Healed by Fire (12 page)

Achilles pointed down. “Underground. We
built a lower level down there to accommodate the large number of
our pack.”

Victor asked, “Where did you learn that new
sunlight power, Artemis? Did the witches teach you that?”

I shook my head. “A vampire attacked me one
night while I was walking back to the coven. I just kept thinking
how the fight would be a lot easier if I could use sunlight instead
of fire and then, boom, sunlight burst out of my hand and poof went
the vampire. It took a while, but Selene managed to create a spell
which lets her do a similar thing.”

Victor tapped his chin thoughtfully. “It
might be beneficial to us if we contacted the witches and asked for
their alliance in the upcoming battle.”

Ares nodded his head. “I was thinking the
same thing. I wanted to stop and talk to Selene anyways and thank
her for protecting Artemis all these years.”

I looked at the amount of space between
Ares, Achilles and I. Why were they now staying apart from me?

Achilles looked at me and I remembered he
could hear my thoughts. He smiled and walked to me, taking my hand.
“It was nothing intentional, we just didn’t want to overwhelm you
too much or cause problems.”

I felt a piece of me calm and looked at
Ares. “Are you still bothered by this? When I left you two weren’t
really on the best of terms.”

Ares smiled. “We have worked out our
issues.”

Somehow I didn’t think they had resolved the
one major issue we had between the three of us while I was
gone.

I walked to the living room which was
sparsely furnished and sat in a rocking chair facing the rest of
the couches. “Now, how about you all fill me in on the last one
hundred and five years?”

The men all took seats facing me and looked
at each other for several minutes before Koda began. “When Hera
stole you, things went a little crazy. Ares and Darren were
fighting, but when you got teleported to such a far distance, his
strength sapped and Darren got in a few good shots. More vampires
poured in and with both Ares and Achilles distracted we knew we
wouldn’t win. So, we ran.”

My mouth gaped open. “You ran away?”

Koda nodded his head. “Yep. We turned tail
and ran. We escaped to Lyngvi, but when we got there Darius had us
thrown in jail for some fake charges. He knew he couldn’t have us
murdered, but not even mom could get us out. So, we were all stuck
in jail for fifty years.”

“That’s a pretty harsh punishment for fake
charges.”

Koda shrugged. “Fifty years isn’t as long as
it is to humans.”

“How’d you get out of jail?” I asked.

Achilles said, “Hera.”

I turned to him. “Hera got you out?”

He nodded his head. “She popped into our
cells and took us to her Court.”

“Why would she help you when she was the one
who repressed my memories?” I asked with a bit of an angry
tone.

“Because I never intended to keep you
separated for so long,” said a familiar female voice.

I spun around and before I’d even thought
it, my wings were out, my skin glowed and my hands became covered
in flames. Every eye was focused on me as I floated above the
ground and glared at the woman who had caused me so much pain and
separated me from my pack and myself for so long. “What are you
doing here?” I asked in a voice that boomed with power.

Victor circled me slowly while Ares and
Achilles moved closer to me. “She really has grown in power. I
thought she only meant that she had learned a new spell, but
this…this is incredible.”

Hera kept her gaze level with mine, but for
the first time I saw fear in her eyes. “Artemis, please let me
explain.”

Anger boiled inside me and in a millisecond
I moved across the room and had Hera up against the wall by her
throat. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip your head off
right here and now.”

“I only did it to save Achilles. Please, you
must understand what lengths a mother would go to save her
child.”

“I know nothing of a mother’s love!” I
shouted at her. “Or have you forgotten that I was supposed to be
killed when I was born?!”

Ares and Achilles each touched one of my
arms. “Calm down, please,” whispered Achilles.

Ares whispered, “We believe Hera and have
forgiven her. Please, let her go.”

My primitive side screamed for vengeance,
but I subdued it and released her and my powers. “Fine, but if you
so much as give me a cross look, I’ll kill you.”

Hera started to open her mouth and then
thought better of it. “You’re more a queen now than you were
before.”

I turned away from her and stomped to the
other side of the room. “Why were you helping Maurice?”

