Little Italy, New York City, New York
October 23, 2005
When she was younger, Theo had never realized that she and her mother's trips to Manhattan - which took up a few times every month - had been more than just little innocent excursions. Marlene had never said the purpose of their walks, only promising her seven year old trips to the carousel at Central Park, or visits to the Museum of Natural History. Back then, they had been adventures to Theo, exploring the great unknown of cities and towns. It was only until after she realized who her father was that their little journeys revolved around her mother and who had apparently been Cupid - an exchange of lessons on raising demigods in Central Park, a whispered conversation of budding powers in a bar on Wall Street. Theo simply believed that her mother brought her to all these new places as a gift, a gift for not knowing who her birth father was. But that illusion fractured once she was nine.
The brilliant autumn sun decided to show through the gray clouds that day, but the sharpness of the winds that called for winter ruined what could have been a warm day. Normally, Marlene would talk with Theo first and agree on the destination they were going, followed by the promise of a treat, but that day she led her over Brooklyn Bridge, never speaking as they walked past the thick metal cables. They had strolled for miles, finally stopping at Washington Square Park for a rest. For once, her mother seemed visibly nervous; her hands shook as she tried to light another cigarette, she fidgeted and fumbled as though she were the one with ADHD. Theo always knew when something was wrong with her mother. She could tell by the twitching at the corner of her glossed mouth or the straining of her neck. That afternoon, Marlene had aged in only an hour, becoming weary and looking over her shoulder in a way that her grandmother always did.
Perhaps it was the strange condition of her mother that made Theo pay close attention to that day, letting her be able to recall each word, each gesture, each and every emotion that hung thick in the air. Even now, as she walked with the Apollo cabin to the amphitheater for the sing-along, she can feel the dread hanging on her shoulders once again, the aching of her feet after the long walk, and the emptiness of her stomach, even if she had just eaten a full dinner.
Even though it was the first time there was a disturbance in their routine, Theo knew where he mother was leading her. They came into Little Italy often - a dingy little neighborhood with brightly colored advertisements that proclaimed in bold or cursive fonts CAPPUCCINO, GELATO, VINO. Once they started traveling again, they stopped at a little cafe that had small, circular tables strewn randomly here and there. The room was crowded, and a sweet steam that drew hunger hung heavy in the air. Black-and-white photos of Italy framed in ornate and gilded hung on the painted walls. At the full bar, men drank espresso with newspapers open before them, some with hats pulled low over their eyes that zoomed back and forth repeatedly. What called for Theo's attention was the glass case filled with desserts of all kinds, all tempting her under the soft light. She pressed he palms to the glass and leaned in, but before she could grovel for one of the frosted cakes the man they normally visited stepped forward to them, pulling her mother into a hug.
"Hello again, Marlene," he said, smiling warmly.
"Cupid," she breathed, smiling back.
He led them over to a table for two and pulled out the chair for her. Marlene gestured to Theo as she sat. "Nothing for me," she said. "But I believe Theodora has her eye on i dolci."
She looked at Cupid to see if she had gotten her Italian correct.
To Theo's delight, Cupid - she still found herself stupid that she never connected the dots before; his name was the biggest clue - opened the glass case and asked her to choose whatever she wanted. She held the plate of a petite pink frosted cake with little periwinkle flowers with five sharp petals each framing the edges. Myrtle, he had called the flowers. One of the god Apollo's sacred plants, you know. He then winked at her, as if they had shared a secret. She brought the plate over to her own separate little table with two hands, as if she were carrying a fragile artifact. She folded her minty converse against the legs of the metal chair as Cupid brought her a glass of water, asking her to be a good girl and wait there while he spoke to her mother. He struck Theo as both youthful and ancient in a way - timeless - with his straight black hair the same shade as hers that fell to his shoulders, the way his face was both handsome but rugged, and difficult to look at pointedly. His eyes were a dark brown that, in the light, gave off the illusion that they were a blood-red.
With the beautiful day and the delicious, thick buttery cream of her cake, Theo almost never noticed the conversation only two tables away. The detail that forced her to eavesdrop was the intensity of their vices, which rose and then lowered whenever surrounding people started to stare.
