PERI'S POV
My head was spinning with a whirlwind of feelings so powerful that I couldn't bear to stand any longer. There was a strange chill in the air that sent shivers down my spine, so I slid down the wall and hugged my legs to my chest for warmth. Sitting down in that curiously cold hallway all alone, the intensity of my emotions overtook me as easily as ambushing a snail.
Who does he think he is talking to me like that? And why did his harsh, authoritative tone make my insides flutter?
I placed my hands on my thighs, trying to stop the shaking in my extremities. I was so upset that I suspected this wasn't due to the cold, but instead that I was literally trembling with rage. Although beneath that thin layer of anger was hurt and pain at how quickly the conversation between Leo and I just went centaur shit.
It's just sometimes he makes me so angry!
Then there was the most confusing element of arousal at his last words which was really what had me internally flipping my shit. Despite how confused my emotions were right now, one thing was painfully clear. It seemed as though my fiery relationship with the Captain of the Argo II was over before it even really started.
Just my luck.
After everything, the hardest part to imagine was Leo just not being there when I need him. My eyes were glazed over in thought when Piper's door creaked open, and the girls poked their heads out of the doorway.
"Uh, we heard yelling," Piper said with concern.
"Oh, did you?" I grumbled, retreating to petty sarcasm in my wounded state.
"Is everything alright?" Hazel asked which was so stupid, because obviously no, everything is not fucking alright. But I couldn't say that while looking into the kind eyes of the daughter of Pluto.
"I don't want to talk," I muttered instead, my words bogged down with the heavy weight circulating in my chest.
"Well then do you want to sword fight?" Piper offered. "Might help you blow off some— oop, and she's already heading to the Engine Room. Come on, Hazel!"
And that's how I ended up in the most unlikely company, with Hazel's help in teaching Piper how to properly swing a blade like a true demigod. Children of Aphrodite don't have a very good reputation for being smart, but I had to applaud Piper for her quick thinking. In no time at all I felt back in my element, and I had completely forgotten about stupid Leo and his stupid face and his stupid sexy abs that were permanently embedded into my mind—
Crap, there I go again. I took a deep, calming breath and inhaled the sweet aroma of the magical metals around me, feeling a wave of peace and positivity.
Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold really are a girl's best friend.
I was beyond grateful for Hazel and Piper. They didn't have to spend time with me like this, but they wanted to because they knew that I was upset. I also appreciated them for sparring with me when I was a lot stronger than them when it came to sword fighting, even when I was holding back. In return, I'd hopefully be able to teach them a few tricks to give them an edge out on the battlefield.
Once we went over the basics a few times with Piper, I instructed them both to attack me at the same time. I promised not to use my powers as well to make it as fair as possible. "Standard demigod mode activated" as I called it. Despite their initial protests, it soon became clear to Hazel and Piper that even together they were no match for me. I coached them the best way that I could, letting them know where they made mistakes and praising them when they did well.
"Nice parry, Hazel, but your movements are too predictable. Don't expect the unexpected— be the unexpected."
"You've gotta commit when you attack, Pipes!"
"Great teamwork girls, if I was anyone else then you definitely would've disarmed me!"
But inevitably, my trainees ran out of energy. After a couple hours of what I considered normal training, the girls were completely winded. I admired Hazel for wanting to continue even though she could barely swing her spatha, but I insisted that they both rest. A tired demigod is a dead demigod, after all. Piper was the first one out of the door, complaining about her need to shower again. Hazel lingered behind like she wanted to say something but ultimately ended up leaving wordlessly. Curiosity gnawed at me, wondering what the daughter of Pluto could've been biting her tongue about.
Alone in the Engine Room, I could properly utilize my skills without worrying about injuring my fellow crew mates. I've been working on a new technique that still needed some polishing, so I set to work gathering some extra swords to practice with. The next step was to center myself; breathe in and out, focus on the magic within. It only took a second before I felt that familiar buzzing of energy just below the skin's surface.
Each day since Percy and Annabeth fell into Tartarus, I pushed myself further with my abilities. I couldn't summon weapons at will anymore, and I couldn't heal overnight. To combat these... setbacks, I needed an edge to stay alive and protect the rest of the crew, too. Wholeheartedly, I believed that mastering this technique would allow me to do just that.
*Shink! Schoom! Swoosh!*
The sound of blades slicing through the air filled the Engine Room, cutting through the silence. A pair of swords danced in a heated battle just above my head, although my body remained completely still. A bead of sweat rolled down my temple, and I could feel the buildup of energy humming within me. This was the most difficult part. Whenever I bent the will of the blades, my body felt like an egg in a microwave. The tricky thing was allowing the magic to flow freely through my body and prevent the egg from exploding.
