And they lived happily ever after. The End.
The boy closed the book and stared down at the familiar cover, the title written out in shining gold print. Dornröschen. Sleeping Beauty, Little Briar Rose. He'd lost track of how many times he'd read the story of how the beautiful maiden pricked her finger on a spinning wheel and awoke from the curse with true love's kiss.
The story was almost always the same. A destitute young woman with an unfulfilled need for adventure and romance meets the man of her wildest fantasies and finally finds the happiness she so long searched for. Add in a few plot twists or a character death here and there, and you had yourself a worthwhile fairytale. Belle et la Bête, Cenerentola, Schneewittchen. The same old story, just told in different languages and settings. Yet he couldn't get enough of them.
He envied the young princesses. He longed for a sense of danger and excitement, for the chance to travel to exciting new places, for a chance to know what it was like to have an adventure. Instead, he was destined to live a life of loneliness, all because of his parentage and the stupid prophecy.
His jealousy over the lives of fictional people amazed him sometimes. The only way to quell this jealousy was to read more stories. He'd have to ask Grandmother Gaea to buy him more storybooks next time she left the tower.
"Will, come here a moment, I need your help!"
Speaking of Grandmother Gaea.
Will Solace placed Sleeping Beauty back on the shelf next to his other stories and made his way down the stairs. He dragged his hands across the railings, which were covered in paint and pencil markings from his childhood. There were various drawings and sketches all over the walls and furniture of the tower, though none of them were very good. Art wasn't exactly his forte, but it helped cure his boredom. He hopped the last step and sauntered into the small kitchen area where his grandmother stood.
She was quite a beautiful woman, considering her age. Her long dark hair cascaded down her back in waves. Her face was free of wrinkles. A green knit shawl hung loosely around her shoulders as she chopped vegetables for lunch. Even while doing mundane tasks like cooking, she always looked stunning. Existing as an immortal being capable of changing her appearance with a simple thought made looking young and beautiful an easy task.
"Yes, Grandmother?" Will asked sweetly, leaning against the counter.
"My hand slipped while chopping these carrots, could you help with this cut?" she thrust her open palm towards him, revealing a cut that was about two inches long, a half-inch deep, and bleeding profusely.
Will's smile fell. "Oh. That's all?"
"Yes," she said. "I'm sorry to bother you if you were busy, but I don't want to leave the soup to burn to go get a bandage."
"You really should be more careful." Will sighed. "I feel like I've been fixing tiny little cuts and bruises and burns constantly."
"You should be happy to help me, after everything I've done for you," she said carefully. Her face showed the barest hint of a frown. She didn't get angry often, but when she did, it was obvious.
"I am happy to do it. I'm sorry if that was disrespectful. Here, give me your hand."
After seventeen years, this had become routine. He took her hand in his and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and singing out the lines of an ancient Latin hymn. Immediately, Gaea's hand was surrounded by a glowing gold aura and the bleeding stopped. Seconds later, the wound closed completely as the aura faded and Will held out the last notes of his song.
Gaea sighed contently and ruffled Will's curly blonde hair with her newly-healed hand. "You're such a gift."
"Speaking of gifts..." Will figured this was a good opportunity if any. "Next time you're in town can you get me some new books?"
The small frown appeared for a moment again before Gaea regained her peaceful composure. "What's wrong with the ones you have?"
"Nothing, Grandmother. I love the books you've given me, really. I just want a few more."
"Hm," she considered this for a moment. "Well, I didn't have any plans to make that trip any time soon."
"Maybe I could go get them myself?"
Gaea stopped stirring the soup and dropped her spoon. "Will, we've discussed this. It's not-"
"Not safe," he finished. "Because of the prophecy. I know."
The prophecy. Will hated it every time the prophecy was brought up in conversations, because there was no negotiating it. When turned eighteen shall see the light, a loss most wrong to set things right. His eighteenth birthday was quickly approaching, which only made the prophecy's threat more imminent. He'd been kept safe inside his isolated home with his grandmother for as long as he could remember to prevent this prophecy from coming to pass. He couldn't risk losing the one thing that made him special, his gift of healing.
His grandmother had a list of rules she'd drilled into his head for years.
Don't ever leave the tower. There are people out there who will use you and hurt you.
Don't ever let anyone know of your power. It's too strong and too dangerous.
