Sally Jackson was a strong woman.
It was perhaps her single most defining trait. Percy knew it. Poseidon had known it. Apparently, even Aphrodite could see it. Still, no strength in the world could have prepared Sally for the sight of her son bleeding the ichor of a god.
Percy watched as his mom's jaw worked in and out. Sally found no words to say. Her hands, still clutched to his arm, had gone slack for only a moment before re-engaging with increased force. Deep blue eyes darted back and forth between the two other occupants of the beach. Percy could tell that his mother was guessing at what was going on because her face kept moving back to him. Apparently the instinct to read her child's emotions had not diminished during his extended absence.
"My lady?" Her nervous query would be left unheeded.
The beach had gone still after Percy's weighty question. The man's words still hung in the air, much like the huge chunk of the ocean suspended above the sand just behind them. The wind died with not so much as a gasp and took with it the shaking of the trees and shrubs that ringed the beach.
The spectral hands had vanished. The bed of fish had fallen still, the deathly silence echoed by a pang of guilt in Percy's chest. More lives to the pile on his conscience. The world seemed to hold its breath.
The goddess' Aphrodite had gone unnaturally stiff. In fact, the Olypian couldn't seem to move her gaze off the golden trails that snaked down Percy's palm. Collectively, the group watched the tiny marks in his skin knit themselves closed in a matter of seconds. The sky bearer didn't feel a thing. His mother paled further.
The picture of beauty didn't seem surprised. Instead, she looked pleased. So pleased that if she were an animal Percy was sure she would be preening. The inferno contained in her eyes was visible now, a swirling streak of neon pink around each pupil.
Finally, the stillness broke.
Aphrodite leaned closer to the ashen-haired man, her back arching in a wholly sensual motion that sent her captivating breasts jutting close to his chest. Percy caught a glimpse of her tongue as it swiped languidly across that full bottom lip before the ruby flesh was pinched between a pair of sharp white incisors. From the way the goddess swallowed, Percy couldn't be sure she wasn't imagining running the appendage up the shining trails on his forearm instead.
Aphrodite was shaking - he hoped that the tremors or her tan shoulders were testament to a monumental battle of self control. Physically, at least. Her aura had no such restraint.
Pink and gold exploded across Percy's vision, and the Aphrodite's presence slammed back onto his form. His knees nearly buckled under the force of it. The ghostly sensation of her touch was everywhere - running fingers across his chest, palms down his sides, nails across his thighs. The man flinched when someone teasingly bit the tip of his earlobe.
Apparently the oppressive aura was shouldered by the sky bearer alone, since his mother only managed to look even more bewildered at his seemingly unprompted stagger. The pink seemed to slide right off her blouse even as it dyed his skin.
The increasing tightness in Percy's shorts didn't blunt his resolve. Rather, the maelstrom in his chest seemed only to increase in pitch and intensity. Refusing to be swayed, the son of Poseidon found his footing in the sand and stood his ground. His resolve pushed the feeling of the love deity's aura away, even if only a few inches. Percy met the storm in Aphrodite's gaze with his own, a frown etching his features.
The man saw his mother flinch suddenly - what Percy couldn't see was the way his own blue-green eyes were literally sparking with visible energy. The staring contest, however, didn't seem to help matters. Instead it did the opposite.
Aphrodite's clear arousal only increased when she saw the set of his jaw. The Olympian's breaths started coming in small pants that echoed with the softest of moans. Aphrodite's seductive hips weaved slowly from side to side, a sensual dance despite her feet not moving an inch. The love deity's hands clasped and unclasped at the same pace as the storm of emotions that he could see running just beneath her features.
It was a fight to keep the feeling of the goddess' off of his body, one that Percy was losing. Despite what he hoped were her best efforts, Aphrodite was broadcasting signals so blatantly obvious that Sally's next words were tinged with more than a bit of danger.
"Aphrodite." The elder Jackson tugged on Percy's arm to put a step of distance between them and the Olympian. It had about as much effect as pulling on a semi-truck, but he dutifully followed his mother's lead. "I am going to need an explanation. Now." The last word made it clear Sally wasn't asking nicely.
Aphrodite visibly struggled to find a polite reply. "Of course, belle-mère." When the goddess finally answered, her voice was a deep and sensual purr that human vocal chords couldn't hope to replicate. Each word was a tug of war between composure and adulterated desire. "There will be a council meeting, however. Perseus' show of power would have been impossible to ignore."
Her eyes never moved a single inch. Percy had to physically resist the gravity of those swirling orbs. The fact that he knew they were burning for him made it so much worse. "An agent has been dispatched already, je soupçonne." That had Percy stiffening, anger flaring into a raised-lip sneer.
"You knew about this." Sally shot back, terse. The goddess made no effort to object.
Instead the Olympian took a hesitant step back into Percy's personal space. The goddess looked like she couldn't help herself, the battle underneath her flawless mask almost visible. Percy saw it all, eyes narrowing. When the man didn't verbally object, Aphrodite did it again. The bare tops of the love deity's cleavage nearly brushed across his skin. Percy had to snap his hand away to keep it from being trapped in between them.
"Aphrodite." Percy's voice came out tight and deep. The sound was a rumble so low he felt the sand shake beneath his feet. It was a primal warning. A warning of what, not even he was sure.
