Hello. It's me, really. Enjoy the chapter.

Niobe

'Help!'

Shrill cries broke through the air, wrenching Wisty from her sleep. Her eyes shot open and she scrabbled for Riptide before remembering she no longer had her. Instead, she tore off her pendant and staggered out of the car with her sword drawn.

It was dark out, the blackness only pierced by the headlights of the Jeeps. Wisty breathed a sigh of relief when she saw no fighting, but a small group of Hunters were huddled in a circle around someone. Some others were just getting out of their cars. She hurried over, letting her sword melt back into a necklace. 'What? What's going on?'

The circle broke to let her in. Artemis and Naomi were kneeling over a motionless girl. Wisty gasped. 'Aerwyna?'

She quickly knelt down. No visible wounds on the girl, but she looked deathly pale, even for a descendant of Thanatos. Wisty laid the back of her palm across Aerwyna's forehead. No fever—it was the opposite. Her skin was cold to the touch.

She looked up at the group of girls huddled around them. 'What happened?'

Naomi shook her head. She had two fingers on Aerwyna's wrist as she checked for a pulse. 'Jasmine called for help. Aerwyna hasn't been responsive to anything.'

Wisty searched the group for Jasmine, the girl who had been in the same car. She met her eyes. 'Do you know what could have caused this?'

'I—I don't know!' she cried. Whenever Jasmine got nervous or carried away, her French accent bled through her words. Right now she was laying it on thick. 'After the battle she said she was tired, so I took over driving and she went to sleep in the backseat, and she won't wake up!'

Wisty thought back to the battle against the Orthrus. Jasmine and Aerwyna's car had gotten hit early. But there were no physical wounds on either girl. And why was Jasmine fine, but Aerwyna not?

First things first. Jasmine looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack. Wisty searched the circle of Hunters. She met Lucia's eyes. 'Get her out of here,' she mouthed.

The daughter of Aphrodite nodded. Crouching beside Jasmine, she wrapped an arm around Jasmine and whispered something in French. Still shaking, Jasmine nodded jerkily and allowed Lucia to lead her away.

Wisty refocused on Aerwyna. Artemis had her palm against the girl's chest and was whispering a healing spell, but it didn't seem to work. Silver light flooded from the goddess's hand, but as soon as it touched Aerwyna's skin, it hissed and bounced off like it had hit a mirror.

With a shake of her head, Artemis stopped her spell. Frustration clawed through her voice. 'It is not working. Something rejects my divinity.'

Wisty clasped Aerwyna's limp hand. With a thought, a gentle flow of power flowed from her core toward her fingertips and into the unconscious girl. Aerwyna's skin seemed to brighten, and for a second, Wisty thought it was working. But soon the hand she was holding became burning hot and Wisty was forced to let go. A few seconds later, Aerwyna lost her momentary luster and was again as pale as snow.

Artemis shook her head and stood up. 'I will call my brother,' she said, and walked away.

Sighing, Wisty looked around at the rest of the Hunters. 'Keep warm,' she said. 'Set up camp. Ari, start a fire. We don't know how long we're staying for.'

As the others dispersed, Wisty carried Aerwyna into a Jeep and set her down in the backseat. She decided to watch over her until the campfire got going. The inside of the car was warm, but Aerwyna was still freezing cold. If Wisty didn't know better, she might've thought Thanatos had already taken his great-granddaughter.

Something on her collarbone caught Wisty's eye. Carefully, she pried aside the collar of Aerwyna's silver hoodie to see a black mark on the skin, like a bad burn.

The hellhound's blood had been corrosive. The mother of all sickness…

The Orthrus must have been contaminated, and it could have caught Aerwyna when it attacked the car—or something contaminated had touched her. Maybe a piece of debris the Orthrus had struck? Maybe some sweat or blood? Just how infective was this plague?

A cold claw gripped her heart. Naomi had checked Aerwyna's pulse. Artemis had tried to heal her. So had Wisty. All three of them had touched Aerwyna. Wisty felt fine for now, and Artemis was a goddess, but Naomi? She used to be a river nymph. How well would she hold up against something that could hold against a goddess's power?

