I won't ramble. Life got busy and I lost motivation for a while, but I'm back and ready to keep working on this fic.
Now on to the chapter!
"You know," Eda said as she set her book down on the kitchen table, her hand detaching to keep her page. "I thought she would have gotten tired of reading those books by now."
Percy looked up from his notebook, the pages filled with messy writing.
"You'd think that," He replied with a bored expression. "I've only been living with her for about three months, but I've heard the entirety of that book like four times already," Percy looked back down at his notes. "It's even worse now that she has a new person to read to."
Eda leaned to the side to look into the living room, finding King lying on his stomach, his focus entirely on Luz's expressive live reading.
A small smile came on her face. She'd noticed that King seemed much happier in recent times, the small demon enjoying having more people in the house.
"King doesn't seem too bothered."
"Trust me, he'll get tired of hearing about Hecate and Azura's 'obvious romantic' chemistry eventually," Percy replied, his tone indicating how tired of it he'd already become.
Eda looked to Percy suddenly with a look of mild surprise.
"Hecate? Like the ancient witch?"
"I was referring to a character in Luz's book, but I was not expecting you to know that name."
Eda turned to face Percy and nodded.
"Every kid learns about her in history class, though very little is known about her,"
"Why's that?" Percy asked, his expression suddenly intense.
"The only thing she is known for is being Veilmire's teacher, at least according to them."
"And Veilmire is that witch who used divine magic a long time ago right?" Percy's face seemed paler than Eda remembered.
"Yeah, that's the one," Eda's brow furrowed in concern. "You alright kid? You seem a little off."
Eda liked to think she knew Percy pretty well. She'd spent a considerable amount of time with him prepping and brewing potions. During that time, Eda had gotten a pretty good handle on how he expressed himself. He was happy and easygoing most of the time with the few arguments they'd had being the only times she'd seen him angry. Beyond that, Percy expressed the rest of the emotional spectrum in small ways, but there were a few exceptions. He rarely showed any form of fear or distress, even in situations where Eda felt they would have been warranted. The only time she recalled seeing him express distress was when she first brought up Veilmire…
Eda's train of thought was cut off by Luz entering the kitchen with a large basket in her hands.
"Eda you have a package!" The girl exclaimed in excitement as she set the basket on the counter.
Setting her thoughts aside, Eda peeked into the basket and was met by a small creature wrapped in a blanket.
"What is that?" Luz asked happily, ever excited about new experiences.
"Whatever it is, it's ugly," Percy replied, earning him a swat from Luz.
"There's a note!" King said as he handed a piece of paper to Eda.
Reading through it quickly, Eda's face fell before brightening again once she got to the end.
"Long story short, Bat Queen wants us to watch her kid for a while," She said quickly. "If we do, she'll pay us."
"Who's the Bat Queen?"
"And since when do bats have a monarchy?" Percy asked after Luz's question.
"She's the wealthiest demon on the isles, get in good with her and you're set for life!"
Eda watched as Luz's face lit up and as Percy threw his head back and groaned.
"We're watching a kid?!" The two said in unison, though their tones were vastly different.
"No," Eda said immediately. "You two are going to the library to return these books."
Eda drew a spell circle causing a large stack of books to appear and land in Luz's arms. After a moment of consideration, she stuck her hand into her hair and pulled out a small coin pouch.
"These books are overdue and you guys might need to pay late fees," Eda said as she tossed the coin pouch to Percy.
Percy caught the pouch with ease, nodded at her, and pulled Luz toward the door.
Eda watched the pair leave before looking down at the baby.
"You don't seem like you'll be too much trouble," Eda said softly as she moved to play with the baby's hair.
Unfortunately, as soon as her hand touched the baby, it woke up and started screaming.
"Why did I have to say that!" Eda thought as she chased after the baby that was now flying around the room.
"I'm surprised that you of all people like to go to the library," Luz said loudly as she and Percy walked.
"Neither can I," Percy replied dryly, "But you didn't have to say it like that."
Growing up the library was, unsurprisingly, one of Percy's least favorite places. A child with ADHD and dyslexia being told to shut up, sit still, and read did not make for a fun time. However, since discovering his dyslexia didn't affect him in the Demon Realm, the library became a place he visited quite frequently.
The place had been a boon in his journey to learn as much about magic in general, but especially about potions. In the few weeks since discovering his love and talent for brewing, he'd devoured any book about the subject he could get his hands on. He hoped once he'd learned enough, Eda would finally let him experiment.
"I wasn't trying to be rude, I was just surprised since you can't really read," Luz responded quickly, seemingly having enough shame to look bashful. "How are you able to read by the way? You never explained."
"Apparently Belos made it mandatory for every piece of text in the Boiling Isles to be enchanted so anybody can read it," Percy said with a shrug. "Makes it easier to spread your message if you don't have to deal with language barriers I guess."
"Wow, I can't believe the evil emperor is who we have to thank for your sudden studiousness," Luz said with a look of shock.
"Don't remind me. The idea of thanking him for anything makes me want to throw up."
"If you do, make sure you don't get any on me."
Percy flicked Luz's arm causing the girl to laugh and run ahead.
"And she left me with all the books," Percy mumbled with an affectionate smile as he sped up to catch up with Luz.
The Bonesborough library was very different from any library that Percy had ever seen.
It was a several-story building mostly constructed out of reddish-brown brick. It had ornate windows, green spires, and a large dome that sat above the stained-glass clock. The most impressive feature, however, was the grand staircase leading up to giant wooden double doors below a large marble arch.
"This place is much better than the library at Gravesfield High," Luz said happily once Percy caught up with her.
"I know, it somehow still surprises me every time I come here, " Percy replied, nodding in agreement. "Let's get inside, I know you 're dying to explore."
Luz squealed excitedly before running up the stairs and once again leaving Percy behind.
The inside of the library was just as interesting as the exterior with several floors full of shelves stuffed with books. Throughout the library were streams of books floating in the air and attendants helping people find books.
"You can gawk after we return Eda's books," Percy said with a smile as he walked toward the front desk.
As they got closer to the desk, the books in Percy's arms started floating one by one to the desk at the center of the library, a man behind the desk checked the books off as they came.
"Coffee, grass, and bloodstains?" The man asked tiredly. "These are Eda's aren't they."
"That was a crazy night," Luz said nervously.
"I'll add these to her tab," The man said tiredly.
