Luke's sexual frustration and Thalia's schizophrenia.
Thalia was angry.
There were very few times that she felt the kind of anger that seemed to make her blood boil. The kind of anger that made her want to rip her skin to shreds and scream until her throat ached.
Even now, as she hurtled through the streets of Brooklyn toward Camp Half-Blood, she had to grit her teeth in an attempt to control herself. Which was difficult for her. She had always considered herself an easily irritable, temperamental person, and that had changed little in recent years.
But she considered her state of mind completely justifiable.
A few hours ago, she had received an Iris Message from Luke, who had told her what had happened the night before at the camp. Just remembering it made her clench her fists until her knuckles turned white.
Percy's Tree; the legacy of her dear friend, had been desecrated. They poisoned it. And because of that, the magical barrier that protected the entire camp had begun to weaken.
Thalia didn't know who had done it, but she suspected one person; Ethan Nakamura.
If she found out it was him, she would make him pay in the worst possible way for daring to damage Percy's memory.
She wasn't going to let this go unpunished. Percy was one of the few people that Thalia came to respect and admire more than anyone else. He was strong in a way she never would be. He was such a unique person.
She wouldn't deny that she had a crush on him... and maybe something more. How not to do it? Percy was the kind of person who inspired you to try harder, never surrender and never give up hope, because he did the same. Percy was the embodiment of all of that.
Thalia would never forget Percy. After all, trying to forget someone you loved is like trying to remember someone you never knew.
In the front seat of the taxi she was traveling in, the three Gray Sisters glanced warily at the daughter of Zeus in the rearview mirror. Fearing that at any moment, she would explode like a bomb. She had given them each a drachma in advance if they didn't say a word the entire trip. So they had done that.
Silence filled the taxi as they traveled. No one said a single word, and it stayed that way until they reached their destination.
When they reached the foot of Half-Blood Hill, Thalia quickly got out, along with a small suitcase.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
The three sisters smiled at her in a soft way, feeling a little sorry for the situation that the daughter of Zeus was going through.
"Whenever you want, darling," Ira said.
"Don't worry," said Tempest, in a soft voice. "You'll see that everything will be fine. You'll recover what you thought you had lost."
Thalia frowned at that. She had a strange feeling that she had heard those words before, but she didn't remember exactly where.
She said nothing as the Gray Sisters sped up and vanished in a cloud of smoke.
Thalia wanted to stay to think about what they told her, but she didn't have time as she looked at what was on top of Half-Blood Hill.
A horde of hellhounds attacked the campers.
Thalia frowned strongly as she clenched her teeth.
It was time to see how effective her new spear was.
Luke was not having a good day.
It all started last night. He had plans to meet a beautiful daughter of Aphrodite named Amy. He'd been flirting with her for a few weeks, and last night was finally the time he'd decided to meet up to... perform some acts that many in the camp were too young to know about.
He was prepared. He had everything he needs. A little chocolate, snacks, a pack of Coca-Colas (which is difficult to get in the camp, since whenever he asked for Coca-Cola during lunch the flavor was not the same) a blanket to place on the sand. And a box of condoms that he had won last week at Poker Night. He had everything to lighten the mood and make the night as enjoyable as possible.
It was there that everything started to go wrong for him.
First, the harpies had interrupted the act when it was about to happen. Just a few more seconds and Luke would have been happy to enjoy Amy's beautiful body.
As they quickly dressed, pulling on their underwear and pants, Luke cursed in such a way that Chiron would have had him cleaning the stables for an entire month if he'd listened.
The second was when he woke up the next day and discovered that it was the Stolls brothers who were the reason he couldn't have sex last night because they were the ones who ratted him out to the harpies.
Luke would take revenge on them.
The third, and what really completely ruined his day, was discovering that the tree of his once best friend, his brother, had been poisoned and Ms. O'Leary was in the infirmary due to the unknown assailant.
It was definitely not his day.
That was what he thought as he slashed and killed a hellhound that tried to bite his head off. He spun 180 degrees and slammed his shield into another dog's face, leaving it stunned and open for a thrust right between his eyes.
Luke moved through the horde of hellhounds, attacking any monster that was within close enough reach of his sword. He and a handful of campers had been fighting for nearly ten minutes, and the enemy's numbers didn't seem to diminish.
He didn't allow himself to think how all this happened. He didn't let himself think how the monsters knew the defenses were failing, and the most susceptible side was near Percy's tree. Instead, he focused all of his concentration on the battle they were fighting.
When Luke killed a hellhound by slashing it in the chest, he was able to see one of his brothers, Chris Rodriguez, being surrounded by three hellhounds. Quickly, he went to stand behind him and raised his shield to parry the attack that would have been fatal to Chris.
"Thanks, Luke! I owe you one!" Chris shouted, killing one of the dogs with his sword and facing the second.
"I'll take your word for it, later," Luke replied, ducking under a swipe from the hellhound. "But now, we have to deal with these bastards."
"We can't go on like this! Their number doesn't seem to decrease! And sooner or later we'll get tired if we continue like this!"
As he finished saying that, the campers watched in shock as a trail of blue-white light pierced through the horde of hellhounds, causing many of them to burst into clouds of golden dust.
Luke didn't need to look any longer to identify what was causing it. Or rather who.
"The heavy cavalry have arrived."
The monsters began to burst one after another in succession. It happened so fast that many could not even see correctly the person who caused that massacre. But they didn't focus on that. As they watched the monster numbers begin to decrease significantly, the campers felt their morale rise exponentially. With new strength gained, they redoubled their efforts to drive the invaders out of their camp.
Luke watched all this with a smile. It was strange how Thalia had the power to make the people around her try even harder. Considering how powerful she was, he thought the campers would feel threatened by her. They would be jealous and envious of her strength. Instead, Thalia seemed to inspire others to strive to be stronger. Clarisse was a clear example of this. Since when she watched as Thalia killed many monsters, the daughter of Ares attacked with more ferocity. She refused to fall behind her self-proclaimed rival.
It wasn't long before the last hellhound fell to the edge of Backbiter's blade. Leaving the top of Half-Blood Hill free of monsters. The campers erupted in cheers, happy to have repelled the monster attack. Luke was about to join in the festivities when he turned around and, if he was being honest with himself, he nearly wet his pants.
Thalia advanced on him in a fury. He didn't have time to ask her what was going on when his friend roughly grabbed the strap of his armor, lifted him up and slammed him into a tree.
The expression on Thalia's face made him swallow involuntarily despite the discomfort he felt.
"What. Happened?" The twinkle in her eyes let him know she wasn't up for kidding. She wanted an explanation. And she would have it now, one way or another.
"The tree... was poisoned..." Luke managed to say under Thalia's fierce grip. "The barrier... is failing..."
"Who was?"
"I... we don't know... It was like this morning when we woke up..."
Thalia narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"Mrs. O'Leary, where is she? She is the guardian of the tree."
Luke's expression fell as he remembered what had happened to the beloved camp pet.
"She... was injured. I guess... whoever poisoned the tree did it... Mrs. O'Leary is in the medical bay... recovering."
Thalia loosened her grip slightly and moved closer to Luke to look directly into his eyes. At any other time, Luke would have blushed at the closeness of their faces, but the look Thalia had on her face frightened him more than anything else.
"And you... where were you?" she asked in a growl.
"Huh?"
That was not the answer he should have given. Luke felt a sharp pain on the right side of his face as Thalia slammed her fist into his face. The blow left him dizzy and a strong taste of blood in his mouth.
But he didn't have time to think about that when Thalia grabbed him by the strap of his armor again and made him look at her.
