ON THIS SPRING DAY
━━━━━ chapter nine
━━━━━ VIOLET THOUGHT THEY had lost the spider until Tyson heard a faint pinging sound. They made a few turns, backtracked a few times, and eventually found the spider banging its tiny head on a metal door.
The door looked like one of those old-fashioned submarine hatches—oval, with metal rivets around the edges and a wheel for a doorknob. Where the portal should've been was a big brass plaque, green with age, with a Greek Êta inscribed in the middle.
They all looked at each other.
"Ready to meet Hephaestus?" Grover said nervously.
"No," Percy admitted.
"Yes!" Tyson said gleefully, and he turned the wheel.
As soon as the door opened, the spider scuttled inside with Tyson right behind it. The rest of us followed, not quite as lively. The gigantic pit in Violet's stomach only grew the further she walked inside, anxious to meet another god.
The room was enormous. It looked like a mechanic's garage, with several hydraulic lifts. Some had cars on them, but others had stranger things: a bronze hippalektryon with its horse head off and a bunch of wires hanging out of its rooster tail, a metal lion that seemed to be hooked up to a battery charger, and a Greek war chariot made entirely of flames. Violet thought for a moment how much Connor and Travis would love the chariot, knowing the havoc they would cause driving it.
Smaller projects cluttered a dozen worktables. Tools hung along the walls. Each had its own outline on a peg board, but nothing seemed to be in the right place. The hammer was over the screwdriver place. The staple gun was where the hacksaw was supposed to go. It reminded Violet so much of Cabin Nine. Inherited family traits, she figured.
Under the nearest hydraulic lift, which was holding a '98 Toyota Corolla, a pair of legs stuck out—the lower half of a huge man in grubby grey overalls and shoes even bigger than Tyson's. One leg was in a metal brace.
The spider scuttled straight under the car, and the sounds of banging suddenly stopped.
"Well, well," a deep voice boomed from under the Corolla. "What have we here?"
The mechanic pushed out on a back trolley and sat up.
Violet had seen Hephaestus once before on Olympus, so she thought she was prepared to see him again. She wasn't. For many reasons. One; her grandmother, Aphrodite, ( though Violet was to never call the goddess Grandmother ) had cheated on Hephaestus and sired Eros, Violet's father. So, that made Violet Hephaestus's step-granddaughter, and walking proof of Aphrodite's cheating in a weird way. So, she wasn't stoked to meet him for that alone. She didn't know just how vindictive the God of Forges was going to be, if he even noticed at all.
Two; she wasn't sure when it had started, but resentment had started to build. Violet knew exactly what the culprit was; the defective model of Talos back in the junkyard. Hephaestus hadn't done anything to Violet personally, but if only he hadn't made the defective model of Talos, then Bianca would've never had to try and deactivate it, and Violet wouldn't have summoned that cloud of gloom.
And, well ... Violet didn't like to judge people based on appearance. It wasn't kind ( and she didn't want to play into that horrible stereotype of being superficial as a daughter of love ) and it wasn't fair to them. But Hephaestus's appearance made her gulp.
He must've cleaned up for the winter solstice, or used magic to make his form seem a little less hideous. Here in his own workshop, he apparently didn't care how he looked. He wore overalls smeared with oil and grime. Hephaestus was embroidered over the chest pocket. His leg creaked and clicked in its metal brace as he stood, and his left shoulder was lower than his right, so he seemed to be leaning even when he was standing up straight. His head was misshapen and bulging. He wore a permanent scowl. His black beard smoked and hissed. Every once in a while a small wildfire would erupt in his whiskers and then die out just as fast. His hands were the size of catcher mitts, but he handled the spider with amazing skill. He disassembled it in two seconds, then put it back together.
"There," he muttered to himself. "Much better."
The spider did a happy flip in his palm, shot a metallic web at the ceiling, and went swinging away.
Hephaestus stared up at the five. "I didn't make you, did I?"
"Uh," Annabeth said, "no, sir."