"Speaking of which," Percy said as he pulled the pouch of coins from his pocket and offered it to the man. "Eda gave us these to help cover her debt."
The man took the pouch, a look of utter shock on his face, and carefully counted the contents of the bag. After a moment, he summoned a large scroll and spent a few moments scribbling on the paper.
"So is her tab clear?" Luz asked after a minute of silence.
The man chuckled and shook his head.
"This pouch just barely covers the interest for this month, but the gesture is appreciated." He put the pouch under the counter. "Run along now I have other people to tend to, and as a warning, we're closing early today for the Wailing Star so keep an eye on the time."
Before Percy or Luz could ask any more questions, the man walked off somewhere, leaving the siblings alone.
"I have some research I want to do, will you be okay by yourself?" Percy asked Luz. "I can stay with you if you want."
Since he learned he could do magic and Luz found friends to hang out with, Percy found that he spent far less time with Luz. She'd assured him it was fine whenever he brought it up, but he still felt guilty leaving her to do his own thing.
"Percy I'll be fine," Luz replied with an easy smile. "I want to go off and explore anyways, have fun doing research like a nerd."
"You sure?"
"Yes!" Luz exclaimed before starting to walk off. "Bye now!"
Percy watched Luz walk away with a slight frown. No matter how often she said it was fine, he still felt bad.
"I can worry about that later, I have some work to do."
The topic of Veilmire had been something Percy had been actively avoiding for a while. The idea that the same divinity that had stained his childhood could be present in the world he currently resided in left a bad taste in his mouth.
But the conversation he'd had with Eda earlier made the subject something he couldn't avoid anymore.
After asking for guidance from an attendant and wandering a bit, Percy found himself in the history section. He was given a specific book to look for and was scanning the titles along the shelf.
As he looked, Percy muttered the titles under his breath before his eyes finally landed on the one he was looking for.
"'The Wicked City', yes!" He exclaimed, causing other librarygoers to shush him.
Quickly apologizing, Percy pulled the book off the shelf and took some time to examine it.
The book was small and thin, no more than a hundred pages in length. The outside of the book was made of what felt like polished hardened leather, but the pages were fragile and almost translucent. The title of the book was seemingly branded on, the black of the lettering contrasting against the sheen of the leather.
"Odd book, but ok," Percy muttered as he carefully flipped through the pages, skipping around until he found something interesting.
'The Wicked City, despite its name, is not a city at all. It is actually a small town far off the coast of the tip of the Titan's left foot. The name of the town is derived from the fact the town is populated by nothing but Wild Witches.'
Percy stopped reading for a moment, a mix of mild shock and confusion on his face.
During the entirety of his time in the Boiling Isles, he'd heard about the Emperor's 'valiant' crusade against Wild Witches. Aside from her other crimes, Belos's decree was the main reason Eda lived so far from the rest of society. The idea that a place existed that seemed untouched by the Emperor's influence was amazing.
'The location of The Wicked City is what has allowed it to avoid the enlightenment of the Titan's Will for so long. The treacherous waters surrounding the isolated island are impossible to navigate without the assistance of a town local.'
The next few pages seemed to be speculation about the 'City's' economic and government structure, information that made Percy's mind go blank.
Flipping through the pages again, he eventually landed on a page that made him stop.
It was a highly detailed hand-drawn image of a person with very few eye-catching features, with only the headgear and left hand standing out.
Though the perspective of the drawing obscured most of the left hand, there were noticeable differences to the right. The fingers come to sharp points and the rest of the hand was lumping jagged in odd places.
Percy had heard Luz's angry rants enough times to know the difficulty of decent-looking hands, but for some reason, the odd details felt deliberate.
It was the headgear, however, that made Percy nervous.
On the figure's head was a helmet resembling ones he'd seen and wore during his time at Camp Halfblood. It was missing the plumed top, but the similarities were evident.
The fears Percy had previously about potential divine presence in the Boiing Isles crept back into the back of his mind. Beyond brief mentions or historical figures, he'd yet to find any evidence of gods or monsters existing in the Demon Realm, but his worries still remained.
Taking a deep breath and pushing his growing fears aside, Percy looked at the text on the adjacent page.
'Ignoring the blatant disregard of the Titan's Will and Emperor Belos's efforts, the main offense contributing to the name of the 'city' is its claiming and defacement of the ancient witch Veilmire. Though it has been proven by many accounts that Veilmire was helping spread the truth about the evils of Wild Magic, The Wicked City has positioned Veilmire as their patron. Even worse, citizens have gone as far as to claim that Veilmire fought against Belos (Pictured right is how Veilmire is commonly depicted by The Wicked City).'
Percy shut the book and sighed.
He had barely learned anything new about the person who started his emotional distress and instead found himself with even more questions. He was inclined to not believe the book's account of Veilmire, but he didn't have any way to disprove it.
"Of course, the one person I need to know about is hard to learn about," Percy muttered frustratedly. "Why wouldn't they be."
Sighing again, Percy started making his way back to the front desk, hoping one of the librarians would be able to point him toward more helpful books.
As he walked, however, familiar voices caught his attention.
Heading to the sources of the voices, Percy found himself in what seemed to be the children's area of the library, and in the middle stood Amity and Luz having a heated discussion.
"I know you're trying to help, but every time you come near me, I get in trouble," Amity said firmly. "So please, leave me alone."
"I'm sorry, I was-I'm sorry," Luz said quickly, causing Amity to frown.
Percy watched Luz walk off with a slight grimace.
After the Moonlight Conjuring, he'd run into and shared conversations with the youngest Blight several times. They mostly discussed when he'd be available to start training under her mother, but the topic of Luz and her past actions came up once or twice, allowing him to understand why she disliked his sister.
Percy frowned as he remembered the description of Odalia's reaction to Amity's loss. He was grateful she seemed willing to open up to him slightly after he actions.
Taking one last glance at Luz, Percy made his way toward Amity.
He wanted to comfort Luz and it hurt him not to, but at the same time, it felt more important in the moment to talk to Amity. Especially since it seemed he and Luz had the same goal in mind regarding the young witch.
"And here I thought you were improving," Percy said in faux disappointment.
"I said please didn't I?" Amity replied without turning to look at him. "That's a lot considering I don't really like her."
"She has just as many reasons to not like you and she's still trying to be nice."
Percy noticed her eyes drop to the floor as she stood silently, causing him to smile slightly.
"Why is she being nice?" Amity asked after a moment. "Seems kinda odd."
