Healed by Fire (10 page)

~~~

My body hadn’t ached so badly and in so many
places at once in hundreds of years. Covered in sweat and panting
like a child, I felt pathetic and weak. I looked over and found
Victor in the same state, except his fangs were bared to their
longest, reaching down past his lower lip. It was a situation
neither of us had been in for a very long time. How could one
individual be so powerful?

“We need to change our tactics,” said Victor
from beside me.

Hyperion was sweating slightly, but our two
minute breaks completely revived him whereas we were still winded
and still in pain.

“Obviously, but what do you suggest?” I
asked angrily. We’d been fighting for an hour and forty minutes and
even with our combined attacks, Victor and I couldn’t even scratch
him.

“I don’t know yet. I was hoping you might
have an idea. You are the God of War.”

I glared at him. “I’m the God of War against
humans and other races, not the Father of Preternaturals!”

Hyperion charged at us and I ducked just in
time. I turned and slashed at his exposed back, but his fist
smashed into my face as he spun around in a whirlwind. I crashed to
the stone floor and snarled angrily. This was not working.

Victor punched at Hyperion from the front,
so I ran and jumped, trying to hop onto his back, but his foot rose
without his head even turning and he kicked me backwards while he
punched Victor in the chest.

“Do you have eyes in the back of your
head?!” I asked angrily.

Hyperion laughed. “You know as well as I
that your other senses can help you know when someone is
approaching from the back. Your breathing is as loud as a baby
rhinoceros.”

I growled at him and attacked from the
front, punching and slashing at his arms. No matter how fast I
moved, my claws never reached his skin.

Rhea watched with glowing eyes from a throne
the griffins had brought out of the temple for her to sit.

Victor rolled his neck and shoulders and
said, “We need to use a cheap tactic.”

I turned and stared at him in shock. “You’re
serious?”

He smiled. “Do you really care if we win
legitimately or not?”

Hyperion growled. “Are you two weaklings
going to stand there and whine all day or are we going to fight? If
you want to surrender, I’m fine with that too.”

“I will never surrender!” I yelled angrily.
I had to win.
I have to do this for Artemis.
I counted down
from five and then charged Hyperion. His dagger pierced the side of
my stomach just as Victor stabbed at Hyperion’s other side. Without
even turning Hyperion swatted Victor, catching him in the side and
sending him flying. Victor landed on his feet and skidded at least
fifteen feet back. I pulled away from Hyperion and growled angrily
as I put a hand over my wound.

Victor hissed furiously and I saw his power
release around him in a thick black cloud. “Ready?!” he yelled at
me as he disappeared.

I called upon the power of the moon, which
hangs above us in her ever present beauty, and charged forward. I
exchanged blows with Hyperion and as my strength was waning
shouted, “Now!”

Victor’s body materialized from my shadow
and he slid underneath my legs, between Hyperion’s, and grabbed
Hyperion around the arms.

I squatted down and slashed his leg, opening
a small cut.

Hyperion yelled angrily, broke free from
Victor’s grasp and picked me up by the throat. “No! I refuse to be
defeated by a halfbreed!”

“You have been defeated, Hyperion. Release
your grandson,” said Rhea softly.

Hyperion looked as though he wanted to
object, but after one look at Rhea’s serious face, he dropped me to
the ground and stepped back. “I admit defeat.”

If only they would assist us in righting the
balance of the world and killing Maurice we could win the battle
quickly and easily. I understood their desire to remain neutral,
but it would make things so much easier.

Victor limped over to me and said, “That was
easier than I thought it would be.”

I forced back the smile which tried to
surface and turned towards Rhea as I still clutched my bleeding
side. “We have completed your task. Will you give me your blessing
as you agreed?”

Rhea placed her hand on my forehead and
said, “I, Mother Rhea, give you, Ares Lupine of the Werewolves and
Sidhe, my blessing to continue as a mated pair with Artemis Lupine.
May the dragons restore her memories and bring back the woman you
love.”

It felt like a weight had been lifted from
my shoulders, yet I sagged to the ground and felt tears on my face.
I’d done it. I’d completed the task and now Artemis was finally
going to get her memories back!

“You, Victor of the Vampires, have shown
great loyalty to your friend despite the differences in your races.
Therefore I pronounce you as Ruler of the Children of the Night and
give you the power to hold that title. May your reign be brighter
than your father’s.” Rhea’s hands began to glow and she placed them
on either side of Victor’s head. He moaned in pleasure and then his
body glowed with an eerie black light. It was like seeing a Sidhe
glowing white, but his light was like the night instead of the
stars.

Victor turned to me and I saw flames
flickering in the back of his black eyes. I smiled at him and
asked, “Are you glad you came with me now?”

Victor laughed and reined in the power he’d
been given. “That is a definite rush. I’m looking forward to using
it against my father.”

Rhea kissed each of us on the forehead and
whispered to me, “Run home. She is close to breaking.”

I stared at her in shock for a moment until
the words made sense. I turned and ran without another thought.
Artemis.

Victor caught up to me and asked, “What is
it?”

“Artemis,” I whispered knowing he wouldn’t
need any more of an explanation.

