There was something… invasive. Something was in her mind that [i]had no right to be there[/i]. That was all Artemis could understand as the grip of her hand over her mouth grew painfully tight. Her muscles were tensing involuntarily, as though that in some way would help her fight off this alien force. She was curling in on herself and all she wanted was this thing [i]out outoutoutoutoutOUT! [/i]The steady warmth of the lantern in her arms grounded her, and she clung to it like a lifeline. Artemis yanked her hand from her mouth and slammed it onto the river bank in a vain attempt to steady herself.

But she didn't feel the muddy shore. Instead of water-slick dirt and scratching reeds, Artemis' hand met something large. And warm. And furry. The memory of the strange force invading her mind faded as her eyes widened. Breath caught in her throat, she slowly turned to look over her shoulder. There behind her stood an enormous black wolf, with glowing golden eyes. Her hand lay on its paw.

[i][color=darkturquoise]Another demon.[/color][/i]

A strangled sort of yelp escaped her lips and Artemis swung blindly with the only weapon she had: the glowing red Lantern. Not pausing in her movement. She scrambled up onto the shore and dashed under the wolf's legs. Her heavy, sodden skirts made her clumsy and slower than she cared for, but all she could think was she had to [i]escape.[/i]