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Just so you guys know, the uncensored version of this fic can be found on my livejournal.
jubileerain . livejournal .com , just close the spaces in between the dots, or you can click on "homepage" on my profile.
It was early in the afternoon and Acheron was still away. The sun's rays lit up every street in the city, luring people out to bathe in its bright warmth.
Katra walked around, a pang of heavy nostalgia hit her whenever she saw a group of girls giggling and chatting together. When she was Cassandra Peter's body guard, they used to go everywhere together with a group of friends; whether it was a café, club, restaurant, mall, department store, school - anywhere was fun. She enjoyed the companionship and admired the zest for living Cassandra brought into her life. She thought of Cassandra as more of a sister or best friend than a charge she had to guard for Artemis.
Katra may have the appearance of a fun-loving, stunningly beautiful young woman in her early twenties, but she was actually an old, lonely immortal.
In the past, she was lonesome despite the torn fealty for Apollymi and Artemis which kept her busy. Due to her existence being a secret and only known to a select few, she never had the simple luxury of making and having friends. The other Kori she talked to were mere acquaintances. They didn't know who she really was, and she doubted any of them truly liked one another.
Even though she was with Cassandra and their friends for five unforgettable years, she had to wipe their memories of her clean. It was too risky for them to retain any knowledge of her.
Her duty to the sake of the world took precedence over all.
Other than Cassandra, the only being she was close to was her father. He was wise, calm and often did the right thing. She wanted to call on him many times, but couldn't. He also had monumental obligations to tend to, which was also why he was absent for the majority of her long life.
She didn't blame him though. She just wished she saw more of him.
More than anything, Katra wanted to go to him now.
What happened with Acheron shouldn't have happened. He wasn't supposed to know about her this early in the game. She didn't know what to do. She was almost certain it was a disaster that would consume them all.
Then again, maybe it was for the best that she didn't go to her father. He probably already knew, but telling him what they did was embarrassing.
She flushed.
No loving father would appreciate hearing that specific detail of his daughter's life.
A familiar presence jarred Katra out of her reverie.
Acheron was standing in the center of a crowd a few feet away, keeping people at a distance without having to do anything. People subconsciously felt the deadly power he radiated.
She couldn't erase the goofy smile forming on her pretty face. She scowled in an attempt to disguise the joy she felt at seeing him.
She halted in front of him in a skid, before she humiliated herself by running into his arms.
Acheron raised a fair eyebrow, but didn't say a word as he lowered his arms.
Katra took a small, nervous step back, and clasped her hands behind her, averting his all-knowing steel eyes.
"Didn't expect you to be back so soon."
"The task was more tedious than difficult."
"Oh. . ." Mustering up all the courage she had, she forced herself to look at him. "I'm sorry Acheron, but I can't answer your questions." Her exotic green eyes expressed how much she meant what she said.
A muscle leaped in Acheron's jaw.
He barely opened his mouth to speak! It didn't take a telepath to read his mind though; he didn't make it a secret he planned on interrogating her.
"You go straight to the point don't you?" He ground out, his eyes flashed red for an instant. She was withholding vital information from him. He was beginning to feel like one of the Dark Hunters whenever he played Oracle with them. Although he was a firm believer in free will, it was problematic sometimes.
She sighed and spoke in an apologetic, yet resolute tone.
"Look Acheron, I'm sorry. I really am. If I could tell you what you wanted to know I would; anything to stop your jaw from jumping off your pretty boy face. But I can't. I have responsibilities to deal with and orders to follow. You of all people should know how important duty is."
Acheron silently counted to ten. He didn't care about the tic starting in his jaw. Katra was obviously involved in something colossal, which probably included him, and she wasn't willing to divulge anything! Not one single, measly detail!
He detested being an ignorant puppet.
He would rather be the knowledgeable puppeteer.
Katra sighed a second time and prayed for patience. Green fire flickered in her eyes momentarily. When she was irritated, the temper she inherited from her mother took over. She felt the urge to knee him in his well endowed groin or punch his unnaturally flawless face to cease the bothersome beat in his jaw.
What pissed her off most of all was the fact that she couldn't tell him, or anyone, how difficult this was. She desperately wanted to scream from the pent up frustrations and concerns she was holding in.
Loneliness sucked.
She almost wished she could trade in the past month for serving Apollymi and Artemis again.
Almost.
She never imagined anything to be harder than working for them, however, these last few weeks have proved her wrong; and she expected things to get worse. Especially when Apollymi called for her, or when Artemis wanted Acheron.
She wanted to tell Acheron everything: Why she's loyal to Apollymi, why she was loyal to Artemis, how much it killed her every time he went to "visit" Artemis and she had an inkling of what they did together, how painful it was to avoid him all these years when she admired him from afar, how disheartened she felt after realizing he wasn't what she dreamed of, how the time they spent together was a mistake, and how much she would hate it when he went to see Artemis from now on.
In fact she hated it already.
"Acheron," she said wearily. She was surprised she didn't sound as angry and frustrated as she felt. "What happened between us shouldn't have happened. You can't feed from me. You'll have to go back to Artemis." She couldn't believe she managed to get the last part out.
A stinging sensation was starting in her chest.
His narrowed, penetrating stare didn't make it any better. He was completely reticent. Katra hoped he would cooperate and make life easier for the both of them.
"I'm not going back to Artemis." Acheron didn't yell, but the way he articulated it had a booming effect regardless. He crossed his arms over his chest for emphasis.
"Acheron-"
"Don't argue with me, Katra. I already told you why I can't feed from Artemis anymore."
Katra stared at him drolly. He was unbelievably stubborn and domineering.
"Saying you found 'someone tastier' isn't exactly a valid reason."
"Are you telling me you want me to go back to Artemis?"
Katra rolled her eyes and expelled an exasperated sigh, for the third time. She stifled the impulse to yell into his ear. Fortunately for him, she had her father's patience.
"Where have you been for the last few minutes? Are you deaf? For the last time, GO TO ARTEMIS!"
It came out a little louder than she thought it would.
Acheron's features hardened. A dark gray storm brewed in his eyes.
"Don't lie to me. Is that what you really want? If you truly mean it, then I'll do it. Artemis' blood repulses me now, but if I have no other choice," he made a face, "I'll have to bear it."
Katra's eyes widened a degree, her brows furrowed as she searched his face.
"What did you say?"
Acheron gave her an arched look.
"Who's hard of hearing now? It's like you said, your blood is different. I couldn't drink from Artemis after I've had you."
He could see panic flit across her face as she thought.
"Although my blood is different, it shouldn't affect your normal feeding habits. . ." She trailed off.
"Well, it does."
Katra tilted her blond head at him, ready to declare a proposal.
"I'll probably pay for this later, but. . ." She thought out loud. "If I allow you to feed from me for as long as it's possible, swear you won't ask me questions I can't answer."
Acheron considered her offer. Why was he always in complicated negotiations with a gorgeous female?
"I won't ask you questions you can't answer, but I can speculate as much as I want." He amended.
"And I have the option of confirming or denying those speculations?"
"Of course."
"So, we have a deal then?"
Acheron inclined his head. Finally, he could break free from at least one of the many ties Artemis had with him.
"Yes. I swear it."
He held the back of her blond head in his palm and bent down to kiss her, as if it would help solidify the pledge.
Once he gave his word he had to abide by it, or it would kill him. Literally.