Play With Fire, You're Gonna Get… Healed?

Calypso and I said our goodbyes to my parents and watched as they took off in the blue prius. I tried to pretend like this didn't feel like a finality. I would definitely see them again, just as soon as I dealt with the situation with the harem.

I sighed, and Calypso seemed to read my thoughts.

"This isn't going to be the last time. You'll have plenty of opportunities. Besides, I don't think that we'd be too heartbroken just because you left the island to see your family."

"I know," I said. "It just feels weird to see them again just to leave so quickly. Know what I mean?"

"I've lived on an island for the past four thousand years, and this is the first place I've seen since. No, I couldn't possibly know at all how weird this must be for you."

"Okay, okay. Man, I thought I was the sassy one."

Despite the fact that Blackjack may have been a more ideal way of leaving, I've already had my fill of staying in the sky. Instead, I decided to introduce Calypso to my other equestrian friend.

"He is magnificent! I read about hippocampi a long time ago, but the texts cannot truly capture their majesty."

To say Rainbow was enthusiastic about taking Calypso for a ride would put it mildly. We zipped down the East River and into Long Island Sound. I saddled behind Calypso, though I don't think the extra precaution was necessary. She was much more at ease riding Rainbow than Blackjack, and a lot more energetic.

"You know," I shouted over the spraying of the sea, "that was a pretty vindictive move earlier, the way you played Annabeth into your hand."

I think she laughed, but I couldn't hear it over the sounds from the water.

"What have I to lose? I can potentially gain a valued friend and ally if things play out well. But if things go south, I could simply use that to make your life more enjoyable."

"You're really serious about not losing me, huh?"

"I told you, I'm not letting you go without a fight. Now with Annabeth distracted with her work and from my request, it gives me more time with you."

We continued like that for a little while. After about fifteen minutes of riding, my yacht of a stallion carried us to the shores of Galínios. We thanked Rainbow for the ride and watched as he splashed back into the water.

As we strolled into the front door, Calypso halted herself. I turned to see her holding one arm in a nervous manner.

"Something wrong?"

"Not necessarily. It's just… As much as I want to, I don't think it would be wise to sleep in the same bed as you tonight. Or for a few nights. As you said, I put her on the spot. Just imagine how she will react when she finds out I'm to become one of your wives."

With a sigh, I rested my hand on her shoulder. I tried my best to offer a comforting smile.

"Like you said, it shouldn't be anything more than friendly competition, right?"

"I… I want to believe that. On my part, it will be just that. But… I don't know Annabeth well enough to be sure. She seems like a prideful one… And I wounded her pride with my remark…"

"How? You just offered your help."

"By doing so, I implied she was incapable of doing the very thing she loves. Can you imagine how much a comment like that hurts? I won't deny I wasn't thinking the most… rationally. After all, to see her on your lap…"

"What, did you want to be on my lap instead?"

To my surprise, she nodded, but did so with a shameful expression.

"More than you know. And after last night… well, let's just say I doubt I'll be able to sleep without touching myself if you happen to stray into my nighttime thoughts."

"Isn't that all the more reason to sleep with me?"

"If I do that, I promise you won't have time for the others. I'm trying to think of everyone here. After all, it would be greedy of me not to let the other get a taste of my future husband."

With a halfhearted wink Calypso left for the gardens, likely to see what Katie had been up to since we left. As for myself, there was one emergency stop that I needed to get to before Piper.

Nimba's room was silent as I approached. If ever there was a time that I prayed for the well being of a nymph, that was it. Those prayers proved to be unfounded as I entered her room.

"Master! Thank goodness you have returned!"

Palirroia cradled the cloud nymph's head in her arms. Numerous vials of medicines littered the end table and dresser. The nymph herself looked frail. Her once pale skin was now gray. Small chunks of her hair lay at the bottom of her bed. Lest I forget to mention, she was spasming every few seconds.

"She is not responding to any more of our attempts to heal her," Palirroia said tearfully.

"Is there anything I can do to help? Maybe I could heal her with some water."

The oceanid looked at me doubtfully. "She is not a nymph of water. But perhaps your method could work."

Not two minutes passed from when I left the room to when I came back with a large glass of water in my hands.

"Hold her head up," I said.

Palirroia listened and tilted Nimba's head upright. I pulled out a small sheet of water and ran it over her face before moving down her body.

