Blade's Edge || Deception Book II ||

Chapter 42: God-given Headaches

***

I reminded myself to breathe as Blackfire swooped down towards the gleaming golden gates of Zeus palace, knowing that I was being anxious for no reason. But the thought of facing all thirteen, well, fourteen, since Hades would be here, was making me on edge. And knowing that the demigods were here as well did not help.

I sighed, sliding off Blackfire as he landed before the open gates. "Thanks, buddy. Now go ask the nymphs for your apples and tell them that Clarianna gave her permission."

Blackfire neighed in excitement and galloped down the street, his hooves clip-clopping against the white cobblestones, and quickly disappeared from view, leaving me alone in the house of the gods.

I sighed again and headed inside, noting the torches that seemed to blaze even brighter tonight, as if to drive away the darkness that shrouded the world sleeping below. "This is going to be a joy," I muttered to myself, already feeling the headache coming on as I paused in front of the doors to the throne room. Family reunions. Lovely.

I pushed the door open and was instantly hit in the face with a blast of confetti. "Welcome home!" Apollo chirped, grinning at me from his throne. "Did you like my surprise?"

I glanced at Hermes, who was fighting down a snicker, and rolled my eyes in annoyance as I turned back to Apollo. "NO. Go hit yourself with your lyre."

Apollo gasped dramatically and whirled towards Artemis, who was looking . . . mildly annoyed. "Sis!"

"Enough," Zeus thundered, causing my eyes to snap to him, and then to the people standing in front of his throne. Thalia. Annabeth. Percy. Grover My eyes drifted towards the hearth, where a bubble of water was suspended with a creature swimming inside it. The Ophiotaurus.

"Clarianna Sinclair, you're late."

"Sorry," I muttered, wrenching my gaze from the creature and back towards Zeus. I walked into the centre of the room and knelt. "Things came up."

"W-wait, hold on a minute," Grover stammered. "What is she doing here? You were on the Andromeda!" He glanced frantically to Percy, then to Annabeth, and finally to Thalia, who were all staring at me. "Guys, what's going on? Why's Rianna here?"

"I'm a spy," I said plainly. "Long story short, I grew up on Olympus. Then the thing with the lightning bolt happened, and Percy's parentage became known, and well, you know. I got sent down to infiltrate camp, find the thief, and become a spy in Kronos' army -"

"Don't say his name," Zeus rumbled.

"Sorry, HIS army, and here we are."

"She was the one who saved us in the Underworld," Annabeth added as Percy and Grover stared at me, at a loss for words.

"I'm sorry for this summer, and well, everything," I said quietly. "I know everything thinks me a traitor, but I'm not."

"So . . . you're telling me that you've been on Olympus all your life?" Thalia finally said, her gaze unreadable. "Safe, while the rest of us were struggling to survive each day?"

"This wasn't my choice, okay?" I shot back. "I don't know why I was brought here, and others were not. I got lucky, and I remind myself that every single damn day."

"She hasn't been idle for the past sixteen years," Artemis interjected. "Clari's the reason so many are at camp today."

"We have more pressing issues to discuss," Athena spoke up. "Like whether or not we are going to destroy the monster."

"I will not have a sea creature destroyed if I can help it. And I can." Poseidon stood up, holding out his hand, and his trident appeared. "I will vouch for my son and the safety of the Ophiotaurus."

I grimaced, anticipating, and sure enough, Zeus stood up abruptly. "You won't take it under the sea! I won't have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession."

"Brother, please," Poseidon sighed.

"Guys, seriously," I grumbled as Zeus's lightning bolt materialized and the room filled with the smell of ozone. "No one even said anything about taking it under the sea."

Zeus glared at me and I smiled brightly, ignoring the open mouths of the three demigods and satyr. "I'm just saying, it's barely been ten minutes, and you guys are already about to start world war three. My lord Poseidon," I added, ignoring Percy's jaw which dropped even lower as I addressed his father by name, "just spare all of us and build an aquarium here."

"Hmm," Poseidon thought. "Alright. Hephaestus can help me. We shall all protect it with our powers, and the creature will be safe. Percy will not betray us. This I vouch for, on my honour."

Zeus muttered something unintelligible but sat back down and I sighed in relief. World war three, averted.

"All in favour?" he asked after a moment.

Fantastic, I thought as everyone except Dionysus, Ares, and Athena raised their hand. "See, compromise."

"You've been telling us that for seventeen years," Apollo said. "I doubt it'll happen now."

"It worked, though," I retorted.

"Yes, yes, we have a majority," Zeus decreed. "And since we will not destroy these heroes, we shall honour them. Let the celebration of their triumph begin!"