CHAPTER ELEVEN.
the carnival of terror
DELIA CROMWELL wasn't sure about most things, but if there was one thing she was one hundred perfect definite about, it was that she couldn't trust the god of war.
The second she learned the name of the motorcyclist that offered them help, Delia knew it was for the best to keep her guard up until she learned the man's true motives behind his offer. If his violent children were anything to go by, then their diabolical antics were inherited from their father. Ares was the god of war. Key word: war. Delia and her friends were trying to retrieve the master bolt to prevent a war from happening. So the girl couldn't help but wonder why the one person who would benefit from a war more than anyone was trying to prevent it from happening in the first place. It didn't make sense, or at least, that was what Delia was starting to believe.
So when she entered the diner Ares had told her and her friends about, she made a mental note to not fall into any traps that could put her life, and the lives of her friends, at risk. Delia knew of the man and his reputation. No one, especially not the god of war, would jeopardise the very thing they were trying to accomplish. So until they got the help Ares had promised them further down the road moments before they stepped foot into the diner, Delia wasn't going to play the fool. She would keep an eye on Ares and analyse every word he said, and action he took, to ensure her friends and herself weren't being put in any kind of danger.
Delia's gaze wandered aimlessly around the old-fashioned diner, hoping to catch some sort of glimpse of the familiar man in his leather trench coat. But she couldn't spot him. That was until she heard a roar of familiar laughter, listening as the string of manly chuckles echoed loudly through the diner. Delia turned around to see Ares was seated at a table on the opposite end of the restaurant. The girl then turned back to face her friends, each of them exchanging looks with each other when they realised that they had found the god in question. At least they knew they had the right place, just like Ares had previously described to them.
Percy led the way to the table where Ares was seated at, being followed by the rest of them. Delia anxiously approached the table before she stopped when she saw Ares look up from the phone in his large and callous hands. "Gimme a second, I'm just starting a fight on Twitter here. Nothing makes me happier than a good old-fashioned, burn-it-down fight," He informed, a joyful smile etched at each corner of his lips.
But while Percy, Annabeth and Grover took a seat in the opposite end of the booth, Delia rolled her eyes and snatched the mobile device out of the god's deadly grip. Ares was quick to narrow his eyes into a glare while he continued to stare up at the girl. Delia's friends, however, were surprised by her sudden actions, each of their eyes growing wide in shock. They believed Ares was ready to slice the girl into two for being as bold as she was in that very moment. And Delia would never admit it out loud, but she was goddamn terrified, and regretted her actions the second she swiped the phone out of Ares's hands. But she knew she couldn't show it. So the girl rolled back her shoulders before she turned the phone off.
"We didn't come here to watch you start pathetic online fights," Delia spoke down to him, slamming the phone down on the table before she slid into the booth with Ares, reluctantly sitting next to him. "We came here because you said you could help us with the quest. Is that true?" She questioned, her brow raised in a suspicious manner.
Ares stared down at the younger girl sitting beside him, the same familiar glare burning in his eyes full of disdain. "You know, you're a lot like your father: cocky and doesn't know when to shut up," Ares explained to the girl, but Delia didn't allow her confidence to falter. She just simply glared back at the man in response. Ares picked up on this and chuckled before he turned to face the others. "So your quest is going to fail. Ask me how I know," He told the children sitting around him.
Delia exchanged a few glances with Percy for a moment from across the table before the curly haired boy lifted his gaze to stare back at Ares. "It isn't gonna fail," He retorted, but his words only seemed amuse Ares even more.
"Sure it is. For starters..." Ares scoffed before he picked up the phone placed down on the table, tapping his fingers across the screen a couple of times before he flipped it around. Delia only got a brief glance at the screen to see it was a news interview. Then she heard an unfamiliar male voice coming from the device, talking about how Percy was a troubled kid.
"Who's that?" Grover was the first to ask.
