Mystic Island

☼☼16☼☼

Raine
“I was right! Raine is alive!” Rose yelped as I moved and squirmed awake. I was still as refreshed as I had been in the dream, so I had startled the daughter of the sea as I stood up with new quickness. Brooke smiled benevolently when she saw my state of health.
“How are you?” she asked carefully, trying not to show her immense glee.
My voice was renewed too. “How long was I out?”
Kayla had woken. “A few minutes, or so I’m told. To me, it seemed like hours.” I glanced at the sky. Cloudless blue, early day. The air was comfortingly warm.
“Raine,” Piper remarked, “you look better than you did before. Are we ready to go?”
I felt confusion pulse through me. “Why are we leaving?”
The sea demigod rolled her eyes like it should have been obvious. “You said Hecate attacked you, right? So, we leave.”
“And you said that an army attacked you,” Caroline said.
“Which couldn’t have been very far away,” Sam added helpfully.
I shook my head no. Brooke gave me one of those looks. “It doesn’t help anyone to pull heroics right now.”
“I’m not pulling anything!” I denied rightfully. I scowled at the gray-eyed girl. “Brooke, where would we travel anyway? You don’t know this island. I don’t know this island---well, I know it a bit more than you do…”
Brooke snapped, interrupting me. “Then you will lead. Though I regret saying this after your…” She hesitated, “how should I say---episode, I don’t feel that you are competent enough to lead anything.”
“There’s no episode!” I snarled. “Listen to me! I know Hecate better than you do! She moves quickly, but she’s faster when she’s attacked. I’m not sure exactly why; I guess it’s some kind of defensive instinct.”
Brooke hissed. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re half-dead as it is, Raine, and who am I? Who is my mother? Athena, goddess of battle strategy. So excuse me if I believe that I have more credentials for planning warfare than you do impulse-girl.”
I scowled. The ever-so-tactic Brooke rephrased her statement. “Everyone else has already agreed to find another place to camp out.”
Fire sprouted a little flicker within me. “You mean hide,” I said bitterly and flatly.
Brooke narrowed her eyes. “Yes, I suppose I do mean that. We need to defeat Hecate somehow.”
“By hiding?” I spat incredulously. “Brooke, what does that do?”
“”We can figure out a plan to win,” Brooke retorted sharply. “If we can beat her with trickery, then I have a feeling we stand a chance.”
I snorted. “Trickery. Right.” I dismissively looked to the murky, emerald palms. “And wouldn’t you think a witch would know all about that?”
“No one knows everything. There is always something we can try that no one has ever attempted!” The daughter of the strategic goddess had a gleam in her eyes.
Rose spoke up. “I don’t want to be eaten by dogs.”
The fire had grown to blazing heights. “Then don’t. Stay here and you won’t.” I glared at Brooke, but my words for everyone---except for Kayla. “Last night you thought I was being ridiculous for wanting to leave. Now you think I’m crazy for wanting to stay!”
Piper was sitting on a flat stone, fiddling with a stick in the sand. “I don’t particularly want to face a pack of dogs without some kind of plan for the entire thing.”
I snarled at the blue-eyed girl. “Of course you don’t. You were one of Lea’s top followers. You want everyone to tell you what to do as long as it’s sneaky and devious.”
Piper stared at me with astonishment. Brooke growled, “That wasn’t nice! What’s gotten into you?”
What’s gotten into me? I’d just witnessed Artemis nearly slaughtered by our enemy that I now realize is less than a day than meeting us in battle. This would be the final battle, I thought with a jolt. For better or worse. “I…I’m sorry, Brooke.” With a rigid look to Piper, I muttered an apology. “I’m just tired of no one ever taking interest in my ideas.”
Rose said something that I was certain I wasn’t supposed to hear but did anyway. She hissed in Piper’s ear, “That’s because most of them nearly kill us. Remember when I told you about the sea serpent?” The daughter of Thetis nodded darkly. I was shocked and furious at the daughter of Poseidon. Normally she was happy and kind-hearted, but lately she’d been moody and hateful. Something was going on. Then I recalled the night I’d angrily scorned her about her honest statement: that she really wanted no part of demigod life. I still felt no regret in those words. I glared at her harshly.
