The Daughter of the Sky // Wattys 2016

Chapter 25

    Believe it or not, there was not one single part of me that wanted to see Mr. Charon or Hades. I know. Shocking. It was inevitable that they'd turn my already horrific day into a monumentally horrific day. I could picture it now as I drove towards Los Angeles; we'd arrive at D.O.A recording studios in about two more hours, then beg to get into the underworld for free again. Charon would undoubtably ask for the remainder of our golden drachmas–which we didn't have much of– and Hades would probably cast us away after we returned his spear without so much as a thank you. There wasn't really anything to look forward to.

    The road stretched out in front of us was empty and obsolete. Everything in my body wanted to sharply U-turn and drive straight home to Santa Barbara and completely block out the past week of my life. I was completely, one hundred percent, totally and entirely exhausted. Surely, I wasn't the only seventeen year old girl who would much rather spend her Thursday night at the mall or sleeping at home instead of driving down the highway to hell, literally, but a promise was a promise. And, as much as it pained me to say this, Percy was right. Of course I'd never tell him this, but what he said the night before our quest was true. Nothing could stop me from being a hero, or helping others for that matter. It was who I was. Being a hero was in my blood.

  Nevertheless, I tried to occupy my restless mind with a multitude of trivial topics. It was mid June, which meant I only really had two months left at camp. Assuming I survived the rest of this quest, obviously. After that, I was free to go home to finish off my senior year of high school. Just thinking of getting a fraction of my normal life back made me smile from the inside out. I pictured myself booking my senior portrait appointment, dressed in a silly oversized cap and gown and posing with a faux diploma. My mother would probably get the pictures framed and upholstered before shipping them out to as many distant relatives as humanly possible. As we passed by the dark ocean, I began to think more and more of my parents. Not just John and Crystal, but I thought of Zeus too, surprisingly. He was probably sitting on his enormous platinum throne, counting down the days until I'd return his master bolt and my uncle's trident. Maybe he was watching me right now. Maybe not. My thoughts began to drift once again, back to camp—specifically to Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I began to think of the prophecy the Oracle had read to me in her possessed state. Her ancient voice kept repeating itself over and over in my head like a broken record.

     "A son of the sea will unleash at hand
Annihilation to a giant beneath land."  

     That line was about Percy and his giant of a brother, Antaeus. Check.

    "Beware the daughter of the wise one's seduction;
    Only she will lead to pure destruction." 

      Okay, that was about Annabeth. Check.

    "The daughter of the sky will bear an oath to the only half mortal king of ghosts," I repeated as I drove on the dark highway headed back to Los Angeles. Paris, Danny and Percy were completely passed out in the back seats, leaving Nico and I alone and wide awake in the front.

    "Huh?" Nico looked at me and frowned. I hadn't even noticed I was actually reciting the prophecy out loud. He had been fiddling with the silver skull ring on his right middle finger the whole ride back. Nico Di Angelo wasn't really much of a talker and I didn't blame him. From what I gathered, the guy has had a pretty rough life compared to everyone else. It was pretty common for demigods to be considered "troubled" kids. Trouble and misfortune follows us everywhere we go.

     "Sorry...I was trying to figure out the prophecy from camp. The Oracle of Delphi said that exact line to me. I think she was talking about me and you since I promised I'd get your dad's spear back."