Drowning in the Siren's Song

Chapter 21

Zoe wanted to tease the boy. She was looking at him from a distance, confident that he wouldn't be able to sense her. And now that even his bird was gone, she really wanted to see if the previous day's actions were his true powers or simply a fluke. 

He was sleeping against a tree, curled at the base with his head leaning on a protruding root, drooling slightly. In his deep sleep, she couldn't see his unsettling eyes, making him finally look his age. He looked like a spirit himself, surrounded by nature, so pretty, so peaceful.

She pulled her bow taunt, her years of experience making it effortless and quick. She took a careful aim at his ear, and let go, taking pleasure in the sound of her arrow cutting through the wind. 

She quivered in anticipation, excited to find out how he would react. With hawk-like eyes, she watched her own arrow fly, waiting, watching for him to get up, maybe reveal a hidden dagger and slash it through the air something, but what awaited her was none of the above.

No, he didn't even move from his sleeping position, and the arrow landed with a thud, imbedding itself into the brown bark, tasting Percy's blood. As aimed, it nicked his upper ear, almost tearing it, making a steady stream of red flow down his neck. 

She winced slightly, knowing it would've hurt, but more than anything, she was disappointed. So the day before was simply a trick by nature, or maybe he was only as powerful as his emotions made him. Did he have to cry every time he needed to defeat an opponent? She felt mad at herself for letting herself have expectations, even though she knew there was no point in trusting boys. 

She jumped down from her hiding spot, nestled deep within the trees, and started to move towards him, deciding to retrieve her arrow. It was a wonder he was still asleep, but as she inched closer, she realized something was wrong. 

He was still, unnaturally so. Other than the rise and fall of his chest, he had no movement at all. And he was staring right at her. 

She gasped, taking a step back, so startled she almost dropped her bow. He wasn't asleep. His eyes, so bright and green and intense stared into her own, making shivers crawl down her arms. At this point, she was just a few mere meters away from him. Her arrogance had made her think that since he was asleep through a potential attack, reviving an arrow should've been much easier, but oh, was she wrong.

He reminded her of a predator, so still and focused in the grass with eyes for none except the prey he was stalking, unaware and unexpecting. For a brief moment, she could see the pure unbridled rage on his face before he donned a expressionless mask, still keeping his eyes locked on her own.

For a moment, she felt as if she was in a deadlock, unable to do anything, but just as she was ready to flee, he looked away, breaking the eye contact which was making her sweat. Thankfully, her years of staying by Artemis's side had forced her facial muscles to remain neutral, copying Percy's own mask to avoid letting him see just how affected she was.

Percy slowly shifted his head away from the arrow and got up from his position on the ground, completely ignoring the blood on his ear and neck. He turned his back on Zoe as he pulled the arrow from the tree and wiped it with his sleeve, removing any trace of the vivid red on the silver.

He gently touched the mark her attack had made, caressing the bark. He pressed his forehead to the trunk and murmured something akin to an apology, making another wave of guilt wash over her. She hadn't realized that in her silly test, she not only injured him, but the tree as well. 

He lingered a second longer before taking a deep breath and facing her, bowing slightly while holding the arrow in front of him. In mute silence she accepted it, too shocked by the unfamiliar emotions she was experiencing. 

"Why didn't you dodge?" She said softly, her voice not supporting her. He could've avoided her attack easily, she knew now. She couldn't see his face, but she could see the blood.

"It would've been rude to dodge the arrow of a hunter of Artemis." He said simply.

Zoe flushed red, embarrassment taking over. Hearing his words made her realize that either way, whether he dodged or not, she was ready to condemn him. Subconsciously, her aim wasn't to test him but to trouble him, or rather, bully him.

She was ashamed of herself. She had seem so many moons, so many humans wither away and yet even after experiencing the endless passage of time, she was still acting like a child. Who was elder in the two, she wondered?

It was her turn to bow now. "My sincere apologies, Percy." She thought that she would never bow her head in front of a male again, but he deserved her sincere words. She had acted in a way which hurt him without reason and furthermore, she needed to apologize for her own honor. 

"It's alright, my lady." Percy had straightened up and to her surprise, was smiling crookedly. Though Zoe was bowing slightly, she was still looking down at him, and seeing his smiling face brought forth another feeling she was unfamiliar with. 

She nodded and rose, grateful for his forgiveness. "Is your ear okay?" She hesitantly asked, feeling even more guilty and flustered after looking at his bright smile. 
"Oh, yes, It doesn't hurt. I've had worse." He absentmindedly wiped away the blood on the hem of his sleeve. 

"No! You need to get treated!" Zoe pulled his hand away, suddenly worrying. Though it wasn't serious, it was still an open wound. Surprised by her change in attitude, Percy allowed her to wipe his wound with a clean handkerchief, slightly bewildered by her actions. 

"Do you have bandages?" She demanded, stepping back after making sure the bleeding had stopped. 
"Um, thank you, my lady, but no need." 

Before she could ask what he meant, he crouched down, placing a hand on the soil and closed his eyes. Zoe stepped back in alarm as water crept out from the ground in a cursive string, creeping up his arm to rest at his ear. 

He was a son of Poseidon, she remembered. He healed himself quite quickly, and let the water drop, dampening the loose soil beneath him. She suddenly felt embarrassed for fussing over him, realizing that he could've just healed himself. 

"Sorry for ruining your handkerchief." He said unexpectedly, and when she looked at him in surprise, he avoided her eyes sheepishly, fiddling with his hands.

She sighed, knowing that this boy was definitely going to keep her on her toes.
"It's alright."