Conor, who’d listened silently to us for a bit, stood up. I thought he’d support his half-sister Brooke, but instead he nodded to me. “I think we should remain at this campsite. Perhaps Raine is right.”
Piper scowled at her dear friend. “Conor? Are you serious? With her mental state, I’d sooner run straight into Hecate’s army with no weapons!”
“Excuse me?” I spat.
Brooke had trouble stark in her churning gray eyes. “Brother, do you really believe that Raine is smart about this? That we should remain here?”
Conor fixed his eyes on me curiously, but spoke to Brooke, never taking his eyes off of me. I felt uncomfortable under his unwavering silver stare. “Yes, I truly do.”
Brooke sighed. She gave me a somewhat ragged look. “Then, for all of our sakes, Raine, I hope you’re right.”
I raised my chin impulsively, basking in the warmth of my uninjured pride. Kayla spurted a laugh, rolling her eyes. Then the shadow child grew quiet. “Raine. When…”
My gold eyes softened, encouraging her words onward. She shook. “When will they come? Hecate, and the rest, I mean. Do you know?” Everyone’s eyes turned upon me. I narrowed my eyes stubbornly. “No, I don’t.”
“Oh, wonderful,” Piper hissed to Rose. “Our fate is in the mind of an imbecile.” Even Rose rebuked this.
“Raine’s not stupid, she’s just misguided,” Rose spat back. I flinched. Was I misguided? And by who?
I felt a surge of anger, but a voice whispered, ‘No, Raine. Do not anger them. Make them see what you see.’ I nodded. I raised my chin abruptly.
“Here’s what we do,” I said sharply. “Kayla, Brooke, you’ll stay beside me at the front line. Sam, Caroline, Jacob, you’ll be the second line. Piper, Rose, you’ll be the third.” If you think so much of my ideas, why don’t you revel in humility! “Conor, you’ll bring up the rear.” Athena’s son nodded with eyes glinting with appreciation.
Rose, angered by my showing mistrust of her, stared at me with almost…hurt blue eyes. I almost felt her heart sink. Then darkness flooded into her azure gaze, and she pulled her lips back into a snarl like a wild animal. I met her glare mixed with hurt and anger with a firm, steady gold gaze. To my surprise, it was Kayla who spoke up against me. “Why in rows? Why not all together?”
I hissed, “Because wouldn’t you think nine demigods are a little conspicuous? It isn’t like we’re literally all in rows. The three of us, Kayla, will be the first seen. Enemies underestimate us when they think it is only three. It tends to surprise them.”
Kayla raised one eyebrow. “And when they’re over their surprise?”
I grinned. “They’ll have a sword in their back.” I glanced at Brooke. “Or a band of arrows.”
Kayla nodded, her curiosity satisfied. Jacob, who seemed to be a very shy speaker, added softly, “And the monsters can pick us up easier if we’re all close.”
When all eyes flicked to the son of the fire god. He muttered embarrassedly, “They can just pick up the scent easier.” He ducked his head down.
“He’s right,” Brooke agreed, though seemingly resentfully. She looked at me with a faint chill in her gray-silver eyes. “But if you want us to stay here, then we will be still together. Ever think of that?”
“Yes,” I growled. “That is why Sam, Caroline, and Jacob will be scouting through the trees. They’ll warn us when anyone comes. Or…anything.”
Finally, it seemed that Piper had enough. She stood up from her flat stone and hissed at me. “Look. I don’t know if you’ve realized, sky demigod, that I took over leadership after we disbanded from Lea. And I am tired of having to hear you order my demigods around!”
I opened my mouth to say something, something sharp, but Sam told her, “We’re not being ordered around.”
