Chapter 12: Never Trust a God. Ever!

Almost an hour later we finally found the burger place. Hey! Do not give me that look! I am not exactly the best with directions. Also, when I suggested we stop to ask for them, the boys protested and said we would find the place soon enough. That was about fifty-five minutes ago. Now sooner had we sat down at a booth than Ares appeared, finishing a taco. What is it with Olympians and Mexican food?

"Here," Norman said, sliding the spear across the table.

When Ares touched it, an electric bolt shot out, shattering a light bulb nearby. Ares gave a cruel grin before the spear disappeared from view.

"Not horrible," Ares murmured. Oh gods, could that be considered a compliment? "See ya."

I held up my hand to stop him. "Whoa, you're not going anywhere," I told him. Nico and Norman looked at me like I was insane. "We had a deal. Are you going to find and kill Python?"

"Nah." Ares pointed casually at Norman. "He technically gave it back to me."

Then he was gone, just like that. No fire, no smoke, no magical fairy dust. He just flickered away in a second. I put my head on the table with a heavy sigh. So much for an easy way out, and it had not even been easy at all. A waiter came over to take our orders. After she walked away, I asked Norman to start spewing off facts about Python so it would help us start planning. He took a deep breath before starting.

"Like I said before, he is a snake-like god, or monster, of chaos and destruction. Wherever he went, horrible things followed. He was sent by Hera to kill Leto after she discovered Leto was pregnant with Zeus's children because of their affair. That is why Leto ran away to the island of Delos where she gave birth to Apollo and Artemis. Actually, I should have said Artemis's name first because she was born first and then assisted Leto with-Never mind, that's off topic. When Apollo learned that Python was-"

"Back it up," I cut in. "Hera sent Python?"

"Yes."

"That little-"

"Sol," Nico cautioned quietly, glancing up toward the sky.

"I don't care! She knew! I was talking to her and-My dad!" He told her to never speak to me again. "Why in Hades would he do that?"

"Excuse me, Soleil, I just wanted to remind you we're still here, along with the voices in your head you're arguing with."

"Why would who do what?" Norman asked me.

"Apollo forbade Hera from ever talking to me," I explained hurriedly. "She wanted to-" I stopped short, remembering that they still did not know the importance of my burn. "Uh, she just wanted to talk to me. She knew about Python."

"Then why would your dad forbid her form speaking to you?" Nico asked, eating a fry.

"You know the gods. They always have a selfish ulterior motive." The two ducked their heads, holding their hands up for protection. "Cool it. The gods hate me, not you guys."

They glanced at each other. "Um…"

"What?"

"Well," Nico hesitated before continuing, "there have been some rumors, about Olympus, that aren't too good."

"Like…?"

"They're split over Python," Norman said with a sigh. "Everyone knows he's out there. The gods are split over whether to hunt him down or not."

"Why can't they just all agree to do what would be best for the planet earth, and all its inhabitants, and destroy Python?"

"They think Apollo should do it."

"But Python has him! Dead or worse!"

"The gods think he's just hiding."

"How would they know?"

"How do you know that he's not?"

I took a sip of my water to calm myself. I hate it when he goes all smart and logical on me. "What side are Hades and Athena on?"

Nico tapped his skull ring on the table absently. "Hades is not included in this."

"And Athena?" I could tell Norman did not want to answer the question.

"She believes," he started, "that it is Apollo's duty to kill Python, as he did before. Let history repeat itself."

I remembered something Chiron had said often: "Only mortals have the ability to be creative." I looked at Norman closely, knowing the answer the question I was about to ask before I even asked it. "Are you in agreement?"

"Partially."

I stood up with determination. "Well, then I guess it's time for me to get creative."

"What are you doing?" Nico asked warily.

"Getting answers."

"From who?"

"Hera. And any other god or goddess I think can help me out, no matter what side they're on."

"How?" Norman scoffed. "The only way you could do that would be if-No…"

I nodded with a smirk. "Yes."

"Can anyone tell me what in Hades you are talking about?" Nico cut in.

"Finish your fries," I ordered him. "We're catching the next Greyhound to New York City."

"Can we even afford that?"

Yeah, had not thought about that. "Um…"

"I brought enough money," Norman assured us. "Now hurry up, dude, how long does it take you to eat an order of fries?"

Twenty minutes, that was how long it took Nico to finish his fries. That boy is the slowest eater you will ever meet. I pulled my backpack closer as I curled up on the bus seat. The backpack smelled faintly like pine needles. We had gotten it at some cheap second-hand shop. I also got some new clothes, and then some basic first-aid supplies from a local CVS. My bow and quiver were stuffed in the backpack, too. I looked out the window. We were about five minutes away from the bus station in New York where we were getting off. Next to me, Norman woke up from a six hour nap. It was first time he had slept the whole bus ride.

"Good morning," Nico greeted as he sat back down from his visit to the loo.

"It's afternoon, so you say good afternoon," I corrected. The exact time at that moment was 12: 00: 29 p.m.

"Really?" Norman asked, straightening up. "Well, good afternoon to everyone." He groaned as he stretched. "How far away are we?"

"Three point five five five four seven two six minutes."

"Now, three point three five five five four seven two six minutes," Nico interjected before Norman could respond.

"And now three point-"

"Shut up," Norman growled. "I get it."

"You're grumpy in the morning."

