BY fates design

Visit to the attic

"How would you kidnap an immortal goddess? Is that even possible?" Stressed was too light of a term for what Percy was experiencing.
"Well, yeah. I mean, it happened to Persephone."
"But she was like, the goddess of flowers."
Grover looked offended and it was probably best that Eleana wasn't around. "Springtime."
"Whatever. Artemis is a lot more powerful than that. Who could kidnap her? And why?"

"Excuse me?" Eleana snapped, glaring at Percy. "My mother is goddess of spring, Queen of the Underworld, and guid of the Underworld. Not just the goddess of flowers."

Meanwhile, Artemis huffed, looked away from the screen, her feet kicked up on the arm of her brother's throne, black hunting boots with silver facets that catch the candle light.

"Yeah, baby sis, why would someone want to kidnap you?" Apollo teased, "definitely not for your personality." He chortled.

"Go choke on razor blades, sunshine. And  for the last time, we're twins. I am not your 'baby sis'." Artemis mimicked Apollo's voice in a high pitched tone, rolling her eyes.

A defeated expression overtook Grover's face as he shook his head. "I don't know. Kronos?"
"He can't be that powerful yet. Can he?"

The last time Kronos had been seen, he'd been in tiny pieces encased in a golden coffin aboard the Princess Andromeda. Luke had boasted then about how bit by bit they were summoning the Titan Lord out of the abyss every time someone new joined their cause.

Kronos was a vile creature with claws that could sink into the mind, manipulate dreams and trick the brains of human kind. However, seeing as he lacked a solid form, he shouldn't have been able to physically overpower Artemis.

"I don't know." Grover sighed. "I think somebody would know is Kronos had re-formed. The gods would be much more nervous. But still, it's weird - you having a nightmare the same night as Zoë. It's almost like-"
"They're connected." Percy's teeth ground together until his jaw hurt.

Frustration plucked at the fraying edges of his focus. Last night had been sleepless after the nightmare woke him, his mind refused to settle again, consumed by an endless onslaught of guilty thoughts. If he had just been stronger. If he'd moved faster. If he hadn't been hurt. Maybe, just maybe, Cassiopeia and Annabeth both could have avoided the cliff edge.

"I've got to talk to Zoë." Percy stood up.
"Um, before you go..." Grover took something out of his coat pocket. It was a three fold display of a travel brochure. "You remember what you said - about how it was weird the hunters just happened to show up at Westover Hall? I think they might've been scouting up."
"Scouting us? What do you mean?"

"You can't poach all the demigod girls." Zeus scolded, sending a pointed look to his daughter who promptly flipped him off.

"I'm not poaching them," she denied, "I'm offering, better, alternative options. It's not my fault no one wants to go to your crappy summer camp to be surrounded by sweaty boys."

He passed over the brochure. It was about the hunters of Artemis. The front read, a wise choice for your future! Inside were pictures of young maidens doing hunter activities like chasing monsters and shooting bows.

"I found it in Annabeth's backpack... Cassiopeia probably had one too." Grover said hesitantly.
Percy stared at him blankly. "I don't understand."
"Well, it seems to me... maybe they were thinking of joining."

Percy wanted to claim he took the news well. Truthfully though, he wanted to strangle the hunters of Artemis one eternal maiden at a time. For the rest of the day he tried to keep busy, but he was worried sick about Cassiopeia... and Annabeth, of course.