Alexis had seen enough. She got up from the ground with a huff and began shoving off the snow from her clothes with her hands, shivering from the cold. Whatever these people had going on, she was not interested. She'd just decided to leave and search for her mother when Grover gasped dramatically and dropped to his knees, babbling nervously, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so... you're so... Wow!"

    Alexis stared at him in disbelief. Did he really think that twelve-year-old girl was the goddess Artemis from the myths? He should know better than that. But just then, Thalia snapped at him, "Get up, goat boy! We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

    Goat boy? Alexis looked Grover up and down to try and figure out why on Earth someone would call him goat boy of all things — and then she saw it. From the waist down, Grover didn't have legs anymore. He had furry hindquarters instead. She yelped and had to cover her mouth with her hands.

    "Grover, what are you?" she shrieked before she could stop it.

    "Whoa," the girl with the questions said, eyeing Grover as well and then everyone holding shiny weapons. "Hold up. Time out."

    Everybody looked at her, though Alexis was still struggling to tear her eyes away from Grover. The girl pointed her finger at all of the people present in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who... who are you people?"

    "Leave me out of it," Alexis scoffed, putting up her hands. She hated that immediately people were looking at her — especially Percy Jackson. She hated that he didn't stop looking even after everyone had moved on to the next speaker, and she hated that she started to worry about how her hair looked even more.

    Artemis's expression softened. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you! Who are your parents?"

    The girl glanced nervously at the little boy next to her, who was still staring in awe at Artemis.

    "Our parents are dead," she explained. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but..."

    She faltered. Everyone was looking at her with something similar to pity, like they already knew the ending of her story before she finished telling it.

    "What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."

    "You are a half-blood," Zoë Nightshade said. She talked like she was a character from The Merchant of Venice. Alack, what heinous sin it is in me! No? Okay. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

    "An Olympian... athlete?"

    The idea of being Michael Phelp's daughter and Alexis's mother keeping it hidden from her all these years was just as absurd as it was hilarious. But, "No," Zoë said, "one of the gods."

    Alright, now that's absurd. Did these people seriously expect her to believe she was the offspring of mythological deities? Especially after a tween claimed to be one of them? Come on.

    "Cool!" said the girl's brother, looking like he was about to burst into a million little stars just from excitement.

    "No!" His sister's voice quavered. "This is not cool!"

    The boy disregarded her reaction and was practically buzzing, nearly jumping up and down as he asked, "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for — "

    "Nico, shut up!" The girl covered her face with her hands and took a deep, shaky breath. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

    Alexis nodded weakly in agreement, looking around at everyone who stood there watching their confusion. There are no gods. Right? Right? Something about the way the other kids were looking at them made Alexis suspect the answer she wanted was not the one she was going to get.

    Thalia's harsh expression softened. "Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around."

    It was like she could read minds. She locked eyes with Alexis, whose hands were tangled in her hair as she frowned, and added, "Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well... Our lives are dangerous."

    Whatever it was about Thalia, it made Alexis feel less uneasy. The way she explained it, like it was normal for her, like she was used to it — like she could get used to it, made it all a bit less scary. But it was still stupidly absurd. How did her mother manage to get herself tangled with a god? Why not Jon? Even Mika, even though he was a bit strange.

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

Thalia turned away. 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 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."

"Sorry," Alexis said tentatively. "Son of...Poseidon?"

Percy lifted his gaze from the edge of the cliff to her and nodded silently to her question.

"How do you know? That he's your father, I mean?"

Would Alexis get to pick? Her mind was reeling as she tried to remember who the Olympians were so she could pick the best one, but her knowledge was limited to the plays her mother used to read her and the movie Hercules.

Percy seemed to be struggling to find the words to explain, but Artemis beat him to it. "You're claimed by your godly parent, dear."

Just like her, Nico had many questions to be answered, and he took over before she could begin to ask how being claimed worked.

"Oo!" he 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 shivered. "That explains... Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in DC?"

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

Alexis had no recollection of people with animal parts, — not until Grover, anyway, but that was a new development — though now that they mentioned it, some tourists had been a tad...strange. Jon was always good at scaring them away, accusing them of all sorts of things for bothering Alexis while she was working, and they'd thankfully never see them again.

"That's why Grover has been watching you," Percy said, immediately getting Alexis's attention. "To keep you safe, if you turned out to be half-bloods."

"Grover?" she said, her brows pinching together. "Is that why you...? You're a demigod?"

"Well, a satyr, actually." He kicked off his shoes and displayed goat hooves instead of feet. Bianca looked like she was about to faint.