"You have no choice but to send her to the camp," Cupid persisted. "As she is the first demigod child I've had in a while, it's going to cause even more monsters to chase after not only her but you too, seeing as you're a half-blood yourself."
"I want her to finish her education first," her mother protested. "Let her graduate Elementary before I force her into what is basically a boot camp."
Theo studied her cake intensely, hoping that they wouldn't notice how much interest their conversation had given her.
"It's selfish to keep her here," said Cupid harshly. "You can't keep her under your protection forever. She needs to train for the future, and it will be a difficult one."
"You have no right to keep the truth from me," Marlene whispered hurriedly. She snook a quick look to the surrounding tables. "What's going to happen that's so important? Why is Theo a part of this? It's my right to understand what's going to happen, especially after the assistance I gave, checking up on all of these random children. That little boy moving from foster home to foster home, the kleptomaniac girl, that boy in Canada. I still don't understand why I had to trace the records of a girl that disappeared nearly seventy years ago, how she fits into this mess. I've also made sacrifices. As has Theo."
"Of course."
Theo leaned forward until she could feel the coldness of the table seeping through her shirt. Eager to hear more, she had set the table off balance. The untouched glass of water toppled over, sending chunks of ice and water over the table. Startled, the people in the tables around her stared at Theo. She hid her red face behind a curtain of black renaissance curls and started to mop of the water on the table with her flimsy napkin. She could see the look of disapproval her mother was sending her, and shifted closer to the table, speaking in a more hushed voice. The attempts of secrecy only made Theo more stubborn to hear in.
"You have every right to know everything," Cupid said lightly. He spoke so quietly that Theo could just barely hear his voice. "All I ask for you right now is to consider whether you're willing to take the risk in having the information. Think of what could happen. You're safe here. Theo is still young, so, if only for a while, the monsters will have forgotten about you."
The steps leading to the amphitheater were carved into the side of a hill, facing a fire pit circled with stones. Somewhere around fifty or sixty campers clustered into their groups, huddling under the various banners.
Theo could see Jason in the front row next to Annabeth. Leo was near Piper - who was next to Rachel - sitting with the other Hephaestus campers under the steely gray banner emblazoned with a hammer.
Some of the Apollo campers were dancing around the fire playing on their guitars and lyres. Theo didn't pay attention to the song; she could only make out something about a grandma getting dressed for war. Everyone was singling along and making gestures for the pieces of armor mentioned. Theo bumped shoulders with Will. The Greeks obviously have more fun, she thought as Kayla Bowman, a daughter of Apollo, danced dramatically in her seat and leaned over Theo to slap Will upside the head.
"Love tap!" she laughed as Will's face grew red. With the music playing along, he placed a hand over his heart and swung his long, curly blond hair back.
"'Love tap' my ass,
You hit my beautiful head,
I don't call that love."
His siblings laughed hysterically. Kayla smirked.
"Love is very tough,
I cannot help my spasms,
I have condition."
"Like a true daughter of the poet god." Theo smiled and rolled her eyes.
The flames in the pit streaked up to the sky, shifting the brightest colors of crimson, orange, and gold. The campers stood up and cheered as the Apollo kids in the front lowered their instruments and bowed. Chiron trotted up and brandished his spear that held a long row of toasted marshmallows.
"Very nice! And a special welcome to our new arrivals. I am Chiron, camp activities director, and I'm happy you have all arrived here alive and with most of your limbs attached. In a moment, I promise we'll get to the s'mores, but first -"
"What about capture the flag?" an Ares camper - "Sherman McLaggen," Kayla muttered, "thick-headed jerk." - yelled. His siblings grumbled and argued. They were already dressed in their armor with their weapons at their sides.
"Capture the flag?" Theo heard Jason mutter. "Like War Games?"
"Yes," Chiron said. "I know the Ares cabin is anxious to return to the woods for our regular games."
"And kill people!" another one shouted.
"However," Chiron continued, "until the dragon is brought under control, that won't be possible. Cabin Nine, anything to report on that?"
