From Nightmares to Nightshade

Long ago, I should have made it an effort to grab Hypnos by the beard and slap some sense into him. Why must demigods only ever dream of terrible things or haunting premonitions? Why can't I ever dream of running through a land made of blueberry pancakes and my mom's blue chocolate chip brownies? No. Instead, I wind up with bedwetting nightmares capable of sending the Minotaur running or premonitions that make me even more reluctant to get out of bed than usual.

I found myself floating in the vast inky darkness of everywhere and nowhere. Clouds of prismatic colors shifted within the ebon spanse. Within the vague veils of my dream, I could make out the voices from before. Still, they remained formless and distorted. Still, I found myself incapable of discerning their identities.

"You are playing this awfully close to the chest. They are learning. They are suspecting. Now, more than ever, we cannot afford any mishaps."

"As I recall, I'm not the one who put the bottle in her hands. A 'peace offering!?' Did you honestly expect that to work!?"

"She accepted it without question. After the recent events, she wouldn't dare refuse such an offer."

"Perhaps, but you've grown restless. Besides, now with her aware, it's only a matter of time before they discover us. What then?"

In the distance, I could hear a thunderous rumbling, as if the doors of a mausoleum were slammed shut… with me on the inside. With a start, I realized the third member joined the group.

"Have you what we agreed on?"

"In time. You can't expect overnight results."

Another wave of rumbling, this time from the newest speaker.

"I expect you to make good on your deal. I can't wait to be rid of this ridiculous form. After all, I've offered you my greatest nymphs as a part of this plan. Despite this, I have yet to receive payment."

"You'll get it. Once everything is complete, you'll get your share of power as well."

"Hmph!"

A few moments of silence passed, followed by the loud thrum of a heavy door closing.

"Was it necessary to get him involved? We could have done this without him. Now we have to jump through unnecessary hoops to keep him satisfied."

"Of course! By introducing these whores into the mix, the rift between everyone was all the easier to manage. Lest we forget, Poseidon would have caught on already if he didn't believe he supplied them."

A brief rumble passed, as if the speaker let out a sigh. "I suppose. It does keep things more interesting. But I do hope you have a plan for the girl. After all, your last attempt failed spectacularly."

"Be that as it may, we still have options. Though watching the girl squirm offered me greater pleasure than I've known for centuries, I will not rest until she is brought to her knees, begging for forgiveness."

"Sounds like someone is having bed troubles."

"What else is new? And what of you? Are you enjoying your little game?"

A bright light pierced through the cloud, coating everything in a blinding radiance.

"Oh, yes. This is a tale to be told for ages. His flaw is near nonexistent. Watch how his loyalty sways from one to the next. In time, he'll be the perfect playtoy. But for now, we must ease him into this life. We have an eternity to spare for him to grow bored of his friends. How long will it be until he looks for attention elsewhere?"

Before any other words were spoken, I found myself pulled from the dream, standing on a familiar field of moonlace. Unlike before, the sound of animalistic combat didn't ring out. With the dull tranquility, I took a moment to notice something about the surroundings. Though the field consisted of vast numbers of moonlace, other flowers shown through as well. Lilies, white lilies, speckled the field, shining brightly off the moon to such a degree that they appeared to be moonlace. If not for the silence, I would never have noticed the difference.

I spun around, attempting to take in the sight. Flashes of the animals locked in combat pierced my mind as I strove to find them once more. No signs of conflict revealed themselves. All stood peaceful.

"Be at ease, Perseus."

I whirled around, startled by the voice speaking in my head. As I did, my vision landed on two of the animals from my previous dream. A golden faced owl stared back with startling grey eyes, each as imposing the moon itself. It stood proud on top of the horse from before.

Wait. Not a horse. Though definitely equestrian in nature, the coat of the animal before was far coarser than the hide of a horse. And the face… The snout was not as streamlined, and it's eyes seemed tired. Not at all like any horses I've seen. No. What stood before me was a massive donkey with red flames dancing in its mane.

"We are with you," the voice said. It sounded familiar; relaxing. "You need only say the word, and we will show them the error of their ways."

I couldn't speak; I couldn't nod; I couldn't move. Though I wanted to ask what the voice was talking about, my voice failed me. I couldn't bring myself to call out to them. Though I wanted answers to my confusion, I could only stare as the meadow around me dissolved away, leaving me floating in the darkness of nothing.

Sweat coated my face as I stirred from my sleep. Reyna rested beside me, her face buried in my chest. Through my heavy breathing and trembling body, I couldn't figure out how she remained asleep.

I pulled myself away from the couch, covering Reyna's naked form with the soft quilt. After placing a kiss to her temple, I trudged into the bathroom and flipped on the light. My drowsiness looked all too apparent in my reflection, my green eyes as dark as swamp water, complete with purple veins selling a near undead appearance.

With a splash of water across my face, I attempted to refresh myself. I stared into the mirror to collect my thoughts with my hands pressed to the counter when I heard someone clear their throat behind me.

