Lieutenant

Chapter 35

"Your sulking is grating in my nerves. Must it persist after all this time?" Aphrodite groaned, resting her chin in her hand. Artemis made no reply as she took her seat for the council meeting. "Not even a burst of temper? No irritation? Not a little eye roll?"

"What do you want?" Artemis sighed, casting a sideways glance at the other goddess. "I lost patience with you a long time ago. I'm not easily riled anymore, though it seems to be a surprise to you."

"Oh, so you've mellowed out? Surprising considering no one else has." Aphrodite snorted.

"Time proves to be humbling." Artemis let her head fall against the back of the throne. She stared at the arching ceiling above with little more than a thought of recognition at the design. "When one lives forever there is only so much to be done."

"Please, you've hardly scratched the surface. Humanity is full of endless possibilities."

"Excuse me if I don't find sexual escapades entertaining. What mortals come up with is rather disgusting and frankly, I'm glad not to be a part of it." Artemis' tone barely rose. In the past, she may have yelled, but there was no use for it.

"I'm not talking solely about that." Aphrodite scowled. "There are all sorts of things. Theme parks, roller coasters, food, all sorts of items changing and never still. They morph with the human brain. I doubt you've even seen Disneyland."

"I don't want to go to a theme park. I don't want to get involved in the mortal world more than I have to." Artemis swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

"Sheesh, in a depressing mood are we?" Ares grumbled landing just brief enough to give Aphrodite a small kiss to the cheek.

"You look pale," Hermès noted, fluttering into the throne room. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Artemis replied, but the words caught in her throat. The messenger god wasn't fooled. Artemis watched him leave, making brief conversation with Athena who spared her younger sister a worried look. She knew. The others didn't. Not even Apollo.

Throughout the majority of the meeting, Artemis couldn't find it in herself to stay focused. Her thoughts were wandering elsewhere, to less pleasant things, and there was more than one occasion where she felt ill.

Her hands shook and eventually, the goddess had no choice but to politely excuse herself. She'd barely made it down the hallway to her quarters when a warm hand gripped her arm and skin her about.

"What is it?" Apollo frowned. "My, you're pale."

"Nothing you can fix." Artemis tried for a shaky smile.

"Something's been wrong for some time. What is it?" The blonde's brow furrowed in further concern, but Artemis couldn't bring herself to say it. Saying it meant acknowledging it.

Her mouth moved but nothing came out until the third try brought raspy words, "I'm dying, Apollo."

"What?" Blue eyes widened in fear and surprise. "How? No-you can't."

"I am. The mortals, they're ruining everything of mine. It's only getting worse. If you've even listened to the news..." Artemis super hurriedly at her eyes. "It's a mess and no one's fixing it."

"You mean the global warming thing?" Apollo arched a brow.

"No, it's not just that. Apollo, species are going extinct, poaching is worse than ever, there's deforestation, air pollution, industrialization, toxic waste, wildfires, hurricanes, and so much more. It's constant." Artemis sniffled, trying to maintain composure, but when Apollo hugged her she turned into a shivering mess. "It's cold."