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DAVINA HAD NEVER packed for a quest before. Missions, yeah, but never a quest. It didn't take her long to do it, though. She didn't have anything sentimental to take with her, so she only packed extra clothes, deodorant, a toothbrush, toothpaste, money, and some ambrosia Cassie gave her when she went to say goodbye. She French braided her hair back into two pigtails and went to sleep, hoping to get some rest before she left for a quest that could potentially lead to her death.
She would've been better off staying awake.
She was back in the same dark place from her dream the previous night. Annabeth struggled against whatever she was holding up. Davina squinted. It looked like boulders. Annabeth looked exhausted. Any second now, her strength would run out and the boulders would crush her.
"How is our mortal guest?" a voice boomed, making the ground vibrate and Davina jump in surprise.
Luke came out from the shadows and rushed over to Annabeth. He checked her and then looked up at the invisible man. "She's fading. We must hurry."
The voice chuckled and thrust something forward. Not something, someone. Davina gasped when she saw Artemis come into the light. The goddess was bound in chains with a ripped dress and cuts oozing ichor all over her body "You heard the boy. Decide!"
Davina saw Artemis's eyes flash dangerously but soften to concern when she saw Annabeth. "How dare you torture a maiden like this!"
"She will die soon," Luke responded. "You can save her."
"Free my hands," Artemis ordered.
Luke got out his sword. With one strike, he broke the handcuffs on Artemis's wrists.
The goddess ran towards Annabeth and lifted the weight off of the demigod's shoulders. Annabeth collapsed to the ground, her exhaustion getting the best of her.
Annabeth, Davina would've screamed as she tried to run to her, forgetting that she couldn't.
The voice laughed. "You are as predictable as you were easy to beat, Artemis."
"You surprised me," Artemis got out. "It will not happen again."
"Indeed it will not," the voice agreed. "Now you are out of the way for good. I knew you could not resist helping a young maiden. That is, after all, your specialty, my dear."
Artemis groaned. "You know nothing of mercy, you swine."
"On that, we can agree. Luke, you may kill the girl."
