A/N-Warning, this is a long chapter so get comfy or read it in parts. It's been a while since I updated but things came up, but I've got everything under control. I think. So I'm going to keep this short but we have three more chapters left so this story is winding down-yay!
"Step on it, Zoë! They're catching up to us," Percy's new fur coat blew furiously in the wind. "I think we might have to ditch the car. They've got a helicopter."
The lieutenant gritted her teeth, her hands turning bone white as she swerved to the right, trying to lose the helicopter and skeletons. "Well, we shall not have to worry about the car. It is out of fuel." Not a second later, Zoë pulled into an alley way and the car let out one last exhaust fume before coming to a halt.
I heard the clanking sound of bones and knew the skeleton warrior were near us.
"Get out." I told the group, twirling my mace canister. "Set up a flank around me. Take down the monsters and I'll get the helicopter."
"Don't have to tell me twice." Percy got out of the car, uncapping his pen.
Zoë and Bianca notched their bows while Grover and I stood in the middle of the flank, forming a pyramid.
The first few skeletons appeared and Zoë's arrows bounced harmless off of them, not slowing their approach the slightest.
"Guys, I think I know this area." Bianca looked around, probably trying to recognize something familiar. "There should be a train station near here."
"Trains? In the urban part of D.C.?" I raised a brow, raising my shield. "I don't know about that, Bianca."
"Well, anyone else got a better idea?" Bianca looked around, looking for a response. "That's what I thought."
"Alright then." I pointed my spear at helicopter and a gust of wind blew it in the opposite direction.
The rest of the group were basically tackling the skeletons but nothing seemed to be working. I joined in, hacking away with my spear but skeletons disassembled only to reassemble seconds later. Bianca swung over my head at a skeleton near me and with one quick stab, it erupted into flames.
"Woah, how'd you do that?" I asked, amazed.
"Lucky stab?" She guessed.
Before I could respond, I heard someone yell my name and the person tackled me. A gun shot rang and I flew backwards, thinking I got hit. When I realized I was still alive, I ran over to the figure who had tackled me. They were face down on the ground, coughing.
"Percy, oh gods." I turned him over while the rest of the group surrounded us, defending us. I put my hands on his chest, searching for a heartbeat. There had to be one because I was still alive.
He sat up, seemingly unfazed. "Hands off, mofo."
"Oh thank the gods." I threw my arms around him, tears threatening to spill over. I retracted my arms then slapped him. Hard. "Don't you ever do that again!"
"You're welcome for saving your life," He said, a hand searching his fur coat. He pulled out a bullet shell and stared at it. "Fur must be bullet-proof. Huh."
"You could've died." I said, looking into those stunning amber eyes. "You would've died for me."
A lopsided grin appeared. "So you would care if I lived or died?"
"Aw, what the frickle frackle, man? No-we both would've died so you should stop inflating that ego of yours."
"Frickle Frackle? What are you-twelve?"
"A little help here, guys?" Grover was playing the reed pipes furiously, trying to distract the skeletons with that godawful thing he called music.
"Oh right." Percy helped me up and sprang back into the action.
We were pretty much useless, considering that Bianca had managed to slay every last one of the skeletons with that knife of hers. After she finished off the last skeletons, Zoë passed around some ambrosia to replenish our strength.
"Sooo..." Percy nodded at the hunter's knife. "Is that knife magic or something?"
Bianca looked at Zoë for answer.
The lieutenant shook her head. "No, I have the same one and it bounced off the skeletons with no effect. She must be consistently hitting the right spot or something."
"Maybe." Grover agreed, slinging his pipes over his shoulder. "Let's go before she has to fight anymore of them."
Bianca looked uncomfortable but nodded. We got our belongings from the van and went on foot, going south. When we reached Alexandria, Bianca recognized that train station she had been talking about except it was inactive.
"Just my luck." She grumbled. "I could've sworn it worked the last I was here."
"Actually, it's your lucky day." Grover pointed to a subway station sign. "There's a subway."
"That's odd." Bianca remarked. "That wasn't here when Nico and I lived here."
I frowned. It wasn't a new station by any means. "You're twelve, right?"
The hunter nodded.
"The subway can't be less than 12 years old. It must've been here for like thirty years before you two lived here. Maybe you missed it?"
"Maybe." She agreed, going down the stairs to the subway.
We got on a train, not having a specific destination. We went to the back of the bus and gathered around one another.
"Bianca," Zoë looked at her friend. "who is the president of the United States?"
She told us the right president.
"And who was the president before that?" Zoë pressed.
Bianca thought for a moment. "Hoover? No, Roosevelt. Roosevelt, for sure."
Percy's face paled. "Which one?"
I smacked the back of his neck. "Does it matter? That was a long time ago, Bianca. I think someone tampered with yours and Nico's age or something."
"What? Why would someone do that?"
"Don't know but we'll find out." I assured her. "In the meantime, let's switch trains."
We did just that. And we did it again until we exited the subway, ending up on the outskirts of D.C. We found ourselves in an industrial area with nothing but warehouses and railway tracks. And snow. Lots of snow. It seemed much colder here. I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering.
We wandered through the railway yard, thinking there might be another passenger train somewhere, but there were just rows and rows of freight cars, most of which were covered in snow, like they hadn't moved in years.
A homeless guy was standing at a trash-can fire. We must've looked pretty pathetic, because he gave us a toothless grin and said, "Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!"
We huddled around his fire. My teeth were chattering. "Well this is g-g-g-great."
"Thank you, Tony the Tiger." Percy muttered.
"Shut it, Jackson."
I gazed miserably around the rail yard. Somewhere, far to the west, Annabeth was in danger. Artemis was in chains. A dangerous monster was on the loose. And we were stuck on the outskirts of D.C., sharing a homeless person's fire.
"You know," the homeless man said, "you're never completely without friends."
"Well, I don't see your squad rolling up." Percy said rudely.
I expected the man to get angry but his expression remained kind. "You kids need a train going west?"
"Yes, sir," I said. "You know of any?"
He pointed one greasy hand.
Suddenly I noticed a freight train, gleaming and free of snow. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.
"That's . . . rather convenient," Grover said. "Thanks, uh . . ."
