❛ 𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐒 ❜ ━━ 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐱 𝐎𝐂

𝐈𝐈

Zoë got on one knee, and bowed her head towards Menodora, who still limply laid against the soil.

The other Hunters followed her example, including Thalia and Percy.

A minute of this passed. Zoë got up and kneeled down next to Menodora, stroking her cheek.

"Okay, so," Bianca said. Everyone turned towards her, giving her their full attention. "Who... who are you people?"

"The better question to be asked, my dear," Artemis said, "is who are you? What's your parentage?"

"Our parents are dead," Bianca said banally. "Me and Nico—we met Menodora and ever since she has been taking care of us. We don't have any family, except for each other."

Everybody kept staring at her, as if to demand more information. "Uh... well, I suppose there's a bank trust that pays for our school."

Confusion and uncertainty was etched deep into their eyes. It made Bianca's skin feel too tight. "What? I'm not lying."

"You are a half-blood," Zoë said, not bothering too face Bianca. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"Olympian? As in an athlete?" Nico asked, genuine confusion lacing his tone.

"No, as in one of the gods," Zoë corrected.

"Cool!" Nico said happily.

"No!" Bianca countered. "Not cool! This is not cool! You mean more like Dr. Thorn have tried to kill us? And I don't imagine why they'd stop."

"Does Zeus really have a lightning bolt that does six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for—"

"Shut up, Nico!" Bianca yelled. "This isn't your stupid Mythomagic game! This is real life! There are no gods!"

Thalia, the girl with the black, spiky hair, attempted a smile, but it didn't come over as encouraging as Bianca would've hoped. "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? Like Menodora? I mean, this isn't the first time she came back looking rough," Bianca asked. "Like the girl who fell?"

Bianca hadn't seen it, but Percy's pleads were enough. Even Thalia turned her head away from Bianca, away from the cliff.

"Do not despair for Annabeth," Artemis said. "She was a brave maiden."

"Is," Percy corrected her in a hushed tone.

"If she can be found, I'll find her," Artemis promised.

"Then why won't you let me go and look for her?" Percy said, referring to the hunters holding him down.

"Can't you sense it, Son of Poseidon? Your friend disappeared," Artemis said darkly. "Strange magic is at work."

"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 re-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."

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

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