Silence had never been so loud as the two star-crossed lovers gazed at one another. Tears had begun to stream like drops of rain on a window down the face of Ariadnê as she struggled to hold back the emotions within her. Pulses of power echoed around her feet, like a looping signal though she knew it was nothing more than Nico and Percy reacting to the way the earth began to quake softly under her feet.

She could feel their worry in the recess of her mind, but she could not give any focus to that.

No.

She gave her full attention to Apóllōn, watching as his eyes clouded over in the way that suggested he was searching through the past, present, and future. She wondered what he could see as she doubted there was much to be viewed with the protections that the Moirai and Anankê placed around them.

Could he see the truth though? Could he see the love between them? Could he see the passion that they once shared?

Could he see the way that he held her oh so gently as he taught her how to dance? Was he able to see the way that he smoothly corrected her stance as he taught her to use a bow and arrow? Would he see the patient way he helped her with her homework as her stress made her dyslexia worse than normal?

Could he see how he cradled her in his arms after she had come back from the war at sea, lying awake at night as she screamed herself hoarse from nightmares? Was he able to see how the two of them shared a mutual dislike that they pushed aside as they both grieved for the life that had been stolen from Lee much too soon?

Would he see the way that he caught her so effortlessly as she threw herself into his arms? Would he be able to see the gentle yet intense way that he had kissed her the first time with love and desperation and hope flowing between them? Would he be able to see how he brought her to ecstasy as he chased away every unwanted gaze and touch from those that wished to break and assault her?

Could he see how fucking much she loved him that a piece of her felt gone without being at his side?

He blinked slowly as he returned to the present; eyes focusing on her with increasing intensity as she muttered, "Phoibos Apóllōn."

Apóllōn shook at the way his name rolled off her tongue erotically.

That was much too sensual for Connor's ears.

Connor could see the way the others began to appear from his peripheral as Ariadnê could also sense the echoes from Percy and Nico and Katie letting her know that they were coming to her.

But again, she could not give any focus to that.

Apóllōn took a step towards her and she took one towards him.

She bit back a sob, eyes slipping close as he rested his hand against her cheek. She leaned into the touch, blinking slowly to rid herself of the tears blurring her vision.

(He was still beautiful and otherworldly and good and real... so real behind the wall of tears. He was there in front of her once more and not the object of her desires that plagued her dreams.)

Jealousy was a cruel mistress and one that Connor knew very well. An emotion that taunted him relentlessly as he saw the single minded focus that Ariadnê gave to whomever held her attention. Travis had made fun of him for weeks the first time Connor had glared at him after Ariadnê gave the elder a cheek kiss when he took on the role of her older brother.

It had only gotten worse when he was able to see the way the presence that surrounded Ariadnê shrink into herself whenever his Father and Apóllōn were around her. He had never understood the meaning that jealousy was a green-eyed monster until he saw the way Percy glared at the gods for being able to connect with his sister in a way that he could not. He didn't get how jealousy was a disease until the simple statement of their names managed to wash away her worries and he was left stewing in resentment.

They were the ones who were able to transform her from an untouchable warrior that even Death could not grasp to a kid that was trying to find her place in worlds that she claimed she was not enough of either.

(Too mortal to be a god and too godly to be a mortal. She danced on the line the same as the rest of them, but just like her brother... the line weaved around their necks like nooses demanding that they choose.)

(That's what they all were. Nothing more than kids that were forced to grow up much too fast and live in an imaginative world of a childhood at camp. They could close their eyes and pretend that's all it was: a camp. But in the dark recess of their minds, reality sank its teeth in just as the monsters that chased after them burned away the longing in their hearts like the lava from the climbing wall. The safest place for them was nothing more than padded walls inside of a mental institute.)

The looks on the god and the demigoddess face were much too intimate for anything outside the privacy of a bedroom. They were lost in their own world, a connection unstrained by time and space. "You are," the god started before stopping, wonder coating his voice.

Hermês watched them, amusement alongside confusion and protective rage battling across his features. Time had not tempered his feelings as it was no secret that Apóllōn didn't have a good track record with lovers.

