We're into double digits now on chapters :D

Full disclosure, I wrote this chapter on the same day I had two of my wisdom teeth extracted. Now, I didn't get very much laughing gas, mostly just anesthesia, so I wasn't that loopy, but I waited until the day after to go back through and edit it. Just to be safe.

On another note, we recently hit 40 followers for this story. I always forget to say it, so thank you so much for your support, guys. I still don't get a lot of reviews, so please please please just take the time to quickly drop one after reading. Y'all's responses and feedback is the driving force behind the story.

As always, fav and follow, and leave a review to let me know what you think! We're now into the overlap with Titan's Curse, so hings are about to start heating up again :)

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.

Chapter 10: Acceptance

I strode casually into the room, trying to disguise my nervousness under a layer of false confidence, and took a seat in a chair in front of the desk. The older man wheeled into his office behind me and, contrary to my expectations, came to a stop next to me, rather than behind the desk.

He folded his hands over his lap. "You are not in trouble, Orion," he said, giving me a soft smile. I shrugged and angled my chair to face him. "This isn't a formal talk; I just wanted to clarify some things."

"Are you the Chiron?" I blurted out. "Like, the centaur?"

He chuckled. "Yes, I am. I use this" – he waved at the blanket on his legs and his wheelchair – "when I need to be undercover in the mortal world, and to avoid shocking anyone too much – especially new campers."

I nodded in understanding. Silence reigned. Chiron studied me carefully, lingering on my eyes. Eventually, I couldn't stand it any longer. "You know who I am," I said quietly.

"Yes." Chiron tilted his head. "Does that upset you?"

"Not really, I guess. Did Artemis tell you?"

He nodded. "She contacted me a few days ago to let me know she was going to be arriving here soon with the Hunters – and you. Though I see her plans changed somewhat."

"Yeah…" I said. "I'm going to guess you've already connected the dots between Percy's account and the information you had from my mother?"

Chiron smiled. "You are very astute," he complimented me. "You are correct. However, there is one matter that I wish to know your opinion on." I gestured for him to go on, and he continued, "I assume that, outside of the Hunters, Artemis, and myself, no one knows of your identity?"

"Apollo, too, but other than that, that's right."

"You can understand, then, why staying in Cabin Eight would raise suspicions." I nodded. "Therefore, you can do one of two things. Every night, after dinner, we have a bonfire, during which we share news and introduce new campers. If you so wish, you can announce your identity there."

I paled. "To the whole camp?"

"Yes."

At first, the prospect of informing the entire camp of my identity was too daunting to even consider. But then, I realized that was exactly what I needed. If I could reveal everything to everyone at once, I wouldn't have to keep telling the whole story of my creation and defending my mother's honor every time I told someone my identity. Apollo's words echoed in my mind: Give these people a chance; they won't judge you as harshly as you think.

"The second option –" Chiron began, but I was already shaking my head.

"Don't worry about it," I said. "I'll do the first one." I hoped that speaking decisively would fill me with confidence I didn't actually feel. It helped a little bit.

Chiron nodded and smiled encouragingly. "Very well. The campfire will be after dinner; you have until then to think of what you wish to say."

I gulped, but nodded as well. "Where should I stay until dinner?" I asked. "What can I do?"

The centaur stroked his beard. "Perhaps you could spend some time in the arena," he suggested. "You may wish to practice your archery or swordplay before capture-the-flag tomorrow."

That sounded like a good idea, so I accepted his advice and began to walk out of his office. But as I did, something jerked in the back of my mind. "Chiron," I said hesitantly, returning to the chair I had occupied earlier. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, my boy." He gazed at me questioningly.

"Well, I recently heard about something called the Altruist's Oath, and I was just wondering: what is it?"

Chiron's kind face darkened. "I do not know where you heard about such things, Orion, but I would advise that you forget about it."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Chiron, but I can't do that. I really need to know."

"I was afraid you might say that." The centaur sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he seemed to have aged ten years. "What you must understand, Orion," he warned, "is that the Altruist's Oath is old magic, far older even than the gods. It is forbidden magic."

A chill crawled down my spine. Why would Marethyu and my father want me to learn about forbidden magic? "Oh."

"The Oath," Chiron continued, "is essentially an instant healing spell."

I frowned. "What's so bad about that?"