"My stepdad," Percy answered before he turned his attention back to the mobile device. Delia didn't know much about Percy's home life before he came to camp, but if his angered expression was anything to go by, he hated his stepdad. "I'm gonna kill him," Percy threatened, speaking through gritted teeth.
The boy's words were enough to make Ares smile proudly at Percy in response, nodding his head as he put the phone back down. "I knew I was gonna like you..." Ares paused for a moment, his joyful expression quickly replaced by a more serious look. "But safe to say, the chances of you four idiots hitchhiking the rest of the way to L.A. without getting arrested are slim to none," He added, changing the subject in the process.
"Why are you sitting here then?" Annabeth piped up. Delia looked over at her newfound friend to see she was staring straight back at Ares, suspicion burning deep within her chocolate brown eyes. "If you're supposed to be looking for the master bolt too, shouldn't you be out there looking for it?" She questioned, shrugging her shoulders.
"There's no fear in you, is there?" Ares asked. Annabeth shook her head, and Ares couldn't help but chuckled in response. "Doesn't matter. Whether the bolt is retrieved or not, Zeus is going to war with Poseidon," He then informed the group.
A strange and foreboding feeling quickly swallowed the group of kids whole as they stared at one another around the table. War. Delia was told by Chiron that a war could be prevented as long as they retrieved the master bolt and returned it back to Zeus before the deadline. That was what Chiron had told them. The thought of having to go to war and fight on whatever side her father, Apollo, chooses, was enough to send chills up and down her spinal cord. Delia began to feel uneasy at the thought. She could even feel the bile rise up to her throat, almost like she was going to throw up her morning breakfast at any moment, but she resisted and swallowed the thick lump lodged in the back of her throat just as Percy began to speak.
"No. The Oracle said if we return the bolt, there wouldn't be a war," Percy argued, nodding his head. His words, however, only made Ares let out a condescending laugh.
"Is that what she said?" Ares questioned, staring down at the curly haired boy. "Or is that what Chiron said she meant?" He pushed. Silence then fell upon them because it was true. Chiron had told them exactly that. Maybe there was some truth to it, or maybe he had just told the kids what they wanted to hear neither embarking on a dangerous quest.
"Yeah. You're new to the family, young one, so let me fill you in how we work. See, years before I was born, my grandpa Kronos ate my aunts and uncles. Yeah. Then my dad made him puke them back up, then chopped him into a million pieces and chucked him into a bottomless pit, so that kinda set the tone right outta the gate," Delia felt herself flinch the moment Ares decided to raise his voice. The violence in tone while he spoke being enough to silence the children sitting with him. Delia couldn't help but wonder how Ares's own children must feel about him. If they were just as scared of him as she was right now.
Ares then let out a sigh. "Olympians fight. We betray. We backstab. We will push anyone down a flight of stairs to get ahead. And that's why I love my family so much. My dad knows he's not getting this bolt back with quests and goose chases. He knows there's a war coming. And in reality, I think he's okay with that. Isn't that great?" Ares explained, sounding almost excited about the possibility of a war after all. Just like Delia had thought. But she wasn't going to give up hope. If a war could be prevented then she was going to try everything in her power to ensure it didn't have to come to a war.
"Well, we don't believe that," Delia countered, shaking her head in the process. Ares glanced back at the girl sitting beside him, appearing to be almost fed up with her optimism. "But you said you could help us with our quest. That's why we're here. So if you only brought us here for some cheeseburgers and to traumatise us, then stop wasting our time," She added, her voice sounding a lot more harsher than before.
"You are really starting to get on my last nerve," He commented. Delia was still terrified, but refused to let it show. So on the outside, she appeared to be unbothered. "But here it is. There's an amusement park up the road. I left my shield there. You get me my shield back, and I'll get you to the Underworld by lunch tomorrow with a plan to invade Hades's palace," He then elaborated further.
Annabeth couldn't help but scoff in response. "You left your shield? Like, forgot it on the merry-go-round?" She inquired, her witty humour shining through. Delia stifled her laughter, but the same couldn't be said for Ares, who just glared back at the girl sitting across from him.
