do not own Percy Jackson& the Olympians. Or the Wardstone Chronicles. Enjoy and review!
Lamia stared at the girl. Camp half-blood? What? " Where is that? What is that? I have never heard of it before" Lamia asked, confused. The girl frowned. " You haven't? But aren't you- Never mind" she said. Lamia sighed. " You wanted to divulge something. What is it"? she asked.
She saw the girl stared at her and, slowly, started to smile. She took a chair and sat next to Lamia. " Great, it sounds like you are smart. Do you like to read? Or write? Or wait, do you like artichecture, because-". Lamia interrupted her. " Firstly, thank you for that remark. And yes, I do believe I'm smart. Secondly, I like writing, do not write and I have nothing to do with architecture. Will you-". The girl frowned. " You don't? But it's amazing! I especially relish the temples which were made for the gods, they are beautiful. but i like others too, of course. Like Hoover Dam. Or-". Lamia couldn't help herself, she laughed. She raised her arms. " All right, I get it. You like architecture. A lot. But I need your help, all right? We will talk about architecture later". The girl smiled. " That sounds tremendous! Oh, I'm Annabeth, by the way. What's your name"?.
Lamia hesitated; which name should she use? Zenobia or Lamia? Or just Miss Ward? Annabeth was looking at her, she had to say her name fast. It would be strange if she hesitated too long. Like she didn't know her name anymore. " Zenobia. Zenobia is my name" Lamia said. She didn't want to be connected to that name ever again. She couldn't remember the last time she had introduced herself as Lamia. Perhaps when she had met Zeus. And she didn't want to think back to that time, even when she had been so happy. And foolish. Fool I was to believe him. I will never make that mistake again. Last time I did, it cost me my children and mental health. Annabeth smiled. " That's a strange name. You don't hear it very often. I believe there was a queen named Zenobia. Are you named after her"? Lamia shrugged, not sure what to say. " One of my friends gave me that name. I have used it ever since. So are you finally going to tell me where I am. Or where you found me"? she said, hoping Annabeth would stop talking about her name. It worked.
Annabeth stopped talking about her name and explained what had happened. " I already told you, this is camp half-blood. All demi-gods are brought here and-". "Demi-gods? You mean half god, half human"? Lamia asked, curious. Annabeth nodded. " Yes, exactly. You know, all those stories about the ancient Greek gods? There are true and-". " I know they are true. Believe me, I know" Lamia interrupted. Annabeth looked at her, suprised. " You do? So you already know what you are". Lamia sighed. " I am a lot and I'm very aware of it. But do you know"? Annabeth shrugged. " Of course I do. You're a demi-god. Only demi-gods can enter this camp. Well, demi-gods and gods, but that would mean you're a goddess. And I don't think you are. No offense". Lamia smiled. " I'm not a goddess. Where did you find us"?
Lamia didn't tell her she wasn't a demi-god either. Annabeth was obviously a very bright girl. Lamia suspected she would soon found out who Lamia really was. And she didn't want that. Annabeth seemed to know a lot about the Greek gods and probably about her too. Lamia knew there were a lot of stories about her and she didn't want to end in a prison or worse. She focused on annabeth again, eager to know more about this strange place. " We found you on Half Blood hill, together with a boy. You were both unconscious. No one has seen you walk, or more likely run, towards our camp. You just were suddenly here. You didn't have any wounds, but our doctors stated you were both exhausted and dehydrated. And maybe in shock. So we brought you to the infirmary" Annabeth explained.
Lamia nodded, trying to put the pieces together. So that hole- portal, has brought us here. And those people- Wait! Where is camp half-blood exactly? She looked at Annabeth again; she should now. If Tom and she were lucky, they were still somewhere in the county. If not.. they would have a hard time getting home. Lamia sighed. She would worry about getting home later. She first needed to know where she and Tom were.
When she knew their location, they could start making a plan to get home. " I know we are in camp half-blood, but were exactly is camp half-blood and -". Lamia frowned when an idea hit her. She had still been tired when she woke up, what had made it hard to think. but now, her head was clear and she could think straight again. And now she thought about, how could there be half-bloods if the gods were gone? Annabeth had told her the Greek gods existed, like they were still alive. Alive... like they had been thousands of years ago. When Lamia had been young and naive. And believed that an ancient god could love her. Where exactly am I? Lamia thought, a little shocked by this realization.
