Chapter 6

She turned, still running flat out, and flew over an unsuspected tree root. Sprawled over the grass, she collected her breath for just a moment, and then, not bothering to wipe at the blood now trickling down her leg, she picked herself up and continued to run, panting now and stitches burning her stomach.

She skidded to a halt outside of a dark house, and almost cried with joy when she saw Artemis sitting outside, reading by candlelight. She almost bounced over to him, positively radiant that he was there, alive and well.

“Arty,” she whispered. He looked up startled.

“What are you doing here?” he looked quickly around to check there was no one near, even though it was the dead of night, then pulling her into a warm embrace.

“I just had to see you, I had the most awful dream and well… here I am. But what are you doing outside? It’s not safe!” she exclaimed.

“Sh!” Artemis put his finger to her lips and then led her to the wall so they could sit. “I couldn’t sleep and it was boiling in there. Anyway, what do you mean it’s not safe, you think I’m going to get beaten by random Spartans?” He chuckled and pulled her closer to him.

“There’s something I have to tell you, it’s pretty bad.”

“Ok, but whatever it is, it can’t matter that much. I love you, I’ll never leave you,” he smiled at her, but then his features turned to worry when he saw tears trickling down her face. He wiped them away with his thumbs and then stroked her hair.

“Right, tell me what it is.”

“Someone told my parents about us,” Helena sniffed and hugged him tighter, wishing it was all just a bad dream, but no, she felt him go rigid with shock within her grasp.

“W… what?” He stuttered, “But who?”

“It was this man, the most horrid, repulsive, loathsome creature on this earth. His name is Croneus…”

“Someone say my name?” A squat figure stepped out of the shadow of an over hanging tree and walked towards them. The pair, scrambled to their feet, Artemis instinctively stepping in front of Helena protectively.

“Ah, true love,” Croneus snarled, “Shame it won’t last.”

He strode up to them and punched Artemis in the stomach. Helena gasped as Artemis doubled over coughing, and then fell to the ground clutching his stomach, his hands now covered in what looked like blood.

“NO!” Helena screamed, dropping to her knees beside him, one hands grasping his, the other gesturing frantically at the dagger, soaked with her only love’s very life force.

“Well Helena, it’s your fault this happened.” Croneus smirked as she looked up at him, tears falling fast and thick, her face filled with devastation, “You are the one who scorned me, was it not clear to you that I wanted you as my wife? Now you can live with the guilt that it was you, and you alone who killed him.”

She looked back down onto the dying face of the handsome face of the boy she had fallen in love with those many weeks ago, and whispered hoarsely:

“It should be me there, not you. I’m so sorry Arty, please forgive me.” She kissed his cheek, a river of tears streaming onto his face.

“Don’t listen to him Helena, I love you and I will always be with you,” Artemis whispered, the sound of his rasping voice breaking her heart into a million pieces. She flung herself over him, and sobbed, her pain almost drowning her, as he drew his last rattling breath.

“Oh Helena, don’t be so dramatic and come away from him, he’ll start to smell soon,” Croneus chuckled, a cold and merciless thing that took mirth away, rather than bringing it.

Helena stood up, the dagger now in her hand, glistening menacingly, still covered in Artemis blood.

“Do you really think that I’d ever even CONSIDER marrying you, you evil twisted little toad?!” She screamed at him, the tears running down her neck and tunic now, “You have just killed the only person in my life that I have ever truly adored. You better hope Hades has mercy on your soul because I know no one else will!” With that she plunged the dagger straight into his heart and let him fall to the ground, adding maliciously:

“As if anyone could ever love you.”

The End

A/N: Please review!