The Male Hunter | Olympus' Traitor #1

Chapter 34: Otherworldly Meetings

"I, I can explain," Thalia stammered

Artemis stood up and walked towards Thalia. Once she was within a few feet she stopped, arms folded. "Did you really think I wouldn't be able to tell that you broke your oaths?"

Thalia shuffled nervously, not knowing what to say. "Please don't turn us into jackalopes!" she suddenly blurted out after a few moments.

Artemis chuckled. "I won't turn you into jackalopes, but we do need to have a discussion. However, I believe that would be best for the morning. Until the morrow, lieutenant," Artemis said before she walked out of the tent and disappeared into the night.

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"Hey, what's wrong?" Percy asked.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Hannah shrieked as she stood up, getting in Percy's face. "Gods, you're such a. . . a. . . Seaweed Brain!" Percy flinched at the use of the nickname she had called him.

"Please, just tell me," Percy pleaded. "I just want to help."

"Can you bring people back from the dead?" Hannah challenged. Percy opened and closed his mouth a few times, unsure of how to respond. "Didn't think so."

"It's going to be okay," Percy said, trying to comfort his friend. "He's in Elysium, and we will remember him."

This just seemed to enrage Hannah even further. "No, it's not okay! Jacob's dead, and it's All. Your. Fault!" she said angrily, punctuating the last three words with jabs of her finger to his chest. Hannah then shoved her way past Percy, leaving the dumbfounded demigod behind.

Percy sank to his knees, resting his hand on the tombstone. "She's right," Percy whispered as tears pricked his eyes. "It's my fault you died. If only I had stayed away. . ." Percy thought back to all the lives that had been lost on his behalf. Death followed Percy wherever he went, and he couldn't take it anymore. For the sake of his friends, his sister, and most of all, Thalia, it was best that he wasn't around. "My whole life I've been a failure," Percy continued in a broken whisper, the joy of the night completely forgotten. "My friends keep dying around me, and this is the only way I know how to protect them. I hope you understand." Then, letting his hand drop from the stone and to his pocket, Percy drew out Riptide.

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Thalia found herself walking down the street with Percy, but this time the whispers and staring seemed more apparent. The dinner went by in a blur, once again feeling the odd looks from around her as the couple were on their date. Soon, Thalia found herself looking up at the stars in the park like she had done with Percy only hours before. "Perseus was right, it really is a shame what the mortals are missing."

Thalia jumped back and whirled around to see who had spoken. Before her was a young woman with long brown hair and a sleeveless, flowing dress who seemed to maybe be in her late teens, but her face was so timelessly youthful that it was hard to tell. "Who are you?" Thalia growled.

The young woman placed her hand over her chest as if she was offended. "You don't recognize your own half-sister dear Thalia?" she said in mock hurt. Thalia tried to figure out who she could be, but Zeus had sired so many children that it was nigh impossible. "Hebe, Goddess of Youth and cupbearer of the gods at your service," she said with a small curtsey once she saw the look of confusion on Thalia's face.

"What do you want?" an even more confused Thalia asked.

"Why, I've heard your wish sister, and I'm here to help you," Hebe explained.