Chapter 12: Calm Before The Storm

Hestia sat on the guest bed numbly. Tissues were strewn all around it and the pillows were stained with tears. Her eyes were raw. She stared at the flickering torch on the wall for what felt like an eternity. Somehow, the activity seemed more engaging than anything else in her life.

The last few days had been a blur, a long stretch of time that seemed to never end, unfortunately; like a rubber band being stretched, its skin distorted and blurred to the point of unrecognition.

She didn't want to recount it, it would only bring back pain and more tears. But her mind had other plans. Flashes of memory echoed like voices. Clytius releasing and teleporting here, the initial shock but quick recovery of the campers when she appeared. And the faces of them, and Percy's parents when the news was broken to them...she would never forget their disbelief etched onto their expressions.

The funeral pyre...the mourning and forlorn faces...the flames of the campfire that spluttered weakly...

She picked up another tissue.

But the worst thing was the laugh. The clear and cold laugh that resonated in her mind, followed by what felt like a chilling gale, when she was released by Clytius. She knew the spirit of Aphrodite had left her. But while one thing left, one thing remained. Questions.

Too many of them to even comprehend. Why did Clytius release her? Why did Aphrodite leave? And most of all, why wasn't she possessed by the goddess of love again when she left that campfire in the woods. She didn't understand. What were the Giants planning?

The answers of the questions seemed to be on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't form them, as though they were like a distant island covered by fog and storms, but faintly and somewhat visible. Deep down, she knew it was there, but could barely make it out.

More memories flooded her unexpectedly. Rain. Rain pouring at midnight, extinguishing the fire of the pyre, in spite of the supposedly controlled weather within the camp boundaries. Somehow, she thought that was an insult to her by the Fates, the fire being killed.

Chiron had told her to rest at one of the guest rooms in the Big House before galloping off, wiping more tears away. Or maybe that was the rain. She didn't know. She didn't want to know. Hades, she didn't want to know or feel anything anymore. Her mind was whirling with unknown emotions that she couldn't seem to place. It could have been sadness, for she was crying, but that wasn't it. It could have been anger, but her fists weren't clenched, but she never felt this rage towards someone. Anyone. Someone to vent it on. But she wasn't sure if the desire to vent this emotion was anger. It was...so confusing.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Expecting it to be Chiron, she weakly called, "Come in." To her surprise, it turned out to be the demigod Annabeth Chase.

Hestia flinched slightly at the memory of her throwing that dagger at her stomach. The wound stung at the thought.

She could see that Annabeth was no better than her current state. Her eyes were raw and bloodshot, her blonde hair unkempt and messy, tear stains evident on the hem of her camp t-shirt.

"Hi," the demigod said awkwardly. Hestia inclined her head slightly, the conversation then lapsing into an uncomfortable silence, before Annabeth picked it up.

"Look, I'm not sure where you're from. I'm not sure who you are. But I've seen you before, and it's been a rough week for me, so for once I'd like to have an answer to my questions."

Hestia pursed her lips. "Very well. What do you want to know?"

Annabeth took a deep breath before rattling off, "Who are you? Why did I see you run off with my boyfriend? Why am I the only one that recognises you but everyone doesn't know who you are?"

Hestia plopped back on the bed, rubbing her head. "First of all, my name is Aelia Hawthorn. If you remember correctly, a demigod appeared randomly about a week ago , claiming to be of the same name and further confirmed by the gods to be a mortal form of Aphrodite before they went silent. But they were wrong. Aelia Hawthorn is the host of two goddesses, Aphrodite and Hestia."

"Currently, it is Hestia that you are speaking to. When Aelia first appeared to camp half blood, everyone fell under her spell of love." She recounted what Percy had told her before they left camp, a subject she was about to touch on, quite unwillingly. She continued, "Even you, Annabeth. Only one demigod was not affected, and that was Perseus Jackson."

The name shadowed both of their faces like a storm cloud. A drizzle formed in Annabeth's eyes.

"I will be blunt, Annabeth. While you were under Aphrodite's magic, you became jealous of Percy and me. Jealousy led to spite. Spite led to hate. In the end, you injured me and Percy was a friend of mine. He realised he could not help you to fight Aphrodite's inflamed resentment you had developed for me. As such, Percy and I ran away." Her thoughts jumped to when Percy had kissed her on the cheek. "He went to find something for me - he didn't tell me what it was."

