The Silver Ring (PJO)

Chapter 6

"Why?" I croaked, trying my hardest not to burst into tears. I put my face into my hands. 

I was in my cabin, with Thalia. Annabeth had turned her back on me and kept on walking away, breaking up with me without words. 

For the normal person, getting dumped for no reason was depressing, and made you wonder if you were acting badly.

But it was different with demigods, and even more so with Annabeth and I. We had risked our lives for each other hundreds of times, doing things that even gods were scared of doing. We were closer to each other than two objects stuck together with superglue, and supported each other through many things. 

To protect her, I had insisted that she took godhood, making her into the minor goddess of strategy, architecture, and plans. 

So naturally, when she did this . . . I was less than pleased. It felt like my should and heart were ripped out, leaving empty holes of happy memories that I now resented and questioned. Without her, I felt like a shell of my former self. I knew that I would hill, but I didn't know when. Until then, everything would remind me of her, breaking me bit by bit.

Before we stepped through the door of my cabin, several hunters started marching to me, looking like they wanted to spill blood, presumably believing I was somehow mind-controlling Thalia to follow me. Thalia quickly signaled them to stop, promptly stopping them from probably decapitating me, then quickly shut the door to my cabin behind her.

Thalia rubbed my back, trying to comfort me. "She just came one day, weeping about you betraying her. I admit . . . I almost believed her. But then I remembered it was you. The last time I saw you guys together, everything was fine and dandy. So I started to get suspicious. A week later, she had convinced every hunter into hating you. Even Artemis—and she wanted to hunt you down right there and then. It took a bit, but I calmed almost everybody down, saying that it was mutual breakup. I think Artemis is still a bit wary of you, but you're not on her bad side."

"Where is Artemis?" I asked, my curiosity overwhelming my sadness. Since my face was still in my hands, my voice came out muffled.

"She led us to the camp border, then told us she needed to discuss something with the gods.

Did she figure out the bracelet was missing? wondered the rational part of my brain. Once that topic came into my brain, I realized it was time to solve the mystery. I pushed down all my sorrow and heartbreak deep inside of me (being a leader meant you had to be strong, even if you didn't feel that way at that moment. I've had lots of practice—but none compared tot his, so naturally it was a bit hard) and masked it with a face of calm.

I stood up, Thalia standing up a moment later. "What are you doing?" Thalia asked. 

I didn't answer, but walked tot he door. I felt as if I opened my mouth, the dam would break and I would start crying.

Thalia grabbed my arm, stopping me from going anywhere. "You can't possibly be going," she said, her voice laced with worry and concern. "You're fully devastated."

"I have to." My voice cracked in the middle, showing my inside state. "I can't be selfish and stay in my cabin."

Thalia growled, annoyed at me. "Stop being so selfless! You just got betrayed by your soulmate and you want to teach?"

Just hearing Thalia say what I already knew made me feel worse than how I was. After the war with Gaea, Chiron had inducted me as a sword instructor. It wasn't a big involvement—I only had to go teach when I felt like it. Right now, I figured that would be the perfect distraction from all my problems.

But deep inside, I knew it wouldn't.

Before I could reply, Thalia cut me off, sounding very surprised. "Is that a ring on your finger?"

If Thalia was any other hunter, this would be the time I would make my break, sprinting to the door and trying to escape out of sight. If I didn't do that, the hunter would probably jump to conclusions, and think I was "cheating" and promptly do several bad things to me, all that would be excruciatingly painful.

But as I said before, Thalia wasn't just a hunter. She was also my sister in all but blood. If I had to eat something I didn't like, she would probably eat it for me. (Or, she might laugh and force me eat with glee in her eyes. It all depends if she's "caring Thalia" or "passive-aggressive Thalia.") So the first thing she asked me was, "What happened?"

Since the gig was up, I decided to tell her everything, starting with "I don't know." Then, I explained everything that happened with Chaos. Throughout the lengthy conversation, Thalia didn't interrupt, only nodding when it was appropriate. It was quite calming.

After I was finished, Thalia said, "That's really . . . interesting and concerning. Like, I can't believe you met the Creator, but I'm also concerned that you met the Creator. And that might also be why Lady Artemis went to Olympus."

The bizarre logic of her first two sentences kind of made sense "What do you think the silver ring is for?" I asked. "It looks familiar."

Thalia snorted, as though the reason was obvious. She then talked in a slow tone which would be more appropriate on a kindergartener. "Well, the silver and the bow kind of give it away . . . it's some thing to do with Artemis." Thalia's eyes glittered with meaning.

My eyes widened, grasping the thought. "Oh no," I groaned. "Please don't tell me Chaos engaged me with Artemis."

Thalia laughed, as though she found the Percy-is-going-to-get-castrasted-when-Artemis-finds-out thing. 

Thalia's eyes had so much excitement in them, I was half afraid they were going to turn into stars. "When are we going to get started, Kelp Head?"