𝒊𝒊𝒊. 𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒

𝒊𝒗.

Percy made his way back over to Noelle and the others. He wrapped the girl in his arms, noticing how she shivered with the loss of the campfire. The Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. Bianca sat off to one side, talking with Nico. Percy could tell from his gloomy face that she was explaining her decision to join the Hunt. He couldn't help thinking how selfish it was of her, abandoning her brother like that.

"Hey, you all right?" Noelle asked, noticing her boyfriend's distraught expression.

"Bianca joined the Hunt," he told her.

Noelle's face fell a little. "Oh, Percy, it's not your fault."

"I know, it's just..." He sighed. "We came all the way here and lost both Bianca and Annabeth."

Noelle frowned, leaning up to kiss Percy's jaw in a comforting way. "We'll get Annabeth back, I swear it on the Styx."

Percy gave her a small smile and kissed the bridge of her nose. He hugged her tighter, sneaking his arms underneath her parka that was significantly warmer than his jacket. They stood there for a while before Thalia and Grover came over, wanting to hear what had happened with Artemis.

When Percy told them, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well." 

"How'd they even show up here?" Percy wondered. "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere." 

"And Bianca joined them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoë's fault. That stuck-up, no good—" 

"Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?" He heaved a big sigh. 

Noelle rolled her eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. The longing stares from satyrs back at camp are bad enough when it's just me. I'll never find peace in Cabin Eight with the Hunters at camp." 

"But she's so... into nature," Grover swooned. 

"You're nuts," said Thalia. 

"Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah." 

~

Finally the sky began to lighten after a little less than an hour. Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so-o-o lazy during the winter." 

"You're, um, waiting for sunrise?" Percy asked. 

"For my brother. Yes." 

He didn't want to be rude. He knew the legends about Apollo—or sometimes Helios—driving a big sun chariot across the sky. But he also knew that the sun was really a star about a zillion miles away. He'd gotten used to some of the Greek myths being true, but still... he didn't see how Apollo could drive the sun. 

"It's not exactly as you think," Artemis said, like she was reading his mind. 

"Oh, okay." Percy started to relax. "So, it's not like he'll be pulling up in a—" 

There was a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth. 

"Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks." 

Parks? 

Percy averted his eyes, and saw that everyone else was doing the same. The light and warmth intensified until it was too hot for Noelle and Percy to being hugging, making them pull apart. Then suddenly the light died.

Noelle looked and saw a red convertible Maserati Spyder. She knew for a fact that's what it was because ever since Percy got his learner's permit it was one of his favorite things to talk about. The metal was so hot it glowed. The snow had melted around the Maserati in a perfect circle, which explained why the couple—their hands intertwined— was now standing on green grass and their shoes were wet.