Chapter 36

Artemis POV

I have been alive for thousands of years, I'm older than democracy and mathematics and I can say confidently today has been one of the strangest days of my life. First, I feel jealous of an amazon who was flirting with Percy, then I go have a chat with Aphrodite who thinks I have a crush on Percy and now just to make the day even weirder my dead best friend is now chained at my feet. Yup, this is defiantly not your average day.

I looked at Percy who still had his hand on my shoulder, strangely I found comfort in his touch. I knew that he would go to the end of the earth to help a friend, so his words reassured me.

"Thank you. Come, let's check on the girls," I crouched down and checked the chains binding Zoe who was struggling against them, when I was content that they were secure I stood again and made my way towards my hunters. The girls were huddled together around Tia and Maddy, Tia was applying a bandage round Maddy's bloody thigh. Aside from that the rest of the girls only seemed to have gotten minor scrapes and bruises, overall the hunt fared quite well.

"How bad is it?" I asked Tia as Percy and I reached them.

"Not too serious, nothing some nectar and a little rest won't fix but it's best to dress it just in case," Tia told me while finishing up bandaging the daughter of Athena. I nodded in response, I trusted Tia knew what's best when it comes to medical issues.

"Milady, what happened with Zoe?" Phoebe asked concerned for her best friend. I knew that Phoebe took Zoe's death nearly as hard as I did.

"She's currently restrained however she still wants to kill me," I informed the hunters.

"Why?" Phoebe asked me. "And how's she alive?" I brushed some monster dust of a nearby tree stump and perched myself on top of it, some of the hunters also followed my lead and sat down.

"Tartarus brought her back, apparently since Ouranos has faded he was free to enter the sky and bring her back. Exactly how he did it I'm not sure. As for why she wants to kill me, she blames me for her death, she says that if I hadn't been captured she wouldn't have had to fight Atlas." I felt emotional as I updated them on Zoe, I couldn't help but feel like she was right, if I hadn't been stupid and gotten captured she might still be here and not a murderous shadow of herself.

"What does she feel for the rest of us?" Eva asked. The daughter of Aphrodite looked exhausted from the battle, clearly she still hadn't fully healed from the last fight.

"Given that she led an army of monsters trying to kill us, I'd say she not particularly fond of you," Heather said slightly bitterly. I felt sorry for my newest recruit, it was only her first day knowing of the Greek world and she'd already been attacked twice. Heather received a glare from Eva who obviously didn't appreciate her sarcasm.

"Heather is right, she doesn't seem to care for any of you," I said sadly. "Zoe will remain in chains until we're able to reverse whatever Tartarus has done to her."

"Do you think we'll be able to, milady?" Maddy asked me hopefully, she had only known my former lieutenant for a few decades but she had still be close to her.

"I'll have to speak with your mother about it," I told the daughter of Athena as I had no clue where to start in curing Zoe. "But we'll get her back no matter what." I said determinedly. "However I will do that tomorrow," I said noticing the rising moon and the exhausted looks on my hunters faces. "Tonight, I just want you to rest and to tend to any injuries."

"What about Zoe?" Phoebe asked me.

"She'll remain chained and I'll guard her tonight, tomorrow we'll start rotating guard shifts." I decided as I needed the least rest out of the group of us. "I will request that you keep talking with her to a minimum." I aimed the last part at Phoebe who I knew would be desperate to talk to her friend, however it wasn't the same Zoe that she knew.

The hunters all nodded and started to wander away in search of ambrosia and rest. There was a chorus of 'night milady' as they left. I remained seated and thought about how I was going to deal with Zoe. The only time I had ever heard of somebody coming back from the dead was when Orpheus tried to bring his wife back. This however was completely different as Zoe never actually went to the underworld and was brought back by a primordial, I knew that I'd have to consult with Athena about it. I just hoped that she didn't tell Zeus about Zoe, there was no way he'd let her live in her current state. I was lost in thought and hadn't realized that I wasn't alone.

"Are you alright?" A voice broke me out of my thoughts. I looked to my left and saw Percy standing there, his shoulder was still bleeding.

"Yes, of course, I was just thinking," I assured him as I slid myself of the tree stump.

"About Zoe?" he asked me, I nodded.

"Yes, I've never heard of anybody coming back to life like that."

"We'll get her back," he reassured me. I noticed that he seemed to wince slightly when he drew a breath, I guessed he had some broken ribs.

"You're hurt," I commented, voicing my observations.

"A little banged up yeah," he admitted.

"Come on, let's get you some ambrosia," I said as I led the way towards the medical tent. That's if the girls left any, I thought as we walked.

The medical tent was the same size as the normal tents, with a single bed on one side and the other side of the tent being dedicated storing bandages, ambrosia, and other medical necessities.

"Sit," I commanded as I gestured to the bed. Percy did as I said and perched himself at the foot of the bed. I rummaged through the draw labelled Ambrosia but found nothing but empty tupperwares with crumbs at the bottom of them. The girls never were good at sharing, Diana commented to me to which I had to agree. No they aren't, we'll have to stock up again next time we're on Olympus.

