Olympiad is Falling, The Rise of Artemis

I slept in until I don’t know what time. The clock on the side bed in the guest room was forever stuck at seven pm. I was mourning two losses, my sister’s possible death and a guy who pushed me away before I could get close. Stella hadn’t come to my room, it had me worried she still wasn’t well from yesterday.

I kicked off the blanket and went to shower.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

‘There you are. We have to go.’ Stella said.

I was drying my hair out and was only dressed in a towel when she walked through the door.

‘Are you sure about this Stella? Is it safe? The last two guys you found weren’t very I don’t know-‘

‘The elf is dead- Do you want to find your sister or not?’

‘Of course I do, but-‘ I blinked a couple times at the news of the death of the elf. I didn’t believe him at the time, but knowing he was gone thrust me to the realization that he was the first person to tell me my real identity.

‘Five minutes.’ She stormed out the room.

‘Stella!’

If there was a problem, why didn’t she just come out and tell me? I pulled on leather pants and a pink jersey. I thought it was dangerous, but I couldn’t let the lead go. Daylen said Rocky was dead he also told me to beat it. There was hope in my soul that Rocky was out there alive somewhere waiting for me. This was all my fault I couldn’t live if I didn’t fix it.

Stella and I walked in silence on the street of her apartment. It wasn’t far from the bar she used to worked at. I cringed when I saw the men and women in dark blue overalls going through the rumble. I hoped no one was dead.

‘Is the Dinemus coming?’ She asked.

I stuffed my hands in the jersey pocket. ‘No, he said it was better if I left the mage dimension.’

‘We don’t need him anyway.’

A group of girls in short skirts walked out of a tall building. They laughed and carried their blue bags down the street. It was the first time I saw normalcy in the mage dimension.

‘Where are we going?’ I asked.

‘Through the alley.’

I remembered the time I accidentally took Daylen to a familiar’s hangout. I covered my mouth and my smile. I tried to push him and the few memories we’d made to the back of my mind. Music grew as we continued deeper into the dark alley. I couldn’t tell where the door was.

Stella grabbed my wrist. We were consumed in darkness it was like a blanket on my skin. Several locks clicked open then the door slid open. Stella pushed the door all the way in the music blasted my hair back and the light illuminated the dark alley. I looked behind us before disappearing inside. There was nothing there, but it felt like the presence of a dozen eyes.

I wasn’t much for clubbing back home, this was no exception.

The lights flashed from red to orange to blue. The heavy music vibrated the room and made my teeth chatter. We entered a room full of bodies grinding against each other. I looked up to the balcony where I could have sworn some of the people sucking each other’s faces others were flat out having sex. Girls in red leather grinded their bodies on men two times older than them.

I turned and discovered Stella was way ahead of me. I caught her turn the corner and disappear. I ran to catch up with her.

‘Stella?’

I bumped shoulders as I waded through yet another dance floor. I came to the bar much larger than the one I destroyed. I gasped when someone caressed my shoulder. I swerved and spotted a set of stairs.

‘How the hell have I lost you again?’

I went to the bar. The man behind the bar had shimmering yellow yes and a Cheshire Cat smile. He fixed on me and I stumbled back into the crowd and I turned and looked up at a black pole.

A winged creature glared at me with black holes for eyes and fangs for teeth. I stumbled back and the creature slammed against the bars of the cage.

‘Artemis!’

I span and I felt like a ball in a pinball machine. Daylen shoved bodies on his way over. I hugged my body tighter and scooted away from the monster in the cage.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’

He grabbed my elbow before he froze and stared over my head.

‘I should be asking you the same thing!’

‘Not here.’

He placed his hand on my back and guided me to another set of stairs. The music sounded miles the vibrations were replaced with moaning and flesh colliding. My cheeks burn and I shut my eyes long enough to realize I’d trip if I didn’t see where we were going. Yet, I didn’t want to see a big old man pounding someone against a wall. Luckily the halls were clear, most of the doors were open though.

I rubbed my eyes. Why was he here?

‘Coming back honey?’

I stopped despite Daylen’s hand shoving me forward. I looked through one of the open doors. A blonde woman with shimmering blue eyes lay on a ruffled bed. She flashed her naked breasts at Daylen.

‘I’m done for the night, Shae.’

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and lifted her chin. Daylen pushed harder.

‘Let’s go.’

So that’s what he was doing here? The blood in my veins froze and I took a large step forward, not wanting his hold on me.

I kept walking, but Daylen grabbed me and led me up a short flight of stairs until the only thing above us were the stars. They twinkled like diamonds stuck in deep blue batter. I couldn’t allow myself to be distracted.

‘Get off.’

He yanked me down to a white couch. I scurried to the far end. For the first time I noticed the few people wandering on the roof. Mostly waiters with the same shimmering eyes as the bartender and Shae.

‘Didn’t we agree you would go back to earth?’ He blasted.

‘I’m not leaving unless I’m one hundred percent sure Raquel is dead or not!’

‘Damn! What will it take for you to listen?’

‘Nothing!’

He pressed his lips together. Our chests rose and fell at the same time. In an instant he wrapped his arms around me and pulled to his lap. My body froze then the fight kicked in. Daylen parted my legs- or maybe I did that- so that they wrapped around his waist.

‘What are you doing?’ I pounded my fist on his chest.

He rolled his eyes before binding my wrists together and pinning them to chest. His other hand grabbed the back of my head. Before I could think Daylen’s lips were on mine. It was a hard closed mouth kiss. My insides burned and cried out for more. I stopped wriggling and leaned into him. He let go of my hands and wrapped his arms around me.

‘You’re being followed,’ he said in between kisses.

‘Play along.’

His mouth went back to my lips, tugging on my bottom lip I opened up to give him access. He waited and caressed my lips first. I sprawled my hands on his chest. I’d wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him for a while now. I wouldn’t be able to forget him now. I moaned when his mouth moved to my neck.

‘Daylen… what kind of games are these?’

‘The one I’ve been wanting to play for a while.’

I sat up and looked around. Everyone minded their own business others were making out or staring off into the distance on the edge of the roof.

‘I think we should leave.’ Daylen said.

‘Why? Where are we going?’

He set me down and I caught a glimpse of the bulge in his pants. I swallowed. He wanted to take me home to finish the job. How did I tell him I couldn’t do that?

He held his hand out for me. I hesitated and he frowned.

‘There’s a tail on you.’

I asked myself how true that was. I looked around and didn’t see anyone watching me. I stared at his hand then at his erection and swallowed.