Blue moon(book 3)

Twenty-one

Loki's hands were free. He was free. Artemis decided it in humane to lock him up after all. And for what reason I didn't know. He wouldn't say. But I had a feeling. And I believed Ashton knew as well. And so did dad and mom.

"I still believe Phoenix should be stripped of her power for a while, at least until the blue moon, that's in two days," dad said. Mom looked at me.

"If it will help you sleep better, fine take my power," I said. Loki stepped in front of me.

"Not while I'm breathing," he said. Dad didn't like that. Mom smiled at him. Artemis looked from me to him and the look he had was almost one of realization.

"Okay, well, can I ask why?"

"If you haven't already noticed, Spitfire here is at war, and it's coming, if you take her power now you will not be able to give it back on Blue moon, it can not happen, she needs it to defend herself, I will die before anyone takes her power from her," he said. Well a man after my heart indeed.

"Leave them, we have a ritual to prepare for," Artemis said. Dad looked at him. He looked at me and then turned and walked away. Mom patted my arm. She too walked away. Probably to talk to dad. He was so mad.

Artemis stepped up to Loki. He grabbed his arm. Loki stood still for a second. After Artemis let go Loki nodded to him. Almost as if Artemis spoke to him. What was going on with those two? Loki never did tell me the story of how he and Artemis became enemies. Of course killing people would do that.

"Hunter, let's go, it's hunting time," Artemis said. Hunter was hesitant. They must not have talked much. Hunter looked at me and Loki and then turned his back and ran. Ashton stood looking at us. He looked, confused.

"I don't mind you being here, but do not ever shape shift into me again," he said. Loki nods. Ashton turned to walk away. Loki turns to me.

"Do you need to hunt," he asked. I was a little upset with him over the whole 'Wanting to get locked away' thing.

"Why would you do that?" I asked. He looked at me confused.

"Why did I do what exactly?"

"Why would you give yourself up like that?"

"I was not going to fight with them, I chose what they wanted for me," he said. That didn't make it right.

"You chose no power, no life, just prison, did it ever occur to you that you would have been in there eternally, and I would be out here with a guilty heart?"

"Okay, not where I wanted this to go but, look, you can't always be a hero angel, sometimes it takes courage to leave things as they should be, even if you don't think it's right," he said. Oh my goodness...he was just crazy.

"Loki, well enough, isn't what you think, they would have been happy but I would not have been happy, contrary to what you want to believe I need you here with me, you are the only one who understands me anymore. You've never given me alternatives. You've been real and honest," I said. He looked up and back down at me.

"Not completely honest," he said. Something was eating him up inside. I could see it in his face.

"Phoenix, I haven't been completely honest with you, because if I had you wouldn't stay here with me," he said. Oh great. Lies on lies. What else was new around here?

"So tell me, what lies have you told?"

"Not really a lie so much as I may not have told you something," he paused, "something I've never told anyone."

"Loki, not telling me something and leaving details out aren't considered lies they are considers secrets and you can't have any kind of friendship or relationship without communicating and not keeping secrets," I said. He sighed again.

"I understand this, but I fear you will never see me the same again," he said. I sighed this time. I was getting tired of all of this. The secrets, the lies. Everyone had them. And I wasn't in the loop. And to think Loki was different was just stupid on my part.

"At this point nothing will surprise me, so just get this over with."

"If you insist," he said. I nodded. He looked up for a moment blew out air and looked down at me.

"Okay, while we were on the island, before you know who I was, when you and Artemis were there together, stuck, I may or may not have been the one keeping you there."

I went numb. He trapped us in that place? And for what reason? What did he have to gain?

"I'm sorry you trapped us?"

"I was the islands power source at the time, I thought that I could get you to spill your deepest desires and darkest secrets with me, so that I could use that, to help me win your friendship," he said. He tricked me, to be friends with me?

"Wait, you put us through that, to be friends with me?" He nodded.

"Are you serious?" I said that loudly. He looked shocked and hurt.

"Could you not have introduced yourself and became friends that way?" I asked. He sighed again. But this time it was a 'I knew it was wrong' sigh.

"You've got to be joking?" I said. He shook his head.

"I understand wanting to be around someone or find friends, but putting us both through that was torment, and Artemis told me he desired me, was that a big plan of yours too."

"Actually no, I thought he would say something different, I didn't know that he desired you, it wasn't an exact with him," he said. So he didn't know that and he just let us go anyway.

"Loki, I've helped you, I've given you a chance, and you were manipulating me from day one," I said.

"Wears that place a joke, the people the clothes, was all of it a lie," I asked. He shook his head.

"Of course not, all of it was real, the feelings, the bond, the meals, all of it," he said. I looked down. I couldn't even look at him. I didn't want to look at him. He knew what he'd done.

"I think I will go feed." And with that I ran. He was standing alone. And I could tell he was hurt.

But he lied.