Book 3 - The Titans Curse
"Ayden!" Thalassa threw open the girl's door.
"Hmm," Ayden grumbled as she pulled the blankets over her head.
"What are you doing? Don't you know what day it is?" Thalassa laughed as she moved forward yanking the blankets off the bed. Ayden let out a long sigh and sat up rubbing her eyes.
"What?"
"It's Christmas!" Thalassa screamed. Ayden grimaced and looked at the doorway. Chaos and Aion were standing together both smiling.
"So?"
"So?!" Chaos smiled. "Just wake up and come downstairs."
"It's Christmas," Thalassa waved her hands in the air. Ayden hasn't experienced a real Christmas, ever. Her mother did when she was younger, but Ayden couldn't remember those years anymore. The last few she'd been on the run so she had no place to give herself her own Christmas. Ayden woke herself up and got dressed.
When she made it downstairs she saw that they'd decorated everything overnight. None of them had said they were going to celebrate Christmas, in fact, they had only mentioned the holiday a few times. Aion had been messing with the time in the house so it was hard to tell how long she'd been there for. A week could have been a year or two she didn't know, but he would always reset it.
"There she is!" Aion yelled. He had a cup in his hand.
"Are you drinking?" Ayden yawned.
"We all are, here," Thalassa handed her a cup. Ayden sniffed it. She'd never had alcohol before, but she knew the pungent scent even through the eggnog.
"I'll pass." Ayden put the glass down on the table next to her. She looked around the room at the bright decorations. "When did you all have time to do this?"
"All night," Nyx came in with a present in her arms.
"And presents?" Ayden asked. "I didn't—," She scratched the back of her neck. "I didn't know we were doing gifts. I would—."
"Don't worry, this isn't for you," Achlys walked in with a smirk on her face. Ayden's cheeks heated as she watched her set the gift down. "Not all of these are for you."
"Speak to her like that again Achlys, just try to open your mouth," Chaos threatened. She kept a soft smile on her face, but it didn't reach her eyes. She looked horrifying.
"I was—." Chaos was over in front of her in the blink of an eye.
"Ladies," Aion moved his hand reversing each of their positions until Achlys was back out of the room. "Let's not fight on Christmas morning. Achlys didn't mean it like that, she's just not great with kids." Chaos watched the goddess return to the room.
"I'm sorry," Achlys told Ayden.
"It's alright," Ayden whispered. She didn't like the tension in the room.
"Well great first Christmas for the kid," Thalassa raised her glass in the air before downing the rest of her egg nog. "We're really adding to the traumatizing memories."
"No, no, no."
"Why don't you call visit Percy for a moment," Nyx mentioned. Her eyes moved between Chaos and Achlys as they stared at one another.
"Uh, yeah, sure," Ayden stepped out of the room and shut the door as the yelling started. She took a deep breath and focused on Percy. She could see his face and his smile.
"And then—who's this?" A woman asked. Ayden opened her eyes and saw a woman standing behind a kitchen table. She had blue cookies on a cooling rack.
"Hm?" Percy turned on the stool and saw Ayden. His face lit up when he realized it was her. "Ayden!" He fell off the stool as he rushed over to hug her. She laughed as he lifted her off the ground and turned them in a circle. Sally smiled at the interaction, she'd never seen Percy like that before. "What are you doing here? Did you teleport here?"
"Yeah," Ayden laughed as he let her down. She stood back, but the two kept their arms intertwined. "Yeah, I um, oh merry Christmas." Ayden noticed the tree near the corner of the room.
"Merry Christmas to you too," Percy smiled. "This is a great present." He added. Sally leaned to the side so she could see the 'p' necklace around Ayden's neck.
"Well," Sally moved around the table with a smile. "I've never seen my Percy so happy to see anyone."
"Oh, yeah," Ayden paused.
"And you were one of the girls that went to the underworld with him." Ayden suddenly felt shy. She'd never met his mother, she'd barely met anyone of her friend's parents. Ayden didn't have friends, until now.
"Relax," Sally put her hands on her shoulders. "Percy has told me a lot about you–."
"Mom," Percy warned in a half-joking tone. Sally Jackson laughed.
