Chapter 21 Lotus

She let herself fall back into the comfy couch at their cabin while Charlotte went to run another bath. With her hands she found the baby's feet that had kicked minutes earlier as she stared at the cabin walls. Nothing had changed during her absence as the head counsellor of this cabin.

Except that Sam was being a great camper according to the blackboard. Lou smiled at his grades for mythology class, which had risen throughout the years. Tears stung at the corner of her eyes. The boy had been through so much and now he was gods now where, unaware of his heritage.

A knock on the door got her out of her daydream. Lou heard Charlotte upstairs making her way towards the door.

'I've got it,' she yelled.

'You're not supposed to move around,' screamed Charlotte back. 'They can wait a bloody minute.'

'Too late.'

'Oh, you rotten Houdini,' muttered Charlotte as she appeared at the railing on the upper floor. She bolted downstairs.

The door had flung open and in the doorframe appeared a familiar Roman face.

'Can I come in?' she asked. 'I need to tell you something.'

'Of course, praetor,' said Charlotte with a nod.

'She wasn't asking you,' replied Lou. 'And don't call me a Houdini. Come in, Ramirez. Have a seat.'

Reyna stepped in as the door closed by itself. She removed her cape and upper armour before taking a seat. 'So, this place hasn't changed.'

'What is it you wanted to tell me?' asked Lou. Charlotte took a seat next to Lou and squeezed her hand.

'I came to Half-Blood with a new prophecy and it turns out I was mistaken about Sam's role in it all.' Reyna wiped her sweaty palms on her trousers. Mom, if you can hear me, don't let her get mad, she thought watching Lou's stoic expression.

'Hmm,' said Lou waving her hand for her to continue.

'Turns out the exile thing may have been a bit harsh,' she sighed. 'Gods, Lou. I am sorry for what I started. I am sorry I got Sam exiled, I am sorry for getting John mad at me, I am sorry for the boys lashing out, I am sorry for sending Charlotte over to win you back.'

'Ah, so it was a setup,' said Lou staring at Charlotte and Reyna with a smile on her lips.

'Of course,' huffed Reyna. 'She's the only one who can get you motivated in dire situations. I might not be a daughter of Minerva, but I am not a fool.'

'I never said that,' replied the daughter of Hecate. 'I knew you'd send her. It's nice seeing my fiancée once in a while. Maybe she could use some time off from being a senator?' She raised an eyebrow at Reyna.

'No,' said Charlotte. 'We agreed on doing our own work during the pregnancy. I like being a Senator, so stop pestering Reyna with it.'

Reyna stared at the two women as they bickered for another minute as she tried not to smile nervously.

'You wanted to say something,' said Lou finally as Charlotte had ended the discussion with a threat of draining the bath.

Reyna breathed in an out to steady her voice. 'I, Reyna Avilla Ramirez-Arellano, praetor of the Twelfth Legion, daughter of Bellona hereby apologize to you, Lou Ellen Blackstone, daughter of Hecate, for the role I played in getting your brother exiled and ask for your forgiveness.'

Lou Ellen smiled. 'I accept your apology and accept to forgive you.'

Reyna breathed in. 'You do?'

'You only showed him a path, he chose to act on it. He's my brother, but he carved out his own path. He was stubborn and stupid.'

'It runs in the family,' said Charlotte. 'Gods, I hope our child doesn't inherit that.'

'Hey,' said Lou with a hurt look.

Reyna clasped her own hand over her mouth and cried silently.

'Charlotte, I think I broke Reyna,' whispered Lou. 'She's crying.'

'I am not broken,' snapped Reyna wiping her eyes. 'I am moved. I have feelings too you know.'

'Ah man, I missed Reyna crying,' said John as he entered the cabin with a drawn blade. 'She apologized?'

Reyna tensed back up, one hand on her sword.

'With titles and all,' replied Lou.

John muttered a curse as he deposited his sword on the table and walked into the kitchen.

'Bring back some grapes,' yelled Lou. 'Charlotte will feed me. And make some tea.'

'I'll make the tea, you Americans can't make proper tea if your lives depended on it.' Charlotte shot Reyna a grin.

