𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐑 ∣ 𝗉𝗃𝗈

39

The intruder was Sally.

After all these years, the cockroach's still alive.

Amazing.

It was, to be honest, very unexpected. How was she still alive? Where did she live al these years? However, one question stood out from the almost endless questions swimming inside Penelope's mind.

Why did Percy come live with them two years ago if Sally was still alive?

Another question appeared almost at the same time after the first one appeared: Did Sally, perhaps, abandon Percy too?

It was a toxic thought, but deep in her heart, Penelope actually hoped that Percy was abandoned; therefore, he could at least feel even thirty percent of what she had been through.

As Penelope's train of thought becoming wilder and more unrestrained as her inner devil showed up, Hades cut it off. He announced, "I hope you love my present."

"What?" Percy asked; whether he was bewildered or annoyed, Penelope could not tell. His expression was dark, however, as he kept on switching his stare between his uncle and his mother.

"Since she's your mother, I thought it would be lovely to reunite three separate family members together. Don't tell me, you dislike my gift? Is that it?"

"Nothing is free in this world. What do you want?!" Annabeth spoke up. Penelope could only sneer as she watched her friend acting brave. Darling, the situation does not need you. Stop talking, please.

"Of course, nothing is free in this world, dear niece." Hades grinned as he laid back on his throne, his posture lazy but he was still as charming as ever. He continued, "You see, I lost a treasure of mine. Some motherfucker stole it, alright?"

Yeah, pretty pathetic, truly.

"I want you to find it, and if it's not with you by the time you go back to the Olympus, she's dead, okay?" Hades' grin widened as he pointed towards the woman in the corner of the room.

Penelope almost felt bad, the woman looked crazy; dirty and unkempt. It was a really different image from the neat and kind woman she always had when she was still a child, almost like they were two different people with the same face and body.

"Please save me! I don't want to die!" It seemed like Sally Jackson finally got the courage as she yelled. She repeated it again and again as her eyes widened with unshed tears. "Please!! Please, I beg you!"

"Dead people should just stay dead." Penelope huffed as she rolled her eyes.  She leaned back against her chair, looking very much like she was in her own home. The demigoddess then raised her hand, she asked, "Can I have a popcorn, though? The show is interesting."

As she noticed how the hall quietened, she looked around towards the dumbfounded lady in the corner of the room, Penelope grinned, "Oh, please do continue, I'm just waiting for my popcorn so that I can enjoy your show better."

Sally was flabbergasted.

She hollered, "You! You devil!"

What did she say?

She was the devil?

Come on, she only murdered people for the sake of experimenting and having fun. The second reason would be because it was basically her job to kill people. Besides, they deserved the death penalty, anyway.

...Thinking about it that way, though, the devil seemed about right.

At least the devil rules the hell, if she called me the devil's wife, I might have accidentally slashed her throat.