With this chapter, we pass Five Hundred Thousands Words! Honestly can't believe it, but here we are, and I'm not stopping.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (except the OC's) Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Heroes Of Olympus, or Trials Of Apollo. All of that belongs to Rick Riordan.

Now then, on with the twenty second chapter.

22. I Realize I'm In Love

Harper

I'm not a fan of ships.

Seriously, why do all of our quests involve sailing somewhere for the final fight? I mean, first it was the Cursed Island, now it's Camp Asgard.

Which is only two times...but still. Twice is more than enough to annoy me.

We were all standing around the giant boat, under the weird figurehead, not moving a muscle. I don't know if it was out of uneasiness that the boat looked like this, giving off a creepy green glow, or if we were all just nervous about going to a foreign camp.

The old guy in the black hood shouted down, not impatient to my surprise, "C'mon aboard! I'll let a walkway down!" He disappeared from view, and we all gave each other looks of confusion. Save for Matt, who just stared at the water.

I was worried about him. First, he'd gotten possessed by Ouranos, already a bad thing, and then he has this vision that leaves him zoned out and wanting to go back. What did he see? It was driving me nuts.

A loud creak groaned through the air as the old man dropped a wooden walkway from the...plank? I don't know what it's called, the side of the boat, yeah, the side.

It hit the sand with a thud, and the old man stood at the top, waiting for us to climb on.

Hercules shrugged, "Our chariot awaits." He took the first step, and Matt broke from his daze and followed. We all went after, me in the very back.

The walkway was diagonal, leading up to the boat like a stairway to the sky or something. The wood itself was nearly black, and eerie. It wasn't thin or rotting to the point that I would think I was about to fall in the water, but it looked bad enough that I considered it a possibility.

We all walked in a single file line up to the boat, and cleared the walkway, entering the wide deck. It was just like any pirate ship you'd see on movies or TV, except this was the ghost one. The Flying Dutchman. There were cobwebs on the bottoms of the masts, the ropes were withered and stringy, like rats had been eating away at them for decades, and the wood had several splits in it. Besides that, there was nothing on the deck, no barrels, cannons, or treasure chests.

The old man gave us a yellow toothed grin, "Sorry bout' the mess. Don' get visitors often."

"What does that mean?" Talon asked.

"Well...let's jus' say it's been a long time since this boat was used. Ain't much reason to. Camp don' get outsiders very often, specially' Greeks."

Sera gasped, "Y-You know we're Greeks?"

The old ferryman chuckled, "Course I do! Spoke ta Sigurd fore' I came here, told me the basics." He gave us all a quick one over, "Sides' it's pretty obvious, ya got Hercules with ya."

The former hero looked a little surprised, putting a hand on his chest, "Me? How does that make it obvious?"

"Yer famous all over tha world, my friend. The movies an' books an' all that. Kinda like how Thor is."

Hercules seemed a little pleased at this, "Oh...well, that's good, I guess."

Malachi cut to the chase, "Sir, when do we take off?"

The ferryman reared his head back like it was obvious, "Well right now o' course!"

I chimed in, "We don't have to...do anything? We just, take off?"

He nodded, pulling out the black penningar Hercules threw in the water, flipping it with his finger. "Ya already gave payment, so I'd say we're ready ta go!" He furrowed his bushy eyebrows and peered over the side, down where Kyros was.

"Yer bird can sit on the deck." He informed, "More than enough room."

Kyros took this as permission to come on board. He leapt off the beach and circled around the spot he wanted to lay. After a moment of scouting the wood, his talons hit the surface and the rest of his body swiftly plopped down. If I had to guess, I'd say the Eagle was pretty tired.

The old man took this as the sign that it was time to roll out. His arms were spread out to his side, "Well, everyone's here! If any of ya have any questions, the wheelhouse is right there." He pointed behind him at a small cabin, near the bow of the ship. A little light was on inside, and I could barely see the outline of the ship's steering wheel.

Before we could even react to what he said, he turned and walked to the spot he just pointed out, shouting over his shoulder, "Camp, here we come!"

He opened the door, and shut it behind him.

We all stood in silence for a good ten seconds, trying to process what just happened.

Talon spoke up first, "Okay, I think it's safe to say that guy doesn't have all his marbles." He made a crazy motion, circling his finger next to his head, "Get my drift?"

Sera agreed, "Is he really the captain?"

"It looks that way." Matt said, speaking for the first time in what felt like forever (even though it was only a few minutes) "Let's just take some time to prepare for the other Camp." His face was somewhat grim, like he dreaded what was coming. Or maybe that was just a leftover from his vision earlier. He trudged off, muttering "Gotta rehearse what I'm gonna say to Sigurd."

Matt walked toward the stern, disappearing from my view. I vowed that I would talk to him later. Not just about our relationship, but about what had him in such a bind.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go to a corner too." Talon said, "I need a break from you people."

I snorted, "A break from us? I think it's the other way around." I said it jokingly, like I usually do with him.

"Whatever." He grunted, "What are you gonna do?"

I already had an answer, "I'm gonna iris message Camp, and check on Aiden." I had wanted to do it for a while now, but there just never seemed to be an opportunity, everything was always hectic and on the go. I guess I had time at the hotel before we went to Griffith Manor, but I had a lot on my mind then, and besides, I didn't have any golden drachmas.

Actually...I still don't have any.

I quickly added, "Oh, that reminds me. Anybody got any drachmas?" I said the last part with a hopeful tone, looking around at everybody, but I didn't see anyone reaching for their pockets, or saying Sure, Harper!

Talon shook his head, "Nah, no drachmas on me."

Malachi felt around a little, "Neither are they on me."

Sera grabbed my shoulder apologetically, "I do not have any either. Please forgive me, Harper."

I turned to Hercules, "What about you? I mean, surely you have one. You're a god."

Hercules looked doubtful, and sighed 'I'll check Kyros." He walked over to his pet and reached around behind his neck in a saddle pouch, fiddling around for a minute. Kyros must've thought he was going to get a treat, because his eyes widened happily and he picked up his head. But Hercules came out empty handed, leaving both me and the bird disappointed.

"Sorry, kid." He shrugged, "Maybe the old guy has one."

I wasn't sure if he was joking, or being sarcastic. "Seriously?"

He seemed pretty serious, "Yeah. Something's...weird about that guy. First of all, he doesn't have an aura, and second of all, he looks just like the figurehead on the ship."

I hadn't paid much attention before, but now that I thought about it, the old man's face and the figurehead, it matched up. Sure, the old man looked like withered down version, with his wrinkly skin, feeble frame, dirty gray beard, and yellow teeth. While the figurehead was muscular, intimidating, and looked like one of the Greek gods back home. There were similarities, but it just couldn't be the same dude.

"Well...it is his ship. So, why wouldn't he be on the figurehead?" Sera asked innocently. To be honest, I didn't know the answer either. I'm not an expert on ships, like I said. The only reason why I can name the difference between bow and stern is because of Annabeth. Don't ask me how it happened.

Hercules knew. He looked at the wheelhouse where the old man sat, still not taking off yet by the way, "Nah, ship's owners don't put themselves as the figureheads. They can, but that's just not how it works. Usually a legendary figure is put as the figurehead, like...a monster, or a god, or a hero. Something like that."

