Five: Afterglow
Lying on her belly, chin set on her folded arms, Holly enjoyed the pleasant lethargy that had settled over her. Next to her, propped up on one elbow, Artemis let his fingers trail down her spine. And while it sent a delicious shiver through her, she had a niggling suspicion that he was counting her vertebrae.
When his fingers moved to begin methodically tracing the lines of one elfin ear, she was certain of it.
"You know, Artemis, if you're really that interested in fairy physiology I'm sure we could download some books for you from the Haven City Library."
"But it's elfin anatomy in particular that interests me," he replied, "and why read a book when private lessons are so much more stimulating?"
"Who knew all those years ago that you'd turn out to be such an awful flirt." She cast him a sidelong glance in time to catch the smug grin on his face. He was always so pleased with himself.
"What would you like to do? It's too early to go to sleep, even by my usual schedule."
She sniffed. "You're the one who was in such a hurry. It was all 'Holly, I want you. Holly, I need you.'"
Artemis cocked an eyebrow. "You didn't particularly seem to object."
Her lips quirked. "Maybe not."
"So," he began, his fingers tracing slow spirals on her bare skin, "what shall we do?"
"I can think of a few things."
"Oh?"
"Put some clothes on," she ordered, laughing at his stunned expression as she sprang off the bed.
ooo
Holly settled herself on the balustrade of his bedroom's balcony and drew in a deep breath of the evening air, revelling in the scents of wet leaves and grass, things commonplace to Artemis perhaps, but rare and precious to her. His scent, too, clung to her, and beneath her Shimmer Suit she could still feel the ghost of his touch along every nerve. She waited impatiently for him to join her.
"So what are we doing out here?" he asked when he finally padded over to her in a wine-coloured bathrobe.
"Looking at the stars." His air was incredulous. "Indulge me, Arty. I live in the centre of the earth; we don't have stars."
He came to stand next to her on the balcony. Their heights almost evened out this way and it was pleasant to be able to look him in the face. His eyes scanned the twinkling dots of light as if he were trying to get his bearings on a map, and for a moment his features were more interesting to her than the sparkling heavens above. The hint of stubble on his chin, the line of his jaw, the Adam's apple in his throat, these things fascinated her. He had been only a boy when they'd met; he was only barely a man now, and yet she loved him more than anything. How had that happened?
After a few seconds he nodded. "Draco," he said.
"What?"
"The cluster of four stars you can see over the top of that tree," he said pointing, "makes up the head of the dragon pictured in the constellation of Draco. It consists of fourteen main stars and is one of the oldest noted constellations in human history."
Holly rolled her eyes. "Can't you enjoy anything without analysing it?" The expression on his face was answer enough. "I'll take that as a 'no.'" The piqued look that flashed over his features gave him the momentary air of a child and she had to check the urge to laugh. "For Frond's sake, Artemis, come here," she said, snagging his arm and pulling him towards her. He seemed puzzled until she placed his arm around her waist. "There," she said, leaning back against his chest, head tucked under his chin. "This is much better."
"That I can agree with." His breath tickled the tip of her ear as he spoke. Pressed close against her, he was warm in the cool air. Her friend. Her lover. Artemis.
"It was nice to be able to come in this evening. I was expecting to have to meet you in the glade like last time."
He nodded. "As chance would have it, my family was heading out today." She felt tension ripple through his body as he spoke.
"Artemis? What is it?"
"Nothing of consequence. Only that my mother is becoming suspicious of my frequent tendency to excuse myself from family activities. She believes I'm 'up to something.'"
"Something nefarious?"
"Most likely."
Holly titled her head to glace towards him. "It wouldn't ever occur to her that you might just be sneaking around with a girl, would it?"
"No, I don't believe that's crossed her mind."
"The one time you're actually acting your age too." She felt the whoosh of breath as he sniffed.
"She's been fretting far too much over the matter."
Holly heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come on such short notice. It wasn't even my idea this time." She had completed an assignment in Portugal and Trouble has suggested, quite innocently, that she check up on Artemis while she was on the surface. The commander had been puzzled when Foaly had begun to chortle over the com line.
"Don't be ridiculous," Artemis chided. "I haven't seen you in seven and a half weeks. It was becoming intolerable." His arms tightened around her and for a few seconds she closed her eyes and savoured his embrace. She could count on her fingers the number of nights they'd spent together. There was never enough time. And time was something they had so little of. He was only human; he had hardly any time at all. "I've sometimes wished after the time travelling incident, that we could wipe her memories. It would make things so much simpler. However..."
She could tell from the wavering of his voice how much the thought horrified him, that he could wish such a thing at all. But that conniving part of him was familiar to her, no longer something strange and fearful. Only a part of his mind that worked with a glacial logic to which the end counted for more than the means. But she knew he had it in him to temper that part of himself. "Anyone would think that. The Council thought that about you... and look how that turned out," she said, turning to glance at him and wink. "Simpler isn't always better."
"I'm legally an adult and have an intellectual prowess surpassing that of any normal person. I am entirely capable of taking care of myself. There's no need for her to concern herself so."
Holly laughed. "She's your mother, Arty. It's her job to worry about you."
"You seldom speak of your family," Artemis noted.
"I miss them too much," Holly whispered. Both her parents had died, years ago, before he'd even been born. "You don't know how lucky your are to still have them."
"I do know," he said and then cleared his throat. "And I realize that I have you to thank for it." She smiled. He always sounded so stiff and formal when he was sincere.
Holly's eyes lingered once more over the starscape spread out before her like an artist's holo-canvas. They were far enough away from Dublin that even the dimmer stars were visible to the naked eye and not drowned out by the glare of electric lighting. "Even Julius is gone now."
Artemis smiled a vampire smile. "I imagine he'd have a few words about our relationship."
"He'd think I was out of my mind."
Artemis straightened. "He wasn't around to see the full extent of my transformation. I'm not the person I was when he first encountered me."
"He'd still think I was out of my mind."
"I would think Julius would be pleased to see I've reformed."
"Reformed." Holly snorted. "You're still a felon; you just channel your criminal energies in a less harmful direction."
"Still an improvement over how I was and how I would still be without the People. And without you."
She cast her gaze out to the stars once more. Would Julius be happy for her, she wondered, or would she just be disappointing to him. But she remembered even at the end... "The last thing he ever told me... was to save you."
Artemis leaned close to let his lips brush over the pointed tip of one elfin ear. "You went above and beyond the call of duty."
