| chapter nineteen |
in which annabeth trusts luke ( again )

CAMP HALF-BLOOD IN THE WINTER WAS — IN NIA'S OPINION — ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.

Even though the camp had protection from the elements, snow had been allowed to fall lightly. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were all decorated with tiny flickering lights, like Christmas lights, except they seemed to be balls of real fire. More lights glowed in the woods.

"Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Yeah," Percy told him.

"Why is there lava pouring down it?"

"Little extra challenge," Percy said.

"It's more fun than you would think." Naomi grinned at her newfound best friend. "Come on — We'll introduce you to Chiron."

"Zoë," Percy started, "have you met—"

"I know Chiron," Zoë said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way," offered Grover.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't—" Grover tripped over a canoe and came back up still talking— "like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"

Zoë rolled her eyes, but stopped protesting. She probably realized that there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered their packs and bows and headed towards Artemis's cabin.

"I'd better go with them before they mess with my stuff," Nia said. "Or kill Grover." 

Nia shouldered Moonbeam and hurried off in the direction of Cabin Eight, leaving Percy, Thalia, and Naomi with Nico.

When she got there, she saw one of the Hunters — Pheobe, it looked like — looking almost ready to murder Grover. The satyr already had a black eye and red lines on his face that looked like a slap mark.

Nia immediately rushed in and stepped between Grover and Phoebe, forcing the Hunter of Artemis back. "Hey! Stop!"

"Traitor," another Hunter, Audra, spat out.

Nia narrowed her eyes at the Hunter. "Excuse—"

"Let's all just calm down," Bianca interjected.

"No, sister," Pheobe said. "Let the beloved daughter of Artemis speak."

Nia's silver eyes flashed dangerously. For a second, Phoebe looked afraid. Nia grit her teeth. "Grover, go tell Chiron and Mr. D that the Hunters are here."

"But—"

"Go."

Grover scurried out of the cabin, a huge grin still on his face. Nia turned back to Phoebe and narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, I am the daughter of Artemis. And because of that fact, we are all subject to my mother's wrath if we hurt each other. So — like it or not — we all have to get along. But beating up one of my friends? I don't care what my mother will do to me — I will end you."

All the Hunters stood straight at her words, especially Zoë. The lieutenant had something in her eyes — was that respect?

"Artemis won't pick sides. She cares about me and all of you. Now," Nia glanced around, "would anyone else like to put in their two cents?"

No one spoke.

"That's what I thought," Nia nodded. "Unpack as you please. Don't touch my stuff." 

And with that, she strode out of Cabin Eight.

NIA TRUDGED OUTSIDE where Thalia, Percy, and Naomi were standing.

"We heard what you were saying," Thalia said.

Nia shrugged. "Eh. I don't usually fly off the handle with the Hunters like that. Phoebe just makes me kind of mad sometimes."

"Well, you did good," Percy said a bit awkwardly. He was looking at her with something that Nia couldn't figure out.

"Thanks," Nia said. "So, what did Chiron and Mr. D say?"

"Mr. D was about to kill Percy." Naomi beamed up at her.

Nia looked at the son of Poseidon. "Oh, come on, Jackson. Ares already hates you. Do you really need another immortal enemy?"

Percy winced, knowing that she was right.

"Well, we told them everything," Naomi said. The three proceeded to explain everything that had happened in the Big House. 

"Ugh," Nia scowled. "It's just like Mr. D to act that way about Annabeth. To him, I'm Lia Kasaria. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," Thalia muttered. "Everything is so fucking unfair. Sometimes I wish. . ." She trailed off, tone incredibly sad.

"We'll get Annabeth back," Percy promised. "I just don't know how yet."

"First I found out that Luke is lost," Thalia said. "Now Annabeth—"

"I know," Nia sagged at the mention of their friends. When did everything get so messed up? What happened to the four kids that were just running around the place, trying to stay alive? "It all just seems so hopeless."

"Don't think like that," Percy shook his head.

Thalia straightened. "You're right. We'll find a way."

Over at the basketball court, a few of the Hunters were shooting hoops. Audra was arguing with a guy from Ares. He had his hand on his sword and the Hunter looked like she was going to grab her bow and arrows any second.

"Uh-oh." Naomi immediately ran over and tried to reason with them.

"I'd better go and help Nomi out," said Nia. "You two go around the cabins and tell everyone about capture the flag tomorrow. And figure out who should be team captains. Gods know I can't."

"All right," Percy nodded and turned to Thalia. "You should be team captain."

"No, no," the daughter of Zeus said. "You've been at camp longer than me. You do it."

"But you—"

"Hey," Nia interjected, already tired. "How about you both do it? Like co-captain."

The two looked at each other and nodded, both of them looking uncomfortable. 

"Hey," Percy called out to Nia and Thalia before they left.

Thalia turned. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about what happened at Westover," Percy said. "I should have waited for your guys instead of dragging Naomi with me."

"Yeah," Nia smirked slightly. "You should have. But it's alright."

Thalia shifted from foot-to-foot, like she was trying to decide what to say. "Honestly, I probably would've done the same thing. You know, you asked about my mom and I kinda snapped at you. It's just. . . I went back to find her after seven years, and I found out she died in Los Angelos. She, um. . ."

Nia tried to give her old friend a reassuring smile. Thalia nodded gratefully in acknowledgment and continued, "She was a heavy drinker, and apparently she was out driving late one night about two years ago, and. . ." Thalia blinked hard.

"I'm sorry," Percy said.