“We’re doing this willingly,” Caroline added. Shy Jacob said nothing, just poking the ground with a twig. Piper scowled.
“Okay,” I said, a little uncomfortably after Piper’s rebuke. “So Caroline, Sam and Jacob. Go look out for us.” I glanced at the gray-eyed boy. “Maybe, Conor, could you guide them?”
Conor herded the three demigods away, while the son of Apollo muttered rebelliously, “We don’t need guiding!”
Caroline hissed at him, “Yes, you do.” Then the four disappeared into the leafy foliage.
“Not too far!” I called after them, hoping that they would hear me. There was no response.
I sat down on the sand, trying not to acknowledge the half-glare that Piper was giving me. When I glanced at Rose, I saw a flat blue gaze. I tried to meet her eyes, but when I did, she’d look away. Kayla sat down next to me, and she murmured, “So what? Now we just…sit here?”
“I suppose,” I replied. “Unless you have another idea.”
Kayla’s face lit up. But before she said anything, Piper interrupted again. “Well, I’m not going to just sit around here and wait to be killed. I’m going to circle the island and see what I can find out. So we aren’t completely blind to any of Hecate’s ideas.” She ran swiftly towards the shore, and her form slipped into clear water, diving and splashing into the sea. A faint line of a wake in the water betrayed Piper’s position, but only for a little bit. She vanished deeper into the sea.
I said to Brooke, “What happened to her? She was so nice before and now…”
The daughter of Athena sighed deeply. “The stress and the tension are getting to everyone, Raine. It’s making everyone upset.” Brooke glanced at Rose, who was just staring at the glaring sand.
“You can say that again.”
She eyed me particularly. “I’m not so sure. Raine, you seem that calmest out of everyone. You don’t seem scared or frightened at all.”
I snorted. She said, “Really, you don’t.”
“I’m a good actress then.” To avoid Brooke’s curious look or any other comments slash questions, I smiled at Kayla. “What was your idea?”
Kayla shrugged. I laughed a short laugh, but then my smile faded. There was a rustle in the leaves. I snatched my shrunken sword from my pocket, and squeezed it until it grew to full size. Kayla had a dark sword at her side, and Brooke was fingering her arrows. A tiny school of magic fish swam across Rose’s readied Cascade.
But it was only Caroline who came through the plants. She had wide eyes, and she pointed to the woods. “Brooke, Raine. You…you have to come now. There’s…there’s…” She was breathless.
“There’s what?” I snapped.
She looked at me with wide, blue eyes. “Hecate’s monsters.” She daughter of Demeter took off after us, as I was already running to the palms.

This was a bad idea! Letting Conor and the others go before the Epic Three! I dodged the looming palms, jumped over fallen…anything, and used Lightning Strike to cut down annoying, sticking-out plants. The other Epic Two, Kayla, and Caroline kept close pace behind me. When I slipped through a dark rose bush, I saw the little defensive line that the three boys had formed. Jacob was on one side, a hefty, muscular red-head, and Conor was standing on the other side, a lanky, intelligent strategist. The youngest and probably weakest, Sam, was in the middle. And facing them was a gray-furred, powerfully-built, snarling wolf.
The gray wolf was poised dangerously to the three demigods. I glared at Caroline. “I thought you said plural, monsters. Not one.”
“Not even a monster,” Rose said. “It’s just a wolf.”
It could be Hecate!” Caroline protested. Though it could have been a coincidence, the wolf growled at the speaking of the witch.
“True,” Brooke said. “Or perhaps this is something else.”
“Something else,” I repeated softly, dreamily, and I saw the wolf turn its yellow-gold eyes on me. It seemed to be looking straight into my gaze, and I heard a voice on the breeze. Raine. Raine. I was being called. That was when I took a few steps forward.
Brooke hissed at me. “Where are you going? To help them?”
“She’s calling me,” I murmured.
“She?” Rose repeated. “Oh, great. A she-wolf. That makes everything better. So it could be Hecate.”