I channeled my power over the sea as best as I could, but nothing happened. Her skin may have regained some of its previous paleness, but that was it. Despair began to weigh on my chest as my exertion continued for nearly half an hour.

After nearly depleting myself completely, I collapsed on the side of the bed, panting. My own sweat stained the sheets and my heavy breathing could be felt throughout the mattress.

"Master, please," Palirroia said. Her voice sounded ready to break. "You've tried your best. Do not exert yourself to this extent over one of us. We are expendable. Your will is not."

What did she just say? Expendable? Seriously, whoever trained these girls, I am going to find them and introduce them to my friend, Riptide.

Before I could retort, a warm glow appeared from behind me.

"I do not believe your master would approve of that visage."

I turned my head to find a kindly looking young woman. Her raven hair was bound in a brown shawl. A deep bronze glowed from her skin. Her brown eyes glowed with a warm fire. Powerful, yet comforting.

"Lady Hestia."

I bowed before the goddess.

"No need for formalities, young hero. You prayed for the nymph to recover. I am here to see it through."

My eyes widened. "You mean…"

"Yes, Percy. I am going to help you."

She trailed forward and brought herself to a rest next to the bed, right next to me. Her hands passed over Nimba's forehead as she softly spoke ancient Greek.

"Hmm. I see." She turned to me. "She has been wounded by the will of a god. As such, only the will of another god can neutralize it. But I do believe that your water will also be necessary to help her."

"Um… of course. Whatever I have to do, I'll do it."

She smiled gently. "Then I will need you to hold the glass out in front of you. When the water steams, you will know what to do."

Understanding, I gave her a slight nod. Her gaze parted from mine and turned back to Nimba. A deep red fire ignited in her palm. While chanting a bit of Greek to herself, she passed her burning hand over Nimba's body. The crimson flames licked at her skin, both thawing and charring her.

I realized with a start that, while Hestia was undoing the damage done by Khione, she was also burning Nimba in the process.

"Uh, Hestia?"

"Do not fret, Percy. Now we shall fully help her."

She held her little torch of a hand under the glass I was holding and let the water boil. When the glass was emptied of its contents, and the room was filled with steam, I willed all of the moisture to cling to Nimba's body. I guess as a cloud nymph, steam was easier for her to absorb than water. The vapor quickly vanished and the burns faded away.

Seconds passed before the most promising sound ever was made, a yawn. Nimba's body let out a small shiver before leaning back and resting into Palirroia's lap. The oceanid looked up at us tearfully.

"I could not ever offer enough to thank either of you. Please allow me to offer you my deepest and most sincere gratitude."

Hestia gave the sea nymph a warm smile. "You are very welcome, young Palírroia. I trust Percy has been treating you well."

Palírroia rapidly nodded her head. "Far greater than I'd ever hoped. He truly cares for our well being."

Hestia gave me a side eyed smirk. "I would have expected nothing else."

I coughed uncomfortably. "Listen, while I do seriously appreciate the help, why exactly did you? I didn't think the gods cared for the well being of mortals, much less nymph handmaidens."

Hestia frowned. "I may be many things, young Perseus, but a follower of the ways of others, I am not. Indeed there are many cruel gods and goddesses. I would like to believe that I am not one of them."

"But why help me? Why now?"

She laughed. "I felt trouble within your home. There was turmoil that would have unraveled rather unpleasantly if it were left unchecked. And to put it plainly, I have taken a special interest in you, and I am curious to see whether or not you will be successful in creating a home between a group that would rival my immediate family in tension."

That's a comforting thought. Nice to know my harem is literally being compared to the Olympians.

"My lady, if I may ask, how exactly can I repay you? We have no pyre or hearth to burn offerings."

"Nor should you. I ask for nothing in return, Percy. Only that you strive to make this a successful home."

With that, she vanished in a column of flame. I looked over to Palírroia, who was still holding a sleeping Nimba in her hands.

"I think it's best that we let her sleep. She could definitely use it."

We both left Nimba's room quietly. However, the moment her door closed behind us, I felt Palorroia's embrace press me against the opposite wall.

"Master, I can't thank you enough for what you've done."

I looked down to her. Her head was buried in my chest, only giving me a view of her black hair. A small shine of light crested her hair with a slightly bluish hue.

"You don't have to thank me," I said. "I want to keep you all safe."

