𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐄

𝐕𝐈𝐈

Selene and Percy locked eyes for a solid minute. Then, they burst into laughter.

She clutched her stomach, leaning back slightly. Percy threw his head back, eyes crinkling at the corners. They couldn't seem to stop laughing.

Artemis and the hunters, who had been still in a kneeling position, exchanged puzzled glances. Artemis rose, her eyes fixed on them. The other hunters followed her, looking at them as if trying to understand what was going on.

She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, "Yo, I could understand the monsters and all... Now this?" She kept laughing every time she remembered Artemis' words Hail Selene, Goddess of the Moon. "I'm sorry... Did you eat edibles?"

"No shit, can we get the supplier contact?" Percy completed.

Zoe stepped forward as if ready to smack both Selene and Percy, "You're speaking to Goddess Artemis!"

"Um... okay." Percy said.

Selene looked at Percy and they started laughing again.

But they were interrupted by Grover. He gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started yammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so... you're so... Wow!"

"Get up, goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "You two, cut off... whatever you're doing. We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

"Whoa," Bianca di Angelo said. "Hold up. Time out."

Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at all of them in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who... who are you people?"

Selene raised her hand, "I'm bright-tressed queen."

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

Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Selene.

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

Selene wanted to say, orphan here too! but it didn't look appropriate. Either way, Bianca faltered, noticing that no one had actually believed her.

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

"You are a half-blood," Zoe Nightshade said. Her accent was hard to place. It sounded old-fashioned, like she was reading from a really old book. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian... athlete?"

"No," Zoe said. "One of the gods."

Both Nico and Bianca looked at Selene.

"Don't look at me. I'm not your mom." she turned to Artemis, "I'm not, right?" Behind her, Percy suppressed another laugh.

"Cool!" said Nico.