I felt my jaw unhinge. "Conjugal?" I echoed. "That sounds important. And scary."
She arched a brow, pink sparks still dancing in her eyes. "Oh, it is important. And possibly scary. But let's focus on the not that big a deal part, shall we?" She drew out her words, slowly and carefully, as if I were some skittish animal she was trying not to spook. Well, it was too late! I was already spooked! "It's just a technicality. A formality. The Council wrote it up centuries ago for, like, really archaic reasons. And I'd argue it's mostly symbolic…unless you do something to officially consummate it."
"Consu—are you serious right now?" I sputtered, practically choking on my own words. My brain was already short-circuiting at the idea that Aphrodite, the literal goddess of love, was essentially calling me her husband.
Consummating just about anything was going to make my head explode like a Chinese New Year parade. "I—I'm a teenager!"
She sighed, shaking her head as though I was the one being ridiculous. "Yes, dear, that's exactly why we're not going to do anything about it. I mean, do you see a white picket fence or little cherubs in diapers anywhere? This isn't a fairytale. I'm not marching you to the altar tomorrow, and I'm certainly not telling you to do anything you're not comfortable with."
My head spun. "So this is just…paperwork?"
"Paperwork, yes, but Olympian paperwork. Which, as you might guess, contains unusually robust fine print," She gave me a quick, playful wink. "Don't worry, cutie—no one's forcing you into a honeymoon in the Eros Suite with a pair of fuzzy handcuffs. It's just a side effect of me claiming your mother as family, which, in turn, binds you to me in the eyes of old magic."
"But—"
"Look, if it helps, we can discuss it later," Aphrodite said breezily, as though we were chatting about the weather. She reached out and patted my shoulder, sending a weird jolt through me—like static electricity but, you know, romantic static. "Right now, the important thing is: your mom is safe under my protection, and you don't need to worry about this silly…registry business."
I took a breath, trying and failing to calm the swirling cyclone of confusion in my head. "So, it's just a big cosmic misunderstanding?"
"Precisely!" she said, beaming. "Though, Percy, you'll have to find a way to stop being this adorable, or I'll take you up on that consummation offer." The tips of my ears burned. "That's not funny."
"Who said it was a joke?"
The doors slid open. I stepped out, and my vision was instantly assaulted by a cacophony of light. The passive version of [Mana Detection] was telling me that there were three really powerful entities in the room, each like a star going supernova behind all that glare. I felt like I'd just walked onto a stage, spotlight blazing, with no script in hand.
A soft, feminine voice spoke up. "Everyone, dim your auras. He can sense them." Was that Hestia? The light dimmed. Dark spots still danced in my vision, but I felt a comforting hand land on my shoulder, accompanied by the slight smell of sea breeze.
"Dad?" I said, confused about what was happening. Why would my dad and Hestia be here? I thought this was just a dinner.
"We have a lot to talk about, son," My dad replied, a little sternly.
My vision returned to me fully as I was led into a seat. Aphrodite took the seat next to me, her bangles rattling as she scooted her chair forward. I took a second to try to gauge my surroundings. I knew I was probably somewhere in the Underworld, but where? All right. First impressions. I was in a pretty cozy room. Honestly, it looked like a library or study of some kind—but, like, a rich guy version. Bookshelves stretched towards an impossibly high glass ceiling. A nice shag carpet covered the floors. A roaring fire crackled pleasantly somewhere in the room. I was sitting at a table somewhere toward the middle of all of this. The ceiling was layered—if that made any sense. Like, it spread outward from the center in waves, almost as if it was blowtorched by the world's biggest fire. Even though it was completely dark outside, it was pretty light inside. The flames flickered, splashing everyone's shadows on the walls.
The table had my dad, Hestia, and Hades sitting around it. Well, and me and Aphrodite, but you already knew that. There was a big bag of Chipotle in the middle along with some soda cans and napkins, and Hades was humming as he bit into a burrito. There was also a pile of notebooks and tacky-looking pens with skulls on them.
"Nephew," Hades greeted with a wave between bites. He snapped his fingers, and my very own bag of Chipotle appeared in front of me.
"Uncle," I said, bowing my head a little. I checked inside the bag— how did he get my order completely correct? "It's nice to see you too, Lady Hestia."