"Okay. The chirping was funny to me for a minute, but it is getting old. So do we have a deal, or am I killing all four of you so I can eat in peace?" He asked them, raising his voice once again. Percy simply nodded his head, and uttered a single okay before Ares smiled again. "Great. One catch. I really do need that shield back, so I'm gonna keep the satyr here as collateral so you don't run off," He informed.
Together, Delia, Annabeth and Percy all tried to protest against the idea of leaving Grover alone with Ares. It wasn't safe. But their endless chorus of protests were put to rest the second Grover himself spoke up. "It's okay. If he wanted to kill us, we'd be dead by now," He reassured them.
Delia Cromwell then swallowed thickly once again, unaware of the difficult choices that would follow the second she decided to step foot into that amusement park.
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It was dark by the time Delia, Percy, and Annabeth reached the amusement park, built by the one and only god of fire and craftsmanship, Hephaestus. Delia walked through the abandoned park with her friends on either side of her, scanning her forest green eyes over the endless heaps of scraps peaking through the inescapable bank of darkness cascading across the landscape. Delia couldn't quite place her finger on it, but there was something off about this, and she didn't mean just because it was built by a god. There was something off about this place. Something that made Ares not want to come back for a revisit, even for his precious shield.
Delia wasn't the only one thinking the situation they were currently in was deemed suspicious from the second they stepped foot inside. It was no secret Ares and Hephaestus didn't get along. But surely the god of war wasn't afraid of his own brother. Those thoughts continued to swarm not only Delia's brain, but also Percy and Annabeth's. Delia was then the first to speak up amongst the trio as they continued to wander through the dark shadows of the abandoned amusement park. Or at least that was what they were hoping for. "Does anyone else get really bad vibes?" She asked in a rhetorical manner.
"You're definitely not the only one," Percy piped up, his voice a little quiet as he continued to speak. "If it belongs to the god of craftsmen, what was the god of war doing here? Aren't they enemies? Then why'd he split without his shield?" Percy questioned further, his weary eyes darting all over their unfamiliar surroundings, like he was looking for the first sign of danger.
Delia was relieved to know she wasn't being paranoid. She wondered if Ares had sent them to the amusement park built by the god of craftsmen to try and get them hurt, or worse killed, especially since he admitted their quest would fail one way or another. Maybe that was what Ares wanted all along, with or without his shield. The thought alone was enough to send a chill up the girl's spine, causing for her to shudder in fright and harrowing dread. She didn't once trust Ares. From the moment she met him on the side of the road earlier that same day, Delia believed he couldn't be trusted. She was starting to wonder if her gut was right after all.
A sigh from Annabeth quickly snapped Delia out of her thoughts before she turned her attention to the girl walking beside her. "If I'm guessing...Ares has always had a thing with—"
And that was when it clicked. "Aphrodite. The goddess of love," Delia blurted out loud, cutting Annabeth off in the process. "She's Hephaestus's wife. If Ares and her were having some sort of affair and were caught here, in the park her husband built, no wonder why Ares didn't want to come back here. He probably didn't want to face his brother after messing around with his wife," She explained. Ares wasn't lying when he said their family was full of backstabbing and betrayals. It made Delia question if this was really a family she wanted to be a part of anymore.
Suddenly, Delia and the others stopped in their tracks when they saw one of the rides light up in the distance. Delia saw flashes of pink glowing lights, illuminating around the words, Thrill Ride O' Love, and considering it was the only amusement park ride illuminated by beaming lights, Delia wondered if this was Hephaestus telling them where to go. After all, amusement park rides don't just light up on their own. Unless it was built by a Greek God, of course. The sight was a clear indication that they should head towards it, but every muscle, nerve and fragment of Delia's body told her to stay put unless told otherwise. Something about it screamed danger.
