As I promised, here's your upload. I hope you all enjoy! Let me know if you have any critiques and once again thank you for reading!
Artemis crossed her legs, looking out into the forest they were currently camped out in. They had moved North after they broke camp in the redwood forests of California, eventually settling into a grove of Fir trees in the state of Oregon. The woods here were tranquil, almost otherworldly, with the beauty of Fall settling into the wilds. Reds, oranges, and yellows blanketed the forest, mimicking a permanent sunset across the forest floor. The sky was clouded over, as was usual for Oregon, and a misting rain covered the area in a fine layer of water. Her eyes scanned over the camp, seeing the tents set up in-between the trunks, using them as a natural rain cover. Her hunters had disappeared a few hours earlier, going to either train or gather food for tonight's dinner, which left Artemis alone with her thoughts. She grabbed her hunting knife and skillfully carved into a chunk of wood, letting her mind wander.
In the months following Verna's induction into the hunt, Perseus had visited a few times, always being careful by flashing into the outskirts of the camp and sending an Iris message to Artemis for permission to come in. It was miles better than Apollo who would park his burning red ferrari on the grass, causing small fires to break out that Artemis had to extinguish. Politeness, except from her hunt, was not something she was used to, and especially not from the current generation of males. Unfortunately for her, it meant that a certain demigod turned immortal was on her mind a lot more these days. She didn't hate the fact that she was thinking about him more, and moreso she didn't hate that she had formed a professional relationship with him. She let out a small chuckle, likening the relationship to a pair of divorced parents who shared visitation between their daughters. But the things she thought about were different than what others would think about him. She had questions about him. Like how he didn't turn into an arrogant prick like Hercules, or how he seemed to have fallen into Tartarus and come out unaffected, still smiling that damned contagious grin of his. Or how, despite nearly every other immortal in a relationship, he managed to stay faithful, never even looking at another woman that way. She also wondered why he had a shimmer of sorrow lingering over him ever since the birth of his divinity.
It was obvious why he had denied immortality the first time. Unlike her father, she was no fool and could see how much Perseus cared for the daughter of Athena. However, now he could have his cake and eat it too. An immortal life and the woman he loved, it was a one in a million chance, but melancholy surrounded him in every encounter. She turned the now finished sculpture in her hand, eyeing the carving, inspecting it for any flaws. She wasn't sure what to make of the hero of Olympus, and she so desperately wanted to interrogate him on every aspect of his life. Placing the carving on the table, she got up and stretched, letting out a small sigh in pleasure. She began to walk towards the outskirts of the camp; however a pair of sea green eyes and a lopsided smile froze her in her tracks.
"Hello Lady Artemis." Perseus said, his eyes flicking behind her. Of course, he would have the impeccable timing of appearing in her life as she was thinking about him.
"Hello Perseus." She replied, crossing her arms, looking him up and down. He had shed his camp half-blood shirt for a deep blue t-shirt and a dark grey zip-up hoodie. If she was being honest, with how casual he dressed, she forgot he was a god sometimes. His eyes flicked back to her as she scanned him. '"If you're here to visit, I'm afraid everyone has left the camp and won't return for a while."
"Oh, well, I can come back some other time then, farewell Lady Artemis." He went to swipe the message, and before she even realized what she was doing, she spoke up.
"Wait." Perseus's hand froze, and he looked at her quizzically. A slight glimmer of terror appeared on his face, and she almost felt offended. But she shrugged it off, instead opening her mouth to speak, before closing it. What did she want to say? Why did she tell him to wait? It had been some strange instinct, a gut feeling that she wanted him here. Maybe it was her thoughts from earlier, and her desire to question his choices, or maybe she just enjoyed his company. While the boy was, as his girlfriend put it, a seaweed brain, he did make up for it in charisma. He was genuinely enjoyable to be around, and on quite a few occasions made her laugh. But what would she say now? Her pride was too high to say she wanted him here, but she couldn't find a reason.
"Yes Lady Artemis?" He lowered his hand, placing them in his jacket pockets, his eyes shimmering with curiosity.