Percy chuckled, causing Amity to look at him funny.
"She was reading the fifth 'Good Witch Azura' book this morning. I'd say the lesson of friendship rubbed off on her."
"There's a fifth book?" Amity muttered under her breath just loud enough for him to hear.
Before Percy could process what Amity had said a voice yelled from across the room.
"Hey, Mittens!" Amity's face went completely red as she immediately turned around and marched toward the voice.
Curious, Percy followed after her and found two people, a male and a female, who looked very similar to Amity standing next to a sheepish Luz.
"Mom said stop forgetting your lunch," The male, now identified as Amity's brother, said harshly before gesturing to Luz. "And stop being such a jerk to your friend."
"She's not my-" Amity started to say before stopping herself. "I don't know her very well."
"Makes sense, she seems too cool for you," The female sibling said as she stepped forward, her gaze sweeping up and down Percy. "And I don't think that we've been acquainted, handsome."
Percy shifted uncomfortably. Growing up around the children of Aphrodite had surprisingly done little to prepare him for advances.
"I'm Percy, Luz's older brother," Percy said quickly, shifting away from the girl slightly.
He noticed that when he said he was her brother, Luz beamed at him.
"I'm Emira and this is Edric," The now named girl said while gesturing to her brother. "We're Amity's older siblings."
"Now that I have my lunch and we've all introduced ourselves, can you two please leave!" Amity exclaimed suddenly, pointing at the doors of the library.
"Fine fine, don't get so whiny," Edric replied with an easy smile, one Percy had seen many times on the face of Apollo's kids. "You coming, Luz?"
Luz looked back at him as if asking for permission.
Percy just smiled and nodded. As much as he wanted to go with her, he knew she needed time to herself. He just wished she chose better company.
"I'm surprised you let her go with them," Amity said as they watched the trio leave. "I thought your whole schtick was that you are overprotective over her."
"She needs to be able to make her own choices," Percy replied. "By the way, let me know when you want help finding it."
"Finding what?"
"Your sanity," Percy shot back with a smug smile. "I imagine you lost a long time ago having to grow up with those two."
Amity rolled her eyes and groaned.
"That was bad, even for you."
Percy chuckled in response.
"That was comedy gold and you know it."
Amity ignored him and started walking back to the children's nook.
"Don't ignore me!" Percy exclaimed as he followed after her with a grin.
For the next thirty minutes or so, Percy chatted with Amity while he watched what Luz and the twins did out of the corner of his eye. Eventually, Amity excused herself with a mumbled excuse of having to take care of something.
Wanting to take advantage of the fact no one was around to bother him, Percy looked over the titles of the children's books.
Having gone toe to toe with many beings most of the world considered myths, he had developed an appreciation for the knowledge that supposed children's stories contained. Especially since he still knew very little about his new home despite being there for about four weeks.
"Maybe I even learn why the Emperor sucks so much," Percy muttered under his breath as he picked a random book off the shelf.
"I wouldn't hold my breath," A familiar voice said. "Most of those books have to be approved by the Emperor's Coven."
Percy sighed and put the book back before turning to face the person speaking to him.
"What is with you rich kids making surprise appearances? How hard would it be for one of you to warn me ahead of time."
Boscha rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in response.
"I wish I could have, it was a pain in the butt trying to find you," The three-eyed girl said with a huff. "I looked like an idiot asking people if they'd seen you.."
Percy took a moment to take in her appearance, having not seen her since the morning after he saved her. Her hair was down and styled in a way that hid a good amount of her face. Rather than wearing her school uniform or leather jacket she usually wore, she'd opted for a simple t-shirt and pants that resembled jeans.
If he didn't know anything about her, Percy might have said she looked cute.
"Why were you looking for me?" Percy asked. "And what's with your hair?'
"My mother wanted to invite you to dinner tonight as a thank you for saving my life," Boscha replied, her tone becoming noticeably softer. "And I didn't want to be noticed by the librarians, but I don't see why that's important."
"Do you not like them or something?"
"I have a book overdue and I don't want to deal with it," Boscha said quickly. "Again it doesn't matter. Are you coming to the dinner or not?"
Percy tilted his head and looked at the ceiling.
He had thought about what his stance on Boscha was over the last week but was unable to come up with a satisfying conclusion. Her mother was bad, his initial meeting with her told him that much, and what Boscha had told him that day on the bench pointed to her being even worse.
The few times he'd talked with Boscha, she seemed desperate and scared, like she was moments away from falling apart completely. It made him feel bad for her and want to help her. Just like he was trying to do with Amity.
But at the same time, the girl was a bully and there was no denying it. The way he saw her act toward her friends at the conjuring and the way Willow and Gus talked about her pointed to her being a particularly nasty one. No amount of sad backstory made bullying ok.
"Are you gonna answer or just keep staring at the ceiling like a crazy person?" Boscha snapped.
"I don't want to be here any longer than I have to."
Percy looked at her again and sighed.
He could spend eternity debating with himself, but at the end of the day, he knew what his answer would always be.
"Yeah, I'll come," Percy replied casually. "I assume you live in the rich part of town."
Boscha scoffed in response.
"You assumed correctly," She dug around in her pants pocket for a moment before pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. "Here's the address, don't lose it."
Percy out to grab the paper, but found that Boscha wasn't letting go. Looking toward her, he saw her eyes locked on his shoulder, specifically the small part of his scars that weren't covered by his shirt.
"How are your in-have they fully," Boscha fumbled out, her voice suddenly fragile.
"I'm doing a lot better now," Percy said gently. "Thank you for asking."
Amity had told him how much Boscha had done to heal him and how worried she was afterward, but something told him not to mention it.
"You 're welcome." She replied, her grip on the paper loosening enough for him to take it.
Percy took the paper and put it in his pocket, finding himself unsure of what to do or say next. The things he knew about Boscha weren't things that would make for very good small talk. Asking if her mother still sucked was not the move.
Fortunately, Percy was saved from the horrors of uncomfortable conversation when he noticed Amity coming around the corner.
"Percy your sister got thrown out with my siblings," She said quickly. "You might want to take care- oh hello Boscha."
"Hello Amity," Boscha replied awkwardly, the air suddenly filling with tension.
Percy looked back and forth at the girls, trying to figure out what had happened to make them act weirdly. The last time he saw the two together, they were getting along just fine.
"Amity where is Luz?" Percy asked, hoping to get out of there.
"She should be out front with Edric and Emira."