"Good," the god grumbled. "Shoddy workmanship."
He studied Annabeth, Violet, and Percy. "Half-bloods," he grunted. "Could be automatons, of course, but probably not."
"We're not automatons," Violet insisted. "Um, we've met before, sir. The winter solstice."
"We have?" the god asked absently. Violet got the feeling he didn't care one way or the other, it seemed he cared more about figuring out how she ticked—whether her jaw opened and closed with a hinge or a lever or whatever else. ( Part of her considered that a small victory; perhaps he didn't hold it against Violet for Aphrodite's cheating, especially when it wasn't her fault ). "Well then, if I didn't smash you to a pulp the first time we met, I suppose I won't have to do it now."
He looked at Grover and frowned. "Satyr." Then he looked at Tyson, and his eyes twinkled. "Well, a Cyclops. Good, good. What are you doing traveling with this lot?"
"Uh ..." said Tyson, staring in wonder at the god.
"Yes, well said," Hephaestus agreed. "So, there'd better be a good reason you're disturbing me. The suspension on this Corolla is no small matter, you know."
"Sir," Annabeth said hesitantly, "we're looking for Daedalus. We thought—"
"Daedalus?" the god roared. His beard burst into flames and his black eyes glowed. "You want that old scoundrel? You dare to seek him out!"
"Uh, yes, sir, please," Annabeth said.
Hephaestus grumbled. "You're wasting your time."
He frowned at something on his worktable and limped over to it. He picked up a lump of springs and metal plates and tinkered with them. In a few seconds, he was holding a bronze and silver falcon. It spread its metal wings, blinked its obsidian eyes, and flew around the room. Tyson laughed and clapped his hands. The bird landed on Tyson's shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately.
Hephaestus regarded him. The god's scowl didn't change, but Violet thought his eyes looked softer. "I sense you have something to tell me, Cyclops."
Tyson's smile faded. "Y-yes, lord. We met a Hundred-handed One."
Hephaestus nodded, looking unsurprised. "Briares?"
"Yes. He—he was scared. He would not help us."
"And that bothered you."
"Yes!" Tyson's voice wavered. "Briares should be strong! He is older and greater than Cyclopes. But he ran away."
Hephaestus grunted. "There was a time I admired the Hundred-handed Ones. Back in the days of the first war. But people, monsters—even gods change, young Cyclops. You can't trust 'em. Look at my loving mother, Hera. You met her, didn't you? She'll smile to your face and talk about how important family is, eh? Didn't stop her from pitching me off Mount Olympus when she saw my ugly face."
"Your mom threw you off?" Violet asked. "But I always heard Zeus was the one who threw you off."
Hephaestus cleared his throat and spat into a bronze spittoon. He snapped his fingers, and the robotic falcon flew back to the worktable. "Mother likes that version of the story more," he admitted in a grumble. "Makes her seem more likeable, doesn't it? Blaming it all on my dad. The truth is, my mother likes families, but she likes a certain kind of family. Perfect families. She took one look at me and ... well, I don't fit the image, do I?'
He pulled a feather from the falcon's back, and the whole automaton fell apart.
"Believe me, young Cyclops," Hephaestus said to Tyson, "you can't trust others. All you can trust is the work of your own hands."
That sounded like such a lonely way to live. Violet couldn't even fathom the idea of being so isolated. She thrived on human interaction; the small things. Quick glances, passing smiles, inside jokes. Stuff that proved friendship and bonding.
( But maybe that was her self-doubt talking. Always scared people were going to leave. Or that they never cared as much as she did. )
However, she figured she understood where the god was coming from—when your own mother hated you enough to chuck you off a mountain, you learn that solitude may just be better.
The god focused on Percy and narrowed his eyes, as if he were reading the boy's thoughts. "Oh, this one doesn't like me," he mused. "No worries, I'm used to that. What would you ask of me, little demigod?"
