𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬'𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 • 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯

Zoë Nightshade

Percy's Pov:

I let her go.

I mean, I didn't want to, but I did it, and now I couldn't be more torn apart. 

"Y/n!" I yelled. 

I wanted to jump after her, but our enemies weren't done with us. There was a snap-snap-snap from the helicopter—the sound of gunfire. 

Most of the Hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, but the girl with auburn hair just looked up calmly at the helicopter. 

"Mortals," she announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt." 

She thrust out her hand, and the helicopter exploded into dust—no, not dust. The black metal dissolved into a flock of birds—ravens, which scattered into the night. 

The Hunters advanced on us.

The one called Zoë stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with distaste. 

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

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

"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see." 

"Y/n!" I yelled. "You have to let us save her!" 

"And Annabeth," Grayson chimed in.

Zoë frowned and looked at the auburn-haired girl. Both girls obviously tried to hide it, but their eyes were full of sadness.

The auburn-haired girl turned toward me. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson and Grayson Martin, but your friends are beyond help." 

I tried to struggle to my feet, but a couple of the girls held me down. 

"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said. 

"Let me go!" I demanded. "Who do you think you are?" 

Zoë stepped forward as if to smack me. 

"No," the other girl ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoë. He is simply distraught. He does not understand." 

The young girl looked at me, her eyes colder and brighter than the winter moon. "I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt." 

After seeing Dr. Thorn turn into a monster and plummet off the edge of a cliff with Y/n, you'd think nothing else could shock me. But when this twelve-year-old girl told me she was the goddess Artemis, I said something real intelligent like, "Um... okay." 

That was nothing compared to Grover. He gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started yammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so... you're so... Wow!" 

"Get up, goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth and Y/n are gone!" 

"Whoa," Bianca di Angelo said. "Hold up. Time out." 

Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at all of us in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who... who are you people?" 

Artemis's expression softened."It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you! Who are your parents?" 

Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Artemis. 

"Our parents are dead," Bianca said. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but..." 

She faltered. I guess she could tell from our faces that we didn't believe her. 

"What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."