"Thanks, I'm gonna go take her home," He said quickly before turning to Boscha. "What time should I be there?"
"Seven," She replied just as fast. "I should go get ready. I'll see you later."
Boscha immediately left, leaving Percy alone with Amity again.
"Spending your evening with Boscha?" Amity asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Shut it. Her parents just invited me over as thanks for saving her. It's not that big of a deal."
Amity frowned and looked at the ground for a moment.
"Be careful, her mother is a lot like mine," Amity locked eyes with him. "You're getting a lot of attention from powerful people."
"I will be," Percy replied seriously, understanding what was left unsaid. "Have a good day."
Amity nodded and quickly left.
"I thought I left this stuff behind at home," Percy mumbled to himself with a sigh as he started making his way out of the library.
He found Luz leaning against one of the pillars out front with a large smile on her face, the twins nowhere to be found.
"Have a good time?" Percy asked with a smile once he came up next to her.
Luz, in response, pushed herself off the pillar and pulled him into a tight hug, giggling happily as she hugged him.
"I had a great time! Cool teens like me!" She exclaimed before letting go. "And they invited me to come back to the library tonight to see the Wailing Star!"
Percy's smile dropped as he processed the information. He wasn't sure how he felt about her being all alone in a closed-off space with people he didn't know well.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" He asked nervously, causing Luz's excitement to die immediately.
"What do you mean?" Luz looked up at him with wide eyes.
"Well I just, uh-you know, they-"
"I'm able to make my own decisions," Luz said suddenly, cutting off Percy's stuttering. "I don't need you hovering over me."
Percy stared a Luz for a moment before dropping his head and sighing.
"You're right, you don't need your big brother anymore," Percy said, using his powers to cause a single tear to run down his face.
"I never said that just let me live a little," Luz replied. "And besides, they invited you along, so it's not like I'll be alone."
Percy winced. He was happy the twins thought to invite him, but their timing could have been slightly better.
"I can't go, Boscha's parents invited me to dinner."
Luz grimaced, matching exactly how Percy felt.
After he recovered from his injuries, he told Luz all of what happened at Amity's party. Needless to say, she was less upset with him for going and more upset he'd put himself in danger to protect Boscha of all people.
"Do you have to go?"
"I think it would look bad if I didn't," Percy stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. "Plus I already told her I'd be there."
Luz kicked the ground in annoyance before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"It seems we both have big nights, so we should probably go get ready for them."
Percy chuckled and started walking back toward the Owl House.
"By the way, how do you think Eda's handling the kid?" Luz asked as she caught up with him.
"Horribly," Percy said without hesitation. "She can barely handle us, and we are at least able to dress and feed ourselves."
"I feel like you're giving yourself too much credit," Luz replied with a cheeky smile, causing Percy to glare at her.
"Oh, shut up."
Percy pulled at his collar as he shifted uncomfortably, his clothes much stiffer than he would have liked.
When he had told Eda what his evening plans were she paled slightly, handed him a bag of coins, and demanded he buy himself some better clothes. Apparently, Boscha's parents were people even she wanted to impress.
This led to Percy's current situation, waiting in front of a gate dressed in clothes he would most likely never wear again.
"Of all the things that had to come over, why were ties one of them," Percy grumbled as he adjusted the piece of fabric hanging from his neck. "And why are they even more uncomfortable here?"
Looking up and past the obnoxiously ornate gate in front of him, Percy gazed at the manor, mentally cringing at some of the design choices.
The entire building was a soft pink, a shade of pink that would have been nice on its own, but felt garish when combined with the bright magenta tiling of the roof. The structure of the house was oddly rectangular and jarring, something that clashed with the softness and delicacy the house was seemingly trying to achieve with the flower imagery plastered everywhere.
Percy did have an eye for architecture like Annabeth did, but he could tell the house was a mess.
The looming emotional breakdown that was creeping along the edges of his mind was luckily sidetracked by the sudden appearance of a person beside him.
"Hello, Mr. Jackson, my name is Amber," The person said quickly. "Please allow me to lead you to where the Rose family is waiting."
Percy took a step back in surprise but nodded and followed Amber through the now-open gate.
The walk to the manor was short but uncomfortable. Percy had tried several times to start a conversation with Amber but was met with either silence or one-word answers.
Eventually, they reached the front door of the manor, which Amber promptly opened before gesturing slightly impatiently for Percy to enter. He hurried to walk through the door, which once he was fully through, shut quite loudly behind him.
"Rude," Percy muttered under his breath as he took in the room for the first time.
The first thing he noticed was how much pink there was. Everything from the floor to ceiling was some shade of pink, a seeming literal representation of the phrase 'Rose Tinted Glasses'.
The next thing that stood out to him was how modern the room felt. It was still decades behind anything he'd seen in the human realm, but compared to the rest of the Boiling Isles, it was almost futuristic.
"Percy I'm glad you were able to join us!" A loud voice said, causing Percy to focus on the people in the room.
Standing about ten feet from the door were Boscha, Daysha, and a woman Percy could only assume was her wife.
"Mrs. Rose, thank you for inviting me," Percy replied easily, his tone switching to one he saved specifically for dealing with people he was forced to play nice with. "You have a truly beautiful home."
"You flatter me," Mrs. Rose replied with faux bashfulness. "And please call me Daysha. You saved my darling daughter after all."
Percy glanced over to where Boscha stood and was immediately struck by how different she seemed. Aside from her purple dress that felt more suited for a dance than it a dinner, she looked like she always did.
But the difference came in how she held herself. Whether she was yelling at him for answers or breaking down in tears, she expressed her emotions loudly. Yet standing next to he parents, she was quiet and still, almost as if she was trying to disappear.
Percy hated it.
While her emotional outbursts tended to draw unwanted attention and her arrogance made him seriously consider dousing her with water every time she spoke, seeing her so subdued felt wrong.
Suppressing a frown and doing his best to smile sincerely, Percy moved his attention away from Boscha and back to her mother.
"I only did what anybody in my situation would've done."
"Even so, we are thankful," Daysha replied. "Speaking of, I'd like to introduce you to my beautiful wife, Isla."
The woman Percy correctly identified as Boscha; 's other parent stepped forward and stood next to Daysha.
Looking at her, Percy had a hard time finding any similarities between her and her daughter. She had short dark pink hair and two eyes that sat behind a thick pair of glasses. The only similarity he could see at the moment was that she too was quiet and unassuming.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Percy," Isla said, her voice quiet and gentle. "Thank you for protecting Boscha."