"Uhm, well, if you'd like, you may stay until they get back?" It was a rather mundane excuse, but it appealed to his loyalty if anything. She turned away, hiding the small flush of embarrassment. Her silver eyes flicked back to the image, awaiting his reaction. The god simply raised an eyebrow, before nodding slowly.
"Well, alright, if it's okay with you then…." It was clear he was a little awkward about the interaction, but he didn't say anything about it. Swiping through the message, Artemis released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Part of her wanted to just hole up into her tent until the hunt came back, but she also realized how rude that would seem to Perseus. Pacing back and forth, the goddess drummed her hands against her thigh, uncharacteristically nervous about her meeting. By all accounts she shouldn't be, she was Artemis, goddess of the moon, eternal maiden, hater of men, and yet, this would be the first time they would be alone together. She was so encumbered by her thoughts that she didn't notice Perseus had stepped in front of her, which stopped her right in her tracks.
"Oh, hello Perseus." She looked up to him, silver meeting green, the same hint of confusion she saw earlier in the Iris message. Stepping backwards so she wasn't so close to him, she looked back towards the dining table. There were a few scraps leftover from lunch. "Are you hungry? We have some lunch leftover." It seemed the Fates smiled upon her at that moment, as Perseus's stomach growled. She guessed it was a side effect of having been mortal, since her own rarely ever did so.
"I uh, yeah, a little" A sheepish smile formed on his face as he looked down. She simply waved her hand in a 'go ahead' gesture. He gave a nod of appreciation before making his way to the dining area. Walking over to her seat, she sat down, crowning herself as the head of the table. Curiously, she watched as he picked a few pieces of chicken and a few potatoes. It was a rather modest portion, and she almost prodded him to get more, but decided against it. As Perseus ate, they both sat in silence, and she began to realize just how awkward this was. Should she say something? Should she wait for him to say something? Should she just leave him and go to her tent and pull out her hair? Her eyes flicked between him and her fingers, intertwined on her lap to keep her from fidgeting. She couldn't do this anymore; she opened her mouth to speak.
"Can I ask you something?" And silence filled the air once more, both of the deities opening their mouths and closing them, almost in perfect sync.
"You go first" Artemis blinked, what the hell was happening? For once in her life, she wanted to die. The awkwardness combined with how much she's already embarrassed herself, she just wanted to crawl into her tent and scream into a pillow. Carefully, she brought her head up, silver clashing with the raging sea. She expected to see the same emotions she was feeling, however she was shocked. Instead of embarassment she was met with amusement, a small smirk on his face. Noticing she wasn't going to say anything, he opened his mouth to speak.
"Please, you go first." She could've argued with him, doing the cliche of going back and forth until someone relents, but she wanted out. Clearing her throat, she met his eyes once more.
"Why did you accept?" Perseus looked at her quizzically, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Accept what?" He asked, setting his utensils down, giving her his full attention now. His eyes bored into her own, and for a moment, she wanted to back down. But her desire for understanding the myth that was Perseus burned through any hesitation. For her, this was a hunt, and he was her prey.
"Immortality. I was there, after the Titan war. You turned it down then, but now, you accepted. I'm not oblivious however, and I could see it. You were sad when she accepted immortality, but you knew you had the same offer. So why, why did you accept it?" And Perseus looked at her, the amusement of their previous mishap slowly fading from his demeanor. Silently, he slunk into his chair, turning away from her and gazing off into the forest.
"I didn't." Artemis blinked, leaning forward. She didn't understand his question. He was clearly a god, he bled Ichor, he could flash and do all the godly things, so what did he mean? As she opened her mouth, he raised a hand. "The Hero of Olympus accepted immortality." She narrowed her eyes, the silver gleam begging him to continue. Perseus turned back to her, and she could see it. The despair in the way he hung his head, how he dug his nails into his palms, and how his eyes, once vibrant and gleaming now dull and lifeless. "The Seventh Hero accepted immortality, the Slayer of Kronos accepted immortality, Annabeth's boyfriend accepted immortality, the son of Poseidon accepted immortality." Each title came out like an insult, like poison on his tongue "But me? No, I shook my head, told them no, I wanted a normal life. I wanted to watch my baby sister grow up, and to be there for her. I wanted to see my mom and take care of her as she aged. That's what I want. But I couldn't." He took a deep breath. "But I couldn't leave them. I couldn't leave her. So he accepted, before I could voice my own opinions." He let out a bitter laugh. "You know Athena once told me, my flaw would be the end of me. I would burn the world to save my friends. But she never told me who's world I would burn. Any chance of having a normal life, gone, with a single choice. And after living through literal hell, I just wanted to go home, talk to my mom, and graduate high school."
