They stood there in silence as the moon cast long shadows across them.
Perseus inched closer to her- not to touch her, but to feel her presence once more.
"Why are you really here?" he asked.
Artemis' lips parted as if she was about to say something, then closed again. Her breath let out mist in the air even though it was summer.
"I heard you were giving away pieces of yourself," she said, after a few moments. "Power to the Fates. Secrets to the sea. Why?"
"Because I thought it might bring you back."
"That's a fool's errand."
"That's love."
Artemis turned to face him, narrowing her eyes sharply. "You presume too much, mortal."
"Perhaps," Percy agreed. "But I remember the way you touched my cheek when I almost died. And I remember you didn't let go."
She paused.
Then she said, "You should forget about that."
"I can't."
His voice was low but determined and full of hope.
"Why?"
"Because it was the only time a god didn't look through me."
He turned towards her completely now, his gaze unwavering as the North Star.
"You saw me- only me, not the hero. And though ages may pass and the stars may shift their names, that fleeting touch endures — carved in the stone of my soul like some ancient vow the Fates themselves dared not erase."
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Author's Note: The penultimate chapter. I hope you enjoy.