{1} Princess - P. Jackson 🔱

"Apollo is hot just like this little New England city is now."

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Artemis assured us that dawn was coming, but it's been eighty-four years and nothing. It was colder and darker and snowier than ever. Up on the hill, Westover Hall's windows were completely lightless. I wondered if the teachers had even noticed the di Angelos and Dr. Thorn were missing yet. Maybe not, the mist probably covers that, but I didn't want to be around if it didn't.

The Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. I stood shivering in the snow along Percy (unlike the Hunters, who didn't seem to feel at all uncomfortable), and Artemis stared into the east like she was expecting something. Bianca sat off to one side, talking with Nico. I could tell from his gloomy face that she was explaining her decision to join the Hunt. I couldn't help thinking how selfish it was of her, abandoning her brother like that.

Thalia and Grover came up and huddled around us, anxious to hear what had happened in the audience with the goddess. When Percy told them, since my teeth were chattering from the cold, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."

"How'd they even show up here?" Percy wondered. "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."

"And Bianca joined them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoë's fault. That stuck-up, bitc—"

"Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?" He heaved a big sigh.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

"An unreciprocated love..." I sighed. "One of the loves that hurt the most."

"And there she goes." Percy rolled his eyes.

"But she's so... into nature," Grover swooned.

"You're nuts," said Thalia.

"Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah."

Finally the sky began to lighten. Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so-o-o lazy during the winter."

"You're, um, waiting for sunrise?" Percy asked.

I gave him a light slap on the back of his neck. "No, for Alice's rabbit to appear and say that we're late."

"Kindly fuck off, Princess." He looked at me smiling innocently. His cheeks and the tip of his nose red from the cold.

"For my brother. Yes." Artemis interrupted.

Percy stayed quiet for a moment, a scowl forming on his face.

"It's not exactly as you think," Artemis said, like she was reading his mind.

"Oh, okay." He 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."

I averted my eyes, and saw that the other kids were doing the same.

The light and warmth intensified until my hoodie felt like it was melting off of me. Then suddenly the light died.

I looked back. The car was glowing because the metal was hot. The snow had melted around the Maserati in a perfect circle, which explained why we were now standing on green grass and my shoes were wet. I let out a smile, finally feeling warm.

The driver got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, and for a second, I had the uneasy feeling it was Luke. This guy had the same sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. But it wasn't Luke. This guy was taller, with no scar on his face. His smile was brighter and more playful. (Luke didn't do much more than scowl and sneer these days.) The Maserati driver wore jeans and loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.