Chapter Fourteen REYNA RAMÍREZ-ARELLANO Late that night, after we regrouped, we discussed Artemis’s strange appearance. “She didn’t seem to do anything but gather us together less awkwardly,” Thalia was saying. Luna frowned. “She must have been warning us about something.” “I agree,” I said. “We-” “Need some help?” A voice called out of the darkness. “Hazel?” I exclaimed in disbelief. “Yes. I thought you’d need some help,” she said, fully emerging from the darkness. “What help?” Luna asked. “I think… I think that the way she was dressed was her clue to us.” Hazel said. “What do you mean?” I asked. “Although she didn’t play a vital role in it, she was there the time Apollo helped Leo Valdez collect the curse of Delos. That was also the time Leo explained his crazy plan to me and Frank. You know, the plan about sacrificing himself and using the physician’s cure for death? I’m not completely sure yet, but I think that might mean…” Hazel swallowed. “I think that might mean that one of the people here is going to have to sacrifice themselves.” On that happy note, she summoned her horse Arion and rode back to Camp Jupiter. “Hey, Katherine?” I asked as I cautiously entered her tent. “You can stop working now. Zoe is going to lead us to Atlas for the big fight today.” Katherine shook her head. Since she woke up at like six this morning, she had been furiously mixing up a cure for death. She would not accept the fact that one of us would die. “Go without me. Hmm… actually, don’t go without me. Even if I figure it out, I won’t be there to give it to you. Can we postpone the trip for another day?” “No, Katherine! It’s now or never. ‘If the Fates will the string to be cut, there is little I can do.’ That’s a quote from Artemis, from the time Zoe died. Same thing here. You can’t prevent fate. Some things just can’t be stopped,” Thalia said, poking her head in the tent. “Leo Valdez did it! Pelops, son of Tantalus and grandson of Zeus, got resurrected!” Katherine countered. “Exceptions!” Thalia said, fully emerging from behind the tent fabric. “There can be exceptions for us, too!” Katherine shouted. “Katherine, you can’t be so selfish,” Amanda said, coming into the tent. “If someone dies, they die, and we honor them and their choice. You can’t prevent everything. You can try, but-” -she shrugged- “It won’t do much good. There are powerful forces at work here. This isn’t the mortal world.” Katherine lowered her head, and I realized she was crying. “I just want us all to survive!” she said through her sobbing. “I do too, Katherine,” said Luna, entering the tent. “I was beyond heartbroken when I heard about Zoe. But I accepted fate and moved on. And see what it got me? A successful life and a chance to see her again!” “I guess you’re right,” Katherine said. “I am right,” Luna said. “Now, come on. We gotta get there exactly at sunset.” The trip was uncomfortable and silent, with Zoe occasionally saying, “Hurry!” and Nico occasionally leaning towards Luna, which resulted in Luna leaning away from him in disgust, and him chasing her around, which started into a very, very tense and completely not fun game of tag. “Shh. We are getting close to Ladon,” Zoe whispered from up ahead. Using the mist as a shield from Nico, Luna hurried to catch up with the fast ghost. “Luna? Luna? Where are you?” Nico yelled. “Shush!” Luna hissed, appearing at his side. “You’ll-” “Luna! You teleported!” Thalia cried as quietly as she could. Luna turned, startled. “What now?” “Show us that again!” I said. She tried, and everybody watched as she seemed to bend the faint moonlight towards her. Then… it… dissolved into her. Wait… no, she dissolved into the moonlight. Then, the moonlight that she had become moved towards me. Just as I was about to move away, Luna became solid. “Hey!” I cried. “Shh,” Zoe whispered, but even she was starting to slow down and stare at the daughter of Artemis. “Did you control that?” I whispered. “I tried to control my direction, but I couldn’t see, and I didn’t even know where I would reappear,” Luna said. “Okay, well, work on improving that. It might be useful for whatever fight we’ll be facing.” Thalia crept forward slowly as the garden of the Hesperides came into view. Ambushed as soon as we got there. How welcoming. As soon as Nico(Zoe floated) stepped into the garden, the warriors jumped.
