Untouchable by Marii Solaria

Chapter 76 – Artemis

“I feel like a part of my soul has loved you since the beginning of everything. Maybe we’re from the same star.” Emery Allen

Artemis

The heart is a delicate organ. Floods of blood shot through it in a life–sustaining cycle, and it made me feel both alive and dead at the same time. What many cannot understand is that the heart is also a part of a chain, connecting its life force to another. Forged bonds and soul ties attach themselves to the crimson bodies of two beating hearts, connecting those individuals beyond the visceral. Bonds are created between people, animals, and emotions. The heart serves a grander purpose beyond sustaining life, and the visceral pain of when one bond is severed is unimaginable.

My heart hurts. The bond it treasures the most is nothing more than a flickering lightbulb unable to handle its burial under pitch–blackness. Imprisoned just like me, frantic to cling onto the spec of light keeping it alive. But the darkness is intelligent and conniving. Malevolent whispers bombard my ears like a bully’s torment while tightening the reigns around the gilded cage Halima trapped me in. There was no escape,

Pathetic.

Useless.

Pitiful.

I couldn’t cover my ears. The dark was too loud. Air was knocked out of my lungs, the area enclosing around

1. me. It wanted me to die.

Failure.

Well, I did fail. My beloved Kiya surrendered to darkness, and it was my job to safeguard her heart and soul. Together, we fought the demons lingering in the corners of her mind daily. I’m her anchor and her guardian. If the human strays, the wolf pulls them back into the light because we can’t bear to lose them. As much as Kiya needed me, I needed her as well.

Alone in the darkness, punished by being unable to hear the rich melody of her voice summoned a broken howl from the ocean of my despair. My body shook from the chill of her absence and the silence reckoning in my mind was murderous. I wanted Kiya. I needed Kiya.

I…I miss her so much.

With every attempt I made to reach her, I met an impassable block. Once, twice, thrice; I never stopped trying to connect with her, ignorant to the looming fear that Kiya might be lost to me. Are we lost to Selene as well?

Growling with tears blotting my vision, I threw my body at the steel–like bars for the thousandth time like at ball in a batting cage. My body ached, my bones ached, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was getting to Kiya. The darkness snickered, enjoying the spectacle of a caged animal attempting to escape. Snickers grew to echoing laughter, advising me to give up the fight.

I admit, shamefully, that surrendering had crossed my mind a few times when the darkness and the pain became too much. One could only withstand this amount of horror for so long before it destroys them. But

1/5

I’m not like anyone else. I refused to give up, so if that meant breaking my body until I’m out, then I never needed my bones, anyway!

And I was rewarded for my efforts.

High above me, as I recovered from my recent hurdle, a strip of white light broke through the darkness. Shaped like an angel with celestial wings. Rippling laughter fell to silence. The light warmed a patch of my fur, and it uttered three basic words that revitalized the lambent hope in my heart.

Don’t give up!

The light grew bigger and suddenly I was cased in warmth from all angles–from the tip of my ears to my paws, repairing my injured soul and invigorating my determination. Over time, the light intensified by the familiar warmth of two people, doubling in size. At that moment was when I felt the fleeting sparks of the sacred bond. The missing piece of my heart. I grabbed onto the fading sensation, growling with newfound hope.

Now, anything was possible!

I’m on my

holy light. On the third try, the door swung open, and I rolled out like a log. Finally! The light weakened above

saw Kiya and Halima. The makeshift pond. The light guided my way, fading behind thick wisps of black as it gradually took over the area again. I’m stuck in the dark once more, but

more cracks sprouting from the impact. “I’m here! I’m coming!” After a couple more hits, the ice shattered and separated, revealing the murky waters rippling underneath. Pushing chunks of ice from the hole I made, I sucked in a sharp breath and

sensations of our bond were my guide, pulling me to where my human was. The waters threatened to consume me as it did to Kiya, grabbing onto my legs, but I pulled away. I’m not a

her torso, swinging her legs as she struggled against the tangible black hands pulling her deeper in the black. I padded faster than I ever done before and when I got close enough to Kiya; I bit on the collar of

with me.

for air once we reached the surface, coughing and wheezing along with Halima who shook in the woman’s arms. I barred my teeth in a wolfish grin when I searched for any injuries on Kiya’s person, only to find none. She’s here! She’s alive!

a:

panted. Her

275

Chapter 76 – Artemis

a dark hand broke through the icy surface of the black pond and grabbed hold of Kiya’s legs. Halima shrieked and Kiya screamed as

“Artemis!”

Kiy

tight around my waist like a belt. Screams for Artemis burned my throat

teeth sinking deep into my skin as she

tug–o–war begun with my body as the rope. Both sides jerked backward and forward, my limbs screaming for relief. Blood dripped from my arms from the wounds she created with her teeth, but I didn’t mind. I found comfort in Artemis‘ electrifying cyans, refusing to give me up to the darkness again. Through the pain, her love for me seeping

hard as she could for me. Her growls saturated with determination and resolve echoed through the space

back into her.

her.

shouted through her snarls. I know she wouldn’t, even when

hopeless until a

around her limbs. Balls of light danced with the strands of her snowy fur like lovers on the dancefloor before sinking into her flesh, steadily transforming her into a silver silhouette. Artemis,

of a wolf shifted into the outline of

hold and retreated to its domain after ribbon of light shot at it like a

I look down at Halima to see she is unharmed.

A mirror image of myself emerged, except the image adorned white glowing hair instead of black and piercing blue eyes instead of brown. Everything else, from the

across the deep wounds decorating my skin. Blues reflected in gentle sadness as I allow

315

Chapter 76–Artemis

the woman in hushed awe, perching herself

blood away. “I

asked, perplexed. She arched an eyebrow

A charming smile appeared on her lips. She cupped my cheeks, gentle and loving,

Tears dripped down my cheeks again, falling onto her shoulder. Artemis chuckled, returning the hug but squeezing me tight, rubbing her cheek on the top of my head. My heart soared with sheer happiness to feel my other half again. After being buried in darkness for so long, I

foot from us, averting her gaze from us with her bear in her arms. Uneasiness perfumed out of her, her fingers fidgeting at her sides. “Halima?” I

head.

her shoulder, urging her to look up at me. Tears brimmed at

in a blackened world with only a teddy bear to talk to, it was the perfect

“I’m

telling me