"This must be where Ares and Aphrodite got caught. The shield must be in there," Annabeth informed before her and Percy began to walk towards the ride. But Delia stayed frozen in place, unsure of whether she should follow them. Annabeth then stopped and turned around to face Delia, her brows furrowed. "Delia, you coming?" She asked. Delia simply nodded her head and forced herself to follow her friends, not being able to shake the uneasy feeling bubbling in the pit of her stomach.
When the three friends reached the amusement park ride, one by one, they stepped into the boat floating on a bank of water. Once they were all seated, the boat began to move on its own, taking them to whatever awaited them on the inside. Delia sat quietly behind Percy and Annabeth while they continued to move down the dark tunnel, floating on the water supporting the boat underneath them. That was until the tunnel lit up around them using magic while an old disco song began to echo loudly through the chamber, bouncing off the walls. Most people would've found the sudden change in atmosphere weird and confusing, but not Delia.
It was because she knew this song. Despite the sad and hard hitting lyrics, the beat was something to always be admired, especially by Delia. Growing up, her parents used to play this song throughout the house whenever she had a bad day. Whether it was because of school, or because she saw something that no one else could, Jada and Damien Cromwell would play the song and dance with their daughter around their house until she had a smile on her face again. It was a part of their routine from age five and onwards. She remembered her parents dancing in each other's arms, and the way her dad would twirl her underneath his arm, like she was a princess, and the way her mom would sing at the top of her lungs that always left Delia laughing until her chest hurt.
The last time Delia heard the familiar tune was a few days before her parents were killed. She never got to hear it again after that. . . Until now. Now it just brought back all the happy and joyful memories that Delia would never get to experience with her parents again.
"Feels like I've heard this before. I think, from my orthodontist's office maybe?" Percy piped up quietly, sounding almost confused. This caused for a faint smile to form across Delia's lips. If only he knew how important this song was to her. All of a sudden, images flashed across the walls, catching her attention as Percy began to speak. "Wait, I know this. It's Hephaestus's story. Rejected by Hera. Rejected by Aphrodite. My mom told me these stories all the time. I remember this. She said this is what the gods are like to each other. This is the kind of family they are," Percy explained.
A strange silence flooded the air that surrounded the demigod trio, forcing Annabeth to speak. "Why didn't you want to say that just now?" She inquired curiously.
"She was trying to keep me away from you guys," Percy confessed, his gaze shifting between Delia and Annabeth for a moment. "Maybe you were right. Maybe she should have been preparing me better," The boy then sighed, shaking his head in the process.
Percy's choice of words were enough to make Delia place her hand on the boy's shoulder, her eyes softening. "You know, my parents would always tell me these stories, too. After each story about how cruel the gods were to each other, they would both tell me the same thing. Be better than them, Delia. Be who you want to be. Not who they expect you to be. I didn't know what they meant at the time because they were suppose to be just stories...until they weren't," Delia paused, removing her hand from Percy's shoulder, her eyes meeting his own. "Your mom was preparing you, just like my parents were preparing me. They didn't want us to lose ourselves to this side of our family. So when you came to camp and learned all of this, you wouldn't lose yourself the way lots of us have," She reassured him.
Percy made an attempt to speak. But he was quickly cut off when the music stopped, silence filling the air in the process. However, the deafening silence was short lived before the boat dropped down a steep slope, carrying the trio down a dangerous set of violent river rapids, tipping the boat side to side to the point where Delia was clinging on for dear life. When they reached the end of the slope, they were now moving fast through another tunnel. But when Delia turned around and looked to her left, she saw what appeared to be Ares shield being held up high by a giant and majestic statue, accompanied by a golden throne.
Delia wasn't the only one to spot the shield. "There is it. Ares's shield," Percy called out, pointing towards it. When the group looked ahead into the next tunnel, they saw darkness and cracking thunder and lightning. That was when Percy yelled, "Jump!" And that was exactly what they did, leaping off the boat and into the violent river rapids.