He turned to group Leo was situated in. Leo winked at Piper and pretended to shoot her with a finger gun. The girl - Nyssa - next to him rose slowly and shifted her weight under the heavy glares from the Ares cabin. She wore an army jacket similar to Leo's, and her dark hair covered in a red bandanna. "We're working on it."
"How, Nyssa?" an Ares kid demanded.
"Really hard," she said simply.
Shouts and yells broke out as she sat down. The fire spluttered and flashed multiple color schemes of dark colors. Chiron pounded his hoof against the hearth's stones until the campers fell silent.
"We will have to be patient," Chiron said. "In the meantime, we have more pressing matters to discuss."
"Percy?" someone asked.
Chiron merely gestured to Annabeth. She took a deep breath and stood.
"I didn't find Percy," she announced darkly. Her voice broke as she said his name. "He wasn't at the Grand Canyon like I thought. But we're not giving up. We've got teams everywhere. Grover, Tyson, Nico, the Hunters of Artemis - everyone's out looking. We will find him. Chiron's talking about something different. A new quest."
"It's the Great Prophecy, isn't it?" a familiar girl's voice called out.
In unison, everyone swerved around in their seats. Drew stood up from under the rose-colored banner, her cabin mates blinking at her in surprise.
"Drew?" Annabeth said, the mild surprise clear in her voice. "What do you mean?"
"Well, come on." Drew gestured to the whole amphitheater, as if it held all the obvious answers. "Olympus is closed. Percy's disappeared. Hera sends you a vision and you come back with three new demigods in one day. I mean, something weird is going on. The Great Prophecy has started, right?"
Theo's arched brows flew up. "Wow. She actually made a valid point."
"Well?" Drew called down, staring Rachel down. "You're the oracle. Has it started or not?"
Rachel stepped forward, her eyes glinting wickedly in the light.
"Yes," she said. "The Great Prophecy has begun."
When the loud conversations finally subsided, Rachel took another step toward the audience, and all the demigods leaned away from her at once.
"For those of you who have not heard it," Rachel said, "the Great Prophecy was my first prediction. It arrived in August. It goes like this:
"Eight half-bloods shall answer the call.
To storm or fire the world must fall -"
Jason shot to his feet.
"J-Jason?" Rachel stuttered. "What's—"
"Ut cum spiritu postrema sacramentum dejuremus," he chanted. "Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam necem."
"Latin," Theo stated with a smile. Aside from Italian, she absolutely loved the language. She had grown up reading, writing, and breathing those two languages.
"You just...finished the prophecy," Rachel stammered. "- An oath to keep with a final breath. And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. How did you -"
"I know those lines." Jason winced and pressed his palms to his temples. "I don't know how, but I know that prophecy."
"In Latin, no less," Drew drawled. "Handsome and smart."
Most of the Aphrodite girls giggled.
"Bunch of losers," Kayla cursed.
The campfire spluttered, glowing a nauseous shade of acid green.
Jason flopped down into his eat, his head ducked to hid his embarrassment. Annabeth put a hand tried to console him.
"Well," Rachel said,still looking slightly shaken. "So, yeah, that's the Great Prophecy. We hoped it might not happen for years, but I fear it's starting now. I can't give you proof. It's just a feeling. And like Drew said, some weird stuff is happening. The seven demigods, whoever they are, have not been gathered yet. I get the feeling some are here tonight. Some are not here."
The campers stirred. Some looked at eachother worriedly, and others had a glint of excitement in their eyes.
Then, a drowsy voice called out, "I'm here! Oh...were you calling roll?"
"Go back to sleep, Clovis," someone yelled. Some laughed at his expense.
"Anyway," Rachel continued, "we don't know what the Great Prophecy means. We don't know what challenge the demigods will face, but since the first Great Prophecy predicted the Titan War, we can guess the second Great Prophecy will predict something at least that bad."
"Or worse," Chiron murmured.
The campfire turned a dark, moody purple. He had the decency to look the smallest bit sheepish, as he probably hadn't meant to say that aloud.
