"Thank the gods you're here!" Ariana yelled at Apollo. "We need to make a decision... as soon as possible."
"Yeah, heard so," Apollo said, shutting the door of his Maserati as he got out.
Ariana stopped. "How?"
"Uh... secret telecommunication system," Percy winked at me and I grinned back at him.
"What?" Ariana asked, and then she shrugged. "Anyway, we've got very less time. Circe was just saying-"
"You give the potion by today or your deal is done," Circe interrupted. "There will be no immortals until I make a new potion, which will take me another ten years."
"Out of curiosity, why did you make this immortality potion in first place?" I asked.
"The goddess Alexandra asked me to make it," Circe shrugged. "I owed her a favor."
Ariana sneered. "Who doesn't owe her a favor?"
"Nyx," Apollo replied silently. "She owes no one favors."
"Wow, she seems tough."
"She is."
We walked into the Rec room, accompanied only by Frank and Hazel from the Roman side.
Ariana sat down on one end of the ping pong table, nodded at everyone and turned to Apollo. "Okay, let's get straight to business. Apollo, who do you think deserves the potion?"
Apollo's face flushed. "What?" he asked. "Why are you asking me?"
"Because you're the only one mortal enough to take the right decision and immortal enough to know the gods very well," Ariana said as a matter-of-factly. "I would recommend that you become immortal-"
"Don't count me in," Apollo put his hands up defensively. "I like where I am right now."
"Yeah, so tell us who deserves the power over all the gods," I said.
"I'll be happy if it's a goddess," Circe said. "These male chauvinist pigs-"
"That's enough feminism input for the day, thanks, Circe," Ariana smiled.
"You're welcome."
I turned back to Apollo. "What do you think?"
The god seemed to be thinking. His blue eyes were gazing fixedly on the ceiling.
Percy sighed, "Apollo, are you okay?"
Apollo shrugged and looked back at us. "Well," he said, "if I were to be honest, not many of them deserve it."
"We already knew that," Percy said.
"I think you should decide, Ariana," Apollo said. "You know the gods best as a full mortal. You've treated them, you can reason well and you always make good decisions. You should decide on this one."
A moment of silence passed as everyone looked at Apollo, shocked. A major god giving up a major decision making opportunity? Wow.
"He's not wrong," Percy said shortly. "Ariana led all of the Capture the Flags. She was the perfect Athena kid, according to Annabeth."
Ariana rolled her eyes. "Please, she never met Theseus Young."
Percy smiled.
"But you're the only perfect Athena kid alive right now," Chiron said. "We need you to make this decision, Ariana."
Ariana sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I'll take the job," she said. "But whatever decision I come to, you have to accept it. No questions asked as long as I give proper reasons. Agreed?"
"All those in favor?" Percy asked, and instantly put a hand up.
Chiron and Apollo's hands were in the air as well. Circe's hand flew upwards.
Hazel narrowed her eyes. "As long as the decision is right, Adler," she said, and put her hand up.
"And, Piper?" Percy asked.
"Oh, yeah," I realized my hand was not in the air and fixed it.
Ariana smiled. "Alright then," she said. "I'll... head to Cabin six and be back in a minute."
***
"Floor six hundred," Percy tossed a drachma at the elevator operator.
The guy did not protest. He was used to us visiting so usually now that he didn't even doubt us. Hazel and Frank were nervous, almost shaking. This was their first time to Olympus.
We passed through the floors in quiet order, trying not to throw a rock at whoever planned the music for the day. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' wasn't my mood, really.
As the elevator doors dinged open, Hazel and Frank glanced at each other. They had grown stronger and fiercer over the years. I would call them one of the ultimate power couples. Their cloaks gracefully floated behind them as they walked ahead of me, just following Percy, Apollo and Ariana.
I turned to Circe, who was standing next to me. "Try not to kill any of them."
"Will try my best," Circe winked at me.
