[ the second book in the drops of sunshine series ]
As much as she ended up loving her first one, AJ Hood never wanted to go on another quest. But somehow, she ended up on one anyway. And this time, it's not going to have a pretty ending... but at...
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~ ☼ ~
To Aria's happiness, the Hunters decided to camp out shortly after that.
First, we regrouped down by the river that ran through the canyon. Ours was the second to be done, with Artemis' squad finishing already (of course). Everyone else came in after a few minutes, and Artemis congratulated them on their swift finishing of a long-term quest. Then, she left them to set up their tents before turning to us.
"You said you're going to Chicago, right?" Artemis asked. "How exactly did you end up here, again?"
"Our bus broke down. All the tires went flat," said Lucas. He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "We, uh - we left to try to find help. We kind of left them stranded."
Artemis snorted. "They'll be fine. And it was probably the Amphisbaena that sabotaged the wheels. They may have smelled the half-bloods inside."
"Oh."
There was a moment of awkward silence, and I thought how cool it was that I was feeling awkward with Artemis. Then, I thought, Shoot, you're already spending too much time around Aria.
Speaking of her, she was the next one to say something. She stepped forward towards the goddess, and said, "Lady Artemis, I just - thank you. For letting me be apart of this. For letting me be in your presence. I've never met a god before, aside from Mr. D."
Artemis gave her a warm smile. In the dusk that was already beginning to spread around us, her eyes seemed to glow like metal.
"Of course." The goddess furrowed her brow. "Are you unclaimed?"
"Um, yes. Kiera and I both are. Do you... do you know who our godly parents are?"
Kiera tensed at this, and came up from behind me to stand next to Aria. Compared to the Hunter-in-training, she seemed a lot more freaked out - or ticked off.
The goddess they both looked at did nothing but give them a dim nod. "I may be able to tell, but you should find out in your own time. I'm sorry."
Both girls slumped. Well, so much for that. Quiet and nearly still at my side, Lucas crossed his arms gently.
"It's- it's fine," Aria said. "It's okay."
"Just know, heroine, if you ever need a place to utilize those archery skills... the Hunters are always accepting new members."
I couldn't see Aria's face, but I knew it must've gone slack at that moment. Her shoulders almost trembled with joy. "Oh my Gods, I- thank you. That means a lot to me."
