The Queen's Champion

Trouble Ahead

Ch. 32

Percy and Artemis walked back into the borders of Camp Half Blood, still hand in hand as they checked on the hunters. Thankfully, no one was injured with the exception of Zoe but no one knew that at the moment. The campers had not fared as well as the hunters in the battle. They lost over twenty campers including a few who were older and friends of Percy's. The immortal Leo Valdez had fallen in battle. While sad, his death was temporary, his full immortality ensuring he would reform in a decade or two. Other fallen campers included Will Solace, Jake Mason and a mess of campers who had come to camp after Percy had left camp.

Percy looked around at the shroud covered bodies of the fallen campers and felt a familiar pain enter his heart. Artemis noticed Percy's mood and led him away from the fallen demigod bodies and into her cabin. Once they had the privacy of the hunter's cabin, Artemis looked at Percy seriously.

"Don't do this Percy. There isn't a single thing you could have done to prevent their deaths. If not for you, all of Camp Half Blood would have been destroyed and many more would have died." Artemis said in a soft but stern tone.

Percy looked into Artemis' silver eyes before he nodded slightly and sighed, falling back onto one of the beds inside the cabin. Percy closed his eyes as he tried to push the images of his dead friend's faces out of his mind.

He was brought out his thoughts when Artemis lay down beside him, grabbing his hand again. They both stayed silent for a minute as Percy thought about the events of day.

After a few minutes, Percy finally spoke up, "She almost killed me, Annabeth almost killed me today."

Artemis tensed and sat up looking at Percy worriedly, "What do you mean?"

Percy shook his head, "She is powerful. She might be more powerful than I am now. If not for Zoe, I would probably be dead right now."

Artemis' eyes widened, "Tell me what happened Percy."

"When my army reached camp, I saw Annabeth sneak off to the side of the battle towards some boulders with a couple of Cyclops in tow. I followed as quickly as I could without being seen but when I got there, the two Cyclops were holding Zoe as Annabeth smacked her around. Then Annabeth said her dagger is now like Kronos' scythe, able to kill mortals and immortals alike. She tried to kill Zoe but I stopped her. We fought back and forth for a while but she had me on the ground. Zoe saved me and Annabeth vanished before we could attack her again." Percy explained solemnly.

Artemis listened with shock to Percy's story until he finished when her mood shifted into anger and rage.

"When I get my hands on that bitch, she will regret the day she was born from Athena's head." Artemis growled.

Artemis looked at Percy to see him staring blankly at the wall. Her anger mellowed quickly as grabbed her boyfriend's hand softly, "Percy, what's wrong? You saved Zoe's life, you should be happy."

Percy's expression darkened as his eyes caught fire, burning with a mixture of sea green, brown and gold flames, "I finally had my chance to kill her and I failed. It was pathetic."

Artemis pulled Percy closer, "Don't say that Percy. There is nothing shameful in what you did. You saved your friend and it was one fight, you will have your revenge against her. We both will."

Percy looked into Artemis' eyes again before he took a deep breath and nodded, deciding he wouldn't pass his stresses onto Artemis. She was the most important person to him and he wouldn't add to her troubles over this war.

Percy gave her a small smile and leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. Artemis responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down on the bed on top of her where the kiss began to grow more passionate. His hands found their way to her back where it slipped under her shirt. He softly ran his fingers along her spine sending a pleasurable shiver through the goddess' body. Before the kiss could go any further, the door to the cabin swung open, forcing the two to grudgingly break apart.