Chiron grimaced. "The Oath goes against the natural order of the world. Mortals, even deities, are not meant to have such power - the power to immediately cure anyone of any injury. As a result, the spell must be a transfer. The caster takes on the wounds of his or her target."

"What do you mean… 'takes on the wounds'?"

"Tell me, Orion: have you heard the expression that energy is neither created nor destroyed, only transformed?" I nodded. "You can think of injuries in the same way. Once someone is injured, that wound is there for good. For some injuries, treatments and healing practices can speed their recovery, but some wounds are beyond even the gods to heal. As I'm sure you can imagine, instant healing of any wound is far too much power for anyone to have. So since, like energy, a wound cannot be destroyed (or in this case, healed), it is transformed - or, more accurately, transferred." He steepled his fingers together in his lap. "Perhaps it is too complicated of a metaphor, but that is the purpose of the Oath. It must be a connection between two people, at least one of whom - the target - must be wounded. When the Oath is invoked, the target's wounds are healed... and instead appear on the body of the caster."

I coughed in shock. "So…" I said slowly. "You're saying that the Oath inflicts the wounds of an injured person onto a healthy one?"

Chiron nodded solemnly. "That is correct. That is why it is called the 'Altruist's Oath'… because it is a sacrifice. The caster of the Oath must be willing to sacrifice his or her own health and wellbeing in order to relieve someone else's suffering."

There was one thing I was still confused about, though. "That still doesn't sound too bad," I said. "Why is it forbidden?"

Chiron gave me a look like a teacher who expected me to know the answer to my own question. "Think, Orion," he implored. "Think about the implications. If there was to be a large battle…"

The light bulb went off in my head. "Wounded soldiers could force people to perform the Oath with them."

He nodded again. "Indeed. And that was exactly what happened, in fact, during the war of 1812. When the gods noticed what was going on, they were not pleased. They worked together to change the magic of the spell, so that the Oath could only be cast by demigods. Additionally, the spell could now sense the intentions of its caster. The magic would only work if the person invoking it was doing so voluntarily. The gods hoped that would be enough to limit its effectiveness to its original purpose: willingly sacrificing yourself in order to give someone else another chance."

"Yet somehow, during the Civil War, the same problem of wide-spread, almost commercial use of the Oath occurred again. The gods were furious, and finally forbade any and all use of the Oath. They declared it too dangerous. And that was the end of that."

I digested his history lesson in silence. I was beginning to realize that the Altruist's Oath was much bigger and more important than I had ever imagined. I still had no idea why Marethyu and my father needed me to know about it, but Chiron's information made me question whether I really wanted to dig deeper.

Chiron rolled his wheelchair over to a trunk and shifted through the contents. "You understand now why I did not wish to tell you," he said, still focusing on the trunk. "Even today, the gods do not like us to discuss it."

I did understand. The possibilities and repercussions of such a powerful spell were staggering.

"However…" Chiron's voice sounded muffled. Then he pulled his head and arm out of the trunk, clutching a small piece of folded paper. "There are some forces at work in this world about which even the gods are ignorant," he said, his voice now clear. He handed me the paper. "I do not know why you have been chosen to learn this piece of forbidden information. I do not like it. But if this is your fate, I will do my best to guide you."

I opened the folded square of paper. One small paragraph was inscribed on it in fine, glowing cerulean handwriting, with two short sentences underneath:

I, _, child of _, accept the wounds of _, child of _, as my own.

I do this willingly, with a clear heart, free of compulsion, and in full knowledge of the consequences.

I offer my body that theirs may be spared.

The only written copy of the words of the Altruist's Oath… commit them to memory quickly.

The rest is in your heart.

As I read the last word, the top corner of the paper ignited in blue fire. I hurriedly re-read the Oath, making sure to memorize it, then watched as the entire paper crumbled to ashes in my hands.

"Who gave you that?" I asked, my voice shaking. I already suspected the answer, though.

Chiron studied my expression. "I will not speak his name – names have power – but I sense that I do not need to."

I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. That was all the confirmation I needed.

My companion sighed. "I am sorry for burdening you, Orion. Perhaps you might wish to expend some energy at the arena to take your mind off things."

I nodded a few times. "I think I will," I said hoarsely. "Thanks, Chiron. I'll see you at dinner."

He smiled kindly. "Of course, my boy. If you ever need anything, I will be happy to assist you."