"I asked where the fuck you were when Percy's tree was poisoned?!" she yelled in his face. "You're supposed to be the protector of this camp! You always said it was your duty to protect the demigods, and all that shit! So where the hell were you when our friend's tree, his legacy, was desecrated by some motherfucker?!"
Luke didn't answer. He found himself unable to meet his friend's gaze as she demanded to know where he had been.
She was right.
Luke had always called himself the protector of the camp. The most capable warrior after Thalia. He always helped the demigods when they needed him. Either training them or helping the satyrs when they found some demigod who needed help.
But what hurt him the most was seeing Thalia's slightly reddened eyes. She never cried. And the fact that she was about to do so only meant how much the poisoning of Percy's Tree affected Thalia.
"I... I was..."
Luke didn't know what to say and looked away.
Thalia narrowed her eyes and grunted before slamming her right fist into Luke's face. Her strength was such that she knocked him to the ground.
Luke felt his face crack with pain and a moan escape from his mouth as a spray of blood trickled from it. Thalia had a good right hand. He moved his tongue into his mouth and spat out a solid object; a tooth.
She turned and started down the hill towards the camp. As she walked, Chris stepped forward to face her, feeling outraged at her treatment of his brother.
"Hey, Thalia. I know you're mad, but that wasn't very... Argh!"
He was interrupted by the direct blow to his face. There was the sound of something breaking as Chris fell to the floor on his back as he clutched his face and groaned in pain. He had a helmet on, but they all watched as it dented under Thalia's blow. Causing it to break his nose and his blood to trickle down it.
They all turned away from her in fear of ending up like the two sons of Hermes. Thalia went to grab her suitcase that she had dropped before attacking the monsters. Passing by Percy's tree, she gave it a slight contemplative look in a sad way before heading down the hill towards the camp. Probably headed for her cabin.
The atmosphere inside the Big House was tense.
The cabin captains, more specifically the annual captains, stood around the ping-pong table in heavy silence. Nobody spoke. Grim expressions graced their faces. And each of them glanced sideways at the woman sitting in the representative chair of cabin one.
After her outburst on top of Half-Blood Hill, many were wary in her presence. No one wanted to end up with a broken nose or a missing tooth for pissing off the temperamental daughter of Zeus.
Luke and Chris had gone to the medical bay to be treated. Nothing that a little ambrosia and nectar couldn't fix Luke's missing tooth (which he was thankful for. He didn't want to lose his beautiful smile) and Chris's broken nose. Although, he needed a little help to remove the dented helmet that prevented him from being able to remove it.
Seeing how gloomy the atmosphere was, decided to speak, the one who everyone would listen to. Chiron stepped forward in his centaur form, leaving his magical chair behind due to the seriousness of the situation.
"Captains, I know that there is no need to explain the dangerous situation in which we find ourselves. We have all witnessed what is happening on our borders. And the danger it represents for all of us."
"Percy's Tree was poisoned," Thalia stated, crossing her arms and frowning heavily. She was feeling really upset about the situation at hand.
"And because of that, the magical borders that repel monsters are failing," Lee Fletcher added.
Luke's lips pressed into a thin line.
"If we don't do something," he ground out, "The camp will be..."
"Ravaged by the monsters," Chiron finished, a serious look adorning his face.
"Well, we have to do something!" Clarisse burst out, slamming her hands on the table. "I'm not going to sit idly by while I watch the camp get destroyed!"
"But... what can we do?" Katie asked, looking slightly dejected. "My siblings and I have already tried everything we can to purge the poison, but nothing we do works. We don't even know what kind of poison was used."
"Considering the effects it produces not only on the tree, but also on the entire valley, the list of possible causing poisons is not very long," Chiron said. "Very few poisons are capable of affecting something infused with the power of a god in this way. But it still requires an investigation on my part. I will search through my books for the poison that caused it and, with any luck, I will also find a cure."
"You'd better narrow your search to poisons from the underworld," a new voice announced. "Being more specific; from Tartarus itself."
All those present turned towards the entrance door of the Big House. Dionysus and Ares were present when they entered through it, but it wasn't just the two of them. There was a third. A third god.
The cabin captains were able to recognize the god. They had seen him on several occasions while attending the winter solstice gatherings on Olympus. He was always remembered with a relaxed demeanor and a friendly smile. For Luke and Thalia, it was all a cold reminder of the dear friend they had lost so many years ago, but still remembered so vividly.
Poseidon was the spitting image of Percy, except for the beard, much tanned skin tone, and he looked like an adult in his thirties. Luke had no doubt that, if his friend were still alive, he would look exactly like his father. They both had the same friendly smile and the rebellious gleam in their eyes. The same wild black hair and sea green eyes that were so beautiful and mesmerizing.
But now, those eyes looked cold and hard. Luke and Thalia had seen that same expression on Percy before. And when they did, it didn't bode well.
"Lord Poseidon," Chiron said, amazed to see the god of the seas in camp. "It's an honor to have you here in camp, but... Why are you here?"
"I think the reason I'm here is pretty clear, Chiron," Poseidon announced in a harsh voice, sounding almost like a growl. "My son's tree has been poisoned by someone who used a poison from the depths of Tartarus. Even now, its vile, putrid essence infects the entire valley. And it is slowly killing my son."
"Sir..." Malcolm Pace, who was representing cabin six in Annabeth's absence, faltered. "You speak as if the tree were alive, but that is impossible, right?"
Immediately, Malcolm regretted opening his mouth at the glare Poseidon gave him.
"If you were as smart as the children of Athena claim to be, boy, then you would know that each plant is a living thing in its own right."
Katie nodded solemnly at that.
"And Percy's Tree is much more special," Poseidon continued. "I created that tree using my power. And Percy's soul was the one who gave life and form to the magical boundaries that safeguard the camp because of his will to want to protect the demigods. If not, how do you think it is able to do what it does? His very soul is strongly linked to the tree. And now, with the poison infecting him, not only is the tree dying, so is my son's very soul."
Everyone present widened their eyes in surprise at that statement. Even Dionysus and Ares didn't say anything. Recognizing the possible fate that holds for that soul. It was something that even the gods themselves feared.
"Wait a minute," Luke interrupted, panic seeping into his voice. "You're saying that if the tree dies, Percy's soul..."
"He will be lost forever," Poseidon looked down, looking truly stricken, "He will not go to the underworld like any other soul. He will not go to the Elysian Fields. Not even to the Asphodels Fields. His soul will vanish from life itself..."
His words stabbed Luke through the heart like a rusty knife. He put his hand on his chest and clutched his shirt tightly, trying in every way to calm the throbbing pain he felt in his heart.
That couldn't be possible. Will Percy's soul be lost forever? It will not go to the Elysian Fields as he deserves, but will simply vanish as if he never existed? Why were the fates so cruel to his friend? Couldn't he get the rest he deserves?
Luke clenched his fists tightly in frustration and anger.
"We have to do something," Thalia said through clenched teeth. "We can't let that happen."
"She's right! We have to find a cure!" Luke agreed. "There must be something that can cure the tree!"
Chiron scowled sharply. It was rare the occasions where he did. The situation they were in was really bad.
"The only magical artifact I know of that can cure such a deadly poison is the Golden Fleece," he announced.
"Perfect! Where is it?!" Luke's voice sounded desperate. "We can go look for it!"
Chiron shook his head.
"It's not that simple, my boy. The Golden Fleece has been lost for centuries. No one knows where it is right now."
"Well, we have three gods here with us!" He pointed at Ares, Dionysus, and Poseidon, "They must know where it is!"
"You should know by now, son of Hermes, that the gods are neither omnipotent nor omniscient," Poseidon said. "There are limits that even we cannot cross. And that includes helping you directly."
