Disclaimer: I don't own PJO. I only own Bryn, Lily, and some of the minor characters, like Erin (another Hunter).
I am so, so sorry. I really am. I didn't post for ages, and I didn't even look at the reviews for three weeks. But those who are saying that Aphrodite isn't actually Apollo's nephew: There are many myths where Aphrodite was born from Kronos' testicles when he died, making her his daughter, and therefore Zeus' half-sister. Which makes her Apollo's half-aunt. Okay? Whether I'm right or not, it really doesn't affect the story, so whatever. Don't think about that.
BPOV
He left. He just… disappeared. I suppose that's supposed to be a good thing, but then why do I feel this horrible sinking feeling? Actually, it's an empty feeling. Which is worse than the sinking feeling. Because at least you have something in you when you have a sinking feeling. When you have an empty feeling, it's like there's this huge, important, vital part of you that's abandoned you.
But I deserve it. You know why? Because I had kissed a sunny (literally), overly happy, perverted, but nevertheless sexy god. Emphasis on the GOD. A man. Now memories of my promise to Lady Artemis flashed through my mind, and all I could feel now was guilt and confusion. Guilt because I had lied and gone against my oath. Confusion because… I shouldn't have liked it. But I did. In fact, it was like my head was exploding, in a good way of course. I shook my head helplessly, slumping against wall in defeat. Because in the end, I had come to the conclusion that I was a failure. After all, I had: betrayed the Hunters of Artemis, almost gotten killed by a chimera which I had killed a couple years back, not been able to spend 24 hours with the sun god not because I ditched him but because he ditched me, and I, however much I hated to admit it, actually like Apollo. Maybe even more than a friend. No, no, don't think that. But really.
Personally, I hate love. Love makes you weak, stupid, impulsive, and confused. There's nothing good about it. Well, I guess part of my opinion must have something to do with my father, because he's never really supported love or had much luck in it either. I mean, come on. Kidnapping your own wife mustn't be very healthy for the relationship.
I sat there, leaning against the wall for ten minutes before I decided I might as well go to sleep. I dragged myself to the bed I woke up in, still in the tank top and sweatpants, and lay my still-sore body on it, crawling underneath the covers. Almost instantly, I had a dream.
I woke up in a place I had never seen before, in a dry, dusty place where it there was so little moisture that the ground beneath me was cracked. I picked myself up from the ground and dusted off the soil in my hair and clothes. I realized that I was still wearing my tank top and sweatpants. Looking around, I noted the bits of information from the setting I was in, in case I ever was attacked. The sky was black, a pure, obsidian black like my stygian iron katana. There were no more than two trees in the area, and they were all leafless, dead. The space stretched on forever, as if it would go on for eternity. I swiveled slowly in my place, taking in the landscape. Suddenly, a voice from behind me spoke. "Little daughter of Hades," it almost purred, an elegant, beautiful but fierce voice, reminding one of a tigress ready to strike. I whipped around, trying to grab my dagger before realizing that I didn't have it. "Damn it," I hissed under my breath. More loudly, I called out, "Who are you? What do you want?"
The woman had long, silky black hair that reached her stomach. She was tall, breathtakingly beautiful, with even, fair skin, slightly tanned, with bright blue sparkling eyes. She smiled at me, and it made the air on the back of my neck rise. There was something… wrong about her.
"What do I want? Do you mean why I am here?" She walked towards me, as graceful as a cat. "I came here to warn you," she hissed, her voice becoming dangerous. "You made a bad choice in meeting Phoebus Apollo. His choice, and your choice, will be the end of you both, weakling. Just like your father," she added. "You act so… what do you say? Cool. You act so cool, so confident, but inside, you have no idea what idea what you're doing, do you?"
I glared at her. "I'm not afraid of you, bitch. You don't diss my dad. Or me, for that matter."
The woman stared at me for a second, then laughed, a flowing, tinkling sound that gave me goosebumps. "I can see why he likes you," she laughed, her blue eyes twinkling.
"Shut… up!" I snapped, eyes flaring.
She turned serious again, her eyes like freezing cold glaciers. "You're right, Reedwing. Love is stupid. That's why…" as she spoke, her body began fading away along with her voice. After "why", she completely disappeared, along with her voice. Suddenly there was a great roaring sound, and the cracked ground began to shake, really cracking open to reveal nothing but black underneath me. My eyes widened then screwed shut as I plummeted downwards towards Gods-knows-what. I waited for the impact, my head towards the ground, my sub-consciousness telling me that my head would implode as long as I hit the ground. Suddenly, I heard an ear-splitting crack, agony exploded throughout my head, more pain than I had ever felt before. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. Just as the torture and agony reached its climax... I jolted awake.
I sat up straight in the bed in a cold sweat, screaming my head off. Almost literally. After I had realized that it was only a nightmare, I calmed down considerably, feeling ashamed and relieved that I was the only one here. I glanced at my watch. Exactly six thirty in the morning, January 2nd. I pondered the fact for a second, not sure why I seemed like I should worry about it, my mind still slightly drowsy despite my disturbing dream. My eyes widened and my jaws hung on its hinges as it suddenly hit me. I was supposed to spend 24 hours with Apollo, and 24 hours only. I was, what, 12 hours late? And I was currently on a mountain, in New Jersey.
