I was incredibly nervous when the day of Fireworks was coming. Gah, what if Ivan didn't show up?
I mean, we had 'talked' about it, but it mostly involved him saying hello, having a one-minute conversation, and then him leaving to go to Leto cabin. Worst, I hadn't been claimed yet.
Fireworks eve, we had just finished singing One-billion Ton Drakon, and I was nervously burning a marshmallow over the green fire. Then my marshmallow started glowing.
I started glowing. My t-shirt changed into hunter's armor.
CLAIMING!
My blonde hair started braiding itself, dying streaks of my hair silver. A silver laurel appeared on my head, and hunting knives appeared on my side. My eyes- I blinked and they felt different. With a start, I realized they were silver.
Then a voice spoke.
"Skylar DiAngelo. You are NOT the child of a god. But you are close to that. You are the closest possible thing to a daughter of Artemis- though born a daughter of Athena and granddaughter of Hades, you show obvious signs of more than a Hunter of Artemis- more than a lieutenant- you show signs of having the will of Artemis. You were chosen- chosen to be the Blessed of Artemis- Artemis's pure equal, immortal, able to change by will- you will still age, yes, but never die. You can choose to look the same, or to look as you have aged. Skylar DiAngelo, you are the Sister of Artemis."
I sat down and fingered the hunting knives. Everybody's eyes were on me.
"So you're a hunter?" Said a random, incredibly dense-minded voice. That guy certainly wasn't a child of Athena.
Chiron stomped his hooves. "You were chosen by Artemis- to be her sister."
I took out a knife and looked at the Astral Silver blade, signature metal of Artemis, glow in the firelight. "Gods, I'm not sure if I want to be. I mean-- I want to be... normal. I have... uh..." I turned beet red, "love interests."
"That does not mean you can't have them. It means simply you are Artemis's equal. You have reminded Artemis of herself. Purely."
"Oh." I ran my finger along the blades and then sheathed it. "Be as it may. I guess it won't be that bad." I jumped off of my seat and ran quickly to Artemis's cabin.
I slipped into the bed- and fell asleep, despite being so uncomfortable.
~~~~~~~
The next day was weird. I felt- different. I was amazing at everything. None of my arrows landed anywhere other than bullseye. My sword always hit the target. I defended perfectly. I could catch a bullet from thin air. And I felt invincible. Like nothing could stop me. I could sit still, my ADHD and ADD had vanished completely. Even my allergies seemed to, also. But despite being Sister of Artemis, I was still in love with Ivan and Falkner. Those feeling certainly didn't vanish.
And so that night, there I was, on the beach with Ivan.
He slowly rubbed at his blade. "Sister of Artemis. That's pretty wicked. You know... Leto was the mother of Artemis."
"Yeah, I know. So, um... you know when the fireworks are starting?"
"Nah. So, that was cool, how you could talk to Pegasus. I can't do that."
"I'd be happy to give you the privilege. I've had enough for the day, let alone the month."
He looked confused. "Funny, I thought you'd be bragging about it by now."
"No, it's actually more of a burden than a blessing. Everyone stares at me like I have the Curse of Kronos instead of the Blessing of Artemis."
He nodded in understanding. "I've been here for, what, two years? Everybody expects me to know everything, be good at everything, yet... y'know... most kind of hate me."
"Well, I don't."
"And... you've only known me for, like, two months. Look Skylar, this is how pathetic I am. I'm the son of a minor titaness, and my dad hates me so much I stay here year round."
I snorted. "I stay here year-round anyway."
"So, um, about yesterday, when you said..." He turned the brightest shade of red I had ever seen. "You had love interests... um, well... y'know, awkward moment... am I, like... well... forget it." He turned an even brighter shade of red.
"Well... I have multiple. Magnus Terra, Darryn White, Price Evergreen... those are smaller ones. And then Falkner Jackson, definitely Falkner..."
He turned a dark shade of maroon. "Falkner. Poseidon kid?"
"Yeah. But every girl does. And then one more..." I turned a much, much, much, brighter shade of red. "Some guy... ah, forget about--"
"Tell me."
"His name is Ivan Nightshade."
Ivan looked startled. "Oh."
"Gods, I shouldn't have said that...."
He leaned forward and kissed me on the lips.
"Oh, god. I shouldn't have done that." Ivan said. But the red faded.
I laughed. "Oh, thanks. Sister of Maidenhood and hater-of-boys, kissing a guy... man, if Artemis was watching..."
"Well, she isn't." He kissed me again. "So, there."
And the Fireworks was over, like that. And so, he walked to his cabin, I walked to mine.
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