Chapter I: The Beginning

? POV:

"So what's the emergency?" I asked.

Grover took a deep breath. "I found two."

My eyes widened alongside everyone else's. "Two half-bloods?" Perseus asked, amazed. "Here?"

Grover nodded.

Finding one half-blood was rare enough. This year, Chiron had put the satyrs on emergency overtime and sent them all over the country, scouring schools from fourth grade through high school for possible recruits. These were desperate times. We were losing campers. We needed all the new fighters we could find. The problem was, there just weren't that many demigods out there.

"A brother and a sister," Grover continued explaining. "They're ten and twelve. I don't know their parentage, but they're strong. We're running out of time, though, hence why I called for help."

"Monsters?"

"One," Grover looked nervous. "He suspects. I don't think he's positive yet, but this is the last day of term. I'm sure he won't let them leave campus without finding out. It may be our last chance! Every time I try to get close to them, he's always there, blocking me. I don't know what to do!"

Grover looked at Perseus desperately. I tried not to feel upset by that. Used to be, Grover looked to me for answers, but Perseus had seniority. Not just because his dad was Zeus. Perseus had more experience than any of us with fending off monsters in the real world.

"Right," He stood up, his electro-blue eyes staring sternly towards Grover. "These half-bloods are at the dance?"

Grover nodded.

"Then let's dance," Perseus smirked. "Who's the monster?"

"Oh," Grover said, looking around nervously. "You just met him. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn."

{o0o}

Weird thing about military schools: The kids go absolutely nuts when there's a special event and they get to be out of uniform. I guess it's because everything's so strict the rest of the time, they feel like they've got to overcompensate or something.

There were black and red balloons all over the gym floor, and guys were kicking them in each other's faces, or trying to strangle each other with the streamers taped to the walls. Girls moved around in masses like piranhas, the way they always do, wearing lots of makeup and spaghetti-strap tops and brightly colored pants and shoes that looked like torture devices. I was uncomfortable just by looking at them. They would occasionally surround some poor guy, shrieking and giggling, and when they finally moved on, the guy would be left in a daze with ribbons snaked into his hair and lipstick graffiti all over his face. The rest of the partygoers, namely the older guys, looked more like me – hanging out at the edges of the gym and trying to hide, nervous and on edge, like any minute they might have to fight for their lives. Of course, in my case, it was true…

"There they are." Grover nodded towards a couple of younger kids arguing in the bleachers. "Bianca and Nico di Angelo."

The girl wore a floppy green cap, like she was trying to hide her face. The boy was obviously her little brother. They both had dark silky hair and olive skin, and they used their hands a lot as they talked. The boy was shuffling some kind of trading cards. His sister seemed to be scolding him about something. She kept looking around like she sensed something was wrong.

Annabeth said, "Do they… I mean, have you told them?"

Grover shook his head. "You know how it is. That could put them in more danger. Once they realize who they are, their scent becomes stronger."

He looked at me, and I nodded. I'd never really understood what half-bloods "smell" like to monsters and satyrs, but I knew that your scent could get you killed. And the more powerful a demigod you became, the more you smelled like a monster's lunch.

"So let's grab them and get out of here," I said, starting forward, only to halt as Perseus put his hand on my shoulder. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn, had slipped out of a doorway near the bleachers and was standing near the di Angelo siblings. He nodded coldly in our direction, his blue eye glowing from across the gym.

Judging from his expression, I guess Thorn hadn't been fooled by Perseus' trick with the Mist after all. He suspected who we were. He was just waiting to see why we were here.

"Don't look at the kids," Perseus ordered. "We have to wait for a chance to get them. We need to pretend we're not interested in them. Throw him off the scent."

"How?"

"We're three powerful half-bloods. Our presence should confuse him. Mingle. Act natural. Do some dancing. But keep an eye on those kids."

"Dancing?" Annabeth asked.

Perseus nodded. He cocked his ear to the music and made a face. "Ugh, who chose Jesse McCartney?"

Grover looked hurt. "I did."

"Oh my gods, Grover. That is so lame. Can't you play, like, Green Day or something?"

"Green who?"

"Never mind. We're standing around for too long. Annabeth, may I?"

"Yes!"

"But I can't dance!" Grover pleaded indignantly.

"You'll figure it out. Atti, you too. Get to movin' and groovin'!" Perseus said as he slipped into the crowd with Annabeth in hand.

"Dammit," I groaned, turning to Grover.

"We're done for," Grover mumbled, nearly shattering my confidence.

"C'mon G-man," I began to shuffle my limbs awkwardly, feeling embarrassed that I actually didn't have much grace outside of a swordfight. "We should be dancing."

"Like this?" Grover began to mirror my choppy movements, imitating a deformed robot so much that I couldn't help but bust out laughing.

"Oh shut up," Grover groaned, his cheeks flushed red. "Like you're doing any better. If only I had a mirror to show you how silly you look."

"Don't say that!" I said indignantly. "I swear, I just need a second…"

"Hey!" Perseus called to us. He was slow-dancing with Annabeth, who looked like she was lost in a happy daze being so close to the attractive demigod. "You doofuses look stupid right now. Dance, you guys!"

I rolled my eyes, slightly annoyed. It was kinda my fault for being so uncoordinated outside of a fight though. I began to shift and slide with the beat of the music, enough to the point where the next time Perseus passed, he didn't give me the same disapproving look from earlier.

"Wow, you got the Percy stamp of approval." Grover teased. He suddenly froze. "They're gone."

"What?"

I followed his gaze. The bleachers. The two half-blood kids, Bianca and Nico, were no longer there. The door next to the bleachers was wide open. Dr. Thorn was nowhere in sight. For a second, I silently berated myself for getting distracted by my poor dancing skills instead of paying attention to what we were supposed to be watching.

"We have to get Perseus and Annabeth!" Grover looked around frantically. "Oh, where'd they dance off to? Come on!"

He ran through the crowd. I was about to follow when a mob of girls got in my way. I maneuvered around them to avoid getting trampled, but by the time I was free, Grover had disappeared. I turned a full circle, looking for him or any of the rest of my questmates. Instead, I saw something that chilled my blood.

About fifty feet away, lying on the gym floor, was a floppy green cap just like the one Bianca di Angelo had been wearing. Near it were a few scattered trading cards. Then I caught a glimpse of Dr. Thorn. He was hurrying out a door at the opposite end of the gym, steering the di Angelo kids by the scruffs of their necks, like kittens. I still couldn't see Grover, but I knew he'd be heading the other way, looking for Perseus and Annabeth.

I almost ran after him, and then I thought, Wait.

I remembered what Perseus said to me in the entry hall, looking at me all puzzled when I asked about the finger-snap trick: Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that yet? I thought about the way Grover had turned to him, expecting him to save the day.

Not that I resented Perseus. He was cool. It wasn't his fault his dad was the literal king of the gods and that he got all the attention being so… Still, I didn't need to run after him to solve every problem. Besides, there wasn't time. The di Angelos were in danger. They might be long gone by the time I found my friends. I knew monsters. I could handle this myself.