"We told you," the son of Poseidon said. "We need to find Daedalus. There's this guy, Luke, and he's working for Kronos. He's trying to find a way to navigate the Labyrinth so he can invade our camp. If we don't get to Daedalus first—"
"And I told you, boy. Looking for Daedalus is a waste of time. He won't help you."
"Why not?"
Hephaestus shrugged. "Some of us get thrown off mountainsides. Some of us ... the way we learn not to trust people is even more painful. Ask me for gold. Or a flaming sword. Or a magical steed. These I can grant you easily. But a way to Daedalus? That's an expensive favor."
"You know where he is, then," Annabeth pressed.
"It isn't wise to go looking, girl."
"My mother says looking is the nature of wisdom."
Hephaestus narrowed his eyes. "Who's your mother, then?"
"Athena."
"Figures." He sighed. "Fine goddess, Athena. Shame she swore to never marry. All right, half-blood. I can tell you what you want to know. But there is a price. I need a favor done."
"Name it," Annabeth said.
"Er—" Violet spoke up hesitantly, "what is the favor, Lord Hephaestus?"
Hephaestus actually laughed—a booming sound like huge bellows stoking a fire. "You heroes," he said, "always making rash promises. How refreshing!"
He pressed a button on his workbench, and metal shutters opened along the wall. It was either a huge window or a big-screen TV, Violet couldn't decide which. They were looking at a grey mountain ringed by forests. It must've been a volcano, because smoke rose from its crest.
"One of my forges," Hephaestus said. "I have many, but that used to be my favorite."
'That's Mount St. Helens," Grover said. "Great forests around there."
"You've been there?" Percy asked.
"Looking for ... you know. Pan."
"Wait," Annabeth said, looking at Hephaestus. "You said it used to be your favorite. What happened?"
Hephaestus scratched at his smoldering beard. "Well, that's where the monster Typhon is trapped, you know. Used to be under Mount Etna, but when we moved to America, his force got pinned under Mount St. Helens instead. Great source of fire, but a bit dangerous. There's always a chance he will escape. Lots of eruptions these days, smoldering all the time. He's restless with the Titan rebellion."
"What do you want us to do?" Percy said. "Fight him?"
Hephaestus snorted. "That would be suicide. The gods themselves ran from Typhon when he was free. No, pray you never have to see him, much less fight him. But lately, I have sensed intruders in my mountain. Someone or something is using my forges. When I go there, it is empty, but I can tell it is being used. They sense me coming, and they disappear. I send my automatons to investigate, but they do not return. Something ... ancient is there. Evil. I want to know who dares invade my territory, and if they mean to loose Typhon."
"You want us to spy and report back?" guessed Violet. "That's it?"
"Aye," Hephaestus said. "Go there. They may not sense you coming. You are not gods."
"Glad you noticed," Percy muttered.
"Go and find out what you can," Hephaestus said. "Report back to me, and I will tell you what you need to know about Daedalus."
"All right," Annabeth said. "How do we get there?"
Hephaestus clapped his hands. The spider came swinging down from the rafters. The daughter of Athena flinched when it landed at her feet.
"My creation will show you the way," Hephaestus said. "It is not far through the Labyrinth. And try to stay alive, will you? Humans are much more fragile than automatons."
🌷
For chasing after a mechanical spider, they were doing pretty okay. Until they hit the tree roots, that is.
The spider raced along, and they were keeping up, but then they spotted a tunnel off to the side that was dug from raw earth, and wrapped in thick roots.
Grover stopped dead in his tracks. Violet followed his lead, a weird pull in her gut.
"What is it?" Percy said.
The satyr didn't move. He stared open-mouthed into the dark tunnel. His curly hair rustled in the breeze.
"Come on!" Annabeth said. "We have to keep moving."
"This is the way," Grover muttered in awe. "This is it."
Violet's eyebrows pinched. "The way to Pan?" she guessed.
Why did she feel such a strong urge to go down the tunnel, then? She didn't have any ties to Pan; she wasn't a satyr, obviously.
Grover looked at Tyson. "Don't you smell it?"
"Earth," Tyson said. "And plants. Nature smells."
