"Which one?"
"They didn't say, but I'm sure Jaden will tell you all you need to get her back." And once Satara was free of that bracelet, she was going to wish she'd never dared to cross Apollymi or her son.
Ash pulled away from his mother and wished her well. Right now he had bigger things to concern himself with. If Satara wanted one of the journals, there was only one reason.
She wanted to kill Artemis and Apollo.
"Damn it, Ryssa." Why had she always felt the need to journal her every thought? Yet those words had comforted him over the centuries.
Now they were the greatest threat he'd ever known.
He grimaced as a severe pain cut through his back. For that alone, he should let Satara have at Artemis.
But unfortunately, her death would end the world.
There was nothing to be done for it. He'd deal with Satara, but for now he had to secure Soteria.
Closing his eyes, he took himself back to their room in Sanctuary. He walked to the other side of the bed and froze.
There was no backpack.
What the hell? He looked around for it, but as he couldn't even sense the items it contained, apprehension shrank his stomach tight. This wasn't good. No one should have had access to this room or his backpack.
Leaving the room, he went outside to find Aimee who was waiting tables. She pulled aside into a quiet corner at his approach.
"Hey," he said in a low tone. "Have you seen anyone in our room upstairs?"
"No, why?"
"My backpack's missing."
Unaware of how important it was, she frowned. "Let me go ask and see if someone knows something."
Ash tapped his thumb against his thigh as he struggled to locate the pack with his powers. Nothing came to him. It was as if it'd been sucked out of existence.
When Aimee returned shaking her head, he knew something had gone seriously wrong.
Since the backpack didn't appear to be in the human realm and it wasn't in Katoteros or Kalosis, there was only one more likely place.
Olympus.
Pissed to a level only Artemis could elevate him to, he went to her temple and found her sitting on her white chaise as if she hadn't a care in the world. As if she hadn't beaten every fragment of skin from his back. And when she looked at him with a cold, simpering smile of pride he knew she'd fucked him over yet again.
"What did you do?" he demanded.
"I've done nothing."
"Don't lie to me, Artemis. I'm not in the mood."
At least that succeeded in wiping the stupid smile off her face. "I'm not lying to you. You haven't asked me any real questions."
He hated playing the literal game with her. "Fine. My backpack's missing. Have you seen it?"
It appeared instantly at his feet.
Artemis let out a slow breath of disgust. "I don't know why you love that matted out rag."
"Ratted out."
"Whatever. You should think about getting a new one."
Ash didn't respond as he knelt down to search it. The moment he opened it, his fury ripped through him with a renewed vigor. "Where are Ryssa's journals?"
"Safe."
Yeah and she so wasn't at the moment. "That is not an acceptable answer."
She rose slowly from the chaise in a swirl of red hair and white cloth. She was regal and cold as she raked him with a snarl. "It's the only answer you're going to get. Those books posed a risk to me and I've now illuminated it."
"Eliminated, Artemis. Damn, learn to speak." He jerked the backpack closed before he stood to confront her eye to eye. "Those journals are my property. I want them returned to me, right now, along with my mother's medallions and the Atlantean dagger."
She didn't even have the sense to look scared. "No."
Ash roared at her as she continued to taunt him with her nonchalance. "Don't test me!"
"Or what?" she snapped. "We both know you'd never hurt me. You've sworn it. I'm safe from your wrath." She actually smiled at him as if his anger amused her. "Forget your human and I'll forgive you for what you've done." She reached to touch his face where she'd slapped him earlier.
Ash grabbed her hand to prevent it. "I want my property back."
Her nostrils flared. "And I want mine. Shall we make an even exchange? You for the journals."
"I'm not your property, Artemis."
"Then I don't know what you're talking about with the journals and other matters."
He tightened his grip on her wrist, wanting to slap her so badly that he was amazed he kept himself in check. "Did you ever really love me? Even a little?"
"Of course I did."
He knew better. She wasn't capable of it. Disgusted, he shoved her hand away from him. "But only because I belonged to you and you alone. Even as a god, you don't think of me as your equal. To you I've never been anything more than a toy to be discarded when you're bored or through with me." He stepped back from her. He picked his backpack up and slung it over his shoulder, intending to leave.