Zoe
Zoe Nightshade found herself again traveling with the other hunters to find their mistress. She still couldn't get the anger out of her on what happened before, during, and after the Olympian council meeting:
Zoe stood outside Apollo's palace as he had left her to grab a few things to help in the search for his sister. In truth Zoe had chosen to wait outside instead of enter the sun god's palace, for she felt as if she entered her lady's brother's palace she would fail her duty in staying out of the company of men.
She had been standing outside when she had seen a flicker of movement and the sound of a beating wing. She looked to the palace before stealthily following the sound. She found a figure in a dark cloak. Behind the cloak were a set of white wings. The hooded figure looked both ways before stepping forward to one of the palaces, one with flowers and perfume aroma around its pink walls. He knocked before a woman came out and ushered him inside. The woman also looked around before closing the door behind her.
Zoe wondered who the male that entered the goddess' palace. She already knew the women had been Aphrodite, for her aura was not one of a maiden and she had come out of her palace of love. Zoe looked around before also walking towards the palace. She hated the broken aura around the palace even if she knew she would not break her vow here in this place where it grows by the brokenness of maidens. She shivered at the thought of one day being forced to and having her own weakness fuel this horrid palace.
She followed the lining of the outside before going around the palace. She checked a window and found them all unlocked. This goddess didn't care about rapists since she might actually welcome them inside and inside of her room...
Zoe again shivered at the image before climbing in swiftly, making no sound as her feet hit the ground. She followed the soft sound of voices to a set of doors which she placed her ear against one of the keyholes to listen.
"The plan seems to be working, Mother." The male voice rung through the room.
A feminine voice answered. "Yes, it seems so. She never has been one for emotions."
"Yes, but tying her to a low hunter was a very smart idea." he insisted.
Zoe's heart stopped as surprise and anger filled her. She knew exactly what they spoke of, and she now knew why her lady had been acting so strangely.
She laughed softly, a smile able to be heard in her voice. "Well she does love hunting, ever so much, so I had to put a love with a hate, which confused her ever so much. Now she allows the male! It does go fast when you are around."
"I agree, Mother. I do speed lots of things up when it comes to love or hatred. None of the mortals and satyrs have much intelligence to find it, which makes it fun." Zoe now had her suspicions of who the male was. Only a god of love and hatred could be able to speed things up between people, or of lust.
"Oh, well do keep me updated on the gossip, dear. I just love a good love story with twists." The sound of someone rising filled the room.
"Of course Mother. I will do my best." At the last word Zoe's anger overflowed her thoughts and judgement. She kicked the door open and summoned her bow and quiver, an arrow aimed at the love goddess' throat.
The love goddess almost fell backwards in her chair when she saw the lieutenant of the hunt armed and ready to shoot. Shock and fear filled her eyes before she hid them behind amusement and innocence. "Oh dear, hello Zoe. Funny to find you here in my palace. To what do I and Cupid owe the pleasure?"
Cupid stayed silently standing across from his mother as Zoe glared at her. "Thou has messed with my mistress. What have thou done to milady?" Her voice was deadly calm but the anger was apparent in her glare and the way her entire body was shaking in anger.
"Nothing of course. She doesn't deserve any love in her life. How about you, my dear?" Her voice filled with excitement at the topic change. "Who would you like to have as your love? Would you prefer a handsome, tall, and strong hunter?" Her eyes flashed and the image of a tall teenager with jet-black hair and sea-green eyes wearing nothing but jeans and boots, showing his muscular chest and his collar wearing a bead necklace, filled her mind. "Or would you like him to be mischievous yet also loyal to you?" The same teen changed a bit to have a mischievous smirk on his lips and a glint in his eyes.
Zoe staggered backwards at the image invading her mind. A male? She could have one that respected her? One that gave her what she wanted? She felt strange emotions fill her body as strange thoughts also filled her mind. She could choose who she wished, have one well equipped to be only hers. He would be only hers, her hero. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she thought of heroes...
She staggered again as she tried to clear her head of these foreign thoughts. What was she thinking? Why was this happening at the worst of times? She saw Cupid looking straight at her and she plunged back into the thoughts, but they became more intense. He could do anything she wanted, he could give her anything, he could pleasure her. Lust filled her and she dropped her bow as she fell to her knees with the invading thoughts not letting her go.
No, I need to help milady. Zoe's mind began to clear as her anger rose again. The spell crumbled and she raised her bow angrily. "Thou shall not invade my mind, nor shall thee manipulate milady. Thou shall tell me what thee has done to my mistress or I shall cut thee's most wanted parts."
Aphrodite's eyes widened in fear and she dropped her attempt to convert the maiden huntress. "Nothing really! I assure you I have done nothing that she doesn't want."