Percy nodded, Isla's gratitude feeling far more genuine than her wife's.
"Now that we have introductions out of the way, let's get on with it," Daysha said loudly. "Would you like to start with the tour or with dinner?"
Percy resisted the urge to groan. He hadn't expected a tour, but he probably should have. One of the only things he knew about rich people was that they liked to flaunt their wealth, which was one of the last things he wanted to experience. Additionally, he'd hardly eaten anything all day and the emptiness of his stomach was starting to become uncomfortable.
Then again, being a demigod had taught him that it was often better to just bite the bullet.
"Let's do the tour first," Percy said after a moment. "I want to see more of your beautiful home."
Daysha smiled widely as she stepped away from Isla, her arms sweeping through the air like a game show host excited to show off the evening's prize.
"We'll start with the main hall!" She exclaimed before turning around and walking deeper into the house.
Percy winced as he followed after her, Isla and Boscha right behind him.
The tour was, for the most part, exactly what he'd expected. Boring story after boring story about obscure objects that Daysha had convinced herself were valuable. After the third over-the-top explanation about how she heroically haggled a price down, he started mostly tuning her out and giving generic responses only when prompted. It didn't help that some of the treasures she showed off were things Percy was sure he could find at any discount store back home.
However, there were two things that stuck out to him during the tour. First was a large painting that hung on the landing of the grand staircase. It was a group portrait of the Rose family similar to ones he'd seen depicting royal families. The quality of the portrait was high, causing him to mistake it for a photo at first.
But it wasn't the quality of the portrait that interested him, it was the fake smiles that every person in the painting had plastered on the face. It was funny and sad to him that even in the idealized world of the portrait, the Rose family seemed unhappy.
The other thing that stood out to him was a small table tucked away in a random corner of the house. On the table was an ornate vase containing a dead flower that, thanks to spending a considerable amount of time around nature spirits over the last three years, Percy recognized as an azalea.
Daysha's comment about how she couldn't get it to stay alive did very little to explain why they kept it in the first place.
Eventually, the tour led the group to a well-lit hall located in the far back of the property.
The layout was identical the to dozens of other hallways Percy had been led down, but instead of random expressions of wealth hanging on the wall, there were framed photos running the entire length of the hall.
Taking a moment to examine each one as they walked caused a frown to work its way onto Percy's face, one that deepened with every new photo.
The ones at the beginning of the hall were very similar to the large portrait from earlier. Pictures of the family in stiff poses and fancy clothes, expressions seemingly forced on their faces.
After the first few, photos of the family seemed to get happier the further down the hall they were, with the picture at the end being one of Daysha and Isla holding baby while staring lovingly at each other.
"This is our last stop before going to the potions lab," Daysha said gesturing to a door that Percy hadn't noticed. "Boscha if you would."
Boscha, who had been standing near the entrance of the hallway, made her way to the door.
"This is my room," She said as she pushed open the door, allowing Percy to look inside.
The room was much bigger than any bedroom he'd lived in. Covering the walls were trophies, medals, and large posters of what he assumed were Grudgby stars. The wall adjacent to the door had a vanity and chair pushed up against it with a framed picture of Boscha beside it. In the far back corner was a bed and side table that appeared relatively normal.
"That's a lot of trophies," Percy said to Boscha after examining the room. "I'm impressed."
He was glad that he caught the slight smile she gave in response.
"I didn't realize you were a Grudgby fan Percy," Daysha said, her disgust barely hidden.
"I wouldn't say I am," Percy replied calmly. "I'm just in awe of how talented Boscha is."
Daysha stared at him for a moment before huffing and turning away.
"She truly is," She said as if it were painful. "Let's continue to the lab."
The walk to the potions lab was relatively quiet compared to the rest of the tour, Daysha seemingly no longer eager to show off her possessions. Another difference was that Boscha walked closer to him rather than staying in the back with Isla.
Percy could sense the lab far sooner than they arrived, the feeling reminding him of his first time in Eda's workshop. The feeling only got stronger as they got closer, capping out once they stopped in front of a large metal door.
"Welcome to the Rose Potion Lab," Daysha said proudly before opening the door and ushering everyone in.
Stepping into the lab for the first time, Percy instinctively brought his hand up to shield his eyes, the various light sources reflecting off the white counter made the room blinding. Only after rubbing his eyes gently and allowing them to adjust to the light level, was Percy able to fully appraise the room.
There were a dozen or so counters arranged in rows of two facing the front of the room, the white quartz of their countertops responsible for his previous blindness. Along the walls tall shelves packed with ingredients reached the ceiling, and small inscribed plaques under each jar acted as an organization system. At the front of the room was a large workstation facing the counters with a blackboard stretching the width of the room behind it.
Percy thought it was impressive. The lab had all the amenities professional potion brewers needed to be successful and also seemed to be set up so students could learn in a clean environment. However, it was also sterile, missing the homey and comfortable feeling Percy enjoyed every time he brewed in Eda's lab.
"What do you think?" Daysha asked suddenly. "I've spent years and countless snails to make this place the best possible lab."
Percy nodded silently, his eyes scanning over the ingredients on the walls.
"It is definitely one of the best labs I've seen," Percy replied casually.
"One of?" Percy saw Daysha's eye twitch slightly. "What could I do to make it better?"
Confused as to why she was asking him, Percy opened his mouth to brush off her question before closing it when he noticed something in the upper corner of the blackboard. It was a simple chart with two columns labeled 'Pass' and 'Fail'. Under the 'Fail' column was a collection of tally marks. Under 'Pass' there was nothing.
Percy's eyes narrowed in confusion before widening in recognition, the first conversation he had with Boscha popping into his mind.
"For starters, I would erase that tally on your blackboard," Percy's mouth moved before he could think. "It's a bad look."
"How so?" Daysha's tone told Percy he had to tread carefully.
Gods he hated his mouth sometimes.
"Publicly displaying how many times you've failed doesn't make people feel confident, no matter how good of a brewer you are," Percy replied after a moment, the urge to itch his arms suddenly settling into his mind.
"Sometimes people need reminders of what not to do," Daysha stared at him, her third eye seemingly increasing the intensity.
"I find that sometimes reminders act more as hindrances," Percy met her gaze with equal intensity.
After a few moments of uncomfortable eye contact and silence, Daysha sighed and closed her eyes.
