PERI'S POV
I've never failed harder at anything as hard as I've failed at avoiding Leo for a single damn day. Seriously, it felt like the Argo II was only ten feet long the way we kept running into each other.
After Leo woke me up crying over spilled swords, I left the Engine Room in a haste. Still sleepy and shivering in the morning chill, I quickly headed to the bathroom after grabbing a towel from my room. The idea of a hot shower sounded absolutely heavenly, but I shouted in surprise when the normally steaming water came out ice cold. After a few minutes of waiting the water only seemed to get colder, so I was forced to take a lightning fast frigid shower. My teeth were chattering as I climbed out of the shower stall, wrapping a towel around my bitter cold body.
Today is just not my day.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, my theory was proven true when I ran into Leo for the second time this morning. He was speeding down the hallway carrying a cardboard box full of... well, junk from what I could tell. Our eyes locked, and time stopped for a moment until he dropped the box with a loud crash, breaking the spell. The tips of Leo's pointy ears reddened as he hastened to pick up the box and any items that had fallen out of it, grumbling about instituting a dress code for the crew members. I told him to prioritize fixing the hot water instead of fiddling with spare parts all day long. Before he could respond I disappeared into my room, taking a mental note of how warm I felt between my legs just at the sight of him despite the mind-numbing cold shower.
Little did I know as I got dressed, that this was only the beginning of many unexpected and unpleasant encounters with the one flaming hot Cheeto I didn't want to be around. My room was just a few degrees warmer than the hallway, but I rushed to find something to cover my shivering body. With the strange chilly weather in mind, I picked out a red cropped sweater and a pair of high waisted shorts. Layers were essential to staying warm so I put on a fuzzy black cardigan and thigh high socks. I practiced my kicks in the mirror to make sure I could still fight in this outfit and nodded with a satisfied grin.
The Imperial Gold dagger on my nightstand glinted in the morning light that spilled in from the port window, catching my attention. I took some time to gaze at its simple, deadly beauty. I slipped it into the pocket of my cardigan along with the golden key that I still didn't know the use for. When I held the key for too long, dark memories would resurface that I had trouble shaking.
My dying father. A shadow of a woman. Golden blood flowing.
I swallowed hard and pulled myself away from the edge of that cliff before I fell over the side again. This was just part of my life as a demigod. Although part of me wonders what my life would've been like if I ran away from St. Mary's and never heard my father's voice in my head. What if I had never seen that first Cyclops? What if I wasn't the Omega-Blood?
I sighed as I brushed my messy hair. What's the point of wishing for something that could never happen? I had to stay grounded in reality otherwise I'd float away. The last thing I did before heading out the door was to tie my ponytail with a red ribbon and put on the Docs that were finally starting to feel like mine.
My stomach growled ferociously, so my first stop was the dining area to grab a bite. I said hello to Jason on my way in since he was heading out and took a seat across from Hazel and Frank. They were both wearing olive green today, and I wondered if it was coordinated or if they're just on the same wavelength.
Must be nice.
Frank was halfway through the report from last night when he entered. A synapse fired off in my brain, flashing terrifying images in my mind.
Curly hair. Fire. Death.
No! It's just Leo, I tried to tell myself. Stupid Leo.
He stopped short when he saw me, probably weighing whether it was worth it to suffer being in the same room with me long enough to eat. I could tell that Frank sensed the tension in the room, and Hazel gave me an empathetic look. My eyes fell to my half eaten French toast, suddenly interested in the powdered sugar that dotted the plate. Leo lingered at the entrance of the mess hall awkwardly, and it irritated me how childish he was being about all of this. I mean seriously who's the impossible one now?
I stuffed my face with the remaining French toast on my plate and pushed myself to my feet. "I'm done. You can eat."
Leo's jaw was hard set as he looked down, and his mouth a thin line of contempt. Wordlessly, I brushed past him and tried to find someplace else on the ship to stew with my emotions. Unfortunately for me, that place didn't seem to fucking exist because Leo popped up everywhere that I went. And I mean everywhere.
Try to sharpen my sword in the engine room? Sorry! Leo's set up shop in there with more shitty repair projects than he could ever finish in this lifetime. At the helm talking to Festus? Leo shows up and literally takes the bronze figurehead apart for "maintenance" (I don't buy it). Want to go scream in the stables? Too bad, Leo's in here trying to streamline the equestrian experience. I have no idea what that even means, but each time we ran into each other tensions grew higher and higher. I wondered what would happen when things reached a boiling point.
