❝ Ah, daughter of Hephaestus? ❞
☆ ☼ ☆
After almost getting caught by the police twice, Sheila's brain finally grasped the car's mechanism. She had momentarily examined it to see the difference between it and the one back at Camp Half-Blood. The others let her do that while they read a journal left on the floor. They discovered they had been stuck at the Lotus Casino for five days. It was June twentieth. The date made Annabeth and Grover glance at Sheila, but she dismissed it. To her, it was more necessary that Percy explained his latest dream.
Upon her request, he did. It seemed as if the details were missing to him due to the Lotus Casino's magic, which altered people's memories, and, of course, he couldn't remember the crucial information needed for their quest. Sheila attempted to recall which name the servant had called the monster in the pit, but she couldn't either. Her dream about her father had destabilized her.
Annabeth suggested two used nicknames for Hades — the Silent One and the Rich One — yet neither sounded quite fitting to the demigods. Sheila then defined how the room looked since Percy hadn't mentioned it, and Grover informed them it was similar to Hades' throne room's usual description.
Percy shook his head. "Something's wrong. The throne room wasn't the main part of the dream. And that voice from the pit... I don't know. It just didn't feel like a god's voice."
There was hesitation in Sheila's head as she recollected how the servant had spoken. It was weirdly familiar, but she couldn't point out why. She didn't share her personal opinion with the others, preferring to be sure before assuming anything.
Annabeth's eyes widened at the information Percy shared. The boy asked her what troubled her, but she stuck to the idea of Hades sending an invisible thief and that something must have gone wrong.
"And what could have gone wrong?" Sheila inquired, sceptic. She stopped at a red light, avoiding other drivers' eyes so they wouldn't see a now thirteen-year-old driving. "I mean, Hades is a powerful God. He wouldn't have gone through this without checking every detail."
"But if he stole Zeus's symbol of power from Olympus, and the gods were hunting him, a lot could go wrong," Annabeth claimed. "So this thief had to hide the bolt, or he lost it somehow. Anyway, he failed to bring it to Hades. That's what the voice said in your dream, right? The guy failed. That would explain what the Furies searched for when they came after us on the bus. Maybe they thought we had retrieved the bolt."
Sheila understood her friend wasn't entirely speaking the truth as her face paled. Maybe she, just like Sheila, hypothesized someone else had caused all this. The witch wasn't convinced, but she hoped her friend had suspicions similar to hers.
"But if I'd already retrieved the bolt," Percy said, "why would I be travelling to the Underworld?"
"To threaten Hades," Grover suggested. "To bribe or blackmail him into getting your mom back."
Percy whistled. "You have evil thoughts for a goat."
"Why, thank you."
Sheila snorted as Percy added, "But the thing in the pit said it was waiting for two items. If the master bolt is one, what's the other?"
Grover shook his head, but Sheila hadn't seen his gesture. She was glancing at Annabeth in the rearview mirror. They exchanged a look that spoke a thousand words. Percy noticed.
"You have an idea what might be in that pit, don't you?" he asked. "I mean, if it isn't Hades?"
And that thought terrified Sheila, especially as she remembered what the voice said about her. Being linked to that pit meant her magic was more destructive than everyone believed. She refused to imagine that and pondered about why Hades had been accused in the first place instead. Had everyone blamed him simply because they thought he was the least trustworthy God? Were they so prejudiced about him that it clouded their judgment?
Wasteland rolled by as Sheila kept focus on the road. "There are forces stronger than the gods. It has to be Hades, or else we might be screwed. If we burst into his realm, and he doesn't, we won't have time to fix our mistakes. We'll miss the deadline."
"The answer is in the Underworld," Annabeth assured them. "You saw spirits of the dead, Percy, Shei. There's only one place that could be. We're doing the right thing. And Sheila, please slow down."
"Yes, sir," Sheila replied jokingly, her foot lifting slightly from the pedal.
Suggesting clever strategies for getting into the Land of the Dead wasn't the best way Annabeth could have thought to boost their morale, but Sheila was grateful for her attempt. Yet, even their plans sounded wrong in Sheila's ears. They didn't know enough to burst into an unknown place with a last-minute plan. They were too unprepared for what awaited them.
