Turning Tides | P. Jackson Books 1-5

Hello Again

"Ayden," Grover smiled. "How long have you been on a quest?"

"Oh, I finished that a while ago," Ayden's breathing turned heavy. She looked at Percy confused as to why he didn't explain. She'd seen him over Christmas. 

"Grover's been on assignment as well. I couldn't tell him you were fine before, well, now." Percy explained. Ayden gave the satyr a tight smile.

"Sorry, I was training."

"With Thalassa?" Annabeth asked.

"With all of them," Ayden explained as she looked back at the manticore. "Sorry, I didn't reappear sooner. I lost track of time."

"Wait you were training with all the primordials?" Grover asked. Ayden nodded and moved her shoulder around testing the pain.

"It will hurt for a while, but it shouldn't kill you, I don't think," Percy touched her shoulder gently.

"Alright, lover boy, on the problem at hand," Thalia turned as her shield formed.

"One at a time, I can heal later," Ayden explained as they moved forward. The manticore was facing the two teenagers once more. Ayden didn't know why they were there or where she was, but she knew they weren't normal kids. There was a reason something like this was going after them. They were demigods and not weak ones.

"Hunters!" A voice echoed from the woods beside them. "Fire!" Arrows flew from the woods hitting the monster as it stumbled back toward the cliff's edge.

"Ah!" The monster screeched as it tumbled backwards. "I'm going to kill you all!" It went to swipe for Thalia knocking her back. Its tail came forward hitting Percy's shield once making him stumble back. Its next option was to go for Grover.

"No!" Annabeth ran toward him. Ayden teleported near the monster with her as the figures emerged from the woods.

"You!" 

Ayden looked over her shoulder for a brief moment seeing an arrow fired from a redhead. Ayden thought it was Cameron for a moment. The pain was immediate. She felt a pain in her chest as she touched the point of an arrow barely poking through her lower chest. It'd barely missed her heart. She'd been shot through the back. 

"No! No! Ayden!" Percy screamed. The woman had shot her.

"What are you doing?!" Annabeth yelled as she stabbed the back of the monster. Ayden stumbled forward as the monster chuckled. He grabbed her leg as he fell off the edge. The pain ripped through Ayden's body as she was dragged off the edge plummeting toward the sea.

"Ayden!" Percy ran to the edge of the cliff seeing no one. "No, no."

"Where did they go?" Thalia asked. They were all breathing heavily from the attack. Percy felt like the adrenaline still racing through his veins. 

"Why did you shoot her?!" Percy turned around drawing his sword.

"I suggest you calm down," The redhead told him. The hunters had their bows drawn and ready to fire at him.

"Why did you shoot her, Lady Artemis," Grover asked. He kept his voice calm and his head low.

"She was helping us. Now Annabeth and she are gone," Thalia shook her head. She didn't even know Ayden and she was angered by the stab in the back.

"Orders from Zeus, your father," Artemis added. "She was a problem that needed to be stopped. If Kronos got her on his side, it would be dangerous. The war would be over before it started."

"So you shot her!" Percy gripped his sword tightly. Rage flooded him. It reminded him of when he stood too close to Ares. He wanted to kill the goddess for what she'd done. The image of Ayden's limp body getting dragged off the edge kept replaying in his mind. His throat and eyes burned as he blinked hard.