𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟐: 𝐀 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐲𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐚 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞
December 21, 2007
VERONICA HAD ALWAYS THOUGHT MOUNT OLYMPUS WAS INTERESTING.
But right now, she couldn't help but feel sick as she looked at the palace where the gods resided and wondered if this had all been worth it.
The crackle of lightning and clap of thunder made her turn back to Zeus' palace, the early-morning darkness allowing her to see the multicolored torches and fires along the mountainside palaces, glowing all sorts of colors, going from bloodred to indigo. Much like New York City, it seemed like Olympus never slept.
The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or sedan chairs carried by Cyclopes.
Winter wasn't a possibility here, it appeared. Veronica could smell the gardens in full bloom, the scent jasmine and roses and even sweeter things she tried to remember. Music drifted up from many windows, the soft sounds of lyres and reed pipes. It woke her up completely.
Towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods.
The pegasi set the half-bloods down in the outer courtyard, in front of giant silver gates, Percy briefly talking to Blackjack. Then the gates opened by themselves.
After a moment, Blackjack and his friends flew off, leaving Veronica, Thalia, Annabeth, and Percy alone. For a long minute, they stood there regarding the palace, the way they'd stood together in front of Westover Hall.
It was barely a week ago, but it felt like an eternity.
And then, side by side, they walked into the throne room.
Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations—Veronica even saw Zoë the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn.
All of the seats were occupied. Each god and goddess looked about fifteen feet tall.
"Welcome, heroes," Artemis said gently.
"Mooo!"
Veronica turned and saw Bessie and Grover. The former was swimming in a sphere of water that hovered in the center of the room, next to the hearth fire. Grover was kneeling at Zeus' throne, as if he'd just been giving a report, but when he saw them, he cried, "You made it!"
Veronica was suddenly struck with the feeling of deja vu as she recalled Westover Hall again.
Grover started to run toward Percy, then remembered he was turning his back on Zeus, and looked for permission.
"Go on," Zeus said. But he wasn't really paying attention to Grover. Instead, the king of the skies was staring intently at his daughter Thalia.
Grover trotted over. None of the gods said a word. Every clop of Grover's hooves echoed on the marble floor. The Ophiotaurus splashed in his bubble of water. The hearth fire crackled.
Grover gave Annabeth and Thalia big hugs. Veronica was caught off guard when he gave her one, too.
Then he grasped Percy's arms. "Percy, Bessie and I made it!" he said. "But you have to convince them! They can't do it!"
"Do what?" Percy asked.
"Heroes," Artemis called.
The goddess slid down from her throne and shrank to human size, a young auburn-haired girl in her place, perfectly at ease in the midst of the giant Olympians. She walked toward them, her silver robes shimmering. She looked emotionless.
"The Council has been informed of your deeds," Artemis explained. "They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas' attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act."
There was some mumbling and shuffling among the gods, as if they weren't all happy with this plan, but nobody protested.
"At my Lord Zeus' command," Artemis continued, "my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans' cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes..."
She turned to face the other immortals. "These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service," she said. " Would any here deny that?"
She looked around, meeting the gods' faces individually. Zeus in his dark pin-striped suit, his black beard neatly trimmed, and his eyes sparking with energy. Next to him sat a beautiful woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered colors like peacock feathers. Hera, queen of the gods.
On Zeus' right sat Poseidon. Next to the sea god, a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, a misshapen head, and a wild brown beard, fire flickering through his whiskers. Lord of the forges, Hephaestus. Hermes sat beside him, wearing a business suit and checking messages on a caduceus mobile phone. Apollo leaned back in his golden throne with his shades on. He had iPod headphones on, and possibly wasn't even listening. Dionysus looked bored, twirling a grapevine between his fingers. And Ares, was sharpening a knife while he glared at Percy from his chrome-and-leather throne.
To Hera's left, a blonde goddess in green robes sat on a throne woven of apple-tree branches. Demeter, goddess of the Harvest. Next to her sat a dark haired, gray-eyed woman in an elegant white dress. Athena, Annabeth's mother.
Aphrodite smiled at Veronica knowingly, leaving her confused and wondering what the hell that was supposed to be hinting at.
"I gotta say," Apollo broke the silence in the room, "these kids did okay."
He cleared his throat and began to recite a poem: "Heroes win laurels—"
"Um, yes, first class," Hermes interrupted, just as anxious to avoid Apollo's poetry as Veronica was. "All in favor of not disintegrating them?"
A few tentative hands went up—Demeter, Aphrodite.
"Wait just a minute," Ares growled. He pointed at Thalia and Percy. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here—"
"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits."
"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled, practically sparking as he glared at Ares for a moment. "She has done well."
Thalia blushed. She studied the floor.
Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. "I am proud of my daughter as well," she said. "But there is a security risk here with those two."
"Mother!" Annabeth shouted. "How can you—"
Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look. "It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact that I find ironic."
Now that she was thinking of him, where was Hades? It was the winter solstice, and Veronica knew from years past that Hades would be at Olympus at this point. Why was he not here now?
"As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods... such as Thalia and Percy... are dangerous," Athena announced. "As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point."
