A few days later, a huge thunderstorm hit the city. Sonya tried to ignore the ominous weather as she set the table for dinner.
So far, Apollo had not come knocking on the door. It was a relief actually for Sonya. She was still stressed out from her encounter with the twin goddesses' visit.
Her shopping trip with Uncle Paul had included getting hiking boots, thicker clothing, along with a lightweight backpack and a few weapons.
She wasn't sure if pepper spray or slingshot would be effective against monsters.
Her aunt also had given her a knife with protective gloves to keep Sonya from unintentionally cutting herself. Even without a demigod scent, her blood would entice monsters to find her.
Sonya herself had packed the first aid kit, making sure her anxiety meds were stored safely inside. If she was going to assist in a quest then her meds were vital.
The teenager had put the last fork down at the table when there was a loud knock on the door.
The small family looked at one another silently. It appeared their guests had finally arrived.
Opening the door, Sally welcomed in Apollo, Meg, and a muscular woman who looked like she could crush a skull.
They were dripping wet and their clothes had seen better days. They also smelled badly.
Apollo looked around the apartment. He wasn't surprised to see baby Estelle. He didn't know who the man was or the teenage girl.
He didn't get the sense they were dangerous. He did notice none of the apartment occupants were surprised to see him.
"It's nice to see you again, Apollo. How are you doing Meg? May I ask for your name?" Sally asked the big woman kindly.
"I'm doing okay for now. This is Luguselwa, or Lu, for short. She's my legal guardian."
Apollo's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He was slightly shocked to find out the reason Meg trusted the Gaul, was because she was his master's surrogate mother.
"You failed to mention this earlier why?"
Lu growled at him. "It was not relevant to our circumstances. Why did your arrow tell you to bring us here? These mortals can't help us."
Sally interrupted the conversation. "We can help you three. We've been waiting for you to arrive for days."
Apollo was not prepared for another curveball. "Did Percy tell you this? Also, where is he? We can really use his help."
Sally explained that Percy had left for California a few days before. Then, two goddesses had visited her niece to expect Apollo's arrival.
The former god wanted to ask more questions. He was still dripping wet and cold. So he took Sally's suggestion to change into something warmer before dinner.
Apollo followed Paul and Estelle into Percy's room. The room had a slight feminine touch to it.
There were two posters featuring flowers and trees. The sheets and pillowcase were a light pink. A music box sat on the dresser along were two photos.
One appeared to be her and her parents. The other was of the Blofis/Jackson family.
Estelle's giggling drew his attention from the photos back to the bed. She was playing happily with a plastic blue donut.
She wiggled around on the bed looking adorable. Apollo remarked, "Estelle is a very cute baby. She's very curious and charismatic."
Paul had a fatherly grin on his face as he handed Apollo some of Percy's cloths. "I know and I'm glad. Being a father is the greatest job there is."
Apollo felt his heart clench. He was also a father, but he hadn't been a very good one. His kids at Camp Half-Blood had thrived under Chiron's guidance along with the traits their mortal parent passed on.
I'm not going to dwell on what I can't change. I vow to be a better father in the future and this one I'll keep.
"I'm curious about something. Ms. Jackson stated the girl from earlier is her niece, does that mean you're her uncle?"
Paul nodded and anticipated the former god's next question. "Sonya's living with us for now. I love my younger brother and my sister-in-law. I know they love Sonya. The problem is they love alcohol more than her."
He played with his daughter's hair making her smile. "I hated having to use the court to force them into treatment. I felt like I didn't have a choice after Sonya ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. They didn't even notice she wasn't in the house for a week."
The teenage god nodded in agreement. It was very apparent to him that Paul was one of the rare parents gods like to pretend to be.
"It was kind of you to take her in. I imagine that raising a teenager while taking care of a newborn, is challenging. I'm sorry I'm endangering your family by being here."
"I know you do. Part of me was hoping you weren't going to show up for Sonya's sake. Betting against two goddesses just leads to lost money. Why don't you take a shower and meet us at the table? We can exchange stories then."
