Chapter Four
NERO
"Our parents?" I frowned. "What have they got to do with it all?"
Thalia and Will shared a look, as if to say, How do we put this, exactly?
"We'll show you," Thalia said. She leaned over, and Will did the same for Esme.
"What are you doing?" my sister asked. "Wait, I -"
She went limp as Will touched her. Her body slumped to the floor with a loud clatter. I looked at Thalia and realised she was going to do the same.
"Hey!" I shouted, but it was too late. Thalia's finger prodded my arm, and I felt a whoozy feeling. My body was filled with warmth and coldness all at once, contrasting. Sweat poured down my frozen forehead.
All of this happened in a mere second. And I was unconscious, for the second time in an hour.
*
"ESME!" I yelled. "Where are you?"
I couldn't see. Overwhelming darkness enclosed upon me. I couldn't even see myself. I felt like I was blind.
Silence.
Eerie silence. I stepped forwards, and couldn't even hear myself move. What had just happened?
"Nero? Nero, is that you?"
Our hands touched. Electricity arced through my fingertips and I cried out, but Esme kept a firm grip.
"I can't see," she said. "Can you?"
I shook my head, then felt stupid. "No. I can't."
As I said it, the blackness cleared. We were still holding hands, and I didn't want to let go. We stood at some sort of campfire, with hundreds of kids surrounding us. They ranged from what looked like eight to nineteen, maybe even older. A tiny little boy with a crazy dark afro didn't look more than ten, but he held what looked like an awesome-looking gun in his hands.
Esme seemed to notice, too. "What the hell?" she muttered.
I nudged her, smirking despite myself. "Es, aren't I supposed to be the sensible one? Relax."
We walked towards an empty space on one of the benches. I was next to a dark-skinned boy with short brown curly hair and the cheekiest most troublesome grin I've ever seen. He didn't seem to notice me. I saw that Esme was next to a young teenage girl with blonde curls and grey hair, just like her.
I realised, with a shock, that it was our mum.
"Mum?" Esme said. "Mum?"
The girl didn't register either me or Esme. She didn't look more than nineteen years old. Her hands were clasped tightly by a black-haired green-eyed boy, which... which happened to be Dad.
You know when you see a photo of your parents when they're kids, and you think, Gross, did people actually used to look like that? Well that's how it felt but weirder, freakier, much more crazy, staring at our loved-up parents sitting by us. Still neither looked at us.
"Where's Chiron?" Annabeth (it was easier to think of her as that than our flaming mum) asked.
Was this the famous Kieron? The way Annabeth sat here, saying his name, made me think that this Kieron was no ordinary bloke. Dad - Percy - shrugged.
"Helpful as ever," Esme muttered.
I looked back at the guy next to me. He was fiddling with a little metal creature and looked deep in thought. I followed his gaze, and saw he was staring at two people on the opposite side of the campfire. The guy was your stereotypical hottie, with blonde hair and blue eyes. The girl was gorgeous, with a Cherokee look about her, and beautiful dark glossy hair and soft colour-changing eyes. They were smiling and holding hands, just like my parents. I looked closer.
Uncle Jason and Aunt Piper. Aunt Piper was coming to get us from school this afternoon! I'd completely forgotten!
Esme looked at the person next to me. "Uncle Leo!" she gasped.
I glanced at him and realised, with a shock, that Esme was right. Out of all our 'aunts and uncles' and except for my godparents, Leo was - by far - my favourite. He taught me everything about girls, and I kinda looked up to him. His long-term girlfriend was Reyna, and she was h-o-t. Light honey-brown skin, with dark caramel-coloured hair and chestnut-brown eyes. Leo was handsome, sure, but Dad and Uncle Jason looked better. Leo must've won Aunt Reyna over purely on personality, unless she was attracted to five-foot-seven elfish-looking guys.
Leo stood up, fixing a grin on his face. "Welcome, campers, to the Hephaestus cabin's singsong gathering!"
Half the campers groaned. Quite right, too, I thought.
"I'm joking!" Leo said, which received smiles of relief. "Actually, it's a serious matter. Most of you know her as the Oracle for Camp Half-Blood -"
"That's where Dad works!" Esme whispered to me, her eyes wide.
"Ssssh!" I said.
"- but I will introduce her as the lovely Rachel Elizabeth Dare!"
Someone stood up from across the camp. A frizzy redhead popped up and made their way towards Leo.
"Thanks, Valdez," she said with a saucy wink. I groaned internally. Uncle Leo and Aunt Rachel - flirting? Not right. "So. I've been having... visions."
"What kind?" Teenage Mum asked.
"The strange kind," Rachel admitted. "As the Oracle, I can see things. Snippets of the future."
She turned to Percy and Annabeth. "You will have children."
"That's the strange thing?" Percy said innocently, gaining laughs from the campers.
"Yes!" Rachel snapped, causing silence to fall. "Believe me, it's not something funny, Percy Jackson! Your children will be dangerous. Even more dangerous than children... of the Big Three!"