"What?" She took a step back. "It was all good things. I'm very glad he has someone like you in his life."
"To be fair, I know a little about you, Mrs. Jackson."
"Oh please call me Sally." Ayden nodded. Her eyes moved over to Percy, he was already smiling at her.
"I'll let you two have some time to talk, take her to the living room," Sally gently guided her son's shoulder toward the other room. "Oh," She handed him a small plate of cookies. "Merry Christmas." Percy grabbed Ayden's hand and moved toward the living room. He set the plate down on the table and sat down.
"Where have you been? At camp, we were all worried that we hadn't heard from you in a while."
"Yeah," Ayden scratched the back of her neck as she sat down. She hadn't stopped smiling since she arrived. "Well once I got to their property, I didn't have drachmas."
"They didn't either?"
"I haven't earned those yet," Ayden watched Percy's face pinched.
"I'm confused," He rubbed his head as she laughed at him.
"They have been training with me, it's why I can teleport to farther distances," She moved her hands around. "It's how I got to here and Olympus on accident."
"You teleported ot Olympus?" Percy stared at her. She smiled. "Ayden with how much they are all going after you–."
"Percy," She touched his arm. "It was fine."
"Was it?"
"Well no," She sighed. "Aion and Chaos had to come to save me from Zeus, but I'm still here."
"They protected you?"
"Yeah, well," Ayden tilted her head. "They kind of took me in, since they knew everything that was going on and had happened. Thalassa was my biggest advocate, but Chaos and Aion were quick to take my side as well."
"Okay, wait, how many primordial gods have you met?" Percy smirked.
"Um," Ayden felt her cheeks heat as she looked down. "Gaia, Achlys, Nyx, Thalassa, Chaos, and Aion. So only six, but still."
"That's six more than me," Percy watched her pick at her cuticles as she laughed. "I'm glad you're safe with them."
"Yeah," Ayden let out a long breath. "How have you been? I'm sorry I haven't called, but it's hard to when they refuse to let anyone know where I am."
"Is that a protective thing?" Ayden nodded.
"They don't want the gods to know where they hang out most of their time because they haven't been found for so long. They want to keep it a secret place, which is understandable, but the Olympians fear Nyx and Chaos."
"I think I would if I met them," Percy laughed.
"I doubt that," She paused. "Well Chaos, you would love her, but Nyx yeah she's intimidating. Anyway, how are you? School?"
"Oh yeah, school's been alright, I haven't been kicked out yet and no monsters so far." Percy leaned over grabbing a cookie from the platter. "Want one?" Ayden tilted her head.
"Why are they blue?" She asked taking it from his hand. His face flushed.
"I uh, my mom, she—."
"Likes to give you blue food?" Ayden took a bite. Percy watched her for a moment and then let out his breath when she took another bite. "These are so good."
"My mom does make good cookies," Percy took a bite of his.
"I've never had a homemade cookie, even a blue one," She laughed a little. A part of Percy realized that Ayden didn't have the life he had. She didn't have the same loving parent. She didn't have someone to look after her. She didn't have someone to bake her cookies, or she didn't, she did now.
"So how is the training going with the primes?" He asked dusting his hand off on his leg. The shine from his necklace caught Ayden's attention as she leaned forward rubbing her thumb over the 'a' a small smile on her lips.
"Yeah, they've tried to teach me things."
"Like?"
"Math, although we've restarted many times because Aion is a horrible teacher and Thalassa also doesn't understand," Ayden told Percy the few times that Aion had to manipulate time since they had wasted so much of it trying to teach Ayden the little skills and education that she missed during her younger years. They also had enough time to teach her more about the Greek and Roman histories.
"Wait, so Aion like reverse time?"
"Yeah."
"Multiple times?" Percy asked. Ayden nodded and watched his face pinched. "So how long have you really been with them?"
"It's hard to say, but a year or two maybe," Ayden thought for a moment. "I don't know."
"You've been gone for a year?" Percy stared at her. "Or two?" Ayden looked at him with a sad smile.
"I'm not sure okay, but I am glad I finally came to visit you, although," She leaned back on the couch seeing Sally in the kitchen humming to herself as she set the table. "I'm sorry to disturb you on Christmas, I know this is family time—."
