Kapitel 402: Escaping Paradise
Ry ran and ran as hard as he could until he reached the tiny, abandoned shack of the west beach. Panting, he lowered so that Artemis could dismount. Once she had fully dismounted he shifted back into human form. He snagged the cloth from around her shoulder as he stood upright. He hid his grin as she averted her gaze and surveyed their surroundings, instead.
"We're already back at the beach?"
Ry nodded. "Lucky for us, I'd gotten to know the island fairly well before my capture." He pointed toward the shack. "I left some supplies in there if you'd like to check to see if any of them are still useable." He stood, still panting, with his hands resting against his hips for support.
She arched a brow at him. "And what will you be doing?"
He nodded toward the sea. "Shifting wasn't enough. I'll be back and don't worry, I'll not be going too far in."
"Are the monsters really that bad even in the waters?"
His eyes widened. "Oh yeah, triple the number and double the speed." He tilted his head questioningly. "How did you get here if not by water?"
Artemis averted her gaze guiltily. "About that…"
He caught both her shoulders in his tight, worried grip. "Please tell me you didn't swim it?! He searched her for injuries and found plenty. His brows furrowed as he looked over a large gash on the back of her left arm. "Is that how this happened? It's a wonder you made it at all."
She quickly shook her head. "No, I got that after getting to the island… I… Um… was teleported here…"
His brows drew closer together. "By whom? Surely your father didn't lend you help to find me."
She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. "No… It wasn't father…" She risked a glance up at his clouded hazel eyes. "Promise you'll not be angry? It would be a shame to have come all this way and be trapped on an island whilst you are angry."
His eyes narrowed. "Artie, what did you do?"
"Nothing. I swear it!"
He tightened his hold on her upper arms. "Artie!"
She forged a glare. "You know, anyone else who would dare handle me so roughly would be turned into kibble for their own hounds by now, right?"
He held her gaze, no sign of backing down. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not just anyone else, isn't it? Of course, you could just shoot me again I suppose."
"You know I had no choice in the matter."
His eyes burned into hers. "There's always a choice." He released his hold on her and stepped away. He turned and made his way to the shoreline.
"Wait! You can't mean to end this conversation with that, can you!?"
"I can and I will…"
Her eyes bulged and she stomped angrily after him. "I'll be damned! We're not nearly finished with this!"
He shot her an indifferent glance from over his shoulder. "I no longer serve you, goddess. You have no command over me… You gave that up the night you shot an arrow into my chest."
"Shoulder." She corrected.
His brow lifted. "Forgive the mistake, goddess. The night you missed my heart my mere millimeters and grazed the upper lobe of my left lung. How could I have been so forgetful of the exact location of the injury you inflicted."
She gritted her teeth. "You know I had no other option! Apollo would have killed you!"
"Ah yes… You protected me… just like you protected me by forcing the bear form on me for over a thousand years." He loosened the fabric from around his waist as he stepped into the water. "Tell me, if I were already being forced to be an animal why not stay by your side then? Why banish me still?" When she began to protest, he held up his index finger, the fabric still squeezed into his fist. "Ah wait. For my protection, right?"
Frustration built. The hollow words she had used to convince herself that she was doing the right thing so many times over the past many years were being thrown back at her like a weapon now.
"I thank you for helping me out of that cave, but I can't help but wonder what measures of protection you have in store for me this time… Perhaps I shall be turned into a rabbit and sent back to the wolves."
"I came here only with the intention of rescuing you from this place. Your path once we are free of this place is your own. As it has been for the past several centuries."
He whipped around to face her. "My path has not been my own choice at any point since meeting you, goddess."
"That's not tru-"
"Is it not?" He interrupted. "Then why, pray tell, have I not been by your side this entire time? Why does the first time I've been permitted to be within arm's length of you, in over a millennia, be here now on this gods forsaken island?" He shook his head as he lifted his finger, stopping her response. It was obvious his question had left her flustered beyond a sensible reply anyway. "You know what, it can wait." He turned back to the water and let the fabric drop to the coarse sand of the beach.