I continued to walk. Kayla whispered, frightened. “Are you crazy?”
“She’s calling me.”
“No it isn’t!” Kayla hissed. She grabbed for my hood to pull me back, but I was out of reach from the bushes where she stood. “Come back here!” The others hissed words at me that were meaningless in my ears. The wolf stared at me, and the whisper continued. Raine…Raine, come here. I nodded, and reached where the three boys were standing and the wolf was growling.
Jacob, originally not knowing who was there, turned his bow against me, and in a snap, the wolf sprang at the fire-haired boy, snarling at his throat. Though this was no tame dog, I immediately commanded the she-wolf, “No! Down! He just didn’t know who was there!”
The gray animal sniffed angrily at the surprised boy, but eased away and leaped off of the demigod to land lightly on the leafy undergrowth. Conor and Sam relaxed slightly, but their weapons were still at hand. Now I could fully understand the wolf’s voice through the snarling. He would have shot an arrow right through you if I didn’t pounce!
I blinked. The wolf was growling furiously, and yelped at the recovering Jacob. Worthless…the wolf began, but then shook herself out. I felt the fire from her calming.
It also seemed that no one else could understand the wolf. The others had emerged from the foliage to stand behind me with ready weapons to the canine, but I was at ease. Conor nodded to me. “Do you know this creature?”
The she-wolf’s yellow eyes probed my one, intensifying as I stared longer. Then realization hit me. I smiled, and the wolf understood. She turned away and pawed at the ground. I remembered the demigod’s question. “Yes, I do.” I waved once to the snarling animal. “Hello, Artemis.” The wolf ruffed a greeting.
There were whispers around me. I recognized Kayla’s hushed voice. “Artemis? What does she mean?” Sam’s curious whisper I could hear as well. “The moon goddess?” Trembling Jacob shrugged. I tried to ignore them. To the wolf, I said, “What are you doing here?”
Artemis growled a reply, but it was only English through her mind. I’m here for you. I found Heather…she was in that cave. But that witch put a veil of magic over the entrance…it would not let me pass. And I discovered where the demon and her monster army were stationed. There was one I had not seen before, a girl with brown eyes…
“Lea,” I said with cold recognition. The wolf nodded. Yes, I’ve heard rumors of that girl stealing from minor gods. In fact, she is wanted in Olympus. Artemis shook her wolfish head. Never mind her! Hecate will not come as you think. That was your intention, was it not, to remain here? After what… Artemis shivered, remembering Hecate’s first attack. [i[After what you’ve seen? I nodded. Well, I can tell you that she will not come on her own accord. Hecate, while she grows impatient, has the will to stay where she is. She will not attack herself, but she waits for you.
“Oh,” I said, a cold lump in my throat. I was ridden with growing fear. “I…see.”
Brooke hissed behind me. “Are you going to just speak with that wolf all day?”
I dipped my head apologetically to the she-wolf, and then glared at the daughter of Athena. “This is useful information!”
“Then we’d prefer if we could hear both sides of the conversation. All we hear is your responses that give us nothing!” I rolled my eyes, but said to Artemis, “You don’t think you can shift back to your normal form?” The wolf flicked her ear. “Why are you in wolf shape anyhow?”
Easier for me, Raine. If you ever run as a wolf, you’d understand. It is a bit conspicuous, you see, to run as a visible goddess. Though with all of the dogs crawling around here, I thought I’d blend as a canine.
“As a dog maybe. But a wolf?”
Running as a wolf feels very free. You should try sometime.
“Yes, if only I had that kind of power,” I half-laughed. There was a hard cough behind me. I sighed. “Where is Hecate now?”
This island is not so large. At the rate her vanguard was moving, I’d say---
“Wait, what?” I interrupted. “The monster army is moving?” Wild glances exchanged around me. “But I thought you said…”
If you would allow me to finish, the she-wolf said with an irritated edge, you would have known that Hecate ordered her demons out. That is why I’ve run here. They are splitting into three. The thief, Lea, as you called her, is leading her band of demigods that have turned. The daughter of the witch leads a pack of hellhound hybrids. And the largest division… Artemis broke off with worried, wolfish eyes.
