The Hunters of Artemis had arrived.
Dozens of them emerged from the forest, cloaked in moonlight, eyes sharp and bows raised. They moved in silence; disciplined, graceful, deadly. Their silver garments shimmered faintly with enchantment, untouched by dirt or blood. The light of the moon clung to their forms, bathing them in its silver glow.
Zoe Nightshade was among them, her expression unreadable, her bow at the ready. But she did not lead.
From behind her, one more figure stepped forward.
The clearing grew still.
The air turned heavy.
It was not the presence of violence, but of divinity.
She was young. Ageless. Her silver hair was braided back, her eyes sharp as the edge of a blade, and in her every step was the silence of a stalking predator. She wore a circlet like a crescent moon, and her bow hung across her back with casual power.
Artemis.
The Goddess of the Hunt stepped into the feast of bones.
She did not speak.
She walked among the thrones, among the corpses that mocked her kin. Her eyes passed over the twisted forms, the broken tributes, the mockeries. She paused before the pregnant woman seated as her counterpart.
Her jaw tightened.
Without a word, she raised her hand.
The air shivered. Silver light blossomed from her palm and spread like frost along the stones. Every drop of blood, every fragment of flesh, every foul offering evaporated into silver mist, pulled upward into the sky like smoke unbound by gravity.
When it was done, only the thrones remained.
Artemis turned.
Her gaze found the trio.
Thalia, spear still held tight though her shoulders trembled. Luke, bloodied and worn, his sword sheathed but fingers twitching. And Lucas, panting but steady.
She studied them.
The atmosphere lightened.
And then she spoke.
"You survived Lycaon."
It was not a question. Only fact. Acknowledgment.
Lucas straightened but didn't speak.
Thalia gave a short nod. "Barely."
Artemis stepped forward, her eyes now on Thalia. "That is no small feat. He has claimed many more powerful than you."
Thalia nodded again. "Thanks for the save."
"You saved yourselves," Artemis said. "We were merely following the trail."
Luke stepped in. "You were hunting the pack already?"
"Yes."
She didn't elaborate.
Instead, she turned to her Hunters. "Clean this up. Burn the thrones. Scatter the ashes."
The Hunters moved instantly. Bows lowered, knives drawn. Quiet, efficient destruction.
The trio turned to leave, the weight of battle pressing now that adrenaline had faded.
Lucas took one step, then another.
He felt it before he turned.
Eyes.
He looked back.
Artemis was still watching him.
Her expression was unreadable. Brow furrowed. She tilted her head, a movement so subtle it might have been imagined.
Lucas turned, pulse steady, and followed the others.
Behind them, Zoe approached Artemis.
"She declined the invitation," she said, her tone neutral.
Artemis nodded. "I suspected."
"We will find others."
Artemis didn't respond. Her eyes were still fixed on the path the trio had taken, her thoughts elsewhere.
...
The forest felt quieter now.
The trio retraced their steps, following the trail of broken branches until they found themselves back at the edge of the treeline.
Where the satyr had once lain, there was nothing.
Only the faintest indent in the soil, and a small scattering of herbs Lucas recognized as funerary sprigs.
"The Hunters," Thalia murmured.
Luke nodded. "Took care of him. Gave him a proper sendoff."
They didn't say more.
The SUV was still parked where they left it, undisturbed. But none of them moved toward it.
Instead, they set up a modest camp nearby, far enough from the road to stay hidden, close enough to run if they had to.
Thalia unrolled her blanket with shaking hands. Luke sat beside her, pulling out a basic medical kit and beginning to wrap the worst of her wounds with gentle fingers. She grunted in pain once but said nothing. He offered her some of their ambrosia stock, but she refused. She wasn't that injured to need to use their precious supply.
Lucas sat by the fire they'd lit, silent. His eyes were half-closed.
He still felt the drain in every bone, his limbs leaden from the toll of spellwork. But his voice carried dry amusement.
"I sailed through the Sea of Monsters without much trouble," he muttered. "But take a road trip through America with you two and suddenly we're on the menu every other night."
Thalia snorted. Luke chuckled softly.
"We're just lucky like that," Thalia said.
Lucas leaned back against a tree and let his eyes drift upward to the stars.
"Yeah," he said. "Lucky."
And for a moment, the forest held its peace.
...
Dawn broke slowly. Birds began to sing again, tentative and distant. The smell of dew lingered in the air.
They packed quietly. No one spoke much. The silence between them wasn't tense. Just heavy. Weighted by everything they'd seen and experienced.
Eventually, they climbed into the SUV, the engine humming like a reluctant companion.
They drove for over an hour before Luke spotted something on the side of the road.
A rustic building tucked between groves of pine and wildflowers. The wooden sign out front read: Rainbow Organic Foods & Lifestyles. A small parking area out front, an old windchime swaying gently by the door.
Thalia slowed the SUV. "Food break?"
Lucas, staring out the window, nodded. "Might be nice to see something alive."
They pulled in.
The bell above the shop door chimed gently. Inside, the store was filled with warmth, sunlight streaming through skylights, wooden shelves lined with herbs, glowing crystals, jars of preserves, and hand-written signs. At the counter stood a woman with olive-colored skin, long black hair, rainbow-colored eyes and dressed like she was at Woodstock, with a tie-dyed shirt and crystals decorating her neck and wrists.
"Demigods!" Iris beamed, her eyes widening with delight. "Oh, it's been ages since I've had proper visitors. Welcome to Rainbow Organic!"
She came around the counter, hands out in greeting. "You look exhausted. Don't worry, you're in good hands. I always keep a little something for emergencies."
She waved a hand, and a wooden tray floated over, displaying a small collection of labeled salves.
"This one here," she pointed to a jar with a golden label, "is Asclepius' own blend. Works wonders on injuries. Helps the body heal naturally but faster, without the divine side-effects of ambrosia. No scar-tissue residue either."
Her gaze landed on Lucas.
"And you... I remember you. You were the first demigod to use my Iris-message network in decades.
She plucked the jar from the tray and handed it to him.
"As thanks for your patronage, you all get a little something extra."
Lucas blinked, momentarily stunned. "Thank you."
Iris waved it off. "It's nothing. Now, why don't you sit? Fleecy! Tea and snacks for our guests!"
A young girl appeared carrying a tray of tea and snacks, white frizzy hair, tie-dyed shirt, cargo shorts and hiking boots. But what stood out was her eyes, flickering between white and black, sometimes flashing like lightning.
Lucas's eyes widened. "A nebulae. I haven't seen one since reading about them in Hecate's bestiary."
Fleecy wobbled happily. "No one remembers my kind anymore. It's nice to be remembered."
They sat at a low table while Iris poured tea and passed around dishes of dried fruit, crackers, and what she proudly called "macrobiotic beef jerky."
Lucas chewed slowly, letting the warmth settle in. The scent of herbs in the air. The comfort of a chair. The quiet hush of peace.
"So what happened to you three?" Iris finally asked, though her tone was gentle, not probing.
Thalia exhaled. "Lycaon."
Iris went still.
Then her smile faded into something soft and mournful. "That creature still walks? I'm so sorry."
Fleecy set a cup in front of Thalia and gave her hand a gentle pat.
"You're safe now," Iris said. "Stay as long as you need."
And for the first time since the clearing, they did.
They let themselves rest.