He turned to the homeless guy, but he was gone. The trash can in front of us was cold and empty, as if he'd taken the flames with him. Huh.
An hour later we were heading west. There was no problem about who would drive now, because we all got our own luxury car. Zoë and Bianca were crashed out in a Lexus on the top deck. Grover was playing race car driver behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. And I had hot-wired the radio in a black Mercedes SLK so I could pick up the altrock stations from D.C.
"Can I join you or are you going to slap me again?"
I nodded and Percy climbed into the passenger seat.
"I'm sorry about that, by the way."
"About what?" He asked.
"Slapping you. Heat of the moment and all." I turned down the volume so he could hear me.
"It's cool." A moment of silence followed before he spoke again. "At the museum, when we first split up in different directions, Zoë was telling me about how you two met. I wanted to know why you didn't like her and vice versa."
I bit my lip. "I almost joined but I would've had to leave Luke. And I just...I couldn't."
"Zoë told you he would be a disappointment. She was right."
I gripped the steering wheel, getting defensive. "He wasn't always this way. He just got so angry at times. He was angry that I got turned into a tree and at the gods. Especially Hermes. That's why he joined Kronos. He's not a bad person, he's just going through some tough times. We've all made some bad choices."
"Being right hand to the source of all evil is a pretty bad choice, Thalia." Percy breathed. "He poisoned you. He tried to kill me. You haven't seen him. He's changed, Thalia."
"He thought he was poisoning the tree, not me. He didn't know I was still alive. Well, sort of." I insisted.
"You're going to have to fight him." His gaze was getting intense. "You may have to kill him."
I stilled. "I'll do whatever I have to do."
"Good," Percy swung open his door. "Because if you don't, I will."
With that, he left and climbed onto the car above me. I stared straight ahead, my eyes burning. I thought I heard some noise from above me but I shook it off. It was probably just him and Grover talking. I thought about Percy's last words and shuddered. Luke was traitor and all but I couldn't imagine killing him. Hopefully, it would've have to come that.
I drifted off to sleep, holding onto that hope.
The next morning, I got up just as the sun began to rise. The cars had stopped so I got out and found the group near a ski cabin.
"Where are we?"
"New Mexico." Grover answered, messing around with some acorns. "We're heading towards San Francisco."
"Towards the Mountain of Despair." Percy's hair was slightly disheveled. "The titan's magic is strong there. It shifts every few decades, just like Olympus but I should be able to sense it."
"It must be well guarded then. Especially if that's where they're keeping Artemis." Bianca concluded. "Can we get there in time and get Artemis to the Winter Solstice meeting on time?"
"All we need to do is get Artemis out of her chains. She can flash to Olympus in a matter of seconds." Percy cleared his throat. "Besides, I know someone on the inside. He can get us through. All we need to figure out is how to get up the mountain. It's a treacherous climb."
"Leave that to me." Zoë said.
"We should get going-"
Percy was interrupted by the sound clanking bones. The skeleton warriors.
"Great." I activated my shield and spear, standing in a defensive position.
Suddenly, Grover dropped his acorns and nearly collapsed onto the floor. Bianca and Percy managed to get him back up but he was groaning, saying something about the Wild.
"A gift." He moaned. "A gift from the wild."
"Sure thing, buddy." Percy threw the satyr over his shoulder. "We need to run before they...find us."
His voice faltered at the end because the skeletons were now surrounding us. One of the spoke-or clattered, rather-into a phone.
"If he's getting reinforcements, then we're in some serious trouble." Percy tried to steady Grover who was practically convulsing at this point.
"A gift!" He repeated.
"It's not quite Christmas yet, Grover. Stay with us now." The son of Kronos and Poseidon shifted the satyr, uncapping his pen.
Just as we started to attack the skeletons, a screeching sound interrupted us and I saw a pair of wings flash before my eyes. In that instant, I felt a powerful aura. It was demanding my full attention and I now understood the compulsion Grover had been under. The wings returned in my sight vision, the animal knocking the skeletons left and right.
"REEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!" It was a massive wild boar and once it was playing bowling with the skeletons, it turned towards us.
"The Erymanthian Boar," Zoë recognized.
"It's a gift," Grover looked at the thing like it was the last enchilada in the world. "A blessing from the wild!"
The boar began to paw the ground and I knew that at any moment it could charge us.
"I've got an idea-this is our ride west." The satyr said. "It travels almost as fast as the speed of light. We need to get aboard."
I gaped at him but he walked over to the boar and played some tunes on his pipes. An apple from Grover's pack floated in front of the boar and while the boar was distracted trying to grab it, Grover climbed on board.
Zoë and Bianca climbed on board next, leaving plenty of space for Percy and me. Percy got on next then I climbed on last.
"It's gone now," Grover said, his tone somber. "I wish I had more time to look around."
"What's gone now?" Bianca asked.
"Pan," Zoë answered simply. "The presence of Pan."
After an hour or so, the boar landed by a small river to stop and drink. We quietly got off and headed in the opposite direction, careful not to catch its attention. We headed upstream and decided to set up camp and wait until it was cooler to start walking again.
As we were walking, Percy held his hand up and all of us halted, alert.
"What the hell..." he trailed off, bending down by the bank of the river to touch something in the water. "What are you doing here, huh? How'd you get all the way here, Bessie?"
An animal floated to the surface and I squinted at it, trying to recognize what exactly it was. It looked like a cross between a cow and serpent but I wasn't completely sure.
"What is it?" I ask. "I've never seen anything like it before."
"I'm not actually sure," he petted the animal. "I named her Bessie, I rescued her from a net earlier this month. That was off of Long Island Sound, though. What is she doing here, though? All the way in New Mexico."
"Why don't you ask her?" Zoë suggested.
"Can't-don't understand what she's saying." Percy looked at Grover. "Can you talk to her?"
"I can try." Grover knelt down and rested a hand on Bessie's head, closing his eyes. The animal mooed a few times, each sound sounding more frantic.
Grover's eyes flew open. "This creature...it's old. Almost as old as the gods with immense power. He's afraid-the manticore is after him so he came for your help Percy."
"He?" Percy frowned. "Bessie's a he?"
