SHADOW'S REBELLION
CHAPTER 11: ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR
ELENI
Monday, July 4th, 2033.
As much as the Underworld was warming up to me, I was relieved to see the clear blue sky as soon as we stepped through the Doors of Orpheus. Misty, once again a black German shepherd because of the Mist, bounded ahead, letting out excited barks. I really hoped no one was around to hear her. We were in Central Park. And I was pretty sure it wasn't the time dogs were allowed off leash.
"Gods, I never thought I'd be so happy to see the sky," Lee muttered.
"I don't know, seeing grass is pretty refreshing," Ray said dryly.
That earned him an eye roll. I called Misty back to me, and thankfully she obeyed, coming back over to sit by my feet. I dug into my pack to find her leash and hooked it onto her collar. There, that made me feel better. I didn't want to get arrested or anything.
"Before we go any further…" Ray began slowly, drawing our attention to him. "There's something I want to say."
Lee frowned. "What is it, Ray?"
The son of Athena sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "Lee… I'm breaking up with you."
Lee's lightning blue eyes widened, the color draining from his face. "Wh-What?"
I felt like I was having the same reaction, and I wasn't the one being dumped. I looked from Lee, to Ray, to Lee again, feeling shocked and confused and a bunch of other emotions all jumbled up together. This… This wasn't supposed to happen! They were supposed to be happy together, to the very end! Unless… Unless I had been completely blind to something that should've been right in my face.
"One of us is going to die when we return to camp," Ray stated, very matter-of-fact. "There's no point in us staying together."
Lee stiffened, his expression darkening. "You think that will make it easier? Is that what this is about?"
"No," Ray retorted bluntly. "I'm more concerned about after all of this. I know you, Lee. If I'm the one who dies… I know exactly how you're going to react. If we're together before this… you're going to be stuck in the past. You won't be able to move on. I want you to be happy."
Lee scowled. "I'm happy with you! Gods, this doesn't even make any sense, Ray!"
"I want to protect you," Ray said, his tone turning quiet.
"Protect me my ass," Lee snapped, furious. "You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?"
"What?" Ray raised an eyebrow. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
"Just… Just forget it!" Lee whipped around, turning his back to us. "I'm going to see my mom one last time before returning to camp. I'll see you there."
Without waiting for a response, Lee stormed away, leaving me standing there, stunned, with Ray and Misty. The hellhound let out a worried whine, lowering herself down onto the grassy ground. I looked over at Ray, wanting to say something, but not knowing what.
"…I'm sorry you had to see that," Ray sighed. "I just… felt that, if we were together, and I died, he… Lee wouldn't be able to move on. Ever. And we all know what the loss of Patroclus did to Achilles."
"I thought you didn't believe in Fate," I said quietly.
Ray shrugged indifferently. "I don't. I just want Lee to be happy. My sister, too. That's all I care about right now." He sighed heavily, looking down at the ground. "Speaking of Olivia, I should go see her." He glanced over at me. "You coming, or do you want to see your mom, too?"
I hesitated. The prophecy said that someone would die protecting me. The longer I stayed away from Camp Half-Blood, the longer both of my friends would live. Ray deserved some time with Olivia, if he was the one who would die. And besides… after everything… I really could use a hug from my mom. I missed her so much. That made the decision easy.
"I'm going to see my mom first," I told him. "Go on ahead without me."
He nodded. "All right. Try to stay out of trouble, okay?"
With that, he headed off, leaving Misty and me alone in the park. I just stood there for a moment, my hellhound laying at my feet, leash in my hand. I couldn't help but feel responsible for this. It was my quest that would forever tear them apart… or maybe it was Fate, with all this name business. I couldn't help but think of how Aurelia called me Helen. There was no way in hell I was just going to accept that role if it came true. But the women in the Iliad didn't have happiest lives—Helen, Briseis, Cassandra, Penthesilea… to name a few.
"Well, Misty…" I sighed. "Let's go home."
The disguised hellhound stood up, and barked in agreement. We made our way out of the park, and after some navigating, I found our townhouse. I quickly scaled the front steps, and knocked on the door. I really hoped she was home… I didn't have my key to let myself in, and it was just as smoldering out here in New York as it was in California.
