𝙩𝙪 𝙢𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨 - p. jackson [₂]

𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒙𝒍𝒗𝒊𝒊𝒊.

he knew why leo was trying to come along. if there was any way out of this, leo was going to take it.

"what?" leo demanded, looking back at the rest of the crew. "i'm diplomatic and stuff. at least when theo's around. frank and hazel volunteered to back me up."

"we did?" frank lowered his half-eaten apple. "i mean... sure we did."

hazel narrowed her eyes, "leo did you have a dream about this or something?"

"yes," leo blurted. "well... no. not exactly. but... you got to trust me on this, guys. i need to talk to apollo and artemis. i've got an idea i need to bounce off them."

theo bit his cheek, trying to stay silent. he knew exactly what the idea was. it was his own idea to begin with.

riley studied theo's reaction, picking up on more than he would've liked her too.

despite sensing his mixed emotions, she nodded. "if leo has an idea, and if he wants theo, frank, and hazel with him, we need to trust him."

leo smiled, though even theo could sense the guilt laying behind it, "thanks, dudette."

"don't ever call me that again, fledgeling,"

"i thought i outgrew that nickname," he complained.

"not yet," she told him. "not yet."

percy shrugged. "okay. but a word of advice: when you see apollo, don't mention haiku."

theo paled, remembering our previous encounters with the god.

hazel knitted her eyebrows. "why not? isn't he the god of poetry?"

"just trust me."

"got it," leo rose to his feet. "and, guys, if they have a souvenir shop on delos, i'm totally bringing you back some apollo and artemis bobbleheads!"

apollo didn't seem to be in the mood for haiku. he wasn't selling bobbleheads, either.

frank turned into a giant eagle to fly to delos, hazel rode on arion's back, while leo and theo teleported using theo's magic.

they found the island deserted, maybe because the seas were too choppy for the tourist boats. the windswept hills were barren except for rocks, grass and wildflowers — and, of course, a bunch of crumbling temples. the rubble was probably very impressive, but theo had seen enough of that to last a lifetime.

they walked down an avenue lined with white stone lions, the faces weathered almost featureless.

"it's eerie," hazel said.

"you sense any ghosts?" theo asked.

she shook her head. "the lack of ghosts is eerie. back in ancient times, delos was sacred ground. no mortal was allowed to be born here or die here. there are literally no mortal spirits on this whole island."

"cool with me," leo said. "does that mean nobody's allowed to kill us here?"

"probably not," theo told him.

hazel stopped at the summit of a low hill. "look. down there."

below them, the hillside had been carved into an amphitheatre. scrubby plants sprouted between the rows of stone benches, so it looked like a concert for thorn bushes. down at the bottom, sitting on a block of stone in the middle of the stage, the god apollo hunched over a ukulele, plucking out a mournful tune.

he looked the way he did back on olympus, after the battle of manhattan.

he looked about seventeen, with curly blond hair and a perfect tan. he wore tattered jeans, a black t-shirt and a white linen jacket with glittering rhinestone lapels.