So I was like, "Oh yeah, there's this thing called The Price that people used to like." If any of you are still around to read this, I congratulate you on being so faithful :)

By the way, I don't know if Kelli's permanently dead or not, so let's just say this is a year or two after Percy and Annabeth and Bob killed her in Tartarus; she reformed a short while before this chapter.

KELLI

Kelli, newly-reformed senior empousa and the most feared monster around, was seriously confused.

After she had reformed, she had expected to find a world destroyed by Gaea and a little brat named Percy Jackson that she could rip to shreds, but the world was exactly as she remembered it and Percy Jackson was gone. She couldn't find him or his stupid blonde friend no matter how much she scoured New York City. In fact, the city itself was surprisingly monster-free for a city that was supposed to be in flames and ruled by the Earth Mother. What in Hades' name had gone wrong?

Kelli had all but given up on finding out, which was why she had started eyeing every male she came across. She hadn't fed in what felt like eons, and now was as good a time as any.

The sun had risen and fallen, shadows creeping across the darkening streets, by the time Kelli found someone suitable to feed off of. The sharply-dressed businessman had no idea of his impending fate as the empousa crept closer—

And another empousa leaped, teeth snapping, out of the shadows.

Kelli jumped back, snarling and baring her teeth as the other empousa growled, "Get out of my territory right now, unless you want to lose a leg or two."

Kelli straightened up and glared icily at the other monster. "Lay a finger on me and I'll rip you limb from limb."

"Wanna go?" the other empousa challenged.

Kelli smirked. "I'd like to be able to proclaim your death later, not that anyone would care. What's your name, honey?"

"Demia," she replied, face contorting into a gruesome smile. "And you?"

"Kelli," Kelli answered grudgingly. "A senior empousa that is far, far better than you."

Demia's face lost its smirk, and her tone changed completely as she said quickly, "Kelli? As in, the empousa we lost forever ago?"

Kelli frowned. "We?"

Demia said excitedly, "Don't you remember? I was with you when we were battling those pesky demigods all that time ago"

Kelli's eyes widened. "Oh, that was you!" She was relieved to have found one of her sister empousai, but she would rather have answers than company. "So what happened to those demigods?" she asked as casually as possible. "Dead yet?"

Demia's brow furrowed. "Ah, well, no, but they did do what they set out to."

"Which was...?" Kelli prompted, even as a slight feeling of dread settled over her. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like the answer.

"Gaea's too weak to rise again, thanks to those brats, but the annoying Jackson one and the dumb blonde are dead."

Kelli blinked in shock as the implications hit her. "The Earth Mother...failed? And Percy Jackson...is dead?"

Demia scowled. "Yes," she agreed. "And the girl."

Kelli slowly exhaled, unsure what to make of that. She had so wanted to torture Percy Jackson and his girlfriend to death! But, she morosely consoled herself, at least they had died, and hopefully painfully. That was something.

Demia suddenly perked up, as if having remembered something. "Oh, and remember that annoying girl with the charmspeak? The one that made us all confused? Guess what, I know where she and her friends are!" The empousa laughed menacingly. "Would you like to come?"

Kelli grinned. "Oh, you bet I do." Percy Jackson was dead and gone, she was free of Gaea's orders, she had found one of her sisters, and she was about to get revenge on a pesky demigod, something she always enjoyed.

Yes, Kelli thought as she practically skipped after Demia, today had been a very, very good day.

Review, pretty please? :)