She looked up to find Annabeth looking at her. " Anything wrong? You suddenly fell silent" Annabeth said, her voice sounding concerned. Lamia swallowed, very nervous suddenly. " Demi-gods, these are children from a god and a human, right"? Annabeth nodded. " Yes, why? What is your point"? Lamia clenched her fists. " So those Greek gods... They are still alive"? Lamia bent a little forward, nervous and maybe even scared. Scared to face her past. Her terrible past she had hoped to leave behind. Her heart stopped beating for a moment when Annabeth shrugged. " Yes, they are. Again, why" she said, in a casual tone. She obviously didn't care as much as Lamia, who had suffered because of the same gods.
Lamia felt like she couldn't breathe anymore, feeling an overwhelming urge to scream or run, but she had to know. Had to know if he was alive. " All of them? What about the king of gods, is he alive"? she asked, her voice shaking a little. Annabetj frowned and gave her a funny look which clearly said; why on earth would you want to know that? She nodded. " Yes, he is. And he is still king. Why? Do you think he is your father"? Lamia let out a nervous laugh, feeling like she was losing control again. Losing her mind again. And it was funny, in a way. The girl couldn't be wrong. He isn't my father, definetely not. He used to be my lover, girl Lamia thought, remembering once again how charming he had been. And how naive she had been. She felt really nervous, maybe even ill, when she remembered how bad it had all ended.
Annabeth suddenly looked worried. Apparently, she had noticed something was wrong. She got up and walked towards Lamia to put an hand on her forehead. " Are you all right? You look deadly pale. And you're sweating. Do you have a fever or something"? Lamia shook her head. She knew this had nothing to do with illnesses. It had to do with the worst experience of her life and the long time after it when her life had been terrible. When she had done so much evil, she once thought nothing good could come from her ever again.
But she had been wrong. She had given birth to Tom. And Tom would save them all, Lamia just knew. Still, all the bad things she had done kept haunting her. And the cause of it all might still be there. Which should be impossible. Unless.. this was another time. That could be it. And it would be the only explanation. The gods shouldn't exist anymore. But maybe, that hole had brought her back in time, to when it all started.
She took a deep breath to calm herself. " Annabeth? What date is it? I have forgotten" she asked the girl, who was still trying to discover if Lamia was ill. Annabeth lowered her hand, her frown deepening. " You have forgotten? Do you have amnesia or something"? Lamia shook her head. " No. I will explain later, but I need to know" she said, trying to sound confident and calm.
She gave Annabeth a pleading look, hoping the girl would uinderstand it was important. Annabeth looked at her like she was crazy, which she might be or become soon, but responded. " 2007. Why"? Lamia stared at her, unable to interpret Annabeth's words. 2007? But that would mean.. that would mean.. we are in the future!
Lamia was shocked. How could that have happenned? How could she and Tom have been sent to the future, a future where Zeus was still, or again, alive? Lamia was absolutely overwhelmed by all what was happening. She didn't know what to feel. She was confused, mad, annoyed, afraid...
She felt a lot, but didn't even know why she felt it. Lamia sighed. She felt nausious too, like she was ready to faint or throw up. Or maybe both. First throw up, then faint. But she couldn't. She needed to be strong, to get Tom and herself back to home.
Lamia took a deep breath, trying to calm herself somehow. She looked at Annabeth, who was still looking at her with a very worried expression. " I estimate you're ill. You look terrible. How do you feel"? she asked Lamia.
Lamia managed a weak smile. " I'm fine, really. I will explain everything later, but right now I just need to get to my son. And quick" she said. There was an uncomfortable silence. Lamia could read Annabeth's expression perfectly. It was saying, no screaming, she is crazy! Do something! " Your.. son"? Annabeth eventually said, still that look on her face.
Lamia rolled her eyes. " Yes, my son. The boy who was with me. Brown hair, green eyes. Do you remember"? Annabeth smiled. The kind of smile you would give a small children who said there were monsters under his bed. " Of course. You think he is your son"? Annabeth asked, looking at Lamia like she was crazy.
Lamia sighed. Like you would do when someone asked you a stupid question and you had to explain it was stupid. Again. " Yes, my son. And I do not believe it, I know it. I gave birth to him, not something you would forget soon". Annabeth was still smiling, very slowly taking a few steps back. " Listen Zenobia, I want to believe you, I really do. But you are too young to be a mother of a son of , what is he, fourteen"? Lamia gritted her teeth. " Fifteen. And believe me, I'm not that young. I might seem young, but I'm a lot older than you".