Annabeth's voice died down as Sheila sped west. Sheila was mindlessly playing with her flames in one hand, shaping them into whatever came to her head. It felt freeing to use this spell without Chiron scolding her for it. Percy had even proposed that she do a dinosaur, entertaining them when it was shown that she couldn't manage this specific form. It took their minds off things for the rest of their drive.
At sunset, Sheila parked the taxi at the beach in Santa Monica. Her nose scrunched up in disgust as she stepped outside, the smell equally worse than the one from the illegal animal truck. This place looked how she had imagined L.A. beaches in movies if she ignored the smell. Carnival rides lined up the pier, reminding Sheila of romantic scenes in her favourite books.
The four walked down to the edge of the surf. Annabeth asked what they were supposed to do here, but Percy didn't respond. He stepped into the surf, making Sheila snap her head in his direction. Annabeth asked him his reasons as to why he walked forward, but the boy never stopped to listen. He kept on marching up to his waist, then his chest. His face proved he didn't care about the water being polluted.
Sheila cupped her mouth with her hands. "Do you know how contaminated that water is? There're all kinds of toxic — and he's gone."
The boy's head went under, the others watching in disbelief. Sheila scoffed as she leaned against a rock. Annabeth moved toward her, the two standing beside each other while they stared at the horizon. The sunset was almost over. The moon had already begun to emerge on the other side of the sky. In a few hours, Sheila's birthday would be gone. She thanked the gods that the others didn't mention it. Grover and Annabeth knew she despised the date, and Percy had probably noticed it.
The three stayed silent for a while, but Sheila saw the look on Annabeth's face. She recognized it immediately. It was one of failure. They had been tricked twice now with the same method, and for someone like Annabeth, it meant she failed to be the best. Years with her showed Sheila that her best friend would be harsher on herself than everyone else. Annabeth had expectations to live up to.
"It's not your fault," Sheila declared. "Medusa used a charm to make her place appealing. It's hard to see through those. Same with the Lotus Casino. You couldn't have prevented it."
"But I should've recognized Medusa," Annabeth insisted. "The stone statues were in front of us, and I still let her get in my head. I should've seen it."
Sheila shook her head. "Annabeth, you can't foresee everything. It doesn't take away from your cleverness. Take some weight off your back. I know you want to make your mom proud, but if she's not, she doesn't deserve you as her daughter. And besides, know that I'll always be proud of you."
The girls didn't usually get emotional and knew it wasn't the time for it. However, Sheila needed to remind Annabeth of her worth. With this being their first quest, the pressure for perfection rested heavily on the latter's shoulders. She grabbed Sheila's hand, a simple gesture to thank her.
Grover returned from the shore, sitting in the sand with Annabeth while Sheila sat on a rock. She chuckled as they tried to build a sandcastle. Annabeth wanted it to be stable, but the wind made it difficult. It took them five tries to get a steady base. Since she wasn't doing anything helpful, Sheila waved her hand to alleviate the breeze. It didn't do much, considering Zeus had been in a bad mood for the past weeks.
After seeing Percy getting dragged underwater by a shark, she moved from the rock and leaned against it instead to converse with Grover about Pan and the search. Being strangely connected to the wild, Sheila understood the satyrs' search to a certain extent. It was how she and Grover became friends seven years ago when he found her and the others. While they stopped by a diner, Sheila had been curious and asked about satyrs, which brought up the subject. Over the years, the more she learned about it, the more she could feel it whenever she practised her magic.
"Do you think Pan's still out there?" Grover inquired. He wasn't losing hope, but most satyrs were.
Sheila nodded as flames burst in her palm. "He's out there, somewhere. I don't doubt he's hiding from humans. Witches have been feeling his presence, too. They don't say it, but I found small notes in my spellbooks. You'll find him, Grover. It might take some time, but you will."
His thankful smile was enough words for Sheila. Annabeth then turned the conversation around as she remembered the words Ares had spoken five days ago. They didn't get to discuss them because of the Lotus Casino, but Annabeth hadn't forgotten. Neither had Sheila, though she would have preferred to.