(A misconstrued lie if Ariadnê and Will had anything to say about it, pulling out their own versions of the handy-dandy notebook filled with all of his most successful loves. Ariadnê sneered because Kassandra, Dáphnē, and Huákinthos gave the god a bad reputation of a tragic love life. It went without saying that she tossed the notebook in a fire pit because her jealousy did not like to be reminded that he loved people other than her even if he had lived a millennia of life long before she was even a thread on tapestry.)

Apóllōn would always be right beside his mother as one of Hermês favored persons, but he could admit that Ariadnê was steadfast making her way up the list. She shared all sorts of gossip with him, climbing atop of his reconstructed temple and creating the most hilarious stories about the people on the ground. She was always able to find him as he hid within the people of the kingdom with alarming accuracy, bringing treats from SWEET SITO or STOLEN TREASURES for him to nibble on.

She listened to him ramble on about the things happening on Olympos, never spreading the word to the mortals around her and offering her own opinion that was so different from the deathless gods around him. She offered him words of encouragement and love so similar to the way that Apóllōn cared for him as if Hermês was an extension of them both. She was-what did she call it?- his own personal Jiminy Cricket.

Ariadnê wasn't afraid to drop everything that she was doing if she caught sight of him or sensed him within the kingdom. She would rush to his side, drag him around as if he were a mortal. The first time someone had unknowingly insulted him without knowing the god was there... she had flipped them over her shoulder with a menacing glare before continuing to skip forth to show him how she danced alongside ice with her brother at her side.

She had taken him to the little building named Paint The Future R.E.D. and had a portrait of the two commissioned. (She placed it within her quarters.)

This Hermês had not had to watch his brother break and pick himself up repeatedly nor did he have to watch him hide behind a mask that was far from who he truly was.

Hermês looked between the two and knew that he did not want either to be broken and alone. He could so easily see how they melded together.

The years he suffered without her at his side had been horrible. His ability to walk through her mindscape was nothing but a small balm to a wound unable to be contained.

It was nothing like watching the way that she smiled whenever visitors brought their horses and the equine huddled around her like pets.

Travis and Chris moved to stand on either side of Connor. The eldest pulled his brother into a hug; his own heart aching at the pain that his mother's son was without a doubt feeling. Chris gave his younger brother a comforting squeeze on his shoulder as the two lovers allowed slow smiles to appear on their faces.

And for a moment-

Connor could feel those same emotions... that envy and love and rage and adoration and hatred that she had given him...well up within him for Ariadnê.

The jealousy that he harbored for Apóllōn transferred to Ariadnê. He had to breathe deeply to gain control of himself. The others gave him worried glances and Ariadnê-

She didn't even spare him a second of her time as she had Apóllōn in front of her.

For all she called Percy an oblivious fool, she showed that twins do share more than superficial looks and birthdays and cells. She was just as bad as he.

(Connor was not proud of thinking how Apóllōn had not come for her. He came for Connor. He wanted Connor. Ariadnê was nothing more than a nuisance that would not go away when it was he that the god chased after.)

In one moment between the next, dark shadows danced across the gods' faces. Gone were the loving gods that received love and worship for everyone that gazed upon their glory; instead the gods filled with vengeance and wrath occupied the space around them. Their auras pressed them deeper and deeper into the ground and it was so hard to stand on their two feet.

And how... How could Ariadnê stand as she stood before them, struck by love as if the only thing holding her up was the two gods that looked as if they were to rip into her.

Hermês Mêkhaniôtês and Apóllōn Agraeus stood tall as the malevolent beings that they hid behind their kindly nature. These were otherworldly beings unable to fit their primitive mortal mindsets.

They all tensed from where they kneeled on the ground as Ariadnê continued to sway in front of them looking as if there was no other place that she would rather be. Percy swallowed down his own jealousy at the two gods that had played a prominent role in taking his sister from him, and army-crawled alongside the ground until he was close enough to touch her.

"Starfish," Hermês muttered at the same time that Apóllōn whispered, "Helianthus."

It seemed almost impossible for her to look more smitten, but she lit up as if the power of the sun still flowed through her.

But then-

Apóllōn blinked, stepping away from her as Hermês narrowed his eyes. The recessive air lifted from around them, allowing them once again to stand on their own two feet.