Delia felt her body being tossed and thrown violently through the deep uncharted waters, like she didn't have any control of herself in that very moment. Water flooded her lungs as she struggled to swim to the surface, her chest beginning to tighten, a burning sensation radiating through her ribcage. She was desperate to breathe. There was a deep and insatiable hunger for that single breath of air that could save her life. But no matter how hard Delia tried, she couldn't find her way to the top of the water surface. And when she started to feel black spots cloud her vision, she was beginning to believe she was drowning. That she was dying and she couldn't do anything to save herself.
That was until she felt a strong force wrap around her and tug her body towards the surface, and when Delia opened her eyes again, she was lying across a bed of stone alongside Percy and Annabeth. Delia began to cough and splutter, choking up the excess water still lingering in her lungs as she began to rise to her feet, soak and wet from head to toe. "Did you just pull us out of there with that waterpower stuff?" Annabeth asked, and Delia looked back at the water surrounding them, and then Percy. That's what saved her life?
"I don't know. I think so..." Percy trailed off before he stood up and looked up at the tall statue holding onto Ares's shield. "How are we supposed to get that thing down?" He then questioned, turning to the girls, hoping they would have an answer for him.
Delia furrowed her brows together for a moment, her gaze drifting from the statue holding onto the shield to the golden throne displayed in front of her electric green eyes. She focused on the craftsmanship and the way the gold glistened in the light. She wondered what it was and what its purpose could possibly be. "There must be a reason why the shield and chair are here together. It's connected somehow," She concluded, and then she remembered the stories her parents would tell her. "Hephaestus built this for Hera," She announced.
Percy nodded his head in agreement. "It was a gift with a hidden purpose. Hephaestus offered it to Hera, but as soon as she sat in it, she couldn't get up. All the gods tried, but the machine was too smart. Finally, they said if Hephaestus let Hera free, Aphrodite would be his wife. The chair is the bargain," He elaborated further, turning to the two girls who stared back at him. Delia felt her breath hitched in the back of her throat.
"One of us sits in the chair. The others take the shield and go," Delia stated, slowly diverting her gaze back to the chair for a moment. She stared at it from where she stood, knowing one of them were going to have to make a big sacrifice in order to make sure this quest continued. Delia then stepped forward. "Well, let's get this over with," She told them, preparing herself to sit in the chair.
However, Percy was quick to wrap his hand around the girl's arm and pull her back. "Wait a minute," He interjected.
"He's right," Annabeth nodded her head in agreement, her eyes meeting Delia's for a moment. "Whoever goes in, isn't coming out."
"Which is why it should be me," Percy argued, stepping towards the chair this time around. But Annabeth was quick to pull him back to prevent him from doing something stupid.
"This isn't the Arch, Seaweed Brain. You're not pushing us into the stairwell this time," Annabeth snapped back.
While Percy and Annabeth continued to argue back and forth with each other, Delia focused her gaze on the golden chair displayed in front of her eyes. And that was when it clicked for her. This entire time she had wondered what her purpose on this quest was. Sure, she was smart and a great healer, but sometimes those two qualities aren't enough. Deep down there was always something more to a quest. Especially a quest as important as this one. And maybe a reason why Percy's gut told him to choose her was because she was destined for something like this. To throw herself under the bus in order to ensure her friends finished the quest. Maybe that was her purpose all along. It was in that moment Delia Cromwell knew what she had to do.
"She's right. You can't just throw yourself into danger again for us. It was high stakes last time. Making irrational decisions is easily justifiable. But in a situation like this where we can sit and talk about who should sit in that chair, we need to make the best choice. Not for us, but for this quest," Delia paused, glancing at Percy and Annabeth. "It has to be me. I have to be the one to sit in the chair. It makes the most sense."
"Not happening," Percy was quick to protest.
