by Maya Daniels
Iris was surprised to see Artemis and Raphael walk through the door of her ritual room. She frowned as she looked at the vampire, who should be dead for the world for another six hours, minimum. Artemis had a determined look on her face as she pulled on the shirt Iris gave her to wear. The Fae was not used to human clothing, so she scratched and picked on it constantly, making Iris feel bad that she had nothing else to offer her. Dresses were out of the question if they wanted Raphael to stay focused.
“Something is the matter, witch?” Stopping where Iris was kneeling on the floor tracing sigils with salt trickling from her hand, he narrowed his eyes. “You look like I killed your pet.”
“Why are you awake?” Iris blurted.
“That’s what I asked as well, but got no answer,” Artemis told Iris before she turned to look at Raphael with her eyebrow raised. “He always distracts me when I ask a question he doesn’t want to answer.”
“I’m assuming it’s because of the bond.” A line formed between his brows as he looked from Artemis to Iris and back. “Or the Fae blood. And, it’s a pointless conversation. I’m good to go and I’m not complaining. Anything that gives us the advantage, I’m happy with.”
“We need to know what else has changed. It might have unwanted side effects, you know,” Iris pointed out, making Raphael fume.
“Nothing about her or from her is unwanted, witch! I ignore most of your ramblings, but don’t push your luck. Not with this!” he snapped at her, making her recoil.
“She didn’t mean it the way you took it, Raphael. Calm down!” Artemis gripped his arm, and it was physically evident how his body reacted to and relaxed at her touch. “Does this mean that sunlight doesn’t affect you anymore? We need to know before you set foot on the other side. Or wait until nightfall when your strength is at full force.”
“We need to walk around the realm? I thought we are just retrieving your weapon this time.” He placed his hand over hers on his arm when she tried to pull it away. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“I just worry, that’s all.” She shook her head as if his words were disappointing. “Just like you, I’d rather not take chances with your life. We don’t know what will happen when we go through.”
“We’ll be fine!” He straightened his shoulders.
Artemis wished she had the same confidence as he did. It was crippling to feel this fear for another. A nagging feeling in her stomach was telling her that things would go wrong no matter how much she tried to stay in control of the situation. Their only hope was that Lazarus was not expecting them. If they managed to get in and out, they’d have more time to come up with a plan on how to fix this. At the moment she needed to focus and not fight the insistent pull she felt from it. She hadn’t said a word because Raphael would go ballistic and plow through the portal without reason, getting himself killed. Summoning all her confidence, she looked down as Iris traced the last line of the sigil.
“Let’s do this as soon as Iris is ready.” Faking a reassuring smile, she turned to Raphael, “Do you have my arrow? You should leave it with Iris so she can pull me back here if things don’t go as planned. Even if I get captured by my father, the arrow will pull me through. I won’t fight it.”
“It’s in the car. I’ll go get it, with my speed the sunlight won’t hurt me in such short time.” Kissing Artemis’s forehead, he strutted out of the room before she can protest.
As soon as she couldn’t hear him, Artemis turned to Iris. “If you have a feeling something is wrong, I need you to pull him out of there! Do you hear me?” Artemis looked at the witch intently.
“He’ll kill me! Are you insane?” Iris hissed back, keeping her voice low in fear he might hear her.
“I will hunt you down and you’ll wish someone had killed you first if anything happens to him that you could’ve stopped!” Artemis snapped as her eyes flashed, their glow as eerie as it was beautiful to watch.
Inhaling a shaky breath, with no other option but to agree, Iris nodded jerkily. She was still looking at Artemis when Raphael walked back in, holding the arrow in a tight grip. His eyes narrowed when he saw them locked in a staring match. Iris smiled at him tightly before lifting herself off the ground and dusting her hands of the grains of salt still stuck to her palms.
“Why do I have a feeling that I was sent out of here so you two could plot something?” He kept looking from one woman to the other.
“Because you’re a vampire who thinks everyone is like you, and because you’re paranoid!” Iris told him, irritated. “I’m more worried about your buddy deciding to come visit while you two aren’t here. I don’t buy his bullshit that he doesn’t remember anything.”