By the time the sun was approaching the horizon, I was in a terrible mood and hadn't even killed a single monster! Grumbling to myself, I racked my brain for a possible place I could go where Leo wouldn't venture. An idea popped into my head, and I found myself climbing up to the crow's nest. I didn't realize how high it really was until I felt the wind blowing through my hair as I reached the top. The view was definitely worth it. The sky was a gorgeous blend of pinks, reds, and oranges bleeding together seamlessly. Endless sea and sun kissed sky no matter which direction you looked. I marveled at the fact that I've never thought to come up here before now.
"Uh, did you need something?"
I jumped so hard that I almost fell out of the crow's nest. Clutching my chest, I whirled to my left to see Nico di Angelo resting comfortably on the wooden bench beside me. Like usual, his clothing was as black as his fluffy hair and the dark circles that always plagued his eyes. He wasn't there when I first got here, was he? My eyes narrowed in suspicion. Or did he just trick me with his shadow traveling?
Nico smirked like he could read my mind. "Sorry, looks like I startled you again."
"You should be proud of yourself," I folded my arms across my chest and huffed. "You're just about the only person on this ship who can sneak up on me like that."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
His deep, dark eyes bored into my own. I shivered and pulled my cardigan closer around my body for warmth. Unsure of what to say to the son of Hades, I looked out over the scenery in silence. My thoughts were heavy, and my heart was mourning so naturally I wasn't in the mood for conversation. Nico should be someone who understands that more than anyone, right?
"Why are you sulking, Omega-Blood?" Nico asked.
I raised a brow skeptically before trying for a neutral expression. "I'm not."
"Oh yes you are," Nico chuckled smugly. "Nobody's stopping you from moping... I was just curious as to what could make someone like you brood like this."
My eyebrows knitted together at his phrasing. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, you know," Nico continued, waving a hand lazily. "You're the great Omega-Blood. Everyone speaks so highly of you. So why the long face?"
His words cut deep, and my spirits fell even lower. Was this how all the others secretly felt about me, too? Now I regretted crying in front of them even more. None of them understood what it's like carrying this weight on my shoulders. To the rest of the crew, I was a beacon of light and strength. They didn't realize how much Gaea punished me for this responsibility that was thrust upon me.
"I didn't ask to be the Omega-Blood, ya know," I said finally.
"No one asks to be born," Nico begrudgingly agreed. "Although my father is the ruler of the Underworld, and even I can't cheat death like you can."
I shrugged, and my lip twitched in a phantom of a sad smile. "Everyone's luck runs out eventually."
Nico's eyes scanned my face for signs of... deception, stupidity? I wasn't sure exactly. His expression softened slightly at my bewilderment. "Wait... you really don't know, do you?"
"Know what?" I asked, completely lost.
"The truth about your father Anastasios."
I swallowed hard, feeling my skin erupt in a series of goosebumps. Something had told me that this boy knew more about me than he was letting on, but hearing it from his own mouth still tripped me out. I remembered how Nico's Stygian Iron sword had kept me alive while I was underground and even my father mentioned something about Pluto's blessing. Frosty winds nipped at my face and neck, but my blood was pumping through my veins hot and fast as ever. This conversation could be exactly what I've been searching for all my life.
"Please," I asked him sincerely, "tell me everything about my father."
"How much do you know already?"
I scratched my head. "Same as everyone, I guess. He was born from an egg created by Hephaestus after Jupiter struck it with a lightning bolt, and kicked out of Olympus until he tried to join the army. Then when his magic kicked in he was welcomed back with open arms, and they lived happily ever after or whatever?"
"Heh," Nico shook his head, chuckling without humor. "What kind of Disney bullshit is that?"
I blinked. "It was in the Sybilline book that Octavian had—"
"Peri, history is written by the victors who are always going to flip the narrative to make themselves look good. Never forget that."
"Then what really happened?" I questioned.
"You've at least got the first part right, but there was no big happy family. When Anastasios picked up his first weapon, it was with the intent to dethrone and kill Zeus— or Jupiter more accurately. And he nearly accomplished it."
