Chapter 10

Leo

I have to admit, I was freaked out.

I also have to admit I was screaming like a little girl. Well, so was Calypso. We were both screaming in harmony.

Let me just say it. I was pretty sure I was falling to my death. After all, our flight had taken a turn (or should I say a drop, haha?) for the worse.

I couldn't see anything except for a blinding white light, similar to the one I saw when Aphrodite summoned me. Except, this one was a hundred times brighter, if that was possible, and I could feel its power radiating all around me.

Just as sudden as the storm came, the falling stopped. I felt the thud of the ground beneath us, and I rolled off of Festus's back. A thud from behind me let me know that Calypso had done the same. The white light disappeared, and I blinked. My vision still danced with white spots. Dizzily, I tried to stand, but couldn't keep my balance. Slowly, I crawled toward Calypso, who was kneeling, staring straight ahead at something.

"Calypso," I managed. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, her gaze still on something behind me. Like the idiot I was, I didn't understand what she was doing until her action registered in my brain a couple seconds later. I turned to look, and gasped.

We were in a circular room. The floor was covered in marble tiles, and the walls were a soothing shade of ivory. But that was not all.

Seated in front of us in an arc were a multitude of gods and goddesses. I recognized my dad among them, who gave me a small smile.

Calypso stood up, and I repeated her movements, facing the gods, and ignoring the wash of nausea that spread through my head. Was I supposed to bow? Drop to a knee? I settled for giving them a weak wave, which must have made me look stupid.

"Leo Valdez." The god in the center spoke in a deep voice. The platinum throne he was sitting on shone, immersing him in a silvery glow. He had shoulder-length black hair, and graying stubble on his chin. He wore a dark blue pinstriped suit and black dress pants. "Calypso."

Besides me, Calypso curtsied. "Lord Zeus," she acknowledged.

"Let's get to the point, shall we?" Zeus leaned forward on his throne. "I called you both here because you dare to defy us." A murmur spread through the throne room as Calypso and I looked at each other fearfully. Obviously, Zeus wasn't exactly in a good mood today. "However, I will give you a chance to speak. Go ahead. Convince me that she - " Here, Zeus gestured towards Calypso, "should be free."

The gods went silent again, all eyes turned on us. Hephaestus gave me an encouraging smile. Aphrodite, who was dressed in a white, sleeveless dress with a golden hem, sent me a tiny wink. I cleared my throat, the sound echoing through the room. "Um," I began. "First of all, thanks for, uh, giving us a chance, Zeus." I nodded at him. He didn't make any movement, so I continued on, my throat drying up from nervousness. "Why don't you trust Calypso?"

"Good question." A goddess with black hair pulled into an updo spoke up. She was dressed in an elegant white dress with long, flared sleeves at the end. Her eyes were piercingly gray, like Annabeth's. "We have many reasons not to trust her, including, and especially, the fact that she sided with her father, Atlas, in the first Titan War. How do we know she will not take his side again? After all, she is his daughter."

Indignantly, I opened my mouth to protest to the goddess's callous remark, but Calypso put her hand on my arm. "I will answer this one," she said softly. "Lady Athena, I understand how you may think that. But during my rather long time on the island, I have observed much." Calypso paused. "One thing is that the gods are more merciful than the titans. You have learned when to let go of your past grudges and when to keep them, whereas the titans punish all that get in their way, no matter what. That includes their own kin.

"Second, I think that I begin to think of you as family. The titans have never visited me. Never. And yes, I know, you probably would have prohibited the visit, but it would not have hurt to try, would it? Now did anybody even attempt to visit me?" Calypso stared at Zeus demandingly.

"No," Zeus admitted. "But maybe - "

"But maybe they were planning a big attack to free me? Maybe they were going to storm Mount Olympus and demand my release? Lord Zeus, you shock me. We all know they were never going to do that. Of the thousands of years I have been on my island, not one rescue attempt was made, save for Leo. After all, I am only one titan out of the many others. I cannot fight. I am no use to them. And because of their neglect towards me, I will no longer stand by them." Calypso's eyes held fire in them as she spoke, and her hands moved rapidly.

"Very well," Zeus mused. "Now it is time for the son of Hephaestus to speak." His eyes - along with the rest of the gods and goddesses - turned towards me.

There was a silence in the room as I struggled to think of what I should say. I met Calypso's eyes and she gave me the tiniest nod. I saw determination in her eyes, and above all, trust. She trusted me to do this. I couldn't - wouldn't - fail her.

"Have any of you had your hearts broken?" I looked at each of the gods in turn. "Any of you?"

To my surprise, the gods began to speak. "I have," someone sniffed.

"Dozens of times - "

"Heartbreak is my middle name - "

"Just last week - "

"Remember the pain you felt?" I interrupted the conversations, and silence fell in the room again. "The feeling that you were useless, hopeless, and broken?"

The gods all looked at each other, and some started to whisper agreements. "Well that is nothing compared to what Calypso felt every single day of her life on the island. Nothing. Nothing!" It was my turn to glare at Zeus. I had never felt so….alive. So passionate. I was like a living fire, growing bigger by the second. "She felt ten times the pain you felt! And she never once gave you trouble about it. She was still nice to the occasional godly visitors! She didn't shout death threats at you or even threaten to curse your YouTube videos to always buffer! But she never deserved this!" I was nearly shouting now. I felt Calypso's hand on my shoulder, and I calmed down a bit. "I think Calypso has suffered more than she made you all suffer. I don't think that's fair. Do you?"

