Chapter 9

First Author's Note

I apologize for yesterday I thought I had pasted and uploaded the English versions of chapters 5 to 7. Somehow I uploaded the Spanish version as if it had been translated when I pasted it into my word document if it weren't for the user Guestuser1024 who commented I had not realized the error, thank you, I hope to read your comments and good reading.

Poseidon's Cabin

Afterthat electrifying kiss, Artemis and Percy materialized inside Poseidon's air was charged with complex emotions: the tension between them still lingered, mixed with a hint of uncertainty.

Percy, with a touch of envy in his voice, commented: "You seem to have a lot of power there. Teleportation is definitely useful. I should consider getting one of those."

Artemis raised an eyebrow with a mischievous smile. "Oh, you know the advantages of being a goddess," she joked. "Although, with your luck, you'd probably end up teleporting to Tartarus by accident."

Percy burst out laughing, dispelling the tension for a brief moment.

However, the fun quickly dissipated. Artemis, with her piercing gaze, fixed her eyes on Percy. "What was that conversation I heard with Annabeth?", she asked, her voice tense.

Percy blushed visibly. "It's complicated," he muttered, avoiding her gaze. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

Artemis glared at him. "Do you remember my fights with Annabeth when I was Luna?", she replied with. "I vividly remember how I chased her all over camp with bow and arrows, and with my daggers. Chiron's and your expressions as you tried to stop me from turning her into a colander were... memorable, to say the least."

A headache came to Percy's mind. "Percy's feelings for Annabeth were complicated he hated her, but he didn't want her to die."

"I guess maybe you shouldn't have stopped me," he admitted ruefully. "It could have prevented a lot of problems, like the one we're facing right now," Artemis replied.

A flash of anger crossed Artemis' eyes. "Who does she think she is to reappear and cause problems? Maybe the little daughter of Athena should receive a lesson in humility from me," she muttered to herself, with a barely audible growl.

Percy sighed. "Can't I just skip the topic, can I?", he asked with resignation in his voice.

Artemis laughed ironically. "No, you can't," she replied, with a mischievous smile on her lips. "I have you cornered, Jackson. And I'm not going to let you go until you tell me the truth."

Percy folded his arms, adopting a defiant stance. "Fine," he said with a tone of annoyance. "What do you want to know?"

Artemis glared at him. "Everything," she replied bluntly. "I want to know every detail of that conversation you had with Annabeth. I want to know what she said to you, what you said to her, and how you felt about it."

Percy blushed slightly. "It's not as simple as that," he muttered. "It's a complicated story."

Artemis became impatient. "I don't have time for complicated stories, Jackson," she replied impatiently. "I'm going to count to three. If you haven't told me everything by then, I swear by the Styx that I will turn you into a jackalope."

A lightning bolt fell sealing the oath...

Percy gulped. "One... two...", Artemis began to count, her voice resonating with power.

"Okay, okay!", Percy exclaimed, surrendering. "I'll tell you everything."

Artemis only smiled internally, aware that her threat would have the desired effect.

it started this way.

And so, for the next hour, Percy told Artemis all about his conversation with Annabeth.

Poseidon's cabin became a stage for mixed emotions. Artemis, with the fury of a demon and the tenderness of a fallen angel, curled up in Percy's arms. His words, like a balm for the pain Annabeth had inflicted on her, resonated in her heart: "I understand, you still hurt from the indifference and everything she did to you. Don't worry, when I see her again, she'll pay for it."

Artemis snuggled into Percy's chest, her fury at Annabeth still burning like a miniature fire.

"Don't worry, my Rayo de Luna," Percy whispered, stroking her hair with clumsy fingers. "When I see her again, she'll pay for it," Artemis growled, her voice hoarse with anger.

Percy smiled, a mischievous smile lighting up his face. The goddess of the hunt, the eternal hater of men, now curled up in his arms like a wounded kitten. The irony was not lost on him.

"A year ago, I would have killed any man who tried to hold me like this," Artemis said, with a fierce look in her eyes. "Well, I still would," she corrected herself, "but you're not just any man." He was Percy Jackson, the demigod who had challenged Olympus itself for her.