Apollo wondered which goddesses Paul had spoken about. Artemis and he were the most famous twins in Olympus.
He knew there were a few others. If his memory was working properly he know who he was dealing with.
Sonya was serving the lasagna when Apollo took his seat at the table. His presence seemed to unnerve her slightly.
He could comprehend that. Meeting two goddesses at once would stress any mortal out. Meeting a mortal one was adding to the stress.
"Now that we're all at the table I think it's time you tell us about your quest and the threat we are facing."
Sonya noticed neither the former god nor the buff woman was sure what to say. The preteen started telling their story between bites.
As Meg told them about her and Apollo's quest across North America, the Jackson/Blofis family could tell this was the edited version.
Her uncle seemed a bit speechless by the story. "I've seen and heard a lot of strange things. Still, it is hard to believe that the emperor who burned down Rome is living downtown in an office building turned fortress."
"There are multiple immortals still living across the globe. It's not surprising that humanity has made it easy for them to entrench themselves," Sally commented.
It was at that time that Apollo asked which goddesses had visited and what did they ask for?
Sonya put down her silverware. "Their names were Astrape and Bronte. Both of them said they were Zeus's shield maidens."
"Astrape and Bronte? I haven't seen them in ages. I thought they had faded away."
Sonya shook her head. "If they sit by the throne of Zeus, how can you miss them?"
Apollo flushed and muttered something about decorations on a chair. He really needs to start paying more attention to his surroundings.
"What did my sisters want?"
"Um, they chose me to be your last mortal assistant in the final part of your quest. They gave me the jewelry to use their powers. I have yet to figure out how to use them." The teenager started tapping her fingers nervously.
"The deal was I help you defeat your enemies and you're restored to godhood, you'll owe them a favor. One that will benefit all the minor gods and goddesses."
The teenager tried not to fidget as the guests studied her. All this attention was nerve wracking.
Meg just shrugged her shoulders and went back to stuffing her face. Lu's deep frown conveyed her distaste for her.
Apollo's was the worst. He tried to hide his confusion and displeasure. He clearly thought his younger sisters had made a poor choice in the mortal help department.
"I thank you for volunteering, but no. Your family has been through enough. I'll find someone else to help us."
Sonya quickly sat down and went back to her meal. She tuned out the conversations around her. She knew the goddesses had made a mistake with selecting her. Just because she was Percy's step-cousin didn't mean she could be of assistance.
I would just get in the way of the quest. It was going to be hard enough for me to walk the city streets without getting stressed. I suppose I should feel relieved that the questors don't want me around.
I don't know why I'm not happy about that. I guess a small part of me wanted to be a hero like Percy. In my element, I know I'm courageous, strong-minded, and quick-witted enough to handle the challenges of life.
But assisting Apollo and Meg is a godly challenge. That's way above my league. What am I supposed to do now? Do I press the issue or just sit back so that the duo can find a more worthy mortal?
Sonya wished she knew what the right choice was.
Since the thunderstorm showed no sign of letting up, it was decided that their guests would spend the night. After a good breakfast, they would depart to continue their quest.
Sonya had yielded the bedroom to the girls. She would be sleeping with her uncle and aunt's bedroom on the floor in her new sleeping bag.
That left Apollo on the couch which he graciously accepted. Apollo was having trouble going to sleep. The thought of Sonya coming with them made him uneasy.
He didn't want her to get hurt. The Blofis/Jackson family didn't deserve to be used like this after everything they went through. Had Astrape and Bronte only considered Sonya because of her relations to Percy? If they did, then he would need to have words with them. His journey had taught him no one was expendable.
There was a flash of lightning and suddenly Apollo was outside in the alley getting wet once again. He shivered in what had been dry clothes a mere second ago.
There was no shelter anywhere for him to get out of the rain. He tried the side door to the building only to learn it was locked.
"Whoever brought me out here, could you please let me go inside? I'm going to get hypothermia if I stay out in the rain like this."
The side door opened and Apollo slipped inside. He slowly made his way to the basement where the apartment owners had a small storage area.