Chiron's suggestion proved as therapeutic as I hoped.

After leaving his office in the Big House, I didn't waste any time in heading straight down towards the arena. There were hardly any other people there; only a couple of Hunters drilling arrows into targets at the archery range and a few campers practicing swordplay in the main circle of the arena.

That was something I had noticed as I walked through the Camp earlier. Artemis had said that there could sometimes be hundreds of teenage demigods here, but as it was right now, there were maybe a few dozen. I guessed that most of the campers still spent most of the year attending school in the mortal world, despite the dangers.

As I stepped into the arena, I stripped out of my coat and began stretching out my muscles. I now only wore a black, long-sleeve shirt with a silver crescent moon embroidered on the chest and black athletic pants, lined with silver trim (both of which were gifts from Artemis during our trip here). At first, I was a little chilly, but I knew once I got moving and exercising, I'd be grateful for the cooler temperatures.

I walked up to a group of straw dummies that were arranged in a circle and summoned my trusty katana. I launched into a rapid combo of slashes and fake parries and counters, pretending that the dummies were striking back.

The light dusting of snow that coated the arena floor made it a little difficult to keep my footing, but I didn't mind. In fact, I actually reslished the extra challenge. Training on standard ground was all well and good, but training in all types of conditions was the best way to prepare yourself for the real world.

The longer I practiced, the better I felt. My problems and worries receded to the back of my mind, and I allowed myself to be consumed in the adrenaline. Sweat flew from my face, and I came to realize another benefit of the weather: the wind. It was blowing just enough to sweep away the stench of sweat and body odor and contribute to keeping me cool, but not so much that it was unbearably harsh. As I fought, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the three demigods who had been sparring earlier had stopped and were now spectating me wide-eyed.

Finally, the dummies had been reduced to shreds and I was out of targets to attack. I took a step back, breathing hard, and wiped the sweat off my face with the bottom of my shirt. I turned to the still awestruck campers and observed them silently. They were all boys, two of them about my height, all looking around the age of thirteen or fourteen. One of them had dirty blond hair and intense gray eyes, analyzing me how someone might look at a confusing map or blueprint. I figured he was probably a son of Athena. The middle one looked so much like Apollo I had to do a double take; there was no way this kid wasn't one of the sun god's children. He had the same pure golden-blond, almost yellow, hair and sky blue eyes, and even sported a similar friendly facial expression. The third one was a solid foot shorter than me, with black eyes and brown hair. His face looked scrunched-up, as if he was constantly staring down the shaft of a nocked arrow. Another son of Apollo?

The short guy leaned up and whispered something in the ear of the golden-blond kid, who shook his head. They looked like they wanted to approach me, so I began setting up more dummies for another round to pretend like I was doing something. I returned to busying myself slashing the dummies to pieces and forgot about them for a moment. When I looked up, though, they were gone.

I brushed it off and continued training.

The time passed in a blur. After what felt like only minutes but must have been hours, I heard a conch horn blow in the distance. Chiron had told me that was the signal for dinner time, so I dismissed my sword and wiped my sweaty hands on my shirt. As I did that, I realized the situation I was in and took a good look down at my appearance. I was drenched from head to toe in sweat. My shirt stuck to my skin, showing off the outline of my (rather sculpted, if I do say so myself) chest muscles, and my pants clung to the back of my legs, highlighting my calves.

After a while, though, I shrugged. I was pretty sure this wouldn't be the first time a camper had come to dinner straight from training. Besides, I didn't really care what the other campers thought of me. I set off towards the dining pavilion.

I arrived a few minutes later. It appeared that each table was segregated by cabin, most of which were sparsely populated. Thalia and Percy, being the only children of Zeus and Poseidon, respectively, both sat alone, while most of the other tables had only three or four kids seated around them – except the Artemis table, of course. That's where the Hunters were eating, with Zoë sitting at the head. They were boisterous and laughing, looking more like actual teenage girls than I'd ever seen them.

At the head of the pavilion, there was a table reserved for Mr. D and Chiron, though the latter wasn't sitting. He had reverted back to his full centaur form, revealing the beautiful white coat of his horse body, and was standing at one end of the head table. Loathe to attract attention, I caught the centaur's eyes and asked a silent question. He smiled in that warm, kind way of his and nodded. I breathed a sigh of relief and headed towards his table.

