Dear Reader [1]

04 - I Reunite With My Mother...Sort Of?

'It's okay Seashell. I'm not going anywhere, I swear'

Everyone followed Grover as he led the way with the smell of hamburgers. They walked into a clearing near the road. A pastel blue and cream building with a sign that read, 'Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium'. Statues were littered all over the driveway. Corey clutched her side as an unsettling feeling stirred in her stomach.

"Oh, come on '' Annabeth ridiculed. Corey looked around, seeing a girl gardening by a house next to the building. She had her curly hair covered by a sark emerald scarf, her skin glowing in the early afternoon sun. She seemed to notice them, shaking the first off her faded dungarees. "Aunty Em has a garden full of petrified stone folks" Annabeth scoffed before Corey tapped her shoulder. "Annabeth" She whispered softly as the girl walked up to them.

She gave them a soft smile as she clasped her hands, "Welcome young travelers to Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium. I'm Emily" She greeted them, her eyes sparkling in the sun. Corey smiled at her, "Hi, um is there any chance you could tell us where the main road is?" She asked her back, much to Annabeth's protests.

A shadow flew over their heads and landed behind them. Alecto stood proudly, her wings folding gently behind her shoulders. "You should have accepted my offer when you had the chance" Alecto chastised Annabeth smugly. Percy furrowed his eyebrows, "Offer? What offer is she talking about?" He asked her. Corey felt her side burn, her hand gripping it softly. "My sister's parting gift, she did miss you dearly Cordelia" Alecto smirked.

"Alecto, what a surprise" Emily walked past the half-bloods swiftly like she was gliding in the air. Alecto's face turns cold at Emily. "Now, you know what we think about you...I don't wanna.." Emily slowly raised her hand to the knot in the scarf she was wearing. Alecto turned her head away, using a wing to shield her face.

"Not today, friends. Not on my doorstep" A soft voice called out. Everyone turned their heads to see an older woman in light cream clothing, she wore a hat with lace at the rim to hide her eyes. Annabeth, Grover and Corey turned their heads immediately, Percy copying them a second later. "Well done my child" The woman smiled at Emily, who walked over to her side.

"Of course mother" Emily bowed her head lightly.

" Your mother!" Annabeth exclaimed harshly, shocked that she of all the monsters had a child who wasn't a stone statue. Corey felt an ache in her head, falling to the floor with her arm holding her side and her eyes shut with force. "Seashell!" Percy opened his eyes to look at Corey.

She gasped, her free hand gripping the ground. "I've been here before" She shuttered out, feeling stickiness on her hand. "Cordelia, you are hurt" The woman called out with a gentle tone. "If you have something to resolve, why not come inside and I'll help?" She offered, sensing the tension between them and Alecto. "Alecto? Will you be joining us?" She offered the Fury. Alecto his head head more at the invitation. "No, well I wouldn't think you would" her lips smacked as her tone shows she knew Alecto would dare enter the small home.

"She won't bother you as long as you're with me. But it isn't as though she'll leave either, not if it means reporting that she failed to retrieve the son of Poseidon" The woman sighed as the group seemed torn. Corey was on the floor, her side injured by Alecto's sister. "How did you–" Percy was cut off by the woman. "A forbidden child has been claimed. How long did you think that secret would keep?" She mused in her question, watching as Corey struggled to stand. " It's a pleasure to meet you, son of Poseidon. I'm Medusa" She smiled.

Percy seemed more convinced than the others, not that he could read Corey's pained expression. "Percy, don't. She's a monster" Annabeth warned him. " We all choose