Page 20 of Artemis

“If I ever hear otherwise...” Mercury slunk out of her office, metaphorical tail between his legs, threat sounding empty.

“Right. I hope to never see you again,” Artemis growled. She grabbed her purse and locked the door behind her.

* * *

The driveto the daycare had never seemed so long. The shadows were lengthening by the time she pulled up in front of the little building and put the car in park. When she rang the doorbell, the voices inside got louder.

The door swung open revealing Maddie. “Thank goodness you’re here!” she said, relieved.

“I’m sorry I’m late. Is everything okay?” Maddie shook her head, expression somber, and Artemis’s heart sank to her toes. “Where’s Alexander? What’s wrong?”

“Mom!” Alexander called from the living space.

Artemis breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him. He looked fine, although his eyes were red from crying. She picked him up as soon as he got close enough. “I’m sorry I’m late, darling. I should have called, but I got caught up unexpectedly. There’s no need for tears.” She hugged him tightly as he buried his face in her neck.

“Lee stopped a bad man from taking me,” Alexander whispered.

“What?” Artemis gasped, her legs giving out on her. She sank into a chair and looked up at the two women for an explanation.

“I was at an appointment,” Maddie said, wringing her hands. “And Jaden’s brother was here. He took Alexander out when Hestia saw a car that looked like yours drive up. But when a man got out, he sent Alexander back to the house. The driver shifted into a snake—”

“Lee turned into a blue dragon!” Alexander said excitedly. “He’s sobig! He stopped the bad man from getting me and then took him away to be locked up.”

Hestia nodded. “That sums it up nicely.”

“Thank goodness for Jaden’s brother,” Artemis whispered, petting Alexander’s hair.

“Lee,” Alexander corrected her.

Artemis pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Lee,” she repeated. “Was any reason given as towhyAlexander was targeted?”

“Not that we’re aware of, but he’s not back from the police station. Maybe the snake talked there. Can you think of anyone who has something to gain by taking him?”

Artemis started to say no, but the image of Mercury popped into her head suddenly.

Would he?

He had a pretty flimsy excuse today, and it delayed her from leaving the office long enough that she wasn’t able to pick Alexander up on time...

She shook her head, a sick feeling in her stomach. “I don’t think anyone would stoop so low as to kidnap my child,” she said shakily.

“Think about it,” Hestia advised. “If you think of anyone, tell us and we’ll update the police report.”

“Thank you. Thank Lee for me too.” Artemis shakily got to her feet, not wanting to let go of Alexander, but needing to get him home and cuddle him more comfortably. “Come along, sweetheart. Why don’t we order dinner and play with Elati until bedtime?”

“Yes, please! Can we have chicken nuggets?”

“I suppose so,” Artemis said with a half-smile at his care-givers.

* * *

Later,Artemis sat in one of the lounge chairs in her backyard, watching Alexander and her fawn, Elati, chase each other around the garden.

Alexander found a ball under a large plant leaf and started kicking it. Elati pranced after him, kicking up her heels and tossing her head in play. Whenever she got too close, Alexander would scoop up the ball and run further away with it, chortling with gleeful laughter that Artemis found infectious.

“Why don’t you try kicking the balltoElati?” she suggested. “Let her play with it too.”

Alexander’s kick went wide, but Elati bounced after the ball, prancing around it and angling her head in different ways to look at it properly.

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