"Right!" Ares said before realizing he'd been insulted. "Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin'—"
He started to get up, but a grape vine grew around his waist like a seat belt and pulled him back down.
"Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later."
Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk," he complained. "You seriously want to protect these brats?"
Dionysus gazed down at the teenagers wearily. "I have no love for any of these half-bloods other than my daughter," he mused. "Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?"
"I do not pass judgment," Athena countered. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide."
"I will not have them punished," Artemis said firmly. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it."
"Calm down, sis," Apollo sighed. "Jeez, you need to lighten up."
"Don't call me sis!" the goddess of the Hunt snapped at her brother. "I will reward them."
"Well," Zeus grumbled. "Perhaps. But the monster at least must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?"
Many of the Olympians nodded.
"Bessie?" Percy asked with a frown. "You want to destroy Bessie?"
"Mooooooo!" Bessie protested.
Poseidon frowned. "You have named the Ophiotaurus Bessie?" he questioned.
"Dad," Percy called, "he's just a sea creature. A really nice sea creature. You can't destroy him."
Poseidon shifted uncomfortably, as if knowing his son had a point. "Percy, the monster's power is considerable," he said. "If the Titans were to steal it, or—"
"You can't," Percy insisted. He turned to Zeus and stared him right in the eye. "Controlling the prophecies never works. Isn't that true? Besides, Bess—the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. It's just as wrong as... as Kronos eating his children, just because of something they might do. It's wrong!"
Zeus seemed to consider this, staring at Percy for a minute. His eyes drifted to his daughter Thalia. "And what of the risk? Kronos knows full well, if one of you were to sacrifice the beast's entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. Do you think we can let that possibility remain? You, my daughter, will turn sixteen on the morrow, just as the prophecy says."
"You have to trust them," Annabeth spoke up. "Sir, you have to trust them."
Zeus scowled. "Trust a hero?"
"Annabeth is right," Artemis said. "Which is why I must first make a reward."
Her eyes grew a little sadder. "My faithful companion, Zoë Nightshade, has passed into the stars," she sighed. "I must have a new lieutenant. And I intend to choose one. But first, Father Zeus, I must speak to you privately."
Zeus beckoned Artemis forward. He leaned down and listened as she spoke in his ear.
Veronica sensed Percy's panic almost immediately, rattling around in her head. It was annoying, her head already hurting from the headache fighting Atlas had left her with. She grabbed his hand and shook her head. "What goes on in your head, dude?" she demanded, making him turn away from Annabeth.
Artemis turned back to them. "I shall have a new lieutenant," she announced. "If she will accept it."
"No," Veronica heard Percy murmur, squeezing her hand lightly.
"Thalia," Artemis said. "Daughter of Zeus. Will you join the Hunt?"
Stunned silence filled the room. Veronica turned to stare at Thalia.
Annabeth smiled. She squeezed Thalia's hand and let it go, as if she'd been expecting this all along.
"I will," Thalia said firmly.
Zeus rose, his eyes full of concern. "My daughter, consider well—"
"Father," she said, cutting him off. "I will not turn sixteen tomorrow. I will never turn sixteen. I won't let this prophecy be mine. I stand with my sister Artemis. Kronos will never tempt me again."
She knelt before the goddess and began the words Veronica remembered from Bianca's oath, which also felt like it was an eternity ago despite barely being last week. "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men..."
The words spilled from her mouth, and Veronica could only watch in awe.
Afterward, Thalia came over to Percy, smiled, and in front of the whole assembly, hugged him.
Percy blushed. When the short haired girl pulled away and gripped his shoulders, he asked, "Um... aren't you supposed to not do that anymore? Hug boys, I mean?"
"I'm honoring a friend," she corrected him. "I must join the Hunt, Percy. I haven't known peace since... since Half-Blood Hill. I finally feel like I have a home. But you're a hero. You will be the one of the prophecy."
"Great," Percy muttered sarcastically.
"I'm proud to be your friend," Thalia told him.
She hugged Annabeth, who was trying hard not to cry. Then she even hugged Grover, who looked ready to pass out, like he suddenly gained feelings because she was a Hunter now. Hell, she even hugged Veronica, who awkwardly hugged back, surprised. Then Thalia went to stand by Artemis' side.
"Now for the Ophiotaurus," Artemis said.
"This boy is still dangerous," Dionysus warned. "The beast is a temptation to great power. Even if we spare the boy—"
"Dad," Veronica called warningly.
"You can't kill him." Percy's voice was stiff. He looked around at all the gods as he continued. "Please. Keep the Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him under the sea somewhere, or keep him in an aquarium here in Olympus. But you have to protect him."
"And why should we trust you?" rumbled Hephaestus.
"I'm only fourteen," Percy said. "If this prophecy is about me, that's two more years."
"Two years for Kronos to deceive you," Athena said. "Much can change in two years, my young hero."
"Mother!" Annabeth said, exasperated.
"It is only the truth, child," Athena said. "It is bad strategy to keep the animal alive. Or the boy."
The sea god stood. "I will not have a sea creature destroyed, if I can help it," he decided. "And I can help it."
He held out his hand, and a trident appeared in it: a beautiful, twenty foot long bronze shaft with three spear tips that shimmered with blue, watery light. "I will vouch for the boy and the safety of the Ophiotaurus."