"Never mind that, Thorn is on his way!" Bianca's face was pale.
"What if this is the monster Lady Artemis was searching for?" Zoë looked at us, realization setting in. "It must be; this isn't a coincidence."
"Bessie's practically harmless." Percy's voice had an edge of defensiveness. "For Zeus' sake, he couldn't even get himself out of a net."
"Au contraire, son of Kronos, this creature can take out the gods." I gritted my teeth as Thorn stepped into view, a group of skeleton warriors behind him. "The fates ordained a prophecy eons ago, when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed it and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods. The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was killed by a giant ally of the Titans but Zeus sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. Now, after the three thousands years, the Ophiotaurus has reformed."
"Sweet, I call dibs." Percy replied sarcastically, brandishing his sword.
Zoë notched an arrow and aimed it straight at the manticore's head. The guards on either side of him raised their guns.
"Wait!" Grover said, standing up. "Zoë, don't!"
The manticore smiled. "The satyr is right, Zoë Nightshade. Put away your bow. It would be a shame to kill you before you witnessed Thalia's great victory."
"What are you talking about?" I growled, spear and shield ready for some serious ass-kicking.
"Surely it is clear," the manticore said. "This is your moment. This is why Lord Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring its entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. You will gain unlimited power. And for your sixteenth birthday, you will overthrow Olympus."
No one spoke. I almost forgot to breathe. It made terrible sense. Too much sense. It was the nineteenth-I was only three days away from turning sixteen. Doomsday was happening right now and it the choice was mine.
I opened my mouth to tell Thorn off, but a small voice in the back my head made me hesitate.
Power, it said. Unlimited power.
With that kind of power, I would never be afraid again. I would never have to run from hordes of monsters. I would never be that girl who thought she was going to die just as safety was close within her reach. I would never have to feel the fear and helplessness I felt that day.
I could rule the world.
I looked at Bessie who was cowering in the shallow water. Just one quick slit and his entrails could be mine. I gripped my spear and edged my way toward the animal, aware that everyone's eyes were on me.
"Good girl, Thalia Grace." Thorn nodded approvingly. "All the power. All yours."
Just as I was reaching the bank of the water, Percy stopped me, a hand on my shoulder.
I looked at him, dazed just like I was the night I ran that zombie-fever. He was in my way.
"Move." I told him, trying to brush past him.
"Like hell." Percy's nostrils flared. "What are you doing, Sweetheart?"
"I...I don't know." I admitted, uncertain.
"You know it is the right choice," the manticore pressed on, influencing my thoughts. "Your friend Luke recognized it. You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world together under the auspices of the Titans. Your father abandoned you, Thalia. He cares nothing for you. And now you shall gain power over him. Crush the Olympians underfoot, as they deserve. Call the beast! It will come to you. Use your spear."
"Thalia," Percy shook me furiously. "snap out of it!"
"I . . . I don't—"
"Your father has helped you," He said. "He turned you into a tree to preserve you."
My fingers involuntarily curled around my spear.
Suddenly, Grover sprang into action, raising his pipes to his mouth to play a quick riff.
The manticore yelled, "Stop him!"
The guards had been targeting Zoë, and before they could figure out that the kid with the pipes was the bigger problem, the wooden planks at their feet sprouted new branches and tangled their legs. Zoë let loose two quick arrows that exploded at their feet in clouds of sulfurous yellow smoke. The guards began coughing and started to scatter.
"Grover," Percy yelled, "tell Bessie to dive deep and stay down!"
"Moooooo!" Grover translated.
"The cow . . ." I muttered, still in a daze.
"Come on!" Percy pulled me away from the bank and further upstream while the rest of the group followed.
The group caught up to us and we crossed the river at its shallowest which bought us some time before Thorn and his goons caught up to us.
"Go over the side!" Zoë told Percy. "You can escape in the sea, Percy. Call on thy father for help. Maybe you can save the Ophiotaurus."
"I won't leave you guys," He said. "We fight together."
"You have to get word to camp!" Grover said. "At least let them know what's going on!"
Then I noticed the crystals making rainbows in the sunlight. There was a drinking fountain next to me . . .
"Percy, the fountain." I pointed, the daze beginning to clear up.
He uncapped Riptide and slashed off the top of the water fountain. Water burst out of the busted pipe and sprayed all over us.
Grover threw a golden drachma into the rainbows created by the mist and yelled, "O goddess, accept my offering!"
The mist rippled.
"Camp Half-Blood!" I said.
And there, shimmering in the Mist right next to us, was the last person I wanted to see: Mr. D, wearing his leopard-skin jogging suit and rummaging through the refrigerator.
He looked up lazily. "Do you mind?"
"Where's Chiron!" I shouted.
"How rude." Mr. D took a swig from a jug of grape juice. "Is that how you say hello?"
"Hello," I amended. "We're about to die! Where's Chiron?"
Behind us, footsteps and shouting—the manticore's troops were closing in.
"About to die," Mr. D mused. "How exciting. I'm afraid Chiron isn't here. Would you like me to take a message?"
Bianca looked at us. "We're dead. So dead."
I gripped my spear. "Then we'll die fighting."
"How noble," Mr. D said, stifling a yawn. "So what is the problem, exactly?"
I didn't see that it would make any difference, but I told him about the Ophiotaurus.
"Mmm." He studied the contents of the fridge. "So that's it. I see."
"You don't even care!" Percy screamed. "You'd just as soon watch us die!"
"Let's see. I think I'm in the mood for pizza tonight."
I wanted to slash through the rainbow and disconnect, but I didn't have time. Thorn screamed, "There!" And we were surrounded. Two of the guards stood behind him. The other two appeared on the roofs of the pier shops above us. The manticore threw off his coat and transformed into his true self, his lion claws extended and his spiky tail bristling with poison barbs.
"Excellent," he said. He glanced at the apparition in the mist and snorted. "Alone, without any real help. Wonderful."
"You could ask for help," Mr. D murmured to Percy, as if this were an amusing thought. "You could say please."
Annnd we're screwed. Percy would never stoop to Mr.D's level. I could only hope my dad turned me into sycamore tree this time.