Talon didn't see the point, "Okay, and? There's the answer. He put some god or monster on the front, end of story."

Hercules groaned a little, "Not the point kid. What I'm trying to suggest is...what if that guy is the monster, or god, on the front?"

We all fell silent. It was an eerie moment, and brought up a ton of eerie thoughts. We'd already been tricked once by cannibals last year, thinking they were our friends, when they actually wanted to eat us. Now we might have some fake friendly ferryman that's actually a bloodthirsty monster, or psychopathic god.

Malachi raised a finger, "The fact that he doesn't have an aura is very odd. All creatures have one...but he does not. The first being I've encountered like that."

Talon smacked Malachi lightly on the head, and looked at us like we were stupid. "Are you guys conspirers or something? You're missing a lot of possibilities and you're trying to make it seem like we're in danger. Think about it, what if the old dude has some method of masking his aura, like the Elixir, so he doesn't get spotted, kinda like what we're trying to do. We don't want Ouranos knowing we're coming, and if this guy is powerful, then he'd want to mask his aura to help us. And by the way, if he is a monster or god, then whoop dee do. The fact is, he's the one taking us to this Norse Camp, and according to Matt and Harper, that place is vital in defeating Ouranos." He looked at me, "I ain't sure how, but I trust them, so I'm gonna go with it." I caught that he said he trusted me. The statement actually felt good, weirdly.

"Besides" He said with a smirk, "We got a god, plus a team of powerful demigods on board. I think we can take this guy if need be."

Malachi looked down at him, "And if that were to happen, would you drive the ship?"

"Hell no I wouldn't! I ain't a sailor!"

I intervened, "Guys, as weird as it's gonna sound...Talon actually makes some sense." I had to swallow my own vomit as I said those words. I don't agree with the guy a lot.

Talon himself nodded proudly, "Told ya."

I ignored him, "The old guy probably just wanted to mask his aura like we did so he wouldn't be undetected either. Heck, that Sigurd guy probably told him to do it. Sure, he may seem weird or overly cheerful, but he is the captain. So we gotta deal with him for a little while."

Hercules and Malachi still looked a little unsure, glancing at the wheelhouse with confusion.

Surprisingly, Sera stepped forward and put her hand on my back in support.

"I agree with Harper." She said, "I believe we should rest as much as possible, but remain cautious. Both sides could be correct, but let us not worry over it."

I smiled at her. She'd become more outspoken and confident since her "Absolute Zero" transformation. She barely stuttered when she said anything now, she stood a little straighter, and her face was less fearful. Granted, the old habits were still there. It would take more than a transformation to erase years of trauma, unfortunately.

Malachi sighed in submission, "I will trust him. But everyone remain cautious, we do not want to be caught in a trap."

"Agreed." Hercules said, "This boat could take us in a whole other direction to Olympus knows where." He put his index and middle fingers to his eyes, then pointed them at us, "Keep a look out."

Everyone milled about to their own separate spots of the ship, since there were no quarters below apparently. It hit me that if there were no quarters, we'd have to sleep up here...

Eh, we slept on a giant bird, while flying, so I'd say we can sleep anywhere.

Malachi and Sera went together to look out onto the water, Talon walked past the wheelhouse and sat down right at the front of the ship, his back leaned up against the wood. He snapped his fingers and a golden light flickered for a moment. A coin popped out of the flash and landed in Talon's hand, morphing into an MP3 player, like the one I had. He plugged some earphones that it came with as well. He leaned his head back and I assumed closed his eyes behind those sunglasses. He was probably listening to country music or something.

I'm going to the wheelhouse. I might as well see if the old guy has a drachma to spare, because why not? But before I could go, Hercules stopped me.

"Remember what I said." He muttered, "Just talk to my son, and everything will work out." He winked, and then left.

Did he just wink? Wait, rewind that.

Oh...right. I remembered our talk at Griffith Manor, and how I was unsure about things with Matt. He told me to just talk to him. Well, I want to do that, but it seems like at every opportunity, something interrupts us. Like oh I don't know, an idiot snoring, or an incident of possession.

But now, on this boat...well, there was plenty of time. I doubt this thing goes fast enough to make it to another country in five minutes, so I'd say I'm done running from confrontation. I would talk to him tonight.

After I Iris message Camp.

I walked toward the wheelhouse and inspected it first, to make sure I wasn't walking into anything I shouldn't. The sky had gotten a lot grayer and darker, with it being full on night time now. Probably around nine or ten o clock, I couldn't tell. The moon was about full, and it gave off a good bit of light, especially with the layer of gray clouds, it acted as a sort of blanket. I was able to see everything on the ship fine, but the window was the problem. It was dirty, and looked like it needed to be wiped down by a dozen anti bacterial wipes. I could only see colors and shadows. I saw the shadow of the man and the steering wheel, and a dim yellow lightbulb.

I threw caution to the wind and grabbed the rusty door handle, turning it and opening it. A smell of air conditioning and sea salt hit my nostrils. I was surprised it wasn't worse. But wait a second, if there was air conditioning, and a lamp...then how was he getting power to run those things?

I ignored the question, weirder things have happened anyway. I decided to look around at the small square space. There wasn't much. It was about as long and wide as half a bedroom, with the only window being on the door and in front of the steering wheel. Other than that, it was somewhat normal.

Ha, almost got you.

No, it wasn't normal. There were several paintings on the walls and nick knacks everywhere. I was a little creeped out at the collection to be honest, and my eeriness of the old man heightened ten fold.

On the three walls surrounding him and the wheel, were various oil paintings of strange things. I mean strange things. One depicted a pair of wolves, running together, and another depicted the exact opposite. The wolves were fighting, bloody, trying to kill each other.

There were several more. Some had scripts of Norse letters, others had scenes of ravens, birds, Vikings, graves, boats, horns, and one struck me particularly for some reason. It was actually the biggest one in the room. It was a frame with a white canvas underneath, several Norse symbols surrounded one bigger symbol. Three triangles linked together.

I wasn't sure what to make of it, but something inside of me told me that I should know it.

"A question already, eh?" The ferryman shouted, startling me and making me jump away from the picture.

"Uh, yes. Yes actually, um..." I fumbled over my words, and pointed to the picture. "What does that mean?"

He put up a finger, "One second, miss." He pushed a button on the side of a panel, and the engine started up. I heard the anchor being raised outside as well, the sound of the chain rattling against the wood.

Wait. Engine? Anchor?

The "Engine" revved, and we started to move. I felt my body being pulled back by the force. But that was impossible. This ship had sails, it wasn't supposed to run off of gas, or anything else.

The old man seemed satisfied and turned to face me. His hood was still up, but I got a good look at his face, and yep, he actually did look really similar to the person on the figure head. Just the weaker, older version. His frame was far more fragile than the man on the front, and his beard didn't look well kept, it was long sure, but somewhat matted and kind of nasty. Like he had soaked in seaweed and didn't take a shower.

He pointed at the picture, "Aye, that is an ancient symbol. The symbol that many demigods look up to."

"What does it mean?"

He leaned in a little and lowered his tone to a rumble. "That there be the symbol of Odin."

"Odin?"

