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I nodded, thinking. “You think Hermes forgot about it, since it wasn’t a raven?”
He didn’t answer, so I returned to Earth, my hands cradling my find.
We were still in the backyard, my mate with his arms around me and his face on top of my head. The bird in my grasp was still shivering, as if it couldn't get warm, even here in the sunlight.
“Whatcha got?” Lexi bounced over to us, curious. She had been down near the gate, talking to Lark, Betta and Stet but had joined us when we were back from our dreamland visit.
I frowned, glancing up at her. “A crow, according to Soren. One left behind by Hermes. He commands ravens, though, and they all left my dream world when the god left. Only this one remained there. But we don’t know why.”
Lexi touched the bird’s head with one gentle finger, before pulling the crow from my hands. She tossed it high in the air, her arms reaching up towards the sun.
I reached for the tiny avian, shouting, “No! Lexi!”
Just as my fingers brushed the feathers on one wing, the bird shifted, turning into a woman who appeared in her late twenties. She landed gracefully, crouched on the ground, shivering, her thin arms wrapped around her torso, her eyes wild as she stared back at us.
Was this—? I held my breath, my eyes glued to her. My powers were filling my head with the necessary information, telling me what I didn't want to believe.
“Breathe, Lily.” Soren crooned into my ear.
I breathed because he asked me to, not taking my eyes away from the woman.
Lexi stuck out her hand, her tone friendly. “Hi. Who are you?”
“Apemosyne.”
Something in Lexi’s eyes grew dark, as Artemis filled her once more. She grasped the other woman’s hand and pulled her up into her arms, flinging her arms around her. “He restrained you? Like this?” Her voice was harsh and her quiet words were loud enough for those standing nearby to hear.
Everyone turned to watch us.
The goddess was angry. No, not just angry, enraged. I wasn't quite sure who her target was, though.
I studied the visions filling my head, gasping as I made sense of them. “He raped you?” I encircled the two with my arms. “Never again. He won’t lay a hand on you. If I ever see that asshole again, I'm going to tear him a new one.”
Lexi shook her head, the movement slight. “No. She's not going back to him. She can come live in the temple with me.”
Apemosyne trembled, tears falling from her face. “You sound like Artemis.” She lifted shaking fingers to touch Lexi's cheekbones, her eyes questioning.
Lexi smiled down at her, her eyes swirling with the goddess inside her. “I am her. I am also Lexi, who is me. We are Artemis.”
Apemosyne frowned as she struggled to figure out what the woman holding her was saying. Once she understood, she flung her arms around the other woman and cried tears of joy.
Lark came up and stopped next to Soren. “What—?”
I stepped back, shielding the two with my body. “This is Apemosyne. Hermes had imprisoned her, using her both as a servant and for sex. Then he must have made her change into a crow and forced her to live among his ravens, traveling at his will. When we forced him to leave, she was somehow able to separate from him. She hid in my dream world when the others left until I found her, bringing her here. Artemis recognized her immediately and will take her to her temple to recover.”
Lark’s eyes darkened with rage, but he only gave us a curt nod. “Of course. We will welcome her here. No one will hurt her.”
Lexi gazed up at her mate. “I think she will be most comfortable with me, for now. I will take her to the temple to get settled. Once Apemosyne feels safe, I will return.”
Lark nodded, his only reply being, “I will collect some supplies for her.” He walked over to Shane, speaking to him briefly before the two men moved into the house.
Lexi smiled at the woman. “Let’s go. I will show you where Artemis lives here on Earth.”
Lexi was getting proficient at switching between the goddess and herself. I wondered if Lark knew when he was with her or the goddess. Then again, Artemis would not intrude on their relationship in any major way, being the goddess she was.
Apemosyne stopped her. “Wait.” She turned towards me. “You are the oracle, right? I want you to know that Hermes isn’t your biggest enemy. Apollo is. Not because he is mean. Not because he wants you in his house. But because he refuses to understand what is in front of his eyes when he reads the future.”
My smile was small as I reached out to grasp Apemosyne’s shoulder. “I know and I am aware of some things I am sure he isn't. I can see what he isn’t seeing. He could figure it out, but he won’t. All because he doesn’t like the answers. But thank you. You confirmed what I thought I was sensing.”
