The Unclaimed

Chapter 36: A meeting with Jessicas father

   Artemis paced back and forth in anticipation while she waited in the barely lit throne room for him to show up. She had to know if she was right; she no longer cared about keeping her knowledge a secret. Artemis could find no words to properly explain how much she cared for Jessica but her actions said enough. She wasn't sure how he would react; every time Jessica had been brought up around him he had denied knowing anything of her existence. But Artemis was certain that he was Jessica's dad but she no longer had the patience to wait and find out for sure. As the quest had gone on she had watched Jessica become more and more defeated and hopeless. Artemis needed to make sure that the quest wasn't for nothing.
   "What do you want," his gruff voice came out of nowhere. Artemis spun on the balls of her feet; he was no where to be seen.
   "Show yourself," she heard him chuckle darkly but he complied. He stepped out from behind his throne and out of the shadows.
   "You've always been a fiery one haven't you," he said humorously. Artemis crossed her arms; she was not in the mood for his behavior.
   "Listen closely," her tone was harsh and would have scared the living daylights out of any mortal. Though he showed no outward reaction, the other god in the room felt a shiver run up his spine. "I know that you know why I called you here," he opened his mouth to deny her claims but one look from Artemis was enough to keep him quiet. "I am going to ask you one question and I expect the true from you. Do not dare think you can lie to me and get away with it; keep in mind that I have a group of immortal hunters who will follow me to the end of the earth if that is what it takes to get revenge on you."  This time he couldn't hide it, all the color disappeared from his face.
   "I'm listening," he said coldly.
   "My suspicions about Jessica's parentage are correct aren't they?" He raised his eyebrows at Artemis's question, attempting to play oblivious. 
   "I don't think I understand your question?" He lied. Faster than the blink of an eye Artemis sent an arrow flying that missed him by less than an inch. Before he could make a snarky comment she spoke.
   "Don't think for a second I missed my target." She told him. "That was a warning, you lie to me again and the arrow will hit you." She stalked towards him slowly. "I will ask you one more time and to avoid another misunderstanding like this one, I will put it in plain words that even you cannot misunderstand. Are you Jessica's father?" She held eye contact with him. Artemis could see it in his eyes that he was tempted to lie. Seconds of silence turned into minutes. Neither of them moved. Finally, he nodded.
   "How long have you known?" He asked her softly.
   "Since long before she even got to camp." Artemis replied.
   "How did you find out," he questioned. There was no way for him to hide the confusion in his voice, he had thought he had hidden his steps well.
   "I saw you arguing with her mother in the woods one day while I was hunting." Artemis still remembered the day as if it had been yesterday. "You had come to check on her and on Jessica but instead you found out she gave Jessica up and was pregnant with another child. Not only that but it was the child of one of the other gods." His figure visibly tensed as he listened to Artemis talk about that day. He had always known that Jessica's mother would move on after he left but he had never expected it to be onto another god.
   "I don't know what you were mad about though," his head snapped towards Artemis at these words. "If you ask me, you had no right to even go visit their mother after how you treated her." His body started shaking but he didn't say anything; Artemis continued. "You're relationship with her was likely the most pathetic affair I have ever witnessed in all times. And you know quite well that there have been some crappy god-mortal relationships." His shaking became more intense; he took a deep breath.
   "Why do you say that?" He asked harshly. "What makes you think that you know enough about my relationship with Jessica's mom to label  it as the worst affair ever?" Had Artemis not been as strong willed and fierce as she was, she would have been scared of Jessica's dad. But instead she stood her ground.
   "The visit that I witnessed was the first one that had taken place in approximately six years." Artemis said truthfully. "I heard everything that was said that day. Including the fact that you stayed with her mother for less than a month before you left. You never even came to see Jessica when she was born." Artemis laughed coldly. "Even in the worst of relationships all the rest of the gods always found ways to see their kids. You waited six years until you came to see Jessica but you still act confused as why I said this was the worst affair ever." Artemis was taken by surprise when Jessica's  dad grabbed her by the arm and roughly shook her.
   "Don't talks out something you don't know the full truth about." He snarled. "You don't know the first thing about my relationship with Jessica's mother or about why I had to leave her." His tone shocked Artemis, it was a combination of anger and guilt.
   "Than tell me the truth." Artemis said softly. He shook his head while he gently let her for.
   "You wouldn't understand." He whispered. "I loved her." Now this took Artemis by surprise.
   "Why haven't you claimed Jessica?" Dropping the subject of Jessica's mother, Artemis moved on to the main reason she was there. "She is an incredible kid and she deserves to be claimed." He winced and looked at the ground.
   "I can't," he responded. "She can't find out that I'm her father. No one else can find out that she's my daughter." Artemis looked at him with disgust.
   "Why not," she spat at him. At this point Artemis was seeing red. "She has been through so much. She has  suffered through abuse and been treated like dirt. Jessica deserves to know who you are. I don't care what your excuse is. What your reason is. I don't care. And I should warn you that whether you claim her or not, Jessica will find out that you are her father. She has had incredible success on her quest so far and will continue having success. And I will do everything in my power to make sure she gets through it safely. You may be her dad but she is under my protection; I will do whatever is necessary to make sure she is happy." The two gods glared at each other. Jessica's dad finally spoke.
   "Good luck," and with that he disappeared in a flash of bright light and Artemis was left alone in the throne room. Confusion and anger racing through her body.