Moments later, the door opened, revealing a very surprised Mom. "Eleni? What are you doing here?"
"Mom!" I exclaimed with relief, throwing my arms around her in a hug. "I've missed you so much…"
"Eleni…" She returned the embrace, pulling me inside and shutting the door behind us. "Dear, what's going on?"
I sighed, stepping away from her. "I just got back from a quest… to the Underworld… to see Dad."
Her dark eyes widened. "So you know… who he is."
I nodded. "Hades claimed me the same day I arrived at camp."
"Well, at least that got sorted out quickly…" Mom reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "How do you… feel about it?"
"Mom… You know Hades was always my favorite god," I said, managing to smile and laugh a little.
As a little girl, I always had loved the story of Hades and Persephone. The kidnapping part was a bit troubling, but it made me feel like, if Hades could find love, there had to be a boy out there for me somewhere. I could've mentioned that, but knowing that my mom was Hades's lover… that would just be awkward.
"That is very true," she laughed. "Well, dear, why don't you stay for a bit before returning to camp? Tell me about your quest. I'd love to hear about it."
So I did.
We sat down in the living room, and talked. I told her about the new friends I made—Lee, Ray, and Cassie. I mentioned the Romans—Aeneas, Vince, and Riley in particular. If my mom was concerned that I had met more boys than girls, she didn't show it. I told her all about Camp Half-Blood, and how it worked. I told her about Cabin Thirteen, Hades's cabin, and how it was nice to have it all to myself. I told her about how different Camp Jupiter was, and that I was really glad I was a Greek demigod. I told her about Chiron, the satyrs, and the nymphs. She listened so intently, I didn't want to stop talking.
But when it came to the quest… I balked. And Mom noticed.
"Dear…" Mom frowned, her head tilting to the side. "You don't seem so eager to talk about your quest. I thought it would've been exciting."
I let out a nervous laugh. "I-It… wasn't as glorious as you probably expected. We just… had to go visit the Underworld to ask Dad if he knows anything about the murders going on at camp."
Her eyes widened. "Murders?! What's going on, Eleni?"
…Shit, I forgot to mention that earlier.
"U-Um, well…" I sighed and told her about what was happening at both camps.
"Oh, gods…" Mom pressed a hand to her forehead. "I shouldn't have sent you… You probably would've been safer in the Underworld."
"Dad did offer me a place there…" I said slowly.
"Of course he did," she sighed. "I still don't like the idea of my baby living in the land of the dead."
Well, it was either stay there in Hades's palace while living, or stay there in one of the places for the dead while dead.
"I still have to go back to camp, Mom," I said quietly. "I can't go there even if I wanted to. The prophecy said I had to return… and you can't avoid Fate."
"…That is true." She sighed again, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry you've been dragged into this mess… If I could whisk you away, I would."
"It's okay, Mom." I tried to smile reassuringly, but probably failed. "I can get through it… like everything else."
Mom smiled softly, closing her eyes. "It's only been a few days, and you've changed so much already."
"Huh? Really?"
She laughed, opening her eyes to look at me again. "Yes, really. I can see it. You've never talked this much at once, Eleni."
Okay, she had a point. Maybe… Maybe it was because I had finally found my place. My place, huh… For some reason, that made me think of that weird dream I had. Well, the most recent weird dream—the one that wasn't a nightmare.
"…Mom, is reincarnation real?" I asked after a moment.
Her eyes widened in surprise, caught off guard by the random question. "Yes… Yes, it is. Why do you ask?"
"Um, no particular reason," I lied. "I was just curious after visiting the Underworld, is all."
Just… that dream I had… It had been clearer than even the nightmares that plagued me. It had felt so familiar, like a memory. I was starting to think it was a memory from a past life or something. If only I could recall more about it, then maybe I could start piecing things together… But right now, that wasn't as important as solving the murders and stopping Erebos.
Mom didn't seem convinced, but she let it go. "Well, I shouldn't keep you for much longer. You should head back to camp, dear."