This caught Annabeth's attention; she took a step forward, her face displaying curiousity now. " Really? What is your age? And if you are a demi-god, why do you look so young while you are old? Do you use some special products or something"? Lamia sighed. " My age doesn't matter. Just believe me when I'm say I'm older than I look. And I'm not a demi-god and certainly do not use any products. Can you bring me to my son now"?
Annabeth hesitated. " But-" " But nothing! I need to get to my son. I will explain later,. I really promise, but I have to get to him. So tell me where he is". Annabeth nodded. " All right, I will show you. But only if you are really well enough to leave the bed".
Before Annabeth was even finished, Lamia was already walking away from the bed. " Where is Tom? Which way" she asked Annabeth, who was behind her. Annabeth pointed to a direction. " There are the latest boys who were brought in. Your.. son should be there. Let's go"!.
Lamia nodded and walked faster, eager to close her arms around her son again. When she saw his bed, with him in it, she started running. She run towards his bed, sinking on her knees next to it. She brushed the hair from Tom's face and gave him a soft kiss. " Tom.. Are you all right"? she asked, her heart filled with fear and concern.
For a short and very horrible moment, she thought he woudln't react. But he opened his eyes and smiled at her. Other than some bruises, probably from an harsh landing, he looked fine. Lamia healed fast, thanks to her powers, so she didn't have any bruises. She smiled back at Tom, relieved he was ok. She held his face between her hands. " You are all right, thank the gods you are".
" They will appreciate that" Annabeth said, who had reached them. Lamia ignored her, her attention on Tom. Tom, her precious son. She hugged him, so relieved he was alive. And safe. " Never scare me like that again. I do not want to lose any more chilren" she whispered. Tom hugged her back, she felt him tremble. " And I hope you never scare me like that again. I need you, more than ever". Lamia pulled back, giving him a kiss on his cheek and got up.
When she turned to Annabeth, she saw Annabeth was smiling. But she looked a little sad too. " What is wrong, girl"? Annabeth smiled. " It's just.. the way you treat each other. You must love each other very much". Lamia smiled. " We do. And all parents love their children, I believe". Annnabeth was still smiling, although her smile was quickly vanishing. She was frowning instead of smiling now. " Not all parents. My parents are a little different. And I find it hard to believe you are his mother. It isn't logical. I know, certain people can look whatever they want to, but you said you aren't a goddess. And you certainly look too young to be a mother. You look more like his older sister. Or girlfriend" she added with a smile.
Tom coughed. " Believe me, she is my mother. Not my sister, since I don't have any sisters. Only six brothers and-" Lamia saw Annabeth's eyes widen. " Six! That's a lot. All from the same parents"? Tom nodded. " Of course. And I don't know where you come from, but most people have six or sometimes even more where I come from. How many brothers or sisters do you have"? Annabeth bit her lips, looking away. " About eleven. But they are all half-brothers and half-sisters. My dad has three children, me and my two brothers and my mothers has , as far as I know, eight children".
Tom frowned. " But if you have eleven brothers and sisters, why did you think six were a lot"? Annabeth shrugged and looked at Lamia. " Your .. mother looks so young. Absolutely not like she has given birth to eleven children. And my mother, well she is a lot older". " I wouldn't be so sure" Tom mumbled. " Who is your mother, Annabeth"? Lamia asked, curious. The comment about her mother's age, had caught Lamia's attention.
Annabeth stared at her. " You don't know? Athena, goddess of wisdom, of course. Most people here immediately know it when they see me". Lamia heard Tom gasp. She turned to her son, who looked shocked. " Goddess? You mean, you're mother is a goddess"? Annabeth sighed. " Yes, a greek goddess". " Athena is a virgin" Lamia commented.
Annabeth turned to her and rolled her eyes. " She is, so? Do you know the story of her birth"? Lamia gave her an angry glare. " Of course I do. She sprang from Zeus' head, in full battle armour. Zeus had swallowed her mother after a prophecy her second child, a son, would overthrow him. He decided to swallow Metis, avoiding the birth of her second child. But Metis was pregnant with Athena when he swallowed her. Athena grew in his head, until he got a very severe headache and Hephaestus, god of fire, got his axe to split his skull. And Athena sprang from Zeus' head" Lamia said.