"Yes! This is the way. I'm sure of it!"
Up ahead, the spider was getting further down the stone corridor. A few more seconds and they'd lose it completely.
"We'll come back," Annabeth promised. "On our way back to Hephaestus."
"The tunnel will be gone by then," Grover said. "I have to follow it. A door like this won't stay open!"
"But we can't," Annabeth said. "The forges!"
Grover looked at her sadly. "I have to, Annabeth. Don't you understand?"
She looked desperate, like she didn't understand at all. The spider was almost out of sight. Violet took one last glance down the tunnel. If Grover was this sure, and that weird tug in her gut ( a very different feeling than when gloom appeared ) meant anything ...
"We'll split up," Percy declared.
"No!" Annabeth said. "That's way too dangerous. How will we ever find each other again? And Grover can't go alone."
"I'll go with him," Violet offered.
"What?" Percy frowned. "No!"
"Why not?" she countered.
"Just—because!"
Tyson put his hand on Grover's shoulder. "I will go with him."
Violet stared at the Cyclops. "Are you sure? I'm offering to go with Grover—"
"No!" Percy insisted. "You need to stay with ... us." He looked at his brother. "Tyson, you sure?"
Tyson nodded. "Goat boy needs help. We will find the god person. I am not like Hephaestus. I trust friends."
Grover took a deep breath. "Percy, we'll find each other again. We've still got the empathy link. I just ... have to."
Violet understood. This was his life's goal. If he didn't find Pan on this journey, the council would never give him another chance.
"I hope you're right," Percy said.
"I know I am."
"Be careful," Violet said, hugging him and not having the heart to tell the satyr he was going to squeeze her eyes out of their socket.
Percy looked at Tyson. He gulped back a sob and gave him a hug that looked painful. Then he and Grover disappeared through the tunnel of tree roots and were lost in the darkness—nearly. Violet could still feel their presence in the darkness.
"This is bad," Annabeth said. "Splitting up is a really, really bad idea."
"We'll see them again," Percy promised. "Now, come on. The spider is getting away!"
🌷
It wasn't long before the tunnel started to get hot.
The stone walls glowed. The air felt as if they were walking through an oven. The tunnel sloped down and Violet could hear a loud roar, like a river of metal. The spider skittered along, with Annabeth right behind.
"Hey, wait up," he called to her.
She glanced back at Percy and Violet. "Yeah?"
"Something Hephaestus said back there ... about Athena."
"She swore never to marry," Annabeth said. "Like Artemis and Hestia. She's one of the maiden goddesses."
Percy blinked, like this was new information to him. "But then—"
"How come she has demigod children?"
"I don't like where this conversation is going," Violet grumbled under her breath.
"Percy, you know how Athena was born?"
"She sprang from the head of Zeus in full battle armor or something."
"Exactly. She wasn't born in the normal way. She was literally born from thoughts. Her children are born the same way. When Athena falls in love with a mortal man, it's purely intellectual, the way she loved Odysseus in the old stories. It's a meeting of minds. She would tell you that's the purest kind of love."
Violet snorted. "Eros would have a heart attack hearing that."
"So," Percy pointed at Annabeth, face ablaze, "your dad and Athena ... so you weren't—"
"I was a brain child," Annabeth said. "Literally. Children of Athena are sprung from the divine thoughts of our mother and the mortal ingenuity of our father. We are supposed to be a gift, a blessing from Athena on the men she favors."
Percy glanced at Violet, and she demanded, "What? I was born the normal way! Eros didn't, like, shoot my mom with an arrow and she was magically nine months pregnant or anything."
"I didn't—!"
"Guys, the spider's getting away." Annabeth ran ahead after that, ending the awkward conversation there. ( Which Violet was thankful for. )
After another half mile or so, the three emerged in a cavern the size of a Super Bowl stadium. Their spider escort stopped and curled into a ball. They had arrived at the forge of Hephaestus.