"Anything else?"
Percy walked over to the ingredient wall left of the blackboard and pulled a jar containing leaves floating in brown water off the shelf.
"Many people think Mandrake leaf is bad once the stem splits," he said as he pointed to the curled edges of the leaves. "But once the leaves start wilting, the leaf is almost entirely useless, leading to far less potent brews."
Daysha drew a spell circle, causing the jar to leap from Percy's hands and speed toward her before stopping just in front of her face.
"You're right," Daysha muttered, a snap of her fingers causing the contents of the jar to vanish. "Sorry about that mistake."
"No need to apologize," Percy smiled. "With a collection of ingredients as impressive as yours, amateurish mistakes are bound to happen."
"Of course," Daysha's smile was tight-lipped. "Anything else?"
"Not that I can think of."
"Splendid," Daysha said with a clap of her hands. "Let's head to the dining room, dinner will be ready soon. Boscha, lock up."
The group filed out of the room, Daysha leading the pack with Isla trailing behind her and Boscha hanging back.
As he was about to exit, Percy felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look back and see a nervous Boscha.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
Percy smiled genuinely at her.
"Of course."
He was still unsure how he felt about her, but nobody deserved bad parents.
"I hope dinner is better than your mother's attitude."
That earned him a slight chuckle.
Amity Blight was angry.
Despite doing nothing particularly demanding the whole day, Amity was very tired by the time she got to the library to watch her siblings. Staying up late was something she wasn't used to and tended to make her cranky.
Staying out of sight of her siblings while still being able to watch them was frustrating and harder than she expected. Cleaning up the messes her siblings in their wake only furthered her frustration.
The worst thing though, was when she noticed her siblings starting to drift toward an area of the library she'd hoped they would avoid. Things only got worse when they entered her private room, bringing Luz along with them.
Any desire for stealth left her body as soon as she saw what Luz had pulled off her shelf.
"Seriously!" Amity exclaimed angrily as she stared at Luz, who was currently huddled on the ground with pages of her diary falling from her arms.
"Amity it's not what it looks like I swear," Luz said, her voice.
"You two are the worst!" Amity pointed at her siblings, not failing to notice that they were laughing. "But you.."
Amity snatched the gathered pages of her diary from Luz's hands.
"I've been trying to figure out what you are. Are you a poser, a nerd?" Amity said as she glared at Luz. "I know what you are, you're a bu-"
Amity stopped talking for a moment.
Luz had humiliated her in front of her teachers and peers, made her get in trouble with her mother, and now gone through her personal belongings. If not a bully, she was at the very least an unpleasant and mean person.
But had she been any better?
Sure Luz had helped Willow cheat on an assignment, making her look like an idiot, but her response was to try and get her dissected. Temporary embarrassment versus lifelong injuries.
Luz challenged her to a duel before having her brother do it for her, but Amity had been the one to stomp on her pet's cupcake and refuse to apologize. Was not being a witch a severe enough crime for her to demand Luz stop learning magic?
And now, Luz along with her siblings, had broken into her private space and gone through her diary.
Amity stared at Luz's face, trying to find any amount of malice, but found none. Instead, she was struck by a deep sense of shame that stained every part of Luz's expression.
Without saying another word, Amity clutched her dairy tight against her chest and walked away.
She was well aware that Luz would come after her to try and explain her actions and that her siblings had walked off without a second thought.
Amity was also aware she would at least listen to what Luz had to say before berating her.
Percy poked the bright pink piece of meat on his plate with his fork, finding himself equal parts disgusted and impressed by the Rose family's commitment to their chosen color scheme.
"How are you enjoying your Demon steak, Percy?" Daysha asked from across the dining room table, her fork held up near her mouth. "It's considered a delicacy in most parts of the Boiling Isles."
Percy nudged the steak again before cutting off a small piece and putting it in his mouth quickly, forcing himself to endure the overwhelming taste of iron coating his tongue.
"It's certainly a unique flavor," he replied after swallowing the piece he'd eaten. "I see why it's saved for special occasions."
Daysha nodded in agreement, causing Percy to quietly sigh in relief.
When they were touring the house and Daysha was doing most of the talking, it was easy for him to 'play nice' and tune her out.
The dinner so far had been deeply uncomfortable. Without her overpriced decorations to flaunt, Daysha's attention was focused entirely on asking him personal questions.
"So Percy," Daysha said slowly, her expression telling him it was intentional. "Boscha tells me you have an interest in potions."
Percy glanced over to where Boscha sat briefly who seemed to suddenly find her plate extremely interesting.
"I find the subject fascinating."
"You seem to have a talent for it if your display in the lab earlier was anything to go by."
Percy winced.
Challenging Daysha on her decision was, while justified in his opinion, not smart. His dig about her competency was just rubbing salt in a wound he shouldn't have opened in the first place.
"I wouldn't say that, I've just a bunch of books about ingredients," Percy replied. "Have to know the basics before starting after all."
"I appreciate your modesty, but I know talent when I see it," Daysha smiled. "Your teacher must be very proud."
"I hope she is."
"What's their name?"
While it was phrased like a question Percy knew it wasn't. He also knew couldn't tell her about Eda.
"I'm sorry but my teacher is a very private person," Percy said quickly. "They wouldn't like me revealing their identity."
The fact that Daysha was still smiling disturbed him.
"That's a shame, I would have liked to thank them for their hard work up until now."
"What do you mean?"
Daysha picked up her glass full of dark red liquid and took a drawn-out sip without breaking eye contact.
"I imagine a teacher who won't let their student share their identity is inadequate, ashamed of themselves, or both," Daysha put her glass down and laced her fingers on the table. "I would like to offer you the opportunity to study under me. I don't normally take students as the ones I typically have end up being disappointments, but you intrigue me," Dayshe leaned forward slightly. "You will have full access to my facilities and I will guide you every step of the way."
Percy swallowed nervously.
It was his conversation with Odalia all over again, but something was different.
"I have to ask," he said, his voice far shakier than he wanted. "What do you gain from this?"
Daysha shrugged.
"Besides the ability to help nurture talent, nothing."
He knew she was lying, but he couldn't call her out on it, not in her own home.
"I'll have to think about it."
Daysha sighed and leaned back in her chair.
"I understand, I just know both you and Boscha would greatly benefit from having a collaborative partner."
Percy froze and glanced over to Boscha again, this time being met by her doing the same. He held her gaze for a moment before looking away when she seemed to get embarrassed.
