Percy's POV

I looked at Artemis, still standing with her glowing hands raised. Before I could speak, she said, "Just because I trained you to survive and you're the only male I tolerate does not mean that I want to sit here and have a conversation with you until you fall asleep." Those kind words said, Artemis snapped her fingers and darkness engulfed my vision.

I woke up again a few hours later to a brighter room. Looking around, I noticed Artemis still standing there, her arms raised with the now-familiar silver glow surrounding her hands. My body didn't ache as much as it had when I woke up yesterday.

"Don't make me have to turn you into a jackelope, Perseus," Artemis threatened, startling me. I didn't realize that I had been staring at her.

Blushing, I apologized. "Sorry, Lady Artemis." I waited to make sure she wasn't actually going to permanently change my form before asking, "Have you been standing there all night?"

"I had to, or else you'd be forced to take that antidote here while that strong girl that calls you her boyfriend suffers at Camp Half Blood."

"Was I really that bad?" I asked hesitantly, almost afraid of the answer.

It was a blunt reply. "Yes."

"But I am better now, right?"

"About as healed as you have to be in order to function."

"So I can go back to Camp Half Blood now?"

"No."

"When?" I was practically begging her to tell me.

"Soon."

I wanted to scream and punch a wall. I couldn't tell if the wall-punching part was me, or just a side-effect of the wolf's anger. Maybe a combination of both, looking back at it. I desperately wanted to get to Annabeth. I couldn't let her down. Not again.

After waiting a moment so my rage didn't explode and spark that of that man hating goddess, I said, "And when will be soon enough for me to leave?"

Artemis fixed me with a bland, silver-eyed stare. It was the look of someone that couldn't care less. Or wanted to appear that they couldn't care less. "Look, Perseus, I don't want you here any more than you want to be here. I don't even want to be here, no offense to Aunt Hestia. But I'd much rather be with my huntresses than here, healing a boy."

She stopped talking, and I thought that would be the end of it. I would be stuck in a room with a man-hating goddess, hoping she didn't kill me, until either I died, I was released, or Hestia returned. I was rooting for either the second or the third option, but if Hestia didn't come back quickly, I worried Artemis would choose the first option. Not that I'd blame her, but still. It wouldn't end well for me.

After what couldn't have been more than a few minutes of silence, Artemis spoke again. I thought she was going to give me horrible news, or maybe turn me into a small woodland creature, but she quickly convinced me otherwise. "You should be able to leave by eight o'clock at night, on this day."

I gaped at the auburn-haired goddess after that announcement. She avoided my gaze, instead focusing on her glowing hands. "Really?" I asked, my voice full of obvious hope and joy.

She rolled her eyes. "Not if you keep annoying me. Take what you can get, Perseus, and don't push your luck."

Athena would be impressed with my wisdom, because I didn't say anything after that.

What felt like a few hours later, Hestia walked into the room. She gazed around, seeing if anything changed, before her eyes fell on me. "You're awake!" She turned to the goddess of the moon. "Artemis," she chided, "you said you would let me know when he was awake!"

"He just woke up a little while ago," Artemis lied easily. I nodded along with her statement, knowing it wouldn't be in my best interest to argue.

Hestia nodded, though she seemed dubious as to whether or not that was the truth.
Nonetheless, she turned back to me and told me, "You should be able to go soon, Perseus. Isn't that right, Artemis?"

Artemis concentrated for a moment, before looking at Hestia in surprise. "Right! What time is it?"

Hestia smiled, saying, "It's about six thirty at night."

That spiked my interest. "Really? Geez, no wonder I'm hungry!"

Hestia walked over to me and kneeled by my floor mattress. "Here, let's see if you can sit up. I'm afraid you can't have too much to eat, or else it will all just come back up."

"Anything will be good to me, my lady."

Hestia helped me struggle up to a sitting position, my back propped up on several vibrant pillows. She passed me a bowl and I shoveled some spoonfuls of rice into my mouth with a shaking hand. When the bowl was empty, the goddess of the hearth set it on the floor before giving me a once-over.

"Perseus, do you think you could try to stand up?" She asked hesitantly, as if expecting a fiery reaction. I wondered what she thought I was going to do. Feeling the wolf's indignant fury rising up in me, I understood her caution.

Pushing down any sharp retort, I instead said, "I can try."

Carefully, I used all my energy pushing my body up off the pillows, grunting a few times as I felt a flicker of pain begin to glimmer. However, soon I was kneeling on the mattress, pushing up off the comfortable surface. Closing my eyes to hold back the pain I was experiencing even through Artemis's spell, I lifted my body the final distance until I was balanced on my two feet on a wooden floor.

Hestia stood up with me, letting me lean against her as I struggled to regain my breath from what felt like a marathon. Both she and the goddess of the moon were looking at me with a mix of concern and pride.

"You did it, Perseus!" Hestia cheered, smiling up at me. I returned it with a shaky one of my own.

"I did."

Artemis jumped into the conversation, asking, "Do you think you'll be able to make it all the way to Camp Half-Blood?"

I didn't hesitate before saying, "Yes."

"Perseus," Hestia started, looking uncertain, "are you sure? You don't want to make your wounds worse."

"I'll be fine, my lady," I promised, though I too was having doubts. "I'll be fine."

Artemis shot a glance at Hestia, who nodded slightly. Sighing, the man-hating goddess slowly lowered her arms and let the silver glow fade from her hands. As it disappeared from her, it disappeared from me as well.

Pain erupted in my chest, so sudden and intense that it almost knocked me over. Staggering, I would've fallen if not for the two immortal girls that rushed to help hold me up. Though both of the deities appeared as children, their combined strength was more than enough to support my body weight.

"Perseus, are you sure you can do this?" Artemis asked desperately. "I can't tell Thalia that I let her foolish male cousin die because he was too stupid to allow me to heal him."

"I'll be fine," I grunted out through clenched teeth. "I just need a moment."

The immortals let me have my moment to regain my bearings. Once I decided I was as good as I was going to get, I carefully extracted myself from their arms. Holding my breath, I prayed that I wouldn't topple over.

To my joyful surprise, I didn't. I remained standing on my own two feet, the pain forcing my breath out in short gasps whenever my lungs begged for air. I heard Hestia and Artemis whispering behind me, and I slowly turned around to face them, a smile on my face.

They returned it when they saw me looking at them. Hestia stepped forwards. "Perseus, Artemis and I have decided that you might be better off traveling to Camp Half Blood as the wolf, not a human."

My eyes widened. "B-but it's night! I can't control the wolf at night, he'll kill someone!"
Artemis stepped forwards now. She raised her hand and I thought she was going to slap me, but instead she placed it awkwardly on my shoulder. "Perseus, don't be a foolish male. You can and you will control that wolf."

"I..."

Artemis gave me a look, and I knew that if I tried to argue I could very well end up a small woodland creature. Smiling softly, I conceded, saying, "All right, my lady."

The two goddesses smiled at me, wishing me luck getting to Camp Half Blood and getting rid of this curse. They escorted me to the door. Before I turned into a wolf, I looked at them and said, "Thank you, Lady Artemis and Lady Hestia, for everything. I owe my life to you."

Hestia smiled, while Artemis said, "Just don't forget to sacrifice a little food to us every now and then, and I think we'll be fine."

"It's been a pleasure, Perseus," Hestia said.

"Thank you, again." With those last words, I turned away from the two powerful deities and into the street of New York. The two girls waved as I turned into a black wolf and padded away in the direction of Camp Half Blood. I'm coming, Annabeth.

Notes