When the battle is won and the streets are clear, Nico and Juliette are carried like heroes to the Empire State Building by their fellow demigods.
Nico looks uncomfortable with so much physical contact, but one screech of laughter from Juliette and he grins, reaching out to knock his bloodied knuckles against her outstretched fist. The crowd, led by Clarisse, tosses them in the air a few times before lowering them to their feet at the elevator to Olympus. Hades, Persephone, and Demeter come striding through the crowd behind them, and the demigods cheer and whistle for their arrival. They enter the elevator together, and Nico glows with pride when his father rests a hand on his shoulder for the ride up.
The council meeting all feels like a blur to Juliette.
She remembers parting ways with Nico when they reach the throne room, pushing him encouragingly forwards when Hades waves him over to sit beside his makeshift throne. The giddiness in her chest as she watches her friend plop down beside his proud father's seat will be a memory to sustain her for years.
She remembers the awards ceremony: Annabeth's and Grover's promotions, Tyson's stick, and the icy cold terror that gripped her in the moments before Percy's refusal of immortality. He'd looked at Zeus like the god had grown a second head, glancing over at Tyson, at Juliette, and finally at Annabeth. Then, he'd basically told the King of the Gods to go screw himself and pay some child support.
Juliette couldn't be prouder.
Her memories of the event really zero in when it starts to disperse. The gods of Olympus rise from their thrones, a drone of chatter beginning to buzz throughout the chamber, and Juliette's eyes laser focus on one figure in particular.
Aphrodite is standing gracefully from an ornate, golden-wicker chair with a pink cushion. Her blonde hair falls gently across her shoulders in windswept waves as she smiles sweetly to Ares beside her. The god of War kisses her hand and trudges off to greet his children, who erupt into cheers as he joins their midst.
Juliette holds her breath.
Sparkling sky blue eyes sweep the chamber and come to rest upon her. Julie's heartrate picks up. She wipes her hands on her pants. Her palms feel clammy. She can feel her knees shaking as her mother opens scarred pink lips slightly in surprise.
Their gaze connects for a second. Two seconds. Three.
And Aphrodite looks away.
She smiles at Annabeth instead, says something Juliette can't make out, and then sweeps out of the room in a flurry of wind and dove feathers.
Juliette's chest feels empty. There's lead in her shoes. She stares at the place her mother disappeared from for an unknown amount of time until a female voice sighs behind her.
"You are Juliette Aster?"
Julie turns around, feeling hollow. Then, her eyes widen when she realizes who's addressing her. She drops into a bow. "Queen Hera! Um...yes, I am. Hello."
Julie cringes.
Hera hums and hooks a finger under Juliette's chin. She pulls her face up and the girl straightens her posture so the goddess can study her. The queen's eyes are calculating, scanning. She clicks her tongue disapprovingly.
"No." She sighs. Hera releases Julie's chin from her grasp and waves a hand dismissively. "You are not good enough."
With that encouraging statement, the goddess turns on her heel and strides back to her husband's side. The pit in Juliette's chest grows deeper.
"Do not listen to her." Chirps a new voice.
Juliette tries not to groan at being addressed again and turns around, meeting the calm green eyes of a young girl. She has long auburn hair pulled into a tight braid, a gleaming silver circlet resting above her eyes. Julie's emotions dim a bit, and she offers a small curtsy.
"Lady Artemis." She greets.
Artemis offers her a kind smile. "You fought impressively today. I'd wager to say this battle was won greatly in part to your efforts. Do not think that goes unnoticed by us all." The goddess smiles. "I could do with a powerful maiden like you in my hunt. And, I'm sure Thalia would be thrilled to have you along when she recovers."
Juliette blinks in surprise at the offer. "But, I'm a child of-"
"Aphrodite," Artemis wrinkles her nose in distaste at the name. "I am aware. But, you aren't truly, are you?" She asks with a sympathetic smile.
Indignation rises up Juliette's throat. She inhales sharply.
Julie swallows her wounded pride and offers Artemis a smile in return, eyes hard. "Thank you, Lady Artemis, but I am a child of Love. I will not betray my mother's domain." She replies firmly.
Artemis frowns at her. "Very well, I suppose. If you should change your mind, visit my cabin."
Juliette watches the young goddess disappear into the crowd in an instant and sighs tiredly. Gods. She has got to get out of here.
She pushes her way through the crowd and arrives at the elevator just as the doors are closing. Percy sticks out a foot to catch them.