"Je suis désolé mon bien-aime. Forgive me." The sky bearer had never heard the Olympian's French so halted, almost pained. Her throat seemed constricted around each syllable. "I have been waiting for so, so long for this moment. Can you allow me this simple nearness, love?" Aphrodite's features were trembling. She floated even nearer until all the hairs on the back of Percy's neck were standing straight up.
The man didn't know quite how to answer. If he said no, he wasn't sure what would happen. The façade on the goddess' face looked to shatter into a million pieces. Whether the result would be the sudden destruction of his shorts and possible (unfortunately not so unwelcome) loss of his virginity, or something wholly different was yet to be seen.
Percy had never heard her this rattled. Not once through all of their conversations had the goddess sounded so on the edge of her control. It was like Aphrodite was tearing apart at the seams right in front of his eyes. Percy didn't like it. He wasn't sure if that was for his own sake, or for how clearly pained her expression had become. In the end the sky bearer settled for a compromise.
"Fine." Aphrodite unwound like a spring saved from snapping when he didn't move away. Percy's frown remained. "Answer my mom's question."
"Paix, Perseus. Peace." Aphrodite's deflection was twisted in silk ropes, the words slithering over his bare chest and shoulders. The son of Poseidon nearly found himself completely trapped in her gaze but he tore himself free at the last moment. "It wouldn't do to meet the council in such a state."
"Stop it." An extra burst of willpower had Aphrodite's pink retreating, teal taking its place. The goddess' aura wavered, startled as her expression. Percy pushed on through gritted teeth. "I don't plan on meeting them at all." The sky bearer was pleased at the amount of venom he managed to imbue into his words.
Aphrodite blessed the man with a resigned half-smile. It still shone brighter than the sun. "You already have, my love. I am a member, last I checked." That didn't make Percy feel any better.
"I'm not going." Staying resolute was hard when the goddess' floral essence filled his lungs with every breath, but Percy was determined. "You can't make me." Despite his common sense, he believed the words. The sky bearer's view of the surrounding beach was tainted by intermixed swirls of contrasting color.
"You must, mon cher." Aphrodite's voice turned pleading. She fidgeted on her feet, as if disagreeing made her physically uncomfortable. "There are answers there that you will not find anywhere else, answers that not even I can give you." The personification of beauty still hadn't backed away, which let Percy see the infinite depths of emotion in her eyes. "S'il vous plaît, Perseus." There was a tremble to her bottom lip.
"I can't." Percy's throat nearly closed up over the admission. "You know I can't."
The man could still see it, that damned glow that wafted off his mouth with each breath. The green mist formed a bubble around his form, completely surrounded by rose-gold less than an inch away. It wasn't hard to admit that the view scared him. Percy's skin felt tight, his chest constricted. His mother's grip on his arm had turned from frightened to concerned.
Going to Olympus meant seeing her again. Percy wasn't ready. Not now, not yet. The sky bearer kept seeing flashes of red in the corner of his vision - was it hair, or just the sun reflecting off the cliffs?
"You must." The goddess opposite did not relent.
"Percy . . ." His mother seemed to not be able to find the right words to say. Percy could see her teeth nervously working one cheek. The years of age that had lifted but a few minutes ago seemed to settle back on Sally's frame. Percy hated worrying her but he couldn't do this. He couldn't.
"I shall help you, mon coeur. I would betray myself to offer anything less than all I can give." Aphrodite's voice had a pull to it, a weight that belied her true power. "Believe in that if you can believe in nothing else, dearest." Her stunning, regal features might as well have been hand-carved from solid sincerity.
The beach was silent for several breaths. The battle of color in the air between Percy and the goddess had fallen still. Not even the wind dared to stir. Percy's mother seemed to be resisting the urge to bite at her fingernails but she couldn't bring herself to let go of his arm. When the man found his voice, it was scratchy and pained.
"Promise?" Percy had spoken the word before.
"I swear it." Just as she had then, Aphrodite met it with no hesitation. The goddess looked even more beautiful saying the words in person. "Sur mon âme- on my soul."
The goddess opened her arms to either side, tilting her chin up and back. The love deity's aura gradually dissipated nearly to the point of invisibility, leaving her looking more real than Percy had thought was even possible. Almost all of the layers of the veil were stripped away - the cracks in the goddess' divine mask were so visible Percy thought even his mother might have been able to see them.
It took the son of Poseidon a moment to realize what Aphrodite was doing. When he did he swallowed heavily, taken aback. She was inviting a search, physically asking for his scrutiny. Literally baring herself to Percy's judgment. It was a monumental show of trust, far greater than anything the man had expected.
So, search he did. For several beats, the sky bearer looked for an excuse. Percy combed every inch of flawless expression, tested each tiny motion of the features. He dug for any hint of falsehood, any tell of ulterior intent. Through the mask that only he could pierce, he went. Percy wanted, needed just one thing.
He found nothing.
"Okay." Percy couldn't believe the word had even come out of his mouth.
With a last gasp, the sky bearer gave up the fight. The man felt his whole form slump, collapsing in on itself as the last of his will evaporated. The green film atop his skin wafted away in the wind. The crashing of the waves against the shore began to sound suspiciously like funeral bells.
