Tears formed in Artemis's green eyes as she struggled to free herself. "I love him."
Tory shook her head. "How can you say that? You don't even understand what love means. Love isn't being ashamed to be seen with the one you care about. It isn't about punishment or hurt."
Feeling sorry for the goddess, Tory let her go. "Love is what gives you the strength you need to face anything no matter how brutal or frightening. It's what allowed Ash to be beaten rather than tell his father about you. It's what allowed him to be gutted on the floor at your feet rather than publicly shame you. And you spat on him for that love and tore him apart. For a goddess, you're pathetic."
Artemis sneered at her. "You're human. No one cares if you sleep with a whore."
Tory did something she'd never in her life done before. She slapped another person.
Artemis shrieked and tried to claw her, but Tory caught her wrists in her hands and pushed her back. She leveled a murderous look on the goddess to let her know she meant business. "You ever insult Acheron again and so help me, I'll do to you what you allowed your brother to do to him. I'll cut your tongue out for it. Acheron is the man I love and no one, ever, takes issue with him without having issues with me."
Artemis snatched one hand free and tried to backhand her, but Tory caught her wrist again. "You're no better than I am," Artemis snarled. "You would sacrifice him in an instant to save yourself and I know it."
Tory shook her head in denial. "You're wrong. There is nothing on this earth, above or below, that I value more than Acheron. And we're both done with you. Have a great eternity and if you want to continue having an eternity, stay out of my way and leave Acheron alone."
Artemis curled her lip. "You're not done with me entirely, human. I'm the mother of his daughter."
That turned her stomach. "You're right. You are Katra's mother, poor her. But you're wrong about one thing."
"And that is?"
Tory let the Destroyer's power unite with Ash's inside her. One minute, she was normal and in the next, she felt her hair turn white blond and fan out around her as lightning engulfed her and flew out of her fingertips. "I'm no longer human," she said in a demonic voice. "I'm the Atlantia Kedemonia Theony—the guardian of the Atlantean gods. And right now there's only one of them walking about and to save him from one more bad memory created by you, I'd bathe in your entrails, bitch. As for Kat, she's a big girl—I know, I used to live with her. She'll survive the death of her mother. Trust me, I have firsthand experience with the subject."
Artemis gaped at her. "You would destroy the entire world for him?"
"Yes, I would. Would you?"
Artemis looked away.
"And that is why you're going to wish him well and get out of our lives. The next time I see you, Goddess, you better be bringing presents that make me smile, otherwise the Greek pantheon will be looking around for a new goddess of the hunt. Do you understand me?"
"I understand." But her eyes said she was already plotting some way to get back at them.
So be it. Enemies were an unfortunate part of life. There was nothing Tory could do about that except make good her promise should Artemis ever discover enough backbone to come after her again.
No one took from her without a fight, and for Ash she'd lay down her life.
"Good-bye, Artemis, and for your own sake, should you ever find someone who loves you the way Ash once did, take better care of him."
With those words spoken, Tory returned to New Orleans where she found Ash waiting on the couch of his apartment. He shot to his feet before he inspected her body for damage—it was actually quite adorable. "Are you all right?"
"I told you I'd be fine."
His gaze was filled with doubt. "She didn't hurt you?"
"Nope." She held her hands up to show him exactly how undamaged she was. "I'm all hunky-dory."
The relief in his eyes touched her deeply as he bent down to place a light kiss on her lips. Oh how she loved this man.
"I'm so sorry for what I did to you," he breathed. "I never meant to hurt you."
"I know, sweetie." She smiled up at him. "What was it Wulf quoted from you? Sometimes things have to go wrong in order to go right? Had you not fed on me, I wouldn't have the powers I need to be with you. So don't be sorry, Ash. I'm not."
He winced as if she'd struck him and that made her ache for him. "I never wanted you to see me like that."
"See you like what?"
"A monster. I despise my true form."
She shook her head at him as he put his arms around her waist. "I can't imagine why. Other than killing me, you were actually cute in a very Papa Smurf kind of way."
"Papa Smurf?" He made a sound of ultimate suffering and scowled at her. "I don't look like Papa Smurf."