Dancing with Death

The Mysterious Trio

Eliza hesitated before mounting the steps of the small porch of the shimmering cabin. She gave a soft knock on the door. She wasn't exactly sure what she was doing or what she hoped to gain, but these girls peaked her interest.

One of the blondes opened the door - the one with her hair parted down the middle. "How can we help you?" She sounded slightly irritated.

Eliza cleared her throat. "I just wanted to talk. You're different than the others here."

The girl eyed her. "You sound like you haven't been here long."

Eliza grinned. "I got here yesterday."

The girl looked her up and down before stepping aside. "Then perhaps our knowledge could prove beneficial."

Eliza stepped awkwardly into the cabin. It was smaller than she'd expected with four pairs of bunk beds lining the walls and one king-sized bed against the back wall with a loft bed above it. Bows and hunting knives hung on the wood-paneled walls. The cathedral ceiling was painted with images of a black-haired woman on a hunt. Her silver eyes seemed to glow and the arrow drawn back to her cheek was lined with silver flames.

The other two girls were sitting cross-legged on the floor studying a map. Based on the shape and landmarks, Eliza determined that it depicted the state of Colorado.

The girls looked up from their map.

"Who's this?" The other twin asked.

"Did you make a new friend, Lydia?" The black-haired girl teased.

"Hardly." The girl who had answered the door - Lydia - replied annoyedly. "She simply wished to speak with us."

"Right." The dark-haired girl replied sarcastically. "because everyone's first impression of the daughters of Artemis is 'Let's go talk to them.'"

"Be reasonable, Meg." The second twin urged. "This girl is obviously not like the other half-bloods."

"Fine." Meg conceded. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

The blonde rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Eliza. "I'm Lyra."

"Eliza." Eliza offered.

"Well, Eliza," Lyra stood. "what do you wish to know?"

"Di... Artemis," Eliza caught herself. "is supposed to be a virgin."

"You're wondering how we came to exist." Lyra deduced.

"That's a rather personal topic, isn't it." Lydia leaned against the wall with her arms crossed.

Meg kept her eyes glued to the map. "Not a great start."

"Sisters, please." Lyra sighed. "This is not how we treat a guest."

Meg met Lyra's gaze, an angry fire in her eyes. "Well, excuse me for not being overjoyed to meet the campers who disgraced my sister."

"Ali." Eliza muttered the name to herself then realized she'd said it out loud.

"How do you know of our other sister?" Lydia fingered the hilt of a dagger strapped to her leg.

Eliza shrank back. These girls were intimidating. "I... sort of eavesdropped on a conversation between her and Annabeth last night."

"So you're some kind of spy?" Lydia challenged, gripping the knife tighter.

Eliza steeled herself. "More like I'm curious. Sometimes I can't help myself. I hear and see things I'm not supposed to."

Lydia looked ready to attack, but Lyra placed a hand on her twin sister's shoulder. "I believe we've strayed from our true topic." She gave her sister a stern glare. "My sister and I are not what we seem.
"Ali found us in Las Vegas, Nevada, in a place called the Lotus Hotel & Casino. It is a cursed place that entraps and freezes you in time.
"Lydia and I are... much older than we appear."

"How old?" Eliza couldn't keep herself from asking.

"We aren't exactly sure." Lyra explained. "But, to give you perspective, we were born before Artemis made her oath of virginity."

"Wait." Eliza struggled to find words as her mind swirled with information. "That means... you're..."

"Yes." Lyra nodded. "We're thousands of years old."

Eliza scoffed with disbelief. "Umm..."

Lyra chuckled. "An understandable reaction."

Eliza finally reeled in her scrambling thoughts. "And... Meg? I'm assuming Ali didn't find you all in the same place."

Meg refused to look up. "Don't expect me to spill my guts."

Lydia groaned. "If you won't tell her, I will. And I know how you feel about my version of the story."

Meg shot Lydia a vengeful glare. "Fine. If you must know, I was an orphan from birth. My mother was obviously Artemis so she couldn't keep me and my father had been killed by a Chimera." She gripped a pencil tightly in her quivering hands. "Artemis dumped me on the steps of of an orphanage and left me. I went through who knows how many foster homes until Ali found me a few months ago. She told me who I really was, why I'd gone through so much crap."

Flashes of memory flooded through Eliza's mind - different houses, different families, countless foster homes.

She couldn't stop a few tears from slipping down her cheeks as she realized she and Meg had gone through the same thing.

"Are you alright?" Lyra's voice called Eliza back to reality.

She wiped the tears from her face. "I'm fine. It's just... you all have been through so much."

"So have you from the looks of it." Lyra placed a comforting hand on Eliza's shoulder.

Lydia studied Eliza carefully. "Who's your godly parent? That might explain it."

Eliza shook her head. "I don't know. Most of my memories are fake and... I haven't been claimed since I got here."

The three daughters of Artemis shared a look.

Before Eliza could ask what it meant, a loud metallic crash sounded outside.

The four girls rushed out of the cabin to find a massive bronze dragon with glowing red eyes and whirring mechanical innards standing in the common area. Leo sat on its neck, grease and soot smeared across his arms and face and an old tool belt fastened around his waist.

He had a huge satisfied grin plastered across his face. "Your transportation has arrived!"

A/N
Tada!!
It's another ✨filler✨.
Hope you enjoyed getting to know the daughters of Artemis.
Let the quest begin!
-Cheshire