[EDITED: January 30, 2014]

HUNTRESS OF THE SEA

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Disclaimer: I in no way own any recognizable works from the Twilight or Percy Jackson series.

::: ::: :::

Bella raised her bow and took aim. She could see his face as clear as day. It was annoying enough that he thought she still needed protecting, but for Edward to interfere in her fight like that, it irritated her beyond belief. Even if the game happened a couple of days ago, she could still feel the anger all of them thinking she couldn't handle herself. Forcing herself to take in a deep breath, she released the arrow as she exhaled. The arrow lodged into the target with a bulls-eye.

Luckily for Edward and the rest of them, Chiron had ordered her and Clarisse to not harm the vampires and werewolves. Also, she had promised Percy that she wouldn't do anything dumb while he was gone. Shooting one of the visitors seemed to fall under the dumb category. Otherwise she might have seriously been aiming at Edward instead of at a red circle.

"Wow! That was awesome!" Seth jumped up from his seat, whooping and clapping for her. Out of their visitors, Seth and Leah were the ones that she was getting along with best.

Bella smiled in satisfaction before turning to face the class. "Now it's your turn."

Chiron had assigned the group of outsiders to lessons for the duration of their stay when they were not fulfilling their punishment for interfering in Capture the Flag.

Bella just so happened to have been put in charge of teaching the archery lesson. She corrected a few of the camper's posture as she moved up and down the line. A few were natural pros, mostly the kids from Apollo's cabin. Once the three wolves were shown how to stand and hold the bow, their arrows were spot on and Bella didn't even bother going near the vampires as each one of them hit their target in one shot – even Esme who was looking a little sick as she let the arrow fly. Obviously having lived so long, they all had learned to use a bow. Though as soon as Jacob, Edward, and Alice noticed that she was avoiding them, they all seemingly got worse at archery.

From Archery with Bella, the group of visitors went to sword fighting with Annabeth. They didn't do as well there, as the vampires were too afraid of hurting any of the campers.

They continued moving from class to class until it was time for lunch. While the campers around them milled towards the pavilion, the visiting group made their way to the house. A couple of days after the disastrous Capture the Flag game, when they were not busy cleaning out the Pegasus stalls or cleaning all of the dishes dirtied by the campers, Chiron sent them a message that he wanted to talk to them about a couple of things.

Carlisle knocked on the door.

"Come in." The door swung open. Carlisle waved his family and even the three werewolves forward. They were beginning to feel like a part of their group, no matter how much Rosalie complained about their smell.

Chiron sat in the wheelchair they had first seen him in when they arrived. There were just enough chairs surrounding the desk that each person from the group was able to find a seat. They waited for the centaur to finish writing.

"You came here to help us in the war," Chiron quickly finished off his notes before pushing aside the paper and pen. He looked up at the group. "But do you know what we are fighting for?"

"For Olympus" Seth chose the seat directly in front of Chiron. The centaur glanced at the boy. Bella had told him how eagerly he was soaking in the demigod world. Percy had said the same before he left camp. It had crushed Seth, just a little, when he learned that Percy did not stay all summer at camp but that he came and went as he pleased.

"Correct. But I do not believe that you have been told how such a war came to be."

All of them shake their heads. Seth moves his chair forward just barely.

Chiron leans back in his chair. "Long ago, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades each agreed to no longer father anymore children –" Chiron held his hand up as Emmett opened his mouth. "Children of the big three were causing quite a problem. World War II to be exact."

"That was a demigods fault?" Jasper gaped.

Chiron solemnly nodded. "You'd be surprised by how many wars are a demigods fault. But a child of one of the big three is stronger than the average demigod. Gifted with powers other demigods do not have, if they pick a fight with each other, it could have disastrous consequences."

"So the big three agreed to stop fathering children so that there would be no more wars?"

"No."

Jacob didn't bother hiding his confusion. Chiron continued on, "They agreed to stop mingling with mortal woman because of a prophecy that was given. The Great Prophecy stated that; "A half-blood of the eldest gods, Shall reach sixteen against all odds, And see the world in endless sleep, The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap, A single choice shall end his days, Olympus to preserve or raze."

Everyone fell into silence as they repeated the prophecy to themselves.

Finally Edward said, "Percy told us that there were only four current children of the big three."

Chiron nodded.

"Bella and Percy are both children of Poseidon."

Again, Chiron nodded.

"But who are the other two?" Alice asked.

"I think Nico might be," Seth said. Everyone turned to look at him. He squirmed under all of their gazes, but continued. "Think about it, the kid seems to give off this death aura. And I noticed that he is able to pass in and out of shadows."

Chiron smiled at the boy. He caught on quickly. "You are right. Nico di Angelo is a child of Hades."

"That young, innocent boy is a child of the God of the Underworld?!" Esme gasped. When Chiron gave his affirmation, she squeezed her eyes shut, unable to stop the picture of Nico in the Underworld.