He fumbled with the lock on his hosts' until he got it open. There were some extra clothes and the former god put them on. At least he could stop shivering. He had a clue who had done this to him. He hoped she would appear to him soon.
He climbed back up the stairs and saw a young woman sitting on the steps to the second floor. It was Astrape and weirdly she was alone. She appeared to be trying out a new style to fit in the modern world. Astrape had removed the curls from her black hair and let it hang short.
She had chosen to make the fringe blue. She wore a short-sleeved pink shirt with strawberries all over it. The goddess had paired with a short black skirt, pink socks, and purple runners. For some reason, she had a gold clip in her hair and was wearing black glasses.
She got up and twirled in front of her mortal brother. "What do you think? I'm trying the soft girl aesthetic out."
"I have no idea what you mean. If I'm honest, I didn't think you or your twin sister were still alive. I assumed you had faded."
The young goddess rolled her eyes. "Why does everyone assume all minor gods and goddesses are gone? Yes, our numbers have dropped and all the Ptolemy gods/goddesses seem to have disappeared."
She gave a dervishes laugh confusing her brother. "That's only motivated us to hold on tighter. Why do you think we want representation and temples so badly?" Smirking she added, "Not all of us need to depend on demigod offspring to survive, but it doesn't hurt for them to know about us as insurance."
He opened his mouth to ask about her sister when she cut him off. "Bronte is working on Plan B. No, you don't need to know what that is."
Apollo crossed his arms and huffed. He had only recently realized how irritating and rude it was to be shut up by a god/goddess. "Can we get to the point, please? I would like to get some sleep tonight."
Astrape looked amused by his words. "I think your time spent as a human has done you well. You have developed a sense of humor that isn't cruel." Her half-brother seemed unsure if she was teasing him or her words were meant as a compliment.
Flipping her hair back she got to the point of her visit. "I know you are angry about our choice to use Sonya to aid you."
She didn't need the power to read minds to know Apollo's main objection was because the family had suffered more than enough because of the gods. He didn't want to cause further trouble for them.
"Sonya wasn't chosen just because she's related to Percy Jackson. She has the skills to succeed in this quest. Her anxiety is holding her back from shining bright." Smiling, she added, "By helping you finish your quest, she'll prove to herself she's more than her anxieties."
Apollo tapped his ears and touched his throat. He needed information on the magical jewelry. If Sonya was going to join this quest, he wanted to discern what he could do to keep her from injuring herself by accident.
The goddess of lightning demonstrated. To use the lightning earrings, Sonya needed to squeeze them for three seconds and aim for a bolt would paralyze the target for a short amount of time. She could also use them to blow things up.
To use the shield, the teenager needed to double tap it and it would expand to protect her. Striking the shield would produce a sound attack. The range would be five feet in front of where the shield was pointing.
Finished speaking, Astrape wished him luck and left the building. Apollo trudged up the stairs and managed to get back into the apartment. He hoped no one else was going to zap him outside again.
The next morning the smell of fresh orange juice woke him. Stretching his arms, he saw Sonya was up and setting the table for breakfast.
A glance at the kitchen clock said it was six a.m. "You're up early," he remarked.
Sonya shrugged her shoulders. She had turned on the stove so she could start on the blueberry pancakes. "Today's my turn to make breakfast so I got up earlier. I thought you would be already up since you're the god of the sun."
Apollo asked if she wanted his help and she declined. She told him he should be getting ready for the day ahead. "You and Meg will need to be ready for anything today."
"What about you? Are you ready?"
Sonya stilled. "I thought you said I wasn't coming. That you would find someone else to assist you," she said in a cool tone.
"Astrape teleported me out in the storm to suffer because of that comment. She would have left me out there if I hadn't agreed to her terms. My half sister believes that you will shine bright when your time comes to assist me."
Sonya wasn't sure that would happen. I can't think like that. Uncle Paul and Aunt Sally believe in me. A goddess trusts me to succeed. All I have to do is stay positive.