Gods damn him but when he looked upon Aphrodite he believed her. It was an equally horrible and freeing realization. What a fool he was, to have faith in an Olympian. He just couldn't help it.
The son of Poseidon braced himself as the goddess' presence surrounded him once again. Instead of the expected titlewave of seduction, he found that the pink aura decidedly timid. The feel of her slowly wrapped his skin, this time in warmth and comfort like a wool blanket. Previously wandering hands found new purpose gently stroking his hair and messaging at the kinks between his shoulder blades.
It was so pleasant Percy almost forgot why he had fought it in the first place.
"Votre force ne connaît pas de limites, l'amour de ma vie." Aphrodite's voice snapped him from his thoughts. Percy didn't know the meaning of the goddess' words, but by her praising tone and warm expression he could guess. "You held up the sky, Perseus. You are strong enough for this."
Aphrodite's voice was infinitely more sure than Percy felt. The man couldn't hold in his snort of disbelief, looking away with a grimace. One of the invisible hands patted the top of his head, the other sliding softly down one arm. When the man peeked back over at the goddess, Aphrodite's expression was no short of worship. Her face was completely enraptured.
She stared at him like nothing else in the universe existed.
"I find I must apologize for my initial forwardness, my love. I let myself go for a moment. I never, never wished to make you uncomfortable." Aphrodite's voice was literal music to the ears. The quiet whisper was clearly intended only for Percy alone despite his mother's proximity. The remorse painting her expression was only matched by the sheer outpouring of longing buried beneath. "I'll do my best to rein myself in, but I confess that's never been my strongest suit. You make self-control very difficult, mon cher." The goddess' hands had fisted in front of her chest again, apparently to hold themselves in check.
"I know." He did. It was easier to reconcile that he knew a lot about a goddess before he knew she was a goddess. "Thanks. I guess."
Percy shuffled on his feet, flushing under the Aphrodite's gaze. He found his anger towards her slipping from his grasp like sand through fingers. Hadn't that always been the case, even underneath The Burden?
In fact Aphrodite was probably even easier to forgive in person. Percy hated to admit it but the dusting of red across the love deity's cheeks and the slight gap between her lips was practically pornographic. Percy was forced to turn his head away, suddenly extremely conscious of how close she was to his bare chest. One hand came around to discreetly cover his crotch.
Aphrodite seemed to be tailor made to inflict maximum damage to the man's self control. Knowing the female Olympian's domains, that probably wasn't too far off the truth. Everything about the goddess made buried, long-atrophied parts of his psyche howl in desire. Even just standing near her was an exercise in mental endurance.
"Could I just get a pair of pants already?" Percy hated how growly his voice came out. It sat low in his chest, rumbling his ribcage with each word. Part of him wondered if he would need to see a doctor after the trip to Olympus - being so steadily aroused for this long probably wasn't healthy.
Percy held in a snort. Maybe he only agreed because his brain was running on half its normal blood flow.
"Ah." The goddess' expression turned a bit contrite, her ears flushing with a deepened blush. "Please. Laissez-moi vous aider, mon rêve. Allow me." The goddess' eyes flared a bright pink.
Slowly, carefully, as if she was touching an artifact of priceless value, Aphrodite's hands came up towards his face. When the tips of her fingers finally alighted on either cheek, Percy's entire form rippled with warm shivers. The flickering butterflies in his chest became a whirling tornado.
With a thunderous boom, the massive airborne portion of the sea dropped back into its rightful place.
Sally shrieked, nearly jumping out of her sandals as she spun around. The fall of the mass of water shook the whole beach and scared away every bird perched within eyesight. A great wave double Percy's height raced towards the shore before crashing up vertically against an invisible wall no more than a yard away. Uprooted plants and spewing white sand exploded into the air. The restless ocean battered the barrier loudly for several seconds before grudgingly settling.
Percy's ears heard none of it.
"Are you alright, mon coeur? Too much?"
The son of Poseidon was hypnotized at the moment of those perfect lips. It took Percy's brain several long second to realize Aphrodite was even speaking to him. Her hands hadn't moved from either cheek.
"Um." Against his will, Percy found himself touched that the goddess had chosen to ask. He went to to say yes. "No." The smile the man received in response made the frustrating lack of control over his own words worth it.
Said restraint was made infinitely more difficult when Aphrodite began to move again. Emboldened by his answer, the love deity started to gently drag her black-painted nails across his skin and down into the wispy beard he had grown on Othrys. With each torturous inch, great bundles of ashen hair dropped to the sand below as if cut straight by a razor. Her touch traced fire across Percy's face.
He couldn't really see it, but the sky bearer could feel the goddess' power at work. Percy couldn't help the shudders that wracked his form or the white spots that danced across his vision. It was pleasant to the extreme as the love deity took the tangled mess on his cheeks and left behind nothing but just the hint of a darker gray shadow along his chin and jawline.
Sally's eyes were whipping back and forth. The elder Jackson watched the scene with a mixture of complete bewilderment, motherly protectiveness, and unbearable awkwardness. Her mouth flapped open and closed a few times, each building protest dying on her lips.
