A/N. Reviews.

"THANKS FOR THE UPDATE! Awww I love the seeing them two together hope we get more chapters of the two although I think Artemis knows something's not right with him but won't say anything cause she's new to the relationship? Also is their marriage only known to the gods? Cause i realized didn't read anything about demigods attending and Annabeth surely would've barged her was to him the next morning to ask for an answer" -Sankarea396

Of course. Me too, I love them together. She knows something isn't right, but isn't sure what, so it's causing her to hesitate. The marriage is only known to the Gods, the Hunt, and the demigods/mortals Percy told (Nico, Grover, The Stolls, Leo, His mom).

"I realized i asked the previous question again so imma reread again to get the events engraved in my head..." -Sankarea396

Okay lol.

"So another way he could be exposed is one of the demons coming up to him and calling him Milord" -LordRachakonda

Indeed.

"Great chapter!" -JettShay

Thank you!

"Update my man. I fricken love ya story. Shit is killer good" -Jelloyellow

Here you go! Thanks man!

WARNING! THIS CHAPTER IS A LITTLE INTENSE (SEXUAL ASSUALT)

Chapter Sixteen

"Mephistopheles, we need to talk." Percy said as he entered his throne room. The Royal Advisor was standing by the empty throne, his hands folded behind his back. The large fireplace roared behind him casting his front in shadows.

"Of course, My liege. What must we discuss?"

"I found a demon on the surface last night while on a date. He was at a bar, and I saw him slip something into a mortal woman's drink."

"An incubus, most likely." Mephistopheles mused. "What of it?"

"I thought demons weren't supposed to be topside? That's the whole reason I'm here, isn't it?"

"MMM. Right, but Asmodeus' subjects have a bit of an exception to that rule. Their whole thing is seducing mortals, they can't really do that down here."

"How do they even get out of here? It can't be the knife, you said only you knew about them. The Gates have been decommissioned for a while. Can they shadow travel like Nico?"

Mephistopheles shook his head. "No, nothing like that m'lord. They have access to Asmodean crystals, minerals that have the power to traverse the rift between Hell and Earth."

"And these are just lying around? Why the knife then?"

Mephistopheles laughed. "No, they are a rare mineral, mined in the center of Mount Vrag. They are so rare that not even every incubus and succubus have one. The older ones do, but the youngins, they have to check them out like books at a library."

Percy paused and let all the new information sink in. He sat down on his throne. "It appears I owe that incubus an apology. I told him if I ever saw him on the surface, I would execute him."

Mephistopheles smiled. "That's good, My Lord. Strike fear in their hearts."

"I don't want to rule by fear, Mephistopheles."

"It's the only way down here."

"I thought you ruled by strength here. The demons only respect strength. That's what you said. That's the whole reason I'm here, because I was 'stronger' than Lucifer. ARe you saying that's not what's happening?"

"Lord, fear and respect go hand in hand. There is fear in respect, and respect in fear, though it may be hard to see. To have one, is to have the other in small amounts."

Percy sighed and leaned back. "Whatever. I'm too tired to try and think through philosophical bullshit right now." He leaned his head back against the throne. "Did our prisoner reveal anything?"

"No. But I did find a lead elsewhere."

Percy turned his head. "Yeah?"

"The demon that assaulted you at dinner. On his person was a vial that was empty, save for one drop. That drop was the roofie in your water. And only one demon here supplies roofies."

"I'm guessing Asmodeus, since it's lust and all that?"

"Correct. Asmodeus supplies his demons with roofies to help them do their job. If he can tell us everyone he supplies, we can narrow down our suspects."

"We have suspects?"

"We will. After you talk with Asmodeus."

Percy sighed. "Alright, I'll pay Asmodeus a visit soon, see if he can give me a list of everyone he's supplied recently." he hesitated before continuing, "How confident are you that the person orchestrating it even got it from Asmodeus? I mean, it's entirely possible that the suspect stole it off someone else."

Mephistopheles frowned. "That is a fair point. Still, it doesn't hurt to meet with Asmodeus."

"I know. Just bringing up another idea. I doubt this would be an open and shut case. There's probably multiple levels of people between the assassins and the actual mastermind in the shadows." He stood up. "I'll leave for Lust immediately."