Later, it took twenty minutes for Sonya to willingly leave the building on her own. She tried to keep up with the group only to find herself trailing them by four blocks before they noticed her absence.
"You need to keep up mortal. Sapling and her slave will not be able to carry you all the way," Luguselwa chided Sonya after she finally caught up with the group.
"I'm trying to keep up. I'm doing my best in a very stressful situation so please don't antagonize me."
Meg looked at Sonya sympathetically. She knew what it was like to hide your stress. "We'll make sure you can keep pace, okay?"
Sonya nodded and the group set out again. This time, the group took the alleyways to avoid the cameras on the main streets. She had no idea where they were going. "What's the plan again? I zoned out at dinner."
"We're going to fake a fight on a rooftop so Lu can get back to Fa…I mean Nero's. She'll then be able to help us on the inside," Meg replied.
It didn't sound like a good idea to Sonya. Faking a fight was a strenuous task. If the fight looked too choreographed or they weren't fighting at full force, Lu's cover was blown.
They reached a ten-story building that was being gutted. Lu halted the group.
"Nero is prepared to face a blessed mortal. If he sees Sonya now by the end of the hour he'll know everything about her. We can't let him have that advantage."
Apollo agreed with Lu. The longer they could delay Nero from discovering Sonya, the better.
"Then what should I be doing instead?" Sonya asked.
"Creating confusion for Nero." Lu reached inside her pocket and pulled out some coins. She gave one to Meg who looked like Christmas had come early. The other five she gave to Sonya.
"Use the coins to call up five harpy taxis. Use four of those coins to pay the harpies to drive throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens. Pay the last one to take you to Camp Half-Blood on Long Island."
Lu turned to her Sapling. "You'll need to summon your ride at the same time. The six vehicles must leave at the together for this to work."
After learning the phrase to summon harpy taxis, Sonya headed two blocks south. "Keep calm, keep calm, keep calm. You can do this. There is no reason to panic."
"You're only going to be summoning five bird-women who are known to snatch things and never return them. Now is not the time to panic."
She heard something flying over her head. Her jaw dropped when she realized it was Lu traveling at thirty miles per hour. Was this part of the plan? About two minutes later, Meg and Apollo stumbled out of the building. In sync, they threw their coins and called for a ride.
"The daughters of Okypete, Aello, and Celaeno and Podarge, hear my call. I wish for a ride today."
The coins were quickly snatched out of the air by something too fast to see. Instantly, five black and white taxis appeared. The half-bird women started yelling at her.
"One at a time, please! I only need one ride."
"Then why did you summon five of us?" barked one harpy.
"I need all of you to help me confuse an enemy of yours. You can keep the coins and I'll give each of you one of these," she pulled out five bags of blue cookies.
"If four of you will drive all over Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens. I'll take the last cab to Camp Half-Blood on Long Island" The cookies were quickly snatched out of her hands.
Four of the taxis zoomed away leaving a nervous Sonya to get into the last cab. I hope you can make this a smooth ride."
"You better buckle up. This is going to be the most exhilarating ride of your life!" Sonya let out a scream of surprise as the taxi zoomed down the road and into the air!
"AHHHHHHHHH! Why are we in the air?!" Sonya asked in a panic. This wasn't what she was expecting at all!
"So we can beat the Gray Sisters to Camp Half-Blood! They're trying to monopolize the entire transport system. We're going to prove to them that the transport system should be run by harpies instead!"
The taxi started doing barrel rolls between the skyscrapers to save the hassle of going around each one individually. Once they cleared the skyscrapers the harpy gunned the engine as the taxi went straight up.
"Hold on tight back there. I just need to reach minimal the height needed to stoop for the entrance to Camp Half-Blood," the harpy said excitedly.
"Stoop? Do you mean like a peregrine falcon? Won't that destroy the taxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiiiiiii?"
The teenage girl closed her eyes tightly as they plummeted back towards the ground. She could feel the outside of the taxi getting hotter. Her seat belt tighten as she started to fall forward. "Please let this ride end. Please let this ride end."
