sweet dreams • leo valdez

36

Charleston was very pleasant considering it was a battle site from the Civil War. The girls were having a semi-decent time strolling through the past, the ocean breeze across their faces. 

"Kind of reminds me of New Rome." Hazel pointed out, and Delilah could easily see it. There was a link between it. "All the big mansions and the gardens. The columns and arches."

The girls all seemed to have things on their minds. Annabeth seemed to be worried about Percy, though she had a lot more to worry about with this quest than most of them. Piper kept a hand on her knife, whether for fighting or looking at, Delilah had no clue. Hazel seemed to be nervous - probably for her brother. And Delilah, well she was dreading what they would find.

They'd been walking a while when Piper stopped them all and pointed across the harbour. "There. The ghost." The said ghost was over the water, glowing and gliding right towards them. It was Venus, alright. 

"That's not a ghost. No kind of spirit glows that brightly." Hazel corrected her. And she would know. 

Piper then started to walk towards the glow, making sense given that this was her mother. It seemed as if she was in a trance though, especially as she nearly got hit by a carriage. 

"Piper!" Annabeth shouted out in vain.

"We'd better follow her." Hazel said, running after her. 

By the time they had caught up, Piper was glaring at her mother and muttered, "It is her."

Delilah managed to see through the glow as the figure took a more human-like form. The woman was dressed as a Southern debutante in a low cut silk pink dress, white gloves and a fluttering fan at her chest. Delilah could certainly see how this woman was Michael's mother - she had tanned skin, and dark glistening hair. Though her hair seemed much curlier, her eyes brighter and almost glistening, and her features sharper. Almost elfish in a way...

She'd heard rumours that Venus looked different to everyone who looked upon her. Sometimes she appeared in a form that would make the person jealous, sometimes as that person's personification of beauty. Something that would draw an emotion or reaction out of the person. This seemed to be Venus appearing as someone that Delilah found attractive. There was no use in denying that. She was beautiful.

"Aphrodite." Annabeth greeted. 

"Venus?" Hazel asked in amazement. 

"Mom." Piper said with a deadpan expression. 

Delilah didn't say anything. She didn't really want to bring any sort of attention to herself, nor talk to her at all. 

"Girls!" The goddess opened her arms for a hug, but they all backed away slightly - Hazel even went into a tree. "I'm so glad you're here. War is coming. Bloodshed is inevitable. So there's really only one thing to do."

"Uh... and that is?" Annabeth hesitantly asked. 

"Why, have tea and chat, obviously. Come with me!" Venus answered. 

The goddess took them to a gazebo in the gardens where a table had been set with all sorts of finery - china cups, silverware, delectable-looking cakes. There was also a steaming tea pot, though Delilah couldn't place what tea it was. It kept changing. 

Venus herself was sat in a large wicker peacock chair. She poured them all a cup of tea, serving them up cakes. Delilah hated how she did so perfectly with her posture and smile always in tact. Not a hair was out of place. She could probably slay a chimera and still look perfect. The tea was also amazing - Delilah never was one to resist a cup of tea.

"Oh, my sweet girls, I do love Charleston! The weddings I've attended in this gazebo - they bring tears to my eyes. And the elegant balls in the days of the Old South. Ah, they were lovely." The goddess said as Delilah held back an eye roll. Never mind all the terrible things happening at the time. "Many of these mansions still have statues of me in their gardens, though they called me Venus."