LAST TIME

'Right, she's angry.' I rolled my eyes and walked toward Nereus, who was wriggling in the vines, wary of the stygian iron sword at his neck.

"What do you want to know this time?" He sighed as he saw Thalia and Bianca near. "I remember you two. And the lieutenant of Artemis. So, let's get this over with. You have one question."

"We'll ask how many ever we fucking want." Clarisse pressed the heel of her shoe into his back. "This is not an ordinary capture if you haven't noticed. You can't free yourself."

#He can. He'll teleport away, as is fair, even if you don't let him go. And the Fates only need him to answer one question per capture. After that, he can remain quiet, and do whatever he pleases, including lying.#

"But we'll just ask the one we want," I shot Clarisse a quelling look. "Tell us, Nereus. Where can I find Hecate?"

Ch.57 Maiden, Mother, Crone

The afternoon sun scorched into my skin, and the warm, humid breeze ruffled through my clothes. I tugged my cap— the warrior's crown in its hidden form till its shadow fell over my face.

"Figures she'd be here." Thalia put her foot against the tire of a car and tied her laces, casting a distasteful look at the brick buildings. "Salem. The country of witches. And she's the biggest of them all."

"I honestly thought she'd hate it here." Annabeth squinted at the witches' museum sign. "Witches were burned at the stake, according to the stories, weren't they? Salem Witch Trials. I thought she'd be against that kind of thing, not living in it."

"She's a goddess. Gods are always closest to where their domain reigns strongest— or their throne is. Think of any god or goddess— Artemis runs in the wild with her hunters, Hestia is in the flames of the hearth, my dad's in the sea, and more precisely, Atlantis. Zeus is the king of gods and mostly in the throne room— of a floating city in the sky. Hades sits in the underworld."

"And Salem is the place for witches, hence the connection." Bianca hummed. "You think witches exist? Like really-really exist? And wizards?"

"Like in Harry Potter? No, they don't. I wish they were." I let out a sigh. "Witches though, or more appropriately, magic users do exist. Annabeth and I have met Circe and her apprentices. She had several girls learning sorcery under her. Most were demigods, demi-titans, or a legacy demigod, which are rare. But they exist. And most were immortal, thanks to the sea of monsters."

"I think even Alabaster was using magic," Bianca said, turning to Annabeth. "He was her son. And Annabeth faced him."

"He wasn't using magic a whole lot. Just enough to give himself an edge. Which, in hindsight, did work in his favor." Annabeth bit her lip. "I'd say his mother would be a whole lot more dangerous."

"Of course she would, Owl Head." Clarisse snorted. "But I don't see how she'll live once my spear goes through her heart. I say we treat this like any other kill. Fast, efficient, and put a spear through her before she knows it."

"You can't put a spear through her." I cleared my throat. "Remember, we need her to tell us where she has hidden the monster armies. We need to have her cooperate."

"But if we kill her, the magic will fade away." Clarisse kicked a tin can down the slope. "I asked Silena about it. She knows a thing or two about magic. She said that if the caster dies, the magic bound to something on a temporary basis and a large scale, would quickly unravel."

"This isn't some ordinary demigod who has learned magic we're talking about." Annabeth scoffed. "She's the Goddess of Magic. For her, even Circe's just another sorceress. And while any demigod can learn magic, none of us, not even Silena, knows enough about magic to take that bet. We cannot go with an amateur over here."

Clarisse's fists balled up, and her jaw twitched.

"Wait," Nico said before Clarisse could retort, an interested gleam hovering in his dark eyes. "Anyone can learn magic?"

"Basic magic consists largely of mist manipulation, runes, and maybe even potions. You just need the right knowledge." I shrugged, eyeing Clarisse as she fumed. "Of course, some have a better grasp of it than others. Most, myself included, stay limited to basic mist manipulation. Enough to work on mortals, and sometimes, weaker monsters and demigods. But not anything real."

Thalia frowned. "Given how much of a Potterhead you are, I'd have thought you would've learned magic. You've had all the tools, and I'm sure you could call in a favor or two."

