“Odessaaaa!”

I had just stepped outside. Erinys soared high above as she ventured out to hunt for her morning meal. And then Hippomenes came running up the steps, right up to me. The next thing I knew, he had grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me up and down, like he was checking to see if I was all right.

“Thank the gods you’re okay!” he exclaimed with relief. “When I heard you and Atalanta fought that hydra, I was so worried!”

I wiggled out of his grip, which I was an expert at doing after growing up with Berenike. “Shouldn’t you be more concerned about Atalanta?”

I wanted to be annoyed at him. He was planning on cheating in the footrace after all. That damned footrace had been postponed for a week to give Atalanta time to recover from the hydra venom. They still wouldn’t cancel it. She was in no condition to walk, much less run a race.

I had no idea how she felt about that. She’d been very close lipped about the race. Though she hadn’t been very talkative in general. I had gone back to bed shortly after our kiss. The healers hadn’t allowed me to check on her this morning, so here I was. Back to trying to figure out how to stop her from destroying herself.

“Well, of course,” Hippomenes said, very matter-of-fact. “But you’re my friend, Odessa. I’m going to worry about both of you.”

I fought the urge to sigh. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not hate this man. I couldn’t even dislike him. He was just so kind and genuine. Incredibly misguided, yes, but he had a good heart. I could not deny that.

“Well, I’m fine,” I said, raising a trembling hand to brush my bangs away from my eyes. The shaking hadn’t stopped. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. “You don’t have to worry about me any longer.”

Hippomenes appeared relieved, his face lightening up with a smile. He opened his mouth to speak, but never got the chance.

“Is it true that you slayed the hydra?”

We both turned to see Nikandros, sauntering up to us. Surprisingly, Diokles was with him, following behind him. The two men stopped before us. Nikandros scrutinized me with narrowed eyes, his gaze dark and unreadable. I tensed, suddenly feeling uneasy. I didn’t like being approached by this malaka without a way to defend myself. But my longbow had been lost in the swamp, destroyed by the hydra’s acidic blood.

“Yes,” I answered flatly. “Is that so difficult to believe?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Nikandros said dryly. “If Atalanta could not slay the monster, why should we believe you did?”

Diokles scowled. “Do not disregard Odessa’s abilities. You heard Hippomenes describe their journey here.”

Nikandros rolled his eyes. “Hippomenes is known to exaggerate.”

“Hey now,” Hippomenes huffed, pouting a little. “I was so not exaggerating this time! Odessa did kill like three wolves at once!”

Nikandros snorted. “I highly doubt that.”

“I am right here, you know,” I stated with annoyance, crossing my arms over my chest. My burns protested, but I ignored the pain. “I don’t have to prove anything to you. Go ahead and believe whatever lie you please.”

Before the disagreement could continue, a horn blew loudly. Hippomenes and I turned around, while Nikandros and Diokles looked forward to see what was going on. Ahead was a caravan, flanked by a procession of mounted guards. The other two men stepped up to stand by us, getting a closer look.

“I recognize that banner,” Nikandros said after a moment, crossing his arms again. “Kalydon.”

Diokles narrowed his eyes. “I did not know Pater invited Meleager.”

Hippomenes’s eyes widened. “Meleager? You mean the Meleager?!”

Nikandros rolled his eyes. “Is there some other Meleager I don’t know about?”

Diokles’s entire demeanor shifted, his expression turning sour. “Great. Reunite Atalanta with the hero who helped her slay the Kalydonian Boar. Now I’ll never hear the end of how they slayed it.”

I looked over at him. “...Is it that bad?”

His gaze flickered over to me. “Sometimes. Pater is quite fond of bragging. He has a tendency to… exaggerate, much like Hippomenes here.”

The blond put his hands on his hips. “I do not exaggerate!”

The procession came to a stop a few yards away from the front steps, where we stood. Guards rushed forward to receive them.

I wasn’t sure how to feel about this. Meleager was considered one of the greatest heroes of modern times. As the prince of Kalydon, he was also one of the most influential figures in all of Greece. I hadn’t realized Iasus would invite such important people to the footrace. I supposed it made sense. This race was essentially determining Arkadia’s role in the future.