"What did he mean by that?" Annabeth wondered. "Do you know any sons of Ares outside of Camp?"
A blurry image of a young boy appeared, but Sheila didn't want him to be this vengeful son. "No, but I think it might be linked to the letter sent to Camp," she theorized. "Whoever sent it said someone was after my magic. It has to be someone from Mystic Falls. Who would want it at Camp? I've known everyone for years. It has to be from my past or my mom's."
"You're right. No one would betray you at Camp," Annabeth said, yet it sounded more like a prayer than a statement. "Could it be Echidna? You've fought her before."
"But she was after Percy, too," Grover reminded them. "She sensed a child of the Big Three. I don't think it was her."
The three were at a loss of ideas. Sheila stared at the ocean, her flames shining bright as the sun fell behind the calm waves. While the girl loved sunrises, she couldn't deny that the sunset and the stars coming with it weren't beautiful. Her only problem with them was the strength they possessed over her magic. Nighttime reigned over it. Sunrises came with peace. Sunsets announced chaos. Sheila retained this from her childhood. Bad things occurred when the world slept.
Ignoring this detail, she smiled as she looked at her friends. It felt like when Grover found them. The three of them as they waited for Luke and Thalia to bring food. Grover had been grouchy because they woke him up early. It was their last day together before the monsters attacked. Five became four, and their fourth friend became Percy years later. Despite everything, Sheila admitted it wasn't the worst outcome.
Her eyes snapped back to the ocean as Percy walked out of the water and onto the beach. His clothes dried instantly, and he approached the girls and Grover. The three stood up, their sandcastles destroyed by the sudden movements.
In Percy's hands, four white pearls were being held. Sheila sensed their magic even before Percy stood before her, crossing her arms over her chest to express her suspicion. The boy quickly reassured her as he explained his encounter with the river spirit.
Sheila didn't comment during his story — even though she wanted to multiple times — and intently paid attention. Her brows raised as she heard he had been carried down the Pacific by a Mako shark and deposited by it at the edge of the ocean proper. He had calculated at least a hundred and fifty feet between him and the surface, where he should have been crushed from the immense pressure.
The spirit who had talked to him when he and Sheila had fallen from the observatory deck at the Gateway Arch presented herself then. According to Percy's words, she was a Nereid, a spirit of the sea. Naiads had helped her sustain life in the freshwater, where she couldn't form without their help. It seemed the Nereid, along with other spirits in Poseidon's court, had been watching over Percy for years, considering long had passed since a child of the Sea God was born.
Their conversation had diverted toward Poseidon and the Gods' role as parents. The Nereid told Percy they couldn't show favouritism, especially to their children. That was why they never contacted them. She then explained the Gods could only work by indirect influence and gave Percy a warning and the pearls. Sheila rolled her eyes, knowing the gods were also lazy and unbothered.
Percy's explanation became unclear as he said the Nereid told him he had gifts he had only begun to know. Sheila's hand turned into a fist once she had heard the oracles had foretold a remarkable and terrible future for him if he survived manhood. Poseidon wouldn't have him die before his time. Percy only had to smash a pearl at his feet if in need.
"And the warning?" Sheila asked.
"She said, "Go with what your heart tells you, or you will lose all. Hades feeds on doubt and hopelessness. He will trick you if he can, make you mistrust your judgment. Once you are in his realm, he will never willingly let you leave. Keep the faith." And then she left without explaining why I shouldn't trust the gifts," Percy finished.
Annabeth grimaced. "No gift comes without a price."
"They were free."
Sheila tilted her head, sharing a look with Annabeth. "Never heard of there is no such thing as a free lunch? There's always a price. It just shows with time," the former cited. "Better pray this gift isn't cursed or whatever."
On that thought, they turned their backs on the sea. Sheila started the car, shouting in panic when it surged forward. The others glared at her as she sheepishly grinned and carefully exited the parking lot. An adult did a doubletake on the taxi when they saw a child in the driver's seat, but Sheila drove away in time to be disregarded.
"It's a miracle if we make it to the DOA without getting arrested," Sheila stated. "I'd hate to spend a birthday in jail."
Percy's head turned toward her immediately at her words. "It's your birthday?"