As I passed by the raucous Artemis table, I sent Zoë an apologetic glance. She returned a knowing, sad smile, and I knew she understood exactly what I'd been trying to convey.

I sent down to Chiron's left. "Hello, Orion," he said. He snapped his fingers, and an empty plate and goblet landed in front of me. "Simply speak the food and drink you want," he instructed me, "and the wind nymphs will bring you what you desire. The glass is enchanted, and will fill with whatever drink you want. Though nothing alcoholic," he added.

I stared at my plate and cup and thought for a moment. "Parmesan chicken alfredo and apple juice," I said clearly.

A second later, my empty plate was whisked away and replaced with one adorned with a gorgeous meal of fettucine noodles and parmesan-crusted chicken, smothered in four cheese alfredo sauce. My goblet, as Chiron had said, magically filled with beautiful golden-brown apple juice. I raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Nice," I commended.

Right before I could dig in, I felt a hand on my arm. I turned and saw Chiron gazing over at me amusedly. "What?" I asked, my impatience clear in my voice; no one gets between me and my chicken alfredo.

"It is customary to sacrifice a portion of your meal to the fire and dedicate it to your Olympian parent," Chiron explained.

My eyes flickered briefly to the Artemis table. Then I looked lovingly down at my plate and sighed mournfully. "Fine," I grumbled, and stood up. I scraped about a quarter of my pasta into the fire and muttered, "Um, good luck on your hunt, Mom. I hope you find what you're looking for." As the food touched the flames, it dissolved instantly into silver smoke, which wafted up into the air. It smelled comfortingly like a pinewood forest.

I returned to my seat on the bench on the end next to Chiron, who was watching me with an approving look. I didn't talk as I ate my meal, nor did Chiron attempt to start a conversation – something for which I was grateful for. I spent my time staring longingly at Cabin Eight's table, wishing I could be sitting at the right hand of Zoë.

When I say I was staring at the table, it shouldn't be difficult to figure out that I really meant Zoë. Her silky, dark-chocolate hair was tied back in its fishtail braid, and her volcanic obsidian eyes lit up every time she smiled at something one of the Hunters said. She was leaning back in the chair she'd pulled up to the end of the table, her posture completely relaxed.

I kept studying her forlornly as I shoveled delicious pasta in my mouth. I hadn't seen her this happy or relaxed in… actually, I didn't think I'd ever seen her like this. Sharing a casual, companionable dinner with her sisters in the Hunt seemed to bring out yet another side of her I had never observed, adding to the ones I knew: cold, aloof, angry Zoë, comforting, loyal, loving Zoë, and now carefree, happy, friendly Zoë.

We still hadn't gotten an opportunity to clear the air between us yet, and I really hoped it wouldn't be too long before that chance came. Every time I looked at her, my feelings threatened to just spill out of my helpless mouth, and I didn't know how much longer I could restrain myself. All this time spent having to distance myself from her so as not to arouse suspicion was really wearing on me, and it was getting worse the longer I had to do it.

When it appeared that everyone had finished, Chiron clapped his hands together once. The sound echoed over the dining pavilion, and everyone fell silent. Even the Hunters, I noticed appreciatively. "Has everyone finished their dinner?" Chiron inquired, sweeping his head over the mess hall. There were murmurs of assent. "Good. Now, we will be having a bonfire with s'mores in the amphitheater for another couple of hours. Normally, this event is entirely optional, but due to certain circumstances tonight, I ask that you all please attend. Thank you."

He dipped his head, then turned and galloped off to the amphitheater amongst confused mutterings. Not wanting to listen to the campers wondering why this bonfire was mandatory, I hurried along after him. As a result, I was the second one to arrive at the amphitheater. Chiron stood in the center, next to the already roaring bonfire (which was burning a steady orange), and I slid into the front row. We awaited the rest of the campers.

They shuffled in slowly, still whispering amongst themselves. Eventually, everyone had filed into a seat (though I noticed Mr. D hadn't bothered to come), and Chiron clapped his hands once more. Once again, the amphitheater fell silent. "Campers," Chiron announced. "I am sure you are wondering why I have asked for you all to be here." Everyone nodded and murmured their assent once again. "I would like to make several announcements tonight. To begin with, as you can all see, the Hunters are here visiting us. As such, our traditional friendly capture-the-flag game between Campers and Hunters will take place tomorrow night." A round of cheers went up, mostly from the Hunters. "Additionally, please join me in welcoming two new campers to our number: Nico di Angelo and Orion." Claps rang around the theater. "Mr. di Angelo is, as yet, unclaimed, so he will be remaining with the Hermes cabin for the time being. Mr. Orion, meanwhile…" He looked down and met my eyes. "Well, I believe he has something he wishes to address."

