Page 27 of Artemis’ Bow (Halfling Academy #5)

“Yes, very smart. The wilds need the hunter just as the hunter needs the wilds.” Pan nods.

“So, the reason you’re here is because Artemis has been taken and the wilds are in as much danger as the humans are,” I say.

“It is both that simple and exceedingly more complicated than that, but yes. Artemis’ hounds found me about a week ago, the first day the moon didn’t rise.” Pan clenches his fists at his sides.

“Wait, her hounds found you?” I ask. “Why would they do that?”

“I have heard of the many gifts you have received over the past months, but I was unaware speaking to hounds was one such gift.” He chuckles.

“Does the shifter count?” I ask with a grin. “I can communicate with him.”

Pan bursts into laughter. “You are absolutely delightful, young one, but no, the shifter in his human form does not count.”

“You can speak to animals?”

“Only the ones I have a connection with. I gifted Artemis her hunting hounds so I can communicate with them. They are lost and scared without the goddess to lead them.”

“Poor puppies,” I whisper. “Do you know where Artemis was when she was taken?”

“I assure you they are not puppies.” Pan chuckles.

“What about the location she was taken from?”

“They are not as intelligent as the hellhound in Jayden’s pocket. They only had a vague direction but fled to find me at Artemis’ order. That’s why I’m here in California, because the goddess requested I find you and help you however I can,” Pan says.

“What direction? Can we see the hounds? Maybe we have some questions that you hadn’t thought of.” I glance around at my friends who are all nodding.

“They are wild things, not pets. They will either be there or they won’t. We cannot expect them to sit and wait for us to see them and ask our questions.” Pan shakes his head, and I step back, away from the long ram horns on his head before I’m impaled.

“You really should be more careful with your horns.” I grimace.

“Apologies, I forget about them, especially when living with just my wife, who doesn’t bleed like normal mortals,” Pan says.

“Can we at least see if the hounds are there?” Jayden asks. “They might be able to help us figure out if we are going to the right place to find her.”

“Artemis was weakening without her bow,” I say. “Anyone could have taken her.”

“The goddess had many suitors interested in her strength and beauty over the millennia. It could have been several of them,” Pan muses.

“I would bet that none of them are Orion. The hunter is a constellation because of Apollo.” I cross my arms.

“Wait? Why would that stop them?” Thad asks softly. “We have already fought the giant crab constellations; are we sure they aren’t all released from the sky because it’s never-ending day?”

“Holy shit,” I whisper. “How did we not think of that possibility?”

“Orion was the only person the goddess ever wavered in her devotion to her virtue for. I don’t think he would have taken her,” Pan says. “But there are others obsessed who would stop at nothing to have her as their own and that is dangerous for her.”

“We need to ask the hounds if they recognized the one who took her,” I say.

“If they have been with her from the beginning, they should be able to recognize the assailant,” Jayden agrees.

“Not necessarily. Animals’ minds are different from ours. It’s more impressions and instincts rather than recognizing features,” Greyson says. “They would probably recognize the smell of the assailant but not a name or be able to describe them past that.”

“It’s worth a shot, though, right? Right now, we only have the location of the bow and an idea that she might be in the same place.” I rub the back of my neck.

“Maybe. They have been around for millennia, so who knows.” Greyson shrugs.

“We have a lead. We need to at least ask them,” I say.

“If they decide to show up,” Pan reminds me.

“Yes, if they decide to show up, but if they are as worried for Artemis as we are, they will show. I just know it instinctively.”

“Let’s go see them.” Pan nods to the back of the store.

We weave our way between aisles to the back of the building that has no right to be this big on the inside considering the outside appears no bigger than a corner store or a gas station. He opens a door into a wall of tall pine trees.

“Um, what?” I ask, stepping out the door. “There is no forest like this in California.”

“You weren’t listening, young one. The wilds are all connected.” Pan pats my shoulder.

“So, you can just open the door and be anywhere in the world?” I ask.

I stare up at the ancient pine trees, amazed that we could just open a door into a different place. I snap my gaze to the right as a howl sounds in the distance.

Jayden grabs my hand. “Beth, are we sure we want to do this? We were only around her hounds a couple times, and they don’t exactly like men.”

“We have to try. Plus, if I’m correct, she made the lion I saved from the zoo one of her hounds and he likes me.”

Another howl pierces the air. A rustling in the bushes catches my attention just as a tail swishes in the underbrush. The lion pounces and I transport myself out of the way the next second. The lion blinks and spins in a circle before his gaze lands on me.

“Hello there, beautiful boy.” I smile as the lion stalks over and rubs against me like a house cat. “Where’s your huntress, huh?”

I brush my fingers through his thick mane. The lion lets out a soft purr. He nuzzles my hand and the others stand there, mouths gaping, as they watch me scratch a full-grown lion behind the ears.

“This one is not connected to me as the others are because I didn’t gift him to Artemis,” Pan says, bewildered.

“No, we helped her save him from a zoo in Oklahoma,” I agree. “The others aren’t far, though. I heard them howling.”

“Yes, I sense them close as well.” Pan nods.

“These are dominant predators, Beth,” Greyson says. “You need to be careful. They aren’t pets.”

The lion turns his gaze on Greyson and hisses. It reminds me of how all the animals in the zoo reacted to the wolf shifter in the zoo. Greyson growls back at the lion. I glare at him.

“Don’t be mean,” I say.

We all spin when the underbrush rustles again and a huge wolf steps from the bushes with a snarl. The lion moves in front of me with a snarl, protecting me from the other predator. I bow my head in deference to the large wolf but keep my gaze on him the entire time.

“Old friend,” Pan says to the wolf, also bowing his head slightly. “They are trying to rescue your huntress and have some questions.”

“Ask if he recognized the person who took her,” I say.

“He says he can hear you just fine, gods touched .” Pan chuckles. “They were disguised so he couldn’t give features, but he smelled like someone who used to stalk the goddess millennia ago.”

“Well shit, that doesn’t give us much. There were many who stalked her in ancient times,” I huff.

“Would you like to know the scent he’s speaking of?” Pan asks, raising a brow.

“Yes, what does he smell like? We have our shifter friend who has an amazing nose and even catching his scent could be helpful.” I nod.

Pan chuckles again as he turns to me. “He smells of fresh water and rotting fish.”

“Is he a freshwater spirit or a god?” Thad asks, tilting his head to the side.

“There was one who was obsessed with Artemis in ancient times. He even attempted to take her against her will, but Artemis outsmarted him. I wonder if that could be him,” Pan muses.

“I remember this story,” Raven says. “We read it the other day in the book. The river god Alpheus was planning to abduct her, but she rubbed mud all over herself and hid among the dryads in the forest. Alpheus couldn’t tell who she was.”

Thad taps his index finger against his chin. “How did a weak minor river god capture and hold someone as powerful as the moon goddess?”

“I don’t know, but this means she’s weaker than we thought, and the world is in serious danger.”