Chapter 9

I'm not scared of ghosts. I'm scared of evil ghosts.

-Quote attributed to Percy Jackson

Percy felt Tiamat arrive before he saw her.

He pulled his head out from the pantry and craned it to look into the living room.

There she stood, hands on her waist, thoughtful frown in place. The magical circle she'd traveled through blinked out of existence a moment later.

She kept pondering for a few more seconds, then shook her head and turned. She spotted him watching, took note of him being in the kitchen, and licked her lips. "Dinner time already? Good thing. I'm more than ready for some food."

"Good to see you, too," he muttered. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "What are you doing back already? I thought you'd be in the Underworld for a couple of days, at least."

Tiamat shrugged. "So did I. Ajuka is a very busy person." She made her way to the kitchen. "Luckily, I caught him at a good time today."

It had already been a few days since the confrontation with Thanatos in the Netherworld and their subsequently simple return home. As she'd promised, Tiamat had checked Ingvild more thoroughly, leading her to admit her own ineptitude in light of the situation.

With that in mind, she had recommended Ajuka Beelzebub for the job in her stead.

At the time, Percy had been skeptical about getting a Devil King involved, despite wanting to help Ingvild. He didn't think it was a good idea to let other people know she even existed. Not when she was in such a sorry state.

However, after some cajoling, Tiamat convinced him to go along with her plan.

Of course, Percy had only accepted with the addition of a few key conditions. Mainly, he didn't want Ingvild's name or status outed. The less information, the better, he thought.

When Tiamat had left for the Underworld earlier in the day, he'd been hoping that she would bring back good news. Something like 'Just give her a spoonful of fish oil, she'll be fine' or any other dumb home remedy he always saw online.

"What's the news, then?" he asked.

"Nothing good." Tiamat sighed regretfully. She leaned over the island, arms folded against the granite. "Ajuka is something of a magical genius; he has a mind filled with looping calculations and extensive formulas that nobody else could ever manage to remember. Moreover, he's already done a limited amount of research into this illness for political reasons. Unfortunately, he knows no way of curing it, nor does he know why it takes hold of a subject in the first place."

"He couldn't tell you anything?"

"Considering how much he had to work with, I feel like this was to be expected."

Percy grunted in frustration and went back to rummaging through his pantry. "You think we should have told him more about Ingvild?"

"How are mysteries solved in the first place? We need evidence, theories, tests, observations. All we have right now are rumors."

"What kind of rumors?"

"Oh, the usual," Tiamat said blandly. She dismissively wiggled her hand in front of her nose. "Conspiracies about the origins of the disease and what have you. Very typical stuff; apparently, some of the older devils believe it was a deliberate action by Yahweh against their species. Ajuka doesn't think that's the case, though, and I trust his word more than the ramblings of paranoid sycophants."

Percy twisted his mouth a few times, thinking about what she'd said.

Was the illness some kind of curse cast on the devils by God? He wouldn't put it past the guy. Hadn't God sent some nasty stuff to Egypt at some point? And then there was the whole flood thing. Not to mention those cities he'd burned.

Very typical of a god.

"Nothing we can do then, huh?" he muttered. "You don't have anything in your big stash of magic-y stuff that would work?"

"Magic-y stuff?"

"You know what I mean."

"If I had something among all my 'magic-y stuff' that I thought would work, I'd already have recommended it," she replied. A frown crossed her face. "Though, now that I think about it, Ajuka did say he had never heard of a person recovering from the illness only to fall victim again shortly afterward. First of all, recovery is uncommon and seemingly random, never coming about as a result of specific treatment."

"She's the first?" Percy asked.

"As far as everybody else is concerned, there is no first. However, to us, yes. The first and only." Tiamat narrowed her eyes and looked down at the countertop. "The first and only…"

Percy quickly fished a few things from out of the pantry. "What's up? You look like you just had an epiphany. Or… you look like you want to have an epiphany, but can't. It's kinda hard to tell."

Tiamat tried—and failed—to hide her mouth curling into a smile. She shook her head and glanced up at him with a chuckle. "The second one, for sure. I just wonder why her. Ingvild Leviathan is the only devil to re-succumb to this illness after recovering. I'm not sure why that is. I should have mentioned at least that much to Ajuka."

"You think she's a special case?"

"It's not that I think," Tiamat said. "She is special. I'm sure there's something we aren't seeing. If I had told Ajuka everything we knew about her, he might have been able to grasp the situation better than I can."

"It also might have gotten Ingvild in a heap of trouble," Percy reminded.

"I'm aware." She drummed her fingers along the counter. The corners of her mouth tightened.