"I'd love to learn magic," I agreed. "Though, it isn't as easy as waving a wand and speaking the right words. Well, to most, anyway. Proper spells and stuff take months of dedicated practice to even start. To use it in a fight efficiently? Years. I didn't have that much time."

"Because of the prophecies and everything else happening in your life."

I nodded and sighed. "I might learn it in the future someday when I have the time. If I survive the prophecy, that is."

My friends stared at me before exchanging looks. The fire from Clarisse's eyes drained away, and she gave me a concerned look.

"Bro, you'll survive," Grover murmured. "You always do. You've done so many prophecies. This is just another one. You'll win and you'll live, Percy."

I gave him a wry smile as silver moonlight tugged at my heart, and the feel of Artemis' lips ghosted over mine. "I hope so too. But back to the point, we're not facing a demigod. We're facing the goddess of magic. A goddess, we don't need to kill, but subdue."

Clarisse huffed and leaned against a red Honda, cleaning her fingernails with a knife.

"So," Bianca said, looking between us. "What's the plan?"

"Magic isn't a normal weapon that you can see coming. It isn't entirely physical, but a form of energy, molded to serve different purposes as it suits the user," Annabeth said. "Flying beams of power, we can shield or dodge. But she could alter our very surroundings during the fight. She could conjure illusions, causing us to turn on each other. We would've to be careful. Extremely careful."

"That's a warning. What's the plan?"

Clarisse snorted. "Excellent question, munchkin."

Nico scowled but held his tongue, glaring at Clarisse, who didn't pay him any heed.

"The first plan is this. Hermes' pills." I took out the bottle of oddly shaped gummies from my bag and shook them. "They make you resistant to magic. Circe didn't like it when we used it against her. I don't know how long the effects will last though, so I was saving it for the end."

"As in, when we find her and attack?" Clarisse scoffed. "Because Nereus said she lives near the Salem Witches Museum, and here we are." She waved her arms around. "Your car ain't picking up shit, and neither are Goat Boy's magic beans. This is usually the point where we are scouting the area and getting into position."

I eyed her for a second, my jaw twitching. "If she can hide armies of monsters from Artemis and Apollo, I'm sure she could fool a car and throw off Grover's tracking."

"Patience," I said. "She lives somewhere around here. So, we just need to check what? A dozen houses?" I glanced around. "Let's just take a round and see if there's anything overly witchy or Greeky in the neighborhood."

My friends nodded, and Bianca took the lead, going around the Salem Witches Museum, glancing over fences and through gates into houses.

"Not your best plan," Thalia murmured as she brushed past me. "Let's hope it works."

'Alexander. If you get anything, tell me immediately. I'm not taking chances with Hecate.'

#I will. And my senses say there's already something weird going on. I can't put my finger on it yet. There's magic in the air … But there's also divinity. The kind that influences mortals. Like Ares did when he first met you. Most control it, but whoever this is, isn't. Or can't.#

'Another Titan?' I tensed. 'Who?'

#I can't discern, strangely. Probably Hecate's work. She might know how good you are and might've taken precautions. Otherwise, we might've sensed her already.#

'So, she already knows we're here. Wonderful. How likely is she to bargain?'

Alexander stayed silent while my friends and I peered through a fence into a small cottage, which seemed locked. Not unused. Locked, as if the occupants had just gone out.

"The driveway is empty," Annabeth muttered. "If they're mortals, they might've gone to work. It is a Wednesday afternoon, after all"

#Hecate… is a sensible goddess.# Alexander said, and I tuned out the conversations my friends were having. #She's one of the more… godlier goddesses, shall we say. She's very, very entrenched in her element, to the point where her personalities differ with it. She has three, which are recorded in multiple epithets and pieces of mythology.#

'Maiden, Mother, Crone.'

#Yes.# Alexander said. #If she's the Maiden when you cross paths, she's most likely to listen. It'll be easier to get her down for the idea of Olympian protection. If she's the mother, well, let's say that you will have to be extremely careful as to what you say. Do not, under any circumstance, mention that Alabaster, her son, has died on Nico's blade, or use any of your usual threats. Convince her like you'd convince Hestia.#

'Right. What if she's the crone persona?'

