Best Laid Plans

It seems strange to be going to bed knowing that tomorrow I’ll be heading back to the place I ran from. Selene and I spend ages going over the plan and it was pretty much set.

All I had to do was pray Ildi went to that hidden garden every day. If I can catch him there we have a lot more hope of this becoming a success. If we can just get him to help us it will go smoothly.

I should be sleeping but my brain won’t switch off, I keep replaying scenarios over and over.
What if Arti changed her mind tomorrow and doesn't let us leave?
If we end up trapped with Salvi and she kills us or uses us or does whatever she is planning only this time Selene is caught up in it too. It’s like a never-ending battle between myself and myself.

**You know we could just go now, then she won’t have to come and she won’t be in any danger**

"Savea, don't be silly we can’t do that to them "

**Do they protect them? Come on all we are doing is getting the book and speaking to Ildi we both know that he will help you, so really there is no need to bring her along with us**

"Can you imagine the fall out if we sneak off now without her? moreover, something tells me Artemis isn’t sleeping tonight and if we make any movements she is going to be on us before I even have my shoes on"

Our frustration and worry are stopping both of us from resting.

"You know what I’m just going to read up on grandma a little more. Maybe her diary will help us "

**Maybe but think on what I’ve said we could leave and protect them all**

She retreats into the back of my mind leaving me with only my thoughts. Maybe she is right, maybe I should just go now and try to get it myself after all I do know where everything is.

A few more moments pass before I settle on the fact that I would never be able to leave here without someone knowing so I pull out grandma's diary and begin to read the next passage.

*It's been days and I cannot control his temper, with each passing moment he grows wilder with jealousy. I Caught him trying to trap his sisters in a cave screaming at them to give him their power. He does not know that this cannot be done but he is obsessed with it. He’s willing to hurt them to get what he wants when he arrives back at the house. I could have sworn that his eyes were glowing red. Only for a moment but I’m sure if it, I called him to me so I could check him over and the sweet innocent face of the child I birthed was staring back at me, how is it possible that he can be so different. He is like two people, one seems to be dominating the other and I fear what he may do next. I do not doubt that he will hurt his sisters or someone in his private quest for power. How silly is it to be scared of what a 9-year-old boy is capable of *

I can’t believe what I’m reading, she was scared of her own child. She feared what he would do and yet she still longed to love him and care for him. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be her at that moment.

To watch your children grow and see one become something other than what you had hoped for them, to see him become violent with his own family. I find it strange that she mentioned she thought she saw his eyes glow.

Salvi's eyes are red and when she taught me to fight she made me focus on my anger. Perhaps Marel had powers after all and they were just not used in a way grandma was used too.

Maybe it’s the same for Salvi. What if when she was separated from us she only knew anger, losing your family would do that to you. If her powers could only manifest from her internal rage then it would explain a lot about her.

It would explain why she hates the sisters so much, from the outside their life is flawless if only she knew what it was really like for them she might change her mind, they might even be able to help her.

I closed the page of the book and lay back staring at the ceiling, what if there was a way we could get what we needed to find out why she wants Frode and also to help her realise her power can be drawn from more than just rage.

Going over all the ways I could bring her around I eventually drift off to sleep just as the sun starts peeking through my curtains.


**Artemis**

"Ryan I just can’t do it I know I said I would let them go, but what if something happens to them "

*"Arti your being silly, they are grown women they can make their own choices"*

"Yes but this is not the right choice I feel it in the pit of my stomach"

*"Artemis. Stop."*

I stop pacing at the end of the bed and stare at a semi-naked Ryan whose eyes are fixated on my own.

*"Come back to bed at 5 am and you have been pacing for hours. You are not going to solve anything but walking backwards and forwards"*

I nod and crawl back up the bed to lie near him. I can feel his eyes moving across my body in a way that makes my whole body tingle.

*"You know if you keep crawling towards me like that I’m going to have trouble controlling myself"*

His face changes and he looks at me with pure lust. I keep crawling towards him, my eyes fixated on his before I sit on a lap and hold his face in my hands.

"You know every time you look at me with those eyes I think about the night we met all over again"

I lean in and kiss him softly on the lips, he lifts his hands to touch me but I bat them away. I don’t know why but I feel like playing with him A little to take my mind off everything else, judging by the way he is staring at me he isn’t going to mind one bit.