"Maybe it's because she's part human?" he suggested. It probably wasn't his place to suggest anything, considering how little he knew about this stuff, but he wasn't going to let technicalities like that stop him. "Or because she's a descendant of the first Leviathan."

Tiamat frowned. "Perhaps you're right. Her humanity is something we can't discount, nor is her heritage. I suppose we'll also have to assume her Sacred Gear could be part of the equation somehow. She really is a unique case. So many variables, so little we actually know." Her nose wrinkled. "And even if we knew the cause, I'm not sure we would be able to treat her. She might be doomed to repeat a cycle of sleeping for long periods with short waking moments in between."

A cycle, huh? Percy was familiar with cycles.

He was especially familiar with the bad kind of cycles.

Was there anything they could do, he wondered. Was there anything he could do? Percy wasn't so sure. He didn't have the know-how to really contribute any kind of big, groundbreaking revelation. He'd only been halfway through his first year of college when Kronos decided to attack New York, and he never planned on becoming a doctor or anything as fancy.

This was beyond him.

Tiamat made a disgruntled noise in the back of her throat. "Needless to say, whether this illness is natural or artificial, neither of us has the power to cure the girl. Perhaps she'll wake up on her own again?"

Percy sighed quietly. "I can't exactly afford to protect her for a century. I'm not immortal, you know."

"And even if you were," Tiamat said, eyebrow raised, "would you want to keep watch over a comatose girl for one hundred years? A girl you just met?"

That, Percy thought, was an unfair question. They both knew the answer to it.

There was only so much he could realistically do. He was one guy living in the middle of a massive city, already constantly looking over his shoulder, always on the lookout for the next monster, god, or whatever else was wanting to kill him.

She was better off awake and able to defend herself. Even if it meant making enemies along the way, as long as she learned how to fight…

The more he thought about it, the more Percy realized there was no easy solution to this kind of problem.

"Either way, I don't think you should feel any obligation or responsibility here." Tiamat gave him a meaningful look. "You've done more than most would, knowing that her presence might put you in danger."

"I'm not worried about that. I can handle a few devils." He frowned at the small bottle of paprika in his hand. "I guess… I don't know what to do. It's weird. I'm used to being able to do something whenever I have a problem, but I can't do anything in this case."

Tiamat instantly caught on to what he meant. "It's frustrating, I know. You feel like you don't have control—like everything is moving at speeds you can't even fathom."

She must have been talking from experience. Given how old she was, it wouldn't surprise him if she had felt the same way at some point.

Maybe she still felt it.

He had his own experiences to remember, too. There were plenty of times when he'd felt completely out of his depth.

The reveal of being a demigod came to mind.

"I suppose we'll have to consider other options. If the girl means that much to you…"

"Am I wrong for wanting to help?"

"That's a question I can't answer for you. I'll follow your lead for now. I chose to take her as my pupil, which means her safety is also in my interest. We're on the same page in that regard."

"That's funny, coming from a person who just told me I have no obligation to help her."

"I only want you to understand that I'm on your side. If I had to choose between you and her, I would choose you. As if it weren't obvious enough, right?"

He didn't think it was obvious at all. "Good thing I'm not making you choose."

What good was he if he couldn't help a single lonely girl? What kind of person would he have to be to abandon her for the sake of convenience?

"How much do you hate me, Jackson? What would you do to kill me? I ache to know."

Once, he thought he would have done just about anything to finally kill Kronos.

Knowing what he knew now, he didn't think that was true. The security of hindsight might have been skewing his opinion.

Reading his dour mood, Tiamat skirted the corner of the island and slid beside him.

She bumped him with her hip lightly. "Give me some space. I'll help with dinner."

He blinked. "You can cook?"

"Is that surprising?" Tiamat asked, confused. "I'm not sure what you think of me, but just because I'm a dragon doesn't mean I only eat raw meat. Fine cuisine is my specialty."

"Uh…"

She gave a smug smile and began to push up the sleeves of her blouse. "In fact, you go take a seat. Let me show you the work of a master in the culinary field."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The following days passed without any significant incidents.

Even so, dread seemed to cling to the city. Most of the week had been defined by cold wind and freezing rain.

Today would be the exception. After six long days of miserable winter weather, the sun finally came out to bring some warmth into New York.

Unfortunately, it overcompensated, Percy thought as he stepped out of the grocery store. He folded the receipt and started toward his apartment, the sun blazing against his back.

It was an oddly hot day for February. Even though he was wearing shorts and a T-shirt, it felt like he was being smothered by a wool blanket.