"O-Okay…" I sighed, standing up. "Mom… what will we do when summer ends?"
She pushed herself up from the couch. "That is something you'll have to discuss with Chiron. He understands the parameters more than I do."
I should have guessed as much… "Okay, well… I'll see you at the end of summer, Mom."
If I didn't die first.
When Misty and I returned to Camp Half-Blood, I didn't expect to see all of Camp Jupiter here. I knew the annual get together was almost here, but I didn't think they would arrive so soon! Misty trotted after me as I walked through the camp. A few campers welcomed me back, congratulating me on the successful quest. Finally, I spotted Chiron, and headed towards him.
"Chiron!" I called, hurrying up to the centaur. "I'm back!"
He turned towards me, as did the two campers he was speaking to, who I immediately recognized as Claudia and Hector. I faltered, my confidence slipping away at the sight of the two praetors, to the point where I almost tripped over my own feet. Staggering a bit, I quickly righted myself as I reached them, my massive hellhound at my heels.
"O-Oh, um, hello again," I said to them, feeling tiny and insignificant next to them.
Claudia gave a warm smile. "Hello, Eleni. I trust your excursion to the Underworld went well?"
I nodded. "Yes, um, but we didn't learn anything."
"Ray has told me as much," Chiron sighed. "It was worth a try, at the very least. I see your trip was not fruitless, however. Hades has bestowed a gift upon you."
"Oh, yeah!" I reached for my ring, slipping it off, and it turned into that beautiful Stygian iron sword. "Goetia is its name."
The dark blade gleamed in the dimming sunlight, and for some reason both of the praetors tensed—especially Hector. And I knew exactly why. I was the daughter of Hades, and he was a son of Jupiter. I might be friends with Lee, but I doubted I would ever be friends with Paris or Hector. He was threatened by my existence as much as he was threatened by Lee's and Maia's. I had originally wanted to like Hector after hearing Paris had an older brother, just like I had tried liking Paris, but after finding out what he had done to Lee… I just couldn't.
"It suits you well," Chiron chuckled. "But regardless, I am pleased that you've returned safely. I take it Lee is still visiting with his mother?"
"I'm guessing so," I answered, turning Goetia back into a ring and slipping it onto my finger. "I haven't seen him since we've separated."
"That's no surprise," Hector stated dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. "If he stays any longer, he'll miss the fireworks."
"Fireworks?" I echoed. "Wait… today's the fourth of July, isn't it?"
Claudia nodded. "Yes, it is. Camp Half-Blood always celebrates with a firework display. I hate to admit it, but you do a much better job than us."
"The fireworks are also Camp Half-Blood's biggest dating event," a familiar voice said.
We all turned towards the voice, and it was none other than Vince. I wasn't sure if I should relax or tense up, considering how he had hit on me when we first met. He sauntered up to us, shoving his hands into his shorts' pockets. Hector looked not amused, while Claudia appeared vaguely wary.
"Um, hi, Vince," I greeted him, unsure what else to say.
"Eleni, my new favorite person!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Glad to see you came back alive! The Underworld's a deadly place. Haha, get it?"
"Gods, not the puns again," Claudia muttered under her breath.
"You said something about the fireworks being a dating event…" I said slowly.
Vince nodded. "Yep! Guys typically do the asking, but people ask the person they like to watch the fireworks with them."
"I… see," I said, immediately feeling dejected.
I liked Lee, but… there was no way I could ask him to the fireworks. Not after Ray had literally just broken up with him. Besides, he wasn't even here. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even return to camp tonight, not with this happening. It had to be a painful reminder to him.
"Well, um, have fun…" I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder. "I'm gonna head back to my cabin…"
"Hey, wait!" Vince exclaimed as I started to walk away. "I wasn't done yet!"
I paused, glancing back at him. "What…?"
"I came here on behalf of my blood brother, Aeneas Belrose," Vince announced dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. "He would be honored to have you join him to watch the fireworks together."
My eyes widened, my face burned, and my heart skipped a beat. "Wh-What? Aeneas… He…"
"Well… no." Vince lowered his hand, smiling sheepishly. "He has no idea I'm here, and probably would kill me if he knew I just said that. I just thought I'd ask you to watch with us, since your friends are… preoccupied."
