SUMMARY: Percy Jackson has a crush: on the bright moon that keeps him company during his night shifts, while he works at a common bar. However, falling in love with a trigger-happy moon goddess doesn't exactly fill the "crush" department. In which Artemis is both amused and horrified at the love-stricken bar boy, Percy likes the sound of trouble, and Aphrodite laughs from above. Pertemis

A/N: I was going to post this after two days of chapter 8, I swear... But then I realized I didn't like where my first draft was headed...it was going way too quick, and there was a plot point I wasn't really fond of introducing so early on. So I rewrote it. All of it. The days slipped by, until we're finally here. Whoops. This whole chapter sapped up my energy, so I hope it's at least somewhat pleasant to read.

There's some mentions of mild substance abuse (drugs/alcohol). There are some heavy but vague topics because a certain character ran away with me. I think it still warrants the T tag though, but just a warning.

This is from Artemis's perspective fully, and again, Percy and Artemis do not interact. Woe is me.

Percy Jackson died several times that morning.

The first time was as an elk. Then a bear. Then a quail. Now Artemis was going for the deer.

Artemis raised her bow ever-so-slightly, hidden behind a redwood tree, watching resolutely as the whitetail deer fed off of the ground. She was careful not to make a sound, but it didn't matter though in the long run: raising its head from the shrubbery, the perceptive deer began to run, like it had noticed a disturbance in its midst.

Excellent, Artemis thought to herself. The deer was cleverer than she'd given it credit for, and as it began to run, its legs practically tripping over each other in an attempt to quicken its pace, Artemis felt whorls of exhilaration form in her stomach. She would take her time with it. She would savor it.

After all, the chase made victory all the more tantalizing.

Artemis shoved her bow and arrow into her quiver, turning back in the direction of the deer. Despite how she could easily teleport and kill the deer with her Olympian strength, she often preferred to hunt the mortal way. It made her feel, emotions running through her in the most intoxicating way.

Artemis ran through the forest, high on a breeze.

The air smelled of strong, aromatic pine, the naturality of it soothing. It was nothing like controlled air fresheners, mixed in with the slightest sea breeze, and air conditioners selected to the perfect temperature—

This was different. Comfortable. It was exhilarating, wild, and it was exactly the sort of sensation Artemis could distract herself for hours on end with. As she ran, Artemis felt the godly strength in her veins, ichor moving through her.

She was sunlight streaming in from the canopy. She was the air whipping past trees.

She was free and powerful, and the deer was hers.

She imagined the deer as him. Her footsteps faltered slightly, before she regained her steadfast determination.

She wanted to get rid of her torment and source of suffering. She wanted to pierce his heart with an arrow and never, ever think about him again.

After all, the only way to rid herself of temptation was to find the root—and then to shoot it through the chest.

The deer ran faster, faster, and Artemis could taste its fear. It was pure delight.

The deer was sacred to Artemis, and she protected animals. But she also hunted them with an equivalent ferocity, in a strange but somehow understandable contradiction. This one would be worshiped properly after death, if it just gave in.

It didn't. It was stubborn, and Artemis smiled.

They ran, across the forest, through a meadow, back to the forest ground swathed with twigs and decay. Artemis was precise with every step, despite wearing comfortable though sturdy, dark boots. Her silver jacket rustled in the wind, and she didn't think she felt more alive in that moment. Her heart drummed in her chest.

Artemis continued to run, and the deer did too, their steps matching. She could feel the energy radiating from the deer, the invigoration it possessed in its bones.

Then the deer made the wrong step, its hoof getting caught in a bush of purple thistles. It tripped, falling to the ground. That was all the mistake Artemis needed to secure her victory. Artemis, lightning-fast, brought out her bow and arrow, and before the deer could even think about escape, she sent a sure-fire arrow into its half-exposed chest.

The deer's head slumped to the ground.

Artemis sat, crouched, by a creek. A few of her hunters were accompanying her, namely two modern girls named Phoebe and Celyn, who were currently scanning the forest territory. The Hunters were instructed to stop and build camp soon, after they collected enough wood and supplies. Artemis usually joined in on the tasks, as a sign of fairness and camaraderie, but she had felt deeply exhausted after her hunting spree.

Streaks of sweat were painted on her brow from her hunting trips, and she took a calm breath close to the creek. Artemis then took a look at the animals she'd killed, all pierced directly in the heart, blood beginning to dry on their bodies. She would have to scavenge their parts later...

