o. BY A GOD’S HAND
by a god’s hand
Orion never wanted to fight in the Titan War, but when her father was killed, and she learned who her mother was, she couldn’t help the anger and resentment that started to bubble in her chest. She knew that her mother thought of her as a mistake, so when a strange boy with a scar on his face found her wandering the streets and offered her a place to stay, she was grateful.
But now, two years after Luke had found her, standing in front of the Olympian council, shaking from grief and exhaustion, her auburn hair, which had reached the middle of her back not even an hour ago, but had been sliced though with a knife and now only reached her shoulders, was greasy and matted from fighting for so long. Her green eyes, which she had been told were so like her father’s, were now filled with grief and sadness. Orion could feel that same bubble of resentment and anger expanding in her chest once again. She was vaguely aware of all of the eyes that were on her, but she couldn’t meet any of the glares people were sending her.
Orion was pulled out of her reverie when Zeus started speaking again, after studying the girl who had refused to kneel to him.
“Orion Quinns, Daughter of Artemis,” he sent a glance to a girl no older than twelve or thirteen, with auburn hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, and strange, yellow eyes like the moon. “You have been accused of murdering Charles Beckendorf. How do you plead?”
Orion scoffed and crossed her arms, raising a questioning eyebrow at her “grandfather.” “He knew what he was getting himself into when he blew up Luke’s boat. He fucking blew himself up, so don’t blame me for his stupidity.”
Zeus huffed indignantly at her language, and the air around him sparked with electricity. Orion wasn’t afraid of him. She had seen worse things than the god of the sky having a temper tantrum.
“I will not be spoken to like this!” Zeus huffed indignantly. “And anyway, I—” Poseidon cleared his throat and gave his brother a pointed look. Zeus sighed and corrected himself. “We have already decided your punishment, child, so unless you have something important to say, I suggest you keep your mouth closed.”
“Oh yes, I have something to say.” Orion scoffed, brushing a piece of auburn hair out her green eyes.
“Well, out with it then.” Zeus said quickly, though he was a little wary to hear what she had to say to him.
Orion smirked at him, although her eyes betrayed her, showing how anguished she really was. “Go to Tartarus, Zeus!” she said, and everyone in the room could tell she had a death wish or something because Zeus stood from his throne and his lightning bolt appeared in his hand.
Artemis rose to her feet as well, if only to stop her father from blasting her daughter to smithereens. “Father!”
Zeus studied his daughter’s expression, sighed dramatically, and sat back down on his throne, glowering at the auburn haired girl standing in front of him. “As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted,” Orion scoffed at his dramaticness. “As punishment for your crimes, you will have the thing you hold most dear taken from you.”
“There’s nothing you could possibly—” she stopped talking when she realized what he was talking about. The thing she held most dear was her voice, and the gods were going to take it from her. She subconsciously put a hand against her throat, although she knew it wouldn’t do anything to change the situation.
Zeus didn’t even give her a heads up. He just flicked his wrist in her direction, and suddenly there was a burning sensation in her throat.
Zeus flicked his wrist again, and she vanished.