No wonder Atalanta felt trapped…

Diokles sighed. “I suppose I should welcome them.”

He walked forward, leaving us. After a moment, I followed after him. If I was the emissary of Artemis, I should greet them too. Hippomenes scampered after me, probably not wanting to be left behind. Knowing him, he wanted to meet the famous Meleager.

“Welcome to Lykosoura,” Diokles greeted the man who had climbed out of the caravan. A heavily pregnant woman was being helped down by a servant. “I am Prince Diokles, son of King Iasus. It is an honor to have you as our guests here in Arkadia.”

The man chuckled. “Please, the formality. It’s so unnecessary. It is our honor to be here. I am Meleager, prince of Kalydon. And this is my lovely wife, Alkyone.”

Meleager was… well, everything everyone wanted him to be. He was the epitome of a Greek man—of a hero. He was tall and broad shouldered, built like a warrior through and through. He had clearly fought his way through many battles. His black hair fell in waves, his bangs parted to the side, pulled back in a low ponytail. His olive skin was bronzed with tan, which was a stark contrast to his bright blue eyes. He wore a neatly trimmed beard. A thick scar streaked underneath his left eye. Even I could see that he was handsome, embodying everything a man was supposed to be. Despite having muscled arms probably as big as I was wide, his warm smile eliminated any threatening energy he would’ve given off. He was dressed for travel.

The woman, Alkyone, was handed a baby, wrapped up securely in blankets. She thanked the servant and then stepped up to join her husband. Alkyone was a petite woman, smaller than me. Even with the roundness of her belly, it was clear she was usually quite slender and delicate. She had to at least be eight months pregnant. Her red-gold curls were in an elaborate updo, accented with gold thread. She was quite fair, more likely to burn in the sun than tan. She had hazel eyes. Also dressed for travel, she was bundled up more than her husband.

And the baby in her hands—he had to be no older than three months. He shared a striking resemblance to his father, with the faintest of black curls on his tiny head. He woke up at that moment, blinking tired brown eyes. Gods… how was Alkyone that pregnant if their son was so young? He had to be adopted then. But… he was obviously Meleager’s son. This was confusing.

“If you insist,” Diokles said, giving a slight shrug. “Regardless, welcome to Arkadia.”

“If you don’t mind, could we head inside?” Alkyone asked. “I am… very weary from the journey.”

I raised my hand, drawing their attention to me. “I can take you to Her Majesty. I’m sure she’ll know exactly what you need.”

“Oh, a Huntress of Artemis,” Meleager said, raising an eyebrow. “Are you a friend of Atalanta’s?”

“You… could say that.” I managed a smile. “I am Odessa.”

Alkyone smiled tiredly. “Thank you so much, Odessa. Honestly, it’s a relief to have another woman here among all this virility.” She gave her husband a withering look, albeit a joking one.

Meleager laughed. “You wound me, my love. But please, get some rest.”

He leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, before she walked up to me. I nodded to her, and gestured for her to follow me. Gods, I was happy to get away from all of the men too. There was just too much politicking going on for my liking.

Queen Klymene bid me to stay after I brought Alkyone to her. In fact, she insisted we all sit down once Alkyone was comfortable in her guest room. I couldn’t refuse the queen, but I felt incredibly awkward.

“What a beautiful baby boy,” Klymene cooed as she held Alkyone’s son in her arms. “What is his name?”

“Parthenopeus,” his mother answered. “He was found left on a mountain as a newborn… Meleager and I decided to adopt him.”

That was… odd. The baby looked so much like Meleager, yet she claimed they found him? Something was missing here. Something wasn’t quite right.

Klymene sighed, shaking her head. “Such a common occurrence… My own Atalanta suffered such a fate.”

“So I have heard…” Alkyone rested her hand on her stomach. “Well, this one will have no such thing happen to them. We’re very excited to have a baby of our own, as much as we love Parth.”

I knew I didn’t belong here. I wasn’t a wife or a mother. I was a huntress who had forsaken men. But I knew Klymene wanted to become better acquainted with me. And Alkyone seemed like a kind woman. If I was going to survive this mess, I needed friends among the women. Yet… I had no idea what to do, what to say. Their lives were so much different than mine.