The taxi hit the ground and bounced a few times before coming to a stop near the entrance to Camp Half-Blood. Sonya sat up and tried to keep from vomiting.
"Out of one to ten, how would you rate your experience?" the harpy asked quickly.
Sonya flashed eight fingers as she undid her seat belt. She got out of the taxi with her belongings and wobbled over to a taxi driver called out for her to have a good day. It zoomed back into the sky to find another customer.
"That was the…worst ride…in my entire…life," Sonya moaned as she slid to the ground. "Never…again. I am never…taking magical transportation…again."
She reached inside her pack for the first aid kit. She needed her medication now. After swallowing her medication and re-hydrating, she waited for Apollo and Meg to arrive.
Seven minutes later, a crazy tombstone-colored vehicle was careening down the road towards her. With no time to move, she double-tapped the medallion.
A huge round shield popped up in front of her. The vehicle ricocheted off the shield producing a booming noise. The sound caused the car to rattle to a stop. Peeking over the shield she saw Apollo jumping from the car as Meg thanked the Gray Sisters for a ride.
As soon as the car disappeared into the ground, Sonya double tapped it. It shrank back into a medallion. "Are you two okay?"
Meg spoke for both of them. "Apollo will be fine. He's a real wuss when it comes to taking a fun ride."
"How did you get here ahead of us? The Gray Sisters are the fastest magical transportation around."
"Not when harpies drive their taxis into the air so they can swoop down at their destination." Sonya slowly pushed herself up on her that the others were here she looked up the embankment. There was a tall pine tree at the top of the hill.
A golden skin was fluttering on a low-hanging branch. There was a man scratching something coiled around the trunk. There was pressure behind her eyes so she squeezed them shut. When she opened the again, she realized the man had been scratching a dragon's ear.
"I'm seeing through the Mist?! How is that possible?"
Apollo appeared thoughtful before giving an answer. Bronte probably gave her a tiny blessing to see through the Mist, but only when she was super close to something.
Meg frowned as they trudged up the hill. "I don't remember this guy from last time. Who is he?"
The mortal god's eyes flattened. "He's my younger brother Dionysus. If you want to avoid being turned into grapes, I highly recommend not saying anything."
Getting to the summit, Peleus's head shoved past Dionysus and started smelling Sonya. The teenager stayed absolutely still as she was inspected. After a few moments, Peleus deemed Sonya not a threat and let her be. Sonya was relieved that the dragon accepted her.
She didn't miss Dionysus frowning out of the corner of her eye. It was clear to the trio he had hoped the dragon would eat her.
Instead, he had to let them through the barrier. "Yippee, another mortal. Why bother having a barrier if we just let anyone in these days?" the god muttered.
He abruptly stopped and turned around. It was like he just remembered his older brother was right there. "Oh, Apollo. Sorry, I forgot you for a second."
"I'm just pleased that you finally understand how miserable I've been down here! Though your punishment seems worse." Dionysus was laughing at his own merriment.
"No six-pack abs, acne scared face, not to mention the most ridiculous human name ever. Lester Papadopoulos has to be the worst moniker in the world."
Sonya was not amused by the god of wine's antics. Did he truly forget what it meant to be human? He was technically a demigod before. Maybe becoming a full god had robbed him of the humanity he had been born with.
"Brother, I'm glad you're enjoying my predicament. Right now, we are on borrowed time, so can hurry along to the camp, please?"
Dionysus took the long way to get to camp. He was determined to have his brother fall over every rock or get beamed by a tree branch. Both Meg and Sonya were getting annoyed with this.
"Where is Chiron?" Meg asked boldly ignoring Apollo's pleading look.
"Not here! He's at a meeting with a cat and a severed head. Won't be back for days!"
"Who?" Apollo asked.
"Oh, he must mean Ba…." Sonya covered her mouth. The stories about the Egyptian magicians and the Norse einherjar were top secret.
Meg bounced on her feet. "You know who he's meeting with? Spill it!"
"I promised Percy I wouldn't talk about private matters between him and Annabeth. My step-cousin would be very upset if I broke my promise."
