A/N: Yeah, its been about a month. Im sorry ): I would like to thank every single person who has reviewed. You really keep me going. Im afraid that the breaks are only going to get longer. Come March, it's track season. But heres a chapter of two for you.
As my feet pounded along the ground, my mind raced miles ahead. I had just become an immortal enemy of my mother. I should have been ashamed, bashful, maybe even scared. Instead, I was just furious. How odd, a part of my brain said. I couldn't help but agree. I continued on my haphazard path, praying to every Immortal that didn't currently despise me that I didn't get lost. That was just op of the perfect night. It took awhile for me to look up, see the position of the sky. I swore in every language I knew then. The moon was already up, bright and beautiful, rising toward the vibrant sun. I did some mental math and gave myself about 2 hours before it went down. That wasn't enough to find my way out of the jungle of trees.
I gave myself a burst of speed, risking starting to sweat, to find my way out. The path wound in and out of trees, twisting and turning around the green foliage. I streaked through the greeny, my feet barely touching the ground. That was my downfall, because I wasn't even concentrating. And I ran right into a low branch. "Smack!" rebounded through the forest. I landed flat on my back, sliding with momentum for a few feet, before coming to a stop. "Ohhh ow ow ow ow!" I screeched, terrifying a few colorful birds.
"Oh, dear" I heard a kind voice say, literally making me jump a foot in the air. My vision was blurred, and when I sat up I got an overwhelming feeling of dizzines, so I couldn't know who the speaker was. Instead, I felt a hand on my back, lifting my head gently. I felt a soft hand probe my wound, then felt it stop leaking the fluid that was running down my cheeks and into my mouth and eyes. Then, came the most welcome thing of all. A bottle was pressed to my lips, and cool, delicious, welcome water flowed down my parched throat. I drank my fill, then remembered what had happened. My eyes sprang open, and I saw a woman kneeling down next to me.
The odd thing was, I could tell she was a Goddess from the minute I looked at her. From her dark chocolate hair, braided with gold ribbons. Her kind eyes, looking worriedly down at me. Her dress was Greek style, very modest and simple. And she absolutely radiated power. But which Goddess was she?! "T-Thank you, my lady." I slurred.
She waved her hand, as if brushing it off. "Oh, Nicole, how i've wanted to meet you. Your incredibly brave, do you know that? I envy you. Of course, having taken a sort of vows of maidenhood myself, I understand how you feel. The anguish, the longing!" She clucked, looking concernedly at me. "But dear, that was a hard hit. Are you alright?" I shook my head yes, in doing so making myself dizzy again. I moaned, leaning back down. Her eyebrows creased, and she bit her lip placidly. "Oh, you poor thing! How I wish I could do more! But the rules" She half-shrugged at that. "But I have come to give you something."
I rolled my eyes over to look at her. "And what is that, ma'm?" I inquired.
She gave me a fleeting smile, then spoke. "A way to get that little player, of course! Have you Hunter's any organized plan? Not at all!" She spoke before I could even open my mouth in our defense. "Luckily, I thought of one, and Zeus was kind enough to let me share the basics. After all, with the was against Kronos' still happening, I doubt he wants one of his children swayed onto his side." I just laid there, ears wide open. "Well, anyway, you are a Daughter of Aphrodite. You have powers!" She wiggled her fingers at this one, emphasizing powers. I nodded gently, barely disrupting my head. "And you want to get the boy Eric while Apollo is occupied?" I barely nodded about. "All you have to do is use the call, dear!" My mouth fell open. The Call? She couldn't be serious.
"Ummm, my lady, The Call is a dangerous and difficult thing to do. To summon a specific male to you, for the purpose of him falling in love with. Not to mention the fact that I have no desire for him to be in love with me." I summed it up in 2 words. "I can't."
She simply looked at me, her eyes flashing. "Dear, you do not want to argue with me. I have seen what shall happen if you don't, and it won't be pretty. So go home, doll yourself up, and get whats-his-name down here. Your sisters can take care of the protections Apollo's bound to have. You simply have to get the boy. Not difficult, if your record is what i've heard." I blushed, turning my head away. She stroked my cheek, then turned my face to look at her. "It will work. Do it." She glanced at my forehead. "Your going to have a nasty bruise, by the way." Then she stood, and I noticed for the first time how tall and graceful she was. Sort of like a.....peacock?
"Lady Hera!" I exclaimed. She winked at me, then dissolved in a burst of white light that I closed my eyes against. When I opened them, I was lying in front of the condo we had rented. I heard the sounds of scuffling feet, then felt someone throw themselves on me. It was little April, and she had been crying.
"Nicole! Where have you been?!" April sobbed, putting her face into my shoulder. I held her there, shushing her until she calmed down. When she looked up, her eyes went wide at the bruise on my face. We had attracted the rest of the Hunters by then.
"I just ran into a few Goddeses," I summarized. I knew they were going to bombard me with questions, so I interrupted. "Wait for a second. Questions can come later. Right now, I have a plan. Or rather, Lady Hera does."
A/N: Another filler chapter. Sorry man. But the song is Believe In Dreams by Flyleaf. Beware, it might make you cry.