I turned to see Zoë standing in the doorway, eyes averted and cheeks as scarlet as the sunset.

"Oh, hey. What's up, Zoë?"

She made no effort to look up, instead waving her hand in the general direction of my waist.

"Could thou… please…?"

Little did I realize that I stood before her in all of my naked glory. Even my face started to heat up upon the revelation.

"Crap. Yeah, sorry."

Minutes later, I stood with my shorts back on, though my back stung too much to put on a shirt. Zoë's face never lost the red tint.

"So… Reyna and thou have shared one another."

I leaned back against the sink with a grimace on my face. "You heard everything, didn't you?"

She nodded her head, eyes still averted.

I groaned out, frustrated by my turn of luck. Of course she, of all people, would be the one to hear us.

"I could not sleep, and with all of the noise…"

She didn't need to finish her sentence. I turned around to look in the mirror, striving to collect my thoughts well enough for an apology. It never came.

A cool sensation on my back made me flinch. From my look in the mirror, Zoë's hand rubbed up and down it, tracing the fresh cuts along the skin.

"I see she enjoyed herself."

I let out half hearted laugh. "You could say that." I groaned as her finger glanced off a particularly deep cut.

"I can help," she said. "If thou wishes it."

I turned around, taking her hand into my own. Once again, her face flushed, but she made no efforts to pull away.

"I appreciate the offer, but I just need a shower and I'll be good as new."

She bowed her head for a moment before setting her jaw. "Please. I wish to help. My methods are far more efficient than a shower."

"I… alright." I turned around to the mirror. "If you want to patch me up, go ahead."

A gentle smile pulled at her lips as she returned her hand to my back. I half expected her to sew me up the old fashioned way, but much to my shock, she whispered words of ancient Greek instead. Her hands glowed an ethereal green and silver, like a blade of grass under the light of the moon. The pain subsided, the burning vanished. Upon turning around and inspecting myself in the mirror, I saw no evidence of my most recent encounter. Jaw slacked, I turned to Zoë.

"I didn't know you could use magic."

She clasped her hands behind her back, turning away with a grimace. "I never liked using it. It is magic of the Hesperides. I know of a few other techniques, but only that which was taught by Artemis."

I thought back to the goddess. The same one who caused our stay in the ranch house for the night. If Zoë could use magic taught by Artemis…

"I won't tell anyone. Not until you're ready. If anyone asks, I took a shower."

She took a sniff and covered her nose. "Thou are certainly in need of one."

"It's not that bad, right?"

Before she could respond, I took a whiff from my underarms. My nose hairs singed by the end of the whiff. It was that bad.

I turned on the sink and summoned the water to me. I let it wash over my body, scrubbing away the caked on dirt, sweat, and… other stuff. As I washed, I looked over to Zoë, whose eyes grew to the size of her former matron's moon.

"I have a feeling you didn't come here only to talk about me and Reyna keeping you up."

A few moments passed before she shook her head, though she appeared lost in a trance.

"Would it, perhaps, have to do with what happened earlier today?"

Her attention snapped to my face, hunching her shoulders and glancing away once our eyes connected. She chewed her lip while nodding her head, an otherwise ungraceful action to the otherwise graceful Hunter.

"I owe thee an explanation."

After sending the water down the drain, I turned around, crossing my arms. For my own amusement, I flexed my biceps, striving to draw the Hunter's attention. It worked. Though she attempted to remain subtle, she couldn't hide her darting glances or reddened cheeks.

"If you're ready."

She remained silent for a few moments more before taking a deep breath, smoothing her shirt with her hands.

"As I said earlier, I no longer serve the will of Artemis. Rather, I serve thy will. I needed to protect thee. I needed to redirect Artemis's attention."

"So this is all business to you?"

"Ye- no… I mean…" She turned away, hands gripping the towel rack as she muttered to herself. "I wish it was only business. It is how I hoped it would remain."

I tilted my head. "What changed?"

She turned to face me with tears in her eyes. "Nothing. And there lies the problem." She placed a hand to my cheek. "Thou are just as loyal and selfless as before I died. With the knowledge that I am to bed thee, I couldn't help but notice…" She turned her head, but held her hand to my face.

"Notice what?"

Her hand fell from my face as a tear rolled down her cheek. As I made an effort to brush it away, she turned her head, as if she enjoyed the sensation of her wettened eyes. When I was certain she wouldn't let me help, I shifted away to give her some room, to which she reached out, but let her hand fall as she did.

"Is this not the right time?"

She turned to me with mortification in her eyes. "No, it is not that. I only…" Her lower lip quivered.

The last thing I wanted to see was Zoë cry, but with how little she gave me to work with, I couldn't figure out how to help. She drew in a breath for a few seconds, letting it slip out only when she calmed herself.

"I have expressed me feelings for thee already." She turned away, grabbing the edge of the counter. "Thou knows of the respect I carry."

"No." I walked behind her, placing her hands on her waist. She hitched in breath and parted her lips as she turned her head to the side, neither looking at me in person or in the mirror.