"And what's that, exactly?" Alexis asked, feeling even more confused as she stared at him, but not at his face. "Grover, why didn't you tell me?"

Grover stammered and looked very ashamed. "Alexis, I couldn't, I — "

"Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia interrupted, ripping through the tension like a knife. "You're freaking Bianca out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!" Grover protested, while Alexis studied him quietly. Had he lied to her for the entirety of the weeks they'd been 'friends'? Did he actually have to leave because his uncle was sick, or had it been something else he was also hiding from her?

"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. You as well, Alexis." He added, nodding at her. She froze.

"Camp?" she asked, looking at Grover once more. She remembered him mentioning something about a camp, and she had no interest then. Now, she wasn't very sure.

"Camp Half-Blood," Percy explained, seeing as Grover wasn't in a particularly chatty mood. "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, but both his sister Bianca and Alexis shook their heads.

"Wait," Bianca said, at the same time as Alexis protested, "I can't do that."

Images flashed in front of her eyes. Images of home. The ocean, the waves, her surfboard, Mika, Sebastian, Jon, the shop, her mom. How could she possibly leave that place?

"There is another option," Zoë said.

"No, there isn't!" Thalia snapped at once.

Thalia and Zoë glared at each other. Whatever the option was, it was clear to Alexis it had brought those two trouble in the past and the bad blood still lingered.

"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."

"Yes, my lady."

"And, Bianca, Alexis, come with me. I would like to speak with you."

"What about me?" Nico asked.

Artemis considered him for a moment. "Perhaps you can show Grover how to play that card game you enjoy. I'm sure Grover would be happy to entertain you for a while...as a favor to me?"

Grover finally got up from the ground, nearly stumbling headfirst into the dirt. "You bet! Come on, Nico!"

Nico and Grover walked off toward the woods, talking about a bunch of nerdy things Alexis couldn't begin to understand even if she tried. Artemis led her and Bianca along the cliff. She found a strange sort of comfort in the fact that Bianca looked just as confused and rattled as she felt. At least she wasn't alone.

Artemis told them about a group of young girls who she was the patron of: the Hunters. The girls she traveled with were her maidservants, her companions, and her sisters in arms. She promised Alexis and Bianca a spot amongst them should they choose to join her. Artemis explained her vow to maidenhood, and how because of it, she didn't have children in the same way most of the other Olympians did. Her children were adoptive, to put it simply, and could only be girls who also completed their vows to maidenhood.

As she walked them back to the camp her Hunters had set up, Alexis and Bianca looked at each other, both of them weighing their options. Just by looking at her, Alexis knew Bianca was already sure of what she wanted to do. But Alexis couldn't bring herself to focus enough on making a decision as final as joining the Hunters or a year-long camp was. Why couldn't she just take a step back, thank everybody for their time, and go home?

The Hunters' camping site was made up of several large tents, all of silver silk, curved in the shape of a crescent around one side of a bonfire. About a dozen of white wolves circled the tents like guard dogs. The Hunters walked among them and fed them treats, like they were commonly domesticated animals instead of predators. Alexis caught a glimpse of Nico, Grover, and Percy sitting near the fire, and Thalia pacing the cliffside in the distance before she followed Artemis and Bianca inside the tent.

Inside, it was warm and comfortable, not at all like the weather out in the woods. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor of the tent. In the center, a golden brazier was responsible for keeping them cozy. Artemis sat on the ground, and the girls followed suit. Behind the goddess, there was a real nice display stand where a huge silver bow sat regally. The walls were hung with animal pelts, and Alexis wondered how the strange glittering deer that'd been waiting inside the tent and how rested its head on Artemis's lap felt about that.

Artemis began questioning the girls about the manticore and what he'd said, but Alexis let Bianca do most of the speaking. She hadn't heard all of it, and even if she had, she doubted she would've understood any more than Bianca did. Apparently, the manticore had been disguising itself as a human, Dr. Thorn, at Westover Hall, the huge evil-castle-looking place that made Alexis end up where she was now in the first place. Her hands and feet itched, like there were ants crawling over them, and she was dying to leap from her seat and run out of that tent, and then run miles after that until she found her mom. She didn't have time for any of this.

After a little while of listening to Bianca's retelling, Artemis nodded slowly and then called for Zoë, who appeared at once, like she'd been guarding the tent right outside its entrance (which Alexis didn't doubt).

"Yes, my lady?"

"I must talk to Percy Jackson."

