Hopefully, I will be able to write this story faster than all of my other stories. As it is, don't expect me to update this story often.
And just so you know, there are no trackers involved. Any new characters are already at the House of Night.
Chapter One
Zoey
(Arachne POV)
Simba and Nala ran over to Zoey. She was so pale, and lying there unnaturally still, she looked dead. But she was still breathing. I could see the rise and fall of her chest.
"Artemis!" Hermes yelled.
Rewind.
I guess I should start at the beginning. My name is Arachne, like the girl Athena turned into a spider. My last name is Olympian. My adoptive siblings are Artemis, Hermes, Mnemosyne, and Hephaestus. We are the same age and were Marked together. We stick together, through thick and thin. Together we were invited to join the Dark Daughters and Sons, even though we don't like Aphrodite. Her name is way too stuck up. If we let Artemis, Aphrodite would one day wake up with her hair chopped off on a full moon. You get the idea.
Anyhow.
I'll start our story when we first saw Zoey. We had already been Marked for a year, but it had become routine, except when Artemis lost her temper. Even Mnemosyne's "memory attacks" became somewhat normal. Mnemosyne is the most affected by her childhood. She periodically remembers unpleasant events from her childhood.
Stevie Rae entered the dining hall with Zoey. Not only was her hair about as dark as Hephaestus's hair, her Mark was filled in.
"Who is she?" Hermes asked.
"Stevie Rae's roommate, apparently," I answered.
"She can't be that bad, then," Hephaestus said.
"Maybe Aphrodite will leave her alone," Mnemosyne dared to hope.
"I doubt it. Aphrodite hates anyone who could possibly be prettier or more popular than her. The new girl's Mark already violates that. Aphrodite will hate her on sight. Can I please chop off Aphrodite's hair?" Artemis asked.
"For the last time, Artemis, no. You would get in so much trouble. Even worse than Mnemosyne's childhood." Artemis paled at Hermes's remark.
"If you don't like Aphrodite so much, why are you a Dark Daughter?"
"So I can take her down. Within the rules, of course," Artemis replied.
"Artemis, we all love you, but you're starting to freak me out right now," I told her. "Chill with the plans for revenge." Artemis glared at me. "Do I have to get a vamp?"
"No." We went back to eating.
"Oh no, there goes the queen bee herself," Hephaestus said, motioning to Stevie Rae and company's table, which Aphrodite was walking up to.
"No, Aphrodite's not going to leave the new girl alone." We all watched, waiting for the new girl to run out of the dining hall. We'd seen it happen before.
"How many meals do you think she'll spend elsewhere?"
"Ten," Artemis replied.
"None," Mnemosyne said. "I think she's strong."
"Five," I said. "Aphrodite is mean." Aphrodite left and went back to her table. The new girl stayed put.
"I win," Mnemosyne said.
"I'll go up and meet her. I can't wait until a class or some other time. You guys stay here," I said, and got up.
"Uh, Stevie Rae, I might already be scared of them," the new girl said. I guessed she was talking about the Dark Daughters.
"Not all of the Dark Daughters are as evil as Aphrodite," I told her. "I'm Arachne Olympian."
"Arachne, what are you doing here? Don't you belong with your siblings?"
"We were curious. Not many new fledglings stay here after their first meeting with Aphrodite. I have seen more than you. What is your name?"
"Zoey Redbird," the new girl answered.
"Zoey, a word about Aphrodite, fake everything except happiness around her. It's what we do."
"You? Even though you're a part of the Dark Daughters and Sons?"
"Artemis's secret desire has something to do with Aphrodite's hair and scissors. We figured that Aphrodite would be less mean to us if we accepted her invitation." Mnemosyne screamed a bone-chilling wail. I looked over to see Hermes scoop her up and run out of the dining hall. "Not all of the Dark Daughters are like Aphrodite. Now, I need to talk to Mnemosyne." I ran out of the dining hall after Hermes and Mnemosyne.
"Hermes?" I whispered during the silence after Mnemosyne's screams. "How is she?"
"She'll be alright," Hermes replied. "I still need your help, even though she's calmer." I walked over to them.
"Don't," Mnemosyne whispered, pleading. "Please don't hurt her."
"Mnemosyne, it's Arachne. You're far away from there." I knelt next to her.
"Arachne?" Mnemosyne asked, sitting up. "I am safe?"
"Yes," I answered. "You're safe."
"Where are we?"
"Outside the dorms," Hermes answered. "Everyone else is still eating, it seems."
"Let's get back to our table and finish eating," I said. "We still have some time."
"Okay," Mnemosyne said, standing up. "Let's go back, and you can tell us about the new girl."
"Fine," I said, getting up. "Let's go." We walked back to the dining hall and to our table.
"It's about time," Artemis complained.
"Mnemosyne had to calm down and you know how bad guys are at doing that, Artemis," I said. "Just chill and be patient." She stuck her tongue out at me. "That's really childish," I told her.
"About the new girl," Hephaestus prompted.
"Her name is Zoey Redbird and I think Aphrodite invited her to one of the Dark Daughters rituals. Yes, she is scared, but she might come. We'll just have to wait and see."
"Is that it?" Hermes asked.
"Was I supposed to ask her more or let Mnemosyne be not calmed down? I chose Mnemosyne. Zoey knows me, kind of, so if you are introducing yourself, mention that you're one of my siblings. Mnemosyne, she knows your name, at least."
"Thanks, Arachne, I think." I smiled at Mnemosyne.
"Oh, quit being a blonde," Artemis told Mnemosyne.
"I am a blonde!"
"Artemis, if your hair was less red, you'd be a blonde, too," Hephaestus said. "You and Nemy have the two lightest hair colors." Artemis bent down, towards her boot. Hermes slid her knife across the table to Hephaestus.
"Hermes. My knife," Artemis said.
"I have it," Hephaestus replied. "And I can give it to a vamp if I need to."
"Drat." I smiled.
"Artemis, you should know by now that if you are going for your knife, Hermes has probably already given it to one of us or a vamp," I told her. "And why do you want your knife?"
"I don't like being called a blonde. My hair is clearly red, not blonde."
"I wasn't calling you a blonde; I was telling you what I saw. There is a difference," Hephaestus said.
"Oh, whatever, Hephaestus."
"Chill, both of you," Hermes said. "And I suppose you will want your pen back, Hephaestus."
"Yes, I suppose I will, Hermes," Hephaestus said. "But I don't need it right now. Artemis, is it safe to give you back you knife?"
"I suppose so." Hephaestus slid her knife back across the table. Artemis slid it back into her boot.
"I wonder how many times we can say the word 'suppose' in one conversation," Mnemosyne said.
"I suppose many times," I answered. "We've used it four times already."
"Wow," Hermes said. "Shall we meet in our normal spot in, say, half an hour?" He was talking about our "family time."
"Sure." We got up and went our separate ways, to regroup later. I wanted to catch up with the Erin, Shaunee, Damien, Stevie Rae, and Zoey to ask them about eating with us at supper the next day.
Wow. So you've met (most of) my new characters. Tell me what you think. Please? It makes me update faster. You just have to tell me either that you liked it or that you hated it (I really hope not).
~ukrainianelfhorse