"Respect is all in the head." I turned her to face me. "What does your heart tell you?"

She brought her fist to her mouth, looking away as she gnawed on her fingers. Rapid breaths passed through her lips, stalled only when her teeth fell upon them. Never before did I imagine the great Zoë Nightshade biting her lips before me, yet here she stood, vulnerable for the first time in her life.

"My heart tells me…" Her obsidian eyes turned to me, locking my reflection in place as both tears and determination shone in them. "My heart tells me to stop talking."

She lunged forward, crashing her lips into mine, taking me by complete surprise. Though lousy in skill, her efforts held true as she adapted to my response, mimicking my kisses until she developed her own style.

The scent of pine flooded my nostrils, overloading me with a refreshed vigor. Through desperate breaths, I returned her work, eager to pleasure her soft lips as she did mine.

Moments later, I pressed her against the wall, knocking aside a plastic trash bin and causing a towel to fall from the rack. In Zoë's efforts to remain her dominant self, she gripped my hair and pulled me in deeper, mewling beneath my lips as we slid to the floor. My hands rubbed along her back, stroking her taut muscles and any locks of her long hair in the path of my fingers.

Before we could reach the floor, Zoë's hand shot out, gripping the edge of a large ceramic bathtub. She hauled us both up, situating ourselves on the ledge as we continued running our hands over one another, our lips nigh inseparable. The sound of her labored breathing echoed across the tiles, ringing as percussive woodwinds in my ears.

My hand slid down to stroke her thigh, but on contact she flinched, sending us both tumbling into the oversized tub. Given that it was meant for Eurytion to bathe, its size didn't surprise me. I winced from the impact, groaning as Zoë settled herself above me. As her lips molded against mine, I couldn't help but notice the sprinkling of tears dripping on my face.

"What's wrong?"

She pulled away, resting herself on my lap, but giving me no room to sit. Tears continued streaming down her face as she drew a breath.

"I have spent the past three thousand years in the service of someone else. Every day, I remained selfless in my service to Artemis. Yet now, here I am, indulging in a selfish pleasure for the first time in my life." She wiped her nose on her sleeve. "And yet, I want more of this. I want more of thee."

An understanding smirk pulled at my lips as I caressed her cheek. She clutched my hand in her own, nuzzling my knuckles as her tears trickled over my fingers.

"It's okay to be selfish every now and then. You can't blame yourself for being human."

"... Human," she repeated. "I don't know what it is like to truly be human. I was raised in a garden before living in the wild. I know nothing of being a normal girl."

The bitterness in her voice showed. With gritted teeth she let her tears fall, showering my face.

"Take pride in that. After all, it makes you unique. You don't have to change who you are to enjoy yourself."

She gripped my shoulder, locking the joint in an iron vice. "But I still want to know what it's like… to be human; to be selfish." Tears trickled off the tip of her nose. "Wilt thou be my guide in this new world?"

I ran my hand across her cheek and circled it beneath her jaw, taking it between my fingers. "Of course."

Zoë fell to my side, locking her legs around mine as she pulled me in for another kiss. This time, I probed her lips with my tongue, earning a confused grunt from her.

"Open your mouth," I said while pecking her chin.

She did as I said, letting me slip my tongue in her mouth. Soft moans left her throat as her eyes rolled up. The pads of her long fingers raced across my chest. My tongue swished around her mouth, caressing and dancing with hers as the warm muscle turned to putty beneath my motions.

None too subtle was a slight action of hers. Not of her hands. Not of her lips. No. With her waist. Much to my surprise, the sensation of rubbing warmed my thigh. A balmy musk permeated through the air, offering a faint sweet odor to my nostrils. Dizziness struck my head. The filtering smell drew a blissful smile to my lips as I deepened our kiss.

Unbeknownst to Zoë, my palm trailed down her warm body, caressing her until it rested on her hip. Even as it they ran to her core, Zoë never noticed my fingers until they rubbed a damp patch between her legs.

She gasped, her hands locking on my shoulders as her body quivered. Wide eyes, like orbs of obsidian, bored into me with both embarrassment and desire.

"It seems like you're all worked up."

She buried her face in my shoulder, shaking her head as her ears turned pink.

"Don't tease me. Please."

I stroked the patch once more with my middle finger, drawing an uncharacteristic whimper from her.

"Were you playing with yourself when you heard us?"

Her face shot to mine, eyes wide but furrowed.

"Playing? What does thou mean by 'playing?'"

My finger froze on the spot, locked in place as the realization of her innocence dawned on me.

"You've never masturbated before… have you?"

Fortunately, she recognized the word. Unfortunately, it drew a sour look across her face.

"I have never needed to. My pleasure was the hunt. Nothing more."

"So you've never…"

Never orgasmed. That's what I wanted to say, but the words stuck in my throat. Much like her half sister, Calypso, she too has spent thousands of years without knowing the pleasures of release.