Sheila nodded as she followed the signs to the next gas station. "Mine and Luke's. June twentieth. It's not a big deal. It's basically just a celebration for being alive another year."
Understanding she wasn't fond of the date, Percy didn't insist. On the way to the gas station, they didn't spot the DOA anywhere. Even as Sheila rolled into a dark alley, they still had no idea where it could be. Silence had taken over, and Sheila asked Percy to turn on the radio. He did, but the voice coming from the speaker caused him to freeze. Anger flashed in his gaze, the look so dark it could have scared the girl.
"Honest, Ms Walters, if it weren't for Sugar here, my grief counsellor, I'd be a wreck," Gabe Ugliano, Percy had told them, said. "My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife... my Camaro... I—I'm sorry. I have trouble talking about it."
"There you have it, America," the interviewer told the audience. "A man is torn apart. An adolescent boy with serious issues. Let me show you, again, the last known photo of this troubled young fugitive taken a week ago in Denver."
Sheila rolled her eyes at the useless dramatism until her jaw clenched at the grainy shot of her, Percy, Annabeth and Grover standing outside the Colorado diner, talking to Ares. It was also in the journal in the back of the car. This picture put them at high risk since now, not only New York but every other state knew what they looked like. The interviewer added something else, but Sheila changed the radio station after seeing Percy's face. She sent him a small grin, knowing this couldn't be easy for him.
When night fell, the girl tensed. Growing up in a small town in Virginia, she was used to its tranquillity. In Mystic Falls, the residents preferred to stay home since the crime rate increased every year, and they didn't want to take the chance of being murdered by an unknown monster. This allowed Sheila to roam around as long as she was accompanied by one person — her mother was still scared for her daughter's wellbeing.
L.A. wasn't a quiet or small town. It was far from that. Hungry-looking characters started coming out on the streets, and it certainly wasn't because they were taking a stroll. Sheila couldn't be sure they would find the entrance to the Underworld in all this spread-out chaos. This city was strange. She didn't like it, taking a puff out of her inhaler as she stopped by the gas station.
The four exited the car as a precaution. Grover and Annabeth went to buy more snacks and water while Percy stayed with Sheila. The two fooled around, Percy doing imitations. Sheila thought it was ridiculous, but the boy noted that it was the second time he made her laugh in a few days.
It didn't last, however, as a group of six kids approached them. They wore expensive clothes and tried to act tough with their mean faces. Behind the appearances, though, Sheila could see they were only rich brats pretending to be bad boys. Despite knowing she could defend herself, Percy stepped slightly before her. Sheila inched closer to the car, wrapping her hand around the gas handle.
A hand reached for her backpack, and the girl instantly grabbed it and twisted the arm behind its owner's back. "Try to touch me, and this will be broken," she snapped as she pushed the kid away.
Instinctively, Percy had uncapped Riptide beside her. Sheila mentally facepalmed upon watching the kids backing off, apart from their leader. Either he was stupid or too brave. He kept coming at Percy with a switchblade.
Then Percy made the mistake of swinging. Sheila cursed under her breath as the kid yelped. Luckily, he was mortal as the blade passed harmlessly right through his chest. He looked down in disbelief.
Sheila saw the small window they had to escape, slowly retreating. "Alright, I think that's our cue to leave —"
Using the group's moment of inattention, Sheila grabbed the gas and poured it on a kid's head. He yelped and moved aside, leaving a slight opening. Percy gripped Sheila's hand as they ran toward the gas station. Annabeth and Grover couldn't have better timing, their laughter ceasing when their friends shouted for them to run. The urgency in their tone told them not to waste any time.
Not knowing L.A. couldn't have been less practical as Sheila didn't know which direction to go until Annabeth took a sharp corner. As usual, she had found a temporary solution. She motioned to the end of the alley.
Only one store on the block looked open, its windows glaring with neon. The sign above the door had words which appeared like CRSTUY'S WATRE BDE ALPACE to Sheila. She waited for Grover to translate it while using an offensive charm to distract the kids. A grunt told her it was efficient.
"Crusty's Water Bed Palace?" Grover translated.