Don't ever associate with the Gods. They don't like our kind. They won't like you because you're too powerful. They will try to kill you, given the chance.
More than anything, Will blamed the Olympians. It's the fault of the twelve gods on Mount Olympus that his life was so unfulfilled. He'd been told the story countless times when he was young.
"You're a very special little boy, Will. Do you know why that is?" His grandmother would ask him.
"Because I was born from daddy's sacrifice." He'd always reply.
The war was the reason he was here. Titans versus Gods. Grandmother had told him countless times of how his 'father', Helios, was wounded in battle, and how the golden ichor that bled from his wounds fell to the earth and created him. His special circumstances from his birth were the reason behind his healing gift.
Calling Helios his father had just become a formality after the issuing of the prophecy, which referred to him as the child of the sun. Helios wasn't truly Will's father, he knew that much. He had no real parents. He'd simply come into existence with the help of Gaea's magic. He had no father, no mother, and because of the stupid prophecy, no freedom.
Of gold from the Gods shall a hero rise...
He was no hero, not in his eyes. He was just another kid. Nothing special. And since he could never leave, since he would never be free from the confinement of his home, the prophecy could never come true. His healing was too powerful, and the Gods didn't like it when mortals were as powerful as them. On top of that, his death by the hands of the Gods would be revenge for the war. So he was trapped here forever. Maybe it was better that way.
Some may think that the story of Will's life could be considered the thing of fairytales. He thought it was more the subject of nightmares.
"I suppose I could make a trip into town," Gaea said finally. "What kind of books did you have in mind?"
"Something fun," he said. "Something exciting. I could use an adventure."
"Reyna, be careful!"
Reyna was violently yanked back from the ledge, being pulled by her braid. She would have yelped out in pain if Nico's hand hadn't immediately clamped over her mouth to silence her. If they were discovered, it would ruin everything.
She turned to face the younger boy and her eyes met his shoulder before she remembered to glance up. Reyna and Nico had been working together for years, ever since they met on the streets in their early teens. Now Nico was older and a foot taller than he was when they'd first met, so Reyna had to get used to making adjustments to glare at him.
"Thanks," she said sarcastically. "I really appreciate having all of my hair follicles forcefully ripped out."
"You're welcome," he rolled his eyes in her direction before shimmying his way across the edge of the roof and hopping to the ground, landing safely in the dark alleyway. He got as close as he dared to the street and peeked around the corner, scoping out his surroundings.
He grimaced, taking note of the villagers scattered through the streets. "Why are there so many people out today?"
"What's the date again?"
"June fourteenth, why?"
"The summer solstice is next week." Reyna said, pointing out the bright gold banners being hung from the streetlights. The cobblestone walkways of the small European town were strewn with confetti and streamers. Children ran through the streets chasing one another and popping balloons. "They're planning the ceremony for Apollo's lost son."
"That kid that was kidnapped by Gaea?" Nico moved away from the curb and retreated back into the shadows.
"Yeah. The twenty-first is his birthday. According to legend, Apollo blesses everyone who puts any effort into finding him. Although knowing Lord Apollo he probably just hires someone else to do it because he's 'busy'."
Nico huffed, sitting down on the ground and pulling a water bottle from his bag. "Lucky kid, having parents who actually care about him. Good to know if he's ever found he'll have a family to come back to."
Nico didn't like mentioning his family. Reyna had known him for two years before he finally told her the story of how Zeus murdered his mother and he and his sister Bianca were pulled out of time and forced to readjust to the 21st century. It took him another six months after that to tell the story of how Bianca died on a quest to save another demigod, and another month after that to talk about how Hades always favored Bianca and never really cared for Nico. It was one of the most heartbreaking stories Reyna had ever heard, and she had her own fair share of issues with her family.
"We don't need a family. We have each other," Reyna offered her hand. "Now come on, we have a mission to finish."
Nico definitely hadn't been looking forward to this particular mission. He and Reyna had pulled off countless heists before, but this was on bigger scale than anything they'd done before. Quite literally, since this time they were planning to steal a forty-foot-tall statue. He'd felt guilty at first, but then he realized he wasn't really stealing as much as he was taking back what rightfully belonged to his people.
