Aftermath

The trip to Hazel's room was quiet. No one strolled the hallways. No one yelled at me for what I had just done. Why couldn't someone just hit me? It would have made me feel better than this silence. Apparently I didn't deserve the luxury of having someone smack some sense into me.

When I finally reached Hazel's room, I took a moment to compose myself. I probably should have done a quick check in the mirror, but I didn't really think too far ahead. One deep breath later and I knocked on the door. My knuckles ached and throbbed from doing so, making me clasp them in my other hand.

"Come in," Hazel's voice called out.

I gingerly opened the door and took a look around. Evidence suggested that Hazel had a rough few days. Her bed was a mess and small piles of gems were strewn about the floor. The owner of the room was sitting in a bean bag with a book in hand. She took one look at me and whipped her head back into her book. A few more gems popped up through the floor, cracking the tile beneath her.

It wouldn't have surprised me if her book was a cooking manual on how to make a Percy soufflé. It would be more than I deserved given how much I had ignored her these past few days.

I walked up to her and took a seat on one of bean bags next to her. Her frizzy hair and dark skin drastically stood out in the otherwise pale and bland room. The sunlight shone just enough that if she had positioned herself just right, her golden eyes would have reflected them better than Superman could ever pull off.

"How are you holding up?" I asked.

She looked up from her book. It was a cookbook of some sort, though I couldn't tell you where she got it. I guess the nymphs had to stay in practice.

"I'm doing alright," she said. "Could be better, but… you know…"

I nodded solemnly. She should have been with Frank. By all rights, she deserved to be with her… well now ex boyfriend. Ugh. Dammit Olympians! Why did you have to ruin everyone's lives with this?

"Yeah. I get what you mean… How do you feel about," I gestured to the room with no particular specific in mind. "... all of this?"

The young girl sighed and put her book down on the coffee table in front of us. She then leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. I took notice that there were more diamonds at her feet than there were before.

"I actually thought this was kind of funny. Absolutely terrifying, but funny."

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay… please explain."

Her gaze fell back to me. "I was raised by nuns. You can't get any more conservative than that. Then later down the road, I finally meet you. When I first saw you, I thought you were a god in disguise. Now here I am, eternally bound to serve you like one. I don't know. I just thought it was funny."

She certainly had a weird way of looking at things.

"So," she continued, "I take it that you're here about earlier. Me running away and all."

"Yeah," I said. "I wanted to make sure Piper and I didn't scare you."

A pained expression worked its way onto her face. "I was a bit. What was that about anyways? You both looked ready to kill someone. Last time I saw that look on your face, you collapsed a glacier."

I wrung my hands together. "I'd rather not discuss it. Not now at least."

She took notice of my action and saw the bruises on my knuckles.

"I see," she said at last.

I knew I owed her an explanation. I just couldn't bring myself to discuss it quite yet. Not with her at least. Imagine telling your little sister you just attacked a helpless woman. That's pretty much what it felt like.

I decided to change the subject to something that, for some reason, I found more comfortable than our previous topic.

"What are your thoughts on… you know… what's going to happen between us?"

The poor girl looked flustered. She began fanning her face with her hand.

"I don't know what to think. Words would best describe me as anxious, but even then, I don't think that quite captures it."

I nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry about Frank as well."

She looked away with that comment. I could see this was still very much a sore subject. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Good job, Percy. You've been doing a great job at keeping everyone happy.

Not one to take this sitting down, I moved over to Hazel and gave her a hug. Her curly hair smelled of citrus.

I pulled back and sat on the edge of the coffee table, next to the cookbook.

"How have things been between you and Reyna?" I asked.

Her hands curled slightly at the mention of her former praetor.

"They've been a bit tense," she said.

My shoulders sagged. "She should have made you her replacement."

Hazel shook her head, making her mane of hair do a perfect impression of a lion.

"No. Frank is still very new to the legion. A praetor with as little experience as him would definitely need help. I wouldn't be of much use since we both started at roughly the same time. Dakota was the best choice in my opinion."

I laughed inwardly. "So it all comes down to the legion…"

She gave me a slight glare. "I don't hold her choice against her. I just don't think she's quite forgiven herself for it. Neither of us were expecting this turn of events."

I put my hands up in surrender. "Okay. Okay. Just thinking out loud is all. You doing okay though?"

She didn't nod or shake her head. "Better than I was. I still don't think I'm quite ready to go… the extra step just yet."

I put my hands back down. "Well that works out for both of us. I wasn't planning on going down that route anyways."