“You are happy together, then?” Klymene asked, as she handed the baby back to his mother.

Alkyone smiled and nodded as she accepted her son back. “Very happy. Meleager is everything I could have ever wanted. I know I’m lucky. I have quite a few friends who ended up in unhappy marriages…”

Klymene nodded sadly. “I was incredibly happy with Iasus in the beginning—until he stole Atalanta away from me. I have… never truly forgiven him for that. There is love between us once again, but I have never been able to forget what he did to our daughter.”

“I cannot blame you,” Alkyone said quietly. “The pressure to bear sons is… such a burden. A daughter never suffices.” Her gaze flickered over to me. “Odessa, are you grateful to be free of this burden?”

My eyes widened. “I… have never really given it a thought. I have always been with the Huntresses, ever since I was an infant.”

“Oh?” This seemed to intrigue Klymene. “You were raised by them?”

I nodded. “Yes, I grew up in the temple in Mytilene.”

“No wonder you were chosen as Artemis’s emissary,” Alkyone mused. “Though, to be frank, it puzzles me why Artemis would want a stake in this.”

“Sometimes I wonder about it myself,” I said with a sheepish smile.

Gods, it wasn’t a lie. This facade was such a farce. I was just waiting for someone other than Atalanta to question it.

“Do you have any dreams, Odessa?” Klymene asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. “You must have some sort of aspiration, yes?”

My eyes widened. “Not… really.”

Alkyone tilted her head to the side. “Truly? With so much freedom, you could achieve anything.”

I looked down at my hands. They trembled, despite resting on my lap, wrapped in fresh bandages up to my elbows. My chest and shoulders were stiff from their own wrappings. The constant pain had faded away, but movement was a consistent reminder. To think I had fought the hydra only yesterday. That I had kissed the woman I loved yesterday.

“I just would like to live my life,” I murmured. “To be happy, surrounded by the ones I love. Not just my sisters in the Hunt, but the one who holds my heart.”

That’s what made this so much more complicated. I didn’t believe in love at first sight, nor was that what had really happened. But from the moment I had met Atalanta in Artemis’s Sacred Hunting Grounds, I had sensed it—that our fates were irrevocably intertwined. Whether we were destined to be friends or lovers, I could still not tell. But regardless, in the short time I had known her, somehow I’d come to care for her so deeply.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand it myself, but emotions were inexplicable things. I was on a quest to save a woman from herself, to save her from a horrible fate, only to find myself personally invested in her success. For my own selfish reasons. I was compromised. This wasn’t simply help Atalanta win the footrace anymore.

Klymene smiled gently, leaning forward to clasp my fingers. “My dear, I am sure that you will find what you seek. We often find love in the strangest of places, where we least expect it.”

I… wasn’t sure what to make of that. Did she know? Or was it just a mother’s intuition? I had no idea, but it was enough to make my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I wasn’t used to anyone other than Akantha mothering me. But Klymene simply smiled at me, letting go of my fingers and sitting up straight.

“I think we should let you rest now, Alkyone,” she said, standing up. “ Thank you for having us.”

“Of course,” Alkyone said with a smile. “Thank you for keeping me company while I settled down.”

Klymene turned to me. “Odessa, I could use your aid with some errands for tonight’s feast. Normally, Atalanta would be the one helping me, but as you know…”

I stood up. “It would be my pleasure to help you. I don’t mind at all.”

The queen smiled with relief. “Thank you, my dear. We are so very lucky to have you with us.”

At least someone was grateful I was here.

The day went by in a blur. I spent most of it helping Klymene run the palace and arrange for the feast. More guests arrived throughout the day. There were a couple of notable arrivals. The first was King Oedipus and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, along with their children. I found it a little odd just how similar they all looked. Then there was Jason and his wife, Medea, the sorceress, and their children. Yes, the Jason and the Medea. This footrace was a really big deal.