From the top of the clouds rose the decapitated peak of a mountain, its summit covered with snow. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multileveled palaces—a city of mansions—all with white-columned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires. Roads wound crazily up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed against the snow. Precariously perched gardens bloomed with olive trees and rosebushes. I could make out an open-air market filled with colorful tents, a stone amphitheater built on one side of the mountain, a hippodrome and a coliseum on the other. It was an Ancient Greek city, except it wasn't in ruins. It was new, and clean, and colorful, the way Athens must've looked twenty-five hundred years ago.
We passed through silent streets and snoring palaces. Hawkers in the market offered to sell me ambrosia-on-a-stick, and a new shield, and a genuine glitter-weave replica of the Golden Fleece, as seen on Hephaestus-TV. Everyone who seemed to be on the roads were worried- about the one thing they had lost. Several of them turned to watch the small army of demigods pass, and whispered to themselves.
We climbed the main road, toward the big palace at the peak. Everything here was shiny and white.
Steps led up to a central courtyard. Past that, the throne room.
Room really isn't the right word. The place made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet. Massive columns rose to a domed ceiling, which was gilded with moving constellations.
Twelve thrones were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half-Blood. An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit. All thrones were full.
The gods were in giant human form, but I could no longer feel the power they emitted as immortals. No wonder they wanted to help us. Their eyes were dark and longing- as though they were waiting on us to bring good news.
The gods weren't moving or speaking, but there was tension in the air, as if they'd just finished an argument.
Ariana came to a stop in front of us. All of us did as we had planned. Ariana turned to her mother and bowed. "Mother."
I turned to Aphrodite and kneeled. Circe nodded at Zeus and Percy kneeled to Poseidon. Apollo turned on his heel and headed to his empty throne and sat down.
"What decision have you come to?" Athena asked.
I looked back at her. "We have let Ariana Adler come to a choice. She will decide on who will lead the gods from now."
"I thought the answer was obvious-" Zeus began.
"It was not," Ariana interrupted. "I have had to contemplate the reasons for choosing any of you to get the potion, because truthfully, none of you deserve it a hundred percent."
She was bold, I'll give that.
I could feel some ozone burning from somewhere, but it certainly wasn't Zeus.
"So," Ariana continued, "I have had to obtain the counsel of Apollo and a few other Cabin Members while making this decision, and I must explain my reasoning and criteria that I have used to select the god who will now lead the gods."
Silence passed, and Athena nodded in full understanding.
"I have considered the past mistakes of every god and their futile attempts at erasing them. I have examined which one of you will fight not for yourself, but for us as well. Someone who will willingly sacrifice their life to save the world whether they get the potion of immortality or not. It did take me quite a while, but I narrowed it down to two people in the end- one god and one goddess, excluding Apollo. Should he have agreed, he would've gotten the potion, no questions asked. But between the other eleven Olympians still left, the options were more difficult. Both the gods I have chosen are kind, just to some extent, and have had pretty good experience leading mortals."
The gods seemed to take sharper breaths by the moment. The demigods were smiling nervously, hoping that this would be a decision that we wouldn't regret. Of course Ariana had already told us her decision, but still... somethings you can't just not worry about, right?
Ariana continued, "Before we continue, I need every one of you to take an oath on the River Styx that each of you would do anything to protect this world and will willingly sacrifice your life, if it comes down to that, for saving not only demigods but your own kind as well, regardless of whether you get the potion or not."
Poseidon laughed. "Typical Odysseus move right there." He smiled at Percy. "Despite what people think, I care about my family a lot. I swear to your terms, Ariana Adler."
Ariana smiled. She turned to her mother expectantly.
"I must agree with Barnacle Beard on this one," Athena said. "I swear to abide your terms."
One by one, the gods began to take an oath on the River Styx and twelve claps of thunder sounded through the skies of Olympus.
"So," Apollo asked, "what is your decision?"
"Right," Ariana said. "After a lot of thought, we have decided that the god who will obtain the potion is.."
"JUST SAY IT," Zeus roared.
Poseidon rolled his eyes. "Patience, brother. Besides, I already know it's not you."
Zeus glared at Poseidon.
Ariana cleared her throat. "It's going to be the goddess of wisdom. Athena."