He nodded, "Aye. The Allfather. This here ship runs on his energy. Why it has power, and can go even without tha wind."

I shouldn't be surprised. The symbol gave off a sort of power, I couldn't quite explain it. And I supposed that made sense as to why the ship could run. Usually things were powered by godly energy, so why not?

I looked past the old man and saw that next to the steering wheel, was a small, narrow desk. On that desk sat several small figures, each one of them...looked suspiciously like gods.

He noticed me staring at them and glanced back and forth between us. "Oh these?" He walked over and motioned for me to come look at them. I stepped closer, and he gestured to them.

"All of the main gods, miss." He pointed to individual ones, naming several of them as Thor, Freyja, Aegir, Loki, and a dozen more. I couldn't figure out why this guy had all of this stuff. I mean, collect what you want to collect, but godly action figures? What was up with that?

I shook my head and got rid of the question. It wasn't my business, I was only here to see if he had a drachma, so I could iris message Camp.

"The reason I came in here, sir-"

"Call me Greybeard."

"Okay, uh...Greybeard, is to see if you have any golden drachmas. It's the currency for our pantheon." I sighed, "I know it's stupid to ask, but I figured I might as well-"

He interrupted me by opening a hidden drawer to his left and pulling out a golden drachma.

"Like this?"

I was stunned. How did he have one? I mean, I'm glad he has one, but how? This is a Norse ship, and if he's just a ferryman, then how was he able to obtain it? Are they more common than I thought?

I eyed it cautiously, "Yeah...this is it." I snuck a peer into the drawer, and saw a bunch of coins in there. Two black penningar similar to the one we gave him, some more drachmas, and another handful of strange coins I didn't recognize.

"Ya want it or not?" He said, breaking my stare. I realized he was still holding the drachma in my face, and I was standing there like a fish out of water.

"It'll work without a rainbow." He said, "Ship has special properties. All ya gotta do is throw it in the water."

"Thanks." I grabbed it from his hand and started to walk towards the door, eager to check on Aiden, Percy and Annabeth. But something stopped me from wrapping my hand around the knob. I had a question on my mind, and I figured I'd better get an answer.

I knit my eyebrows, "Hey, Greybeard."

"Aye?"

"Can you tell me a little about Camp Asgard? Like...what we can expect from it?"

He was silent for a minute or two, just staring at the water outside, his bushy gray eyebrows remaining close together. His eyes were squinted, like he was concentrating. It caused his excess skin to overlap, and it was hard to tell if he had fallen asleep or not.

He finally mumbled "Camp. Aye, a fine place, indeed it is. Where many Norse demigods go to live, train, learn and grow." He faced me, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to light up, just barely, a green glow. I would've confused it for tiny flames if I didn't notice it. It went away just as I caught it, but I did, and I suddenly didn't find Greybeard so feeble and weak.

"But others...choose a more dangerous path." His voice lowered, "Some are on their own, fer their whole life. Sad, really."

I knew what he meant. I'm sure it's happened to Greek demigods. Never finding Camp, having to survive on their own, no help, no one to go to. The reality sucked.

Greybeard continued, "Aye, Camp is a good place though. Sigurd's a fine fella, just don' get on his bad side. If ya do, he'll get back at you, somehow, someway. No matter how strong ya are."

I remembered Bjorn and Boris, supposedly getting kicked out of Camp, and their father Thor confronting Sigurd, and the Son of Odin winning their fight. I wasn't sure how it had went, but something told me Sigurd used brains just as much as brawn in fights.

Greybeard smiled at me, "Ya have nothin' ta worry bout' miss." He grabbed the steering wheel, "Now if that was all, ya best be gettin' some rest. Got a bit of a travel ahead."

I nodded a thanks, and exited the wheelhouse. That was a weird talk, I thought. Was he trying to warn me not to mess around up there, that if I do, they'll get back at me, at us? It didn't seem like a threat, but who knows.

I ignored my nerves and fiddled with the drachma. Greybeard said to just throw it in the water, and It would work. That was odd. Usually you have to have a sort of rainbow, small or large, to use Iris messaging. And another thing, how did he know you needed a rainbow? This guy was more knowledgeable than I thought. Then again, none of us know how long he's actually been alive, or whether he's even mortal.

"Here goes nothing." I muttered to myself and tossed the drachma in the sea. The water swallowed it up and we kept moving, leaving it behind within seconds.

I was afraid I had to be near the thing for it to work, but I tried anyway, "Aiden Walker, Camp Half Blood."

To my surprise, a shimmering mirror morphed in front of me, over the edge of the boat. Huh, Greybeard was right.

The image of our cabin back at Camp appeared. The hole in the front wall hadn't been repaired yet, and there were still slashes and cuts on the wood from my fight with Levi. I looked over and saw Aiden on his bed, sitting cross legged near the headboard, and at the foot of it was...Nico?

I had to lean in to see better. Thanks to my stupid left eye, It's harder to see things long distance the way normal people do, and obviously there's a big blind spot. I had gotten used to it, and training fixed most of my problems. But it still sucked, and I couldn't imagine having full vision. It would be like another world.

Nico and Aiden were about two feet away from each other, the latter, like I said, sitting cross legged, facing Nico, and Nico himself was sitting at the foot of the bed, legs dangling off and torso turned to he could see Aiden. They were looking down at something on his bed, a deck of cards in between them, a few sprawled out in a neat line. It looked like they had drawings of gods on them.

I didn't play card games, but I recognized these as Myth O Magic cards. It was this lame trading card game that a bunch of kids at Camp used to play, Nico especially, but he grew out of it. Or so I thought.

"Wait, how many attack points does Dionysus have?" Aiden asked in between laughs.

Nico himself chuckled, "I honestly have no idea. It's been so long since I've played this stupid game."

They joked for a couple of minutes, and it quickly got awkward for me. I felt like I was an intruder, and I should close the iris portal with my hands.

But I wanted to talk to Aiden, and this might be the only chance I get. I cleared my throat to let them know I was there.

Aiden heard, but Nico didn't. My half brother saw me and his eyes went wide. Nico's face was still down, looking at the cards.

Aiden grabbed his shoulders and practically threw him off the bed, "Uh, I just forgot something! Yeah, um, I have...homework!"

Nico knit his eyebrows in confusion, being pushed by Aiden. He noticed me, "Is that Harper?"

"Nope!" Aiden said, and shoved him out of the cabin, "I'll talk to you later!" He slammed the door.

I just stood there, trying to hold in a laugh. Why was Aiden being like that? It was just Nico, the two were friends, I knew that.

Unless...

I raised a sly eyebrow, "So...you and Nico? Whatcha up to?"

His face went bright red, and he waved his hands wildly, "N-NO! It's not what you think. We were just playing Myth O Magic!"

I hummed, "I believe you."

He sighed, "Shut up."

I couldn't help but grin. I wanted to hug him, but there were rules to this thing, so It wouldn't allow it. But just seeing his face and knowing he was okay was honestly enough.

"It's good to see you." I said, "How're things at Camp?"

He shook his head and sat back down where he was, picking up the cards and putting them on his nightstand, "Not too good, Harper. Everything's taking so long to repair, and nobody has any energy, or will to do anything. We hardly ever do Camp activities anymore." His shoulders slumped and his face drooped sadly, "We don't even play Capture the Flag, have sparring matches, or anything. It sucks around here."