LINE BREAK

Percy stood in front of Asmodeus' strip club, once again facing the neon lights lighting up the exterior of the building. He entered and was immediately overwhelmed by the scent of putrid perfume. Just like last time, scantily clad sex demons milled about, offering their private services to patrons, while one was dancing along a pole, blood being tossed on them, covering their body in the red fluid.

One approached Percy, fluttering her eyelashes in an innocent way that was anything but. "Can I help you, Lord?" She asked, her sultry voice melodious, as smooth as melted chocolate.

"Is Asmodeus in?" He asked, looking towards the hallway that led to the Prince's office.

"He is currently in a meeting. Could I interest you in a dance to pass the time?"

"No thanks. Come get me when he's finished."

The succubus left Percy, disappearing into the hallway, presumably to alert the Prince of the King's request. This left Percy in the middle of a strip club, who suddenly became very aware of his surroundings.

His eyes kept jumping around, trying to find a place to look that did not contain scantily clad demons. Unfortunately, everywhere he looked, some form of debauchery was occurring. And if he couldn't see it, he could definitely hear it coming from the private rooms.

The succubus returned a minute later, escorting another demon out of the hallway. She motioned for Percy to enter the hallway, before disappearing into a private room with the demon, drawing the curtain behind them. A moment later, a crescendo of new moans joined the symphony.

Percy walked into the hallway and followed the path all the way to the end, where the Asmodeus' office door was open. He entered the office and stood just past the doorway, waiting for the Prince of Lust to acknowledge him. When Asmodeus finally looked up, he smiled upon seeing the King. "My liege, Catherine had informed me of your arrival. I've been expecting you."

Percy sighed. "The incubus, I'm guessing?"

Asmodeus nodded. "Indeed. I was informed you threatened him with execution should you find him on the surface once more?"

"Yes, I did."

"I heard Najenth's side of the story, and I must admit, I am quite curious, what led you to threaten such a dramatic damnation?"

Percy sighed and glanced at the chair in front of the desk. "May I sit?"

"Of course."

Percy nodded and sat down. He straightened his back and placed his hands on his lap. There were no armrests, as it was similar to a metal folding chair. "At first, I saw him try to roofie a mortal woman. I wasn't to let that happen, so I intervened, not knowing he was one of yours. When I noticed he wasn't mortal, I was confused. I was told demons weren't supposed to be on the surface. I wasn't aware that the rules were bent or succubi and incubi. And so, I told him to meet me outside, and I questioned him. And while I did so, he threatened to rape my... the woman I was there with. And I... I became pissed, and thus, threatened him."

Asmodeus nodded, stroking his middle chin thoughtfully. "This woman, you care for her, yes?"

Percy frowned. "I... it's complicated."

All three faces of The Prince of Lust grinned. "Love often is. Lust is so much more simple. You want it, you take it." Asmodeus breathed out. "Do you know why I'm ugly, Lord Perseus?"

"I wouldn't say—" Percy was interrupted by the Prince raising his hand.

"Do not spare my feelings, Liege. I have none to spare. Answer the question."

"No, I don't know. I assumed it was because you're a demon, and Hell is an ugly place."

Asmodeus smiled. "That it is, Majesty. I, much like Hell, am ugly because sin is ugly. Lust is an ugly thing. And yet, I indulge. I represent Lust, and thus, am ugly, because lust is ugly. But lust is also simple. You want something, and you'll do anything to get it."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"I'm getting there. Now, Love, on the other hand, is beautiful. It's pretty, it's pure. And as such, everyone who represents love is beautiful. But love is also complicated. You have to do everything right, because if not, you'll lose love. Love is fickle, annoying. But, if love was easy to find, it wouldn't need to be commodified."

"I disagree. You don't have to do everything perfectly. Even if you mess up, that doesn't mean you'll lose love. Love isn't just a feeling, but a choice you make. You choose to love someone despite their flaws, their misgivings. Everyone messes up, but forgiveness is abundant. However, some things can't be forgiven. On that, I think we agree."

"Indeed. However, what we think can't be forgiven is sure to be different, I guarantee."

"You never answered my question. What does this have to do with what we were talking about?"