All of the hunted animals before her were plain and ordinary, mortal animals that could be easily killed without much hassle. Usually, she hunted for large beasts with multiple of her hunters at her side—often golden-horned stags and her other significant mythological symbols. Never this...normal.

She stared at their bleeding forms, her eyes glazed over. Somehow, though she'd relieved the tension in her chest, she also felt...nothing. Numb. The hunt had been thrilling, but the aftermath had been decidedly...not.

Artemis had never felt that way before.

Artemis looked peacefully off at the morning horizon, trying to appreciate the solitude, though the thought nagged at her. Sometime later, her lieutenant came to her. Thalia Grace, despite her older age in her twenties, still had a youthful presence to her, looking no older than seventeen.

Despite how Thalia wasn't exactly the standard age bracket—with Artemis's hunters usually being much younger in their teenage years—Artemis had made an exception for the brash, headstrong daughter of Zeus. After Artemis's old lieutenant had left the Hunt, she had needed a replacement to fill the role, and Thalia had every quality necessary.

And the silver circlet looked awfully good on Thalia's head. Like it was meant to be there, preordained and fated.

Thalia ran up to her.

The demigod's dark, short hair was mussed, the forest's leaves decorating her hair along with the circlet. She looked a bit like a fey creature: dewy, lightly freckled skin; sharp ears and a sharp nose; and electrifying-blue eyes. Thalia smiled at her and asked, "How was your trip, Lady Artemis?"

Artemis stared for a moment, before regaining her composure. She stood up, neatly brushing down her hunting apparel. She had forgotten of the excuse she'd given her hunters, telling them that she would be in Oregon, for an individual hunting trip... Shame tickled her insides, as she thought about what had actually happened while she was away. What would they think of her when she admitted to watching a mortal man?

Artemis's pride hurt at that.

"It was...pleasant," Artemis lied. She didn't offer any clarification after. Thalia didn't ask for any.

Artemis respected Thalia greatly. The demigod was a simple soul with simple whims; she was stubborn, though kind to the younger Hunters, becoming a sort of older sister to many of them. Thalia was vicious in her opinions, but she wasn't idiotic. And the way she hunted was spectacular as well—always in tune with her environment, cutting through her prey brilliantly either with celestial-bronze hunting knives or silver-flicked arrows. Thalia was an excellent lieutenant, much better a hunter than a bartender.

But then...why? If her life was better lived as a Hunter, why did she look so...wistful? Why did Artemis spot the daughter of Zeus often lost at thought at the riverside? Artemis could not read human minds, but she knew Thalia was mourning. For the life she'd left behind. And partially, for that...boy.

Even the thought of Percy Jackson sent Artemis's blood boiling. She suppressed the need to go back into that forest and kill every animal in it.

She took calming breaths, letting the gentle swishing of the creek's water drown out her firmamental anger. It worked well enough, though Thalia raised her brows in curiosity.

"Pleasant?" Thalia asked, tone questioning. Then she added, "My lady, you seem...angry."

"I was held up," she said, trying to calm herself. "I had to deal with a pest on my way back."

Thalia seemed unconvinced, but she didn't push. Thalia had a melancholic expression though, as soon as those blue eyes met the creek. Somehow, though Artemis didn't know why, she could tell exactly who Thalia was thinking about. It left her more stupefied than actually mad.

But it also made Artemis tense.

If Thalia had romantic feelings for Percy Jackson, Artemis would have to remove her from the hunt. It would be a shame, of course, but Artemis believed deeply in vows of chastity. Artemis couldn't let Thalia continue to stare at bodies of water, yearning romantically for that boy, while still letting her stay in the hunt as a member of authority. That would be wrong. It would go against everything Artemis stood for.

Therefore, Artemis had to find the truth out for herself. "Are you thinking about Percy Jackson?"

"I'm not going to answer that," Thalia said after a pause.

Silver eyes studied Thalia, trying to pick apart the happenings in her mind. The sun shone on the pair—leader and second-in-command—casting them aglow with pale gold light.

"It's an honest question," Artemis assured her.

After all, Artemis hated Jackson—and she wouldn't feel anything if he died—but she did care about Thalia.

Her animosity with Percy Jackson didn't mean she was going to kill him. That would be like killing every single old male companion of her hunters. That went too far, it was a breach of trust, and it was foolish and petty. Artemis said unflinchingly, "I will not harm him unless he gives me a reason to, that I can promise you."