Before they could make any more guesses Chiron said, "As I have been told, you met the other Lieutenant of Artemis, Thalia Grace."

Carlisle nodded his head this time.

"She is a daughter of Zeus."

Before the gasps could start, Jacob stood up from his chair. It scrapped against the wood in his haste. He had a wild look in his eyes. "While that's great and all, the prophecy says that a choice will end the demigods days, but it also says that they will reach sixteen against all odds – " he glanced around at the group, hoping one of them would catch his drift. No one did. "Didn't we just learn that Bella is only fifteen?"

Edward jumped out of his chair. He nearly toppled Rosalie over in his haste to get to the door.

"Edward, wait!" Alice shouted. "It's not her."

Edward's hand paused on the door handle. His silence and unmoving had Alice continuing.

"If I remember this right, a Hunter of Artemis is given immortality. Bella could stay fifteen forever. And if we don't know anything about demigod Bella, then how do we know that her sixteenth birthday is really coming up?"

Chiron wheeled his chair around the desk. "She is right." Edward reluctantly let his hand fall to his side. He slumped back to his seat. Alice wrapped a hand around his wrist, making sure that he wouldn't take off like that again. Gods know what Bella would do to him if he just barged in one her. "Bella and Thalia have both escaped the prophecy with their decision to join the Hunt, being given immortality at fifteen. Between Nico and Percy, Percy is the one who will be turning sixteen next week."

Alice and Esme both gasped. "Bella's brother is the demigod in the prophecy?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Poor Bella," Alice cried.

"Poor Percy," Seth mumbled. He held his head in his hands. Out of all of them, Seth got along very well with Percy. So much in fact that Percy was starting to feel like an older brother to him.

"Indeed," Chiron agreed. He sighed. "There is something I must ask of you." He made sure to make eye contact with each person in the room. "I need you to not tell Percy this."

"What do you mean?" Leah asked, suspicion clouding her features.

Chiron dropped his gaze. "I mean that Percy does not know the full prophecy."

"You kept something that big from him? That has a big impact on his life?" Rosalie asked, aghast.

"He has enough on his plate as it is."

"You have no right to not let him know!"

Carlisle stood up and turned Rosalie around to face him. "Rosalie, Chiron is doing what he thinks is best Percy. He knows him better than we do. We have to trust his decision."

Rosalie slumped, thought the fire in her eyes didn't calm down.

"And besides," Leah said. The vampires jumped. They had nearly forgotten about Leah. "Think about this; Bella apparently hasn't told her brother either."

Rosalie's mouth fell open in shock.

Jacob drew in a breath. "Percy said something the other day that I thought was peculiar. He said that he was the oldest only physically. What did he mean by that?"

Chiron wheeled his chair back behind his desk. "Exactly that. While he may be turning sixteen next week, he is the only one of the four to be aging normally."

"What does that mean? Of course Bella and Thalia aren't aging normally, they're immortal."

Chiron was shaking his head before Rosalie could even finish. "Long before they became immortal, Bella, Thalia, and even Nico were placed under circumstances that caused their aging to cease."

"How is that possible?"

"In Thalia's case, by her father."

And so Chiron recounted the story of how Thalia sacrificed herself to help get her friends safely into Camp Half-Blood and how the Golden Fleece eventually ended up freeing her from the tree.

"That's amazing." Seth said. He was sitting on the edge of his seat, soaking in every word that Chiron spoke.

"That's great and all, but what about Bella?" Edward asked, his voice was full of impatience. Esme threw a half-hearted glare his way.

Chiron kept his gaze on Edward. "Bella, and long before her, Nico were both placed in the Lotus Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas."

Emmett let out a guffaw. "I bet she's a gambler."

Rosalie punched him on the leg.

Chiron first dived into Nico's story. He admitted that he didn't know much, that Nico didn't open up to many people. He only knew that Nico and his sister were placed in the hotel by Hades himself as protection and that a couple of years ago Percy was the one who found them at a school. How they got out, Chiron didn't know.

"How come we haven't met his sister?" Seth asked. "Is she still with the Hunters?"

Chiron bowed his head. The room instantly grew silent with dread. "She went on a quest almost as soon as she entered the camp. While out searching for Artemis, she was killed in the junkyard of the Gods. Her body was not found, but Nico told Percy that he knew she was in the Underworld, that he could feel it."

"How awful," Esme cried. Tears that would never fall pooled in her eyes for Nico. He was such a young boy to have gone through so much. And though she had just learned that he was older than he seemed, she knew that his mental development was still the same as when he first was placed into the hotel, the little time that they traveled together had shown her that.

"What happened to her being immortal?" Leah asked.

Seth answered his own sister, having heard one of the campers talking about it. "While immortal, the Hunters of Artemis can still be killed in battle."

