BirdFeather1837: One question I have is how old should Hunter be at this point?

Hunter is fifteen at this point in the story. His birthday is on the Winter Solstice, so he's a day older than Thalia.

Famond: -This is about the Chapter 27- I'm kinda disappointed Hunter didn't want Artemis to turn back the child she turned into a jackalope. Surely he would be against a person losing their entire human life by being turned into an animal and will most likely starve to death or be killed by a monster or another animal. This person could have lived a fulfilling life with a great future, and in just an instant they lost it all.

He did want her to; however, he didn't really think he'd be able to convince her to turn him back. Remember, Hunter believes Artemis hates him, or at the very least doesn't really care about him, so it'd be like a stranger walking up to her and trying to convince Artemis to turn the boy back into a person. Besides, for all we know, that incident happened years ago, and the kid's already dead.

JosephLeeCollins: Hmm, what if Zoë tries to not let him come?

You'll find out in this chapter.

The Hunter's Heir

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Quest Begins

"Breathe, Hunter."

I tried. Really, I did, but I couldn't. It was like someone was pressing a weight against my chest, pushing harder and harder. I sucked in, and the room swayed. We were in the Big House, in the living room. I was sitting on one of the couches, Chiron in his wheelchair in front of me, Jason, Melony, and Thalia behind him.

"What's wrong with him?" Mel asked, looking panicked. Jay put a hand on her shoulder, and she seemed to relax a little.

"He's having a panic attack," Chiron explained. "It will pass, given time."

It didn't feel like it would pass. The room was starting to spin, I was sweating, and I couldn't breathe. Chiron had to carry me here on his back from the creek. I'd thrown up, then nearly passed out.

"I don't feel so—" I tried to say, but I couldn't get the words out. Thalia came over and started rubbing my back. Grover and Percy were taking the oracle's body back up to the attic, and the rest of the cabin counselors were downstairs.

"Hush," Chiron said. "Don't speak. Just breathe in, count to five, breathe out, count to five, and repeat."

I did. After a few minutes, the room stopped moving, and I didn't feel like I was going to throw up. I nodded. "I…I'm okay."

"Good." He handed me a glass. "Drink slowly."

I lifted it to my lips. It wasn't nectar, but water. I drank it all the same, taking tiny sips. When the glass was empty, I put it on a nearby coffee table and stood up. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"Thank gods," Mel said, putting an arm around me. Jay gave Chiron a nod in thanks.

"Thalia, would you please go get Percy and Grover?" Chiron asked. "Bring them downstairs."

"Sure," she said, and went.

"If you'll excuse me, I must—"

"Chiron?" I interrupted. "Can I join you?"

He blinked. "Councils are normally only for counselors and camp staff, I'm afraid—"

"Please? I just…feel like I need to be there. Plus, now that I've been claimed, aren't I technically Cabin Eight's counselor, since the Hunters don't stay full-time?"

He thought about it, then said, "I suppose you are. Very well. Come with me."

"Sorry," I said to Jay and Mel quietly.

"Don't worry about it," Mel said. "We understand. Come find us when you're finished."

"I will." She gave me a quick hug, and Jay gave me a nod before they both went out the door.

Thalia came down the stairs, Percy and Grover just behind her. "Hunter will be joining us," Chiron explained.

"Awesome," Thalia said. "It'll be good to have you."

"I'm sure," I said, following Chiron down the stairs.

-o-

The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. As I entered, everyone stared. They know who I am. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. Would they think differently of me now? Percy had been shunned when he was claimed. Would that happen to me?

Mr. D and Chiron sat at one end of the table. Zoe and took the other end. Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers sat on the left. Percy, Thalia and I went to the right side. As I passed them, Silena slipped me a pack of mint gum. Beckendorf gave me a warm smile, and the Stolls clapped my back. Their kindness quelled my fear. I mouthed "Thank you" gratefully and slipped three pieces of gum into my mouth, to wash out the taste of vomit.