I took Riptide out of my pocket and ran after Dr. Thorn.

{o0o}

The door led into a dark hallway. I heard sounds of scuffling up ahead, then a painful grunt. I uncapped Riptide. The pen grew in my hands until I held a bronze Greek sword about three feet long with a leather-bound grip. The blade glowed faintly, casting a golden light on the rows of lockers.

I jogged down the corridor, but when I got to the other end, no one was there. I opened the door and found myself back in the main entry hall. I was completely turned around. I didn't see Dr. Thorn anywhere, but there on the opposite side of the room were the di Angelo kids. They stood frozen in horror, staring right at me.

I advanced slowly, lowering the tip of my sword. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

They didn't answer. Their eyes were full of fear. What was wrong with them? Where was Dr. Thorn? Maybe he sensed the presence of Riptide and retreated. Monsters hated celestial bronze weapons.

"My name is Atti," I said, trying to keep my voice level. "I'm going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe."

Bianca's eyes widened. Her fists clenched. Only too late did I realize what her look meant. She wasn't afraid of me. She was trying to warn me.

Shit! I whirled around instinctively and something went WHIIIISH! Pain exploded in my shoulder, with the force of whatever hit me similar to that of a huge hand yanking me backwards and slamming me into the wall. I slashed with my sword but there was nothing to hit. Reluctantly afterwards, I'd admit that I was outclassed and definitely should've been more careful, but in the moment, I felt nothing but frustration as Dr. Thorn's cold laugh echoed through the hall.

"Yes, Atalanta Jackson," Dr. Thorn said. His accent mangled the J in my last name. "I know who you are."

I struggled to free my shoulder. My coat and shirt were pinned to the wall by some kind of spike – a black dagger-like projectile about a foot long. It had grazed the skin of my shoulder as it passed through my clothes, and the cut burned. I'd felt something like this before. Poison.

I forced myself to concentrate. I would not pass out.

A dark silhouette now moved towards us. Dr. Thorn stepped into the dim light. He still looked human, but his face was ghoulish. He had perfect white teeth and his brown/blue eyes reflected the light of my sword.

"Thank you for coming out of the gym," he said. "I hate middle school dances."

I tried to swing my sword again, but he was just out of reach.

WHIIISH! A second projectile shot from somewhere behind Dr. Thorn. He didn't appear to move. It was as if someone invisible were standing behind him, throwing knives.

Next to me, Bianca yelped. The second thorn impaled itself in the stone wall, half an inch from her face.

"All three of you will come with me," Dr. Thorn said. "Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw."

It became abundantly obvious that I had overestimated my ability to handle Dr. Thorn as he marched the three of us down the empty halls of the school. All I could tell about him so far was that he was fast, and deadly accurate with whatever he was using to shoot those spikes. Even after racking my head for any possibility of what monster he was, I couldn't think of anything that fit.

I wondered briefly if I would be able to defend myself properly. Maybe… I could get away if I could activate my shield? All it would take would be a single touch of my wrist-watch. But defending the di Angelo kids was another matter. I needed help, and there was only one way I could think of to get it.

I closed my eyes.

"What are you doing, Jackson?" hissed Dr. Thorn. "Keep moving!"

I opened my eyes and kept shuffling forward. "It's my shoulder," I lied, trying to sound miserable, which wasn't hard. "It burns."

"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!"

Thorn herded us outside, and I tried to concentrate. I pictured Grover's face. I focused on my feelings of fear and danger. Last summer, Grover had created an empathy link between us. He had sent me visions in my dreams to let me know when he was in trouble. As far as I knew, we were still linked, but I'd never tried to contact Grover before. I didn't even know if it would work while Grover was awake.

Hey, Grover! I thought. Thorn's kidnapping us! He's a poisonous spike-throwing maniac! Help!

Thorn inarched us into the woods. We took a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights. My shoulder ached. The wind blowing through my ripped clothes was so cold I felt like a popsicle.

"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride there."

"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!"

"Don't talk to my sister that way." Nico said. His voice quivered, but I was impressed that he had the guts to say anything at all.

Dr. Thorn made a growling sound that definitely wasn't human. It made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, but I forced myself to keep walking and pretend I was being a good little captive. Meanwhile, I projected my thoughts like crazy – anything to get Grover's attention: Grover! Apples! Tin Cans! Get your furry goat behind out here and bring some heavily armed friends!

"Halt," Thorn said. The woods had opened up. We had reached a cliff overlooking the sea. At least, I sensed the sea was down there, hundreds of feet below. I could hear the waves churning and I could smell the cold salty froth. But all I could see was mist and darkness, neither of which were the least bit comforting.

Dr. Thorn pushed us towards the edge. I stumbled, and Bianca caught me.

"Thanks," I murmured.

"What is he?" She whispered. "How do we fight him?"

"I… I'm working on it."

"I'm scared," Nico mumbled. He was fiddling with something – a little metal toy soldier of some kind.

"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn said. "Face me!"

We turned.

Thorn's two-tone eyes glittered hungrily. He pulled something from under his coat. At first, I thought it was a switchblade of sorts, but it turned out to be a phone. He pressed the side button and said, "The package – it is ready to deliver."

There was a garbled reply, and I realized Thorn was in walkie-talkie mode. This seemed way too modern and creepy – a monster using a mobile phone.

I glanced behind me, wondering how far the drop was.

Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Daughter of Poseidon. Jump! The sea is right there. Save yourself!"

"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered.

"I'll explain later," I said.

"You do have a plan, right?"

Grover! I thought desperately. Come to me now!

Maybe I could get both the di Angelos to jump with me into the ocean. If we survived the fall, I could use the water to protect us. I'd done things like that before. If my dad was in a good mood, and listening, he might help. Maybe.

"I would kill you before you ever reached the water," Dr. Thorn said, as if he were reading my mind. "You do not realize who I am, do you?"

A flicker of movement behind him, and another missile whistled so close to me it nicked my ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr. Thorn – like a catapult, but more flexible… almost like a tail.

"Unfortunately," Thorn said, "You are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise you would already be dead."

"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. "Because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I…" Her voice broke a little. "We've got no one but each other."

"Awww," Dr. Thorn said. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my employer soon enough. Then, you will have a brand new family."

"Luke," I said. "You work for Luke."

Dr. Thorn's mouth twisted with distaste as I said the name of my old enemy – a former friend who'd tried to kill me several times. "You have no idea what is happening, Atalanta Jackson. I will let the General enlighten you. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."

"The General?" I asked. Then I realized I'd said it with a French accent. "I mean… who's the General?"

Thorn looked toward the horizon. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation."

I turned and saw a light in the distance, a searchlight over the sea. Then I heard the chopping of helicopter blades getting louder and closer.

"Where are you taking us?" Nico said.

"You should be honored, my boy. You will have the opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game you play with cards and dolls."

"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and–"

"Now, now," Dr. Thorn warned. "You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And if you do not, well… There are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."