"Hey, you." He greets with a smile, pulling her inside with him and Annabeth.
"Hey, you." She responds. Her head feels too heavy to hold up anymore. She lets it fall back against the wall of the elevator with a thump.
They stand in silence for a beat, listening to whatever awful Neil Diamond song is playing above their heads. Then, Percy sighs and runs a hand down his face.
"I gotta Iris my mom." He mumbles. Annabeth and Julie look over and laugh lightly. He peers at them between his fingers. "Anybody got a drachma?"
Annabeth shakes her head. "Used all mine. Will made us pay the pharmacies back for medical supplies."
Juliette snorts. "Of course he did." She waves Percy over, and he crooks an eyebrow at her. "Come here, idiot."
He pouts at the rude name, but complies. Julie lifts his arm up to gain access to the side of his breastplate. She chokes. "Ugh, you stink."
He rolls his eyes, but grins when Annabeth laughs. "I've kinda been fighting a war."
"And that means you can't put on deodorant?" Julie counters. She pulls out an arrow and raises the sharp head to a line of stiches along Percy's ribs.
He yelps. "Don't stab me!"
"I'm not gonna stab you, stupid. I can't stab you even if I wanted to!"
"Oh, yeah."
"Uhuh." Julie rolls her eyes and uses the arrowhead to tear the seam. She reaches her fingers into the hole it opens up between the padding and draws out two golden coins.
Percy gapes at her. "When did those get there?!"
Annabeth smiles at Juliette softly. "So, that's what you were doing with the breastplates all summer." She observes.
Julie nods and looks down at the drachmas.
"Wait, you put those there? Why?" Percy sputters.
Juliette looks up self consciously. "So we wouldn't have to pass them out before the battle."
Percy frowns in confusion. "Why would we have to-...oh." Grim realization dawns on his face. He smiles sadly and places a hand on Juliette's shoulder. "The fare?" He asks.
Julie nods.
"You're pretty smart, you know that, Julie?" Annabeth mutters with a smile.
Juliette bites down on her lip at the compliment and shuffles her feet. Percy pulls them both into a tight hug. They stay that way until the doors ding and slide open, revealing Sally and Paul arguing heatedly with the bald doorman guarding the entrance. Percy cracks a grin.
"Guess I won't be needing it, after all." He laughs. He flips the coin into the air, and Juliette catches it. She slips it into her pocket.
She won't be needing it either. Her family is all right here.
Hades sticks around long enough to transport the dead to camp for them.
Well, all the dead they found.
When they arrive at camp, the bodies are laid out under white sheets in a neat row outside the Big House. Juliette doesn't think it's a sight she'll ever be able to scrub from her eyelids.
Nico takes charge of the funeral rites without hesitation, assigning different cabins tasks to prepare the bodies. He sends the Demeter and Hephaestus cabins to build pyres. The Ares and Athena cabins collect personal belongings to burn with them. Juliette splits up her siblings, sending one to each cabin that lost a camper to help out those who can't sew with embroidering the shrouds. Drew has been MIA since they arrived at camp. They let her process on her own.
Juliette isn't told about Silena's death. It must have slipped everyone's mind during the talks after the battle. Instead, she finds Clarisse wrapped up in Chris' arms, crying over her body. There's a moment when Julie first approaches where she and Chris lock eyes. There's a split second of surprise, then recognition, guilt, and then horror. Julie's gaze drops to her sister, and everything falls apart.
Silena's once beautiful face is half melted with drakon venom. Her blue eyes are open and glassy, clumps of melted mascara still ringing the inner corners. She's wearing armor - Clarisse's armor - and looking every bit like a fallen Valkyrie on her way to Valhalla.
But, she's not. Because then Julie sees the scythe charm on her bracelet.
Frigid agony explodes in Juliette's brain, images flashing before her eyes so quickly they blend together like a movie. They're scenes Julie doesn't remember. But, she must. Because that's her voice yelling in her mind. And Silena's yelling back.
A wave of nausea threatens to knock her off her feet. Her world starts to spin. She can't be here right now.
Julie turns on her heel and sprints for Cabin 10. Heads turn to follow her as she passes, pity in every expression. Pity for the girl who's lost her big sister. Who must be in so much pain she needs to be by herself. By herself to grieve the hero Silena Beauregard.
What do they know?
