Chapter 3

As I came to my senses, I instantly knew that something was different about my surroundings. I cautiously opened one eye and was realized that I was in a different room.

The sloped walls of this room, unlike Artemis' with her skins and fur, were barren, although they were still silver. There were no personal decorations in sight, so I assumed that this was a guest room of sorts. Our guest room back in the apartment was turned into Gabe's poker room, and it constantly made me want to vomit from the stench of cigars and beer.

The very thought of anything to do with Smelly Gabe made me sick, so I pushed the thought of the room's appearance to the back of my brain. I slowly swung my feet off the left side of the bed and rubbed my eyes tiredly.

I looked to my left and found folded clothes that looked like they fit me well. There was a silverish long-sleeve pullover with a grey shirt to go underneath it, along with some baggy black cargo shorts.

I tried them on, and to be honest, I kind of liked them. A lot. Apollo must have chosen them for me, and he must have somehow known about me wanting this pullover, because I had always stared at it through windows but ultimately never had enough money to buy it.

I remembered Apollo and Artemis explaining where I was: I was with Artemis' immortal band of hunters, and were in their makeshift camp for however long I was out. I was still in Central Park, but a godly effect called The Mist distorted the way that mortals saw otherworldly things, such as Greek monsters and camps of girls in the middle of a park.

I stepped outside my tent and was amazed at what I saw. To my left, there were girls in silver clothing shooting at targets, each one of the arrows hitting or narrowly missing the bull's-eye. There was also a pen of wolves, some still sleeping while others were gnawing on leftover bones from what I guessed was their breakfast. To my right, there were at least fifty tents, signifying how large the Hunt actually was. There was a lake not far from the tents, where the hunters probably bathe and wash their clothes. I knew there was a lake because I had always felt whenever water was near, but never bothered to tell anybody about it, brushing it off as something unimportant. Directly ahead of me, there were five or six picnic tables lined up below a tented roof, with a spit near it. I guessed that it was the dining 'pavilion'.

"What are you doing here, boy?" A cold voice snapped at me, causing me to jump out of my musings about the camp. I turned around to see the tip of an arrow pointed at me from about three feet away.

The owner of said bow was, to put it simply, beautiful. The huntress had volcanic black eyes and copper skin, without a flaw on it. She had flowing black hair in a braid done down her back, and donned a silver tiara, almost like a princess. She had a silver blouse and a silver skirt on, which probably would have made her seem harmless, until she pulled out the twin hunting knives from their sheathes at her belt.

I immediately put my hands in the air, not daring to say a word, unless I wanted to lose my life. "I said, what are you doing here?" She sneered at me. I was starting to get very mad at her very quickly, because bow or not, I wasn't going to let her, or anyone else for that matter, treat me like Gabe did.

I kept my cool, and said, "I am here because Lord Apollo and Lady Artemis brought me here. I am sure that she will vouch for me if you would take the time to go and find her." I said this calmly, not letting my gaze waver from her obsidian eyes. She looked surprised, before her eyes hardened as she spit, "Do not leave that tent until Lady Artemis and I get back. She turned her back on me and stormed off, presumably to go find the goddess and try to get him in trouble.

In order to not antagonize anything else, I sighed, and flopped back down on the bed in the tent. My eyes shifted to the nightstand, and saw an alarm clock that said 9:35, and a glass of water that I had previously missed. A smile spread across my face as I soon got an idea, to prove if I really was a son of the sea god.

I picked up the glass and put it on the floor. I concentrated on it, trying to will it to move. A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead, and still, there was no movement. I tried thinking about what I was thinking when I did it to Gabe. The memories came flooding back, as I remembered being helpless as I watched my mother get beat, knowing that I was next for the torture. I was infuriated when I watched as my mother died in front of me.

Suddenly, I felt a wrench in my gut, just like in the apartment, as the water shot out of the glass, and hovered in midair. I watched, fascinated, as I tried moving it around the room. The droplets complied, as the pull increased slightly. The water whizzed around the room, going as fast as I could get it to.

I willed it towards the entrance to the tent, and turned to see it collide into everybody's favorite hunter's face. I burst out laughing as the water slowly ran down her enraged face. The still nameless hunter was about to charge at me when a hand appeared on her shoulder.

Artemis looked at me with disappointment and a little bit of mirth as she whispered soothing words into the fuming hunter's ear. She eventually calmed down and left the tent, still muttering curses most likely directed at me.

The moon goddess turned and looked at me with an expectant look, and said, "Well, it looks like you have successfully made my lieutenant hate you within thirty minutes of you being awake, and I have found out who your godly parent is."