Chapter 23:

I thought I was dead for a second when my ears started to ring with a loud and piercing frequency. I heard a male voice calling my name, it sounded so far away but it started to to get clear up and I recognized the voice as Darren's.
“Hannah, wake up.”
I felt a nudge against my arm and I was able wrench my eyes open.

Light flooded into my eyes and sent a seering headache into my brain. My eyes took a moment to focus and I saw before me Darren with blonde shaggy hair and everything.
I raised my arm to my head trying to wipe away the headache, “Are you dead now too?” I groaned.
Darren laughed, “No, but you tried really hard.”
My head started to spin and I stared intently at the ceiling to stop it, “I didn't mean to if that's what you're implying.” I replied.

“Didn't say that you did.” He replied with a grin. I looked up at him and I smiled back. He looked at me for a second and then looked away, his smile wiping from his face. I sat up, “Is there something wrong? Are you mad at me or something?”
“No.” He replied simply, “Not at you.”
“Who then?”
Darren clentched his jaw, “Dad, and no I don't want to talk about it.”

I quickly let the subject drop, but I quickly found a new one when I noticed that someone wasn't in the room, “Where's Lilly?” I asked.
“She disappeared.” Darren replied.
“What?”
“When she shot you she just, ran off, without a word.”
“You've gone looking for her right?”
“Gaius has been willing to send out search parties for her. We'll find her.”

I sat up and swung my legs on the side of the bed and got up, “Where's my Mom's bow and my knife?” I asked.
Darren pointed to the closet in the room, I walked over and opened the doors, reveling the quiver and arrows. I took them out and slung the pack over my shoulder and across my chest.
“What are you doing?” Darren asked.
“I don't know if you noticed, Darren, our friend is missing out there thinking that she murdered her friend.”
Darren shifted and replied, “You can't go anywhere.” He stated.
I turned around to him, “Why not?” I retorted scoffing with an added touch.
“The Hunters found out that the Romans were giving us shelter and The Hunters are claiming treason against the gods. Gaius managed to calm them down before they destroyed the camp looking for us and killing you while I was trying to heal you. The Hunters agreed to sit down with you and discuss the problem under the condition that you or I leave.”
I took my fist and slammed it against the wall roaring in anger, “What am I going to tell them other than what I've already said before?” I mumbled.

“Just say what you have been saying maybe they'll listen since the Romans will make sure no one on either side will get hurt.”
“They are the moderators in the talks?”
“That's the role they took.” Darren replied.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, “I don't want to talk to them.” I growled, “I don't want to talk to them at all.”
Darren sighed, “Well you're going to have to, cause they refuse to talk to me.”
I turned away from the wall breathing heavily so I wouldn't explode.
“Fine.” I replied, “But I'm not going to pretend I'm going to like it. Lilly's still out there.”
“Just be a little hospitable: then I think you'll be fine.”

***

I really didn't want to play the likeable hostess, but I managed to put on a serious business-like face, still looking sort of mad. Eliza had come into my room and escorted me to the council chambers. She explained that I'd be sitting on one end of the table while the Hunter they selected will talk with you.” She began to go over the rules, “You will stay seated in your chair. You will not try to physically harm The Hunter's chosen representative, if the tension is too great we will shut the talks down and we'll try another day.”
“Too much time has been wasted anyway.”
Eliza turned to me and with a smile she replied, “Then I suggest you don't mess things up: The Hunters are also aware of these rules and will be applied on either side. So if Gaius finds that the Hunters are too aggressive as well we will shut the talks down.”
“What's the goal of these talks?” I asked in a snappish tone.
Eliza sighed in her mind forgiving me I'm sure, “To at least get you on nicer terms. In my little world: by the time you are done you'll at least be allies.”

She opened a door that led into a closed entryway. Eliza turned her heels to me and with a dead serious look in her eyes and face, “Remember the rules and we won't pull the plug on the talks, the sooner you get out of here, find Lilly, and get on with your quest.”
I smiled a bit, “You're not as -” I paused for a second to find the word.
“Dumb as a Blonde?” Eliza offered, she chuckled a second, “I have my moments but I'm not blind: You care about your friend, and you want to find her and tell that you're ok so she won't do something stupid.”