I propelled myself off the bed and flew through the cabin, looking for my belongings. I collected them and piled them in a heap on the coffee table, then rushed to the bathroom to take a quick shower and brush my teeth. Ten minutes later, I came out wearing a fitting gray shirt under a thick black sweater and black and white sweatpants - the most normal clothing I could find that was easy to fight in and was still my taste. I tied my hair in a ponytail with a black hair band that blended into my dark hair, and then put my dagger, disguised as a silver scrunchie over it. My stygian iron chain was still around my neck as a choker, but I still checked that it was still there anyway. After wearing my watch, which was really the katana, I stuffed everything in my backpack and raced out the door, slamming it behind me.
I had decided not to shadow travel to Camp Half Blood, where the Hunters told me they'd be at when I left. Apparently Thalia wanted to see Percy and Annabeth, so Lady Artemis agreed to camp out in the Camp's forest for a couple days. They would be leaving for it when I left. Hopefully they would still be there when I got there. So instead of dropping down asleep after teleporting to a strawberry field in New York (aka Camp Half Blood), I would shadow travel to Princeton and hopefully catch the Amtrak to Penn Station, Manhattan. I opened my plastic bag of mortal cash, digging through it, looking to see how much money I had. Seventy dollars in cash. That should be enough for a one-way trip and then a cab to Camp. Not bothering to check out, I slung my bag over my shoulder and dashed behind the ski cabin and looked around for any watching people. No one. I concentrated, took a deep breath, and then stepped into the shadows.
After racing off the train and out of the Station as fast as I could, I looked around wildly for a cab to hail. A flash of dirty canary yellow caught my eye and I waved furiously for it to see me. I jumped in after flinging open the door right when the cabbie pulled up and shouted for him to go to the strawberry field's address. He gave me a weird look. "What's with you kids going to a strawberry farm?" I gave him my best glare and stuffed thirty dollars under his nose. "Just take me to it, asshole," I barked, and with another strange look directed at me, he drove off.
I jumped off the cab the minute we got there and began charging up the hill, leaving the thirty dollars on the passenger seat. Patting Peleus on the nose when I passed him, I suddenly found myself in the Camp that I had stayed in for four months before I was offered the opportunity to be a Hunter. Chiron came galloping up to me as I was looking around, marveling at the remodeled cabins and how many more children were here since I was here five years ago. "Bryn! What're you doing here?"
I glanced up. "Chiron," I greeted him. He continued giving me an expectant look. "Well. I'm looking for the Hunters. Lady Artemis and Thalia told me they'd be coming around here."
Chiron nodded at me. "Yes, they came yesterday afternoon. They went out several hours ago, though, and I'm not sure whether they're back or not. However, you're welcome to—"
"It's quite all right, Chiron, we have returned." The flowing, silvery voice was instantly recognizable.
"Lady Artemis!" The centaur bowed, turning around on his hooves to face the goddess. My heart seemed to sink into my stomach as I saw that Artemis was here, probably to disband me from the Hunters, and I realized that I really didn't want to see the moon goddess. I tried not to look her in the eyes, for fear of her seeing my secret, if by some impossible chance she didn't know. "Lady Artemis," I echoed him, giving her another one of my awkward curtsies that with all my five years as a Hunter I still haven't managed to perfect. Artemis then proceeded to fall into a conversation with Chiron about Olympus, Zeus, and her Hunters. I sort of stood there awkwardly as the Hunters behind her gave each other secretive looks and whispered to each other. I tried looking for Thalia or Lily, but they must have been somewhere in the back, because they were nowhere to be seen.
I turned back around, and was mildly surprised at the group of demigods that had gathered around Chiron, Artemis, the Hunters, and me. Annabeth, who I didn't know very well but still was acquaintances with, was there, staring thoughtfully at me. I almost snorted. Typical daughter of Athena. Percy, surprisingly, was also there, whispering into his girlfriend's ear. I thought that he was in the city for the rest of the year – what was he doing here in the winter? And where was Nico? I scanned the crowd, but my half-brother was not in it. Perhaps he was sleeping; he did that a lot.
"Bryn." I was startled out of my thoughts by the familiar voice of the goddess I now dreaded talking to. I revolved slowly in my spot to face Artemis.
"Yes, Lady Artemis?" I asked, respectfully, like I always did.
Her silvery golden eyes finally caught my green ones, and they seemed to draw me in, like a fisherman reeling in his thrashing but nevertheless helpless catch. "I think perhaps we need to discuss something in private," she told me, and the sentence sent chills down my spine. She knew! She knew!
"I… yes, Lady Artemis. Of course." My voice was almost a whisper, barely audible, though I knew she would hear it with her godly hearing.
"Then shall we head back to camp, Bryn?"
"Yes, my Lady," I curtsied once more.
"Hunters, let us go." Artemis ordered. I fell into the middle of the group as the goddess lead us out of camp. I heard the whispers from the campers behind me but the loud, frantic beating of my own heart masked them. Because by the end of today, I would no longer be a Hunter of Artemis. I was sure of it.
Woah. A longer one, finally. FINALLY. I thought I would never write a sort of proper chapter. Anyway, there goes the 8th one. Did you like it? Hate it? Review and tell me what you think! Thanks for the previous reviews; they made me warm and fuzzy inside. Keep on doing what you do, people!
~fflight