"'Unless he gives me a reason to'?" echoed Thalia, looking at her disbelievingly, nose scrunched-up. "That's not reassuring at all. I know how easily you can change your mind. And the way you acted in the bar doesn't help your case."

"He is mortal. I have no feelings towards him."

"Yeah. Whatever," blurted Thalia. "Just don't mess with him, and we'll be fine."

The words sounded like a threat, especially coupled with those angrily vibrant blue eyes, but surprisingly, Artemis didn't feel all that annoyed or upset at her lieutenant's words; she respected the protectiveness in Thalia's tone, the way she stood by her friends and family. It reminded her strangely of her relationship with her twin brother.

"Of course. It was only a question..." said Artemis sincerely. "I meant no harm."

No matter how much she wanted to, Artemis would not be the one to kill him. Time would do that well enough.

Artemis took in a sharp breath and added, "...but I do have other reservations about him."

Thalia swallowed. "I know you hate him, but he is not a bad guy," she blurted in a quick but passionate declaration. "A bit of an idiot, but still. He's got good intentions."

"I don't care about his intentions," Artemis said, her tone more callous. "I cannot have my lieutenant slacking off. You are allowed to care for him in a platonic way"—though Artemis would admittedly never understand why—"but you are not to let your emotions overtake you."

"Lady Artemis," Thalia said coldly, "I'm not the type to let anything overtake me...but it's only been a few weeks. Even though I serve you now, I still miss my old life. It's natural, and you should understand that."

Artemis offered a smile. It was less of a smile, and more of an unpleasant curve of her lips.

She watched the other couple of Hunters gathering firewood, passing whispers and glances at the tense conversation the two were having. Artemis's cruel smile faded, and she regained an air of calmness.

Artemis put a gentle but firm hand on Thalia's shoulder, making the daughter of Zeus flinch.

"What do you want?" Thalia asked bluntly.

"Nothing," Artemis said. Her tone was low, but surprisingly serene. "You've already given me your word and your loyalty, and there isn't much I can take from you other than that."

"Then?"

"Thalia, you are aware that you're immortal now, aren't you?"

A pause. A beat, and then, Thalia's slightly wavering, gruff voice: "Yes. It was in the conditions. 'Eternal maidenhood' and all that."

"That friend of yours is going to die." It was an apathetic, uncaring declaration. "He might die in a year, or maybe he'll get unlucky and pass away in seventy." Thalia shivered, but she did not look away. Good. "You might be killed in combat, but I'll be honest and admit this: I believe you'll last. You'll become something of a god, Thalia." Artemis's voice became softer, and she felt an unfamiliar pain infiltrate her chest as she said: "Percy Jackson and every person in your old life is going to die—so why waste yourself on fleeting things?"

Thalia backed away, and Artemis's hand slipped from her shoulder. Artemis's lips twisted.

Thalia snapped, all pretenses of "my lady" this and "Lady Artemis" that gone: "Do you tell that to every Hunter? Even the young ones? 'Oh, hey, you're twelve and all, but all of your family is going to fucking die. Have fun with that!'"

Artemis stared.

"You are acting like an asshole!" Thalia hissed, her brows narrowed, looking at her with disbelief and annoyance in her gaze. "And also, I don't care if I'm supposed to be your lieutenant! If this hunt business is just you calling the shots—then...then I want nothing to do with it!"

Artemis's eyes were lidded. "You've got the same charm as your friend," she said calmly.

It was true. Thalia and Percy Jackson were similar. Not the same, not remotely, but they had a similar resolve and determination to do what they wanted. Thalia went about it in louder, brasher, more violently-fueled ways, but Jackson went about it quietly, though still with an edge.

Thalia opened her mouth to say something, probably something just as fiery and angry, but Artemis interrupted right away, hesitating slightly.

Eyes drawn to the creek, Artemis added, "I apologize."

The other daughter of Zeus backed down. She stared, unsure what to do. "Oh?" she said, trying to put as much cockiness into that one word as possible. Thalia's voice faltered, and Artemis noticed, latching onto Thalia's uncertainty.

"My words were uncalled for," Artemis told her, and it was completely true. Artemis had been too forward, and although she'd been honest, the way she'd gone about it wasn't proper. "And...I'd like if you stayed...truly, Thalia. I like the spark I see in you, and I believe it can be cultivated into something magnificent."