"Well, boy, of course I don't think that's fair - " Zeus began, but I interrupted him.

"Well you don't show it!" I accused. "I think Calypso was being too nice when she compared you to the titans. Because right now, you are all acting just like them. Don't think so? Fine. Show me you are more fair, and more merciful than the titans then."

Now that got the gods talking. Feeling triumphant, (and like I'd achieved something), I stepped back, not bothering to conceal the smirk on my face. Zeus's eyes looked like lightning bolts could shoot out of them, but he soon calmed down as he surveyed his fellow Olympians talking.

Only one goddess wasn't involved in the conversation in the room. It was Athena. Her eyes were closed, and she had a peaceful expression on her face, almost like she was meditating over the decision.

Before I could look away, her eyes snapped open, but she wasn't looking at me. Her head turned so she could face the king of the gods.

"Zeus!" She had to shout over all the talking in order to be heard. The rest of the Olympians quieted when they realized who was calling.

"Yes, Athena?"

"I have a solution." She glanced at us, her mouth pressed into a thin, hard line. "Forgive me for speaking so harshly, but I am a goddess of strategy. I never think about emotions when thinking of tactics. They get in the way." She looked at us apologetically.

"Just say your solution," I said eagerly. Did I really convince them to let Calypso go?

"Well, you see, I am still not sure Calypso wouldn't betray us. I mean, maybe not now, but perhaps years from now, if the titans offered her rewards greater than we could ever give…" Athena trailed off, giving me a sideways glance. I gritted my teeth, trying to keep myself from shouting insults at the goddess. I nodded at her, gesturing for her to keep going. "So, you see, and I think Father agrees with me on this, but it's too risky to just release Calypso into the mortal world, powers and all."

"I do agree with you on that," Zeus admitted.

"So here's my proposal," Athena continued. "You have two choices, Calypso. Your first choice is that we will allow you to venture into the mortal world. However," she quickly added when she saw a smile creeping up on my face, "however, your powers - and your immortality - will be taken away."

I gasped, along with the other gods, turning to look at Calypso. She had a calm expression on her face, unlike mine, which was, I guessed, beginning to have a panicked expression on it. She couldn't just give up her immortality! She would be able to die, then. I couldn't imagine what it must feel like to be immortal, then to have it stripped away. How vulnerable would I feel?

"You said we have two choices, Lady Athena." Calypso's voice rang out, strong and clear. "What is the second choice?"

"You probably will not like it," Athena sighed. "But I suppose I don't know how you mortals think, anyway. Your second choice is that Leo will be allowed to remain with you on Ogygia. He will be made immortal. However, he, and his dragon, will not be allowed to leave the island, just like you. The curse will not be lifted, and demigods will still come to Ogygia when in need of healing. However, you will not fall in love with them."

My head swam. I liked the second idea even worse than the first, just like Athena's prediction. I couldn't even bear to be trapped on Calypso's island for a month, much less for eternity. But if that was what Calypso wanted, then so be it. I would suffer the same punishment she did, then.

"I approve of both those choices," Zeus declared. "We will give you two time to think among yourselves."

A moment of silence stretched for a few seconds. Then, probably realizing that it was not the most polite thing in the world to listen in on the most important conversation of a demigod and titan's lives, the gods broke into idle chatter once again.

Calypso and I looked at each other. "If you want me to stay," I said, "I'll do it."

"Don't be silly," she snapped. "Do you really think you would be able to bear it? I don't think so. No, I'm leaving with you to the mortal world. I've always wanted to see it."

"But," I protested, "you'll be able to die! Will you be able to face that? Especially since you're probably going to meet a lot of monsters, too, since I'm a demigod."

"Leo, as someone once said, a man would rather die free than live a slave." Calypso stared determinedly into my eyes, then she looked down. "Unless…you don't want me with you?"

"Calypso, no!" I put my hand on her shoulder, horrified. "Why would you think that? Of course I want you with me! I will never leave your side, I promise."

Calypso looked up at me. "Really?"

"Really." I smiled.

"Well then," Calypso squared her shoulders. "Lord Zeus, we have made our decision," she announced.

The room grew silent.

"Speak it." Zeus nodded at her.

"I will go to the mortal world with Leo." Her eyes met the lord of the sky's as they stared at each other, each one determined not to back down.

Zeus looked away first. "Very well," he boomed, and stepped down from his throne. "I will take away your immortality and powers, then."

The god approached Calypso and placed his fingers on her temples. He closed his eyes as a silvery substance began to swirl around his hands. It sparkled and danced around Calypso's head, looking like glitter. Calypso cried out, and I started to rush towards her, but was stopped by a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't," Athena ordered, someone appearing behind me. Her hand restrained me as I watched, frustrated I couldn't do anything. "She will be fine."

The silver dust increased second by second, swirling around faster and faster, until finally, Zeus yanked his hands away, and with it, the silver glitter. Calypso staggered away from him. Her eyes flashed open, just in time to see the silver glitter dissolving into thin air.

"It is done," Zeus said wearily, looking drained. "You are free to go." He raised a hand, as if to say farewell. My eyes found my dad's in the arc of gods, and we locked gazes.

I'm proud of you, he mouthed. I smiled, then raised my hand, too.

"Thank you," Calypso murmured. "I am in your debt."

Zeus inclined his head. The familiar field of white engulfed my vision once again, and the Olympians disappeared from my sight.