Percy chuckled, enjoying the warmth of her body against his. He pulled out of her pocket and showed her a photo: Artemis, dressed as her Luna counterpart, her face covered in chocolate cream after a prank by Grover.

She looked at the photo with a mixture of embarrassment and amusement. "I remember chasing Grover all over camp for that stupid prank," she said, with a wistful smile. "Now that I know who you really are, it's even funnier," Percy whispered.

They spent the night in silence, intertwined in Percy's bed. Artemis' anger had dissipated, replaced by a feeling of peace and security. In that embrace, there was no goddess or demigod, just two souls who had found comfort in each other's arms.

At dawn, Artemis woke up with a radiant smile. "Thank you for last night, Percy," she said, with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You've made me feel better than I have in a long time."

Percy smiled back at her. "You're welcome, my goddess," he replied, with a wink. "Although, I must admit that I like seeing you smile more than I like seeing you growl."

Artemis laughed out loud. "You'll get used to my mood swings, Jackson," she said, with a flirtatious tone. "I am a goddess, after all."

Percy looked at her with a mixture of love and amusement. "I don't care if you're a goddess, a hunter, or a simple mortal," he replied. "To me, you're Artemis, the woman I love."

Percy's words made Artemis' heart melt. She leaned in and kissed him tenderly, sealing their love with a fire that only they could understand.

Camp Half-Blood, the next day at 6:00 AM

A frosty sigh escaped Annabeth Chase's lips. Her gray eyes, like two miniature storms, settled on Camp Half-Blood. She was returning from the palace of her mother, Athena, who had entrusted her with some tasks in the city.

A gray canvas bag hung from her shoulder, worn from use. The blue of her jeans had faded over time, and her Yankees cap rested in her left hand, while the bottom of her shirt swayed in the wind. Suddenly, her eyes caught something that froze her.

First, the least she could imagine: Lady Artemis, "disguised as Luna", Percy Jackson's girlfriend, leaving Poseidon's cabin. Rumors on Olympus echoed in her mind: Artemis and Jackson had been secretly dating for a year, under the false identity of Luna. The girl who had chased her around camp like a crazy woman was the goddess of the hunt herself.

Her lips curled into a grimace of fury. A visceral hatred invaded her, a feeling born of envy and frustration. Hate because he was happy without her. Hate because Percy Jackson, whom she considered unworthy of her love, had found happiness with a goddess.

Annabeth was not an impulsive girl. She was the daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strategy. Her cold and calculating mind was already devising a plan. She would not allow that arrogant goddess to take away what she considered hers.

In her mind, Annabeth had already drawn a battle map. She would use her cunning, her intelligence, and her knowledge of the world to separate Percy from Artemis. She didn't care if she had to resort to manipulation, lies, or even force.

The fire of anger burned in her gray eyes. Annabeth Chase was willing to do anything to destroy the relationship between Percy and Artemis. She didn't care about the price, or the consequences. Only one thing mattered: getting the victory.

"Oh, hello, Annabeth." Grover Underwood's voice, always friendly, echoed in her ears. She turned and gave him a tense smile.

Grover's feelings were a whirlwind. After all, she had broken his friend's heart into pieces, spitting in his face after everything he had done for her.

"It's been a long time, Grover," Annabeth replied with a dry and distant tone. Her gaze was cold, like the ice of a glacier.

Grover gulped, preparing for a difficult conversation. "Yeah, the truth is that... well, it's been a long time," he muttered, not knowing how to continue.

Percy's Second Awakening

Percy woke up again with a goofy smile on his face. The night before he had slept like a baby, curled up in Artemis's warmth. Although nothing "like that" had happened, the simple experience of hugging her had filled him with peace and happiness.

Percy woke up again with a silly smile on his face. The night before he had slept like a baby, curled up in the warmth of Artemis. Although nothing "like that" had happened, the simple experience of holding her had filled him with peace and happiness.

