Chapter 10: Die Another Day

I did not know where I was or what was going on. I remembered being stabbed and then blacking out. All I could think about was how I was never going to see anyone I cared about again and how I had failed my friends.

I thought about how I hadn't seen my dad in a while and how sad he would be. I even missed my step mom's yelling.

Death is peaceful, but life is so much harder, or so I've read and seen in movies.

I awoke somewhere warm and dark.

"Where am I?" I muttered.

"Juliet!" Annabeth exclaimed running towards me.

I sat up and saw I was in Hade's palace or what I thought it was. I was in a nicely furnished room with red and black silks and satins. I could hear the sound of screams.

"Hell," Nico laughed as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Not funny," I replied. "Ouch!"

I looked down to see my stomach wrapped in bandages.

"Percy healed you the best he could with the water in our water bottles," Aaron said. "Drink this nectar and eat this ambrosia."

I did as he said and both reminded me of a cold glass of Coke and movie theater popcorn.

I felt a little bit better to walk around.

I had to borough on of Persephone's dresses because my clothes were soaked in blood. It was a shorter version of a traditional Greek robe.

We walked into the room where Hades was waiting for us.

"I see you survived," he replied. "Well at least I got one soul today."

I shuttered at what I had done.

"It had to be done," Annabeth told me. "It'll be okay."

"Yeah, I know." I muttered.

"Do you have all the pieces?" he asked.

"No," Annabeth said.

"Yes," I replied remembering that the last piece was me.

"Where is the last piece?" he asked.

I closed my eyes and imaged Luke and said the ancient words that had become so familiar to me.

When I opened my eyes, a blue marble lay at my feet.

I picked it up and put into in the silk pouch with the others and handed them to Hades.

"There you go," I said.

"Just in time," he replied pointing to the sundial on the wall.

I saw that it was similar to the sundial in my dream.

Hades took and placed the marbles in front of his giant fireplace in a circle and started to mutter words in ancient Greek.

Nico muttered something and the gates that surrounded the fire place opened. It was a swirling vortex of fire and bodies.

I watched at the pieces of Luke's soul spun around in a circle and shot into the vortex.

The fire pit of hell calmed down and turned into a tranquil blue and then showed a picture of a beautiful paradise.

"That's Elysium?" I asked.

"Yeah," Nico replied.

"I thought Luke was on the Isle of the Blest," I replied.

"Well, you thought wrong didn't you," Hades replied.

"Wait isn't Elysium just near your palace?" Annabeth asked. "Couldn't we have just gone there?"

"Look," Hades snapped. "Do you want to play twenty questions or do you want your friend back? Now if you don't mind!"

Annabeth and I glanced at each other and said nothing else.

A figure of a tall man appeared in the portal and step through. He was a bit taller than me with a mischievous face. He had short blonde hair and starry blue eyes and under one of them a scar.

"Luke!" I yelled.

He ran towards me and embraced me in his arms.

"I'm so proud of you," he replied. "I knew you would figure it out."

"Luke!" everyone echoed behind me.

Annabeth attacked him and squeezed him so hard, I'm pretty sure that he couldn't breathe.

Just to see him made me happy. To know that I, Juliet daughter of Aphrodite, was not just another pretty face. I was a hero who was able to bring back a hero.

I looked around seeing everyone happy and content. Even Hades appeared to have some joy, if the god of the dead can have joy.

"Thank You Lord Hades," I said.

"Yeah, yeah," he replied.

I kind of wanted to hug him, but at risk of being food for a hellhound I thought it was best not to.

"Sorry, to spoil the fun," I said. "But this place really freaks me out. Nico, can we go home?"

"Sure thing," he replied.

He opened up and black portal and I grabbed Luke's hand. "Let's get you home."

When we returned to camp, a crowd was waiting. The Hermes' Cabin was happy to see their brother back and several of the other campers were just as excited.

A little girl, about seven or eight, walked up to me. I didn't recognize her.

"What's everyone yelling about?" she yawned. "Who are you?"

"I'm Juliet, daughter of Aphrodite," I replied. "And you are?"

"Emma Reed, my daddy is Morpheus," she replied. "Who's that guy they are hold up?"

I saw that she pointed out that Luke was being carried off by his siblings back to his cabin.

"That's a hero," I said. "My hero."

For a while, I could not even see Luke. I went to the Big House and made a quick call to my Dad. I told him everything that had happened.

"I'm so proud of you my little Jewel!" he said. "When will you be home?"

"The end of the summer, before school starts again," I said.

"I'll see you then, love you," he replied.

"Love you too Dad."

As I walked backed to the Aphrodite cabin to tell Spencer, but my sister Lacy said she had left earlier to see Percy.

I followed the direction Lacy sent me in and saw that Percy and Spencer we're sitting on the edge of the water, talking.

I thought, I'd be the obnoxious older sibling that I was and bare in on them. I snuck quietly up behind them and got behind Spencer.

"Boo!" I screamed.

Spencer jumped up and fell into the water pulling Percy in with her.

I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.

"Sorry," I replied. "I couldn't help myself."

Percy splashed me with water, soaking my dress. Well, does a wave count as a splash?

I ran and jumped into the lake slashing and carrying on with them until dinner.

Before dinner, we had to change out of our wet clothes. (Spencer had to sneak me in since you could see me through the dress)

I changed into a pair of shorts and my camp T-shirt.

At dinner Chiron announced something to us.

"This year," he said. "We have brought back a hero. This year's bead will feature this heroic adventure. It will be a Caduceus, the sign of Hermes with, appropriately a heart in honor of the young woman who risked it all for her friend. Now after dinner, there will be a fireworks display in honor of these brave heroes and for all of our heroes."

Of course everyone clapped and I turned red. After sacrificing a bit of food to Mom and thanking her for everything, another young girl came up to me. She had eyes that glowed like fire.

"Congratulations daughter of Aphrodite," she said. "You are very brave and did not let thy vanity consume you."

"Thank You Hestia," I said remembering the goddess's name. "I am honored."

She then smiled and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

I made my way to the beach and sat down. A boy came up and sat right beside me.

"There you are," he said. "I've been looking for you. I thought I'd have to go on a quest."

"Not funny," I laughed.

He put his arm around me and hugged me.

"Thank you," he replied. "I owe you everything."

"No," I replied. "I owe you. You showed who I was and this quest gave me the strength to find myself."

"Well, I guess we're even," he said.

"No," I replied as I glanced up to the sky waiting for the fireworks to start.

"Then what are you waiting on," he replied.

"I don't know, you figure it out," I said.

He smiled and pulled me closer to him and pressed his lips against mine. It was a sweet yet powerful kiss. I could hear the fireworks in the distance exploding and illuminating the night sky.

"Get a room!" Percy yelled.

"Percy go screw yourself," I said. "Or has my sister already done that?"

He gave me an evil glare with his sea green eyes and walked away, Spencer not too far behind him.

"Happy?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied.

I could have sworn someone was playing "Mine" by Taylor Swift.

"You're the best thing that has ever been mine." I said.