“He won’t!” Raphael smiled grimly at her. “It’ll take him finding a way out first. And that, witch,” he pointed a finger at her, “won’t happen. You can bet your life on it.”
“Well, I kinda am betting it, you jackass!” she snapped before closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. “Sorry. I’m just freaked out, that’s all.”
“In and out, Iris.” Artemis walked up to the witch and grabbed her shoulders. “We will be back before you know it, I promise.” The look Artemis gave her had more meaning than the words she spoke, so Iris nodded slowly, letting Artemis know that she’d gotten the message loud and clear.
Stepping away, Iris lifted her hands and stretched out her fingers, wiggling them. Her breath whistled through the air as she exhaled through pursed lips before walking around and sitting on her haunches at the top of her intricate circle. Closing her eyes, she started humming, and it grew in volume while her fingers kept making that pattern that Raphael kept meaning to ask about. Artemis wiped her palms off on the pants Iris had given her, preparing herself for whatever came their way. Raphael leaned down, dropping the arrow on the floor close to Iris before straightening up and balling his fists. This was it! His first travel to a different realm and it was as exciting as it was terrifying. He just had to stay focused and not make things more difficult with the temper he’d developed since he met his mate. Fuck me! I better be able to do this, his mind screamed at him. I can do this! he thought sternly. As he watched the colors start popping and swirling in the middle of the witch’s circle, he was almost certain he could. Kinda! his mind supplied helpfully.
Artemis glanced once at Iris, making sure the witch was fine and could handle herself before squaring her shoulders and walking through the opened portal with Raphael right on her heels. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting to see, but it wasn’t the empty portal room or the deathly silence that surrounded her. Raphael’s warm palm on her back was as welcome as it was distracting. She looked at him over her shoulder and smiled tightly before taking a deep breath and trying to locate her weapon. It called to her no matter where she was.
“Stay close and quiet,” she said very softly, knowing that he would hear her perfectly.
On silent feet she walked to the entrance, stopping only to glance out really quickly, assuring herself that there was no one in the hallway before walking out like she owned the palace. There was no one around. Not the gossipers, not a stray person going somewhere. It looked like the place was deserted. Her stomach was in knots and the anxiety was eating at her. Something was very wrong, and it had nothing to do with her disappearance. No one cared a great deal about her, she knew that much.
“I’ve never been here before, but even I feel that something is wrong.” Raphael’s words were spoken softly, for her ears only. Glancing back at him, she nodded and continued to follow the pull she felt in her chest.
The uneasiness Artemis felt grew exponentially when she was led to her father’s wing. The large hallway was as empty as the rest of the palace… as quiet as a tomb. Her nerves prickled with the feeling that she was being watched just as the hand Raphael held at constant contact with her back gripped her shirt tightly. He felt it too, she knew it. Not wanting to alert whoever was watching them that she was aware, she kept a steady gait and kept walking. The decor
ative pieces and art on the walls were blurry as she ignored everything but reaching the massive double doors in front of her. If she could get her weapon, they would be fine.
Raphael was trying his best to keep a leash on his instincts screaming at him to protect his mate. He gripped her shirt so tightly in his fist he was surprised the fabric didn’t rip. It felt like his fingers had fused together and he couldn’t release it if he tried. Everywhere he turned, bright colors met his gaze. This realm was so much more vivid and so colorful that his eyes stung as he squinted in an effort to see better. For a split second his mind wondered how earth looked to Artemis. Did it seem so drab, so washed out that she wouldn’t want to stay there with him? He pushed that thought to the back of his mind. Focus! he berated himself.
The closer they got to the doors, the more Raphael could feel Artemis stiffening under his fisted hand. On the outside, she looked like she was walking with purpose, not batting an eye. He could feel her anxiety through their bond, though, making his own skyrocket. Both of them slowed down, then stopped as a light breeze ruffled their hair and made goosebumps cover Artemis all over. She didn’t dare move her eyes from the closed doors while Raphael looked around them with a scowl on his face. Everything around Artemis started fading into shadow as the doors got brighter. She felt her body coiling to spring from where she stood in the hope that she would get there in time.
