was spinning around, out of control, and she groaned, pressing her lips together tightly so she didn’t spill the contents of her stomach over them both.
One second Raphael held her hand pressed to his face across the iron bars. The next, metal groaned and there were sounds of crashing before her world turned upside down. She started to wonder if this was her end. It sure felt like it. The next second, she felt like she was freefalling before her body was cradled to a firm chest. Her face was nestled between a shoulder and neck where that scent she found herself addicted to was so intense she almost cried in fear. Was he going to poison her?
“I’ve got you,” Raphael mumbled in her hair. “Just don’t fucking die! I’ve got you.”
Holding Artemis pressed to his chest and in a panic that he’d never known before, Raphael left Claude’s manor behind him. He was sure with the speed he was going that no one knew they left, not even Claude. There would be hell to pay for this, but he couldn’t let anything happen to her. He might die for his stupidity, but there was no turning back. This would either help, and she would know he meant her no harm, or she would kill him and destroy this entire realm. Still cursing in every language he knew, cradling her like the most precious thing in his life, Raphael disappeared into the darkness.
“Why on earth did you think it was a smart idea to come to my door?!” Iris glared at Raphael as he shouldered his way past her to enter her shop. “Come right in, why doncha?” she yelled at his back.
Raphael ignored the witch as he stormed through the store and headed straight for the room at the back where all the statues were. It was the only place that came to mind as he saw Artemis’s eyes roll to the back of her head and she collapsed. Fear that it might be too late to do anything for her gripped him like a vise, and he couldn’t take a full breath. With Iris following behind him cursing gods, vampires and the Fae alike, Raphael kicked open the doors of the room and walked right to the middle of it.
Laying the Fae gently on the floor, he pushed the stray strands that had escaped her braid away from her face. Artemis looked pale and she was still unresponsive. If it weren’t for her barely audible heartbeat, Raphael would’ve thought she’d died.
“Can the iron kill her?” he asked Iris, not looking away from the woman in front of him.
“What’s wrong with her? I thought you wanted her dead.” Iris walked towards him slowing her steps and frowning when she saw him gently cradling Artemis’s face in his palm. “What changed in three days, vampire?” she hissed at him.
“Can the iron kill her?” There was a warning in the words that passed Raphael’s clenched teeth, although his hands stayed gentle on Artemis.
“No!” Iris huffed incredulously at him. “It weakens her, but it won’t kill her. Did you fight? Is that way she’s covered in dried blood?” Scrunching up her nose, she peered over his shoulder at Artemis.
“Do something, then, witch!” Turning his head to glare at her, Raphael gestured with his free hand toward Artemis’s body. “She was talking one minute, then she collapsed. Wake her up!”
“Do I look like a doctor to you?” Placing her hands on her hips, Iris glared at the damn arrogant man.
“Do not test me this moment, Iris! My control is holding by a thread, and I can’t promise your safety. Do something to wake her up.” Looking at her eyes, he let the panic he felt show and Iris’s green eyes widened at that. “I know you can help her. You took her companion with you for that reason. You asked for my help and I gave it without questioning your motives. I’m asking you to do the same now.” Swallowing hard as if unfamiliar with the word, he whispered “Please.”
Iris looked at him for a long moment before he saw in her eyes the moment she reached some sort of a decision. Her magic crackled and pushed at his chest the same way as always, but he now understood that it was not threatening him, it was merely how it worked. Pressing her lips in a firm line, nostrils flaring, she gave him a firm nod before turning around and bolting out of the room. His chest contracted in worry as he watched her black hair fly behind her just as her long dress bellowed and her bare feet slapped a fast rhythm on the floors.
“Iris will help you get better. I know she can.” Raphael mumbled to Artemis as he looked back down at her. “And when you open your eyes, you will tell me everything so that I can fix this…Whatever this is that’s going on.”
She didn’t reply. Of course, she wouldn’t. Her skin was getting paler by the minute and her body was getting colder. Without overthinking his reaction, Raphael ripped his shirt open and lifted her up so she could lean her upper body on him. The corset she was wearing left enough exposed skin to assure him there would be enough skin contact. After holding her like that for a couple of minutes and not noticing a difference, he ripped her corset off with a flick of his wrist and pressed her more firmly to him. Something snapped inside him like a rubber band under too much tension with her breasts pressed to his chest and her face nestled in the crook of his neck. With a strong force, warmth burst from the center of his chest and entered Artemis. She gasped for air like she hadn’t been breathing a second before her eyes snapped open and locked on his. The same heat exited her chest and hit him like a battering ram, almost making him drop her. As he gasped for air as well, she went limp in his arms again.
“Okay, I think I got it right!” Iris was rushing to his side, stopping Raphael from overthinking what happened. “You need to place her down, vampire.”
Iris reached for Artemis so she could pull her away from him. Raphael hissed at her like a demon possessed, making Iris stumble backward few steps with eyes as wide as dinner plates. Tightening his arms around Artemis, he bared his fangs at Iris, making her tremble visibly where she stood.
“I’m not going to hurt her!” Slowly lifting both her hands in surrender, Iris spoke softly as if speaking to a scared child. “You aske
d me to help her, remember? She’s still unresponsive.” She waved her hand, indicating Artemis, whose head was lolling to the side. “I must touch her to be able to help her.” She waited to see if she’d gotten through to him.
“Give me a moment, witch. I don’t know what happened.” Raphael shook his head as if to clear it, but he still didn’t loosen up his hold on Artemis.
“Take your time, I’m not planning on moving until you’re back to your annoying, arrogant self,” Iris assured him with so much sincerity in her voice that it almost made him laugh.
“You’re either fearless, witch, or, you’re stupid.” Shaking his head, he chuckled a little and his arms loosened their death grip on Artemis.
“I’ll go with number two!” she chirped with a grimace on her pretty face. “I must be stupid to agree to deal with a vampire in the first place.”
“Help her. I think she’s suffering, I just don’t know from what.” Shielding Artemis with his body, Raphael took his shirt off and covered her before sliding away from her enough that Iris could approach her. He was still sitting close enough that his leg was touching her body.
Picking up the things she’d dropped, Iris knelt next to Artemis. Lifting her head slightly, the witch opened a bottle and started pouring the water into the Fae’s mouth. Raphael frowned. It took a moment before Artemis poked out her tongue, licking the droplets from her lips before she latched on to the bottle like an infant. The water was gone in a second.
“Just as I thought.” Iris glanced at Raphael from the corner of her eye. “You forgot that she’s not a vampire. No water and I guess, no food either, for three days?” She kept her voice conversational, not wanting to provoke him.
“Fuck!” Raphael snapped, making Iris jump a little as he stood up and started pacing while gripping his hair in both hands. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!!!”
“You didn’t think of it.”