Asmodeus frowned. "You mentioned a woman. That Najenth threatened to rape. It made you angry. Because you love her."

"I don't love her. But that doesn't mean that I can't be mad when someone says they're going to rape her."

"You were going to refer to her as something but stopped yourself. Girlfriend, perhaps. Wife, maybe? Though, and you don't strike me as the type, friend with benefits? It doesn't matter, but what does, is that you do care for her. Maybe it isn't love, like you say. But you do care."

Percy was silent.

"Was that all you came here to talk about?" Asmodeus asked, leaning back in his

"What, no? That's not what I came here for."

"Hm. What did you come for then?"

"I have recently been targeted by assassins recently, and as part of one's plot, they drugged me. After examination, we found it was a roofie, and I'm told you are the sole distributor down here."

Asmodeus narrowed all six eyes. "Are you accusing me of something?"

Percy crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. "I was not, but you got quite defensive." The King shrugged before the Prince could respond. "Just an observation. No, I have reason to believe that, yes, you supplied the assassin, unknowingly, on your part. However, that last part is just speculation, and subject to change. Should evidence arrive, of course."

"Of course." Asmodeus repeated slowly. "I still don't understand what exactly you want from me."

"I want a list of everyone you have supplied recently."

Asmodeus frowned. "Lord, while I respect the command, that simply... I mean, do you know how many people I supply a day? Thousands! I cannot possibly give you a list of them all, for I don't even have one for myself."

Percy sighed. "Alright." Suddenly, a thought hit him. "Out of all your consumers, how many would you say are your own subjects? Incubi and the like? If you could put it in a percentage?"

Asmodeus stroked his middle chin. "I would definitely say a majority, I can't imagine many others having uses for the substance."

"Do you recall supplying a gray demon, who seemed to be made of stone? Short and chubby, had wings on his back."

"No, I do not recall a demon like that. But I definitely would, as that would be rather strange. As such, I do not believe I supplied him."

Percy sighed once more. "Alright. Um, what about any notable consumers? Anyone worth mentioning?"

Asmodeus looked off to the side, his eyes glazing over in thought. "Azazel." He said at last. "Of course, You were there when I gave it to him, so if you didn't see anything off with that, I guess he's clear."

Percy's eyes widened. "I watched you give him a roofie? That's what was in that vial?"

Asmodeus nodded. "Yes. You did not know?"

"No! No, of course I didn't know! How could I?" Percy took in a deep breath. " Okay, why would he be worth mentioning?"

"Azazel has never bought anything from me before. This was the first time, and he asked for a really strong dose."

"Interesting." Percy stood up. "I'm going to have to meet with him."

Asmodeus was silent for a moment before speaking, "Liege?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask a favor?"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Depends on what it is?"

"Can you look into something for me? A citizen of mine has gone missing recently. I know you visit the surface often, so maybe you can keep a lookout for her. Her name is Aeshma."

"She's missing?"

Asmodeus nodded. "It's unusual."

"I'll keep an eye out. What does she look like?"

"She has blood red eyes, and dark skin, bronze. Her hair is black, and she has small black horns with red tips on the ends. She also has a barbed tail, also black. Numerous ear piercings. And her teeth are pointed, like most succubi. Thank you, King."

Percy nodded. "You're welcome, Asmodeus. And thank you for the information."

"Of course, my pleasure to serve, Lord."

Percy walked out of the room, out of the strip club, out of Lust, and traveled to the Ring of Greed. He had to walk through two other rings—Envy and Greed. He avoided the violence, before making it to Azazel's mansion.

He used the golden knocker on the door. It must have just been installed, because it wasn't there the last time he was there. He waited for a moment, before the door opened, and just like last time, it was not Azazel who opened the door, but rather, The Man. The pitch black man with red eyes. Without a word he beckoned Percy in.

In a strange sense of déjà vu, Percy once again, had to wait in the golden hall of Azazel's mansion. And once again, he confirmed that Azazel had absolutely zero taste in decorating.

The Man returned and gestured for Percy to follow him. He led the King of Hell past the throne, and down the left hallway. They came upon a door. The Man opened the door for Percy. The Son of Poseidon nodded his thanks as he entered the room. The Man closed the door behind him, leaving him in the room.