Thalia shot him a reproachful look filled with anger and disbelief.
"Then you will sit idly by and let your son's tree die, and his soul fade away?"
Poseidon gave Thalia a death glare that almost made her back away, but she stood her ground. Even feeling her heart hammer in her chest and a cold sweat run down her back.
"Be very careful with your words, daughter of Zeus," Poseidon growled. "My children matter to me. Much more than you could ever understand. The fact that I cannot help you directly does not mean that I do nothing to prevent the possible destiny that awaits him. May the Fates damn me if I do nothing to prevent it."
"So, can you tell us where the Fleece is?" Luke implored. "We can go find it. We'll save the camp. And with it, Percy's soul."
Poseidon took a deep breath and sighed.
"Because of the Ancient Laws, there isn't much I can do in this type of situation," the god lamented. "But I'll see what I can do. I don't promise anything, though."
Luke looked down, feeling depressed. Thalia gritted her teeth in annoyance, stood up abruptly from her chair, and headed for the exit.
"Thalia!" Luke called. "Where are you going?!"
She turned slightly and looked at him over her shoulder.
"I'm going to make some destructive therapy," she growled. "Don't bother me. Unless you want me to break your legs."
She walked out with a loud slam.
"She is as temperamental as her father," Poseidon commented. Then, he turned to look at Chiron. "I'm not happy about all of this, Chiron. Even considering who your father is, I know you had nothing to do with this. But don't think this will go unpunished. Someone will have to pay for such an unholy act before my son's tree."
Chiron lowered his head in sadness and regret.
"I... I'm really sorry, Lord Poseidon."
"Like I said, it's not your fault, Chiron. If there's anyone to blame, it's the head of camp security, Argus. And also..."
Poseidon turned and glared at Dionysus, who had decided to sit in his rocking chair while he read a magazine, as if none of this mattered to him or included him in any way.
"You're supposed to be the director of Camp Half-Blood. The god who protects it. You should be aware of what's going on in the camp."
"I am," Dionisio said, not looking up from his magazine. "Who was it that called the emergency meeting on Olympus to report this? It certainly wasn't Ares."
Ares grunted at that and crossed his arms.
"Unlike you, you old drunk, I was fulfilling my obligation to train these brats. I'm not pleased, but at least I am."
"Yeah? Well, that's not my obligation" Dionisio turned a page of his magazine, "I don't have to be there to wipe the nose of these disrespectful children. Each one of them is ungrateful and selfish. Believe me, Ares, very soon you will think the same and give up on them. None are worth the effort."
"That's funny, seeing from someone who was once a demigod," Poseidon replied. "You complain that the demigods are ungrateful and selfish, when you are no better than them."
Dionysus narrowed his eyes and made all the campers present nervous. Those who witnessed the discussion between three gods of Olympus. Several of them cowered in their chairs in an attempt to attract as little attention as possible.
"Says that the god who left his son to his fate for years in the streets until he finally died in a tragic way like all heroes."
Poseidon's grip on his trident tightened to the point where his knuckles turned white.
"At least I acknowledge my mistakes and try to make up for them by being there for my only daughter. But you... someone who should be an example to the demigods... you act arrogant and petulant. Like a spoiled brat. You don't just put to shame the Olympian council, but all demigods, since once you were one."
Poseidon moved closer until he was in front of Dionysus and narrowed his eyes in fury, causing the god of wine to shudder slightly.
"You don't deserve to be a god. Much less have a place among the Olympians."
With those last words, Poseidon disappeared on a sea breeze, leaving behind a smell of the sea.
None of the campers said anything, but they all looked at Dionysus, who simply got up and quietly left the meeting room.
"It's been a while since I've seen the old fish face so upset," Ares said, a morbid amusement on his face. "Ahh... disputes between the gods are the best. And even more so between the family!"
Chiron sighed, having grown accustomed to the war god's thirst for violence and conflict.
"Everyone, go away," Chiron waved at the campers. "Alert your cabin members to always carry a weapon. And be on the lookout for possible future attacks. If today was any indication, the monsters will keep attacking until we find a solution for this situation."
"Oh, this will be fun," Ares said, earning a look from everyone present. "If the monsters are constantly attacking the camp, then the brats have to be prepared for a siege."
"Lord Ares..." Chiron said, somewhat hesitantly, "What is...?"
"I'll prepare them to face a large group that outnumbers them. It will definitely be fun. Old Sparta will come back to life!"
With that statement, Ares left the meeting room with a raucous and somewhat maniacal laugh. The campers saw him worried about the Spartan training that the god of war would impart to them. Some like Clarisse looked excited, while others like Lee Fletcher just gulped, looking nervous.
Luke could only sigh in weariness. Things were getting a little ugly, but he had something else on his hands that he had to take care of.
He had to find and talk to Thalia.
He found her in the sand ring.
Thalia had taken off her leather jacket, leaving her in a simple tank top and black jeans. She was standing in front of a six-foot thick wooden log that had been placed in the sand and used for campers to pound with their bare fists to strengthen their knuckles. The bark of the trunk looked worn from constant use, causing it to slowly begin to take on an hourglass shape.
As he drew closer, Luke could see the trunk shake from the force Thalia was striking, splinters flying with each blow. But it wasn't that that caught his attention, it was the bloodstains that adorned Thalia's trunk and knuckles.
Quickly, he approached her.
"Stop it, Thalia! That's enough!" he exclaimed. "You're overdoing it."
She stopped beating and looked at her bloodstained knuckles.
"What do you want, Luke?" she asked, without turning to look at him. "I'm not in the mood."
"I'm just... worried about you. I know what Poseidon said was shocking, and neither of us expected this. Hell, last night I was about to finally have sex with a girl after months of not doing it. And now I'm here worrying about my best friend's soul and that my other best friend don't do something stupid. Things took a 180-degree turn in less than 24 hours. But I know that the way to fix all this is not to take it out on some poor log of wood."
Thalia clenched her knuckles, not caring that they were bleeding and giving her slight stabs of pain.
"I know that very well, but..." she said. "I need to vent somehow. Some son of a bitch poisoned Percy's Tree and put us all in this shitty situation."
"You listened to Chiron and Poseidon. They will search for a cure. Maybe they even found the location of the Golden Fleece, and we can go find it."
"Yeah, but... I can't just sit back and hope for the best. I'm so upset I can't sit still."
"In that case, I'll tell you something that will help you," Luke said sympathetically. "Don't hold back that anger you feel. Focus on it. And use it to kill all those sons of bitches who dare to attack us. It's therapeutic, trust me."
A slight smile stretched Thalia's lips.
"Yeah, that sounds good. I think I'll use it now."
Luke looked confused.
"Huh? Now?"
"Yes. Now."
Thalia went to get something from her leather jacket that was on the floor and pulled out a can of whipped cream. She uncovered it, and it transformed into a six-foot-high spear. She tapped her bracelet and her fearsome Aegis shield emerged.
She got into a standard fighting stance and looked at Luke.
"Get ready, Castellan! Because I'll clean the floor with your ass!"
"What?!" Luke exclaimed in alarm. "Wait! I'm not going to fight with you!"
"It's late! You'll be my test dummy to use my new spear. Now get ready! Or I'll do more than just knock out a tooth."
To prove her point, sparks of electricity shot out from the sharp blade of her spear.
Luke could only sigh as he brought his hand to his collar and pulled his sword free.
"You're impossible," he said.
"It's part of my charm. Now be on your guard!"
He had a feeling they would be there all afternoon until Thalia finally got off her chest. Not that it bothered him. If he was honest with himself, he expected this kind of development. He was also quite upset with the whole Percy tree poisoning situation. And training to exhaustion was a good way to take her mind off him.