"What we do know," Rachel said, "is that the first phase has begun. A major problem has arisen, and we need a quest to solve it. Hera, the queen of the gods, has been taken."
Chiron stomped his hoof again in the loud chatter.
She told them about the fight on the Grand Canyon skywalk - how a satyr Gleeson Hedge had sacrificed himself when the storm spirits - anemoi thuelli, or venti - attacked, and the spirits had warned it was only the beginning. They apparently served some great mistress who would destroy all demigods.
Then Rachel told them about Piper's vision in Hera's cabin. In the back, Drew repeatedly pretended to faint, her friends giggling along. And finally she informed them about Jason and Theo's vision in the living room of the Big House.
"Jason," Rachel said. "Um...do you remember your last name?"
Jason shook his head shortly.
"We'll just call you Jason, then," Rachel concluded. "It's clear Hera herself has issued you a quest."
Rachel paused, giving Jason a chance if he wanted to protest at all.
He set his merely jaw and nodded once. "I agree."
"You must save Hera to prevent a great evil," Rachel continued. "Some sort of king from rising. For reasons we don't yet understand, it must happen by the winter solstice, only four days from now."
"That's the council day of the gods," Annabeth said. "If the gods don't already know Hera's gone, they will definitely notice her absence by then. They'll probably break out fighting, accusing each other of taking her. That's what they usually do."
Why are the Greeks so unorganized? Theo inwardly sneered.
"The winter solstice," Chiron spoke up, "is also the time of greatest darkness. The gods gather that day, as mortals always have, because there is strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic, older than the gods. It is a day when things...stir."
"It makes you think if Santa is evil or not," Kayla said under her breath. She sent a smirk to Theo.
"He never had a search warrant anyways," she mumbled back, a little smile playing at her lips. The Greek Apollo kids never got on her nerves, they were just like the ones back in Camp Jupiter, if not a little more laid-back.
"Okay," Annabeth said loudly, glaring at the centaur. "Thank you, Captain Sunshine. Whatever's going on, I agree with Rachel. Jason has been chosen to lead this quest, so -"
"Why hasn't he been claimed?" Sherman yelled again. "If he's so important -"
"He has been claimed," Chiron announced dramatically. "Long ago. Jason, give them a demonstration."
He stepped forward nervously. He glanced at Piper, and then Theo. Piper mimicked flipping a coin, and Theo nodded encouragingly as she twisted her body around sideways and brought her fist over her shoulder, as if she were about to throw an imaginary javelin.
Jason pulled out his coin from his pocket. He flicked it up into the air, and once he caught it, he was holding a lance at seven feet long, with a deadly sharp spear's head at the tip.
The campers gasped. Rachel and Annabeth stepped back to avoid the tip of the lance.
"Wasn't that..." Annabeth hesitated and tried to point at the lance. "I thought you had a sword."
"Um, it came up tails, I think," Jason said, furrowing his brows. "Same coin, long-range weapon form."
"Dude, I want one!" yelled somebody from Ares cabin.
"Better than Clarisse's electric spear, Lamer!" one of his brothers agreed.
"Electric," Jason murmured. His eyes practically sparked as he said that. "Back away."
Thunder rumbled above them as Jason raised Ivlivs. Lighting streaked across the sky like a fracture and hit the campfire with the sound similar to a sonic boom.
Theo pressed her palms to her eyes. When she coldnt taste the sulfur in the air, she looked up to see the rest of the demigods covered in ashes, half-blind, and all staring in shock at the innocent fireplace. Cinders like little sparks gently floated down. A burning log had impaled itself a few inches from Clovis, who hadn't even stirred.
Jason lowered his lance and shrugged his shoulders halfheartedly. "Um...sorry."
Chiron patted away at the burning coals singing his beard. He grimaced as he looked at the wreckage and to Jason. "A little overkill, perhaps, but you've made your point. And I believe we know who your father is."
"Jupiter," Jason said. "I mean Zeus. Lord of the Sky."
Praetor of Camp Jupiter, Theo added for him silently. Child of Rome. Legionnaire of the Fifth Cohort.
Annabeth raised her arms as the campers broke into chaos.