It didn't sound like a place Sheila would ever step in, but they were in an urgent situation that required desperate solutions. She pushed her hands forward, bursting the doors open. She and her friends swiftly ran behind a water bed and ducked. A split second later, the kids ran past outside without noticing them.
"Aw, man, I liked that car," Sheila complained. "Rich kids are crazy."
"I think we lost them," Grover panted.
A voice behind them boomed, "Lost who?"
The four teenagers jumped as they faced the stranger.
Standing behind them was a man who looked like a raptor in a leisure suit. They had to crane up their necks to see his face due to his height of seven feet. His head was free of hair, and he had grey, leathery skin. The cold, reptilian smile he gave them matched the look in his thick-lidded eyes.
Sheila instinctively stepped back when he moved toward them slowly, sensing a different kind of magic coming from him. At first, she thought it was because of his suit, which looked like those from the seventies that they saw in the Lotus Casino, but there was more to it. The beds around them felt like traps. Some were mechanical, and others were enchanted. She nudged Annabeth, hoping her eyes would translate what she couldn't say.
"I'm Crusty," the weird man introduced with a tartar-yellow smile.
"We noticed," Sheila muttered.
Percy nudged her as he apologized, "Sorry to barge in. We were just, um, browsing."
"You mean hiding from those no-good kids," Crusty grumbled. "They hang around every night. I get a lot of people in here, thanks to them. Say, you want to look at a water bed?"
"We're kind of in a rush, so —"
Sheila tried to speak, but Crusty put a paw on her shoulder and forced her into the showroom. There was every kind of water bed someone could imagine: different kinds of wood, patterns of sheets, queen-size, king-size, emperor-of-the-universe-size. An old tale clicked in Sheila's head as she pushed Crusty's paw away. Her hand wrapped around her bracelet, unsure if the man was a threat. One wrong move, and she would strike.
"This is my most popular model." Crusty spread his hands proudly over a bed covered with black satin sheets. It had built-in Lava Lamps on the headboard. The mattress vibrated and reminded Sheila of Jell-O.
"Million-hand massage," Crusty informed them. "Go on, try it out. Shoot, take a nap. I don't care. No business today, anyway."
Percy went to refuse, but Grover instantly moved to dive into the bed. Sheila yelled at him to stay in place, though her warning was ignored. When she saw Crusty leading Annabeth to another bed, Sheila suddenly unclasped her bracelet. Her spear appeared, startling the other demigods. She could discern the mechanisms now. They were surrounding her and had overwhelmed her senses.
Recognition sparked in Crusty's eyes as he smiled, making Sheila want to gag. "Ah, daughter of Hephaestus? Your siblings are the hardest to fit. They're always missing limbs or trying to ruin my business." He sighed with false despair. "Unfortunately for you, you noticed too late. Ergo!"
Ropes shot out from different beds, wrapping around Annabeth's wrists and ankles and dragging her on a bed. Grover was already trapped on his. Sheila cut those coming toward her, and Percy uncapped Riptide to do the same. This confirmed Sheila's theory on Crusty's true identity. An older child of Hephaestus had encountered him on a quest and shared the story with Charlie before he died. Charlie used it as a bedtime story for the younger children who had difficulty falling asleep.
Pointing her spear at Crusty, Sheila hissed, "Let them go, or you'll be stretched to death."
Confused, Percy muttered, "What? Who are..." His voice trailed off. Sheila's choice of words revealed the truth. "You're the stretcher." He was the giant who had tried to kill Theseus with excess hospitality.
"Procrustes," Crusty confirmed. "But who can pronounce that? It wasn't good for business. And those children of Hephaestus always tried to stop me. It's tiring."
"I will if you don't let them go," Sheila threatened. Flames burst in her palms, a sign of her slipping patience.
Grover and Annabeth were struggling against their restraints. The latter had tried to grab her dagger, but it was out of reach. Sheila thought about burning the ropes, but she feared the damage it could cause to her friends.
"Ah, but they have to fit first," Crusty declared. He stepped closer to Sheila, who kept her spear at his neck. "Can't you hear it? The mechanism is working. I've learned my lesson with the last of you who came. Try to look for the trap if you wish."