"Yeah, well." Thalia shrugged helplessly. "It's. . . It's not like we were ever close. I ran away when I was ten. Best two years of my life were when I was running around with Luke, Annabeth, and this bitch." Thalia nodded to Nia, a smirk on her face.

The daughter of Artemis punched her playfully. "Damn, thanks."

Thalia smirked back at her. Percy suddenly said, "That's why you had trouble with the sun van."

Nia glanced at Thalia, who gave Percy a wary look. The daughter of Zeus spoke: "What do you mean?"

"The way you stiffened up. You must've been thinking about your mom, not wanting to get behind the wheel."

Wincing, Nia looked at Thalia who looked back at her: Go with it. Looked like Thalia still didn't want anyone to know about her fear of heights. Nia understood — the daughter of Zeus, the Lord of the Sky, afraid of heights? — but she had to admit that a small part of her found the tiniest bit humorous.

Nia would never tell Thalia that, though. She didn't have a death wish.

"Yeah," muttered Thalia. "Yeah, that must've been it."

Nia sighed silently and quickly trudged off towards the basketball court before a huge fight broke out.

DINNER WAS PRETTY UNEVENTFUL AND MISERABLE.

The only people who really seemed to be having a good time was Table Eight. It felt a bit jarring and bizarre to have so many people at Nia's usually empty table. She wasn't sure how she felt about it.

After Nia's speech in the cabin, it seemed like the Hunters at least respected her more. Even included her in some of the conversations and laughter. Zoë even smiled with Nia from time to time.

Mostly though, Nia focused on picking at her plate of food.

After they all finished eating, Chiron made the usual toast to the gods and welcomed the Hunters. The clapping was pretty half-hearted. Some people were still remembering the time that they burned the cabins down.

Then he announced the traditional capture-the-flag game with the Hunters, which got a lot more enthusiasm.

Afterwards, everyone trailed back to their cabins for an early lights out. Nia quickly used the bathroom and got into her bunk, even saying a quick good-night to a few of the Hunters that were cool with her.

Nia was absolutely exhausted from the day — Annabeth missing, the slip of paper that her mother had given her, the Hunters grating on her last nerve — so the minute she closed her eyes, she slept like a baby. The bad news? She had a demigod dream.

ANNABETH WAS ON A DARK HILLSIDE, shrouded in fog. She struggled up the hill. Old broken Greek columns of black marble were scattered around.

"Thorn!" Annabeth cried. "Where are you? Why did you bring me here?" She came up to the crest of the hill and gasped.

Because Luke was there. And he was in pain.

The son of a bitch was crumpled up on the rocky ground, trying to rise up. His clothes were in tatters and his face was drenched with sweat. "Annabeth! Help me! Please!"

She ran forward with tears in her eyes, reaching down like she wanted to touch Luke's face, but at the last second, she hesitated. "What happened?"

"They left me here," Luke groaned. "Please. It's killing me."

Nia looked around, trying to see what was wrong with him. She squinted — something about the hill looked familiar. If she had paid attention when Annabeth was always telling her Ancient Greek myths, she probably could've guessed what was happening.

"Why should I trust you?" Annabeth asked him, her voice filled with hurt.

"You shouldn't," said Luke. "I've been terrible to you and Nia. But if you don't help me, I'll die."

Let him! Nia thought coldly. Walk away and let him die, Annabeth!

Then the darkness above Luke began to crumble, like a raven roof in an earthquake. Huge chunks of black rock began to fall. Annabeth rushed in just as a crack appeared, and the whole ceiling dropped. But she held it — somehow — and kept it from collapsing on her and Luke with her own strength.

Luke rolled free, gasping. "Thanks."

"Help me hold it," Annabeth groaned.

Luke caught his breath and rose to his feet unsteadily, face covered with grime and sweat. "I know I could count on you." He began to walk away.

"HELP ME!" Annabeth pleaded with him.

"Oh, don't worry," Luke said. "Your help is on the way. It's all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not to die."

Annabeth cursed and cried out as the ceiling of darkness began to crumble, pushing her to the ground more and more with every passing minute.

hey everybody! hope you've all been doing well!

first and foremost: FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER'S FIRST EPISODE IS UP AND I LITERALLY CAN'T BREATHE

i just wanted to get this chapter out before i watch the first episode. i've also been staying away from social media and the likes so i've been prepared.

as for today's chapter, it's a bit of a long one, isn't it? and i've gotta be honest, the little scene in cabin eight isn't my favorite. it kind of feels like a mary sue moment, but i just wanted to show the tiny bit of resentment that the hunters and nia have for each other. 

considering the circumstances ( like the fact that artemis is literally a maiden goddess with a child and that nia always chooses to stay at camp half-blood when her mother asks if she wants to join the hunt, it just made sense to me. so i hope that makes sense! but never fear, it does get better. . . eventually ) 

side note: i've also been thinking for a while about why exactly artemis chose to have a child and i realize that i've never really addressed it. i mean, nia does tell percy how her moms met back in sea of monsters, but that's it.

so if you were wondering too, artemis does eventually tell nia why she decided to break her oath with romantic love with nia's mother, even if it was with a woman. ( plus, rick riordan has actually stated that gods and mortals of same-sex can have kids so there you go )

i've also gotten a question about how and why naomi's dad and poseidon met and how her dad died and how she ended up in foster care. . . yeah i'm not elaborating on that, not yet. actually, that's not going to be answered for a long while. naomi's backstory is an incredibly important plot point that is not going to be revealed anytime soon. for now, just sit in the knowledge that it's super important

. . .damn this is a really long author's note, huh? i really hope that's not too annoying. . . 

anywho i'll see you all next week!

talk soon!

—icedcoffeemug