There was no floor, just bubbling lava hundreds of feet below. They stood on a rock ridge that circled the cavern. A network of metal bridges spanned across it. At the center was a huge platform with all sorts of machines, cauldrons, forges, and the largest anvil Violet had ever seen—a block of iron the size of a house.
Creatures moved around the platform—several strange, dark shapes, but they were too far away to make out details.
"We'll never be able to sneak up on them," Percy said.
Annabeth picked up the metal spider and slipped it into her pocket. "I can. Wait here."
"Hold on—" Violet started, but before she could argue, Annabeth put on her Yankees cap and turned invisible.
Violet and Percy didn't dare call after her, but Violet certainly didn't like the idea of Annabeth approaching the forge on her own. If those things out there could sense a god coming, would Annabeth be safe?
"We should wait here for Annabeth," she said.
Percy edged closer to the outer rim. "Don't you want to know? You know, curiosity and all?"
She looked at him sharply. "No. Not this time. I couldn't care less what is in here."
A small lie, but Violet had grown pretty adept at lying.
Percy wouldn't listen, so Violet was left trailing after him, following blindly. They crept along the outer rim of the lava lake, peeking over to see if they could find any better angles to find out what was happening.
The heat was horrible. Geryon's ranch had been a winter wonderland compared to this. In no time, it felt like her entire body was coated in sweat, and her eyes stung from the smoke. They moved along, trying to keep away from the edge, until they found their path blocked by a cart on metal wheels, like the kind they use in mine shafts. Percy lifted up the tarp and found it was half full of scrap metal. He was about to say something when Violet heard voices up ahead.
"Inside!" She pointed, panicking. "They can't see us!"
"Bring it in?" one voice asked.
"Yeah," another said. "Movie's just about done."
Violet scrambled inside, pulled Percy in ( who grunted as he landed on the metal ), and dragged the tarp over them. Percy shuffled, making a lot of noise; something about space and long nails.
"Stop it," she hissed. "You're making too much noise."
"What if this is the cart they're talking about?" he asked.
"It's not—"
The cart lurched forward. Violet's mouth clamped shut.
"Oi," a gruff voice said. "Thing weighs a ton."
"It's Celestial bronze," the other said. "What did you expect?"
The two got pulled along. They turned a corner, and from the sound of the wheels echoing against the walls, Violet guessed they had passed down a tunnel and into a smaller room. She prayed to any god listening that she and Percy weren't about to be dumped into a smelting pot. If they started to tip the cart over, it would be hard trying to aim an arrow.
Then she heard lots of talking, chattering voices that didn't sound human—somewhere between a seal's bark and a dog's growl. There was another sound, too—like an old-fashioned film projector and a tinny voice narrating.
"Just set it at the back," a new voice ordered from across the room. "Now, younglings. Please attend to the film. There will be time for questions afterwards."
The voices quieted down, and Violet could hear the film.
As a young sea demon matures, the narrator said, changes happen in the monster's body. You may notice your fangs getting longer and you may have a sudden desire to devour human beings. These changes are perfectly normal and happen to all young monsters.
The small amounts of light that entered the cart illuminated Percy's face just enough that Violet could see the embarrassment. She matched the look with a horrified one. What the fuck? she mouthed to him.
Excited snarling filled the room. The teacher—Violet figured it must've been the teacher—scolded the younglings to be quiet, and the film continued. She didn't understand most of it, and she didn't dare look.
The film kept talking about growth spurts, acne problems caused by working in the forges, and proper flipper hygiene, and finally, it was over. Thank the gods. Violet never thought she'd have to suffer through the puberty talk more than once.
"Now, younglings," the instructor said. "What is the proper name of our kind?"
"Sea demons!" one of them barked.
"No. Anyone else?"
"Telkhines!" another monster growled.
"Very good," the instructor said. "And why are we here?"
"Revenge!" several shouted together.
"Yes, yes, but why?"
"Zeus is evil!" one monster said. "He cast us into Tartarus just because we used magic!"
