¹On This Spring Day.

003.

Thalia must've been feeling something similar, because the anger in her eyes subsided a little bit. "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."

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

Thalia turned away. Violet swallowed harshly. The Hunter at her side wouldn't look at her, as if she felt guilty for letting Annabeth get grabbed. Percy's jaw tensed and he looked at the ground. Even Artemis looked pained.

"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 and 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."

Violet still wanted to jump off the cliff and search for Annabeth, but she knew the goddess had to be right. Annabeth was gone. There would've been something to say that she wasn't.

"Oo!" Nico raised his 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 reform over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."

"Or they'll hunt us," Thalia said.

Bianca shivered. "That explains ... Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in D.C.?"

"And that bus driver," Nico said. "The one with the ram's horns. I told you that was real!"

"That's why Grover and I have been watching you," Violet spoke up. "To keep you safe, if you guys ended up being half-bloods."

"Grover?" Bianca stared at him. "You're a demigod, too?"

"Well, a satyr, actually." He kicked off his shoes and displayed his goat hooves. Violet thought Bianca was going to faint right there.

"Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia said. "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!"

"Bianca," Percy said, "we came here to help you. You and Nico need training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to Camp."

"Camp?" Bianca asked.

"Camp Half-Blood," the son of Poseidon clarified. "It's where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you like."

"Sweet, let's go!" said Nico.

"Wait." Bianca shook her head. "I don't—"

"There is another option," Zoë said.

"No, there isn't!" Thalia said.

Thalia and Zoë glared at each other. Violet had to wonder what their history was to garner such hostility. She knew Zoë was talking about joining the Hunters, but she had to wonder why Thalia hated them so much.

"We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoë, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."