Saphora: vol.1 Retention (The Athena Universe) (25 page)

“It should be exciting. Make sure it’s comfortable. You don’t want to piss off the dragon.”

“Right. Don’t want it burning down the place,” Fran laughed, standing up and leaning over Saphora to kiss her forehead. “
Alright, sweetie. Get some rest.”

Saphora reached her hand out to take Fran’s wrist before she walked away.

“Wait,” she stammered. “Did uh, did the police say anything? About the tree … Did they find anything?”

“
They took what they found back to their lab. They’re going to call us when they’ve got some answers.”

“They didn’t tell you what they found?” Saphora asked, a little confused as to why that would be.

Fran shook her head. Saphora let go of her wrist as her eyes darted about. She thought about the gun. It flew from Tebias’ hand. She couldn’t help but wonder if the gun had remained lost in the woods, or if Tebias had retrieved it. It wasn’t with him during the second encounter that she could remember. But he could have had it stashed somewhere else, for all she knew. Paranoia was just creeping in. The thought of the police finding a weapon like that was enough to unnerve her. Finding something unworldly like that could lead them to wonder just how unworldly Saphora was.

“Why?” Fran finally asked.

“I was just wondering … What about Lupin? Did you talk to him after?”

“Yes. He still expects to see you on Monday.” Saphora was silent. “You’re going.” Again, Saphora remained quiet, and Fran tilted her head down, looking for a sign that she understood her. Remembering the conversation she had with him, she didn’t know what the consequence would be if she didn’t go. Thinking about what he said … she felt threatened to go. She wanted to do something about it. But what? Fran cleared her throat, getting Sapho
ra to look up at her.

“Yeah,” she finally answered.

“Good. That all?”

No. It wasn’t. After everything she had just been told? That was nowhere near the amount of questions that she wanted to ask her. It wasn’t anywhere near the amount of things she wanted to talk about. She had too much to tell, without knowing how. Too many secrets, without enough reasons. Answers to questions she could never explain. And she knew that with each thing t
hat she kept from her, they would fall further apart. But what could she do? Take that leap of faith and hope that she would remain the woman she loved? What hurt her the most, was the fact that she doubted that possibility.

“Yeah … Night, Fran,” she said, standing up and walking over to the side of her bed, pulling her blanket back as she did.

Fran smiled, and left the room, closing the door behind her. Saphora sighed, dropping the blanket and falling face-first across her bed. Just what was she going to do about Lupin? Would he really give all her information to the police? Just what kind of information did he have? She didn’t know, and that scared her. What if he had known everything this entire time? What if he had been following her? Her eyes widened. What if he knew her parents? She rolled over to lay on her back. What if he really did know everything? About everything? About Athena? About Tebias. Hydra. Saphora sat up in her bed. But if he did, wouldn’t he have already gone to the police? Information should like that would probably land Lupin enough money to retire immediately. So why didn’t he?

But who is to say that anyone would believe him if he did? Maybe he didn’t have the facts that he needed to prove whatever theory
he had. But what could that be?

********

              “Hydra was able to reach Saphora in time. She saved her and her friend from Tebias,” Mishka, Artemis’ guardian, informed Vida, as she watched her in her throne. Vida sighed, nodding in relief as her hand reached up to rest against her forehead.

“Oh, thank goodness – wait. Friend?” she questioned, her head turning, and her eyes focusing on Mishka. Sheepishly nodding, Mishka answered.

“Yes … She was with him at the house she landed in when Tebias –“

“
He
?” Vida asked more discerned. “What he? There’s a he?” she asked, standing. Her head tilted as her voice dropped from the graceful tone of a queen, to that of a skeptical mother. “What was she doing with this he at the house? Who is he?” she asked, walking towards Mishka, who took a wary step back.

“I – I don’t know, M’lady. Artemis just told me –“

“Where
is
Artemis?” she asked, foolishly looking around the room for her.

“
She’s in the watch tower. She was …”

“Probably trying to foresee another event,” Vida sighed. “She’s been doing so much for me … I don’t know where I would be without her,” she smiled, easing her gaze towards Mishka. “Thank you for delivering the message, Mishka. You’ve served her well. But I need to talk to her about this …
he
,” she said, starting her way out of her chambers. But Mishka rushed up to hold her a little longer.

“Should I tell her you’re looking for her, M’lady?” Mishka offered. Vida smiled, resting her hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“Thank you, but you’ve done enough. I can still manage to move around my own castle,” she laughed softly.

              Flames engulfed the surroundings of the library in her vision. Her eyes stung in attempt to stay open to see what was being presented to her. From the cracking window of the library she could see the blazing sun. Large wings of fire spread out over the majority of the library, burning everything they came into contact with. She heard the screeching of a beast, making her ears ring before the edges of her vision seemed to burn away, narrowing until all that was left was darkness.

Inhaling sharply, Artemis brought her hand to her chest to grip at her clothing, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. Her lashes fluttered as she worke
d to regain her breath, her frame trembling. Her eyes, full of remorse, gazed out of the window of the watchtower as her hand shook around the fabric of her silk ivory blouse.

“Oh god …” she breathed with a slight shake of her head. “Enya.”

“Artemis?” Vida called out. She could be heard climbing the stairs of the watchtower. “Artemis, are you up here? Answer me,” Vida demanded, coming closer to the doorway of the room. Finally hearing her call, Artemis turned around in somewhat of an alarm.

“Y-Yes, Vida! I am here!” she called back, getting quieter as she saw Vida come around the corner of the hallway.
Vida sighed in slight exhaustion as she walked into the room, finally able to drop the front of her gown.