~~~

I’d been training for an hour straight and
had only managed to teleport two feet. The Council assured me that
with more practice I’d be able to move farther. I closed my eyes
and pictured the place I wanted to move to, the top of Blu’s head
ten feet away from me. Power built inside me, followed by pain,
then nausea and then I was falling. My eyes snapped open and I
straightened as I stood on top of Blu’s head. “Yes!” I yelled
victoriously. Blu huffed in mock irritation as I stood upon his
head, but I could tell he was pleased.

I dropped to the ground, but just as I was
landing pain erupted in my head. It felt like a crack had opened in
something that encased my power and allowed it to leak out. The
pain was more intense than anything I’d felt before and I couldn’t
even scream. I landed on my side, smacking my head against the
ground, but didn’t feel the additional pain.

Blu pressed his nose to my head and tried to
help me, but the pain was beyond even his repair.

“Step back, Draco-Blu. She cannot be helped
except by the two tied to her,” said the Council.

On cue, the Sidhe prince dropped to the
ground beside me with a grimace of pain on his face. “It’s going to
be alright. He’s on his way and will be here soon.”

Another man dropped to my side and placed
his hands on me. I inhaled his scent and screamed in pain as a
memory of him holding me while we both wept played across my open
eyelids. Black dots began to cover my vision and I screamed again
as my head throbbed in pain.

“Help us, please,” the Sidhe prince begged
the Council.

“Please, darlin’, just relax. He’s almost
here. Just hold on for a few more minutes,” said the man with a
slightly southern accent.

My body began to twitch as the wolf side of
me tried to find a way to save us. I growled and held my body
together. “I…will…not…change.”

Wind stirred above me and then the wolf
prince dropped to the ground beside me. He tilted my face so I
could look into his eyes. “Stay with me. I’m here now. Hold on.” He
turned away from me and said, “I have gained permission from Rhea.
Please, help us now.”

The Council said, “In order to restore her
memories and give her full access to her power, you must divulge
her full true name to her as well as both of the names of the
princes she is tied to. Once you do that, her power will release,
her memories will return and we will help you control her mind and
body so that she does not become too overwhelmed.”

“I understand,” whispered the wolf
prince.

“Me too,” whispered the Sidhe prince.

“Begin,” said the Council.

“You are Artemis Lupine, daughter of Darren
of the Werewolves and Athena of the Sidhe,
passt genau
of
Ares and bound to Achilles. You are princess of both the Sidhe and
werewolf realms,” said the princes together.

My head throbbed excruciatingly and black
spots danced across my vision.

“I am Ares Lupine, prince of the werewolves
and descendant of Beatrice of the Werewolves and Zeus of the Sidhe
and your
passt genau
,” said the wolf prince. My vision
blackened completely and my body arched up off the ground as my
power released.

