Annabeth and I sat on our bed. She was sitting on my right side, with her hand on my thigh, as I held my head in my hands.
"I don't get it." I said, "Everyone is after Luke. Him and Thalia and were best friends when they were running around with you. Even when Luke turned over to the Titans, Thalia wouldn't stand it when someone talked bad about him. And now Sophia is being confusing; she threw Luke out, and now she turns on anyone who threatens him. I just don't get it."
"They'll be like that Percy." Annabeth said, "You know Thalia and Luke had a thing going back when they were kids. Now it's Sophia's turn."
"What!" I exclaimed, turning toward my wife in surprise.
"Sophia finally found someone who she admires, even if it is Luke."
"I'd better go talk to him." I said, "And Sophia."
I left our room and walked down the hall to our daughter's.
"Sophia?" I called through her door. The only response came from Sophia giggling and laughing once.
I opened the door, maybe a lot more quiet tan I should have. There on the bed was my daughter . . . and Luke! They weren't kissing or anything, at least not at that moment; but they were talking with their faces really close to each other. I wanted to close the door and forget I ever saw anything, you know, I plead the fifth, but something told me not to; that something being Luke smiling softly and moving Sophia's hair out of her eyes.
I know, I know, I'm probably just being paranoid, but something told me to reveal my presence. I cleared my throat, and both Luke and Sophia jumped into each other, knocking their heads together.
"Ouch!" they said in unison.
I stared playfully at my daughter. "Hi there."
Luke's face turned red as blood. "Um . . . this isn't what it looks like."
I nodded, "Uh-huh."
Sophia pushed Luke away. "It's not."
I raised my hands in surrender. "Alright, aright." I said, "I just—"
I was stopped abruptly by the doorbell ringing. I put my hands down, "Hold that thought."
I went downstairs, and into the doorway hall. The doorbell rang again, just as I opened the door. Instead of who I thought would be Thalia, coming back stay for a bit longer, I was greeted by the god of messengers.
I caught my breath in surprise. The immortals never showed up at my door . . . well, except my dad. But Hermes looked frantic, like he'd run the entire length from Olympus to my house on foot.
"Where's my son!" he exclaimed.
It took me a few seconds to realize that I still had a visitor standing in my doorway. "Up the stairs, third room—"
But Hermes rushed past me.
I closed the door. "Hello Percy," I said, impersonating Hermes. "how's your life been since we last saw each other? 'Oh, Fine.'"
I walked upstairs.
Coming from Sophia's bedroom, I heard a startled gasp: it was Luke.
Apparently, Annabeth heard it too. She made it to the bedroom before I did; a shocked look on her face.
Racing up to Sophia's bedroom, I found Hermes standing over his son, Luke sitting on the floor gaping up at him.
Hermes was breathing very hard now, his fists were balled, and his form started shimmering.
Just when I thought he was going to blast his son to pieces, Hermes made Luke rise, and gave him a bear hug that turned Luke's face purple.
When Luke made gasping noises, Hermes remembered that he was mortal and needed to breathe. He let go, but kept Luke outstretched in his arms.
"Father . . ." Luke managed.
"Oh my son!" Hermes said, completely ignoring the rest of the people in the room. Sophia was still sprawled on the floor, looking like she was going to get hit. She saw Hermes, and stiffened. Luke's face turned pink again, but his ears were burning red.
"You've been gone for ten years Luke!" Hermes said, overjoyed that he could say it to his son in person. "And now you're back!"
"And now I'm back." Luke confirmed. He looked a little afraid; he had, after all, never apologized to his father. He never got the chance; he died before Hermes showed up in the throne room on Olympus.
"We'll leave you two to catch up." Annabeth said. The three of us walked out of the bedroom; Annabeth, Me, and Sophia. My daughter was still amazed that a god had just broken into her room, and tackled her guest.
"So that was Hermes?" she asked.
I nodded, "God of Messengers and travel."
"Besides Grandma and Grandpa, I've never seen a god before."
We waited downstairs for what seemed like forever. Apparently, there are a whole lot of things that happen in Elysium for ten years. All the people you'd meet, the places you'd lived (died?) among other things.
It took nearly an hour and a half for Hermes to come down stairs, Luke right behind him.
Everyone was stationed in the living room. Then Luke asked the question, I'd been asking since he got here.
"What about my mom?"
Hermes face darkened. The room's temperature seemed to drop thirty degrees.
We all got the message. May Castellan was gone.
A tear dripped from Luke's eyes. "What happened?"
"The curse from the Oracle attempt finally got to her." Hermes said. "Within the hour of the "scene" on Olympus, she was informed. At first, she didn't believe me. Then, things turned grave. Hades showed up in the house. He showed your mother the papers you filled out, acknowledging your death. He said that your soul was in the Underworld and that he intended it to stay there for 'the ills that boy had done to me'. Apollo intervened. May, your mother doubled over, and sprouted out her last words, an acknowledgment of her own: My son, his fate is sealed. Hades grip, a leash, his soul concealed. The river separates a mother and son, death stop, her only one. And then she collapsed. The madness left her. I turned to Hades, and his eyes glowed. I knew it was done."
Luke stood motionless in the middle of the living room, staring at the back of my couch for the longest time, and then, he too, collapsed.
That took what, four months to finish writing!!!!! Oh my God!!! I REALLY hope you guys like this chapter. I can't emphasis that enough. Anyway, enjoy. And I want so many reviews, my computer crashs from it. I'll write as many of you back as I can.
~Ares Burn
