The Huntress

Chapter 17

Jade' POV:

I walk to the front of the building and notice Nico standing with his back against a wall and his head down. He looks up as I approach. "Did you wait or did he summon you?" I smile.

"He? Who's he?" Nico frowns. I'm just about to say Neptune, but stop myself. "Poseidon."

"Oh. No, I waited."

"Ooh, a gentleman."

"Always," he says and he has that lazy smile on his face that makes me smile. He holds out his hand and says, "Your ride awaits, Mi'Lady."

I laugh and take his hand. He pulls me backwards into his shadow and fall out at the top of a hill. Embarrassingly, I lose my balance and fall right on top of him.

I blush as our noses touch. I notice he is too. I scramble to my feet while apologising profoundly. He laughs.

"It's okay. Don't get so worked up about it." I smile and shake my head. When he's on his feet I punch him in his arm. "Ow!" He whines. I grin evilly at him.

Then I turn to see where he brought me and my eyes widen. "Whoah," I breathe. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" I nod. "Jade, welcome to Camp Half Blood," he whispers in my ear and gestures to the place below.

I can see cabins to my left and a river to my right. The sun is setting and the sea shimers in the light. The river as well. I can see kids in orange shirts walking around and talking to each other. Some are practicing sword fighting and archery.

It's like paradise. I smile and turn back to Nico. I look straight into his obsidian eyes and ask, "Why did you bring me here?"

"To make you promise me something."

"And what is that?"

"That if you ever need some company and want to just relax somewhere, you'll come here."

I smile and say, "I promise. And I want you to make me a promise."

He laughs and asks, "What's that?"

"If you ever need some company or needs to talk to someone about something, that'll you think of me."

"Think of you?"

"Yes. When you think of me, I know. I'll tell you where I am and you can come talk to me. Promise?"

"I promise."

"That doesnt sound very official," I grin. Then he does the unexpected. He places a hand on my cheek and leans down until our lips crash together.

I know it sounds really chilché, but it feels like fireworks. It quickly becomes passionate, but I pull away, my face red. I'm smiling like a madman.

He is too. "So, I'll see you around?" I ask. "Definately," he replys and I turn and begin to walk down the hill. When I reach the bottom, I look over my shoulder.

Nico is standing there, leaning against a pine tree, his arms crossed. The smile on his face makes it even more handsome. I wave and he two - fingered saluted me.

I take a deep breath and jump foreward and land on all fours. I turn around to look at him. He's standing with his mouth hanging open, looking at me. I mentally smile and let out a piercing howl. Then I turn and run into the woods, returning to my pack.

4 months later:

Apollo's POV:

Lately, I've been feeling rather drained. I don't know why. Maybe it is because of Tartarus and seeing the affects he had on that girl. Or maybe it was becuase his name simlpy petrified me. And now with Hades' helmet? I don't know what I'm going to do. I curse when I remember the girl. I was suppose to heal her. I walk into Percy's room and immediately frown. I don't remember turning the light off when I left. I reach for the switch, but freeze when I hear a shuffling noise. I pull my hand away from the light. Something or someone is in there. I summon a sword and quickly switch the light on. What I see makes me scream. The creature looks at me with blood red eyes. It has fangs and it's body is made from the darkest of shadows. The shadows whisps together to form the shape of a body. It looks at me with those eyes of its and I see all my worst fears. It launches at me and I'm paralyzed with fear, unable to move. It grabs me and pins me to the ground. It sinks its teeth into my neck and I scream. I scream and scream, even when its gone. I scream until Artemis finds me, curled into a ball and blood pouring from the piercings in my skin. Even when she shakes me and tries to calm me down, I scream. It just runs through my body and I'm not able to contain it, the fear. I can only release it by screaming, so I scream and scream and scream until, to even my relief, Zeus zaps me with a lightning bolt and I black out. When I wake up, I'm gagged and is in a bed. I look over at Artemis. She looks at me, both relieved and nervous. She ungags me, but holds it in her hand as if she would wrap it around my mouth if I screamed again. "Apollo, what happened?" She asks me softly. I tell her and tears spill. Lots. She doesn't seem to understand why I'm so affected by it, and to be honest, neither am I. Then she tells me quietly, looking at the ground, "Apollo, Percy is not here anymore. The gods can't find him." I stare at her in shock and she looks up. "He's been kidnapped."