Also odd was the distinct staleness lingering in the air.

Something was wrong. Even as people passed him on the sidewalk and as cars trundled along the streets, the city waited on a razor's edge.

Noises seemed dull. The sunlight, which should have tinted everything in his vision a shade warmer, actually only leached color from the world.

Needless to say, he was not a fan of this wrongness.

Percy crossed the street, making his way into the shade of a line of scaffolding. It was cooler there, but not by much, and the overhead shield did nothing for the ambient taste of stale air.

A paranoid part of his mind told him that this was something he couldn't brush off.

It had been just over a week since the incident down in the Netherworld. Some would say that revenge is a dish best served cold, but not everybody was willing to wait for too long. With that in mind, Percy didn't know if Nyx or Hades were plotting against him while he relaxed. He wouldn't put it past either of them.

Turning onto W. 48th Street, Percy walked by a few theaters and restaurants, stone facades all until he reached Broadway, practically the start of Times Square.

Somewhere in the distance, thundered rumbled. His head snapped in the general direction of the noise, and people around him also glanced up to the sky in confusion.

The sun continued to pound down on New York.

Percy narrowed his eyes.

He waited for a few seconds more, straining his ears to hear above the city's usual din.

Nothing.

Suspicious, but unwilling to stay out in the fierce heat, Percy started walking again.

Not long later, he entered through the front doors of his apartment building.

The heat followed him inside. Despite the air conditioner running in the background, Percy chose to take the elevator rather than the stairs.

The metal doors slid shut behind him with a soft hum.

Even the elevator made him feel like he would never have been able to afford to live in this place, if not for Michael. Everything around him screamed debt, from the lobby to the hallways, and of course, his own apartment too.

It made his stomach turn.

Still, he wouldn't lie and say that he'd never imagine living in a place like this before. More than imagined—he had wished for it.

Some wishes came true, he supposed, even if in the worst ways possible.

He hurried out as soon as the elevator opened to his floor.

Once in the hallway, it was a straight path to his home, which was sandwiched between two other apartments. That meant he could readily see the person standing just before his front door.

It was someone he recognized but hadn't been expecting.

The angel turned to him as he approached. She smiled widely and waved him down with an exaggerated swing of her arm. "Percy, what good timing! I was just wondering how to track you down, but it looks like that won't be necessary at all!"

He would have raised his hand to greet her if not for the bags of groceries he carried. "It's good to see you again, Gabriel."

And he honestly did mean that. Gabriel and Michael were two people he trusted almost implicitly.

Without them, what would have become of him in this timeline? They'd only ever acted in his best interest. Percy probably should have been suspicious at the amount of generosity they showed him, but he couldn't bring himself to doubt their sincerity.

"I feel the same way." She held out one of her hands. "Do you need help with those bags?"

"Thanks, but no," he said, setting the bags against the wall. He stretched out his fingers and tried his best to act nonchalant. Ingvild was still comatose, after all. "So… what are you doing here anyway? Taking a break from Heaven?"

"In a fashion, that may be true," she said with a sheepish giggle. "There have been some strange goings-on recently. Michael asked me to speak with some of our exorcists in the city to reassure them. Oh, and to boost their morale, too. A very nice side-effect of being a seraph, I suppose!"

"I suppose."

"Yeah!" She rubbed the back of her head. "While I was in the city, I thought 'Hey, I should go check up on Percy! I wonder how he's doing? Hopefully, he's making friends.' Stuff like that, you know? Guess it was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing, really. It's not like Michael needs me back in Heaven urgently, either."

Percy blinked. "Well, I appreciate that you thought of me."

She seemed glad to hear as much coming from him. "In fact, I might be able to do more good down here than behind the walls of Zebel."

"What makes you say that?"

"I mean, if I was still up in Heaven, how else would I warn you about all this craziness." She mimicked an explosion with her hands. "Bwaah~. The boundary between life and death is becoming way too flexible. Dangerous people can take advantage of it. They've done so in the past. Necromancers, vampires, trick-or-treaters, cannibals—"

"Cannibals? Trick-or-treaters?"

"They're crafty."

"I'll take your word for it," Percy said uncertainly. "So the situation is that serious? Is there some kind of cannibal invasion?"

"Thankfully, we aren't so far along to call it 'serious' or a 'crisis.' Not yet. Souls are still being taken to their proper places. If the grim reapers stopped doing their job, then we would be in 'serious' trouble. Hades seems to understand the severity of the situation, and his specialists are working around the clock to guide souls away from Earth."

Hearing that made Percy frown. Confused, he tried to piece the puzzle together in his mind. "You're telling me… Hades is actually helping? As in, he's not the one causing the problem?"

