Ch. 9

"Hello, Thalia."

Thalia's knees slammed into the bottom of the steering wheel as she nearly had a heart attack. She turned and found a teenage girl sitting in the passenger seat, acting as if she hadn't just appeared out of thin air.

"Who are you?!" She tried not to yell but was having trouble controlling the volume of her voice with her heart beating a million times a minute.

The girl raised an eyebrow at her. She was beautiful, maybe seventeen or eighteen. She had dark auburn hair and startlingly silver eyes. It didn't take Thalia long to figure it out, though she'd never seen the goddess as anything but a twelve year old girl before.

Artemis wore a hooded sweatshirt and ripped jeans, another thing that threw Thalia off.

"Lady Ar..." She froze when Artemis' hand covered her mouth. The goddess pressed a finger to her lips and shook her head slowly.

"Call me Diana," she whispered. "If, you know who, knew I was here, it would end badly."

Thalia slowly nodded her head to show she understood and Artemis removed her hand. Thalia didn't say anything at first, she was distracted by the appearance of the goddess. If not for the silver eyes, she would have actually passed for a regular teenage girl.

"I didn't recognize you," she said simply.

Artemis looked down at herself then nodded in understanding, "Yes, well, changing the way I look helps avoid any unwelcome eyes."

Thalia pursed her lips, "You," she paused thinking how to word it, "you're not allowed to be here?"

"No," the goddess agreed. "The warning was very clear."

"Why?"

Artemis frowned, "Father, he is, um... troubled by recent events. He is unhappy about the prophecy and ordered that no god interfere in any way."

"Then, why are you here, lady A... er, I mean Diana?"

This time it was Artemis who pursed her lips. She seemed to think about the question for a minute.

"You were forced into this quest and it's my fault."

"Because he's your brother?" Thalia asked.

Artemis' eyes were on the dashboard of the sports car. Her obvious discomfort made Thalia emboldened to press her questioning.

"Because you betrayed him?"

Artemis silver eyes snapped towards her and Thalia immediately knew she'd gone to far.

"You presume much, demigod."

Thalia lowered her gaze, "I'm sorry. It was just what he'd said when he abducted me."

Artemis stared at her for a long minute. Her eyes were unfocused though and she looked like her mind was elsewhere, perhaps lost in memories of the past.

"What else did he say?" She finally asked, watching the demigod closely.

Thalia shrugged nervously, "Not a lot. He tried to convince me the gods were the evil ones and they would use me and then throw me away once they're done with me"

Artemis leaned back and her demeanor shifted, "It's not important. Never mind."

"Okay," Thalia said confused and a little put off by how quickly Artemis shrugged off her comment about being tossed away by the gods. "Forgive me, my lady, but I'm still not sure why you're here."

"To help you, of course." The goddess said simply.

Thalia wasn't sure how to respond to that and Artemis picked up on it.

"This train, it's now heading west. In the morning, you need to get off and find another method of travel but until the sun rises, this will bring you as far closer to your destination."

"Oh, okay." Thalia replied. "If you don't mind me asking, Diana, why are you talking to me and not your hunters? And do you know what some of the lines of prophecy mean?"

Artemis' posture stiffened a little and Thalia immediately knew she'd touched on a sensitive subject.

"The lines of the prophecy can only be revealed through your quest. Follow your instincts, they will be your best ally."

Before she could ask another question, Thalia blinked and she was alone in the Ferrari. She silently cursed the goddess. For being there to help, she really hadn't said anything helpful. Granted, knowing they were at least heading in the right direction was good, but she could have given even a little insight about the prophecy. If anything, she was even more confused about Perseus and what they might encounter when they reached Mount Othrys.

What was the deal with this god?

The way everyone, gods and mortals alike, talked about him made her feel like she was missing something. The mere mention of his name seemed to bring up a different emotion in every person she encountered.

She decided she had to let it go. All she could do was continue on and let the chips fall where they may. They had accepted this prophecy, albeit less than willingly, and there was no backing out now. She would control what she could and deal with everything else as it came up.

She closed her eyes, her mind still racing despite her best efforts to quiet it, as she drifted off into the realm of Morpheus.