"Hold it!" she yelled. "How can he be the son of Zeus? The Big Three...their pact not to have mortal kids...how could we not have known about him sooner?"
Chiron didn't answer. Theo clutched onto her stone seat, hoping that he wouldn't even drop a hint about the other camp for Romans.
"The important thing," Rachel said calmly, "is that Jason's here now. He has a quest to fulfill, which means he will need his own prophecy."
She took a deep breath and closed her emerald eyes. Two of the Apollo campers rushed forward to catch her before she hit the unforgiving ground and a third brought up a bronze three-legged stool.
Green mist started to swirl around Rachel's feet as soon as she got situated onto the stool. When she finally opened her eyes, they were glowing in the same eery way Juno's had before. Emerald smoke started to pour from her mouth, and when she spoke, her voice had become ages old, a sound similar to a snake's hissing.
"Child of lightning, beware the earth
The giants' revenge, the eight shall birth.
Desire's daughter should lose to pride,
Beliefs and reality coincide.
The forge and dove shall break the cage
And death unleash through Hera's rage."
"Why can't it be a happy prophecy?" Will whined.
"Have you ever heard of a happy prophecy?" Kayla asked calmly, staring down her brother with her lips pressed tightly together.
"Well, not exactly," Will stated.
"Then why the hell were you expecting one?" Theo growled.
The three Apollo kids caught Rachel once again as she started to slip off he stool. They carried her over to a corner so she could rest. Well that's different from the auguries, Theo thought. Creepier. More able to understand.
"Is that normal?" Piper asked. Her tan face heated up as she realized she had been the first to speak in the heavy silence. "I mean...does she spew green smoke a lot?"
"Gods, you're dense!" Drew sneered. "She just issued a prophecy - Jason's prophecy to save Hera! Why don't you just -"
"Drew," Annabeth snapped warningly. "Piper asked a fair question. Something about that prophecy definitely isn't normal. If breaking Hera's cage unleashes her rage and causes a bunch of death...why would we free her? It might be a trap, or - or maybe Hera will turn on her rescuers. She's never been kind to heroes."
Jason rose. "I don't have much choice. Hera took my memory. I need it back. Besides, we can't just not help the Queen of the Heavens if she's in trouble."
Nyssa stood up again, only more confident this time. "Maybe. But you should listen to Annabeth. Hera can be vengeful. She threw her own son - our dad - down a mountain just because he was ugly."
"Real ugly," snickered someone from Aphrodite.
"Shut up!" Nyssa growled. "Anyway, we've also got to think - why beware the earth? And what's the giants' revenge? What are we dealing with here that's powerful enough to kidnap the queen of the heavens?"
No one answered. They shared uneasy glancnes and focused their attention to Annabeth and Chiron.
"The giants' revenge..." Theo muttered. "Giants."
Annabeth squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. "It's Jason's quest," she announced, "so it's Jason's choice. Obviously, he's the child of lightning. According to tradition, he may choose any two companions."
Someone from the Hermes cabin yelled, "Well, you, obviously, Annabeth. You've got the most experience."
"No, Travis," Annabeth said. "First off, I'm not helping Hera. Every time I've tried, she's deceived me, or it's come back to bite me later. Forget it. No way. Secondly, I'm leaving first thing in the morning to find Percy."
"It's connected," Piper blurted out. She looked surprised herself that she had spoken aloud. "You know that's true, don't you? This whole business, your boyfriend's disappearance - it's all connected."
"How?" demanded Drew. "If you're so smart, how?"
"Someone's jealous," Kayla said in a sing-song voice to her brothers.
Piper opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again.
Annabeth saved her. "You may be right, Piper. If this is connected, I'll find out from the other end - by searching for Percy. As I said, I'm not about to rush off to rescue Hera, even if her disappearance sets the rest of the Olympians fighting again. But there's another reason I can't go. The prophecy says otherwise."
"It says who I pick," Jason agreed. " The forge and dove shall break the cage. The forge is the symbol of Vul - Hephaestus."