"I suppose lessons with you would be beneficial," Percy said hesitantly.
Daysha had his number. She waited to mention he would be working with Boscha until he seemed unsure. She knew he wouldn't say no.
"Perfect," Daysha exclaimed happily as the door dining room opened. "Now seems like a good time for dessert."
People dressed identically to the woman who escorted Percy earlier filed into the room carrying covered plates. The staff set the plates down on the table and removed the covers, revealing desserts that closely reassembled things Percy would often see at bakeries.
"Please enjoy!"
Despite his lingering uncertainties about Daysha and his decision to study under her, Percy quickly loaded his plate. Dinner was revolting and he was still starving.
The table ate quietly for a while, everyone seemingly more focused on their food than on forced conversation. Percy found it pleasant, even if it was awkward.
"Boscha dear, I didn't know you had a tournament tomorrow," Daysha said suddenly, breaking the silence.
"I don't," Boscha replied meekly, causing Percy to frown.
"Then why do you need a second serving? You don't need the energy."
"I just wanted a little more," Boscha's voice quivered.
"Did you think that maybe our guest might have wanted some more?" Daysha looked over at him, her expression one of an apologetic host.
"I'm all good, I don't want anymore," he did, but he also refused to give Daysha anything to work with.
"She still should have asked before greedily taking more."
"It's fine, I don't want her to feel like she can't eat in her own home, especially because of my presence," Percy insisted.
"Fine then," Daysha waved her hand dismissively. "Go ahead Boscha."
"It's okay Mother, I don't want it anymore," Boscha replied stiffly. "May I be excused to go study?"
"If you must."
Boscha stood up and left without another word, leaving Percy alone with her parents.
"I am very sorry for my daughter's actions," Daysha said as soon as Boscha was out of the room. "I'll be sure to remind her of her manners."
Percy balked as ideas of what that meant entered his mind.
"It's okay," he said immediately. "Eating and studying are both good in my book. No need to be corrected."
"I suppose," Daysha replied, her tone bordering on disappointment. "Shall we continue enjoying our food?"
"Actually, I was wondering if I could step out to find the bathroom."
"I'll have someone show you."
"I rather find it myself," Percy shot back. "If I'm going to be spending a lot of time here, I should know where everything is."
"If you insist," Daysha said after a few moments, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Thank you."
Percy quickly left the room and headed for the stairs.
He was under no illusions that Daysha didn't know what he was up to.
He just needed to find Boscha.
Boscha stared at her workstation resentfully, her eyes locked on one specific spot. It was a shallow divot no more than a few centimeters wide that sat in the middle of the counter, making it one of the first things to be seen when looking at it.
She had her first potions test when she was twelve. She'd been having her lessons for a few years at that point and her mother decided to start assessing her skills. She'd been instructed to brew a simple potion used in cleaning, and while she was ladling the completed potion into a bottle to be graded, a drop fell onto the counter and ate away a bit of the quartz. It was far from the first bit of damage done to the counter, but it was the first bit of damage that had gotten her punished. Her mother had immediately failed her, refusing to even grade the potion that caused the damage, and locked her in her room until she learned to 'respect the equipment'.
Boscha spent the weekend in her room sobbing and begging her mother to let her out, her blubbered apologies falling on deaf ears. By the time her other let her out on the Monday after her test, she was starving and thirsty.
Her mother made it a point to admonish her for not eating like a proper lady.
After that, Boscha took extra care to damage her work counter as little as possible, and when she did damage the counter, she also made sure to have a secret stash of food and water under her bed.
Looking up from her workstation, Boscha's gaze drifted up to the blackboard on the back wall of the lab. In the upper corner of the board was a set of tallies, the words describing what they were for were gone, leaving the marks by themselves.
A small smile made its way onto Boscha's face as she remembered the way a certain boy had advocated for the removal of tallies. He wasn't completely successful, but at least Boscha could pretend to not know what they meant.
Thinking of Percy, Boscha glanced over her shoulder at the door, waiting for him to make his appearance. She knew he would come looking for her eventually, his protectiveness toward her throughout the evening wouldn't make sense if he didn't. Not that it did anyway.
Looking back toward the back of the room, Boscha's eyes fell on the empty spot on the ingredient shelf.
How had he known? Knowledge of the shelf life of ingredients was a bare minimum requirement for brewers, but the ability to notice an ingredient had expired from across the room wasn't. Something like that took years of experience, experience that innate talent didn't give.
Something else was at play, and for the life of her, Boscha couldn't figure out what.
The sound of a door opening caused Boscha's head to snap up. He was here.
"Your house is like a maze," Percy said as he entered the room, his tone light. "How do navigate this place every day."
"You get used to it."
"I'd hope so," he replied as he walked over, hopping up to sit on the counter once he reached her. "How you feeling?"
Boscha sighed before turning so she could lean on her workstation.
"Empty."
"Your mother is kinda harsh," Percy said awkwardly. "Is she always like that?"
"Tonight was pretty mild, she was on her best behavior," Boscha glanced at Percy, taking note of the extreme look of concern on his face.
"I'm sorry you have to deal with her," his words were unsurprisingly genuine.
A bitter chuckle escaped Boscha's lips.
"I don't deal with her, I endure her."
Boscha saw Percy's mouth open slightly before closing again.
The two sat in silence for a while, neither seeming to know what to say. Boscha thought about speaking several times but ultimately thought against it.
What could she say? The boy sitting next to her had confused her more than anything in her entire life and at the same time done more for her than anyone else.
Her thoughts turned to the events of Amity's conjuring and how close she'd been to dying. How someone that she barely knew risked his life to make sure she could live hers.
"Why did you save me?"
The question slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it.
It also lifted a weight off her shoulders she hadn't noticed until it was gone.
"What?" he asked, his attention fully focused on her.
"At Amity's conjuring, you could have left me to die," Boscha shifted to face Percy, her eyes meeting his. "Why didn't you?"
She held his gaze and refused to break it. The question had been eating at her and she needed an answer.
"Why would I? You looked like you needed help."
Boscha stared at him for a few more seconds before looking away and smiling sadly.
Of course, his only motivation to save her was that she needed help! Why would it be any other reason? Nothing else about him made sense, why would this? She had spent the whole week trying to figure out what he had to gain from helping her and in the end, it was the same reason he comforted her that first time they met. He wanted to.
"Are you ok?" The question was soft and genuine and made Boscha's stomach feel odd.