"I'm happy to see that you are well, my champion," Hestia replied, a beaming smile on her face. I looked around the room again and noticed everyone was sort of looking at me weirdly. Well, except Aphrodite, that is. She looked like she was on Instagram.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
"It's the napkin, nephew. They don't know you have Medusa's eye," Hades said, munching on his burrito. He flicked his hand, and the Subway napkin fastened around my eye disappeared. Instantly, Poseidon yelped and nearly dropped his plate of nachos. He stood up, and there was a warbling noise as a shield of water formed around him. Hestia, who'd been sipping hot chocolate, spat it back into her mug and pushed back from the table as the fire from the fireplace roared out, swirling around her eyes.
"Brother!" Poseidon snapped, eyes darting warily between me and the Lord of the Underworld. He looked down at his body like he was expecting chunks of stone to start forming and snapping off."You didn't warn us!"
Hades shrugged, still chewing. "Where's the fun in that?" The silence that followed was so thick, a butter knife wouldn't have even come close to cutting it—we'd need my dad's trident. I tried not to look anyone in the eye, terrified that I'd accidentally petrify my own family.
Hestia finally spoke, voice soft. "Percy…can you, um, control that power of yours?"
Before I could stammer out an answer, Hades let out a low chuckle that rattled in his chest. "Relax, relax! I'm just messing with you all." He patted his stomach contentedly, then snapped his fingers again. A soft shimmering noise filled the air, and a pair of translucent, faintly glowing glasses popped into existence over my nose.
"There," Hades said, brushing burrito crumbs off his lap. "They'll filter out any petrifying side effects—and, might I add, look quite stylish. Plus, I sprinkled some magic on there for you. Only you can take them off. They won't, like, fall off or something. Had that happen to me once on a rollercoaster. $500 pair of Ray-Bans, by the way. Damn near exploded the whole resort."
Poseidon dropped back into his seat with a scowl, eyes still fixed on me. The water splashed out of existence as he crossed his arms. "Really not funny, Hades. I do not appreciate you using my son as a means of entertainment."
Hestia exhaled shakily, placing a hand over her heart. "I agree with Poseidon." "Bah, you're acting like I slapped a costume on him and told him to reenact Fiddler on the Roof," Hades looked utterly satisfied with himself.
"Besides, a little jump scare never hurt anybody. Well…not permanently, anyway. I just wanted to break the ice. Before our meeting."
"Oh," I said, my voice barely a squeak.
"Look, son, you're not in any trouble. We've all known there was something different about you from the moment we met you," Poseidon began slowly, setting down his half-eaten plate of nachos. A dollop of queso clung stubbornly to his beard, "For me, it was the moment you sensed mana. Normal demigods don't do that—they aren't usually so attuned to their powers, especially not a day after learning their heritage. And they certainly don't just instinctively figure out new abilities. Still, though, you're going to be a bit out of your depth tomorrow."
"What your father is saying is that we know you're quite capable," Hestia amended. "But the truth of the matter is, tomorrow is going to be an incredibly trying day. For you, for us, for all of Olympus. We need to talk about plans and contingencies. I'll begin. What do we know about Ares?"
"We know he's a stupid, spoiled little fucking brat," Hades snarled, and for a moment, my laid-back uncle disappeared. His eyes changed from a warm brown to a menacing black. Hades—no, The Lord of the Dead resembled pictures I'd seen of Adolph Hitler, Napoleon, or the terrorist leaders who directed suicide bombers. Hades had the same intense eyes, the same kind of mesmerizing, evil charisma. Hopelessness began to pour into the air. His clothes started to flicker, shadowy faces appearing in the folds of his jacket and shirt— faces of torment. It was like the material was stitched with trapped souls trying to get out. The fire in the room got smaller. Numbness crept into my joints, tempting me to lie down and just take a little nap. He lounged in his seat looking lithe, graceful, and dangerous as a panther.
— - —
~ You've forcibly developed a skill by being blasted with your uncle's Killer Intent!
[Skill]: Detecting Bloodlust
[System Denomination]: Passive
[Attribute Group]: WIS
[Level]: 1
[Description]: Bloodlust is simply the user exuding pure killing intention, and having it affect their opponent, themselves, and others around them, up to the point of paralyzing them with fear. When the bloodlust is particularly strong, it can even give the victim visions of their own gruesome death.
[Leveling]: At [Level 1], you can slightly withstand an opponent's bloodlust—as long as your opponent's current level is less than or equal to half of your current level!
— - —
I didn't realize I was shaking like a leaf in the wind until Aphrodite placed her hand over mine, gently, and squeezed.
"Brother," Poseidon's eyes glowed. A well of power rose from his side of the table, and the legs of my chair began vibrating. "Control yourself."
