Hey guys- I hope you enjoy this chapter, in which Percy and Zia have a big talk and they bond somewhat. Zia might be guarded at times but she's a good person who cares.
Replies:
Undeath9087: Yep. This Zia is the real one, which obviously changes things- also, it means that we get Carter and Zia much sooner than canon.
Guest: The only ones who know that Percy is hosting Nephthys at this stage are Percy and Zia- none of the others have figured it out yet because Percy hasn't told anyone about the little voice in her head. And Nephthys hid herself keep enough that Set/Amos didn't notice- and they didn't assume it would be her because of the whole 'Well she's got Greek in here she's not like Carter and Sadie.'
Georgia: Hey the pain isn't even that bad right now. And thank you.
Guest: It shall be mentioned in upcoming chapters.
Deborah: Yep, I figure it'd make the most sense- especially since Nephthys is a water goddess.
The atmosphere in the car had turned incredibly icy after the speedy escape, Zia hadn't been able to meet Percy's gaze, and Percy had used language that would make her mother wash her mouth out with soap if she could hear it.
But eventually Percy couldn't keep yelling at the older girl so she slumped in her seat as they drove. "What now then?" she asked after a long moment, turning her head to glare out of the car window.
"We make our own way there." Zia said after a moment, glancing back at Percy. "We will find somewhere safe for you to sta-"
"Zia, I was starting to like you." Percy's expression was icy, "Do not make me punch you by suggesting that I stay behind when Set has my mom, and my brother and sister."
"But Percy-"
"I get why you rushed me out of there- even if I'm angry about it." Percy glared at Zia, "He'd have killed me on the spot if he realised, and I don't think I'd be able to beat him in a fight-I get that okay? I get that we need to take him by surprise, we don't want him to know that I'm hosting Nephthys or that I know his Secret name, but there is no way that you're keeping me away from the fight!"
"Percy, you're young it's dan-"
"I'm not some helpless little kid Zia you know that!"
"I don't know anything!" Zia yelled back, "I don't even know what you are! Nothing about this makes sense, you confuse me Persephone Kane. You're no normal magician I know that much- Desjardin told me how he enchanted the ropes he bound you with and yet you still summoned up enough water to destroy his home-"
"He had it coming-"
"That is not the point." Zia gave her a look, "Though I may be inclined to agree with you that tying up a child is not reasonable but that isn't what I meant. You should have been unable to use magic- even with a goddess inside of you. And yet you did something most water elementalists would struggle with."
Percy hesitated, staring at Zia for a moment before she looked away again, "I'm-" she shifted slightly, "You know anything about the Greek gods."
"I know some things." Zia said after a moment, "They're not an area we study closely- other than when the Greeks seized control of Egypt. But I do know some things about them." there was a moment of hesitation and then, "I assume they have lingered too since you mentioned them, much as our own gods have."
"Yep." Percy looked down at her hands, "My- my birth dad is Poseidon."
"By all the gods." Zia breathed the words, "No wonder Iskander was so interested in you. You have divine blood from two-"
"Two pantheons I know." Percy almost groaned the words, flopping back in the car seat, "Please don't make a big deal about it. It's not like I have like- any contact with that side of my blood. Dad gave me amulets that hide me from monsters and stuff so it's all okay."
"It-" Zia blinked rapidly, shaking her head, "I have never even heard of two pantheons being combined in such a way- the possible effects-"
"I know- I know okay." Percy gave Zia a look, "I know I could be dangerous-"
"You're certainly powerful." Zia spoke smoothly, "You have the blood of Pharaohs and the blood of a Greek god. I admit I only know the more well known stories of Greek Demigods. Is there much you can tell me?"
"I dunno." Percy paused, "I have ADHD." she said after a moment, "Mom said that it's because of my survival instincts- 'cause of how monsters usually hunt demigods down we're born to be warriors. I'm stronger than most kids my age- with much better reflexes- there's a reason I try to protect Carter and Sadie. I was born to be a fighter. They weren't. Not in the same way."
Zia went silent for some time, "And I assume that you have power over water." she said slowly, "Which doesn't come from your Magician side but your demigod side- it was most clever of you to use that to your advantage against Desjardins. But- I feel the need to point out that even if you're a natural warrior it does not mean that you should take the burden of protecting Carter and Sadie upon yourself with no thought of what they think. They're growing fast into skilled magicians- they must learn to stand on their own feet."
"But- it's my job- I'm meant to-"
"Percy Carter and Sadie are powerful in their own right. You know that. So why do you seem obsessed with the idea that you must be the one to protect them."
"'Cause that's my job." Percy stated simply, "I gotta protect Carter and Sadie no matter what. I promised dad."
"Protecting your brother and sister is important yes but- that cannot be all there is to your life." Zia gave Percy a sad look, "Or you'll have no life at all-" she paused, "Oh."
"What are you oh-ing it about?" Percy's eyes narrowed. She didn't like the way Zia had said that, as if she'd realised something.
"They will still need you you know, even when they can protect themselves."
"I- I don't-" Percy felt her face going red, "I don't-" except maybe- maybe she did feel like they wouldn't need her once they could protect themselves. Even if she knew Carter and Sadie would disagree with that.
