The Missing Gods

Chapter 4 - I Get an Unexpected Visit

As I headed back to my cabin, I could feel someone watching me. I turned around quickly and almost slipped and fell on the snow when a godly arm darted out to save me from embarrassment and slush stains.

"Hello, Perseus," the goddess Hera said, with a cold smile. I sort of insulted her last time we spoke, so this was a much better greeting than what I was preparing myself for.

"Uh, Queen Hera, hello," I said, trying to come to terms with the queen of the gods standing in front of my cabin. "What do you want?" I added abruptly, not wanting to waste time.

Her eyes narrowed at me, but she continued, "I understand that you have received a quest to save my husband. I would like to offer you my advice and any reasonable aid you may need on this quest."

"Yeah, uh, listen, let's get one thing straight, I'm not doing this quest to save your husband, I'm doing this quest to find my dad and get them all back to Olympus. Your "help" has always done me way more harm than good. So thanks, but no thanks."

Hera stared at me for a moment as if she was sizing me up, until she said, "Alright, but there will come a day when you will personally regret insulting my offers of help. Find my husband and his brothers. Restore the heart of Olympus. But you will receive no fanfare from me until then." With that, she began glowing more and more, and I averted my eyes as she disappeared.

I sighed and opened the door to my cabin, beginning to plan what I would need to take with me. By the time I finished packing, there was a soft knock on the door, which opened to see nothing but thin air. I knowingly stepped to the side and then slowly closed the door, turning around to meet Annabeth's eyes as she slid her Yankees cap off.

"What happened?" Annabeth asked, before I even had a chance to clear the clouds out of my head from seeing her lounging on my bed.

"Uh, Hera stopped by," I said. Annabeth raised her eyebrows and then twisted back until she was sprawled over my entire bed, her shoe hanging off next to me. "Do you have a plan yet?"

Annabeth turned over towards me and rolled her eyes. "Really, Seaweed Brain? Why is it always up to me to make the plans?"

"Because I always seem to get us blown up," I replied, trying to sound sincerely incompetent.

"Hmm... Okay well good thing we have a plan then," Annabeth said with a smirk, gesturing for me to come sit down next to her.

I picked a spot near the corner of the bed, since she was being such a bed hog there weren't many other options. She scooted over a little bit, but still took up most of the bed with her arms and legs. I leaned my body over hers, feeling the familiar butterflies that still always came when I was this close to her, and lightly kissed her forehead as she closed her eyes.

Her hand came up to grasp the back of my neck, pulling me closer, so I leaned in and began kissing her, first softly, and then more aggressively as she molded her body around mine. I could've stayed there forever, kissing her soft lips, looking into her stormy grey eyes partially closed under her eyelashes, but there was a loud shout outside and we pulled apart suddenly, too used to the experience of Chiron embarrassingly splitting us up.

As we separated, everything that had happened in the last few hours came flooding back. Annabeth looked worried when she stared back at me, but didn't say anything as she stood up and peeked out of the window.

"It looks like our distraction went perfectly," Annabeth said with a slight quiver in her voice, both of us readying ourselves to leave. Now that we had to leave the comfort of camp and save the world again, we both felt the familiar pangs that Tartarus left in our stomachs.