“I am Achilles, prince of the Sidhe and
rightful heir to the throne, descendant of Hera and Zeus of the
Sidhe and your bound match,” said the Sidhe prince.

Everything disappeared in a world of white
and black. I knew I was screaming, but I couldn’t hear anything
besides the frantic pounding of my heart. Visions of Ares meeting
me, fighting for me, making love to me replayed. Visions of
Achilles fighting beside me, flying with me, teaching me to open my
wings and telling me he loved me replayed. I saw my father. My
mother. Koda. Matt. Maurice and his vampires fighting us. Hera
taking me and stealing my memories.

The Council, Blu and every dragon in the
Lair began singing as they tried to help me. There was so much
magic in one place that it made me afraid of the possible
repercussions.

I had no voice left for screaming and the
power within me felt like it was going to rip me apart. Suddenly
every memory I’d ever had fell into place.

“Ares. Achilles. Koda.” I whispered their
names.

The dragons sang louder than I’d ever heard
before. Ares, Achilles, Koda and Theseus all touched me as they
used their powers to help.

“I am Artemis Lupine!” I screamed. The
pressure and power within me exploded outwards and left me feeling
weightless. Every being screamed around me as my power was
unleashed upon them.

~~~

The magic and dust settled and I could
breathe again. It seemed like a millennia since I had last opened
my eyes, but when I did the joy was better than anything I’d ever
felt before. Kneeling one foot away from me was the man who had
loved me since discovering me in a small human town. The man who
had been so patient with me while I learned about who I really was.
The man who would protect me at any cost. His black hair was
shaggier than the last time I’d seen him, but his blue eyes
sparkled brighter than ever as he looked at me. I could see the
hope and worry in his eyes.

How could he have survived the past one
hundred years without me by his side? I doubted that I could have
held myself together if I hadn’t been able to locate him in one
hundred years.

I felt my connection to Achilles, but
nothing compared with the fierce pull, staggering desire, and love
I felt for Ares. We both stood up off of the ground and I walked
slowly towards him. He stood perfectly still as he watched me walk
towards him, but I could see the slight tremor in his arms.

He was such a magnificent man and he was all
mine, had always been mine, and would always be mine. I wanted to
jump into his arms and roll on him to cover myself in his scent,
but this was not the place for that.

I stopped in front of him as my body
quivered and said, “
Verus amor vincit omnia.
True love
conquers all, even one hundred years of separation and a woman’s
plot to erase you from my memories.”

He shuddered and I wrapped my arms around
his neck, kissing him fiercely. His arms were instantly around me
in an almost painful embrace, but I didn’t care. I was in his arms
and we were together again. The kiss was intense yet tender. I felt
like I could conquer worlds when he kissed me like that.

He pulled back first and stared into my eyes
with tears in his. “Artemis, I’ve missed you,” he whispered.

I buried my nose into his neck and inhaled
his delicious scent. “Ares,” I sighed. It felt so good to say his
name.

Someone cleared their throat and I pulled
back to find Achilles and Koda looking at me expectantly. It was
almost painful as I tried to decide who to hug first, but Achilles
won. I hugged him tightly to me and kissed his lips as his thoughts
flooded my mind.
I’ve missed you so much. It’s been so hard not
knowing where you were. Or what condition you were in.

I pulled back from him and smiled. “Thank
you. I am truly sorry that I can’t say the same. If I had had my
memories, I would.”

Koda pulled me from Achilles and wrapped me
in one of his famous bear hugs. “I’ve been worried sick about
you.”

I laughed and relaxed in his hold. “I’m
sorry.”

Theseus stood back from our group and I
remembered his worried words to me before we’d arrived. I walked to
him and hugged him. “Thank you for keeping me safe and sane between
the times I was able to see Ares. I have not forgotten you, my
friend.”

Theseus exhaled in relief and hugged me
tightly. “Thank you.”