Lieutenant

Chapter 34

It had been two weeks since Thia's twelfth birthday, and the young girl was tall, lanky, fiery, and gentle like her parents. Artemis couldn't help but watch from afar with tender eyes. She adored her niece more than anything. Thia was a little light in a dark wavering world.

She cared for the down trod, the nobodies, the invisibles, and the kids people wrote off before they were given a chance. But it hurt Artemis to see such a loving girl get taken advantage of. Thia was too sweet for her own good, and her heart broke at everything.

The boy she was friends with for a year at school pretended to not know her. She had no powers-and therefore she was an outcast. A girl she'd tutored in math refused to help her on Language. When Thia lent lunch money to kids that were hungry they turned around to mock her.

Once confident the girl was being eaten alive by callous and uncaring individuals. Thia retreated into a shell, she didn't come out, and she didn't want to talk. It hurt Thalia and it hurt Reyna that they couldn't help her, but Artemis had seen this time coming from the moment Thia was created. The world would turn against her.

In a moment of desperation, Thalia sent Thia to stay the weekend with the goddess in hopes that Artemis could help where she could not. Only, Thia wasn't keen on opening up even with the goddess' gentle prodding.

It wasn't until the last night that Artemis managed to crack at the edges of Thia's shell. She watched the young girl retrieve an old and familiar object from her bag. It was a silver circlet.

"When you gave this to me, you said we were equals," Thia began, "but I don't feel like an equal. I don't feel like anyone's equal."

"Why?" Artemis asked softly.

"I don't fit into this world. I don't fit into the mortal world either. I don't have powers and I'm not even a legacy really. I'm useless. I can't do anything at school like the other kids can. I try, I try really hard to be a good and positive person but I can't." Thia's voice wavered, and her grip on the circlet tightened. "Why did they make me? Why would anyone make someone so useless?"

"Listen to me," Artemis frowned, taking Thia's hands into her own, "circumstances don't matter. Blood doesn't matter. It's who you choose to be that does. The greatest people define themselves not by name but by action. One day someone is going to think of you like you are their entire world!"

"How can you say that?" Thia laughed, shaking her head, "you're the daughter of Zeus you wouldn't know."

"I do. I know very well," Artemis insisted. She hesitated, she was on the brink of sharing everything Thia didn't know, but part of her was afraid to. She hadn't thought about such things in years. "The owner of that circlet struggled very much like you."

"Who?" Thia asked.

Artemis swallowed hard. The past was a dangerous thing, but the present mattered more. With a pained sigh, she began. She told Thia everything she could, and the goddess watched her niece's features shift in awe and sadness. "Zoë wasn't like Atlas. She never was no matter their blood. She was a good person, a hero, an outcast, caring, kind, nurturing, and powerless. Just like you. A hero. So believe me when I say I understand. Believe me when I say I made no mistakes in giving that to you. You are my equal. You are everyone's equal. You are human."

"Thank you," Thia smiled thinly, "but, I'm not brave like her."

"She was afraid too. She was afraid a lot. One can't live life being fearless. It is fear that makes us live. If we weren't afraid why not accept death with open arms? Accept an early grave." Artemis searched Thia's face, there was so much of Thalia in her it was almost frightening.

"You're right," Thia nodded, "thank you."

"Of course. I'm here, always." Artemis smiled.

A silence settled over them before Thia broke it with a tender whisper, "I would have loved to meet her. She seems amazing. Do you think she'd like me?"

"I think she'd like you very much," Artemis nodded, "She always adored curious girls in a world too big for themselves."

"Like you?" Thia grinned.

"You could say that," Artemis laughed softly.

"What were you like when you were my age?" Thia asked.

"Adventurous, naive, optimistic, wild, and free." Artemis sighed. "But I'm not those things anymore."

"It's hard to be that way isn't it when you lose someone?" Thia's brow furrowed empathetically.

"Yes."

"I think you could be like that again if you wanted to," Thia ventured carefully, "you just need some help."

"I've had help, Thia, and I'm fine where I am." Artemis assured her. "I don't need to be worried over."

"Yeah you do." Thia insisted. "You worry over everyone else but who's gonna worry over you?"

Thia's words brought back memories of similar conversations with Zoë. She'd never had an answer to the question, and after all this time she still hadn't thought of an answer. "I don't know. Things are different for us Gods. No one's ever worried over anyone."

"It must be lonely then. I don't think I'd ever be able to handle living forever. It sounds depressing but I think it's a good thing people die." Thia decided.

"I-me too." Artemis sighed. "You should get to sleep. You have school tomorrow."

"Yeah," Thia nodded, curling up on her side, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"I love you." Thia spoke hesitantly, she could sense the goddess' emotional shift.

"I love you too." Artemis replied.

"Mom says your birthday is in two months."

"Mhm."

"How Old will you be?"

"Too old."

"Do you celebrate it?"

"No."

"Does anyone?"

"No."

"Your mother?"

"I haven't seen her in lifetimes."

"Oh." Thia went silent again. "Grandpa?"

"He doesn't even know the date."

"Your brother?"

"Gets himself gifts."

"Sister?"

"Books."

"Sheesh." Thia chewed her bottom lip. "Well, aside from your birthday got any plans for Halloween?"

"None. My uncle enjoys it."

"You ever been trick or treating?"

"Once."

"What happened?"

"Apollo set fire to my candy."

"Any good Christmas memories?"

"Yes."

"Which ones?"

"Christmas with you."

Thia felt her little heart skip a beat. "You mean it?"

"Mhm."

"Thanks. That means a lot." Thia smiled to herself. "You know, in another life I think you'd have been one heck of a mom!"

"Yeah..."

"You get that a lot don't you?"

"Go to sleep, Thia."