I figured as much, but it still hurt to hear. I hated the way things were now, the fact that kids couldn't have fun at the one place they can call home. Instead they have to work and break their backs fixing it.

Gods, I hate the Big Four. Stupid name, stupid demigods. Yeah, Levi too. The part of me that wanted him dead was taking over right now. Those monsters killed Chiron, Will, several other Campers, and basically burned the place to the ground. It infuriated me, especially how they seemed to enjoy it, to feed off of it. I don't know about Levi, but the other three, I was sure they loved it. I remembered vividly that Cherry girl, or whatever her stupid name is, laughing and talking happily about how she destroyed the Hermes Cabin, and Axel with that smile on his face as he threw lava on the pavilion, training arena, and multiple other buildings. Grayson, the Son of Athena wasn't innocent either, getting in Annabeth's face the way he did.

"I'm sorry, Aiden." I said, responding to his statement, "I wish I could be there to help."

"Don't worry, sis. You're off saving the world, don't worry about us."

I bit my lip, not sure if I should ask the next question, but it came out anyway. "Is Nico doing...okay?"

I cringed at the way I said that. Of course he wasn't doing okay, his boyfriend just got killed.

Aiden shrugged, "He's doing...better. But he's still really down about it, understandably so. I've been trying to cheer him up. We've been hanging out a lot, and I asked him if he could show me how to play Myth O Magic. That's why we were in here, nothing else." He said the last part quickly.

I raised my hands in surrender, "Alright, alright. What about Percy and Annabeth?"

"About how you would expect. They're exhausted, and depressed. You can tell the weight of being Camp leaders is really sinking in, by the looks on their faces. I mean, they probably haven't gotten any sleep. And...they have normal lives to lead. So we've all been wondering, what happens when summer ends and they have to go back? They can't just forget about college."

He was right. I had somehow forgotten that both of them went to college in New Rome, and Annabeth actually dual enrolled at Berkeley I think, so she was juggling two schools. Jeez, if they're exhausted now, while it's summer, then how will things be once it's over? They can't just stay at Camp all the time, they'll have to focus on school, or they'll fail.

Aiden lowered his voice and looked through the hole in the cabin wall, "Nico said he overheard Percy saying that he might drop out and focus on leading the Camp. Annabeth wasn't too happy with that. They've been fighting lately, and it's honestly taking a toll on the Campers, really bringing the mood down, you know?" He sighed, "It just seemed like their relationship was perfect, then...this bullshit."

"Where's Dionysus during all of this?" I said, a little rudely. I didn't care though, the Camp Director or whatever his title was should be there to help. Mr. D was always lazy, but he and Chiron had respect for each other, and you'd think that when Chiron died, the wine god would at least show his face.

"He stopped by to speak to Percy and Annabeth, but it was brief." Aiden said, "He's been busy, on Olympus, around the world. Turns out Ouranos has more forces than we thought, and he's not just wreaking havoc on us, but everyone. The gods are tripping over themselves trying to stop the world from falling apart."

Gods, I thought. Could things get any worse?

The Iris portal shimmered and rippled, letting me know that my time was about up. I needed to say goodbye, even though I didn't want to.

"Aiden, my time's about up. I gotta go."

His head darted up and he almost leapt up to catch me, "Wait!"

"What?" I said, a little startled.

"Sorry, I just um, I need to tell you something. It's...been on my mind for a few days, and eating me alive." He fiddled with his fingers, and looked like he wanted to hide under the bed.

"You can tell me anything, Aiden." I said calmly, "Go for it."

He laughed nervously, "Yeah but, you're probably not gonna like this."

I waited.

His ears were a little red, and he wouldn't look directly at me. His eyes either stayed on the floor, or darted everywhere around the room.

Finally, barely above a whisper, he said, "I...tried to kiss Matt."

Okay, I wasn't expecting that.

I blinked several times, and it took me a second to process what he just said.

"You kissed Matt?"

"No! Gods no, I tried to kiss him, but he pulled away." He pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm so sorry Harper, I just couldn't help myself and I got caught up with everything and-"

"Woah, woah, woah, Aiden." I put my best soothing voice on, or as soothing as it gets with me. "Just slow down, and tell me what happened."

He gulped and breathed a couple of times, "He came to camp a few days ago, for the first time in a year, with his father and some giant bird. Everyone welcomed him back, but I...was angry. The fact that he left you and broke your heart just raged in my mind, and everything that I perceived him to be crumbled. I couldn't control it Harper, I...basically punched and kicked the crap out of him."

"Wait, out of Matt?" I said, an eyebrow raised, "Matt? The same Matt that fought Ouranos?"

"He turned his durability off or something. He said he deserved the beating for leaving you, and he let me hurt him."

"That sounds like something he would do." I said, a little shamefully.

Aiden continued, "But later we talked about it and made up. One thing led to another...and I tried to kiss him. I'm sorry, Harper. I feel like an idiot."

The poor kid looked like he wanted to throw himself on the ground. It was uncomfortable, yeah, but I also understood why. Aiden told me how he felt about Matt, and trust me, from personal experience, it's hard to not kiss him when you like him.

I laughed, "Aiden, it's cool."

He looked up, his eyes guarded and defensive, like I was going to say just kidding! I actually hate you!

"Wait, what?"

"Dude, It's fine." I said, "You got caught in the moment, I get it. Honestly, It's okay."

He studied me for a moment, maybe trying to see if I was just playing it off. But there was none of that, and he sighed with relief.

"Oh man, I was afraid you were gonna be pissed."

"Aiden, you're my brother. I'm not gonna be furious with you over something as stupid as that." I snickered and put a hand to my chest, "Do I look like an Aphrodite girl?"

He scratched his neck, "No, but...he is your boyfriend, right?"

Now it was my turn to be sheepish. I frowned, blowing a strand of hair from my face, "I don't know. Things are weird right now."

The iris mirror rippled again, and the image of Aiden started to fade. I was really pushing it now.

Aiden could tell it was time too, he stood up from the bed and walked over, "Things will work out between you two, just trust me!"

"I hope-" I started, but the iris mirror finally popped like a bubble, and Aiden was gone.

"So..." I said, finishing my sentence. I had wanted to talk to him longer, but of course the stupid rules for Iris messaging were like payphone rules. You gotta put in more money to keep talking. And I didn't want to ask for more from Greybeard, so I'd settle for what I got.

I leaned my arms on the side of the ship, leaning forward and looking down at the water. The hull was sliding against it and creating waves, spraying white foam and droplets everywhere. It was pretty cool to see. I reached down and held out my hand, feeling the little bullets of water hit it refreshed me.

At first I was iffy about sleeping out here and not an actual bed, but now, I really wouldn't mind it. The night was incredible right now. I'm not one to gasp at cloud shapes or the stars or whatever, but even I couldn't deny that the sky before me was breathtaking.

While I was in the wheelhouse, the clouds had separated some, revealing a bright night sky, a nearly full moon, and hundreds of stars scattered out. Everything surrounded the moon, like it was the centerpiece of everything. The little white dots and gray clouds were like it's super fans, sitting in a stadium to watch it do it's thing. Weird comparison, but that was what came to my mind.