Zoë and Bianca readied their arrows. Grover lifted his pipes. I raised my shield, slightly shaken. This was it. I was brought back for such a short time only to end up in the same situation that cost years of my life. There were things I wanted to do. So many things.
I lifted my eyes to meet Percy's and he looked tormented. Absolutely torn.
"Please, Mr. D," He said quietly. "Help."
Of course, nothing happened.
The manticore grinned. "Spare the daughter of Zeus. She will join us soon enough. Kill the others."
The skeletons raised their guns, and something strange happened. You know how you feel when all the blood rushes to your head, like if you hang upside down and turn right-side up too quickly? There was a rush like that all around me, and a sound like a huge sigh. The sunlight tinged with purple. I smelled grapes and something more sour—wine.
SNAP!
It was the sound of many minds breaking at the same time. The sound of madness. One guard put his pistol between his teeth like it was a bone and ran around on all fours. Two others dropped their guns and started waltzing with each other. The fourth began doing what looked like an Irish clogging dance. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so terrifying.
"No!" screamed Thorn. "I will deal with you myself!"
His tail bristled, but the planks under his paws erupted into grape vines, which immediately began wrapping around the monster's body, sprouting new leaves and clusters of green baby grapes that ripened in seconds as the manticore shrieked, until he was engulfed in a huge mass of vines, leaves, and full clusters of purple grapes. Finally the grapes stopped shivering, and I had a feeling that somewhere inside there, Dr. Thorn was no more.
"Well," said Dionysus, closing his refrigerator. "That was fun."
Bianca stared at him, horrified. "How could you . . . How did you—"
"Such gratitude," he muttered then stared at me. "I hope you learned your lesson, Tatia. It isn't easy to resist power, is it?"
I looked down, ashamed.
"Mr. D," Grover said in amazement. "You . . . you saved us."
"Mmm. Don't make me regret it, satyr. Now get going, Percy Jackson. I've bought you a few hours at most."
"The Ophiotaurus," Percy said. "Can you get it to camp?"
Mr. D sniffed. "I do not transport livestock. That's your problem."
"You called me by my right name," The son of Kronos and Poseidon realized. "You called me Percy Jackson."
"I most certainly did not, Peter Johnson. Now off with you!"
"Mooo," Bessie said. He swam next to me as we jogged along the bank.
"But what about Bessie?" I asked, feeling bad for wanting shish kebab it earlier.
Grover stopped in his tracks. "I've got an idea! The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?"
"Well, yeah," Percy shrugged. "I mean, he was in Long Island Sound. Then he just popped into the water here."
"So maybe we could coax him back to Long Island Sound," Grover said. "Then Chiron could help us get him to Olympus."
"But he was following me," He pointed out. "If I'm not there, would he know where he's going?"
"Moo," Bessie said forlornly.
"I . . . I can show him," Grover said. "I'll go with him. I'm the only one who can talk to him," Grover said. "It makes sense."
He bent down and said something in Bessie's ear. Bessie shivered, then made a contented, lowing sound.
"The blessing of the Wild," Grover said. "That should help with safe passage. Percy, pray to your dad, too. See if he will grant us safe passage through the seas."
"Dad," He said. "Help us. Get the Ophiotaurus and Grover safely to camp. Protect them at sea."
"A prayer like that needs a sacrifice," I said. "Something big."
He thought for a second then took off his coat.
"Percy," Grover said. "Are you sure? That lion skin . . . that's really helpful. Hercules used it!"
He glanced at Zoë, who was watching him carefully.
"If I'm going to survive," He looked at her in the eyes, "it won't be because I've got a lion-skin cloak. I'm not Hercules."
When the coat hit the water, It turned back into a golden lion skin, flashing in the light. Then, as it began to sink beneath the waves, it seemed to dissolve into sunlight on the water.
The sea breeze picked up.
Grover took a deep breath. "Well, no time to lose."
He jumped in the water and immediately began to sink. Bessie glided next to him and let Grover take hold of his neck.
"Be careful," I told them.
"We will," Grover said. "Okay, um . . . Bessie? We're going to Long Island. It's east. Over that way."
"Moooo?" Bessie said.
"Yes," Grover answered. "Long Island. It's this island. And . . . it's long. Oh, let's just start."
"Mooo!"
Bessie lurched forward. He started to submerge and eventually they both disappeared under the waves.
"And then there were four." Bianca breathed, turning around and walking away. Walking west.
We walked in silence, the hunters in the front while Percy and I trailed behind them. He didn't talk, didn't mention the whole doomsday choice I could've made. I appreciated that, not ready to talk about it quite yet.
We had been walking for a while now before a white limo skidded to a stop in front of us, causing me to jump.
The back door of the limo opened right next to Percy and before he could step back, the tip of a sword grazed his throat.
"What the hell?" I twirled my mace canister and it took the form of a spear.
Zoë and Bianca notched their bows as the owner of the sword got out of the car, forcing Percy to move back.
A big man with a crew cut, a black leather biker's jacket, dark washed jeans, and a white shirt smiled cruelly. "Miss me, Punk?"
"Ares." Percy spat.
The war god looked at us. "At ease, people."
I clutched my spear harder, pointing it at him. He chuckled then snapped his fingers, causing our weapons to fall to the ground.
"I come in peace." He inched the blade closer to Percy's neck, almost drawing blood.
"Somehow, I find that hard to believe." Percy eyed the sword.
Ares jerked his head toward the limo. "As much as I would like to give you back-alley plastic surgery, I can't. My lady is in the car and I promised to play nice."
"You know where your head and ass are?" Percy smirked at the god. "Well, they're about to become well acquainted with each other."
"Oh, I'd like to see you try." The war god wore sun glasses but I could tell there was a dangerous look in his eyes. He wasn't the type to be messed with and of course, Percy had made an enemy of him.
"You might want to rethink that." Percy laughed low. "Actually, you might want to think in general."
My eyes widened and I took one last look at Percy Jackson because he was about to die.
Surprisingly, Ares chuckled then pushed the demigod away, facing us.
"Whatever, punk. I'm not here for you." Ares nodded toward Zoë and me. "I'm here for them."
"Us?" Zoë asked, surprised.
"I'm not leaving them here with you." Percy shook his head, one hand clutching his pen.