The shave continued. Every so often Aphrodite would tilt her head and hum in thought, as if flicking through different ideas in her head. Percy's skin felt smooth and flexible even after her touch moved on, like the goddess was simultaneously moisturizing and messaging his face. Her own lips puckered when a swipe of her thumb removed the hair above his upper lip. The love deity unashamedly took extra time at the bottom of Percy's jawline, spending several seconds tracing along its edge. Her searing touch that made the man want to erupt from his skin.
Something in Percy snapped.
The sky bearer hadn't even realized his hands had moved until Aphrodite let out a gasp that quickly morphed into a breathy, primal noise of pleasure. When he looked down, Percy found his fingers gripping the sheer fabric of that teasing pink sundress on either side of the goddess' wide hips. The urge to tear it apart was nearly overwhelming, especially when the top of her barely contained bust was right in the center of his vision.
"Cher moi, Perseus." Aphrodite made no move to remove his hands, nor her own from ghosting across his neck. When Percy saw the color of her eyes darken from pink to a wine-red, he knew the lust had taken control. Those same eyes roared with an unspoken challenge as the goddess' back arched towards him even further. "Careful, dearest. What do you think those hands are doing, hmm?" The pink sundress was straining, smooth skin nearly spilling over. "I promised self-control, not a lack of reciprocation. Un mot, et vous m'auras." The goddess' voice was a purr, white smile predatory.
"I don't know." His restrained growl was the truth. "Sorry." All Percy seemed to be able to do was relax his fingers a touch, not even enough to drop the fabric in either fist. Aphrodite seemed to enjoy that fact. Her sharp grin was decidedly smug.
The goddess' real hands took their time tracing down over Percy's defined collarbones, while the energy of her aura did the same to his back. The man's skin erupts in goosebumps beneath both sets of fingertips. In between blinks a silky sky-blue button up draped itself over his form, tight enough to show off his new bulk yet loose enough to remain breezy and comfortable. There was a strange white design on the breast pocket - a trident superimposed over the stitched outline of clouds, all floating in a heart-shaped container.
The goddess' enrapturing gaze remained locked onto her target. Those deft fingers popped the shirt's top two buttons before falling to expertly roll up the cuffs on either arm to just below the elbow. Aphrodite's ghostly helpers simultaneously smoothed down the collar and fussed with the bottom hem. Percy could feel someone breathing on the back of his neck.
A distraction came when something heavier settled on his hips. It was finally the pants he had asked for - a black pair of tight designer jeans held up by an expensive-looking leather belt. The man lost the feeling of the sand between his toes, though he found it hard to be upset when it was replaced by the comfiest pair of high-tops he had ever worn. Usually, clothing diminished his connection to the sea. Now, Percy felt no difference in the energy thrumming in his veins.
Overall, the whole ensemble managed to scream both 'artful' and 'casual'. The sky bearer would have taken practically anything compared to just a pair of boxers, but this certainly was a larger step up than he had expected. Percy liked it. The son of Poseidon had a feeling the goddess had already known that. The benefits of an infinite budget on a whim, apparently.
When Aphrodite's hands drifted upward again, both finding no qualms about feeling up the now covered dip between his abs, something weighty settled around Percy's neck. His eyes flashed down to find a circular gold locket held on a chain that shone like it cost more than his mother's entire apartment building. He would have reached up to grab at it, if the idea of letting go of the goddess' hips sounded like anything but the worst idea of all time. An invisible touch clicked the chain's clasp shut behind his neck before fading.
Aphrodite hummed deep in her throat, expression pleased. For a moment Percy was allowed to think it was over.
He was wrong.
Quicker than the man could react, one of Aphrodite's hands had swiped up behind his neck before insistently fisting into his hair. The motion only made Percy's grip on her waist tighter, his skin more restrictive. The man nearly melted into his new shoes when the goddess started gently teasing out the thick locks. Each motion was torture so pleasent his brain could fathom of nothing else. After a few seconds it was over, and when Aphrodite's touch retreated Percy could feel that the vast majority of his ashen tangles were gone.
"Wonderful. The curls fit, mon coeur. I suppose it makes sense." Aphrodite's voice was pretending to be aloof but there was something deep, dark, and inviting just beneath the surface. It was equally frightening and thrilling. "The hair color suits you, my silver fox. Même si vous est belle en tout, je vous préférerais en rien." Her whispered French was sex made audible. The goddess' eyes flashed again.
Percy had to swallow to make sure his jaw was still closed.
"My lady!" Sally Jackson finally found her voice. The tone it produced was aghast. "If you are finished trying to seduce my son right in front of his mother, I have a few questions! And gods be damned, any messenger from Zeus can wait." One of her blue eyes was twitching. Percy's mother looked and sounded on the verge of either throwing fists or breaking down.
With the moment broken, Percy found himself dropped back into reality. The man shook his head a couple of times to return the feeling to his face, mind still completely filled with clouds. His fingers felt rusted in place as he finally pried them open, arms dropping limply to either side. The pink sundress fluttered back into place, allowed to live another day. Percy watched as Aphrodite opened her mouth to reply, the color of her irises visibly lightening.
"You'll get no explanation from her, Sally." The deep male voice that responded was decidedly not the goddess'. "My dear niece has been in the habit of keeping secrets these days." Percy had never seen his mother spin around so fast.
"Apparently, even about my own son."