I stood up and rubbed the top of Hazel's head. "I'd love to hang around, but there are a few other things that I have to do. You should go see Reyna. I'm sure she could use someone to talk to."

I inwardly hoped that Reyna was feeling better after our little incident a few nights ago. I had left her alone, but I was beginning to wonder if that was a bad idea. If she was taking this similarly to Hazel…

"Okay," she said. "Go do your 'master' stuff."

With that, I walked out of Hazel's room and headed to yet another. This next trip was arguably more important, considering the health of one of the parties involved.

Before long, I had found myself back in Nimba's room. At this point, the cloud nymph was coated in a dark waxy substance. Palirroia and Thŷella were at her bedside, stroking her hair tenderly.

"How is she holding up?" I asked.

Palirroia turned to me. "She is somewhat stabilizing. We gave her a molasses coating to help with frostbite, but there is only so much we can do…"

I nodded forlornly. "You guys have done your best. Thank you."

Palirroia picked her head up. "How did things go with Khione? Was she dealt with?"

I wrung my hands together. "Yeah. She's been dealt with…"

Still being dealt with technically, but I wasn't about to bring that up.

Palirroia nodded, but happened to catch a look at my hands. Her eyes widened and she quickly turned to Thŷella and whispered something into her ear. Thŷella nodded and Palírroia stood up. She then grabbed ahold of me before hauling me out of the room.

The door shut behind us and Palírroia immediately held me against the wall before grabbing my hands and pulling them up into view. She gently rubbed her thumb over my knuckles and looked up at me.

"Was this because of her?" She asked.

I shook my head solemnly. Talk about an unintentional guilt trip. "No… It was because of me."

Her eyes widened and shone with a new fear. She took another look at my purple knuckles before wrapping her hands around mine.

"Oftentimes, our trainers would have hands like this. More often than not, the nymph that caused it didn't come back. Those that did… well… they weren't the same."

Just stab me already! Man, the last thing I needed was to be told how abusive I was…

"However," she continued, "I know you are kind. I cannot fathom what drove you to this, but I believe it was justified. She will heal in time. You, however, will need some help."

I need professional help, I thought.

She kept hold of my arm and pulled me down the hallway. Remind me again why I always assumed that all nymphs were delicate little spirits. This girl was hauling me along better than Tyson ever could.

Moments later, we arrived to the small spa. It looked much like a barber shop, with some additions. A row of rotating chairs lined each wall with a counter and mirror in front of each. Small basins sat before each one, perfect for dipping your feet in.

"Um. I appreciate the gesture, but I don't think this is the time for a manicure."

Palirroia didn't relent and pulled me into the room.

"This isn't a fashion trip," she said. "It's a medical one."

She sat me down in one of the chairs before rummaging through one of the cabinets. She shuffled around inside for a while and finally found what she was looking for; a vial about half a foot tall with a thick aqua colored liquid inside of it. Small beads of some sort floated inside the container, but I didn't get much time to admire it.

Palirroia returned to me and opened the vial. She poured out some of the substance before rubbing it in her hands.

"Hands please," she said.

I held my hands in front of her and she lathered the substance into my skin. It was wickedly cold at first, causing my hands to shiver. I didn't like the parallel to Khione's chill, but I wasn't exactly about to complain with Palírroia. She was gentle, but firm, and rubbed my knuckles down and massaged them delicately. A few moments later, the chill passed and a warm feeling stirred in my hands. I looked down to see that the bruises had completely vanished. My hands returned to their natural peach color.

"Were you not a kind master, I do not believe that I would have done this," Palírroia said. "But you have shown me kindness and demonstrated that you care for us nymphs. This potion will relax your hands and mend your wounds, but it is no cure all. Bruises and burns are what it works best on. If you keep up your behavior, I can promise you that we nymphs can make your time here much more pleasurable."

I flexed my fingers slowly. Not a fraction of pain resulted. I turned to Palirroia with my mouth hanging open a bit.

I don't know what came over me. Maybe it was the emotions from the past few hours finally letting loose. Maybe I was just very thankful that she had helped me. Maybe I was secretly excited about the meaning of her words.

Whatever it was, it let loose and I rushed forwards, pulling Palírroia into the chair, kissing her the whole time. She yelped in surprise, but melted into the kiss quickly. Her breathing quickened and she grasped the sides of my face, smearing the potion into my cheeks.

She straddled my lap and moaned into the kiss. My arms had wrapped around her waist. Her tongue delicately begged for entry and I happily obliged.