Percy looked around. He was in a bedroom, presumably Azazel's. Considering the Prideful Prince himself was sitting on the bed, naked, with a dagger in his hand, black blood coating the blade.

The sight off to the side of the Prince made Percy sick, he had to fight the upcoming vomit. Tied vertically to the wall, spread eagle, her head hanging, was a naked succubus. She had bronze skin, and black hair that fell to her chest, covering her breasts. Her groin had no such covering. Protruding from her head were two horns, black with red tips. A black, barbed tail hung down between her legs from her back. And while her head was down, and thus, couldn't see her eyes, he would've bet his life they were red.

He had found Aeshma. In a terrible state as well.

She wasn't just naked, but covered in numerous cuts all over her body, only healed on the surface, recently bleeding. They weren't surface cuts either, they were deep, which resulted in the pool of blood, black as oil, that was underneath her. Bruises covered her body as well.

Azazel noticed Percy staring and smiled. "Her? She's a beauty, eh?" He offered him the knife. "Want a go?"

Percy couldn't form any words, and just shook his head slowly.

Azazel stood up. "Oh well, more for me." He walked over to the woman and traced the knife's tip against her skin. He traced her underboob, before flicking the knife against her nipples. He reached out with his other hand and held her head up. "She's enjoying it."

She most definitely didn't look like she was. Her red eyes—he was right—were glazed over, her face defeated, as if she had been broken. Her eyes shifted to look at Percy, and they widened. It looked like she was crying for help.

Percy wanted to look away, for what he saw was terrifying, causing ice to freeze his veins, yet he couldn't, the way you can't look away from a car accident. He wanted to intervene, to stop the Prince, but also found he couldn't. Physically unable to. And he hated himself for it.

Azazel seemed completely unaware of the conflict waging within Percy's heart, unknowingly the cause of it. He continued tracing the tip of the knife along the succubus' flesh, new black lines joining the ranks that fought along her body. "Did you come for something?" The Prince asked, not looking back from his broken toy.

Percy took a second to form the words. "I wanted to know why you ordered roofies from Asmodeus..." He trailed off, not sure where to go from there.

Azazel turned around and smiled, a smile that was filled to the brim with malice. "What do you think I used it for?"

"The demon there?" Percy asked, avoiding looking at her.

"Indeed." Azazel turned towards her and took a long sniff of the sweat that coated her body. "I recently found a new hobby." He said. "Breaking bitches. I love the way the give themselves up, the power I have over them..." The Prince let out a moan.

Percy couldn't believe what he was hearing. Azazel was so prideful, so narcissistic that he derived pleasure from inflicting others because it led him to believe he was powerful, fueling his pride.

"I'm... I'm gonna leave you be." Percy said, not wanting to be in the room for another second. He turned around and left the room.

And he held himself in deep contempt for it.

He hurried out of Azazel's mansion. As he left, he felt chilly, as if there was wind that was blowing against him, trying to push him back, push him to help the girl. The girl's eyes were burned into his mind.

What kind of monster was he? To leave someone in the hands of a monster like Azazel. He was no better, worse even. He grit his teeth.

He raced back to his castle, marched through the throne hall, up the stairs and to his room. He slammed the door behind him before letting out a guttural scream, "FUCK!" His fists clenched and shook as spittle flew from his lips. His hands started to feel hot, as if a fire burned within them, waiting to be let out, to ignite and burn everything around him.

To burn Azazel.

But what could he do, fight him? Azazel was a Prince, one of the most powerful beings in Hell. Supposedly only under Percy, but he was a fraud. He didn't defeat Lucifer, he never could have. All of Hell's cries of 'False King' were correct. He didn't deserve the throne he never wanted.

Percy was no idiot, he knew he was powerful. He scared Gods. Hephastus told him long ago, 'you're the Son of the Earthshaker, lad'. He made Alkys choke on her own poison. But, he also didn't defeat Ares in that duel. He had gotten lucky. He had fought Kronos, but not for long before getting outmatched, hell, he never even beat Luke in an honest duel. And despite that, Luke feared him. Gods feared him.

But he couldn't fight Azazel.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door. Percy let out a deep breath and relaxed his tense body, unclenching every muscle he had. Relief flooded his body, but none touched his mind, which was still a raging storm with nowhere to go.