Her eyes locked on the intricate gold doorknob that started moving painfully slowly. Her heart leaped into her throat as a door opened to their left. Neither she nor Raphael had time to react as Raphael was snatched away from her, ripping her shirt in the process and leaving it to hang in tatters on her shoulders before he was shoved into the room. Ivy, her father’s consort, grabbed her under her arm, almost digging fingernails into her skin just as the door in front of her opened and Lazarus filled the doorway.
“Oh, thank the fates you’re here!” Ivy exclaimed, and when Artemis looked at her, she realized Ivy was talking to her father. “She’s back!” she gushed, acting like a worried mother and utterly confusing Artemis. “And she’s alive!” Ivy continued, pulling Artemis along as she started walking.
On wooden legs and with a numb mind, Artemis allowed herself to be pulled forward as her eyes locked with the cold green ones in her father’s face. There was something there, like he was mocking her, internally laughing at her, that rubbed her the wrong way, and she glared at him. Her own eyes must have betrayed her, because his wings unfurled and he stepped away from the doorway as if ready for a fight. Ivy’s nails dug deeper into her skin, taking her focus away from Lazarus. Who knew the woman had daggers for nails? Artemis felt the drip of her blood gliding on her skin and her insides clenched. Raphael! her mind screamed at her, but she had to stay alive to go after him. Artemis knew two things for sure. One, he was alive, albeit angrier than ever. Two, Ivy was next to her, and if anything happened to him, Ivy would wish and pray for death.
“Where were you?” The deep voice of Lazarus broke through her internal panic. His wings were spread out, almost blocking half the doors behind him.
“I was trapped and held captive,” Artemis said calmly, surprising herself. “I escaped.” Her voice sounded hollow to her own ears.
“Just like that.” Lazarus narrowed his eyes and he clenched his fists as he took a step towards her.
“She’s alive, I think that…”
“No one cares what you think!” Lazarus snapped at Ivy, cutting her off.
“No, not just like that,” Artemis spoke loudly enough to get his attention off Ivy. “I had to kill quite a few of them, but it made things fun,” she continued conversationally, shrugging a shoulder. “The important thing is that I’m back!” Lifting her chin, she glared, daring him to say something.
“Yes, I see you are,” Lazarus mused. “And right on time, too!”
“On time for what? My own search party?” Artemis tried for humor, but her words sounded accusatory. The cruel smile lifting the corners of her father’s lips was like a knife in her gut.
“Let us not wait, since you are so curious, daughter.” He came at her with long strides, grabbing her free arm and almost dragging her along with him. “Let me show you!”
Looking over her shoulder, Artemis glanced desperately at the closed door where she hoped Raphael was and then at Ivy. The color had drained from the other woman’s face, but she gave Artemis an encouraging nod as if reading her mind. If this was how it felt to worry about a mate, Artemis needed to find and kill the fates. This crippling fear was something she wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy. Not even on Lazarus.
Raphael felt out of his mind when he was pulled harshly into a room and the door was slammed in his face. All the panic he felt from Artemis, coupled with his fear for her life, made him go ballistic. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been throwing his entire body at the door, yanking on it with all the strength he had, with no effect. Nothing would budge. It was as if the whole place was made out of some material that made him more useless than a human.
Looking down at his feet, he saw a piece of Artemis’s shirt that he must have ripped off when he’d been pulled away. Scooping it up, he brought it to his nose and inhaled deeply. Her scent, like fresh air in a dark tomb, calmed him down… a little. Long enough that he felt certain that she was alive, anyway. Her fear, anger and anxiety mixed tighter, and he felt it all as if it were his own. That made him stop and think. If he let it overwhelm him, both of them might not leave this realm. He needed to find a way out of this room and to find her.
Raphael knew when she was walking away, and it felt like she was yanking at a rope tied to the center of his chest as she was gaining distance. With no other options left, he walked calmly to the door and tried the doorknob as if everything in the world was right. It didn’t open, naturally, and he shook his head at himself.