Artemis didn't know what to say. In fact, she didn't realize it would be this deep. In all honesty, she thought he would say something mundane, like he didn't want to be pestered by the other gods. But this, this wasn't what she wanted.
"I'm just, I didn't want this, but the other did." He sat up, taking a deep breath. "Sure, it's not all bad. Most of the people I care about accepted it too. I get to spend the rest of my life with someone I love. And, Ancient Laws be damned, I can help those who truly need it. Being the god of heroes comes with its perks." His eyes met hers, and she had to stop herself from getting lost in them. She could see the emotion buried away, boiling just underneath the surface, just like the ocean. "I guess to answer your question in a simpler way. I had to accept. If I didn't, I'd be turning my back on everyone. I had the ability to make some real changes, and I have. I've saved so many demigods and given them all good homes." He swept his hands over the campsite, and a ghost of a smile spread across Artemis's face. "I crave a normal life, but I'll never get it, so I make the best of what I have. I apologize if my mood slips out sometimes." He bowed his head, and Artemis shook her own in response.
"No worries at all, I apologize for asking that question. I didn't think it would be as loaded as it was." It was rare for her to apologize, and even rarer that she apologizes to a male, but she wasn't stuck up in her pride like her family was. She knew when to bow her head, and when to fight for herself.
"It's fine, I appreciate you listening. No one has really said anything since I've become immortal, and it's nice to know someone is looking out for me." Artemis tilted her head. She wouldn't exactly put it like that, moreso just a morbid curiosity that's built up. But she didn't say anything about it, instead opting to ask him another question.
"So, I've said my question, what is yours?" Perseus paled, raising his hands and waving them, signalling 'no'
"After your question, there's no way I can ask mine now." The goddess was intrigued. He couldn't just tease her like that.
"Please, I insist. You answered my question to the fullest extent, I can only return the favor." His face flushed golden. Now she could see it, the embarrassment that he dodged before. She enjoyed it, relishing the fact that she got to even the score, even though he clearly wasn't playing.
"Look, it's a really stupid question, are you sure? We can just call it even." On one hand, Artemis didn't know if she could deal with his denseness right now, but on the other, she was dying to know what his mind had come up with.
"Go ahead, I promise I won't laugh." Taking a deep breath, Perseus nodded, before speaking.
"So, you drive the moon chariot, correct?" She nodded, raising an eyebrow, having next to no idea where this was going. "And the moon follows the chariot, right?" She nodded once more.
"More or less." Perseus looked away, gold flushing his cheeks once more.
"Well, uhm, why is it that we sometimes see the moon during the day? Do you drive it during the day? I've honestly been struggling with this question for months and I didn't want to ask Annabeth because she'd call me stupid, and I'd probably not understand her explanation." Artemis blinked. Staring at the god, dumbfounded. This was the question he wanted to know? For a second, time stood still, with Perseus sitting there, twiddling his thumbs.
"We're ba-Lady Artemis?!" Thalia and the others walked over to the dining area, and were shocked to see Artemis on the floor, her face golden and Perseus holding his head in his hands as she had laughed harder than they had ever seen her before.
The goddess's eyes fluttered open; the rush of energy having subsided around an hour ago. The noise of the forest signifying that daybreak was soon to approach. She stared at the walls of her tent, her eyes lazily brushing over the different trophies in her room. Artemis loved being the goddess of the hunt, cherished every moment of it. The rush, the exhilarating feeling of chasing your prey. Nothing could compare. But right now, she hated it. Despite what she said last night, she didn't want to face her husband. To see his emerald eyes staring into hers, to see her face reflected, masked in betrayal. She balled her fists in the sheets of the mattress, taking a deep breath. It wouldn't do her any good to dwell on it, right now she had a job to do. She will find him, then toss him to the wolves, quite literally.