Knowing it was the "boundary between life and death" acting up, Percy's gut instinct had been to suspect Hades.

"That's right!"

"And we're talking about the same Hades, right? Tall skeleton that dresses like the pope, with glowing eyes and a creepy voice that haunts the dreams of children?"

"That's the one." Gabriel cocked her head to the side. "Wow, that sounds like a really accurate description. Have you met him?"

"Nope."

"Hmm." She rubbed her chin and examined him. "Well, anyway, I just thought you should know about it. Our exorcists have spotted more of the undead than usual around these parts. Not to mention devils."

"Devils?" He did not like the sound of that.

"Not to worry," she assured. "There are always devils in New York. Honestly, the increase in undead is more troublesome. Devils don't cause too many problems for humans nowadays. They're especially careful in places where the Church is highly active—a place like New York, for example!"

"And the undead do cause problems?"

"Of course! They're the real issue here. If they were raised by a necromancer, we have to assume they'll be used for some nefarious purpose. If they raised themselves, that's bad news! The last thing we want to see pop up in Manhattan is a powerful revenant. Or, even worse, an imperishable."

Percy didn't like the sound of either option. Still, he figured something called an imperishable might actually be worse than a revenant.

If it warranted being italicized, it was probably bad news.

Honestly, anything undead sounded like trouble to him. None of that in his city, please and thank you.

He shook his head and sighed. "Devils and the undead. Does this have to do with the boundary of death?"

"At least for the undead, yes. With the boundary between life and death thinning, it's common for souls to migrate across planes of existence. This kind of thing happens from time to time. Once or twice a century. We aren't too worried at this stage, but all factions across the world are keeping a close eye on the situation. As for the devils… we have no clue why they're buzzing around!"

"That's reassuring."

Gabriel pouted at his obviously sarcastic response. "Our exorcists are doing their best. I think."

Very reassuring, Percy thought morbidly.

"So, you need my help to figure out what's going on," he deduced.

Why else would she have come at such a convenient time? Michael and Gabriel knew he could fight. They'd seen Riptide. He'd told them the bare minimum about himself before leaving Heaven. It made sense they would turn to him, given the situation.

Surprisingly, Gabriel threw her hands out and shook her head. "No, no! We couldn't ask you to get involved. The exorcists already stationed in the city can deal with the mindless undead. If something more dangerous appears, we'll bring in the Church's finest to handle it."

"Oh." Percy frowned. They weren't asking for his help?

Even with that in mind, Percy wasn't sure he could stay clear of this problem. It was his city they were talking about. If something was threatening his city, he couldn't leave it well enough alone.

Kronos had risen again because the gods had spent too long doing absolutely nothing.

In the end, he supposed he couldn't actually talk bad about the Church. If they were already taking action, they probably weren't inept.

Part of him wondered if this was somehow his fault.

The whole ordeal with Thanatos left a bad taste in his mouth. It had been the god's fault, sure, but Percy was sure he'd taken it too far. And with Thanatos being the biggest and baddest grim reaper, maybe death's boundary was tied to him somehow.

It was impossible to know for sure. Percy hadn't seen the undead or any more devils. Not that he knew of. The only weird thing he'd noticed…

"Gabriel."

She tilted her head at him, bright green eyes practically glittering in the softer light of the hallway. "Yes?"

"Does the city seem strange to you?"

"Oh, for sure! Given the time of year and how far north we are on the globe, it's way too hot! How are you not sweating right now?"

Percy raised his eyebrow. She was one to talk, given that she was wearing a long robe that covered her whole body. Being an angel probably made her immune to mortal necessities like staying cool or eating. If not that, she was at least more resistant to things like overheating.

"Lucky genes, I guess," he said.

"I guess that must be it!" she said through a giggle. "Hey, why don't we go inside? Your groceries are going to molder out in this heat. You know the old saying: waste not, want not."

Glancing at his bags, Percy twisted his mouth a little. He had to remember it wasn't his money he'd be wasting if he ended up throwing out all that food. Even knowing that, though, he still didn't think it was a good idea to invite Gabriel into his home.

Not while Ingvild was there, at least.

"My place is…" A hundred excuses flashed through his mind. He wanted to settle on the most believable, but the first thing that came out of his mouth was: "There are rats. Rat-people."

Mentally, he reminded himself to never speak to Gabriel ever again. He was apparently bad at lying to people like Gabriel, those types who were endearingly saccharine. For a grown woman, she managed to pull off the cutesy act perfectly. So perfectly, in fact, that he'd started to doubt it was an act at all.

