My fingertips kept tapping on my legs as I walked, my iPod headphones plugged deep into my ears. My chest was tight and this meeting the big guy had called was the last thing I needed. I'd been dreading this for almost seventy years, and the more I thought about it, the less I understood it. Surely I should know what the prophecy meant? Both of them?
"Ah Apollo," Ares sneered as I entered the room. "You finally grace us with your presence."
"I see you're still sour after Athena beat you to a pulp yesterday," I said, smirking slightly. Athena only just managed to control her expression, but her eyes sparkled with amusement. Ares glowered, his fists clenched tightly.
"That will do," Zeus scowled sternly. I kept quiet as I sat down on my throne, but didn't shift the smirk. It was almost too easy to wind some of these people up. After all these years of practice, it was hardly fun anymore.
All twelve Olympian gods were here. As usual, Demeter and Hephaestus looked bored out of their minds. Aphrodite was busy applying even more makeup to her already covered face, Ares was checking out his own muscle, Hermes was busy with his mobile phone and Dionysus was trying to hurriedly drink the wine from his cup before it turned to cola. Athena was scowling into thin air, her face set with concentration. Artemis was fidgeting in her seat, anxious to get back to her Hunt no doubt. Poseidon was as laid back as ever, slouching slightly with an amused look on his face as he watched his brother become more and more restless. Hera had her lips pursed angrily. She already knew what this was all about and if she managed the meeting without snapping at her husband, or anyone else for that matter, I'd be incredibly impressed with her progress. Zeus himself had his eyes narrowed, taking a deep breath before he stood up. Everyone immediately stopped whatever they had been doing and gave him their undivided attention.
"I take it everyone knows what this is about?" he asked. There was a murmur of agreement and Dionysus snorted.
"Don't know what the fuss is for myself," he said moodily. "They aren't any better than any of the other lot, but they're a lot more annoying. Kill 'em both." Even Poseidon, normally so relaxed, scowled at that.
"Neither Percy or Acacia has done anything wrong," Poseidon said, his voice flat. Zeus shook in anger, but he managed to keep his comments to himself. I raised an eyebrow, impressed. We all knew about Zeus's missing bolt and who he blamed it on. He'd even had me and a few of the others out looking for it. I was surprised they managed to stay in the same room without trying to kill each other.
"They shall not be killed yet," Zeus snapped, emphasising the yet, though I was sure he wasn't talking about the girl. "There is no denying they are both a danger."
"They have until they reach sixteen, do they not?" Athena asked lightly. Again, there was a murmur of agreement. "Precisely. Should we not wait to judge their character? After all, their arrival could end up being a good thing."
"Dionysus seems to think they are more annoying," Ares shrugged. "I'm with him." Zeus and Poseidon scowled again.
"Perhaps someone should ask Chiron?" Artemis suggested before either of the gods could snap. "He would give an honest view of the half-bloods."
"Are you trying to say I wouldn't?" Dionysus asked shortly. Hermes snorted.
"I think we all know how much you dislike demigods Dionysus," he answered. "You are, what they call, biased." Dionysus scoffed and shuffled in his throne, but he didn't comment. He knew Hermes was right.
"Unless, you could give us a honest opinion?" Poseidon asked slowly, smiling a little. Dionysus's eyes narrowed and he straightened. Everyone, other than Zeus who was still scowling, seemed to have to hold back their laughs.
"They cause more trouble than the rest," he said quietly.
"Surely this is because their arrival has caused quite a stir," Athena reasoned. "Especially Acacia. She looks remarkably like Thalia." Zeus stiffened slightly, but he said nothing in response. Dionysus nodded reluctantly, looking pained to admit the demigods might not actually be that bad.
"Anything else?" Poseidon asked innocently, still smiling.
"I shall ask Chiron after we finish here," Zeus interrupted, stopping the conversation short. "But we can't be sure of how they will turn out."
"The prophecy says they will either save or destroy Olympus," Athena sighed. "We need them alive if they are to save Olympus. I do not see what could cause Olympus to need saved that a demigod could save us from, but prophecies always come true, whether it is how we interpret them or not. Therefore, I think it best we allow them to live." Poseidon looked mildly surprised Athena was voting to allow his son to live, but he wasn't stupid enough to ask why. He averted his gaze and kept quiet, staring at the floor.
"There is one way of making sure they don't fulfil the prophecy," Hermes sighed. "Without killing them, of course," he added hurriedly at the look on Poseidon's face.
"Yes?" Zeus frowned uncertainly.
"Grant them godhood. Send them out on a quest, pat their backs, and make them immortal. They can't be the half-blood in the prophecy if they aren't half-human."
"Godhood?" Hera as good as spat, almost leaping out of her chair. Zeus shot her a warning look, and she clamped her mouth shut, shaking furiously as she sat back down.
"I think Hera's right," Artemis said, pursing her lips tightly and giving me a pointed look. I shrugged innocently. "Granting the two of them immortality seems a little extreme. And there is no way Hades would be pleased with the arrangement."
"Hades has no say in this matter," Zeus glowered, his fists clenching. I tried not to wonder what his dear brother had done to Zeus's daughter while he held her down there a few years back, but it was harder than I thought it should be. When I thought about the Fields of Punishment . . . a shudder ran down my spine, and I found myself blurting out words I wasn't sure I truly meant.
"Maybe Hermes has a point though," I shrugged. "The two of them seem to trust each other, right? And one of them might end up saving Olympus yet. It wouldn't hurt to give them a little extra incentive."
Artemis glowered at me with a locked jaw as Zeus frowned. "Are you suggesting . . . that we grant one of them the gift of godhood?" Athena asked with a raised eyebrow. "To motivate the other to stand with the gods, should anything happen?" Again, I just shrugged, trying not to let Artemis's stare put me off.
"This is all theoretical," my twin sister pointed out irritably. "We don't know for sure if Olympus is in any danger yet."
"Can't hurt to look into it though," I replied, wondering why I couldn't keep my mouth shut. I was pretty sure it was curiosity.
"And how do we know we can trust either of them?" Ares scowled. "It would be much easier to kill them both and get it over with."
"We have already decided that that is not an option," Poseidon retorted coolly.
"So what? We test them both?" Hephaestus asked with a wide yawn.
Zeus pursed his lips tightly. "No," he answered, a little shortly. Artemis's eyes flashed at me angrily, but I didn't meet her gaze. "Just one. Tell Chiron to send them both out on a quest together in one week. In that time, I want a decision on which of the two will be tested."
No one said anything for a moment. I wasn't sure if it was because they didn't want to say out loud which of the half-bloods they'd preferred to torment, or because they were surprised Zeus was even considering it.
Eventually, Artemis sighed heavily, rolling her eyes at me like she sometimes did when she thought I was being foolish. "I might have a way to decide."