“What?” I urged her. “Who is leading the final monsters?”
The wolf goddess gazed upon me with eyes frightened for me and my friends. Raine. You are in danger. The witch herself, Hecate, is leading the third army. And she has more power than ever.
Kayla asked me with a scared voice, seeing my horrified expression. “Raine, please tell us what’s happening. I can’t take it anymore. You look like you’re about to pass out!”
“There are three armies coming,” I said, and there were gasps. “Lea leads the last of the Dapple’s demigods---” There were angry hisses at that from Sam or Caroline. “---Sierra leads all of the hellhound-Olympian dog mutts, the ones that attacked Kayla and I before, and Hecate is leading a huge monster army.”
“How do they keep forming?” Brooke wondered aloud.
Artemis’ wolf tail lashed. Olympian dogs?
My mind spoke this time. The gold-and-silver immortal dogs stolen from Olympus.
Ah! I was wondering what happened to those! Athena and Ares were sent to retrieve them, but they were never found.
“Then, we wait?” Conor asked. Artemis growled at the male voice.
I opened my mouth to respond, but I felt confusion. I looked at her. “First you say that Hecate will wait, and then you say she’s on the move?”
Artemis showed her teeth. Did I ever say that she was coming here? Did you ever hear those words come from me?
“Then where is she going, Artemis?”
The she-wolf’s tail drooped. I...cannot tell you. I meant, I do not know. She did reveal where she will be hiding, waiting for you, Raine. You must find out soon. Your fate depends on this battle. I sighed.
“We will find out,” I promised. “Thank you, Artemis. I’m glad that they didn’t try to kill you. Though I’m sure it wouldn’t have done anything,” I said, with a hard stare at the three boys.
“Sorry!” Sam muttered indignantly.
Artemis pulled her lips back into a sharp-toothed snarl. Her yellow eyes were livid as she stared at the boys. Yes. These stupid, ignorant vermin! They wouldn’t let me through, even though my intention was only to warn you!
“They can’t understand you, Artemis.”
The wolf barked. I know that! But wolves are not under Hecate’s power! We have long separated from that witch, ever since the wolf learned to trust the moon! If the son of Athena was really that smart, he should have known that, out of the three. Why didn’t you just let me kill one of them?
“Because they’re my friends!”
Men will only let you down! They have savaged the earth and are worthless compared to women! I cannot fathom your resilience to them!
I narrowed my eyes. I knew that Artemis hated all men, but were all of them bad? Most, yes, but not all.
I changed the subject back to the upcoming battle. “When do we go look for them, Artemis?”
The wolf was still shaking from anger, but her fur laid flat again. She growled, I would think at nightfall. Yes, perhaps the witch will be strengthened with the night, or perhaps not, but…or perhaps you should travel by night, attack by day. Move in the night, you will not be easily seen. And your friend, the daughter of…Hades, can see the lights of the life of others. She can spot their position more easily from the darkness. And during the day, Hecate will only be weaker.
“She is not weak.”
Yes, I do not need to be told that! the wolf said sarcastically. But you have only faced her in the light of the moon. Battle her under the sun. She will regain no energy from her seemingly continuous life-source if there is no moon.
“But neither will you,” I said softly.
The wolf ruffled her coat and twisted her head. I will be fine, Raine. Worry about yourself. I am immortal. I can fight her myself fine.
“Apollo’s not here.” As I said that, reawakening terrible memories of the past for Artemis, the she-wolf coiled back, snarling and growling. I didn’t need to understand her words to know that she was furious. Seeing the change in emotion, Sam pushed his sword forward in my defense. Artemis snapped. She launched herself at the son of her brother, her nephew, and lunged at his throat. The boy yelped, pushing the furry monster away, but the wolf snapped her teeth and inch from his julgar. The light in her golden eyes were high-voltage with bloodlust.