So he did that. All afternoon, he sparred with Thalia in friendly but intense combat. Obviously, she didn't use her powers. He knew that if she did, she would win easily. But that didn't make her less deadly.
And Luke knew that all too well in the next few hours of training.
"Gods, that woman doesn't know what moderation is," Luke complained as he entered his cabin. "I feel a little sorry for her future boyfriend. Although, Victor was quite happy when he dated her for a few months. I wonder how far they went... Has Thalia had the same enthusiasm in bed? Hehehe... Ouch!"
He felt a sharp pain in his side from a blow Thalia had given him with the back of her spear.
"Okay, okay. Don't think sexually about your friend."
He went to his bed and collapsed on top of it. He felt incredibly tired. It had been a very busy day. Between the poisoning of Percy's Tree, the hours of training he had with Thalia, and the panic that seeped through the campers at dinner time, he hadn't had time to rest one bit. And neither would he in the next few days.
Chiron had briefed the campers on what they should do in the next few days. Ares would give them a Spartan training to be able to face the horde of monsters that would start attacking the borders of the camp.
Border patrols had been formed so that the campers would not expose any point of the camp's borders. If they weren't on patrol, they'd be training or resting, there was no time for any of the activities like Poker Night, Fight Club, or Capture the Flag.
The entire schedule had been set for the sole purpose of protecting the camp.
And it would start tomorrow. So Luke wouldn't have time to dawdle like he normally would. He wouldn't have time to drink, either at night or on weekends.
The mere thought of him not being able to drink already caused a frown to form on his face. If he couldn't drink in the next few days, then he would take advantage of it and do it tonight. Plus, he had a bottle of Jack Daniel's that he'd won at Poker Night last Wednesday, along with that box of condoms that he didn't get to use.
Since he couldn't use the box of condoms, then he would drink the bottle of whiskey when everyone fell asleep. Like he always did when he wanted to drink in peace.
Besides, he already had in mind who he could drink with. He wasn't stupid enough to drink a whole bottle of whiskey by himself.
There was someone else in the camp who shared his love of drink.
As he got up from his bed with the intention of taking a shower, he idly wondered if Thalia had ice in the small refrigerator she kept in her cabin.
For Thalia, the best thing about having a cabin to herself was having her own bathroom. She could come in any time she wanted and take as long as she wanted.
When she came out of the bathroom wearing simple athletic shorts and a tank top that came up to her upper abdomen and barely hid her braless breasts, she did so with a smirk on her face.
"Nothing better than a cold shower after several hours of training," she muttered to herself.
She toweled her hair dry as they sat on her bed, which creaked slightly under her weight.
Compared to a few hours ago, her head felt clearer. Hours of training did wonders for her to feel more relaxed. It had always been that way. While other people relaxed by reading a book or watering the plants, Thalia needed hours of intense exercise in order to relax. It did wonders not only with her mind, but also with her body. That was evidenced by the wide and toned legs she had, along with her ripped abs.
Thalia was the spitting image of an athletic woman who broke all stereotypes of beauty. She was beautiful in a different way than Aphrodite's daughters were. Where they had a beauty that was fragile and delicate, Thalia's was a pure beauty without altering anything. She confidently showed off her body, and she wasn't shy about having defined muscles. But she didn't look bulky, much less big. Her body was tall and graceful. Built for speed, agility and flexibility. Key features for the type of weapon she wielded.
And now, that she had a new weapon that she had to get used to, she had to spend many more hours of training in order to get all of her potential out of it.
She would have Luke to thank. He had been a good practice partner. Maybe share the pack of beer she had in her little fridge.
As she thought about that, a knock on her door caught her attention.
Not caring what scant clothes she had on, she went and opened the door. Had she known it was Luke she called her, she would have changed into something more conservative. Not because she embarrassed her in any way, but because Luke was a fucking pervert. And even though he had never tried anything with her due to their friendship, that didn't mean he didn't see her from time to time.
Luke almost dropped the bottle of whiskey and the small crystal glasses he was holding in his hands. His eyes immediately widened at how scantily clad his friend was.
'Oh, gods... Look at those legs!' he thought, with a lump in his throat, 'Is it normal to want to be hanged by them?'
"Luke, if you don't stop looking at me like a fucking piece of meat, I'll poke your eyes with my fingers," Thalia growled in warning.
Luke cleared his throat and met his friend's eyes, though for a second he lingered on her breasts.
"Uh, sorry. But, I think you are a little to blame. You know... for dressing like that."
Thalia narrowed her eyes.
"It's my cabin. If I want to be naked, I will."
Luke tried with all his might not to think about that.
"Well?" Thalia hastened, crossing her arms and emphasizing her breasts even more. "Why have you come?"
That snapped Luke out of his reverie.
"Oh, yeah. You see, since the next few days will be quite hectic for all of us, I want to take advantage of tonight. Since it will be the only time we will have free time."
Thalia's gaze went to the bottle of whiskey and her eyes shone for a second.
"I see where you're going with this. But are you sure? Whiskey is not for lightweights like you, who only drink speakeasy wine from cabin twelve."
Luke chuckled at that.
"Well, there's always a first time for everything. Besides..." His smile turned a little sad. "It's been a while since we spoke properly. And I feel like you could use a friend to talk to, considering the things that have happened."
Thalia agreed with him. It was true that it had been a while since she had properly spoken to Luke. And she missed her friend. Despite their differing opinions on what they wanted to do with their lives, he never abandoned her.
"Well, are you going to let me in?" Luke hurried. "Or do I have to go get drunk somewhere else by myself? Drinking alone is depressing, you know?"
Thalia didn't want to tell him that she always drank alone.
"Sure, come on. Whiskey is welcome."
"And I don't?" he asked, offended.
"Well, since you've got the whiskey, I guess I can let you in."
Luke chuckled and went inside. Thalia closed the door and went to her bathroom to change. She wouldn't be so skimpily dressed when there's a pervert in the same room as her. The same pervert who was staring at her butt right now. Oh, she would take revenge.
When she came out of the bathroom again, this time she was wearing gray pajama bottoms with a baggy tank top with a somewhat faded image of a yellow smiley face with crossed eyes and a messed-up mouth with its tongue sticking out; Nirvana's logo.
Luke was sitting on the Indian-style rug behind a small wooden table where the bottle of whiskey was placed and the two glasses that held a couple of ice cubes that he had taken from Thalia's small refrigerator.
"Any other time, I would have hit for touching my fridge," she said as she sat down across from him. "But I'll let it go this time as thanks for what you did today."
"What I did?" Luke asked, looking confused as he opened the bottle of whiskey.
"For helping me clear my mind," she explained. "You were right. I could have done something stupid if I hadn't calmed down."
"Whenever you want," he answered with a smile. "I'll always be there to give you a little common sense. That's what friends do."
He poured the whiskey into both glasses and handed one to Thalia.
"And also... sorry about your tooth," she added, accepting the glass.
She took a small sip, wincing a little at the strong taste. It had been a while since the last time she drank straight whiskey. Normally, she made it diluted with another drink. But she didn't dislike the taste of it. In fact, she found it slightly sweet on the second sip.
Luke didn't seem to find that flavor, if the grimace he made was any indication from it. He shook his head slightly to get rid of the strong taste.
"Don't worry about it," he said, his voice a little hoarse. "It's nothing a little nectar and ambrosia can't cure. My handsome face is still intact."
Thalia rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, I'd hate to have to ruin your pretty face so the whores at Aphrodite's cabin couldn't appreciate it."
