Why do I work there again? Stupid university life that needs a ton of money. I folded my arms and braced the biting cold. My cheeks felt like ice cubes. The trailer park was a few blocks away. I worked at a local bar. It was my third month working there. Well, it was a strip club slash bar. Things were calm until a couple weeks ago, now everyone wants to touch me.
I literally jumped into the house when I reached the trailer.
‘What the heck Arti!’ Raquel gasped.
I kicked my boots off. ‘Sorry. It’s freezing outside.‘
‘Tell me about it.’ My sister said.
I scurried to our room to ditch my tights and leather skirt. I slipped into grey sweatpants and a pink hoodie. I exhaled when I reappeared in the kitchen slash living room slash everything else. Rocky had a mountain of sandwiches ready. We only had one chair in the living room so we ate in the bedroom.
‘How was work?’ Rocky asked.
We sat on the bottom bunk bed which was Rocky‘s.
‘Sucked.’ I take a bit out of my ham sandwich. A thankful change from tuna.
‘Again?’
‘Some douche tried to drag me to the toilet. I knead him in the crotch. He didn’t like that much.‘
A piece of bread fell out of Rocky‘s mouth. ‘Did he…’
I offered her a small smile.
‘That pig! He hit you?’ She shouted.
‘Shh… at least he left me alone.’ I picked up a cheese sandwich.
‘You didn’t just let him go did you?‘
I shook my head, ‘Of course not.’
‘Great what’d you do? That son of a gun, why I ought…‘
‘I made a string of leaves run up his pants!’
Rocky‘s face fell. She smacked her forehead. ‘Oh Artemis! You’re such a disappointment!‘
I gasped. She should have seen the guy‘s face when he felt a bunch of leaves run up his skinny legs. Well, it made me laugh.
‘I’m sorry I don‘t send demons to torment men who yell at me!’ I laughed.
‘Ugh! And those demons will not leave him until he apologizes.’ She picked up our plates and took them to the kitchen. ‘You don’t have to keep working there, you know?‘
I sighed. ‘No, I really do.’
Our Dad was killed a couple months ago. The police told us it was a robbery gone wrong. They never caught the guys. Anyways, Dad left us thousands of dollars in gambling debts and without a cent to even pay a portion of it back. We lost our house to the bank and we‘ve got mountains of men breathing down our necks.
‘It’ll be okay Arti.‘ She smiled. I nodded. One day it would. I didn’t want Raquel to drop out of university, but on the other hand I couldn‘t keep going and I would sooner be kicked out.
Raquel had a manageable weekend job most of what we made went to paying back debts. I went the entire month without deodorant once that‘s just how tight money was.
Rocky sighed and pulled out her plant. The little tree had shrivelled. She traced the outline of the plant and it filled back to life. She beamed.
‘You’ve been practicing.‘ I smirked.
‘Unfortunately, it’ll be dead by morning.‘ She bumped the plates in the sink.
My sister and I were a little special. Our Dad knew but always denied, saying it was all in our heads. We can manipulate objects, blast things into orbit or order demons to torment nasty men. I think Dad was just afraid so he pretended nothing was wrong. Rocky and I promised to keep our powers to ourselves. Only my best friend and her mom know. They were completely trustworthy. I‘d known Stella since I was six and Rocky was four.
We said goodnight and turned in. I lay in bed thinking about what the next sunrise would hold. I rolled over and fell into darkness.
‘Really Arti, the cupcakes were dry last time you’ve got to fix your recipe.‘ Mrs. Parker rambled.I fought the urge to groan. I handed her a fresh box of cookies.
‘I hope these are moist. If you it’s not working sweetie, I‘m more than happy to give you a few pointers. I used to be an executive baker, ya know?’
I chuckled and stared at the ground. ‘Sure Mrs. Parker, I’ll take you up on that.‘
She handed me three dollars for the cookies. I smiled and dashed into the street. Stella waved at a lady by her door. She was helping make deliveries. Baking was my other passion and profession. I baked at Stella‘s house; our microwave couldn’t handle it.
We walked to the park to kick back on the benches. I only ever got a few deliveries in a day.
‘Rocky told me what happened, I swear Artemis you’re too nice!‘ Stella blasted.
I rubbed my face. ‘Oh Stella, can we drop. It was just a bad night.’