Getting up, she brushed her hair out of her face, going over to her full-body mirror. For a moment, she wasn't sure what to wear. This would be their first meeting in twenty years after all, but then she pushed that thought out of her mind, settling on a simple silver blouse and a pair of dark blue leggings with a gray and white camouflage pattern. Looking at her face in the mirror, she didn't look like someone who had just gone two days without sleep. Her hair was a fiery red and shone brighter than the morning sun. Her eyes were like two freshly minted silver coins, reflecting off the light of the dawn. A few freckles adorned her otherwise flawless skin, and her posture was perfect, filling the air around her with confidence. This would've been a massive ego boost to any other goddess, but considering she never tried to court anyone, she never gave a damn.
While brushing her hair, she wondered how she would tell the hunt about their orders. Just dropping on them 'Hey guys, we've got to go hunt down my husband and many of yours best male friend, and oh yeah he's been in Florida this entire time.' She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Something still didn't add up, but she couldn't tell what. Surely if he was in Florida, someone would've found him already? She knew he didn't have any way to manipulate the mist, as he wasn't as skilled with it as his friends were. The most he did was change his sword, Riptide, from a cheap plastic pen to a clickable ballpoint. Shaking her head, she walked towards the door, desperate explanations going through her head. There was also the matter of his voice appearing in her head. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell the rest of the hunt about that. It would cause quite a bit of uproar that she couldn't handle with her current mental state. Opening the door, she saw that her huntresses were already gathered in front of her tent, with Thalia and Verna standing in front of them all, a sickly-sweet smile on each of their faces.
Well, that settles that.
"Did you already tell them, or should I?" She closed her eyes, massaging her temples. These girls were going to be the end of her, she could feel it. Thalia went to speak, but another voice cut her off.
"Tell us what Lady Artemis?" The former praetor stepped out from the middle, adorned with the normal huntress attire of a silver parka and a pair of winter leggings. However, she had a royal purple shawl that covered her neck and chest, keeping her quite warm. Considering she was used to warmer weather; she was usually one of the few who were more bundled up than the rest of them. Artemis scanned over the crowd, and while some held confused faces, most of them were just rubbing their eyes, still a little sleepy from waking up. Inside she smiled, they were, at heart, still young girls after all. Reyna however, stared at her, the brown eyes glinting in the morning sun, mimicking polished amber.
"Well, uhm, yesterday, at the winter solstice, my father ordered us to go on a hunt in the state of Florida." The girls moaned, letting out sighs and grunts in disapproval. It was bad enough Zeus was commanding it, but the fact that they had to go to Florida in the winter months, well that was basically torture. They couldn't go to the beach and the people were always rude to them, either lecturing them on how they should dress, or by blatantly hitting on them, even if they were clearly old enough to be their grandparents.
"What are we hunting?" Reyna crossed her arms. She didn't hate the idea as much as the others, for her anywhere was better than the north. Artemis's eyes flicked to Thalia and Verna, who both gave a reassuring nod. Steeling herself, she looked back over to her hunt.
"We've finally gotten a trail of Perseus Jackson." And for a moment, she could feel the forest hush at the name. You could hear an ant crawl across a leaf a hundred feet away with the tension in the campsite. Then all hell broke loose.
"What do you mean he's in Florida?!" Reyna was the first to speak, her eyes widening and stomping her foot. It was funny in a way, seeing the previous leader of a Roman army stomp her foot in frustration like a child.
"We searched there for years, and we never saw a single hint of him!" Atalanta said, pacing in circles, running her hands through her hair, clearly stressed out.
"Why is Percy in Florida?!" A girl with blonde hair and grey eyes, Hailey, piped up. She was her youngest hunter at thirteen, but as her heritage suggests, invaluable in and off the battlefield. Artemis could see her mind whirring with ideas.