"You won't take it under the sea!" Zeus yelled as he stood suddenly. "I won't have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession."
"Brother, please," Poseidon sighed.
Zeus' lightning bolt appeared in his hand, a shaft of electricity that filled the whole room with the smell of ozone.
"Fine," Poseidon huffed. "I will build an aquarium for the creature here. Hephaestus can help me. The creature will be safe. We shall protect it with all our powers. The boy will not betray us. I vouch for this on my honor."
Zeus thought for a moment. "All in favor?"
Shockingly, many hands went up. Dionysus abstained, much to Veronica's dismay. So did Ares and Athena, which seemed less out of tactic and more out of spite.
But everybody else raised a hand.
"We have a majority," Zeus decreed. "And so, since we will not be destroying these heroes... I imagine we should honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!"
♛⸻𖥸⸻♛
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BIG MORTAL PARTIES AND BIG OLYMPIAN PARTIES. As the daughter of a party god, Veronica quite enjoyed the Olympian variety.
The Nine Muses cranked up the tunes, allowing them to hear whatever music they preferred, so Veronica was pleasantly surprised to hear the intro to Material Girl start blaring around her.
The gods had reduced themselves to human size, so they didn't accidentally trample partygoers under their feet. Grover trotted around with a full plate of tin cans and enchiladas, his goblet full of double-espresso latte, muttering: "Pan! Pan!" repeatedly.
Dionysus went around growing refreshment stands out of the ground, and a beautiful woman walked with him arm in arm—his wife, Veronica's stepmother Ariadne. For once, Dionysus looked happy about something Veronica didn't do. Nectar and ambrosia overflowed from golden fountains, and platters of mortal snack food crowded the banquet tables. Golden goblets filled with whatever drink you wanted.
Veronica made her way through the crowds as she smiled and tried to enjoy the party. Veronica decided to approach her father and stepmother, the latter giving her a big hug.
"Ronnie!" Ariadne cooed, returning the hug.
She looked into the warm eyes of her stepmother, whose long brown hair was loose as she ran a hand through it.
"Hi, Aria," Veronica said cheerfully, allowing the goddess to drag her into another hug. "Nice to see you."
"Oh, you've grown since I last saw you!" she said happily. "You were just twelve the last time I saw you."
"Yeah," Veronica agreed. "Fourteen now."
Ariadne gasped. "It's been two years already?" she asked. "You're so much taller."
That was a lie. She'd grown two inches and was now five-foot-four. But she still smiled and said, "Thanks!"
"Are you improving in your powers?" Ariadne asked. "I've tried asking your father, but he never answers, despite how much he talks about you."
"Oh, my powers," Veronica said, looking at her sleeve. "Well, they've... increased, I suppose..."
"What do you mean by that?" Ariadne asked, tilting her head.
"A bunch of weird stuff has been happening, like with this manticore, and I—"
Before she could finish, Dionysus sighed, his day apparently ruined. Athena stood far behind, watching them intently.
"Veronica, you can talk about this later," he said.
Veronica frowned. "But I—"
"No," Dionysus said. "I don't want you to being this up here, not with so many gods near."
"Dad, what is your damage?" Veronica demanded. "You keep acting weird about my powers and I don't get why. And what was with the spellbook? And my daggers turning into one? And the weird thing with everyone calling me a Mistress or whatever it was?"
"Veronica, what are you going on about?" Dionysus questioned, but he seemed anxious—as anxious as a god could get, at least.
"Ares, Thorn, Zoë, Artemis, even Atlas," Veronica listed off. "Wait, speaking of Atlas, I fought him. Except I kind of didn't. Well, it was my body but I wasn't controlling it and that also happened with Thorn, so—"
"Veronica, come with me," Dionysus said, reaching for her arm, but never directly grabbing her. She appreciated the sentiment.
"No," she said. "I want answers, Dad. Like, why did you give me that spellbook, and what happened to my body when I was on the quest and why did Ares call me a legacy?!"
"You will get answers!" Dionysus shouted. No one around them seemed fazed, shouting and enjoying the party still. "As many as I can give you. I swear it on the River Styx."
Lightning and thunder rumbled outside the palace. Dionysus sighed again. "As many answers as I can give you, I will. All I say is that you come with me so I may explain it in private."
Veronica huffed, about to retort when she thought better of it. With a sigh, she nodded, taking her father's hand and letting him guide her to a small room with a window overlooking Olympus and New York below it all at once. The moonlight reflected into several surfaces, beautifully painting the room with a soft silver.
"So I suppose I should begin with the story of how I met your mother," Dionysus said, looking proud of himself.
"Dad, this is not the time for jokes," Veronica said bitterly.
He held his hands up in surrender. "Alright, fine. But in all seriousness, that's where it should start. I met Marjorie Westcourt, some fifteen or sixteen and a half years ago."
Marjorie... the name on the note in the spellbook box.
"She was a daughter of Hecate who'd just made it to her twenty-fourth birthday," Dionysus explained. "She celebrated it with a group of friends and then she went home. On her way, she found me, lurking outside of a bar that Zeus had magically sworn off from me, drinking my sorrows away in Diet Coke."
