Unwanted

Chapter Five

First, I teleported to Olympus to tell my father I was going to the underworld for a quick visit.

Once the light from my flashing died down, I found myself in the throne room, right where I wanted to be.

I quickly summoned my father and told him my plan, before Iris messaging Hades to ask for permission to enter his realm.

Once he had given me permission, I flashed out of the white tiled Olympus throne room and into the dark gloomy Palace of the Underworld.

I knelt before my uncle's throne.

"Artemis. What is it that you seek?" He asked, his voice deeper than the guardian's.

"Lord Hades, I came to ask if any male souls have gone missing recently." I said.

Hades dark eyes bore into mine. I wanted to crawl away and hide forever. I wanted to surrender to him, give up my soul, become his most loyal servant

"Do you question me?" He demanded. I cowered slightly. When I shook my head, he visibly relaxed. "Yes. One soul has gone missing, and it greatly troubles me." He said wearily.

"Who?" I asked.

"Don't turn into Athena. You're no owl. And people say I'm not funny. " Hades joked. I rolled my eyes. Hades cleared his throat. "Sorry. And I cannot tell you because Chaos has forbidden me."

"Well then, I'm afraid I must search your records then and then count the souls to find whose missing. I must know the identity of my guardian." I snapped. Hades shook his head slowly.

"The records are magically enchanted so only someone with my permission can gaze upon them and even see them in the first place. Artemis dear, please, his identity is a secret for a reason. But ask him, and he might give you a hint." Hades said, before disappearing in a flash of black light.

I stomped my foot angrily and flashed out. Stupid Guardian. All I wanted to know was his identity. Was that so hard?

I realized that I had teleported to the lake. I was standing next to a tall male figure.

Anagenniménos

"M'Lady," he greeted. "Lady Thalia has been worried." He spoke softly.

"Anagenniménos, why has she been worried?" I asked.

"You have been gone all day M'Lady. I can only assume you went to the underworld, to figure out my identity. However, time passes by slowly in the underworld. Do not worry, no harm came to the Hunt while you were gone." Anagenniménos said, answering all of my unsaid questions.

"I see. Thank you for protecting them in my absence."

Although I couldn't make out his face, I could tell that Anagenniménos lips curved up in a small smile. "I swore an oath. And I intend to keep it."

"Please Anagenniménos, why won't you tell me who you are?" I begged. He sighed, his shoulders hunched.

"I do not know if I have yet to be forgiven." He said softly.

"So you were a criminal?" I gasped.

"No," he chuckled. "Well, I used to think I wasn't. Then I realized that I was, that all their deaths were my fault. I guess it was my fatal flaw, and the betrayal that broke me. If I have been forgiven, then maybe I can forget. Forget and forgive. But for now, I can only wait in hiding. Do you understand M'Lady?" He explained.

My heart warmed. He was finally opening up to me, and I was happy that he somewhat trusted me again. Even after what had happened between us.

"Are you still upset about last night?" I said, asked the question that was bugging me. I had net realized I'd changed the subject until he told me so.

At my apologetic expression he laughed. "I wasn't thinking straight and I reacted rashly. I apologize for that as well M'Lady."

"I see." I said softy."Anagenniménos, I assure you we have forgiven everyone. A great h-hero made sure of t-that." I stuttered, thinking of Perseus, the only good man to walk on Earth. Besides Anagenniménos, but that was a different matter.

"And who was this hero?" He asked suddenly.

A lone tear fell. "Percy Jackson." I whispered.

"The Percy Jackson?" He asked suddenly. "I met him once, in the Underworld. It was a while back, and I got lost. I ended up on the fields of punishment, and Hades kept me there. I met him. He was broken, tortured nonstop. But he never screamed, never cried, never cracked. When I asked him why he was there, he would only shake his head and reply that he was at fault, that everything was his fault. Over time, I grew close to him, and he opened up to me, telling me what the gods did." He paused, tensing. His facial expression hardened, or what I could see of it. "That is why I hate the gods. He was innocent. And soon after, because of his fatal flaw, he faded. He's gone forever. I bet you didn't know souls could fade. But that makes sense because his is the first to do so. All because one stupid Athena Scum and the gods. They broke him, and now he's gone. Done with the world. Gone forever." Anagenniménos whispered.

"No!" Someone screamed, and I whipped around with Anagenniménos to see Thalia fall to her knees. "No!" She wailed, sobbing. I rushed over to her, Anagenniménos in front of me.

"M'Lady, it's all my fault. I listened to that bi*ch and look where it got my cousin! I don't deserve to be in the Hunt. I DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!" Thalia screamed pulling out her dagger, and pointing it at her chest.

"NO!" Anagenniménos and I said at the same time.

"I'm sorry." Thalia whispered, before she thrust the knife down.