#If she's the crone, which you'll know the moment you lay eyes on her, you can deal with her the way you usually do with normal titans. Fear, power, swordpoint. But be wary. She's cunning and underhand. And she plays the game in the long run and is like slow poison. You won't know that you're in her trap till the last couple of steps, even if you're alert.#

I felt little waves chop across my heart as I nodded slightly and continued to walk behind Nico.

"Percy?" Grover laid a hand on my shoulder. "You seem worried."

"I'm worried. This isn't some normal Titan or god we're facing."

"You know, I'm sure most demigods throughout history, including Hercules, would've trembled if they were told that they had to face a Titan to death." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Most still would."

"Titans weren't even around for most of them. Right now, they are returning left, right, and center, heeding the call of the Black Throne. And a few gods are even joining them."

"Lucky us," Thalia muttered. "We'll follow the routine procedure. Don't engage unless necessary or unless you're gonna kill."

"That's the thing. I'm not sure she'll have to follow the rules. Collateral damage, after all, is ignored by the Ancient Laws. So, if she's fighting you and turns the floor to quicksand, we all will start sinking. And she could turn it to lava too, in which case, only I'll be safe."

"Because you're so awesome with the favor of a dozen gods." Clarisse stomped past me, and I frowned.

"What's up with her?"

"Maybe it's her time of the month. Do demi— ow!" Grover yelped as Thalia and Annabeth slapped him on his head, sending his rasta cap tumbling to the ground.

"Grover, next time, think before opening your mouth." Thalia followed Clarisse, and Annabeth glared at us before doing the same.

"What did I do?" Grover asked indignantly.

I just sighed.

We stood in front of a large, brickwood mansion, a broad nameplate above the large wood doors. The words 'κόρη Προπύλαια Περσέσης' shone in gold, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Kore Propylaia Persesis?" Annabeth frowned. "Maiden, guardian, the daughter of Perses? Not the most imaginative name."

"Gets us where we wanted." I shrugged. "Let's go in and see what mood she's in."

"Mood?" Bianca asked.

"Maiden, Mother, Crone," Annabeth said. "She's also known as the three-faced goddess. In some—"

"We ain't here for a lesson, Bookbrain. So shove it." Clarisse reared her leg and kicked the front door open, one of its hinges propping loose. "Let's go."

Clarisse stormed in, looking around as household items dusted around her, a hand fan flapping itself near her face.

"Anyone home?" She hollered, and I winced.

#Is it me or can you feel no one around?#

'I can't.' I felt my heart thump against my ribs and laid a hand on Clarisse's shoulder.

"What?"

"Either there's no one here, or something terribly fishy is going on. Stay in groups."

"This isn't a horror movie," she snorted.

"No, just the house of the Goddess of Ghosts and Necromancy," I hissed back. "Knock it off, Clarisse. Get your head in the fight. You're in a war where you don't get cocky."

Clarisse's eyes sharpened, and she nodded slightly, her body tensing.

"Let's spread out into two groups and search the house. I'm not sure if it's just me, or the house seems bigger on the inside," Annabeth whispered, pushing away a tray full of water glasses that floated toward them. "And the house is being hospitable. Very much so."

"Thalia, Clarisse, Nico, and Grover, go up to the left," I said, allowing the Thyella Kavalris to appear in my hand as my armor covered me and the cap on my head turned to the Warrior's Crown. I felt the wariness and frustration bleed away. "Bianca, Annabeth. With me. Weapons out."

"What do you think you are doing, children?" A voice called from above. A red-haired lady stared down at us from the second floor, her dark eyes boring into us. "I didn't hear the bell ring, and I don't suppose the house invited you in."

The hand fan and tray of glasses vanished, the room darkening.

"I… don't think the house had much of a choice, Lady Hecate. Why don't you come down and join us?" I cleared my throat. "We—"

"Are enemies, son of Poseidon. We don't have tea and biscuits and chat like old friends."

"We could," I suggested. "You were once on the side of Olympus. There's no reason you cannot be again/"

"I'm glad you know that I'm already against it now." She smiled. "Now, get out."

A gale of wind billowed through the hall, slamming into us, but died away as Thalia's ax cracked with the ring of thunder behind me.