The god of youth stepped even further out of her space, not minding the way her heart broke in visible pieces. His features smooth over into a blank mask before he turned back towards Connor.

Ariadnê gave the softest exhale, hurt that bore no comfort within it. Tears streamed down her face in quicker succession each drop that hit the ground sounded ominous within their minds.

Hermês shifted to block his sight while narrowing his eyes in disapproval. Apóllōn only inclined his head to be able to look over the smaller god's shoulders. His blue eyes seemed to burn into Connor's soul.

The sadness on her face quickly gave way to rage. Connor had no idea which pair of eyes scared him more. The god before him that could flay him in the same manner when he tied Marsyas to a tree or the demigoddess behind him that Connor had personally witnessed during the Titan War sinking her hand into one of their enemies' chest and ripping their heart out gruesomely.

The last time he had saw her eyes burning in such a way was not even when Zagreus had been murdered.

No, he remembered it quite clearly...

The way that the armies on both sides gave her a wide berth as her wrath mingled with the bloodlust within her. Tear tracks had stream down her face, blood and monster dust clung to her clothes alongside saliva as if Mrs. O'Leary had given her one big kiss. She had no weapons in her hands as she prowled forward, eyes glinting a pretty golden-blue that her tanned skin and dark hair had only highlighted. Clarisse was behind her on the chariot, creating a terrifying image as she dragged the drakon vessel behind him. Ariadnê stopped in the middle of the street, gaze piercing as she spoke oh so softly: "I'm only going to ask this one more time. Where is Luke?" Shivers had run down their spines at the unspoken promise in those words. Monsters and mortals alike dropped their weapons in fear.

He could feel that same fear now as her gaze rose to meet his own. That love and care she felt for him was fading away in her eyes and pure, unadulterated hatred settled within her.

A bouquet of sunflowers woven around an intricate pair of daggers appeared in the hand of the god of light. "Connor," he breathed. A sneer appeared on Ariadnê's face as heat began to rise within Connor. "Would you do me the honor of allowing me to formally court you?"

All eyes pinned him in place before snapping towards Ariadnê. He was thankful for that as he was unable to hide the wince when a pain flashed near his ankle. Connor gulped because logically he knew that Ariadnê would consciously never physically harm him. He knew that if he were to accept the courting then she would do her best to be supportive.

But he also knew that when Ariadnê allowed herself to feel and be drowned by pain inside her... she lashed out and wanted nothing more than to see everyone else hurting alongside her. He knew if he were to accept then the friendship between the two would change forever.

(She wouldn't admit it, but those that hurt her never got a second chance. She hadn't forgiven Luke nor Silena. The two of them desperately chased after her forgiveness and she looked right through them as if they didn't even exist. Nothing had hurt them worse than the time she walked through their spirits when they begged her for forgiveness and understanding. He didn't want to be like them.)

Her eyes gleamed with a challenge: Do it. Accept it. Watch what happens.

Her eyes seemed to speak a language of their own: "Dangerous. Lethal. Watch. Learn."

Connor gulped. "I-"

Ariadnê was terrifying and with the way the air seemed to swirl around her at that moment... Connor wanted to do nothing but hide.

Her eyes slipped closed, voice tinged with frustration that she couldn't quite hide away as it came out in a growl. "I love you."

The rest of them took cautious steps closer to each other and out of the line of fire. Hermês looked at her in curiosity as Apóllōn turned to her and raised a brow. She met the god's gaze evenly. "I love you more than I have ever loved myself. In the fiercest rages and deepest griefs, I cradled my love for you protectively." She stepped forward with a sneer that could make Krónos run to his mother. "Even when there were people who could and would have loved me better, I loved you when they held my heart more securely than you could ever imagine."

Her fists were tight enough to draw blood. "I loved you before I even knew what love was. My mother didn't love me. My brother loved others more than me. My Father wasn't there to love me. My first stepfather was equal in worth to horse dung and my second stepfather was just another person that preferred others more than me."

She swiped away her tears angrily, the drops of water cracked the ground where they landed. "There could never be a love grander than the love that I could feel for you."

Her eyes were piercing as she looked at him, "But no matter how much I love you... I cannot nor will I love you if you think for even a mere second that I will stand by and watch you manipulate Connor. He deserves better than you."

