the lakes 𖥻 PJO

ii. attack points

Artemis was a lot different than Angela expected. Most gods that she had seen took to the form of vaguely attractive middle aged white people. Artemis looked like she couldn't be older than Bianca di Angelo.

Percy stared at her. "Um... okay."

Angela gave a small smile to the goddess, who returned it warmly. Grover fell to his knees in the middle of the snow. "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so... you're so... Wow!"

Thalia rolled her eyes, grabbing the collar of his jacket and pulling him to his hooves. "Get up, goat boy. We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

"Woah," Bianca di Angelo held her hands up to stop them. "Hold up. Time out. Who... who are you people?"

Artemis smiled sympathetically. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you? Who are your parents?"

The expression that passed along the younger girl's face was one Angela recognised too well. The hesitance of admitting to a group of strangers that your parents are either gone or didn't want you. They'd all been there. "Our parents are dead," she looked sideways at her brother. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but..." She looked at the rest of them, who were all trying to not make it obvious they knew she was wrong. "What? I'm telling the truth."

"You are a half-blood." Zoë explained, somewhat dismissively. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian." Zoë talked oddly, like someone reciting Shakespeare. She was taller than Angela, and the blonde girl couldn't take her eyes off her hair; long and dark. Angela tugged self-consciously at her own locks, mussed from the fight with Dr. Thorn.

"An Olympian... athlete?" Angela had to resist the urge to crack a smile at Bianca's response.

"No, one of the gods."

"Cool!" Nico's eyes lit up, but he was immediately shut down by his sister.

"No! This is not cool!"

Nico ignored her. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for-"

Bianca had apparently had enough of the absurdity. "Nico, shut up! This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

Angela was the first to step towards Bianca, looking for a sign she was okay with physical contact. She placed a hand on Bianca's shoulder, trying her best to seem comforting. "I know it's a lot to take in. Believe me, we all felt the same. The gods are still around. When they have kids with humans, they end up like us. Trust us, we wouldn't subject you to this life unless it was necessary. It's dangerous for us. We've gotta stick together."

"The girl who fell." Bianca noted. Angela's hand rose from Bianca's shoulder, curling into a gentle fist at the mention of Annabeth.

"Do not despare for Annabeth." Artemis said. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."