Valiant Heart (15 page)

Something flickered across Artemis's face. It could have been the image of her that kept fluctuating, but I didn't think so. What her eyes said was sorrow.

“I don't understand.” I cringed at the idea of a blissful pairing between Huntress and beast. “What do you mean? That a Huntress would willingly love a beast? That kind of pairing is natural? That there are wolves whose lives can be spared?”

I thought about the wolf I'd seen on the day my father had died. The beautiful creature who was not hunting for human prey. I had understood intuitively that the only danger was in antagonizing it. It wouldn't have attacked if my father hadn't threatened its life.

“You know what I mean. There are evil beasts, those corrupted by menacing alphas who thirst for blood and gore. Ones tainted by Lazarus. His reach is vast. But they aren't all like that. When the Huntress was cursed to love the beast, it created a bond that wasn't meant to cripple her. It was meant to act as strong as a bond with a Hunter.”

“What?” It made me think of Ella, mated to her beast, loving an animal she was meant to destroy.

But that very thought gave me pause. Whenever she told her story, she always started by saying that her beast wasn't always evil. That he'd been corrupted in some way. Was it possible that there was more to this than my limited experience allowed me to understand?

“The sword you hold is meant to undo any wrongs that have come to a Huntress through a bad pairing. It's taken centuries to craft. It's an honorable weapon that is meant for salvation. Corrupted beasts cannot be spared—they're just too dangerous—but the Hunters can know the punishment that the sword delivers. Losing their Hunter mark, becoming just a human is justice for abuse against a Huntress.”

As confused as I was, new information rattling my already foggy brain, I did understand that Artemis was entrusting me with a gift that held a double meaning for me. A sword. Lance's weapon. Imbued with the power to give me what I desired most. Independence from my Hunter. “I'm honored that you trust me with this.”

“It comes at a cost.” Artemis stroked the end of the scabbard. “The Amazon way is noble but flawed. Your tribe has vast numbers of Huntresses, all without a Hunter, all with a forced bite from their wolf. The universal belief that all bondings will result in something bad is flawed. There needs to be a shift back to a belief that has been lost over time. Regaining a trust that was severed years ago. The power lies in the bond. A healthy, strong and loving bond.”

“I'm confused, Artemis. My idea of power is a life without a Hunter interfering. It sounds like you want me to accept my Hunter because it will be a relationship of power. How can I convince my tribe of that when I don't believe it myself?”

Lance made me emotionally weaker as it was and I hardly knew him. If I fell in love with him, like totally and completely, what would happen then? I'd be vulnerable. I'd be distracted. I'd be devoted. There wasn't room in my heart for my Huntresses and a Hunter.

“It is complicated, I agree.” Artemis smiled. “You have free will, Ariana. What I want and what will happen are independent of one another. It is your choice to make, and I've given you the tool to make it without injury to yourself, to free your Hunter from any pain. You could become the champion to wronged Huntresses, a leader more powerful than you can possibly imagine. You could save those who have been paired with a Hunter unworthy of their love, an enforcer to correct any man who dares control or abuse a Huntress. And you are suited to it. One craving a position of authority, a natural born leader in many ways.” She sighed. “For this to happen, though, for you to lead, and the sword to work, you will have to make the first cut to yourself. The sword demands a sacrifice. Your heart. You will have to go forward without your Hunter.”

I felt the weight of what she was saying. A heavy choice to make. Accept the role of champion, sever toxic bonds, punish Hunters by forcing them back into the role of human or alternatively, in theory, do the same for those bonded with beasts by destroying the animal. Building an army of strong Huntresses who had bonds that bolstered them.

But to do that I had to sacrifice my own bond. Carry the burden of that power and that role all by myself.

Which would be easy to commit to if Lance was abusing me. But Lance wasn't evil. Far from it. So how could I force him back into a human existence to meet my own desires?

Artemis continued, nudging the track of my thoughts in another direction. “Within Kelly is a prophecy that she can only retrieve if she finds her Hunter. It's a prophecy that will change the game as it's being played and without it, the world as you know it will be lost forever.”

“Why haven't you told us this before?” I frowned. “Greer doesn't know. She plans to kill Andrew. She has orders from the Queen.”

The image of Artemis wavered, her words dipping into a whisper. “Andrew must be stopped. Once you've retrieved the prophecy, once Kelly understands, then you can sever the bond between her and Andrew if you must.”

“Greer wouldn't harm him if she knew. You need to tell her, she'll listen to you.”