Hushed whispers circulated around the amphitheater as I stood from my front row seat and casually strode forward to stand next to Chiron. On the outside, I was the epitome of confident and collected, but on in the inside, my stomach was roiling. Before I began, I took a deep breath and searched out Zoë's obsidian orbs in the crowd. When I found them, they sparkled with determination, and she nodded at me to let me know she would support me if anything went wrong. I couldn't resist winking back at her.

Then I looked out over the rest of the campers. "Well, hello, everyone," I said, with much more cheeriness than I felt. "As Chiron has already said, my name is Orion. What he didn't say, and what I asked him to allow me to reveal on my own, was that unlike Nico here, I do actually know my godly parent. It is my mother, and my mother is Artemis, Goddess of the Moon and Hunt."

The only sound that could be heard in the silence that ensued was the faint crackling of the fire beside me, but in that moment, it was louder than a jet engine. I decided to just press on before everyone had a chance to digest my words.

"There's just one little problem that I know you're all thinking right now: isn't Artemis one of the maiden goddesses? The answer is yes, yes she is – and she still is. Now hang on a minute…" I stroked my chin in mock thoughtfulness. "Isn't there another maiden goddess we know that has children here?" I pretended to think a bit longer, then I snapped my fingers. "Ah yes, that's right: Athena!" I rubbed my hands together. "Alright kiddos, it's time for Parthenogenesis 101. Who here knows how Athena's children are born?" I saw a couple hands go up, probably from Athena kids, but I ignored them. I was on a roll now. "Since I'm such a gentleman, I'll let you all know. When Athena falls in love with a mortal, her godly essence mixes with the mortal's life force and creates a child. However, the process can still take place in the absence of love. It is possible to happen… involuntarily and unknowingly."

My eyes drifted up to the silver crescent of the moon that hung above us, watching over me like a guardian angel. "My father, the original Orion, was deceived by the Titan Kronos decades ago into exacting revenge on Artemis, my mother, and her sister Apollo. He showed my father how to forcefully extract a piece of Artemis' essence and combine it with his own life force in order to create a child, which he then did. And that child…" My gaze dropped back down to the assembled teenagers and scanned over them, daring them to challenge me. "…is me," I finished.

Once again, there was utter silence. The person who ended up breaking it was none other than Zoë Nightshade.

She didn't say anything. She just got up from her seat among the Hunters and joined me up front, next to Chiron. As she stood there, I realized that cold, aloof Zoë was coming out, but thankfully not directed at me. I felt a little shiver of satisfaction as I realized it was on behalf of me. With the silver circlet in her hair and her features formed up into her most proud expression, I thought she looked more like royalty than ever before. "As many of you know, my name is Zoë Nightshade," she said authoritatively. "I am the lieutenant of the Hunt, the right hand of Artemis. If anyone doubts Orion's story, I can personally confirm that everything he has told you is the truth." She stared coldly and intently at the campers, as if she was trying to make eye contact with each and every one of them. "He has had a difficult life, but I'd be willing to bet that he is more honorable and courageous than any of you; I certainly trust him with my life. I have heard that this Camp accepts everyone, regardless of their parentage. Now is your chance to show that is true."

A hesitant clap began to rise, that I think may have been started by the Hunters. Soon, the campers joined in, until the amphitheater was filled with the ringing of their applause. I turned away from Zoë and quickly wiped my eyes. No way was I going to cry in front of everyone like this.

Chiron quieted everyone and cantered forward to lay his hand on my shoulder. Once the applause had died down completely, he smiled at Zoë. "Well said, Ms. Nightshade." Then, to the rest of the crowd, he said, "I, also, have it on good authority from both Lady Artemis and Lord Apollo themselves that Orion is indeed her son, and that he was, ah, conceived just as he described. He is as much a belonging member of this Camp as the rest of you, and I expect for him to be treated that way. Thank you." Then a huge smile broke onto his face. "Now that all of that is out of the way, let the sing-a-long begin!"