"I thought it was afternoon."

"Oh, yeah…" I muttered. Nico smirked at me. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"And I'm not grumpy," Norman defended. "Okay, maybe I am a little. We can't all be bursting with energy when we first wake up. Heidi's like Medusa times ten before she has her coffee."

"And after that she's like bitch times twenty." I was a little shocked by what I had said, and apparently so were Nico and Norman.

"You've hardly ever talked to her."

"And I already don't like her."

"But you have stuff in common. You're both girls."

"Thanks for noticing."

"You're both blonde."

"She acts it more than me." Which is really sad…

"You both have blue eyes."

I did not want to break it to Norman that hers were clearly contacts so I said, "Mine are prettier."

"Yeah, they are."

I snapped my head to look at him. "What?"

He blinked a few times. "Uh, I said pancakes. Yes, I want pancakes."

"No," Nico told him, "you said-"

"Shut up, Nico!" Norman hit him in the arm.

"They really don't have that much in common, though…" Nico added meekly, rubbing his arm.

"We don't," I agreed. "I mean, has she ever even picked up a bow? Sword? Any weapon of any kind?"

"I don't know," Norman replied quietly.

"See? The word 'no' was in that sentence. We have nothing in common."

"That doesn't mean you have to hate her."

"I can strongly dislike her."

"No, you can't!"

"Why?"

"Because I said so!"

"Who died and made you king of the world?"

"You're just jealous."

"Of what? An air-headed Barbie?"

He groaned. "No, that she's my girlfr-"

"Don't flatter yourself. I have a boyfriend."

"Posters aren't real people, Sol."

"F.Y.I., he is a real person, his name is Logan, and he's a helluva lot better than you."

He started laughing. I was totally confused as he doubled over in his seat, laughing like a maniac. I tried to resist laughing, but it is so dang contagious! I cracked up. Nico tried to resist, too, but his attempts failed. We all stumbled off the bus laughing. Nico was the firs to stop, and eventually Norman and I stopped.

"Why were we laughing again?" Nico asked us.

"I don't know," I responded. "Why were we laughing, Wise Guy?"

"It was because of the stupidity of our argument," Norman responded. "It was so contradictory."

"How?"

"Because we were both-Never mind. Ready to go to Olympus?"

"Yup."

"I'll meet you guys back here after," Nico said.

"Pardon?"

"I'm not the most welcome person on Olympus."

"And you think I am?"

"Look, I'll just stay here, okay? I would prefer that."

So would I, I felt like saying. "Okay, fine. Norm will stay with you."

"I don't need a baby-sitter."

"I want him to stay."

"I want to go to Olympus," Norman said quickly.

"I don't want you to, though!" I took a breath. "I should just go by myself."

"Soleil-"

"Norman." I shook my head. "I want to do this alone."

He sighed deeply as his stormy gray eyes seemed to crackle with lightning. "Fine."

"So it's settled. You two stay, I'll go. I'll see you when I get."

"If you get back," Nico tried to say jokingly. It was too dark and too much of a warning to be laughed at, and I thought Norman was going to hit him again.

I walked backward. "Um, yeah, bye."

I turned and kept walking, catching a cab at the corner with some money Norman had given me. On the way to the Empire Sate Building I played with my keychain constantly. It was a golden mini-arrow Norman had found at the second-hand shop that he got for me. When the cab arrived, I hesitated for a few seconds before stepping out. I asked the guard at the front for the key to the six hundredth floor. He almost went on that "there ain't a six hundredth floor" rant, but then he saw the quiver and bow I had put on my shoulder.

"Question: can you hold my bag while I'm up there?" I asked him.

"Eh, whatever. Sure. Name?"

"Soleil Kentley."

He threw the key at me like it was a hot potato. "Go! Quickly!"

"Uh, okay."

I jogged to the elevator after giving the guard my bag. I put the key in the slot so that the button appeared for the six hundredth floor. I pressed it slowly. I slung to the side of the elevator go avoid going KER-SPLAT on the floor when the elevator started going up. I clenched and unclenched my fists repeatedly. At the top I put my hand lightly on my bow, just in case. The doors slid open.

A lightning bolt cracked the marble pathway just a few feet in front of me. I leaped over the charred marble gingerly before continuing on down the path. Yells and shouts came from all directions around me. I practically ran down the path. There was a flash in the coliseum. Godlings and satyrs argued all around me. An arrow went right over my head. Two boys with wings were sword fighting over a fountain that was cracked in half. All nine Muses sat completely mute at the foot of the broken fountain, backs to each other.

I ran right into the coliseum. All the Olympians were there, sitting in their respective thrones. The few that registered some sort of emotion when they saw me gave me glares. Zeus's master bolt crackled loudly in his hand. I was oddly unafraid as adrenaline rushed through my veins. I stared at Hera, who was smiling cruelly.

"This is your fault!" I screamed suddenly.

"Excuse me for protecting my beliefs," she said, sassy and sweet as syrup at the same time. "Leto should never have seduced my husband. Now, her and all her descendants will pay."

"Don't count on it."

"But I am, demigoddess."

I set my bow as Hera's smile turned into a bitter smirk. All the other gods watched like what was going on was their favorite television show. I put my bow down. I was just their entertainment. The reason humans had creativity was just to entertain the gods. I was a piece in their game. A pawn. I would not stand that. I wanted revenge.