Artemis speared me with a look that made me shudder. “Greer has her own agenda that begins and ends with blood. She is closed to my messages. You must act as the liaison. The voice of reason. You must be the champion, the leader you so crave to be.”

I gulped. So many complications, all falling on my shoulders. “Okay, I'll tell Greer, I'll stop her from leaving.”

“No.” Artemis shook her head. “You've been unconscious for some time, two days already in fact. Greer left without you, shackled and no stronger than a human, safely sequestered at your camp.”

Betrayed. Had she even told Queen Val of my need to be part of the mission? “Can't you send her a message? Through the smoke? Tell her to wait for me.”

“I told you, my messages are not conveying as I want them to and she isn't open to my pulling her here.” She reached out and touched my cheek. “This is a message that must come from you.”

“She siphoned my powers, I'm useless without them.” I bundled the sword and scabbard, hastily tying the thong around it. “You could help me with that.”

Artemis chuckled and touched my chest. The feeling of my Huntress essence becoming unclogged, or unblocked, was like a torrent of relief.

“Thank you.”

“Your powers will come ebbing back to you. You'll need your Hunter to bolster you for a time.” She smiled sadly. “You're going to have to make a choice, Ariana, like all good leaders, and accept whatever the outcome is.”

I shook my head, my brain bumping against the lack of clarity, her words hitting a sore spot deep in my gut. People will get hurt because of my choices. “I don't understand how to choose.”

“Not yet you don't. But you will, hopefully before it's too late.”

Chapter Nineteen

Honor and Loyalty

Lance was once again on his hands and knees barfing his guts out because of his impromptu journey on the vomit train provided by Harper.

She stood over him now, her boots the only thing he could see as he retched again.

“She won't be killed, Hunter,” Harper said as she shifted away. “At least, it's unlikely that will be her punishment.”

“Unlikely?” His gut twisted.

“She admitted fault. I'm sure Greer will go easy…er.”

Easier? What the fuck did that mean? Lance glared up at her, bracing himself to launch, ready to take her down, demand that she return him to his mate.

“You're a half day's trek away from camp. Head west and you'll find us.” Harper smirked.

On a growl, Lance launched himself, capturing only air as she disappeared once again.

He landed with a thump, grunting as he rolled onto his back. She'd left him naked, weaponless, and angry as hell. His thoughts cycling through what had just happened. Ariana was in danger. A sword tip at her throat. She'd confessed to something she hadn't done. All because of her stupid fucking ideas about honor and loyalty.

He lifted his arm, ran his fingers over his Hunter mark. It flared to life. She was not dead so long as he felt his tattoo burn. He could take comfort in that.

With a groan he rolled to his knees, surveying the area around him. He was in a swath of tall grass, birds chirping and chattering. Mosquitoes buzzing, sun shining. Fuck. He looked to the west but could barely make out anything resembling the hill that the camp was on. Must be magically protected.

Half a day's trek, she'd said. But then again, Harper was underestimating the power of the bond. He and Ariana were tethered. He'd always be able to find her now.

Lance jumped up, his legs slightly wobbly from the nausea rolling through him. That was the last fucking time he was traveling in that manner. From here on in, he was using his legs to get from point A to point B, or some kind of vehicle, or a fucking horse for that matter.

He sucked in a deep breath, steadied himself and then he took off at a fast clip, determined to reach Ariana before the sun went down.

They knew he was coming, had clothes waiting for him at the gate when he arrived. His body was scratched up all to hell, and he was itchy with bug bites but he'd made it before the sun set. His Hunter mark was warm, tingling with Ariana's proximity. She was still alive. Harper had been correct. Nothing terrible had befallen his mate. He hastily dressed and then stormed straight inside to find Greer.

“Hunter,” Greer said as she looked him up and down with a smirk. “You look agitated.”

“Where's Ariana?” he snarled.

“Not dead,” Greer said as she turned her back to him and continued with the task he'd apparently interrupted, sorting a line of weapons laid out on a long wooden table. “But I'm guessing you know that already.”

“Lance!” Kelly came at him from the side, arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding him for a moment in a tight hug. “I heard what happened!”

Lance disentangled himself from her, giving her a quick once over to make sure she was okay before addressing Greer once again. “What was her punishment? For her ridiculous confession, I mean.” He reached out and grabbed Greer's arm. “She is no more responsible for those women's deaths than I am.”