Narrowing her eyes, Sheila observed the place. To her dismay, she couldn't figure out how the beds worked. The mechanism had to be underneath them. It was too far for her to dismantle it in time. She couldn't even figure out what it was made of.
Percy seemed to notice the defeat in her eyes as he stepped forward. "You're a businessman, right?" he asked. Crusty nodded. "Then let's make a deal. I lie into one of your beds if you let them go. She won't kill you or destroy your business. You can continue to stretch people."
Sheila's head snapped around so hard she could have suffered from whiplash. Did Percy give himself up so they could leave? She didn't know what kind of plan that was, but it sucked.
"Percy, don't!" she exclaimed. "What in the Hades are you thinking?"
Crusty's grin widened. It seriously disgusted Sheila. "Finally, a customer who knows how to bargain! Would you like a built-in Lava Lamp headboard? Or I can propose a million-hand massage bed like your friend has."
Grover protested, as did Annabeth. Sheila stared at Percy as if he was crazy, and maybe he was. He glanced back at her, his eyes sending a message. Lowering her spear, Sheila slowly shook her head. Still, Percy continued to talk to Crusty about beds and headboards. He gave her one last look and mouthed, "Trust me."
"So, what do you do if they're longer than six feet?" Percy wondered, trying to sound interested. He hoped Sheila would understand his plan.
"Oh, that happens all the time. It's a simple fix."
Before Percy could react, Crusty reached behind a nearby sales desk and brought a massive double-bladed brass axe. He said, "I just centre the subject as best I can and lop off whatever hangs over on either end."
Percy swallowed hard as he commented on it being sensible. The poor salesman hadn't noticed the boy wasn't genuine, expressing he was glad to come across an intelligent customer and continued to show him different models. Sheila grew restless. Annabeth had turned pale, and Grover made gurgling sounds. They were running out of time.
"So, Crusty..." Percy spoke, trying to keep his voice light. His eyes momentarily shifted to the sales tag on the Valentine-shaped Honeymoon Special. "Does this one have dynamic stabilizers to stop wave motion?"
"Absolutely. Try it out," Crusty offered.
And Percy threw another look at the witch. The gears turned in her head as he motioned her spear, then Crusty. Understanding what he meant, she tip-toed around a bed and discretely approached them. Percy continued to distract Crusty, even going as far as lying in the bed with dynamic stabilizers.
Crusty was about to snap his fingers, but Sheila was quicker. After Percy's nod — his silent signal for her to act — she jumped on a bed and stabbed Crusty behind the back. It was a hard reach, considering he was taller than her by a lot. When he attempted to push her back, Percy uncapped Riptide and swung. Crusty couldn't do much after that, his body dissipating in gold dust. Percy then rushed to cut off the ropes that restrained Annabeth and Grover.
"That was for Scott," Sheila muttered for the son of Hephaestus and Charlie's old mentor. Her spear returned to its original form as she joined the others. She slapped Percy's arm. "What were you thinking? That was so stupid."
"It worked," Percy stated. He was sporting his annoying grin. "You almost sound worried."
Sheila huffed. "Yeah, well, I wouldn't want you to be stretched to death."
She saw Percy look at the bulletin board behind Crusty's sales desk. Walking over it, Sheila read the advertisement for Hermes Delivery Service and another one for the All-New Compendium of L.A. Area Monsters. Her eyes then caught sight of a bright flier for DOA Recording Studios, offering commissions for heroes' souls.
After taking out the fire on her hands, she snatched it off the board and read the address in small letters. She handed it to Percy almost immediately.
"Come on," he told them.
"Give us a minute," Grover complained. "We were almost stretched to death.'"
"Then you're ready for the Underworld," Percy remarked. "It's only a block from here."
"Dude, why are you saying it like it's a blessing?" Sheila wondered, looking at him weirdly.
Percy merely shrugged.
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A/N ∼ I wanted Sheila to notice the beds were trapped and link it to other children of Hephaestus having confronted Crusty, but I still didn't want to take away Percy's importance in this scene.
we're almost in the Underworld and getting closer to Act 2. I'm so excited to start writing it. I've been writing nonstop during vacation, so I hope to publish it sooner than I intended to
see you guys in the next chapter ;)
-voidheda