"I'm gonna kill him." Phoebe was well, being Phoebe. She went to her tent, probably to gather a small arsenal to beat the god up with once he was found.
Artemis held up a hand, silencing the group. Uneasy murmurs spread throughout the crowd. It was no secret their lady hated her husband, so they quietly wondered if they were going to be sent on their own. She could see the doubt spreading across her ranks, but she could also sense something else. Happiness was there, a few of the girls bouncing up and down at once again talking to one of their favorite people. Others were understandably angry, with Thalia, Reyna, and Phoebe leading that faction. Hope glimmered in each of their eyes, but there was also fear. Fear that he wouldn't be there, that they would be wasting their time searching for him again. The disappointment of failure was evident, as each time they tried they were met with rejection. Now, there was finally something that they could use. A trail, a scent of the sea. She had sent a mental message to her wolf pack last night while she was in her tent to start sniffing out his scent.
"We will be splitting up in groups. We will have three people to a group, with me going solo. Reyna, Atalanta, Thalia, Verna, and Phoebe will be the leaders of each of these groups. The more ground we can cover, the faster we can find him. If you do find him, do not engage. Instead call the rest of us through an Iris message and wait for reinforcements. It may be Perseus, but we don't know if he's gone rogue or not." Deep down in her heart, she knew he would never hurt the girls, but she couldn't know if he wouldn't at least deceive them.
'Like he did to me' A meek voice sounded in the back of her head, and she winced. Luckily none of the hunters seemed to notice as they were too busy recreating a high school dodgeball lineup, with them excitedly yelling 'pick me pick me!' Artemis shook her head, but the thoughts remained. Suddenly, her stomach started twisting, and her heartbeat increased. They were going to find him. But then what? Would she confront him about his prayers to her? Other gods would be ecstatic if they received as much power as she did on a near nightly basis. Would she confront him on why he left? Did the others even know why he left? She looked over to her hunt, and suddenly she paled. She never told them.
'Leave, and never come back. I don't want to see you again Perseus.' The coldness in her voice, the tears streaming down her face, she could remember her feelings clearly back then, and anger resurfaced every time that scene played again. Like watching a movie you've seen before, and you know your favorite character dies, but you can't stop watching. Sadness, betrayal, rage, and everything in between. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and jerked. Thalia had moved to her side, as if sensing her inner turmoil. And for the first time, she felt guilt. Looking into Thalia's electric blue eyes, what would she say to her? It was bad enough when she hid the secret messages, but knowing she was the reason he left? She didn't give a damn about him, but her hunters were her world.
"It's okay Lady Artemis, we will find him. We all know how…." Her eyes flicked to the side, sorting through a list of words to use "uncomfortable you were with him around you after your engagement, and I'm sure he felt it too. So, we will keep him away from here. And I'm sure he won't care either, he is kind of the ultimate simp sometimes." Thalia snorted at the use of the word, and Artemis simply cocked her head. She didn't know the meaning of it, but decided to trust her nonetheless. She would also have to trust Perseus to not tell them, which is unlikely as the god would be swarmed with questions about why he left. The sun slowly rose over the horizon, signaling the time for them to start. As they began packing up, Artemis steeled her resolve, there would be time later for reflection and apologies. For now, she had a rogue god to catch.
The bell tinkled as a new customer walked into the coffee shop, the aroma intoxicating any and all nearby patrons. A head of auburn hair was splayed across one of the tables, a latte sitting next to her, steam rising from the cup, a cute little raccoon drawn with the cream on top. The date was January 22nd, an entire month had passed since they set out for Florida, and the closest they've gotten was that he was somewhere in Miami, which is where she was currently. It made sense, as Perseus had spent a lot of time here when he wasn't attending to his godly duties. Most had joked that this had become his patron city, with offers of booze and spring breakers, but he always rolled his eyes at them. Currently Artemis was enjoying the cool table against her forehead, trying to relieve the headache a certain son of Poseidon had caused her. She didn't expect to find him day one of course, but a whole month? How was he hiding his godly energy this well? Especially being so near his element, he should be shining like a beacon in the night sky. Lifting her head up, she scanned the coffee shop.
