𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑 • PERCY JACKSON

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐: 𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑

    "No!" Bianca's voice quavered. "This is not cool!"

    Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for—"

    "Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

    Eris glanced at the now quiet Nico Di'Angelo. She kinda felt bad for him for Bianca snapping at him. Willow had never snapped at her like that growing up, she was a bit more patient but then again Willow was six years older than her and Bianca was only two years older than Nico.

    Nico shuffled on his feet and that's when she noticed he was shivering slightly from the cold air.

   Eris was never good with kids, they were unpredictable. They made her nervous but even she could admit Nico was adorable.

   Eris leaned down towards him, "Are...are you cold?" She asked quietly.

   "No," Nico said a bit stubbornly but his shaking shoulders gave it away.

  Eris eyed her own jacket. It was really warm and she didn't particularly need it because she was already wearing a thick sweater underneath. She shrugged off her jacket, "Here."

   Nico eyed the jacket before taking it and putting it on. The jacket was so big Nico looked like he was drowning in it but at least he wasn't cold anymore. "Thanks," Nico mumbled.

    "Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well...Our lives are dangerous," Thalia said but more calmly.

   "Dangerous," Bianca said, "like the girl who fell."

    Eris flinched. Bianca really had no filter.

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

    "Then why won't you let us go look for her?" Percy asked.

    "She is gone. Can't you sense it, Son of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."

    "Do you think," Percy struggled to get the words out, "she maybe be...y'know.."

   "She's not dead," Eris blurted out, drawing attraction and made her cringe slightly, "I'm...I'm connected to the Underworld if she was dead I would know it....she's just gone somewhere."

   Even if Eris couldn't feel Annabeth dying she knew that Charon probably would have connected her somehow to let her know. But all that matter to Eris was that Annabeth was alive.

   "Oo!" Nico raised his jacket covered hand. "What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! Is he dead?"

    "He was a manticore," Artemis said. "Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They re-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear. Unless you have a weapon like Essence of course."

    Eris blinked, "Me? You...you know my name?"

If it was any other person calling her by her full name Eris would've been annoyed but this was Artemis. Artemis was probably the only God Eris liked which was rare because Eris hated the Olympians or any god who had children then abandoned them.

She swore some gods thought appearing in their children's dreams every once in a while meant they were active parents. They were still deadbeats. Eris had to remind Hades of that every time he sent her a later via Salem only to end up throwing them all away after the first time he sent her a letter asking her about her powers.