My heart sunk. Of course. He was just being melodramatic. That would never actually happen. I quickly pushed the idea out of my mind.
"I… I guess…" I bit my bottom lip, my hands dropping down to wring at the bottom of my shirt.
Vince seemed to falter, like he hadn't expected my reluctance. "Well, you don't have to. It's just an invitation. Aeneas doesn't have a date, like usual, and neither do I—yet, anyways. So we're just gonna be hanging as friends."
I guess it wouldn't be a terrible idea… otherwise I would probably feel lonely when the fireworks went off. I imagined Cassie already had a date or had other friends she would be watching with.
"But! About my date situation…" Vince turned towards the praetors, smiling mischievously. "So, Claudia… what do you say to this: you, me, sitting on a blanket on the beach, watching the fireworks together? Aeneas will be there, but we can ignore him."
Claudia's eyes widened, her cheeks visibly darkening. "E-Excuse me?"
I… was completely caught off guard. Vince asked Claudia out?! She was like… three inches taller than him! I mean, yeah, she was pretty, even with that scar on her face, but I just… didn't think he would have the guts to ask a praetor to the fireworks. And Claudia looked just as taken aback—and embarrassed. Well, it probably was embarrassing to be asked on a date in front of both Chiron and your fellow praetor.
Vince just continued to smile. "You and me, watching the fireworks together. What do you say?"
"I…" She sighed, smiling sadly. "I'm sorry Vince, but I already promised Maia we'd watch the fireworks together, so we can catch up."
"Oh." But Vince didn't even look disappointed that long. "Well, that's good! Maia prolly could use some scolding."
Claudia laughed. "Most likely. But how about this, Vince… Sometime while we're here, we go out to the city for dinner."
His face lit up with a grin. "You've got yourself a deal, Claudia! I better go, though. Aeneas will get suspicious if I'm gone too long." He looked over at me. "Hope to see you tonight, Eleni!"
With that, Vince headed off, leaving us all behind, standing in silence. Holy crap… I just witnessed Vincent Soldati get a date with Claudia Guerrero. I wasn't sure that was even possible. Claudia seemed so serious, and Vince was… well, far from serious. Maybe opposites do attract after all.
"W-Well, um," I said, breaking the silence. "I'm actually going back to my cabin now."
Before any of them could say anything, I hurried off, not wanting to be dragged into another conversation.
After much debating… I decided I would watch the fireworks with Aeneas and Vince. So after putting my things away in my cabin, I went to the showers to clean up. It felt so good to scrub the sweat, dirt, and who knows what else off my skin. My hair proved more difficult, as it was snarled up in knots because of how curly it was, but I managed. I changed into clean clothes, feeling completely refreshed. Misty was waiting for me when I left the building; she followed me around everywhere.
Dinner came first, and I sat alone at Hades's table. There wasn't even a child of Pluto from Camp Jupiter. Lee had returned, though, I noted, seeing him sitting at Zeus's table with Paris and Hector, completely ignoring them. Ray was sitting with all of the Athena kids, next to his sister, looking more solemn than usual, while Olivia was laughing about something. Cassie was chatting with her half siblings at Apollo's table. Maia was alone at Poseidon's table, like me. Aeneas was at Aphrodite's table, keeping to himself, a stark contrast to Vince chatting it up at Ares's table, where Bellona's kids were placed. I noted he was sitting next to Claudia. And then there was Riley, snickering about something at Demeter's table. Most of everyone looked so happy. I was envious of their ignorance.
This was my home now… with all these kids. They might not have accepted me yet, because I was the daughter of Hades… but I would prove myself to them. I would. Somehow.
When dinner ended, everyone started pairing off for the fireworks, while the Hephaestus kids went off to set up the fireworks—which were apparently kept in a small barge. Taking a deep breath, I gathered all my courage to walk over to where Vince had met up with Aeneas at the side of the Aphrodite table.
"Um, hi," I said to them, waving shyly.