Apóllōn scowled, drawing himself to full height. The muscles rippled under his skin. The sun shined a little brighter bringing attention not to the halo-like hair, but to the power that radiated behind sky blue eyes that swirled gold. He personified fury in a way that not even Lyssa could hold a candle to.

Connor was a little worried. As much as the twins claimed to be different, they both had a penchant for being disrespectful to the gods.

And unfortunately for her, Ariadnê was not protected by a great prophecy. Percy stood close to his sister's side, determined to pull her out the way of harm at the slightest change.

Ariadnê wasn't even intimidated though she knew she should be. She had seen Apóllōn when he was furious about his sister's kidnapping, when her disrespectful tongue became a little too loose, when people made infuriating comments about Hermês in regards to Luke, when his cows were being slaughtered for food and no one thought to tell him... she had seen it all and she hadn't stood down then.

Her aunt Dēmḗtēr, her uncle Zeus, her niece Oiolyka, Lord Ôkeanos, and even her Grandfather have all pointed their weapons to her face and she still stared them down as unbothered as the day she was born.

Hermês wasn't sure why the scene in front of him felt familiar. This was the first time the two were meeting yet it felt almost normal.

Apóllōn reached for her and Ariadnê did not even flinch. The others sucked in a breath and Percy himself tense. Strongest of the second-generation gods he may be... Percy would lay him out flat if attacked his sister.

He trailed his forefinger across her cheek and Ariadnê could feel the power rushing through his skin. Angry red marks followed his finger as he spoke softly, making no effort to hide the wrath that he usually secreted away in a smile: "Tell me, half-blood, who are you to tell me, Apóllōn Latôios, who I can or cannot love?"

Ariadnê squared her shoulders, voice firm: "I am Ariadnê Ennosigaios, daughter of Poseidón Pelagaios. Devotee of Aphrodítē Apostrophia."

His caress tightened on her face, and she cried out in pain. Percy yanked her into his arms, cradling her to his chest, eyes burning as he glared at the god. Ariadnê cradled her face, hiding away the burn marks that seared her skin before she was pushing out of her brother's hold.

The tension rose to new heights, the hair on their arms raising that had nothing to do with the eyes of the gods focusing on their group.

This time... the twins were furious.

The ground rumbled under their feet as the power that they wield shook the earth.

Apóllōn leaned in close to them as if he were sharing a secret, eyes locked onto Ariadnê who met his gaze evenly and furiously. "You do not belong here."

She didn't allow his words to hurt her, though she could not help but to flinch when Hermês spoke up, eyes pinning her in place and said: "You weren't meant to be."

The wind swirled around them, howling and screaming. It tore at the world, pulling dirt from the fractures forming in the ground. Standing within the eye of the storm unbothered by the rage of nature, the twins shook... Ariadnê with her need to hurt in the same capacity as she and Percy with his need to protect her from any harm that may befall her.

"She never belonged anywhere else than by my side," Percy snarled. "There was never a place she meant to be more than being my sister."

The gods hummed before soft whispering in the winds caught everyone's attention.

"Save us," it said.

Voices that sounded familiar.

"Save them," it demanded.

They looked around them.

"Katie," it breathed.

The aforementioned girl tensed, the vine she wore like a bracelet slithered around her arm.

"Nico," it cooed.

The boy opened his palm, a sword encrusted with rubies sprang from the earth.

"Bianca," it hissed.

They all flinched as Nico's features turned as dark as the shadows that he controlled.

"Thalia," it laughed.

Lightning flashed around them. The gods summoned their weapons as they looked around.

"Percy," it cheered.

The twins stood shoulder to shoulder, their twin swords appearing in their grasp.

"Save them," it roared.

It was no secret the lengths that the twins would go for one another no matter how strained their relationship was between them. There was no limit to how far they pushed when it came to Thalia and Nico. Their overprotectiveness could encompass the entire earth, the sky above them, the water around them, and the pit under them when Katie became a prominent part of their quintet.

Their gazes moved around them, none of them pointing out that Ariadnê's name had not been mentioned.

Clarisse spoke up, spear twirling between her fingers, voice icy: "Saving them from what?"

There was no answer.

Before any other words could be exchanged, a wave of bloodlust rushed through them all that was immediately soothed over.