"The Great what?" I asked. Anything to keep him talking while I tried my damned hardest to figure out a plan.

"The stirring of monsters," Dr. Thorn smiled evilly. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon, we shall have the most important monster of all – the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!"

"Okay," Bianca whispered to me. "He's completely nuts."

"We have to jump off the cliff," I told her quietly. "Into the sea."

"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts too."

I never got the chance to argue with her, because just then an invisible force slammed into me.

{o0o}

Looking back on it, Annabeth's move was brilliant. Wearing her cap of invisibility, she plowed into the di Angelos and me, knocking us to the ground. For a split second, Dr. Thorn was taken by surprise, so his first volley of missiles zipped harmlessly over our heads. This gave Perseus and Grover a chance to advance from behind – Perseus wielding his magic shield, Aegis.

If you've never seen Perseus run into battle, you have never been truly frightened. Despite being physically built more or less like a swimmer, Perseus commanded an aura so frightening it was palpable through the freezing blizzard. He used a huge golden spear that expanded from this collapsible lightsaber keychain he carried in his pocket, paired with a shield decorated horrendously with the head of the gorgon Medusa that sprang from a wristband on his left arm. Sure, it wasn't the real head so it couldn't turn you into stone, but it was still a pretty terrible sight to see, sending most people panicking and running whenever they saw it.

Even Dr. Thorn winced and growled when he saw it.

Perseus launched himself towards the beast, his spear raised. "For Zeus!"

I thought Dr. Thorn was a goner. Perseus jabbed at his head, but he snarled and swatted the spear aside. His hand changed into an orange paw, with enormous claws that sparked against Perseus' shield as he slashed. If it hadn't been for Aegis, Perseus would've been sliced like a loaf of bread. As it was, he managed to roll backwards and land on his feet, his sharp blue gaze glaring at his opponent.

The sound of the helicopter was getting louder behind me, but I didn't dare look.

Dr. Thorn launched another volley of missiles at Perseus, and this time I could see how he did it. He had a tail – a leathery, scorpion-like tail that bristled with spikes at the tip. The missiles deflected off Aegis, and the force of their impact knocked the shield roughly off his arm. Bright blue sparks began to appear around his arm as he tapped into his elemental energy, something else that he was proficient at that I wasn't.

Whilst Perseus prepared his attack, Grover sprang forward, putting his reed pipes to his lips. He began to play a frantic jig that sounded like something pirates would dance to. Grass broke through the snow. Within seconds, rope-thick weeds were wrapping around Dr. Thorn's legs, entangling him.

Dr. Thorn roared and began to change. He grew larger until he was in his true form – his face still human, but his body that of a huge lion. His leathery, spiky tail whipped deadly thorns in all directions.

"A manticore!" Annabeth said, now visible. Her magical New York Yankees cap had come off when she'd plowed into us.

"Who are you people?" Bianca di Angelo demanded. "And what is that?"

"A manticore?" Nico gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"

I didn't know what the heck he was talking about, but didn't have time to worry about it. The manticore clawed Grover's magic weeds to shreds then turned towards us with a snarl.

"Get down!" Annabeth pushed the di Angelos flat into the snow. At the last second, I remembered my own shield. I hit my wristwatch, and metal plating spiraled out into a thick bronze shield. Not a moment too soon. The thorns impacted against it with such force they dented the metal and nearly tore my arm off. But I ignored the pain, and glared at the damage in dismay. The beautiful shield, a gift from my brother, was badly damaged. I wasn't sure it would even stop a second volley.

I heard a thwack and a yelp, and Grover landed next to me with a thud.

"Yield!" the monster roared.

"BRACE YOURSELF, DEMIGODS!" A powerful voice boomed from behind us, freezing even Perseus in place. I felt the aura slam into me, and it was clear everyone felt it, including Dr. Thorn. The manticore's eyes narrowed as his tail whipped towards the voice rigidly, launching a torrent of spikes into the dark.

They never got there. The spikes froze in midair and dropped into the snow. As in, I watched as literal frost encased them. Dr. Thorn had seconds to blink before a wall of snow and ice exploded in front of him, blocking us from his sight.

"What?" Perseus had a glowing sphere of electricity in hand, his attention split on the currently trapped manticore and the force of nature behind the wall doing so.

DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH I had forgotten about the approaching helicopter in the midst of everything happening. Sharp blinding white lights sliced through the dark, forcing Perseus to stumble back. I squinted behind my ruined shield, and gaped at the chopper. It hovered just beyond the cliffs, a sleek black military-style gunship with attachments on the sides that looked like laser-guided rockets. The helicopter had to be manned by mortals, but what was it doing here? How could mortals be working with a monster? The searchlights prevented any of us from moving forward, forcing us to cower in the snow.

"Who are you?!" Dr. Thorn had smashed his way through the snowy wall, brandishing his tail threateningly. "You're interfering–"

"Do us a favor and just be quiet, Thorn," A tall unfamiliar figure in a shiny black suit of armor stepped out of the trees, moving casually as if he were merely taking a stroll. Two sheathed katanas were strapped on his back, with both handles sticking out from behind his right shoulder. The aura they emitted was much more powerful than anything I had ever felt, on par with even my dad whenever I saw him on Olympus.

"RAHHHHHH!" Dr. Thorn launched a frenzy of spikes at the figure who simply tilted his head to the side. I watched in disbelief as the figure vanished and reappeared in front of Thorn, before realizing that they had moved so fast my eyes couldn't register what I had just witnessed. The figure sent Thorn flying up with a powerful uppercut, followed by a summoned fist of ice in midair that tossed the manticore into the body of the chopper. I found it hard to understand how one could move so fluidly in a bulky suit of armor, but whoever this guy was proved that it wasn't impossible.

"Oi, kid!" The unknown man turned to Perseus, who looked no less surprised than the rest of us. "Yea, you, with the lightning. You think you can take care of the chopper?"

Perseus blinked once, then twice, before nodding rapidly. "Yes sir."

"Cool!" The man said, turning back to face the snarling manticore. "And don't call me sir. Makes me feel old."

I swallowed. Even though the man's words were lighthearted, his aura felt almost as oppressive as it felt protective. For a moment, I wondered if he was a god, but remembered that gods weren't allowed to directly interfere with demigod affairs, even if the demigod in question was their own child. Stupid rule, I know, but regardless, it led me to believe this guy couldn't be one of the gods.

Perseus' arm glowed blue once more as he charged up his power. From the stories I had heard from Annabeth and Grover, Perseus was strong enough to vaporize several hellhounds from his lightning alone. Combined with the fact that he was a powerful fighter and excellent leader, well, it was hard not to look up to him even though he had spent the past few years as a tree.

"Trust me, Thorn, you really don't want me to get serious," The man landed beside me, one hand raised near his swords. "Run back to your master while you still can before I decide to send you back down."

