He slammed one clawed hand against the door and let out a howl so feral it made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Oh, he would definitely kill her right now if he got free.
Narrowing her gaze, she crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a smug glare. "As I said, I own you. Now sit in there and starve until I'm ready to feed you."
Ash could barely understand those words past the hunger gnawing at him. In this state, he was like the Shades of Dark-Hunters who'd died while Artemis held their souls in thrall. Forever hungry and thirsty. Unreasonable and unable to make himself understood. It was the most wretched of existences.
The door solidified and left him alone in a small, dark room. There was no furniture, no windows . . .
No light whatsoever.
For an instant, his sanity returned and he felt like a boy in prison again. He twisted around, looking for the rats that used to bite him. Listening for the telltale sound of their scurrying feet.
"Artemis!" he shouted. "Let me out!"
I'm afraid. Those words caught in his throat.
"Acheron? Are you there?"
He heard Ryssa's voice in his head.
And then his hunger returned, driving all semblance of humanity away from him. He slashed at the doors with his claws. The pain of his hunger was excruciating. Unable to stand it, he slammed himself against the door, again and again, determined to break through it.
Four days went by while Artemis pondered what she should do about Acheron. His incessant slamming against the wall and snarling howls were beginning to wear on her.
But he needed to be taught a lesson. He needed to be punished and until he learned to come to heel, she wasn't about to let him out.
Not to mention, at this point, she was honestly afraid of him. He'd never gone this long without feeding. And past experience told her that a small gobbet of blood would only whet his appetite for more.
She considered feeding one of her maidens to him, but that would be cruel.
And on the tail end of that thought came another one. "Not a Kori . . ."
No. Something that rhymed with it rather. She smiled at her ingeniousness. She'd sworn to Acheron that Soteria wouldn't be harmed by her or one of her minions.
But she hadn't promised to keep Acheron away from her.
He'd told her that Soteria soothed him. Fine, let the bitch soothe him now. Let her feed him.
Preening with satisfaction, Artemis flashed herself to New Orleans where the little slut was teaching a class. Aggravated at having to wait, she stood in the hallway until it was over.
Tory was heartsick as she dismissed her students. She hadn't seen or heard from Ash in days and the fact that he'd left her in sole possession of his prized backpack made her wonder if something bad hadn't happened to him.
Putting her books into her own backpack, she pulled it off the table and headed for the door. But before she reached it, a tall gorgeous redhead stepped inside. Dressed in an expensively tailored white suit and Prada shoes, she was stunning.
Tory wanted to rip every strand of hair out of her head.
"Why are you here, Artemis?" she asked coldly.
Artemis curled her lip as if she hated to be around Tory even more than Tory hated being around her.
Nah, it wasn't possible.
"Acheron needs you, human. He's hurt and he can't come."
Tory scowled. "Why would you come to get me?"
"He wants you. Believe me, there's no other reason I'd be here."
Still suspicious, Tory gripped the strap of her backpack. "Are you lying to me?"
Artemis made an ancient Greek gesture of loyalty and truth. "I swear to you, he's in ultimate suffering and he needs you. Are you really so selfish that you won't help him?"
She was selfish? Tory would have laughed if she hadn't been so worried about him. "Take me to him, then."
Artemis flashed her out of her classroom and into what appeared to be an ancient Greek temple. The room was surrounded by columns and above her head was an amazing hunt scene stamped into gold. It was exquisite.
"Where am I?"
"Olympus." Artemis led her into a bathing room that had an ancient styled bathing pond. She didn't stop until she reached a door on the other side of it. As she lifted her hand, the door lightened to transparency.
Tory gasped as she saw Ash lying naked on the floor. His black hair was matted, his breathing shallow. His skin was marbled blue again and two black horns jutted out from his head. His lean muscles were starkly outlined by the dual blue skin tone. His hands ended in long black claws and when he saw them looking at him, he bared a pair of sharp fangs in their direction.
Pushing himself up, he kept one arm around his stomach as if he were about to be ill. He took one step and collapsed on the floor again in obvious pain. He roared a bellow of frustration and agony.
"He's disgusting in his god form, isn't he?"
Tory raked the goddess with a repugnant stare. "He's never disgusting. What's wrong with him?"
"He needs to eat. This is what always happens to him if he ever goes too long between feedings."
"Why haven't you fed him then?"
A slow, evil smile curved Artemis's lips. "Sweetie, why do you think you're here?" She reached out and opened the door.
The next thing Tory knew, Artemis had shoved her inside the room and shut the door, locking her in with Ash. "Bon Appetit."
Tory turned to the door, trying to open it. But it was hopeless. There was no latch or key or anything on this side. All she could do was see Artemis's gloating face.
Oh if she ever had three minutes alone with her . . . It would be a death match worthy of pay-per-view.
With no other choice, Tory approached Ash slowly. Warily. Could he even tell if it was her? By the way he was acting, she didn't think so. "Baby?"
He looked up at her with blood red eyes that held no semblance of understanding. They were feral and cold. The eyes of a predator.
With a speed she couldn't even see with her naked eye, Ash was off the floor. He grabbed her by the throat, threw her down on the ground and sank his fangs deep into her neck.
Ash's head buzzed and his shoulder ached as he finally slaked some of the hunger that had been tearing at him for days. The blood was so good. So warm and satisfying. He licked and sucked, drinking it in until he was normal again.
But as he returned to himself, his anger mounted that she'd let him go so long without nourishment. Even though he hadn't been able to speak, he remembered her watching him through the door.