"Percy, I don't know any of you that well, but it is very clear that Carter adores you- and I believe Sadie does care too- though I don't believe she'd admit it.
They will always need you."
"I-" Percy let out a breath, "Can we not talk about this please."
"If you wish." Zia shook her head, "But at least think on it."
"Not like I have much better to do." Percy tapped on the glass of the car window absent-mindedly, "Don't even have Carter or Sadie to talk to. Or mom. Just you and the goddess camping out in my brain."
"I am sorry." Zia sighed, "I- I know it must be hard for you- being forced to leave them behind-"
"Set has my mother and my siblings." Percy swallowed hard, "You have no idea how hard it is Zia."
"He won't hurt them- not until the time is right. He will want to do it at the right time in the right place. You know that Percy. They will be worrying about you more than anything else."
"Yeah, well," Percy pressed her lips together into a thin line "They- Carter and mom do that a lot. They don't get it I'm a demigod, I'm tougher than-"
"I do not believe that being a demigod makes you invincible." Zia shot Percy a wry smile. "I understand your desire to be the fierce warrior protecting your siblings, but you need someone you can rely on in turn when the battle gets bad."
"And who would you suggest? My mom's a healer not a fighter, and- and I can't not be the one protecting Carter and Sadie. That's my role."
"Hmmm." Zia looked thoughtful for a long moment before giving a shrug- and that motion seemed almost foreign on the girl. "Well. I will not be returning to the First nome- I imagine I'll stay with your family for now. Perhaps you can turn to me. You know I have just as much training as you. I'm a skilled magician, and you know you need not protect me. And just because you can protect yourself doesn't mean that you should have to do it all alone."
"I-" Percy faltered, because Zia wasn't wrong. She knew that Zia was very capable- and unlike Carter and Sadie Percy hadn't been told to protect her so she didn't feel that sense of responsibility. "Okay." she gave a slow nod, "If I- if I need help I'll call for you." the smile she gave Zia was hesitant but genuine.
And just like that some of the tension that had filled the car since Zia had, essentially, kidnapped her dissipated, they had a sort of understanding- and Percy could work with that.
"So." Percy shifted again, "You're not gonna try and dump me at some hotel now right?" which earned a laugh from Zia.
"No, I will not try to dump you at a hotel- I believe that even if I did you would find a way to leave and follow me to Set in any case. Besides, you won't tell me Set's secret name will you?"
"Nope." Percy popped the P.
"Then let us go there together- but I will be by your side to help you and protect you from Set to get you to Carter and Sadie so that they actually stand a chance of stopping him."
"We'll do it." her voice was soft. "We're the freaking Kanes after all. When we decide we're gonna do something no one can stop us." she clenched her fists tightly, pressing her lips together into a thin line.
"I have no doubt." Zia nodded, "They're gaining power quickly- and all three of you seem to be very stubborn. If anyone can stop Set it's you three."
And after that they slipped into an almost comfortable silence as Zia drove- heading towards Phoenix.
It was a long drive- they only stopped once during it- and that was because both Percy and Zia were getting hungry, so they went through a drive thru before continuing on.
It didn't help that Percy was anxious either- she spent long parts of the drive glaring out of the window- as if she was desperately searching for a sign of the nightmare ahead of them.
And when she did, it wasn't comforting- which really she should have expected- but, well somehow she just hadn't. She'd expected to be relieved when she saw some sign that they were almost there- instead all she felt was a dawning sense of dread.
Phoenix was in pure chaos. It very quickly became clear that most of the city was shut down and people were evacuating.
Percy couldn't blame them. The whole city was blanketed by the fiercest sandstorm she'd ever seen. It made it impossible to tell if it was day or night- and it was hard to see any distance in front of them. Zia had to turn on the main headlights and even with them she had to slow right down because they couldn't see very far ahead of them.
"Oh this is not good." Percy murmured the words, leaning forward, slotting herself into the gap between the drivers seat and the passengers seat as she
stared ahead of them. "Look at it Zia."
"I know." Zia's voice was tight with worry. And magic won't be working very well as we get closer to the source."
I can tell you where to go little one.
"Nephthys says that when we need it she'll tell us where to go." Percy informed Zia, gripping the two seats in front of her tightly.
And Zia shifted her grip on the car wheel, so that she was only holding it with one hand as she reached back and squeezed Percy's shoulder gently. "We shall be fine Percy. We will get to them."
"What if we don't?" Percy asked quietly, "What if we're too late? I never wanted to leave them behind in the first place Zia."
"We had very little choice you know that." Zia tried to sound reassuring- but it didn't work very well in Percy's opinion. Zia was right that they'd needed to get away from Set, that Percy would have been dead if he'd realised, and that any chance of them beating him would have died with her but-
"What if he just kills them?"
"He won't."
"You can't know that for sure Zia."
"Set will want to savor his victory." Zia's voice was firm, "It is in his nature- he'll want Carter and Sadie to see that they have no hope, and so he will wait until it will hurt them the most. We have time, not much perhaps but we have time."
"I hope you're right Zia." Percy took a deep breath, "I really, really do. Cause I can't lose them too."