Thalia looked at her carefully, shoving her hands into her silver-threaded pockets. She waited.

"I will not interfere if you try to contact your friends. Even the male ones. Even Jackson."

Those blue eyes narrowed, but Artemis could tell Thalia's heart wasn't in it. "You better fucking not. That's my family."

"The people you abandoned."

"I already let them down," spat Thalia tersely. "What's a little abandonment going to do to 'em?"

Artemis ignored the surprisingly gut-wrenching admittance from her. "You can always talk to them," Artemis said quietly. It was only fair. Artemis would not be cruel or selfish when it came to her hunters' happiness. "But I just want you to know...the more attached you get, the harder it is when death comes."

"I'll get as attached as I like. What're you gonna to do about it?"

"I will watch from the side," Artemis told her.

I will watch as you mourn, Artemis wanted to say. You will wish you'd stayed distant, but I will not fault you for it. We always long for the things we can never have.

There was a moment of silence, but not the unpleasant kind. It was the kind of silence that understandings and compromises crawled out of, bridging any problem and filling any angry heart with empathy.

Thalia licked her lips, flicked her gaze away, and then turned to Artemis finally. She cleared her throat lightly, and all traces of that punk rebelliousness gone, Thalia said briskly, "I'm glad we sorted things out. And, well, I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have gotten all jumpy. Percy is an idiot, but he's my idiot. He got steamrolled over by life, and I can't just let you steamroll over him too."

"I won't," Artemis said to her, light silver eyes meeting blue.

"You promise not to hurt him?"

"I swear on the River Styx," Artemis vowed to her. Somewhere afar, thunder sounded, sealing the oath.

Thalia breathed in relief.

"Then I'm sorry for speaking out of turn. And challenging your authority. I pledged myself to you on my own accord and kind of signed up to listen to you call the shots," Thalia also added hesitantly. "And I shouldn't have been so defensive. I know you mean well."

Artemis found herself unwittingly satisfied. They had mended their problems quickly; that was what Artemis liked about Thalia. She was incredibly straightforward.

Artemis still thought about the question, about whether or not Percy and Thalia had been in a romantic relationship. It echoed through her head, half-mad in its fervor.

Sometimes, she felt that Thalia and the boy were too close. Playful though light shoves after shifts...their eyes meeting each others' in the silence of business declines...the care they so easily expressed with every insult. Even if it was merely a friendship, Artemis felt something dark and ugly grow in her chest.

Artemis couldn't help but wince. She tried to refocus and reorient herself.

Noticing Artemis's discomfort through the silence, Thalia, in an attempt to change the subject, said abruptly, "Phoebe told me she spotted the Calydonian boar in that forest." The girl gestured over, dark spiky hair being whipped around by the sudden wind. "Do you want to race for it?"

It wasn't the first time Artemis had been challenged to a Hunt, but it had been the first in a long time.

Artemis nodded, sitting up from the creekside. She grabbed the silver arrow she'd polished and the long, delicately-carved bow, and notched an arrow. "I would like that."

They hauled the boar back in the late afternoon, around five o'clock. The hunt itself hadn't been exactly difficult, but tracking the monster had taken longer than Artemis had anticipated. The boar was fast, and the canopy of forest trees made it difficult to spot, even in broad daylight.

The Calydonian boar, now dead, was truly a majestic beast. Artemis had unleashed it to plague the city of Calydon long ago, when her arrogance had deemed their offerings insufficient. She was petty at times, and that pettiness—at least, for mortals—was deadly. The boar was bathed in bronze light, its fur-covered hide completely exposed.

Sometimes, Artemis believed hunting monsters was a waste. She knew that in a few moments, the boar would become golden dust, reforming in Tartarus, but it didn't matter. The hunt itself had been emotionally fulfilling, clearing the numbness she had felt—

Oh. It was back.

The numbness.

She slid her bow back, trying to ignore the utter emptiness she felt. It couldn't be normal. She was a hunting goddess—this was her purpose, everything in her life revolved around her domains... The hunt, the moon, and chastity. It was just how it worked.

Select words reverberated through her skull. They were damning.

You will never find your purpose.

The other Hunters scavenged parts of the boar they could use—soft fur which could be used as receptacles, horns which could be crafted into weapons. They worked quickly, while Artemis's heart clenched...while the emptiness surrounded her, choking her for the fun of it. When the figure of the boar disappeared, drowned in gold, she felt nothing.