The smile on Aphrodite's face faded from seductive to practiced indifference so quickly Percy almost missed the transition. Her aura fled from his skin, leaving the man surprisingly cold in its absence. The sensation stayed close enough to acknowledge, but there would be no more wandering touches or breaths of hot air.
The goddess put up no resistance as Percy's gaze broke from her own, though she made no motion to put any distance between them. The sky bearer's shoulder ruffled her wavy hair as he turned to behold the new arrival. His first impression is that it was a man.
He quickly realized that wasn't the case.
Around Percy's same height, a stranger had appeared leaning on one leg at the edge of the settling surf. Long black strings of hair peaked out from under a tan fishing cap, somehow both perfectly spontaneous and yet impeccably styled. A few dangling metal lures from the brim framed a dark, neatly trimmed beard set below a pair of striking blue-green eyes that had alarm bells going off in Percy's head. The man's tan forehead and the area around his eyes were set with deep wrinkles.
A wide pair of scarred hands topped his arms, which were folded over a blue Hawaiian shirt covered in smiling sharks. Percy wasn't aware anyone could make cargo shorts look anything but tacky, but somehow this stranger pulled it off. The new arrival stood ankle-deep in the water, unbothered by the ocean darkening his pair of birkenstocks.
He was almost human, yet not quite. It was so close that you might have been fooled at a passing glance. Upon close inspection, however, things just felt off. Too symmetrical, too unnaturally handsome. The man commanded a sort of energy that surpassed his muscular frame, skin luminescent in a way the sun couldn't quite explain.
The bells in Percy's head turned to a full warning siren when Sally crossed her arms in return, face set into a displeased grimace. Somehow, the deliberately blank expression of Aphrodite at Percy's side seemed equally disapproving. The stranger's eyes passed quickly from the irate elder Jackson to the goddess at Percy's side. There was something calculating in his gaze, like he and Aphrodite were sizing each other up.
Percy wasn't sure what conclusion he came to, but the man broke first. Instead, he turned to Percy. When the sky bearer met the man's eyes, he was nearly rocked onto his heels. Clouded memories swirled in front of his vision, nothing more than ghosts and echoes. Percy knew this person. Or did he?
"Hello, Lord Poseidon." Sally was the first to speak. The newly named sea god shifted as Percy's mother threw out the honorific like a piece of dirty laundry. "How can we help you?" Percy's thoughts had exploded to a pitch so loud he almost missed her second sentence.
"Sally." Poseidon answered, his expression turning a bit tender. "I simply . . . I wanted to see our son. When I felt he was awake I needed to check." The god's eyes flashed back to the sky bearer, who was standing completely still. Aphrodite still hadn't said a word, merely observing with a sharp gaze.
Even though he knew it was true, Percy found it hard to believe this was the man whose blood ran through his veins. He had to admit they certainly appeared similar, at least from what little of his appearance he could recall. Percy almost felt like he was looking at a strange version of himself in twenty years with dyed black hair. But no matter the shape of the jaw or the slope of the nose, the sky bearer struggled to find anything else of himself in the god standing at the edge of the tide.
"You gave me two hours with my Lady and my son." One of Sally's feet tapped impatiently into the sand, her entire body tense. "I don't think we've hit the time limit." The elder Jackson turned up her nose. "Again, can we help you?"
The god's face became stormy after the blatant dig, his eyes darkening. Percy's next inhale was cold and salty. "I won't have this argument with you again. I already did you and your Lady a favor by allowing him to heal here on her beach rather than in the heart of my domain. Where he belongs." Poseidon couldn't seem to settle his gaze. The waves crashed chaotically behind his back. "You know I wanted to do more, that I would have given anything. But with the war in Atlantis and the decision of the council-" The sea god went to take a step forward.
"Don't come any closer." Percy's voice echoed across the beach. The wind had picked up again when he wasn't paying attention. A loose top layer of white sand shifted uneasily around the sky bearer's feet. Unseen, the grains swirled into a ring of circles with him at the center.
Percy didn't like this.
He didn't recall much of his father, and the sky bearer couldn't be certain that what flashes he did retain were real memories. Aphrodite's voice suffused every image, every recollection. What was story and what wasn't? Percy honestly wasn't sure he really remembered anything the goddess hadn't told him. Putting aside that immensely troubling reality, the tales that the love deity had recounted of her uncle were those of relaxation and kindness. Maybe not by human standards, but certainly by an Olympian one.
That wasn't the feeling Percy was receiving now. Whoever this stranger was standing at the edge of the surf was not setting a great first impression. The blue that poured from the man's skin was saturated, dark as a sea-trench against the sunny beach backdrop. Percy's own green mist seemed extra bright in comparison.
Contrasted against Poseidon, it became increasingly clear how different the love deity was. Poseidon sounded like he could have been born in California, while Aphrodite seemed plucked straight from the streets of Paris. It wasn't just the language choice, either. That could have been explained away by Aphrodite simply preferring to speak in the tongue named after her domain. Perhaps the goddess did it because she knew it sounded pleasant to Percy. Hades, maybe she just wanted to.
This was more than that.