Just like that, the amphitheater erupted into action. I thanked Zoë quickly, but still didn't feel entirely comfortable sitting with the Hunters, so instead I went up and sat next to Percy. A couple of guys pulled instruments out from somewhere and made their way down to the front of the stage and began playing, and the sing-a-long began.

I wasn't usually much of a fan of social events like this, as you know, but I will freely admit I had a wonderful time at the bonfire.

Now that the pressure of concealing my identity was off my shoulders and the truth was out, I felt more relaxed than I had in ages. Percy and his friends didn't seem to change their opinion of me, even now that they knew I was Artemis' son. I participated in the conversations they were having, and found that I actually really enjoyed talking and spending time with them. I even tried to join in on some of the songs, even though I didn't know any of the words.

Because we had spent so long talking (oops), we only had time for a few more songs before Chiron declared the bonfire over and ordered everyone back to their cabins for the night. I bid farewell to my new friends, quickly asked Chiron if it was okay for me to stay in Cabin Eight (which of course, he said it was), then followed the Hunters across the creek to the cabins.

Artemis' cabin was entirely plain silver on the outside, unsurprisingly, and glowed, as if reflecting the soft light of the crescent moon above. The walls on the inside were decorated with carvings of wild animals. The building smelled like fresh forest and pine and everything I loved about the wild.

I found a bed way in the back, out of the way of the Hunters, and dropped into it, not even bothering to strip out of my clothes (not that I really wanted to in a room full of only man-hating teenage girls). The Hunters followed suit, and after a few minutes, the cabin resonated with the sound of soft, steady breathing – and the occasional snore.

As physically drained as I was from everything that had gone on lately, my mind refused to shut down. I fought it for a few hours, but eventually gave up. I slowly got out of my bed and headed towards the nearest window, being inordinately careful to step over any sleeping Hunters on the way.

I opened the window noiselessly and nimbly leaped up onto the sill before sliding outside. I climbed up the outside wall and hauled myself up onto the roof. It was plain silver, like the rest of the building, and flat. I laid myself down with my hands folded over my chest and closed my eyes peacefully.

It was like being in another world. I always liked being outdoors and gazing up at the stars, and even though I knew the roof was only a dozen feet or so off the ground, the added height also made me feel closer to the moon. I tried to relax, but my troubled thoughts kept turning to what my future might be like here at Camp.

I thought I heard a creak from below, in the vague direction of the window. I frowned. Who would possibly still be up at this hour?

Then the face of Zoë Nightshade appeared over the edge of the roof. I had to resist smiling stupidly. What better time to have a profound conversation about our feelings for each other than on the roof of a cabin in the middle of the night? She padded over and dropped down onto her back next to me. Her left shoulder was brushing up against my right.

For minutes, neither of us said anything. Then Zoë commented: "That was a very brave thing you did tonight."

This time I did smile. "I could say the same to you," I pointed out. "Did you really mean everything you said up there?"

I thought she might have flushed. "Of course," she said quietly.

"Oh good," I whispered, mocking relief. "I thought I was the only one entranced by this ridiculous and impossible attraction."

Zoë didn't respond immediately, and I was afraid I'd been too eager to address the awkward topic, especially in such a casual way. Then she shifted, and I heard her take a deep breath. "Listen, Orion," she said. "I'm not… I'm not too good at talking about my feelings. I haven't really had to deal with this kind of thing before, so I am not very experienced with this. But the truth is, I… I think I feel the same way."

My heart seemed to skip a beat.

But she wasn't done yet. "Perhaps it sounds cliché, but watching you lying there in that cave, dying and being unable to help you…" I felt her shudder through our connected shoulders. "It made me realize that despite the short time we have spent together, I could scarcely imagine what it would be like never to see you again. You made an impact on me, Orion. You became the first male to earn my respect, and… my love."

The final word was spoken like she was realizing the truth of it for the first time, so softly it was barely audible. But I'd heard it nonetheless, and it made my heart soar. My father was right!

"Zoë," I murmured quietly. My head was spinning with excitement, but I did my best to come up with a suitable response. I didn't want to blow this chance. "You know, in the beginning, I thought traveling with you was going to be a nightmare." I chuckled. "I couldn't stand you. I thought you were the most callous, condescending person I'd ever met. Then after I saved your life, you started actually treating me with respect, and I started to see the side of you that you only showed to the Hunters. Then there was everything that happened in Krios' palace, and the cave… Can I tell you something that I haven't revealed to anyone else?"