"We'll be fine." I said quickly. "Go."
"Like hell." He protested.
"Percy, please." Zoë met his gaze and he sighed.
"Come on, Bianca. We'll catch up with them later."
The new hunter sighed but walked away with Percy, leaving Zoë and me with the god of war.
"Get in, ladies." Ares opened the door and I went in first, Zoë following.
The god shut the door and I stared at the woman next to me. She was absolutely stunning. She looked like an actress from a long time ago but appeared timeless. Her appearance kept changing and every time it did, she appeared more beautiful.
"Lady Aphrodite." Zoë's face soured.
"Hunter." The goddess said distastefully then smiled at me. "Mind if we switch spots, Thalia?"
"Mind if we switch bodies?" I retorted.
"Aren't you just a little darling?" She tilted her head and I maneuvered around so that she was sitting between Zoë and me.
"The three of us need to have a girl chat..." Aphrodite started, looking at the both of us. "About Percy Jackson."
"Oh baby Zeus," Zoë groaned. "We have nothing discuss."
"You and I both know that isn't the case." The goddess smiled. "So Thalia, ready to profess your undying love for Percy?"
"W-what?"
"Did I stutter?" She asked, her now-blue eyes seeming to peer into my soul. "He's very attractive, you know. If you heard even a fraction of the thoughts my daughters have about him, you would've scooped him up already. So what's stopping you, huh?"
"This one?" The goddess pointed a slender finger at Zoë. "Because trust me, no competition there." She motioned to the tiara on Zoë's head.
"I...I don't know." I answered. "It's just that...it's Percy."
"I'm not seeing the problem here..."
"Look, Lady Aphrodite." I leaned forward so Zoë could see me as well. "Percy treated me like a red headed step-child the first time we met. He embarrassed me at dinner once, along with this one."
"I cannot say thee did not deserve it." Zoë's jaw locked.
"Anyway, if I admitted that I felt even a fraction of affection towards him; it'd be like saying that I was okay with what he had done. And I'm not."
"But Thalia, when you love someone, you have to forgive and forget. Forgiving love is one of my favorite types of love." Aphrodite put a hand over her heart, smiling. "But star-crossed lovers-that's what really gets me going." She winked at Zoë.
"Percy and I aren't 'star crossed' lovers. I mean, the way we met was hardly ordinary but apart from that, our relationship has developed normally."
"Oh! I know, story time!" Aphrodite clapped her excitedly and looked at me. "Thalia has been dying to know. Tell us how you and Percy met, Zoë Nightshade."
The lieutenant looked uncomfortable but tipped her gaze towards me. "Sometime last year, I met Percy. I was se-"
"Before he went on the quest to find the fleece?" I asked.
"Yes. He was heading toward camp when we met." Zoë took a breath before speaking. "I was separated from the hunt because a horde of hell hounds were chasing us. I told the girls to keep running while I distracted the hounds. It took a bit of convincing but eventually they left and I faced the monsters alone. I put up a good fight but they were much stronger; I had cuts and bruises all over me before I decided to retreat. So I ran and they followed me. I was running for a long time before I came across a horde of empousai. They were searching for a boy, saying something about the titan Lord needing him. I did not get to listen to much of their conversation because the hell hounds had caught up with me. I was weakened and needed to stop so I went into a cave I had seen earlier."
Zoë paused before picking back up again. "When I entered the cave, I realized I wasn't alone. A sword was pointed at my chest. The owner said, 'you have three seconds to tell me why you're here or they will be the last words you say.'"
"Sounds like something Percy would say." I nodded.
"He is so warm and friendly." Zoë joked before continuing. "I told him I was only there to seek refuge because of the hounds following me. He lowered his sword and asked me if I'd seen a camp of empousai and I told him I did. Apparently, they had been stalking outside his cave for weeks, making it unable for him to leave and go to camp. He groaned and spun around, taking a seat on a couch. He po-"
"Wait," I held up a hand. "A couch?"
"Yes, Percy lives in a cave."
I snickered. "Really? Why?"
"'Less flammable than houses', he says."
"What kind of decoration does he have?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Weaponry." She answered. "And a couch and a bed. Two mini fridges, I think."
"Figures." I nodded.
"Um hello?" Aphrodite snapped her fingers. "The story?"
"Oh right." Zoë took a moment to remember where she'd left off. "He pointed to the tiara hovering above my head and asked me what it was. I told him about the Hunt and that I was the lieutenant. He offered me a seat and although I was reluctant, it was either sit or face the monsters outside. By this time, the hellhounds and empousai were outside the cave, growling. Percy had some sort of invisible defense system that prevented them from coming in but only temporarily. So we were safe for about twenty minutes."
Zoë's hands began to shake. "There was no other way to escape. In twenty minutes, those monsters would come in and we would perish. I was so drained and weak that I just accepted my fate. I am not comfortable around males so I settled far away from him but I noticed his sword. Let's just say, that sword and I have history. I asked him how he had obtained it and he told me that his mentor-Chiron-had given it to him. He told me about camp and his quest to find your father's bolt. I would not divulge much information about my past so he used his time powers to find out."
I frowned, feeling as though Percy had used that power on me at one time. "A few months ago...Percy knew my last name. I don't use it often-do you think he used that power on me and that's how he knew it?"
"Likely." Zoë said. "He only gets snippets of a past, not the entire thing. He asked me about my life before the hunt and I told him. There was no use in hiding it since he had already seen some of it and not the mention the monsters were nearing. He told me about his dreams, his fears, the people he loved, and just everything. I did the same, thinking we'd die. Eventually the monsters came in and Percy stopped time. There were so many of them and he couldn't freeze them for long. He told me to leave and although I initially refused, eventually I left. The last image I had of him was him holding that sword against a horde of monsters. I was sure he had died that night. I made my way back to the hunt, thinking I'd never see him again."
"Then you did." I said. "At Westover Hall."
"You can imagine my surprise then, I'm sure." Zoë chuckled. "After that night, I thought about how much I enjoyed his company-a man's company-and a part wished he wasn't dead. And lo and behold..."
"The next day, he looked for you." Aphrodite's tone was somber. "He fought off those monsters all night, nearly dying in the process. He wanted to talk to you again."