The sky bearer found himself fixated on the strange difference in how the two Olympians talked, how they moved. The part of Poseidon that wasn't submerged looked strange, almost out of place. It was like someone had cranked up his contrast setting in Photoshop. Just like Aphrodite, Percy's eyes were unconsciously magnetized in his father's direction. With the male Olympian, however, Percy didn't find the gravity especially pleasant.
In contrast to this new arrival, Aphrodite's ever-present glow was downright welcoming. The female goddess flowed from expression to expression, an artful dance between each movement. Instead of being intimidated by her blatant perfection Percy was drawn in. The pink wafting from her skin was very clearly a personal invitation rather than a deterrent. The sky bearer could look at Aphrodite and really believe that if he gave in to the goddess' gravity and touched her he would feel real human skin and not perfectly carved glass.
When Percy's mother looked at him, which did she see?
Either way, the sky bearer could understand why Sally had fallen for the god initially - to the mortal gaze there was something enticing in Poseidon's stance. Perhaps it was comforting to be in the arms of someone so powerful, so fabulously wealthy and influential. Percy knew first hand how nice it felt to be held in high regard by an above-human entity, to be praised and lauded by a being so far above your own natural station.
Looking at Poseidon now brought forth none of those pleasant emotions for Percy. Perhaps it was because his eyes weren't acting particularly mortal at the moment. It didn't take much thought for the ashen-haired man to pick which Olympian he preferred his mom to be close to.
Sally let out a startled noise as Percy reached out and gently tugged her back to his side by one sleeve of her blouse. The sky bearer let himself relax just a touch as his mother was back within his space. Percy felt more than saw Aphrodite's approval at the action and decided he made the right choice.
"Percy." The sea god met his son's stare with his own. "It's been so long." The smile that broke across Poseidon's face seemed so genuine and relieved Percy almost believed it. "It's good to see you. Believe me, I had all the faith in Olympus that you would survive such an . . . ordeal." The wrinkles on the elder Olympian's face became increasingly pronounced. "I'm proud of you, son."
A powerful rush of spite pulled Percy's lips into a snarl, one that nearly bared all his teeth. "A little late for that."
The tops of the cliff-dwelling trees shook audibly as the surrounding breeze grew more aggressive. It was cold against the now bare back of Percy's neck. Restless ocean waves wavered back and forth on either side of the beach, torn between two halves.
Percy only realized his arms were trembling when a delicate hand alighted on one shoulder. Aphrodite's touch was both soothing and exciting wrapped into one. He reflexively shot her a look that poorly concealed his thanks. The genuine smile that broke across the goddess' face for a moment had Percy's heart beating double time.
Poseidon's relieved expression died as quickly as it had appeared, his gaze flicking between Percy and Aphrodite. The sea deity's eyes were glowing. "You have to believe me, Percy. I tried everything I could. I bargained every chip, called in every favor." The god's voice increased in volume as the waves rose in height. "Don't let my failure trick you into thinking that I don't care about you, my son. Be careful where you decide to throw your lot-"
"This is not the place to have such discussions, oncle." Aphrodite's interjection was almost polite, sharp as a butcher's knife as it cut Poseidon off. "Perseus and his mother find themselves weary and emotions are running high. Let us discuss more important matters pour le moment." The look Percy spied on the goddess' perfect face was tinged with more than a hint of warning. "There will be a place for reunions in due time, I believe."
Poseidon's eyelids twitched. "Of course. Niece." The last word was tacked on intentionally. There was a story there, something complex and important that just reeked of politics. Just one more thing Percy didn't have the answers to.
"There has been a summons?" Aphrodite prompted not-so-subtly.
The female Olympian had yet to pull her hand from Percy's shoulder. Instead, the love goddess took a step to the front and reached her other arm around to gently touch his mother's back. In doing so, Aphrodite placed herself at the spiritual center of their little group and directly opposite her uncle. He saw his mother take a deep breath, expression relaxing a touch.
Poseidon would have to have been blind to miss the obvious implications of Aphrodite's action. The god's face was pinched, his aura stormy and displeased. An unnaturally strong wave crashed across the Olympian's legs, spraying sea mist into the air. Some tickled Percy's cheek as it was tossed by the restless wind.
"Yes." Poseidon seemed to struggle to get the word out. "Your father felt the disturbance, same as the rest of us." Aphrodite sighed next to Percy as the sea god continued. "The council demands answers, and so formally requests my son's presence." His eyes flicked to Sally. "Mortal company was excluded. Unfortunately." Percy thought he detected a hint of satisfaction in the god's tone.
"Unacceptable." The word was out of Percy's mouth before his brain could catch up.
The beach darkened as a large cloud was suddenly pulled over the sun. The rolling white forms above were looking less cheerful by the minute. More cumulous seemed to spawn overhead by the second, each darker than the last. The air vibrated with unseen tension. Poseidon went to roll his eyes at the action, before his gaze traced across the sky bearer and the sea god did a visible double take.
Percy hated the idea of going anywhere near Olympus, hated it so much he felt fit to scream. But his father and Aphrodite were right - there were answers that needed to be had and Percy didn't know where else they could come from. He could feel that they were all centered around him. The golden blood in his veins, his unconscious command of the ocean, the pulling sensation in his gut that seemed to swirl in the same direction as the wind.
None of it was a coincidence. Percy hated that, too.
