'Once In A Blue Moon' (ON HOLD)

Chapter Five

Genevieve's POV

We wake up to the ghostly figure of Artemis, "Good morning girls, we have much to do today." we smile and remove ourselves from our beds, we get dressed quickly and run out to the flower filled garden, "The garden is beautiful girls, how long did it take?"

"Seconds.." Violet says before skipping into her circle that we burned yesterday, I take my seat in mine before turning to Artemis, her glowing skin casting a bright light on us. She settles down in front of us and sits regally, like the goddess she is. She folds her silk dress over her knees and presses her hands together, when she brings them apart water sits calmly in the middle. 

"Today you will learn how to control water, but it will take you a long time to master it."

"Why?" Vi asks loudly. 

"Water is the element of balance, you must feel both negative and positive feelings."

"We could do that." I say.

"That's not all, you must balance them out one cannot be stronger than the other or it will not work. This will be a challenge, but I know you can do it. You are my daughters after all." 

"Okay, how do we start?" I ask. 

"Meditation as usual, it will help to control your feelings." we close our eyes and put our hands on our knees. I straighten my back and open my mind, I pull all the negative thoughts I used to harness fire and all the love I used to control air. Words echo around my head, the loudest being both of my father's last words. I realise that's why I've been so drawn to fire, I feel twice the amount of grief than Violet, and have yet to actually grieve. Ever since we left our pack grounds all we've been doing is running and studying, I understand why, it's just stressful. 

But as a counterbalance I pull the love all three of my parents gave to me, the love me and Violet  share, the way I see Artemis in a motherly way. I beam brightly and feel the warmth of love spreading over half of my heart, the other half darkens with the cold of grief, of anger. I grimace slightly before conjuring the image of water, making it flow across the floor and rise up the tree before dispersing across the sky. 

I peek my eyes open to see the sun at it's highest point, we woke up when the sun rose, that means I've been meditating for the whole morning. I blink up at Violet and Artemis, they both looked at me in awe. "What is it? Did we do it?"

"You did, I didn't." Violet says. 

"You conjured water, more powerful than I've ever seen. You fought against the dark feelings with light, you are the figure of balance."

"That doesn't seem like much of a feat."

"It took me a decade to control water." Artemis says softly, "Your sister must take after me, we let the dark feelings overcome us but you, you control them." she whispers. She snaps out of her daze and returns to the topic at hand, "We must go into the woods and shoot some food for lunch."

"I don't understand, we're wolves right? Or Lycans or whatever. Can't we shift?" Vi asks. 

"Perhaps that's what you should learn next, it's rather easy and maybe that could help you to balance out your emotions if you embrace what you have become." she says the last bit to Vi before heading off in the direction of the woods. "To shift you only have to imagine the wolf, the looks, the personality, it's ways of survival. Let those thoughts take over and control you, then you shall become a wolf." she finishes with a flourish and gestures for us to hurry up. We think for a moment and begin to transform, I look down at my hands that are now paws and smile at the bright white of my fur. I look to Violet whose eyes have taken on a silver sheen and the same colour fur as me. 

'Well done girls.'  Artemis' voice echoes in my head, I look up to her in confusion, 'This is called a mind-link simply direct your words to a person. However this person must be part of your pack, or part of your family.' 

'I used to to this with the pack.' Violet says, her voice sounding slightly distant. 'Try it' 

'How long does the wolf body last?' my voice echoes in my head, I watch them curiously. 

'However long you want.' Artemis says before carrying on through the trees, 'Now that you're wolves, why don't you hunt?' she grins and disappears. We chase small animals and each other around for hours enjoying the wind rushing through my hair. I smile a wolfish grin and pounce on Violet. 

'Careful.' she says through a giggle and rolls out from underneath me. We jump from the hill down to the creek. We drink quickly before lying down and watching the waterfall. 'I'm happy we are still together Gen, I don't know what I'd do without you.'

'And I you sister.' we lay for a bit longer before Vi tells me how to shift back, we imagine our human bodies, the same as the wolf. Once shifted we sprint back to the house and call for Artemis. 

"Well done girls, it seems you've had your fill. Now get some sleep, we have more training to do tomorrow." we part ways and climb back into our beds. 

"How did you do it?" Vi asks. 

"Do what?" 

"Control water."

"I'm not really sure, I imagined the warmth of love covering one half of my heart. And the other the coldness of sadness, anger. I don't understand it myself, perhaps one day I will."

"Will you read to me?"

"Of course." I grab a random book from my shelf and open it up "'Do not hold your breath for anyone, do not wish your lungs be still, it may delay the cracks from spreading, but eventually they will. Sometimes to keep yourself together, you must allow yourself to leave, even if breaking your own heart, is what it takes to let you breath.'"

"You would never leave me would you?" Vi begged softly. 

"Never. I would rather die than leave your side." 

"Thank you..." she trails off and her breathing evens out, I smile at her innocence before letting sleep over come me.