She saw Tom looked really angry. " I really don't like that Zeus. Which man would ever swallow a woman"? He looked at Lamia and his expression softened a bit. " He really destroys the lifes of the women he meets. While he is married"! Lamia shot him a look that meant stop talking, but Tom just went on. " Seriously, he is just as bad as the devil, he-".
Tom was interrupted by the sound of thunder. Annabeth ran towards him and placed her hand over his mouth. " Are you crazy?! He can hear you! And it isn't smart to insult the gods. Their revenge will be terrible" she hissed. She removed her hands, so Tom could breathe again.
He gave her an angry glare and got out of the bed. " Where on earth are you talking about? The gods are gone"! Annabeth gave him a look. " Oh great, you are both crazy. And they aren't gone morron! They are still alive and can hear your insults, so shut up" Annabeth exclaimed, looking at the sky.
Tom clenched his fists, Lamia couldn't remember seeing him this angry before. " NO! I can't believe you are defending them! And especially him. Do you know what he did to my mother? He is evil, the spook told me and he is always right, and if he is still alive, I will make it my mission to destroy him".
Annabeth gaped at Tom, her eyes wide with suprise. " Are you both crazy? He is a god, you wouldn't even get near him. He would just blast you. And why do you think he has done anything to your mother"? Tom's face was all red by now. Lamia wanted to make him stop, but she just stood there, not moving. " BECAUSE SHE IS- mmm".
Lamia ran towards him, putting her hands over his mouth. She smiled at Annabeth. " Don't listen to him. He is still a little baffled from what happened". "What exactly happened"? Annabeth asked, her gaze focused on Tom. Lamia sighed and, after she let Tom go, motioned to a chair. Luckily, there was no one expect the wounded and them , so they could talk in private. Tom remained silent, understanding Lamia wanted him to.
She explained everything. How they had seen the hole in the sky, she believed it was a time portal, and had been brought to this place.
She told Annabeth about some of her powers, but left out she was Lamia. At the end of the story, Annabeth looked concerned. she believed them. " This is bad. Really bad. The only one I can think of with the power to make a time portal, is Kronos. And you have not only been teleported through time, but also space. We have to tell Chiron and Mr.D" Annabeth said.
Lamia and Tom exchanged a look. " Who are those people"? Tom asked. Annabeth got up. " You will see. Follow me. We have to tell them this".
Without any further explanation, Annabeth walked away. Lamia and Tom followed her, unsure what to do else.
After a short walk, they reached a big cabin. They walked inside and saw two people on chairs. One was a man with a purple shirt, the other was part horse. " A centaur" Lamia whispered. She felt a sudden burst of homesickness. She had been born in Greece, after all. And the centaur reminded her of home. How it had once been.
She heard Tom gasp and look at the centaur, his hands in his pockets with salt and iron. She bent over to him. " Don't worry. Centaurs are kind creatures. He won't hurt us" she whispered. Tom nodded, but still looked tense.
They all walked forward. Lamia saw the centaur's eyes widen at their sight. She gave him a small nod. Tom followed her example. Annabeth cleared her throat. " Ehh Chiron? Mr.D"? The centaur smiled at her while the man with the purple shirt didn't even look up. He seemed focused on something in his hands. " Yes, Annie? What is it this time"? the man said, sounding very bored.
" Annabeth" Annabeth muttered, but she didn't say it at loud. She straightened a bit. " We have very important news, Mr.D". The man, apparently he was Mr.D, looked up. " Really? Can't it wait, Annabelle"? he asked, his gaze never leaving his cards.
Lamia saw Annabeth's hand went to her knife. She had the feeling the man used those names just to annoy her. Annabeth shook her head, her hand on her knife. " No, I'm sorry. It affects the gods too, Mr.D".
The man finally had a spark of interest in his eyes. He raised his eyebrows, while Chiron was still staring at Tom and Lamia, his eyes narrowed. " Really, is it that important? Where are those guests"? Mr.D asked. Annabeth pointed at Lamia and Tom. " There they are. And they bring very important news" she said.
Lamia froze when the man looked at her. She recognized him. He was Dionysos, god of wine. And from the look in his eyes, he recognized her too. Even when she looked so different. Every Greek god knew her. He narrowed his eyes at her. " Lamia" he said. She swallowed, but didn't show her emotion. " Dionysos. What a.. pleasure to see you".