"You overestimate your power, demigod," Dr. Thorn snarled, spitting blood onto the ground. "As much as I despise the prick, his words ring with truth. A new age is coming. The ancient ones are awakening. And there's nothing you can do to stop it. The Great Stirring–"

"Is underway, yea, I know." The man shook his head, shrugging indifferently. "Save your bad guy speech for someone who actually cares. Plus," The man said darkly, right as the clear piercing sound of a hunting horn blew through the woods. "You're out of time."

Dr. Thorn froze, whatever words he had wanted to say halting at the tip of his tongue. Even the man himself didn't say more. All anyone could hear was the swirl of snow and wind and the insistent chopping sound of helicopter blades.

"No," the manticore stumbled back, eyes wide. "It cannot be–"

His sentence was cut short when something shot past me like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder.

He staggered backward, wailing in agony.

"Curse you!" Thorn's eyes glowed with hate as his tail whipped back and forth rapidly. He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the arrow had come from, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in reply. It almost looked like the arrows had intercepted the thorns in midair and sliced them in two, but my eyes must've been playing tricks on me. No one, not even the Apollo's kids at camp, could shoot with that much accuracy.

The manticore yanked the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy. I tried to swipe at him with my sword, but he wasn't as injured as he looked. He dodged my attack and slammed his tail into my shield, knocking me aside.

"Don't overestimate yourself," My head whipped around as strong hands caught me before my back slammed into the ground. The armored man from earlier had disappeared from where he stood once again. "The manticore may look weakened, but it's a rather powerful monster."

"Right," I gulped as he set me down beside Perseus. The son of Zeus' arm was glowing so brightly, it was more or less a glowstick appendage.

"What are you waiting for, kid?" The man chuckled, jerking a finger at the chopper. "Trust your instincts. And fire."

Perseus nodded, and raised his arm. He aimed at the chopper and released his power, shooting a bright burst of light at the hovering vehicle. As large as the chopper was, Perseus' shot went wide, and for a moment, the three of us watched in silence as the lightning exploded behind the helicopter. Perseus realized his arm was still raised, and hurriedly dropped it, his cheeks flushed crimson.

"Hmmm, looks like you'll have to work on your aim," The man observed. "Otherwise, good power output and control for your age."

I didn't say anything, but for a second, I was reminded that as jealous of Perseus I might have been, he was only a few years older than me. Sure, he had more experience as a demigod, but it was clear he still had space to grow. I had imagined hitting something as large as a helicopter would be easy, but if anything, Perseus' shot just now reminded me of my abysmal showcase with Chiron in the archery field.

Before I could think on anything much further, my attention was caught by the sound of the hunting horn blowing again, followed by the arrival of dozens of archers darting swiftly out of the woods. They were girls, the youngest looking maybe around ten years old. The oldest, around fourteen, like me. They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions.

"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.

Next to me, Perseus frowned. "Oh wonderful," He muttered.

I didn't have a chance to ask what he meant.

One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess. "Permission to kill, my lady?"

I couldn't tell who she was talking to, because she kept her eyes on the manticore.

The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."

"Not so," another girl said. This one was a little younger than me, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. She was so beautiful it made me catch my breath, but her expression was stern and dangerous, making me wonder if she truly was the age she appeared as. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted."

The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!" He lunged at Annabeth and the di Angelo siblings, knowing they were the most vulnerable.

"No!" Annabeth yelled, her knife snapping into hand as she jumped between the charging manticore and Bianca, who had been the closest.

"Get back, half-blood!" The girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire!"

But Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as Annabeth hung on for dear life.

"Fire!" Zoe ordered.

"No!" I screamed.

But the Hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. Miraculously, known hit Annabeth. The manticore staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"

And before anyone could react, the monster, with Annabeth still on his back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness.

"Annabeth!" Perseus scrambled onto his feet, his knuckles white around his spear. However, he was immediately reminded that running after her wasn't the greatest idea, as his feet were peppered by several shots fired from the helicopter he had failed to disable.

Most of the nearest Hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, but the girl with auburn hair just looked up calmly at the hovering chopper.

"Mortals," She announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt."

She thrust out her hand, and the banged-up helicopter exploded into dust – no, not dust. The black metal dissolved into a flock of birds – ravens, which scattered into the night.

The Hunters advanced on us. The one called Zoe stopped short when she recognized Perseus. Her face twisted with distaste. "You."

"Zoe Nightshade." Perseus glared at the girl. "A pleasure as always."

Zoe scanned the rest of us, her gaze pausing on the armored man behind me. "Four half-bloods, a satyr, and an unknown, my lady."

"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."

"Annabeth," I insisted urgently. "You have to let us save her!"

The auburn-haired girl turned towards me. "I'm sorry, Atalanta Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."

I tried to struggle to my feet, but a couple of girls held me down. Instead, I turned to the man behind me, who definitely had the strength to save Annabeth but didn't. "Why didn't you save her?"

He shook his head, his tone gentle as he replied, "I can do many things, but it is not up to me to mess with Fate. Although I may have already, by interfering."

"Still." I glared at the snow, in no mood for his cryptic bullshit. "Let me go already! You don't know if she's gone!"

"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," The auburn-haired girl interjected.

"Who are you to tell me what I can or cannot handle?" I demanded.

Zoe stepped forward as if to smack me.

"No," the other girl ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoe. She is simply distraught. She does not understand."

The young girl looked at me, and once again, I was sure her appearance was meant to be deceiving. Her eyes were colder and brighter than the winter moon as she spoke. "I am Artemis," she revealed. "Goddess of the Hunt."

{o0o}

After seeing the entire fiasco unfold involving a random man in armor summoning fists out of snow, punching a manticore, and said manticore plummeting off the edge of the cliff with Annabeth on his back, you'd think nothing else could shock me. But when this twelve-year-old girl told me she was the goddess Artemis, I said something real intelligent like, "Um… okay."

The man behind me chuckled. While my brain took several long seconds to register exactly what I had just learned, Grover had no qualms against overreacting. He gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow before he began to yammer away. "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so… you're so… Wow!"

"Get up, goat boy!" Perseus snapped, storing his spear away. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

"Whoa," Bianca di Angelo said. "Hold up. Time out."

Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at all of us in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who… who are you people?"

Artemis' expression softened. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you? Who are your parents?"

Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Artemis.

"Our parents are dead," Bianca explained. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but…"

She faltered. I guess she could tell from our faces that we didn't believe her.

"What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."

"You are a half-blood," Zoe Nightshade said bluntly. Her accent was hard to place. It sounded old-fashioned, like she was reading from a really old book. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian… athlete?"

"No," Zoe said. "One of the gods."

"Cool!" said Nico.

"No!" Bianca's voice quivered. "This is not cool!"

Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for–"

"Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands up to his face. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

As anxious as I felt about Annabeth, I couldn't help feeling sorry for the di Angelos. I remembered what it was like for me when I first learned I was a demigod. It was disbelieving, and impossible. But how could you explain the weird things that happened to you any other way?