Zoe was watching me curiously, eyes narrowed. I was in no mood to get confrontational, so I ignored her.

Dionysus supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Then Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of us were underage. Mr. D sighed. With a snap of his fingers the wine turned to Diet Coke. Nobody drank that either.

"This is pointless," Zoe snapped, crossing her arms.

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

"There is no time for talk," Zoe continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West," I said. "'Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,' the oracle said. Five quest members."

Zoe agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

"You're missing something, as usual," Thalia said. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoe said. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your," Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoe. Get with the times."

Zoe hesitated, like she was trying to form the word correctly."Yerrr. We do not need yerrr help."

Oh, gods above. Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

"I fear the prophecy says you do need our help," Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

"Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it was wine. "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?"

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?"

Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful."

"We're supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoe grimaced, but I could tell Thalia had a point.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice." My birthday, I thought.

"Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting."

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoe said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

Mr. D nodded. "Just checking. You're right, of course. Carry on."

"I must agree with Zoe," said Chiron. "Artemis's presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a week to find her. And possibly even more important: to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."

"Three and two," Percy said.

Everybody looked at him. "We're supposed to have five. Three Hunters, two from Camp Half-Blood. That's more than fair."

Thalia and Zoe exchanged looks. I agreed. I would have preferred to have only Zoe go, since more Hunters likely meant more trouble for me, but I was willing to compromise. That meant it would be Zoe, two other Hunters, myself, and a Camp Half-Blood camper. Which one, though? Percy or Thalia would be more than enough.

"Well," Thalia said. "It does make sense."

Zoe grunted. "I would prefer to take all the Hunters. We will need strength of numbers."

"You'll be retracing the goddess's path," Chiron reminded her. "Moving quickly. No doubt Artemis tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. You will have to do the same. The prophecy was clear: The bane of Olympus shows the trail. What would your mistress say? 'Too many Hunters spoil the scent.' A small group is best."

Zoe picked up a Ping-Pong paddle and studied it. "This monster—the bane of Olympus. I have hunted at Lady Artemis's side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast might be."

Everybody looked at Dionysus. He was flipping through a wine magazine, but when everyone got silent he glanced up. "Well, don't look at me. I'm a young god, remember? I don't keep track of all those ancient monsters and dusty titans. They make for terrible party conversation."

"Chiron," Percy said, "you don't have any ideas about the monster?"

Chiron pursed his lips. "I have several ideas, none of them good. And none of them quite make sense. Typhon, for instance, could fit this description. He was truly a bane of Olympus. Or the sea monster Keto. But if either of these were stirring, we would know it. They are ocean monsters the size of skyscrapers. Your father, Poseidon, would already have sounded the alarm. I fear this monster may be more elusive. Perhaps even more powerful."

"That's some serious danger you're facing," Connor Stoll said. "It sounds like at least two of the five are going to die."

"One shall be lost in the land without rain" Beckendorf said. "If I were you, I'd stay out of the desert."

There was a muttering of agreement.

"And the Titan's curse must one withstand," Silena said. "What could that mean?"

I saw Chiron and Zoe exchange a nervous look, but whatever they were thinking, they didn't share it.

"One shall perish by a parent's hand," Grover said in between bites of Cheez Whiz and Ping-Pong balls. "How is that possible? Whose parent would kill them?"

There was heavy silence around the table. Thalia and Percy exchanged a glance, but everyone else's eyes were on me. I felt a rush of bile rising in my throat, so I slipped more gum into my mouth in an attempt to get my mind off of it. Your part to play in this is fast approaching, the crow had said.

"There will be deaths," Chiron decided. "That much we know."

"Oh, goody!" Dionysus said.

Everyone looked at him. He glanced up innocently from the pages of Wine Connoisseur magazine. "Ah, pinot noir is making a comeback. Don't mind me."

"Percy is right," Silena Beauregard said. "Two campers should go."

"Oh, I see," Zoe said sarcastically. "And I suppose you wish to volunteer?"