Thalia felt herself stumbling forward, she tried to catch herself but her feet became tangled in the chains between her feet. She fell forward and wasn't able to brace herself as her hands were also shackled, bound to chain between her feet. She hit the ground hard, the hard packed dirt scraping her face.

"Get up!" A voice boomed from behind her. Thalia tried to get back to her feet but found her body was weak, too weak to raise herself from the ground. She tried to push herself up with her hands but they weren't even strong enough to lift her frail body.

"I said get up!" The voice boomed again. Before she had a chance to even try to comply, liquid fire seared her back. She cried out in agony and felt tears well up in her eyes only to be rewarded with a second lash across the back.

The pain was indescribable. She felt like a fire had been set across her back. Each welt burned with the heat of a sun, sending pain shooting throughout her body. She could feel the warmth of her own blood as it seeped through her tattered linen chiton. Despite how weak she was and the blinding pain in her back, she managed to get herself onto her hands and knees, driven by the sheer terror of another lashing.

The next lash of the whip was poorly aimed. It snapped over her shoulders, the tip coming around and catching her in the face. She fell over, her hands unable to reach her face, though she tried. The metallic taste of her own blood filled her senses and made her nearly lose consciousness.

"You fool!" A second voice chastised her attacker. "Now we will have to take less for this one! You never injure the face!"

Thalia turned her head in time to see a large tan skinned man slam his sandaled foot into the back of the one who'd whipped her. The man fell to the ground and was kicked in the face and despite her own pain, she felt a twinge of satisfaction at the sight of his blood as it leaked from his swollen nose.

"Get up girl!" Her so called savior bellowed at her. When she didn't immediately comply, he grabbed the back of her chiton and yanked her upright, ripping the thin clothe and exposing her throbbing back to the scorching sun.

"Stay on your feet or next time you won't get up again!" He spat at her as he turned around, taking care to kick the other man in the stomach as he passed over him.

Thalia could only tremble as silent sobs racked her body.

"Do not fall again," a quiet voice hissed from beside her. "We are nearly there. They will kill you if you don't to look presentable."

Thalia turned and found a middle aged woman in chains beside her. Her body was thin, almost too thin, but her weathered face was kind and gentle.

"I... I'm sorry." Thalia whimpered.

"Shhh... Shhhh, child." The woman said soothingly. "It's almost over. Hopefully your new master will be kind. He'll feed and clothe you, you just need to survive a little while longer."

Thalia could only nod her head. She knew if she spoke, she would lose herself. She saw the man in front of her begin walking and despite her body's protests, her bare feet began to shuffle forward, careful to watch her step as she walked. She lowered her head and tried to pace her steps with the enslaved man in front of her, her sole desire was to not be noticed again.

She wasn't sure how long they walked but in the blazing sun, it felt like hours. She could see a small city in the distance ahead and almost wept in happiness. Her feet were bloodied and blistered from the coarse road and her fresh lashes felt like they were boiling on her exposed back. She had no idea what was waiting for her when she entered the city but ending this death march was all she could pray for.

As they approached a gate near the city, a black steed came galloping from the city. It passed the front of their caravan and Thalia instinctively lowered her head as a sign of respect for the man just as everyone around her did. She knew enough to know that disrespecting a man wealthy enough to own such a fine horse would surely result in punishment.

A shiver ran down her spine when she heard the equine slow to a trot and then stop just a few feet away from her.

"Keep your head down, child." The kind woman whispered.

Despite knowing she should listen, Thalia felt her head turn slightly and caught a glimpse of the rider. She flinched when she noticed he was staring right at her. She wasn't sure what was going on but the caravan had stopped. The man dismounted and stood next to her, silent, his eyes boring into her.

She was nearly frantic in fear of the punishment she would receive for forcing them to stop again.

The man was tall, draped in dark armor and handsome. His face looked carved from stone. He had a neatly trimmed black beard and long dark hair that was tied back.

"You," he said pointing at Thalia. "What is your name?"

Before she could answer, the two slavers approached the man, smiles on their faces as they looked pleased to have caught his attention.

