Nina's Destiny

Not so Nice Gods

I groaned as the ship rocked again. Apollo caught me before I could fall into the wall for the third time that day. We were crossing the Apennine Mountains. The mountain gods, children of Gaea, didn't like that. Apollo righted me and helped lead me into the kitchen. I had was seriously lacking any sense of balance in the air. Eventually, we made it to the kitchen where Coach Hedge was sitting.

"How's Mellie?" Apollo asked innocently. I looked at him curiously. Apollo smirked slightly. "Mellie's Gleeson's wife. She's the aurai you ran into on Aeolus' palace. She's pregnant!"

"Congrats, Gleeson!" I squealed. "You must be so excited.

"I am," Gleeson said. "I'm just worried with the whole war thing going on."

I nodded. "I'm worried about Freya," I agreed.

"I won't let my baby get hurt," Apollo said.

"I know, love," I sighed. "I still worry though." Apollo wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple. We sat down and I summoned some pancakes from the charm on my bracelet.

"That reminds me," Apollo said suddenly. He pulled a silver charm out of his pocket. "I wanted to give this to you before we sent you to the Roman camp, but Hera didn't give me enough time." He dropped the silver charm into my hand. It was an interlocking moon and sun. "Incase you ever need Artemis or me for something. You can talk to us mentally while holding that."

I threw my arms around my boyfriend's neck. "Thanks, 'Pollo," I whispered into his soft, golden hair. Grinning, I pulled away. "Ti amo."

"Ti amo troppo." Apollo wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into his lap. Being a god, Apollo had completely healed in three days.
Lavender's POV

I was screaming. I knew I was. I wouldn't deny it either. I clung to Percy. He had one arm wrapped around my waist. "I love you!" I shouted over the wind blowing through my ears. I could see the ground coming closer and closer to us.

"I love you too!" Percy yelled. He pulled me tighter against him. My eyes widened when I saw a black stream going across the red, dusty surface below us.

"Percy!" I shouted. "Water!" I could practically feel Percy's smirk. He waved his hand and the water rose up to engulf us. The water was ice cold. I mean I was literally frozen stiff. I couldn't move at all. My hands went numb and, without meaning to, I released Percy's hand from my death grip. I started sinking to the bottom. I could feel the water filling up my lungs. I went into shock until Percy grabbed my hand and pulled me up out of the water. I landed on the shore, coughing and hacking. Percy sat next to me, rubbing my back.

Percy looked so depressed. I felt the same way. Any feelings I had while taking the nine day plunge into Tartarus had disappeared when I went under water. "The river Cocytus," Percy said. "It's made of pure misery." I shivered involuntarily and curled up tighter against Percy.

"We should keep moving," I sighed. Percy nodded and helped me stand up. I felt my wrists. I gasped. They were gone. My twin daggers were gone. I looked at Percy with wide eyes. He grabbed my hand and pulled out RIptide without saying a word. I could feel the tears coming to my eyes. Silena had helped me make those. While she was still alive, her close call with death last summer had made me paranoid. What if I never saw her again and those were all I had left of her? Now they were gone.

"This place smells like my ex-stepfather," Percy groaned as we started walking. I had never met Gabe. Nina had told Vati and me horror stories about him though. Hermione had scoffed at her and told her to stop over-reacting. "Look," Percy hissed, pointing at a sports car that was crashed some 50 feet from us.