Yay for chapter 6! This is the longest chapter of the entire story ^^ This very may well be the 2nd to last chapter for the story, unless you guys have any last requests or ideas? Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to COMMENT ^o^

"Did you hear me, Grace? Are you paying any attention to me?" The goddess demanded, angry.

I stood there frozen, watching my step-mother with horror.

She had summoned me to this empty park, just the two of us. I didn't want to go, but she had said that she had important information. Something that I would want to know...I had assumed that she was lying to me. I believed it dangerous, but lady Artemis insisted that it would be best for me to meet Hera, alone. Although I had joined the hunt only months ago, I was beginning to see how Artemis worked. It became a little easier to read her emotions and thoughts, so when she insisted on me agreeing to Hera, I knew something was up. Artemis and Hera both knew something. Maybe it was foolish, but I trusted Artemis. So far, she had looked out for me. She comforted me when I needed it most, and she certainly wasn't afraid to push me to my limit when it was most important. So it was with both a blind trust and sick stomach that I agreed to Hera's wishes. I was to meet her in a park of her choosing. I was to be unarmed and completely alone. As I patiently waited, I kept visualizing all of the history that Chiron had taught us. Hera had proven herself untrustworthy. Okay, Let's just be honest here. I'll admit it. I was scared. Afraid. Beyond afraid...I was terrified. You would be too if you had a three thousand year old powerful goddess/step-mother who hated you and demanded to meet with you alone. That wasn't even the real problem. The real problem was the location. As soon as I had arrived, I knew exactly where I was at. This was the same park. The park where she murdered my brother. The exact same one. Thinking back on it, I doubt this was an accident. It's actually really sick. But it has the effect I'm sure she was going for. I feel weak. Sick to my stomach. Paranoid.

"Grace!"

Although I continue to stand there, speechless after what she has just told me, I can't help but flinch as she uses my mother's surname. I never go by that name. I refuse to. She knows that. I try to focus my mind of what she's just told me. Luke. Luke. It's...It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. She was lying. She had to be.

"How?" I whimper. I can hear the pathetic tone of my voice. I'm certain she does as well. She has me both physically and emotionally cornered.

"Did you really think that Kronos would let his only hope of rising die so easily? Hmph. Luke is the body that he needs. Without him, he can't rise."

I wasn't sure what to say. A million questions were racing through my mind. Was she just messing with my mind, or was this the truth? If it was the truth, how did Hera know? Why was Hera telling me this, anyway? Why did Artemis insist on my learning this? Was I meant to do something about it?

Then it hit me. Was this a test? Was Lady Artemis watching me, waiting to see my final reaction? Maybe she was worried that if I were to learn Luke were really alive, I would abandon the Hunt and side with the Titans. I knew that I should keep calm in this situation, but being at this park with Hera was kind of freaking me out.

"Where is he?"

I needed to see him. To tell him that I hadn't been trying to kill him, just protect Annabeth. I wanted to try and talk him into thinking about the choices he had made. I wanted to make things right like they used to be.

The look on Hera's face told me that I asked exactly what she wanted me to.

"And why exactly do you need to know? Would you like me to just escort you to the Titans, so that you can be reunited with your Luke? Is that it?"

I didn't know what the right thing to say was. I couldn't help but just scowl at her, best I could.
She chuckled to herself before narrowing her eyes, giving me a deadly look.

"Your father may pity you, but I don't. I'd be more than glad to...dispose of you, should you betray us. In fact, I'd be glad to dispose of you right now, in this spot...just as I did your brother, oh so many years ago."

I nearly lost it. I tapped by silver bracelet, transforming Aegis. Hera just smirked. Part of me was yelling at me, telling to me to stop.

'This is what she wants. If you attack her, she has reason to kill. She wouldn't even hesitate. Besides, it's not like you can kill her. She's immortal. Don't let her control you!'

The other part of me was very convincing as well.

'Attack her! She murdered your brother. She wants to murder you as well. Who knows what roll she had in your mother's death! Kill her now. Do it!'