He opened the door to reveal Mephistopheles. "Nico is here, Sire."

"Already? I just got back."

"Time flows strangely in places like these."

"I'm aware. Tell him I'll be down in a second."

Mephistopheles bowed his head. "As you wish, Lord."

Percy closed the door. He looked over at the mirror that had been installed recently. He took in a deep breath to calm himself before opening the door and walked down the stairs.

Just like Mephistopheles had said, Nico was there, waiting in the throne room. "Date night, man!" Nico yelled when he saw Percy enter the room. Then he frowned. "You look like shit dude. What happened?"

Percy shook his head. "I don't want to get into it."

"Alright, fair. If you ever want to talk about it, I got you, okay?'

Percy sent him a grateful look. "Thanks man."

"Yeah. Course."

Percy took his knife out. "Going anywhere specific?"

Nico thought for a second. "You know what, can you send me to Italy? I want to get Will an authentic Italian pizza. Show him my culture."

Percy smiled. "Sure dude. I only know the Leaning Tower, so I'm just gonna send you there. That cool?"

Nico shrugged. "Yeah. I can just shadow travel from there to wherever I need to go."

Percy swiped the knife through the air. On the other side of the rift was the Leaning Tower of Pisa, surrounded by tons of tourists who were taking pictures of themselves supporting the tower. Nico stepped through before turning back to Percy. "Have fun, dude. See you in a week."

"You too, man. Hope Will likes the pizza."

Nico laughed. "Me too."

The rift closed. Percy opened another one to the bench in Central Park. Percy and Artemis' bench. Their bench. He stepped through the rift and sat down on the bench. He waited for Artemis to come by.

As he waited, he tried to rid his mind of the horrific sight that had plagued him since walking into Azazel's room. But he just couldn't forget the succubus' eyes, pleading for him to help her. He tried to shake his head. Hopefully, whenever Artemis arrived, he could focus on the Goddess and forget about the succubus for a while. If only she would show up soon.

He didn't have to wait long. She strolled up to him and sat down. "Hello, Percy."

"Hello, Artemis. Do you have any ideas for today? The last week went by really fast for me, so I didn't really come up with anything."

"Actually, there's something I want to show you." She said, standing up. "Come on."

Percy followed her out of the park and to her car, which was parked across the street along the sidewalk. She slid behind the driver's seat, and Percy got in the passengers'. They drove for a few seconds before suddenly, Percy felt the car start to tilt back. The road faded from view, and as Artemis accelerated, they started to drive in the sky.

The convertible shifted forms, and suddenly Percy was no longer sitting in a car, but a chariot. He and Artemis were sharing the small bench. Percy got up and leaned over the edge of the chariot. Below them, he saw the world passing him by.

"I'm not really allowed to fly." He commented. "Zeus doesn't really like me to be in his domain."

Artemis chuckled. "You are safe. This chariot is my domain, and I welcome you gladly. Besides, this is not the first time you have ridden in my chariot. 'Santa's sleigh', I believe you called it."

Percy's jaw dropped. "You remember that? That was like, eight years ago."

She nodded. "I do. It was funny."

Percy smiled before he shivered. It was a cold night, the middle of February, after all. Artemis noticed, and shifted the reins to one hand. With her now free hand, she summoned a silver parka. "Here." She said.

Percy turned around and gratefully accepted the jacket. He put it on and turned around again, watching as the ground beneath them moved.

"When did you want to have dinner with your mother?" She asked suddenly.

Percy pursed his lips. "I mean, I'm good for anytime, really. We could do it next week, if you want to get it over with. Or in a couple if you don't think you're ready."

"I would not have agreed if I was not ready." She said. "When would your mother be okay with us coming?"

Percy glanced down at the world and noticed something peculiar. The clouds they were driving through created a small moonbow in the light of the moon chariot, although it was fainter than a typical rainbow. "Do you have a drachma?"

Artemis tossed something at Percy. He caught it just before it flew off the chariot. He turned back around and dropped the drachma into the moonbow. "Fleecy, do me a solid. Can you show me Sally Jackson, at her appointment in New York City."

