𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 - 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐨𝐜

¸„.-•~*°˜¨ 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 ¨˜ˆ°*~•-.„¸

"Um... okay." Percy said, to the goddess.

That was nothing compared to Grover. He gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started yammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so... you're so... Wow!"

"Get up, goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

"And my brother," Phoenix said.

"Oh yes," Artemis nodded. "I suppose that makes you my niece Miss Gomez."

"Yes ma'am," Phoenix forced a smile.

"I see," Artemis said distastefully which Phoenix didn't understand.

"Whoa," Bianca di Angelo said. "Hold up. Time out."

Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at all of us in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who... who are you people?"

Artemis's 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 was still staring in awe at Artemis.

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

"You are a half-blood," Zoe Nightshade said. Her accent was hard to place. It sounded old-fashioned, like she was reading from a really old book. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian... athlete?"

"No," Zoe said. "One of the gods."

"Cool!" said Nico.

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

Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "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!"

As anxious as Phoenix felt about Annabeth and Davey-all she wanted to do was search for them- she couldn't help feeling sorry for the di Angelos.

"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, well... Our lives are dangerous." Thalia said.

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

Percy put an arm around Phoenix. Thalia turned away. Even Artemis looked pained.

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

"And the boy," Nico said. "That's a major crush to do that."

Artemis pursed her lips, "well, I suppose he had some bravery also."

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

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

Percy and Phoenix still wanted to jump off the cliff and search for them, but Phoenix had a feeling that Artemis was right. Annabeth and Davey were gone. She sobbed into Percy's chest. How could she loose another brother and a best friend in one day?

"Oo!" Nico raised his hand. "What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! Is he dead?"

"He was a manticore," Artemis said. "Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They re-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."