Chapter 6

Artemis

The goddess of the hunt inhaled sharply, her dark eyes casting upward to her twin. Apollo's lips were curled down in a frown – something he didn't sport often. Artemis's gaze hardened as she frantically stood, starting to pace back and forth.

"You're telling me-"

"Yes," Apollo cut her off, his voice wavering slightly.

The anger radiated from the goddess as she halted, her eyes trying to avoid her brother. She should have known it wouldn't be that easy to get rid of the insufferable demigod.

"He's her father…" Artemis's train of thought drifted. "He left Rome for me to raise and protect." Artemis clenched her fist angrily. The demigod knew how to press her buttons.

"He was protecting her." Apollo insisted, "You and I both know that Aphrodite would have never let Rome live."

"How could it even be possible? Rome looks like-"

"I know," Apollo clenched his jaw. "She needs to learn on her own, Artemis. We cannot protect her forever."

That caused Artemis to stop, her arms hanging limp at her sides. She turned to meet eyes with Apollo, automatically picking up that he was keeping something hidden from her. The breeze picked up causing Artemis's hair to sway, her teeth pressed together.

"What is it?" She asked, her voice filling with something Apollo couldn't recognize.

"I don't know what-"

"You're lying, oh prophetic brother," Artemis spat. "What is going to happen?" Apollo hesitated before sighing. He ran a hand across the back of his neck and locked eyes with his sister once more. Artemis was angry and worried, fearing what would happen to the huntress she raised from birth.

Apollo's hand dropped from his neck, "Rome's future has been set for her." Artemis patiently waited for Apollo to continue, wanting to see where it would lead to. "The Moirai tell of a repeat of the past… He's already saved her once."

Artemis closed her eyes, her blood boiling. "The son of the sea god."

"She took her vows, Artemis. You shouldn't need to-" Apollo cut himself off when Artemis shook her head.

"Rome is a special case." Artemis looked down, thinking back to when she found Rome that night. "She was never given the decision to take the vow… Rome is free to make her own choices."

"But that means…"

"That Rome is not officially one of my hunters."

::

Rome

With her arms crossed and hip popped out to one corner on instinct, Rome looked down to the weapon that sat on the hardwood table in front of her. Chiron was looking over the bow with a piercing gaze. The two were in the Big House at camp, Mr. D sitting in the chair next to where Chiron stood.

"I should have known from the moment you shot the first arrow." Chiron lifted the object and offered it to Rome. "This bow was made specifically for your father: a gift, in fact."

"From Hephaestus?" Rome guessed, looking up to Chiron as she took the bow. The centaur nodded in response.

"The object transforms into whatever he may need to defend himself." Chiron hesitated, "He is the only immortal who can wield it and bear its benefits."

"So you have to be his child, Ronnie." Mr. D added in. "No one else can use that thing." He lifted his legs and placed them on the table, crossing one ankle over the other. Rome scowled at the god whose purple eyes were giving her a condescending glare.

"Your father gave the weapon a name, not that he uses the name often." Chiron cleared his throat, "Actaeon."

Rome felt like snorting at the irony. She had been raised by Artemis herself - Rome knew of the tale of Actaeon spying on Artemis as she bathed. Artemis had turned the man into a stag for his actions, seeing the punishment as fit for the crime. Adonis must have thought hard over choosing a name involving the goddess who ended his life.

"Its nickname-"

Light caught the bow from overhead and Rome instantly knew as her fingers glided across it. "He nicknamed him Shapeshifter."

"Him?" Mr. D's bushy eyebrow rose, causing Rome to scowl at him once more.

"Yes, him. Actaeon was clearly a man. Why would Adonis give the weapon a man's name if he didn't consider it to be male?" Rome hissed out, her eyes turning from Mr. D back to Chiron.

Mr. D mumbled under his breath, "Most people don't give their weapons a gender."

"The point, Rome," Chiron started with a quick look toward Dionysus. "Is that this weapon is important to your father."

"Why should I care if it's important to him?" Rome's face grew angry watching Chiron's smile drop. "Clearly I shouldn't. The man left me in the middle of the woods for Artemis to find. So, I ask again, why should I care if he's given me his favorite weapon?"

"Because it means that I want to protect you." A voice answered from behind Rome. She stood up straighter and closed her eyes, knowing that the voice could only belong to the man she was just speaking of. Rome turned to view the man standing behind her.

His jawline was squared, a small dimple defining the dip in his chin. A small amount of facial hair covered his jaw that mirrored the curly brown hair atop his head. The definition of muscles showed through the white button-up shirt he wore that contrasted against the natural golden color of his skin. A smile stretched his lips, his teeth showing as he looked at his daughter.

The smile on his face started to falter, "You look so much like your mother." His blue eyes made contact with Rome's brown. Rome watched as he shook his head, "But like I was saying, I want to protect you. Actaeon has served me many years, it's your turn."

"Why now?" Rome asked, "After all of these years, why now?"

Adonis let out a laugh and his grin only spread, "You have her temperament as well." He stepped closer and looked down at her with kind eyes. "Actaeon will come in handy. For you do not have an easy future ahead of you." Rome froze when he placed his lips against her forehead, causing a rumble of thunder through the sky. "I'm extremely proud of who you have become, Rome." He whispered before disappearing in a glow of gold.

::

Artemis

"You have come here to ask me a favor… How rare." The woman giggled, the sound mirroring that of wind chimes. Her multicolored eyes glanced over the worried expression Artemis held. "Oh, Artemis. Learn to take a joke." The woman waved a hand in the air as if it would clear the tension. "What is this favor you request?"

Artemis knew that she had no choice. She could not interfere with Rome's destiny, but that doesn't mean that the goddess in front of her had to follow the same instruction. The blonde woman moved her hair from one shoulder to another and patiently waited for Artemis to speak.

Artemis attempted to find the proper words to use. "I need you to stop a demigod from falling in love."

Aphrodite giggled again before she caught sight of Artemis's irked expression. Her lips dropped down to an 'O' shape. "You aren't actually being serious?"

"If Rome falls in love with Percy-"

"Then it would be following the destiny that was put into place for her." Aphrodite completed. "I cannot interfere with destiny."

Sighing, Artemis shook her head. "I will beg if I have to, Aphrodite."

"I said that I cannot interfere with her destiny. I did not, however, say that I couldn't prolong it from happening." A wicked smile grew on Aphrodite's lips. "But I do have one question. Why should I help you?"

Artemis hesitated before an idea popped into her head. She knew exactly what situation the love goddess was in. "Helping his daughter will put you back into Adonis's good graces."

Aphrodite thought over it for a moment before she gave Artemis an unreadable expression. "I believe we have a deal then. I will prolong Rome from falling in love with the sea brat." As Artemis started to walk away, Aphrodite turned back to a romance novel lying on her table. "And I know exactly how to do it."