Annabeth nodded her head in agreement with the boy once again. "Delia, think about this—"
"I have thought about it, and this is the decision that ensures this quest will succeed," Delia informed the girl before a sigh escaped past her lips, a ghost of a smile forming across her lips. "For days now I've been trying to figure out what my purpose is on this quest other than the healer. But now I know. Think about it..." Delia quickly turned to Percy. "This is your quest. Your dad gave it to you. You have to see it through to the end," Delia paused as she turned to Annabeth. "And you're the smartest and wisest out of all of us. This, up here..." Delia points to the side of Annabeth's skull. "Is what will keep all of you going."
Delia glanced back at the chair again. "I have no purpose here. I might be smart too, and I have skills, but what you guys have is something else. If my sacrifice ensures you guys reach Los Angeles then I'm going to do it and neither of you are going to stop me. This is the right choice. I know it, and I know you guys know it, too," She explained, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
Annabeth stared back at Delia, swallowing thickly with tears of her own in her chocolate coloured eyes. "There has to be another way, Delia," She managed to choke up, and Delia forced a smile.
"It's okay, Annabeth. I'll be okay," She reassured her, turning to Percy who was shaking his head, his lips quivering, like he wanted to protest more, but deep down he knew it wouldn't do anything to change her mind. Delia then reached up and touched her sister's necklace, thinking about Feyre in that very moment. "Just tell Feyre that I tried, and I'm sorry that it had to be this way."
Annabeth nodded her head, sniffling in the process. "Of course."
Delia then turned to Percy again, smiling at the curly haired boy. "I hope you get your mom back," was the last thing Delia said to the boy before she turned and faced the chair.
The girl let out a shaky breath and stepped closer towards the chair, preparing herself to sit in it, knowing she would never come out again. She would remain stuck in these tunnels, trapped in her own solitude, and all for a quest she hoped would succeed. A sacrifice for the friends she had made because of this quest. However, before the girl had a chance to sit down, she felt a pair of hands wrap around her and push her out the way. Delia stumbled backwards for a moment, but once she regained her balance, she lifted her gaze to see Percy was now where she should have been. He was sitting firmly in the golden chair, and he wasn't prepared to move anytime soon.
Delia began to watch as the gold wrapped its way around his legs and arms, restraining him to the confinements of the cursed chair. Her bottom lip began to tremble in fright. He promised her. He promised he wouldn't try and play hero with her again. And he deliberately broke that promise. "Percy, get up!" She snapped, her desperate voice echoing throughout the tunnels.
"She's right. Stand up. No one is sacrificing themselves for a shield," Annabeth agreed, but Percy didn't budge, and the gold continued to spread across Percy's body, encasing himself in the glistening material. "Percy, stand up. I mean it," She then pleaded with him.
"It's okay. I'm okay," Percy managed to breathe out, staring at the two girls with a content look swimming in his ocean blue eyes.
Delia wanted to protest again, but before she had the chance, she was forced to watch as Percy turned into gold right in front of her very eyes. Delia let out a quiet cry as she watched the shield drop from the statue and clash to the ground in return for Percy's sacrifice. She couldn't believe it. It was meant to be her. She was going to be the one to sacrifice herself this time around instead of everyone else sacrificing themselves for her. Now she had lost someone else she cared about. One of the first real friends she has had in months was now gone, and all she could do was cry while she continued to stare at what was her friend, is now something entirely different.
Quickly wiping away her tears, Delia sniffled quietly and went over to pick up the shield that had clattered against the stone flooring. But she was stopped by Annabeth who walked around and began to fiddle with the chair. Delia sympathised with the girl in that very moment, watching as Annabeth tried her best to find a loophole in Hephaestus's trap. A flaw that could be the key to freeing Percy. "Annabeth, we have to go," She urged the girl.
Annabeth spared her friend a quick glance before she shook her head. "Not without Percy," She replied.
Delia sighed before she joined Annabeth and crouched down beside her, peering at the many cranks and components to the chair. She wondered if there was actually one that could be the key to Percy's freedom. If there was a way to cheat the game then Delia owed it to Percy to at least try. That was until a door opened up from above. Delia lifted her gaze to see a man step inside covered in dirt and oil, his matted beard sticking in all kinds of directions while he stared down at the girls with an odd looking frown. Judging by his appearance and the fact that he was standing in an amusement park built by a god, Delia could only guess he was Hephaestus.