He wasn't really sure why he'd even decided to go through with this plan. His people shunned him and hated him. He'd been abandoned and left out, especially so since Bianca died. Retrieving the Athena Parthenos and taking it to Camp Half-Blood was his last-ditch effort to be accepted again. He just hoped it would work.
Nico re-packed his bag and tossed it onto his shoulder, standing and taking Reyna's hand. She immediately went into her disguised-persona, clutching Nico's hand and stumbling out of the alley, giggling like the little girl.
"Come on, I want to show you the gelato stand over here!" she pretended to be extremely excited, tugging Nico along. He'd probably never get used to her acting like this when they needed to seem inconspicuous. They'd used the 'innocent teenage couple exploring the town' ruse countless times and it always diverted attention. They'd gotten away with their biggest robberies using this method.
At first, it had made him extremely uncomfortable to act this way with Reyna, despite the fact that they both knew it was just acting. He found it hard to pretend to love a girl in any way but platonically, especially Reyna, since she was practically his sister. But they'd both gotten used to it, and Nico's fake smile was almost as wide as Reyna's.
"Slow down, I'm sure there's enough fancy ice cream to go around," he laughed.
Five minutes later, Nico was handing the bored cashier woman euros over the counter in exchange for two small cups of gelato. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Reyna sitting at a table right outside of the gate surrounding the temple where the Athena Parthenos was being hidden away. No one nearby noticed her nonchalantly picking a lock with her hand beneath the table. She used her free hand to wave to him as he walked towards her.
"You got it?" he asked.
"Almost," she replied. "It was trapped with 3000 volts of electricity, but I was able to disable it. Did you get chocolate or vanilla?"
"Chocolate. Your favorite," as he sat down, he heard a faint clicking noise as Reyna opened the lock. The easiest part of their day was done.
"Perfect," she smirked, putting both hands on top of the table and digging into her frozen treat. "And now we wait."
The two traveled best in the dark. Night would fall soon enough. They passed time by discussing their plan: Reyna would cause a diversion long enough for Nico to get to the statue and shadow jump the both of them and the Athena Parthenos somewhere far enough where they wouldn't be found. From there they would improvise, eventually making their way to Long Island Sound. Occasionally they'd hold hands over the table or Nico would feed Reyna spoonfuls of his gelato, looking completely natural. No one suspected a thing, and by midnight, they were alone in the plaza.
"Now or never," Nico muttered, "let's go steal a statue."
"Don't go running off while I'm gone," Gaea advised Will, tying her shawl tighter around her shoulders.
"I never do," he replied, as usual. "I'll be waiting right here, like always."
"Three books, you sure that's all you need?" she asked.
Will nodded. He'd specified his want for more fairytales. "That's all. You'll only be gone for a day, right?"
"I'll be back this time tomorrow, promise."
Will finished packing a small bag full of food rations for a few days, just in case. He handed it to his grandmother, who gratefully accepted it before kissing him on the forehead. "Be good while I'm gone."
"How bad could I possibly be?"
She smiled at him one last time before walking out, closing and locking the door behind her. Her footsteps slowly faded out as she descended the seemingly endless stairway, finally making her way out at the base of the tower.
Will's happy mood immediately deflated. He sunk into the nearest chair, sighing and staring out of the window. The entire world was mere feet away, and he was stuck inside forever.
He could stare out of that same window for hours, losing track of time while longing for a chance to know what it was like out there. He'd never even been allowed to open the window.
It'd probably be difficult, then, to explain to Grandmother Gaea how the window suddenly shattered into thousands of pieces as a large white marble statue crashed into the side of the house.
Will barely avoided the falling debris. A ten-foot long section of the right wall of the house completely broke apart, revealing the pitch-black sky and letting a cool summer breeze flow through the front entryway. He stood up, tiptoeing his way around broken brick and glass, standing on his toes to look outside.
It was his first real experience of the outside world in nearly eighteen years. And it was ruined by two unwanted guests. On the ground, at the base of the statue, sat two dark haired, disheveled, and breathless teenagers. The boy stared up at Will in silence, as if debating whether or not he should run away before facing any consequences. The girl was too busy focusing on the fact that her leg was pinned beneath the heavy stone. She cried out in pain.
"Who are you?" Will spoke carefully, "And why is your giant statue in my backyard?"
"Did you really never think of breaking down the door?"
"Um, no..." Will said. "The door was locked for a reason. Grandmother wouldn't be happy if I left without her permission."