‘Another one?’ She frowned.
Stella was a witch, yeah, I freaked out when she told me when we were sixteen. Then I calmed down enough to realize I wasn‘t alone. There were other special people like me. She didn’t freak out the way I did when I told her my secret. She thought I was a witch too, but no. Stella‘s Mom, Sera said I was something more and to never tell a soul what I could do. Sera was a fortune teller.
‘Fine we’ll drop it.‘ She folded her arms and leaned back.
``Great, when do I meet your boyfriend?’ I grinned.
‘Ugh, he isn’t my boyfriend, he's just special to me.’
I rolled my eyes. Please I‘d never seen Stella blush so much, she even started wearing dresses and going to the salon. Stella never did that!
‘At least tell me his name or what he’s like. I want to know who‘s got my best friend being girly.’
‘You’ll meet him… eventually.‘
‘Is he a witch too?’
She threw her head back and laughed. ‘Oh no, far from it. He’s just special, I think you might like him. You like everyone.‘
‘I do not.’ I frowned. She laughed.
She checked her phone and stood. ‘I have to get ready for work. Can I borrow your pink dress?’
I gaped. ‘You’re wearing pink now?‘
‘Ugh! Artemis.’
I laughed. ‘I’m kidding, of course you can.‘
We walked to the trailer park when my phone buzzed in my palm. It was a text from Alfie. How did he get my number? My heart thundered in my chest and heat ran to my face. Thank goodness the blush wasn‘t as visible as on Stella’s face.
‘Who’s that?‘ She grabs my phone from me.
‘Stella!’
‘Who’s Alfie? And why‘s he asking you out?’ Her face lit up. I jumped to get my phone back.
‘No one! He’s someone from the university we met in the cafeteria.‘
She narrowed her eyes at me before I snatched my phone away. He was a gorgeous demi-god. I hadn‘t done anything with him, not yet. I smiled to myself.
Thanks to Stella‘s phone ringing I wasn’t bombed with questions
‘Calm down Mom!’ She looked left to right. She gripped my hand.
‘What’s going on?‘ She whispered.
‘Don’t you take Artemis to that house!‘ I heard Sera yelled.
‘Fine, fine we’re coming over.‘
‘What’s going on?‘
Stella stared at her phone. ‘Mom says you're in danger. You can’t go home. Something‘s waiting for you.
‘What’s going on Sera, what about Rocky?‘ I paced the fortune-telling shop.‘Rocky’s at school Arti. I sent her a text not to go home.‘ Stella said.I exhaled. Stella‘s Mom was a fortune teller. I used to be a regular customer before I knew her true nature. Stella told me to stop. Fortune tellers weren’t like psychics or mediums. They told your future, but it wasn’t always true. Most of it was straight out lies, but it wasn‘t their fault, it was just who they were.Most of the fortunes Sera told me came true though. Like the one about the boy who‘d ask me to prom in high school or how a girl planned to steal my underwear during gym class. I really should have listened to that one.‘Will you tell us what’s going on Mom?‘ Stella sat at the purple table which held a crystal ball and a deck of scary cards.Sera wore a white scarf on her head and a blue jumpsuit. H
He picked a rom-com! How amazing was that? Instead of a terrible horror movie that would keep me up at night. I have to admit I wouldn‘t mind a nice action movie. Snuggling up under his arm made up for the cheesy lines I had to endure.When the movie was over, we went to a small diner in town. I couldn‘t shake the feeling there were eyes burning holes in the back of my head. When I turned all the customers were occupied with their meals or had their noses stuck in the evening paper.Alfie demanded all my attention, though it didn‘t quiet my anxiety. I couldn’t check because Alfie had claimed my mouth as his own. He didn‘t care who saw him devour my lips. Like magic released into the dark sky to give birth to stars as so were the explosions taking place inside me.When it was over the fire still burned. We hadn‘t touched our food. He guided me out of the diner, the night was still young, but the party was over on Al
I left the metal behind. I groaned as the nurse pulled the band aid around my shoulder. I was lucky it was only an arrow to the shoulder. Queen Hera‘s forces were none too underestimated. I learned that the hard way.I pulled a black shirt over my head. Anyone would think a mage queen challenging a kingdom of gods was foolish. Hera was determined to bring down the Olympiad. Zeus‘ army was equally determined to destroy her. Hera better pray she died in battle because nothing could be worse than the wrath of Zeus.The woman with long golden hair bowed. She gathered her things then vanished. I had been summoned by the goddess herself. I took the stairs to Zeus‘ personal floor, where only his legitimate wife and son lived. I walked the hall lined with tall women dressed in white satin, holding bowls of fruit.Each maiden flawless with hair that caressed the floor and a blank stare. Never to be touched by any man, simply to stand and be