Everyone was in their same position on the deck. Talon still had his earbuds in, only this time he had a cowboy hat on, and it was covering his face. Maybe that meant he was asleep. Normally I would mess with him, or make a joke about the hat, but honestly I wasn't feeling it right now, and this was serious, so I decided to let it pass.

As for Malachi and Sera, the two were side by side on the other end parallel to Talon, doing what I was doing, only with each other, talking about who knows what. Matt's dad, Hercules, was with Kyros on the other side of the boat that I stood on, petting him and feeding him treats. I figured Kyros ate the monsters that his owner killed, but I guess he's not that savage. But where did Hercules get the treats? Olympus? Or- ah, it doesn't matter.

My opinion on the big guy had changed. A hell of a lot for only...what, two days? At first, like when I first heard a story about him at probably age seven, I thought he was pretty cool, and an awesome hero. Levi told me a couple of tales about him, to give me an idea on how to defeat monsters. When I was that young, I couldn't believe the stories. That a demigod was actually that powerful, and could manhandle the dangerous beasts that I was so afraid of like puppies.

Flash forward nearly eight years later, when I first met Matt. He told me he was the Son of Hercules, and that he became a god when he died a couple of millennia ago. I was pretty shocked, I had no idea that Hercules became a god, but when I did, and knew he hadn't been there all of Matt's life, I scoffed and thought typical god behavior.

Then when Matt left me last year...well, I mostly put my anger on him. But seeing his father at Griffith Manor, something snapped in me. I had already forgive Matt in my fight with Levi, but there was still a twinge of bitterness inside me, and I had to place it on someone, so I did it to Hercules. He was the one that caused the whole training thing after all.

But now, I knew it was for the best. Sure, we didn't get to be together for a whole year, but think about it, would Matt stand a chance against half of the opponents we've faced on this quest if he was the same strength as last year? Bjorn and Boris? No, not a chance. He had to train and get stronger, I saw that now, and I accepted it. I also forgave Hercules, because he's really trying to make up for his mistakes it seems. Coming on this quest alone shocked me, saying how little he cares for the ancient laws, and probably going against Zeus by coming here with us. Even if he was a hero, he still had to follow deity rules. It made me gain some respect for him.

I watched him and Kyros together. If the mist were in action, or if I were a mortal, I'd probably see them as a bodybuilder and a Great Dane playing together. The thought made me snicker.

"Whatcha laughing at?" Said a voice creeping up next to me.

I turned and saw that it was Matt, and suddenly the temperature in the air became just a fraction hotter.

I gestured to Hercules and Kyros, now wrestling each other playfully. "Your dad really loves that bird."

Matt looked and shook his head, a light smile on his lips. "Yeah, best friends, aren't they?"

"Makes me wish I had a dog."

Matt leaned his back on the side of the boat, his elbow brushing against mine, "I would've taken you for a cat person."

I shrugged, "Both are cool by me. But I don't know, having a dog would be fun."

He laughed softly, "What kind would you get?"

I cocked my head a little in thought. There were so many breeds, and I honestly only knew the names of like two or so.

"Hmmm, probably something small. That way I can actually control the thing."

"You're worried about that?" He said in disbelief, "You fight literal monsters and powerful storm spirits, and you're worried about a hyperactive dog?"

It did sound crazy in retrospect, "Can't handle the messes they make, guess that's it."

Matt let out a breath of humor, and fell silent, both of us facing forward. I didn't even steal a glance at him, mainly because I was a little nervous. It just felt so strange being around him, with this stupid tension in the air. I just wanted to clear it, and get back to the way things were. We had a good start with that pet conversation, so why not keep going?

Screw it, I thought. I was about to suggest we go somewhere a little more private, when he beat me to it.

Matt turned his head without moving his shoulders, and looked right at me, "Hey Harper, can I...show you something?"

"Sure" I said a little too quickly, looking at him now. His hair was swaying with the wind, and I was kind of starting to like it now. It had a smooth look to it, but masculine at the same time. It was thick and chocolate brown, like literally chocolate colored. His face was so defined in the moonlight, every shape and feature was outlined like an artist would on a canvas. That scar being the only mistake. But somehow Matt still made it look charming, and in my opinion, it was a plus.

And wow, his eyes. They were so penetrating, like they could read my soul or something. Normally when I get that feeling, like with Greybeard, I want to cut the person up, or get the hell out of there. But with Matt's dark brown eyes, I wanted to keep staring at them, maybe try to read them. They were so warm, so friendly, they alone told me the type of person he was. Brave, selfless, and a little wistful, for something he missed.

He gave a mischievous smile, "Come on." We walked over to Kyros and Hercules, the two were still wrestling, Hercules had the bird in a headlock, and Kyros was trying to swat him off with his wing. It wasn't serious though, Hercules was laughing the whole time, and I could tell Kyros was having fun too, even with the constant seriousness and eagle has on their face.

"Looks like you're winning." Matt said to his father.

Hercules hadn't even noticed us coming up, and he broke his focus for a second. Kyros took that chance and knocked him off his back, using his large wing to pin down the strength god.

Hercules could've broken free easily, but he decided to give it to his pet. "Alright boy, alright. You won." He reached under the wing and into what I guessed to be the pockets of his army fatigues. He pulled out a minotaur shaped treat, "Here you go, bud." He tossed the snack to Kyros, who caught it mid air and gobbled it up, cawing in happiness.

Hercules got up and dusted himself off, "That makes Two thousand six hundred and seventy five wins for me, and two thousand six hundred and seventy six wins for him."

I gawked, "You guys have had that many matches? How did he even beat you?"

Hercules glanced back to make sure Kyros wasn't listening, he leaned in and whispered, "I let him win. But don't tell him that, it ruins his morale."

Matt pinched the bridge of his nose in embarrassment, "Dad, can I actually borrow Kyros for a second?"

"What the hell for?"

Matt went mute, but I could practically feel him jerking his head toward me, trying to say Alone time with his eyes.

Hercules nodded with a sly look, "Ah, I see. Yeah, I guess you can borrow him, just don't-"

Matt rolled his eyes and walked over to the eagle, "Don't take him to a volcano, yeah, yeah, I got it."

He patted Kyros on the neck and picked up the saddle that sat next to him like it was nothing, even though it probably weighed a few hundred pounds, and placed it on his back. Kyros shimmied his torso to make it slide on better, and Matt hitched the straps and buttons and what not.

Finally, he climbed on and offered me his hand, "Here." He said.

I decided to tease him, "Chivalrous, are we?" And I took it, letting him pull me up. I could've hopped up there myself, but I couldn't resist his kindness. Is that sappy? If so, deal with it.

Matt tapped Kyros on the neck, letting him know we were ready. Before we took off, Hercules gave us a little wave.

"You kids have fun." He said mockingly, "Matt, have her back by midnight, or you're in big trouble young man."

Matt snorted, "It is midnight!"

Hercules pursed his lips, "Oh. Well...half past then- or you know what, let's say one. I'll be generous this time."

He played along with his father, "One it is!" Then we took off.

Quick question for all of you. How did your first date go?

Usually when you think of that kinda thing, you think of the movies, a restaurant, maybe a walk in the park, stuff like that.