"Whoa what?"
"Anastasios was raised by the impoverished nymphs that lived on the outskirts of Olympus. What they lacked in drachma, they made up for with love, kindness, and an appreciation for nature. They instilled these values into Anastasios, helping him to grow into a capable, caring adult."
"It sounds like they raised him to be a hippie, so where does the whole dethroning and godly murder come into play?" I asked curiously.
"I was just getting to that," Nico's tone suggested that I shouldn't interrupt him again. "Despite their kindness, Anastasios often bore witness to the nymphs being mistreated because of their poor standing in a hierarchical society."
I raised my hand awkwardly so as not to interrupt.
"Basically if they lived in a pyramid, the gods were at the tippy top and the nymphs were at the bottom being stepped on."
"Oh! Thanks!"
"Anyway," Nico continued, "Anastasios realized that the nymphs would always be treated like dirt simply for the accident of their birth which was something that he couldn't stand. He wanted to give them a better life."
I nodded my head. "I think I see where this is going. Protecting his nymph family was Anastasios's true reason for joining the army?"
"Correct. And when he picked up a blade for the first time and realized the power that he had within, Anastasios decided to use that power to challenge Jupiter himself. This was unheard of at the time, but when Anastasios marched up the steps to Mt. Olympus, the king of the gods couldn't back down to the declaration of war."
"Shit," I muttered. This was already so different from everything that I was told before, but somehow it made more sense.
"Yeah," Nico nodded in agreement. "So Zeus— sorry, Jupiter and Anastasios have an intense battle that lasts for seven days and seven nights. The other gods were forbade from intervening, and Juno is pretty much wracked with the grief of her husband and son fighting to the death."
"Right, right," I tried to find a better way to ask my next question but eventually just blurted it out. "What was the fight like, though?"
Nico arched a bushy black eyebrow, watching my reaction closely as he spoke. "It was intense, to say the least. Thunder boomed, lightning struck from the heavens, and swords the sizes of literal giants rained down upon the land for a week straight. The damage was catastrophic, and it is said that if their battle had continued for much longer, then the two of them would have destroyed the world."
A gust of wind seemed to blow right through my bones, and I shivered harshly. The sun had just went to rest beneath the horizon, and the cold was already intensifying without the blazing ball in the sky to deter the frost away. I was no meteorologist, but there couldn't be any natural explanation to why it was so damn cold in the Adriatic in the middle of summer. The chill gave me a bad feeling, like something ominous was about to happen. But then the Argo II just kept on chugging along the churning icy waters below uninterrupted.
"Well, the world wasn't destroyed," I turned back to Nico. "So how did the battle between Jupiter and Anastasios end?"
"The two were very closely matched, but eventually Anastasios's rage over the treatment of his people gave him the strength to gain the upper hand against Jupiter. Your father ensnared the king of the gods in a trap and prepared to deliver the killing blow."
My mouth went dry, and I licked my lips in the frosty air. "But Jason Grace... exists, so clearly Jupiter wasn't killed. What happened?"
"Anastasios looked into his father's eyes and dropped his weapon to the ground," Nico shrugged. "I don't know why, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it."
"It's because that's his dad," I surmised softly. "He's still family."
"Your guess is as good as mine. But the important part here is that Anastasios was at war with himself now. He felt that he'd failed the nymphs and the other poor, lesser citizens that he'd sworn to get justice for. Jupiter, who was still sealed by the magic of the blade trap, laughed and mocked Anastasios for his weakness. He declared that even if Anastasios had the courage to kill him, the nymphs would still starve and die in filth and squalor like they deserved."
"Remind me why this asshole is the king of the gods again?" I grumbled in irritation.
Although it was small and quickly disappeared, Nico genuinely smiled then, perhaps the first time I'd ever seen him do so. He regarded me with a sense of curiosity, like he was reassessing my worth. His earlier statement made more sense to me now. "What could make someone like you brood" The son of Hades must've had a really distorted view of what kind of person I was before even meeting me. I could only hope that the real me was better than the fabrication of me he'd formed in his mind.
"Tell me, Storm," Nico mused. "What do you think happened next?"
"Shit, I dunno. If it was me, I'd be so pissed that I'd probably just snap and end him right then and there." I looked out over the dark waters below as I spoke. "But Jupiter's right. Killing him wouldn't really change much. The nymphs needed money and a better standing in society, not revenge."
