"Two extremely powerful demigods in Maine," Luke mused quietly as we headed out the seaside inn we were currently staying at. "And you want to go and get them?"
I nodded, holding out my hand in silent order. "Yeah. I mean, if I have a dream about them, then they're obviously important."
Luke clasped my hand and I pulled the mist around us, emerging once again before the wall of fog leading to the Garden of the Hesperides.
"Hmm. Well, we can ask the General first, and then see," Luke conceded, letting go of my hand. "You ready?"
I nodded, taking a deep breath to steel myself, and stepped into the mist.
***
"You're late," Atlas growled from beneath the sky as Luke and I emerged from the ruins of the palace, which, to my chagrin, had formed even further.
"My apologies, General," Luke murmured, both of us bowing. "There were . . . issues that came up."
"What issues?" Atlas grumbled, pinning him with his stare.
"I had a dream, my lord," I interjected. "There are two very powerful demigods in Maine, and I was discussing with Luke about me retrieving them. I'm sorry for the delay."
"Hmph," Atlas said, though the dangerous swirl of energy that had started emanating from him when we arrived subsided. "And will you be going?"
"If you will it," I replied.
Atlas smiled in satisfaction. "We already have someone there, girl. I sent one of our agents, Thorn, to Westover Hall at the start of September."
Shit, shit, shit, I thought. That's not good. I can't let two children of Hades fall into Kronos' clutches. And a manticore at that.
Thinking fast, I said, "Sir, I'm sure you're right, but isn't three and a half months a long time to retrieve two demigods? What if -"
"Rianna, what are you doing?" Luke hissed, cutting me off.
"I want to go after them," I said clearly, meeting Atlas's grey stare. "I'm not sure if I trust a monster, no matter who, to go after two demigods without any mishaps. Especially powerful ones, because satyrs from camp would have also been sent."
Atlas nodded thoughtfully. "I see your point. Very well, you may go."
"J-just like that?" I stammered, my eyes darting to Luke and then back to Atlas. "I can just go? Like, now?"
"Yes. Go, now," he commanded. "We'll be awaiting your return."
***
"Are you out of your mind?" Luke said once we were off the mountain. He grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at him. "Ri, what are you doing?"
"Luke, I can't let any more demigods go through the hell we've experienced. Who knows what a monster might do?"
"So you're just going to magick yourself over to the other side of this country?"
"How else am I supposed to get there?"
"You can't just up and leave at the drop of a hat! What am I supposed to-"
Ah. There it was. "Stop worrying about me," I whispered, pressing my fingers to his lips to cut him off. "I'll be fine."
"I know, I know," Luke replied, "but . . . Maine."
"Well, Atlas commanded me," I shrugged. "So I really have no choice now, do I?"
Luke hissed in frustration but sighed in defeat. "Fine. Just - Just be careful, and please come back in one piece."
"I promise," I said, smirking. "Look at you being such a worrywart. I'll be back before you know it."
Luke wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tight, then pulled back only to cover my mouth with his.
"Stay safe," he whispered as he pulled back from the kiss. "Good luck, Ri."
I blinked, squeezing his hand, then stepped back, wrapping the mist around me, and vanished.
***
A day later, I walked through a greenhouse door somewhere in Pennsylvania, sighing as the heat warmed the chill, and closed the door to see my wolf bounding through the snow drifts outside.
I shook my head, smiling, and walked to the fountain in the middle of the space, tossed a drachma in it, and said, "O Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me . . ." I hesitated, debating whether to call Artemis or Zoe, and decided to go with the latter. "Show me Zoe Nightshade, wherever she is."
The fountain I was standing before shimmered, and then an image of a beautiful girl with long, dark brown hair, a silver circlet resting on her head, speaking to someone beyond my view in a wintry wood.
"-scan the woods in the west," she was saying. "there may be -"
Zoe paused, and I grinned at her as she turned to me. "Long time no see, sis."
"Clari!" Zoe exclaimed. "Gods, it's been so long!" The surprise and excitement quickly faded from her eyes as she scanned me and frowned at whatever news she read on my face. "What is it?"
"Where are you?" I asked. "Is Artemis with you?"