Aeneas blinked, surprised to see me. "Oh, hey—wait." He shot Vince an accusing look. "What did you do?"
Vince raised his hands innocently. "Nothing, man, I just invited her to watch with us. As friends. Unless, well, you have other ideas…"
Aeneas pressed a hand to his forehead. "Gods, you won't ever stop, will you?"
He grinned cheekily. "Nope!"
I sighed. "If it's going to be a problem, I'll just watch by myself…"
"What?" Aeneas's eyes widened. "No, no, it's not a problem. Nobody should be alone tonight. This is supposed to boost morale, not lower it."
His words were surprisingly soothing, and a wave of relief rushed over me. Aeneas was… more understanding than I thought he would be. He seemed Roman to the core, but… still had a grasp on human emotions. Well, he was the son of Venus. I had felt so awkward around him before, because of how handsome he was, but now, I felt at ease.
I managed to smile. "Thank you, Aeneas."
"Haha…" He let out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Just speaking the truth. Right, Vince?"
"Right," Vince agreed, an amused smile tugging at his lips. "Are you two sure you don't wanna be alone?"
"H-Huh?" I stammered, my cheeks bursting into flames. "I, um…"
"Vince." Aeneas shot him another look.
"Hey, I dunno about you, but I think you two just had a moment," he said, raising his hands again and shrugging.
"Vince, if this is your lame ass attempt to sneak away to see Claudia, you're not fooling me," Aeneas deadpanned. "Let's go get our spot before someone else does."
"Sheesh, somebody's cranky tonight!" Vince huffed.
"Yeah, well, you'd be cranky too if you had to listen to your half-sisters argue over which male celebrities are the hottest during dinner."
Gods… I really felt bad for Aeneas. That sounded like a nightmare.
We headed for the beach then, after quickly stopping by the Mars cabin to grab Vince's beach blanket. They chose a spot further back, but still in the center of the beach. Once the blanket had been spread out, we all sat down, but Vince insisted that I sit between them. I felt a little awkward about it, seeing as I knew these boys even less than I knew Lee and Ray, coupled with the fact that they were older than me.
But finally, the fireworks started. I was amazed to see them shot in succession, like playing a movie frame by frame, showing famous scenes in Greek mythology. There was Perseus slaying Medusa, Athena cursing Arachne, Theseus killing the Minotaur, and George Washington sailing across the Delaware River. I was speechless the entire time, leaning back as I watched in awe. The Hephaestus kids were amazing if they did this all themselves.
"Well, what do you think?" Vince asked, looking over at me. "Amazing, right?"
"It is!" I exclaimed. "Wow, I never thought I'd see fireworks that actually show stories."
Aeneas let out a light laugh, also looking over at me. "Yeah… the view is really beautiful here."
I knew he was talking about the fireworks, but I felt my cheeks flush from his comment. I quickly looked away, relieved that it was too dark out for him to see my face clearly enough to notice. Gods, talk about embarrassing…
"And here comes the finale!" Vince cheered. "Eleni, you've gotta see this!"
I looked back up at the sky, and it was amazing.
The finale was huge, at least one hundred feet tall, ironically showing one of the fights in the Trojan War, but of no one specifically. It finished with a flurry of colors, like a rainbow. Cheering erupted throughout the beach, and everyone started clapping. We joined in.
"Happy Independence Day, guys," Vince laughed. "America's survived another year."
"You make it sound like a feat," Aeneas snorted.
"Well, with Mount Olympus being above the Empire State Building, you never know."
My eyes widened. "That's where Olympus is?! No wonder my mom didn't let me go on a field trip there when I was a kid…"
"Hey, you could still go someday," Vince told me. "Camp Half-Blood does field trips there sometimes, on the solstices. I swear you Greeks get to do all the fun stuff."
"Hey, we get to do fun stuff too," Aeneas protested. "Like the War Games."
"The War Games aren't the same as visiting Mount Olympus, Aeneas. Though I guess it's better than we Romans don't visit. Could screw something up."
"Knowing you, you'd piss off Zeus or something," Aeneas joked.
"Nah, I think that's Eleni's job," Vince chuckled.