"Indeed," the instructor said. "After we made so many of the gods' finest weapons. The trident of Poseidon, for one. And of course—we made the greatest weapon of the Titans! Nevertheless, Zeus cast us away and relied on those fumbling Cyclopes. That is why we are taking over the forges of the usurper Hephaestus. And soon we will control the undersea furnaces, our ancestral home!"
"And so, younglings," the instructor continued, "who do we serve?"
"Kronos!" they shouted. "And when you grow to be big telkhines, will you make weapons for his army?"
"Yes!"
"Excellent. Now, we've brought in some scraps for you to practice with. Let's see how ingenious you are."
There was a rush of movement and excited voices coming towards the cart. In their panic, Violet and Percy managed to have a grip on their weapons. The tarp was thrown back; they jumped up; Larkspur and Riptide gleamed. Violet found herself facing a bunch of ... dogs.
Well, their faces were dogs, anyway, with black snouts, brown eyes, and pointy ears. Their bodies were sleek and black like sea mammals, with stubby legs that were half flipper and half foot, and humanlike hands with sharp claws.
"Demigods!" one snarled.
"Eat them!" yelled another.
But that's as far as they got before Percy slashed a wide arc with Riptide and vaporized the entire front row of monsters.
"Back off!" he yelled at the rest.
Behind them stood their instructor—a six-foot-tall telkhine with Dobermann fangs, snarling at Percy and Violet.
"New lesson, class," Percy announced. "Most monsters will vaporize when sliced with a Celestial bronze sword. This change is perfectly normal, and will happen to you right now if you don't back off!"
To Violet's surprise, it worked. The monsters backed up, but there were at least twenty of them. There was no way the fear factor would last, especially not permanently.
When the first snarl happened, she jumped out of the cart, shrieking, "Class dismissed!" and ran for the exit.
Percy followed, with the monsters charging after them, barking and growling. Violet hoped they couldn't run very fast with those stubby little legs and flippers, but they waddled along pretty well.
There was a door in the tunnel leading out to the main cavern. She pushed through and slammed shut after Percy tossed himself through the doorway—Violet turned the wheel handle to lock it, but she knew it would keep the telkhines back for long.
Breathing heavily and with a brain muddied by heat, Violet was at a loss for what to do next. Both she and Percy were.
Annabeth was out here somewhere, invisible. And Violet and Percy certainly hadn't stayed put ( and were incredibly lost in the gigantic forge ). Their chance for a subtle reconnaissance mission had just been blown.
Percy ran towards the platform at the center of the lava lake, and Violet saw no other choice but to blindly follow. Again. Which worried her, because it hadn't turned out so well last time.
🌷
"Annabeth!" Percy screeched.
"Oh my gods—Percy, shut up!" an invisible voice hissed, tackling Percy and Violet behind a big bronze cauldron. "You want to get us killed?"
Violet found Annabeth's head and tore off the blonde's Yankees cap. She shimmered into existence in front of them, scowling, her face streaked with ash and grime.
"I was actually trying to find you—which I did!" he quipped back.
"Look, guys, we have company!" Violet interrupted before Annabeth could make a retort.
As quickly as they could, Percy and Violet explained everything about the monster orientation class.
Annabeth's eyes widened. "So that's what they are," she said. "Telkhines. I should've known. And they're making ... Well, look."
The three peeked over the cauldron. In the center of the platform stood four sea demons, but these were fully grown, at least eight feet tall. Their black skin glistened in the firelight as they worked, sparks flying as they took turns hammering on a long piece of glowing hot metal.
"The blade is almost complete," one said. "It needs another cooling in blood to fuse the metals."
"Aye," a second said. "It shall be even sharper than before."
"What are they talking about?" Violet whispered.
Annabeth shook her head. "They keep talking about fusing metals. I wonder—"
"They were talking about the greatest Titan weapon," Percy blurted. "And they ... they said they made my father's trident."
"The telkhines betrayed the gods," Annabeth said. "They were practicing dark magic. I don't know what exactly, but Zeus banished them to Tartarus."
