Healed by Fire (15 page)

Ares exhaled and his eyes returned to normal
and his body stopped glowing. “It seems I may be able to join the
Sidhe’s ranks after all.”

Hera glared at him. “If that is the case,
then I demand that you bow to me, your queen.”

Achilles was standing beside Hera and up
until that point, his face had remained perfectly blank. As soon as
she said it, he rolled his eyes and shook his head in
disbelief.

Ares bowed his head at the neck. “I
acknowledge that you are queen of this domain, but I will join my
father in his Court.”

Hera glared harder at Ares, her skin
starting to glow softly as she grew angrier. “Very well. Come now,
let’s return to the Prince’s quarters and discuss this upcoming
battle.” Hera spun on her heel and marched back through the crowd
of people.

Achilles walked down the bridge to stand in
front of Ares. “You look better now,” Achilles teased.

Ares laughed. “Don’t worry, brother, I will
not try to steal your throne. I have no intention of taking your
title.”

Achilles frowned. “You are a Prince of the
Sidhe as much as I am and you will be given that title as soon as
father sees you. I was simply meaning that I much prefer your
decorated Sidhe body to the boring werewolf one.”

Ares was frowning too. “You will of course
be next in line for the throne though.”

Achilles smiled. “Of course.”

Ares held out his hand with a smile.
Achilles stared at Ares’ hand a moment before clasping it and then
pulling Ares into a hug. Tears pricked my eyes as I watched the two
men I loved hug and completely forgive each other for the first
time in over four hundred years.

I realized one thing though as I stared at
them. “Ares?” Ares and Achilles broke from their hug and turned to
me. I waved them over, not wanting everyone to hear what I was
about to say. They walked to me and the urge to touch them overtook
what I needed to say. I reached out and clasped each of their
nearest hands. I exhaled happily and then whispered, “Ares, I don’t
think you have wings.”

Achilles’ eyes spread wide. “She’s right.
Whenever she released my powers before, my wings automatically
popped out.” He pointed to my wings, which were out. “Even hers are
out.”

Ares shrugged. “It’s alright. I don’t like
flying much anyways. I prefer the ground under my paws.”

Achilles walked across the bridge and
stopped when he noticed all of the angry looking Sidhe gathered.
“From this day forward all shall recognize Ares, Prince of the
Werewolves as Ares, Prince of the Werewolves
and
Sidhe. If
any disagrees, let them challenge me.”

The Sidhe gasped and then began whispering
loudly to each other. Ares picked up his ripped shirt and smiled at
me. “I wish this had been done in other circumstances.”

I blushed and took the shirt. “I’m
sorry.”

He laughed and wrapped his arm around my
waist. “Don’t be. I liked it. Besides, I’ve ruined more clothes in
fits of anger than you’ve probably ever owned in your life.”

I giggled as I imagined Ares ripping his
shirt off like the Marvel character the Hulk when he gets angry and
turns into a large green monster.

“What are you laughing about?” he asked.

The giggle turned into a laugh and I spoke
in the deepest voice I could muster, “You won’t like me when I’m
angry.”

Ares smiled and then lunged for me. “You
think that’s funny?”

“Uh oh, you better watch out! I think he’s
turning green!” I yelled as I jumped away from him and ran across
the bridge.

Achilles laughed. “The Hulk is a rather
fitting character comparison for you, Ares.”

Ares snorted, a sound much better suited to
his canine form. “I don’t turn green.”

“No, but you do get furry and rip your
shirts off,” I answered as another fit of laughter took me and I
had to stop to hold my stomach.

“I think I’m more like Wolverine,” Ares said
seriously.

“Well you are grumpy like him and way too
full of yourself,” Achilles said in the same serious tone as
Ares.

Ares flexed his abdominals and then lifted
his arms, flexing his biceps and chest. “Have you seen me? How can
I not be full of myself?”

My laughter disappeared as I looked at him.
He was definitely way too perfect.

“Now you look like Koda,” Achilles said with
a chuckle.