She crashes through the door and keeps going, not slowing until she's on her knees in the bathroom, vomiting everything she has into the pink marble toilet. Sobs tear violently from her lungs in between retches. She can't feel her legs - can't feel any of her body. All she knows is the pain in her head and the betrayal in her chest.
Hesitant hands brush her hair from her shoulders, holding it away while she vomits. Julie doesn't know who it is. She doesn't care. Because everything she thought she understood about the world just got turned on its head.
Because Silena is dead. Worse, Silena let her down.
Julie didn't know that was possible.
By the time the nausea passes, her whole body is trembling. The hands from before release her hair and reach up to flush the toilet. Juliette stays hunched where she is.
She vaguely hears the sink running behind her. Moments later, a damp cloth is wiping around her mouth. Whoever it is got the rag too wet. It's dripping all over the floor. And their hands are shaking.
The person eases her back away from the toilet and pushes her down to rest against the white cabinets. Julie finally looks up and finds Nico's uncomfortable face peering down at her. She almost laughs. Only he could fight a war without flinching, but look so terrified when faced with a crying girl.
Terrified or not, Nico settles down beside her. He wrings his hands nervously.
"You know-" He cuts himself off, pauses, shakes his head, and tries again. "When I lost...Bianca..." Nico's voice trails off at her name, like the force of hearing it out loud makes him forget what he was going to say. He blinks long and hard before continuing. "I shut myself away. It made it worse."
Julie looks over at him. "Are you giving me advice?" She doesn't mean to sound as incredulous as it comes out.
Nico cringes. "Okay, I guess I'm probably not the best source on how to do...this...well." He admits with a sigh. He looks at her, a little lost and very hesitant, but altogether earnest. "I just mean I understand what you are feeling. And maybe that means I can help. If you want."
If Juliette could feel anything other than the crushing weight of betrayal those images have brought, she might find his unsure expression endearing. Instead, she scoffs.
"Nobody could understand this." She hisses.
Nico flinches. He twitches nervously and starts to spin the skeleton ring on his hand.
"I know it feels that way," He says. "But, I really think I might-"
"No, Nico!" Julie interrupts heatedly. He slams his mouth shut, eyes wide. Juliette sits up angrily. "You don't understand! Because Bianca died a hero. Bianca died to save Percy - to save a goddess! You want to know what Silena did?"
She spits the words at him like venom. Like acid. Like everything filling her veins right now. Like what spilled from that drakon's fangs as it melted away her sister's beautiful skin.
"Silena sold us out! Silena got the people she loved killed. Michael Yew. Castor. Lee Fletcher. Rose Altman." Juliette's voice rises with every name.
"Jessica Anderson. Mark Reed. Caleb Calloway." Nico looks up at her with wide eyes. The next name tears from her with a sob.
"CHARLIE BECKENDORF!" She screams, now on her feet.
"She got all of them killed. All of them. Because she was stupid. And selfish. And gullible. And because when I caught her sneaking into the woods at night to meet Luke and tried to get her to stop, she FUCKING CHARMSPEAKED ME!"
All of the grief and agony of the last hour returns full force. Her knees slam into the tiles as sobs wrack through her. She gasps desperately for air, wanting to scream and pass out all at once. She can see Silena's face in her head. That guilt ridden look she gave Julie every time they spoke for months after that day in the woods. It had been before even the Labyrinth. Over a year ago. All this time...
Nico's hands hover over her trembling shoulders like she's made of glass. Like he's scared to touch her lest she collapse into nothing. Julie gags on her words as she forces them out.
"She made me forget." She chokes out. "She made me forget."
He finally wraps her up into his arms. She goes limp against his shoulder as every tear she has left spills out of her. Her voice is hoarse from screaming, but she can't stop talking. She needs these words out of her. She needs all of this to stop.
"She made me forget." Julie repeats. Nico tightens his hold on her. "She told me to go back to bed, to go to sleep, and to wake up without remembering that I ever followed her. I could have stopped this." She whimpers.
Nico draws back sharply then, and his grip on her shoulders turns bruising. "No." He snaps. "No, you couldn't have. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say."
Julie looks at him hopelessly. He sighs.
"Look, you're right. I don't know how that feels. But, I do know that, at the end, she died for something good." Nico says sternly. "If it weren't for her, we'd have lost the war. Regardless of what she did before that."
Julie drops her eyes to the pink and white floor tiles. Her tears have slowed, but she's still shaking. Nico squeezes her shoulders more gently this time and pulls her back to lean against the cabinets.