Mine was on a giant bird, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Okay this isn't really a date, or at least I don't consider it one. But it was still romantic, I guess you could call it. I really don't know. I'm not good with this type of thing.

First things started off smooth. Matt told Kyros to keep it slow, and he did. Kyros flew calmly in a straight line, about three hundred feet in the air, following the ship as it went.

I sat next to him on my knees. He was cross legged, and tall enough to see over the side without having to lean up or move his body.

"So, what are we up here for?" I asked, already knowing the answer. He wanted to talk. Okay, I'm ready.

But he caught me off guard with a smile that was unrecognizable on him. He looked like he was about to cause some trouble.

"Check this out." He said, "You might want to sit down for this."

What's he doing? I thought, and changed my position so I was sitting on my rear.

He checked to see if I was sitting, and leaned up to whisper something to Kyros. He did, and the bird understood. He started to flap his giant wings, shooting wind everywhere. We accelarated speed, and soon, the boat was behind us.

"Matt?" I asked, unsure of what he was about to pull. "What are you-"

"Hold on!" He interrupted, and that was when we took off. My breath hitched and wind entered my mouth like a leafblower had been pointed at my face. Kyros dove his head forward and we darted like a bullet, zigzagging and swooping towards the water.

I had definitely not expected that. My eyes widened and my heart started racing. I felt my stomach upturn with every zig zag and fast swoop. I noticed Matt had wrapped his bicep around my arm to keep my from flying off.

"Tell him to slow down!" I said, afraid I was going to get pulled off and hit the water.

He was having the time of his life, laughing and hooting like a little kid. "Don't worry, I got you!" He tightened his grip on my arm, and I felt my body stabilize, not moving an inch. But that didn't help my fear right now. Just how fast could this bird go?

"Do some tricks, Kyros!" He shouted.

I protested, "No! Kyros, don't do any-"

Too late, Kyros already tilted his body upward like he'd hit a solid wall. I screamed at the sudden movement, but something about it thrilled me too. It felt like I was the tallest roller coaster in the world.

Kyros did a flip, then another, and my insides did a little acrobat trick of their own. My hair was going wild. I might as well have been blow-drying it, and i wouldn't have told the difference. Black clumps of it were dancing in my face, and I couldn't get rid of it, because I was too afraid to let go of the saddle.

"Matt!" I said, grabbing his arm with my right one, holding on to him for dear life, "Tell him to slow down! I mean it!"

I figured he'd ignore me and keep going with his antics, but he actually did, and Kyros calmed things down, his speed descending, similar to when a diver pulled a parachute.

When we hit slow speeds, I could see that we had fallen back in line with the ship somehow, just like before.

I let go of Matt and turned on him. He was trying his best not to burst out in laughter, little snickers would escape his lips, and he'd hide it with his hand.

I assaulted his shoulder with a flurry of punches, "You idiot! You scared me to death! What were you thinking, pulling that stupid crap?!"

He was laughing his head off, falling back on his elbow from the assault, which probably felt like tickles to him. "I'm sorry! I just couldn't help it!"

I pushed him on his back and pinned him to the saddle by sitting on top of his stomach. I pulled out one of my knives and pointed it at his throat.

I wasn't serious. Well, maybe a little bit. I just wanted to see if he was so smug now. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't cut you open right now, Shark Boy."

He smirked, and his eyes challenged me to do so, "Because you had fun."

His response took me by surprise, but I kept steady and lowered my face closer to his, inches away now.

"I didn't."

He pressed, "Oh yes you did. You had fun, even if just for a second, you did."

I glared at him, and lied through my teeth "I did not."

"Admit it!"

I quickly brought the knife above my head and back down within a split second, stabbing it next to his head. His eyes widened and he looked genuinely startled by my action. Even if I could, I would never actually try to hurt him, but I just wanted to mess with him a little.

I smiled sweetly and got off of him, "Okay, fine. I had a little, tiny sliver of fun." My glare returned, "But don't do it again...at least not without giving me a heads up."

He sat up and snickered, "Deal."

I couldn't help but smile. His laughter was contagious and his joyful attitude. It was a big shift from him looking like someone had just told him that Ouranos was actually his father to now. Before, he had looked so confused and sad.

After a moment of silence, I said, "So what was that vision about?"

He looked at me, and sighed, "So that's how we're gonna start this...talk?"

"I guess so."

He nodded neutrally, "Alright then. I had a vision about my father. Well, actually two visions, one about the Heavenly Diamond Spear, just sitting there, and the other one about my father."

I didn't see why he was seeing the Spear now of all times. That thing was Ouranos's weapon, and the most dangerous in the world, we already knew that.

"Nothing else? Just the spear?"

"Yeah."

Didn't seem too impending. "Well, what about your Dad?"

He gave an eyebrow raise that suggested get ready, cause this is a lot.

"I saw him and my mother, together in the hospital." He looked down at the saddle, a little puzzled, but wistful, like he wanted to get back to the vision right away. "My mom had just given birth...to me, and Dad came to visit her. He promised her that he would stay, and help me become a powerful demigod. He...he promised he wouldn't leave her."

I widened my eyes a little, "He said that?"

"Yeah. I couldn't believe it either. I mean, all this time, I figured my dad was just like the other gods, they were busy and all of that nonsense, and the stupid laws said they couldn't see their kids. But I always thought he was a jerk, and he abandoned us, because he didn't care about us." Matt shook his head shamefully, "That's not true, apparently."

I scooted a little closer, very interested now. "Well, what happened after that?"

"At the very end, he must've felt something, and he looked out the window at the Empire State building."

"Where Olympus is." I interjected.

He nodded, "Yeah. He looked over there, and I saw him tense up, like he was about to fight someone. Then he walked out of the room, and I tried to follow him, but before I could...I woke up."

I tried to put the pieces together, "So he was going to Olympus, right? Maybe Zeus wasn't happy he made that promise."

Matt looked unsure, "I don't know. Zeus told me himself that Hercules was his favorite, but I guess even that has it's limits." He pushed some hair out of his face, "What I wanna know though, is what happened afterwards. I want to go back to that vision so bad, I want to see what ruined everything so that my father couldn't see us."

"Have you asked Hercules?" I said, thinking that if it were me, I would ask Nemesis. Although she would never make such a promise. "He's right there, on that ship."

"I know, Harper." He said, "But...I just wanna see for myself. I want to see the raw truth, not told to me."

I tightened my lips, not wanting to burst his bubble, but I felt I needed to.

"Matt, you may not see that vision again. I think if you really want to know what happened, you should just ask your father. He'd tell you."

Matt grabbed his hair on both sides, pushing it back in frustration. "I know, I know. And...I might. It's just so mind-bending, you know?" It was like he was asking a question to himself too, and not just me, "Something I believed and perceived to be true my whole life...is completely false. My father was the opposite of what I assumed, and it's making me go insane. Making me...regret all those years of hating him."

I felt so much sympathy for him in that moment. I wanted to hug him, and tell him everything was going to be okay, but I couldn't. I didn't know what he was going through, or if it would be okay at all. I knew for a fact that Nemesis wouldn't make such a promise to my father. I literally saw it in my memories, how she persisted in telling him that she had to go, and that she couldn't be with him.