Zoë nodded stiffly and disappeared, the tent's silk entrance flapping in the wind after her. Alexis felt nervous all of the sudden, and she wanted to scream at herself. It was boy, Christ's sake! She needed to get it together.

A moment later Zoë returned, Percy trailing awkwardly behind her. Upon entering, he looked around, eyeing everything carefully, clearly amazed by how homey the place was considering that from outside it was just a piece of silk propped up on a bunch of sticks.

"Join us, Percy Jackson," the goddess said, gesturing to the carpet where they were all sitting.

He nodded and sat across from Artemis and just some inches away from Alexis.

Oh gosh. Be normal.

The goddess studied him, her eyes scanning him until finally she asked, "Are you surprised by my age?"

"Uh...a little." He admitted.

"I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters, and all young maidens for whom I am patron, before they go astray."

"Go astray?" Percy asked.

"Grow up. Become smitten with boys. Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."

"Oh."

Based on that description, Alexis had gone far too astray. Just this last summer, she'd found a delightfully new pleasure in harmlessly (that was up for debate, really) flirting with tourists who she knew she'd never see again, doing all the stupid tricks like batting her eyelashes and laughing at their bad jokes. She felt a little embarrassed as she saw the nasty look Zoë shot Percy when she sat down by Artemis. She could only wonder what kind of face she'd make if she knew about Alexis's idea of fun.

"You must forgive my Hunters if they do not welcome you," Artemis said to Percy. "It is very rare that we would have boys in this camp. Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters. The last one to see this camp..." She looked at Zoe. "Which one was it?"

"That boy in Colorado," Zoë answered. "You turned him into a jackalope."

"Ah, yes." Artemis nodded, a faint smile on her lips. "I enjoy making jackalopes. At any rate, Percy, I've asked you here so that you might tell me more of the manticore. Bianca and Alexis have reported some of the...mmm, disturbing things the monster said. But they may not have understood them. I'd like to hear them from you."

Percy nodded and started talking. All Alexis could hear was a bunch of noise, very similar to Bianca's story, except Percy was more thorough and included details Bianca had missed, making Artemis's brows twitch occasionally. Alexis had to use all her willpower to not stare at Percy while he spoke, knowing Zoë and the goddess would likely disapprove.

When he was done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."

Zoë leaned forward. "The scent, my lady?"

"Yes."

"What scent?" Percy asked.

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis murmured. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."
She stared at him intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."

"Um, 'I hate middle school dances.'"

Alexis had to purse her lips in order to not laugh. Now, she was starting to realize that no matter how amusing, maybe all this was real and actually serious, and she should've been paying better attention to Percy's story rather than the color of his eyes.

"No, no. After that." Artemis said.

"He said somebody called the General was going to explain things to me."

Zoë's face paled. She turned to Artemis and opened her mouth to say something, but Artemis raised her hand.

"Go on, Percy," the goddess said.

"Well, then Thorn was talking about the Great Stir Pot — "

"Stirring," Bianca corrected.

"Yeah. And he said, 'Soon we shall have the most important monster of all — the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus.'"

The goddess was so still she could've been a statue. It scared Alexis, and she inched away. Really serious, then.

"Maybe he was lying," Percy suggested.

Artemis shook her head. "No. He was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."

Zoë didn't look too excited, but she nodded. "We will leave right away, my lady."

"No, Zoë. I must do this alone."

"But, Artemis — "

"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters. You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."

"As... as you wish, my lady."

"I will find this creature," Artemis vowed. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council of the Gods of how much danger we are in."

"You know what the monster is?" Percy asked.

Artemis gripped her bow. "Let us pray I am wrong."

"Can goddesses pray?" he asked, and Alexis had to conceal her chuckle as a cough.

However, this time it was safe to laugh, for even a flicker of a smile played across Artemis's lips. "Before I go, Percy Jackson, I have a small task for you."

"Does it involve getting turned into a jackalope?"

"Sadly, no. I want you to escort the Hunters back to Camp Half-Blood. They can stay there in safety until I return."

"What?" Zoë blurted out. "But, Artemis, we hate that place. The last time we stayed there — "

"Yes, I know," Artemis said. "But I'm sure Dionysus will not hold a grudge just because of a little, ah, misunderstanding. It's your right to use Cabin Eight whenever you are in need. Besides, I hear they rebuilt the cabins you burned down."

Zoë muttered something about foolish campers.

"And now there is one last decision to make." Artemis turned to Bianca and Alexis. "Have you made up your mind, my girls?"

