Bonded

        Lights poured into the room making it extremely uncomfortable to keep my eyes closed. Slowly, I heard my door creak open and soft footsteps tip toe towards my window. Seconds later the light disappeared and before I slipped unconscious my mind wandered to his. “Thanks…” The closing of my door was all I heard before I slipped back into another dream.

        Everything around me was a blur, the trees, sky, people. Nothing made sense to my eyes but of course it never did when I was inside his mind asleep. “Having fun?” Apollo’s voice popped into my head, ripping me out of his world and into a dark room.

        “Thank you for closing the blinds.” We both stood on opposite sides of the room, the same we’re always in during a dream. The walls were painted two different colors, red and blue, to resemble the colors of our selves, the fire of my heart and water of his. Each side lavishly decorated with pictures of us as children and of our pets and guardians. “They’re coming for us… I can feel it.”

        “Which is why mother is moving us to a safer house soon,” Apollo stepped forward and put an arm around my shoulder, pressing me tighter against him, trying to keep me, trying to keep the animal that wanted to fight locked up inside. “We cannot use our powers to help Artemis, you know this.”

          “Who says? Mother?” I spat, throwing his arm off my shoulder which landed limply at his side. “I don’t want to be stuck hiding all my life Apollo.”

          “Artemis…”

          “Leave!” As he bowed, gracefully leaving our dream room, a single rain drop landed on my hand. As it splashed onto my skin tiny soothing beads sunk into me, spreading through my body, covering the fire that wanted to jump out from within. Finally calm, I walked out of the room and back into reality.

            Everything was still dark as I finally opened my eyes, and stretched my body, curling my toes and running a hand through my unruly hair. Sensing my movement the tiny winged dragon flew over to sit next to me on my bed, rubbing against my hand like a cat.

            “Seraphinx…” Hearing her name a purr rumbled against me. “Good morning to you too.” Scooping her up into a ball I stepped out of my room and knocked on Apollo’s door across the hall.

            “Come in Arti.” Slowly I pushed the door open and hissed at the sudden rush of light.

            “Can you close your blinds for a minute?” Immediately the light disappeared and once again I was showered in darkness. “Sorry about back there...”

“I know.” A sudden noise made Seraphinx jump from my arm and land on a light blue dragon in the back of the room. I turned back to Apollo, and walked forward.

“I can’t stay hidden forever Apollo and you know it.”

“Artemis, if we die…” Mother walking into the room cut Apollo off. “Hello mother.”

      “Morning Apollo, Artemis.” She nodded in my direction and scowled at Seraphinx who was biting Apollo’s dragon. “There is a visitor downstairs for both of you. Please change into something more presentable Artemis.” Bowing, I left the room before my temper erupted, literally.

      After changing into what my mother thought was presentable I made my way down the stairs. Before I reached the door way my senses went into over load. Someone like Apollo and I was sitting in the room with my mother…another one of us. Curiosity led me into the room where next to my mother and across from Apollo sat a black haired man with green eyes.

      “Hello Artemis.” He stood up from out couch and bowed in my direction, his black hair falling casually into his eyes, which seemed to see right into my soul. “I am Sebastian Williams, one of the bonded like you and your brother.” My eyes flickered over to Apollo who shrugged back in return.

      “Prove it.” Something changed in his eyes and the room started to shake, causing my mother’s prized vase to shatter on the floor. Everything seemed to be moving away from the middle of the room where now a crack was forming, pushing the plush brown carpet towards the ceiling and cement below it to crumble into dust

      Mother held onto the couch for dear life while Apollo stared, fascinated by what was happening, by how much power this man had. Neither of us could ever create such a force. “I think that is enough.” Apollo stood his hand on mothers shoulder. My mind was in chaos, thousands of questions swarming, begging to be called out. “How did you do that?”

        The man smirked in Apollo’s direction and placed his hand over the crack. I watched as he delicately picked up a bright yellow flower and placed it in my hand. Immediately flames consumed it, yet the flower stayed the same, preserved in a fiery ball. “Control is all you need.”

        “How did you learn to control it so well?” As soon as I spoke the flower wilted and died in my hand, charred by the flames that still surrounded it. “How is it not ash by now?”

      “Control Artemis, control.”

      “That’s easy for you to say, you control earth. Fire is much more…delicate to control.”

      “I know.”

      “How do you know?” My hand closed around the flower, but the flames disappeared back into my palm. “You don’t have fire.” Glaring, I looked up towards him and he took my hand, that wasn’t holding the flower, in his. Turning my palm up he traced the outline of the fire shape, almost caressing it. “My sister was fire bonded.”

      “There are more of us?” Seeing he had my interest he looked over at my mother. “The crack will be gone soon. But I must take Artemis and Apollo with me.”

      “Absolutely not! I will not agree to this.”

      “You have no choice, they must come with me. You of all people should know if they do not master their bonds then they will perish, especially Artemis.” Mother looked down at the floor and shook her head in agreement.

         “What do you mean by her of all people?”Apollo finally stepped in, looking confusedly over at mother. Sebastian smirked slyly at him and stepped towards mother, taking her left hand into his. Slowly he slid off the black satin glow that covered it. Apollo and I both gasped at what we saw, in the middle of her palm was the shape of a water drop, the same as Apollo’s.

      “Why didn’t you tell us?” Apollo’s voice was full of scorn as he backed away from her, reaching back for me. Absentmindedly I took his hand in mine and pulled him back. Although Apollo was my guardian, I was still the older sibling with control issues over my temper, yet he was the younger sibling who didn’t deal with emotional issues very well. “Why did you lie?”

         “How could I have told you Apollo? Did you want me to say for mating with your father I lost my powers? Huh? Is that what you wanted to hear? That I gave up my whole reason of existence to give birth to you two? That I gave up my powers…the only things I have ever loved to give birth to a son who took my powers away?” Slowly, I felt my temper rising, and my palms started to sweat and for once Apollo didn’t stop me. For once he let me be…me.

      “Don’t, you talk to him that way!” Ever so slowly a flame kindled in my heart and everything around us started to burn. I inched forward and she inched back. “You have never once said you loved me, but I didn’t care, because I knew, I knew all along that you were just a selfish bitch! Apollo didn’t believe me, he loved you, he protected you…from me. But that…that was the last straw. Dad didn’t leave because of me…he left because of you!”

      “Artemis… Stop.” Sebastian’s voice brought me back to reality and I looked over at…her. She was cowering against the couch, whimpering for me to leave her alone. “I hope you rot in hell,” and with that I set the house in flames, coating myself and Apollo in a bubble of protection from the fire. On the other side of the room Sebastian had covered himself and the woman I once called mother in a green protective covering.

      “Seraphinx, Aristle, come.” Flittering behind us the two dragons flew, following us out of the house and into the black car where Sebastian was waiting for us. Apollo had still not spoken a word and I put an arm around his shoulder and watched as above us in the sky it started to rain, just as he lay his head on my shoulder, falling into a restless sleep.