"Ah, my good sir!" The man who'd ripped her chiton said gleefully. "She is a fresh addition to our stock! She is as pure as she is beautiful!"

The man ignored him and reached out and grabbed Thalia by the chin. He forced her to look at him and she was startled by the pair of unnatural black eyes looking back at her.

"Perhaps we could cut you a special deal, right here and now?" The slaver continued on as if the man hadn't been ignoring him.

"Who is your father?" The handsome man asked, his voice was neither kind nor harsh. It was deep and authoritative and Thalia felt her knees tremble in fear of not giving him the answer he wanted.

"I... I don't know, my lord." Thalia whimpered back.

"My friend!" The man pressed on. "Perhaps we should discuss payment and you can take her with you. Why wait for the auction when she could be yours for a very very fair price."

The man finally turned his eyes to the slaver, his expression was anything was enthused to work out a deal with him.

"If you speak again, I'll cut out your tongue and feed it to him." He pointed at the second slaver who suddenly appeared startled.

The first slaver's smile vanished and he glared back at the man harshly, "You would dare to..."

He didn't get a chance to finish the sentence as the man spun around and grabbed him by the shirt. He pulled him so close, their faces were only inches apart.

"Give me that girl or you will suffer a fate worse than any you have sold these peasants into."

The slaver slammed his fist in the man's face and Thalia's mouth dropped when she heard the bones in his hand crunch and snap when they connected with his jaw. The slaver dropped to his knees, holding his mangled hand and screaming in pain.

The second slaver's whip lashed across the taller man's back but it had no effect. The handsome man's eyes flashed and the whip moved on its own accord, wrapping around the slaver's legs and sending him toppling face first into the ground, struggling and rolling in vain efforts to get free. The man turned back to the first who was still holding his shattered hand.

"Your tongue." He growled. "Stick. It. Out."

The slaver's face was an image of pure terror. He shook his head frantically but seemed unable to do anything to move away from his assailant. His mind and body looked like they were dueling it out for control. But as the dark haired man waited, the slaver opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue.

"Good boy."

Thalia would have thrown up if she'd had anything in her stomach when she watched the terrifying dark eyed man pull out a dagger and cut off the tongue from as deep as he could reach. The slaver collapsed backwards moaning and gurgling in agony as blood poured from his mouth, staining the ground a dark brown as he lost copious amounts from the severed appendage.

With the tongue in hand, the man turned to the still ensnared second slaver and just stared at him. Somehow, clearly against his will, the restrained man opened his mouth only to have the tongue jammed inside, forcing it into his throat. He strained and convulsed as he tried to clear his blocked airways.

The dark haired man turned and waved his hand and the shackles of every captured slave disappeared.

"Go! Find your way back to your homes." He ordered. Thalia made to run when she was snatched by the arm and held in place. The older woman who'd spoken nicely to her paused when she saw Thalia had been grabbed but a quick warning look from the man sent her off running with the others.

"Please," Thalia whimpered. "Sir, please. I don't know..."

"Shhhh," he said in a surprisingly gentle tone. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to help you. You need to calm down and believe my words, you are my kin, young one."

Thalia's eyes widened as the man let go of her arm and lowered himself onto a knee.

"My name is Perseus, my dear. My only wish is to make sure you never suffer like you have ever again. I promise you that."

Thalia stumbled back a bit and fell on her butt.

"Perseus?" She said in awe, her face going pale as she realized who and what this guy was. "Like... Like, you mean Perseus? As in the god, Perseus?"

He smiled kindly at her, "The one and only."

"Your kin?" She squeaked out.

His smile grew a little, "Of course. I could sense the blood of Apollo in you from inside the city. Now, tell me, my dear; what is your name?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat, "My name... My name is Phoebe."

His reached out and grabbed her shoulder. It slid behind her and down her back as she felt the most indescribable cooling sensation flow through her. The throbbing lashes on her back began to hurt less until the pain vanished completely. She couldn't see them but she knew they were healed, the skin knit back together and smooth as if she'd never been hurt.