Veronica giggled lightly, the image of her father crying outside of a bar, Diet Coke cans littered around him serving to amuse her.
"One thing led to another—no drinks involved, just a sharp want—but I was gone before morning," Dionysus said. "By no fault of hers. I simply didn't want to hear Apollo's taunting when he inevitably saw us while passing by."
Veronica frowned. "I was a one night stand baby?" she questioned. "And she was a Hecate kid?"
Dionysus sighed. "Yes, that's all correct," he responded. "Anyways, nine months later, I get a sacrifice and a prayer asking me to visit. I get there and what do I find, but Marjorie holding you in her arms and yelling at me for the grief I've caused her?"
"She didn't want me, huh?" Veronica asked. It was a rhetorical question, of course. She knew the answer already.
"She did, at first," Dionysus sighed.
Okay, maybe she didn't know.
"What?"
Her father shook his head. "She was quite happy with you for a while. It wasn't until the Fates and that cursed Oracle spoke to her that she started to fear for her happy life."
"What did they say?" Veronica asked.
"That you were a Mistress of Chaos," Dionysus replied.
The moonlight in the room flickered briefly, leaving them in complete darkness for a moment.
"A Mistress... of Chaos?" Veronica repeated. "What... what does that mean?"
"It takes too much time to explain it all right now," Dionysus said. "But the short answer is that you're much more powerful than anyone realized. And by being descended from a goddess of magic and a god of madness, you're the prophesied half-blood legacy who wields Chaos' power this generation."
"This generation?" Veronica repeated again.
Dionysus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, those come every few generations or so. Zeus is always especially mad at the gods who are responsible for it. Last time or the time before that was the Demeter-Athena one, but of course, Athena always gets off easy. Favoritism at its finest."
"Wait, but what does that have to do with her ditching me?" Veronica demanded, standing up.
"Because you were too powerful for her to handle, and it scared her," her father answered. "So she gave you back to me when you were four."
Dionysus lifted his hand and conjured her spellbook. "This was hers. It was very important to her, and she always wanted you to have it. It's why she left it in the Big House after your powers were somewhat bound and split her athame into two separate daggers."
Veronica scoffed and glared at the book. "She ditched me in a dumpster because she was scared?!" she shouted. "What kind of messes up bitch do you have to be to do that to a kid? Your kid?"
The wine god gently reached for her hand, taking it and holding her steady. "I'm afraid the pressure cracked her," he said. "Now, she may have made some bad choices, Veronica. But your mother did love you very much."
"If she loved me, she would've saved me from Billy!" Veronica shouted, ripping her hand away. Her vision blurred with tears as she backed away from Dionysus. "Or she would've come back after the Cortez family or saved the McMillans or—or—anything! She would've done anything to help me! But she didn't! So if she loved me, she has the funniest way of showing it!"
She wiped her tears away and sniffled. Damn it, she hadn't cried about this woman in so long.
Dionysus was silent for a long time, very unlike him. For a moment, Veronica thought he'd left and this was some statue he'd put in his place, but then he nodded.
"Your mother did you no favors," he admitted. "You have suffered for her actions almost daily and the foster homes have failed you just as much. That's why I have been so hesitant to let you go again after the... last incident. Why my background checks on potential guardians have been so thorough. I only want the best for you. I want you to have that mother again. And I'm sorry that you have never had that."
Silence.
Long, agonizing silence as Veronica tried to find her voice. Tried to speak up and say that she'd almost had it once, but lost it. Tried to get the words out, any words at all.
But nothing happened no matter how many times she opened her mouth to talk.
Eventually, he spoke for her. "Valentina Bailey, the newest attempt at finding that mother. She seems like a wonderful woman. Her background check was white as an unpainted canvas. Do you like the idea of staying with her?"
Veronica frowned. "I... I don't know. What if—"
"I have told you that the McMillans weren't your fault," he said. "And if you're worried about a repeat of Billy, I assure you that she is the only one who will live there. She's currently single and unready to mingle as well, so it's guaranteed."
Veronica sighed. "I don't know, Dad," she said again. "It's... it's so scary. It could go wrong in so many ways."
"And that is why I am always here for you if it does," he said seriously. "Even if you aren't sure."
"I don't know," Veronica insisted.
"You never do," Dionysus said. "And that's why you find out. Just think about it, Ronnie. I'm right here for you no matter what happens. I promise you."
Veronica smiled. "Thank you, Dad."
She ran up to him and hugged him tight, sniffling slightly. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Dionysus said. Veronica felt herself relax. Her father had always had an easier time caring for her and her brothers more than most gods did for their kids. Still, it was always wonderful to hear him say it out loud. "Now, go have fun. And keep away from that Poseidon spawn."
Veronica smiled wider as she pulled away and nodded, leaving the room quickly afterwards. It wasn't hard to find the party again, only twenty-two seconds passing before she was being pulled onto the dancing floor. She laughed again, a little watery as her tears had yet to fully dry, but enjoying herself nonetheless.
When she found Percy talking to her stepmother, she walked up to them, Percy blushing a furious red as Ariadne shook her head fondly.
"Percy, what are you doing talking to my stepmother?" she asked.