But with so many influential guests, this banquet was important. And formal. Eventually, Klymene sent me on my way to get ready for the feast. First and foremost, I took a bath to clean up and wash my hair. When I returned to my room, I found a sophisticated chiton waiting for me. When I slipped it on, I found it fell all the way down to the floor. Black as night, it hugged my figure and shimmered with silver glitter. The top was fitted with a silver choker as the collar. My upper torso, hands, and arms were still bandaged, but nothing could be done about that.

After some thought, I decided to leave my hair down. It was very rare that I wore it down. It cascaded down to the small of my back, waving nicely in the cool evening air. I wove in some crown braids to give myself a slightly fancier look. Once I was satisfied, I strapped on my sandals, told Erinys to rest for the night, and left the room.

As I began to head down the hallway, the door to Atalanta’s room opened and out she stepped. I stopped in surprise. I didn’t expect her to be up already!

“Ata!” I gasped. “What are you doing up?”

Atalanta glanced over at me. It looked like she was dressed for the banquet as well. A forest green chiton bared her injured shoulder, which remained bandaged, flowing to the floor. Her hair was free, reaching down to her waist in thick, messy curls, unadorned with any embellishment. Simple yet beautiful, I couldn’t help but stare at her for a moment. But there was exhaustion and pain in her brown eyes.

“Odessa.” Her response was tired, yet stiff. “Pater… requires my attendance.”

“Oh.” I walked up to her. “Are you all right?”

She looked away from me. “...No.”

My hand stopped; I’d been reaching out to take her hand without thinking about it. I withdrew instead, trying to steady the shaking to no avail.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “Is there anything I can do?”

“No.”

“I… I see.” I turned away from her. “My apologies. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”

I wasn’t sure what I had expected. It was true that Atalanta had kissed me back in that moment. But emotions were fickle. Feelings were often temporary. For all I knew, it was simply the heat of an emotionally charged moment. Honestly, that was most likely the case. My own feelings—the way my heart ached for her—made no sense. I knew this the moment I had realized them. No rational person would fall in love with someone they met a day ago. But try as I might, I would never be as rational and pragmatic as I wanted to be.

I’d been incredibly emotional as a child. I’d often come home crying after getting shunned by the other children in Mytilene. Their parents convinced them I was weird for being raised by Huntresses and they never wanted to be my friend, much less have anything to do with me. It had been incredibly painful. I could recount quite a few of these experiences. It was why Akantha taught me had to take control of my emotions, so they wouldn’t consume me. But I wasn’t perfect at it. This was a painful reminder of that.

I made myself walk away.

When I arrived at the dining hall, it was already full of guests. The table was mostly filled, people sitting on cushions and chatting away. Servants were slowly bringing out food and drink on platters. I spotted Iasus and Klymene standing at the head of the table, having not taken their seats yet. They spoke with Meleager and Alkyone. But I found myself hesitating in the doorway. I turned around to see if Atalanta had followed. Indeed, she was slowly making her way to the hall. I decided to wait for her.

“Do you want to go in together?” I asked once she was close enough.

Atalanta stopped. She seemed to hesitate, looking down at me. I couldn’t read her expression until her cheeks tinted pink.

“...That would be nice.”

I managed a smile. “I hope seeing an old friend will help you feel better.”

She frowned. “Old friend? What are you talking about?”

I frowned in return. “Meleager. Did no one tell you he’s here?”

The change was instantaneous. All color drained from Atalanta’s face.

“M… Meleager? But he’s supposed to be-”

She cut herself off, abruptly rushing past me. Confused, I hurried after her. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Hippomenes, who started to wave to me, only to frown as we both hurried past him. Atalanta stopped in front of the group of her parents, her old friend, and his wife. Their attention immediately shifted to her.

“Ah, Atalanta-” Iasus began.

“YOU!” Out of nowhere, Atalanta yelled, hands clenched into fists. “What in hades are you doing here?! You’re supposed to be dead!”

The entire dining all grew silent. Everyone stopped what they were doing. All eyes were on us. I had never felt so self-conscious before in my life.

But Meleager simply smiled and laughed. “Did the hydra venom make you forget some things, old friend? It’s so good to see you, Atalanta.”