"Oh, you're related to Peter Johnson? No wonder the barrier let you through."
Sonya ignored the disdain and marched straight into the camp. Hearing about the camp was exciting. Seeing it was fantastical!
She could see twenty-one cabins, each with its own design in a large field of grass around a campfire. In front of her were rows upon rows of strawberries and a four-story Victorian.
Near to the cabins were the armory, forges, and arts and crafts. She could make out the climbing wall in the distance as well as the other structures Percy had described.
There were so many kids of varying ages scattered around the areas. Some of the older ones were directing the younger children to their cabins. A few had already started playing volleyball.
Her attention was caught by twelve children who seemed out of place amongst the campers.
Six of them wore white shawls and carried fire pokers. They were by the hearth, performing a welcoming ritual. The other six wore white Grecian-style crowns on their heads. They carried different weapons and were scouting the borders of the camp.
The others soon joined her. Meg and Apollo looked a little surprised to see the twelve non-demigods.
"I thought the Acolytes and Champions were going home for the summer," Meg remarked baffled by their presence.
Dionysus scowled upon hearing those titles. "Those upstarts? They were supposed to be out of my hair already. But no, they are staying an extra week to help welcome the newcomers and ensure everyone arrives here safely."
"The sooner they depart the better. Blessed mortals are more of a pain than demigods. They even stood up against me when I got their names incorrect!"
Apollo chuckled lightly. He had to wonder if Orlanda had given his younger brother a good wallop on the head with her cane. If she did, she should be awarded for that. Dionysus was always a pain in the butt.
Sonya relaxed as they strolled through the camp to get to the Big House. Being out here was a lot better than in the the noise and the crowd, she felt like she was back in Millville.
"This camp is amazing! Percy's stories about this place were understated!" Her eyes were soaking up everything knowing this would be her only visit.
Without Astrape and Bronte's magical jewelry, she would never get past the barrier again. She didn't fit in this world. She wasn't special like the blessed mortals or a descendant of a hero.
Apollo understood what Sonya was feeling. His first time here as a mortal he felt as if he didn't belong either.
Even with his children around, he felt like a fake. She wanted to experience this place so she could share her own stories with her step-cousin.
"Meg, why don't you take Sonya on a tour of the camp? Have the demigods teach her a few moves in preparation for the next part of the quest."
Meg started to protest before looking at Sonya's pleading expression. It was the same one she had when Lu offered to take her out of Nero's tower.
"Alright, we should start first at the cabins and then make our way towards the pegasi stables."
Sonya couldn't help clapping in joy. The rest of the quest would be extremely dangerous. A positive experience would help keep her stress level down.
A line was forming near Hestia's Hearth. She hadn't noticed it before, but there was a potbelly pig with the, what was that word again, oh Acolytes.
It was clear the six of them were extremely happy with being the welcoming committee. They were taking their job very seriously.
Meg cut to the head of the line dragging Sonya with her. She shoved the head of the line to the side before greeting the young boy in front of her.
"Hi, Maui. You're looking good."
"Meg?! I had no idea you were back. Shouldn't Apollo be here with you?" He then asked Sonya who she was.
"Sonya Blofis. I'm Percy Jackson's step-cousin. I'm helping Apollo and Meg with the end of their quest."
She was going to say something else when Meg started dragging her away.
"We've got a lot of ground to cover Blofis. We can't linger without interfering with the Acolytes job."
Sonya freed her wrist from the preteen's grip. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and she was not going to be rushed.
"You said we would look at the cabins first, not rush past everything."
Meg rolled her eyes at the comment. She was only rushing because she had to know what was going on with her servant.
Then again, Apollo could look after himself.
The two looked at each cabin admiring the designs. Sonya liked the Hades and Iris cabins. They contrasted each other nicely.
"I still can't get over how colorful Iris's cabin was. Where did they find so much paint?" Sonya asked as they headed to their next destination.
Meg shrugged her shoulders "I wouldn't know. Better be on your guard. We have to pass by the combat arena and archery field to get to the stables."