“At the time I thought he was the most
powerful and couldn’t afford to lose my people in a fight against
him. Had I known that you were indeed the prophesized one, I would
have never agreed to assist him. But I didn’t follow his
instructions exactly. You see, he wanted me to kill you, but due to
Achilles binding you two together, that would mean killing my own
son. I did the only thing that could keep you both alive.”

“Alive, but terrified,” I whispered to the
fireplace mantle in front of me.

“I am sorry, Artemis. If I could find a way
to make up for what I’d done, I would,” she whispered.

I turned back to Ares. “So, while you were
locked up, Maurice took over the human world?”

He nodded his head. “He completed the take
over and instead of being equal with the other races, he took over
as king.”

“And then the reign of terror began.” I
looked at Koda. “Why were halfbreeds being kidnapped?”

“The vampires kidnapped some in an attempt
to find you and to build their army, but we also went to the
already living halfbreeds we could find and asked them to join our
pack. Each that we asked came willingly.”

I paced along the living room floor. “What’s
our plan? How does this Apollo guy figure into it?” Hera’s body
stilled and it looked like she wasn’t even breathing. I walked
towards her. “Who’s Apollo?”

She swallowed and then her queen face was
back on. “No one of consequence.”

Before I could say anything she disappeared.
I growled angrily and punched the wall, which buckled under my
fist. “Why does everyone always hide things from me?!”

A man that looked to be in his late teens
ran into the house. “Ares!”

Ares rushed to him. “What is it?”

The man caught his breath and then noticed
me. “Oh. Wow.”

I frowned at him and he started to move
towards me, but Ares growled at him. “Speak!”

The man shook his head as though clearing
it. “There’s a group of vampire hybrids coming this way. That guy
is leading them.”

I rummaged through my bag until I found an
open backed shirt which Selene made specifically for me to wear
while my wings were out. All of the men looked at me questioningly
as I stripped out of my current shirt, which was ripped since
releasing my wings, and put on the new one. I shimmied out of my
pants and put on a pair of short shorts and then put my fists
touching in front of me. “By the power of the stars, grant me a
weapon to fight this foe.” I pulled my hands apart and a sword of
light appeared between them.

“Who taught you that?” asked Achilles in
shock.

I shrugged. “I dreamed the words and when I
tried them the next morning, it worked.” I traced the outline of
one of the vines on my face and whispered, “May the stars and moon
aid me in my battle for peace.” My power as well as the power of
the moon and stars made my body glow bright and my vines surged
with power. I smiled at Ares. “See you outside.” I ran from the
house and onto the beach where I could just make out the group
coming my way.

Ares appeared at my side. “Artemis, please.
Just wait in the house.”

I laughed. “That didn’t work before and it’s
definitely not going to work now.”

Ares sighed. “Fine, but please, stay beside
me.”

I kissed his lips and whispered, “Yes,
Alpha.”

Ares kissed me a little bit longer, nipping
my bottom lip at the end which made me growl in frustration. “Just
think of that as incentive to stay alive for the private
celebration afterwards.”

The rest of our group and pack joined us,
standing behind Ares and me. The man Koda referred to as Apollo
stopped across the beach from us with his vampire hybrids fanned
out behind him. “Surrender the girl and we will leave the rest of
you alone.”

Ares growled, but I laid a hand on his arm.
“No, it’s alright. Let him have me.”

Ares looked shocked for a moment before he
smiled, understanding that I had a plan. I walked slowly across the
beach towards the stunned Apollo. He watched me in silence and then
asked, “Who are you?”

I stopped walking and stared in shock at his
face. He looked like a male version of me. “I’m…Artemis,” I
whispered.

Apollo blinked a couple of times and then
shook his head. “I’ve been sent here to collect you.”

I snorted. “I’m not a urine sample to be
collected.”

The vampire hybrids behind Apollo shifted
nervously as I walked closer to their leader. I started to reach
out towards him, but a sword appeared in Apollo’s hand and I barely
raised mine in time to block his strike. “Do not touch me,” he
growled.

“You’re a halfbreed, like me,” I whispered
as our swords ground against each others.