Silena blushed. "I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters. Don't look at me!"

"A daughter of Aphrodite does not wish to be looked at," Zoe scoffed. "What would thy mother say?"

Silena started to get out of her chair, but the Stoll brothers pulled her back.

"Stop it," Beckendorf said. He was a big guy with a bigger voice. He didn't talk much, but when he did, people tended to listen. "Let's start with the Hunters. Which three of you will go?"

Zoe stood. "I shall go, of course, and I will take Phoebe. She is our best tracker."

"The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" Travis Stoll asked cautiously.

Zoe nodded.

"The one who put the arrows in my helmet?" Connor added.

"Yes," Zoe snapped. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Travis said. "Just that we have a T-shirt for her from the camp store." He held up a big silver T-shirt that said ARTEMIS THE MOON GODDESS, FALL HUNTING TOUR 2002, with a huge list of national parks and stuff underneath. "It's a collector's item. She was admiring it. You want to give it to her?"

I narrowed my eyes. The Stolls were up to something. They always were. But Zoe didn't know that. She just sighed and took the T-shirt. "As I was saying, I will take Phoebe." She frowned. "I will need to think on who else."

"And for campers?" Chiron asked.

"Me!" Grover stood up so fast he bumped the Ping-Pong table. He brushed cracker crumbs and Ping-Pong ball scraps off his lap. "Anything to help Artemis!"

Zoe wrinkled her nose. "I think not, satyr. You are not even a half-blood."

"But he is a camper," Thalia said. "And he's got a satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet, Grover?"

"Absolutely!"

Zoe wavered. "Very well," she said. "And the second camper?"

"I'll go." Thalia stood and looked around, daring anyone to question her.

"I'm going too," I said.

"I think not," Zoe snapped out. "We already have two campers, we do not need a third."

"I have to go on this quest, Zoe. Lady Artemis—"

"Since when does thee care about Lady Artemis? You have spent your life insulting and disparaging her."

"I don't care about Artemis, but she's necessary. Without her, the Titans and Luke gain another year of preparations while Olympus twiddles its thumbs. Besides, Artemis has claimed me. Don't tell me the timing isn't a coincidence. I need to go on this quest."

"But the third Hunter—"

"Is me."

Her eyes blazed. "You are no Hunter."

"Well, he kind of is," Silena said.

Zoe whirled on her. "What?"

"His name is Hunter, and his mother is Artemis, so he's Hunter son of Artemis. A literal Hunter of Artemis. Kind of." That was a longshot, I know, but I just hoped Zoe would take it.

She glared at everyone around the table, closed her eyes, sighed, and said, "Fine," through gritted teeth. "You may accompany us."

"Whoa, wait a sec," Percy said. "I want to go too."

Thalia said nothing. Chiron was looking at him, eyes sad.

"Oh," Grover said, suddenly aware of the problem. "Whoa, yeah, I forgot! Percy has to go. I didn't mean… I'll stay. Percy should go in my place."

"He cannot," Zoe said. "He is a boy. I won't have Hunters traveling with a boy."

"You traveled here with me," he reminded her, "and Hunter's going."

"That was a short-term emergency, and it was ordered by the goddess. And your friend—as much as I may not like it—is needed. He was right, Artemis would not have claimed him now if he was not essential. But you are not necessary."

"What about Grover?" he demanded.

Zoe shook her head. "He does not count. He's a satyr. He is not technically a boy."

"Hey!" Grover protested.

"I have to go. I need to be on this quest."

"Why?" Zoe asked. "Because of thy friend Annabeth?"

He blushed. "No! I mean, partl. I just feel like I'm supposed to go!"

"No," I said.

He gaped at me. "No?"

"No," I said again. "Thalia will be more than enough for this task. You will remain here in case anything goes wrong." I put a hand on his shoulder. "I will bring Annabeth back to you, my friend, I promise."

