Chapter 10, guys. THE revelation. I know you were excited for it.

Shadow: Sorry, I know you reviewed a long time ago, but I just realized that I never answered you and felt like I should. You were my first reviewer and your message is what made me want to continue writing. So, thank you.

hm123: Thank you so much for your awesome and encouraging feedback! You're amazing and I loved your stories by the way! :P AND WHAT WHERE'S THE TYPO?! *throws herself into River Styx*

Garrett Jw: Thank you for your repeated reviews! :) I loved reading your guesses ;) Please don't strangle me though!

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Thank you to all the guests who have reviewed and made my day multiple times :) You guys are awesome!

Also, I have to give a special mention to my friend and my mom who guessed right :-)

Disclaimer:

I own Alexandra and Rose.

Florence is a birthday gift to my friend. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :)

Rick owns Chiron, Annabeth and Thalia.

Chapter 10: The Hunter

I didn't understand. My mind couldn't register what was happening to me. I looked at my bare arms, which had been covered by an over-size sweatshirt a few moments ago. For a second, I freaked out and wondered why my clothes were gone. Then I realized I could feel smooth fabric over my left shoulder. I looked down. First, I saw my feet. I was wearing Ancient Greek sandals which went up to my knees. Golden bands curled around my legs, glowing with a magical aura. The fabric I could feel on my shoulder was a simple white chiton made out of a light fabric that I could barely feel. No matter how simple, the dress was amazing. A golden belt held the fabric at my waist and a long piece of clothing hung over my shoulder, giving it a bridal feel. The hem of the gown fell loosely in a diagonal V-shape under my knees, and when I lifted my hands up to my head, I could feel a metal laurel wreath, as if I was an Ancient Greek princess. By the looks people were giving me, I might as well have been.

Annabeth turned to Chiron the centaur, our activities counsellor. "Aphrodite?"

Chiron seemed baffled. "I've never seen anything like it."

The director of the camp, Mr. D, looked amused. "My stepmother always loved taking things too far."

"What do you mean?" Chiron asked.

"Look at her wrist, fool."

My eyes, along with everyone else's, drifted to my wrist. That's when I noticed the smallest detail. Something no one else would notice unless they concentrated very hard. The moment I saw it, I knew what it meant.

Wrapped around my wrist was the most delicate peacock feather I had ever seen. It wasn't attached and how it stayed in place, I have no idea. It was so discrete, almost as if it was part of my arm. But if there's one thing I knew, it's that it was there and it shouldn't have been possible. I wish Chiron had kept his mouth shut. At least, it would've saved me from the looks I got afterwards.

"All Hail Alexandra Dewitt, daughter of Hera."

Smiles faded, eyes widened, jaws dropped. Chattering stopped, laughing ceased, food fell back into plates. Once again, in the place I was supposed to fit in, people were giving me the same looks I'd gotten my entire life. A mix of awe and pity. I knew that not many people liked Hera. I knew she wasn't supposed to have children. Once again, I was the odd man out. Or odd woman out? I couldn't stand it. I thought it would be different here. I could feel the tears filling my eyes and there was only one thing to do. I turned and ran.

I ran until there was nowhere to run to. I went straight for the forest, going around trunks, ducking under branches, jumping over logs. Tears were streaming down my face and nothing would stop me now. Where I was going? Not the slightest idea. How stupid was I? Very. I knew there were monsters roaming around in the forest and didn't have the slightest bit of fighting skills. Still, I continued going forward. I ran past a large pile of rocks, going deeper and deeper into the forest.

After a while, my anger had faded enough for me to slow down. It might have been five minutes since the claiming, but it also could've been a half hour. I was so deep in the woods that I couldn't see a single thing. I was still mad, though. I couldn't just turn around and go back. No, I had too much pride for that. Instead, I took out my dagger. I had retrieved it from the Big House after the tour.

"Celestial bronze," Chiron had said. "will easily slice through metal and kill monsters, but is harmless to mortals."

I hated violence, I really did. But I had to let out my anger somehow. So I started slashing at the high grass, screaming at the top of my lungs. I sliced through a rose bush, from which a girl with elfish features jumped out, yelping.

"Hey!" Part of her hair was missing.

I looked at her incredulously. "Who are you?"

"I'm Rose and you just sliced through my bush, thank you very much."

