Artemis Child

Artemis Child Ch47

I have been at the hunter's HQ for a month. Mostly as a slave, they won't allow me to watch any T.V. and if I do, it can't have anything about relationships.
   I have never seen anyone spear a Flatscreen because the movie The Notebook was on before this month. Talk about drama.
  Thalia keeps trying to get me to take up archery. She said: "If you want to be one with the wild, you must honorably hunt the wild."
   "It don't want that, you said I was here to fix my broken heart. How does killing animals help." I asked her back. "It's not about killing animals, it's about taking control of your life." She replied back.
  She was pretty, in fact if I was a boy, I would probably try to hit on her. But the fact that I swing for their team, I was planning on it. Although if I was a boy, the other hunters would have killed me by now. Her eyes were always cold when she talked about her past, obviously missing someone. Controlling her life seems to be her top priority.
   "So boys. Yuck, who wants germs?" I said trying to lighten the mood. "You don't fool me, your lips have been apon one." She said, and sounded different with the 'apon' word.
   Yet she was correct. That first kiss, my first one ever, was with him. The tingle on my lips returned for a second as if to tease me and remind me of what I told me that I didnt like men.
   "Shut up." I said, trying to not let her have the upper hand.  You can't believe how hard it is to keep looking to the future when it feels like you just lost a big part of it. I imagined him and my friends judging whatever woman I deem fit to take me on dates and things.
   We were unable to train today, so I was allowed to start forging more arrows and gear. I love making arrows. I make all kinds, hundreds in fact. I was making these hunters into female Green Arrows.
   There was the ting of the furnace, the heat of the forge that made everything on my mind slip away. Clank. 'I'm in control.' Clank. 'I miss him, but I need to let go.' Clank.
   I let the image of his last smile, get to me one last time. Clank. His teeth, those fangs. Yet they made him no different. If he was a monster, his only darkenss is what the gods made him to be.
   I shook my head and continued to pound the metal into shape. There was one thing I had to do. Move on, and the hunter's seem to be good at that.
   The night before I left the camp something happened.
  (Camp Jupiter)  I was trying to sleep, yet a dream made me cringe in fear. A river of fire cut through a blood red landscape. Thousands of things killing each other, trying to survive.
   The dream shifted to a creature. Human features, glowing eyes, a fluffy tail, and ears that made its hair look wild. It tore through the place shouting. "I will return! I will get her!" The creature was mostly a silhouette for it was between my vision and the river of fire.
     The creature howled as it tore through monsters, making no sign of mercy show. This was something, that connected me to this place; although, I could not tell what.
   "Until I get out, you will be my training!" He said and furiously sliced more monsters with his claws. "Prometheus's vessel will be no more!" He said before my vision was that of me falling into the flaming river.
   I woke up with a jump. Lexi was working on something in the far corner, the sound of clicking was heard. Her back was to me, and she was working in very little light.
   The bulb on the light next to flickered, but only stayed dim. I no longer wanted to go back to sleep, and this whole month, she only been close enough to be picked up from tripping. Which she would only scamper off after I tried to help.
   'Step one, have a reason.' I thought to myself. So walking over I confronted her. "Hey.." I started but she let out a little yelp. I must have startled her. "Sorry, I noticed your light was giving you trouble." I said and reached over her to get to the light.
   "No don't look." She said and covered what she was doing. "I wanted to surprise you." She said in a defensive tone. "I think this is the longest we have talked without you running away from me." I said with a half hearted chuckle to lighten the tention.
   "I. Uh..." She tried but had nothing. "Ok, I fix the light, you continue what you were doing." I said and grabbed on of the tools on the bench for clipping staples. Before she could protest, I held up my hands.
   "I won't peak or talk." I said to try to seem less scary towards her social fear. "See......Mmmmmmm" I said and closed my mouth making a weird sound. She let out a small giggle. "Fine, but you have to keep your promise."
   I found that the wires in the back were torn slightly. Only some were connected making it have small sparks jump. That is what was making the lamp flicker.
   I grabbed the wire like an amateur, it was live so it decided to shock me. I had no other light to illuminate what I was doing, so it was going have to make do.
      My ring touched the live wire and something happened. The electricity hit me all over. I doubled over, my eyes rolled back.
    My teeth grew against my jaw, they were considerably longer than before. Fangs, longer fangs. Not only that, my nails starter to grow. Sharp and black, they were now claws ready for organs.
    Images popped on my head, a white werewolf with a blood stained coat and me standing with heavy breaths over it. As soon as the images faded, so did my new extentions.
   "Are you ok?" She asked me. I looked up to see that, the light was working perfectly. I guess when I was shocked, my hand clenched and bent the copper wire pieces close together.
   "I'm fine. I was just afraid to start a fire that I jumped back." I lied to cover my tracks. "You are scared of fire?" She asked with a conserved look. "Cause I see you as someone who could tame fire." She was looking down now. In her hands was a jacket.
   The fur around the neck was that of multiple different monsters. Although it resembled a fire look to it. "I thought it would be a great idea, since you are always refusing to wear a jacket on those cold days that we still get here in camp." She said, but looked hurt now.
   "It was stupid I'll just go.." I stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Woah woah woah. Let a guy get his side in." I said.
    "I'm not afraid of fire, nor can I tame it. But I would wear that jacket if you slaved so hard to do something nice for me." I said and held out my other hand to show that I would except it.
    She handed me the jacket, and waited patiently for me to put it on. The moment I put it on, I felt so comfortable, so safe. It felt protective.
   "The jacket part is made of dire wolf pelts, and the fur is from the pack leader's tail. Marc never knows what to do with his victor's spoils so I make sure it doesn't go to waste." She explained as she traced her hand down the material as it was on me.
   "This is awesome!" I exclaimed and posed. "I feel powerful."
   "Pose." I said and switched positions as if someone was telling me to for a photo shoot. "Pose." "Pose." "Pose." Each time I switched.
   She lit up when I was enjoying her work of art. "So you like it?" Sha asked with a little jump. "Hades yeah I do." I replied and hugged her. "Thanks."