The only reason he'd brought up rat-people was that Tiamat had mentioned them a few days ago. It had been a passing story over dinner that managed to stick in the back of his mind all this time.

"Rat-people?" She looked at his front door, then at him. She did it again. "We should probably do something about them. Last time the rat-people got a foothold on Earth, they reverse-engineered nuclear weapons."

"I don't even wanna know how that happened," Percy said, feeling a little out of his depth.

"I was just kidding!" Gabriel laughed at her own joke. "The look on your face was priceless. Rat-people don't exist, Percy." She raised a finger in his direction. "That's how I know you're lying to me! So rude! I see you haven't changed much since we first met. Lying is no good, you know?"

Percy frowned. He specifically remembered Tiamat mentioning rat-people. Maybe he'd misheard?

"Rat-people don't exist?"

"Of course not," Gabriel said. "No such thing. Not at all." She coughed into her hand. "And even if they did exist, there's no way they would have harnessed any kind of vile magic to create megaton bombs. That's crazy talk!"

"That's…" A little too specific, he wanted to say. There was no way she wasn't lying to him.

Were angels allowed to lie?

He would have to ask Tiamat later.

"Anyway, lying is no good! Luckily, I am an angel, which means you're free to confess before me at any time," she said, a warm smile replacing her playful frown. "I'm all ears."

Percy shook his head quickly. No time to think about rat-people. "My place is just a little dirty, is all. If I knew you were coming to visit, I would've cleaned up a bit more."

Gabriel crossed her arms. "Are you sure it has nothing to do with the devil inside your home?"

What?

Guarded, he took a single step toward his door. His fingers twitched, but he chose not to reach for his sword. Gabriel hadn't so much as looked at him with anything but patient expectation, no doubt waiting for his perfectly logical response.

If only he had one.

Choking down on instantly denying Ingvild's presence, Percy tried to relax. He thought about trying to lie his way out of his predicament, but considering how his rat-people deflection had turned out, it seemed like he wouldn't be able to fool her with his wits alone.

In fact, part of him didn't want to even try.

If nothing else, he wanted Gabriel to trust him on some level—on any level, really. Lying too much would hurt the chances of that happening.

That left only one option.

"How did you know?" he finally asked.

"The magic around here is quite subtle, and it does well to hide the presence of anything aside from humans. Normally, I might not have caught on, but you were acting a little suspiciously." She grinned and put her hands on her hips. "I'm a bit smarter than I look, you know? And while the magic is good, it isn't perfect."

"I never said you weren't smart. I was just kinda hoping you wouldn't notice." He eyed her cautiously. "You aren't mad?"

"I'm disappointed that you would lie to me for something so silly," she admitted. "Especially about rat-people. Mad, though? No. Do you want me to be mad at you?"

"Uh, no. I'm glad you're not. I wasn't sure how you'd react considering the whole angel-versus-devil thing."

"You mean the Great War."

"You fought."

"I did," she said. Her gaze subtly flickered to his door. "We killed devils by the millions. They were people fighting a losing battle for the sake of their leaders' ambition. Angels suffered too. Some devils earned a reputation for hunting our kind. The fallen angels, led by Azazel, knew how to bleed us best of all. He and his Cadre had once been part of our family. They used every iota of lingering trust we had in them to seduce or kill us. We grew hard, bitter. Hateful. We were slow to learn that war was poisoning our people. Many of us were blighted. Many fell because of their wrath."

"You didn't."

She gave him an ambiguous shrug. "That luxury is beyond me now. I don't hate the devils or the fallen angels. All I feel is pity. For Azazel and his Cadre, for the dead Satans, for all of our people combined."

"Even for Lucifer? Wasn't he God's biggest enemy?"

"He is dead now. Why would I need to hate him at this point in time? Hatred is a slow, creeping poison. The longer it lingers within you, the more likely you are to die from it."

Percy's face soured. "Some people hold grudges. I didn't know if you did, so I wanted to play it safe."

Gabriel chuckled. It sounded heavier than before. "Fair enough. You can't read minds, after all, so that makes sense. But I'm just a little offended that you thought to suspect me right off the bat. That's so cold of you."

"I know, I know," he said, holding up his hands. "I'm sorry for lying to you."

"Hmm. As an angel, I have no choice but to forgive you."

Percy reached into his pocket and brought out the key to his apartment. He unlocked the door and swung it open for her.

"Make yourself at home."

Gabriel smiled. "Thank you. I think I've reconsidered, though. My presence might not be all too appreciated." She closed the door gently. "Instead, I have another question for you."