"But—"

"You have already been on two quests; the latter one you were not even supposed to be on. Let other people play their parts, Percy. Give up your place in the spotlight, just this once."

"Well put," Zoe said. "I insist upon this. I will take the satyr and my lady's child if I must, but not you."

Chiron sighed. "The quest is for Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions."

Percy sat down, dejected. I turned back to Chiron. Whatever was going on between Percy and Thalia could provide unnecessary risks. It was best that he stayed.

"So be it," Chiron said. "Thalia, Hunter and Grover will accompany Zoe and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods"—he glanced at Dionysus—"present company included, we hope—be with you."

-o-

I couldn't stay in Cabin Eleven anymore. Artemis had claimed me, so I was being moved to Cabin Eight, with all the Hunters. When Chiron explained that to Zoe and me, we had both complained and argued otherwise, but he was insistent.

"It's only for one night," he'd said. "Then you'll be gone."

After nearly half an hour, Zoe had given up and said that she would prepare a bunk for me. Chiron escorted me back to the Hermes cabin, where I quickly gathered up my things. After a solemn goodbye to all my cabinmates, I left Cabin Elven for the last time, and made my way to Cabin Eight.

My new home looked nice—a silver cabin carved with images of animals and hunters, with a stag symbol on the front door. A roofed porch held two lawn chairs, and the windows were obscured by silver curtains. As I drew closer, one of them moved. Guess they know I'm coming.

I walked up the steps, crossed the porch, and knocked. Some faint shuffling and mumbles came through the door before Zoe opened it, looking like I was a roach in need of a good squashing.

"I wouldn't be here unless I had to. You know that."

She sniffed. "Unfortunately, you're right."

I pointed with my chin. "Do they?"

She looked over her shoulder. "Yes. While they may not like it, they understand your camp's rules, and Lady Artemis's wishes."

"Great." Least I don't have to worry about them causing trouble before the quest. Zoe stepped aside and allowed me in. The cabin was fairly standard: wooden walls and floor, assorted hunting-related items on display, bunk beds lining the walls. And two dozen Hunters between the ages of eight and sixteen looking right at me. Despite everything, I felt nervous. Relax. They won't hurt you, and you don't need to interact with them.

"Thy bed is over here," she said, leading me to it. "Daphne has volunteered to be your bunkmate."

I grinned down at the little girl. "Sweet. Just like old times, right?"

"Yeah!" she said. "But no werewolves or creepy guys trying to kill us this time."

I laughed. "I hope not."

"I already called top bunk."

I shrugged. "Fair enough." I put my bag on the bottom bunk and sat down. I raised an eyebrow. "Are you all going to keep staring, or…?" They went back to their business, though a few did keep stealing glances here and there. There was a drawer next to the bed, and I started filling the top half (Daphne was far to short to reach it) with my stuff. I had already packed my unmentionables and pants when I heard someone clear their throat. I turned.

A tall, brown-haired girl and a brown-skin girl were standing behind me. "Yes?" I asked, folding a pair of dark jeans and sliding it into the drawer.

"Hi," the brown-haired girl said. "I'm Sofia, and this is—"

"—Penelope," I said. "I remember."

"You do?" Penelope asked, looking surprised.

"Yes. You threw a spoon at my head."

"Oh." She shrugged. "Sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all.

I rolled my eyes and went back to folding. "Can I help you with something, because I doubt you're here for small talk."

Penelope's eyes darkened, but Sofia just smiled. "Oh, no, we're just here to introduce ourselves. You know, put our best foot forward."

"That's…" Stupid, I wanted to say, but decided to follow her lead and be nice. "…very kind of you. My name's Hunter."

"It's nice to meet you, Hunter. We've heard so much about you from Daphne."

I gave the little girl a quick glance. "Is that so? Good things, I hope."

"Mostly, though she did say you snore a lot."

I gasped in mock offense. "I do not."

"Yeah," Daphne said, "you do."

"Hmph. Well you toss and turn in your sleep. There was hardly a night when you didn't either kick or hit me awake."