They both hesitated, sharing another look.

"I'm still thinking about it." Bianca finally said, and Alexis just nodded in agreement.

"Wait," Percy said, his eyes darting between them. "Thinking about what?"

"They... they've invited us to join the Hunt."

"What? But you can't! You have to come to Camp Half-Blood so Chiron can train you. It's the only way you can learn to survive."

"It is not the only way for a girl," Zoë said defensively.

"Bianca, Alexis, camp is cool! It's got a pegasus stable and a sword-fighting arena and... I mean, what do you get by joining the Hunters?"

"To begin with," Zoë said, "immortality."

Percy stared incredulously at her, then at Artemis. "She's kidding, right?"

"Zoë rarely kids about anything," Artemis said. "My Hunters follow me on my adventures. They are my companions. Once they swear loyalty to me, they are indeed immortal...unless they fall in battle, which is unlikely. Or break their oath."

"What oath?" Percy said.

"To foreswear romantic love forever," Artemis said. "To never grow up, never get married. To be a maiden eternally."

"Like you?"

The goddess nodded.

Percy looked absolutely baffled. "So you just go around the country recruiting half-bloods — "

"Not just half-bloods," Zoë interrupted. "Lady Artemis does not discriminate by birth. All who honor the goddess may join. Half-bloods, nymphs, mortals — "

"Which are you, then?"

Anger flashed in Zoë's eyes. "That is not thy concern, boy. The point is Bianca and Alexis may join if they wish. It is their choice."

"This is crazy," he said. "Bianca, what about your brother? Nico can't be a Hunter."

"Certainly not," Artemis agreed. "He will go to camp. Unfortunately, that's the best boys can do."

"Hey!" Percy protested.

"You can see him from time to time," Artemis assured Bianca. "But you will be free of responsibility. He will have the camp counselors to take care of him. And you will have a new family. Us."

"A new family," Bianca repeated dreamily. "Free of responsibility."

"Bianca, you can't do this," Percy said. "It's nuts."

Bianca looked at Zoë. "Is it worth it?"

Zoë nodded. "It is."

"What do I have to do?"

"Say this," Zoë told her, "'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis.'"

"I... I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."

"'I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.'"

Bianca repeated the lines. "That's it?"

Zoë nodded. "If Lady Artemis accepts thy pledge, then it is binding."

"I accept it," Artemis said with a nod

The flames in the brazier brightened, casting a silver glow over the room. Bianca looked no different than she had just seconds ago, but she took a deep breath and opened her eyes wide. "I feel... stronger."

"Welcome, sister," Zoë said.

"Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It is now your life."

Zoë, Bianca, and Artemis turned to look at Alexis expectantly. She'd heard the vow, she knew the words. She just had to say them.

But she couldn't.

She was speechless. In one night she'd learned that gods were real, and she'd been born because of one, though they wouldn't tell her which one, and now she had to decide where and with who she wanted to spend the rest of her demigod life.

She didn't want immortality, or a life free of responsibility. She needed to be responsible for something, have something that pushed her forward. Being part of a group of girls who hunted animals was not the kind of thing she could see herself doing, not something that aligned with the life she'd led up until then.

Sensing her indecisiveness (or perhaps already knowing what her decision was), Artemis addressed Percy instead. "Do not despair, Percy Jackson, you will still get to show the di Angelos and Alexis your camp. And if they so choose, they can stay there."

Alexis nodded faintly, bowing her head at the goddess out of what she hoped was a gesture of respect and gratitude, but Percy didn't sound as relieved as she was.

"Great," he said, his voice slightly strained. "How are we supposed to get there?"

Artemis closed her eyes. "Dawn is approaching. Zoë, break camp. You must get to Long Island quickly and safely. I shall summon a ride from my brother."

Zoë didn't look like she was loving Artemis's decisions as of late — yet another reason why Alexis probably couldn't join; following orders dumbly? Forget about it — but she nodded anyway and told Bianca to follow her.

As she was leaving, Bianca paused in front of Percy and Alexis. "I'm sorry, but I want this. I really, really do. I'll see you around, Alexis?"

She sounded almost hopeful, so Alexis mustered a smile and nodded at the girl, watching as she followed after Zoë until she was left with Percy and a goddess in the shape of a middle-schooler.

"So," Percy said after a moment. "We're going to get a ride from your brother, huh?"

Artemis's eyes gleamed. "Yes, boy. You see, Bianca di Angelo is not the only one with an annoying brother. It's time for you to meet my irresponsible twin, Apollo."