Page 59 of Artemis' Bow
We all spin when the underbrush rustles again and a huge wolf steps from the bushes with a snarl. The lion moves in front of me with a snarl, protecting me from the other predator. I bow my head in deference to the large wolf but keep my gaze on him the entire time.
“Old friend,” Pan says to the wolf, also bowing his head slightly. “They are trying to rescue your huntress and have some questions.”
“Ask if he recognized the person who took her,” I say.
“He says he can hear you just fine,gods touched.” Pan chuckles. “They were disguised so he couldn’t give features, but he smelled like someone who used to stalk the goddess millennia ago.”
“Well shit, that doesn’t give us much. There were many who stalked her in ancient times,” I huff.
“Would you like to know the scent he’s speaking of?” Pan asks, raising a brow.
“Yes, what does he smell like? We have our shifter friend who has an amazing nose and even catching his scent could be helpful.” I nod.
Pan chuckles again as he turns to me. “He smells of fresh water and rotting fish.”
“Is he a freshwater spirit or a god?” Thad asks, tilting his head to the side.
“There was one who was obsessed with Artemis in ancient times. He even attempted to take her against her will, but Artemis outsmarted him. I wonder if that could be him,” Pan muses.
“I remember this story,” Raven says. “We read it the other day in the book. The river god Alpheus was planning to abduct her, but she rubbed mud all over herself and hid among the dryads in the forest. Alpheus couldn’t tell who she was.”
Thad taps his index finger against his chin. “How did a weak minor river god capture and hold someone as powerful as the moon goddess?”
“I don’t know, but this means she’s weaker than we thought, and the world is in serious danger.”
15
“Something isn’t right here,” I mumble, scanning the surroundings just outside Phoenix.
“It’s the first time that it looks like it could possibly be night.” Raven glances at the sky. “Do you think she could have escaped?”
“No, take a good look at the sky. Those are storm clouds. There’s not a star or night sky peeking through.”
“What is that?” Jayden asks. “It looks like snow. That’s not right.”
I roll down my window and the chill sends a shiver down my spine as several snowflakes land in my palm.
“It is snow. What the fuck? This is supposed to be the desert.”
“It’s already starting.” Adrian gulps. “The balance is completely out of whack. This isn’t good at all.”
“Fuck, no more damn detours. We need to find Artemis already, before everything goes to hell.”
“It looks like it’s already there,” Thad mumbles.
We drive down the streets of Phoenix. My head is on a swivel as I gaze in several directions, seeing people breakingshop windows and stealing enough supplies to stock up for the apocalypse.
“It’s nothing new, Beth.” Jayden squeezes my knee. “Remember in LA when they were looting while demons were hunting them?”
“Yeah, it’s weird. Even when I thought I was a human, it never would have occurred to me to steal from a store just because the world was going to shit.” I shrug.
“Not all people are good people. We both know the truth in that matter.” Raven winks at me.
“Let’s just say not all beings are good and call it as we see it.”
The rest of the drive through the city is spent in tense silence as more snow accumulates on the ground around us.
“Is it even safe to drive in this?” I ask, chewing my lip.