‘This is the mage dimension?’Stella and I stepped out of a rat-infested alley. No squeaky-clean streets, no golden lanterns. One flickering lamp post lit up one street.‘Well, the more rugged part of the dimension.’‘You’re telling me,’ I muttered. ‘So, where do we start?’The roads were lined with hut sized brick buildings, each one with steps leading up to the front door. Most of them were double storey.‘Mom said to go to Calista’s saloon. Difficult people to deal with, they don’t take anything seriously.’ She rolled her eyes.‘What is it like?’ I rubbed my shoulders.‘It’s a ghost plaza, but they always have information if you can get them to take you seriously.’Great, at least we had a place to start.‘How come you never told me about this place? It isn’t much, but why didn’t yo
Rubble rolled off me. What the hell was that? Hera’s soldiers are getting stronger, this one chose the wrong challenge. She peered her head to see where my body landed in the building. Without drawing my wings, I shot into the air. Landing behind her, I grabbed her hand.She growled. Her fist burned bright amber. I pulled back, the scent of burning flesh smacked my face. She thrust her legs forward. I hurled a ball of light that flew into a building. The two-storey apartment blew up, bricks and wood collapsed into the alley.She turned around her brown eyes fixed on me before she slammed her wrists together. Another flamed arrowed shot at me. I raised my shield. The arrow cracked the centre of my protection. The collision sent my feet sliding in the gravel.‘Stop! I haven’t done anything wrong.’I stared at the building she hurled me through and cocked my head to the side. She bit her lip. I fisted the soil beneath me and pulled my
The one time I use my powers I land myself in shit. Thank goodness Daylen and Marcus didn’t rat me out. I didn’t come here to end up in jail the more time I wasted the more the more ground I lost on Rocky. I still couldn’t put my finger on why Daylen helped me he seemed intent of getting rid of me earlier. I hoped I wasn’t getting into something worse with these two.After the door slammed shut and a few more minutes of hiding I emerged from the room. Daylen slouched on a stool by the bar with a glass in his hand and Marcus seemed to be pondering something in the living room.Daylen looked like any washed up sailor after whatever confrontation he had. His pearly white suit was ripped and brown, yes that was my fault. He unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his defined caramel toned chest. He had the brightest shade of brown eyes I’d ever seen.He looked up when I fully set foot in the living room. His hair wasn’t as curly as
Thousands of creatures lived in the mage dimension, others more populous than the next. Artemis could be a rare creature from the sea. I wanted her out of my head.Her hair stuck in my mind like her baked blueberry scent. Her hair had tiny loose curls, it was so dark it almost looked blue. She held power I couldn’t let Hera possess. I couldn’t allow myself to get sloppy and let her fall into my bed either. Things got messy when sex coupled with obligation.Artemis needed to stay away from my head. I had a court meeting to attend and all my attention had to go to the situation at hand. I was either early or got the wrong date. No one was ever late for these things. Solaris would have their heads.I tucked my notepad under my arm and pushed the door in. No guards stood outside and no voices came from inside. Although, a single woman stood staring at the tallest throne on the wall.‘Only the strongest ever sat on that
‘Look at the time where is he?’ Stella tapped her foot.I groaned, ‘I have no idea.’‘We can’t keep waiting. It’s getting late.’Her foot tapping was playing on my nerves. We’d been waiting for Daylen to show up for hours. The sun was setting and not even a letter of explanation popped up.I shook my head and paced to the door. He played me. He promised he’d help me find my sister and he wasn’t anywhere to be found now. Something more flashy must have popped up and he decided I was as good as a carton of expired milk.‘We should just go. We’ve wasted enough time as it is.’‘Yes, first you need a disguise.’‘Why?’‘You’re not from here and you need to look like you fit in. We’re not chopping your hair, but it has to go in a braid. You need leather lots of it. If anyone asks