𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬'𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 • 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯

Stymphalian Birds

The next few days were torture, just like Tantalus wanted.

Tyson getting claimed as the son of Poseidon was bad enough, I didn't need any more stress or sad flashbacks in my life. But the Aphrodite cabin loved the show Percy and I put up in the dining pavilion the night Tyson got claimed, and they wouldn't stop teasing me about it.

"I don't have a crush on him!" I would reply, every time they teased me.

"Yeah right, and our mom didn't curse you," they'd spat back.

I think it's time I talk about that.

My mother, Artemis, and Aphrodite have been at it for years. Aphrodite hates Artemis for being a virgin and encouraging girls to be so too, and my mum hates Aphrodite for basically everything. Thing is, when Artemis fell in love with my mother, Aphrodite was beaming. She talked to Artemis for hours about how she always knew Artemis had a sweet spot for someone and all that lovey-dovey bullshit. Artemis did her best to ignore Aphrodite.

When my mother became pregnant with me, Aphrodite became confused about why Artemis wouldn't be pregnant. Artemis explained that just because she fell in love, it didn't mean she had to lose her virginity, and that my mother and she agreed it was for the best. Aphrodite became furious and as soon as I was born, she cursed me. 

The curse was that I would be a stunning girl of which boys and girls would fall in love with me. It doesn't sound so bad now, does it? The other part of the curse said I would fall in love with a boy who would leave me and break my heart.

Artemis was enraged. Her sweet, baby girl, fall in love with a boy? She couldn't take it. Artemis wouldn't let me join the hunters, as much as I begged and pleaded. She would visit me on my birthdays, and let the hunters and I know each other, of course, but she wouldn't let me join the hunt.

Birthday wish after birthday wish I hoped to finally be able to join the hunt, but the wish never came true. I guess I owe it all to Aphrodite for not being able to live with my mom.

I'm getting teary-eyed, let's continue.

Percy was angry at his dad. He thought he was a joke.

I tried to make him feel better. I suggested we team up for the chariot race to take our minds off our problems. Don't get me wrong—we both hated Tantalus and we were worried sick about camp—but we didn't know what to do about it. Until we could come up with some brilliant plan to save Thalia's tree, we figured we might as well go along with the races.

One morning Percy and I were sitting by the canoe lake sketching chariot designs when some jokers from Aphrodite's cabin walked by and asked me if Percy needed to borrow some eyeliner for his eye..."Oh sorry, eyes." 

As they walked away laughing, I grumbled, "Just ignore them, Percy. It isn't your fault you have a monster for a brother." 

"He's not my brother!" Percy snapped. "And he's not a monster, either!" 

I raised my eyebrows. "Hey, don't get mad at me! And technically, he is a monster." 

"Well, you liked him before." 

"Because he saved your life! I mean...I'm sorry, Percy, I didn't expectPoseidon to claim him. Cyclopes are the most deceitful, treacherous—" 

"He is not! What have you got against Cyclopes, anyway?" 

Tears blurred my vision. I inhaled and got them away.

"Just forget it," I said. "Now, the axle for this chariot—" 

"You're treating him like he's this horrible thing," he said. "He saved my life." 

I threw down my pencil and stood.