This Dark Night ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase¹

―ix. zoë bullies naomi into submission

"How little you know, my young goddess," the man in the shadows said. "Even now, your darling attendants begin their quest to find you. They shall play directly into my hands. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a long journey to make. We must greet your Hunters and make sure their quest is... challenging."

The man's laughter echoed in the darkness, shaking the ground until it seemed the whole cavern ceiling would collapse.

The dream shifted, and Naomi found herself in a different sort of darkness. Naomi's feet touched more even ground, and her eyes began to adjust, revealing an obsidian throne room and two figures facing off in front of a pair of thrones.

"Darling, I understand you're angry—" the god Hades said, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender.

"Angry?" the goddess Persephone demanded, her voice echoing against the marble floor and walls. "I am way past angry, Hades. I'm furious!"

"Yes, I—I can see that," Hades said. "But if you would just—"

"Seventy years!" Naomi's mother shouted. "You had seventy years to tell me about them, and you said nothing! And you have the nerve to be angry with me for—"

Naomi cleared her throat.

The two gods looked at her.

"Uh... am I interrupting something?"

Persephone sighed, the bulk of the anger on her face fading. "Actually, Naomi—"

"No!" Hades said quickly. "No, you are definitely not. Hello, Naomi."

Naomi blinked. "...Hi?"

He looked at his wife. "I told you she didn't like me."

Persephone huffed, narrowing her eyes at him. "This isn't over," she said tersely, then looked at Naomi, her expression softening. "It's good to see you again, Naomi."

"Well, I'm sort of dreaming, so... don't have much control over where it takes me," Naomi said lamely.

"I know," Persephone said, stepping down from the dais and walking toward her daughter. "I asked Morpheus to do me a favor."

"Ah," Naomi said. "Oo-kay."

"I told you it was weird, darling," Hades muttered under his breath, but still loud enough for Naomi to hear.

Persephone turned her steely gaze toward her husband. "Would you like to sleep in Asphodel tonight, my love?"

Hades shifted uncomfortably. "I'd prefer not to."

"Then watch it."

Hades mumbled an apology.

"Um... was there something you wanted to... talk about?" Naomi asked her mother, feeling more than a little awkward.

"A few things," Persephone said, returning her attention to Naomi. "First, I wanted to congratulate you—you're leading your first quest! I'm told that's a very big deal for demigods."

Naomi shrugged. "Zoë's mostly leading it. I'm not really sure why the Oracle approached us both."

"Do not let that Huntress bully you into submission," Persephone told her sternly. "Zoë may have centuries of experience, but you have heart. More battles are won through passion than with strategy."

Naomi wasn't sure how true that was, but she decided not to comment.

"Now, the second thing." The light in Persephone's eyes faded just a bit. "That display yesterday. I'm sure you have questions."