"Oh, I was just trying to meet the boy Dionysus was so vengeful towards for no reason," Ariadne explained. "He is a sweet boy, Ronnie. I think you two will be great friends."
She turned away, and a path automatically made an appearance for her to walk through, smiling and greeting those who spoke to her.
"Was she giving you a hard time?" Veronica asked. "She can be quite enthusiastic."
"No," Percy said quickly. "It's... fine. She's just... really nice. I don't get how she married Mr. D."
He glanced at her. "No offense."
"None taken," she said. She studied Percy briefly before pouting to the steak of gray in his hair. "You match with Annabeth," she pointed out. "Gray streaks."
He gave her a concerned look. "You don't have one," he pointed out.
She shook her head. "I guess I don't," she said. "But, uh, maybe that's not a bad thing. I mean, it'd suck to be getting old already."
Percy chuckled as the music began to change again. "Hey, it's the song we danced to," he said. His face grew a little bit redder as he scratched the back of his neck. "I, uh, was thinking... we got interrupted at Westover Hall. And... I think I owe you a dance."
She smiled slowly. "Well, technically you don't," she said. "We finished our dance to Human Nature. But if you wanna dance, we can dance. Come on, Aqua Boy."
The dance was smoother this time, very slow dance like in a good way, a little sad, but maybe a little hopeful, too.
♛⸻𖥸⸻♛
WHEN VERONICA WENT TO THE GARDENS TO CLEAR HER HEAD, SHE DIDN'T EXPECT TO FIND PERCY.
"Yeah, well," she heard his voice say, "I'd better let you get back to your homework."
She turned the corner and saw him on an Iris-message. A nice woman with brown hair and blue eyes was smiling softly at Percy. The woman processed Percy's sentence, her smile slowly fading. "Percy, I... Paul and I—"
"Mom, are you happy?" Percy suddenly asked.
So this was Percy's mother. Now that she was getting a good look at her at her, Veronica could see more of her in Percy than she would've thought. He had his father's eyes and hair, but his gentler facial features were all a product of his mom.
Percy's question seemed to take his mother by surprise. Veronica herself paused for a moment as she listened in. Percy's mom thought for a moment before she answered. "Yes," she said gently. "I really am, Percy. Being around him makes me happy."
"Then it's cool," Percy said. "Seriously. Don't worry about me."
And Veronica believed him. His voice was sincere, truly caring.
"You promise not to call him Mr. Blowfish?" his mom asked.
Percy shrugged. "Well, maybe not to his face, anyway," he answered.
"Sally?" the man called from our living room. "You need the green binder or the red one?"
"I'd better go," she told Percy. "See you for Christmas?"
"Are you putting blue candy in my stocking?" he asked her, smiling.
She smiled. "If you're not too old for that."
Percy looked offended by the comment. "I'm never too old for candy."
"I'll see you then," she said.
She waved her hand across the Iris-message mist. Her image disappeared.
"It's beautiful how much you care about your mother, Percy," Veronica said.
Percy turned to her. "When do you get here?" he asked.
Veronica shrugged, clutching her bag to her chest. "Just a few minutes ago. I overheard you and your mom."
Percy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She's had it rough in the past, and all to take care of me," he said. "She deserves nothing but the best."
Veronica grinned at him. "That's sweet."
He nodded, but didn't say anything. She sat down beside him and grinned. "What brings you here, Kelpie?" Veronica asked with a curious smile.
Percy returned the smile. "I just needed somewhere to talk to my mom. You?"
Veronica shook her head. "Nothing," she pointed out. "Just getting away from the crowd. Thinking about trying foster care again."
Percy looked at her with a small smile. "You gonna do it?"
Veronica laughed. Seeing Percy talk to his mom had awakened a hope in her she'd long since lost. For a while, getting a nice foster home had simply meant proving she could actually survive in one. But if this Valentina Bailey lady was anything like her dad said...
"Yeah. I'm gonna try again."
Percy cheered softly, clapping his hands. "I'm happy for you," he said. "You deserve happiness, too."
"Wow, you're in the Christmas spirit, huh?" Veronica asked teasingly.
Percy turned to stare at her. "Maybe," he breathed.
Veronica laughed again. "I guess seeing Artemis' chariot really put you in your own Santa Claus mood, huh, Per—"
Suddenly, Percy's mouth was on hers.
Percy's mouth was on hers.
Percy fucking Jackson's lips were on Veronica Sawyer's lips.
What the fuck?!
She almost didn't respond to the kiss, the shock was so great. But some weird brain chemistry got altered or something, because she was kissing back a few moments later, an awkward sort of feeling rising up in her if she wondered if this was how kisses were supposed to feel.
It was good, and there were kind of fireworks, but it also felt... fast.
She pulled away from Percy gently, feeling her entire body tingling at the feeling of having just been kissed. "Um... wow..."
"I'm sorry!" Percy said quickly. "I didn't mean to do that! I mean, I did, but if that made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry I—"
"That was nice," she said. "But maybe let's not race to that point. We're young. And we have some time to get to that point.
"Right," Percy said, a little breathless. "We're not gonna rush towards anything just because we're in love."
"I don't know if I'd call it love," Veronica said carefully." I think I just like being friends with you."
"What does that even mean?" Percy asked her.