"Not on purpose!" she said, giggling. Sofia was giggling too. Even Penelope had cracked a smile. She and Jay would get along fine.

"You had a wolf last time we met, didn't you?" Sofia asked.

I nodded. "Winter. Her name's Winter."

"Is she here, or did you part ways?"

"She's still here. She lives out in the woods with a few of her kind. Some of the nymphs are scared of her."

"Would it be all right if we saw her?"

I blinked. "I don't…I mean, is that allowed? Zoe would—"

"Oh, Zoe wouldn't mind. Besides, Sarah has her own wolf."

"Who?"

She pointed to a Hunter across the cabin listening to a cassette player with headphones, head bobbing up and down to the music. There was something off about her.

"Is she…?"

"…blind?" Sofia asked. She nodded sadly. "Yes. She was born that way, irreversible, even for a goddess."

"Then how does she…?"

"We have enhanced senses, courtesy of Lady Artemis. Hers are just more in-tune, so she can hear or smell her targets. And she has a seeing-eye wolf named Tim. He's under her bed there."

Sure enough, there was a little grey wolf snuggled under the girl's bed.

"He makes sure she doesn't run into trees and fetches her things," Penelope said.

"Is he friendly?" I asked.

"Oh, he's a sweet little thing. Don't worry, your Winter will be more than safe."

"It's not her I'm worried about." Winter would tear the scamp apart if it came to blows. Didn't need to deal with that. "If you're sure Zoe will allow it, then I guess I can bring her here." I reached within myself and called to Winter.

"Aren't you going to call her?" Sofia asked.

"I already did," I said. "She'll be here soon." We spent the next few minutes making small talk, until a scratching at the door forced Zoe to open it. When she did, Winter came waltzing in, drawing gasps of surprise from some of the unsuspecting Hunters. The other Hunter's wolf pressed itself against the wall. I whistled. "Here, girl."

Winter hurried over, scrambling up onto my bed. "This is Winter," I said to the two Hunters, giving my girl a pat on the head. "Winter, this is Penelope and Sofia."

"Does she bite?"

"Not while I'm here. She'll love you for life is you pet her chest." When they did, Winter let out a mix between a coo and a gurgle, tail wagging.

"She's beautiful," Sofia said. Penelope nodded.

"I know," I said, giving her ears a scratch. She nipped my hand and swung it back and forth. After another few minutes, Zoe said that lights out would be in ten minutes. Penelope and Sofia said their farewells and left. I got changed into my pajamas. Normally I liked to sleep shirtless, but I doubted the Hunters would like that, so I decided to wear one of my summer shirts.

Phoebe came out of the bathroom wearing the shirt the Stoll twins had given her and a pair of athletic shorts. She looked uncomfortable.

"Are you okay?" a Hunter asked.

"Yeah," Phoebe said, sounding distracted. "Shirt's just a little itchy. Probably just need to get used to it."

Something wasn't right, but I didn't have time to dwell on that. I had to get up at the crack of dawn—actually, probably earlier than that, since we were leaving at dawn—and I wanted to get some sleep. Hopefully Zoe and Phoebe would wake me in case I overslept.

Winter snuggled up to me, and I closed my eyes.

-o-

The garden before me was beautiful. A thousand flowers of red, gold, amethyst, and a dozen other colors went on for what seemed like miles. A tall tree that shone golden stood in the distance, with what looked like a giant dragon coiled around its tree, like Peleus guarding our Fleece.

A crow landed on my shoulder. "You," I said, scowling. "Stupid bird."

Stupid bird, stupid stupid boy, it said back, pecking my neck. I swatted it away. It shrieked, offended, and took to the skies. Come follow.

I had no choice but to follow it up the mountain, past the garden, where a storm was brewing, dark clouds circling.

I stopped when I reached the summit. Annabeth was kneeling under the weight of a dark mass that looked like a pile of boulders. She looked exhausted, almost a corpse. Her legs trembled. Any second, I knew she would run out of strength and the cavern ceiling would collapse on top of her.