“I am nothing like you,” Apollo growled as
he pivoted and sliced at me.

The moment broken, the hybrids rushed
towards the halfbreeds and the battle truly began. Apollo matched
me strike for strike. I couldn’t break through his guard, but he
couldn’t break through mine either. Ares appeared at my side and
slashed at Apollo with his claws, but Apollo jumped backwards and
his wings popped out of his back. Achilles ran forward and jumped
into the air, his wings extending as he jumped and his sword
appeared in his hand. Apollo blocked Achilles’ attack, but fell to
his feet on the ground.

Three hybrids rushed over to protect Apollo
from us. I decapitated one and rushed around the others who were
distracted by Ares and Achilles. Apollo was ready for me though and
blocked my attack easily. I shot fire at him, but he deflected it
away. “Who are you?!” I screamed angrily. “Why do you look like
me?”

Apollo growled, but then Darren was suddenly
running down the beach towards us. I gasped in shock, and fear made
me freeze. Apollo swung his sword at me, but stopped with the edge
pressed to my throat.

I whimpered, “Darren.”

Apollo growled angrily and pressed the blade
harder against my throat, but still didn’t draw blood. “Why don’t I
want to kill you? Is this some type of spell?”

Darren slowed and walked towards us. “Kill
her, Apollo. Kill her now.”

“You’re my father! Why do you despise me so
much?” I asked as tears leaked down my face. Due to my memory
problem I hadn’t had time to deal with the words he had spoken to
me during the battle.

“What do you mean your father?” Apollo asked
in shock, his sword pulling slightly away from my throat.

Darren growled at Apollo who shuddered.
“Kill her, son.”

“Son?” I gasped. I looked at Apollo and
understood. “You’re my brother.”

Apollo shook his head. “No. That can’t be.
You told me I was your only child.”

Darren groaned. “I thought maybe one of my
twins could be a worthy child, but apparently you are both
worthless.” Darren reached for the sword in Apollo’s hand, but it
disappeared into Apollo’s skin. Only another Sidhe could use the
swords we possessed.

“Explain this!” Apollo yelled.

Darren struck Apollo so fast that I only
heard the sound and then Apollo was on the ground. I started to
move towards him, but Darren grabbed me by the throat and picked me
up. “If you want something done right, you have to do it
yourself.”

I struggled against him and then relaxed. He
was my dad and it hurt that he hated me, but I was a warrior. I was
a powerful being and I would not be strangled by this man. I pulled
my sword up and stuck it through Darren’s stomach. He looked down
and laughed. “You think that little thing will kill me?” His grip
tightened and black spots began covering my vision. I couldn’t
move. I couldn’t call my power. How could this man have so much
power over me?

“Ares,” I gasped with what air I had
left.

I heard a responding snarl and then Darren
was fighting with one hand while he chocked me with the other. The
power he possessed was like nothing I’d ever encountered before.
His aura was bright red and the sheer amount of power frightened
me. Darren tossed Ares backwards and then slammed me onto the
ground. He touched the sword, making it disappear from his stomach
and then changed his hand to a paw. He raised his three inch claws
over my throat. “Time to finish your pathetic life,” he said with a
snarl.

I closed my eyes and waited for death. I
didn’t want to die and I wanted to be strong, but Darren was
too
strong. He had to be close in age to Ares. His blood
called to mine and I could not kill him. I opened my eyes a moment
later to see his claws stopped an inch from my throat. I held my
breath to keep them from getting closer to my skin and looked from
Darren’s shocked face to the blade protruding from his chest, where
his heart was. Darren’s body fell lifelessly to the ground.

I expected to find Achilles standing behind
Darren, but it was Apollo. “None shall harm my sister,” he growled
angrily.

“You saved me.” I said in shock. “Why?”

Apollo rubbed his temples and looked from me
to Darren’s body and back. “I…I don’t know. I couldn’t stand by and
let him kill you. I just…my body moved on its own.”

Ares growled from behind him and then Apollo
took to the skies. “Fall back!” he yelled to what was left of the
hybrids.