"There's none left, this will have to do," I told Percy as I uncapped a flask of nectar and poured some into a glass.

"Thanks," Percy said before downing the golden liquid.

"Better?" I asked and received a nod in response. "Good now come on." I led the way out of the medical tent back out into the early night. We walked along silently, side by side through the camp towards where Zoe was still lying bound. The moonlight glistened off the bronze chains that held my Zoe tightly. She looked up as she heard us approach.

"Finally remembered me?" she asked bitterly from the floor. I ignored her as I stepped behind her and crouched down by her feet. I felt around in my pocket for the keys to the locks and eventually found the one I was looking for. Using the small bronze key I opened the lock that closed the chains around Zoe's legs, hoping that she wouldn't immediately kick out at me. Thankfully she remained passive and I tried to help her to her feet.

"You used to be a lot more co-operative," I complained as I lifted her to her feet. Zoe was no help and was doing her best impression of a sack of flour. Eventually she decided to bare her own weight and the three of us began to walk.

"Where are we going?" Percy asked me from the other side of Zoe.

"We'll take her to my tent for the night," I answered, I would have to find someplace better for her in the morning but it was the best place for me to keep an eye on her. We walked slowly as we led a reluctant Zoe towards my tent. As we approached my large tent I stepped forwards and unfasted the door allowing Percy to follow Zoe inside. I walked over to my bed and grabbed a couple cushions and a spare silver blanket that I piled at the foot of my bed.

"There's your bed for the night," I told Zoe. I felt bad making my best friend sleep on the floor but I couldn't trust her yet. Zoe didn't say anything as she sat herself down in the makeshift bed. I used the spare chain from her feet to loop through the one binding her arms and fed it around the post of my bed. When I was content that she wouldn't be able to move far – at least without waking me up – I stepped back and turned to Percy.

"Thank you. Now go get some rest, it's been a long day," I told him.

"Will you be alright with her?" he asked me.

"Yes thank you, I am a goddess after all," I was a little insulted that he doubted if I could look after a bound prisoner even if the prisoner was the legendary Zoe Nightshade. You take everything as an insult, he's just trying to be helpful, Diana scolded me. You're right, he's just being nice. "Thank you for asking," I said more nicely trying to correct myself and sound too bitchy.

"In that case, goodnight Artemis." He gave me a smile which I returned before he exited my tent leaving me alone with Zoe.

Percy POV

I walked back to my tent, thinking about everything that had happened during this long day. Heather seemed like a nice girl and it was good that the hunt was growing in numbers. Then there was the return of Zoe which I hadn't been expecting.

I reached my tent and went inside. I kicked off my converse but was too tired to bother taking any of my clothes off and just collapsed onto my bed. It took me barely any time to fall asleep but it wasn't the peaceful rest I had wanted.

I found myself standing in a dimly lit office with floor to ceiling length windows running along one wall. The light coming through the windows gave the room a slightly red tinge and I remembered the last time I was in this room. I turned and noticed the figure of a man sitting behind the large black desk.

"So what's this about?" I asked him. I was feeling a lot more confident than the last time I was brought here, I assumed that as I left here alive last time that he couldn't hurt me in my dream.

"Can a man not wish to talk with a distant descendant?" the man asked in a deep, cold voice. His face was hidden by the low light but I knew that there were swirling black eyes watching me.

"Not when that 'man' is you," I answered as I walked over to the leather couch that sat opposite the windows. Tartarus let out a single emotionless laugh.

"You're words hurt me but I understand your reasons, I don't exactly hold a reputation for being friendly." Now it was my turn to let out a short laugh.

"You are literally hell, so no people don't think you're the warm and friendly type," I told him. "You're reputation isn't why you brought me here," I stated as I sat down on the couch.

"No, it's not. What are your thoughts on my offer?" he asked me, referring to our last meeting.

"To save ten people of my choosing if I give myself to you," I recounted to him. I could just about make out him nodding. "Thanks but that offer still stinks." Tartarus lent forward, resting her arms on his desk.

"Even after I have shown you that I can bring your friends back?" he asked me.

"She may be alive but I don't think you can say the real Zoe is back," I countered.

"No, she's not quite the same I admit. However, her possession can be reversed and Zoe is not the only person I could bring back." He told me.

"Thanks but no thanks, now can I please get some real sleep now?" I asked him wanting nothing more than a few hours of peaceful rest.

"Very well, but your time runs out," he told me ominously before my vision went dark and I was allowed to sleep.

The conversation with Tartarus had actually been very useful, first I found out Zoe was 'possessed' and second was that it was reversable. I planned on telling Artemis both these bits of information but not before I got some well deserved sleep.

AN/: Hi guys, sorry this chapter took a bit longer to get out. Hopefully the next one will be out soon. Love you guys!