𐌙/𐌍 Ᏽ𐌵𐌀𐌋𐌄 & 𐌕𐋅𐌄 Ᏽ𐌐𐌄𐌀𐌕 𐌌𐌙𐌕𐋅𐌔 ¹

Chapter 4

Four
𖧷

Thalia Torches New England With Irresponsible Driving

  Mother assured us that dawn was coming, but you could've fooled me. It was colder and darker and snowier than ever. Up on the hill, Westover Hall's windows were completely lightless. I wondered if the teachers had even noticed the di Angelos and Dr. Thorn were missing yet. I didn't want to be around when they did. With my luck, the only name Mrs. Gottschalk would remember was "(y/n) (l/n)," and then I'd be the subject of a nationwide manhunt… again.

  The Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. I stood with Percy, while he shivered with his two jackets on, (unlike the Hunters, who didn't seem to feel at all uncomfortable) and looked at me like I was an alien, with my simple T-shirt, that was still with two cuts on the right sleeve from the manticore claws. Mother stared into the east like she was expecting something. Bianca sat off to one side, talking with Nico. I could tell from his gloomy face that she was explaining her decision to join the Hunt. I couldn't help thinking how selfish it was of her, abandoning her brother like that.

  Thalia and Grover came up and huddled around me, anxious to hear what had happened in my audience with the goddess.

  When I told them, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't
go well."

  "How'd they even show up here?" I wondered. "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."

  "And Bianca joined them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoe's fault. That stuck-up, no good—"

  "Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?" He heaved a big sigh.

  Thalia rolled her eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

  "But she's so… into nature," Grover swooned.

  "You're nuts," said Thalia.

  "Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah."

  I gave Grover a glare. "Stop pinning over my mother!"

  "Oh, right," he nervously giggled. "Sorry."

  Finally the sky began to lighten. Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so-o-o lazy during the winter."

  "You're, um, waiting for sunrise?" I asked.

  "For my brother. Yes."

  I didn't want to be rude. I mean, I knew the legends about Apollo—or sometimes Helios—driving a big sun chariot across the sky. But I also knew that the sun was really a star about a zillion miles away. I'd gotten used to some of the Greek myths being true, but still… I didn't see how Apollo could drive the sun.

  "It's not exactly as you think," Artemis said, like she was reading my mind.

  "Oh, okay." I started to relax. "So, it's not like he'll be pulling up in a—"

  There was a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth.

  "Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks."