The Twins of the Sea- A change in the past-

Chapter 33

Andy's POV

We landed at Crissy Field after nightfall. As soon as Dr. Chase stepped out of his Sopwith Camel, Annabeth ran to him and gave  him a huge hug.

"Dad! You flew… you shot… oh my gods! That was the most amazing thing  I've ever seen!"

Her father blushed. "Well, not bad for a middle-aged mortal, I suppose."

"But the celestial bronze bullets! How did you get those?" 

"Ah, well. You did leave quite a few half-blood weapons in your room in Virginia, the last time you… left."

Meanwhile me and Artemis were bandaging Zoe's wounds but it did little help. Despite the pain and the shaking of my hands I managed to tie the bandage around her wound.

"Mum, please try something. She can't-" I begged my voice breaking from sadness. She nodded her head and put her hand over her wound. The others have now gathered around. Thalia kneeled on the other side of Zoe, Percy came near me and Annabeth stayed with her father.

Zoe caught her wrist before she could begin to try save her.
"Have I… served thee well?" Zoe whispered.

"With great honor," Artemis said softly. "The finest of my attendants."

Zoe's face relaxed. "Rest. At last." 

"I can try to heal the poison, my brave one."

She saw Thalia, and took her hand.
"I am sorry we argued," Zoe said. "We could have been sisters." 

"It's my fault," Thalia said, blinking hard. "You were right about Luke, about heroes, men—everything."

"Perhaps not all men," Zoe murmured. She smiled weakly at Percy then looked at me.

"Zoe please... y-you can't g-go... You promised to teach me how to use a sword... Please sis... " tears were now falling down my face and I felt a hand on my cheek. It was Zoe's.

"Sister... Please forgive me... You have s-someone else to teach thee. " she drew a breath before she said, "
I love thee. Stars," she whispered. "I can see the stars again, my lady."  A tear trickled down Artemis's cheek.

"Yes, my brave one. They are beautiful tonight." 

"Stars," Zoe repeated. Her eyes fixed on the night sky. And she did not move again. I broke down there, I cried for the one I considered my sister, mentor. Percy put an arm around me and embraced me thightly to his chest. I could feel some of his tears hitting my head,but I didn't care.

Artemis cupped her hand above Zoe's mouth and spoke a few  words in Ancient Greek. A silvery wisp of smoke exhaled from Zoe's lips and was caught in  the hand of the goddess. Zoe's body shimmered and disappeared. Artemis stood, said a kind of blessing, breathed into her cupped hand and released the
silver dust to the sky. It flew up, sparkling, and vanished. Then Annabeth gasped. Looking up in the  sky, I saw that the stars were brighter now. They made a pattern of a girl with a bow, running across  the sky.

"Let the world honor you, my Huntress," Artemis said. "Live forever in the stars."
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"I must go to Olympus immediately," Artemis said. "I will not be able to take you, but I will send help." She said some parting words to Annabeth, had an eye conversation with Thalia, looked at me and Percy with soft eyes and left. Soon three pegasi came over our heads. One was black and two were white. I could hear the black one talking to Percy.

"Blackjack!" He called.

Yo,boss! he called. You manage to stay alive okay without me?