Olympiad is Falling, The Rise of Artemis

It might have been the dumbest decision I ever made, but it paid off. I felt the portal open in Jundis. A sickly part of town lost to the mage dimension in the early days of Hera’s madness. I doubted it was her at first. What would she be doing there. Knowing Artemis there was a good chance she ended up there by accident.

“Dude, emergency meeting.” Marcus poked his head into my office and said.

“Now?”

“Yeah. Solaris is pissed.”

It was a bad part of town, I needed to get to her.

“I can’t-”

“You do know Solaris right?!” Marcus’ brows shot to the ceiling.

She would never let me live this down. I’ll give her two minutes then I’m out of there. I’ve been searching for days. I had to follow this up.

Marcus and I got to the throne room. My mother paced the length of the room. Avon and his son Jason sat on the thrown as she raged. Her emotions were out of control I could tell by the black clouds outside. She rolled her blonde river hair into a braid and bound it onto of her head.

“Close the doors! Those who aren’t here will be punished for their insolence.”

Marcus did as he was ordered.

General Storm would never miss a meeting. He spotted me and scrawled. He could think what he wanted all I cared about was a woman with seemingly blue hair and the most captivating eyes I’d ever laid eyes upon.

“We haven’t had contact with Olympiad in weeks. The mage dimension is dying and that bastard has invaded six cities in two nights! How have dark angels overridden our forces?” She barked.

General Storm shifted uncomfortably in his luscious seat. “You see, you Grace. The dark angels outnumbered us, we had no choice but to surrender the cities.”

“I should have your head for this. What if they capture the capital? The only place our portal remains open? Paradis is screwed.” She spat.

The capital of the mage dimension held portals to all the worlds, except Olympiad which closed years ago. Heat raided throughout my body and I knew it was Artemis’ necklace calling out to me. Damn it, I was right. She’s here.

“This is the last place we need invaded. Over half our troops are fighting in Olympiad and losing. We’re not getting anywhere. I need answers and I need them now.”

I’d never seen my mother so anxious. She wouldn’t even sit on her diamond encrusted throne.

“Well your high-” Storm started.

“No.” Solaris barked. She walked back to her throne and settled. Her eyes wondered the room until they settled on me. Fuck.

“Daylen.” She said and I knew what she wanted from me.

“Ugh! He can be of not help to us.” Storm spat.

She shot him daggers her blue eyes burned into a brighter hue and silenced him.

“Tell me Daylen.” She said.

I knew my mother well it wasn’t that she was clueless, she wanted me to take control like the king she knew I was. All that ran in my mind was the woman calling out to me like a siren beckoning a sailor to his death.

“Uh… I-” another round of heat hit me. She needed me. I had to get out of here quickly. “Withdraw your troops from Olympiad.” I said quickly.

Gasps came out of every person in the room except my mother.

“The boy knows nothing about combat! You clearly don’t know the situation in Olympiad.”

“Silence Storm.” My mother said calmly. “Continue.”

I grinded my teeth together and looked her dead in the eye. “Your men are dying in Olympiad. They’re ill equipped and against the elements up there. They’re better off fighting the dark angels here. Hera’s hybrid powers are making her soldiers stronger.”

“So what we let the gods fend for themselves?” Solaris asked.

“No. Send the soldiers of light. You’ve been keeping them for if Paradis was ever invaded. Paradis won’t be invaded if the war is cut off where’s being caught the hardest.”

Storm scoffed.

Solaris grinned. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. You’ll man them Daylen.”

Shit. I didn’t want that. General Storm stood in an instant, his cape flying behind him. “I will not stand for this!”

For the first time I agreed with General Storm. I needed to get out of there and get to Artemis.

“You have no choice. You’ll man the soldiers in the mage dimension and filter out all the dark angels that is an order Storm.”

“Surely the boy will accept.” Storm threatened me with his eyes.

I could almost see her begging for help. I met my mother’s eyes.

“He has no choice.” She declared.

“…Daylen please come…” the words echoed in my ear and something snapped.

“I accept.” I turned and bottled out of the room.

***

I was too late. I saw the troops leave the area, but no sign of Artemis. I opened a magic spell it showed me her trail and revealed she walked into a portal. What the hell could have happened? She didn’t know how to open portals, did she?

I opened a portal and used the magic spell to track her through the portal. It took me to Adessa. I didn’t like being here. Too many mages wanted me dead here. Either for sleeping with a wife or a daughter.

“Where are you beautiful?” The magic spell was wearing thing.

It led me to a condo building and that was it. I had to go through this old school. I walked to the front desk and groaned. A fae. A young man with glistening green eyes and pointed ears.

“Listen fae, I don’t have time for games. I’m looking for a woman, she’s gorgeous, knowing your kind you’d have extra attention to her.”

His lips curled up. He knew exactly what I was talking about. “What’s in it for me?”

I grinded my teeth together. “I won’t lock you in Solaris’s court that’s what I won’t do.”

He laughed. Fae’s were the most difficult creatures to deal with.

“Like’s I’m scared of her.”

I grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him across the desk and pinned him against the floor.

“Talk fae! I know she’s here. You’ll end up as the dark fae queen’s chew toy if you don’t talk.”

Sweat rolled down his brow. That got him. He raised his hands. “Okay man. I saw her. The girl with the dark blue hair. She went up with a guy with glasses. Couldn’t tell what he was he had a clock spell on.”

“Room?” I demanded.

“Could be room eighty-four.”

I let him go and marched to the elevator. What was it with Artemis and picking up unknown creatures? I groaned. I got to the eleventh floor. The magic spell wouldn’t work anymore. I got to room eighty-four, placed my hand over the knob and burned it. The door clicked open and I stepped in.

I was beginning to feel like a rabid dog. Mumbling came from somewhere in the house. The closer I got the clearer I could hear.

“We… shouldn’t do this… Alfie. I… I don’t want to.” Every nerve in my body woke. It was her.

Who the hell was Alfie? The wheels in my head turned too quickly and in an instant I burst into the room. A man pinned Artemis’s hands above her head. I grabbed the back of his shirt and shoved him to the corner of the room.

“Get off of her!”

She looked limp. I climbed onto the bed, took her head in mine, giving her my energy. She latched on like a letch. Her eyes popped open and she leaped up. I tucked her under my arm and locked her in.

“Brother… nice to see you.” Alpheus pulled off his glass and placed them on the stand. “Of course I would have liked it if it were under different circumstances.”

“Did he just say brother?” Artemis asked.

I swallowed and pulled her closer.

Alpheus barked out a laugh, but he remained on the floor. I’d kill him myself for this.

“I know you’re infatuated, but you can never have her.” He said.

“What makes you think I’ll you have her.” He barked.

He laughed again this time pulling himself to his feet. “Not you, nor the mighty Solaris can come against a blood promise.”

Shit. How’d that happen? I looked at her to him. She looked just as clueless as me.

“What are you talking about? When did you trade blood with him?” I demanded from her.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” she whined.

“What it means my darling is you belong to me. Your father and I had a deal. Or step-father should I say. He traded you over to me. All along you’ve been my mate.”