Connor was overcome with the sudden urge to sweep Ariadnê and Apóllōn into a kiss that would leave them breathless with no need for air that he stole away for they were both deathless.

He wanted to hug his brothers and never let go. He wanted to bundle their entire group of twelve and hide them away from the world within the grove where nothing and no one could hurt them.

He turned slowly, sensing someone standing at his back.

He gaped as he came face to face with a blonde Ariadnê with silver highlights within her hair. The facial features shifted to the babysitter he had before he went to camp then it morphed into Drew then it went on to Nyssa then to Lou Ellen. It morphed once more to his fourth grade teacher to Katie to Lady Artemis before it settled on Ariadnê once more.

Between one blink and the next, the features smoothed away until he was looking at beauty personified. Dark tresses that flowed down her back in curls like lapping waves, eyes that could not settle on one number. Amusement glittered within her gaze as they loved to laugh more than anything else.

"Lady Aphrodítē," Katie breathed.

The ten of them did the most disrespectful thing ever.

They drew their weapons.

The four Olympians blinked, shocked before their eyes narrowed dangerously. Divinity gathered in the air, forcing the ten of them to huddle closer together. Ariadnê drew Connor and Travis behind her protectively, mentally apologizing for subconsciously attacking Connor and determined to protect them from those in front of them.

She made an oath and she was going to keep it.

A slight twist of her hand, and she was tightening her grip on her dual swords, sensing the death magic that Nico was producing and hearing Riptide's hissed threats.

Aphrodítē laughed.

A twinkling sound that wrapped around them and sank into their bones.

If it weren't for the fact that Ariadnê and Clarisse had spent so much time training the Tenth Cabin, and Ariadnê being trained by Aphrodítē, then they would have fallen victim to the charmspeak that was laced into the sound.

And even then, it was hard to shake off as it was much more potent than anything they had ever felt. The goddess' girdle shone brightly. Ariadnê could feel it clouding her mind as her gaze moved back towards Apóllōn. An arm wrapped around her waist before she pulled against someone's chest. A slight tilt of the head showed that Connor was the one holding her.

Beckendorf's voice whispered in the recess of her mind: "Are you going to finally talk to him about the crush he's had on you for literal years?"

Ariadnê jerked away, stumbling into Percy who knocked Clarisse to the ground by accident. The girl's odikinesis flared, clearing their heads for just a moment. Percy slammed his hand onto the ground and a small geyser appeared, shocking the others into clarity.

Aphrodítē smiled, and Ariadnê was reminded of the goddess' daughter, Mirajane.

Being beauty personified didn't even manage to cover how attractive the goddess was. From her aura to her looks, she was beauty. No one had noticed how dull the kingdom looked until Aphrodítē stood before them.

And sure, the gods had visited on many occasions... their divine looks always made the kingdom brighter but-

But none of that compared to how charm seeped into the world around them.

Ariadnê moved her gaze back to the goddess, not minding the pulling on her arm as her brother stood back to his feet. Her features softened as she looked at the goddess who was both a sister and a mother to her.

She knew that most people saw the goddess as being self-centered and a shameless whore. She knew that a lot of them blamed her for the Trojan War. But Ariadnê knew that she was so much more than that.

She was a being of love who had so much love to give in all forms. The desire... the hatred... the passion... the desperation... the sadness... and just the pure unfiltered love.

Aphrodítē loved love even when it was painful and even when it was healing. She was a poet with her words as she talked about the love shared between the Twin Archers and Twin Swords. She weaved tales as grand as a tapestry woven by Athênê as she spoke about the relationships within the pantheon.

Aphrodítē was a tragedy, a horror, a healing, and cool beverage on a hot summer's day.

Ariadnê could remember the moments where the goddess would steal her away from school for "sleepovers". She would do treatments on her hair as she styled it and tell tales of her favored love stories whether they ended in tragedy or romance.

(She loved to tell the tale of the Trojan War as the love of Helénē and Menelaus stayed strong even with the obstacles thrown in their way.)

The goddess had been the first to know of loss of virginity to Hermês. The only person other than Hermês that encouraged her to deal with her conflicting emotions towards Apóllōn (though admittedly, her friends also tried underneath the teasing).

