Chapter 29-
"You know," a voice behind her made her jump and she growled, realizing who it was "you're not helping your case." Rhode leaned against the bathroom door, having shut it behind her. Percy pulled her shirt close to her, covering the bruises on her stomach and the easy view of every single rib.
"I don't care. I take care of my friends." She growled "Get out." She hissed. Rhode studied her for a moment before frowning.
"Percy," she didn't know what to say "When did you last eat and where did these bruises come from?" she ripped the shirt away from Percy and Percy lunged at her, growling. Rhode blocked her blows and Percy stepped back with a huff of impatience.
"I ate earlier today, but I can't hold my food down very well." She shrugged uncomfortably "The bruises are from Order."
"They're not healing?" Rhode questioned. Percy growled impatiently and flipped the faucet to the shower to steaming hot.
"They would if I was left alone to shower in peace." Rhode shrugged as he said this and left the bathroom, looking back at her with eyes that were pale and unyielding.
Xxx
"Goodnight Persephone!" Rhode walked by with a grim look on her face, but it wasn't her that had said it. Benny trotted behind her sister as they left the living room. "Bye dad! Bye mom!" she yelled, flashing away with her sister.
"Finally." Triton fell to the couch in a heap and grinned at Percy "They drive me crazy." He mumbled, tapping his foot against the couch cushion, inviting her to sit down.
"And I don't?" she questioned, sitting down and letting him ret his feet against her thigh. He shrugged, closing his eyes,
"No, I haven't been around you long enough to be annoyed with you." He smiled and closed his eyes. Percy nodded, although he couldn't see and the two sat in silence.
"Is he asleep?" Percy jumped as Theseus walked in and shrugged her shoulders. "You're jumpy today. Are you okay?" he questioned. Percy shifted so that she was in a more comfortable position.
"Yeah, I'm alright." She spoke with sincerity and Theseus eyes her questioningly.
"You're alright, not good or great." He mentioned. Percy raised an eyebrow at him and sighed as he didn't glance away.
"I am fine." She pushed, shaking his head as he grumbled under his breath, but otherwise left her alone.
"Oh!" Triton sat up suddenly and looked at her with such intensity, it spooked her. "Can I have a party at your house? I promise I'll clean up." He was practically begging and Percy rolled her eyes.
"Go ahead." She paused then asked "When?"
"I don't know yet," he frowned and closed his eyes again "Whenever the ladies are free to party." Percy snorted as he went back to falling asleep.
"Do you remember when you first came looking for Luke, and he brought you to us?" Theseus questioned, looking at her with bright eyes.
"Yes?" Percy held the word as a question so that Theseus would continue. He took a sip of water before continuing.
"A few months before that, I was talking to Achilles about how I wondered if Poseidon had any children recently. Achilles leapt to his feet like he had been burnt, scaring Odysseus and I." he paused "Achilles told me that a girl with sea-green eyes and a heart like a lion had come to bathe in the Styx. He told me she had survived." He stopped and stared into his water glass.
"What?" she questioned, leaning forward and pushing him further.
"I didn't believe him until Luke came walking up to us with you close behind." He looked at her now "We all thought you were just some girl looking for us, but then I saw your eyes."
"They're the same as yours and Triton's and dad's." she finished, grinning at her brother. Theseus nodded.
"You looked scared that first day, like you didn't know what you were doing there." He began to laugh "We didn't think you'd come back."
"I didn't know if I would either." She whispered, looking at Triton for a moment before standing up and walking over to sit next to her brother "I was only coming back if Luke would let me."
"Let you?" Theseus questioned, surprised. Percy snorted and rolled her eyes, deciding to fix her statement.
"Well," she thought about how to fix that statement. "I guess it was more about my friendship with Luke." She paused and turned to face him "At first, yeah, I came down to ask Luke for help. When I saw what he was doing to himself though, I decided I wasn't going to let him continue it."
"I don't know how you did it, none of us where ever able to make him stop." Theseus stood up, offering his hand to pull Percy up.
"I set limits to our friendship." She shrugged "Actually us not dating was one of those limitations." She laughed dryly and Theseus chuckled.
"Really?" he questioned. Percy nodded and he shook his head, surprised. "Who came up with that one?"
"Luke." Percy spoke without hesitation, making Theseus grin. The two had walked out of the living room and now stood outside Percy's door.
"Are you going to be okay tonight?" he questioned, leaving her to mumble something under her breath before glancing at him.
"We'll see." She promised grimly, opening her door and disappearing inside. The door shut with a soft click and Theseus stood outside of it for a long time, thinking.
Xxx
Screaming woke the household. Theseus groaned as he rolled out of bed and raced out of his bedroom. He'd been waiting up for this, and had been dozing.
"Persephone." His bedroom was only a few strides down from hers and he busted through the door, sending light into the room. The sheets were strewn across the floor as if they had been kicked off and Percy was curled up into the tightest ball she could possibly be in. "Percy." She had been woken by the gunshot sound of the door being busted open and Theseus knew he'd probably get in trouble for the long crack that ran from the top of the door to the bottom, but for now, he wrapped her in his arms.
"I guess this answers your question." She hung to him tightly, breathing heavily as the others came in. Triton leaned against the wall across the wall, looking slightly terrified while Poseidon strode in and sat down next to Percy and Theseus. Amphitrite and Rhode stood outside the door, peaking in.
