KEEPSAKE

chapter twentyone

20 BROKEN MIRROR

ARTEMIS' EYES FILLED WITH TEARS AS THE WIND BLEW AGAINST HER FACE.

A storm brew somewhere around Olympus, wrecking havoc through and through, but the gleam of the sun still shot through the sky.

Artemis didn't really mind the strong winds jerking her body as she walked against its fighting tides. It felt like a test to her strength. And as Adonis walked beside her with equal force in his steps, she felt like she could conquer the world.

     "Artemis?" Adonis asked suddenly after a log stretch of silence that she was just settling in with.

     She hummed a 'mhm' in response as she continued walking, her head facing forward.

     "How did you get Zeus to agree to this whole thing?" He asked, knitting his brows.

     When Artemis peaked a quick glance in his direction, she had a sneaking urge to smooth those cute wrinkles away from his forehead.

    "I don't know..I just asked and he said yes, whatever you need," she lifted a shoulder, "it felt weird how he agreed right away..y'know too easy."

"That's not exactly Zeus manner." He remarked, wiping imaginary sweat from his windswept forehead.

She arched a brow at Adonis before diverting her eyes to the dirt beneath her soles. Being the king of Olympus has its perks. All of which Zeus takes full advantage of. So when people ask something of him, he's not one to bow down on one knee and look up to his own people. No, he'd laugh and say —

"What do I get?"

It doesn't take an Einstein to realize that's Zeus' way of thinking, but when Artemis was seeking help with her position, she didn't care how or what happened - she just needed progress and quick. When Zeus was available without arguments, Artemis seeked no further objection.

     The silence that wrapped between them broke when Adonis broke into a snorting pit of laughter.

    She turned her head to glance at him questioningly, lifting her brows. "I just can't believe the female archer goddess was threatened enough by me to have me sent to Earth."

Artemis sent him a deadly glare to which he chuckled deeper.

"You think Aphrodite will follow us?" Artemis asked, steering the conversation onto the next subject.

Lifting a shoulder, "Maybe, but she won't hurt me..and I think if I tell her not to hurt you, she won't hurt you either."

"Is that just a hunch?"

He knitted his brows together, pausing for a second in thought, "A strong hunch." But his octave wavered.

Artemis looked down at herself and cringed lightheartedly at the tears in fabric and remnants of Earth covering her dress and body. She'd never been one to care about such superficial things but she actually stunk. That has never happened before. And it wasn't a great feeling.

"Adonis?" She asked, throwing her eyes in his direction.

"Hmm?" He hummed, watching his step as he cooperated in an elaborate step dance as he walked.