Her fingers curled against my chest, and she looked up to me with a teary smile.

"Maybe. But I must repay you for your kindness."

Without even giving me a chance to respond, she grabbed my face and pulled my lips into hers. The familiar salty taste of the nymph was refreshing, albeit as alien as the very first kiss between us. Her desperate lips refused to let me go, her arms were even less relenting. Perhaps this was why she was revered as the leader of the nymphs. She was easily the strongest of them.

Small breaths passed between us before she pulled away. One look into her eyes and I could see a hunger stirring within her. As such, I immediately took hold of her face and dragged her back into me. A small gasp escaped her as I did, but was instantly quashed as our mouths made contact.

"Master," she gasped, "please take me again. Make me yours."

Her fingers curled around my hair and mine did the same to the folds of her dress. Her cool skin was invigorating. My hands slid down her back and rested on her buttocks. Giving them a slight squeeze, I shifted my head to nibble on her shoulder.

"Not yet," I whispered. "There's still some things I have to do."

She whimpered out in response. Her hands immediately reached for the hem of my shirt and started to pull upwards. I grabbed her wrists before she could succeed.

"I said not yet."

Her purple eyes pleadingly stared back into mine. Clearly not too happy, she buried her head into my shirt and nuzzled me with her nose. I felt a slight pinch at my gut as she tried to pull my shirt up with her teeth.

I laughed. "You're really not going to take no for an answer, are you?"

She looked up and pouted. "Master, I feel an urge to do this. It just feels right for me. That and I couldn't stop thinking about all of the things you made me feel two days ago."

I looked back at her slyly. "Oh really?" My hand slid around to her front before coming to a rest on her pelvis. "And what exactly did I make you feel?"

A slight shade of indigo faded into her cheeks. "You made me feel warm… safe… cared for… pleas… mmm…"

I pressed my hand into her pelvis and brushed her vulva through her chiton. "Yes?"

"Mmm! Pleasured… oh yes… so much pleasure."

Her hips bucked into my hand as she suffered. Her hands tried escaping my grip, but I refused to relent.

"Master, I beg you! Your humble servant requests your attentions…"

I whispered into her ear. "If that's the case, you may share my bed with me tonight. But only if you let me go now."

She dropped her head in defeat, but continued her slight moaning from my hand. Satisfied, I pulled away from her crotch, making her whimper at the loss of contact.

"You have been a good girl, Palírroia. I do intend to reward you."

Her cheeks flared indigo and her breath hitched. Her thighs started rubbing together in anticipation.

"Do you mean it, Master?"

I kissed her forehead. "Absolutely. It's the least I can do."

She shuddered under my touch and nodded her head quickly.

"Then I will also refrain from touching myself until then. I want to give myself to you completely."

"Good girl. You can come and find me later tonight. Until then, I'm sure there's other things you need to do. I'll need to see the keys though.

She simply nodded again and handed me the ring of keys before shuffling her way down the hall. I looked down and saw a wet patch in the carpet, along with a trail of smaller stains following the oceanid. Oh boy, tonight is going to be good.

That thought aside, I began my trip to a room that I've been all too familiar with.

Another silent trip awaited me as I made my way to Piper's room. It seems as though nothing ever good came of these quiet trips. They almost always involved something going horribly wrong.

I arrived at Piper's door and knocked. No reply. With a sigh, I unlocked her door and stepped inside.

Piper was there. Or at least a shell of her.

She sat at the foot of her bed, hugging her knees to her chest, face sullen. Her eyes were sunken in. Silent and still, all she offered was a listless and downcast stare.

Knowing there was no chance of getting her to talk in this state, I simply sat down next to her. She was wearing the same clothes as the day before, though they smelt distinctly of sweat and blood. I tried looking her in the eyes, but they failed to register my presence. Red streaks down her hollow cheeks made it evident that she'd been crying… a lot.

I placed my hand on hers. She shivered. My other arm wrapped around her and pulled her to me. Still in her fetal position, she leaned over and rested on my chest. I took notice of her increasing tremors. With a quick look, I saw fresh tears leaving her eyes.

I leaned down and kissed her head. "I know, Piper. Gods believe me, I know."

That broke her. Her sobs echoed through the room. The tortured melody pulled at my heartstrings.

"I tortured her," Piper wept. "I did things to her that I would never even have nightmares about."