"Hey," The man had kneeled down so that he was eye-level with Bianca. His helmet visor was raised, revealing a bright set of emerald eyes that glinted in the night. He had a Mediterranean complexion, and looked far younger than he sounded. Like Artemis, his expression was kind, yet stern. "I know it's hard to believe, much less understand right now. But the gods are very much still around. Trust me. I wouldn't try to prove it, but Artemis here cannot die. She has lived for eons and eons, and will continue to do so. Immortality is very real. And well, some of the gods have kids with regular humans, kids that grow up into us. Demigods."

"Demigods," Bianca repeated slowly, feeling the word on her lips. "Like the girl who fell."

The man nodded solemnly. Perseus' shoulders visibly tightened, and even Artemis looked pained.

"Do not despair for Annabeth," the goddess said. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."

"Then why won't you let us go look for her?" I asked.

"She is gone. Can't you sense it, Daughter of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."

I admit, at the moment, I still wanted to jump off the cliff and search for Annabeth, but I had a feeling my efforts would be fruitless. Annabeth was gone. If she'd been down there in the sea, I'd be able to feel her presence.

"Oo!" Nico raised his hand. "What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! Is he dead?"

"He was a manticore," Artemis said. "Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They re-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."

"Or they'll hunt us," Perseus added.

Bianca di Angelo shivered. "That explains… Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in DC?"

"And that bus driver," Nico said. "The one with the ram's horns. I told you that was real."

"That's why Grover has been watching you," I said. "To keep you safe, if you turned out to be half-bloods."

"Grover?" Bianca stared at him. "You're a demigod?"

"Well, a satyr, actually," He kicked off his shoes and displayed his goat hooves. I thought Bianca was going to faint right there.

"Grover, put your shoes back on," Perseus said. "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!"

"Bianca," I said, "we came here to help you. You and Nico need training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet trying to kill you. You need to come to camp."

"Camp?" she asked.

"Camp Half-Blood," I said. "It's where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you like."

"Sweet, let's go!" said Nico.

"Wait," Bianca shook her head. "I don't–"

"There is another option," Zoe said.

"No, there isn't!" Perseus said.

Perseus and Zoe glared at each other, the air between crackling tensely. I didn't know what they could be talking about, but I could tell there was bad history between them. For whatever reason, they seriously despised one another.

"We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoe, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."

"Yes, my lady."

"And, Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you."

"What about me?" Nico asked.

Artemis considered the boy. "Perhaps you can show Grover how to play that card game you enjoy. I'm sure Grover would be happy to entertain you for a while… as a favor to me?"

Grover just about tripped over himself getting up. "You bet! Come on, Nico!"

Nico and Grover walked off towards the woods, talking about hit points and armor ratings and a bunch of other geeky stuff. Artemis led a confused-looking Bianca along the cliff. The Hunters began unpacking their knapsacks and making camp.

Zoe gave Perseus one more evil look, then left to oversee things.

As soon as she was gone, Perseus stamped his foot in frustration. "The nerve of those Hunters! I swear, it never gets any easier seeing— UGH!"

"I'm with you," I said. "I don't trust—"

"Oh, you're with me?" Perseus whirled on me furiously. "What were you thinking back there in the gym, Atti? You'd take on Dr. Thorn all by yourself? You knew he was a monster!"

"If we'd stuck together, we could've taken him without the Hunters getting involved. Annabeth might still be here. Did you think of that?!"

My jaw clenched. "And leave the di Angelos at his mercy? He had them held hostage! We needed the help, whether you like it or not."

If glaring did any physical damage, Perseus' cold stare would have reduced me into a bloodstain on the snow. For a second, it looked like he wanted nothing more than to toss me off the cliff. Then, a visible amount of fight seemed to leave him, and he took a deep breath.

"Whatever," He said flatly. He reached down and picked up something navy blue on the ground, and my voice lodged in my throat as I recognized Annabeth's New York Yankees baseball cap. Perseus stuffed it in his back pocket and turned without saying another word. He promptly marched off, his aura sporadic with unspoken emotion.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," I blinked out of my guilty stupor, forgetting about the armored man that had switched to sitting on the snow. "I know it sucks. You messed up. But your friend couldn't have taken on the manticore any better than he did already. The four of you were completely outclassed from the start. He's angry because he's extremely stressed."

"I–" I paused, sighing as I stared into the woods, watching the Hunters set up camp. "I mean, I know that already."

"Yet, you still chose to take action," The man said. "You alone made that choice. Be responsible for it."

I promptly glared at him. "Oh yea, you just know so much huh? Who the hell are you anyways?" I was being rude, but I didn't really care. The night had proven to be anything but peaceful, even by demigod standards. Plus, Perseus wasn't the only one dealing with emotional stress.

The man chuckled dryly, yet I couldn't hear any humor behind it. He took a deep breath and began playing with a ball of snow in his hands. "I'm sure you've figured it out by now, but if you haven't, I am also a demigod. As you know, most of us don't live very long, and even if you're lucky, living past your teens is pretty unlikely. The more powerful you get, the more attractive you are to monsters. Let's just say, you aren't the first to make stupid choices that cost you your friends. You aren't the first to decide what sort of calls to make. You think I made it here without messing up once?" He turned to stare at me, and for a moment, I stared back, jerking back in surprise as a flash zipped through his gaze. For some reason, the man felt very familiar, even though I swore I had never seen him in my life.

"Anyhow, I'm sorry," The man sat back. "Perhaps if I hadn't interfered…"

"No, you saved most of us," I said, shaking my head. "Maybe if things were done differently, everybody would be alright. But stuff has already happened. Unless you happen to control time, Annabeth is gone."

The man nodded almost wearily. "Thanks, I suppose."

"Oh, don't thank me yet," I said, standing up. "Perseus is definitely mad at you. And Artemis is curious. I wouldn't be surprised if you get questioned in the next few hours."

"That's to be expected," the man said, working on building a mini snowman in front of him. "Now, I believe you should get that arm checked out. Any longer and you might lose feeling in it."

I glanced at my arm, having forgotten that Dr. Thorn's poison was still running through my body. Suddenly, the painful soreness became very apparent and I winced. I left the strange man to his snowman building and headed towards the Hunters' camp. Honestly, with everything I had seen tonight, I couldn't be bothered to be surprised anymore. Before me, seven large tents of silver silk curved in a crescent around one side of a bonfire. Several dozen white wolves circled the camp periodically like guard dogs. The Hunters walked among them and fed them treats, completely unafraid, but I decided to stick close to the tents for my safety. Falcons watched us from the trees, their eyes flashing in the firelight, and I got the feeling they were on guard duty too. Even the weather seemed to bend to the goddess' will. The air was still cold, but the wind died down and the snow stopped falling, making it nearly pleasant sitting beside the fire.

I watched Perseus pacing in the snow at the edge of camp, walking among the wolves without fear. He stopped and looked back at Westover Hall, which was now completely dark, looming on the hillside beyond the woods. I wondered what he was thinking about.

