Artemis

Chapter two

I heard the sounds of faint footsteps as I slowly woke up. My eyes were still closed but I wished I would fall back into deep sleep. However, my senses slowly heightened as it woke up against my will.

I felt the softness of a bed and blanket. The warmth of my body trapped against me between the two. The sound of feet shuffling on the ground confused me. There were definitely more than two pairs of feet moving around. So it couldn't be Damion or Carol.

My eyes shot open and I sprung into a sitting position in my bed. Which wasn't even my bed.

Damion and Carol! I thought. Everything from the day before came rushing back. The book store, the creepy guy, the fire. My parents had died in a fire!

Guilt and worry flooded my conscience. They were gone and I didn't know where I was.

"Easy, you were quite exhausted when they brought you in." A girl's voice warned. I felt a hand on my shoulder gently lower me back onto the pillows.

I looked to the owner of the hand to find a young doctor with fair skin, and brunette hair pulled back into a ponytail that curled. Her eyes were cerulean blue, and she had surprisingly prominent smile lines. Even now she smiled warmly.

"Where am I?" I demand.

"You are with the fengári."

"The what?" I rubbed my head hoping I had a concussion and heard her wrong.

"fengári, the moon. You are a child of the moon." She casually took my pulse with a genuinely warm smile. She clearly liked her job. "He didn't tell you?" she furrows her brow. "That isn't uncommon, don't worry everything will be explained." She stated before I could say anything else.

"No, answer me now. Where are my parents?" I demanded.

The girl's face momentarily dropped into a pout. But she quickly regained her seemingly natural face expression.

She placed a hand on my shoulder as if to offer comfort. "We don't know where your parents are, but if you left as soon as Jamie had warned you to, they're probably okay." She gingerly touched my temple and I winced.

"You cut yourself pretty good there." She pointed out and reached to the bedside table. She picked up a small glass jar and popped off the lid. Inside was a white pearlescent cream that she dipped finger into.

"What is that?"

"Silver moon dust." She smiles like a happy teacher. "It'll help, trust me."

I relax momentarily as she applies the cream, but then continue my questioning. "But I saw my house on fire. I couldn't find my parents." I balled my fist.

The doctor looking girl bit her lip, she had an expression of pity. "I'm sorry, but I don't have all the answers. You'll have to speak with Matina."

I sighed heavily and melted into my pillows. "You are a child of the moon, like the rest of us."

"What is a moon child?"

"Please, child of the moon. Moon child just sounds silly." She giggles. "And that is another question for Marina. Now relax and hopefully the doctor will see you soon."

I felt a pout form on my face. "You mean you're not my doctor?" I ask, as she gets up to leave. She stopped in the doorway.

"Oh, I am your nurse. My name is Aubrey." Her voice was cheerful as she winked goodbye to me.

I sat in silence for a moment. What a strange girl. I thought. She is cute though.

I heard a knock on the door. I looked up from being zoned out, and saw a young man with dark blonde hair, and light skin. He grinned.

"You must be feeling better. Silver moon dust works wonder." He took the place Aubrey had just been and looked me in the eye.

"Your eyes seem to dilate correctly." He showed a slight smirk. "My name is Dominick. I'm your doctor. Though I doubt you'll need me much longer, you're healing nicely."

"What is all of this about moon children, and where exactly am I?" I ask.

Dominick snickered,doing a poor job at hiding it.

"What?" I demand agitated.

"Moon child sounds ridiculous. Say children of the moon." He offers.

"You sound just like Aubrey." I chastise him.

"All of us will tell you that."

"Who is all of us?"

"You'll know soon enough. But first you have to meet with Marina."

"Take me to her."

🌙🌙🌙

When I exited the hospital it was like entering an outdoor concert. There were people everywhere. They all looked relatively similar. With fair skin, light eyes, and either dark blonde hair or light brunette hair. I thought I had been abducted by a cult but everyone seems so happy. There were children and parents. The majority of people were teens and young adults. But everyone seemed to be part of a big family.

There were tents and large sheds. It was like a modern native American camp. Bit straight ahead was a large structure, like a temple. It was clearly an important place and I found myself shaking with anxiety as I entered it.

Once inside it was dark and dimly lit by fire places that glowed white hot, though it wasn't hot inside at all. There was a long stretch of corridor and at the end was a long silver table with chairs around it. There was no one there but one figure.

"Meet Marina." Dominick gestured to the figure at the long table.

The figure stood up and approached until she stepped into the light. She was porcelain white with pale eyes, and silver hair, but she still seemed young. The woman was clad in a silver dress with multiple silver beads and white pearls she looked like the moon itself.

"I am Marina, I am to answer your questions."