Any advice she had needed the goddess had been there alongside a story to help connect. She was like a mother to her. Ariadnê cherished every moment and every bit of advice that the goddess could spare as before she had run away from home... she was already staying most of her time at camp, within one of Aphrodítē or Hermês' temples, or under the sea.

No matter what she did or choices she made... she knew that Aphrodítē was there with her support.

Ariadnê had needed that. She loved that. She was grateful for that. For so long, it was just her looking for herself and Percy. She couldn't even begin to explain the depth of how good it felt when the gods saw the burden she carried and took off the load.

And all she had to offer them was her worship... her mind... her body... her soul. They owned her and she relished from the control they held of her.

It's why Clarisse, Chris, and the Stolls weren't surprised when she dismissed her weapons and bowed in deeper reverence than she had done anyone else.

"Lady Aphrodítē Pontia," she stated in ellinika before stating it again through the language of the sea. It was easy to see how the dialect affected foam-borne goddess. In the modern times, most people tended to ignore that she was from the sea, and as such, she had a claim as one of its deities.

The goddess smiled as she moved closer, "'Tis rare that anyone refers to me by that name. After being adopted by Father Ζεύς, my origins of the sea tended to be ignored." The way the sun shone in the air made her temporarily brown eyes shine like molten lava. Her skin was flawless, not a blemish to be seen. Her smile was filled with teeth that were bright enough to blind. She wore a himitation the color of sea foam. Her fingers were adorned with rings and Ariadnê knew that the rings were actually hidden blades.

The goddess gave the other gods mocking smiles, "I am pleased to know that I am so revered that my mere presence screams dangers. You all did not react so strongly whenever the other gods appear before you."

"There is nothing more powerful than love," Clarisse stated. It was a memento that the Tenth Cabin lived by. Ariadnê nodded her head, "Love is both a blessing and a curse. A weapon if one knows how to utilize it and a balm to soothe those left in pain. 'Tis only normal that we proceed with caution, milady."

"You are very wise," Aphrodítē noted. "As you may have guessed, my power may not be physical, but I am no slouch when it comes to fighting either. 'Tis always good to be underestimated."

Clarisse and Ariadnê nodded their heads in agreement.

"The most deadly effects are the ones that are subtle and unsuspected," the latter commented. The two of them knew how powerful the Tenth Cabin was, and rightly assumed that their mother was powerful on an immeasurable scale. They were the ones that held second place in archery competitions for a reason.

(The day that Drew decided to join went down in camp history. She was a three-time silver medalist for a reason.)

The cabin kept a stronghold in first place for powers and abilities like a dragon to its a hoard only challenged by the Seventh Cabin.

"How can we assist you, milady," Katie questioned. She was already taking out a notebook for orders, "We'll get your order to you almost as swift as the herald."

Hermês snorted at the now infamous line.

"Ahh," Aphrodítē smiled. "I would like a Lacy's Lunch platter, but I also came to talk about all the love that's in the air. I feel even more energized just standing here."

Divinity gathered in her eyes as she breathed in. "The two children of Poseidón remind me of the Divine Twins. The love that they have for one another glistening brightly as the shining aureole of the sun. Hm, there does seem to be a few dark spots within their bond, but it seems as though the two are overcoming it."

Percy gave his sister's hand a comforting squeeze as the goddess continued. "I see the love that is shared between Katie and Travis. I'm surprised Dēmḗtēr hasn't come down from the heavens to rage against this union."

The couple shared amused smiles, knowing that Dêmêtêr had threatened him in the future-past for simply having a crush on the girl.

Aphrodítē smiled adoringly, "Look at this. Árēs' little princess alongside Hermês' boy has easily cemented themselves as one of my favorite couples. He gushes about you all the time when he visits my temple."

Chris blushed as Clarisse smiled teasingly at him. Aphrodítē tilted her head to the side, "Oh? It seems as if there is a bond forming between the son of Apóllōn and the son of Háidēs."