As they neared the combat arena Sonya got curious to see what was happening inside. She gently tugged Meg's arm.
"Do you think we could stop for a little bit? I want to watch a little of the combat practice."
Meg thought about it for a second before nodding. The two went inside the arena.
Councilor Sherman Yang was giving his new half-siblings a lesson on handling weapons properly.
The youngsters kept dropping their swords or spears as they tried to copy their big brother.
Sherman massaged his temples as he tried to be patient. "Alright newbies, let's try this again."
"First, make sure your weapon feels balanced in your hand. You'll know when it's balanced when the weight is evenly distributed. When that happens, you can start using your sword or spear without exerting yourself."
Sherman was remarkably patient as he assisted his half-siblings in finding a balanced weapon.
Seeing the teenager teaching the kids how to thrust their weapons forward brought a tear to Sonya's eyes. "Ahh, how adorable is this?"
Meg snorted. "You want to see something that's more adorable? Follow me."
Arriving at the pegusi stables one of the beasts started neighing at Sonya. Ignoring the warning from the campers, the mortal rushed past everyone to get to Blackjack.
"You're so handsome! Step-cousin Percy told me all about you, Blackjack. You're the best flying horse in the world. Yes, you are. I wish I had a donut to give you."
Blackjack was enjoying the attention this girl was giving him. Percy never told him he had a cousin!
It was a shame she was an ordinary mortal. He would have loved taking her for a flight.
Eventually, the girls left the stables and went back in the opposite direction to see other areas of the camp.
As they passed by the dining pavilion, two kids called out to Meg. One of them was Meg's half-sister Miranda Gardner.
The other was Malcolm Pace, a son of Athena. "Meg! I'm glad you came back! Are you here to stay?"
"Nah, just a quick stopover before Apollo and I continue on our quest. This is Sonya."
Sonya flushed a little as Malcolm studied her. "You're not a demigod. Are you a blessed mortal?"
Sonya's shoulders rolled as she explained the situation. When she was done the two demigods gave her a look of respect.
"I think you're very brave for helping Meg and Apollo. You should stop by Cabin Four later." Miranda insisted.
"We have a giant tree inside that's a great place to calm down if you get anxious."
"You should also stop by Cabin Six. My siblings and I could teach you how to strategize."
"I'll remember that. It was nice to meet you both."
Before the girls could continue, one of the girls wearing a polos crown, intercepted them.
"Leilani, what's wrong?" Malcolm inquired.
"Apollo collapsed for no reason at the Big House. I'm here to escort these two to Cabin Seven."
The girls dutifully followed the Champion to their destination. Everyone cleared out of her way.
The experienced campers pulled their new half-siblings out of her path, whispering in their ears why you didn't get in a Champion's way.
Arriving at Cabin Seven, Leilani handed the two off to Austin and Kayla.
"Hope these two can help you. I have to break up a fight between the cleaning harpies and some new campers."
Meg asked how her servant was. Austin replied that he seemed fine besides being unconscious. Will was trying to determine why their father had fainted.
"While we're waiting to find out what is going on, we could use some help with the newbies. Gracie, Jerry, and Yan are freaking out slightly," Kayla whispered to the girls.
Sitting on the steps to the cabin were three young kids. They were shaking a little as they wondered what was going on. Clearly, a distraction was needed to keep their minds off their unconscious father.
"No problem. I know a great place to calm anxiety," Sonya remarked. Meg grinned as she realized what Sonya was thinking.
"Everyone, we're going to visit Cabin Four."
Apollo wished he could control his dreams better. Right now, he was hovering over Nero's throne room. His enemy was sitting on a throne next to eleven kids.
They were all dressed in clothing that reflected their status as Nero's children. The younger ones were terrified.
The ones in the middle appeared to be caught between assuring the younger kids and having to endure Nero's wraith.
The older ones were standing at attention. Their body language was a perfect copy of their foster father.
Their lips formed cruel smiles. Only a tiny amount of humanity seemed to twinkle in their eyes.