“Goodness, Artemis. Why didn’t you answer me when I first called?” she huffed, flattening her hand against the top of her head to ensure that nothing was out of place. Artemis bowed in apology, her hands folded at her thighs.

“Forgive me. I didn’t hear you,” she said, as Vida moved to sit in one of the seats in the room.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop bowing to me? It’s bothersome.”

“As many times as I tell you that it’s disrespectful not to,” Artemis said with a smile, as she stood back up.

“Don’t be ridiculous. We’ve known each other since birth.”

“With all due respect, so has the rest of the kingdom,” she pointed out, making her way to the set beside Vida. Vida rolled her eyes.

“Does the kingdom know my favorite colour?”

“That’s not the point.”

“You’re right,” Vida said, clearing her throat. “The point is, I’m here, and I need to talk to you.” A knot formed in the pit of Artemis’ stomach. Could she somehow know what she had just seen?

“About?” Artemis almost choked.

“About Saphora.”

Artemis sighed in relief, her body relaxing.

“Oh, yes. She’s fine. Hydra was able to get there in time. I had told Mishka to – “

“Yes, she gave me your message. But she couldn’t answer the questions I had.” Artemis shook her head slightly.

“About?”

“About this boy that she was supposedly with.” Artemis’ face flattened out, and she leaned back a bit as her expression slowly morphed into that of disbelief.

“You … You came to find me to stalk your daughter’s love life?” Vida scoffed.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Artemis.”

“
I’m
being ridiculous,” she mocked.

“I’m merely here for information.”

“And what kind of information would that be? If they’ve embraced each other yet?” Vida’s face paled.

“Yet?” she uttered just above a whisper. Artemis hesitated to answer and Vida turned her body towards her. “Artemis!”

“What are you so worried about, Vida? From what I’ve been able to see, he is a kind boy. He wants nothing but to keep Saphora safe. Even after the event with Tebias he encountered. Isn’t that something a mother should smile upon?”

“That isn’t the point, Artemis,” she said, standing up with a shake of her head. She paced the floor worriedly.

“What
is
the point?”

“She cannot bare the child of a human.” Artemis tiled her head back at the assumption.

“And why not? How could you possibly know that?” Vida sighed a grimace.

“I’m not certain, but I cannot just let her –“

“Let her what? Choose her partner? Is it because you would not want a human ruling beside her?” Vida stopped pacing, her gaze set towards the wall before her.

“Where would that leave this kingdom, Artemis? With a
human
as king?”

“You seemed to rule perfectly fine with a guardian as ours.”

“A guardian is not the same as a human. How would he possibly contribute to defending this kingdom? Its people?”

“That is something they co
uld work out together.”

“Would you feel safe under the protection of a human?”

“It is not the king alone that defends the kingdom, Vida,” Artemis argued. Vida sighed, shaking her head and continuing to pace.

“What of the offspring? What would become of them? If any were to survive? What of Saphora? Would she survive the pregnancy? We have no idea what that could do to her!”

Artemis stood, catching Vida’s attention and getting her to stop pacing once again.

“With all due respect, Vida, we asked the same of you when you chose Dolphus
.” Vida raised her chin in silence as her life choices were brought to her attention, along with the late king. “And yet your parents allowed you your love.” Vida’s eyes lowered, slowly meeting the critical gaze of Artemis. Artemis shook her head, reproach in her eyes. “Who are you to deny your daughter hers?”

********

Blue flames. Blue flames lined the bottom of her vision as she dreamt. The dream swiftly morphing into that of a nightmare. There she was, in the shadows of her mind, standing in the mists of that blazing fire. Fire that seemed to do no damage to her. Confused, she stood there, watching her limbs in the fire, as the flames licked up her legs. They seemed to curve and dance in slow motion, as were her own movements. She curled her toes in the flames.

Why doesn’t this burn?
she thought as she reached her foot out to the side, letting it slither through the calm flames.

The sudden sound of a bellowing screech made her duck down and cover her ears. It was the noise from that day. The day she fell. She pressed the palms of her hands against her ears in a desperate attempt to silence the anguish. But it was to no avail. Blocking her ears did nothing to sooth them. It only confused her more. To be able to clearly hear the cries of this beast, and yet feel nothing of the flames beneath her. What madness was this?

Looking up through her squinted eyes, she was startled when seeing a pair of giant sapphire eyes. She stumbled back away from the eyes, fumbling onto the ground. The bellowing continued as she pushed away. She whimpered, shaking her head as she saw a toothy snout start to open, revealing the claw-like teeth of the beast. Raising her arm up to protect her face, she screamed in terror, thrusting herself into consciousness.

She sat up in her bed, hand clenching the clothing above her heart. A cold sweat clung to her skin as she fought to catch the breath she felt she had lost. Coming from across her room, she heard a soft, yet firm voice.

“Bad dream?” came the voice of Hydra, who was sitting in Saphora’s desk chair. Flinching at the sudden intrusion, Saphora’s head shot up to stare wide-eyed at Hydra. A mixture of rage and confusion bubbled up inside her as she decided on which emotion to act upon. Not having the energy to produce either, she sighed, slumping her tense body.

“How did you get in my house?”

“Your window was open. What did you dream about?”

“Why are you in my house?”

“To get you for training. What did you dream about?”

A twinge of annoyance ran through Saphora as she looked up to meet Hydra’s calm eyes.

“Why do you care? It has nothing to do with you.”

“You’
re right,” Hydra nodded. “But it has everything to do with you.”