A few minutes passed before she pulled away, breathless. She panted slightly, her mouth parted. Her eyes had a lustful glare in them, but she blinked it away and climbed out of the chair.

"As much as I would love to continue, I must tend to Nimba. Thŷella is a caring person, but she is not very good at healing others."

I gave her a friendly smile and nodded. She turned around and ran down the corridor to oversee Nimba's healing process.

I sighed contentedly and pulled myself out of the chair. I took one look in the mirror and decided to make one last stop before meeting with Calypso.

A few minutes later, I found my way to my room. It was empty, as would be expected. The only evidence of life were the bed sheets and blankets, tousled from this morning's activities. I smiled longingly at the thought. We were so close.

Putting that thought aside, I walked over to my dresser and pulled out a fresher set of clothes. Given that this would be Calypso's first time seeing the world for several thousand years, I thought I should at least be presentable.

By the time I finished, I had put on a fresh black tee shirt with a blue and white checkered button up on top of it. The cargo shorts had to go, so I pulled on a semi worn pair of jeans. For good measure, I threw on my Camp Half-Blood necklace and sprayed on some cologne. I patted my pocket, taking comfort in the familiar sense of having Riptide with me.

I took a look in the mirror and fixed my hair. Special care was put in removing the lipstick from my face. I guess Palírroia had enjoyed herself. Now that I finally collected my wits, I left my room and strolled down the corridor.

During the walk, I passed by Silena's room. Her door hung open, allowing anyone to peer inside. Of course, I couldn't hold back and did so. Minus the huddled mass, swathed in blankets, sitting in the middle of the bed, the room looked no different than any other. Silena sat there, frozen in place, as though Kronos locked her in a time pocket.

I encroached nearer, my hand held out in case she panicked. She did not move a muscle. Her attention directed itself towards the windows, opposite of where I stood. My footsteps failed to sound out, allowing me to silently approach the daughter of Aphrodite.

"Silena," I called.

Not a word. Not a movement.

I pressed my hand towards her shoulder, or what I assumed was her shoulder. Kind of hard to tell with all the blankets.

I called out to her once again, still yielding no reply.

Frustrated, I pulled away the top of her blankets, revealing a curtain of her black hair. Her glassy eyes stared off, not looking at anything in particular. Her slim figure was hard to make out, a mountain of blankets sealing her away.

I pulled her towards the head of the bed, which is much more difficult than people think. Try pushing a pile of rocks without having any of them fall off the pile; that's about what it felt like.

Despite all of my efforts, she failed to register me even once. Her gaze stared off, lost in the space of the room. Waving my hand in her face? Nothing. Gently shaking her shoulders? Nada. Rubbing her head? Zilch.

With a last ditch effort, I went for broke and kissed her forehead. To my relief, she groaned out. It beats getting ignored.

"Silena, come on. Are you really just going to stay in here and stay buried in blankets?"

"It's comfortable. You should give it a try."

"Mind if I join you for a bit then?"

She shuffled around inside of the pile before finally opening her arms, a blanket draping from her like a massive cape. I scooted in next to her, successfully managing to be cocooned by her blankets.

"Like it?" she asked.

"Yeah…"

An awkward silence passed between the two of us.

"So…" I tried breaking the silence.

"You know, you don't have to do this."

"Do what?"

"Play nice. It feels forced."

"I'm not playing at anything. I just don't know how to comfort an old crush."

Her cheeks flushed, though she did smile a bit.

"So… how does it feel? Being back and all."

She hung her head low. "I don't know. How am I supposed to feel? One day, I'm dead; the next, I'm a concubine."

Awkward…

"Look, I didn't mean for this to happen to you. I never expected Hades to pull that kind of move."

"Yeah, well… I guess this means things will be more interesting."

She finally turned her head towards me, trapping me with her blue gaze. In that moment, I forgot how to speak.

"So," she said, "old crush?"

I turned away. "Maybe."

"Now why would Percy Jackson have a crush on little old me?"

"Are you kidding?" I turned back to her. "You're gorgeous, sweet, and you were one of the few who never treated me like crap at camp. It was just a matter of time before I fell for you."

"Aww. Poor Percy. Tongue tied by a simple conversation."

"Oh, so talking to Beckendorf never left you tongue tied?"

Her eyes fell, the momentary happiness gone.

Percy, how do I spell this out to you nicely? YOU FUCKED UP!