Hephaestus didn't say much. He just took out an old set of panpipes, playing a single tune, allowing for a ladder to lower itself down to where the girls were. "You're free to go," He informed.
Annabeth didn't even look at him before she parted her lips to speak. "We're not leaving without our friend," She countered, shaking her head again.
"Yeah, that isn't really how it works. It's kind of a one-way sort of thing," Hephaestus elaborated, speaking like he didn't just condemn a child to an eternity in a chair in the middle of nowhere. "It can't be undone."
Delia glanced back at the powerful god, narrowing her eyes into a sharp glare for a moment before she turned away, her attention landing back on the chair components again, hoping to find a loophole with Annabeth. "And maybe you didn't hear us when she said, we're not leaving without our friend," Delia repeated on Annabeth's behalf, the girl's choice of words being enough to make the god let out a scoff.
"In spite of what my brother might've told you, I am not someone who'll be pushed around," Hephaestus paused, and Delia let out a bitter chuckle. The sound of his voice was enough to light the match to her anger burning like a fire deep within her veins. "You played a game and you won. Now collect your prize. You walk out of here with that shield, you're both heroes. On your way to the greatest glory. As it should be."
"It isn't how it should be!" Annabeth snapped, standing up from where she was previously crouched, staring up at the god with a hateful glimmer burning in her dark eyes. "Eat or be eaten. Power and glory and nothing else matters. But you're wrong!" She fired at the man, and that was when Delia joined the girl, standing beside her.
"She's right. It shouldn't be like this," Delia nodded her head in agreement. "I used to think that was all that mattered once. Even after I was told not to lose myself to this world, that's exactly what happened because I spent so long competing for someone that never mattered. I was wrong for that. Believing glory was all that should matter to someone like us was wrong. Percy..." Delia turned to glance at the chair where Percy remained trapped. "He taught me that I can be better and I believe him because I don't want to be that way anymore. That I can stay true to myself and still be a part of this world. If he can be better, then there's still hope for the rest of us."
Suddenly, Hephaestus eyes began to soften, clearly moved by Delia and Annabeth's determination and loyalty to save their friend. The god then brought the panpipes back to his lips and played another tune. Delia turned to see the gold trapping Percy was fading, freeing the boy from the chair. The boy let out a gasp and shot out of the chair and into Annabeth's arms. Delia felt a sigh of relief climb its way out of her throat, tears of joy brimming in her eyes in the process before she looked back at Hephaestus, grateful for his decision to set Percy free.
"Some of us don't like being that way either. You're good kids, Annabeth and Delia. I'll put in a good word with your parents," He replied, and the thought of her father hearing all about her victory, and possibly being proud of her sent a chill up Delia's spine.
Hephaestus left shortly after that, leaving the trio alone again. This gave Percy the chance to turn around and face Delia, hoping to apologise to her, but he didn't get a chance because Delia was quick to wrap her arms around the boy and pull him into her embrace. Delia held onto him for a moment, relieved to know he would live to fight another day. However, once the relief subsided, it was soon replaced by anger. All of a sudden, Delia pulled away and pressed her hands against Percy's chest, shoving him back with a hardened expression plastered across her face.
"Why would you do something so stupid...again!?" Delia snapped at the boy, her voice bouncing off the walls of the tunnel. "I told you about my parents back on the highway, and you promised me to never sacrifice yourself for me again. You promised, Percy. Why would you push me out the way again—"
"Because you're my friend," Percy interjected, cutting the girl off in the process. "And I couldn't stand there and watch my friend put her life at risk for mine either. I would've done it for either of you, and I'm sorry, but I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had to," He explained.