She had become quite fond of the place, frequenting it during the late nights that she was up because of him. It looked more like a bar than a coffee shop, with a beautiful cherry wood bar, and a large wall of glass jars filled with coffee beans, small paper labels assigning each on their names. At first, she had been overwhelmed with the options, but the barista had been incredibly helpful to her. Looking over to her now, she was drying off a few cups, her ponytail bobbing back and forth as she hummed a melody. Her first interaction with the girl was rather rough, as piercing red eyes had stared at her, but she had explained she wore contacts, and it was a good way to ward off men flirting with her. Apparently the wedding ring on her finger wasn't enough. Of course Artemis had greatly approved and made a companion in her. Looking back to her latte, she watched as the raccoon stared back at her, wondering if she was going to end it's misery or not.
Taking a sip, she heard another customer come through the door and her eyes flicked over. It was a guy, dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, wearing a jacket that had a logo of the sun with sunglasses on it. His blonde hair fell down in curls, framing his face like a picture. A radiant smile adorned his face as he let out a few lines of poetry describing the barista. Normally, Artemis would drag her brother out of the shop by his ear, but she instead watched the interaction with a smug smile as the barista beautifully shut him down with a deadpan expression and her red eyes glaring at him. He grabbed his heart in mock offense, before going back to his normal demeanor, ordering a cup of coffee and walking over to Artemis. Sitting down, he rested his chin in his right hand, and the goddess had the desperate urge to knock it over so that he would faceplant straight into the table.
"Hey little sis." Yep, that's exactly what she did, smiling smugly at the dull thud as his face gloriously hit the hardwood surface. Artemis was pretty sure she heard a snort from the bartender. Rubbing his nose, Apollo looked at Artemis, his radiant blue eyes crashing against her silvery yellow. For a moment, there was a silent anger between them, as if they would start hurling fists, but then they both cracked a smile. Over the course of Perseus's disappearance, Apollo had been an exemplary brother, comforting her through the first few years as she battled with the sting of betrayal. "So, how are you holding up?" He asked, his eyes searching her own for an answer. The goddess sipped her drink, breaking her brother's gaze as she stared at the swirls of caramel and cream, gathering her thoughts. How was she holding up? She was annoyed of course, no hunt had taken this long before, but that wasn't the only emotion she felt.
"Anxious, confused…..scared." Setting the cup down, her fingers danced along the wood grain of the table. "I…..don't really know what I'm going to do when he comes back. I want to avoid him, to shoot a million arrows into his thick skull, I want to ask him why…." If she had been looking at him, she would see a flash of guilt appear on his face before he cleared his throat.
"Can I suggest something?" Artemis looked back at him, and the expression on his face was unreadable. Slowly nodding her head, she raised the cup to her lips once more, embracing the sweet dose of caffeine. "When you do meet him, can you give him a chance to explain himself?" He raised his hand as her face twisted in anger "Look, I know I'm your brother, and I'm going to be on your side all the way, but, I also became one of his best friends…..it hurt him Artemis." For a moment her anger subsided, a break in her road to hate, but then it came back, speeding through the empty streets.
"And what about me huh? What about my hurt? I trusted him, I got close to him, he fit into the hunt like the piece of a puzzle I had been missing for milennia, and then he just betrays me?" Artemis sneered, her hands trembling. Luckily, she kept her voice low, but it didn't stop the venom dripping from her voice. Apollo flinched, and she continued. "What can he say? That he's sorry? I've already heard it a million times from him, and it's just empty, it makes me feel empty. Do you know how that feels? To have someone you could finally open your heart to, to share your grief, to laugh along with, a true friend, only to be stabbed in the back?"
"I'm not dismissing your emotions Artemis, I'm just saying you should listen to his. He has his reasons for what he did, I'm sure of it." Apollo was more than sure of it, in fact he knew the exact reason, but he couldn't tell her. However he felt himself squirming under her gaze, her eyes narrowing slowly.