Ignoring his nakedness, Artemis charged into the water after him. "Wait! We're not finished here! You can't just say those hurtful things, then storm off!"
He sent her a glare from over his shoulder. "What's so hurtful about the truth?" He didn't wait for her reply, instead, he waved her off. "Go back to shore. It's too dangerous. I just need to wash off and recharge a bit."
Her eyes roamed over his massive frame, still impressive even with as much weight and muscle he'd lost during his imprisonment. It was true enough, it had been a while since they had been face to face… but there had been very little time that had passed between the many times she'd sought him out and watched from afar. She'd convinced herself time and time again that she simply wanted to make sure he was safe, and that her brother or father hadn't taken their revenge on him… A revenge that would have been considered well-deserved when it had first happened. She swallowed hard as her eyes moved over the swell of his firm rear. She bit into her lower lip as heat began to spread through her stomach, but before she could say or do anything else something snagged her leg. She cried out just as she was pulled under the dark surface of the gentle waves. Just as she came face to face with hungry red eyes, strong hands encircled her waist and wrestled her away.
As her head broke the surface of the water, she coughed up the burning salt water. She clasped the familiar arms tightly, stumbling as he dragged her back to shore. "Thank… you..." She panted as they both collapsed, breathlessly onto the beach.
Ry searched her for injuries, one arm still tightly holding her. His eyes traveled down the wet clothes that clung to her body in all the right places. He forced his gaze to continue their inspection as lust began to set in. He bit out a curse as his eyes landed on a set of bloody gashes running along her calf. He quickly turned and grabbed the fabric he'd left behind on the beach. Ripping off a sizable chunk, he bound her wounds tight. "A daughter of Zeus should not be on this island. It isn't safe for you. However you came about being her, you need to use that means to leave as soon as possible."
"Yeah, yeah. Again, about that…" She moved her focus from her bleeding leg to his skillful fingers, impressively nimble for their size. Her cheeks heated as she watched the ripple of his muscled forearms as he worked, before allowing them to roam over the rest of him. No doubt he was still just as handsome as the first day she'd met him… and every bit as strong. She'd come here to save him… and here he was saving her and nursing her wounds even in his weakened condition. She forced her eyes shut as she laid back against the cool sand, hoping it would cool the emotions rapidly building inside her.
Ry arched a brow as he sent her a quick, questioning glare. "Well, are you still not going to tell me? How shall you redirect the conversation this time? Would you like to bring up our failed nuptials? That's a wound I haven't had prodded in at least a few years…"
She blew out a heavy sigh as she stared up at the stars. "Again… That was no fault of mine. Father would not allow me to revoke my vow of chastity so easily."
He gave a snide laugh. "Perhaps had you not punished so many in the name of chastity he might have reconsidered… especially since one of those punished was a lover of his who bared one of his many children… a bear was it? One of your favorite beasts if memory serves me correctly… how lucky for us both." He tied the last of the makeshift bandages extra tight to emphasize his displeasure, before shoving her leg away and pushing himself up onto his feet. He extended his hand out to her, secretly taking joy in the wince marring her face. "You've still not answered. How did you get here?"
She blew out another long sigh. "I spoke with that girl… though I'll admit, I had expected it to be harder to speak with her free of your brother…"
His brow lifted again. "Jos?" He murmured her name as he tied what was left of the fabric around his waist.
She nodded as she tried hard to hide her irritation. His voice and features automatically softened when he spoke the girl's name… just as they always had back when he'd first met her all those years ago. "Why would you come here for her? You had to know what could… would happen."
He grunted as he stomped off toward the shack. "It doesn't concern you."
She grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. "I'm here now, so it concerns me in every way possible!" When he just stared down at her defiantly, she pushed on. "Why risk your life for her, give up your freedom. What does she mean to you? What could she mean to you? She's with your brother still."
He pulled his arm away from her and continued on. "You're wrong… She's finally back with him… They were separated for over half a millennia because of me and my foolishness. I owe them this."
