Untouchable Fruit

Surprises and Impatience

Artemis' POV

I close the door behind me with a final sounding click, and as I let go to turn away, I can feel fear creeping across my skin. I can't lose her. Not after I just got her.

Percy please come through for me.

With nothing else I can do, I allow the twins to lead me away towards the Hall, knowing that the best shot they have is making it out of here is when all the attention is on me.

I glance from Marco to Marcus and see the latter cutting his eyes over to his brother every so often, worry prominent in his eyes, and when I look at his twin, my heart squeezes when I see the same dead burning look I saw in Carls eyes the night before.

No, not him too.

A wave of guilt and sorrow pass through me, but I don't allow the emotions to cross my features, knowing that Marcus probably has no idea what's going on, and alarming him now will only put it his life in danger. But I have to think of something.

Trying my best to not react to the faces I see around me, possessed and awake alike, I can feel this ominous tension in the air, nipping at my anxiety, feeding on it as we pass through the halls. It almost feels like there something in the air that eats away at your will and hope until they have enough wiggle room to come in and take you over.

During my studies in becoming Princess, I've read my fair share of information on every species, and I vaguely remember a chapter I read while I was away about Demons and their possession power.

Some Daemons have been cursed by other deities and the price is that they lose their physical body, cursed to live in shadow and within their home realm for all of eternity.

But there's a catch.

There are said to be ancient relics scattered around the world that gives those besides the Daemon King power to control these lost Daemons and their shadows.

All they want is to get back to a physical form so they can do and wreck havoc as they please once more. All someone had to do is get a group of people they hate, find one of those relics, and two birds are down with one stone. Not only do you have an army of Daemons that will follow your every command, but their loyalty is heightened by the fact that they were granted their freedom from shadows, and now have a body to roam free.

The man standing before me, while Marco's soul is still in there somewhere, as long as he didn't let the darkness swallow him, is not the man I grew up with and played Knights in the Royal Gardens.

The thing leading me towards the Throne Room is just an eve conniving Daemon who's willing to do someone else's dirty work just so he can walk in the sun and among the living once more. And poor Marcus doesn't have a single damn clue. My heart squeezes in sympathy for my life king friend, but without knowing what to say, I keep quiet as we reach the hall where the grand doors are standing, the guards on either side nodding before lowering themselves in a bow.

   Once they raise they go to open the door, and I take a deep breath hoping that the man of the day isn't as obnoxious as every other man they have brought before me. Knowing that the possibility of that is next to zero, I square my shoulders and prepare myself for the worst as the doors open.

When I walk through the grand doors, I find my Aunt Lucile sitting in my mothers thrown, the woman still absent, and I can't help but wonder, if only for a second if something bad happened to her.

   No, no matter how evil the woman may seem, she's still family. Mother Arla is probably sick just like she said.

    I push aside the wayward thought as I walk towards my Aunt and look on in surprise when I find Susanne sitting in my throne, and my nostrils flare at the blatant disrespect shown to both myself and the Crown, until I notice the guilty weathered look along my cousins face, her usual high and mighty attitude drained out of her as she sits in the shadow of her mother.