"Don't apologize," Percy touched her arm. She looked down at his hand. "My mom has been wanting to meet you and I've–I've been worried about where you've been. I was worried you might be, well you might be dead."
"Oh god Percy," Ayden muttered as she smiled at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't–"
"You don't have to apologize," Percy shook his head as he smiled.
"I just forget that some people might acre where I am, now, ya know?" Ayden shrugged. "I'll try to keep in touch from now on."
"Good," He smiled at her. From the kitchen, Sally watched the two look at each other. She'd seen Percy interact with a few of his friends from camp, Annabeth, Thalia, and Grover, but she'd never seen him like this. He was so comfortable with Ayden. When she wasn't looking he was. He always wore a smile and when he looked at her, he would truly look as if he wanted to memorize every small detail of her face.
"How are they doing?" Sally jumped when she heard the voice. She turned to see a dark-skinned woman with short dark brown hair. She was also looking into the living room at the other. "They're cute, aren't they? Ayden wouldn't stop talking about 'The' Percy Jackson." Sally was shocked, but she wasn't alarmed by the woman's presence. "I'm Chaos, one of Ayden's Guardians." chaos offered her hand.
"Sally Jackson." Sally shook her hand. "So you know where we live?"
"I do, always have." Chaos nodded as she looked back into the room. Ayden and Percy laughed with one another as they leaned together. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to him."
"I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone where we lived, it's hard enough—."
"Trust me, Sally," Chaos gave her a soft smile. "I wouldn't do anything to harm you or your son. Ayden is attached to both of you and she's important to me."
"She's your child."
"She's like my child," Chaos corrected. "Stubborn, annoying—."
"Curious, loyal," Sally finished her words. Chaos nodded. "Percy talks a lot about her too. She's had it rough."
"We have no idea," Chaos muttered. "The girl can barely remember her own childhood, so we can't even imagine what she's gone through, yet," Chaos heard the girls laugh. "She still smiles and laughs."
"She's strong."
"You're boy is too," Chaos added. "Perseus Jackson, you gave him a powerful name." Sally nodded.
"Chaos?" Ayden stood up moving into the kitchen. She gave the woman a nervous look. "Where—what are you doing here? Is everything alright?"
"Oh yeah," Chaos smiled. Ayden grabbed Chaos's face turning it from side to side. "Oh, she didn't touch me. Thalassa is handling that."
"You didn't need to do that," Ayden sighed as she looked up at her. "It didn't hurt my feelings."
"She shouldn't even be speaking and it did, you can't lie to me." Chaos leaned around Ayden and went to grab Percy's necklace, but Ayden grabbed her arm. It wasn't tight, it was just a warning.
"Calm yourself," Ayden let go of her arm and turned seeing Chaos's hand on the 'A' necklace. She smirked. "Cute."
"Chaos," Percy muttered. "The first being."
"That's me," Chaos stood up taller. "And you are Perseus Jackson." She looked between Ayden and Percy. "You both have made a lot of trouble up in Olympus."
"Um," Ayden turned back to Percy. "I should probably head back."
"Yeah," Percy sighed. He leaned forward pulling her into a tight hug. "Annabeth and Thalia will be sat to have missed you."
"Maybe I could Iris message you?" Ayden glanced over her shoulder.
"Fine, but after you pass Geography." Chaos crossed her arms.
"That's not fair," Ayden turned around. "You all keep changing what you count as accurate since you all have infinite brains." Ayden sassed.
"Well you definitely won't be getting a drachma with that attitude," Chaos smirked as Ayden rubbed her forehead. She turned to Sally.
"Thank you for letting me steal him for a while and I'm glad I finally officially met you, Mrs. Jackson."
"Sally, please and I'm happy as well. I can finally put a face to a name." She gave Percy a sly look.
"Well we should get back before they destroy the house," Chaos put her hand on Ayden's shoulder. "Do you want to try to get us back?" Ayden gave her a look. "Thought I would offer."
"I'll see you soon?"
"Yeah," Ayden nodded as they disappeared. Percy stared at the empty space. An ache formed in his chest at the thought that Ayden could have spent years without contacting him. He didn't know why that bothered him so much, it had only been a couple of months for him.