In front of the dais, Lu lay on a stretcher. Her body appeared to have barely survived going through a meat grinder.
There were massive bruises all over her body. There was a huge gash on her left cheek.
"Ah Lu, I have to say I'm surprised that you were defeated. Oh well, I guess it's on to Plan B. Lucius, I need you to double the guards around the storage vats."
"Aemilia, you're in charge of sending the invitations. Oh, make sure you order a big cake. It's not every day I burn down a city the size of NYC."
Something grabbed Apollo's astral form and dragged him straight down the building. His astral form smacked against the rocks.
Opening his eyes he wished he hadn't. Python was right in front of him. His body was wrapped around the rocks where the fumes puffed out.
He hissed at Apollo and was rewarded by seeing the former god's astral body running away.
"Stupid god. Your tiny brain cannot comprehend my grand design. You're walking into my delicious trap."
He was yanked back by someone. Twisting around, he saw Bronte talking with the five Asclepiades, the five immortal daughters of his son, Asclepius, and his wife Epione.
His granddaughters were paying close attention to Bronte who appeared to be trying to persuade them to agree with her.
"I understand it sounds scary and you're hesitant. Still, think about it. Hygeia, you're the most well-known daughter of Asclepius. Very well known and yet you have no temple or representation."
Bronte turned her attention to the others. "Aigle, you deserve a thank you at least for keeping people healthy. Panakiea and Iaso, you two are the busiest. A little respect for your hard work isn't too much to ask is it?"
"Akeso, you deserve a chance to shine brightly for once. If the five of you join in with Astrape and mine's plan, we can accomplish our goal."
Hygeia spoke up. "The first part of your plan sounds wonderful. It's the second one that is causing us to pause. Are you sure it's necessary?"
Bronte nodded calmly. "If we're going to prove how serious we are then yes. I have been assured it won't be too hard for us to learn from the experience."
Apollo didn't get to hear his granddaughter's reply. His astral body was called somewhere else. He found himself back in New Rome at the bookshop.
He was watching Ella spouting fun facts to kids as their parents shopped.
Tyson was helping the customers by getting the books from the high shelves while Raquel was ringing up the purchases.
"Thanks for shopping at our store! Enjoy the rest of your day!" Raquel told the customer.
She was about to ring up the next customer when a chill went down her spine. Looking up, her jaw dropped.
"Apollo?" she whispered.
The former god wasn't able to reply. He found himself in someone's backyard. He was unsure why he was here until the backdoor opened.
"Come on Ulster! We don't want to miss the butterflies hatching." Brooke informed her dog.
Ulster barked twice. Suddenly, he sniffed the air and yipped twice. His eyes fell on Apollo.
Brooke was frozen in shock. What was the mortal god doing in her backyard?
In a flash of light, Apollo was inside the Waystation. Isra was in the griffin nest playing with a chick.
"Who is the best baby griffin in the world? Is it you Hope? Yes, yes it is!" The baby jumped into her arms, careful to avoid digging her talons in.
Hope rubbed her head against Isra's cheek. They looked very happy together.
From behind him, he heard someone call his name. "Apollo, what are you doing here?" Aletheia asked. She blinked as his astral body vanished.
Apollo materialized in Camp Half-Blood. "Thank goodness it's over. I would like to wake up now! Please?"
The former god tried to pinch himself awake, but his hand went through his astral body."Why can't I wake up?" he demanded.
Two people walked right through him. He hated when people did that.
"I wish we knew what happens next with Meg, Sonya, and Apollo."
"My fellow Champions are talking about missing their flights home if it means helping to end this threat," Uma admitted to Chui.
Chui acknowledged the Acolytes felt the same. "We all want to stay and help, but the truth is, none of us can delay our flights any longer."
"We did that once so we could be here to welcome the new campers."
"Then we have no choice except to pray for this conflict to end before we leave."
As she finished speaking, Apollo felt himself crash back into his body and he tried to wake up.
Apollo's body didn't respond and he felt his consciousness slip back under the void.