*December 15 XXXX*

*Percy's Point of View*

***

Dawn was coming, though you couldn't easily tell. The night was colder and the sky darker and the ground snowier than ever. Above us, on the isolated hill, Westover Hall's windows were completely lightless.

They didn't seem to have sent any search parties out yet. Maybe they hadn't noticed that we were missing yet – the di Angelos, Dr. Thorn, and Mrs. Gottschalk had entirely vanished from their building. Good thing, too, because I didn't want to be around when they finally did. With my luck, someone would remember my face, or whatever, and give a description and I'd be the subject of a nationwide manhunt...again. They probably still hadn't gotten over the last time. (Uncle Hades would never let me live it down, either.)

The Hunters broke camp quickly, like always. In my new parka, I was toasty warm, and they;d even provided me with new socks and winter boots. I stood next to Artemis, who was stalk still, her eyes set on the eastern horizon.

It was winter, so her brother was late again, obviously. I could tell she was annoyed – if not by the incessant tapping of her foot – by the crinkle in her brow and the subtle pout puckering her lips.

Bianca sat off to one side with Nico, and by the gloomy expression he wore, I could tell that she was telling him about her decision. I kind of felt bad for the poor kid, but after so many years of taking care of him, Bianca had the right to make a choice for herself. Sure, she wouldn't see him often, but she could always visit, and they could send Iris messages, and she could tell him all about her amazing, dangerous adventures with the Hunters. Besides, he'd have plenty of people to take care of him at camp – I knew that – so they each would have their own family. He would understand one day; I was sure of it.

And yet, I felt a bubble of guilt rise in my chest. I'd been a part of convincing her to join them, after all. I briefly wondered how Tyson would react if I told him I wouldn't be visiting anymore. He's gotten a job in the forges with dad, sure, but I always visited him when I could. How would he feel if I just never went back? Probably horrible.

I shoved down the guilt. I told Bianca everything; we gave her a choice. She's old enough to make it for herself. Besides, while Artemis had taken in male Hunters before, none of them had ended well - which was one of the only reasons she didn't take me in and make me immortal (even though that would solve the whole "Poseidon breaking the oath and me being the child of the prophecy" thing.). That, and the fact that the Fates said I couldn't be killed, or made immortal. Thanks a lot, Fates.

On the other side of me, a little way off, Grover and Thalia were huddled together – Thalia was still a bit annoyed at me for one reason or another. As I'd left the tent, they'd crowded me, anxious to hear about what happened. When I'd told them, Grover had turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go so well."

"Come on, G-man. It was only a few cabins. Besides, I heard that they were due for an upgrade anyway," I'd replied jokingly.

Neither he nor Thalia had thought it was very funny.

"How could you convince Bianca to join the Hunters, anyway?" Thalia then demanded. (Maybe I shouldn't have told her about that bit - not that I'd actually been a deciding factor.) "She's just abandoning her brother now. It's your fault – and Zoë's. That stuck-up, no good—!"

"Hey! Wait a minute! Zoë is awesome! She's like...the sister I never had, so don't you go talking bad about her," I'd interrupted. Zoë could fight her own battles, but I'd felt a surge of anger flowing through me. Thalia was the stuck-up one. What even happened between those two, anyway?

"Who can blame her?" Grover suddenly cut in. There was a dreamy look on his face, briefly reminding me about all satyrs' ludicrous crush on her. "Eternity with Artemis? Wow." He'd heaved a big sigh as Thalia rolled her eyes.

"You are just as crazy as Percy. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

I'd stuttered. "I'm not crazy! She's my best friend! And Grover, stop being so weird!"

Grover had glanced over at her again and swooned, completely ignoring what I had to say. "But she's so...into nature."

"You're nuts."

"Nuts and berries," he'd said. "Yeah..." At that point, I'd walked away.

Finally, the sky began to lighten. I could actually see my hand in front of my face. Beside me, Artemis was muttering under her breath.

"He's really lazy in the winter, isn't he?"

She just nodded, grumbling some more.

"It's because he doesn't have the right parka. Too cold for his sensitive skin. And he probably goes through so many tubes of lip balm to keep them from cracking."

I stepped a little closer as Artemis erupted into laughter. "You always know how to brighten my day, Percy – unlike me lazy brother."

"You love him, though," I replied with a grin, just as there was a sudden burst of warmth and light on the horizon. I averted my eyes, but not before looking at Bianca and Nico to make sure they were doing the same. Bianca's eyes were closed, and her hands were on Nico's face, covering his.

The light and heat on intensified until my feet were no longer wet and cold and my socks were completely dry. I quickly unzipped the parka – the metal burned my fingers all the way down. Then, suddenly, the light died, and I knew he'd parked. I looked over to see his usual convertible – a red Maserati Spyder. I never understood why he wanted that model, especially since it was so much better suited for me or my father – blue, of course. I mean, it even had a little trident of the front, so why did Apollo get to drive it? (Dad had a Maserati, too, of course, at my insistence.)