"You're a much better person than me."
"Huh?"
"You saved someone you don't like just because they needed help. I can't honestly say I would do the same."
It was a revelation about herself she had a few days after the conjuring while she was lying awake at night. She had tried to deny it, but she found herself unable to.
It disgusted her. She hated it.
"Why do you think I don't like you?"
Boscha scoffed, she thought he was smart.
"I know you've talked to Luz and her friends about me, you'd be dumb not to," she replied. "I don't get along with them and you are protective of your sister."
"That's fair, I guess," Percy said sheepishly.
"And you're not nearly as subtle as you think you are."
Percy's cheeks colored in a way Boscha quite liked.
"Okay, fine, you're not my favorite person."
"I know."
"Don't need to rub it in."
"But I want to."
Percy shook his head and chuckled lightly.
"If you're going to act like this I'm leaving."
"Nooo, don't do that!" Boscha replied sarcastically, the banter putting a smile on her face. "That would be the worst."
"Sure it would," Percy shot back before sliding off the counter. "Are you feeling any better or do you want me to stay?"
Boscha scoffed.
"That was the least subtle 'I need to leave' I've ever heard."
"Wasn't trying to be, I gotta go."
"Do you have a curfew or something?"
"Yep, Luz likes me home before eleven," Percy said with a grin before his expression became serious. "But seriously are you feeling better."
The odd feeling in Boscha's stomach came back.
"Yeah, I am."
"Well, then I'm off. Tell your mom I looked forward to having an actual conversation with her and your mother that she got scammed on half her decorations."
Boscha laughed, a familiar feeling of lightness settling over her.
"I will," she replied.
Percy nodded and made his way to the door.
As she watched him leave, a question she'd been debating asking suddenly felt dire.
"Percy," She called out with a trembling voice, causing him to turn and look at her. "Will you help me be better?"
Percy gave her a gentle smile.
"Of course."
Amity sighed in relief as she stepped out of the library into the morning sun. She was beyond tired and the unsteadyness of her steps told her she didn't have long before crashing.
"I'm so glad that's over," Luz's equally tired voice came from behind her.
"Agreed."
The night had been long and terrifying, including several moments that Amity thought were her last, but the pair made it through.
"Thanks for helping me clean up," Luz said happily.
"You're welcome," The response came out far more stilted than Amity would have preferred. "It wasn't terrible.
After dealing with the corrupted Otabin, Amity found herself, reluctantly, enjoying Luz's presence. Her explanation of why she had Amity's dairy made more sense than she cared to admit and her sense of humor was something Amity surprisingly liked. Her resentment toward the human girl had lessened considerably and even bordered on amicability.
"I guess it wasn't," Luz replied before digging around her bag for a moment and pulling out a book. "It doesn't make up for reading your diary, sorry again," Luz blushed slightly. "But I noticed you only had up to book four."
Amity took the book at examined the cover. It depicted the two main, who throughout the other four books were bitter rivals, seemingly teaming up to fend off an unseen threat.
'Fitting,' Amity thought.
"Thanks," she said she took the book and turned to continue walking down the steps, her exhaustion catching up with her quickly.
"Of course."
Before reaching the bottom of the staircase, Amity stopped and looked over her shoulder.
"I'm sorry for trying to dissect you and for stomping on your pet's cupcake."
The apology felt foreign on her tongue, but it also felt right.
"Don't worry about it, King gets more than enough sweets at home."
Nodding again, Amity continued her journey home.
Once she was far enough away from the library, she opened the book and began reading.
She'd read the first four countless times, something new would be nice.
"How was your time at the library?"
It wasn't a hard question, not in the slightest, but the fact it was being asked just after she woke up made it seem difficult.
Slapping her cheeks gently and taking a moment to get used to the taste in her mouth, Luz looked at Percy with bleary eyes.
"It was pretty fun. Edric and Emira left, but I had a good time with Amity."
She conveniently left out that she almost died. She loved Percy, but having him fawn over her wasn't something she wanted at the moment.
Percy's eyes widened in mild shock.
"Amity was there?"
"Yeah, she was suspicious of the twins so she followed them," Luz replied as she stretched to help her wake up. "The twins made a mess before they dipped and she helped me clean it up," Luz brought her hand to her chin and scrunched her eyes. "I think we're good now. But I'm not sure."
"That's good."
"How was your dinner with Boscha? Was it as horrible as I think it was?"
Percy winced.
"It wasn't great, but it wasn't awful," he said quickly. "And I'm gonna learn how to properly potions from her mother."
"Again?" Luz asked in disbelief.
Luz was pretty surprised when Percy told her he'd be tutored by Amity's mother, and if she was being honest with herself, a little jealous. Fortunately, that jealousy faded quickly once she understood what that tutoring would entail. Hearing he had found himself the student of another stuck up witch was almost funny.
"If I had a nickel-" Luz started to say before getting cut off by Percy flicking her forehead. "OW!"
"That's what you get."
"Jerk," Luz mumbled as she rubbed her forehead, a small smile on her lips. "Anything else interesting happen?"
Percy huffed and stared at the ceiling.
"I had a conversation with Boscha, an actual one this time and she asked me if I would help her be better."
Luz's eyes widened.
"What does that mean?"
"I have no clue, but I said yes."
"Why?" Luz asked. "She's a massive jerk."
"I'm not saying she's not, but compared to her mother, Boscha is a saint."
"How bad is her mother?" Luz's brows furrowed in worry.
"I won't go into detail, but it's bad Luz."
Luz frowned. She didn't like Boscha at all, the way Willow talked about her ensured that. But she didn't dislike her so much that she thought she deserved to have bad parents.
At the same time, Luz also didn't want her brother to get involved with something that could hurt him. He was smart enough to take care of himself, but she still worried.
"Are you sure she can change?"
"I don't know, but I want to try."
Luz stared at him for a few moments before looking away and groaning.
"Fine, but if you get yourself hurt I will tie you up and read Azura books to you until the sixth one comes out."
"Didn't the author say she was done?"
"Exactly."
A brief look of fear flashed across Percy's face.
"Understood."
"Good, now get out, I wanna get ready for the day."
Percy stood up and gave her a mock salute.
"Yes ma'am!"
Luz smiled as he left before frowning once he was gone.
"Titan I want there to be a sixth book."
The next chapter will explore what some characters have been up to while Percy and Luz have been living it up in the Demon realm.
Till next time!