Greer spun and dropped, snapping his hold on her arm with a jolt, one leg sweeping in an attempt to take him down. He counter-maneuvered as he dropped as well, getting a hold of her ankle and knocking her off balance. They both hit the ground with a thud, dust pluming around them. The fight ended there.

Greer snorted a laugh as she pulled her legs up, resting her elbows on her knees and looking at him with something like respect. “My ass is gonna be sore later.”

“You're lucky that's all that's sore,” Lance growled as he stood, and then held out a hand to help her up as well. Much to his surprise, she accepted, rising too, then dusted her pants off.

“Ariana has been fully indoctrinated to the Amazon way, Lance. She is committed and willing to take responsibility for her wrongs.” When he opened his mouth to argue, she shook her head, raising a finger for patience. “We all vow it, loyalty to our sisters who come above any and all others. She erred, she got women killed.”

“That's not what happened.”

“You just don't see it the way we do.” Greer shook her head. “And I don't expect you to understand. I do expect you to yield to our ways. You are, after all, the guest here.”

“She's my mate, and I will always have her interests as my priority.”

“That's very sweet,” Greer cooed. “I wonder how Ariana feels about that.”

“She's not injured.” Kelly touched his arm. “Greer and the Queen felt it was fit to have her powers siphoned for a month. That's it.”

Lance looked over at Kelly, frowning at her tone, like she'd bought all in to this nonsense, punishment for a mythic crime. “Siphoned?”

“Hunter.” Greer pulled his attention back to her. “You asked what my power was when we first met. My abilities allow me to borrow another Huntress's powers for a time. I siphoned them from her and then shackled her ability to regenerate until the decreed punishment time has passed.”

“You police your women with corporal punishment?” He thought back to what he'd seen Greer do to Talia, and the way that Ariana had cringed as if she'd experienced it before. Which she probably had. “That's fucking warped.”

Greer shrugged. “It's an effective deterrent to any rogue ideas. When you're dealing with powerful warriors, you need a means of controlling emotions and discouraging failure.”

“And this is what you've done to Ariana? Where is she?”

“She's sleeping and safe in her cabin.” Greer motioned for Kelly to help her pack up the weapons into several backpacks laid out. “She should be coming around soon, and when she does, she will have the strength of a human and no powers to speak of.”

“You've made her vulnerable? One of your best warriors? One of your leaders? This makes no sense to me. It's barbaric.” Lance shook his head, his anger rising once again.

“What are you complaining about? She'll be all the more dependent on her Hunter when she wakes.” Greer shrugged as she turned her back to him, focusing once again on the weapons. “We leave in an hour. She'll want to come but we can't wait on her any longer. Kelly is getting urges toward her Hunter and we must act on them.”

Lance flicked his eyes to Kelly, but she wouldn't look up from her task. “So what you're telling me is that you're leaving Ariana behind?” And forcing him to choose once again. He'd vowed to protect Kelly on this journey and yet his Huntress wasn't fit to travel. He growled again. “You'll wait for her to wake.”

“No, Hunter, we won't. Kelly has a mission to fulfill. Artemis wills it so. She must find her Hunter.”

“Kelly?”

Kelly winced, her face flashing with a deep blush. “I'm sorry, Lance, but we can't wait for Ariana, and she's more a liability in her current state as it is. I need to find Andrew. Artemis made sure I heard that message. It's very important that I find Andrew before something terrible happens.”

Lance moved around the table and pulled Kelly away from her task. “Kelly,” he spoke low, knowing that Greer was listening anyway. “You don't believe all this shit, do you? I mean come on. I don't trust these women. They've acted against us too many times. They tried to break our bonds to our mates.”

Kelly shook her head, her green eyes defiant. “No, that was a mistake. Ariana's mistake. She made that call. Another error in judgment. She needs a check and some time to think. If I were leading, I'd do the same thing Greer has done. I'd pull her out of the game for now. She's undermining the mission. You stay with her, Lance, that's what you were born to do. I'm going with Greer. I need to find Andrew.”

And what exactly happens to Andrew once he's been found?

Lance looked over at Greer who smiled back at him. What he wouldn't give to wipe that smirk off her damn face for once. There was something more going on here. “Ariana won't take no for an answer, you know that.”

Greer nodded. “We're headed into Lazarus's old territory, deep north. She'll know where to go.”

