Page 29 of Incubus

17

Lilah

One hundred years ago

Forgotten Forest of Olympus

“Elena,”I called to my closest sister, motioning for her to hang behind the larger group of warriors.

“What is it?” Elena reluctantly slowed her pace. She always wanted to be the first to spar with the other maidens.

“I need to talk with you about something important,” I whispered.

“What’s more important than sparring with our sisters?” She was genuinely perplexed.

“Well, I, um.” I didn’t quite know how to break it to my sister. “I’m leaving.”

“Hunting on your own?” Elena shrugged. “That’s fine. Just be back in time for the dagger competition. Lynxia’s been bragging how she will best you with steel and bow.”

I itched to teach Lynxia a lesson but had more pressing issues at hand. “No, I mean I’m leaving the Forgotten Forest…with a male. His name’s Farrow.”

“What?” Elena stopped in her tracks and looked at me as if I’d just said I was pregnant with Zeus’s three-headed baby. “You can’t.” Elena searched my face. “It’s forbidden to warrior maidens. You know that. What’s this all about?”

I dreaded telling Elena the next part, especially since I’d kept it from her for weeks. “Umm, about that maiden part…”

Elena’s eyes widened with alarm. “You didn’t. You couldn’t have. No one can touch us unless we allow it. Artemis has commanded it so. What happened?”

“I allowed it.” I blushed. I’d met Farrow in the forest almost a month ago. He’d thrilled me with his gorgeous smile and affable nature. And we were in love.

I’d been meeting him clandestinely for weeks. He’d told me about life beyond the slopes of Olympus. I only had fleeting memories of my time on earth, but Farrow made it seem like the place to be, especially since I’d be there with him. He was everything I wanted—strong and proud and true.

Elena’s face went from dumbfounded to resolved in under five seconds. She grabbed my elbow hard. “You must not speak of this. If Artemis were to find out—”

“She won’t do anything, I’ve already planned what to say to Artemis: ‘This is my soon-to-be-husband, Farrow. We would like your blessing to marry and free leave for me to come and go from the slopes of Olympus. That way I could still be in your service and be with the man I love.’”

“You have lost your mind.” Elena looked like she wanted to slap me or scream, the telltale birthmark on her neck beginning to turn pink. She began nervously twirling an arrow around in her hand. “That won’t work, Lilah. You know how she feels about coupling.” She said the word as if it were “leprosy.” “And the fact that you’ve gone and done it. She’ll smite you.”

“No, it’ll be okay.” I kept my tone calm. Elena just didn’t understand. This was true love. Farrow and I were forever. “I’m going to meet him now and bring him straight to the goddess.”

Elena did a double take, the birthmark on her neck now an angry red. “You can’t lead a male to Artemis’s sanctum. She will kill you both as swiftly as one of your arrows!”

I heard the truth in Elena’s words, but I was determined to get Artemis to accept Farrow as my mate. Surely, Artemis would give me a chance to explain before smiting us with godly wrath? Surely.

“Go on to sparring. I’ll be along with Farrow in a bit.” I tried to keep my words strong, but my confidence was slowly dissolving under Elena’s crushing gaze.

She squeezed my shoulders. “No, you will not. You are coming to sparring with me and forgetting all about this Farrow. And you are never telling anyone you’ve been with a male. You understand?”

I shrugged out of her grip. “I love him, Elena.”

An exasperated cry bubbled up from Elena’s throat. “You can’t love him. You don’t even know him! And warrior maidens don’t fall in love! It’s impossible. We are pledged to Artemis.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Well, I’m pledging myself to Farrow.”

A crack of thunder sounded overhead, startling us both. Elena looked to the sky, as if expecting a lightning bolt to hit me directly, but nothing happened.

“Coincidence?” I asked, looking to the deepening blue above.

“There’s no such thing.” Elena eyed the sky warily. “But if you are going to do this, I’m going with you. I want to meet the male who you are intent on throwing your whole life away for.”

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