She also wouldn't be happy if I let people inside without her permission, Will thought. Yet there he stood, making direct eye contact with the boy who had crashed into his home. The dark-haired teenager stood in the doorway, the wooden door splintered where he'd kicked it in a few moments prior. He carried his female companion in his arms, where she winced in pain as her broken ankle hung loosely.
Will couldn't help but stare. They both looked uncared for, thin and tired - and in the boy's case, extremely pale. Street kids. Exactly the kinds of people Grandmother had told him to avoid should he ever come in contact with them. And instead he was welcoming them into his private space.
The other boy groaned. "Are you just going to stand there gaping or are you going to help?"
"Oh," Will blinked and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "Right. Sorry. You can put her down here."
He pulled a chair from the kitchen table closer to the girl and helped her sit down. The boy walked away and began flinging open cabinets and drawers.
"Could you please not touch that?" Will asked.
"Depending on how bad that break is in Reyna's ankle, it may never heal if I don't work on it immediately," The boy glared at Will again, "so I'll touch whatever I want."
"Nico, don't be so rude," the girl - Reyna - scolded him. "I'll be fine, really. We need to get moving again."
"The guards are after us, if they catch up you need to be able to run on your own."
Will interrupted, "The guards?"
"You know, big scary guys with weapons who watch over stuff?" Nico said, pulling a bandage from the kitchen drawer.
"I know what guards are, but why are they after you?"
Nico and Reyna exchanged confused looks.
"Don't you recognize that giant statue sitting in your yard right now?"
"I'm sorry," Will frowned, "I can't say I do." He didn't know much of anything, which made him feel stupid. His knowledge was limited to the things he found in his books and within the tower walls. And Grandmother didn't seem to enjoy telling stories about the outside world very much.
"It doesn't matter," said Reyna, attempting to stand up. She whimpered slightly as she leaned against the chair for support. Nico immediately ran to her side and forced her back into the chair.
"I should have been more careful on that jump," Nico muttered to himself. "Sit still, I'll be done in a minute." He began wrapping the bandages around her foot. She winced in pain.
Will could tell Nico wasn't very good at treating injuries, the way he sloppily wrapped her foot and didn't bother to set the bone back in place first.
"Here, let me help," he offered.
Nico didn't even look up. "You've been help enough."
"Please... just trust me."
Nico slowly looked Will over once, then moved out of the way.
"This is just going to hurt for a second, okay?" Will warned Reyna. She gave him a small nod and braced herself as he moved the bone back into place.
He sighed, hesitating for a moment. He was about to break another one of his grandmother's rules: don't let anyone know about your special talents. They'll take advantage of you. But Nico seemed insistent on leaving as soon as possible, and there was no way they'd be able to leave with Reyna injured like this. Will reasoned that it would be okay just once. The sooner they got out, the better it would be for everyone.
He clasped his hands around Reyna's ankle and began quietly singing, "Flos nitor fulgorque et fulgeat, protenduntur potestatem..."
The glowing aura illuminated the shocked expressions on Nico and Reyna's faces. As Will sang out the last notes of his hymn and the light died out, the three sat in silence. Reyna slowly rotated her ankle, which had healed completely.
"How-?" she began, but Will cut her off.
"I don't know. But please don't mention it to anyone. You two should really be going."
Nico and Reyna exchanged another glance. He pulled her off to the side and they stood, heads ducked, in hushed conversation. Reyna shook her head. A few seconds later, Nico gestured back to Will and nodded.
Meanwhile, Will grew extremely agitated, playing with the frayed edges of his shirt to keep himself busy. Finally, the pair turned and faced him.
"How long have you been up here?" Nico asked.
"Uh... forever," Will replied with a shrug. "I've never left before. Grandmother won't let me."
Reyna looked confused. She glanced at Nico, who raised an eyebrow at her, as if daring her to say another word.
"Do you want to leave?" asked Reyna, who didn't seem at all threatened by Nico. "The door is wide open, though you might have to fix that broken doorknob later. We could use someone as talented as you."
The suggestion surprised him. Then it slowly dawned on him, " You're thieves aren't you? The guards are after you because you stole that statue. I should tell grandmother to turn you in. Why do you think I should help you?"