"What reason could he have then? For asking for my hand in marriage, to take away one of my domains? Why would he do that? Please, enlighten me. You were close to him, so surely you would know his reasoning." Her voice was no longer raspy, no longer a burning whisper, now it was a freezing gale. No emotion could be heard, and it frightened Apollo.
"I….don't. Unfortunately I don't know anything about why he did what he did." The lie burned his throat, and he had to clear it before he continued. "But Artemis you should know, he….came to me that night. The night you two….fought." Artemis watched him, and he was careful to choose his next words. "Again, I'm not dismissing your emotions, but something about that night, he was broken. Do you realize how much stress a god of loyalty has to go through to leave? To abandon his friends? He talked about going to the river Lethe that night, to wipe his own memories of you, so that he couldn't see you look at him like you did that night."
Artemis's nails dug into her arms, her mind speeding through her mental forest, leaping and climbing through new revelations. Why was he broken? Surely he knew when he made his choice that he would invoke her wrath? Then why was he hurt? He didn't deserve to be hurt. But another part of her, the same part that had wondered about him in the throne room and when she had asked him why he accepted immortality, questioned everything about his decision. And for a moment, she felt the same emotion she felt during the summer months, when she couldn't hear his voice anymore. When she was free from him, but she didn't want to be. She felt disgusted by that part of her, that she still held something for him after all this time. But then she tilted her head. If he was broken, why did he keep talking to her? She hadn't told Apollo about his voice, and honestly didn't want to, as it could cause more problems, however now was a better time than any.
"If he was so broken, why does he still talk to me?" Apollo's face scrunched up, confusion evident on his face.
"What do you mean? Artemis, if you know where he is, you need to tell me right n-" She held up a hand to stop him.
"I don't know where he is, but I hear his voice…." She contemplated her next words so that she didn't sound like some crazy person. "Not all the time, but during some nights, especially during the winter, I'll hear whispers of his voice, a silent prayer to me. I….don't get the full message. I never do, as it's like an old radio, filled with static, but it's there." Her voice no longer held the bitterness from before, now it was weirdly calm. "It comes with a rush of energy probably from an offering of food, or monster parts, or anything else he can find I guess…." She stared at the now empty cup, the miniscule coffee grounds forming meaningless patterns on the ceramic surface. Apollo was frozen in shock, his mouth opening and closing. It took a few minutes for him to start speaking, with his drink finally coming out soon after her revelation. He carefully took a sip, and massaged his temples.
"So he's been talking to you, for how long now?" He asked. She could see his eyes moving back and forth underneath his eyelids, processing the information she was giving him.
"It started about a month after he left." The last few customers had left the shop now, leaving only them and the barista, who's eyes kept flicking over to them, shamelessly eavesdropping on the conversation. Not that she could understand anything about it anyway.
"Damn it Percy…." She heard him whisper to himself. Apollo shook his head, a smile appearing on his face. He muttered some more things to himself, but Artemis was unable to catch them. He brought his head up and looked at her dead in the eyes. "Why haven't you told me this before?" He looked genuinely hurt, and Artemis was silent. Why hadn't she told him before? He had helped her when the truth came out, so why didn't she tell him?
"I don't know, a part of me was scared. At first I ignored them, just chalked it up to my anger manifesting itself in an unhealthy way. But that static, it felt too real." She shivered, "Then they were gone." At this Apollo tilted his head.
"Gone? What do you mean?" He took a sip of his coffee, raising a small eyebrow at the taste. It was delicious, and helped ease the tension about everything going on.
"The first year I started hearing them, during the summer, he went dark. Nothing for months, it was….good." Apollo grimaced, and he could tell that she wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't want to stop her, and let her story continue. "Then, it came back, around the beginning of November that year, he started again…." Her voice was meloncholic, falling silent as she waited for her brother to speak. He didn't know what to say, so instead he reached out and grabbed her hand, letting a little bit of his divine aura through to her. The warm feeling creeped through her, and she let out a small smile.