The snow had all melted around us and the glowing, hot car – a perfect circle of fresh green grass. Apollo, the driver, got out. He was in his seventeen-or-eighteen-year-old form, which was his preferred state, I guess, because that was how he always was. He looked so happy that I almost groaned, though I actually did groan when he flashed his megawatt smile – almost blinding us. (He needed a warning sign for those teeth.)

"Wow," Thalia muttered, "Apollo is hot."

I furrowed my eyebrows at her. "He's the sun god."

"That's not what I meant."

"Little sister!" Apollo called. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried about you!"

Artemis sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little sister."

"Hey, I was born first."

"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—?"

I put a hand on her shoulder, cutting her short. Then I locked eyes with her brother. "Apollo, she's older than you. Seriously. You can stop now."

He frowned, then grinned again with his freakishly white teeth. (He must've done a toothpaste commercial at some point, I just knew it.) "So, what's up? You and your hunters need some archery tips?"

Artemis grit her teeth, so I stepped in to speak for her before she tore his head off. "Actually, cuz, we need a lift to camp – all of us – and getting a ride from you is better than walking like, eight hours, so...do us a solid?"

"Sure!" Then he raised his hands in a "stop everything" gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters all groaned. Even Artemis, who was usually good at blocking out his annoying voice. I grinned, always finding his poems amusing rather than annoying. Some of them were actually pretty good, but maybe that was just me.

He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically. "Green grass breaks through snow. My little cousin needs help. I am so cool." He grinned at us, waiting for applause.

Nothing. And then—

"That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. "Oh. Was it?"

"Yes. What about 'I am so big-headed'?"

Apollo even looked like he was considering it, but then he said. "No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." He started muttering to himself.

Zoë turned to the others, sending me an overdramatic look as she did so. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. Though, 'tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick–"

I interrupted her, taking on her olden accent in a friendly mocking tone. "If I'd had to listen to one more poem that started with 'There once was a goddess from Sparta'–"

"I've got it!" Apollo announced.

"'I am so awesome'?" I asked him.

He almost frowned, but then grinned again. "Cousin! You read my mind! That's so cool! Anywho, transportation for the Hunters? And...one, two, three, four campers? No problem!" He checked us all out. "Let's see... Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."

Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

"Zeus' girl, yes? Makes you my half-sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time—"

"Brother," Artemis cut him off from a rant. "You should get going."

"Oh. Right. We'd better load up. One ride west – we only go west from here, that's the rule; if you miss it, you miss it."

I looked at his Maserati and knew he'd have to change it. It was really cool, but there were like, twenty of us, and you could only fit two people in that car, maximum.

"Cool car," Nico said.

"Thanks, kid," Apollo said.

"But how will we all fit?"

"Oh." Apollo looked at his car as if he hadn't noticed the problem earlier. I guess he'd never really had to change his car for a situation like this one. "I hate to change it out of sports-car mode – it's my favourite, you see – but I guess we need more seating. So, I suppose..." He took out the keys and clicked the security alarm button.

I, knowing what was about to happen, turned away as it glowed brightly again. When I looked back, it was one of those Turtle Top shuttle buses that I'd seen in the streets when dad took me down to the city.

"Right," Apollo said. "Everybody in."

Zoë smiled at me before ordering all of the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that." Zoë recoiled, just as I stepped in to glare at him.

"Perseus," she said lowly. "I don't need you to defend me. I'm perfectly capable of that, myself."

I looked at her. "Oh, I know that. I'm not defending you; I'm defending him. I'd like our driver to be in tact, thank you very much, sis."

She just smiled in satisfaction before taking her bag from me and climbing on the bus. Meanwhile, Artemis was chastising her brother. "You do not help my Hunters, Apollo. You know that. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And do not call them sweetheart."

Apollo raised his hands innocently. "Come on, I'm just testing them!" Then he paused as if just thinking of something. "Hey, sis, where are you off to anyway?"

"Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business."

"That means you don't know," he said knowingly.

She almost growled. "It means none of your business."

"I'll find out, then," he said. "I see all. Know all."

Artemis snorted with laughter. "That just means you'll be stalking me. Just drop them off, Apollo. You know the drill. And no messing around this time!"

"No, no!" he protested earnestly. "I never mess around. Scout's honour." He did what I assumed was a scout's salute, but then again, I'd been raised on Olympus, and we didn't have "Scouts" there – whatever those were.

Artemis just rolled her eyes. She turned to us. "I will see you by the winter solstice. Zoë, you are in charge. Do as I would do. Try not to burn any cabins this time." She'd added the last part as an afterthought – with just the slightest hint of amusement in her voice.

Zoë straightened, though there was the most subtle grin on her face. "Yes, my lady."

Artemis smiled one last time at all of her hunters, then she gave me my very own smile – the one she reserved just for me – and sprinted away toward the woods. Her figure soon melted into the snow and shadows, and just like that, she was gone.

Apollo then turned to us, jangling the keys on one finger. "So," he said. "Who wants to drive?"

***

Published: Tuesday, March 26th, 2019

~CSP2708~