Seven years ago, Perseus had been turned into a pine tree by his father, to prevent him from dying. He had stood his ground against an army of monsters on top of Half-Blood Hill in order to give his friends Luke and Annabeth time to escape. He'd only been back as a human for a few months now, and once in a while he would stand so motionless you'd think he was still a tree.

Finally, one of the Hunters brought me my backpack. Grover and Nico came back from their walk, and Grover helped me fix up my wounded arm.

"It's green!" Nico said with delight.

"Hold still," Grover told me. "Here, eat some ambrosia while I clean that out."

I grimaced as he dressed the wound, but the ambrosia square really helped. It tasted like homemade brownie, dissolving in my mouth and sending a warm feeling through my whole body. Between that and the magic salve Grover used, my shoulder felt better within a couple of minutes.

Nico rummaged through his own bag, which the Hunters had apparently packed for him, though how they'd snuck into Westover Hall unseen, I didn't know. I suppose stealth did belong in a hunter's kit, so it probably made sense the girls were capable of moving like ninjas. Nico laid out a bunch of figurines in the snow – little battle replicas of Greek gods and heroes. I recognized Zeus with a lightning bolt, Ares with a spear, and Apollo with his sun chariot.

"Big collection," I said.

Nico grinned. "I've got almost all of them, plus their holographic cards! Well, except for a few really rare ones."

"You've been playing this game for a long time?"

"Just this year. Before that…" He knit his eyebrows.

"What?" I asked.

"I forget. That's weird." He looked unsettled, but it didn't last long. "Hey, can I see that sword you were using?"

I showed him Riptide, and explained how it turned from a pen into a sword just by uncapping it.

"Cool! Does it ever run out of ink?"

"Um, well, I don't actually write with it."

"Are you really a daughter of Poseidon?

"Well, yeah."

"Can you surf really well, then?"

I looked at Grover, who was trying hard not to laugh.

"Geez, Nico," I cracked a small smile. "I've never really tried."

He continued to bombard me with questions. Did I fight a lot with Perseus, since he was a son of Zeus? (I didn't answer that one.) If Annabeth's mother was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, then why didn't Annabeth know better than to fall off a cliff? (I tried not to strangle Nico for asking that one.) Were Annabeth and Perseus dating? (I really didn't know the answer to that one, nor did I really notice.)

I figured any second he was going to ask me how many hit points I had, and I'd lose my cool completely, but then Zoe Nightshade came up to us.

"Atalanta Jackson."

She had dark brown eyes and a slightly upturned nose. With her silver circlet and her proud expression, she looked so much like royalty that I had to resist the urge to sit up straight and say "Yes, ma'am." She studied me intently, almost similar to how Annabeth had during our first meeting.

"Come with me," She said after a while. "Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee."

{o0o}

Zoe led me to the last tent, which looked no different from the others, and waved me inside. Bianca di Angelo was seated next to the auburn-haired girl, who I still had trouble thinking of as Artemis. She was the first immortal deity to appear before me as a child, and there was something slightly unsettling when speaking to a child so seriously.

Slight discomfort aside, the inside of the tent was quite warm and comfortable compared to outside. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor. In the center, a golden brazier of fire seemed to burn without fuel or smoke. Behind the goddess, on a polished oak display stand, was her huge silver bow, carved to resemble gazelle horns. The walls were hung with animal pelts: black bear, tiger, and several others I didn't recognize. I figured an animal rights activist would've had a heart attack looking at all those rare skins, but maybe since Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, she could replenish whatever she shot. I thought she had another animal pelt lying next to her, and then I realized it was a live animal – a deer with glittering fur and silver horns, its head resting contently in Artemis' lap.

Sitting against one side was the man in armor, his helmet completely removed. The eerily similar shade of green eyes stared into my own as he nodded in greeting. He was quite handsome, looking around 20 or so years old, with messy jet black hair and a single silver earring in the shape of a crescent moon on his right ear. His aura didn't feel quite as hostile now, and if anything, reminded me of the same feeling I had whenever I stood next to my dad, or the ocean. It still felt powerful, but no longer overbearing.

"Join us, Atalanta Jackson," the goddess said.

I sat across from her on the tent floor. The goddess studied me, which made me uncomfortable. She had such old eyes for a young girl.

"Are you surprised by my age?" she asked.

"Uh… a little."

"I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters, and all young maidens for whom I am patron, before they go astray."

"Go astray?" I asked.

"Grow up. Become smitten with boys. Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."

"Oh."

"That's awfully close-minded for you to say," The man said. "You'd think after living for several millennia, your point of view on men might change a bit."

"Thy rudeness isn't helping thy argument the slightest." Zoe interjected, sitting down on Artemis' right. She glared at him as if all the stuff Artemis had just said was his fault, like he'd invented the idea of being a guy.

"The truth often hurts, Lieutenant." The man simply replied. "Even Artemis knows this herself, even if she refuses to admit it."

"I would advise you to stop antagonizing my Hunters," Artemis gave the man a pointed glare. "They're already hostile with your presence. Even Nico is hardly welcome, even though he is very young." She turned her attention back to me. "It's very rare that we would have boys in this camp, much less come in contact with them at all. The last one to see this camp…" She looked at Zoe. "Which one was it?"

"That boy in Colorado," Zoe said. "You turned him into a jackalope."

"Ah, yes," Artemis nodded, satisfied. "I enjoy making jackalopes. At any rate, Atalanta, I've asked you here so that you might tell me more of the manticore. Bianca has reported some of the… mmm, disturbing things the monster said. But she may not have understood them. I'd like to hear them from you."

And so I told her.

When I was done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."

Zoe sat forward. "The scent, my lady?"

"Yes."

"What scent?" I asked.

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis murmured. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."

She stared at me intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."

"Um, 'I hate middle school dances.'"

"No, no. After that."

"He said somebody called the General was going to explain things to me."

Zoe's face paled. She turned to Artemis and started saying something, but Artemis raised her hand.

"Go on, Atalanta," the goddess said.

"Well, then Thorn was talking about the Great Stirring, and mentioned something about having the most important monster of all – the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus."

The goddess was so still, she could've roleplayed as Perseus' tree.

"Maybe he was lying," I said. "Villains spout words of nonsense all the time."

Artemis shook her head. "No. He was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."

Zoe looked like she was trying very hard not to be afraid, but she nodded. "We will leave right away, my lady."

"No, Zoe. I must do this alone."

"But, Artemis–"

"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters. You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."

"As… as you wish, my lady."

"She's watching out for you, Lieutenant," The man said. "Your loyalty to the goddess is admirable, however, you should know better than most that if Artemis gives you the command to run, you do so without question."

Zoe nodded grudgingly in agreement. "I-I suppose."

Artemis took a deep breath. "I will find this creature," She vowed. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by the winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council of the Gods of how much danger we are in."

"You know what the monster is, right?" The man asked seriously.

Artemis gripped her bow. "Let us pray I am wrong."

"Can goddesses pray?" I asked, because I'd never really thought about that.

A flicker of a smile played across Artemis' lips. "Before I go, Atalanta Jackson, I have a small task for you."

