Chapter Thirty-Four

Annabeth

Percy looks lost; his eyes go wide and color drains from his tan skin. Grover turns to him expectantly, but Percy just sits there with his mouth gaping like a fish. Aunty Em tilts her head and her veil ripples slightly. Unease slides through me, and a chill erupts along my arms at the sensation of being stared at by eyes I can't see. Unable to take it any longer, I jump in.

"Percy is looking for his father." I prompt, and then look back at the boy in question. He swallows and nods before clearing his throat and finally starting to explain.

"All I know from my mom is that his name was Perseus James, and…" Percy awkwardly ruffles his hair before attempting to smooth it back down. "Apparently…I look a lot like he did when he was sixteen." Percy blushes a little, and I bite my lip to keep myself from grinning at his expense. Bashful Percy is kind of adorable. I glance back towards Aunty Em, almost forgetting she's still masked. Her face turns in my direction, and that same chill erupts again, this time laced with a bitter taste in the back of my throat. Her hands clench on the table, and her nails suddenly remind me of the talons on a crow.

"And how could I possibly help you with that dear?" She turns back in Percy's direction but my chill doesn't fade. I glance over my shoulder nervously and meet the eyes of a statue I hadn't notice before. She looks like some extremely twisted interpretation of the Wicked Witch of the West. Her head tilts to the side and a macabre grin stretches across her tight face. I can't imagine who would want that freakish thing in their garden other than a serial killer. Swallowing nervously, I glance around one more time. It seems Aunty Em's aesthetic is a mix of creepy older women, fantasy creatures, and attractive twenty year old men. I have no idea how she manages to sell anything.

Percy jumps in, interrupting my mental appraisal, "We found a Perseus James linked to this address." He clears his throat again before going on, "He wouldn't happen to be your husband would he?" Percy looks like he's either going to pass or out or puke, possibly both. Aunty Em stretches a talon- er hand across the table to rest on Percy's hand.

"I've known two Perseus's in my life, one is currently my husband. In fact, I can get you a picture." Percy's face lights up hopefully and he grins at us both with an eagerness to rival a little boy at a monster truck rally. Something twists in my stomach, and I peek nervously at Grover, who catches my gaze and widens his eyes fretfully. Despite Aunty Em's requests, Grover hasn't even relaxed a fraction of a percent. He's wound tighter than any spring, and the last time I saw him this nervous he almost accidently ate the Styrofoam on his cup. None of the signs are boding well for our little trio. Percy is as oblivious as a dog on their way to the vet though, and stares at our host with awe etched across his face.

Aunty Em spins back to us, picture in hand, and I carefully school my face into a neutral expression. She holds the frame close to her chest, pressed right up against her dark black garbs. Black generally signifies mourning, what would Aunty Em be mourning? I put my theorizing to the side for a moment when our host sits down, beaming at Percy. She proudly presents the photo and Percy looks down in wonder for a moment, until his expression dissolves into confusion.

"This man has red hair," He shakes his head, and then looks back up Aunty Em with a confused expression on his face. Her joy doesn't fade. I peek at the Picture, to see that Percy is right; and not only that, he's also pudgy and covered in freckles.

"And blue eyes." She coos, I look towards her, a little puzzled and wonder if her veil obscures her vision, or if she's simply as blind as a flat worm. She seems to catch my skeptical expression and turns to face me again. "Do not question your elders, young one." Nothing about her tone sounds warm any more, and I find myself naturally leaning away from her. Catching it, I right myself again, and look where her eyes should be. I find myself glaring at her for a moment before Percy clears his throat, probably to reprimand me. Aunty Em snaps away from me and turns back to Percy.

"Now the other Perseus is a different story." She trills and reaches into the folds of her skirt. Apparently, the folds hid some form of a hidden pocket. Proudly, she pulls out a worn old photograph and drops it on the table on top of the picture of her husband. My eyes widen and I'm sure I look incredibly foolish as I stare at the picture. A young man, probably in his twenties, grins deviously at the camera. His black hair is messy and just brushes the bridge of his nose, and his green eyes shine in the sunlight. I look up at the boy sitting across from me and then back down at the picture; except for a few difference that had to have come from age, this man could have been Percy's twin.

Percy notices the same thing I do and stares, utterly transfixed at the picture in front of him. I turn to Grover who's staring at me with his mouth slightly open, and his hands have finally stilled entirely. Finally, in an almost synchronized motion, we look back at Aunty Em, who looks down at the photo fondly.

"On yes, the first Perseus James in my life looked just like you, you even have his eyes." She positively glows, and when her head pops back up, a little chill races down my spine. Something about the way she says that doesn't quite sit right with me. Percy's oblivious though, of course. His face lights up as if Aunty Em is the greatest thing that ever happened. Grover meets my eyes, and his hands start to shake again as he gets over his initial shock.

I look back at the photo, and notice for the first time the woman by his side. She seems maybe a year or two older than him. You wouldn't realize that from the utter devotion etched across her face. She's resting her head on his shoulder and even though he seems to be almost ignoring her, she presses herself right up against his side. Her face is partially obscured, but she clearly is quite pretty in a classic, elegant sort of way.

"Do you know where he is now?" Percy asks with all of the subtly of a Mac Truck barreling down the freeway. I look up at him with a stunned expression. Aunty doesn't answer, just shakes her head so her veil ripples around her. She folds her hands and interlocks her fingers as she turns her head and focuses on Percy.

"Unfortunately, we were separated after our wondrous summer together." She sighs, a sound laden with nostalgia. "Our's was an intense love, and life changing, but not a long lasting love. It was taken from us." I sit up a little straighter, my mind whirling with the possibilities of Perseus James following a traceable pattern. If we could isolate the variable that made Perseus leave Em and possibly Sally, then we could use that to find him.

"If you don't mind my asking, what made you two break up?" I ask carefully, she turns to face me, and even though I can't see her face, she assaults me with an overwhelming wave of raw hatred.

"It was not a 'what' but a whom." She replies curtly, and Grover finally steps in with a wavering voice.

"Who then, who stopped you two?"He asks her. Aunty Em pauses for a moment and turns her head towards me. In the space of a breath, I come to a sickening realization, and somehow know what she's about to say just before she says it.

"It was your mother."