Page 80 of His True Beloved

Thick leather bindings held her forearms and calves. A short leather skirt, but the leather leggings below them kept her modest appearance. Her back held a satchel for arrows, and her bow lay on the opposite side of the sash that carried her bag.

The power she had was great. I could feel it radiating off her. The tight bun that held her hair back kept her eyes filled with joy as tiny animals began to flock to us. They jumped on her foot, some climbing her leg as they sat on her shoulder.

“A goddess?” I questioned, stepping away from the deity. Her smile faded, and she tilted her head in amusement.

“I’m surprised you even admitted that considering your standing not just a week ago, but yes, a goddess. Now can you guess which one?” she mused and rested her head on her hand.

“Artemis,” I babbled. “Of course, Artemis.”

Who would doubt that with the small creatures of the forest, the bow on her back, and the regal look of a hunter, who else would she be?

“Quite right.” She stepped forward, the dead leaves crying at her feet.

“And you are now a vampire, no longer the prey but now of a hunter.”

Say what now?

She laughed again, my face hanging in shock while I waited for her to continue. “Yes, you are a vampire, and now you are a hunter, Christine. Usually, Selene, the Goddess of Mates, visits newly transitioning humans. Still, she’s quite busy tending to a broken werewolf who needs another match.” Artemis’s face saddened.

Lost in confusion, a chipmunk jumped from her shoulder and landed on mine. “As you know, there is a war, Christine. One that is only affecting Bergarian right now, but soon it will affect you too.”

“What?” I said breathlessly. “Why me?” Artemis wrapped her arm around mine and walked me closer to the hill that once stood a dark castle.

“Sebastian is trusted by Queen Clara. The Fates demanded they have a strong bond. At one time, Sebastian didn’t understand the pull he had to Clara and requested her to take him on as a mate.” I whipped my head in shock. Her arm gripped me tightly.

“Trust me, he thought he was all alone losing his first beloved that was never meant to be his anyway. He thought he needed to settle, so any sort of bond Sebastian felt, he thought he should grasp it tightly. Do not hold it against him, huntress. Because Clara is the one that made sure he could go find you, his true beloved.” Artemis’s face quieted, and so did mine.

Of course Sebastian would have tried to be with someone. He was lonely. He thought his soulmate was gone.Still, the pit in my stomach didn’t like it.

“The Fates are all-knowing, and Selene is not. Selene pairs them as best as she can, but if the Fates know something more than what the gods are allowed to see, they will correct it.” Artemis and I continued to walk in silence, growing closer to a town now burned to ashes. The buildings were set in flames, some buildings reduced to nothing but ash and stone.

“Sebastian isn’t the only one that this has happened to, and Selene is trying to correct that now. That’s why you have me.” She smiled. “I’m tired of dealing with all those men begging for the prey to fall into their lap anyway. Being with another huntress Is much better.” She smiled.

“I am no huntress,” I said. “I just became different, a vampire, and that is all there is. I’m not going to hunt people to feed, either. It’s just a name you’ve given me.” Artemis stopped in her tracks, her feet turning in the dirt. “A huntress can be more than just the physical act. A huntress is a woman who is fierce to the core,” she said sternly. “And who said you would hunt humans? You will hunt something different entirely.”

“What?” I croaked. She was dead serious, and the heat in her gaze softened as soon as I stepped away.

“Follow me.” She pulled my arm again, jumping over the dried creek beds. We had left the town, now stumbling, running half falling until we reached the base of the hill that once sat the darkened castle.

“Here.” She waved her hand in front of the pile of ash. “Here is where you will do your hunting. You are to help Queen Taliyah rebuild what was lost. Find the best supernaturals to help serve in the darkened Kingdom of Vermillion. Find those willing to realize that not just vampires have the authority in the darkness, but other beings as well. Wolves, dark fairies and fae, pixies, nymphs, and even orcs should be welcomed into the courts.”

Orcs?

I gulped, thinking this goddess had lost her mind.Vampires and werewolves, sure. Goddess, all right, I’ll live with that. But orcs?!

“You will help rebuild, along with Sebastian,” Artemis stated.

“I can’t do that!” I waved my hands in the air. “How am I to help rebuild that?” I pointed my finger straight at the ash. “I’m thinking Sebastian could help restabilize the economy, bring more merchants, not build a castle or a court!” I yelled into the blackness. “What about the queen?”

“You said you wanted to help.” Artemis watched my temper tantrum unfold. “Isn’t this the best way? And the queen will rely on the two of you to help carry out her orders.”

“This isn’t what I had in mind,” I sighed. We stood in silence for a long ten minutes. My body shifted from the rubble back to the town. “Is this what Vermillion looks like right now?” I whispered.

Artemis crossed her arms, nodding in confirmation. “What about the rest of Sebastian’s world?” I asked.

“Bergarian?” She raised a brow. “Some areas are more stable than others, but they will heal.” Her heart lightened. “But with the substantial cost of thousands of innocent lives,” she murmured.

I licked my bottom lip, chapped from the dry air and raining ash. Feeling a sting, I felt blood pool on my lip. My finger touched the slit of the wound, only for it to heal quickly. My heart leaped in my chest when my finger grazed the tooth that would soon be hollowed teeth.

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