I was speechless.
“I'm smarter than I look.” She added.

She reached for the door handle and looked back at me, “Remember the rules and you'll be fine.” She pushed the door open to reveal a looong table with two chairs on either side. One closest to me and the other close to a door on the other side of the room. Eliza ushered me into the room and guided me to the closest chair. I sat down and got comfortable, I looked up and Eliza arched her eyebrow and tilted her her head reminding me once again of the rules silently.
“Yes Mother...” I replied sarcastically rolling my eyes.
Eliza sighed, turned away and I heard the door behind me open and close.

I waited for at least a couple of minutes until the door on the other side of the room opened up and Gaius and a Hunter came through the door.
Ohhh snap.
Really? They chose her!
It was like looking into the face of Death!

Dark hair, green eyes, killer kick! She was the Hunter that kicked me to a pulp back at Camp Half-Blood and cursed me out!

My hand slid from the table and gripped the end with my knuckles turning white. I tried to keep my breathing and my eyes normal. The girl casually sat down, never taking her eyes off of me. It was like she knew something that I didn't. I swallowed, wishing that I didn't give up my weapons at the door. I breathed in sharply and let out a ragged breath. Gaius looked at both of us and repeated that if we started to get physical they'd shut the talks down. He pulled up a chair to the table and clasped his hands on top of the table and he looked at me, “Let's begin with you Hannah: The Hunter's believe that you were involved in the kidnapping of Artemis, the Greek version of our Diana goddess of the Hunt. What do you say to this accusation?”

“I'm innocent.” I replied plainly.
“We know that's a lie!” The Hunter shouted.
Gauis raised his hand and turned his head glaring at the Hunter, “Maxine, please restrain yourself!”
There must have been something in his eyes that made her sit back in her chair.
He turned back to me, “Miss Batson please enlighten us: What happened?”

I sighed, “It's simple: Two cyclops found me and tried to kill me, finding out my existence as a Daughter of Artemis cause an uproar on Olympus.” I paused and swallowed, “Resulting in my Mother being taken to the Underworld by Hades and revoked her Olympian status and basically left the world in disaster.”
Gaius turned his head over to The Hunter, Maxine, “What is the general thoughts of the Hunters?”

Maxine took in a long breath, “We believe that Hades wasn't working alone: the traitor-” I restrained myself from lashing out at the Hunter: I wasn't a traitor for crying out loud!
“Allowed herself to be discovered and the circumstances fall where they would, but in any case Artemis would be in Hades' hands and the fall of Olympus wouldn't be far off.”

Gaius turned back to me, “What is your opinion on that story?”
I did my best to swallow back the anger welling up inside to burst out, “Only one question:” I replied calmly, “What could I, possibly gain, from something like this?”

“Asylum from the coming war.” Maxine replied.
Both Gaius and I were presently surprised, “What war?” He asked.
Maxine just kept her cold stare at me, “Artemis and Thalia have foreseen these events leading up to a war that will raze what life is left from the past wars.” She cocked her head slightly to the side with a smirk, “Third time's a charm.”

“Then why are we sitting here fighting each other?!” I stood shouting.
Maxine calmly looked at me, “We have to root out the loyal before the war begins.” She smirked.
Gaius stood slowly and then used his hand to guide me down to my chair again.
He turned back to Maxine, “Who is rising to fight us?”
Maxine turned her gaze to Gaius, “I don't know. That's what we need to find out.”
Gaius stood straight and took in a breath, “We must be united in this, or the enemy will pick each of us off, one by one: Is it at all possible if you two are willing to be at least allies?”

My hand slowly went to my side where Maxine had kicked me several times: I wasn't sure if we could be friends but at the very least we could allies. I swallowed and closed my eyes and replied, “Yeah.”
I opened them and saw Maxine nodding her head, “Whether you have a part in this or not it will soon come into the light.”

At that moment the building shook and rumbled, Eliza came in, “The enemy is advancing!”

Notes