"It's nothing too difficult, right?" I asked nervously.

"No, nothing difficult. I want you to escort the Hunters back to Camp Half Blood. They can stay there safely until I return."

"WHAT?! But Artemis, we hate that place." Zoe blurted out. "Last time we were there–"

Artemis waved her hand. "Yes yes I know. I'm sure Dionysus won't hold a grudge against you for that. Cabin 8 is always within your rights to use, and plus, I heard that they rebuilt the cabins you burnt down."

I blanched, shocked the Hunters would do such a thing. "You guys torched the cabins?"

"It was an accident." Zoe deadpanned. "The campers are a bit foolish... and stupid."

"And now, there is one last decision to make," Artemis turned to Bianca. "Have you decided yet?"

Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it."

"Thinking about what?" I asked.

"They...they've invited me to join the hunt." Bianca replied.

"Wait what?" I asked. "Hold on, but you have to come to Camp Half Blood and train with Chiron. That's the only way for demigods to survive!"

"It's not the only way for girls." Zoe interjected.

I stared at Zoe. "Okay, say that she chooses the Hunt. What would she get out of it that she can't get at camp?"

"To begin with," Zoe said. "immortality."

I stared at her a little longer, realizing the implications of that revelation. "Wait so…" I turned to Artemis. "She's kidding, right?"

"Zoe rarely kids about anything," Artemis said. "My Hunters follow me on my adventures. They are my maidservants, my companions, my sisters-in-arms. Once they swear loyalty to me, they are indeed immortal… unless they fall in battle, which is unlikely. Or break their oath."

"What oath?" I asked.

"To forswear romantic love forever," Artemis said. "To never grow up, never get married. To be a maiden eternally."

"Like you?"

The goddess nodded.

"It's actually a pretty good deal, for young girls at least," The man mused as I processed what I had just learned. "Most of them come from unfortunate circumstances, and Artemis' Hunt solaces them. Although they stop aging the day they join, they more or less become powerful women in their own right the longer they serve the goddess. Miss Nightshade here is what? 2000 years old?"

"No way, really?" I gaped at the hunter in question, who frowned at the man.

"Who are you?" Zoe asked, her hand wrapped around her hunting knife beside her.

"Nothing of concern at this moment," The man waved his hand, attempting to placate the tension growing within the tent. "I misspoke. Carry on."

I turned my attention back to the goddess. I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. Hanging out with only middle-school girls together. Never growing up. "So you just go around the country recruiting half-bloods–"

"Not just half-bloods," Zoe interrupted. "Lady Artemis does not discriminate by birth. All who honor the goddess may join. Half-bloods, nymphs, mortals–"

"Which are you, then?"

Anger flashed in Zoe's eyes. "That is not thy concern. The point is Bianca may join if she wishes. It is her choice."

"Bianca, this is crazy," I said. "What about your brother? Nico can't be a Hunter."

"Certainly not," Artemis agreed. "He will go to camp. Unfortunately, that's the best boys can do."

"You can see him from time to time," Artemis assured Bianca. "But you will be free of responsibility. He will have the camp counselors to take care of him. And you will have a new family. Us."

"A new family," Bianca repeated dreamily. "Free of responsibility."

"Bianca, you can't do this," I said. "This is nuts."

"I don't mean to offend, but it's not really your choice to make," The man said. "Atalanta, you must remember that the majority of Bianca's demigod life has closely revolved around her protecting her brother. An opportunity like this is hard to resist, especially with the excellent venison pasta that Artemis can cook up."

"Riiiight," I said dumbly, trying to ignore the visible surprise that flitted across the Hunters' faces. I had the feeling the man wasn't supposed to know that.

"Is it worth it?" Bianca asked Zoe, having been lost in her own thoughts she hadn't reacted to what was happening.

Zoe blinked, then nodded. "It is."

"What do I have to do?"

"Say this," Zoe said. "'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis.'"

"I...I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis," Bianca began tentatively.

"Then, 'I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.'"

Bianca repeated the lines, then glanced at Zoe. "That's it?"

Zoe nodded. "If Artemis accepts thy pledge, then thy oath is binding."

The goddess of the hunt nodded. "I accept it."

The flames in the brazier brightened, the air becoming lightly bathed with silver light. Though Bianca didn't change physically, I figured she felt different inside. The girl breathed out, her eyes blinking open, revealing the slight air of power that was held in every hunter's gaze.

"I...I feel stronger." Bianca gasped.

"Welcome sister." Zoe smiled warmly.

"Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It is now your life."

I couldn't speak. For some reason, I felt like a trespasser. I couldn't believe I'd come all this way and embarrassed myself so badly only to lose Bianca to some eternal girls' club. The Hunt hadn't just saved our asses. They had snatched one of the demigods we were trying to recruit for camp. And it felt like my fault.

"Do not despair, Atalanta Jackson," Artemis said. "You will still get to show the di Angelos your camp. And if Nico so chooses, he can stay there."

"Thou could also choose to join," Zoe suggested. "Would thou like to become a Hunter as well?"

I shook my head, hugging my arms against me. "The immortality is tempting, but I happen to like guys, and would like to experience dating, so..."

Artemis nodded. "It's not for everyone, but we're here in case you change your mind. Now, Zoe, would you please escort Bianca and Atalanta out? Come back when you're done. We need to have a talk with..." She gestured towards the man studying the animal pelts on the wall out of boredom.

Zoe didn't look too happy as she led us out. She brought us back towards the bonfire, giving Bianca a warm smile before turning back towards Artemis' tent. I stared glumly at the snow, malding.

"I'm sorry, Atalanta," Bianca said. "But I want this. I really, really do."

I took a deep breath. "It's not your fault. I… I think I'm being a little selfish, and maybe misunderstanding. The mission to save you and Nico was supposed to be, well, successful, but it wasn't until that man and the Hunters showed up."

Bianca didn't say anything for a second. "I don't know much yet. Everything is still happening really quickly, so I don't understand it all entirely. But, from what I saw, you tried your hardest, even though I thought you were crazy." She gave me a small smile. "You and your friends did. But, I've never had anything more than Nico. No parents, no family, no freedom. I didn't even know what I was supposed to do after Westover. But now?" She giggled. "Now I have something."

"You sure do," I said.

"So, tell me about camp," Bianca said, tilting her head to the side. "I know I won't be staying there like you wished, but Nico will be. And you wanted me there so badly too. So, let's see what you have to offer."

Her tone was teasing, making me laugh. "Okay okay, so it goes like this–"

It took all of two minutes before the two of us were exchanging stories about growing up, reliving all the times we saw monsters when we were young. Nico and Grover joined us a while later, though Nico looked slightly disgruntled when he discovered the news. Regardless, once Grover and I began to really discuss everything we knew about the godly side of the world, Bianca and Nico both joined in listening in awe. The air of uncomfortableness faded like it was never there, and it left me wondering if the conversation happening inside Artemis' tent was fun as well.

