Artemis the Brave by Suzanne Williams, Joan Holub

call out to let you know when they’ve cleared off the range area.”
    “That’s to make sure no one gets shot accidentally, right?” said Orion.
    Artemis nodded. “Of course, our arrows are magic. They wouldn’t actually wound anyone if there were an accident. We dip them in the Pool of Magic to make them safe.”
    “Pool of Magic? Where’s that?” asked Orion, listening intently.
    “On Earth, in the Forest of the Beasts,” she replied. It was thrilling to have his attention totally fastened on her. This must be how he felt onstage when the spotlight shone on him.
    “That’s the setting for the play!” he said, his eyes twinkling again. “Could we go there so I can see it?”
    She shook her head. “Mortals aren’t allowed in the forest, except during class.”
    His brows rose. “Even though it’s on Earth?”
    Artemis tried to explain. “It can be a scary place, even for im mortals.”
    “Aw, come on. You’re not afraid to go, are you?”
    “Of course not,” Artemis lied. It was one thing to go to the forest as part of a class exercise with experienced archers by your side. But it would be quite another to go with only a novice for company—and a mortal at that.
    “Oh, please. I just want a peek,” Orion coaxed in his smooth actor’s voice. “I won’t be able to do a proper job of acting the part if I’ve never even seen the actual setting. I like to experience what my characters see, hear, and feel whenever possible.”
    He had a point, thought Artemis. And the no-mortals rule was really more of a guideline than an actual rule. Some MOA students were mortal, after all, and they’d been there plenty of times during their classes. Apollo wouldn’t like her going there with Orion, of course. But he wasn’t here, so he couldn’t tell her what to do.
    Besides, they shouldn’t encounter any beasts. It was Saturday. If there weren’t any classes, Professor Ladon’s game would be turned off. “Okay,” she said. “Wait here a second.”
    Dashing to the gym, she grabbed two pairs of winged sandals from the basket just inside the door. When she returned, she gave a pair to Orion. Once they’d slipped their feet into the sandals, the laces magically wrapped around their ankles. Artemis immediately rose to hover a few inches off the ground. Orion didn’t. “I think mine are duds,” he complained.
    “They won’t work for a mortal,” she explained, “unless you’re holding on to an immortal.”
    Orion reached out and linked his fingers with hers. Her breath stopped and her face went red. He was holding her hand!
    “Whoa!” he said, teetering off balance as he rose. He gripped her right hand tightly, continuing to wobble for a minute. But as he began to get the hang of it, he grinned at her. “Wow, I’m pretty good at this.”
    He has more confidence than anyone I know, thought Artemis. And that was a good thing, right? It was attractive, anyway. People liked confidence in others.
    The dogs weren’t happy when she told them they had to stay put until she and Orion returned, but she didn’t want to have to look out for him and them all by herself. Trying to ignore their whines, she grabbed her bow and quiver. “Let’s go,” she told him. Leaning forward slightly caused the sandals to accelerate. And they were off!
    Together they skimmed down Mount Olympus, passing through a ring of clouds as they traveled toward Earth. Orion smiled at her, his teeth shining white as twinkling stars. She smiled back. Had there ever been a more perfect time in her entire life? She couldn’t think of one!
    “That was mega-mazing!” he told her when they reached the Forest of the Beasts.
    “Yeah,” she agreed. She was never going to wash her right hand again. A low afternoon fog swirled near the forest floor, and in the distance, a pool of smooth blue water glistened, surrounded by fantastic plants that wiggled and writhed. Artemis pointed. “That’s the Pool of Magic I was telling you about.”