Under the Cabin Nine banner, Nyssa's shoulders slumped. "If you have to beware the earth," she said, "you should avoid traveling overland. You'll need air transport. The flying chariot's broken, and the pegasi, we're using them to search for Percy. But maybe Hephaestus cabin can help figure out something else to help. With Jake incapacitated, I'm senior camper. I can volunteer for the quest."
Leo stood up abruptly. "It's me," he said. His siblings stirred. They tried to drag him back down to his seat, but he he pulled away and moved a little forward, away from their reach. "No, it's me. I know it is. I've got an idea for the transportation problem. Let me try. I can fix this!"
Jason studied him, then smiled. "We started this together, Leo. Seems only right you come along. You find us a ride, you're in."
"Yes!" Leo pumped his fist into the air.
"It'll be dangerous," Nyssa warned him, her dark eyes grim. "Hardship, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive."
"Oh." Leo's enthusiasm deflated. Then, as he looked at the faces of the campers who were still staring, he rebuilt his cheery facade. "I mean... Oh, cool! Suffering? I love suffering! Let's do this."
Annabeth nodded approvingly. "Then, Jason, you only need to choose the third quest member. The dove -"
"Oh, absolutely!" Drew was on her feet and flashing Jason a smile. "The dove is Aphrodite. Everybody knows that. I am totally yours."
Piper's hands clenched. She stepped forward. "No."
Drew rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Dumpster girl. Back off."
"I had the vision of Hera; not you. I have to do this."
"Anyone can have a vision," Drew said. "You were just at the right place at the right time." She turned to Jason. "Look, fighting is all fine, I suppose. And people who build things..." She looked at Leo in disdain. "Well, I suppose someone has to get their hands dirty. But you need charm on your side. I can be very persuasive. I could help a lot. Even if the dove isn't me, the prophecy said desire's daughter. So either way I'm still going."
"Actually," Jason protested, "that would be Theo."
"Excuse me?" Drew said snottily. She glared at the campers who started to stare.
"Desire's daughter should lose to pride," Theo recited. "Hera called me the daughter of desire earlier, and Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty; desire doesn't come within her domain. That's her son, Eros, my father. And besides, I received a dream from Hera before I came here, saying to go on the quest."
"Okay then," Drew agreed, a little to easily. "Then that means that I'm the dove. As I said before, you're going to need charm, and that isn't in Eros' domain." She sent a smug look to both Theo and Piper.
The campers started murmuring about how Drew was pretty persuasive.
"Well..." Annabeth said hesitantly. "Given the wording of the prophecy -"
"No!" Piper's voice became more intense, smoother and more rich in sound. "I'm supposed to go."
"Charmspeak at its greatest," Will muttered, nodding along with the others. Either because of the charmspeak or the fact he agreed with Piper, Theo didn't know.
Drew looked around, her pink stained mouth in a sneer. Even some of the Aphrodite kids were nodding.
"Get over it!" Drew snapped. "What can Piper do?"
Piper looked defensive. She tried to speak, but her air of confidence seemed to be waning.
"Well," Drew said smugly, "I guess that settles it."
Suddenly Piper was basked in a pinkish glow.
"What?" she demanded.
She looked above her head for a symbol of her parent claiming her. Her brows knitted, then she looked down at the white sleeveless chiton, and yelped. She tugged at the thing golden armbands that wrapped around her biceps, at the necklace of amber, coral, and golden flowers.
"Oh, god," she said. "What's happened?"
A gaping Annabeth pointed at the dagger that hung around her waist wordlessly. Piper unsheathed it as one would a sword and used it as a mirror. With one hand she threaded her fingers through her now perfect brown side braid that was woven with gold ribbons. She smudged her fingers over her cherry lips and subtle eyeshadow.
"Beautiful," Jason exclaimed. "Piper, you...you're a knockout."
A few of the campers who weren't dazed snorted.
"No!" Drew cried, her face full of revolsion. "Not possible!"
"This isn't me," Piper protested. "I - don't understand."
Chiron folded his front legs and bowed to her, and the campers followed his example awkwardly.
"Hail, Piper McLean," Chiron announced, more gravely then he should have. "Daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love."