And they were children. They were still kids. It was not their fault that neither of them had been raised in a healthy household. (Or raised by someone that was not turning them into human weapons because that's what Kheirôn was doing.)
So why did she feel like shoving Stormsurge through the girl's rib cage and smiling as she bled out?
"You said that you had been waiting for us," the blonde questioned. "How did you know?"
Ariadnê turned to look back at Hestia. Absently fiddling with her dagger charm, she wondered if she was going to have to fight the goddess or die trying.
(This wasn't her aunt. Her aunt was powerful, yes. Powerful with immeasurable power, but she was also weak. This–this was a goddess. The personification of the sacrificial flame. She was at the height of her power and they... they were mere ants in face of her divinity.)
Hestia smiled; flames in her eyes soothing to a gentle molton brown. The feelings that threatened to drown Ariadnê instead flowed out of her.
"I saw it in a dream," the lady of the hearth stated. "We gods do not dream as you mortals do. I've watched your lives play out in a span of minutes. I've seen you all gain and lose friends. I watched my father curse you twins. I've seen you all fall in love."
Tears formed in her eyes as she took a deep breath. "And while a few good things may have come if you had been left to your future... the bad had outweighed it all. You, forbidden wisdom, would have faced one of Koryphagenês' greatest future enemies. And you, daughter of Ennosigaios, would sink to the bottom of the sea, dying and unable to heal from attacks wrought by Phoebus' lovers that escaped the doors of death."
Will looked between Ariadnê and Annabeth with horror before the two girls realized that those names... those epithets stood for their respective divine parents. They tensed and it wasn't long before the others caught on to that fact also.
Hestia smiled sadly, "A fight none too similar to the fight at your labyrinth with half-bloods fighting against half-bloods. The youngest of the herald had been battered and bruised which led to the elder two awakening gifts that their father would have rather not have those above the surface to know. Latôia's hunters turning from predators to prey. Three falling into the dungeon of the damned. Drakaina Delphynê emerged from its hidden depths within the sludge of Matêr Pantôn, cutting off Phoebus' and Pythia's access to the oracle. And the Blood of Olympos awakened a force that even the gods could not beat."
Horrified silence echoed around them. Percy had wrapped his sister into his arms while Connor held onto her hand for dear life. Travis had pulled Connor into his lap while Chris was almost vibrating out of his skin in worry as he crouched down in front of him, hands wrapped around his wrist—feeling his pulse.
Nico and Will were staring at Ariadnê in horror. If they were in their correct time, the essence of Apollôn would make it impossible for her to not heal. That was without even mentioning how she was more alive in every way when she was in the sea.
Will had cuddled into Thalia's side while Annabeth had molded herself into the older girl. If the hunters were gone, did that include Thalia? Annabeth couldn't afford to lose her twice in one lifetime especially not so soon after Luke.
Rachel didn't understand not being able to access the oracle. Even now, in the past, she was filled with disbelief. She had been seeing visions of the future for so long that she was almost convinced that she was going insane. The feeling of the oracle overtaking her, and spewing prophecies had become as familiar as sleeping.
Clarisse sat with one hand clasped in Chris' while she leaned her head back enough to touch Ariadnê. She couldn't lose another friend. She couldn't lose camp. Demigods fighting against each other again. Was this the work of the being the gods couldn't defeat? Was this another situation with Luke?
|three|
Start from the beginning