Matt seemed to remember that night too, and he looked at me with a little hope, "Hey, that thing that you did in the Hotel last year, when we witnessed your memories. Do you think you could do that again? But with the one about Dad?"

I shook my head, "I can't, Matt. I'm sorry. That only works with my memories, and...to be honest, even if it did with yours, would that be considered a memory, or a vision? Can you remember something like that at such a young age?"

His hopeful glance quickly faded, and my heart felt like it was getting poked with a needle. I wanted to help him, I really did, but there was nothing I could do.

"It's okay." He said, "It's not that big of a deal anyway. I should be focused on Camp Asgard and Sigurd."

"Yeah" I breathed, trying to change the subject as well. "Won't be long, huh?"

He stayed silent, and I cringed at my attempt at banter. I got serious and put a hand on his shoulder, "It'll be fine. I'm sure everything will go smoothly over there."

"Probably" He agreed, but I could tell he didn't truly believe it.

I let go of his shoulder and scooted back to the edge of the saddle, leaning on it.

"Well, since we're getting things off our chest, I guess I should tell you about what happened at Griffith Manor."

He looked up at me, eyes interested. He'd been wondering this himself it seemed, no wonder, since he found me with Levi's cloak. I really didn't mean to say it, but I wanted to talk about it with someone. It was driving me crazy, just thinking about it.

He waited for me to start, his face patient.

I sighed, "After they tricked us into drinking that tranquilizer potion, or whatever it was, I woke up in that room, and Levi was there. The usual stuff started. Him trying to justify his actions, and me trying to convince him that what he was doing was out of bitterness. It got nowhere, obviously."

"And you guys fought." Matt said, putting the pieces together.

I nodded, "Yeah, we did. I...thought I could take him, but I was wrong. He was too powerful. I don't know if Ouranos trained him or something, but he's far more dangerous than he used to be, and he showed me just how much." I winced at the memory of the pain, a slight throb pulsing through my nose, like even the ambrosia couldn't fully get rid of it.

I explained it like I was on the outside, looking in. Hardly any emotion in my tone. "I've never been so beaten, not in my entire life, Matt. Not a monster, or even my dad had ever hit me like that. With them it's just a few bruises and cuts here and there, but with Levi that day...he wanted to kill me."

Matt was horrified, but I didn't give him time to speak, I continued, finding it harder and harder to speak with each word. "It got to the point where he had me right where he wanted me. I was done, and I had lost. He had his sword right above my face, and he was going to kill me." I paused, trying to hide the sting that swelled in my throat, but my voice broke anyway. "But...he didn't."

"What do you mean?"

My eyes were glued to the bottom of the saddle, not because I couldn't' look at Matt, but because I was still having a hard time believing the truth.

"He could've killed me, but he didn't. I...I saw him raise the sword, and then it started to shake, and his face...he was so conflicted, and he eventually dropped the sword."

"Then what?"

"He started freaking out." I said, "He seemed angry with himself that he'd hurt me, and he carried me back to that room, and wrapped his cloak around me. All I remember next is him saying he would get some ambrosia and be right back."

Matt nodded knowingly. "And that's when I showed up."

"Yeah, that's when you showed up."

He started to say something else, but he clamped his mouth tight, and looked off to the side.

"So what?" He muttered, "You think he's changed? Do you think things can be the way they were?"

"No" I said, but only half sure. "I mean...maybe? I don't know." I put my head in my hands and propped my elbows on my knees, a hot chill running up my spine from the stress. "I'm just so conflicted. I have no idea what to feel. I mean, here's my brother, who I've loved my whole life, goes missing, and ends up with Ouranos. I hate him then, and killing Chiron only made my hatred grow. But now...he showed a tiny piece of his old self."

"You think he's starting to question his loyalty to Ouranos?" Matt said.

I shrugged helplessly, "I don't know, but if that's true...then I don't know if that's a good thing. I just don't know what to do. I'm...I'm-" But I couldn't say it. I didn't like being vulnerable. In fact I hated it. I was tough, and I had to prove it. There always needed to be a front, a mask, because if there's no mask, then you're weak. And in this world, you can't be weak. Believe me, I found that out quick enough.

But Matt wasn't letting that mask stay on. He pulled himself over to where I was and put his fingers under my chin. I hadn't even noticed the tears coming down my cheeks. They weren't hot, or cold, I had no idea that they would even come out anymore.

"Say it." He said, gently.

I shook my head a little, "I-I can't. I don't want to." Another tear fell out of my eyelid.

He wiped it away with his thumb, the heat of his skin warming up the side of my face. It made me want to go to sleep.

"Harper, you can't fix something that you can't admit." He said, "It's okay. You don't have to be tough in front of me. I already know you're tough. In fact...you're the strongest person I know." He chuckled a little, "Way stronger than me. I can't imagine going through a fraction of what you went through, let alone as a child."

His words washed over my like the best relief in the world. It was like we were the only two people alive. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else in this moment, or even wanting to be anywhere else.

The words were on the tip of my tongue, I just needed a little push.

Matt gave that push, "Go ahead"

And finally the dam burst. With another tear, and a whimper, I said, "I'm...I'm scared, okay. I'm scared."

He nodded, his eyes closed. He then pulled me in to his chest, wrapping his arms around my back. I returned the hug immediately, and started sobbing.

I buried my face in his shoulder, crying a storm and clinging on to him for dear life. He tightened his hold on me, and it felt safe, comfortable. I felt like I was trapped inside of a protective bubble, and the terrors of the world couldn't get to me, as long as he was with me.

Finally he spoke, his voice low, "I know you are, and it's okay. I'm scared too. I think if you're not in this situation...then you aren't even half human." He laughed a little.

We stayed like that for a minute or so, until my sobs subsided. When they did, he pulled away and held my shoulders in place, so we were looking right in each other's eyes.

"Listen, I want you to know that I'm always here for you." He said, "Whatever pain you're in...whatever problems you face, I want to help, however I can."

"I know" I said, blissfully.

He lowered his head quickly and pulled it back up again, like he was cringing at a memory. "And I'm...I'm sorry I left you, Harper. I'm so sorry that I put you through that. It was so stupid of me to not tell you, no matter what the reason. I never, ever meant to hurt you."

His voice gushed with regret and guilt, and his eyes were a little red. I knew I couldn't stay mad at him, it was too hard.

"I know you didn't." I said, "It's okay, we're past that now."

He shook his head vigorously and let me go. "No! No, it's not going to disappear just like that. I need to make it up to you." He grabbed my hands in his and held them reverently, like they were precious gems. "And I'm going to make it up to you...if you still want to be together."

I wasn't sure what he was getting at, I raised an eyebrow, "Matt? What are you saying?"

He pursed his lips for a moment, like he was deciding whether to say it or not, but then he gave a little nod to himself, and his lips parted with confidence.

And he said it, more sure about his words than any I had heard him speak. "I'm saying that...I'm in love with you, Harper."

My eyes widened. Wait...what? Did he...did he actually just say that?

My heart immediately starting running a marathon, and the cool night air suddenly became warm and humid. I felt so grounded, like I couldn't go anywhere.

I knew I had to be blushing like crazy. He said...he was in love with me? With me? Harper Pierce?