My hand returned to its position, my palm resting on her pelvis as she unconsciously attempted to hump my leg. The poor girl probably had no idea about what was going on with her body; why it was throbbing, why her core burned with need, why her thighs were caked in sweet smelling juices. My jaw set as I came to the one and only acceptable conclusion.

"I can help you… if you'd like."

Her pupils dilated, eclipsing her scleras until only the obsidian blackness remained. Combined with her Persian beauty, I couldn't help but fall short of breath. All too eager was she to learn about the world of pleasure, yet she knew nothing of why. When her arms curled under mine, hugging me close, the sound of her moans fluttered through the air once more.

"How? How wouldst thou help?"

With the brush of one finger, I answered her question. She whimpered, hugging me closer until my ribs screamed for her to ease her grip. Her pelvis lurched forward, gyrating against my finger until her cotton shorts stretched around it. So close was my finger to being inside of her. If not for the thin barrier between us, nothing would protect her sacred depths from my plundering wiles. Even from the simple stimulation, I could sense her getting hooked; drunk from the pleasure addling her rational thoughts until nothing but a sex addicted shell remained. It hurt, watching my friend collapse to this degree. For nothing more, I wanted to hug her close and not let go, but my sense of duty drove me to give her more of what she craved.

"Would you like more?"

Blackened eyes met my own as she shivered against me. Writhing in pleasurable agony, her body attempted to stimulate itself further, driving her dampened snatch into my finger until the thin cotton threatened to rip under the strain. While gripping my shoulders, she stared at me with desperation.

"Please."

I tilted her head up, bringing her lips closer until I could reach them with my own. Soft warm breaths dusted my upper lip, mixing her pine scent with the sweet musk of her desperate arousal.

"You'll have to take off your shorts. Is that okay with you?"

Frozen in place, her head locked against my shoulder as her arms shivered. Despite her millennia of chastity, she couldn't deny her need for release, especially when her hips thrust forward without her permission.

"Could… couldst thou remove them?"

Her eyes widened in a doey gaze. With a quivering pout and tears threatening to fall once more, I couldn't bear the thought of turning away when she so desperately needed me.

I pressed my lips to her forehead, earning a gentle mew from her as she tilted her head forward.

"Of course."

I extracted myself from her grip, to which she tightened her legs around mine. With a gentle laugh, I pressed a hand to her thigh as she ground her hips against me.

"Take a deep breath and relax your legs."

Frozen in place, Zoë didn't look ready to relax anything. After a minute of silent contemplation, she did as I said. Her legs released me from their deathgrip, allowing me to crawl between them with only a slight worry of suffocation by muscled thighs.

Zoë scooted back, leaning against the rim of the tub, her arms thrown over the edge. Rigid from her head to her waist, her evident fear deterred me slightly. After all, I didn't want to traumatize her. If anything, I wanted the opposite.

"Deep breaths, Zoë. I'm not going to hurt you."

Haggard breaths passed through her lips as she stared at me, each one more raspy than the previous. Through lidded eyes, she attempted to communicate without words, but I refused to go any further without her say so.

"I trust thee, Percy. But it does not make this any less stressful."

I rubbed her outer thigh, placing a kiss on her knee.

"We don't have to do this if you aren't ready."

Fresh tears streamed down her face as her lips quivered. Her hips rolled as the wet patch between her legs increased in size.

"If I do as thou says, I will never be ready. But I want this. I don't know what's happening to my body, and I don't know why I desire thy touch to this extent, but I do. Please, do not leave me here to wallow in my own pains of pleasure!"

In the deepest recesses of my sex addled mind, a single stray thought brought light to the situation.

"It's the veil. You couldn't fight against it, could you?"

Her fists clenched around the edge of the tub, but her shivering body held far more arousal than anger.

"I suppose not. But now, I do not care. Please, Perseus, I beg thee! Help me!"

Help…

All I wanted to do was help. Help my friends, my mom, Annabeth. Yet, every time I strive to do something helpful, it always winds up as a mess. Still, Zoë's pleas struck me in a way I couldn't ignore. Her eyes showed the same desperation as Calypso while fused with the panic of Khione. While I would argue that Piper's facial expressions had the greatest effect on me, Zoë wasn't too far behind.

"We won't have sex tonight," I said, "but I will help relieve you."

Her quivering lips pulled into a small smile, but her tears never stopped cascading. One more touch on her thigh and the ripples of pleasure coursed through her muscles, sending small shivers up her spine.

"Raise your hips. It's time to get this started."

Her eyes sealed shut as she nodded, lifting her hips from the surface of the tub to mere inches away from my face. Her sweet aroma permeated the air, slight and fruity, but far from invisible.

I curled my fingers around the hem of the silver cotton shorts, my gaze locked on her face for any sign of repeal. Besides her initial panic, none showed. Inch by inch, I pulled her shorts over her muscled thighs, down her lean calves, and away from her tender feet. Her face lie buried in her hands, a single eye peeking through her fingers as I licked my lips.

