Percy Jackson: Daughter of Shadows

19. My Grandfather is Nineteen

Flying with a bunch of screaming demigods is the least pleasant thing you can do. In my eighteen years of life, I have never wanted to jump off a cliff more than then. "Jackson, if these wings break and we all fall to our deaths, I am going to kill you!" Percy laughed nervously. "We should be fine, I hope" From above us, Annabeth yelled, "Spread your arms! Keep them extended!" "Yeah, no shit! If we try to flap our arms, we're going to break them! These things are tight!" Viktor was gliding effortlessly, diving down and back up. "What on Olympus are you doing?" I shouted. "Don't you remember when we had to fly away from Kekrops's siege?" I thought back to when we fought Kekrops and his Athenian soldiers. Viktor had been kidnapped, I had destroyed three hundred soldiers in one attack, Viktor had thrown up a wall of poisonous thorns and nightshade, and then I had blasted (Technically flown) us out of there using fire. "Technically, we weren't flying. We crash landed in the next five minutes into a field in Oklahoma" Viktor laughed and grinned. Gods, he's handsome. I thought, gliding above him. 

  We finally landed in the Garden of the Gods (Better than Zeus's Fist, but still, really?). Nico was still incredibly pale, but looking better. The adhesive seals on the wings were starting to melt, and bronze feathers were falling off. We couldn't leave them for mortals to find, so into the trash they went. We were standing on the terrace of a visitor center. Daedalus's workshop was gone, moved to a different part of the Labyrinth. Viktor stared off towards it. I stood next to him, tired. "He's here" I whispered. Viktor nodded. He looked over to Nico, who was in conversation with Percy, Annabeth, and Rachel. What they were discussing, I didn't know or care. "Are you going to tell him?" Viktor whispered. "I don't know. How do you tell someone his age that "Hey, I'm your sister and I was there when your other sister died!" I don't want him to think I'm trying to replace Bianca" Viktor pointed to where Daedalus's workshop was. "He's pretty powerful" I nodded. "I know. It's just...." My voice broke. Viktor wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. "You'll tell him when you're ready. In the meantime," He hoisted his bag up. "We need to get back to the Labyrinth. Tartarus is stirring, I can feel it. What about you?" I winced. Ever since the last time we'd been in Tartarus, Viktor and I could feel whenever something in Tartarus stirred. "Agreed. We need to get going" Percy ran up to us, Annabeth and Nico in tow. "What happened?" I asked, panicked. Percy shook his head. "Unless if you count Rachel somehow miraculously getting us a ride, then yes. If not, then no. She's got us a limo." 

  The limo was chocked full of sodas, (I hid those from the minors, me included. I'm sorry, but Nico is still a child. I do not need a hyper child of the dead on my hands, even if it is my own brother), bottled water, and snacks. There was plenty of leg room, and Viktor and I took full advantage of it. Percy stared at us, puzzled. "What, Percy?" I asked. "How tall exactly are both of you?" Viktor laughed and I turned maroon. "I'm 5'11 and Lilly's 5'5" Percy burst out laughing. I slammed my foot down on his chip bag, covering him in Lay's Sour Cream and Onion. Rachel and Annabeth nearly died with laughter. Even Nico gave a faint smile. "Laugh at my height again, and I will turn you into a cockroach" I hissed, sitting back. Viktor ran his hand through my hair. It had gone out while we were flying. My regular clothes were back, just slightly waxed and singed. I huffed and laid my head on his shoulder. 

  I was back in my father's palace. This time, for real. Hades sat on the ground, burnt Mythomagic cards in separate piles next to him. "Dad, what are you doing?" I asked. He looked up and nearly jumped out of his skin. "LILLY? What are you doing here?" "I assumed you brought me here!" "I've been abiding by your warning from last time!" "Then who brought me here?" "I did" Persephone came out from behind her marigold throne. Her long black hair was done up in a messy bun, and her tanned skin was covered in dirt. She was wearing a dark green long-sleeved shirt, overalls, and boots. She'd been working in her garden. "Why, my dear?" Hades asked. "You two need to talk. Lilly, you can't stay angry at your father forever. Hades, you need to talk to your daughter. Like her father, she's stubborn and ignorant" "HEY!" Hades and I yelled indignantly. "I'll leave you two to it" Persephone said, and she disappeared in poof of roses and marigolds. I stared at my father, and back to the burnt cards. "What's that?" He looked down. "Nico was, um, burning them, so I stole them from the hearth to try and fix them" he said, fiddling with his robe. That's when I realized my father was half naked.