"I was long gone by the time the sun came up." Zoë looked away, staring out the window.
"His emotions were so strong, they caught my attention almost immediately. He felt a connection to you, Zoë. You understood him like no else had before. You didn't even bat an eye when he told you one of his parents was Kronos. You understood the titan part of Percy and he desperately wanted that understanding back." Aphrodite turned to me and lifted my chin to face her. "Don't be distraught, Thalia. He feels the same connection with you. He's been trying to figure you out since the day you knocked on his door. You're nothing like he expected. He expected you to be adamant about the line of good and evil. He never thought you would accept him for who he is. Not in a million years. You're everything he wants to be-everything he told Zoë the night he met her; it's in you, Thalia."
The goddess of love leaned back and looked at the both of us. "Now the question is, which one of you does he want the most?"
I thought back to our conversation in the library and if Aphrodite had asked me that question then, I would've said yes. Now, I looked back at Zoë and I wasn't so sure.
"It's her, of course." Zoë said, turning toward us. "Percy knows my loyalty remains with Lady Artemis and the Hunt."
"You could break your oath." I said. Of course, I didn't want her to but it was a possibility.
The goddess pulled out a nail file and began filing her already-manicured nails. "Oh, sweetie, it doesn't work that way. If Zoë were in love with Percy, that pretty tiara of hers would've faded a looong time ago. But of course, she hasn't told him that yet."
The lieutenant gritted her teeth. "Percy knows how I feel about him. We are not destined for a romantic relationship."
"Does he?" Aphrodite stopped filing her nails. "He may be waiting for you to make the first move. He'd be devastated if knew he had been pinning for you and you never even saw him that way."
"Well, he is not ever going to find out. Besides," Zoë looked down, sighing. "There's too much risk in loving."
"No," Aphrodite said with such conviction that I whole-heatedly believed her. "There's too much risk in not."
My heart began pounding and I thought of what it would be like to love Percy. To have someone to depend on yet tease every five seconds. To have someone so loyal and see your beauty, despite the flaws. To have him.
"It terrifies thee, does it not?" Zoë whispered and my head turned towards her.
"It scares thee to love someone like Percy. Someone who is so much of a storm. There are moments he will be quiet-and trust me, those are rare-but most of the time he will be on fire. You have to expect that he will fight thee and love thee at the same time."
"It will feel like..." Zoë looked at Aphrodite for help.
"It'll feel like loving a hurricane." The goddess finished. "And I think you are up for the challenge, Thalia."
I gave a small smile before looking at Zoë; I wanted to know what she was thinking.
"I'd never thought I'd say this but Lady Aphrodite is correct. You are Percy's equal and it may take him a while to see that-may the gods help his ego but one way or another, you two will find comfort in one another. Trust me, Thalia-I've always been correct when it comes to you and men. This one's a good one, don't let him go."
"You have always been right about guys, Zoë Nightshade." I laughed. "Thank you, Zoë. I'll think about what you said-what the both of you said."
Aphrodite put away her nail filer and clapped her hands. "Alright, mission Perlia is underway! The plan has been Zoë-approved and I'm excited to see you two get together."
The goddess' smile faded and for a while, her eyes glowed.
"Lady Aphrodite?" I asked, waving my hand in front of her face. I turned to Zoë, trying suppress my panic. "What's wrong with her?"
"I will call Ares." The lieutenant had a hand on the window button but before she got a chance to push, the goddess gasped and her eyes returned to normal.
A smile appeared and for a moment, I thought she looked like a Cheshire cat. She turned to me, a mysterious glint in her eyes.
"Oh this is rich!" She squealed. "Thalia, your love interest pool has expanded and it looks like your boy toy is going to have some competition. Someone totally unexpected and head over heels in love with you. Now this...this is going to be good."
"Wait, what? Who is it?" I asked, bewildered. "What do you mean 'someone totally unexpected?' Do I know them?"
"Enough questions, it's time to introduce yet another sub-plot and leave the readers in suspense. Have fun, girls. Also don't pick up anything in the junkyard-my husband's very picky with his little trinkets." Aphrodite snapped her fingers and the doors flew open. "Ta ta, Thalia!"
"Goodbye, Lady Aphrodite." I said before exiting the limo. Zoë got out as well and took a few steps until she was standing next to me.
"I'll see you around, ladies." Ares smirked, opening the drivers door. "Oh and tell that runt to watch it-I'll be back for him."
With that, the war god closed the door and drove off, leaving Zoë and me in the dust.
"Well, that was certainly interesting." Zoë said, garnering a laugh from me.
She joined in and eventually we stopped, realizing how crazy we must've looked.
The girl sighed, glancing at me. "Thee isn't as terrible as I had originally thought."
"You're not too shabby yourself." I said, sticking out a hand. "Do you mind if we start over?"
"I would like that." Zoë shook it and a moment of understand passed between us before we dropped our hands.
Two distant figures began approaching and I heard Percy's voice carry through the wind.
"...Lotus Casino, huh?" He was saying. "Must have some sort of magic tied to it if time works differently there."
"What?" I yelled, waving them over.
"Nothing. Tell you later." Percy's hair fell in front of his eyes. "What did Ares want with you?"
"Nothing." Zoë said.
"Tell you later." I added, snickering.
"Good one." Zoë gave me a high five.
Percy looked at us, bewildered. "Who are you people and where are the real Zoë and Thalia?"
"You're looking at them, Seaweed Brain." I stuck my tongue out at him as Zoë turned around, heading toward massive piles of metal-the junkyard, I assumed.
"Where are you going?" Bianca asked.
The lieutenant looked over her shoulder. "I think we have to pass this junkyard to keep heading west. Don't touch anything, though."
Percy, Bianca, and I shrugged, following her. I tried to not touch things but the stuff was so cool. I found some really cool nun-chunks that had lightning bolts on it. Percy found a shield the size of a small asteroid.
Even Zoë found a pretty sweet bow.
"Alright, we need to get going..." Bianca's voice faltered as she stared at the ground.
"What is it?" I slid down a pile of metal and stood beside her. Zoë and Percy hopped off from the giant fridge they were on and joined us.