"Don't call them whores!" Luke admonished, taking another sip from his glass.
"Oh, please. They're all the same," Thalia said, also taking a sip. She then added, "Except Silena. She's great."
"Not all women are the same. In the same way that not all men are the same. You are being prejudiced by calling a girl a whore just because she is the daughter of Aphrodite."
"Oh, yeah? This girl you were fucking last night..."
"I didn't fuck with her!"
"... How long have you been together?"
Luke looked away.
"Long enough," he replied.
"Then let's make a bet," Thalia said with a smirk. "If you win, I'll give you a pack of Corona beer. But if you lose, you'll admit that Aphrodite's daughters are whores... Except Silena."
Luke narrowed his eyes.
"What's the bet?"
"You only have to answer one question. If I'm right, I win. If I'm wrong, then you win."
"Okay," he agreed, sipping his drink and holding out his hand. "Done. What's your question?"
Thalia shook her hand and asked:
"How long have you been 'dating' with this girl? If she spreads her legs for you before two months, then I win. And I prove that Aphrodite's daughters are all whores... Except Silena."
"Fuck!" Luke exclaimed.
Thalia burst out laughing and took a deep sip from her glass, emptying it.
"You see! I'm right!"
"No! You don't!" Luke said stubbornly. "We didn't have sex. The damn harpies cut us off before it happened."
Thalia arched an amused eyebrow as she poured herself another round.
"Never mind! The fact is that she spread her legs for you! Regardless of whether you were able to get her in or not."
"Shit..." he grumbled again as Thalia poured him another round. "Okay. I admit it. Aphrodite's daughters are... whores."
"Except Silena."
Luke nodded.
"Except Silena."
In unison, they both took a sip of their drink.
"By the way, I'm curious about something," Luke said. "What's life like with mortals?"
Thalia arched an eyebrow, confused.
"Why do you want to know that?"
"I've been thinking lately. Ever since Ares came to camp, things have changed."
"In the good or bad sense?"
"In the good, I guess. The campers train diligently under his orders. And a lot of them have gotten stronger, so I'm happy for them, but..."
"You felt like your job was being taken away," Thalia finished for him, taking a sip of her drink.
Luke nodded.
"I've been thinking about it for months. I've always told myself that my mission is to help the demigods as much as I can. To train them so that they can face all the monsters out there in the world. But now that Ares is fulfilling that role, I was wondering... What should I do? What kind of future do I want for myself? And then I thought that... maybe I could live my own life in the mortal world."
That statement surprised Thalia, who was halfway down her drink.
"Really?" she asked, incredulous. "You? Live in the mortal world? But you hate them! It's been almost six years since you've been here in the camp. And you hardly ever leave here."
Luke massaged the back of his neck lightly. Trying to ease the pressure he felt.
"Yeah, I know," he agreed. "But things are changing, and I have to change too. I can't stay stagnant."
Thalia smiled at him as she watched as Luke downed his entire glass in one gulp. From the slight blush he saw on his cheeks, the alcohol was beginning to affect him.
"I'm glad you think so, Luke," she said, pouring him another round. "I was a little worried about you, knowing that you just wanted to stay in the camp and train the demigods. Don't get me wrong, it's a noble goal, but I felt like you cared more about others than yourself. And that is not healthy. You have to think more about yourself. On your own goals. In your own dreams. In your own happiness."
"And what happens when you don't know what you want?" he inquired, looking a little downcast. "Until now, my only concern has been training, training and training. I felt that there was no other life for me."
"It's never too late to start something new," Thalia encouraged, sipping her whiskey. "If you want to start doing something for yourself, now is as good a time as any other. If you want to start living for yourself, I can help you."
Luke looked up, watching her intrigued.
"What are you talking about?"
"Simple." She emptied her entire glass in one deep gulp and slammed the glass on the table with a big smile. "Come live with me."
He didn't know how to react to that. His best friend was offering to go live with her in the mortal world.
"Huh?"
"You heard me!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I have more than enough space for several people. And you say you want to start a life in the mortal world. If that is your decision, and it is what you really want to do, I will support you. You're my friend, Luke. You and Annabeth are my family. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."
"Thalia... I..."
"You don't need to give me an answer now," she interrupted. "It's an important decision. It took me weeks to make the decision to go live on my own in the mortal world. So I won't pressure you to take one. Just think about it, okay? My offer will always stand."
Luke lowered his head contemplatively. Thalia's offer was... tempting. The best he would receive. He wouldn't have to worry about a place to live. He wouldn't have to sleep on the streets or in the park before he found a livelihood to support himself and figured out what he could do for a living. But if he agreed, if he decided to move in with Thalia, he would leave everything he had done for almost six years behind. Leaving the lifestyle he had grown accustomed to and taken for granted.
Leaving his comfort zone into a world he hadn't been in for six years. A world that had rejected and disowned him for years until he arrived at the camp where he was finally accepted.
Leave the warmth of his home for a cold and cruel world?
"I'm... going to think about it," Luke finally said. "You know that my experience in the mortal world was not a very pleasant one. I know there are some who are good people, but they are overshadowed by the amount of malice mortals have."
Thalia nodded grimly.
"Yeah, sometimes mortals are worse than monsters... but you said so. There are also good people. Don't think that all the mortals I have met are unpleasant."
"I'll choose to believe that," Luke said, sipping from his glass. "If it's okay with you, I'll give you an answer before the end of the summer. But right now, we have another concern on our hands. And we need to focus on that."
Seeing the somber expression on her friend's face, and the way she lightly squeezed her glass, Luke decided to comfort her.
"We will find a cure, Thalia. We will not let the tree die."
"How can you be so sure?" she asked, without looking up.
"Because I need to believe that everything will be okay in the end," Luke said with conviction. "That in the end, the tree will be healed. The magical barriers will stand. And the camp will be saved. That's why I will fight and draw my sword. No matter how dark the future looks."
"That's just blind faith!" exclaimed Thalia, annoyed at her friend's naivete. "The strength behind your sword is uncertain! And if your reason for fighting is weak, your strength will be too!"
"My strength won't be weak if my will is strong! Don't you see, Thalia? The reason why everyone in the camp has started to organize and prepare, even with how gloomy everything looks?"
"Fear," she said. "Fear that the monsters will invade the camp."
Luke shook his head. Thalia could be someone very strong, but she was also someone very pessimistic. She refused to see the bright side of things unless you showed it to her.
"No. It's not fear, Thalia," he replied. "It's hope."
"Hope?"
Luke nodded.
"Hope is what makes us strong. The reason we all fight. And it's what gives us strength when all else seems lost."
Thalia didn't say anything at that. She lowered her head contemplatively and looked at her glass. The ice had melted during their talk. And she already felt the alcohol begin to work in her system, numbing her senses and causing a warmth in the pit of her stomach.
Percy's image flashed in her mind for a second.
He was the representation of hope for Thalia. But she had given up that hope the day Percy died. The day she watched as his eyes closed forever and never opened again. The day she saw his last smile.
She pressed her lips together until they formed a fine line. She wouldn't let Percy's soul fade away. She would not abandon him to his fate.
After that, they both continued to drink from the whiskey bottle. Sharing stories and memories. Thalia had missed that. She openly talked to someone in a nonchalant manner, but her heart was not quite present. She felt an uncomfortable feeling in her head and in her heart. She didn't know what she was, but she didn't like it.
But she didn't focus on that. Instead, she simply decided to enjoy the company of her friend. And, obviously, the whiskey.
Thalia drank from her glass in one gulp. Not caring about the slight burn she caused in her throat. In fact, she found it comforting.
She slammed the glass down on the small wooden table and eyed her drinking partner.