The ashen-haired man had considered physically shaking some answers out of Aphrodite more than once. Perhaps it was stupidity to try and challenge an Olympian to a battle of strength, but being free from underneath The Burden had Percy feeling like he could lift a mountain. That sensation of being on fast-forward hadn't abated and there was an energy flowing through his body that he could have only dreamed of. The implications of that alone had the sky bearer plenty on edge. Percy felt himself pushing closer and closer to a tipping point with each consecutive minute.
Perhaps it was fortunate, then, that the sky bearer's actions no longer felt completely under his control. Where there was anger and confusion, his heart also contained gratitude and tenderness. That damn fluttering in Percy's chest made it so he was probably more likely to hug Aphrodite than harm her.
The goddess, despite her secrets and blatant temptations, had done more for Percy than he could possibly repay. He owed her, both for his life and for his reunion with his mother. The man wished he disliked it, but he really didn't. Aphrodite was at least an ally, if not something more. Percy found himself currently critically short of those.
The goddess kept her promises, and that was enough for now.
"Mom will be there." The younger Jackson reiterated firmly.
Said mother nodded, her expression near-furious. The love deity at Sally's side didn't comment openly, but her stance made it clear into which camp she would fall. Aphrodite's hand still lingered - the longer it stayed on Percy's arm the warmer his skin became. The man could barely make out the edge between the sea-green wafting from him and the goddess' pink aura. The faint colors seemed to dance and blend in the air until there was nothing but a smooth gradient between them.
Poseidon stared at them for a few long moments, something unreadable in his eyes. "I don't make the rules, Percy," the god finally replied. His expression was blank. "I'm sorry."
"Oui?" Aphrodite's tone dripped with faux surprise. "If I may, I beg to differ, Roi des Mers." The goddess leaned forward, her face a careful politeness. "With the Olympian monarchy abolished, any mortal may appear with the express invitation of a council member. One that Perseus' mother has already received from me." She innocently tapped her chin with a finger. "Was your signature the treaty nothing but empty words, then?" The question carried obvious and heavy implications.
Aphrodite's casual drop of several half-insane pieces of information made Percy start and pulled the edges of his father's lips downward. The ashen-haired man shot several wide-eyed glances at the side of the goddess' face before looking to his mother. Sally didn't seem surprised at the jab to the ocean deity's pride, nor any of Aphrodite's other words.
Dissolution of the monarchy? Just another concept that boggled Percy's mind. Was this common knowledge, then? The sky bearer was suddenly keenly aware of all the critical puzzle pieces he was missing.
Poseidon forcibly interrupted Percy's internal questioning. "This is a family matter, niece." The last word came out venomous, the blue of the god's aura visibly increasing. The ground beneath Percy's feet rumbled. "The last I checked you cared not for me and mine."
Rather than put out, Aphrodite gave Percy's father a winning smile. "I think you'll find both points moot rather soon, uncle." Her expression screamed 'I know something you don't'.
That made Percy nervous, despite how alluring the expression managed to appear on the goddess' face. His nose was filled with chocolate and roses as Aphrodite's pink and gold halo visibly flared. The apparitional hands were back, this time merely resting on either of Percy's shoulders.
Poseidon seemed to share his son's wary sentiment. The Olympian's eyes had gained an unsure glint, and Percy could almost see the gears working in the sea god's head. Poseidon's relaxed fisherman ensemble seemed wholly out of place for the direction the conversation had taken. Still, the son of Kronos found the composure to move things back on topic.
"Fine." The word came out stiff. "Sally may attend but she will be your sole responsibility. I'll not be held accountable for her, not anymore."
Percy bristled at the veiled threat. The surrounding wind was raging so fiercely that the whole beach seemed to swell, white sand dunes rolling over themselves like the waves just a few feet away. His mother's hair was tossed about, the woman blinking forcefully to keep the grains out of her eyes. Even Aphrodite's perfect auburn had become a bit disheveled. Thick clouds of dust whipped from side to side, nearly as high as Poseidon's knees.
Despite Percy's anger Aphrodite simply shrugged, unbothered. "Very well."
Sally slumped with an audible sigh of relief, which relaxed her son a tad. Percy wasn't sure if he could have committed to this or any plan of action without his mother. Despite all of the exhausting verbal jousting, at least that had gone their way.
"We've waited long enough." Poseidon seemed to take solace in seizing the initiative. Percy watched him eye Aphrodite's hands once more. "I suppose you'll take them back then." The sea god sniffed, face cold as the depths of his domain. "They'll have to enter alone so my brother can still pretend to be king with his normal spiel. Until then."
Barely giving a moment for Sally to look away, the King of Atlantis and apparently co-ruler of Olympus was gone with an explosive flash of light. No one spoke for several seconds, the two Jacksons visibly recovering from the tense exchange.
With his departure, Percy's father took with him the bulk of the chaotic weather. The beach warmed as the cloud covering the sun drifted aside, bright beams of light sending Aphrodite's hair glittering with an otherworldly depth of color. The sky returned to a bright, shining blue as the storm dissipated much quicker than could be considered natural. The wind deposited its captured haze of sand back to the ground as it whispered to stillness.
Percy shook off the fact that his eyes remained unbothered by his father's exit. It was just one more question for the massive pile. Instead, he turned his body to the female Olympian that hadn't stepped more than a foot or two away since their first conversation. Aphrodite shifted to face him in return.
