Daughter Of The Moon

Chapter 5

Artemis

"Science in these times has little room left for legend, and astrology has little impact on anything anymore because it just isn't true, for all we know. But I wonder... since you are what people have so far considered a part of Greek mythology, like astrology, and since you are definitely real, that leads me to believe that at least around 87% percent of this-" Jake gestures to the huge blackboard peppered with chalk-drawn images of constellations, and the legends behind them, "could actually be real." He looks so excited and expectant, his blue eyes wide, and his eyebrows raised right up to his tousled hairline. I smile at him, slide off the desk I was sitting on, and walk over to look at the chalk drawings. I study them for a minute, then look up at him. He is much taller than me, but he has such a gentle quality about him that I know he could never hurt me. Besides, I know I'd be able to take him down in a fight without even trying. 

But I don't want to hurt Jake, my own foolish actions have hurt him enough, even though he doesn't know it. I can still recall the look on Zeus's face when I confessed...

"But I haven't broken my vow, father! Nothing has happened between me and Jacob Night that could have broken my vow in any way!" I plead to Zeus, on my knees before his throne. His eyes are dangerously dark, but though he wears a face devoid of emotion, the thunder booming outside shows his anger. "Can you prove this, Artemis?" I shake my head slowly, but don't say any words, hoping that the agonised expression on my face is enough to make him see.

"Brother, let the girl look at me, I shall see if she is lying." Drawls Hades, his obsidian-black eyes scrutinising my face. I shiver, almost as if I can feel his cold gaze on my skin. 

"Father, you don't need to let that creep search my little sister's mind just to see the answer. She's  obviously telling the truth!" My twin Apollo looks worried, and the sunny glow that usually surrounds him flickers a bit with distress. Hades shoots such a poisonous glare at Apollo for the word 'creep' that  Apollo's glow dies completely, making him look smaller and more vulnerable. Fear does that to people, and Hades is the master of fear. It radiates from him in waves when he is even the slightest bit annoyed.

"That is quite enough, Apollo. Hades, if you will..." My breathing picks up, and my hands inch slightly towards my bow at the sight of my evil uncle gliding towards me. With horror, I realise that I have felt something I have never felt before. A worse sensation even than the one I felt when I came into the hall.

Fear.

"Leave her be, Zeus! Look at her face, maybe if you let her talk, the fear would rub off it and you might be able to see the honesty there." Says Poseidon heatedly. Now all three of the most powerful gods are into the argument, the air crackles, shadows snake across the room, and the ground starts to tremble ever so slightly in their silent battle for submission. After a few moments of tense silence, Zeus sighs in what I hope is defeat.

"Fine. But heed my words, Artemis, your actions have consequences, and I have no choice but to punish you. I have always wondered whether you would question your own vow, and in a way, it is good that you have seen that not all men are... what did you call them again?"

"Scale-less drakons with bad tempers, poor archery skills, and disproportionately large heads." Says Hermes, remembering what I had called him when he beat me at chess around a century ago. It even coaxes a small smile to my lips, and Zeus chuckles.

"Well, there you go. But in any case, Artemis, you may retain this... friendship with the boy," Zeus waves a hand, and an image of Jacob Night writing away at his desk appears. "Well, he's hardly a boy." Whispers Demeter approvingly to Aphrodite, who is starting to look pretty disgruntled at the way this is starting to go in my favour.

"But if anything happens outside of... whatever you've been doing, then there will be consequences that will not affect you, but him. Don't put yourself in the place of finding out what those consequences are."

"Artemis?" Jake's soft voice brings me back to reality, and I shake myself out of the memory.

"Oh, yes, I suppose you're right. But mind you, I wouldn't go publishing any of this." I warn him about this insignificant idea, when the real warning is to myself, and about another thing entirely. I don't want to hurt Jake, but I don't want to leave him either...

What do I do?