Much to my own bewilderment, beneath her shorts lay one of the black thongs Silena selected. Unlike most, it wasn't frilly or lacy. A simple black cotton strip stretched over her soaked vulva and between her firm glutes.

"Don't judge me too harshly."

Zoë held both fists to her mouth, her fingers curled before her lips as her eyes sealed shut.

Pulling away her hands, I offered a comforting smile to her and wiped away a few tears.

"It looks great on you. And I'm saying that with nothing but honesty."

Her eyes widened as her ears turned red. Once coppery skin resembled the color of rust as she brushed her palm over my cheek, new tears dripping from her eyes.

"Are you ready?"

She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. Her arms took up their position on the rim of the tub. With her teeth digging into her lip, she nodded.

Seconds later, her thong lay discarded on the bathroom floor. Before me, tucked between the thighs of the Hunt's longest running lieutenant, a tight slit, smooth as can be, shone caked in the essence of her arousal. No turning back at this point. No walking away. With her need so present and staring me in the face, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving her unsatisfied.

My hands parted her trembling thighs. Calloused fingertips ran along her smooth skin as tight muscles rippled beneath it. With my eyes locked on Zoë's, I blew a cool breath against her little snatch. She bucked her hips in response, a sharp gasp fleeting from her lips.

"Thou wishes to tease me?"

"No." I placed soft kisses along her inner thighs, inching towards her dripping twat, but never touching it. "I want to make this slow and enjoyable for you."

Before she could process my words, my lips descended upon her thighs, each kiss igniting new embers to raise the temperature inside her core. Over time, the stoked flames grew from a smoldering crackle into a blazing inferno of unquenched lust. Across the supple skin, a path of bite marks followed my mouth, each growing closer to her tight nether regions but never quite reaching it.

Following her death, I studied deadly nightshade with Grover as a means to honor her. We even went as far as to plant a small grove of them in the forest by camp. Zoë shared the sweet smell of her namesake, but her poison was far more potent. Not as a means to kill. No; but to addict. As I drew closer, her juices on her thighs entered my mouth, each drop making it more difficult to not ravage her. The subtle sweetness crazed my mind with lustful imagery; each depicting Zoë in a more compromising position than the one before it.

Minutes after I started teasing her, the sweet scent seeping from her little twat drew me too close to leave. Her legs rested on my shoulders as each kiss and nip forced a small whimper from her lips. While chewing on her lip, she stared at me from the side of her eyes as I approached her burning nether regions. The bath floor puddled with her essence, letting off more pleasing aromas.

"Are you ready?"

Her head turned to me with hooded eyes. Through the veil of lust, I witnessed her flash of uncertainty. A twitch in her lip pulled in a frightened quiver. Yet for all of the fear she carried, her desire to have release outweighed it.

"Please."

A moment later, my lips pressed against hers. From her perineum to her clitoris, I kissed every wet parcel of skin I could get my lips on. Each one drew a louder whimper than the one before it as Zoë writhed beneath me.

Not long after, my tongue trailed across her labia, tickling the skin and flicking her folds. In elliptical motions, I drew my tongue around her vulva, letting the soft skin mold beneath my ministrations. My hands gripped her waist, pulling her closer as I turned my attention to the small nub at the apex of her slit, peeking from under its hood.

"Oh, yes!" Her words caught in the raspy breaths of her panting; near silent, yet ringing across the ceramic bath.

Sweet nectar dripped from her tight snatch, free flowing for me to enjoy at my leisure. Her hands shifted from the rim of the bath to my hair. She pulled and kneaded at my scalp to pull my tongue deeper inside of her, yet I refused to penetrate her. Not yet.

"Antsy, are we?"

With lidded eyes rolled up, she chewed her lip as her body trembled. Beneath my tongue, the hunter turned to prey. Her every need relied on me. Her every wish could only be satisfied by my will. And so I willed it.

"Please! I beg of thee! Do not stop thy actions!"

To let her know of my satisfaction, I moaned into her dripping lips, eliciting a toe curling gasp from her. More juices spilled from within her, coating my tongue in the sweet musk. Sticky juices spilled over my tongue, each drop jolting me with a refreshed lust.

She pulled weakly at my hair, tugging with each labored breath. Toes curled and back arched, the pleasure coursing through Zoë seemed all too apparent; as if lightning were shooting through her nerves with every brush of my tongue.

"Mmm, enjoying yourself?"

Zoë's nostrils flared with every breath she took. Drunkenness carved away at her face as she chewed her lips with dreamy smile.

"Very much."

I licked my lips. "Then you'll love this."

My fingers moved to spread her lips, but failed. With my forefinger and middle finger attempting to stretch her labia, less than an inch of her interior revealed itself. If nothing else, one fact came to light: this girl was tight. Given that so little of her pink interior revealed itself, I made do with what showed.

"This is a pretty little pussy you have, Zoë. Nice and sweet too."

Even in her inebriated state, her ears registered my words with no problems. Her cheeks flared, as did her nose. However, if you asked me, the increase in fluids from her little slit revealed how she really felt about the words.