She shrugged. "To be honest, I'm kinda lonely, but I don't wanna move this whole thing too fast."
"Meaning?" Percy replied.
"Meaning that we need to slow this down," Veronica said. "By a lot. It's moving too fast. Even with my few friends, I'm a little lonely. But I don't think I need a boyfriend or anything yet, you know?"
Percy's eyes widened. "Right, right." He cleared his throat.
"Hey, at least you got your first kiss," Veronica said softly. "That... that makes two of us."
Percy nodded. "Yeah. At least this time, if I die on a quest, I'll have at least gotten kissed before."
"See?" Veronica said, standing up. "A bonus. As long as my dad doesn't find out, you'll be fine."
She heard Annabeth's voice distantly calling out for them. "Come on, Aqua Boy. We gotta go."
She smiled as she walked off, a little bounce in her step now.
♛⸻𖥸⸻♛
MANHATTAN WAS VERY QUIET COMPARED TO OLYMPUS.
It was the Friday before Christmas. It was early morning, and hardly anyone was on Fifth Avenue. Argus, the hundred-eyed security chief of camp, picked up the remaining campers at the Empire State Building and ferried them back to camp through a light snowstorm. The Long Island Expressway was almost deserted. The weather explained why.
Before leaving, Veronica checked in with her dad to let him know she was going to live with Valentina Bailey. They agreed she'd move in with the woman on Christmas Eve, because Veronica was eager to get out of camp.
When her father asked her what brought about her change of mind, she realized it'd been a combo of talking to Annabeth's stepmom and seeing Percy interact with his own mother, and the Oracle's words came back to her.
Mistress sees and Mistress does,
And life shall pass on as it was.
As they made their way up Half-Blood Hill to Thalia's pine tree, Veronica almost expected to see Thalia there, already at camp. But she was gone with the Hunters, off on their next adventure.
Veronica sighed at the thought of the Hunters. How were they taking Bianca's death? How were they taking Zoë's death?
Chiron greeted the group at the Big House with hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches. Grover went off with his satyr friends to spread the word about the strange encounter with the magic of Pan during the quest. Within an hour, the satyrs were all running around agitated, asking where the nearest espresso bar was.
Veronica left to pack her bags early while Percy and Annabeth sat with Chiron and some of the other senior campers.
When she got all her bags downstairs, she was surprised to see Evie's sister Clarisse back from her scouting mission. She had a new scar on her chin, and her hair had been cut short, like it'd been cut horribly.
"I got news," Clarisse mumbled uneasily. "Bad news."
"I'll fill you in later," Chiron said with cheerfulness that definitely wasn't real. "The important thing is you have prevailed. And you saved Annabeth!"
Annabeth smiled at Percy gratefully, and he smiled back. For a moment, he looked away, towards Veronica. She winked at him.
"Luke is alive," Percy said, looking away from Veronica. "Annabeth was right."
Annabeth sat up. "How do you know?"
Percy told her that Poseidon had said the Princess Andromeda was still sailing, and that Luke was unfortunately still kicking.
"Well." Annabeth shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "If the final battle does come when Percy is sixteen, at least we have two more years to figure something out."
Veronica hummed under her breath. "We have a year and seven months, and twenty-seven days if you wanna be specific."
Chiron's expression was gloomy. Sitting by the fire in his wheelchair, he looked really old. He was really old, but he usually didn't look it, due to being an eternal mentor.
"Two years may seem like a long time," he said. "But it is the blink of an eye. I still hope you are not the child of the prophecy, Percy. But if you are, then the second Titan war is almost upon us. Kronos' first strike will be here."
"How do you know?" Percy asked. "Why would he care about camp?"
"Because the gods use heroes as their tools," Chiron told Percy. "Destroy the tools, and the gods will be crippled. Luke's forces will come here. Mortal, demigod, monstrous... We must be prepared. Clarisse's news may give us a clue as to how they will attack, but—"
There was a knock on the door, and Nico di Angelo came huffing into the parlor, his cheeks bright red from the cold.
"Hey there, kiddo!" Veronica said, opening her arms to invite him into a hug.
"Hey, Ronnie!" he said, waving. He was smiling, but he looked around anxiously. "Where's... where's my sister?"
Dead silence.
Veronica's arms tensed around Nico. She frowned as she stood back up. "What do you mean, Neeks?"
"Where's Bianca?" he asked.
"Oh," Veronica murmured. She stared at Chiron. She realized he'd been waiting to throw the responsibility of telling Nico on them. "So no one said anything?"
"Veronica," Chiron tried to explain, "we were waiting for—"
"No." Veronica walked towards Nico, sending Chiron a glare. "I see how it is."
She reached in her pocket, pulling out the figurine. "Listen, honey. I've got some news."
"Hey, Nico," Percy said. He got up from his comfortable chair. "Let's take a walk, okay? We need to talk."
"Percy," Veronica said warningly.
"No," he said. "I owe them both this."
♛⸻𖥸⸻♛
THE LIGHT IN NICO'S BRIGHT EYES DIMMED WITH EVERY WORD THEY SAID.