"I'm sorry you had to deal with this Arty. But maybe this is a sign, you spent so much time with him before, that I'm sure he cares for you more than you think." Normally, she would deck him for calling her Arty, but she would let it slide now. "And I'm sure that everything will be okay in the end. I swear it on my name as the god of truth." She rolled her eyes as her smile grew. It wasn't a full blown grin, but it was enough for the god of the sun.
"Thank you Apollo. I cannot promise I will listen to him, or if I will even think of forgiving him, but I will keep it in mind. The thought of running him through with my dagger still goes through my mind a few times a day." Apollo chuckled, letting go of her hand and standing up.
"Wouldn't have it any other way." He smiled back at her, before grabbing his coffee and downing the rest of it. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go. I have a date tonight and I don't want to be late." Artemis rolled her eyes and shooed him away. Since his back was turned, she couldn't see the look of guilt spread across his face. As the bell tinkled once more, she realized she was alone in the shop. Deciding she had enough moping around, she stood up and thanked the barista, plopping a twenty-dollar bill into the tip jar. As she exited the shop, she breathed in the fresh sea air, before setting off on her hunt once more.
A few hours into the night, Artemis found herself in a small beach cove, the full moon shining brightly above her. The hidden pool was decorated with large, jagged rocks that formed a sort of barrier, preventing most people from getting here by any normal means. For a goddess however, especially the patron of the hunt, it was an easy task scaling down the dangerous rock wall. She walked around the cove, noticing how clean it was compared to the other areas around here. Palm trees grew around the edges, with a pair of them sporting a rope tied between them, a large web of cord keeping a piece of cloth suspended above the ground. For a moment, she expected to see a mop of messy black hair and drool steadily coming out of a certain gods mouth. However, her expectations were met with nothing but a gust of wind, gently swaying the hammock back and forth.
She didn't like being here, it reminded her too much of him. How no matter what, if she ever wanted to talk, or if she had to complain to him about Thalia's black clothing, or how when Verna had dyed all of Reyna's clothes a hot pink she could find him here, either dozing off in the hammock, or training his sword skills, drawing arcs in the air with riptide. A ghost of a smile played across her face as she dug her toes into the sand. It was a tranquil place, free from the chains of humanity, and you could spend hours here without realizing. Even if she disliked the memories, she didn't dislike the feel. She also figured if he were to be anywhere in Florida, he would be here. In fact this was the first place she checked, but she didn't see any sign of him.
The waves washed away her footprints as she walked over to one of the rocks, noticing a familiar hole broken into the surface. It was worn down now, having been there for twenty years, but it was still there, a painful memory of that night. The night she confronted him about what he did, and why he did it. She never let him finish, as she shot an arrow into his shoulder before he could, pinning him to the rock with how much power she put into it. Her jaw clenched as she replayed the memory. How he pleaded with her, how he apologized a thousand times or more, and how he begged her to forgive him.
Tears pooled in the corner of her eyes, and for the first time in a long time, she let them fall. She couldn't deny before this, she had cared for him. As a friend she could trust, a companion who would have her back no matter what, someone who would relieve the burden of the sky from her. She wasn't blind either, she could see how much he cared for her, the way his eyes sparkled when he saw her, how he seemed to smile wider when she laughed, and how he brought so many new members into the hunt. It was her job to notice the details, to find tracks where others couldn't, which is why it felt like she had been stabbed through the heart a million times when she found out. To have someone who you cared for, and who cared back, to hurt you like this, it was like she was bathing in the styx. She sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes, staring at the moon above the water.
"Excuse me, are you okay?" A voice startled her, and she spun around, summoning her bow and nocking an arrow.
"Who's there?" The girl, or woman, had her hands up as she slowly stepped into the light. Her blonde hair sparkled in the light of the moon, her stormy grey eyes matching the intensity of the waves that crashed behind Artemis. She wore a simple blue blouse with a pair of blue jeans, the ankles rolled up so that they didn't get wet in the water. Her waist held a Yankees baseball cap strapped to one of the belt loops. She looked more mature than the last time she interacted with her on Olympus when she had congratulated her for her immortality during the after party.
"Lady Artemis?" The woman said, lowering her hands.
"Hello…..Annabeth Chase."