The lot of us stare, paused by the way she rips through the meat on the hen with her fingers. The same goes for the green beans and the scalloped potatoes. What the hell? I feel ill at the sight of her savagery and look to Dion. I don’t know what to expect but he grins appreciatively at the way she licks the greasy juice off her fingers. Ugh. She’ll fit right in at one of his parties, and I bet he’s imagining her doing other things with that tongue in his disgusting imagination.
Great. Now I’m thinking what skills she has with her tongue, too. I shift awkwardly in my seat.
Oblivious to our awkward silence, Artemis continues her shocking non-goddess-like behavior. Oh, man, everything they say must be true.
“Apollo won the first trial,” I say to interrupt the awkwardness. “He accrued ten points that will shift to you when you enter the competition as his successor.”
“Is that so?” she says, reaching for a second helping of everything. Thor licks his thumb and nudges the plate of lamb in her direction. I don’t know why he looks so shocked; his eating habits aren’t much better. “Tell me more about the Trials. I’ve no clue what to expect.”
“There are four trials and a handful of competitors who passed a special entrance test,” I explain.
“And you all passed?” she asks.
A silent Loki stares at his plate. He’s the one of us who failed the entrance trial, and although Loki says he doesn't care, I sense he does. I tip my head toward him, indicating to Artemis not to ask more. Her mouth parts in understanding and she glances at him with a frown.
“When Apollo died, it left an opening that could only be filled by a family member. Even a woman,” I add. I’m fascinated—something about this feral woman intrigues me, that’s for certain.
She shoots me a glare. “And only one person wins the Trials? Then why are you working together?”
“There’s a division among the students over the Academy’s future. The winner will join the Academy—maybe even as the leader. We want to make sure someone who supports change wins.” I lower my voice. “If this means working together to ensure one of us wins, that’s what we’ll do.”
Artemis tips her head. “Change?”
“Things have been changing amongst our generation. As you’re aware, females are inferior in this society and the patriarchy dominates. But we’re the generation to change that and one of us must win.”
“One of who?” she asks.
Thor interjects. “One of us. The Olympians is the name floating around. I don’t know who started it, but it has a nice ring. In the end, one of the people sitting at this table must win the Trials. We must defeat the other competitors that don’t want change, or they will continue to rule for another two decades and goddesses will slide further away from any sort of equality.”
She looks at each one of us. “So you were my brother’s allies.”
“And now yours, if you want.” Dion says.
Artemis runs her tongue across her bottom lip. A strange sensation tickles my lower belly and I look back at my textbook, refusing to admit I find her animalistic behavior as interesting as Dion apparently does. The guy is fixated on her mouth, which frankly has an appeal to me too.
“I often hunted alone in the forests,” she says. “The others were too slow or too loud or had poor aim. But we were a close community. We protected one another. I know what it is like to work with others for a common goal.”
As they speak, I think about the conflict I feel about all of this. I’m the only hold-out—the one that is unsure of the risk of having a female in our alliance. Artemis seems smart enough, even if a bit wild. Surely, she inherited much of the same strength and speed as her twin. And I can admit that is part of my hesitation. Just seeing her here means Apollo is truly gone, and that brings a pain to my chest I don’t like.
“Understand,” I say, “that we are not here to prop you up. Apollo earned our trust and friendship. We know nothing about you and your true alliances. But if you fail and betray us in any way, the world will know the deviousness of females—as well as their weakness in sports.”
Dion jabs me with his elbow. Thor glares across from the table. The other two are silent.
Artemis holds my eye. “Apollo thought he needed allies to win the Trials. If it was my choice, I’d work alone and embarrass each and every one of you along the way. My duty here is to my family. My brother and the house of Zeus.” She sighs. “But I appreciate the system you’ve set up. The goals of smashing the hierarchy that poisons this society for the benefit of few.”
“So you’re in?” Loki asks.
Throughout the conversation, he’s reclined in his chair, long slim legs under the table. Watching. Calculating. As usual, he won’t speak to somebody until he has formed an opinion. Even though Thor introduced them, he hasn’t said a word to Artemis. She’s barely glanced at him either. Is she upset by him snubbing her?
She nods at me. “I’m in.”
I nod in return, hoping we don’t regret this day. Dion, on the other hand, smiles wide and declares, “I think this is cause for a celebration!”
10
ARTEMIS
At Fulla’s insistence, I change before Dion’s party. I’m fully aware of the odd looks my outfit received at dinner, as well as the lingering eyes on my exposed legs. For a rowdy, gluttonous group of gods, they sometimes seem a little prudish.
“Not Dion,” Fulla says after I suggest this. This time she gives me access to her closet with the rule I can’t alter anything with my knife. Buried under everything else, I find a thin but soft dress. No wires or uncomfortable laces.
“That’s a slip,” she says. “Something you wear under your clothes.”
“It’s more comfortable. And I can move in it.” It’s pale green and in the mirror, it looks nice. I pick up my wide leather belt. Perfect to carry a knife. I slip my feet into a pair of tall, soft boots that go to the knee. Fulla looks scandalized. “I told you, prude. Well, I can give you Dion.”
“Not any of them really, but they were raised to be respectful. They have mothers. Sisters. But Dion? He likes pleasure. All kinds.”
“So is going to this party a bad idea?” I haven’t been to a celebration since the summer solstice. We roasted a goat and swam all night in the falls. The idea of a party here intrigues me, as do most of my alliance. I’d like to get to know them better—especially if I’m putting my life in their hands.
“No, it will be fun. Just watch yourself, all of the men are curious about you, not just Dion. Oh, and be careful with your drink. The mead and wine flow generously. Not only will your head pound in the morning, you may wake up wondering what happened to your knickers.”
I blink. There may be a little more to Fulla than I realized. Those are her only words of advice, other than tugging the bodice of my slip a little lower to show my cleavage. She smiles. “You’ve got’em, you should show them.”
The hallways are empty when we walk down the long corridor, although one lone figure comes our way. I’m pleased to see it is Hati, and stop to greet him. Fulla tilts her head quizzically as he returns the greeting, as if we’re old friends, but says nothing. Not even hello.
“I met Artemis earlier,” he replies, aware of her confusion. He doesn’t say how. “How was your first day? I saw you surrounded by Apollo’s clan at dinner.”
“You should have come by to say hello,” I reply. “Are you going to Dion’s party?”
Fulla snorts, which turns into a cough. Hati shifts his eyes toward her but simply says, “No. I have other obligations, but you have a good time. His events are quite legendary.”
“So I hear, and thank you.”
We part and I feel the questions brewing in Fulla’s mind. I want to ask her about Hati, why he acted so strange and won’t go to the party, but we hear the sounds of the party before we turn the corner. From what she tells me, Dion’s family donated the funds to build a lounge for their use at the academy. Their name is etched in marble over the door.