"Y-You're in love with me?" I asked in disbelief.

He nodded, smiling. "Yeah. I've been struggling with it for a while now, whether I was or not. But...now I know the truth, and I accept it. It probably sounds too soon, or crazy or something, I know. But...I can't help it, how I feel." He laughed softly, "You're just...amazing, and I'm in love with you."

I gulped. He said it again! Oh gods, what do I do? How am I supposed to say it back? I'm not used to this sort of thing. Compliments, no. Affection, no. Romance, no. None of it checks out!

I had only said it to two people. Aiden and Levi, and they were family. I never even said it to my father, not once, even when he changed his ways.

I had to ask myself. Was I in love with Matt? Did I feel that strongly about him?

And at that moment, like a flash of lightning, visions started to flow through my brain. I could practically see Aphrodite throwing the memories in my face. The first time I met him, outside of Camp. When I tacked him and put my knife to his neck. I had thought he was cute even then, but I couldn't dare show it. I was so focused on that stupid necklace.

Another vision appeared, us in Old Joe's fighting arena, when he told me that I could tell him about my past, and he would listen. He had been so understanding in that moment, he had revealed some of his story to me, and he didn't force me to do anything. It was at that moment I developed feelings for him. I remember it vividly. But I pushed them down, hid them away, because I knew if I got attached, I would lose my focus on my mission. To kill the man that murdered my father.

Flash forward to the hotel, where we had that awesome night together. Playing arcade games, ziplining, laser tag, swimming together with Percy and Annabeth. And finally, showing him my past, all of it. The most painful moments displayed to him. He was the first, and only person I had ever shown them to. And ever will.

The snowy forest, trying to catch Artemis's deer, appeared to me next, when I first kissed him, and gave him a taste of how I felt. He hadn't reciprocated, and I felt like such an idiot. I was so sure that if I put my feelings out there, he would return them, and I would have someone, again. But no, he didn't feel the same way, I had thought. I was so hurt, and angry with myself.

Then the Cursed Island, right before our fight with Ouranos and the Big Four, when he told me he felt the same way. I was so happy, and I wanted to kiss him so badly, but I just couldn't at the time. I wanted to hope for a tomorrow, I wanted something to look forward to. That's why I told him to wait until sunset.

And then finally, the sunset itself. It was so beautiful, and it was just me and him, at peace together. We thought the war was over, and everything would be fine. It was a blissful couple of hours, and my favorite probably, of all time.

Just as quick as I saw them, they went away, but I did. And I knew the answer.

Of course I was in love with him.

How could I not be? He was everything I wanted. From his smile, to his kindness, to his heroic personality, and a thousand more things. I couldn't ask for a better person to be with.

So I let instinct take over. My hands moved from my lap to the sides of his face. I brought my lips slowly to his, until they connected. They were surprisingly soft, and they felt good against my own. It didn't last long, it wasn't a hungry, fast kiss or anything. But it was the most passionate one we'd ever shared.

I pulled away, and kept my head close to his. I saw the faint color of red on his cheeks, and I smirked.

"I'm in love with you too." I said, surprising myself by not screwing it up. "And I want this to work, I really do. But...I gotta warn you, I'm not the best at this kind of stuff. I'm not a girly girl, or a makeup freak, or a clingy-"

"I know." He interrupted, "And that's why I want to be with you."

I smiled, and pecked him on the lips again. It felt good to do that, whenever I wanted.

I let go of him and sat back, A joking tug on the corner of my mouth. "Some romantic evening, huh? First I'm bawling and now I'm sappy. You probably think I'm bipolar, don't you?"

He didn't even hear my joke, he was too caught up in the two consecutive kisses. I thought his brain was going to explode. He was just sitting there, staring off into space like a doofus.

I waved my hand in front of his face, "You there?"

He snapped out of it, "Does this mean...we're together again?"

Man, what a dork, I thought. But he's a hot dork.

I nodded, stifling a laugh, "Yeah, I think so."

He looked down at the ship nervously, "I think we'd better get back down there. It's probably getting close to curfew."

Oh I wasn't giving in that easily. I got up and pushed him back on the saddle so he was sitting up against it.

"I think we have a few more minutes, don't you?" I didn't allow him to say no. I was already laying into his side. It didn't seem like he wanted to go anywhere either, because he put an arm around me.

I felt his laugh vibrate on my body. "I guess a few more minutes wouldn't hurt."

And for a while, everything was perfect.

The next day, we arrived.

There was a lot of buildup to it. For hours it felt like the calm before the storm, and last night Greybeard picked up the speed to get us there quick.

It was the middle of the day, and we could see the mountain approaching. It was at a dead end of the path we were traveling on. The surrounding area narrowed into it gradually, thinning out. It was shaped like an cone, kind of.

We were all standing in the middle of the deck, circled together with Kyros behind us in somewhat giant size. About the size of a rhino.

Matt was next to me, he pointed upward, towards the top of the mountain at a visible settlement. I couldn't make it out well with one eye, but I could see the outline of several buildings and tall gates.

"There it is." He said with a whisper, "Camp Asgard." He elongated the Asgard, like he was saying there's Disney World.

The ship was slowing down, the engine's whirring was softer now. We could all see the wide wooden dock getting closer and closer.

Greybeard poked his head out of the wheelhouse door, "We're here! Ready yerselves!"

Talon looked over his shoulder and tapped his revolver, "If anything seems iffy, we burn this place to the ground."

Sera hit him on the shoulder, "Hush!"

The ship lurched and we turned a hard left. The water skidded under the hull and the ship slid the rest of the way towards the dock. Unlike before, there was a figure standing at the edge of the dock. The figure had on a long black cloak, covering his entire body. It looked like Greybeard's, but without the tatters and gunk. We were looking down at him, due to the ship's height, and his hood was up, so we couldn't see his face.

"That's him" Matt muttered.

I raised an eyebrow, "Who?" But he didn't hear me. He just stared at the figure, partly with relief, and partly with dread.

The ship stopped about fifteen feet from the dock, and Greybeard let the anchor down. The chains loudly clanged against the side, and hit the water, spraying foam and waves everywhere. Greybeard walked out of the wheelhouse and grabbed a lever on the plank, pulling it. When he did, the walkway that we climbed on earlier heaved out, and landed on the dock.

We all walked to it simultaneously, and stared down at the figure.

Matt nodded grimly at him, "Hey Sigurd. Told you I'd be here."

My eyes widened. That was Sigurd? The Son of Odin that kicked Bjorn and Boris to the curb?

Sigurd looked up at him with an expressionless face. He was probably twenty, from what I could gather, and he had red hair, parted in the middle and swooping over to one side. I looked at his eyes, and saw that he had a patch over one of them, covering a long scar across it. It was his left eye, exactly the same as mine.

I could tell this was going to be very interesting.

"That you did, Matt." Sigurd said, "Now then, let me introduce you to my Camp."

(000)

Alright, so a bit of a down time chapter, more romantic than anything, but I felt it was necessary. Matt and Harper needed to talk, so they did.

Now we move on to bigger things. The Norse Camp is finally here, and we're in the final chapters of Book Two, so stay tuned.

Be sure to review and let me know what you thought!

Until Next Time.