"Interestingly enough, your father came to the same conclusion. He looked out over the battlefield and saw all the ichor that had spilled from the carnage the two of them had caused over the past seven days. Shame washed over him when he realized that it was more gold than he'd ever seen in his life, enough to feed all the hungry people in the land. Anastasios knew what he had to do then. He plunged a sword into his heart, willing his golden blood to spill all the way down the steps of Mt. Olympus. The ichor from his body turned into an endless sea of drachma that flowed forth to those who needed it most. The price for this act of kindness and selflessness just so happened to be your father's life."
"What?!" My legs felt like they were going numb from the cold, but that didn't stop me from jumping to conclusions. "You're full of it! My dad's not dead—"
"I thought you wanted to know the whole truth?" Nico snapped. "How am I supposed to tell you what happened if you keep interrupting me?"
"Sorry, sorry," I sighed. "Please continue."
"That's what I thought," Nico grumbled. "Now where was I? Oh yea, your dad died! This is the good part, trust me. So, Anastasios stabbed himself for the betterment of others, yada yada yada. If you remember, though, he was born from a fatal lightning strike, and that's also where Anastasios got his name which means—"
"Resurrection," I breathed as the pieces came together. "So you're saying he died, but he came back?"
"That's right, but he didn't go to the Underworld like Hazel and I did," Nico said seriously. "Anastasios's rebirth was instantaneous, like a phoenix rising from its own ashes. There was a blast of golden energy from his bronze body, then all was still. When the dust settled, Jupiter was shocked to see Anastasios standing in a crater unscathed, including the wounds he'd earned in their battle."
"H-holy shit," I squeaked out softly. "Then what happened? Did he kick Jupiter's ass a little bit more? Gods, I hope so!"
Nico's expression darkened significantly, which was really saying something because this kid acts like he's never heard of a sunny disposition. He stuffed his hands in his black leather jacket and looked down before shaking his head sourly.
"No," Nico replied. "Anastasios laid down his weapons and surrendered. He released Jupiter from the thousand blade prison—"
"The what now?"
"—and renounced his declaration of war," Nico continued pointedly. "Enraged and humiliated, Jupiter summoned his brothers to help imprison Anastasios for his transgressions against the godly crown. After seeing how fatally wounded his brother was, Neptune was easily persuaded that Anastasios was a menace who needed to be locked away for everyone's safety. The Big Three imprisoned your father in an underwater cave that was sealed off from the rest of the world by a wall of Jupiter's lightning."
"Overcompensating much?"
"Jupiter ordered his brothers to curse Anastasios to prove their allegiance to him. Neptune eagerly stepped forward to show his loyalty, declaring Anastasios an enemy of the sea. Should he ever step foot in Neptune's territory, then he would be dragged down by the depths themselves."
"Huh. So that's why the ocean hates me so much," I remarked before recalling something of importance. "But my dad told me that Pluto blessed him, not cursed him."
"That's right. Pluto saw a lot of himself in Anastasios. Ostracized, hated, angry, but still wanting to love and be loved. Pluto created Stygian Iron, a magical metal that even Anastasios could not bend to his will. He used this to craft Anastasios's cell and shackles, boasting that it would drain his life essence."
My heart threatened to leap out of my chest with how fast it was racing. "But because of Pluto's blessing it does the opposite! Pluto's the only reason my dad is alive right now! By the gods... Nico, how do you know all of this?"
His black eyes were almost imperceptible in the cover of night. "Did you forget? My father was there, too."
My eyes widened. "Pluto told you himself?"
"Well, Hades, but," Nico shrugged. "Why do you think Gaea and her giants wanted to kill me so badly?"
My body shook, but this time I couldn't blame it on the weather. This poor boy had gone through so much for the sake of others, for the sake of me. He almost died because of this closely guarded knowledge. Carrying this secret that no one else knew, this burden that made him a target. I felt awful for thinking the worst of him. Without Nico, I wouldn't even know who I am.
How do you repay someone for that?
I threw my arms around him and squeezed, hugging him tightly. Nico's small frame stiffened up immediately. He smelled like mint tea leaves, which surprised me.
"Thank you so much, Nico."
"Unhand me, woman," he growled.
"Sorry!"