The tears fell from Silena without a sound. In my huddled state, I moved to wrap my arms around her, but she tackled me before I had the chance. Her face buried in my chest as she sobbed, bawling silently as her hands gripped my shirt.

"I miss him so much!" Her voice was muffled by my shirt.

"I know… I… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to—"

"I know. It's not your fault. I just… wanted to see him one more time."

"You never saw him after… you know?"

She shook her head against my chest. "I went to Asphodel. Dying the way I did prevented me from entering the Fields of Punishment. I guess the judges aren't fans of spies."

I sighed, rubbing her back in slow circles. "You deserved better than that. If only the gods kept their promises."

"Well," she looked up, "one of them broke the rules for me. He gave me a second chance at life and I get to spend it with a friend."

"I… guess you're right."

We remained their, huddled together under the blankets for what may have been a few minutes or half an hour. When the thought of my earlier promise came to mind, I knew staying wasn't an option.

"Hey, I have to go. I made some promises I have to keep."

"Good."

I raised an eyebrow.

"It's good that you keep your promises. Never forget to do that."

She hugged me tightly, nearly squeezing the breath out of me. After that, she opened up the blanket and allowed me to climb out of bed. I made my way to the door before turning around.

"You know, I'm sure you will fare much better if you talk to the others. Staying isolated isn't too healthy. Try talking to Hazel. She's can relate to you more than you know."

She nodded with a small smile, but lied back down, resting her head against the fluffy pillows.

With my last chat taken care of, I turned my attention back towards the hall and resumed my trip to the front.

Calypso was patiently sitting at the top of the steps that led to the front door. Adorned in her signature sleeveless dress, no one would have mistaken her for anything but a goddess. The late morning sun reflected off of her caramel hair, giving her a warm glow.

As she waited, she was running her hand along a moonlace flower that had been grafted to an ivy vine crawling up the walls of the villa. She had failed to notice me, as she was facing away from the entrance, so I decided to surprise her.

Tiptoeing my way towards her, I brought myself inches behind her before—

"Good try, Percy. But I'm not that oblivious."

I laughed out loud. "Dang. Guess I have to get sneakier."

She turned and looked up at me with a squinty face. "Hmm, I don't think so. Staying hidden doesn't seem like your style."

Got to give her points for accuracy. Most of my stealth missions ended with something exploding.

"Fair enough," I said. "You ready to go?"

She hopped up and gave me a dazzling smile. Her feet were doing a small shuffle, like she had too much energy and was ready to burst. Fortunately she was wearing a pair of sandals. I couldn't imagine the medical costs that would follow if she went to New York barefoot.

"Absolutely," she replied.

With that, she looped her arm around mine and accompanied me as we made our way down to the surf. Not too far out, I found that we were in a decent landing zone, so I let out my signature whistle.

Mere seconds later, Blackjack landed a few feet from us. Calypso looked to him in awe, evidently not familiar with black pegasi.

Yo, boss. You need a lift?

"Yeah," I said. "A lift would be fantastic."

He then craned his neck to look past me and let out a winnie, buffeting his wings and rearing on his hind legs.

Woah, hold up! You've got Calypso here too?! You lucky stallion! You got all the dames!

I smiled sheepishly. "I'll take that as it is and just say thanks."

"He's beautiful," Calypso remarked. "Such a majestic steed you have Perseus."

Blackjack dropped back to all fours and tossed his head around, like he was trying to do a hair flip with his mane.

Dang, she's a sweetheart too! Don't let this one get away, ya feel?

I was nervously scratching my head at this point. He gives wingman a whole new meaning.

"Yeah. I feel you. So, you willing to give us a ride?"

Of course, man! Hop on.

He knelt down before us. I boosted Calypso up onto the black pegasus and crawled on behind her. Man, I missed the feeling of being on horseback.

Blackjack stood and worked himself up to a canter before taking flight. Calypso wasn't quite prepared, so she fell back into me. Yep, I knew there was a reason to sit behind her.

Sorry about that guys. Shoulda let you know I was gonna take off.

"Don't worry about it man," I said. "Just been a while."

Calypso shifted in front of me. "What did he say?"

"He just apologized for to abrupt take off."

She leaned forward and rubbed his neck. "Don't apologize for that. I just haven't ridden a pegasus before."

So keep the ride gentle. Got it. By the way, as much as I love being your number one chauffer, I can't just go flying around with no end goal in mind. Where are you guys going?

I pondered that for a second. We did have the entire world before us, but then again…

"Manhattan," I said. "Let's show Calypso the modern world."