Her eyes slipped closed, her divinity spreading out further. "The little priestess in training for Apóllōn cares for you all also. She thinks of you all as family though there seemed to have been some romantic feelings toward Perseús at one point." She hummed as Percy blushed, not meeting Annabeth's teasing stare. "Father Ζεύς' daughter... Artemis' little hunter also loves and holds you all in high esteem. She considers you all her younger siblings that she must protect though its much stronger in regard to-"

The goddess cut herself off, eyes opening slowly to stare at Annabeth.

"You," she breathed. An infliction to her voice that could not be properly named. "I do not know how we did not see it at first, but you..."

"What is it," Árēs questioned, glancing at the blonde demigoddess in suspicion.

"She is a child born from the head of Athênê Koriê. She is Annabeth Koryphagenês." A slow smile appeared on her face as the weight of the gods' attention fell onto them like anvils. "A child of Athênê in a relationship with a child of Poseidón. How scandalous."

The twins and Nico groaned, feeling hatred swim up within them. Funnily enough, it was not from their Fathers that the emotion was originating. People tend to forget that Lady Styx was not just a goddess of the Underworld, but she was also the eldest of the Okeanides, daughters of Ôkeanos.

The power of Aphrodítē washed over them, pushing the hatred away as they breathed heavily.

Her lips twisted into a somewhat cruel smirk.

"And currently, my all-time favorite... this delicious love triangle between Apóllōn, Poseidón's daughter, and Hermês' youngest son."

If Clarisse had a favored version of the goddess that she liked, it would not be the one before her. She had heard it all from Valentina and witnessed it herself by Lucas. Aphroditê Makhanitis who took enjoyment out of the pain of heartbreak.

Love hurts, the goddess would say and Lucas would echo whenever he went too far.

Love Heals All Wounds, Ariadnê claimed the goddess would follow up.

Ariadnê huffed, cocking her hip with annoyance brewing in her gaze: "Apologies for the confusion, milady, but there is no love triangle." She eyed Apóllōn with lidded eyes, "I cannot bear to hold love in my heart for anyone that refuses to see the truth and instead plays over their hearts."

Apóllōn growled, eyes flashing with divinity and rage, "You insolent little brat. Just because it is not you who has my love does not mean I play over hearts."

Ariadnê sneered, careful to keep the hurt from her voice. "If your definition of love means transforming into-" Her words were cut off as Percy wrapped a hand around her mouth. Her brother leaned close to her ear, "He can and will smite you." The twins shared a look before she growled, ripping herself from his hold. She stormed off before flying away on a sheet of water.

Percy sighed, moving to follow her before Clarisse stretched out her arm to stop him. "Give her a couple of minutes before going after."

No sooner than the words fell from her mouth, the ground rumbled ominously. Nico, Percy, and Katie shared alarmed looks before disappearing through the nearest shadow.

"Her jealousy is both beautiful and saddening," Aphrodítē commented, with a pretty smile. She looked at the other Olympians. "Her love for us, specifically us four, runs deep. She sees us as family and friends. The love she holds for you, Apóllōn and Hermês, is almost equal in strength."

Her smile turned amused as she cut her gaze to Hermês, "Though she holds you in the same regard as her twin as if you were mortal born, she would consider you her soulmate."

Hermês blinked softly, not minding the dark shadow that came across Apóllōn's face at those words. He gave his sons a smile, giving his elder brother a warning glare before he flew after his dear friend.


WORD COUNT: 6,069

WORDS TO KNOW:

Aphrodítē Makhanitis - Aphrodítē who is Common to All People (Love)

Annabeth Koryphagenês - Annabeth, Born of the Head

Athênê Koriê - Athênê, the Maiden

Aphrodítē Pontia - Aphrodítē Of the Sea

Apóllōn Latôios - Apóllōn, the son of Lētṓ

Ariadnê Ennosigaios - Ariadnê, a Shaker of the Earth

Poseidón Pelagaios - Poseidón Of the Sea

Aphrodítē Apostrophia - Aphrodítē, Averter of (Unlawful Desires)

Hermês Mêkhaniôtês - Hermês, theTrickster

Apóllōn Agraeus - Apóllōn, the hunter

Phoibos Apóllōn - Apóllōn, the shining, pure or bright

Gods:

Lyssa - the goddess or personified spirit (daimona) of mad rage, fury, crazed frenzy and, in animals, rabies

Oiolyka - sea-nymph daughter of Kymopoleia and Briareôs