"Those are some huge toes." I remarked. They were at least ten-ton, giant metal feet sticking out from underneath a pile of scraps.
Zoë shivered. "Let's go around it-something is not right."
"Agreed." I said, beginning to step around the toes. The others had begun to do the same when suddenly, the toes flexed.
"Oh no, no. No flex zone." I pointed to the toes who had now shaken the metal scraps off. The toes then planted firmly and a second later, a large shadow loomed over us. I forced myself to look up and there was-a massive, about 20 feet tall robot stared down at us.
"Talos-one of Hephaestus creations." Zoë whispered. "It must be a defective model."
Apparently it didn't like being called 'defective' because it slammed its fist down, nearly crushing me and Bianca.
"Bianca, watch out!" I yelled, rolling away. She got the message and slid away just before Talos' fist came crashing down. Percy stabbed Talos' foot with his sword while my eyes darted between Zoë and Bianca.
"Alright, if anyone took anything-drop it! Maybe he'll leave us alone then!" I yelled, activating my shield.
"I did not take anything." Zoë's eyes zeroed in on the other hunter. "Bianca Di Angelo, I swear to the moon and stars-you must drop whatever item you have or else we will all perish."
Bianca's lower lip jutted out and she had tears in her eyes. "B-but..."
Percy was now running circles around Talos, trying to confuse him. "Bianca, drop it like Hera dropped Hephaestus from Olympus! Now!"
The giant automaton glared at Percy at the sound of his creator's name then swatted him away like a fly. Zoë ran over to him, moving as fast as lightning.
"No!" I yelled before charging the giant. Lightning encased my spear as I pointed toward his feet, attempting to get him to fall over. If he fell over, I could enter his main circuit and fry him.
When Talos didn't fall back but was trying to regain his balance, I decided the best route was to go in. "Bianca, cover me! I'm going in!"
The hunter rushed over to me, fear written all over her face. "No, I'll go. I can dismember some wires and disable him. You're the child of the prophecy, you can't die."
"I'm more experienced-I'll get out, just cover me. Get him to raise his foot again."
"Please, Thalia. It's my fault we're in this mess; let me get us out. Here," She open my palm, placing a small figurine in it. "Give this to Nico...just in case something happens to me. Tell him that I love him and that he's the best, most annoying little brother a girl could ask for."
I nodded, understanding. Bianca wanted to do this and there was nothing I could do to stop her.
I gave her hand one last squeeze before placing the figurine in my pocket. I darted out in front off Talos just as he was heading towards Percy and Zoë.
"Hey big guy!" I yelled, conducting electricity through my spear. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size, huh?"
When I got his attention, I directed a stream of electricity at his foot. When it lifted, Bianca ran under, opening a latch door before entering the automaton.
"Go Bianca!" I yelled as Zoë and Percy reappeared beside me. He was clutching his arm but otherwise, he seemed fine.
"Is she in there?" The lieutenant asked, eyes wide.
I nodded and Bianca was doing a good job too-Talos had begun trembling, his bronze limbs falling apart at the joints. Things were looking bomb af for us until Talos stumbled backwards, kicking the foot that Bianca had entered in toward the opposite side of the desert. It happened so fast that none of us could do anything. I heard a piercing, pained scream, an explosion, and then...nothing. Talos fell to the ground, his eyes wide open as what was left of his body shook violently once more. Then he stopped, dead.
"Bianca!" Zoë ran off in the direction the foot had been thrown away in.
"Are you okay?" Gold eyes and furrowed brows filled my vision.
"I'm okay." I said but my voice cracked on the last words. There was no Bianca had survived that blast. She was gone...all because of a figurine. What was so important about that figurine that she had to lose her life?
Then it hit me. I pulled out the figurine, hands trembling. "Oh my gods, what am I going to tell Nico? I promised him I'd do my best to protect her and now...now this." A lump formed in my throat. Nico Di Angelo was now alone. No sister. No mortal parent and I highly doubted his godly parent would claim him. Nobody.
"Hey, what's this?" Percy lifted my chin as I handed him the figurine.
"She wanted me to give this to Nico."
"It's Hades-from his mythomagic game." He turned the object over and it was Hades. "It was the only figurine he didn't have. He'd piss his pants to even get a glimpse of this. Bianca knew how much he wanted this and after she joined the hunters, things have been strained between them. That's what she was telling me while you and Zoë were with Ares. I guess she thought this would at least be a start to mending their relationship."
"Now she's dead." I whispered, looking away.
"No, we don't know that for sure." He slid the figurine back into my pocket. "Join up with Zoë to look for her. I'll look northeast."
"Okay." I mumbled, shoulders and heart heavy. Just before I turned, Percy caught my arm and turned me to face him.
My gaze tilted up as I tried to read his expression.
"Thalia, I'm...I'm glad it wasn't you in there. I don't know what I would've done if it had been."
My heart skipped a beat and I didn't know how to respond. So I didn't. I rose my lips to his cheek and kissed it before pulling away. "Come back to me?"
"Always." He said immediately, eyes smoldering.
I looked away, the lump in my throat growing. When I looked back, he was gone. I made my way toward Zoë, retracting my weapons as I did so.
The lieutenant looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown. "I cannot find her...she must be somewhere. She has to be."
"I'm here. I'll help." I laid a hand a shoulder. "We won't stop looking for her."
"Yes, we will not." She agreed.
I dropped my hand and began calling Bianca's name repeatedly. Zoë did the same and soon an hour passed. Then two hours. And then three. Every hour, Zoë was growing restless and I had begun to worry about Percy who hadn't shown up yet.
"We should go look over there. We haven't tried that pile yet." I pointed to a near pile of metal.
"Yes, we have. I've drawn circles around every pile we have searched."
I followed Zoë's gaze and realized that almost every pile had a circle around it.
"Well let's take a break and wait for Percy. He'll know what to do." I walked over to a pile that hadn't been circled but was just a bunch of clothes. There was no way Bianca was in there. I sat down, dejected.
Then I heard an 'Ow.'
"Baby kittens, Zoë! Come over here-I think she's in here."