Thalia's brows knitted together, and she ran up to Artemis, trying to placate her with a victorious smirk. "That was an excellent shot, my lady. Got it right between its eyes."

Artemis nodded, thankful, though her mind drifted. "Thank you, Thalia. Your attempts were valiant as well."

"I'll get it next time," Thalia said with a shrug, her ego talking. "Not used to this yet." A gesture to the bow and arrow, and then she gave Artemis a wickedly passionate smile. "Once I do though, I'll give you a run for your money."

Artemis smiled in her lieutenant's direction. "We'll see," she said, but she truly didn't mean it.

Her gaze was fixed at the thin creek, water drifting languidly through the dark green forest's clearing. It was sun-dappled, a dark turquoise color that ran with vitality. Smoothly, blues and greens were shaded rustically by the dark, ochre ground. It was a different area of the creek, but now in the afternoon's calm air, it was somehow even more stunning. Slow and quiet, but beautiful once Artemis's gaze settled in—

"It's a pretty creek, isn't it?" It was Thalia's voice.

Artemis's lips twitched into a smile. "Pretty" was far too common a word for it. It was ethereal, alive, running with the lifeforce and vitality of nature. But Artemis didn't feel the need to clarify that.

Artemis took a calming breath, taking a short glance at the Hunters near the boar, small figures in the distance, against the muted afternoon light. She looked to Thalia who was standing alongside her, their eyes meeting.

"Thalia," Artemis began, "I have a question. A strange one."

"About the creek?"

"No." It was a sharp answer, monosyllabic.

Artemis took a breath.

Their fight had happened just a few hours ago. It was still fresh, still new. Artemis and Thalia had been close and happy the whole afternoon, flinging arrows and chasing the boar through the woods, the adrenaline from hunting shadowing whatever bitterness Thalia had been feeling towards her. But still.

Artemis didn't know how to phrase the question. Artemis, a straightforward and assertive goddess beforehand, was now unable to string a full sentence. Her mouth felt dry, her lips unable to part to form words. She felt like somehow even the thought itself was weakness, but she couldn't back down now. Thalia was her lieutenant, and if she couldn't even trust her, then who could she trust? A calmness spread over her, and she coughed.

Thalia nodded encouragingly.

"It's nothing about the hunt," Artemis said quietly. "It's rather a more personal topic, one I'm not sure you'll indulge me with."

"There's only one way to find out," Thalia quipped back.

Artemis looked back at her lieutenant, scarred and battered up by the forest's elements. She had scratches on her cheeks and knuckles, nothing that moonwater wouldn't fix, but the blood that'd trickled out of her wounds was crimson. Bright, brimming-with-life red. Despite the partial immortality the Hunters received, they still bled red. Everything about them was human, all except for the length of their lifespans. That much was obvious, but somehow, the thought struck Artemis with a revealing sense of clarity.

"How does it feel, Thalia, to..." Artemis began, staring at her cuts, "...be alive?"

Silence.

The silence was so decadently expansive, Artemis almost felt weighed down by it, her thoughts coming out stilted and numbly devoid of emotion. Artemis knew she should've felt embarrassed by the question, and she breathed deeply.

Alive—what a word. Artemis was alive, immortal and irrevocable; that much was certain. She should be alive. She had all the characteristics of a living entity...

"Alive?" Thalia's brows furrowed. "Um, my lady—"

"It's an odd question, I know," Artemis admitted, her lips twisting into a sardonic smile. "But one that I feel I must understand. You were mortal once, Thalia. You are mortal still, in many ways. So how does it feel?"

Skepticism made Thalia's voice come out strained. "How does what feel?"

"Mortality...how does mortality feel?" She looked away, her eyes cast-down, contemplative. Artemis admitted softly, "I have always thought of death as a shadow over humans, a weight holding them down...but I'm not sure about that anymore." Artemis's smile dissipated, replaced with an introspective look. "How do humans continue to breathe, to live, to exist, knowing of their own ruination?"

"Oh, um..." Thalia began hesitantly. "That's kind of a loaded question. And uh, I'm not sure."

Artemis stared at her, as Thalia scratched her neck sheepishly.

"You must know," Artemis said.

Thalia shook her head again, still painfully withdrawn. Somehow, it produced sparks of annoyance in Artemis's stomach.