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. What would Zoë do?

'The campfire's ready, Lieutenant.' Ari's voice jerked her from her stupor. 'Should we make some soup?'

'Soup sounds good,' Wisty said. 'Maybe try some herbs or something? What does Cynthia say?'

Ari shrugged helplessly. 'She doesn't know what it is. She said we should just try to keep her warm for now. I'll go make soup.'

Wisty nodded wordlessly, but Ari was already retreating, running back toward the fire. Wisty scooped Aerwyna up and carried her over. Two of the girls had heaped together a few sleeping bags, and Wisty set her down on the soft padding.

'Soup's almost ready, boss,' Ari called, stirring a pot with a wooden ladle. 'Cynthia threw in some herbs to hopefully get her warmed up.'

Wisty felt Aerwyna's forehead again. Cold. 'Someone bring me a hot towel.'

Naomi walked over, gingerly holding a steaming towel. 'Any changes?'

'No.' Wisty looked at her friend. 'And you? How are you feeling?'

Naomi frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'You touched her just then, didn't you?' Wisty asked. 'I'm trying to watch out for any further infections.'

Naomi smiled at her. 'I'm feeling fine, Lieutenant. No need to worry.'

'I am worried,' Wisty said. 'Even Artemis couldn't heal whatever this is. We all have to watch out now when fighting monsters.'

'Yeah, would be wise,' Naomi agreed. She laid the towel on Aerwyna's forehead. 'Help me get her into a sleeping bag.'

Wisty held the bag open as Naomi slid the boneless girl into it. She zipped it up, making sure the girl's body was fully sheathed and only her head was showing. With her pale face, she looked like a Russian nesting doll.

She looked around the camp. Everyone else seemed downtrodden, but fine otherwise. She cleared her throat. 'Girls, meeting around the campfire. Now.'

There were a few groans—it was late—but everyone shuffled over. Wisty stood up once everyone had arrived.

'We're facing something we've never seen,' she said, keeping her voice steady and authoritative. 'Today, Aerwyna was struck down by…something. We don't know what it is. Artemis doesn't know what it is and she can't heal it. She's hopefully on her way back with Apollo.'

She paused, looking around to make sure everyone was listening. 'We're facing the Mother of All Sickness, who has unleashed the dark plague. The sick hellhound Naomi and I fought was only the beginning. From now on, I want everyone to look out. Everything we touch, every monster we fight…I want a report on every injury, whether it's a training accident or a monster bite. And if you're feeling unwell, or you see someone else sick…' She sighed, rubbing her eyebrows. She hadn't thought this through. 'Let me know immediately, and keep to yourself until you feel better. Understood?'

Everyone looked at each other and gradually began nodding and muttering their assent. Wisty looked up at the moon. It was in its waxing stages, and it was fuller than the night before. She hoped Artemis would be back soon.

'Is that all, Lieutenant?' Phoebe asked. 'It's late, and everyone is stressed. We should sleep.'

Wisty blinked. 'Oh. Yeah—yes. That's all I wanted to say.'

Phoebe nodded. 'Cool. Have a restful sleep, everyone. Jasmine, I think you're on first watch.'

Jasmine blinked. She still looked totally shaken by what happened to Aerwyna. 'I—'

'No, that's fine,' Wisty cut in. 'You've had a long night, and we're already past midnight. I'll keep watch until dawn.'

Phoebe blinked. 'But…we have a watch schedule. It's to make sure everyone gets regular sleep—'

'Pheebs,' Cynthia interrupted. 'Wisty's right. Jasmine is in no shape for watch duty.'

Wisty smiled at the French girl. 'Let's just say you owe me one.'

She nodded. Wisty clapped. 'Then that's that. Everyone, have a good night. Hopefully Artemis will be back soon.'

She watched everyone disperse into their tents, leaving just Aerwyna and herself at the fire. She lifted up the wet towel on Aerwyna's head and checked her temperature. Maybe a little warmer, but that was probably just the warmth from the towel. Grasping the girl's hand, Wisty closed her eyes and let a tiny bit of her power flow.

