¹Mσɳ Aɱσɳ Cαɾα I ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ

2. Uncle Pollo and his little star!

♡ Artemis assured them that dawn was coming, Asteria agreed, but they could've fooled Percy.

It was colder and darker and snowier than ever. Up on the hill, Westover Hall's windows were completely lightless. Percy wondered if the teachers had even noticed the di Angelos and Dr Thorn were missing yet.

The Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. Percy stood shivering in the snow Asteria caught sight of him and had to physically stop herself from laughing. Artemis stared into the east like she was expecting something. Asteria and Percy watched as 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.

"Don't tell me you feel pity for the boy Asteria," Zoë said as she looked at her. Asteria didn't realise that Zoë had been paying such attention.

"He is a child," Asteria reasoned. "He is an innocent soul and has done no wrong yet. Who will be his family now that Bianca has joined our ranks? It is not fair to him. She should have given it some more thought before agreeing, at least seen camp."

"He reminds you of him... doesn't he?" Zoë asked.

Asteria turned to Zoë, her eyes hardened, slight anger lacing her tone. "Do. Not. Compare our situations, Bianca had a choice, I did not. This you know well, Zoë." She sighs. "While I understand her decision, it does not mean I respect it."

Her words lingered between them as Zoë nodded.

"As you said, he is a child. As he grows, he will come to understand her decision," Zoë replies.

Asteria didn't think so. She knows if she made the decision while he was alive, he would resent her for leaving.

"Chiron will treat him well at camp," Asteria softly states. "He will be safe there."

Zoë made a face at the mention of Camp Half-Blood but nodded slowly and agreed with her.

"It is the best thy can do. He is a boy after all."

"You are being unnecessarily cold towards a child Zoë, even if he is a boy, he is still innocent yet." Asteria never understood how Zoë and the other hunters could be so cruel. She was the only one that tolerated them and thought differently. Asteria had long given up changing their minds.

Zoë turned to her, eyes blazing, "Excuse thee?"

"Do not worry," Asteria said. "Come let us join Artemis, Dawn approaches."

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."

Percy 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 got 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 my 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 the other kids, save for Asteria who was grinning watching the light, were doing the same. The light and warmth intensified until his winter coat felt like it was melting off him. Then suddenly the light died.