She ran to catch up, stopping him once again. "Owe them what? Why are you here?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so insistent on asking? And why have you still not answered my one and only question? How the fuck did you get here, Artemis."
She frowned at hearing the venom of her full name on his tongue. She gave in with a huff. "A strange man brought me… teleported me…" She thought over all she knew of the old gods. "He was exceedingly beautiful, though a bit effeminate for my tastes. He had lovely silver hair and paler than pale skin… and the strangest of powers. I'd never seen him before… yet somehow he seemed familiar… as if I've heard his voice whispering to me before…" She rubbed her chin as she thought over her own words.
"Hypnos…" Ry answered knowingly before turning a suspicious gaze to her. "Question is, what did you do to Jos to warrant his presence?"
She bit her lip guiltily. "I'm sure I have no idea what you mean."
He let out an irritated laugh. "No, I'm sure you don't." He turned and made short work of the remaining distance between them and the shack. He pulled the door open angrily. His eyes scanned the small, dark room. He blew out a relieved breath. "At least my supplies are still here." He grabbed the large backpack and went straight for the pocket with his cell phone. "Shit… dead…" He set it to the side as he continued digging through the bag. "You don't by chance have one on you do you?"
"No. I dropped mine my first night here, running from beasts." Artemis watched as he pulled out several more items.
He laughed as he finally turned his attention toward her. "The great Artemis running from beasts? I would have never imagined."
She sent him an irritated glare. "You know these creatures are of extraordinary measures."
"True." He tossed her a packet. "Here, eat this. It's not the best but better than nothing. You've bound to be hungry by now."
She nodded as she took the packet and sat down on the ground across from him, her stomach growling with anticipation. They ate in silence; but when his eyes continued to burn into her, she finally broke the silence and asked. "What? Why are you staring so?"
"If your story is to be believed, and Hypnos was the one truly responsible for bringing you here… I have only one question…" His eyes burned into hers, daring her to lie.
She swallowed hard. "I've already told you, I'm not completely sure who it was. He appeared as a thick fog, whispered promises of protection to that girl, then brought me here."
"Humm…" Ry's attention was now on the solar charger he'd set out moments ago. He flipped it over in his hand pretending to study it. "Yes… Which leaves me to wonder what you did to warrant his protection." His sharp gaze snapped back up to hers. "You see, we'd suspected that Jos was somehow being watched and even helped by the children of Nyx. They were caught on security footage with her when she was attacked by the European vampire association. And… though Thanatos had shown up, she was found alive but unconscious. Odd wouldn't you say? And now you are telling me that you were in mid… conversation with Jos when Hypnos just appeared, promised to protect Jos, then caused you to vanish… thus removing a threat… right?" His eyes narrowed. "What did you do?"
She swallowed past the lump building in her throat. She'd always prided herself on her strength and sure mind… but all that was lost when in this man's presence. Everything she'd always thought she was… she wanted… faded away when he was near. "I… well…"
His eyes narrowed more, and his upper lip snarled. "You threatened her."
She glanced away. "Not quite… though it had crossed my mind…" Another thought came to her. Her eyes quickly shot back to his. "That man, he said he brought me here not to help but to trap me. To keep me out of his way in order for some plan he had against my father to succeed. I believe that girl is part of his plan."
Ry's brows furrowed. "He said that?"
She nodded. "Yes. I found it odd then… but the more that I think about it the more it makes sense. If it really is Hypnos, then I can understand why he is after revenge on Father… but I'm not sure why he thought I'd get in his way."
Ry scooped up the phone and the solar charger and stormed back outside. His eyes moved around the still dark sky, heavy with clouds. "Shit…"
"What is it?" Artemis asked as she followed him out.
"If the skies stay like this the clouds will be too heavy to charge the phone." His now worried gaze moved to her. "We'll either have to wait out the weather… or try to find yours…"
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
Jacquia_comics
Jacquia_comics The backstory information for them are straight from the many tales of these two. I've just gone through and doctored the stories to fit my narrative.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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