"I figure pretty fucking bad to be banished with Kronos," Violet said. "So ..."
Annabeth nodded. "We have to get out—"
No sooner had she said that than the door to the classroom exploded and young telkhines came pouring out. They stumbled over each other, trying to figure out which way to charge.
"Put your cap back on," Percy told Annabeth. He turned to Violet. "You're fast, right?"
"Are you fucking serious?" Violet demanded. "We're not leaving you!"
"I've got a plan." Percy looked frustrated. "I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider—maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."
"One glaring issue with your plan," Violet quipped. "This plan is going to kill you!"
"I'll be fine," he insisted. "Besides, we've got no choice."
"Yes, we do!" Violet insisted. "There's always another option. Another way."
"Vi, come on," Annabeth said gently. "We need to run. Percy—he'll be able to catch up."
"Fine, you go ahead," the daughter of Eros cut in, eyes hardened. "I can stick back for as long as possible. I'm a fast runner, really."
Annabeth gave her an unsure look, but put on her Yankees cap, shimered into nothing, and Violet lost track of the blonde.
"Love Bug ..." Percy said softly.
"Don't Love Bug me, Fish Face," she hissed. "Why are you so insistent on staying back? This is gonna get you killed! Do you ever think that I—?" She stopped, took a deep breath, and glared. "Are you fucking brain dead?"
"No, I'm not." He sighed, as if it was a sad situation. But his expression looked almost loopy, like he was about to do something stupid. "Though I know you and Annabeth think I am."
"This isn't the time for jokes!" Violet grabbed Percy's arms, holding on so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Come on ... prove me and Annabeth wrong. Don't be an idiot. Please."
"Love Bug, go," he insisted, sliding his arms out of her hold, so instead he grabbed her hands and laced their fingers. Her stomach tightened—fear, the sick feeling of a crush, dread, all of the above. "Vi, you can't die here. You're better than that."
"And you're not?" Tears burned at her eyes, frustrated at how little Percy was listening to her. "Do you ever think that you don't have to be the hero for one day? That you can let people help you? That you could let the gods deal with their own messes—"
She never got to finish her flurry of questions—for some weird reason, Percy's head dipped, titled, and then lips connected with hers. That sick feeling in Violet's stomach didn't go away, it only became worse.
As quickly as he had done it, Percy pulled away. The only evidence was the slight smudge of cherry chapstick on their faces and his green eyes boring deeply into her brown eyes. And worse the sick feeling became—butterflies had become wasps, buzzing in her stomach.
In shock, she would've stared for the rest of time, but the sea demons jarred Violet back to reality.
"There!" one yelled. The entire class of telkhines charged across the bridge towards Percy and Violet.
"Violet—go!" Percy was insistent, pushing her away from the monsters. She stumbled back, the buzzing in her stomach building. She moved to pull out Larkspur, but she bumped into the hot walls of the forge, and the buzzing in her stomach suddenly stopped.
But then the wall consumed her. Black rock engulfed her, and she was left hearing shouts—pleas from her to be let out, monsters jeering, and the haunting screams of pain from Percy, the boy who had just kissed her.
🌷 SEPT. 2ND, 2023 / um ,, hey
did not mean to leave for the entire month of august but here we are ,, in september
and yes a kiss finally happened!! in royal cries, i talked about how it made sense for elisa to kiss percy - but for ostd, it makes a lot of sense for percy to have kissed vi
like vi struggles to see herself as someone who can be in a romantic relationship ,, so instead she's always trying to set people up bc she feels like she shouldn't be in one, then that person can be in one
kinda (very) sad but i think i a lot of people can relate to that feeling of not being worthy of love
so yuh, vi will deny deny deny what percy did and everyone around her will literally be suffering in silence
oh and get ready for the next like 6-ish chapters bc they're doozies (did i spell that right)
so i haven't figured out a ship name for vi and percy - but what about perclet? (or vircy)
i think they're ugly personally
anyways,, thoughts?? opinions??
(not edited and not proofread)