'I can feel the blood of Poseidon in you,' she whispered. Back at Camp Half-Blood—what felt like an eternity ago—Phoebe had told her that Aerwyna was a distant descendant of Poseidon as well as a great-granddaughter of Thanatos. 'Get well soon, sister. Sickness is no match for the kin of the sea.'

Artemis arrives in her palace in a flash. Apollo should be checking up on Zoë soon, so she will wait for him in her room. She pushes the door open—

'Hello again, Philomeirax.' In a flash, Artemis has her knives at the intruder's throat. But the woman simply smiles. 'Artemis, the Huntress, Protector of Maidens, Friend of Young Girls…was it?'

'You,' Artemis snarls. She never thought she would see this soul again. 'How are you—where is Zoë?!"

'You will never know if you keep your knives at my neck.'

'I do not negotiate with you.' Artemis presses harder and draws blood. 'Tell me, Niobe, where is Zoë?'

Niobe grins at her. Behind her, a warped image made of black smoke appears. Zoë, still unconscious, was laid atop a bed. Around her were airtight stone walls. 'The Mother takes good care of her, you see? As long as you cooperate, of course.'

Artemis's arms shake with anger—and humiliation. This puny, insignificant mortal woman, who she had killed three millennia ago, has the nerve to blackmail her?

Niobe's eyes flash darkly. 'I see. Once a goddess, always a goddess, hm? Cannot let down her pride even for her Lieutenant. Or are you still trying to convince that lover of yours that you've changed for the better?'

Artemis yells in frustration and sheathes her knives. 'What do you want?'

Niobe bares her teeth at her. 'What do I want? I want revenge, of course, for my daughters. But that shall come in good time. For now, you are going to come with me. The Mother would like to talk.'

'In return, you return Zoë,' Artemis demands. 'A goddess for her huntress.'

Niobe purses her lips. 'I'm afraid not.' She yelps as Artemis grasps her throat and raises her above the floor effortlessly. 'Still—' she chokes out, 'still the same old—cruelty, I see.'

'If Zoë is not returned for treatment, she is as good as dead,' Artemis growls. 'So either you return Zoë, or I kill you and go get her myself. Understand?'

Niobe makes a gesture to put her down. Artemis slams her into the ground. She laughs painfully, crumpled on the floorboards. 'Oh, Artemis, you haven't changed a bit! But you don't think the Mother of All Sickness can't deal with a little poison, do you? Come with me, bound, and the little Hesperide will be saved. If not…well, I have no doubt that you think you can rescue her. But even if you do, you know as well as I that she isn't getting any better here.'

Artemis stares at Niobe. Wordlessly, she holds out her hands. Niobe snaps her fingers, and celestial bronze shackles appear on her wrists. Immediately, Artemis feels tired, her powers restrained by magic.

Niobe cackles maniacally. 'I didn't think it was going to be this easy!' She wrenches on Artemis's hair, chuckling at her inability to retaliate. 'Oh, this feels incredible! Maybe you have grown soft, Philomeirax. But I haven't. Every ounce of pain you dealt to me, every daughter of mine you killed with your divine arrows…all of that will be returned and there will be nothing you can do.'

Artemis bares her teeth. 'Wisteria won't let that happen.'

Niobe laughs. 'We're betting on that. Now come on! You're going to see the Mother, and that daughter of Poseidon is going to come to rescue you, and we'll have everything we want in our grasp.'

Philomeirax: an epithet of Artemis which means 'Friend of Young Girls'.

In the Greek myths, Niobe boasted that she was better than Artemis because she had children and the goddess did not. As revenge, Apollo killed all seven of her sons and Artemis killed all seven of her daughters.

This story is not dead yet, despite what some of you must think. Many things have changed for me over the past two years. But that doesn't change the fact that, well, I love Sea Girl. I love Wisty. Even as I continue to progress in my writing, moving on to more original projects, this story and these characters remain in my mind always.

So, yes, I am back, and this story will be finished. As for my other projects...right now, only Elpis is being worked on sporadically. I do hope to eventually finish that one as well.