Jaden let out a long breath. "And what of your Simi? Do you not fear for her without her mother here to protect her?"
Xiamara blinked away her tears at the thought of her youngest growing up without her. "I know Apollymi will see that she has all the best in this world. I have raised two simis to adulthood. Apollymi only has one child. No mother should be without her simi—not even a goddess. I would give her the one thing she wants most."
Jaden jumped down from the tree to land gracefully before her. He was so tall that she had to crane her neck slightly to look up at him. "Do you know how rare it is to be asked for so altruistic a bargain, especially in the name of friendship and not kinship?"
He trailed one icy cold finger down the side of her face. "Are you truly willing to die to give your friend five minutes with her son?"
"If that is what you ask, yes."
He dropped his hand. His soulless eyes betrayed no emotion or any indication of his mood. "I'll have to fully consider this. Give me until tomorrow night to decide. You'll have my answer then."
She sank to one knee before him. "Thank you, akri. Xiamara will await your decision."
He faded into the wind.
Xiamara rose and returned to Apollymi to let her know that Jaden was contemplating the bargain. What she would never tell her were the exact terms they were negotiating.
Acheron tipped his goblet back, drained it, then cursed before he threw it against the wall. He'd drunk enough that he should be blind from intoxication. Yet he was stone sober. Not even his drugs would work on him.
His entire being had been altered.
Damn it all!
He felt the air stirring over his skin. Frowning, he watched as Artemis materialized in front of him.
Acheron lifted a brow in surprise. "I wasn't expecting to see you . . . ever again."
A small smile played at the edges of her lips as she looked at him shyly. "I know. I wanted to apologize for what I said to you earlier. I was wrong."
Every sense in his body went on alert. "You're apologizing to me?"
She nodded as she approached his bed, then climbed on it to rest beside him. "I've even brought you a peace offering."
"A peace offering?"
She handed him a small covered bowl.
Scowling even more, he opened it to find a yellow sticky fruit substance. Never had he seen anything like it. "What's this?"
"Ambrosia. Food of the gods."
He lifted the bowl to smell it. It was sharp and tangy with something else that was invitingly delectable. "Why would you bring this to me?"
"You're a god now. You should eat as we do." Her expression tender, she stroked his thigh and looked up at him from underneath her lashes. "Even I eat it—it's delicious."
Compelled by something he couldn't explain or deny, he picked a portion of it up and sampled it. It was much sweeter than it had smelled. Artemis was right. He'd never tasted anything better.
At least that was his thought until the room started to spin. His eyelids were suddenly heavy and his muscles weak, his breathing labored. In an instant he recognized the biological effects. Rage set fire to his blood as all the years of being drugged against his will rushed to the forefront of his mind.
"You drugged me!"
She bolted from the bed. "Forgive me, Acheron."
Of all the things she'd done to him . . . this betrayal sliced him most fiercely. "What have you done?"
Artemis didn't speak as she watched him turn from human to blue and back again.
He tried to reach her, but she made sure to keep her distance until he'd passed out. There was no telling what he would have done to her had he seized her. As he collapsed on the floor, she finally let out a breath in relief.
Leave it to Hypnos to make the one concoction that not even gods were immune to. She'd been terrified that it wouldn't work on Acheron.
Thank Zeus that it had.
Her hand shaking, she pulled the dagger from its concealed sheath on her thigh. Hephaestus had forged it on Olympus and like the drug, it too would work on a god. She'd even coated the blade with Titan blood just to be sure. One slice and Acheron would be dead.
Biting her lip, she stood over his perfect, naked body that was sprawled sideways and watched as he breathed ever so slightly. His blond hair fell over the handsome features of his face, making him look almost boyish and harmless in his repose.
She remembered the times those full lips had pleasured her. The flash of happiness in his silver eyes when he looked at her. But that was when he'd been human. Now he was a threat not only to her, but to every god on Olympus.
One cut . . .
His throat was exposed, just waiting for her. But as she moved to severe his carotid, an image of him laughing with her went through her mind.
"I love you, Artie."
No one had ever loved her. Not like him. Acheron had never hurt her. He didn't demand. He only asked.
And he gave freely of himself . . .
Kill him, damn you! Do it!
Artemis gripped the knife tightly. She lifted it with every intention of stabbing him. But she couldn't. Over and over, images of him played through her mind.