Luke was a lightweight. After reaching a little more than half of the bottle, the man was already really drunk. Talking nonsense about him getting back at the Stolls brothers for keeping him from getting a piece of that daughter of Aphrodite's ass, who he couldn't fuck.
Thalia had to put up with Luke's drunken babbling. Such as:
"You knoow, Thaliaa?" he would say, dragging his words like a drunk. "Theere's a saaying... that says; the less bust a woman haas... the smaarter she iss... But you know whaat? I like them really dumb!
Or comments like...
"Don't worry... Thaalia. Amy certainly hass a niice butt... But your butt iss... It's the besst butt I've ever seen!"
It was with that last statement that Luke fell onto the table and began to snore.
Thalia sighed.
"He needs sex... urgently."
At least Luke had the decency not to try anything with her. Though if he had ever done it, she would have broken the bones in his hand.
The rest of the night, she drank the rest of the bottle by herself. It was quiet, not counting Luke's constant snoring and the odd comment in his dreams. It was when she was close to finishing the entire bottle that she felt the effects of the alcohol.
Her head was incredibly cloudy. Her vision was somewhat blurry, her tongue was numb, and her eyelids were heavy. She felt that she might go do something stupid at camp. Like lighting a huge fire, burning all the makeup in Aphrodite's cabin and dancing the rain dance around it.
That thought caused her to laugh lightly. A drunken laugh.
"Wow, you really fell low, Sparky."
Thalia's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't Luke who spoke. He was still snoring on the table.
She stood up abruptly and looked around her cabin, which was not recommended because it only caused her to get dizzy and see even more blurry.
"Who... Who's there?" she demanded to know, her words slurred by her drunken state.
"Have you forgotten about me yet? " Inquired the voice with a hurt tone, but at the same time amused, "You hurt me, Thalia. I thought we had something special."
Thalia was starting to get more and more scared. That voice spoke as if knew her. But she couldn't place where she came from.
She tensed as a pair of arms wrapped around her waist.
"Or have you forgotten that kiss we once shared?" A voice whispered in her ear.
Thalia was trembling. Her eyes were wide in complete disbelief, her mouth opening and closing erratically.
It had to be some kind of mistake. Simply, she must have had too much to drink, and she was hallucinating in her drunken state. Because there was no way he was here. But the warmth she felt being wrapped in his arms was so real. His presence, which seemed to radiate warmth, felt the same as in the past. The same presence that had comforted her so many times.
Trembling and scared, she turned slightly to meet sea green eyes.
"Per... cy..."
"Oh, so you really do remember me!" Percy said, giving her a crooked smile.
Thalia jerked away from him and fell face forward on the floor. Quickly, she turned and watched as Percy looked at her with pain. As if it had hurt him that she had turned away from him so abruptly.
"Why that reaction, Thalia?" he asked, taking a step forward. "Aren't you happy to see me again?"
"T-this... no... it's not real..." she said with a trembling voice, trying to sort out her confused thoughts that were really cloudy. "There's no way you're..."
"Alive?" Percy finished, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "Oh, believe me. I'm very much alive."
He took a step forward, but Thalia backed away.
"No... No!... Get away. Get away!" she cried in panic. "You're not real! You should be dead!"
"Didn't you listen to my father's explanation?" he said, with a disgusted face when she said father. "I'm alive inside the tree, Thalia. But now... I'm really dying. The poison is slowly killing me. And it hurts... a lot..."
He put a hand to his chest and screwed up his face in pain.
Even if it was just some kind of hallucination, seeing the image of Percy wince in pain caused Thalia's heart to ache.
"Where were you, Thalia?" Percy demanded painfully. "Where were you while I was poisoned?"
Thalia looked at him shakily. Unable to look away from Percy's accusing eyes.
"I... I..."
She didn't know how to respond. She still felt bewildered at the sight of her late friend standing in front of her.
"You accuse Luke of neglecting my tree, but you have too!" Percy accused.
His eyes were no longer what Thalia remembered. They weren't warm and friendly, they were cold and they watched Thalia with treachery.
"No... No! You're wrong!" exclaimed Thalia.
"You know? At first, I was happy. You talked to me every day. You always came and talked to me for hours. I was really happy that you didn't forget me," Percy said with a wistful look before narrowing his eyes at her. "Then you started dating that son of Apollo. And if that wasn't enough, you left me. You left me behind."
"N-no... I didn't abandon you, Percy! I was..."
"In college," Percy said, eyes narrowing. "You left. You left Grover, Luke and Annabeth behind. You left me behind. You went to live in a place where you had no relationship with us. Do we mean so little to you? Did I mean so little to you? Now you only visit me for a few weeks before returning to the mortals. Those same mortals who rejected us and made our lives so difficult. And where did that lead? That my tree was poisoned, and my soul is in danger of vanishing forever!"
"I made what you wanted for us!" Thalia burst out, with tears in her eyes. "I took advantage of the future that you gave us with your sacrifice! I became a writer like you thought I could be! I got on with my life! But I never forgot you, Percy!"
"But you abandoned me doing it," he accused. "You even had the nerve to rip one of the branches off my tree just because it gave you protection in your apartment."
"No!... I did it to remember you..." she sobbed. "No to forget you! So that a part of you will always be with me!"
Percy shook his head as he frowned. Then he looked at Thalia with pain and betrayal.
"You abandoned me... the same way you abandoned Sammy."
That accusation left Thalia in complete shock. She opened her eyes and tears began to fall down her face as she shivered under Percy's accusing gaze.
"N-no... I didn't..." she sobbed. "I was there for Sammy..."
"That's a bullshit, and you know it," he growled. "If you had cared more about her... If you had been there for her... She wouldn't have made that decision."
Thalia felt immensely hurt by Percy's words, but she also felt anger. Because she had told herself the same thing for so long.
"I thought the same too..." she whispered. "I thought that if I had been there for her, Sammy wouldn't have made that decision... But none of that matters now, Sammy was able to make it to the Elysium Fields! I made sure of it! She is happy now!"
"She shouldn't have died!" Percy yelled, "She should have lived a long life before she died! Not having to kill herself because she felt there was nothing left for her in her life! If you had been there for her, she wouldn't have died!"
"That's not true..." she hissed as she clenched her fists. "That's not true..."
"I sacrificed myself so that all of you are safe! And this is how you repay me?!"
"No... shut up..."
"You abandoned the girl I cared so much for! You let my tree be poisoned, so it would slowly die!"
"Shut up..."
"It's your fault this happened! If you had been here, if you hadn't abandoned me, my tree wouldn't have been poisoned!"
"I said shut up."
"It's your fault that Sammy killed himself!""
"Shut up!"
Thalia stood up abruptly and threw the bottle of whiskey at Percy. The image of her friend faded, and the bottle crashed against the wall, causing the loud sound of glass shattering.
Thalia was panting heavily, her eyes reddened with tears and sweat pouring down her face. Feeling a strong sickness in her stomach, she quickly went to the bathroom and wasted no time collapsing on the toilet and emptying the contents of her stomach.
Her throat burned, and her stomach ached as she vomited, but none of it compared to the pain she felt in her heart from what had just happened. She didn't know if it was a hallucination or something else, but that didn't matter. The words Percy had said to her, his accusations, pierced deep into her heart. And it hurt more than anything else.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Percy..." she apologized between sobs and retching, her voice broken. Tears streamed down her face, but she made no attempt to wipe them away as she continued to vomit. "Forgive me... Please... Forgive me..."
After finally completely emptying her stomach, Thalia curled up in the bathtub in a fetal position as she continued to cry and apologized over and over to her late friend for failing him.