In defense of her best friend, Caroline charged forward, whipping her sword at the wolf. The outraged, anger-blinded goddess pinned her ears against her head, swiping a clawed forepaw at the young girl. The blond-haired girl stepped back, but not before the claws grazed her arm. She winced, muttering, “Ouch, damn it!”
Artemis softened at the sight of the injured girl, but she didn’t move her teeth from next to Sam’s throat.
I took my sword, and against every part of my brain, I swung it against the silver pelt of the fury-eyed wolf. But before it struck the wolf goddess, there was a silver light flash and a clang of metal. Artemis, in her original form, was standing next to the fallen boy with a bronze sword in her hand. The blade met mine and both of us froze. Sam didn’t even have enough will left to scramble away.
I tilted my head. “You fight with a sword?”
The silvery goddess’s yellow eyes were flaming, but they began to die down. “Only if I need to.” I lowered my sword, as did she. The weapon disappeared when it fell from her hand. I still had my sword in my own hand. Artemis bared her teeth at me, and through ivory fangs, she hissed, “Now are you going to put down your weapon, Raine, or am I going to have to do it for you?” It seemed strange to be threatened by a fourteen-year girl who was only a little bit taller than me. A fourteen-year old girl who could transform me into dust.
I shrunk my sword down and returned it to my tattered jacket pocket. Artemis smiled through still-bared teeth. “Good. It would hurt me if I had accidentally injured you in my fury.” She faced my kindly, but when she glanced at Sam, instead of an apologetic gaze, she stared venom into his face. The young son of Apollo shivered, clearly afraid of the Olympian. I felt sympathetic and in my head, not even daring to say it out loud, I thought, Stop! He only thought that you were going to attack me! He was only defending me from a wolf, or so it seemed to them!
Artemis’s head snapped back to me, her yellow eyes churning with confusion. It was nearly exactly after I had thought that thought, and she opened her mouth like she was going to reply, but the words came…into my mind.
I don’t really care. I needed any excuse to attack any of them. They made me furious.
I froze with shock. “You can understand me?” I asked, not bothering to even think it.
The young moon goddess looked as confused as I was. I thought it was a one-way thought. I knew I could enter your thoughts, Artemis said, because I’ve learned to do that with anyone…
But now I can too…
Artemis nodded. Maybe it is because… I tilted my head.
Because what?
I cannot say.
Yes, you can! No one else can hear!
I cannot tell you. Our father is angry with me enough. Anything else will cause me deadly trouble.
I shrugged with glaring gold eyes.
That might not mean anything to you, but it means a hell of a lot to me. I am already annoyed with in Olympus as it is…you don’t need to make it worse, demigod.
Well!
Brooke growled behind me. She stared at the shimmering goddess with hard gray eyes. “Raine. You’ve been staring at each other. What, are you communicating telepathically?”
“Yes.”
“I was being sarcastic.”
“I realize.”
Brooke hissed. “Well, knock it off! There are other people here you know!”
“Yes, I know.” I stared Artemis in her nearly identical eyes, only hers was paler, and her thoughts crossed mine. Perhaps some of the others can look for where Hecate may be hiding. After all, we don’t want to remain blind. She gave the daughter of Athena a cold ocher stare.
Brooke gasped. I looked at her in surprise. Artemis’ eyes intensified, and Brooke’s face went blank. “I can’t see! I can’t see anything…!” Her voice broke off. Her blank gray eyes flickered with confusion, and then they flew open wide. Some distant colors flashed across the front of her eyes, but they were too small to see….like a reflection. Her face paled sickly, and she was breathing shortly.
I hissed at Artemis. “What are you doing to her?”
The young-looking goddess tilted her head innocently. “I am only showing what fury Hecate contains.” I stared at my friend in horror.
“What are you showing her?” I demanded.
“What you’ve seen,” Artemis replied with uneasy eyes. “That…time so long ago. Where I first fought Hecate. Only…through my eyes.”