"Crass choice of words."

"Oh?" I gave her insides a small catlick. "Would you prefer I said something else?"

She whimpered, bucking her hips on contact. "Say whatever thou wishes, but please do not stop!"

I said nothing further, instead using my energy to do as she requested. Small licks along the inside of her folds turned to drawn out strokes. Each lap of the tongue circled her inner lips, the flavor of berries ever present on my taste buds.

As a result of her flavor, I couldn't help but moan with my tongue running along her tasty little snatch. Her breathing increased as I did, every nerve of hers set ablaze by the vibrations. With her legs quivering so rapidly around my head, I couldn't resist pushing her to her limit.

"What is thou… Oh! Mercy of the moon, yes!"

A single finger barely managed to squeeze itself into her depths. As I reached and brushed along her most sensitive interior nerves, I suckled on her clit. For not even one moment did I pull my gaze away from her eyes. When her finish came, I wanted the sea green of my irises to be the last thing she could recognize. Not too long after did my wish come true.

Through a self-stifled scream, she fell into the throes of her very first orgasm. Her hips bucked in my face, each spasm more powerful than the last. Powerful hands locked around my head as she stared at me with a barely recognizable face of contorted orgasmic bliss. With eyes rolled up and her jaw dropped, her breath stifled itself as she went silent, toes curling and uncurling as her nirvana warped features let off their afterglow.

Five minutes. That's how long it took for her to recover. Disoriented from her recent experience, Zoë attempted to pull herself out of the tub to no avail.

"Here. Let me help you."

She took hold of my outstretched hand without question, a dreamy smile plastered across her face. Though weak in the knees, she managed to redress herself with only mild assistance on my part.

With an arm draped over my shoulder, Zoë hobbled to her room, humming to herself with a chipper tune. A single kiss passed between us as I laid her into bed, the dark room swallowing our action with its shadow. While reluctance remained evident on her face, she allowed her hand to slip away from mine. I wished her pleasant dreams and took my leave of the room.

Sweet nectar remained present on my tongue as I strolled into the living room. However, though the taste slowed the emergence of memories, my dreams resurfaced, all the more prevalent with newfound knowledge.

Sure, I now know a little bit more, but not enough to help me. Seriously, who are these people. What do they want with me… this time…?

As my thoughts strayed from one possibility to another, I entered the living room. With my mind clouded by recent events and dreams, I expected nothing more than Reyna on the couch. One could imagine my surprise to discover Thalia sitting on the arm of the couch. Her silver drachma rolled over her knuckles as she watched my approach, electric blue eyes observing my every move.

"Well," she flipped her coin in the air and caught it in her palm, "looks like someone's had a busy night."

Her amused stare did little to unsettle me. Rather, I found myself mildly annoyed by the level of activity through the night. In an effort to steer the subject away from its course, my attention turned to Reyna.

"You redressed her?"

Thalia glanced at the no longer naked Latina on the couch.

"I figured Eurytion wouldn't take too kindly to a naked girl on his couch when he wakes up. By the way, that sports bra was a pain to put on."

Despite her words, the work seemed flawless. If I didn't already know Reyna was naked, I never would have guessed it.

"You, on the other hand, should put this on..." She held out my camp tee shirt.

I reached forward to grab it, but she pulled it away with a sly smile.

"... in a little bit."

I raised my eyebrows. "I never took you for that kind of girl."

She shrugged and twirled my shirt around her finger. "What can I say? I like to keep you on your toes."

"Why does that sound familiar?" I muttered to myself.

Thalia ignored my comment and took a seat on the couch opposite of Reyna's. When she settled herself against the arm, she raised her eyebrows and patted the cushion next to her.

Accepting her invitation (read "order"), I took a seat next to her. Not a second later, she turned herself and rested her head on my lap while dangling her legs over the arm of the couch.

I moved my hand to rub her head. Though she shot me an inquisitive look at first, she never told me to stop.

"Looks like you're settling into your role pretty well. Three out of four girls will leave here satisfied."

"To be fair, I don't think Bianca is ready for that extra step."

"Oh?" She ran a finger across my chest. "But didn't you two make out a couple days ago."

I tilted my head with an unamused grimace. "That was different."

"I know. You didn't cop a feel with her or put your head between her legs."

My eyes widened. "You were watching Zoë and me?"

"How could I not?" She pulled herself up and straddled me with her arms over my shoulders. "As loud as she was, I'm surprised the others are still asleep."

Given her nonchalant approach, I decided to push the boundaries a bit.

"Did you like what you saw?"

Her lips pulled into a sly smile. "You're damn right, I did." An instant later, her smile vanished, replaced by a look of concern as she looked away. "Percy… when you do this kind of stuff… do you do it because you have to or… because you want to?"

I leaned my head back. For a few moments, her question festered in my mind.

"If not for the harem, I wouldn't do any of this. Unfortunately, it forced my hand."

She nodded, as if expecting that answer.

"But," I continued, "I can't say I don't enjoy it." My shoulders slumped. "And so I wind up betraying my own code of ethics. Go figure."