Surprise rippled through the campers.
"The Big Three are, as you all know, the Lords Zeus and Hades and Poseidon," Rachel continued. "We know only of few children. Percy, the most powerful demigod in existence -"
Percy stood up and mocked a bow, beckoning more laughs - including one from Esme - as he raised his fists in pretend victory.
"- is the only human son of Lord Poseidon. We know that all gods now claim their children, it is an Olympian law that Annabeth Jackson pressured to be passed, after her husband Percy's persistence."
So Mum and Dad were married now. But what was all this talk with gods? And how could Dad be the son of Poseidon, the old Greek sea god? Impossible.
"Jason and Thalia Grace are the only known children of Lord Zeus. Hazel Levesque and Nico di Angelo are the children of Lord Hades. Although, Jason and Hazel are actually exceptions, as they are children of Zeus' and Hades' Roman forms, Jupiter and Pluto."
Esme looked at me and mouthed, What the hell is going on?
I shrugged and mouthed back, Beats me, keep listening.
"But Percy and Annabeth will have twins next year."
The camp cheered, to which Teenage Mum blushed.
"That is not something to celebrate!" Rachel cried. "I see a terrible fate for each of them! They will suffer worse than death. You thought Gaia was bad. Esme and Nero Jackson will be destroyed!"
Leo stood up again and cleared his throat. "Rachel -"
"They need to know! Do not have children. Do not condemn them to the fate of the Seven Bornes."
Percy jumped up. "Bornes? What are Bornes?"
Rachel took a deep breath. "I have a prophecy.
"Seven children of demigods
Will become Bornes against all odds
Each will possess a different curse
That gives them powers for the worse
The two strongest will fight in vain
To honour their parents and to gain
The long strong battle against the wall
And lose who matters most of all."
"There is nothing that can be done. You have the children, Percy and Annabeth, and you will condemn them to the worst fate of all."
Esme gasped. A centaur - a centaur! - had just galloped into the campfire.
"Are you sure of this, Miss Dare?" he asked.
"Chiron," she said, "as long as Percy and Annabeth are here, they are not safe. They will have children, and they will suffer."
"Then why tell us?" Annabeth screamed, sobbing hard. "Why do this? You've blown our world apart! We want children!"
I squeezed Esme's hand. She, too, had tears in her eyes.
"Stop this," she said to me, her voice wobbly. "I don't want to see any more."
"I think we have to," I told her sadly. "We have to see it until the end."
"Nero, I can't do this. Just look at them all!"
"You can protect your children," Rachel said, "but not for long. All seven Bornes will be dead by their sixteenth birthdays. You cannot prevent this under any circumstances. I'm sorry."
Annabeth leapt forwards, furious, her hands outstretched for Rachel. Percy threw his arms around Annabeth's waist, holding her back, but her red eyes were murderous.
"I hate you!" she shrieked at Rachel. "How could you do this?" She gulped. "You know I'm pregnant! You know I am eight weeks pregnant, Rachel!"
Percy hung his head. "Why do this in front of everyone?"
"You all have to know," Rachel addressed to the rest of the crowd. "Your children will be at risk. They will be led to war by Nero Jackson. Esme Jackson will charge the combat, but Nero Jackson will be the new Percy Jackson. Your children are not safe."
Rachel turned to Percy and Annabeth. "Have your children. Hide them well. And then let them go. Do not - ever - bring them to Camp Half-Blood. If you do so, I will personally make sure Lord Zeus knows and sees all."
And with that, the blackness was back, and I was spinning away again...
*
I woke up in my hospital bed. "How long were we out?" was my first question.
"Barely a minute," Thalia said gently, "although that would've felt like hours."
Will helped Esme back onto her chair. "I'm sorry, kids," he said, "but we have to take you to Camp Half-Blood."
"You can't!" Esme cried. "Aunt Rachel said -"
"Rachel will not be there," Thalia said coldly. "I'll see to that myself. You two have to go."
"Why?" I asked.
Thalia turned to me. "Didn't you hear? There are five other Bornes. They've got their training. It's time we gave you yours."
"I'm not going!" Esme cried. "Funnily enough, I'm not fond of being blasted to ashes by Zeus!"
Will pulled out a syringe and, before Esme could protest, plunged it deep into her arm. She swooned, and fell against my bed, her eyes tightly shut.
"Now," he said, turning to me, "do I have to sedate you too?"
*****
Soooo. Good or not good? Let me know!
You kinda know what Bornes are now. They're seven certain demigod children who will rally against a certain Titan - haven't decided who yet, all suggestions welcome (except Kronos, please) - and will be led by Esme and - in particular - Nero. But Esme will play her part.
Next chapter, we meet Sally and Paul's kid... will it be a boy or girl? Those who guess right will win a shoutout! We also meet three of the other Bornes... will we know any?
Heehee!
Comment and vote and spread.the.word.of.this.flaming.book!
~ Lauren