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!

Kiya! I’m

try, the door swung open, and I rolled out like a log. Finally! The light weakened above me; the darkness coming back

wisps of black as it gradually took over

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

searched long and low for Kiya. The fleeting 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

against the tangible black hands pulling her deeper in the black. I padded faster than I

with me.

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

a:

smile awakening on her face as she panted. Her hand reached out to caress my

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Chapter 76 – Artemis

burned in a conflagration of panic when a dark hand broke through the icy surface of the black pond and

“Artemis!”

Kiy

her arms tight around my waist like a belt. Screams for Artemis burned my throat as I used one

jaw onto my arm, teeth sinking deep into my skin as she

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

as she could for me. Her growls saturated with determination and resolve echoed through the space between us. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

back into her.

don’t deserve her. I

Go!” She shouted through her snarls. I know she wouldn’t, even when I gave up

seemed hopeless until a

fur like lovers on the dancefloor before sinking into her flesh, steadily transforming her into a silver silhouette. Artemis, catching on

a wolf shifted into the outline of

wrapped around my wrists, pulling me far from the pond. The hand slackened its hold and retreated to its domain after ribbon of light

to see she

myself emerged, except the image adorned white glowing hair instead of black and piercing blue

arm, her fingers dancing across the deep wounds decorating my skin. Blues reflected in gentle sadness as I allow her soothing touches to trace

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the woman in hushed awe,

thumbs wiping the blood away. “I didn’t mean

asked, perplexed. She arched an eyebrow and

on her lips. She cupped my cheeks, gentle and loving, “I have so

squeezing me

look down to see Halima lingering less than a foot from us, averting her gaze from us with her bear in her arms. Uneasiness perfumed out of her,

She whispered, bowing her head. “You’re mad at me because of what I did,

to look up at me. Tears brimmed at the corner of her eyes

she wanted because her desires were always denied. Trapped in a blackened world with only a teddy bear to talk to, it was the perfect recipe for Osiris to manipulate her. He manipulated me because Halima is me. I

firm. “I’m not angry at you,

you telling