"Well, it's not a lie," I said, which got them both to laugh.
Eventually, everyone started going back to their cabins, so I had to part ways with them. But… I was happy. I definitely had two more friends in Aeneas and Vince… and that made me feel so much better. I was only worried about one thing now.
Tomorrow and what the prophecy would bring.
Tuesday, July 5th, 2033.
I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed, and got ready for the day. After some thought, I decided to just leave my hair down, since I hadn't been able to do that during the quest. I knew something bad would happen today… or maybe tomorrow… but soon. So I slipped Goetia onto my finger and tied Katoptris's sheath around my waist. I left the cabin then, only to be surprised to see Misty assaulting Lee with kisses.
"H-Hey, down girl, down, I just came to-"
And down he went, Misty right on top of him. The hellhound barked happily, rattling me down to the bone, wagging her tail. I couldn't even see Lee underneath the gigantic dog.
"Misty!" I exclaimed chidingly. "Off! Now!"
She looked back at me, let out a whine, and then shifted off Lee, plopping herself down in front of the cabin dejectedly. I hurried forward to make sure he was all right.
"Lee, are you okay-" I cut myself off, covering my mouth with my hand.
He was covered from head to toe with slobber, which he was trying to wipe off his face. Groaning, he shook some of the excess slobber off his hand, flinging it onto the grass. It was taking every ounce of self-control I had to not just burst out laughing.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," he grumbled, pushing himself up into a sitting position. "Chiron sends me to tell you we're having a counselor meeting, and Misty freaks out from seeing me. Like we didn't see each other yesterday, you silly dog!"
Misty whined, lowering her head in shame.
"She only meant well," I said sheepishly, still fighting back laughter as I lowered my hand.
"Yeah, but now I have to clean off all this hellhound spit…" Lee let out an exasperated sigh, and heaved himself back up onto his feet. "Go on ahead without me, all right? You know where the Big House is."
I nodded. "Okay. I let everyone know you're running late."
"Thanks," he said, turning to go. "See you in a bit."
We watched him walk away, feeling that ache in my heart return. He was acting different already. In only twenty-four hours, he seemed… bitter. Lee had never been carefree, but he hadn't been obviously resentful either. I sighed heavily. I wish there was something I could do, something I could say, to make him feel better. But having the love of your life push you away like that… was far from easy. It would probably be best to just give him space for now.
"Come on, Misty," I said, reaching up to give her a quick scratch behind the ear. "Let's go."
The hellhound followed me as I made my way to the Big House. On my way, I saw Olivia with Berenice, and she waved to me. I returned the wave, smiling a little. When I got to the house, I found Ray standing outside, in front of the porch, speaking with none other than Paris and Hector. I tensed on reflex, and gestured for Misty to stay where she was, before walking over to join them.
"Hi guys," I said, trying to feign friendliness. "Do you know what this meeting is about?"
Ray seemed relieved to see me, opening his mouth to answer my question, only to be interrupted.
"Forget about the meeting," Paris said, smiling in a way that made my skin crawl. "I've been waiting to see you, Eleni."
"Um…" My stomach churned as my nerves kicked up. "Okay…?"
"I would've asked you to the fireworks last night, but it seems Aeneas got to you before me," he sighed, sounding dejected.
"Um… Vince invited me to watch with them as friends," I clarified, very confused by the turn this conversation had taken.
Ray rolled his eyes. "Paris is just jealous that Aeneas is hotter than him. Probably was the same way for the originals."
Paris scowled darkly. "Butt out of my conversation with Helen, Raymond."
Not this shit again… "I'm not Helen," I retorted, immediately agitated. "My name is Eleni Spiros, and you better use it. I've heard enough of this Helen crap."
"You heard her," Hector said gruffly. "Just drop it, Paris."
"I will not," Paris snapped, turning to glower at his brother. "You know why, Hector. I thought you were on our side."
…Our side? Not… my side? What was-
Hector bristled. "I am, little brother. I just don't want you to make the same mistakes as your namesake."
"It's not a mistake," Paris snapped, looking at me again. "Helen is rightfully mine."