Nico began to unsheathe the obsidian-dark sword at his side, but Reyna pushed his hand aside and glared, as if she were saying 'No, Nico, no death threats just yet.'
"Because," she began, "quite honestly, we need you. I can't risk another injury. And this would give you a chance to get out of the house. To be free. That's what you want, isn't it?"
To be free. Those words held a lot of power to Will. There was no way it could be that easy, that convenient. Perfect situations always had to come with a catch. He'd read enough stories to know that happily ever afters weren't accomplished without a fight first.
"And when you get that statue wherever it's going, you're just going to dump me somewhere and be done with me, right?"
"Yeah, probably," said Nico.
"No, we will not," said Reyna. "Listen, kid. What was your name again?"
"Will Solace."
"Will, this is really important to us. It could change our lives for the better. You'd be a real help to us. Please?"
Will looked Reyna over. Her posture was nearly perfect, despite the fact that she couldn't stand up only moments prior. She stood with her head held high and confident, but her eyes pleaded desperately. Her hands shook slightly and the quiver of her lip was barely noticeable, but it was there.
Nico, however, was completely different. He nonchalantly leaned against the chair, glancing at Will, looking wholly disinterested. His dark hair fell in his face, just short enough to show the dark circles under his eyes. His face looked as if it had been fixed in a permanent frown for years.
If he said yes, these would be the people to give him his first taste of freedom. They weren't exactly a handsome prince and his noble steed riding in to save the day. But an adventure was an adventure, and the unfamiliarity of it all excited him. There was just one more thing to consider.
"Grandmother Gaea wouldn't want me leaving the house," Will explained. "She told me to stay here for my safety. I can't disobey her."
Nico's face paled even more, which Will thought was impossible. Reyna's eyes widened.
"Did you say Gaea?" she asked.
"Yes," he was confused. "What's wrong? You both look like you've seen a ghost."
Nico shook his head. "Ghosts aren't all that bad. What you just said, though... we need to get you out of here. Now."
Without another word, Nico grabbed Will by the shirtsleeve and tugged him towards the stairs. Reyna began pillaging through the drawers and cabinets, packing her bag full of anything she thought was necessary. They both worked silently, as if they'd kidnapped teenage boys and ransacked their homes countless times before.
"I don't understand, what's going on?" Will asked, pulling himself from Nico's grip. "Don't I deserve an explanation?"
Nico whirled around to face him. "A lot of people are going to get hurt, possibly killed, if we don't get you and this statue as far away from Gaea as possible. That's all the explanation you need. Now come on."
Will stepped back. "Why should I believe that?"
"Will, don't you think it's a bit odd that you're nearly an adult an you've been locked up your whole life? What kind of grandparent would do that?" Reyna asked.
"She was just protecting me. From people who would hurt me or use me for my healing power."
People like you, Will thought but didn't dare to say out loud.
"Please, believe me," Reyna pleaded. "It's better if you leave here. Besides, you want to leave, don't you?"
He couldn't deny that. He wanted to leave more than anything. But it could have catastrophic consequences. He could set the prophecy in motion. Or worse, he could anger his grandmother. He hated it when she got angry.
It was a risk he was willing to take.
"Just let me grab something," he said before bolting up the stairs.
It was right where he'd left it that morning. He carefully slipped Sleeping Beauty off the shelf and protectively hugged the book to his chest as he made his way back downstairs.
"I'm ready."
Nico looked over at him and grimaced. "A storybook, really?"
Will ducked his head in embarrassment, hugging his book closer to him. "I'm sorry, I know it's stupid. But it's my favorite story."
"I, for one, happen to think that's really sweet that you'd think to bring it along with you," Reyna said. "Nico still carries a plastic toy around, so he shouldn't be one to talk-"
"Reyna!"
The pair glared at each other. Will was curious, but thought it would be better not to ask.
Reyna was the one to break the silence. "Anyway, we've got a job to do. Here," she tossed a bag full of supplies at Will's feet, "you can fit your book in there too. Should be enough to get us where we're going."
Will opted to keep the book in his hands, tossing the bag over his shoulder with his free arm. "Where exactly is that?"
"Long Island Sound, New York City," she grinned. "It's just across the Atlantic Ocean, about five thousand miles away. Don't worry, we'll get you back in time for breakfast in a week."
If grandmother didn't kill him, these two surely would.