She gave me an encouraging smile. "Of course."

"You probably wondered what I found in that silver chest, didn't you?"

"Orion, that's personal, you don't have to –"

"I know… but I want to." I smiled sadly as I stared off into the night. "It was a letter from my father." I heard a sharp intake of breath from beside me. "I know. I was shocked, too. But what he wrote to me was even more shocking."

"He said that Marethyu came to see him when he was dying, and that he allowed my father to see what the future would be like for me. Then he asked my father to give me certain information about it. One of the things that he said was that…" I swallowed. "It was that you loved me. He said you might not be ready to admit it yet, but that it was true. When I read that, it turned my whole world upside-down. It blew my mind."

"All my life, the only person who cared about me was Apollo, and that was only because I was his sister's son and he was responsible for watching over me. Then when I met Artemis, it was the same thing. They both loved me, yeah, but they're family; they're essentially obligated to love me. But you… you were the first person who chose to love me. And learning that you cared about me like that gave me the most amazing feeling I've ever experienced."

My voice dropped to a whisper. "I think that was when I realized I had fallen hard for you."

Slowly, cautiously – as if I was reaching out to a lion that may or may not have been tamed – I let my hand slip down and make contact with Zoë's. She tensed at first. But once she realized what I was doing, she relaxed and allowed me to interlace our fingers. A few minutes later, a weight landed on my chest, and I realized she'd picked up her head and laid it on me. Her soft, dark-brown locks tickled the underside of my chin.

Lying there with her under the moonlight was serene. We just stayed where we were, reveling in our proximity and basking in the afterglow of our confessions to each other.

But too soon, it had to end. "As much as I want to," I sighed, "we can't stay up here all night."

Zoë grunted and removed her head from my chest (it felt remarkably empty without her there), propping herself up on her elbows. "I know," she said grudgingly. "The Hunters cannot know we are together."

"Is that what we are now?" I teased. "Together?"

She seemed to realize what she'd said, and her eyes widened. My smile melted, and I moved forward and embraced her. "Hey," I whispered softly. "I know this is going to be hard. We probably can't tell anyone. But isn't it worth it?"

At my words, she seemed to calm down a bit, I could tell she was still uneasy. "Yes," she answered immediately. "It's just…" She looked down. "I'm now breaking the vow. The Hunter's vow." She looked back up at my eyes. "When Artemis finds out, I'll be kicked out of the Hunters."

To my surprise, I saw her volcanic eyes begin to fill with tears. It suddenly occurred to me how huge of a step this was for her. The Hunters had been her family for millennia. They were her sisters and Artemis her mother in all but blood, and she was risking all of that for me. What if she lost it because of me? Could I live with the guilt of that?

My arms tightened around her. "Well, then I guess we'll just have to make sure Artemis doesn't find out," I promised. I cupped her cheek with my hand and used my thumb to brush away the only tear that had spilled over onto her face. Then before I could think about what I was doing, I leaned forward and kissed her.

At first, she was tense and rigid, caught by surprise, and I immediately regretted my impulsive decision. But right as I was about to pull away and apologize, her hand captured the back of my neck and held me against her as she kissed me back.

Both of us inexperienced, our kiss was unbelievably sloppy and not really at all romantic. But it was with each other, and that was all that mattered. Zoë's lips were so soft as they moved against mine, and I knew that if our eyes had been open, I would've been lost in her obsidian pools forever.

The kiss could have lasted seconds, or it could have been hours. But finally we both pulled away, and I couldn't stop a carefree laugh from escaping my throat. She smiled back at me, and I found out that I was right: her eyes sucked me in like a black hole. "I doubt I need to say it at this point," I whispered, "but I'm playing on the Hunters' team for capture-the-flag tomorrow night."

Zoë grinned and snorted. "You better be," she said, and with our hands intertwined again, we both climbed back down through the window and into Cabin Eight.

Moments later, I relaxed in my bed with my eyes shut tight, and I finally felt sleep overtaking me. As I quickly drifted into dreamland, I couldn't wipe the silly grin off my face.

Maybe the future wouldn't be too bad after all.