"How is our mortal guest?" a male voice boomed. I recognized it—the voice of the Titan that had taken Artemis, the General.

Luke emerged from the shadows around the mountain. He ran to Annabeth, knelt beside her, then looked back at the unseen man. "She's fading. We must hurry."

I wanted to beat him until his head was a mess of brain and bone. He'd betrayed us, nearly killed Thalia and Percy, taken Annabeth. He deserved to die.

The deep voice chuckled. Then a familiar dark-haired girl stepped out of the shadows, holding Artemis by the hair, hands and feet bound in celestial bronze chains.

"Anna!"

She couldn't hear me, though. She looked almost unchanged, though her hair was a little longer, and she looked a little lither. And…beautiful? I shook my head. No, she isn't beautiful. She tried to kill you. She needs to die.

Artemis's silvery hunting outfit was torn and tattered. Her face and arms were cut in several places, and she was bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods.

"You heard the boy," said the man in the shadows. "Decide!"

Artemis's eyes flashed with anger. She looked at Annabeth and her expression changed to concern and outrage. "How dare you torture a maiden like this! "

"She will die soon," Luke said. "You can save her."

Annabeth made a weak sound of protest. My fists clenched. I wanted to run to her, but I couldn't move.

"Free my hands," Artemis said.

Anna brought out her sword. With one expert strike, she broke the goddess's handcuffs. Artemis ran to Annabeth and took the burden from her shoulders. Annabeth collapsed on the ground and lay there shivering. Artemis staggered, trying to support the weight of the black rocks.

The man in the shadows chuckled. "You are as predictable as you were easy to beat, Artemis."

"You surprised me," the goddess said, straining under her burden. "It will not happen again."

"Indeed it will not," the man said. "Now you are out of the way for good! I knew you could not resist helping a young maiden. That is, after all, your specialty, my dear."

Artemis groaned "You know nothing of mercy, you swine."

"On that," the man said, "we can agree. Luke, you may kill the girl now."

"No!'" Artemis shouted.

Luke hesitated. "She—she may yet be useful, sir...Further bait." You coward, I wanted to snarl.

"Bah! You truly believe that?"

"Yes, General. They will come for her. I'm sure."

The man considered. "Then the dracaenae can guard her here. Assuming she does not die from her injuries, you may keep her alive until winter solstice. After that, if our sacrifice goes as planned, her life will be meaningless. The lives of all mortals will be meaningless."

Luke gathered up Annabeth's listless body and carried her away from the goddess.

"You will never find the monster you seek," Artemis said. "Your plan will fail."

"How little you know, my young goddess," the man in the shadows said. "Even now, your darling attendants begin their quest to find you. They shall play directly into my hands. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a long journey to make. We must greet your Hunters and make sure their quest is… challenging."

The man's laughter echoed in the darkness, shaking the ground until it seemed the whole mountain would crumble. When it was gone, only Anna and Artemis remained.

The daughter of Aphrodite studied the goddess. After a silence, she said, "Hunter's coming too."

Artemis gritted her teeth. "If you touch him, I'll—"

"Don't worry, I won't need to do anything of the sort. I can convince him to join our side."

The goddess snarled. "How could you do that?"

"Your son and I have always been close. I could talk him into it."

"If you think—"

"I don't think anything, Lady Artemis. I know he'll join us, I know he's coming here, because I know he hates you, and probably couldn't resist the urge to see you in pain." Anna turned. "I want you to see him join us, to turn his back on you forever. Then you'll know how he feels every day." She walked away, and my dream faded.

-o-

I opened my eyes. It was still dark out, but I was wide awake. Anna was with Luke and Artemis. She was waiting for me. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I checked my shield watch. Dawn would be in another half an hour. Gently pushed Winter off me, grabbed my bag, and went to change. I put on my black boots, black pants, T-shirt, and black leather jacket. I quietly left the Artemis cabin, Winter close behind me.