Faintly glad, he nodded. His respect for Gabriel had just gone up. "All right."

"Is it as you remember?"

"Is what as I remembered?"

"New York. Earth. Life. Take your pick. I'm all ears."

"No."

None of it was the same. Not from before Kronos. Not from after Kronos.

"No?"

He looked away and gathered his thoughts the best he could.

"The city feels different. I guess the best example would be Hershey's Chocolate World. It used to be right next to M&M's World, at the corner of Broadway and 48th. Now it's on 7th Avenue, and it's frickin' huge." Percy turned around to see Gabriel's bewildered smile. "This timeline is all sorts of wacky. Since when was Hershey's better than M&M's? Where did it all go so wrong?"

"I didn't realize you felt so strongly about chocolate. That's great! I'm not a big fan of anything overly sweet, so anybody who can tolerate those things is kind of incredible in my eyes." She looked down at his bags. "Speaking of sweet, have you made any friends?"

"One," he shrugged, playing along to ease the grim atmosphere from before.

"Oh. That's… um… that's good. That's one more than zero. You have to take the small victories along with the big ones." Gabriel pumped her fists. "Can I meet them? Is it the devil?"

Percy thought about Tiamat. She usually stopped by for dinner, sticking around for a few hours before leaving again to do her own business.

"No, my friend isn't around right now. She'll probably be here for dinner if you wanna stay until then."

"Dinner? That's a bit too far off, I'm afraid. Maybe some other time. I'll even bring dessert!"

He cracked a smile. "Sure. Sounds good."

Gabriel blinked. "You have a cute smile."

With the comment coming from so far out in left field, Percy was torn between being embarrassed and being confused.

On the one hand, being complimented by anybody aside from his mom felt weird—especially true if it was a girl complimenting him.

On the other hand, how was he supposed to feel about an angel complimenting him?

Flattered?

Indignant, maybe?

He blushed. "Thanks. Did you need anything else?"

"That's what I should be asking you. Now that you've had time to digest things, what else can we help you with?"

"What else? I'm the one who should be asking how to repay you. You've done enough for me. Way too much, actually."

"No way. Heaven's work is never done! Surely you knew that. We have a saying in Heaven: 'our work is never done.' Do you know what that means?"

"Uh… that your work is never done?"

"Exactly. Ergo, you're free to ask for help whenever you want. Whether we can actually do anything to help is a different story, but don't be afraid to ask regardless."

"I'll keep that in mind," Percy said. "For now, I don't really need anything else. At least, I don't think I do."

"If you think of something, send a prayer to Michael or me. We'll do what we can."

"Don't I need to be Christian to pray?"

"Not at all," Gabriel said happily. "You're free to pray whenever you want. It would be silly for us to restrict you for the sole reason of semantics."

"Right, silly."

"And speaking of silly, I almost forgot that I have something to give you."

Percy raised an eyebrow. Almost apprehensive, he asked, "What is it? I'm not currently accepting cursed sneakers, even if they are a gift."

She tilted her head. "Have you gotten something like that before?"

"Unfortunately."

Gabriel pouted. "Nobody ever gets me gifts."

"Trust me, some things are better left ungifted."

"Ah, right." Gabriel grinned. "Anyway, I wanted to give you a little housewarming present, welcoming you to our universe. It was tough to settle on a gift, though, since I don't know you very well yet." She laughed wryly. "Actually, I spent way too much time trying to pick something perfect… so… I hope you like what I ended up choosing."

Without wasting another second, she revealed a framed painting, pulling it out from behind her. Admittedly, Percy didn't know where she'd managed to stow the thing. It was two feet wide and almost three tall.

Magic, probably.

Gabriel cleared her throat. "This is us."

Looking closer, Percy recognized the scene on display. Three people sat around a small table some distance away from the viewer's perspective, tucked away in an alcove while purple wisteria blossomed around them. Two of the people sitting had long hair and bright halos above their heads. The final person had dark hair and kept a hand rested on the pommel of a sword, which he'd planted tip-down into the ground beside him.

"The garden in Zebel," Percy said softly. He looked up at Gabriel, who smiled shyly. "You painted this?"

"Yes. I know it's not great. Oil painting is a hobby I started only a few years ago." She fidgeted. "What do you think? I'm more comfortable painting landscapes than people. It's hard to portray the nuance in this kind of scene."

"Gabriel… This is awesome."

Percy was far from artistic, and he doubted his own ability to appreciate the fine arts, so he couldn't testify to the quality of Gabriel's painting from a professional standpoint.

That being said, he thought the painting was good enough to be in one of those fancy, big-city museums.

"I'm glad you like it," Gabriel said, sounding relieved and more than a little pleased.

"Thank you," he said. "You really didn't have to do this."

"Well, it's already done," she said. "And it's yours. From me to you, sincerely."

She held the painting out for him, and Percy took it from her grasp. He made sure not to hold it as tightly as he wanted. It was easy to forget his own strength, especially when he was emotional.

Up close, he thought that the distant figures in the painting looked relatively peaceful. None of their faces were detailed, and the depicted version of himself was clearly postured defensively, but the overall tone—for lack of a better word—leaned toward soft serenity.

"You're really gonna make me work to repay you, huh?" Percy asked shakily.

"Never."

"Gabriel, I—I really can't accept this."

"You can."

"But, I shouldn't."

"You need it more than I do."

"I don't deserve this."

"Whether you do or don't hardly matters to me. It's yours."

He bit his lip. There was no way out of this one. He didn't even know why he was arguing. The best he could do now was save some of his pride.

Letting go of a long sigh through clenched teeth, he finally said, "Thanks."

Apparently sensing his admission of defeat, Gabriel nodded. Her eyes darted to his groceries. "I suppose I should be going, then. It was nice seeing you again, Percy."

"For sure. I'm glad you could stop by."

"So am I."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Percy jolted awake.

Something cold and tight felt like it had coiled itself around his stomach. Sweat made his shirt cling to his skin.

His breath grew less shallow by the second.

It wasn't long before he felt steady enough to sit straight. The sofa didn't so much as squeak when he shifted his weight.

He looked across the living room.

In the far corner, standing by a lone chair, Tiamat paid him no mind. She examined the painting Gabriel had given him, which he'd left leaning by the windows while he figured out where he wanted to hang it.

How long had she been back, he wondered? Usually, she woke him if he was sleeping, sometimes on purpose and sometimes not.

"You're not even gonna say 'hello' to me?" he asked aloud.

Tiamat glanced his way. If he'd startled her, she didn't show it. "We see each other often enough. Why do I need to greet you every time?"

"Because it's polite?" Percy stood up. His knees popped. His spine popped. Heck, everything popped. He was getting old. Did Achilles also feel this way because of his curse? "We're living in a society. There are rules. Laws."

"Coming from you, that both rings hollow and stings me on a deeply personal level," Tiamat said with a wry smile. "Do you remember our first meeting?"

"Point taken."

"Not going to defend yourself?" She smirked. "You've thawed."

"Do I look like a turkey to you?"

"Thanks for that mental image. I'll be sure to treasure it."

He rolled his eyes. Typical Tiamat. "I aim to please."

"Speaking of images." She pointed to the painting. "I didn't realize you appreciated this kind of art. I almost labeled you as a philistine, truth be told. Where did you get this?"

"I didn't buy it if that's what you're asking," Percy said. "A friend gave it to me."

"Friend? Do you have friends?"

Ouch.

"Just to rub it in your face, I'll point out that I actually have two friends. Maybe three, if I count Michael. And if I'm being generous, I'd even go as far as to say that I have four friends."

Tiamat raised an eyebrow at him. "I didn't realize you'd become so popular. When did that happen?"

"Good question. Must've been when we weren't looking."

"Speak for yourself," Tiamat retorted. "I'm always looking."

"Not always, apparently. I'm popular now. Didn't see that coming, did you?"

"Point taken," she said, echoing him perfectly. "Regardless, your friend has good taste. This is a nice painting."

"I think so too," he said. "Oh, you're one of my friends, in case you were wondering."

"Was there ever any doubt of that?" She put a hand up just as he opened his mouth. "Don't answer that, please. We'll both end up looking like idiots. Instead, we should think about what to do with our comatose devil."

Percy put his hands in his pockets. He already had a good idea of where this was going, along with where it had come from. Putting it off wouldn't do him any good. She had brought up the subject every chance she got over the past week, and he doubted she would stop until they came to an agreement.

This was partly his fault, he knew. It wasn't like he had a good plan on how to deal with a comatose person. That was especially true when said person was being hunted by an exiled government.

"You're really just jumping right into it, huh?"

"I've been sitting on this idea for almost a week now. Sharing it sooner would have only seen it being rejected sooner. Now that the odds of her waking on her own seem lower than ever, I figured it was the right time."

"I'm open to suggestions," he said warily. "But don't try to convince me to leave her to the wolves. I'm not gonna abandon her when she needs and wants my help."

"Yes, yes, we've been through this. You'll shut me down without a second thought. I have something else in mind, though you might not like it initially."

"You drive a hard bargain. Let's hear it."