Luke woke up with a hell of a headache.
He had been drinking before, and had several hangovers in the past. But none compared to what he was feeling right now. It seemed as if, with every beat of his heart, he was being hit over the head with a hammer.
He raised his head from the uncomfortable surface where he had slept and slowly surveyed where he was. He was in Thalia's cabin. And apparently he had slept on the floor on the rug.
Slowly he stood up and put a hand to his head.
"Next time I'll drink more moderately," he muttered.
The fact that not drinking again never crossed his mind for a second showed how alcoholic he had become. His mother would be disappointed.
He looked around for his friend, but couldn't find her. The bed was still made, so he hadn't slept in it. And there was no sign of anyone but him in the cabin.
He slowly shuffled his feet into the bathroom. Thalia wasn't inside, either. Reasoning that Thalia wouldn't mind her using her bathroom, Luke set about cleaning up a bit. Maybe his head would clear with a cold shower.
Luke had searched the entire camp for Thalia and couldn't find her. He had searched the places where he supposed she would be found, but he hadn't found a trace of her. He had to ask some of the campers if they had seen her and they told him that she had been under Percy's Tree since morning.
Luke found that fact strange, but he decided to let it go. Border patrols had started operating from this day. Perhaps she had been assigned to guard that side of the borders.
It was during lunchtime and the patrols' shift change that Luke worried he wouldn't see her sitting at Zeus's table in the pavilion. He had been told that his friend was still under Percy's Tree. And apparently she had no intention of letting their guard down.
Luke just sighed as he walked toward the massive pine tree that graced the top of Half-Blood Hill. Carrying a plate of food that he had gotten from the pavilion.
As he approached, he could see how the leaves of the tree began to have a yellowish color and some of them fell to the ground. Sitting with her back against the trunk of the tree, Thalia had a distant look on her face. She looked like she hadn't slept well last night.
She didn't seem to acknowledge his presence when he was at her side.
"Hey, Thalia," Luke called.
Thalia looked up at her slightly, then back down again.
"What do you want?" Her voice was only slightly louder than a whisper.
Luke raised his eyebrow, surprised by the lack of energy in his friend. In fact, she looked very tired.
"I brought you something to eat, since you didn't go to the pavilion during lunch," Luke said, handing her a plate.
Thalia watched him and slowly reached out her hand to grab the plate.
"Thanks... I'm a little hungry."
"Didn't you have breakfast?" he asked.
"I'm here a little before dawn," she answered slowly in a husky voice. "There were a couple of hellhounds that tried to sneak in in the dark, but I took care of them quickly."
"Oh, I see. That's great. Thanks for your hard work. Go get some rest. I'll take over the next watch."
"No."
Luke blinked a couple of times. Confused.
"What?" he asked.
"I said no. I'll stay to guard this side of the border. Go somewhere else."
"But you're tired," he replied. "You told me you've been here since before dawn. And from what I see, you didn't sleep at all last night. Go get some rest while I stand guard here."
Thalia frowned and looked directly at him for the first time.
"I'll stay here," she growled. "Go stand guard somewhere else."
"But..."
A look from Thalia was all it took for him to shut up. Finally, Luke sighed in resignation and nodded in acceptance.
"It's okay. It's okay," he agreed. "But at least eat something. You'll need strength if you want to protect the borders from monsters."
Thalia nodded and began to eat slowly from the plate of food, grabbing a piece of smoked ham. She didn't even mind having to eat with her hands.
Luke began to leave the hill with the intention of going elsewhere to cover the borders that needed some attention.
It wasn't like Thalia stayed under the tree day and night, right?
It had been a week since Thalia hadn't left the tree.
During the course of that week, not much had happened other than constant monster attacks. Fortunately, for everyone, it wasn't as large groups as the first day Percy's Tree was poisoned. And nothing the new camp warden couldn't handle.
Some of the campers tried to play a prank on Thalia, saying that they should put a collar on her like they did on Mrs. O'Leary to show that she was the camp's new guardian pet.
Those campers hadn't even left the med bay since Thalia got her hands on them.
Another of the events that had occurred was the arrival of Andy and Annabeth, who seemed worried about Thalia, who still refused to leave the tree. During lunch and dinner time, they would bring her food so that she wouldn't go hungry, and they would try to convince her to get some rest. But all their efforts were in vain. The stubborn daughter of Zeus refused to leave the tree.
"You know this doesn't change anything, right? Stay here to be the guardian of my tree."
Thalia didn't need to turn around to know who was talking about. During the course of the week, Percy had reappeared. Sometimes when she was alone, other times when someone else was with her and made gestures and actions to distract her and get her attention while she chatted with the other person. She had come to the understanding that if she ignored him, sooner or later he would disappear, grumbling.
"So she's my half-sister, huh?" Percy stated appreciatively as he watched Andy and Annabeth walk down the hill, intending to go to the bonfire that night.
Thalia didn't reply. Instead, she focused on calmly eating her food.
"Come on, Thalia, don't ignore me," he complained childishly. "I've been trying to get your attention all week, but you haven't even said a word to me other than..."
"Shut up," she spat at him with her mouth full.
"Exactly! That's all you told me! You're not nice at all, you know? For years, you've come to talk to my tree, and I've never responded. Now that I can do it, you just don't talk to me. Talk about irony."
"Why would I talk to you?" Thalia growled. "You're not real."
"Hey, I'm very real," he stated. "As real as the black underwear you're wearing. Who would have thought that the great Thalia Grace wears such provocative underwear?"
"Shut up. You're just a fucking hallucination that proves I'm finally going crazy. I don't know if I need to go to therapy or an exorcism for having hallucinations with the dead."
"Is that so?" he asked, amused. "I've already told you I'm not dead. Besides, if I really were a hallucination, could I do this?"
Before Thalia could see what he meant, she felt a pair of hands grab her face and force her to look at him. A pair of soft, warm lips rested on hers. A surprised moan emerged from her throat. She was too stunned to respond when Percy moved his lips to hers, savoring the kiss more.
When he pulled away from her, Thalia's eyes were wide open.
Percy gave her a crooked smile as his green eyes twinkled mischievously.
"Hmm. You taste like ham," he commented. "Maybe it's because you're eating it."
Thalia didn't reply. She was still too shocked by what just happened.
"Why so surprised?" A smirk formed on Percy's lips. "You dated that son of Apollo for a few months. You have kissed him dozens of times. Did you have sex? How was your first time? Considering your attitude, surely it was you who took the initiative and..."
"Shut up!" Thalia snapped, looking away. "Victor and I didn't get that far because..."
She fell silent and frowned.
The smirk on Percy's lips widened.
"It's because... Me? Couldn't you get over me, Thalia? It's because every time you looked at those silver eyes of him, you internally wished that they were green like the sea? Because every time you kissed him, you thought about that kiss we had, and internally wished that it was me you were kissing? It's lovely of you."
"Shut up!" Thalia snapped, with a slight blush on her cheeks due to embarrassment but, above all, anger and frustration.
"And we're back with the same thing," he sighed. "I thought we were making progress. You haven't changed a thing. You're still as temperamental as ever. You're still alone. Poor, poor, Thalia."
"I'm not alone," she growled.
"You are," Percy replied. "And that scares you. You may have grown stronger, faster, even a little wiser. And definitely more beautiful. But you're still the same lonely girl. The same girl who's afraid to stay alone. The same thirteen-year-old girl I kicked in the ass the day we met in that church. Ah, good times."
"And what do you know?" she asked scathingly.
