{1} 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐒𝐄𝐘𝐄 | p.jackson

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯

| chapter sixteen |

in which artemis gives her daughter some kick-ass powers ( and advice )

WHEN ARTEMIS TOLD EVERYONE WHO SHE WAS, Percy said something real intelligent: "Um. . . Okay."

But even that was nothing compared to Grover. He gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started stammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so. . . You're so. . . Wow!"

Nia rolled her eyes. The satyrs at Camp Half-Blood were in love with her godly mother, and honestly, it was a bit creepy. "Grover. . ."

"Get up, goat boy!" snapped Thalia. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

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

Everyone looked at her and her brother. Nia had kind of forgotten that they were even there. Bianca pointed her finger at all of them in turn. "Who. . . Who are you people?"

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

Bianca glanced nervously at Nico, who was staring at Artemis in awe. "Our parents are dead. We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but. . ." She faltered, guessing that from their faces, none of them believed her. "What? I'm telling the truth."

"We know you are," Naomi said in an incredibly soothing voice for an eleven-year-old. "It's just—"

"You are a half-blood," Zoë cut Naomi off with her old-fashioned accent. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian. . . athlete?" Bianca asked, confused.

"No," said Zoë. "One of the gods."

"Way to cushion the blow, Zoë," Nia muttered.

Zoë looked at the daughter of Artemis with pursed lips. "What is the point of 'cushioning the blow'? It is the truth."

"Cool!" Nico exclaimed.

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

Nico danced around, obviously excited. "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 to her face. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

"Bianca, I know it's hard to believe," Thalia said, the anger in her eyes subsiding a little. "But the gods are still around. Trust me."