My heart sank. Artemis dropped her gaze, and Brooke’s face cleared. Brooke sighed with relief. She glanced at her own self. “What happened? I swear I was just being killed…” Artemis’s eyes were dull, as if she’d seen the battle too. Brooke stared at the goddess in fear. “W-who are you?”
The fourteen-year-old moon spoke to Athena’s daughter dully. “I am Artemis, child of Athena. And now perhaps you’ll see the urgency in not taking Hecate’s threat lightly.”
“So she’s close?”
Artemis nodded gravely.
Do you speak to her mind? I asked Artemis carefully. A cold feeling filled my heart. I raised my eyebrow. Was I jealous?
Artemis sighed inwardly, which of course I could hear. Not exactly. Her mind is so complex. Even I am lost in it. I have only shown her that…fight. I knew the others would listen to you more if the daughter of Athena spoke for you as well.
I nodded. I asked Brooke, “You’ve met her before.”
Her eyes were distant to the forest, and I could faintly see she was still trembling. “Oh, right, sure.”
Sam dared to open his mouth, while everyone else was rightfully silent. “I-I t-thought y-you were H-Hecate.”
As Sam even spoke those words, Artemis turned around with hard, still dull eyes, growling. Her voice was dangerously calm. “Do I look like Hecate?”
Sam was shaking violently, but he said, “Yes, you do.”
Artemis narrowed her eyes. But her gaze lost all lethalness. “Well…I’m not.” She glanced at Brooke, who immediately turned to Rose and Kayla. “Alright, you two come with me. We’ll search this entire island before we find Hecate if we have to. Sam, Caroline, Jacob, and Conor, resume your post here. Scour this area a bit to make sure there are no holes in our defense. Jacob, send a flare from those flare guns if there’s any attack.”
“Flare guns,” usually timid Jacob muttered. “Please. My dad’s the fire god; I can just make a fire!”
Brooke did not hesitate. “And if anyone sees Piper…well, rebuke her, but let her know of the situation and our plans.” She paused for once, looking at me. “Raine…”
I cocked my head.
“Do you want to come with us, or should you stay behind?”
I was about to tell her that I would join them. I was raring to discover Hecate myself and put an end to all of this, reclaim Heather, and leave the island. But Artemis gave the tiniest shake of her head, a mental image flashing across my mind. I saw crashing waves, golden sands, and a campfire pit. Above the shoreline, stony cliffs belted in a circle. It was the shore campsite we had just settled at.
Though I did not understand why Artemis had told me of the shore---no one would be there, and what good would Hecate come across by attacking an empty shore? Would she steal the ship so we had no escape? We weren’t planning on escaping as it was. “I’ll guard the shore,” I said, confusing Brooke as well as myself.
“A-alright,” Brooke said, clearly puzzled. “You do that. The rest of you, do as you were told.” Caroline cautiously walked past Artemis in a hurry, eying the young goddess with fear and anger. The goddess did not even notice her; she was staring at the trees with a focused expression. Caroline helped Sam to his feet, and to our relief, he was only physically scratched. Emotionally, he had a deep wound. A little thought bloomed in my brain. If the gods attack our own defenders, then we will lose warriors quickly. They won’t trust the Olympians anymore. I had forgotten the telepathist close to me, and she rolled her eyes.
I’d rather not have the fate of Olympus in the hands of an underage boy. As she thought those dismissive words, Conor ordered the remaining demigods with a command I did not hear. But soon, all of the demigods went into different directions into the forest.
Artemis sighed with relief. “Finally, they’re gone.” She fixed her eyes on me. “It’s fine that I can speak to you in your head, but even then there are interruptions.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you want to have an even fight with Hecate’s army, or even Hecate herself, then you must train,” she told me.
“I’m willing to learn,” I promised.
Artemis’ yellow eyes lit. “Then follow me.” She shifted forms into a wolf and swiftly darted into the trees. I ran after the gray she-wolf with speeds greater than I’d ever run.