Xenomorphic

Chapter 36: A Curse Begun

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Maine was not a particularly warm state. It had moments, certain areas during certain seasons in which the temperatures were comfortable, but mostly it was cold. Especially the north. Especially during the winter.

Which was why Asteria had her girls bundled up.

'You three behave for your Aunt Joanna and Sarah, okay? I'll only be gone for a short while.'

"Okay, Mommy!" Amelia chirped.

"I promise I'll be good, Momma," Ariel said.

"Bye, Mom," Annabeth finished.

Out of her sisters, she was the quiet and reserved one. It came with the maturity of a daughter of Athena. Although, due to her lessons with Asteria via telepathy, she did have a higher mental age than Amelia or Ariel.

With goodbyes said, the Hunters set off into the night towards the boarding school where the manticore was situated. Apparently, a satyr had found a couple of half-bloods, powerful ones by their scent, and had requested backup from Camp. The Hunt was in the neighborhood, stalking some Hyperborean giants, when Artemis picked up the manticore's presence, and that of the demigods. She decided to help.

However, the young ones didn't need to be placed in such danger, hence babysitters for Asteria's adoptive daughters.

"You make a fine mother," Zoё complimented as they ran through the trees.

'I do my best,' Asteria mentally sighed, exasperated. 'It took far too long to get all three in panties. At least Ariel was potty trained from the start, but I still had to change her pull-ups when she and Amelia went through that phase.' The telepath made a face that caused Zoё to snicker. 'How three little girls managed to produce so much stink, I'll never know. I've been in the presence of rotting carcasses that didn't smell that bad.'

Atlas' daughter shrugged mid-run. "Poop stinks, regardless of the colon it comes from."

'Ugh, if I never change another diaper again for the rest of my life and my afterlife, it'll be too soon.'

Zoё snorted.

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"Direct interference is against the Ancient Law—shit, it's you," Dr. Thorn grumbled when he saw the pitch-black skinned daughter of Poseidon. "And the little ones aren't here, either, so there's no way to bargain my way out.

'It's even worse when you realize that you're looking at a mental projection and not the real thing.'

"Dammit."

Asteria speared Thorn from behind with her tail, shredding the monster's heart, turning him to dust in an instant. The sting of the manticore's tail was left behind, and Asteria decided that she might as well claim it as a spoil of war...truthfully, it was just another additive to the mountain of monster junk in her tent that her daughters liked to use as toys.

"Okay, who are you people!?"

Asteria turned her attention to the olive-skinned children with black hair and eyes. It was the older sister, the one wearing the green cap, who had spoken. Her younger sibling, a boy, was looking on in wonder. She looked about fourteen, he looked about twelve, and amidst his swiveling eyes, he swiveled to look more at the son of Apollo, Will Solace, Asteria recognized, than what was usual for a boy in the beginning stages of puberty.

Curious.

Even more curious was the fact that when Asteria looked into their minds, she saw vague images and recollections, an unhealthy amount of the Lotus Hotel, and some blanks. She did get names though: Bianca and Nico di Angelo.