¹𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 ! - percy jackson

-016

She turned to face the other immortals. "These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?"

Artemis looked around at the assembled gods, meeting their faces individually. Zeus in his dark pin-striped suit, his black beard neatly trimmed, and his eyes sparking with energy. Next to him sat a beautiful woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered colors like peacock feathers—Lady Hera.

On Zeus's right, Percy's father, Poseidon. Next to him was a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, a misshapen head, and a wild brown beard, fire flickering through his whiskers—Lord of the Forges, Hephaestus.

Hermes, wearing a business suit, flashed a wink in the heroes' direction as he checked through messages on his Caduceus mobile phone. Apollo had relaxed the serious expression he had on a minute ago, now lounging on his golden throne with an air of nonchalance. He offered them a thumbs-up, seemingly lost in his own world with iPod headphones on.

Dionysus looked bored, twirling a grapevine between his fingers. Ares sat on his chrome-and-leather throne, glowering at Percy while he sharpened a knife.

On the ladies' side of the throne room, a dark-haired goddess in green robes sat beside Hera on a throne woven of apple tree branches. Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. Next to her sat a beautiful gray-eyed woman in an elegant white dress. She could only be Annabeth's mother, Athena. Then there was Aphrodite, who seemed to smile at them, and Stella couldn't help but notice the faint blush on Percy's cheeks.

All the Olympians in one place. Stella marveled at the sheer concentration of power, it was a miracle the whole palace didn't blow apart.

"I gotta say," Apollo broke the silence, "these kids did okay. Especially, my Stella here." He cleared his throat and began to recite: "Heroes win laurels—"

"Um, yes, first class," Hermes swiftly interjected as if he wanted to avoid Apollo's poetry. "All in favor of not disintegrating them?"

A few tentative hands went up—Demeter, Aphrodite.

"Wait just a minute," Ares growled, pointing a finger accusingly at Thalia and Percy. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here—"

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits."

"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled. "She has done well."

A flush of embarrassment tinged Thalia's cheeks as she averted her gaze to the floor.

Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. "I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk here with the other two."

"Mother!" Annabeth protested. "How can you—"

Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look. "It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact that I find ironic. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods...such as Thalia and Percy...are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point."

"Right!" Ares said. "Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin'—"

He started to get up, but a grapevine grew around his waist like a seat belt and forcefully pulled him back down.

"Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later."

Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?"

Dionysus gazed down at them wearily. "I have no love for them. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?"

"I do not pass judgment," Athena said stoically. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide."