Piper POV

"Aren't you Percy's brother?" I asked the merman sitting next to a mean looking god.

"Why did you bring a demigod here Circe, Hecate said that we will all help each equally and I doubt a demigod is capable of helping any of us." He said talking to the room ignoring me completely.

"Who's this girl?" Asked the terse god.

"She's one of the heroes of Olympus, this girl has amazing power that could rival her mother's under the right guidance."

"What? You're telling us that she willingly aligned herself with this clandestine group and she's to be our associate?" A voice behind me interrupted.

"Nike, I'm surprised you made it. Thought you had other matters to attend to," said Circe.

"I was planning on finally dueling with Ares but he has gotten terribly strong lately. My chances of victory are much too uncertain to risk fighting such a strong opponent. Losing to him would only bring greater shame to our father Pallas, specially after Kratos' constant humiliating defeats." She said candidly.

"What was I supposed to do? He insulted my pride as a god of war and I was protecting your honor sister. It is my responsibility as your-"

"I don't need to be protected by the likes of you Kratos, had he really attempted anything he would have not won unscathed. Besides, you will have a chance to restore your pride and get some revenge soon enough. Victory is in our foreseeable future."

"What is a demigod doing in this place?" Asked another goddess as she walked behind us. Lupa… what was she doing with this shady people?

"She has great potential and she will come to be one our greatest allies Lupa. She was destined for heartbreak and mediocrity but I decided to save her. If you don't believe me, Piper here would have no trouble letting you peek into Katoptris," the goddess pushed me forward and I took out my knife. The beautiful blade shone and Lupa walked towards me. She eyed me warily and held my hand with the knife.

Nothing happened, Katoptris only showed me images when it wanted to, forcing it on the spot wouldn't work.

"You need to imbue it with magic Piper, let you be the one in the control." Circe said in a supporting manner. I did as she instructed and forced my power into Katoptris, it glowed with a pink outline and an image started to form. Once I find a way to get out of this mess, I would at least have more control over Katoptris, maybe become a sorceress on my own right.

"See Piper, you're a natural. Told you, you just needed a little guidance." Lupa walked next to me pushing Circe out of the way much to her annoyance.

"Show me," she commanded. The image was clear and I saw a girl I never seen before standing before a kneeling man. She was pretty, black silky hair and equally black eyes to match. Her left arm was broken and she had large cut running down her her right cheekbone tarnishing her natural beauty with dried blood but the most surprising thing was she looked absolutely livid. The man in front of her was in a worse condition, he had a large wound in his shoulder and his other arm was completely shattered. Contrary to the girl, the guy was laughing hysterically and raised his head to look straight her, as he did so not letting us look at his face. The girl said something and swung a sword decapitating him on the spot, soon after falling on her knees alone. The image disappeared and Katoptris glow vanished.

"Well that showed us absolutely nothing," said Lupa.

"Anyone have any idea who that girl was?" Asked Circe to which everyone shook their heads. "Shame then."

"That was pretty hardcore though, never thought I'd see the day when a demigod chick would decapitate another mortal in cold blood. It was sick as fuck, I like it. The girl was hot too, nice bonus."

"Stop blabbering nonsense Kratos, as for you Circe I think Piper here could be useful if you teach her how to properly see into the future that actually relates to us," ordered Lupa. "On a separate matter Circe, where is your mother? I recently came across a rare werewolf claw and need that witch's assistance."

"My, my. Is the proud Roman goddess in need of more aid from us Greeks? Was it not enough for us to keep Lycaon under surveillance for you?" Circe smirked. Lupa just growled and was about to speak when she was interrupted by Circe. "Relax Roman goddess, I'll help you get rid of him for good, I promised that to a few new friends and I keep my promises you know."

"I don't need your help witch apprentice, I need the aid of real warriors, or at least a real witch." She replied.

"Ladies, can you stop this senseless banter and help me with my problem?" Interrupted Triton.

"I hear ya brother, these women just can't shut up when their mouths start rolling." An annoyed Triton just growled at Kratos remark. Good, they don't seem to get along. In fact it appears none of them do. That could be used to my advantage later on.

"Fine Triton, let's hear it. What exactly do you need help with?" Asked Hecate who just walked into the room.

"My formerly deranged sister is suddenly trying to rebuild her relationship with my father for reasons still unknown. My father being all too forgiving and for lack of better words 'fatherlike' is stupidly buying her act entirely and even agreed to formally choose his true heir from between me and her based on our actions in the upcoming war."

"You want our assistance to insure your victory in this endeavor, correct?" Asked Nike. "You want us to help you train or obtain even greater power to outshine your sister in the battle against the rising threat." Stated Nike.