Ares swung at Achilles, but he jumped back
and Ares growled. “Run, he’s turning green!” Achilles said and
grabbed my hand, running down the bridge with me in tow. A new fit
of laughter forced me to stop running as I was bent over holding my
stomach with tears falling down my face.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny,” Ares said as he caught
up to us.

Hera appeared in front of me. “Why are you
delaying? Come, let’s get on with our planning. We don’t have much
time.”

I stopped laughing and took a couple of deep
breaths to calm down before I let the anger control my tongue. “I
apologize for enjoying the renewed time with my mate. I forgot that
the world revolves around you, Your Highness.”

Achilles groaned softly and Ares sighed.
Hera’s face turned red, but for once she held her tongue. She held
out her hands and Ares and Achilles each took one and then took my
hands. Hera started to draw power in, but I beat her to it and
teleported us into her court room where she conducted her important
business. We landed in front of a large conference table and eyes
popped open from all of the Sidhe and halfbreeds gathered.

Hera’s face was the most priceless of all.
“You can teleport?”

I smiled. “A gift from the dragons to me for
my friendship.”

Several of the Sidhe gasped. Hera’s face
paled and she asked, “You’re friends with dragons?”

I pulled out Blu’s scale and showed it to
the room. “I am.”

“Perhaps now is not the time for this
discussion? Let’s work on our plan for the battle,” said Achilles
in a strong and demanding voice.

Victor was sitting in one of the many chairs
and nodded his head. “Yes, we need to discuss strategy.”

I dropped into one of the chairs. “Do we
really need a strategy? We just need to have Maurice and as many of
his vampires in the area so I can toast them. Wham, Bam, Thank you
Ma’am and we’ve won.”

“You think you’re so powerful?” asked a
female Sidhe with green filigree designs around her eyes. She
obviously didn’t like me and her glare was most impressive despite
her small frame and delicate, doll-like face.

I covered my hand in sunlight and smiled as
I said, “I know I am.”

Victor nodded his head. “Yes, she is, but
the problem is getting my father to the battleground. He prefers to
let others fight his battles.”

I shrugged, releasing the sunlight. “Then we
storm his home and I toast him.”

Koda sighed. “Darlin’ it won’t be easy like
last time. Last time he was trying to capture you to make you his.
Now, he just wants you dead.”

“So how do we get him on the battlefield
then?” I asked angrily.

“We have to offer him something he can’t
refuse,” said Ares quietly.

Victor gasped. “No. There are too many
variables and too many things that could go wrong.”

“You think I don’t know that?!” yelled Ares.
“Unless you can come up with a better plan, that’s the only
way.”

“We need to fight a battle which we lose
first and then do that,” said Victor.

“No! We cannot lose a battle on purpose.
That would mean letting our people die!” I yelled.

“Artemis,” Achilles started.

I stood up from my chair and slapped my
hands down on the table. “No! I will not sacrifice anyone. We can
fight one battle and then discuss whatever it is that Ares wants to
do. We do not have to lose that first battle though. I can refrain
from using my sunlight magic and that way Maurice won’t know I can
do it.”

The room was silent for several minutes
until Hera said, “I agree with Artemis. We can fight this first
battle no matter the outcome. I would like to know what it is that
Ares is suggesting.”

Ares looked at the table a moment and then
said, “The only way I can foresee Maurice coming out to the
battlefield is if we agree to surrender and to give Artemis to him
as a good faith gift.”

“You want to give him Artemis?” Hera asked
softly.

Ares smiled. “Well we wouldn’t
really
be giving her to him, but we could make it look authentic. I could
be bound and guarded by several of your Sidhe warriors while
Artemis is bound with her hands in front of her. Then when Maurice
takes the bait and comes near her, she can fry him and those
nearest him.”

“I like it,” I said with a smile on my
face.

Koda laughed. “You would like that
idea.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked with
a glare in his direction.

He held his hands up in surrender. “Nothing.
Never mind.”

Ares pulled me down into my seat and kissed
the back of my hand. “Calm down. You’re getting excited over
nothing.”

I took a deep cleansing breath. “Sorry.”

“When will your pack be ready for the first
battle?” Hera asked.