“Don’t… Don’t say my name.” She shook her head, her voice cracking. “I killed you!”

There were gasps all around us. Alkyone’s eyes widened in surprise. Klymene covered her mouth with her hand. Iasus narrowed his eyes. I had no idea how to react to this. I just stood there, utterly shocked.

“I took my sword,” Atalanta growled, raising her clenched fist, “and stabbed you right through the heart. How in hades are you still alive?!”

“Atalanta, I think you remember that day very differently than I,” Meleager chuckled, seeming to be the only one not disturbed by any of this. “Are you sure the hydra venom didn’t mess with your memories? Perhaps it’s made you delirious. Should she really be walking around so soon?”

“Sh… Shut up!” Atalanta snapped. “I know what I saw! I’m not delirious, you fucking bastard!”

More gasps. I could hear whispering in the distance.

“Atalanta, dear,” Klymene began, reaching out to put her hand on her daughter’s good shoulder. “Perhaps this was a bad idea. You need more rest-”

“NO!” Atalanta screamed, yanking away from her mother. That look had returned to her eyes—the look of a cornered animal. “He’s supposed to be DEAD, I fucking KILLED him, you piece of shit-”

The shouting was cut off by the crying of an infant. A servant came hurrying through one of the doors on the side, carrying a wailing baby swaddled in cloths. The servant immediately rushed to Alkyone. I recognized the baby as Parthenopeus now that he was close enough.

“Your Highness, I am so sorry to interrupt, but he keeps on crying and won’t settle for any of us,” the servant said hastily. “He won’t take whatever we give him. I think he just needs his mother.”

Alkyone, though exceptionally pale, nodded and took the baby from the servant. “No, no, it’s fine. I can go back to sit with him for a bit.”

With that settled, I looked back at Atalanta, who had gone quiet. Her face had gone red with anger, but now the color had faded away once again. Her gaze was locked on the baby. Her rage was replaced with pain. Horror. Shame. Despair. She took a step back. And then another. Her eyes did not leave Parthenopeus.

“I… I have to…”

She turned around and ran.

My eyes widened. “Ata-”

“O-Oh-”

Before I could hurry after Atalanta, Alkyone suddenly hunched over, clutching her stomach. She struggled to hold her son and stay on her feet. Meleager immediately turned to her with concern.

“The… the baby’s coming.”

Shit.

I wanted to run. I wanted to chase after Atalanta. I wanted to make sure she was okay. But in the chaos that followed, the shouting for healers and rushing Alkyone out of the dining hall and the servant taking Parthenopeus back, I couldn’t. Because Alkyone begged me to help, because Artemis was also a goddess of childbirth. And with how pale she was, I could not justify my selfish desires. I couldn’t ignore this. I had to help in whatever way I could.

So I muttered an apology to Atalanta and hurried off with the other women.

Alkyone lost the baby.

It would’ve been a girl. A beautiful baby girl with soft red-gold hair. But there was nothing that any of us could do. For some reason, Artemis had decided this child would not survive her birth. In the grief that followed, the servants began to blame me. Unable to stand the agony of loss that now permeated the palace, I returned to my room, changed out of my dress, and left.

I had to find Atalanta.

Erinys could not find her in the vicinity. So I tacked up my horse and rode off. There was one place I could think of that she might have gone to—the shrine to Artemis. It was a long ride from here, but I had nothing to lose. I didn’t want to stay at the palace right now and be blamed for something I had no control of.

Unfortunately, by the time I reached the forest, I was exhausted. Going so many hours without sleep had begun to take its toll. I decided to dismount and lead my horse through the forest. Erinys soared on ahead, searching for tracks to help me pick up the trail. My shoulders and arms especially protested in pain from having ridden for hours. But I forced myself to trudge on.

I was no fool, though. I knew I couldn’t find Atalanta like this. I couldn’t reach the shrine in my current state. I hated that I would have to explain myself, but I would have to find my sisters in the Hunt. I had to ask for their help. If Atalanta wasn’t at the shrine, there was simply too much ground to cover in my search. I would need more eyes. I couldn’t do this alone.

So I adjusted my course of action and made my way to the Huntresses’ encampment.