They sit in silence for what feels like hours. Maybe it is. Julie's never been one to wear a watch. Nico doesn't get impatient with her. He just sits on the stiff floor and stares at the opposite wall, letting her slump against his shoulder and cover his jacket in tears. And probably snot. She'll have to wash it for him.
The thought pulls a choked laugh from her, and he turns his head curiously. She smiles and shakes her head in dismissal.
A glint on a bottle catches her eye. Sitting on the rolling cart by the sink is Lacy's nail polish collection. Julie reaches out and plucks a color.
It's deeper blue than the one in her bedroom. Closer to black than blue, really. She unscrews the top and looks at Nico questioningly. He rolls his eyes and offers her his hand.
She spends a good ten minutes painting just those five fingers. His nails are chewed short, but he has nice long fingers. He could be a hand model if it weren't for the sword calluses. He doesn't find this observation as fascinating as she does.
When she finishes with Nico's right hand, she looks up at him. He's staring down at the dark blue paint curiously, having watched her every meticulous stroke of the brush as she applied it. Nico feels Julie's eyes on him and looks up with raised eyebrows.
"Will you stay?" Juliette asks him quietly.
Indecision dances in his dark eyes. He's silent for a while. She lets him think. She doesn't want empty promises. She's had enough heartbreak for one day.
In the end, he doesn't answer her. He just offers her his left hand instead.
She thinks, as she sets the first stroke of nail polish onto his finger, that it's enough.
The funerals end up beautiful. Nico does an amazing job. Juliette's incredibly proud of him.
Silena burns with a hot pink shroud. Julie isn't sure who embroidered it. It certainly wasn't her, but she thinks she sees Mitchell's handiwork. She decides not to tell the kids. What happened with Silena will stay between her and Nico. She can pretend for their sake. It doesn't matter anymore, anyway.
Chiron approaches her after the pyres are out with a grim expression. He tells her Drew has refused to speak to anyone since the battle. That because of her state, Juliette is going to be Head Counselor now. She doesn't understand how to feel, so she just thanks him and returns to the crowd.
Dinner is a casual affair. No one feels much like celebrating with the funeral smoke lingering in the air, but congratulations are still exchanged between warriors. Julie smiles every time she sees Nico or Percy patted on the back in thanks. She even gets some herself. It's sweet. She tries to be happy. Even when her eyes get pulled towards the empty seats between campers.
Tyson and Annabeth come collect her after dinner and she's dragged to the kitchen of the Big House to bake Percy some birthday cupcakes. In the end, they're only able to find one half-melted cupcake tin and no wrappers, so they're forced to pry the weirdly shaped sort-of-cupcakes out of the pan with a butterknife. Annabeth laughs until she can't breathe when she takes the first bite out of the only batch to make it out of the oven without catching on fire. Apparently, Tyson and Juliette are both individuals who should never be allowed around consumables.
At least the icing is blue.
They go together to bring it to him, but, as they approach, Julie grabs Tyson's hand and pulls him backwards with a wink. He looks at her in confusion.
"What are you doing?" He asks.
Juliette grins at him. "Let's give the lovebirds some space, big guy."
Tyson's eyes widen, and he looks at where Annabeth is sitting down next to Percy at a picnic table. "Brother and Anniebeth like each other?" He gapes.
Julie laughs and tugs on his arm. She points to a nearby patch of bushes. "Ssshh, let's hide! I wanna hear what they say!"
So, giggling, the two of them cram themselves between the branches of a nearby boxwood to eavsedrop. Julie eventually has to slap a hand over Tyson's mouth to keep him from chortling so loud that they get caught. Annabeth and Percy chat close together at the table, sharing the cupcake half and half.
When they finally lean in and kiss, Juliette squeals so loud she gets the entire camp's attention. Clarisse whips her head around and smirks when she sees the scene.
"Well, it's about time!" She shouts. The campers all charge the new couple and Percy and Annabeth are scooped up and tossed into the lake to "cool off."
Julie cackles so hard she gets the hiccups when they don't resurface. But then, her eyes migrate past Clarisse's angry pout and see Nico. He's green. His eyes are wide, his mouth dropping open and closed like a fish out of water. His chest is heaving, and it looks like the beginnings of tears are gathering in his eyes.
Juliette stands in alarm and starts to call his name. But, before she can get a sound out, Nico stumbles backwards into the shadows and disappears.
