𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒¹

𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝐻𝑒𝑟 𝐹𝑎𝑡𝑒

‧̍̊˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡ °.𓆞 ·˙‧̍̊

BLINK ONCE. BLINK TWICE. Astoria opened her eyes again. Nope. Thalia and Percy were bickering like little kids again while Grover stammered over Artemis and the Di Angelos stared at the spectacle in confusion. Yeah, nope.

"Hold up. Time out." Bianca made an 'X' with her arms. She closed her eyes in denial, as if not seeing what was happening meant that all her problems would disappear.

Everyone looked at her. Bianca pointed her finger threateningly. "Who... who are you people?"

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

Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who is still staring at Artemis Grover-style.

"Our parents are dead," Bianca said. We're orphans. There's a bank that pays for our school, but..." She faltered. "What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."

"You are a half-blood," Zoe broke the news. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian athlete?"

Astoria laughed. "Oh, yeah, definitely. They're the originals of the Olympics for sure."

Percy raised his eyebrow.

"What?" Astoria raised an eyebrow back in a challenging manner.

"Nothing." Percy raised his other eyebrow.

'Why this little-' Astoria pinched his eyebrow hairs.

"Ow! Let go!"

"Try me, Kelp Head!"

"You two, enough!"

Astoria immediately dropped her hands. Zoe is scary.

"I mean not of the athletes," Zoe continued, "But of the gods."

"Cool!" Nico said.

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

Astoria tilted her head. Even in the books, she never really understood Bianca. Why did she reject being a demi-god so harshly? Maybe it was fear. It must be.

Nico danced around antsy. "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!"

Astoria slightly retreated from this group circle and sat on a tree. Without realizing until now, her legs were shaken and weak. Weak, weak, weak.

"Bianca, I know it's hard to believe, But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us... our lives are dangerous."

"Dangerous," Bianca said, "like the girl who fell."

Astoria watched the pain expression on everyone's faces. Even Artemis.

"Do not despair for Annabeth," the goddess said. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."

"Then why won't you let us go look for her?" Percy asked.

"She is gone. Can't you sense it, Son of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."

"She's alive, though," Astoria affirmed. "I know it." Percy's eyes looked lost, clearly torn over Annabeth's disappearance, but he knew Astoria wouldn't give him false hope.