Blessings from Khaos

|All My Better Days Are Ones Spent With You|

"You may not, but your brother does," she said. The woman moved closer, almost floating on air to stand at the side of the drakon.

Lea could see right through her, so she knew she was a spirit of some kind, but her voice sounded real enough.

"This is because of Percy?" she snapped. "He's missing!"

"That he is," Melinoë nodded. "So, I cannot have my revenge from him, but you... oh, you will be perfect! And I didn't even have to do anything! Once Áglavros came to me at the behest of Kalupsṓ and Peithō and well, a few others. You have driven a band of people to madness, girl."

"PEITHO?!" And who the hell was Calypso? She felt like she heard that name before, but they clearly were not important enough in her life for her to remember or even a plague upon her existence like fucking Peitho. Lea really didn't feel like it was fair that she was being harassed by his wife when she didn't even have a husband to harass him!

And Lea had something for Peitho's ass too and she wasn't talking about no tissue.

Seriously, being mad about a guy that Lea hadn't originally consciously wanted and doesn't want her! Ugh, get a job and touch some grass.

"Enough talking," Melinoë interrupted. "Where are your ghosts?"

"I'm still not understanding why I need ghosts? Sounds like a bad movie to me."

'"Everyone has ghosts — deaths you regret. Guilt. Fear. Why can I not see yours?"

Lea raised a brow. "Oh aliens, that sounds like too much work. They're dead. Moved on to a better place yada yada." She waved her hand. "I've cried for them, grieved for them, and I've moved on. That's usually what they want you to do. Keep living and don't join them for some years, right? That's how it goes."

She growled in frustration. "Just like your infuriating brother. It matters not." Melinoë made a hissing sound and Lea realized it was her way of laughing. "So many ghosts, my young demigod. They long to be unleashed. Krónos was supposed to rule the world, I would have been able to walk among mortals both night and day, sewing terror as they deserve."

"Yeah, if they looked at your face!" Lea shot out. Even if it was an aesthetic that she could get behind somewhat.

Melinoë screeched before throwing her hands into the air.

The drakon lunged towards Lea who mimicked Melinoë screeching and ran away again. Except around her, a ring of a dozen daimones materialized. They were part humanoid female, part bat. Their faces were pug-nosed and furry, with fangs and bulging eyes. Matted gray fur and piecemeal armor covered their bodies. They had shriveled arms with claws for hands, leathery wings that sprouted from their backs, and stubby bowed legs. They would've looked funny except for the murderous glow in their eyes.

"If you do not have ghosts then I shall find some for you!"

Oh, my aliens, let it go!

"Twice-Blessed—accept your fate. None may challenge Melinoë's will."

Lea snorted, slicing her way through the weird monsters. Please people had been trying to indoctrinate her in systematic theology since the day that she was born, and they had not succeeded at all. She twisted, landing on the back of the bat women, cutting down a few of her ugly stepsisters before killing her too. She landed on the back of the drakon and Lea thanked all her practice with Salome for the way the beast tried to buck her off.

"If you do not give me a ghost, Mischief Woman, then I will give you one!"

The drakon roared, twisting about until Lea was transported back to Manhattan, a hand clutched at her stomach feeling the phantom ache of her bruised core.