A Son Love & Doves

Chapter 15 (44) Artemis is in More Trouble

No POV

To say that resisting the urge to defile Artemis was hard for Y/n would be an understatement. The pain his body was in was all but forgotten about as his hair was a dark pink along with his eyes as they were glued to Artemis.

Artemis herself didn't seem to be too thrilled that he was ogling her body. Though she knew at the moment it could be worse, and just might get worse.

Artemis knew of the concoction that Atlas had forced Y/n to drink. She detested it for it was a reason why two of the hunters had came to her sobbing with torn clothes.

As the goddess held the sky she eyed Y/n cautiously, specifically his hands that sometimes strayed towards her.

For once the goddess had found herself thinking of Aphrodite, though the thoughts weren't berating or insulting, more along the lines of telling her to help her son with his current predicament.

Meanwhile a little ways away Annabeth was forced to watch as her friend had little to no control of himself and was an unknown amount of time away from defiling a goddess, which would undoubtably have severe consequences for him.

The dracnae didn't seem to mind the show though and laughed at the boys attempts to resist the forced lust. 

Luke just watched on with an unreadable expression on his face. Though a flash of bitterness was in his eyes.

Percy POV

I looked up. We’d been so busy talking, we’d allowed ourselves to be ambushed.

Standing behind us, his two-colour eyes gleaming wickedly, was Dr Thorn, the manticore himself.

"This is just pairrr-fect," the manticore gloated.

He was wearing a ratty black trench coat over his Westover Hall uniform, which was torn and stained. His military haircut had grown out spiky and greasy. He hadn’t shaved recently, so his face was covered in silver stubble. Basically, he didn’t look much better than the guys down at the soup

"Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia," the manticore said. "I was forced to scrounge for food on the edges of the world, hiding in forests, devouring insignificant human farmers for my meals. I never got to fight any great heroes. I was not feared and admired in the old stories! But now that will change. The Titans shall honour me, and I shall feast on the flesh of half-bloods!"

On either side of him stood two armed security guys, some of the mortal mercenaries I’d seen in D.C. Two more stood on the next boat dock over, just in case we tried to escape that way. There were tourists all around – walking down the waterfront, shopping at the pier above us – but I knew that wouldn’t stop the manticore from acting.

"Where… where are the skeletons?" I asked the manticore.

He sneered. "I do not need those foolish undead! The General thinks I am worthless? He will change his mind when I defeat you myself!"

I needed time to think. I had to save Bessie. I could dive into the sea, but how could I make a quick getaway with a two-hundred-kilogram cow serpent? And what about my friends?

"We beat you once before," I said.

‘Ha! You could barely fight me with a goddess on your side. And, alas… that goddess is preoccupied at the moment, and even may have a change in title. There will be no help for you now."

Zoë notched an arrow and aimed it straight at the manticore’s head. The guards on either side of us raised their guns.

"Wait!" I said. "Zoë, don’t!"