Alice sucked in a breath, her grip on Edward tightening even more. "Bella intends on fighting in this war."

"Chiron!" the door of the office swung open with a bang. Travis and Connor Stoll stood in the doorway, sucking in huge gasps of air. "Percy and Beckendorf did it. The Princess Andromeda has been destroyed!

Chiron wheeled his chair over to meet them. "Where are they? Are they okay?"

Their eyes fell to the ground. They didn't need to say the words.

::: ::: :::

They found Bella by the water. She had her legs pulled in, her arms wrapped around them, and her chin placed on her knees. She was staring out at the water, almost in a trance.

The Cullen's and wolf pack all looked at each other. As if by silent agreement, Alice cautiously moved forward. She slowly lowered herself next to Bella. "Bella? We heard what happened. How are you doing?"

"Fine," Bella said. Her voice was nothing but a whisper. She never tore her eyes from the water.

Alice tried to make eye contact with her, but Bella's eyes were zoned out. She glanced back at the others. "You shouldn't be alone right now."

Bella whipped her gaze over to Alice, causing the vampire to jump in shock. Bella's eyes were stormy, not the calm sea green that Alice was getting used to, but a dark, stormy green. "He's not dead."

Alice opened her mouth.

"I don't mean Beckendorf. I know that he didn't make it," Bella hung her head. "Nico already told me. But Percy is fine."

Alice was shocked to hear it. The whole camp was on the lookout for Percy and Charles, but here Bella sat already knowing their fates. Alice reached a hand out to rub Bella's back before thinking better of it. She let her arm fall to her side. "No one's heard from him, Bella."

Bella sighed. "Go away, Alice."

Alice looked at Bella in hurt and despair. She knew that she should leave Bella alone, that it was what Bella wanted. But the last time she had walked away from her, she had ended up losing a sister. So instead Alice glanced behind her and then pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. She would wait for Bella.

"Did Chiron tell you everything?" Bella couldn't stand knowing that the rest of the vampires and werewolves were there. While she had asked Alice to leave, a little part of her was secretly glad that she didn't.

Alice looked over at her. "We were interrupted by the news. Bella, why would you fight in this war when you know that you could be killed?" In the corner of her eye, Alice watched her family and the wolves move closer. When Bella tightened her grip just slightly, Alice knew that she could hear the others. Apparently joining the Hunters of Artemis would make your hearing supernatural.

"Chiron didn't tell you about my history." It wasn't a question. Alice waited for Bella to collect her thoughts. "Most of what I told you guys was true; I did live in Arizona and my mom was Renee Swan. And up until I was thirteen, I lived a pretty normal life – if you can forget about a few curious incidents."

"Like what?"

Bella shook her head. "It's not important."

Esme moved forward and sat down on Bella's other side. The others gathered directly behind them. Bella sucked in a breath, grit her teeth, and turned around.

"You said that your mom 'was.' What happened to Renee?"

It was like a punch to the gut. Bella was sucked back to that day sunny day in Phoenix, Arizona. She had just gotten mad at her mom for something dumb. She was entering her teenage years and it sucked that somehow Bella was the responsible one of the family, stuck at home keeping the house going while her friends were at the movies. She had just yelled at her mom for being a lackluster mother, and promptly stormed into her room. She slammed her door, turned on her stereo and threw herself onto her bed. Wild thoughts flew through her mind as she tried to hold back her tears. Minutes passed as she forced herself to calm down, to breathe, and let her thoughts clear. After a while, she realized how petty she was being. Her mom worked hard for everything that they had and Bella was the only person she had.

"After I calmed down, I heard this Bang! hit the outside of the house. I tried calling for her, but she wasn't answering. I found her in the backyard where I got mad at her, but I was too late."

Alice had a hand covering her mouth. She let it fall in her lap.

"What happened?"

Bella blew out a sigh and looked skyward. "A passing Cyclops had caught my scent."

"Bella," Edward shuffled forward on his knees. He cautiously put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Bella."

Bella shrugged his hand off. She looked down at his hand and then met his gaze with a glare.

Leah leaned forward, she too glaring at Edward. How many times did Bella have to tell them that no male was to touch her before it ran through their thick skulls? Even if they kept forgetting Bella's wrath, wouldn't they fear the anger of a Goddess? Vampires. "What happened after that?" she asked.

"And so on my thirteenth birthday, Poseidon sent me to the Lotus Hotel and Casino."

"Why did he send you there?" Seth asked.

Bella half-smiled at the young werewolf. She definitely could see a young Percy in him. "To protect me. Once I entered that hotel, it was like I no longer existed. Humans couldn't find me and neither could monsters."

Alice buried her face in her arms. She knew that Bella had told them that a child of the big three's scent was stronger than any others, but she didn't know it could be that dangerous.