I placed my hand on her cheek. "Look at me."

She hunched up tighter. Her head retracted, giving her a near perfect impression of an egg. A beautiful, mentally broken egg.

"Piper, look at me."

Still no response.

"I was there too, Piper. Trust me, I know the feeling. It's like… like the moment that…" I trailed off. It was all coming back to me again. My actions. My nightmares. The visceral image of me beating Khione bloody with my bare fists.

"Like the moment we left the dungeon, reality hit us," Piper finished.

I sighed. "Yeah. Like that."

She finally looked up at me, her eyes now red and strained. "How could we do it, Percy? How could we be so cruel?"

As much as I didn't want to give her false hope, I did want her to have full disclosure. "Actually… That may not necessarily have been us…"

Silence.

I could feel her gaze now boring into me. In my efforts to look away, I caught a glimpse of her dagger. The beautifully deadly dagger reflected entirely gold.

Wait, gold? Upon a second look, I realized the entire blade was coated in a thick layer of ichor. It was covered so completely that you would never have guessed it wasn't part of the blade. Only a few drops on the dresser gave it away.

I shuddered. If her dagger looked like that, then that means at some point, she plunged that blade down to the hilt into the goddess. For once, I found myself praying for the health of my enemy. No one, not even Khione, deserved the brutalization we gave her.

"What do you mean?" Piper finally asked, interrupting my train of thought.

I looked back at her. A curious, though doubtful, glin shone in her eyes. Like she wanted to believe me, but couldn't.

"Calypso," I said. "She said she could sense some sort of magic at work. Something was influencing us. Making us behave that way… And according to her, that something was god tier magic."

Her eyes widened comically. "So what you're saying is…"

"To put it simply, someone else was controlling us. Or at least influencing us to act the way we did."

Her eyes had a far away look, like she wasn't even seeing me anymore. "But who would do that? She's already been defeated."

"I don't know," I said. "But I'm going to make damn sure that we figure this out. Trust me, I know what you're feeling right now."

She nodded tiredly and sighed. Her body seemed to relax. No longer was she huddled together. Her legs now dangled from the bed.

"Yeah. We owe her that much."

She threw herself back into the bed and stretched out. A yawn escaped her lips before she looked back at me.

"So," she said. "How did things go with Calypso?"

"Um, well they went… wait… how did you know about that? Annabeth said you were in here like all day."

She gave me a small smirk. "Well, you have quite the love bite on your neck. You just said you talked with Calypso. And you smell like a flower garden. So unless you went at it again with Katie or, gods forbid, Drew, I assume you spent the day with Calypso."

Wow. That was pretty impressive.

"Well, things went well for the most part. Aside from getting jumped by a group of street thugs and nearly getting killed."

"That explains the scar. Don't your powers normally heal those though?"

I looked down. "Yeah. Normally. It was a pretty bad wound… And… I think I deserve to keep it. A reminder of what happens when I let someone screw with my head."

"Hey, you just said we're dealing with a top tier mind controller. I've faced Medea. I don't think I've ever been more scared of how easily someone could bend others to their will before her."

"Yeah, but… at the time I didn't really believe that. Heck, under most circumstances, I could wipe out dozens of opponents. I've done it several times."

Piper looked on with a curious expression. "What was different about this time?"

"I… I think a part of me wanted to lose. I felt I deserved it. Comeuppance for what we did to Khione. If not for Calypso being there, I would have let them win. By the time I started thinking straight, it was too late. I was already in a really bad spot. If Calypso weren't there, not only would I likely be dead… but I think I would have happily accepted it too."

"Percy." She stared at the wall. "Look I get where you're coming from. You have no idea how tempting it was to use Katropis to slit my wrists. But we have people we need to live for."

She turned her head to face me with a teary, but fierce gaze.

"Don't you die on us. If you do, I'll go down to the Underworld, bring you back to life, and kill you all over again."

I chuckled. "Yes ma'am."

Typical Piper. Down on herself all the time, but the moment someone else does the same, she won't hesitate to set them straight.

"Want me to kiss the scar better?"

I narrowed my eyes and shook my head laughing. "Glad to have you back."

She shrugged. "Yeah, well, being forced to do things I don't want to isn't exactly new. Especially if I'm made to hurt someone in the process."

Gods, do I know that feeling…

"But," she continued, "I wasn't kidding about that kiss."