Reyna let out a small laugh before crying again. 'Gods, I sent a boy out into the wild.' She jumped up and paced around the cabin. 'Granted I wanted to protect my campers from another war, but who am I to decide someone's fate?'

'Reyna, it's okay,' said Suzan as she appeared from the doorway.

Reyna gave her a look. 'No, it is not, I have to constantly think about the lives of hundreds of people when I decide things for Jupiter. And that's hard you know? And now that stupid new prophecy made it all meaningless because we'll battle at New Rome anyway.'

'What!' Charlotte deposited the tray with mugs on the smaller table and handed one to the praetor.

'Ella gave us more lines from the Books. Nyx will bring the fight to us, but I have doomed our only hope. She's going to kill me when I tell her.'

'Tell who?' asked Lou flicking her hand. Reyna appeared next to her, so Lou gave her a shoulder to cry on.

'Sarah Parker, she appeared at Jupiter about three weeks ago. She's really good with a dagger and bow and arrow.'

Lou let out a laugh and pulled the praetor closer. 'You should've opened with that.'

'This is one of the weirdest scenes I have ever seen,' muttered Mia Black as she closed the door after letting the other Hecate children enter.

'She just needs some tea and she'll be off again,' said Lou. 'And we don't have to kill her, Sarah will do it for us.'

'Sarah?' asked Jade. 'You've seen her?'

'She's at Camp Jupiter,' said Reyna drinking from her tea. 'Training.'

'Can you do the whole apology thing again?' asked John with a grin. 'Lou's broadcast wasn't all that clear.'

Reyna gave him a deathly glare with a small smile. 'Don't push it.'

'Aw man, I really liked the emotional Reyna,' muttered Ronan before taking a sip.

Reyna guided them towards an abandoned industrial lot. Blackjack and Thunder landed gracefully and the three dismounted. Reyna handed them the amulets made by the Hecate cabin.

'They should ward off the brain washing magic of the hotel for exactly twenty four hours. Slip them on, the moment you get in the hotel.'

'Will do,' said Annabeth.

'So, we go in, get the bow and key, get out and return to Jupiter?' asked Percy.

'That's the deal. You do know where it is, right?' asked Reyna with a grin.

Percy reacted by showing her the tattoo.

Reyna saluted them before taking the pegasi with her.

'To the Strip,' said Annabeth with a grim look.

'So, what happened here?' asked Piper as she checked her daggers and medical supplies.

'We arrived in Vegas thanks to a ride with an animal transport. We got suckered into entering the Lotus Casino because we were tired,' said Percy. 'We were happily playing the many videogames they had until we snapped out of it. We lost days on the quest to retrieve the Master Bolt.'

They walked on the Strip until Annabeth froze.

'Monsters,' she whispered pointing at the three hellhounds roaming the streets. 'And an old friend.' She pointed her dagger at a man Percy remembered well.

'Dr Thorn,' he spat. 'Wasn't exactly happy with being ignored by the old heroes.'

The man stood beneath a neon lotus flower.

'Venture into lover's past,' said Piper with a sigh. 'You guys have had any other monsters trying to kill the both of you?'

'Not really, Arachne and multiple gods, including the first.'

'We need to get inside, fast,' muttered Annabeth putting on her cap.

'Let me handle it,' said Piper walking past them.

Piper walked up to the Lotus sign and drew a dagger which she hid behind her back. 'Excuse me,' she said lacing her words with the warmth of Charmspeak. 'Are you Dr. Thorn?'

The grey haired middle aged man stared down to her. She could see his different coloured eyes. 'Who wants the know?' he growled.

'A fan,' admitted Piper. 'I have heard of your battle with Percy Jackson. They say he fought unfairly.'

'Of course he fought unfairly,' sneered Thorn. 'He used his godly powers to summon the Hunters who drove me off.'

'I spotted him around that way.' Piper pointed in the direction opposite of where they had been standing. 'I think he's on a quest for the gods. A very important one. Maybe you should check it out before the hellhounds get him.' She pushed out the last sentence with a blast of Charmspeak. Piper pointed at the dogs who sat on the opposite side of the road. 'Think of the glory you'd get if you captured the sea spawn.'

