The moon was not in the sky, its beautiful light did not dance along the floor or helped guide lost travelers but the werewolves were thankful. Robbers were thankful. Murderers laughed but were thankful for the light would've made them been seen. They would've had ropes around their neck, bodies limp from the trees or at the hanging stand or on their knees with their heads now in a wicker basket and their blood on the executioner's blade. But one person was not thankful. One person found themselves rocking in a corner, blood around their lips and a limp, cold body before them. It was an accident...It was only an accident...
~
Artemis laughed, spinning Valentina Knox in her arms as they danced to muggle music and nuzzled at her neck affectionately. She was protective over the Lion who was dancing drunkenly in the middle of the room now, swinging her hips in time with the music. Artemis did not love her like she would love a lover. She was a simple friend, companion in the sheets whenever they desired and that was a line they were fine with. After Valentina's break up with Parker, they were happy and Valentina almost demanded more of Artemis' time, dragging her away from training and her sister. Training was important to Artemis. The distance it caused did make the break up with Tony painless and she found herself realizing that even if she did not train, the break up would've continued to be painless. This pleased her. She shut off enough of her heart. Now she had Gallowglass or..hoped. Valentina was happy with the break up, found it only hurt a little bit but with the help of Artemis and Jason, she was...free.
''Come, Artemis. Let us lay together in the darkness with our bare skin against the others.'' Valentina cooed to her dear friend, dragging her out of her thoughts into the bed where they tore their clothes off each other but not to make love. They simply laid together and talked, their voices becoming echoes in Artemis' holiday home in the midst of a Scottish forest. They had many but Valentina favored the Scottish home as it reminded her of Hogwarts but not so much. It was more..homely. ''What is it you wish in life, Val?'' Artemis asked out of the blue, pressing soft kisses on Valentina's forehead as her friend yawned, the night almost claiming her, to give her a blissful slumber in Artemis' cold arms. ''I wish for happiness. I wish to know the feeling of your teeth in my neck yet you deny my blood. I wish for love where it's pure and can be cherished, where I do not have to worry if my partner laid with another. I wish for you to be happy and for me to be able to see this. Gallowglass is so oblivious to your affections and you're oblivious to his! You know his real name! It took your father 340 years to find that out, Artemis.'' Valentina said everything with a smile on her face, never faltering and Artemis smiled in return but it did falter. She paused and stared down at their locked legs.
''Did i say something wrong?'' Valentina questioned, nudging Artemis to look up at her and the half vampire sighed softly. ''You wish for me to drink from you?'' She questioned, her brow furrowing in confusion as to why her friend would want that. ''Of course..I hear so many things. A vampires bite, if the vampire cares for the person bites, the 'victim' feels the emotions they feel. It sounds beautiful...I want to feel your emotions. Just once. You always have this wall up, I never know what you're feeling...'' Valentina explained, baring her neck which tempted Artemis even more. The lines formed under her eyes, becoming bloodshot and hungry as the sound of her friends blood pumping through her veins filled her ears like white noise. It was all she heard. Thump...Thump....Thump. It was hypnotic.
Teeth sank into Valentina's neck without warning, fright filling her first before it turned into euphoria, pure bliss. She felt every emotion of her dear friend. It started out good, started out perfect in fact until Valentina found herself growing tired, weak and her nails scraped at Artemis' body before beginning to wriggle in desperation to push away her friend that was drinking too, too much. The downside to Valentina feeling Artemis' emotions was that she could tell she had lost control and that this was her last moment, her last chance to breath in the midnight air, her last chance to smell Artemis' almond shampoo or flowery but fiery perfume.
The half vampire caught onto the slowing heartbeat too late...Too, too late...She yanked away, feeling the last ounce of Valentina's life drift away from her body but she pushed at her chest as if trying to shove her friend's soul back into her body but it was no use. Fear and sorrow attacked at Artemis' body and she let out a bloodcurdling scream, moving to the other side of the room staring at Valentina's naked, bloody limp body. She fell to the floor, scrambling at the ground as if trying to burrow herself into the wall. ''I didn't mean it....I didn't mean it...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...Val...I'm sorry..'' She murmured to herself, rocking in the corner until day came. Ever and Gallowglass came to collect them to take them back to Hogwarts to see Valentina's dead body still in the bed and Artemis rocking in the corner, blood all over her arms from her scratching at it but it healing almost instantly. ''I didn't mean it...I didn't mean it...It was an accident..I was too late. I was too, too late...'' Those words sent chills down Ever's spine and she held her sister after fighting her to stop, that she couldn't and wouldn't hurt her and finally, Artemis fell asleep for the first time in months.
They cleaned up the scene an hour later, Artemis helping as her humanity crumbled bit by bit, piece by piece. She stared at the bloody bed sheets, breathed in her friend's scent one more and threw it into the burning flame, that reminded Artemis too much of Valentina. She cast her gaze away at the Scottish home and demanded it to be burned as well after they take away their belongings but Ever refused. She grabbed her sister's face and spoke soft words, telling her they'll open it for good. Good memories to take away bad and Artemis agreed but vowed to never return.
Valentina knew of Artemis' guilt and the barrier between the world of the dead and living shook once more as the dead bang against it, pleading to the earth to allow them to speak but it refused.
Valentina Knox is dead....and now the warrior within Artemis took place, took hold and never let go.
Valentina Knox is dead....and now the moon shone once more.
Valentina Knox is dead....and now the flames in the fire dimmed.
Valentina Knox is dead....and now the earth refused once more.
Valentina Knox is dead....and now no one is safe.