I looked at Ares’ smiling as he said, “We’re
ready now, but you should begin the preparations of your Sidhe. We
need to get word out that we’re looking for a fight.”

Victor smiled. “I’ll spread word of that. I
still have some allies who are undercover with my father’s
side.”

Hera nodded her head. “Good. I’m sure the
vampires will act quickly once they know we have Artemis with us
again. I’ll have Hephaistos start on the weapons.”

~~~

I could feel the full moon hanging above us.
Her presence made me itch to run as a wolf with my pack and hunt
beneath her soothing and powerful light. I decided then that I
would get the pack together and go for a run that night. I didn’t
feel right not having run with the halfbreed pack yet. A soft
breeze blew around me, swirling cherry blossoms in a soft, soothing
whirlwind. Energy from the blossoms seeped into me and filled me
with a low level of power. My skin tingled and glowed softly as I
absorbed the power and stuffed it down into the imaginary box that
I pictured hiding within my soul. I’d been storing power there
slowly over the last week, every time I visited the island.

“Artemis?” Achilles called from somewhere
within the houses.

“Yes?” I answered, not bothering to move
from my spot or raise my voice.

He walked around the house nearest the
bridge that crossed to the island. He slowly made his way across
the bridge and stopped in front of me. “Ares shouldn’t have showed
you this island. You’re spending more time here than with us
lately.”

I held open my arms and he sat down, leaning
against me and letting me hold him. It wasn’t a common gesture from
me to him and he didn’t delay in accepting it. “I’m sorry. I know I
need to spend more time with you, but I’ve just needed some time to
meditate and think.”

He turned and pulled me into his arms,
reversing our position and leaning me against his chest. “It’s
alright Sweetheart. I’ve just been worried about you because you’ve
been blocking me from your thoughts so deliberately.” He slowly
stroked my hair, calming me even more than my meditation had.
Gently he titled my chin up and kissed me.

My control slipped the more time I spent
touching him. Each additional time I touched him, the more I wanted
to give in to him. His hands slid up and down my arms as he kissed
me and I could feel the strength in them. My head swam, rendering
logical thoughts impossible and allowing my hormones to rage. I
turned completely around, wrapping my legs around his sides and
sitting on his lap. I fisted my hands in his hair, loving the silky
smoothness against my skin and kissed him deeply. He moaned and the
sound made me smile and growl happily. He picked me up and then
laid me down on the ground. The feel of him lying on top of me was
incredible. I had wanted it for so long, but had been denying us
both.

Was he as talented as Ares?
The
thought stopped me cold and dispersed my hormones. I couldn’t cheat
on Ares. If I mated with Achilles it would crush Ares. I put my
hand on his chest and whispered, “Wait.”

Achilles sighed, stood up and turned away
from me. “I wondered how long until you pushed me away.”

The raw pain in his voice hurt me.
“Achilles, I’m sorry. I just…”

“Stop, just stop. Please, just leave.”

His voice was so full of anger and pain that
I actually flinched and took an involuntary step back. I headed
towards the bridge, but stopped at the beginning of it. “I’m sorry
I can’t love you like you deserve, but know that I do love you. If
I could release you from our binding so you could find a woman that
loved you, I would.”

He didn’t move or acknowledge me so I left
him alone. The calm I’d gained was replaced by a depression and
despair that soured my mood. If my life had been a cartoon, a storm
cloud would be hovering over my head raining on me. I ignored the
Sidhe watching me walk through the town and towards the training
grounds. Let them look. Let them talk. I didn’t care.

Koda and Ares smiled at me from where they
were fighting as I walked onto the grassy training ground. For the
first time I ignored them, not returning their smiles and walked to
a deserted corner of the field as far away from everyone else as I
could. I needed to release this anger and despair. I needed release
from the pain.

I inhaled, pulling my fire from my core and
covered my hands in it. I could feel Ares walking closer to me, but
I ignored him and his presence. I tilted my head up to look at the
sky and raised my hands up over my head.

I had been making headway with Achilles. I’d
been able to make him smile daily, even without mating with him.
And with one word, one touch, I’d erased all of that.