Hecate narrowed her eyes, her clothes turning into long, dark robes. Sunlight faded away and the house expanded, the door moving away into the distance, leaving an open field. She floated off the floor, and a pair of torches appeared in her hand, the flames lighting the room up in a green glow.

"Hecate, we can talk about this."

"The time for talking is done. Let's get her down by force," Clarisse growled.

I shoved my hand in my pocket and poured power into the disk, which grew warmer, and I felt its magic wash over the house.

Hecate narrowed her eyes before letting out a laugh that sent shivers down my spine. "You think that little runic trinket will stop me? The goddess of magic? For that insult alone, I should kill you, demigod."

She flicked her fingers, and I felt the disc shatter in my pocket, tearing through my jeans as bronze shards littered the floor, which cracked, the house shaking slightly.

#Percy, be very very careful. She sought to injure you with the backlash. Possibly knock you out had I not protected you. She tried to direct the shards and magical backlash toward you. I foiled it#

I glanced up to see Hecate staring at me from midair. "I would've been upset about my jeans, but you seemed to have damaged your house more. You broke it the wrong way, you see? What sort of goddess fails to do the stuff she's supposed to be good at?"

Rage burned in her eyes and the torches glowed brighter. "I am the goddess of Magic, Perseus Jackson—"

"Though, can you do Expelliarmus?" I grinned. "Or better? Expecto Patronum?"

The air around me turned colder, and I felt power itch on my skin as Hecate glowed a brilliant emerald, the white in her eyes vanishing.

"That's the color of the killing curse." I continued. "Incantation is Avada—"

"You mock me at what I value most, driven by stories for children spawned by a woman who knows naught about magic." Hecate sneered, her red hair turning black as she floated lower, her face turning younger, like that of a young woman. "I know what you seek to do. You offer me a crossroad— a choice to join Olympus or perish. Like Pallas did. Like my father did."

"Wonderful, saves me a speech."

Hecate tilted her head. "Let's first see you being put at crossroads for what you value most, Percy Jackson. And… for the insults, I shall exact a harsher test."

She swept her torches, and the tiles cracked.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a shadowy figure move on the first floor as a wave of… something washed over us. A moment later, vapor drifted from the cracks, forming ghostly shapes that surrounded us.

"You cannot attack us directly!" I scowled.

"I am not, son of Poseidon. This is merely a test. And a punishment." Hecate's smile turned wicked, her hair turning gray for the briefest of moments before returning to the jet black. "Let's see you fall at what you pride yourself on the most. Let's see if you save your family… or you fight them."

A high cackle rang through the room as I felt Clarisse move and slam her shoulder into my armor, sending me stumbling. I moved on instinct as her spear whistled past my ear.

"You think I'm not worthy?" Clarisse snarled. "That I'm not good?" Her spear clanged against my sword. "I'll show you good! Like I showed my father!"

"What the hell?" I slapped her spear away and avoided a swing of her shield. "Clarisse!"

#Percy, this isn't Hecate.# Alexander said as I parried and avoided Clarisse's spear. #At least not alone. There's something more than magic.#

My instincts tingled, and I backed away as Annabeth barrelled between us, weaponless, and spun, taking Clarisse down to the ground and lashing her foot out at me.

To my left somewhere, a pair of screams rang, which sounded awfully like Bianca and Thalia, followed by a yell of rage from Nico. I craned my neck, absently catching Annabeth's fist.

Pale, vapory figures rolled around the rest of my friends like a thick mist, the darkness of Nico's sword gleaming amidst the white fog.

"NICO, NO! PUT THE SWORD AWAY!"

"Oh, like you always know," Annabeth tittered. "Sometimes, Percy. YOU ARE WRONG!"

She dropped low and tried to bowl me over, but I leaped over her and pushed Clarisse to the ground as she tried to get back up.

"What will you do, Percy?" A voice whispered in my ears and I froze. "Will you save your friends? Will you fight them? Or will you face the true enemy?"

A high laugh rang through the hall as the fog pouring from the cracks in the tiles crawled toward me. "All of my friends want to taste you, but they can't. That magic helm of yours is interesting, I'd say. You should've been fighting and screaming, and yet, you aren't. Feebly—" I grabbed a wild jab from Clarisse's spear and wrenched it out of her hands, swinging its blunt end to push Annabeth away. "—defending yourself, yes. Had it been any other, you would've dealt with them to save your friends. But they are your friends, young Perseus."