"Why not just send you to camp?" Esme's eyes pooled with more unfallen tears. She felt like all she had been doing since getting to this camp was cry for the demi-god children.

Bella shrugged. "Who knows why the Gods and Goddess make the decision they do? Regardless of why he sent me there, it was a choice that I am grateful for."

"Why? Doesn't that place slow down time?"

Bella looked at Seth. He already knew a lot more about the Greek world than most demi-gods in the camp did. It was impressive. "Yes, but it's also the place where I met Nico and Bianca."

Edward and Jacob exchanged a glance. So that was how Bella and Nico knew each other. They had both worried that they were exes. But now that they had heard Bella's story all they felt was shame for thinking something so petty about her.

Bella drew in a ragged sigh. She uncurled her legs and stretched her arms above her head. "Anyways, after I got sprung out of there, you know the rest; the move to Forks, meeting you guys, and then leaving."

"Did you leave because of us, Bella?" Carlisle said. He had been taking in her story in silence, contemplating every word she said.

"No, actually, I left for Percy." Bella stood up and brushed the sand off her pants. "The prophecy was looming over me and I wanted to meet my brother for the first time, so I decided to go to Camp Half-Blood."

"Wait, for the first time? What do you mean?"

Bella rolled her neck, satisfied when she heard it pop. "I hadn't met Percy before. I've only heard about him. We met for the first time when I first arrived at Camp Half-Blood."

All of the vampires, along with Jacob, popped up as well. Leah and Seth decided to watch from their spots on the sand.

Emmett held his hands up. "Wait, wait, that can't be it."

"Well, it is, because I have to help Annabeth with some preparations." She walked past those gathered, but stopped just as she was about to step into the forest. "I hope you guys are ready. Because it's about to start."

::: ::: :::

The Cullen's and wolf pack threw themselves into training. Their arrows never missed a target and their sword fighting was steadily getting better. The vampires speed gave them an advantage and they had yet to test how Celestial Bronze would affect their skin. The werewolves super healing helped them immensely.

They hadn't seen much of Bella since they last saw her on the beach.

Bella had buried herself in preparing for the war. She and Annabeth were running around the camp tying up loose ends. When Percy emerged from the lake and let everyone know that first, he wasn't dead and second, that Poseidon was fighting his own war underwater, Bella had decided that they were unlikely to get any of the Gods or Goddesses help. Annabeth had agreed since all of the gods and goddesses were busy fighting a huge tornado that was making its way across the U.S. and towards Manhattan. Even Mr. D had disappeared.

Percy then had to break the news that there was a spy for Kronos in the camp. Such news caused the tension in the camp to build even more.

None of the wolf pack or vampires had been there when Percy was let in on the prophecy. Though they had seen Bella stomp across the grounds to the archery range later, tears threatening to spill over. Whatever had been said in that meeting had really angered her. Edward had made a move to go and comfort her, but Percy ran by before he caught up to Bella. He and Jacob decided to let her brother do the comforting.

Some of the cabins trained even harder when they learned that the Ares cabin wasn't going to be helping in the battle. The vampires and werewolves didn't understand how the Ares cabin could just leave their fellow campers to fight against a Titan and they would never understand why some sort of chariot would cause so much trouble.

It didn't help matters that Percy ended up disappearing again.

"I'm going to lock him in his room the next time I see him!" Bella yelled when Juniper had informed her that he had taken off with Nico. "And I'm going to lock Nico in the underworld!"

The chaos that was Camp Half-Blood grew when a satyr named Grover stumbled back into camp. Apparently, he had been missing from camp for two months and no one had been able to get in touch with him. The Cullen's and wolf pack watched as Annabeth ran up to Grover in happiness. He told everyone how he had encountered Morpheus, God of Dreams and been put to sleep for two months.

"And see the world in endless sleep!" Bella had gasped to herself. The Cullen's heard her though and watched as she took off for her cabin. Alone in her cabin, she figured out that Morpheus was likely to put the whole of Manhattan to sleep.

Later, Grover then let it slip how Percy and Nico were traveling to the Underworld.

"When he comes back, he's so dead," Bella said, referring to Percy.

While they waited for word of Percy, the camp continued to train as much as they could. The tension and unease in the camp could have been cut with a knife.

And then it came, the voicemail that Percy left for Annabeth and Bella.

It was time.

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Okay, seriously, soooooooo sorry about the wait. I failed Anatomy. Oops. And my job sucks. And I had major writers block on this chapter. I'm still not sure that I like it, but it's better than my previous ten attempts at it. My bad, on the possibly errors in this chapter. I really just want to post it and I'm super sleepy right now.

Honestly? I think the next chapter will be the last one. It will probably be big, but we all know how the fight goes. I don't want to add too much to it because I don't like altering the story so much.

Leave me a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter! :D And what happens in the next chapter!

Review, review!