22 DARING SMILE
"APHRODITE'S GOING TO KILL ME."
Adonis' laugh echoed in the forest. Both, him and Artemis sprawled their bodies out on the ground when dawn haunted the skies.
"How so, now?" He asked, eyes fluttering shut for a moment.
Even though Adonis could not see Artemis, she lifted a shoulder in a shrug, gnawing at her lips in thought. The goddess of beauty certainly wasn't on the clever side, but she's cruel, evil, and easy to temper. Evidently, Artemis has angered Aphrodite in one way or another. All starting and ending with the god laying inches away from her.
"Well, when you do leave..to Earth. She'll be all over me. Of course, the secret of your departure won't be a secret long enough. I mean, when she finds out..."
"She'll kill you." He finished in a strained voice, swallowing.
"Yeah." She nodded, absently. Tilting her head slightly to glance at Adonis. His eyes were still shut, making it easier for her betraying sight. Watching him never got old, she pondered idly. It was the truth, his face, his features...the physicality of him, made Adonis immortal. A glimmering shadow lurking in the heavens of other, more powerful gods.
Then his eyes were on hers. Watching her watch him. His lips twitched, and then a smirk appeared across his face, knowing how effective his dimples were to the female species.
Artemis' face stayed blank. Not revealing any emotion, just curiosity and thought. Trying to figure him out, like always. Adonis was a book in an otherworld language.
Abruptly his face grew closer to hers. Their breaths mingled together, overlapping each other's scents.
Adonis' nose brushed hers and quickly, like it never happened, she shot up straight. Her hands went up to her forehead and rubbed the stress creases in her skin.
"I — sorry." He swallowed, sitting up on his elbows, watching the muscles in her back work.
Artemis shook her head in her hands, "No, uh, we only have a couple hours. We need the sleep..so let's just stop talking."
Adonis mocked a chuckle.
She shot him a look over her shoulder, ignoring the sting in her belly when she saw how disheveled his hair was. How disheveled and just naturally beautiful he looked right there. In the moonlight.
"You're right. No talking," He agreed with a brisk nod before curling over on his shoulder so his back faced Artemis. "What's new," he mumbled quietly.
Artemis opened her mouth to respond but when no words came out, she clamped her lips together and gulped. Her gaze halted on the back of his head until his breathing slowed into a even, passive beat and then lowered herself back to the ground.
She hugged her body and looked up to nature's ceiling. Stars glared back at her in warning. A reminder of Orion and that he'd always be there. And this time, when she thought of it, of Adonis, and the lustful thoughts she's had, she didn't feel guilt. Just disappointment.
Her eyelids fell heavy and soon sleep wrapped the goddess in a bundle of dreams.
——
Leaves crunched under Artemis' weight. Adonis walked beside her. He'd been quiet since they woke up. After the moment they almost shared, a thorny environment bloomed.
Artemis did try to lighten the mood as sunrise hit, but he came back with short answers and intense annoyance. She'd never seen him with such a frivolous attitude but she wasn't particularly surprised by his mood neither.
"Artemis!" He whispered-yelled, grabbing her elbow.
She turned her head to him, "What?" Her free hand instantly snapping to her bow.
"Look." He nodded his head to the left and she followed his gaze to a tree. "It's an apple tree."
She arched a brow, "Okay?.."
He gave her a bored look, "No, thee apple tree..it means we're close."
"To the palace."
"To the palace." He confirmed with a nod.
A shuddering breath escaped through the part in Artemis' lips.
They began walking again but Artemis couldn't shake the small jitter running through her marrow.
"Are you scared?" He asked after a moment of silence.
"No." A short cut response that was a lie but she didn't need him, or anyone, to see a crack in her strength. Not when she's got this far.
A warm hand grazed her shoulder, patting it in some way of assurance. "All will be well, Artemis." He said softly, squeezing his shoulder.
The wind chilled her shoulder when his hand ghosted off.
"No, it won't. It'll never be well."
His brows knitted down at her, "What do you mean?" He asked cautiously, slowing his pace but she just kept walking.
"It's nothing. I don't even know why I said that. Never-mind." She uttered, chewing the inside of her cheek. She could feel his eyes on the side of her face, it blossomed a red tint to creep up her neck. It was annoying.
"Here you go again. Deflecting. Artemis the deflector. Goddess of deflecting." He teased but it didn't come out as a joke.
She sighed, "We aren't doing this to be friends, alright."
He scoffed, halting his step. She also stopped, turning slightly to look back at him.
"Seriously, Artemis? You really mean that?" He croaked, irritation writing his features in stone.
With a grunt, "I thought that was clear." By the way Adonis was looking at her, she knew she was messing everything up.
He curled his lips menacingly, turning his eyes away from her and shaking his head. She was scared, she realized. This sight in front of her. The way his fists clenched and eyes narrowed - it reminded her of hurt and war. Something she never would suggest to describe Adonis.
"I just thought -"
"You thought what, Adonis? That we were going to run off and be happy and just forget everything evil? That everything will always be okay?" It was her fists that clenched then. "Nothing, nothing will ever be okay. Because this is it for us. For the weak ones like us, this is all we have. Hiding in the shadows of real power like Hades and Aphrodite..we'll never be okay. We'll always be scared and recoiling back because we're just shadows." She was panting now, the words fell like vomit on a sick child.
Everything that'd been bottled up just found its end. And Adonis was unlucky enough to witness it.
"I didn't think everything would just change! I can't change everyone. This I know!" He screamed back, arms flailing. "But I didn't — I..."
"What, then? Because what we've been doing..what I'm trying to do is make a place for myself. I'm selfish, sure. You should know, though, that after this, we'll never see each other again."
He nodded once, adams-apple bobbing. "I understand. We have now, though."
A breeze rustled past the two, pulling on Artemis' blonde streaks and Adonis' trouser ends. He watched her in defiance as something washed over them. Something indescribable like defeat.
"Now is running. Always running between our fingertips." Artemis murmured, to herself mostly.
"We better hold on tight, then." He grinned.
Artemis felt her lips subconsciously spread into a smile.
"Come on, we're losing daylight." Without waiting for him to catch up, she turned ahead and began walking towards the gates of Zeus' quarters.
Fear may be an illusion. But it was a clever thing, everybody fell for it in the right moment.
You just have to overthrow it. Steal the crown and become the ruler of your own future.
And that's what Artemis would do.