"You and your friends are cowards," I said aloud. "Too afraid to face us properly."

"Call us whatever you want, honey," Hecate whispered in my ear. "But you see? It is us who'll end you and your party today. For we all have one purpose, above the Titans and above Olympus. Justice. For us and our children."

The whisper faded away, and Clarisse charged at me, her eyes red with rage as a crimson glow surrounded her.

#Uh-oh.#

A fury of fists descended on me, flashes of crimson hammering into my armor. Dull stings of pain flared over my torso as I backed away from her, avoiding the worst of her jabs and kicks.

'No, no.' I caught both her fists and pumped power through my arms, locking them and staring into Clarisse's eyes. 'I need to break the power.'

I closed my eyes and remembered Artemis' tinkling laugh, Hestia's warm hugs, and my mother's brilliant smile, pouring them through my veins, into Clarisse, whose strength loosened.

I opened my eyes to see the crimson fade away from Clarisse's eyes, flecks of brown returning for a moment. Then Annabeth dashed into me, her finger jabbing into my throat, driving the air out of my mouth. The crimson shade over Clarisse returned and she glared, charging wildly as I coughed, driving her fist into my abdomen.

"These tricks of yours are amusing, son of Poseidon," Hecate said. "But no match for me and my friends."

Clarisse lunged, and I sidestepped, shoving her away with my shield.

'Why can't I feel them coming?' Desperation clawed in my chest.

#Hecate's magic. She's dulling your powers and senses. And the area is exceptionally dry too.# Alexander said as I felt the pain in my throat and torso disappear. #I'm counteracting it the best I can, but this is magic. It is one field in which I have no idea about beyond the absolute basics.#

A loud bleat drew my attention, and I felt my heart clench as I recognized Grover being scared shitless… from something. Something I couldn't see or feel. Something conjured by Hecate and her so called friends.

'We need to do something quickly. Even Hestia's power isn't working fully.'

#But it is working.# Alexander said. #You need to call upon her. But since you're on a quest…#

"It'll need a sacrifice," I breathed, catching Clarisse's fist. "And for it, I need space. I'm sorry, Clarisse."

I punched her hard on the head, and she stumbled into Annabeth, both the girls falling to the floor in a tangle of limbs. The Storm Tamer appeared, in the form of a long chain, and threw it at them, willing it to twist like water under my commands and wrap around them.

The chains obeyed, and I leaped over them, glancing at Hecate, who smiled, tossing her red hair over her shoulder. "One crossroad down. The choice was made. Now, comes the test. Let's see you face what you fear most, Percy."

Her laughter was the last thing I heard before the mist enveloped me, and I felt the surroundings vanish.

AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter!

So, yes. Hecate isn't as alone as Percy and party believed her to be. She's accompanied by some very curious friends, who have been hinted at in the past. If you can guess who they are, which, in hindsight should be pretty easy with the prophecy, do let me know.

The next chapter will be a lot of fun, like the rest of this arc ahead. But also, very vital, as far as the prophecy and this very story goes goes. So, stay alert.

If you want to read the rest of the sub-arc right now, the next THREE CHAPTERS are up on pat reon alongside multiple side stories, short-pieces, and early chapters for my other fics. So, if you want to(and can) support me in my writing journey. It would mean a lot to me if you do so.

Link: www . pat reon HPFanfictioner66 (Remove spaces)

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Guest: A Cat Problem was a one-shot, not a LoSP chapter, lol.

Edgar3t: You're right in many ways. Hecate is very dangerous. In raw power, she easily rivals some of the younger Olympians, and her powers are a lot more versatile than most gods. She's also, as said in this chapter, more attached to divinity than most, having three forms, thus making her more dangerous and unpredictable.

As for many of your questions regarding AO3, there's been a little problem with the account there and the stories were hidden. I am working on it, and I am positive that they'll be back soon.

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Thank you for all your reviews.

A huge thank you to Mughil, Zaby, and Tulayb for betaing this chapter!

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