{o0o}

? POV:

"Now that that's out of the way," Artemis fixed her steely gaze on me, releasing a sliver of her immortal aura that pressed warningly against me. "How long have you been following us?"

"A week or so?" I replied after a moment of thought. "Any longer I would have begun to question why you hadn't approached me about it yet."

"Why have you been doing so?" Artemis asked, her eyes cold and expressionless. To anyone else, the goddess might seem intimidating, but having trained under her for several years in the past, I couldn't find myself to feel unsettled the slightest. "You don't seem to intend to harm us as far as I have observed. In fact, you're camped on the edges of my senses every time we settle down for a break."

"Something like that," I said carefully. "I merely wanted to follow, not intrude."

Artemis sighed, then sat back. Zoe hadn't stopped glaring at me the whole time since she returned from leading Bianca and Atalanta outside, and I wondered if it was straining her eyes the longer she did so.

"I suppose, the most important question to ask is who are you?" Artemis thumbed the grip of her bow. "Your aura is by far the most powerful I've ever encountered within the body of a demigod, even though you constantly have it suppressed. We both know that demigods in general don't live for very long, yet you look…" She gestured to me with her hands spread wide.

"22 years old," I said. "Honestly, even I'm surprised I've lived this long."

"Besides all of that, you know what you're talking about," Artemis finished. "It's subtle, but you've dropped several hints that you know us already. Gods rarely partake in the active participation of physical activities, yet you know I can cook. The way you observed Atalanta, the way you scolded my lieutenant, the way you supported Bianca's choice." Artemis paused, then continued. "I will admit, I find myself puzzled how you could see us with such familiarity."

My eyes widened, but realistically, I wasn't surprised. Artemis was extremely perceptive, capable of seeing nearly everything, including the invisible and intangible, with her hawk-like vision. She could read people insanely well, regardless of how well they hid themselves from her. The only thing she was blind to seeing was herself, and by extension, her Hunters. Bigotry against men mixed with millennia of the same lines of thinking prevented the goddess from recognizing the narrow-minded point of view she promoted through the girls she raised, hence why it was so difficult for people outside of the Hunt to garner a healthy first impression of them.

"I figured you wouldn't be surprised at all," Artemis mused. "You knew I was going to find out… eventually."

"I did," I confirmed. "Nothing much gets past you without you knowing to some degree." I glanced at Zoe. "I apologize m'lady, but I cannot say much more in the presence of your lieutenant."

"Zoe," Artemis said simply, turning to the visibly annoyed girl. The two shared a silent conversation between each other, with Zoe letting out a childish huff as she pushed herself up. Right as she was about to exit the tent, she whipped out her hunting knife and aimed the tip at my face, stopping right as the gleaming metal nearly nicked my nose. Without any actual bloodlust to be concerned with emanating from her aura though, I merely raised an eyebrow at her attempt to bring a rise out of me.

"I don't care how old are thee," Zoe said slowly. "Try any funny business, and thou will find thy precious manhood eviscerated." Then she left, flicking the knife back to her side.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Same old Zoe. Poor girl never really got past her hatred for men. It's quite disheartening really."

Silence followed my statement, and I looked up to see Artemis looking back expectantly. I sighed and clapped my hands on my knees. "Alright, what do you want to know? You're practically bursting with questions under that stoic mask of yours, Moonbeam."

"Moonbeam?" Artemis gawked. "Nicknames, really? I wasn't aware that we were so familiar already…?"

"Percy." I replied. "My name is Percy. That's all you'll get out of me in terms of identity. There's too many differences here for me to be confident in revealing my full name. As for who I am? That's far more complex than even I can explain." I paused. "From what I've figured, I'm… lost. Yeah. I feel like I don't belong here."

"What do you mean by that?" Artemis asked.

I glanced at the exit of the tent, wondering how to explain myself. "Artemis, the monster you're going to hunt. It's the Ophiotaurus, right?"

The goddess didn't react for a few seconds, and I feared that I was wrong. Abruptly, her aura exploded, and I felt a shred of her raw energy brush against my own aura. I winced slightly, feeling the heat of her power and knew I had to tread lightly.

"Zoe's father is Atlas." I continued. "Although you're ambidextrous, you favor your left hand during close combat."

"You're a prophet."

"No," I shook my head. "Try again."

"You aren't?" Artemis tentatively pulled her aura back under control. "Zoe's parentage is rarely known, much less discussed outside of the Hunt. She definitely doesn't trust you enough to tell you, without reason anyways. And you don't just find out I favor my left unless you've–" Her mind made the connection. "Unless you have fought me."

"Correct, and correct," I said. "And I know about the Ophiotaurus because I went on a quest and encountered it back then."

"Back then? What did you do with the entrails?"

"We never killed it. Actually, my father and Hephaestus built an aquarium up in Olympus to keep it alive and happy."

"Your father?"

"Kinda hard to imagine, I know." I smiled at the memory. "But we really didn't want to just murder the Ophiotaurus in cold blood, or risk having someone steal the entrails. So we kept him alive."

"Your father... can only be Poseidon then." Artemis paused, her eyes wide. It took the goddess a few seconds before she arrived to the only plausible conclusion she could think of. "You're from a different reality."

I shrugged. "I believe so? Although I've been trapped in this 'world' for nearly a month now, I'm unsure how I managed to cross realities, much less universes. I'm sure Fate has a hand in this, but without much evidence, my speculations are just that. Speculations."

"Is that why I feel my energy on that earring of yours?" Artemis asked curiously. "I couldn't help but notice my own aura surrounding you when you walked in here."

I nodded. "Call it a graduation gift from your other world self. Monsters became much harder to deal with, enough to the point that a few of us retired demigods were called back to the main force. I managed to find myself under your command, and from there, you taught me everything and anything I could possibly learn about hunting my enemy like you do." I reached up and tapped my earring. "This serves as a reminder of the hell you put me through to get as good as you."

"I wouldn't expect anything less of myself," Artemis smirked. "Forgive me if I find it skeptical that I'd let a man become so close to me."

"Oh, I had to prove myself first," I replied. "It helped that one of my closest friends became… Oh wait, actually, I can't tell you that."

Artemis looked at me, frowning, and I sighed. "Artemis, I don't think I'm simply from an alternate reality. From everything that I've observed tonight, and even during the week I followed you, I've been debating on the possibility that I've also traveled back in time."

"Now, I'm no stranger to the weird and the unexpected," I said. "But how would you feel if you arrived in an all-too-familiar place and see yourself as a girl? Or in your case, a boy?"

"Percy," Artemis' eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to tell me?"

I shook my head. I didn't want it to come down to this, but I needed someone to help me maintain a foothold in this world whilst I worked on finding a way back home. And the only way was to reveal myself, and deal with the questions after.

"Artemis," I said seriously, releasing a wave of my aura as I spoke. "My name is Perseus Jackson, Son of Poseidon, Praetor of the 12th Legion of Rome, and the King of Serpents."

"I swear it on the River Styx."

BOOM