It almost worked ✸ Apollo ¹

XXXIX. Artemis gives a warning

Lydia was pushed back out into the cold by Thorn, but her anger towards him didn't make anything happen like it usual would. She stared at her hands. They were freezing from the winter temperature. Her powers were gone, and she felt completely hopeless.

She couldn't go back to the demigod with no special powers or strategies, otherwise she'd be without herself. Lydia was used to this being a major part of her life. Now it just felt weird to see it gone.

"There is a clearing up ahead" Thorn told them, taking a snowy path that was lit up by lamplights. "We will summon your ride."

Lydia held her cold hand even tighter on her throwing knives now. She wasn't going to throw them yet, but soon enough she'd find a perfect moment too. Her throwing knives were a gift from her mortal stepfather before returning back to camp last summer. He didn't think they'd help her because they weren't magic at all.

But in all reality, Lydia used them regardless. And they killed a bunch of enemies in combat. The throwing knives have developed a magical effect when she started wielding them, so they worked perfectly every time.

"What ride?" Bianca demanded, and Lydia could tell she was very worried about her little brother. "Where are you taking us?"

Thorn quickly turned on her "Silence, you insufferable girl!"

Before anyone could do anything, Nico stepped up in defense of his older sister. He gripped the figure he was holding "Don't talk to my sister that way!"

Thorn growled, giving the siblings both a threatening look. He continued walking towards their destination. That left the demigods to talk amongst themselves about what was going on.

"What is happening?" Bianca asked them "And how are we gonna fight him?"

Percy and Lydia glanced at each other, he had that look on his face that meant he was definitely out of ideas. He asked "Can you talk to um..you know? Him."

"Oh, Apollo?" Lydia paused "I don't know if I can. Zeus is kinda pissed at him for helping so much. Because gods aren't supposed to, Percy."

Apollo had explained he wanted to help Lydia, but she wanted to get out of situations on her own. It felt like she wasn't doing anything by herself when Apollo came to help. Yet Zeus was getting angry at his son for helping too.

The gods weren't supposed to engage in mortals like this. Lydia thought that Zeus must have his feelings hurt, because Apollo made the Olympians look bad about being cold gods. Which was ridiculous.

"What about your empathy link with Grover?" Lydia said "Have you tried contacting him the other way around?"

Percy nodded, and he stopped talking for a moment. He was probably screaming at Grover from inside his mind. The demigod siblings stuck together as they followed Thorn even farther away from the school. So Lydia decided to slowly pull one of her knives from the pack on the side of her jeans.

The silver blade shined in the white snow.

"Halt." Thorn said, stopping.

The woods opened up, and a cliff was revealed to be below them. Lydia heard a faint sound of waves crashing against each other. But she was more worried about why Thorn led them directly near a dangerous cliff edge.

Thorn pushed the group even closer to the edge, and Percy almost stumbled if it wasn't for Bianca giving him a hand. He still didn't seem to have any luck with contacting Grover.

"Have you guys worked on a plan yet?" Bianca asked, and Nico mumbled that he was scared.

Lydia made a whispering motion with her finger. Bianca glanced down to see Lydia's blades at the ready. So the girl nodded and immediately went quiet again. Which Lydia was definitely grateful for.

New demigods were always usually confused when older demigods told them to focus, and it always ended in a crazy mess. Yet Bianca and Nico seemed smart about this. Which made it a lot easier for Lydia and Percy to get them out of here quickly.

"Now, face me." Thorn looked that them, and Lydia stared directly in his monster eyes. She could feel her lavender eyes flickering.

"Look, you better start talking now." Lydia didn't look away from him. Nico looked terrified of her expression. "Why did you bring us here?"

Thorn just laughed "Being brave? Are we, Daughter of Dionysus. You and the son of posideon have no plan, and you know it."

Nico and Bianca stared, but Lydia would have to explain the names later. They'd understand.

"We don't need a plan, asshole." Lydia rolled her eyes "But seriously, tell us what you think you're doing. Because this isn't going to end well."

Her face was still blank and emotionless, but suddenly her fingers sparked with the familiar purple light of energy. She was a bit confused because usually her powers only worked when she showed the most emotion, but maybe things changed over the summer. So it didn't stop her.

Nico no longer looked afraid, he opened his mouth in shock and wonder. Thorn growled and he tried to hit her with one of his spiky tails again. But Lydia dodged it. She landed on the side of him.

"What are you doing?" He shouted "Stop being stupid!"

But Lydia didn't respond, her silver blade pierced his ear with deadly accuracy. He screamed. He held his bleeding head in pain.

"You really should be more nicer to me." Lydia sighed.

Above them, a black helicopter flew. Thorn smiled "Here is your transportation."

But Lydia wasn't sure what he meant. Because at that moment, something slammed into Thorn. A ripple was in the air as Annabeth Chase revealed herself. She took her Yankees cap off her head.

"About time!" Lydia told them "But my powers came back!"

Annabeth ran towards the group. Thorn's spikes flew over their heads, missing them completely. Then Thaila and Grover advanced from behind him. So Lydia decided to join the fight.

Thalia and Lydia together took Thorn by surprise, having no chance to get up. Thalia's lightning strike made him slam into a nearby tree. But even then he was pulled up into the air by Lydia's powers. He floated and clutched at his throat like someone was choking him.

"You are really scary sometimes." Thalia told her.

"Like you can't be either?" Lydia laughed.

Thorn was picked up and slammed into the snow multiple times, like a giant hand was picking him up. Finally Lydia let him go.

"Gah! You are insufferable, all of you!" He yelled.

Before he could approach the demigods again, he froze as if he heard something they didn't. A silver arrow zoomed past, cutting the monster's shoulder. He staggered back wailing in anger. He unleashed his manticore spikes. Thousands of them came from his shoulder.

Then a group of young women came from the woods, they all looked about the same age. They all wore clothing with shimmery silver, holding bows and a lot of cool weapons Lydia had the urge to steal. But these women did not look like people she wanted to steal from.

Lydia didn't even have to ask who they were. Because she had a feeling already. They were just as Apollo described them during their many conversations. The hunters of Artemis, a group of warriors his sister led.

In the front, was a girl about twelve. With auburn hair and familiar eyes. Artemis spoke "The hunting of all wild animals is within my spear, you foul creature. And you think you can get away with hurting such a powerful woman as Lydia?"