I was surprised to see Melony and Jason already awake, sitting by the hearth. Are they a little too close? I wondered, then realized I didn't really care. Mel was staring deeply into the fires, concentrating. Another figure was sitting with them; a small child with brown hair.

"What do you see?"

Mel and Jay jumped slightly, Hestia only turned and smiled. She had been helping Melony improve her flame-reading skills, and I was curious to see what could happen.

"My lady," I said to the goddess of the hearth. She offered me a soft smile and a nod. She was the eldest of her siblings, but she looked younger than even Daphne.

"Hello, Hunter." We had grown familiar with the goddess, but it still felt strange to be on speaking terms with an Olympian. "Go on, dear," Hestia urged her daughter.

"Um…" Mel bit her lip. "I see…a mechanical giant, taller than a building…uh, a dragon-headed ship sailing across the sea…and…the sky. It's falling."

I frowned. "Falling? How can the sky fall?"

"I don't know," she said miserably. She turned to her mother. "I'm trying, Mom, I really am."

Hestia gave a warm smile. "I believe you, dear. You are just unpracticed. I was much the same way when Apollo first gave me the gift of foresight. You will learn. You just need practice. Try again."

"Um, a storm? I don't know, maybe Zeus is angry or something."

"Seems to describe him pretty accurately," Jay muttered. He glanced at Hestia. "No offense."

"None taken, nephew. You are not exactly wrong, after all."

A giant? I know Titans are large, but not even Kronos could be taller than a building, right? And a dragon-headed ship? Could that be the Princess Andromeda, Luke's cruise ship/mobile headquarters? Percy never mentioned a dragon figurehead. And the sky falling? How could the sky fall, unless something happened to Lord Zeus? I shuddered to think about it.

A hand closed around my shoulder. "It is time to leave."

I stood up. "Five minutes?"

"Three."

"Thank you."

I gave both of my friends a hug. "Come back to us safe," Mel whispered.

"I will. I promise." Don't make promises you might not be able to keep, a voice whispered. I ignored it. "Watch over the di Angelos. Keep them safe. Make them feel welcome."

"Of course," Mel said. Jay nodded.

"And make sure you play with this one." I gestured to Winter. "Don't give her enough attention and she gets pouty and throws tantrums."

The wolf yipped, offended. I gave her chin a scratch. That calmed her down well enough.

"Will do."

I rejoined Zoe near the dining pavilion. "Where's Phoebe?"

"She is not coming."

I blinked. "What?"

Zoe's hands balled into fists. "Those Stoll brothers, they poisoned the collector's Artemis T-shirt they gave Phoebe."

That surprised me. The Stolls had committed some pretty intense pranks, but never poison. "Is…is she…"

"She will live," Zoe responded. "I took her to the infirmary several hours ago. She would not stop scratching They used centaur blood. It is like acid. She will be bedridden for weeks, covered in hives."

"So she can't come." I chewed the inside of my cheek. "Maybe this is the line from the prophecy. 'One shall be lost in the land without rain.' Rain isn't allowed in here, so it could fit."

"Perhaps." She didn't sound convinced.

"Are you going to choose another Hunter?"

"No. I do not want to risk it. We must make do with four."

The quest hasn't even begun and we've already lost someone. I kept that particular thought to myself, though no doubt Zoe was thinking something similar.

Just then I felt something. I turned. There was nobody around, but I still felt a presence. "What is it?" Zoe asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing. We should hurry. They'll be leaving soon."

"Agreed." We sprinted to the Big House, where Thalia, Chiron, Argus, and Grover were waiting for us. We explained what happened to Phoebe, and while Chiron didn't like it, we had no choice but to leave. We loaded into the camp van; Argus would take us as far as he could, but then we'd be on our own.

As we turned onto the dirt road leaving camp, I glanced back one more time at the home I'd known for years, with all my friends, and wondered if it would be the last time I'd see it.


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