*Swish! Fwoom! Clang!*
Right now, it felt like every one of my cells were so filled with power that they were ready to burst, and I really didn't want the Omega Blood's great tale to end in a bloody mess on the floorboards. Instead of collapsing in on myself like a dying star, I reached out my hand and grabbed a sword that was flying through the air, allowing my magic to flow into the blade. Instantly, I felt relieved and more agile like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. It registered in my brain with a start that managing the buildup of energy within me was the key to mastering this skill.
With my second wind, I commanded the weapons that lazily battled each other in the air above to attack me. The sword in my hands grew larger, and I flexed my wrist to parry the onslaught of my own power. There was a cacophony of metal against metal as I countered blade after flying blade. In a moment of reflection, I realized that I was doing exactly what that one weird girl at St. Mary's who played chess with herself each day did. Honing my craft by practicing against the best player that I knew, myself.
I trained until I couldn't lift a sword any longer, with my own strength or with my magic. When it became clear that I couldn't push myself any further tonight, I was forced to give it a rest. Exhausted and thoroughly pleased with myself, I curled up with a Celestial Bronze sword in my hands atop a stray worktable. The Engine Room was nice and cold today, which was perfect for my sweaty body. With heavy muscles and a big smile, I wondered why it was so awfully chilly this evening as I drifted off into an easy, almost too eager slumber.
What a foolish mistake.
By the time I realized that I was dreaming, it was too late. Thick, fluffy clouds of mist curled all around me, making it even harder to see through the darkness in my mind. It felt like I was lying on a hard surface, like the worktable that I fell asleep on. However, when I tried to sit up it appeared that my arms and legs were strapped to the table. My heart skipped a beat when I recognized the inky black shackles that restrained me. My eyes darted around in panic, just as a candelabra ignited on its own. The sudden brightness blinded me momentarily, and I shut my eyes on instinct.
How it pleases me so to see you trapped and alone just like your meddlesome father— even if it is only in your dreams.
I didn't have to open my eyes to know that voice that has been tormenting me since I first had the misfortune of hearing it. When my eyes adjusted, I was greeted with the dirt form of the earth goddess in all her sleeping glory.
"Gaea," I spat. "Still poking around in my dreams? I'm starting to think you've got an unhealthy obsession with me."
Stupid girl, Gaea smiled without humor. I am merely preparing you for your fate. After my son Arius rises and kills Anastasios, I'll imprison you the same way and use your blood to create an army.
"I'll never let you have my blood," I vowed, straining against the shackles that bound me.
Ha! And how do you propose you'll stop me? Anastasios will be fully drained any day now. Arius will rise and slaughter what's left of your father, destroying any hope for the gods to unite their Greek and Roman sides. I will awaken and rule this world while the remaining demigods are busy killing each other for sport. And you, my dear? Why, you only have to decide how it is you wish to die.
Gaea's smile grew wider as she spoke in that strange way without moving her lips. Her dress made of dry dirt swirled and expanded as her form grew to an intimidating fifteen feet. As she towered above me, I felt like a tiny frog strapped to a medical table for dissection.
Will you throw yourself overboard in a fit of despair and sink to the bottom of Poseidon's seas? Gaea continued. Or do you really think you'll be able to face my most powerful allies and escape a most painful death? Perhaps you'll resign yourself to life as my personal blood bank, supplying me with an endless horde of minions—
"Never!" I shouted defiantly, wrestling against those accursed shackles to no avail. "I told you, I'll never let you have my blood!"
Oh? Gaea's smile broadened into a wicked grin. Then maybe you'll choose to burn alive in your lover's arms like some pitiful fool. The nymphs and dryads love a good romantic tragedy, and they'd surely sing of your dreadfully miserable tale. Especially the part where the boy falls to his death just seconds after you meet your end.
"W-what?" I asked, suddenly soft spoken. "What are you talking about, Dirt-Face?"
Where did all your moxie go, Omega-Blood? Is the Valdez boy truly your biggest weakness? How despicable. Does Anastasios knows that you care more for one of Hephaestus's runts than you do for your own father?
"What do you mean by fall to his death?" I demanded, mind reeling.
Then she cackled. The scenes around me shifted, and the image of Gaea was replaced with the sight of my father leaking ichor from multiple wounds. When I screamed for him, the scene shifted to Leo holding me tightly on the Argo. I wanted to shut my eyes, but I couldn't look away as he burst into flames, burning my flesh along with every other part of me. The scene changed again to myself sinking into the deep dark depths of the sea. A tear rolled down my cheek as the scenes before me kept changing, showing me every horrible moment that has happened to me and every horrible moment that could happen to me and my loved ones. All the while, Gaea's cackling rang in my ears, mocking me and my failures.