He was forced to wear a pair of sweatpants, as he hadn't had time to wash the ones he wore the night before. His shirt was the same baggy white t-shirt he had slept in, and his hair, though disheveled, didn't look too bad.

He left his cabin looking for Nico, but a couple of campers informed him that he had left camp the day before and had not returned. Disappointed, Percy headed to the dining hall.

The other campers were enjoying a breakfast of scrambled eggs and waffles, accompanied by milk or orange juice. Percy took his tray and, as an offering to his father, left him half of his waffles and eggs. For Artemis, he prepared a small sacrifice with an apple and strawberries - a small homage to his favorite goddess.

He sat at his lonely table, sipping orange juice of a peculiar blue color. Suddenly, someone sat down next to him. A girl with long blond hair, carrying a laptop in her hands. It was none other than Annabeth Chase, with whom he had had a tense encounter the day before.

Percy sighed. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her. It was always complicated, a mix of grudges, sarcasm, and hurtful words.

A sickening greeting echoed in Percy's ears, almost making him spit out his orange juice. "Hello, Percy," Annabeth said with a smile as fake as a three-dollar bill.

He turned to look at her, frowning and with disbelief etched on his face. She was wearing a bright blue tank top that highlighted her pale skin tone, and white jeans that accentuated her long legs. Her smile was as wide as a mask, showing white, shiny teeth that seemed carved from ice.

"Good morning?" Percy repeated sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like you had a good night," he said, imitating her fake tone.

Annabeth stared at him, her gray eyes piercing his soul like daggers. "How are you this morning?" she asked in a voice that sounded more like an interrogation than genuine interest.

"I'm fine," Percy replied dryly, trying to avoid her piercing gaze. "I heard a while ago that you broke up with 'him'," he said, using air quotes to emphasize his disdain for Annabeth's ex-boyfriend.

"Yes. That was a while ago," Annabeth replied indifferently. "And what about you? How has life been treating you?" she asked, with a tone that suggested she didn't really care about the answer.

"Pretty good," Percy replied with a wry smile.

"I came back here to make a request for my mother. And... you," he said the last two words so quietly that barely a whisper could be heard from Annabeth.

An awkward silence took over the table. The tension could be cut with a knife. Percy focused on his breakfast, chewing on waffles reluctantly. Annabeth typed furiously on her laptop, as if she were writing a fanfic about their awkward interaction.

"Annabeth, I think we should talk about this later," Percy finally said, with a firm tone. "I'm not ready to have this conversation now."

"Yeah..." Annabeth whispered, without looking at him. "It's good to see you. Things seem to be looking up for you," she said, with a tone that sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Although I could always use your spontaneous ideas," Annabeth added, with a calculating look in her gray eyes.

"No, you don't," Percy replied sharply. "We'll talk later," he said, getting up from the table and heading to put away his tray.

Annabeth watched him go, a mixture of emotions on her face. Disappointment, anger, frustration. She knew she couldn't compete with Artemis or Luna, as she called herself now, for Percy's heart, but she wasn't about to give up without a fight.

The encounter with Percy had been a bitter pill for Annabeth to swallow. It had reminded her that, despite her intelligence and cunning, she couldn't always control what happened around her.

This story will be continued

Second Author's Note

I look for ideas and suggestions in the comments. I had planned to publish chapter 13 in Spanish, however, I have decided to postpone it. My doubt lies not in the quality of the chapter, but in my current lack of inspiration for chapter 15, for which I already have a plot in mind, but am finding it difficult to put it into words.

Furthermore, my intention is to release Chapter 13 simultaneously in Spanish and English, which leads me to a creative dilemma: how to present the hunters in a way that avoids the usual clichés. I'm not interested in portraying Percy as just a ranger or something predictable. I'm thinking about giving him a role that involves cooperation, without his presence feeling forced or constant.

In the future, I want to enrich the narrative with a more action-packed plot, perhaps incorporating an antagonist seeking revenge for Percy's actions in Tartarus or messing with other pantheons. A Zeus disaster that only Percy and Artemis can solve.