"Je suis désolé - My deepest apologies, Sally." Percy was surprised to hear the goddess address his mother since her swirling eyes were still fixed on his own. Aphrodite's voice was subdued. "It seems I let myself be carried away once again by the touching nature of your reunion." That picturesque face was tainted by a small frown. "I never expected Perseus's father to interrupt, but I should have. Laisse le blâme reposer sur moi, Ms. Jackson." Her focus didn't leave Percy through the entire apology.
"Nonsense, my lady." Sally waved Aphrodite's words away. "I know how he can get more than anyone else. I'm just disappointed it took me so long to see it."
When his brain registered that cryptic statement Percy's vision shifted to his mother. His eyes followed as she took a few steps away to retrieve the long-forgotten casserole dish from its sandy resting place. The older woman made a displeased noise as she beheld the crusting food and copious dusting of sand across the surface. The thing was almost half buried in the beach, only one handle even visible, but she kneeled down to try and dig it out anyway. Percy could see her hands were trembling.
Considering his mother sufficiently distracted, Percy looked back to Aphrodite. She was waiting for him, unflinching. In her eyes he could see a reflection of his own irises - increasingly bright green and swirling with an internal whirlwind.
"She calls you 'my lady'." Percy's voice was firm, factual. "Poseidon wasn't pleased to see either you or mom, and there was clearly something going on between you two." Each terse observation was answered with a small nod. "Are these just more things we apparently don't have time to talk about?"
To her credit, the goddess answered Percy's displeased tone with a repentant downward tilt of the head. She looked almost like a scolded puppy.
"Were it in my power, mon idée fixe, we would have all the time in eternity to reveal the answers you deserve." Aphrodite's voice had taken on that hushed, devout quality again that sent shivers through Percy's core. "I ask that you wait just a little bit longer, dearest. At the summit, much shall be revealed. Le moment critique est presque arrivé." The Olympian peered upward at the sky bearer through perfectly sculpted eyelashes softer than a down blanket.
"We'll talk, after." Percy crossed his arms. "I have questions, and I don't want any more secrets. Especially if it concerns my mom." The man found it difficult to ignore the feeling of his shirt straining to contain his new muscles at the action. Apparently the goddess found the sight difficult to overlook as well, if her thick swallow was any indication. One of the invisible hands lingered on one bicep before fading.
Eventually the love deity lifted her chin, her expression warring between gratitude, restraint, and white-hot lust. "Of course. You speak with noble sentiment, my love. I expected nothing less." The personification of beauty drifted terrifyingly close again, this time not hesitating to lay a set of delicate fingers on his covered chest. "Your love for her is the answer to more of your questions than you suspect, mon grand."
Percy sensed the conversation turn as Aphrodite licked her lips, just once. He was helpless as his eyes dropped to painstakingly track the motion. "I only ask one favor in return. I find I much prefer it when we are casual with one another, just as we were before."
The sky bearer blinked, surprise blooming underneath the pink fog in his head. Was that nostalgia or something else in her tone?
"Besides, as I told your mother I require no honorifics from you." The goddess had him spellbound, and she knew it. A spectral hand tugged at the front of his waistband, pulling his unresisting form all the closer. They were nearly chest to chest. "Simply my name shall suffice. You may have your pick of many. Aphrodite, Venus, Cytherea . . . choose one or all, mais fais-en le votre."
"Which would you prefer?" Percy's mouth was numb, moving of its own accord. The sky bearer's question was answered with a sight that had quickly become burned into his brain.
Aphrodite's smile blessed his gaze, the real one with just the small upturn of the lips and the most arresting pair of dimples ever conceived. The entire beach seemed to brighten with the very action. That lightning between them was back again, this time so strong it was impossible to ignore. Percy felt it thrumming through his veins as he fell deeper into the chocolate swirl in the love deity's eyes. The Olympian's full red lips parted and-
"Ahem."
Sally Jackson cleared her throat less than gently. "As . . . cute? . . . as it is watching you play my son like a fiddle, Aphrodite, I think Lord Zeus is probably getting impatient."
With the goddess' spell broken Percy could finally control his body again. He took a hasty step away and nearly tripped over his own feet. When the man turned to his mother, she looked wholly exasperated. Out of the corner of his eye the sky bearer noticed Aphrodite's hand linger in the air before falling away.
"If it isn't too bold, for once I agree with your father." The elder Jackson added. Apparently the food in the dish had been a lost cause. The thing remained, still partially absorbed by the sand a few yards away. Sally was watching both her son and the goddess carefully.
The scrutiny of his mother had Percy's face once again rushing to a heated tomato-red. The man tried, and failed, to hide a subtle adjustment to his waistband through one pocket. Aphrodite merely smirked, and a sort of challenge passed between the gazes of the two women that Percy couldn't even begin to understand.
"You would be correct as usual, Sally. Come, then. Laisse nous partir." The love goddess reached out a hand to lay it on Percy's mother's shoulder, the other finding his forearm with two delicate fingers. "Hold your breath belle-mère." When Aphrodite turned back to Percy, her expression was simultaneously bursting with excitement and weighted with strained nervousness.
"To Olympus."