Juliette is unpacking her clothes into a dresser in Cabin 10 when Drew finally speaks. It's just the two of them in the cabin, Juliette beginning to move her belongings into Silena's bunk while the younger kids are at activities.
She just helped save the world. She figures the least her mother can do in return is continue ignoring her existence.
Drew sits on her bed stiffly and watches Juliette work.
"She was a traitor."
Julie stops folding the tank top she's holding. She drops her hands to the bed and turns her head. Drew is glaring at her, tears in her eyes. Waves of rage, sadness, and frustration are painting the air around her a rainbow of miserable colors. Julie gives her a soft look.
"I know." She whispers back.
Drew looks surprised. She glances between Juliette and the bunk she's settling into.
"Then, why...at the funerals, you said-"
"Because she was my sister." Julie sighs. She sets the shirt down and turns to face Drew fully. "I love her. I can be angry and still love her."
Tears drip down Drew's cheeks. She swipes them away irritably and twists her fingers into her red duvet. "She betrayed us. She didn't love us."
"She did."
"She didn't!" Drew shrieks. She marches forward until she's face to face with her sister, cheeks red with anger. "She loved you!" She spits. "She did it because of you! Because she hated that Mom doesn't like you."
Julie blinks at her in shock.
"Oh, what, hadn't worked that out?" Drew laughs bitterly. "You were always Silena's favorite. From the first day you got here. You really think she wouldn't go to war for you?"
"I-"
"She went over to Luke's side for you. She got our friends killed. She is not a hero. Don't you ever call her that again!"
"She isn't, Drew, you're right. But, I'm going to keep saying that because sometimes memories are worth preserving." Juliette snarls. "Yes, she did all of that. Yes, it was stupid and selfish, and it had terrible consequences. But, we'd all be dead if she hadn't done what she did in Manhattan. So, what is the point of bringing it all up now?!"
"She doesn't deserve all of this-this honor!"
"SHE'S FUCKING DEAD, DREW! WHY DO YOU CARE?"
"BECAUSE SHE NEVER GAVE A SHIT ABOUT ME!" Drew screams in her face. They're both sobbing at this point. Someone is pounding at the door, asking if they need help. Drew lets out a gasping breath and clenches her fists. "She never gave a shit about me. So, why do I still feel like this?"
Juliette looks into her older sister's eyes. The scorching hot blaze of rage around her fizzles out into a sea of despair. In one fluid motion, Julie reaches out, pulls Drew into her arms, and they both sink to the fluffy white carpet of Cabin 10 to cry together.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." Julie confirms. Percy frowns and shuffles his feet. She smirks at him "What? Gonna miss me?"
He huffs. "Honestly, yeah." He admits. At her soft look, he clears his throat and fixes a silly smirk to his face. "I mean, who am I gonna hold under the covers when I have a good fart saved up?"
"You should try that with Annabeth sometime. I think she'd find it hilarious."
"Nice try, you're trying to get me killed!"
"It was worth a shot."
Julie smiles at him. She punches him hard in the arm when the sad look returns to his face.
"Hey!" He protests.
"It's just for this semester," She insists. "I'm head counselor now. The kids need me."
Percy sends her a warm grin. "So, it's going well then?"
Julie smiles bright and wide. "Two weeks in the cabin and not a single housefire." She declares proudly.
"Nice!" He laughs, and they slap a high five. "Seriously though, come visit, okay? I need you to keep me from screwing up and getting dumped."
"Oh, so I'm just your built in relationship counselor?"
"Well, yeah, why else would I keep you around?"
Juliette rolls her eyes. "I can fly, y'know. I don't think visiting will be too much of a hassle. Especially if Sally makes spinach enchiladas again. I'll definitely make room in the ol' schedule for that." She winks.
Annabeth calls for Percy from the top of the hill, and he adjusts his grip on his duffel bag. He looks a little nervous again. "I'll see you at school, right?"
"Yes!" Julie sighs. She turns him around by the shoulders and gives him a healthy shove forward. "Now, go. Your happy ending awaits, Perseus."
She rolls her eyes at the lovestruck grin he gets when he sees Annabeth waiting for him by the road. He takes off at a sprint to catch up with her, and Julie watches him go with a fond shake of her head.
He doesn't look back. She couldn't be more proud.
Julie turns her face up to the clear summer sky and lets herself get lost in breeze.
Blue really is the best color.