"We're in that national park in Maine, and yes, my Lady is here."
"Good," I replied, and quickly explained the situation. "There are two really powerful demigods in Bar Harbour. Westover Hall. But . . ."
"Just spit it out."
"Atlas sent a monster for them," I said, watching as her coppery skin paled, fear flashing through her brown eyes before she closed them, taking a deep breath.
"Why art thou telling me this? Thou should know we can't interfere with thine affairs."
"It's a manticore," I supplied. "You technically can. And if you just happened to be at Westover Hall tomorrow, coincidentally stumbling across a manticore . . ."
Zoe sighed, a faint smirk on her lips. "Thank thee for thine information. It so happens that we are searching for a good hunt."
I smiled. "Good hunting."
Zoe nodded, her eyes shadowed, and slashed a hand through the air, cutting the connection.
I stared silently at the water rippling in the fountain, remembering the day Artemis had brought me off Olympus to join her for the Hunt.
That had been nine years ago, when I'd turned ten, and that had been the day I'd had my first real encounter with other demigods or beings besides satyrs, nymphs and gods.
Zoe had welcomed me into the Hunt like a sister, and slowly, over the adventures I'd gone on with the Hunters, had become a real sister to me. The Hunt itself was family and the annual trips I was allowed to go on with Artemis and the Huntresses were always one of the highlights of my life on Olympus.
The offer Artemis had extended to me last year flashed across my mind again and I sighed. "I'm sorry," I whispered out loud. "I really want to and I wish I could. But I'm afraid that I might have to decline. Because I can't leave him."
Even though barely two days had passed, I was already missing Luke. His presence and his smile, though both of us had been doing that a lot less these days, both of us caught up in our duty and neck-deep in stress and worry. I had permanent shadows around my eyes and couldn't remember the last time I'd fallen asleep without any dreams, and Luke didn't look any better.
Since when did you need someone with you? I scolded myself, opening the door of the greenhouse to the chilly wind and snow. Get yourself together. You have to hurry.
I shivered as the wind howled around me. Just my luck to be caught out in the middle of nowhere in a blizzard. "Ava! Come on!"
My wolf appeared, nothing more than a ghost in a white, white world, her golden eyes the only visible part of her as she slunk through the snow towards me. I wrapped my scarf tigher around my neck and hopped on her back, scratching her between the ears affectionately. "Alright, let's get to New Hamsphire."
Avalanche whined, and I ruffled her fur again. "C'mon. Last day, I promise. Tomorrow, we'll go to Bar Harbour."
My wolf snorted but bounded forwards, vanishing into the shadow of a tree, and into the shadow world.
The next day, we disappeared with the dawn from our makeshift bed in a library in New Hampshire and appeared on a familiar rocky cliff in a field of snow overlooking the ocean.
"I can't believe this is a school," I muttered to myself, glancing to my left at the school a few hundred metres down the cliff as we emerged from the forest. "It's like a medieval castle from a fairytale."
Avalanche growled, the sound rippling through the air, and I whirled to see her snarling in the direction of the school.
"What is it?" I asked, dread creeping through my veins. Suddenly, I was aware of a dull chopping sound in the air, like . . . helicopter blades.
Before I could do anything, Avalanche launched herself into a sprint, her powerful legs bounding over the snow. I cursed my pathetic self and shadow-walked after her, emerging in a copse of trees at the edge of the cliff next to the school.
The sound was louder, cutting through the air noisily, and I peered around the tree just in time to see a monster that could only be Thorn lunge towards a figure with black hair and a glowing bronze sword standing protectively in front of two demigods, a dark splotch that was either blood or poison staining his jacket. There was a flash of bronze and then Annabeth was on him. Even from the distance, I could see her dagger buried in its mane.
I heard the sound of bow strings snapping taught, saw the blur of silver as arrows sprouted from the manticore, and saw, in that split-second, what would happen.
My magic swirling around me and I blinked into existence right as Thorn leaped off the cliff, with Annabeth still on his back.
No. The word clanged through me. No.
Without thinking, not caring if anyone saw, I jumped off the cliff, diving after the two figures plummeting towards the ocean below.
***
Sorry for the literal cliffhanger (not).
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