"Oh, I know a lot of things. I know that this crude little act you're doing now, of being the guardian of my tree, is just a form of self-punishment that you've imposed on yourself. That's why you've refused any relief that you have been offered. Because you know that, deep in your heart, you are only looking for a way to justify that you deserve forgiveness for the sins you have committed."
Percy went and crouched down in front of Thalia and looked her straight in the eyes. Unconsciously, Thalia found herself staring into his deep green eyes. They were just as she remembered them. A green so deep and brilliant that it seemed to glow in the dark of night.
"But we know that sins don't disappear so easily, Thalia. And that we're willing to do whatever it takes to erase them. Even if Luke and Annabeth came to tell you right now that they found a way to heal my tree, you wouldn't go on that quest. Because the guilt you feel for abandoning me is greater than the desire to want to save me."
Thalia looked away, not wanting to admit his words were true. But they both knew it was true.
Her attention was stolen when she heard footsteps approaching her. She turned and watched as Luke, Annabeth, and Andy approached her. Each of them with an ecstatic expression, as if they had given her the best news of her life.
Thalia began to get a strange feeling about what her friends wanted to say.
"Thalia, we have a solution!" Annabeth announced happily.
None of the three seemed to notice Percy's presence. Further furthering the fact that it was something only Thalia could see.
"Is that so?" Thalia arched an eyebrow.
"The Golden Fleece," Andy said excitedly. "We know where it is. My father told me, at least indirectly through the Gray Sisters. We have organized a search quest! I have gone to speak with the Oracle and received a prophecy!"
"Aww~, aren't you a cute little thing?" Percy said, looking at Andy.
Thalia decided to ignore Percy's hallucination and she looked at Andy in mild shock.
"Did you get a prophecy when last summer you already got one?" she hissed in shock.
"Yeah... although it doesn't give a very good vibe."
"What did it say?"
Andy looked a little unsure. She looked at Annabeth and after a nod from her, Andy spoke:
¨You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bones sworn to war¨
¨You shall find what you seek and you will make it yours own¨
¨But the most important thing be consumed by fire¨
¨And the hero will rise once more from the spilled blood¨
Nobody said anything after that. The prophecy, while hopeful in saying that they will find what they seeks, was not very inspired in the closing lines.
"Damn prophecies with their shadow lines," Thalia declared.
"Oh, come on! Those are the best!" exclaimed Percy. "They make things more interesting!"
Obviously no one answered because Thalia was the only one listening. And she decided to ignore him.
"Maybe so," Luke agreed. "But it's the best we've got right now. The Golden Fleece is the only thing we know of that can cure the tree. While Andy sets out on her search for the fleece, I'll stay here to protect the camp. We need all capable warriors while holding off monster attacks."
"You just want to stay at camp so you can find an opportunity to fuck that daughter of Aphrodite!" Percy accused.
"We've already decided who's going," Annabeth said. "Andy's going because she's the one who received the prophecy. I'm going with her to make sure she doesn't make a stupid comment..."
"Hey! Are we going to have this discussion again?!"
"... And the third person we want to go is you, Thalia."
"Like last summer," Andy said. "Let's go!"
Thalia was aware that everyone looked at her, waiting for an affirmative answer. She felt Percy's gaze. She could almost feel his damn smug grin.
"I..." Thalia struggled with the words.
She pursed her lips until they were a thin line on her face. And her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists.
"Come on, Thalia," Percy encouraged, gently caressing her cheek, causing Thalia to shiver at the soft, warm touch. "Just tell them; I'm not..."
Thalia couldn't take it anymore.
"I'm not going," she finally said. "I'll stay here... to... protect the tree."
None of them expected that answer.
...
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Special #12
Luke loves cocks.
The door to the bathroom in cabin one slowly opened. From it emerged the daughter of Zeus, who, despite looking clean after a cold shower to awaken her senses, looked tired. As if she hadn't slept all night.
She inched through her cabin, the floorboards creaking under her feet, until she collided with something that nearly tripped her. She looked down and was treated to the sight of her friend asleep on the floor like a toad run over in the road. He was on his back, with his arms and legs outstretched, as if he wanted to make a snow angel.
Thalia scowled at him.
"You better not drool on my rug, asshole."
Luke just mumbled something incomprehensible in his sleep.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, damn it. Wake up."
Thalia poked her friend's face with the toe of her foot.
"Yeah... harder, baby," Luke murmured in his sleep.
Thalia's eyebrow twitched.
"Fucking pervert."
As she was about to kick him awake, an idea flashed through Thalia's mind. If Luke didn't wake up, maybe she should take advantage of it. An evil smile graced her face and she went to the nightstand and opened a drawer where she took out a black marker. It wasn't permanent, but it would get the job done.
She went to where Luke was sleeping, and she crouched down in front of his face. She uncapped the marker, but hesitated a bit before writing.
"It's okay to make fun of someone who's asleep?" she asked herself.
A small cloud of smoke burst on her left shoulder and from it appeared the figure of a small Thalia who had horns on her head, a red tail ending in an arrowhead and wielding a red trident in her hand.
"What the fuck are you saying? Of course, it's damn okay!" Thalia-devil declared with a macabre smile on her face. "This little bitch has been screwing us with his damn degrading and perverted comments! It's time for retribution! Now, write on his face: Cocksucker."
Another puff of smoke appeared on Thalia's right shoulder, and from it emerged a Thalia with angel wings on her back and a halo floating above her head. Her hands were together, as if she were praying.
The little angel shot Thalia an impatient look.
"What are you waiting for, bitch?" Thalia-angel asked, "Write on his damn face; I love cocks."
"What?! You too?!" Thalia exclaimed incredulously as she looked at the angel on her shoulder, "Aren't you supposed to be the voice of my conscience?"
"You never had a conscience to begin with," her angel shrugged. "Now, fucking do it!"
"Ah, well, if the three of us agree," said Thalia, leaving behind any doubt.
She then proceeded to write on Luke's face.
As he walked through the camp looking for Thalia, Luke didn't understand why the campers were glancing at him and laughing as they pointed at him. He was used to that kind of reaction from girls, but on those occasions it was flirtatious giggles. Instead, the kind of laughs he was getting now were funny, teasing laughs.
They didn't give him a good feeling.
It wasn't until he got to the pavilion for breakfast that they really bothered him. His siblings from cabin eleven laughed out loud at the sight of him.
"What the hell is so funny?!" he asked, annoyed.
Chris walked over to him, trembling as he tried to hold back his laughter. He snatched a mirror from a daughter of Aphrodite who was touching up her makeup, earning an angry protest from her, and held the mirror out to Luke.
"What is...?"
The question didn't finish coming out of his mouth when he looked at the image in the mirror. On his forehead, he had the capital letters "COCKSUCKER" written in black marker. On his left cheek, where his scar was, he had "I LOVE COCKS" written on it. And on his right cheek was the drawing of an erect penis, the head of which pointed towards his mouth and ejected small drops that simulated semen.
Luke's eyebrows started to tremble as he heard all the campers start laughing at him. Even Chiron was covering his mouth in an attempt to hide his laughter!
Immediately, Luke knew who the culprit was.
"THALIAAA!"
At the top of Half-Blood Hill, leaning against Percy's Tree, Thalia chuckled at Luke's angry shout.
...
..
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And that's all for now, my lovely readers!
How did you think?
I know you weren't expecting that unique turn of events.
In fact, it had been planned for a long time. But believe me, it is something much more important than you think. You'll see what I talk about in the future.
Anyway. I hope you liked this long chapter, more than 13,000 words! I haven't posted such a long chapter in a long time. But everything is to pamper you, my lovely readers.
This is all for now. The return of our beloved hero is very, very close, stay tuned!
And with nothing more to say... Until next time, handsome!