She grabbed my chin and forced my eyes to meet hers. "For someone so stuck up about loyalty, you certainly have a very narrow way of viewing it."

"Okay," I said as she pressed my cheeks together. "Please explain."

"Gods, you're hopeless! You think being loyal is about staying faithful to one person."

"It is."

"I'm not saying you're wrong. What I am saying is you're only looking at part of the truth. You've never excelled in loyalty to a single person. Rather, you're loyal to your friends. How is this any different?"

"But I'm still-"

"A person who wasn't loyal to their friends would never compromise their own morals to help them. You believe you have. If anything, that should prove you are still loyal. Maybe not to one person, but to a group. To us."

"I'm doing it because I don't want you guys to suffer."

"Exactly!" Her voice took a gentler tone. "And for you to compromise your own set of values for our sakes, you only prove yourself to be more loyal to us." She rested her palm on my cheek. "You haven't become heartless. You don't view us as some sort of task that you have to get over. If you did, not a single one of us would be a virgin anymore. You let us take our time to be ready for you, and then you make it enjoyable for whoever you're spending time with. If that's not loyalty, I don't know what is."

I stared into her eyes, taken aback by her ruthless, yet gentle, honesty.

"Are you sure you aren't a daughter of Athena? You certainly didn't get that mindset from Zeus."

She glanced upward, as if expecting Zeus to blast me on the spot.

"Even Zeus was drawn to wisdom. Given the fact that Metis is still somewhere inside of him, I guess someone had to inherit the brains."

I shrugged. "I'll take what I can get."

She turned to me with a coy smile. "Then take this."

Without hesitating, she locked her lips with mine. If even for only a minute or two, she steered the kiss in her own direction. Her tongue slipped between my lips and slid over mine. A soft moan passed through her nose. On more than a few occasions, she pulled my lower lip with her teeth, forcing a groan from my throat.

When she pulled away, a crystal thread spanned the gap between us. We let it linger for a brief moment, only for it to break under its own weight.

Thalia leaned her head on my shoulder and took a look towards Reyna.

"Before your little… escapade, you said you wound up with more questions than answers. How did that happen?"

My hands settled on her lower back. After taking a deep breath, I proceeded to tell her about the dream I had in New York.

"Looks like you've been holding out on me." She pursed her lips. "What does this have to do about Reyna?"

After hearing about my conversation with Reyna, along with my most recent dreams, Thalia pushed out her lower lip while stroking her chin. At no point did she ever give any inclination of climbing off of my lap, but I can't say I wanted her to.

"A play for power, revenge, and a game. If those aren't the most mishmashed reasons for teaming up, I don't know what is." She rested her hand on my shoulder. "Unfortunately, all of these line up with too many different combinations of people. About half of the Greek world is out for revenge against us, everyone is trying to claim power, and some just enjoy toying around with us before making the kill."

My head fell. "Not much to go off of, I know. But we do have a lead."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"One of them was the nymphs' trainer, or owner. We find out who he is and we can discover who the other two are."

She pushed out her lower lip. "Makes sense to me. Guess there's a little more than kelp in that head of yours."

My lip twitched. "Well, I can give you something as hard as coral if you want."

She wrinkled her nose. "Okay, if you're going to make a pun, at least make it a good one."

"What can I say," I rested my hands on her hips, "I'm more of an action guy than a talker."

A smirk pulled at her lips, parting only to let her tongue moisten them. "I like the sound of that." She pulled herself against my torso, pressing her lips to my ear. "But as much as I like the idea of having you get between my legs, I think you've had enough fun for one day."

When I felt the pinch of her teeth on my earlobe, my hands grasped her toned buttocks without hesitation.

"Mmm, excited much?"

Labored breaths passed through my nose. With her position exposing much of her body to me, I couldn't resist running my tongue along her neck. At no point did she pull away. Rather, she hugged me tighter and leaned her head back. The bare neck in front of me teased me beyond my limits. Unable to resist the tempting flesh in front of me, I locked my lips on the base of her throat, just above her clavicle.

A cacophony of earnest moans echoed in my ears as I suckled on her skin. Muscled thighs hugged tighter. Without wasting any energy on words, Thalia ground her pelvis into mine. An all too familiar sensation throbbed at my core, a lustful ember stoked to a full blaze.

She pulled away from my torso and rubbed the darkening hickey on her neck. With lips pulled into a smile and electricity flashing in her eyes, she nuzzled my nose until her lips found their way attached to mine once more.

"I think I'll stay out here for tonight." Her lips curled into a smile as she pulled me up. Seconds later, she laid me onto Reyna's couch and rested herself on me.

The moment my back rested on the cushions, a familiar arm wrapped around me as Reyna hugged me in her sleep. An amused Thalia watched on, but said nothing. Rather, she laid herself on top of me, resting her spiky black hair in my chest.

"Sleep tight, Kelp Head."