“That almost looked civil.” A deep male voice spoke behind him, making Raphael whirl around, baring his fangs and snarling. “Well, I did say almost civil.” A tall blue-eyed male was perched on the edge of a large bed, his arms crossed.
“Who the fuck are you?” Raphael got in his face. “Open this damn door!”
“And you’ll go where, exactly?” Snorting, the male didn’t even blink at the angry vampire whose fangs were gleaming, ready to rip him to shreds.
Raphael had enough of bullshit and grabbed for the male, but stopped and frowned when his hands passed through the male like he wasn’t there. This room was getting crazier by the second, and he had just about had enough of it. His instincts were screaming at him to kill the male and go find his mate, but all he could do about it was fume, snarl and nothing else. Stopping his panting and snarling, Raphael pinched the bridge of his nose before rubbing a hand over his face. At least he was grateful that the headaches had stopped.
“You’re a fucking ghost!” Raphael mumbled with his eyes closed as his nostrils flared while he tried to calm himself down. “That’s all I needed right now. A ghost!”
“First of all, I’m not a ghost!” Smirking, the male stood up. He was as tall as Raphael but leaner, with long black hair falling over his shoulders. “Ivy is a seer, and she can also walk the ether. She pulled me here, so I’m not stuck in my body or in that ghostly place.” Raphael was getting more confused by the second. “My name is Fern, by the way.”
At hearing the name, Raphael attacked again, but he only managed to go through Fern and stumble over the bed. Snarling, he tried again a few more times before stopping, though he continued glaring at Fern.
“You must’ve heard of me,” Fern chuckled as amusement danced in his eyes.
“You can’t be here! You’re in my realm with Iris.” Raphael spat at him and immediately felt stupid for even having the conversation. “While Artemis is out there alone and I’m stuck here with you!”
“Artemis will be fine. You forget she’s a warrior and much stronger than any of us here. I’m not sure even Lazarus can compare. Why do you think he had her on a short leash?�
� Fern tried to calm Raphael down but only made him angry.
“Watch your mouth, Fae!” There was so much malice in Raphael’s words that Fern’s hairs stood on end.
“Listen! I get it! I had enough time to listen to Ivy as she went on and on about everything that she’s seen in her dreams to know who and what you are, as well as knowing that you’re the only hope Artemis has to stay alive. I was crazier than you the first time I showed up in this room and couldn’t touch anything.” Fern glared at him.
“What?” Raphael forgot how to breathe at hearing Fern’s words. “What did you just say?”
Fern went on full alert, stiffening up even though he knew the vampire couldn’t touch him. Instincts were stronger than reason. Raphael’s quiet and deceptively calm voice made alarms scream in Fern’s head to get the hell away from him. Unfortunately for both of them, they were stuck here together.
“It would better if Ivy told you. I don’t remember all the details.” Fern kept watching the vampire warily. “That woman has gotten me into more trouble than I care to admit, but looking back now, I see that it all had to pass to stop this insanity that will destroy us all. I just know that you need to be here at this moment. When it’s time, she will come to get you, I’m sure.” He frowned as if he couldn’t believe his own words.
“She’s in danger because of me,” Raphael told him as if they were having a friendly conversation. “I need to find a way to get out of this room.”
“Well, we’re both out of luck. I have no idea how Ivy does half of the things she does, and it’s even unfathomable to me to think that Lazarus doesn’t know about it. But from what I’ve seen the last few days I’ve been stuck here, I think we should trust her.”
“You can trust whomever you want. I’m out of here!” Raphael growled as he turned towards the door, eyeing it.
“Don’t be so stubborn, you’ll only exhaust yourself. Keep your strength, because you’ll need it,” Fern told him conversationally. “Ivy saw all possible paths, and the one that was most promising for all of us to stay alive is the one she made sure would come to pass.” Lifting a hand to stop any rebuttal, he shook his head. “Don’t ask me how! I stopped questioning it. She told me the exact moment you and Artemis would be walking past that door. She waited to pull you in so Lazarus wouldn’t see you. If that’s not enough proof, I don’t know what else to say.”