"And she went into Talos so she could stop him, but she didn't make it out alive," Percy was in the middle of telling the story. He tripped on some power cords while she was in there. She could've suffo—"
"You're only making things worse," Veronica told Percy. She turned to Nico, giving him the little god figurine. "She wanted you to have this. This is what she... sacrificed herself for."
Nico held the figurine in his palm and stared at it. Veronica looked around the dining pavilion. She pulled her jacket closer. The wind was bitter cold, even with the camp's magical weather protection. Snow fell lightly against the marble steps. With how cold it was in camp, she could only figure that a blizzard outside the camp border.
"You promised you would protect her," Nico said.
"What?" Veronica questioned. She reached for his hand. "Nico, I never—"
"No," Nico said firmly, looking up at her. "He did. He promised."
"Nico," Percy said. "I tried. But Bianca gave herself up to save the rest of us. I told her not to. But she—"
"You promised!"
Veronica jumped at the sudden raise in Nico's voice. "Percy," she said. "Don't tell me that you promised him a promise you weren't sure you could keep. You didn't do it."
He looked away guiltily as Nico glared at him, his eyes rimmed with red. The younger boy closed his small fist around the god statue.
"I shouldn't have trusted you." His voice broke. "You lied to me. My nightmares were right!"
"Nightmares?" Veronica asked. "Baby, what nightmares?"
Nico didn't answer. He flung the god statue to the ground. It clattered across the icy marble. "I hate you!" he yelled at Percy.
"She might be alive," the son of Poseidon said desperately. "I don't know for sure—"
"Percy, don't—" veronica began.
"She's dead," Nico told them. He closed his eyes. His whole body trembled with rage. "I should've known it earlier. She's in the Fields of Asphodel, standing before the judges right now, being evaluated. I can feel it."
"What do you mean, you can feel it?" Percy asked.
Before he could answer, Veronica heard a new sound behind them. A hissing, clattering noise she recognized all too well.
We will kill them! Come on!
Veronica whipped around to see four skeleton warriors with swords approaching them, grinning fleshless grins. She quickly whipped out her own sword, Percy doing the same.
"You're trying to kill me!" Nico screamed. "You brought these... these things?"
"No! Percy denied. "I mean, yes, they followed me, but no! Nico, run. They can't be destroyed."
"I don't trust you!" Nico said.
"Nico, run!" Veronica yelled.
"No!" Nico yelled.
The first skeleton charged. Percy knocked aside its blade, but the other three kept coming. Veronica drew her sword and sliced one in half, standing beside Nico as she tried to keep him safe.
"Run, Nico!" Percy yelled. "Get help!"
"No!" He pressed his hands to his ears.
"Ronnie, get him out of here!" Percy told Veronica.
She nodded and grabbed Nico's arm, trying to pull him away. "Nico, come on!"
"No!" Nico shouted louder. "Go away!"
"Nico!" Veronica shouted. "Let's go! I don't want you getting hurt!"
She'd rather die by each warrior's hand twice than let Nico get hurt in all of this mess.
A warrior came at her and she held her hand out as she pushed Nico behind her. A black, smoky mist wrapped around the skeleton and slowly started turning into flames. Veronica screamed at her mistake, trying to figure out what to do.
"Run!" she screamed again at Nico. In the second she took to glance at him, another skeleton grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Ronnie!" Nico called desperately.
And then, mysteriously, something that should've been impossible happened.
The ground rumbled beneath them. The skeletons froze. Veronica shoved the skeleton off of her and Percy rolled out of the way just as a crack opened at the feet of the four warriors. The ground ripped apart like a snapping mouth. Flames erupted from the fissure, and the earth swallowed the skeletons in one loud CRUNCH!
Then a long silence.
In the place where the skeletons had stood, a twenty-foot-long scar wove across the marble floor of the pavilion. Besides that, there was no sign the warriors had ever been to camp.
Veronica looked to Nico, her sword clattering to the ground as she stared at him, awestruck.
Percy looked just as amazed, yet confused. "How did you—"
"Go away!" Nico yelled. "I hate you! I wish you were dead!"
The ground didn't swallow Percy up, but Nico ran down the steps, heading toward the woods.
"Nico, wait!" Veronica called, running after him. The young boy froze briefly, turning to look at her. Before she could catch up to him, though, he turned and ran off.
Veronica raced after him, as fast as she could go. She searched everywhere she could without getting lost. For hours, she searched through the cold weather. She walked through the woods calling for Nico.
Eventually, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth ran into her. The quartet searched the woods for as long as possible while Percy filled Veronica in on everything, including Nico being a son of Hades.
Sadly, there was no sign of Nico di Angelo anywhere they looked. Veronica almost screamed again, but her voice seemed to be lost. All she could think was Where'd he go?
"We have to tell Chiron," Annabeth said, out of breath.
"No," Veronica and Percy said in unison.
Annabeth and Grover stared at two incredulously.
"Um," Grover said nervously, "what do you mean... no?
"We can't let anyone know," Percy said. "I don't think anyone realizes that Nico is a—"
"A son of Hades," Annabeth said. "Percy, do you have any idea how serious this is? Even Hades broke the oath! This is horrible!"
"No," Veronica denied. "Hades never broke the oath."
"What?" Annabeth said, crossing her arms as she stared at Veronica. "How would you know?"
