Andy Jackson: Child of Land & Sea

Weaknesses Of Affection

Act III — Deep Blue Sea

Part II — No man is worth the aggravation; that's ancient history. Been there. Done that.

Somehow the Hunters defeated the men in the helicopter. Andy didn't see what happened, nor did she care. He was gone. She wouldn't see him again. Anthony was gone. Forever. But he couldn't be... dead. He couldn't. She hadn't had the chance to tell him, maybe show him, how she felt. Could it be too late? She had to let him know!

The one called Zoë eyed Thalia. "You," she spat.

"Zoë Nightshade," Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."

Zoë scanned the rest of them. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."

"Yes," the youngest girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, no doubt."

Experiencing a wave of panic, Andy got up and tried to run for the cliff again. Once more Thalia held her back. "Let me go! Thalia! We need to save him!"

The young Huntress turned toward Andy, her eyes filled with pity. "I'm sorry, Andy Jackson, but the son of Athena is beyond our help." Andy's throat made a terrible sound she didn't recognize. "And you are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs."

Andy struggled to push Thalia away. "Who do you think you are to tell me—"

"I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."

Grover gasped and hurriedly knelt in the snow, stammering: "Lady Artemis, thank you, thank you... You are so... wow!"

"Get up, goat boy," Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about."

Andy knelt in the snow beside Grover and put her hands together in prayer. She silently asked her father to save Anthony, if Poseidon was there could he please, please, save Anthony, that was all she was asking for, that he'd be safe and alive and—

Thalia smacked her across the face. "Put yourself together, Jackson. You can't afford to lose it right now." Her voice softened. "We're going to find him, alright?"

Andy tried to swallow but her throat was too dry. Her face burned where Thalia had hit her. But she wasn't angry at her. She wasn't feeling a damn thing but that strange aching in her chest. That definitely felt like a panic attack.

Then Bianca spoke, "Who... who are you people?"

Artemis answered, "It might be a better question to ask who you are. Who are your parents?"

Bianca glanced nervously at Nico. "Our parents are dead," she said. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but..." she faltered. "What? I'm telling the truth."

"You are a half-blood," Zoë Nightshade told her. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"Does that mean...?"

"One of the gods," Artemis confirmed.

"Cool!" said Nico.

"No!" Bianca's voice quavered. "This is not cool."

Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for—"

"Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

"Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well... Our lives are dangerous," Thalia explained.