"Okay, I always thought you were a little creepy," Ray began, his voice hardening, "but you're starting to cross the line. Eleni doesn't belong to anyone. Calm. Down."
But Paris ignored him. Instead, he reached out, grabbing me by the arm, and roughly yanked me over to him. Warning bells rang in my head, my heart freezing as fear and panic seized me. Gods, what was he going to do?! On instinct, I pulled Katoptris out of its sheath, and sunk the blade right into Paris's shoulder.
"LET ME GO!"
Paris screamed in pain, shoving me away from him and also ripping the knife out because of that. Blood squirted out, and he clamped his hand down over the wound, staggering back and nearly falling down on the stairs. I was knocked down, landing hard on my butt, the bloodied blade wrenched from my fingers in the impact. The grass around me died in that instant, as I grimaced in pain.
"You fucking bitch!" Paris snarled, clutching at his shoulder, red blood oozing between his fingers. "You would deny Troy?!"
"Are you insane?!" Ray demanded, his entire body tense, and I realized he didn't have a weapon. "Back off. Now."
Hector sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you've left me no choice."
I slowly started to get up, inching towards where Ray was standing. We needed to stick together. Hector reached into his pocket, and pulled out something—something that immediately transformed into a menacing imperial gold spear, with a spearhead shaped like a sharpened lightning bolt. Lee's story rushed through my mind. I knew what was going to happen. Gods.
Lightning. He was going to summon lightning.
The air began to sizzle, yellow electricity crackling along the spear. Ray's eyes widened with horror, while Paris smirked disturbingly. My breath caught in my throat as I froze with terror. Images flashed through my mind—a robot attacking my friends… a robot attacking because of me… a robot with me inside being fried with electricity. That was why I was afraid of lightning. That was why I was afraid of thunderstorms.
It happened too fast. All I could hear was an earthshaking boom, like thunder, but then Ray—my dear friend, Ray—got in the way. Then… all I could hear was his bloodcurdling scream as he was viciously electrocuted by the lightning bolt Hector summoned, his body flung backwards.
Fear the dark, Child of the Dead,
For one must die in your stead.
Ray crumpled to the ground, charred from the voltage. The door to the Big House burst open, but I couldn't see who it was. There was shouting, arguing—something was happening, but I couldn't take my eyes off Ray… off his body.
No. No no no. Not Ray… why Ray?! This was all my fault. All my fault. If I had just agreed to go with Paris…
"RAY?!"
That voice. I knew that voice. It was Lee. Oh gods, it was Lee.
Numb. That's how I felt.
The air was cold, like my agony was sapping the life out of everything around me. Darkness licked at the grass, seeping out of me, killing whatever vegetation it touched, sucking in nearby shadows, absorbing them. I saw Lee run to Ray's body. He was crying, begging Ray to open his eyes, to wake up. But I knew it was pointless. He was dead. I had felt the life leave his body as soon as he was struck by lightning. His soul was gone.
I staggered to my feet. No one was paying attention to me. Blades were being pointed at the Romans. Chiron was trying to get everyone to stop. But I didn't care. Hector had killed my friend. Because of Paris. Because of this stupid Troy shit.
I realized I was crying. Tears were streaming down my face, but I felt nothing anymore. Just… agony. Grief. Rage. The desire for vengeance. They would pay for this. Gods, they would pay.
I pulled off Goetia, unleashing the dark blade, and without thinking… plunged the sword into the earth.
And now we come to the end of the first arc!
Before I go any further, I will be going back through these first eleven chapters and editing them, making minor tweaks and all that to make sure everything is nice and neat before continuing. This includes new chapter titles, to fit the PJO style, because they're just hilarious.
I'm not sure how long this will take, so until that is finished, this fic will be on a short hiatus. I'm really excited to continue, though, so unless I get busy, it shouldn't last terribly long.
There will be three arcs in total. The second arc will feature the Trojan War element of the plot, while the third and final arc will occur after a time skip to the next year, and will deal with our mysterious big bad.
Again, thank you to each and everyone of you who has taken the time to leave a review. It really means a lot to me! See you soon!