I hung my head and laughed. "Maybe not on the scar. But I'd be more than happy to kiss you again."

With that, I leaned in and she aggressively pulled me on top of her, throwing herself back onto the bed. Soft touches were exchanged, but our lips remained passionately locked together. After a few seconds, her tongue demanded entry. I relented.

A few seconds passed before she pulled away, the color red dusting her cheeks. Her eyebrow was raised.

"You were definitely with one of the sea nymphs recently."

I stared back, shocked. "How did you—"

"Your lips are saltier than usual. Not that I'm complaining. I kind of like the taste. It's different. But whoever you were with definitely did some spit swapping, that's for sure."

I sat back up, rubbing the back of my head. "That obvious, huh?"

She stretched out seductively. "Mhmm. Now, what will it take for the daughter of the love goddess to get the fish boy under the covers?"

I let out a hearty chuckle and brushed her messy hair over her head. "Actually, you should probably get some food. I'm gonna guess you haven't eaten since dinner two nights ago."

She gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, I want some fun with my lover."

I rubbed her thigh. "You'll get some. How about you join me tonight? I'll get you acquainted with that sea nymph."

Eyes wide, she rubbed her legs together. "That… might actually be kind of fun. Which one?"

"Palírroia. She's… uh… the blue one. The one in charge of the rest."

She nibbled her lip. "Mmm, that's definitely tempting. Aside from Annabeth that one night, I haven't been with any girls. Not that I'm not interested. Trust me, I'm going to spend a lot of time between Annabeth's legs while you're off being a hero and getting laid."

I snorted. "Are you trying to replace me?"

"Maybe," she grinned deviously. "In all seriousness though, I kinda figured she was at least attracted to me during the quest. Honestly, I was tempted to kiss her after our encounter with the Makhai, but… you know… Kinda had a boyfriend at the time. And I didn't want—"

"I know. You already told me. Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. It caught me off guard when you both were in bed together, but I'm not exactly in a position to judge."

She shied away. "Listen, if you want me to stay away I can. She's your girlfrie—"

"No. If anything, I'm grateful. There's almost twenty of you, but only one of me. I can keep up a bit, but I have my limits. If you two are into each other, by all means, go for it. You can keep each other satisfied when I'm not around. Not to mention it was really hot to watch."

Tugging at the hem of her shirt, she shifted in place. "You know… you could have joined us. As worked up as we were, we probably would have started blowing you the moment your pants came off."

"There's an image I won't be able to get out of my head for a while."

"We can make that a reality. And I would be more than happy to. I'm pretty sure Annabeth is on the fence about being with other girls. More curious than anything, and I just happened to be the ideal candidate to experiment with. But wow she really knows how to use that tongue…" She trailed off, smiling dreamily.

"Piper."

"Right. Um. Give me some more time with her. Since she's basically second in command and all that, she has to get comfortable with the idea of being with other girls. I can definitely help with that. And if there happens to be a threesome in our near future as a result, we can consider my work a success."

"You've really thought this out, haven't you?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe. What can I say, your girlfriend is gorgeous. I want you both to be as happy as you can be in these circumstances. And I may or may not want to have a little piece of you both for myself as well. Who knows, maybe she'll start inviting girls for you to share with each other. Sort of asserting herself as your wife and all that."

"Like what she did with you?"

"Exactly like that." She grinned. "But that's for the future. As for this threesome with Palírroia… Yeah, count me in. If your lips taste that good, I want to get a taste from the source… Both of them."

I tilted my head. "Both—"

"We're girls, Percy. We've got two pairs of lips, and I'll be perfectly content to give both of hers a taste."

"Oh!" I blanched. "Well… I can speak from experience, both taste very good."

"Perfect." A slight smile appeared on her lips. "Just so I make it clear, though, I am not planning on sharing you easily. That girl is going to have to fight with me to get her prize." She grabbed my pants to make her point.

I gave a sly smile. "I think I'm gonna like tonight."

She sat up and pulled me into a kiss. "You better. I know I'm getting my fill." She gave me a small push off of the bed. "Now get going. I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I really need a shower."

With a small laugh, I turned around and climbed out of the bed. Recounting the events of the previous days, I took my leave of the bedroom. As I made my way down the hall, one of those thoughts came to the forefront.

"Well," I said to myself, "time to see the Hunters."