"No Nike," he flat told her. "Kymopoleia is plotting something and I have a vague idea on what it is, I just don't know how she will do it. She plans on obtaining great power to become to heir to my father's kingdom and domain and I have reason to believe she will have achieved that power in the next few days to come."

"So she is cheating?" Asked Kratos.

"How disgraceful, a victory through underhanded methods is no victory at all." At this moment I felt sympathy towards Triton. To have a sibling come at last moment to steal everything that you've worked so hard for must be really infuriating. Then to find out that she was even cheating, what a bitch.

"I don't care if she's cheating or not. She is deceiving father and is there's no telling what she will do if she gets this power so I have to win." Wow, he is very honorable.

"That's why I need your help." Swallowing his pride to get aid from others to protect his father's kingdom? I was starting to see how he was related to Percy.

"Don't worry brother. We will all help you train so you can beat your cheating sister. I Kratos as the god of power will help you become stronger and more powerful."

"Absolutely, with my help your victory will be assured," added Nike. Triton burst out in laughter frightening all of the gods present, even Hecate.

"Of course my victory is assured," he boldly claimed.

"You must be really confident in your abilities Triton," said Kratos.

"It's not that I'm confident Kratos, I just don't need help in becoming stronger when you guys are going to kill her for me." He said with a lopsided grin. What?

"What do you mean Triton, she's your sister!" I blurted out.

"You shut up demigod, gods do what must be done and you will all help me, even you girl. Remember you swore to be loyal to our cause, don't you forget it." So much for honorable.

"So be it, we'll handle your little problem Triton. But don't you forget you have to return this help that will be given to you. A small price to pay for becoming the true heir of Poseidon, wouldn't you agree?" Hecate asked. Nike, Kratos and Lupa shook their heads in disbelief at Triton while Circe just smiled in contempt.

"Just get rid of her. I don't doubt my training will make me stronger but putting the future of Atlantis on the line by giving Kymopoleia a chance is beyond stupid. She's a threat and must be dealt with accordingly, for all we know she already betrayed us to the primordial."

"Won't Poseidon or your mother find out?" I had to ask.

"They'll never find out because none of you will ever tell them. It's part of our deal." He said solemnly. "Now get working on a plan to kill her and make sure she doesn't find out who did it either. In a few centuries, when she reforms, I need to be able to convince her and father she was killed by rogue enemies of Olympus, assuming she isn't a traitor."

I didn't know what of think of Triton or any of these people, they don't sound particularly evil but they aren't saints either. A group of B-list gods working together to help each other out with problems they can't face alone is really shady though. Triton for the sake of Atlantis and his father is willing to kill his sister. Then there is Lupa who has a personal grudge against Lycaon (and probably has the same goal as the werewolves I met earlier) and maybe is also protecting us demigods by keeping check on them. Then there is Nike and her brother Kratos, who I know nothing about, but seem to be warrior gods focused on glory or something. On the other side there is Circe and her mother, Hecate, whose real intentions are still a mystery.

The gods started to flash away one by one leaving behind only Circe, me and the goddess Hecate who then proceeded to shoo her daughter away. She looked like a mature woman, albeit her age she still looked what one would consider sexy. The dark mysterious aura around her just made her even more so.

"Young demigod," said Hecate. "My daughter was right about you. As a demigod you have the potential to grow into a powerful sorceress." She said with a reserved smile that was quite creepy.

"Why are you interested in helping me?" To which she raised an eyebrow.

"I recently helped a demigod that showed great potential, there is nothing wrong with wanting to help the gifted is there?" She asked me. "My guess is my daughter wanted to do the same, a following of my footsteps you might call it."

"I see."

"I understand that your charmspeak is quite powerful, Circe said it could rival your mother's under the right guidance." She began. "A powerful sorceress you will become, I can see it," she said as she gazed into the ceiling.

"That being said, you heard Triton. He needs his sister dead and that's why you're going to train with me." From the mist, the goddess pulled out a Celestial bronze sword and handed it to me."

"But she's a goddess, I can't help kill her with my combat abilities alone. My strongest weapon against a god is my charmspeak and if I use that it will be a giant clue on who killed her."

"Trust me Piper, that's your name correct?" I nodded. "With a few days of training with me, you will be strong enough to kill her with just that sword. I guarantee it." She rested her hand on my shoulder and said confidently.

"How are you so sure?" I had to ask her.

"Because I, Hecate, swear it on the River of Styx that you are going to be the one to do it Piper." With a loud boom of thunder sounding in the distance the goddess smiled and flashed us away.