The lieutenant high tailed it over and helped me sift through the clothes to find our missing friend. When I finally felt something that felt like human skin, I lifted a shirt. Underneath it were human feet dressed in black converse.
A memory played in my mind and I heard the words, 'I thought I'd match with Lee.'
That was Annabeth. The day we bought our winter formal dresses and shoes.
And sure enough, Lee Fletcher's chocolate brown eyes met mine. "Miss me?"
I extended my hand, pulling him up. "You lucky bastard."
"I'm sure he's okay," Zoë said again. "Thalia, he'll be back soon. Besides, he's not in any danger because you're still alive."
I stopped pacing the length of the tent, wringing my hands. Fear had rooted inside my gut from the moment it got dark and Percy was still nowhere to be found. "You don't understand. He should be back by now."
"You should eat something-you've been through a lot today." Lee sat on a bean bag, tracing designs into the flaps on the tent. Obviously, he hadn't found Annabeth but that was because the warrior skeletons had practically chased him all the way to Arizona. He was making his way past the desert when he heard Talos awaken so he hid in a pile of clothes, only to be found by Zoë and me hours later.
I ignored Lee's comment and started pacing again. "He's been gone for hours. It's almost ten."
"Thalia, he's fine." Zoë got up, clasping my hands. She looked worn out and I think she was beginning to accept Bianca's fate. "Worst case scenario Ares got a hold of him. Trust me, Percy Jackson can handle his own."
"But why would it take so long with him?"
"Because Ares likes to give him crap and he likes to give it back," Lee said, yawning. "It's like a parasitic relationship between the two."
I laughed weakly. "That's true."
Zoë's brows knitted. "If he's not back by morning, we should go look for him."
Nodding, I pulled my hands free and started wearing a path in the tent again.
"Thalia," Lee began slowly. "I'm surprised that you're so concerned about Percy's welfare."
A flush swept over my cheeks. I didn't want him to look too closely at why I was so concerned. "Just because he's…he's Percy…doesn't mean I want anything bad to happen to him."
Watching me closely, Zoë winked at me. "Are you sure it's not more than that?"
I halted. "Of course."
"You guys were getting awfully close at Westover Hall." Lee leaned his head back, eyes narrowed. "I've never seen him get so close to someone in such a short time. Not even Annabeth."
"There's nothing going on between us." I said.
Lee laughed. "Okay. If you say so, but I understand why you two would keep it hidden. You guys are known for your word war and everything else. But if you two ever decide to make it official, you two can come on a double date with me and Annabeth."
A small smile tugged at my lips. "I'll hold you to that when we get her back."
"You're on." He smiled.
Tingles spread over my neck. Without thinking, I spun around and raced across the tent. Throwing open the tent's flaps, I rushed out into the cold night air.
I didn't even think.
Percy had reached the tent's opening when I rushed him, wrapping my arms around his neck, squeezing him tight.
He seemed stunned for a second, and then his arms swept around my waist. For several moments, neither of us spoke. We didn't need to. I just wanted to hold him—for him to hold me. Maybe it was the connection wrapping us together. Maybe it was something infinitely deeper. At that moment, I didn't care.
"Whoa there, Sweetheart, what's going on?"
Burrowing closer, I drawled in a deep breath. "I thought Ares had carted you off in a cage."
"Cage? You have quite the imagination." He laughed a bit unsteadily. "No. No cages. I didn't even come across him. Everything's okay."
Zoë cleared her throat. "Ahem."
Stiffening, I realized what I was doing. Oh, so not cool. Disentangling my arms and wiggling out from his, I backed up and blushed. "I…I was just excited."
"Yeah, I'd say you were," Zoë said, grinning like an idiot.
Percy was staring at me like he'd just won the lottery. "I kind of like this level of excitement. Makes me think of—"
"Percy!" both of us shouted.
"What?" He grinned, tousling Zoë's hair. "I was only suggesting—"
"We know what thee were suggesting." Zoë darted out from underneath his hand. "And I really want to keep my food down tonight." She smiled at me. "See. I told thee. Percy is fine."
I could see that. He was also smokin' hot, but back to the whole point. "Why were you gone for so long?"
"I found Bianca." He paused, his eyes searching Zoë's in the dim moonlight. "I buried her right beneath the Ursa Major. Your favorite constellation, right?"
"Yes." Zoë's gaze fell and when she looked back at him, her eyes were watery. "Thank you, Percy."
"Are you okay, Zoë?" He asked.
"I'll be alright. Just need some sleep." She looked fragile in the moonlight. "Permission to rest, my Lord?"
"Permission granted, Zoë." Percy said somberly.
I reached out and gave Zoë's hand a squeeze. "'Night, Zoë."
"Goodnight, Thalia." The lieutenant disappeared inside the tent.
"Three shall perish, one in the land without rain." I shivered, looking up at the bear constellation. "Gods, I should've never let her go in there."
"Bianca sacrificed her life for us. We have to keep going on this quest." His voice lowered as he cupped my cheek. "The three of us can do this."
My eyes closed. The warmth of his hand eased some of the fear. "Actually, there's four of us now. We found Lee."
"That lucky bastard." Percy moved closer, and before I knew it, I was in his embrace again. "No Annabeth, I assume?"
I let him hold me for a couple of moments, soaking up his warmth, but then I slipped free. "No, unfortunately."
He was silent for a moment so I lifted my eyes, meeting his. "I'm glad you're okay."
He smiled. "I know."
I could have stood there staring at his sparkling eyes all night, but something urged me to run as far away from him as quickly as I could. Something bad was going to come from all of this. Percy was bad news and prone to constant danger, but I wanted nothing more to remain by his side. I wasn't quite sure what that said about me.
I turned around and walked into the tent, exhaustion sweeping over me as dropped myself onto a bean bag, drifting off to sleep.
A/N-So there's going to be a slight change in updating-I'm updating once a week, on saturdays. There's only three more chapters left so it won't be much of a strain I hope. I have three more weeks of school so I figured it works better that way. I know this chapter was long but the next will be slightly shorter, should be less than 6,000 words. Maybe. That sounds insane but I'm low key proud of myself-I used to struggle to even get a 1,000 words and now I'm like 1,000 words-that's a prologue. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter and I'll see you guys next chapter!