I was right about to charge. I could see Hera preparing to blast be to bits if I so much as took one step, yet I still could not control myself. I was angry. I hated her.

It wasn't fear that stopped me from attacking. It was only that at that exact moment, a glimmer of silver caught my eye. Artemis quickly walked over to us. How long had she been there? I hadn't seen her that angry before...

"That's enough Hera!" Artemis growled. "I told you that allowed you to talk to her, not taunt her!"

Hera glared at the younger goddess. "Dare you forget who is queen?"

"Dare you forget that Thalia is my huntress? She's under my protection for as long as she chooses!"

Artemis then spun around to face me.

"Withdraw your weapon." She demanded. I couldn't tell who she was most angry at. Hera or me? But what had I done? Nothing. I examined the two. I didn't like being bossed around. I've always been that way. Maybe it was due to my being a natural leader. I honestly don't know. All I know is at that time I wanted Artemis to shut up and leave me to it. This wasn't any of her business! At that moment my mind raced while trying to think of a way around Artemis orders. Trying to think of how to attack Hera perfectly...

Artemis must have known what I was doing because she didn't hold back the venom in her voice.

"Now!"

I didn't want to, but I did as she commanded and Hera looked only slightly disappointed. She glared at Artemis before returning her icy stare to my face.

"Leave, Hera." Artemis hissed.

My step mother ignored her, and kept her eyes on me.

"Just remember Grace... Artemis can't protect you forever. The time will come when you won't be guarded, and then your own anger and resentment will cause your death." She paused to give me a sly grin. "It is your fatal flaw, after all."

And with that, she was gone.

I stood there, angry. What did she know about my fatal flaw? Nothing. She was wrong about me. She knew absolutely nothing about me.

"What were you doing?"

I turned my attention to Artemis who now seemed calmer. I didn't reply to her. What could I say? What was I doing? I was letting Hera get the best of me. I nearly attacked her, giving her the opportunity to kill me then and there.

Artemis walked over to a bench to sit, and motioned for me to follow. We sat in silence for a few moments. I wasn't sure if I should say anything. Artemis was just staring blankly straight ahead, as if I weren't there. She always puzzled me. She was so unlike the other immortals. She spent so much time in the mortal world. Sometimes she would space out as she was doing now, deep in thought.

"You shouldn't take it too personal."

I blinked. "What?"

"Hera. You are not the only one whom she's hated, and attempted to hurt. She's succeeded with many others, you know. She's not to be taken lightly."

I suddenly felt bad. Artemis had been protecting me from Hera as well as my own reckless behavior. She'd saved my life so many times.

"I know, and I'm really sorry for..."

"I know. It's alright, Thalia."

"It's easy to let Hera get to you. I still struggle."

That's when it occurred to me. We were kind of on the same boat, Artemis and I. Hera was her step mother as well. She surely hated Artemis, Apollo, Athena, Hermes, and all of the other children of Zeus that weren't hers.

"It's hard to remember that sometimes."

"Yes."

"Lady Artemis?"

"Yes, Thalia?"

I kind of panicked inside. I wanted to ask her about what Hera had said about Luke, but this was Artemis. She had a pure hatred of men. How could I ask her about Luke without her assuming that I loved him and forcing me out of the hunt? Maybe it were safest to not ask. I turned to her and smiled.

"Thank you."

She gave me a slight smile, her mind still somewhere else. She slowly stood up.

"We should return to the others, now."

I nodded, and began to follow behind her.

Hera had been lying. Luke was dead, I just knew it. He could never have survived that fall. Everything would be alright though. I still had Artemis and the hunt, Annabeth, Percy and Grover...Percy would be the child of the prophecy, and for once I could be happy.

I was so deep in thought that I hadn't noticed that Artemis had stopped walking. She was still facing the direction that they had been heading. I looked around, confused. Why had she stopped.

When she finally spoke, her voice sounded odd, almost...defeated.

"She wasn't lying, Thalia. Luke Castellan is alive. I...thought that you deserved know. The choice is yours."

And then she was gone, leaving me with an extremely dangerous choice to make.