"Afterwards, I was captured by the Giants and then Percy was..." Hestia's eyes became misty. Words failed her. "I'm sorry...I can't..." Her throat felt like it was being strangled.

To her surprise and slight relief, Annabeth's stormy grey eyes held no sign of anger or rage, but emotion.

"Please...continue." Annabeth softly said.

Hestia swallowed. "The Giants told me of Percy's death, and then they used me as a harbinger of the news. They released me, and here I am. Aphrodite's spirit left me as I was released. So everyone in camp sees Hestia's form while they previously saw me as Aphrodite, but only you have seen both." She finished.

Silence trailed her words for a moment before Annabeth spoke. "Thank you, for telling me." She rubbed her eyes with her shirt again before sitting on the guest bed opposite of Hestia so that they faced each other.

"I don't remember much of what had happened last week, but I supposed I didn't leave Percy a good impression of me, did I?" She laughed hollowly.

"You were his loved one, I'm sure his impression of you did not change whatsoever." Hestia offered.

Annabeth sat in silence for a long while before she said, "I know about the war with the Giants. Clytius appeared to me and told me that Percy had been captured by the Giants, and if I wanted him back, I had to join them. Judging by your story, he was never captured by them, and that was what I thought. He never did get captured before. He always managed to slip away. But Clytius left me with a message that still chills me. You have no idea what you have just done. And now I'm thinking...what if I had accepted? At least he would be alive."

Hestia shook her head. "No, Percy would never want that."

Annabeth sighed and buried her face in her arms, before asking curiously, "What was Percy finding?"

She shrugged in reply. "He didn't tell me."

Annabeth's eyes suddenly lit up. "Were you two close?"

Hestia felt her cheeks burn. "Um...yes, but not like that-"

The demigod cut her off, a thought forming in her mind. "If you were close to him, and he didn't tell you what he was finding...then he would be finding something for you." She seemed to be speaking more to herself. "And the only thing you would need was..."

Annabeth's face lit up. "Oh my gods. I know what we have to do now."

"What?" But Annabeth was already dragging Hestia to the door.

"I'll explain on the way, but if all goes right, Percy will come back. Alive."


The gold sword shattered against the stone creature. The god grunted and pulled his shield back, shaking his hand in annoyance. That had been one of his favourite blades. He thrust his hand forward and a club tipped with metal spikes appeared in his hand. He blocked the punch from the golem and smashed the monster. The golem made a low groan before it dissolved into dust and became one with the sand.

But where one was destroyed, two replaced it. More golems melted from the granite walls and joined the fight, some wielding swords made from iron and rock, some mutated to have spikes jutting from their skin.

The god's eyes widened. This was too much for him to handle. What was a gleeful desire for war now became fear, a concept he had never understood before. The golems surrounded him, but they didn't seem to want to attack, as though they were waiting for someone.

A laugh enriched with glee filled the cavern like smoke filling a chimney. A high pitched, female giggle that was comparable to a girl, yet the god felt that the reason for the female's elation was of malice.

At the sound of the laugh, the golems disappeared into pink puffs. The eyes of the god hardened in anger.

"I knew it," Ares said, half triumphant with his confirmed suspicions and half horrified with the betrayal she had posed.

"Of course you did, my dear," Aphrodite purred. The goddess of love appeared before him, wielding a staff tipped with a gem that glowed between pink and blood red. Her eyes wer illuminated with the same hue of pink, almost like a feline.

"You cannot do this!" Ares roared.

Aphrodite's eyes glowed with amusement. "And you say you have not done this before?"

Ares flinched, at a loss of words. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but his mind was blank. He closed it for a moment. "Just..." He said, "give me back my children."

She sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. "I would love to, but unfortunately, that is not my decision to make. If you want to strike a bargain, you're going to have to take it up with her."

"Who?"

She smiled a smile that definitely was not friendly. Ares felt a chill in his spine. "Come on, I'll take you to the lady in charge."


Hi, so chapter 12! Yay. I think this update was later than the last, so my bad for that. Thanks to all the new followers, we've hit 100+ and that's pretty mind-blowing. Thanks guys...really. :')