"Bring her to Ajuka."

Percy looked at her disbelievingly. "Is that supposed to be a good idea, or is it your only idea?"

"What other choice do you have?"

"Didn't he fight against the idea of the old Satan heirs ruling the devils? Why would I leave Ingvild with him? What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

"'The best idiot in all of New York,' I believe you once called yourself. We'll go with that," Tiamat smirked. "And Ajuka indeed has little love for his enemies, but he is not a cruel man, and Ingvild isn't trying to overthrow his government."

"But he doesn't know that for sure. If he thinks she's too dangerous, are you telling me he won't try to kill her?"

"Ingvild is the only known devil to recover from this illness and then succumb once more. The only one in thousands of years. She's valuable to him." She crossed her arms. "Besides, Ajuka isn't the type to kill defenseless children. And if he helps the girl, he would potentially gain a powerful ally who feels indebted to him."

"Sounds like a swell guy."

Tiamat fixed him with a potent scowl. He had definitely struck a nerve. "Don't assume you know him better than I do. He has done me many favors, and he's a good friend. I'll again be putting myself in his debt by asking him to focus more on Ingvild Leviathan, but I guarantee he will agree if only I told him this was important to me. That's the kind of person Ajuka is. He is fiercely loyal to his friends."

Percy allowed her to burn holes through him with that glare. He only looked away once she was clearly done speaking. "You're asking me to trust a guy I've never met for myself."

"I'm asking you to trust me."

"Look, if it was my own safety, I wouldn't be so against this idea." Percy ran a hand over his face. "But it's not my life on the line. I can't volunteer a comatose girl for this."

"And she can't volunteer herself. By all accounts, you're her primary caretaker now. She trusts you to help her, right? At this point, it's your decision to make. All I can do is urge you to look for a better solution than sitting back and hoping things just work out the way you want them to."

"I just can't believe this is the best plan we've got."

"We have to work to our strengths and around our weaknesses. Believe me, I would rather not ask Ajuka for help either. He's done a lot for me, as much as my pride hurts to admit it, and asking for more favors will only dig my debt-grave even deeper."

"Then why would you do it?" he asked.

She blinked at him.

He waited.

Slowly, her features softened. "Friends help each other, don't they?"

Percy glanced down at the painting. "I thought pride was a big deal for you."

"It is." Tiamat sighed ruefully. She viciously scratched the top of her head until strands of hair stuck up in all directions. "In fact, you've dealt immense damage to my pride today alone. Your cruelty grows stronger still."

"Thanks for noticing."

They shared a quick smile.

"I understand why you're hesitant," Tiamat said. "If I were in your shoes, I know I would feel the same way." She nodded. "But I know that Ajuka Beelzebub is a good person. He'll help if I explain the situation. An answer to the mystery of this illness could lie with her."

Percy didn't know if she was making a good point or not. Still, it was hard to argue when he had no better alternative.

Even worse, he hadn't done anything except wait for nearly a week. He hadn't done anything because he couldn't do anything.

That wasn't the case anymore.

"We really don't have any better options, do we?" Percy asked.

"None that I know of," Tiamat said.

"Then I'll have to trust you on this." He frowned. "But, I want to meet him first."

"You sound like an overprotective father," she noted.

"I want to meet him," he insisted. "You're really hyping this guy up. Of course I'd want to get an idea of who I'm dealing with."

Tiamat held her hands up defensively. "Okay, I'll introduce you. Just… please try to get along with Ajuka. He's only ever done right by me."

"What, you don't trust me to make a great first impression? That stings."

She looked at him blankly. "Your people skills need a lot of work."

That was a low blow, and she knew it. Percy had spent a long—or maybe extremely short—amount of time stuck in Kronos' loop, with only the Titan himself for company. It was a miracle he remembered how to act politely at all.

Sue me for being a little rusty.

"I'm not that bad," he argued.

"Remember when we first met? You called me a shark."

"Yeah, but sharks are cool. I was calling you cool."

"While I also think that sharks are cool, the way you phrased it definitely didn't sound like you were trying to compliment me."

He winced at the memory. "Touche. I'll be on my best behavior. Promise."

Tiamat rubbed the side of her head with a pained expression. "Please don't try to reassure me like that. It only fills me with dread for what's to come."

Author Note: Thanks for your patience and for the support you continue to show for this work. When I started this project, I never thought a thousand people would care enough about this story to follow it. I do appreciate that so many have stuck around for so long, especially when my updates come rather slowly.

Next time, we'll have a friendly encounter between Percy and two of the four Satans.

Thanks for reading.