"Your bush? Wha– Oh. You're a wood nymph. That makes sense."

"Yes, I'm a dryad. Now, could you refrain from destroying this lovely forest and stop attacking my cousins? What did they ever do to you?"

"Oh. Right. Um, sorry."

I slumped against a tree and stared into space. No, I wasn't crying. I was done crying. I wasn't the weak little girl I appeared to be. I was the daughter of the queen of gods, after all. What would my mother do? She probably wouldn't just sit there and sulk, but what else could I do? I was born out of an affair that should've never happened. The goddess of marriage and family being unfaithful? I would never hear the end of it. Lost in my thoughts, no longer angry, I curled up into a ball and went to sleep.

"Can't be a nymph. A camper, maybe?"

"Is she hurt?"

"I don't think so."

I woke up to the sound of voices around me. The sky was slightly lit, as if it were dawn. How long had I been sleeping? A girl was crouching over me. She had large chestnut brown eyes and a welcoming smile. Her amber hair was shoulder-length and her face had an extra-healthy glow. She was wearing a large black shirt and tight camouflage pants, a silver cardigan wrapped around her waist.

"Hey there. Are you okay? What are you doing so deep into the forest?"

I didn't answer. I sat up, trying to take in my surroundings. A silver tent had been set up a few feet away and a couple of teenage girls were sitting beside it, nursing a large hunting dog. But when I got a better look, I realized it wasn't a dog but a white wolf. However, the girls were acting as if it were totally normal. I looked back at the girl sitting beside me. I considered asking who she was, but I was sick of asking questions. I was sick of being confused and needing other people's help. Thankfully, I didn't have to, because she decided to introduce herself.

"I'm Florence. What's your name?"

"Alex."

"Are you from Camp Half-Blood?"

"I guess so."

"Oh, good. That's where we're going. Want to come with us?"

"I don't know you."

"Oh, right. Well, we're the Hunters of Artemis." She pointed to one of the girls who was talking soothingly to the wolf. "This is Thalia, our lieutenant."

When I saw her, I gasped. It was her. The last part of my dream. The girl with spiky black hair and freckles. The one who had come out of the Artemis cabin. I guess that made sense if she was one of her hunters. I suddenly felt like having all the people of my dream in the same place at once would help me figure out what the dream meant, but I had no intention of going back there.

"Nah, you guys go ahead. I think I'll just stay here."

"Nonsense! Come with us. You won't be bothering, I promise."

"I can't go back there."

"Why not?"

"They don't want me."

Florence frowned. "Camp Half-Blood is the place for everyone. I don't see why you wouldn't fit in."

"You've already been there?"

"I was a camper once. A long time ago."

"A long time ago? What do you mean? You're like, fourteen. Fifteen, maybe?"

"Oh, I'm way older than that. Hunters don't age."

"They don't?"

"No. If you pledge your loyalty to Artemis, swearing off boys forever, you will become immortal, unless you fall in battle."

I wrinkled my nose. "Swear off boys? Why would you do that?"

She sighed. "I have a complicated past."

I figured it would take my mind off last night, so I said, "Tell me."

"I was a daughter of Hades. In the 1940s. Do you have any idea how bad the timing was? I arrived at camp in 1942, in the middle of the war. At camp, children of Zeus were more popular than children of Hades. People would look at me with disgust when I walked by, just because I was related to the enemies."

"Related?"

"Yeah. Hitler was the son of Hades. People treated me as if I was the one who was killing the jews! I had to find an escape. That's when Artemis popped up and asked me if I wanted to join the Hunters."

"Okay, well... How do I join?"

Florence looked at me, confused. "What?"

"Weren't you telling me that story to convince me to be one of you?"

"No! Don't get me wrong, I love Lady Artemis, but the only reason I joined is because there was no other way to escape the war. I would never admit it to the girls, but this 'No Dating' policy is nearly killing me."

"Please, I really want to!"

"How can your life be so terrible that you need an escape?"

"I'm the daughter of Hera, for the gods' sakes! No one wants to be her child! No one wants to be at a five-meter proximity of her cabin! They hate her, okay? And now they'll just hate me too."

She took a deep breath. "Fine. Come with me."

HERA?! WHAT!

Nonono please don't become a Hunter :(

Yes, to my friend whose birthday is today, Florence is YOU. Happy Birthday 3