Before I could respond, a resounding POP echoed in my eardrums. All sensations in my body went numb as Thalia's electricity pulled me into a forced sleep.

A/N - Long time, no see, everyone. Here now marks two weeks since my last update, as promised. I'm sure everyone saw a dream sequence coming. After all, Percy isn't exactly on his island, is he? And Zoe... well, let's just say she definitely has a lot going on in her head now. After all, it's not every day that the former lieutenant of the Hunt winds up with a man's head between her legs (and enjoys it). Hopefully, this chapter was worth the wait. Don't want this to seem subpar given how long it's been.

On that note, I have a bit of a confession (read "lame excuse"). Two weeks ago, when I last updated, I said I was postponing the update so I could read the Tyrant's Tomb. Well, less than a day after, I read the book cover to cover. Definitely not one of my favorites. I'd put it around the Sea of Monsters as far as quality goes. A decent book, but nothing too memorable. However, there were a lot of events that occurred that definitely impacted future stories I have planned. Anyone who wants those details can message me about it, as it doesn't pertain to this story.

Back to the point. While I had two weeks to write this chapter, I wound up getting obliterated at work. Covering the shifts of three other people tends to do that. Unfortunately, my health has been suffering as a result. I won't lie when I say I fear for the quality of the chapters I write now. I often found myself far too exhausted to write coherently, much less with good quality. Because of that, and because my schedule is still up in the air, I am going to take a bit of a break. Nothing too long, I hope. With the hours I've been working, I don't want to risk my future content suffering. I need time to recollect myself and get my health back in order before I start writing again.

Let me make this one hundred percent clear; this is a break. Not some indefinite hiatus; not a several month pause; and absolutely not a leave of this story. I didn't put in this much time and effort just to leave this story where it is. I'm too stubborn for that. However, I'm not stupid. I know that if I keep going down the road I'm currently on, my writing quality will deteriorate along with my health. I can't risk that any longer.

Trust me, I don't want to do this. Unfortunately, I've reached a level of brain fog where I can't even figure out most day to day work, much less my writing. I've been upfront with everyone and I don't want to lose the relationship I have with everyone here. If anyone wants to talk, I answer all of my PMs. Take it from those who have messaged me, I don't give half baked responses. It doesn't matter what you want to talk about: the story, Rick Riordan's work, your life story, any struggles going on; I'll listen to them all. Just know that it may take me a bit to respond. There have been instances recently where I've been asleep for up to sixteen hours in a day (yes, that's how screwed up my health is at the moment).

I don't know how long this break will be, but by this time next month, there will be another update. While I don't have it written, I can tell you that something happens during the next chapter that is very important. What is it? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

On to the questions. This time, I want to do something a little... different. One thing I've seen a fair bit of praise about is how I approach the psychological aspect of the harem and keep everyone as in character as possible. Well, what I ask for this time is recommendations. Lately, I've tried looking through different shows and stories that have a harem within it so that I can get a better read on the nuances of how different characters approach them. Keep in mind, I'm not referring to fanfiction, as most writers blow out the character traits' kneecaps and teabag them. On to the question. What harem stories would you recommend I read and/or watch? I need my research, and I can't find anymore of decent quality. With a few exceptions (Like Highschool DxD and Rosario + Vampire), most of the stuff I find is absolute crap. I'm willing to try anything at this point. Books, cartoons, anime, manga; hell, I'll even try hentai if it is good quality. I know the whole "research purposes" joke is overdone, but I actually do use it for research. I use this story as proof. So, let me know what you guys recommend. You can tell me through PMs if you don't want to publicly announce what kind of stuff you watch and read. I promise I won't tell.

You know, it's been a long time since I've done this, but the timing seems fitting. To all new followers, hello. I've been there to see the name of every new follow and favorite. Trust me, some of you have some rather... interesting names (like I'm one to judge). The same can be said to all of the guests, even those who don't review. On that note, while I love all you guys, there is one follow that nearly gave me a heart attack. To Henry James Locker, the proprietor and "Emperor" of the island harem story, I welcome you. Thank you for taking the time to give this story a read. I hope it's to your liking. The same goes to everyone. I know this seems like a poor time for me to take a break, but this story mixed with my work life has left me a mere shell of my former self. Once I'm back to my normal self (as normal as I can be), I'll continue giving you guys the story you all want to read. At this point, we're approaching two hundred fifty thousand views. Honestly, I don't think I've ever held this much attention in my life. At this point, I'm beyond proud of how far we've come. Still, that doesn't change my exhaustion.

With all of this said, I bring this obnoxiously long author's note to an end. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and found the content worth the wait. With so many people counting on me for more content, I hope I can deliver something that appeals to each and every one of you. We still have a long way to go for this story, so we have a long time to spend together. Leave your reviews (and suggestions) and let me know what you think. What other content would you like to see? I promise, I'll try to stay open minded, as long as it isn't on the banlist (I've seen some suggestions that go against the rules in place, and I've already relented enough by adding Artemis). I hope to see you guys when I'm in better health soon. As always, this is Ronin signing off.