The moonbow didn't respond for a couple of seconds—when it did, it showed his mother at her desk, writing. There were bags under her eyes.

"Mom." He called out.

She looked at him. "Percy? Where are you?"

"Oh, uh, I'm in the sky. On Artemis' chariot."

She blinked. "Wow. Are you having fun?"

"Yeah. But, uh, we were talking, and we wanted to see if you were free next Wednesday for dinner."

She rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, I think that day is good. I don't think we have anything planned for that day."

"Okay. Next wednesday then."

"Okay, honey. Was that all?"

"Yeah, that was it."

"Alright, well, I'll let you get back to your date. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom." Percy said, before reaching down and swiping through the cloudy mist. He turned around. "Alright. We're good for next week."

Artemis nodded. "Alright then."

Percy looked up at the sky above him and sucked in a breath. He had forgotten just how beautiful the night sky was when there was no light pollution. Stars littered the sky, lighting it up. Streaking down the middle was a bunch of darker clouds that seemed to glow from inside. The Milky Way.

Artemis looked over at him and smiled. "Beautiful, is it not?'

"Yeah. You can't get views like this in New York."

Artemis nodded. "I remember when I was young, it was like this all over Greece. Before I first visited Olympus, I would spend the night staring up at the night sky, tracing constellations with my finger. There were less back then."

"Yeah, you put a few in yourself."

"Mmhmm." She paused. "Do you have a favorite?"

Percy chuckled.

"What is funny?"

The son of Poseidon shook his head. "That summer Thalia's tree was poisoned, a quest was sent out to retrieve the Golden Fleece. I wasn't chosen. That night, I went down to the beach to clear my head, and Hermes came to me. He asked me the same thing."

"What did you say?"

"Heracles."

"Because he's the greatest demigod?"

Percy shook his head. "Nah, because he had worse luck than I did. How wrong I was."

Artemis chuckled. "He did not walk through Tartarus."

He nodded. "He didn't. I changed my favorite a bit later anyways."

"Oh, did you?"

He looked up at the sky, trying to find where his late friend rested. He found the stars, and pointed up at them. "That one."

Artemis glanced up and her lips curled into a sad smile. "That is a good one."

"Yeah." He paused before asking, "What about you? Do you have a favorite?"

Artemis sighed. "There are so many, a lot that I put up there too. Orion, the scorpion... Callisto. Maybe her."

"She was the bear, right?"

"Yes. She was raped by my father who took the form of me, resulting in a pregnancy. She hid it from me, and when I found out, I cursed her to be a bear, and told her that if I ever saw her again, I would kill her." A single tear fell from Artemis' eye. "And I kept true to my promise. I put her soul into the stars, to make peace, yet, I still regret it to this day. I could have handled it better than I did."

Percy kept looking up at the stars. The story had stabbed his heart with guilt. The succubus trapped in Azazel's bed chambers had returned to his mind. Would she be something he regretted in the future? Would he look back with disgrace on his actions?

He wasn't going to wait and find out.

He stood up. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. There's something I have to do."

"What? What do you have to do?"

Percy bit his lip. "I can't say, but it's important." He looked over the edge of the chariot. They were over the ocean now. Nothing but sea below them. "I'll see you next week, I swear."

He flipped over the edge of the chariot, falling through the miles between them and the sea. Artemis leapt out of her seat and looked over the rail, but Percy was gone. Disappeared out of sight.

As Percy fell, he withdrew his knife out of the sheath and leaned forward. The wind roared in his ears, rustled his hair. he kept gaining speed, falling faster and faster until he hit the sea, his vision clouded by an array of bubbles. He slashed the water in front of him, creating a rift to his throne room in Hell. He swam through, water pouring through the rift. He sprawled on the floor as the rift closed.

He stood up and dried his clothes at will before racing out of the castle. He ran along the streets until he reached Asmodeus' stripclub in the ring of Lust. He burst in and headed straight for the Prince's office, ignoring the greetings of the succubi.

Asmodeus' office door was closed—the Prince was probably in a meeting—but Percy didn't care. His heart hardened, his will resolved. He burst through the door, interrupting, as he had thought, a meeting.

"Lord Perseus." Asmodeus greeted.

"Prince Asmodeus." Percy greeted back. "We need to talk."