"You are human. You have to know the feeling," Artemis said fiercely. "It'd be impossible to ignore. How does it feel—"

"Well, I don't know," blurted Thalia. She gazed up at Artemis with pained blue eyes. "You are asking the wrong person. I never thought about death. I never thought about being alive. I never thought about any of that, and I certainly didn't feel any of that crap either." Thalia breathed sharply. "All I did was get sick off of liquor and high off of cigars. That is all I did with my life. That was 'living' for me, summed up."

Artemis stared.

Thalia took a breath. "That is the life I lived. It's not one I'm proud of, but it's the truth," she murmured. "That's why I'm not going to answer your existential questions, Lady Artemis. It's not because I don't want to, but because I can't. I just don't know."

There was a sadness in Thalia's eyes, a numbness that accompanied it. The dark-haired girl took many short breaths, trying to calm herself down. A warble of emotions echoed in Artemis's chest, with mainly a loud flare of guilt and embarrassment.

"I understand," said Artemis in the silence. "I'm sorry for prying."

"No need to say sorry. I just wanted you to know the kind of lieutenant you dragged out of that bar." Thalia let out a sharp, self-deprecating laugh. "I'm not exactly the prime choice. I know I'm a daughter of Zeus, but still...I'm a pretty shitty one at that."

"You were my decision, Thalia Grace. I'm not going to stand by while you insult yourself," said Artemis strongly, not missing a beat. "Your past actions should not define you; everyone who joins the hunt is reborn, given the chance to start anew."

Thalia looked away. "I can certainly try, but we'll see." Thalia smiled, looking at the creek. "I'm a bit of an idiot, aren't I? I both hate my old life but long for it too."

Artemis was amused by that, and she felt a deep understanding for Thalia, though she herself had never experienced what the other girl had. "I think it gives you character, Thalia."

Thalia rolled her eyes, but she smiled still. "I am one hell of a character then."

"That you are."

Thalia's mouth quirked upward, and it didn't take long before the two were smiling like old friends.

They spent the rest of the night at the creekside. The numbness in Artemis's stomach was replaced with peace, a calming and warm emotion that drowned out all others. She had sat down there, and with Thalia by her side, they'd polished up knives and arrows, getting blood off of their weapons with creek water and sharpening them with a whetstone. They spent their time exchanging polite chatter, still smiling, talking about where else to hunt...what else to do. They sipped moonwater that'd been stored away in their bags and rested leisurely by the creek, the afternoon breeze light and refreshing. It was a lull between the hunting, a moment where Artemis could enjoy the natural beauty the forest possessed. Thalia did too, smiling brightly.

Time passed.

Thalia took a short, relieving breath.

"So," Thalia said, wiping at a knife, "...what was with your question? About being alive and all. Why'd you ask?"

Artemis pursed her lips. She didn't yet want to talk about the strange numbness she'd felt after the hunt, the feeling of the vitality and vigor she had once felt leaving her body. How she'd felt so emotionless. Thalia wouldn't be able to understand it, and it felt like weakness just thinking about it. Hunting had always brought exhilaration and adrenaline in its wake; this—this was not normal.

"I'm not sure. I feel alive when I hunt," she admitted. "It's probably different though. Hunting is my purpose, the domain I was attributed with. I don't usually feel anything without a bow in my hands and an arrow notched."

Thalia looked at her strangely, like she found Artemis's words difficult to believe. "Really? You don't feel anything otherwise?"

"Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. It's just...archery has always been mine...and Apollo's, but he has a million other domains to contend with," said Artemis in a spurt. "The hunt breathes vigor and strength into my bloodstream. It is essential to me."

"That's what I thought about smoking too," murmured Thalia quietly. "It was the only thing that got me high enough so that I forgot everything else. The only thing that got a reaction out of me, made me alive as you say."

"And you stopped?"

"Yeah. I've been clean for a few years." The side of her mouth lifted, prideful. "I used to get the urge...now I don't anymore. I was starting to make a few changes, but it was too slow. I wasn't getting anywhere, and by the rate I was going at, my lungs were going to be little more than ash when I turned twenty-five. And then I started working at Moonlit for the perks...and well, it was a blessing in disguise. Percy's actually the one that got me fully off it."

"That's interesting...and good news, of course," Artemis said, her heart clenching at the name. She paused, thinking. "You...and him, you're close, aren't you?"

