He looked at her with a coldness she could feel all the way through her. "You have your demons for protection, it seemed only fair I should have mine. We both know I no longer have your favor, Apollymi. Even though I killed my own son to make you happy. Even though I've spent a million lifetimes in blind service to you, I'm only a means to an end. You want to hurt my father for what he did to your son and I'm the chosen tool for it. Honestly, I didn't mind your using me so long as I thought of you as a mother. But you declared war on me and so here we are. Neither of us happy. Both of us alienated from our children." He let out a bitter laugh. "We're a pair, aren't we?"
Apollymi approached him slowly as her restrained emotions roiled through her. It wasn't as simple as he made it sound. "In spite of what you think, Strykerius, I did love you. But I'm a goddess of vengeance and you made the mistake of forgetting that. The moment you went after Apostolos to harm him, you drew the battle declaration, not I. Where my son is concerned, I have no reason or loyalty to anyone above him. He is what I cherish most and he and his daughter and grandchild are the only things in this world I would die to protect. Now you hold what is sacred to him. Release her immediately, or not even your demons will be able to save you from me."
Stryker eyed her angrily as he realized this was no bluff. "Satara!"
His sister appeared instantly in a pique. "Don't take that tone with me."
Apollymi glared at her. "Where's Soteria?"
The stupid child didn't even have the sense to fear her. Instead, she shrugged. "She's safe for the moment."
"Release her," Apollymi demanded.
"Hardly."
Apollymi threw her arm out and brought Satara into her grasp so that she could choke her with one hand. "I'm not into games, little one. Release her or I will kill you."
Satara sputtered and choked as she tried to pull Apollymi's hand from her throat. It was useless. No one outpowered Apollymi. "You kill me and she dies, too."
Apollymi squeezed her neck tighter.
"Apollymi, wait!" Stryker snapped. "She's not lying. Look at her wrist. She's wearing the Atlantean cuffs. And I'm willing to bet the other one is on Soteria. You kill her and Soteria dies with her."
Satara smiled evilly. "And you would be correct, brother."
Cursing, Apollymi threw her against Strykerius. "I want Soteria freed."
Satara straightened and met her anger with a smugness that made her want to blast the chit into oblivion. "When I have my journal from Acheron, she will be freed. Trust me, I don't want her harmed any more than you do." The taunt in her voice didn't fail to register with Apollymi, who also recognized the fact the bitch was lying. "I merely want what Acheron has."
Apollymi scoffed. "Do you think he would ever trust you to make a trade for her?"
"No. That's why I've had my demons summon Jaden. Jaden will broker the deal. That way I know Acheron won't use his powers against me and I won't use my demons or powers against him."
Apollymi rolled her eyes at the ridiculous boast. She was ever amazed by the arrogance of people who seriously overestimated their abilities. "Little girl, you have no powers."
Satara laughed evilly. "Oh Apollymi, for all yours, you greatly underestimate me if you think that." She faded out.
If she rolled her eyes any further back, she'd go blind from it. Apollymi turned to Strykerius. "I understand the need for family, but if I were you, I'd let that one go before she drags you down to a depth so low you drown in it." Then she too faded back to her garden where she could speak to Apostolos alone.
As a mother, she hated delivering bad news to him and that made her hate Satara all the more. "There's nothing I can do, m'gios. They've gone to Jaden who will contact you with the terms to get her back."
She could feel Apostolos's impotent fury. "Matera-"
"They have the bracelets on Soteria. If I try anything, Satara will kill her."
He sighed wearily. "What do they want?"
"Ryssa's journal."
"Which one?"
"They didn't say, but I'm sure Jaden will tell you all you need to get her back." And once Satara was free of that bracelet, she was going to wish she'd never dared to cross Apollymi or her son.
Ash pulled away from his mother and wished her well. Right now he had bigger things to concern himself with. If Satara wanted one of the journals, there was only one reason.
She wanted to kill Artemis and Apollo.
"Damn it, Ryssa." Why had she always felt the need to journal her every thought? Yet those words had comforted him over the centuries.
Now they were the greatest threat he'd ever known.
He grimaced as a severe pain cut through his back. For that alone, he should let Satara have at Artemis.
But unfortunately, her death would end the world.
There was nothing to be done for it. He'd deal with Satara, but for now he had to secure Soteria.
Closing his eyes, he took himself back to their room in Sanctuary. He walked to the other side of the bed and froze.
There was no backpack.
What the hell? He looked around for it, but as he couldn't even sense the items it contained, apprehension shrank his stomach tight. This wasn't good. No one should have had access to this room or his backpack.
Leaving the room, he went outside to find Aimee who was waiting tables. She pulled aside into a quiet corner at his approach.
"Hey," he said in a low tone. "Have you seen anyone in our room upstairs?"
"No, why?"
"My backpack's missing."
Unaware of how important it was, she frowned. "Let me go ask and see if someone knows something."
Ash tapped his thumb against his thigh as he struggled to locate the pack with his powers. Nothing came to him. It was as if it'd been sucked out of existence.
When Aimee returned shaking her head, he knew something had gone seriously wrong.
Since the backpack didn't appear to be in the human realm and it wasn't in Katoteros or Kalosis, there was only one more likely place.
Olympus.
Pissed to a level only Artemis could elevate him to, he went to her temple and found her sitting on her white chaise as if she hadn't a care in the world. As if she hadn't beaten every fragment of skin from his back. And when she looked at him with a cold, simpering smile of pride he knew she'd fucked him over yet again.
"What did you do?" he demanded.
"I've done nothing."
"Don't lie to me, Artemis. I'm not in the mood."
At least that succeeded in wiping the stupid smile off her face. "I'm not lying to you. You haven't asked me any real questions."
He hated playing the literal game with her. "Fine. My backpack's missing. Have you seen it?"
It appeared instantly at his feet.
Artemis let out a slow breath of disgust. "I don't know why you love that matted out rag."
"Ratted out."
"Whatever. You should think about getting a new one."
Ash didn't respond as he knelt down to search it. The moment he opened it, his fury ripped through him with a renewed vigor. "Where are Ryssa's journals?"
"Safe."
Yeah and she so wasn't at the moment. "That is not an acceptable answer."
She rose slowly from the chaise in a swirl of red hair and white cloth. She was regal and cold as she raked him with a snarl. "It's the only answer you're going to get. Those books posed a risk to me and I've now illuminated it."
"Eliminated, Artemis. Damn, learn to speak." He jerked the backpack closed before he stood to confront her eye to eye. "Those journals are my property. I want them returned to me, right now, along with my mother's medallions and the Atlantean dagger."