Lance nodded, his disappointment in Kelly stopping him from even looking at her again. She was buying into their bullshit. He could only hope that when she found Andrew, she'd snap out of it and come to her senses. The bottom line was that she was a big girl and could handle herself. She had years of training as a Huntress and her powers appeared to be returning because of her wolf bite. It was time to let her take care of herself and focus on the woman who really needed him. His heart belonged to his Huntress and no other woman, not even the remaining threads of loyalty to Kelly or to the Order would prevent him from standing by his mate. He reached around Greer to grab Ariana's sickles and his sword from the table and then headed in the direction of her cabin.

“We'll be catching up soon.”

Greer chuckled. “Of that I have no doubt.”

Adriana lay so still she looked dead. It was disturbing. Her eyelids fluttered, she'd exhale tiny little gusts of breath. But she didn't move other than a finger twitch here and there. When he checked the rhythm of her heart, it was hardly perceptible.

A full day had passed, and Ariana had yet to wake up. Greer had taken the women via Harper, which meant that they had an extreme head start. He was worried. More than worried. Getting to that point of being beside himself.

What the hell had Greer done to her?

He was leaning over her for the millionth time, ready to grab her shoulders and give her a good hard shake when her eyes flew open and she sucked in a deep gasp of air. Lance jumped back, his heart nearly pounding right out of his chest.

“Holy shit, Ariana! You're back!”

She sat bolt upright, her eyes scanning wildly, one hand patting around, searching for…

“Where the hell did that come from?” Next to her was a sword in a scabbard. Lance shook his head in confusion.

Ariana gripped it with a sigh of relief and pulled it to her lap. “Where's Greer?”

Lance frowned, knowing that what he had to tell her would piss her off. “She left.”

“Yes, I know,” Ariana gave her head a shake. “What I meant was, how long has she been gone?”

“A day.”

Ariana rubbed a hand down her face. “Ugh, I feel like shit.”

“You've been out for two days. Greer told me what she did. The siphoning.”

Ariana shifted her legs to the side of the bed, the sheet that covered her falling away to reveal her lush naked body. Damn if his cock didn't immediately perk up.

Knowing exactly what he was thinking, she rolled her eyes as she stood, nudging him out of the way. “I need to get dressed. We need to go after them.”

Lance turned to follow her. “Are you feeling okay? Your powers?”

Still carrying the sword, Ariana ignored his question and went into the bathroom, slamming the door shut in his face when he tried to follow her.

She didn't seem weak. In fact, she seemed totally normal. Bitchy attitude firmly in place.

A few minutes later and she was out rummaging around the dresser drawers, picking out underwear, a bra, tank top, leather pants all the while still holding the sword, like she was loath to separate herself from it.

“Are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on?” He blocked her way back to the bathroom. “Where the fuck did you get that sword?”

With an angry glare she tried to side step him. She shook her head when he blocked her again. “Artemis gave it to me.”

Lance snorted, arms crossed “Artemis? As in the Goddess?”

“And that's why I wasn't saying anything.” She pushed him aside, her strength definitely not an issue. “She told me that you've all lost your faith, you Hunters.”

“You're supposed to be weak. That's what Greer said.”

“Yeah, well, I'm not.” She moved into the bathroom again. “Artemis unshackled me.” She gave him one last withering glare and shut the door again.

Artemis had given her powers back to her. Or more like Greer hadn't taken them away in the first place. The story of Artemis and her role in the birth of the Huntresses and Hunters was a legend, a folktale.

When he'd joined the Order at the age of fifteen, he remembered thinking it was a pile of horseshit. He took it as an allegory. A metaphor for the fantastical world of werewolves that he'd been suddenly thrust into. No Hunter had ever experienced any message or guidance from Artemis. No scholar had ever indicated she was real. He believed in werewolves because he'd seen them with his own eyes. He'd cut them down with his sword. He'd been sprayed by blood and had flesh torn from his body from fangs and claws. His reality was fucked up compared to the average human male, but he wasn't about to buy into the idea of a goddess speaking to a group of rebooted Amazons, not without some proof. First-hand proof.

As far as Lance was concerned, if Artemis existed she would have stepped in years ago to save her Huntresses from the Burning Times and the purging that had happened at the hands of the Order. His gut wasn't having it. As much as he was willing to accept the idea of magic bonds and Huntresses with powers, the genetic possibility of nature creating powerful creatures to combat monsters, he just couldn't believe in a deity that would abandon her creations for centuries only to return now. There was more to this story. A reality that Ariana's faith was blinding her to.

When she emerged again, she was fully dressed, her hair in a ponytail, the sword holstered on her back. “I'm assuming you're coming with me?”

Lance motioned to the set of bags he'd prepared at the door. “You bet your ass I am.”