His hand came up and cupped her cheek and she felt the same cooling sensation on her face as the gash from the badly aimed strike closed up and healed. She put a hand to her face and was stunned to feel the wound was gone, nothing, not even a scar left as evidence it had been there.

Perseus pulled his hand away and gave her a gentle smile, "You now have a choice to make, my dear. Come with me and I will take you to a place where no man will ever be able to hurt you again. Or go on your own, try to return to wherever you came from, and resume the life you had before any of this happened."

Thalia felt a moment of indecision. She stared into his dark but now suddenly not frightening eyes, "I have a choice?"

His nodded, his smile not wavering at all, "Of course you do, Phoebe. You are a child of a god, your life and destiny are yours to decide."

She lowered her eyes and thought about the life she'd had before being captured. It was anything but great but it was hers, at least until the slavers came and dragged her away from her small village.

"Okay," she whispered. "I want to go with you."

He smiled knowingly and then Thalia's vision went dark.

Thalia jolted up, coated in sweat and breathing deeply. She turned and found the car door of the Ferrari already open. Looking down at her were the confused and slightly concerned eyes of Phoebe. She immediately knew it was the very same one she'd just witnessed first hand be saved by the god they were on their way to confront.

"Are you okay?" Phoebe asked, offering her a hand.

Thalia stared at it for a moment. She knew little about this huntress, they only became acquainted since beginning the quest. But from what she'd seen, it was difficult to imagine her as a weak and vulnerable girl. If she hadn't witnessed it through Phoebe's eyes first hand, she wouldn't have believed it.

"Thalia? What is it?" Phoebe pressed, her expression full of worry.

"Noth... Nothing." Thalia answered as she took the huntress' hand. Phoebe pulled her out of the car and frowned when she noticed Thalia staring.

"Just bad dreams," Thalia said quickly. "Sorry, just not really awake yet."

Phoebe nodded in understanding, "Yeah, dreams are never much fun for half bloods."

"What time is it?" Thalia asked when she noticed the sunlight poking through the gaps of the train car.

"Early, the sun has just started to rise."

"We need to get off the train." Thalia replied.

"Yeah," Zoe agreed as she stepped towards them. "Who knows where we are, we could be back on the east coast by now."

Thalia shook her head as Annabeth and Luke made their way over to the group.

"No, this train is going west. Lady A..." Thalia caught herself. "Uh, a friend told me that it was heading west but that we need to get off now."

"A friend?" Luke asked with an eyebrow raised. Zoe and Phoebe exchanged a look, their expressions showing the silent conversation they were having.

"Yeah," Thalia answered. "I had a visitor last night before I went to bed."

"Who?" Annabeth asked curious.

"Um," Thalia wasn't sure how to explain it. "I can't say. They weren't supposed to be there but they told me the train was going west and we needed to get off at first light."

Luke gave her a skeptical look but before he could press her, Zoe cut in.

"Did she say anything else?" It was clear Zoe had figured it out, her expression was neutral though, so Thalia couldn't tell if she was upset Artemis had visited Thalia instead of her last night.

Thalia shook her head, "Just that we need to find a different mode of transportation."

"The train is slowing," Phoebe said as she looked towards the cracks of the train car. "We'll jump out when the train is moving slower and then we can figure out exactly where we are."

No one argued with the huntress as they all gathered up their stuff. Zoe opened up the sliding door she'd busted last night and then looked back at the others.

"Let's move, we're almost to at a train station." She leapt from the train and the others quickly followed her lead. They picked themselves up and made a wide arc through some woods before approaching the station.

"That's impossible!" Annabeth shook her head in disbelief as she read off the station sign. "It says we're in Santa Fe. It's impossible to move that far overnight."

"Unless you have a little divine help." Phoebe said looking pleased. "Better off to not question it and just be grateful we're that much closer."

Annabeth didn't look like she wanted to simply accept it but when no one else looked interested in discussing it, she frowned and followed the others as they made their way into the station in search of a quick snack before continuing on. They were all so focused on finding some food, they completely missed the two onyx eyed teenagers watching them from the other side of the platform.

A.N: Another chapter down. What'd you think? Decided Phoebe need a backstory. Let me you know what you thought of it.