Delia stared at the boy for a moment, and as much as she wanted to be mad at him for his recent endeavours, she had no choice but to sigh in defeat. "Damn you, Percy Jackson. You are seriously the most difficult friend I've ever had," She cursed, shaking her head.
The boy smiled proudly. "At least I have a reputation to uphold now," He commented.
Delia and Annabeth then stared at one another, the two girls exchanging a series of strange looks before Annabeth turned back to the boy. "Yeah, don't do that," She informed before she picked up the shield. "We should get going," She added.
Delia smiled this time around, nodding her head towards the ladder in the distance. "Lead the way, Chase," She encouraged before the trio began to venture back to where the god of war still had their satyr friend held captive. The sooner they freed him, the better.
When Delia, Percy, and Annabeth returned back to the diner, they were bitter to say the least, wondering if Ares would hold up his end of the bargain after the hell they had just been put through for a shield of all things. They were surprised when they dropped his shield on the table and were taken outside within minutes where their ride was waiting for them. Delia watched as Ares clicked his fingers and the doors to a truck swinged open, revealing dozens of animals trapped in the back of the vehicle in various cages and boxes. Delia couldn't resist the urge to pull a face, believing it was inhumane for animals to be trapped in cages, and the god-awful smell coming from inside the truck.
"Get in, don't. I really don't care. But in a few hours, this thing is gonna be at the Lotus Casino in Vegas. Hermes hangs out there. You play your cards right and his personal driver can get you to L.A. in minutes. Here," Ares explained, throwing Percy a brand new backpack with what Delia hoped were some fresh supplies after they lost theirs on the train when the Chimera attacked them. "Clothes. Cash. Drachmas to summon Hermes. I'd wish you luck, but what good would it do you?" He continued to speak, planting doubt about their quest once again.
"We're not gonna fail," Percy retorted, shaking his head.
Ares scoffed, a twinkle of amusement glimmering in his eyes. "Don't worry. Your dad had plenty of kids he stopped caring about once he lost interest. You'll have lots of company," He argued.
"We're not gonna fail," Percy repeated before he took a couple of steps forward, squaring up to Ares, which Delia believed to be a pretty bold move from her friend. "And I'm getting pretty tired of you saying it. You think you know who I am, but you don't. And if you aren't careful you're gonna find out."
Grover was quick to come up behind Percy and pull him back, laughing nervously. "So, thank you for the emotional abuse and the cheeseburgers and the ride. We're gonna take you up on that, too," He piped up, trying to defuse the tension.
One by one, they piled into the back of the truck. Delia was the last to enter the vehicle, looking back to see Ares smirking at the group before he clicked his fingers again. Within seconds, the doors slammed shut again, encasing the group in complete darkness. That was when Delia let out a sigh, turning to Percy. "I can't believe you just threatened the god of war," She muttered underneath her breath, but loud enough for the boy to hear.
"Yeah, well, he was getting on my nerves," Percy replied, and Delia couldn't help but roll her eyes in response to his words. Percy then shook his head. "It stinks in here," He then commented, scrunching up his nose in disgust.
"If it gets us where we need to go, that's all that matters," Annabeth countered, staring around her unfamiliar surroundings with an uncomfortable look plastered across her face.
"Assuming Ares was telling the truth," Percy reminded her, doubting the god of war, and Delia honestly didn't blame him.
"He wasn't. Not entirely, at any rate. He was holding something back. I think I got it out of him," Grover spoke up, catching their attention. Delia stared at the satyr boy, her brows knitting together while she waited for him to reveal what he knew. And then he said the words she least expected to hear, catching her off guard and shaking the girl to her core. "I know who stole the master bolt."
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authors note.
This was supposed to be posted last friday but work really kicked my ass last week since it was my first week back after being ill for nearly a month and I was too tired to write so I hope this was worth the wait. And in the next couple of chapter we're going back to Feyre and camp for a bit...and I think you guys will be a mix of happy and sad with what's to come 🤭😭👀
Until then I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll update again soon!!