"What does my sister want, Aphrodite?" A voice made them turn to the door to see Apollo standing rigid in the doorway.
"I-I- well, you know. She wants, company, a loyal companion...-"
Apollo's eyes widened. "Companion?! Did you put a spell on my sister to fall for a guy?!" Aphrodite flinched but shrugged it off.
"It's not that bad. She already admired his loyalty and caring characteristics as a hunter so it was easy to help her out a bit and start off the romance between them. All we needed to do to speed it up was to tweak the emotions already there and add a reason for them to be together-"
Apollo's anger was faster than Zoe's. He grabbed the love goddess by the wrist and put his other hand on Zoe's shoulder. The world spun and they appeared in the middle of the throne room. He snapped his fingers and the harp in the corner strummed itself before a crack of thunder was heard. Apollo snapped his fingers again to teleport Zoe to the side of Artemis' throne before chains appeared on Aphrodite's wrists that connected with the ground, the shackles small enough to dig into her powdered skin.
One by one the Olympians flashed into the throne room until all except for Artemis appeared on their thrones. Cupid stood in the corner and stayed silent. Zeus looked down at his son and inquired. "Apollo, for what reason do you call a council meeting at a time like this? Shouldn't you be looking for your sister?"
"Yes Father, but I have reason to believe that Aphrodite has some a connection to why my sister is missing." Apollo shoved Aphrodite onto her knees as Zeus raised an eyebrow.
"Any explanation, Aphrodite?"
She tried to laugh lightly. "Artemis is just having some time off of her duties, nothing that would put her in grave danger."
Zoe shot up from her seat beside Artemis' throne. "Thou hast put milady in grave danger?!"
"Oops wrong wording." Aphrodite said to Zoe's outburst.
"If I may, my king?" Cupid raised his voice to be heard before Zoe again could shout out in anger for her mistress.
Zeus waved him on. "You may."
"What I and my mother have done is just allow Artemis to have feelings of love and desire through pain and suffering on her part." He continued before the Olympians had time to react violently. "She is with a male hunter and being taken care of him, and they are both falling for each other. Artemis chose him over her hunt when Zoe Nightshade and the other huntresses ambushed the male who was taking care of her. They have gone from where they had been and she left the hunt with no clue as to how to find her."
Athena spoke. "You keep repeating that this male is 'taking care of her', but in what way is a mortal having to 'take care of' an Olympian goddess?"
"Well, it is a very peculiar and amusing one." He paused before letting the words hit them like a bomb. "She is losing her immortality."
Now Zoe stood watch as her anger wouldn't allow her to sleep, and sat in a tree above the encampment of the Hunters. Worry and understanding for her mistress made her skip sleep for five nights in a row, and the other hunters were now worrying for her health at seeing their lieutenant lacking rest.
Phoebe sat down beside her, not startling Zoe the least as she stared out into the woods. "Zoe, why don't you sleep for a while? You won't be able to keep leading if you don't rest."
"I cannot rest until we find thy lady. Thou knows how much she is cared for by the Hunters. She has harmed thy sisters by leaving us stranded without care. Now I know why and I may not rest until she has returned."
"Maybe we can find her by dreams. Last time you were led by a vision, so why don't you try again to find her? In the meantime I will keep watch here. We need you at your full strength."
"Of course. I trust thee. Good night." Zoe jumped down and landed on her feet before standing straight and walking into her tent. Maybe she could have just another glimpse at Artemis' location. She closed her eyes and Morpheus claimed her mind.
She saw nothing, but felt strange emotions like the ones that Aphrodite and Cupid had filled her mind with. She felt a care for someone before her eyes opened and she saw the same male from before smiling down at her and feeding her. She guessed she was looking through Artemis' eyes as she felt care and respect towards him.
Pain filled her body as she coughed and the male pressed a rag against her mouth and wrapped his arms around her. Was he trying to gag her? She could hardly think with the pain inside of her. No wonder her mistress could barely think properly. The god of love had made her feel weak and made her enough to fill her heart and head with emotions that shouldn't belong.
When she stopped coughing he pulled the rag away from her mouth and she saw the red blood that stained it. Wait, red? Lady Artemis had golden ichor, not human blood. Cupid really did make her start to lose her immortality.
She felt safety in his arms for some reason, and another emotion that she knew the goddess had never had so deeply before: love.
Zoe felt Artemis snuggle closer to the male before closing her eyes and falling into sleep.
Zoe woke to a sense of dread. Artemis was under whatever spell Aphrodite and Cupid put on her. She had fallen for a male.
And there is the new one. Tell me what you think and I hope you noticed the foreshadowing. Have fun looking!