"He's like a brother to me. Or a very, very annoying cousin."

It seemed like since Thalia had extracted the vow from Artemis—the one sworn to Styx, about not harming Percy—she was now more willing to talk about him. A sort of lightness filled Artemis at the thought, and she watched intently as Thalia continued.

"He saved me, my lady." Thalia half-smiled, though her eyes seemed sad. "There's nothing I can do to repay him for that."

Artemis felt something sizzle in the pit of her stomach. It somehow both fascinated and annoyed her that Thalia was spewing these compliments to Percy. Artemis had never dealt with the chains of addiction, the way Thalia had clearly done, and she was happy that her lieutenant had stopped these habits. But just thinking about Percy Jackson doing a decent thing was poking holes through her entire narrative. It hurt, a little, to be reminded that not everything was black-and-white.

That Jackson, as he had so vehemently pointed out, was just human.

Human. The species of consciousness, of potential, of both savagery and civilization. The pinnacle of the word "alive."

There was something deeply intriguing about them, about how they walked around with ideals greater than themselves, with sharply vivacious smiles and innocent ideas of grandeur in their heads and delightfully flawed exteriors. There was something so intrinsically interesting about—

She paused, stilted. She wanted to berate herself, fend off of these rogue and bothersome thoughts, but she realized she couldn't. It was like some part of her knew they were right, that her analysis of humankind was true—true—true.

"Thalia," Artemis said, like a whisper. "You are right. You are utterly, irrefutably right."

Despite her voice's quiet tone, it seemed to rattle the forest's evergreens, rush through the creek, pervade the air like perfume.

"About...repaying Percy?"

"No, it's not about that..." Artemis said softly, and she let out a light laugh at that. Her auburn braid whipped around in the breeze, and she stared off at the distance, where the woods faded off. "I'm proud of you, Thalia. For getting rid of cigarettes. For leaving your old life for a better one. It's inspiring."

"Thank you," Thalia said, her tone questioning in nature, looking at her curiously. Quickly, she added, "But, er, somehow, I don't think you're thinking about that entirely. My lady, what's really on your mind?"

"I've just had a realization," she said calmly.

And it was like being hit by an expansive tidal wave, feeling yourself drown into the blue masses, though still enjoying the process thoroughly. The emotions cascaded in, leaving barely anytime for her to organize and collect herself.

"About what?"

Her lips twitched, but she didn't answer. She stood up from the creekside.

Artemis remembered the surprise she'd felt the night before, how it seemed to eclipse every other feeling. She thought about her hunting trip, the way the passion had been sucked out of the experience, the way she'd dealt with the damning, vicious numbness... It had been the most degrading feeling in the world, to realize your one true path, everything that made you you, had been taken away.

That beautiful feeling of victory, stolen.

And Artemis wanted it back. She wanted it back so hard it seemed to burn her insides with want.

In bristling, unyielding flames.

Percy Jackson done something to her, made it so she felt these stupidly annoying feelings in her chest. He had taken away the exhilaration of a hunt. She wanted to feel the structured enjoyment of hunting again, the feeling of victory and satisfaction thereafter.

He had stolen them, made away with them, like a thief in the night.

A fire erupted in her stomach.

She remembered their encounter the last night, every detail ingrained in her head with astute accuracy:

The shock. The color on her cheeks. The furrow of her brows, the weakness in her soul, the emotions bursting through, tripping over each other to get out...

It was obvious what it was now. What those vibrant emotions had been when they fused together, creating that great wave of shock that'd descended upon her. It was consuming, it was engrossing, it was driving her good sense up a wall. The epiphany rang through her head, singular, unmistakable, conclusive—

She had been alive.

Artemis wanted to feel like that again.

A/N: I feel like Artemis is both infinitely easier and harder to write than Percy. She is straightforward in some ways, but incredibly complex in others. I tried striking a balance, but this chapter definitely was a rough one. I'm also aware that the way I characterize Artemis can be a bit off-putting, but I promise that all of the characters, including her, in the story are going to get development and time. It's going to be a slow-burn through and through, and it's going to be ups and downs the whole way.

Thank you for reading! The next chapter picks up right after this one, and I think it's going to be fun. I'm going to get into the "drama" side of the story, as well as possibly split the chapter between Percy and Artemis's perspectives. Tell me your thoughts, and I'll see you next time—cold, out.