"I learned from Bianca," Veronica said. "She and Nico were born before World War II."
"The Lotus Casino!" Grover said, and he told Annabeth about the conversations they'd had with Bianca on the quest. "She and Nico were stuck there for decades."
"Exactly," Veronica said. "And the only way for Bianca to have thought F.D.R. was the last president would be if he was president last time she checked. Because she would've been too old for there not to have been at least one president since Roosevelt, we can deduce that she was born some time in the early thirties. She and Nico were born before the oath was made."
Percy nodded, but he seemed to be questioning if the math was right.
"But how did they get out?" Annabeth protested.
"You make it sound like they shouldn't have gotten out," Veronica noted.
"They shouldn't have been able to," Annabeth confirmed. "At their ages, it should've been almost impossible."
"You guys were the same age as Bianca when you got trapped," Veronica said. "Just saying."
"I'm not saying it was impossible," Annabeth insisted. "But I want to know how they did it."
"Bianca said a lawyer came and got them and drove them to Westover Hall," Percy said, preventing an argument. "I don't know who that could've been, or why. Maybe it's part of this Great Stirring thing. I don't think Nico understands who he is. But we can't go telling anyone. Not even Chiron. If the Olympians find out—"
"It might start them fighting among each other again," Annabeth said. "That's the last thing we need."
Grover looked worried. "But you can't hide things from the gods. Not forever."
"I don't need forever," Percy said. "Just two years. Until I'm sixteen."
Annabeth paled. "But, Percy, this means the prophecy might not be about you. It might be about Nico. We have to—"
"This won't be his prophecy," Veronica said harshly.
"She's right," Percy said. "I choose the prophecy. It will be about me."
"Why are you saying that?" Annabeth demanded. "You want to be responsible for the whole world?"
"It's his choice if he wants to take on this burden," Veronica said. "None of us like it, but we can't decide for Percy."
"And I can't let Nico be in any more danger," Percy said. "I owe that much to his sister. I... let them both down. I'm not going to let that poor kid suffer any more."
"The poor kid who hates you and wants to see you dead," Grover reminded him.
"He's ten," Veronica snapped. "And he's alone in this world. I'd like to see you try to hold back anger at someone breaking a promise like that to you."
Percy cleared his throat. "Maybe we can find him," he said, looking up at the others. "We can convince him it's okay, hide him someplace safe."
Annabeth shivered. "If Luke gets hold of him—"
"Luke won't," Percy said. "I'll make sure he's got other things to worry about. Namely, me."
"You better," Veronica said. "Once I get settled in with Valentina Bailey, I'm gonna go look for him. I don't know how, but I'm gonna be looking for him until I find him."
She stormed off without so much as a goodbye.
♛⸻𖥸⸻♛
PERCY WAS AN UNEXPECTED GUEST AT VERONICA'S DOOR.
"I'm sorry," he blurted out the second she opened the door to her cabin. "For what happened with Nico."
Veronica raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, I guess," she said. "Look, I know I was pissed earlier, but I ain't really mad at you. I'm just... scared for Nico."
Percy nodded, looking nervous. "That's fair," he said. "You deserve to be mad. You guys were close."
"Are close," Veronica corrected. "This won't change that."
Percy coughed. "My bad," he said. "We told Chiron that he just vanished after we told him about Bianca. That he said he needed to breathe and when we went to look for him, he was gone."
Veronica nodded. "Thank you, Percy," she said. "For not putting him in any extra danger. I appreciate it."
"And, um... can I talk to you about Olympus?" Percy asked. "Like, the... the thing that happened?"
"You can say kiss, Percy," she said. "What about it?"
"Can we forget about it?"
His question took her by surprise, and she blinked at him a few times as she tried to process his question. "Excuse me?"
"Like, I'm sorry that it happened so fast," Percy told her. "So can you pretend it didn't happen? And we can just... ignore the talk we had after it?"
Veronica tilted her head in confusion. "Um... okay..."
Percy clapped his hands. "Great. I... well, not great because we're pretending it didn't happen. Great because we're on the same page. I just wanna be able to, like, just be friends with you. You get what I'm trying to say?"
She smiled. "Yeah, I think I do."
"Friends?" he asked, holding his hand out.
"Friends," she agreed, shaking it.
Percy nodded and smiled softly at her before pulling away and walking back towards the Poseidon cabin. Veronica sighed and looked around her own cabin as she closed the door.
Jadie had been sleeping on her own bed, but now she was awake. She grabbed the bag of candy with her mouth and approached Veronica, pawing at her leg. She laughed and opened it for the enchanted wolf, tossing a piece in the air as Jadie went to fetch it like a treat.
Veronica grinned. She'd grown up here, tried to leave again and again, failing every time. But she was still gonna look at this new attempt with a hopeful attitude.
She was leaving camp behind. She was doing something scary. But she wasn't saying goodbye forever. She was just starting a new story. And she was looking forward to it.
Maybe the Fates didn't hate Veronica Sawyer after all.
𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞
♛⸻𖥸⸻♛
And that's the end of act one! Hope
you enjoyed and I'll see you all in
BotL! It'll be a slightly different vibe to
fit Ronnie's new story, but I think
you'll like it.