'Nyx would be proud of me.'

'Why is that?'

'Because she only wants to destroy the camps to make Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase suffer. She knows how to hold a grudge.'

'I think the hounds have spotted something.' A fire hydrant blew up.

'He's here,' said Thorn triumphantly before running towards the hounds and the fire hydrant.

Piper motioned for Annabeth and Percy to join her.

'I am already here,' said Annabeth next to her. 'Thought you could use backup just in case.'

'Thanks,' said Piper.

Once Percy joined them they walked into the casino.

They slipped on the amulets as the doorman approached them. 'Is it your first visit here?'

'Yes,' replied Piper quickly, silencing the other two. 'What's this casino like?'

The man handed them green plastic cards. 'Nothing you've seen before. You don't have to worry about anything. It's all on the house.'

'Really?' asked Piper warily.

'Yes, now have fun. You're staying in room 8748.'

The doorman opened the door and they walked in.

The place was packed with videogames, pools, food stands and much more. They spotted waitresses walking among children chatting and playing the games.

'Come on, let's go to our room and figure out what to do,' said Annabeth. 'We have twenty-four hours before these wear out.'

As they made their way to the elevator, Percy spotted children making a scene before a security guard. It seemed as if they were not allowed in a certain part of the casino.

'That's where we need to begin,' he announced as the elevator arrived.

At their room, they found three separate beds and a big screen TV. They dropped their bags and Annabeth pulled out her notepad. 'So we check out that off limits room,' she said.

'I'll talk to the big man, and you two slip in,' said Piper.

'What if it doesn't work?' asked Percy.

'We go in by force,' said Annabeth drawing a dagger.

With the battle plan fresh in their heads, they went back down. Percy and Annabeth got something to eat, while Piper approached the big guy at the door.

'Hey handsome,' she spoke putting in Charmspeak. 'Mind if I take a peak in the room? I'm tired of these kiddy games.'

'You may not enter without the sign,' spoke the man in the suit.

'The sign?' asked Piper.

The second big guy appeared from the doorway and joined his co-worker. 'This sign,' he grumbled. He showed her a plastic drachma. 'The token from the boss.'

'And how can I get one of those? Or can you lend a girl a hand?' She winked at Righty.

'Leave,' growled the man on the left. 'You are not entering this place without the token, daughter of Aphrodite.'

Piper took a step back. 'I demand to receive access to that room,' she shouted upping the Charmspeak.

'No token, no access,' said Lefty with a monotonous voice.

Piper stared at the two before stalking towards the table where Annabeth and Percy were sitting. The daughter of Athena offered her a tofu burger.

'Those guys are definitively not mortal,' she said chewing. 'Monsters or automatons, but impervious to Charmspeak.'

'And I don't think we can beat them in combat,' said Annabeth nodding in their direction.

Piper and Percy turned around and saw a group of five children being restrained and rebuffed with ease by the two large men.

'Don't go in there,' said a voice next to them. 'You'll lose every ounce of luck you have.'

They turned to the table. A boy in his early teens had sunken eyes. He played around with a plastic black disk, engraved with a golden picture of an ace on one side and an owl on the other one.

'That guy is the master of the cards. He'll pick you clean of everything you own. And don't get distracted by his friend. She'll throw out any cheater. I got out with most of my stuff, but I had to forfeit my high score on Asteroids to pay my debt. Those other guys were so unlucky. They lost their weapons and got turned into gold dust.'

'What did they lose?' asked Percy.

'Swords, gold and silver coins, helmets. There were two guys who pleaded and begged to get their bow and key back, but they got kicked out. Oh crap, that's her.'

They turned to the entrance where Righty was talking to a girl of about sixteen, with silver hair and wearing a black suit with a silver tie. She glanced into their direction. She approached them.

'Thank the gods you're finally here. You've made a lot of noise, Piper,' she said with a devilish grin. She deposited three disks on the table. 'And you've brought Percy and Annabeth. Stay here for another hour and then come to room 4002.'

'How do you know us?' asked Annabeth.

'Every demigod knows about Percabeth and The Seven, even a lowlife Hunter like myself,' said Hunter with a laugh before leaving them at the table.