I wasn't sure how long this psychological torture went on, but I was a sobbing mess having to see such horrors on loop. I felt like a prisoner in my own mind, and I couldn't seem to wake myself no matter what. I feared that I'd be stuck in this hellish nightmare forever, cursed to relive this pain for all eternity.
Just as I resigned myself to my fate, everything changed.
A crack appeared in the seam of my mind's reality, interrupting the scene of myself being dragged by my hair by Wolf Head in the tunnel of funk. It was a very unflattering angle, so I didn't mind the interruption. Then another, then another crack, until there was a spiderweb of fractures as far as the eye could see. I cocked my head to the side in confusion a moment before everything shattered and faded away.
There was a series of crashing sounds right as my eyes opened that I could only attribute to the cause of my awakening. My brain was so overloaded and anxious that the sword I fell asleep with grew to a massive size in my hands before I realized what was happening.
"Dios mío! Who left all these swords laying around?!"
That voice... Images flashed in my mind rapidly. Curly hair. Fire. Death. I feared that my nightmare was going to have lasting effects on my already damaged psyche. It was clear to me now that Gaea was trying to make me terrified of Leo for some reason. But why?
Then I saw him... It had to be morning, because his wet curls looked like delicate flower petals adorned with dew drops. Our eyes met, and I felt a darkness like nothing I've ever felt before. I attributed this to the miniature flames that sprouted at Leo's clenched fists, but I still hated the idea of being scared of something that was apart of him. I thought that I had already worked through my irrational paranoia over fire, but I supposed Gaea had other plans for me. Leo's expression was still twisted with agitation, but I also took note of the dark circles that had formed under his eyes. He must not have gotten much sleep last night. He wore a plain white tee and his army jacket with a pair of dark jeans, serving up effortless style on a silver platter.
With a start, I realized that I was still wielding an engorged sword (how suggestive!) so I willed the blade to shrink to its normal size and placed it beside me on the worktable. Leo and I weren't on the best of terms right now, but I knew there was one thing that he didn't play around with— his precious ship. So when the son of Hephaestus began to storm my direction with a furious glare and fiery fists, I knew that I'd be in for a very long day.
"Dammit, girl, did you do this?" Leo questioned angrily, gesturing to about a dozen swords strewn haphazardly on the floor.
"My name isn't girl," I snapped back with an early morning attitude. It was pissing me off how much he was calling me that recently. Flaming or not, I refused to put up with this treatment. "Call me by my name or don't speak to me at all."
Excuse me for being in a bad mood, but I think that maybe I deserved a little bitching in my current state. My head was pounding, I was absolutely freezing, and the dumb genius who literally invented the word hot just woke me up from a nightmare hand written by a goddess. Saying it out loud? Yeah, I definitely deserve to be agitated as Hades!
"Alright then, Periwinkle," Leo ran his fingers through his wet locks, trying to keep his voice even. "How about you learn to take care of the ship we all live on? It's not right to treat Festus like some piece of trash—"
"Festus ain't the whole damn ship!"
First thing in the fucking morning, and I'm in an intense stare off with my ex boyfriend... minus the boyfriend part? My ex nothing. My chest deflated miserably as my anger melted into gloom.
What a loser. Dumped before even being properly dated.
And from what the dusty Earth Goddess tells me, this guy's supposed to kill me! Yet I'm over here weeping because... his eyes don't look at me with the softness that they used to.
Am I messed up in the head or what?
Actually, I wasn't sure if I believed Gaea— she just crept into my dreams and did some CIA mind control on me all night long why the hell should I believe her?! In fact, a lot of the crap about the Omega-Blood I've been hearing was starting to stink. Someway, somehow I was going to find out the truth about my fate and my parents.
"Well?!" Leo crossed his arms, flexing the lean muscle in his biceps and utterly ripping me from my thoughts.
He was glaring expectantly, surely waiting for my response to continue arguing with him. Normally I wouldn't think twice before getting in a shouting match, but after hearing Gaea's evil laughter in my head all night long I just wanted peace and quiet this morning. So I snapped my fingers, and the scattered weaponry jumped to life. Leo yelped and ducked as blades flew through the air, each sword carefully placing itself on the weapon racks that lined the walls.
"There," I said simply.
Leo scowled and muttered something about how I should've done that in the first place. He continued further into the Engine Room at a brisk pace, avoiding my gaze and ignoring my presence as he began to work on something of other. Perhaps he was just distracting himself with a laundry list of tasks so he wouldn't have to think about me. Or maybe this was his way of learning to live without me.
I suppose I'll just have to do the same... but was that even possible?