*"Artemis. What are you doing"*

The quiet deep sound of his voice makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

"I’m just enjoying what’s in front of me Ryan"

I kiss him again slowly with a little more passion, my hands still gripping his wrist holding him back from touching me still. The muscles in his wrist flex under my palms as he tries to hold himself back from touching me.

*"Ahh man, you have no idea what you do to me Arti"*

I kiss my way down his cheek and onto his neck.

"Judging from the feeling underneath me"

I pull away from him for a second and look down.

"I have a rough idea"

I continue to tease him with soft small kisses when I reach his mark I feel his body go rigid as a small groan escapes his lips. Before I can even fight him back he has flipped me on my back, my arms pinned above my head as he takes over and starts kissing the mate mark he left on me so long ago.

The feel of his lips drives me completely crazy, ever since I have been back and healthy it’s like I feel everything with such ferocity, a trait that Ryan has learned to appreciate and perhaps take advantage of.

We melt into one another every move echoed effortlessly. I know every inch of his body and he knows every inch of mind. He pulls the T-shirt over my head pressing his body on my own, the heat rushing to my head.

Moon goddess I had forgotten how much I loved being with him in this way. The bright morning sun begins to flow through the window, highlighting his soft white skin. The only thing that seems to be escaping my lips is moaning.

A soft growl from Ryan with every moan. We are about to take things further when the bedroom door bursts open and Cynthia comes barging in.

**"They've gone "**

She lets out a small scream and mutters a bunch of apologies before turning her back and shutting the door. When she’s outside she talks through the door.

**"Please get dressed its an emergency "**

Ryan rolls off of me looking seriously irritated that she burst in. He leans back on the pillow and I remain still where I am.

*"She's waiting you should get dressed"*

Every ounce of sweet desire in his voice now replaced with emotionless words.

"But Ryan we were.."

He rolls over and props himself up on his elbow to face me, and gently runs his hand up my mid-drift.

*"Artemis. I’m not going anywhere, am I a little disappointed we didn’t have a happy ending this morning. Sure, but you are one of the most powerful women I’ve ever met with sisters whose rage outweighs no one. Now please get dressed before..."*

He barely finishes his sentence before Cynthia begins to wildly knock on the door once more.

**"Artemis will you get dressed Selene and Sekreta have gone "**

It’s like a slap in the face of realisation. They’ve gone. The two of them have left without saying anything, I knew I shouldn’t have let my guard down. I should have stayed in the room with Sekreta to make sure they didn’t do anything stupid.

I scramble out of bed and grab my clothes from the floor shoving them on. Ryan rises and chucks on some trousers before I whip the door open to face Cynthia.

"What do you mean they have gone"

We start walking down the corridor heading for the back door.

**"I mean they left this morning, I managed to convince some of the cleaners to tell me what had happened. She didn’t want to betray her Luna but also a may have flashed my eyes at her"**

"Okay, so where are they?"

**"They left about 45 minutes ago, apparently Sel went to Sekreta's room and woke her up then 10 minutes later they were both outside heading for the forest"**

"Why wouldn’t they wait for us?."

**"Your seriously asking that Arti? They would have left days ago if it weren’t for your meticulousness. "**

"When we catch up with them I’m going to kill them both"

As we get to the edge of the tree line Cynthia stops.

"What are you doing what's going on"

**"I’m not following them Arti"**

"What do you mean? we have to follow them, or what was the point in pulling me out of bed shouting they’ve gone"

**"I bought you to here because that’s what Selene’s note to me said "**

"What are you talking about, now there is a note"

I’m struggling to understand what the hell is going on, why would she drag me out of bed screaming about them leaving then walk with me all this way only to stop short of following them and bringing them back.

We face one another my anger rising, her annoyance growing.

**"She left this"**

She pulls out a piece of paper and begins to read.

**"I know you’re going to be mad sisters but I need you not to follow. I found out some news about Salvi and Sekreta. They are not sisters, Salvi made the whole thing up when Sekreta and I spoke. She told me about her memories and that she didn’t really have any. It made me wonder if they were related at all."**

She takes a breath and stares at me, I don’t say anything so she continues on,

**"I sent some people digging and I found out that while she isn’t her sister, Salvi is her cousin, our cousin. Marel must have had a child, please look through all our paperwork and see if you can dig anything more up, Getting this book could be out only lead so we left early"**

We stare at one another taking it all in.

"But Marel didn’t have any powers I don’t understand. Sekreta and Selene are not safe we have to go after them...."

**"I thought the same but they know how to handle themselves which led me to one more conclusion... If he has no power Artemis then how on fuck did Salvi get hers"**