"My apologies," Hades said gruffly as the presence receded. He took a long sip of his drink. "We know that he isn't working alone."
"How do we know that?" Hestia asked. She unwrapped her shawl, and midnight-black hair tumbled down her shoulders. She waved her hand, and from somewhere deep in the library, a whiteboard wheeled itself in front of us. "Is there proof?"
"Gods can't steal each other's symbols of power, sister," Poseidon reminded as a marker squeaked against the board. "Not directly, anyway. For him to have gotten his hands on not just one, but two symbols of powers, he would have needed a plan. A good plan."
Hestia tapped her index finger against her cheek. "The kind he couldn't make by himself?"
"Even if he could," Hades sighed. "He'd need someone to do his dirty work. Someone who isn't as tied down by the ancient laws as we are."
"A mortal?" Aphrodite suggested, her fingers still wrapped around mine, as though trying to keep me calm. "And an experienced one, at that. We're talking about theft on a divine scale—that would require someone willing, or maybe crazy enough, to steal a god's symbol of power. A typical demigod wouldn't stand a chance."
Poseidon grunted, scribbling a rough diagram in his notebook. I took a peek. Whatever it was probably made sense to him but looked more like frantic squiggles to me.
"Exactly. Whoever did it must be formidable—talented enough to evade our notice until now." Hestia tilted her head, studying the board with a slight frown as the marker jotted down bullet points. "But what would they gain from helping him? Surely they realize the gods won't stand for such treason. To Aphrodite's earlier point, it would have to be someone either skilled—and confident—enough to not fear getting caught, or someone who's willing to sacrifice everything."
"Or both," Hades smirked, though his gaze kept flicking back to me —maybe checking that I hadn't keeled over from his outburst earlier. "Mortals have their reasons for everything, dear sister. Money, power…revenge, even. That kind of motivation can twist people into doing anything."
Aphrodite squeezed my hand a bit tighter. I could feel her pulse through her fingertips, calm and composed in a way I wasn't. "Don't let it rattle you, Percy. The last thing we need is for you to lose hope."
My throat felt dry, but I managed a nod. Hestia's conjured whiteboard stood like a sentinel, covered in hasty sketches and scribbles—gods' names, question marks, underlines. It all connected into one big, messy web that screamed one thing loud and clear: some mortal had helped Ares swipe the lightning bolt and Hades' helm.
The worst part was the nagging certainty that I actually knew the thief. My stomach twisted as an image of Luke flashed through my thoughts. Our paths don't end here. You're heading off, and at some point, we'll see each other again. When that happens, we'll pick up where we left off—and maybe then you'll see how deep this really goes.
"It's highly unlikely that his partner will be there tomorrow," Poseidon mumbled, resting his chin against his trident. "We know what Ares is like. He's nearly as prideful as his father. From his view, it makes more sense to handle the situation itself."
"That's both good and bad," Hades shook his head and leaned back into his chair. "It means Percy won't have to worry about being blindsided. It also means he'll have to fight Ares one-on-one until he activates the rite of battle."
"We can't get involved until then," Poseidon said, a bit of anger seeping into his tone. He shifted his gaze to Hades and Aphrodite. "He's not nearly as prepared as he should be. You two have been meddling with him the whole time! Coddling him! Keeping him from getting experience!"
"Yeah, no, that's actually fair," Hades replied, actually agreeing with my dad. He sort of shrugged at me. "Sorry, kiddo. And brother—lay off me and use that brain of yours for a second. Why the fuck would I let my helm fall into the wrong hands just to let the kid get some experience. I'll give him a real quest once this all blows over. I've been meaning to have someone clear out some places for me. Until my helm is back, safe and sound, you bet your barnacle-encrusted, mermish—"
"Brother," Hestia warned, and Hades fell silent.
"I'm sorry, too," Aphrodite added, playing with my knuckle. "But I made the deal, and you agreed. We both knew we'd need the protection if this was escalated to the council."
My dad literally face-palmed, dragging his hand down his face like he was trying to physically pull himself together. "Are you—okay, let's run this down, shall we? Which part are you sorry for? Is it the part where you sent your daughter to him instead of directly to camp, putting him in even more danger? You told me you'd do it on the way back! Or maybe you're sorry when you decided to rope him into a deal without telling him the full consequences? Or—oh, wait—was it when your actions indirectly cost him his eye?"
"Brother," Hestia repeated. Poseidon stopped talking, and I made a mental note of the fact they both respected—or feared—my aunt enough to listen to her instantly.
"You need to calm down. You're worried for him; as are we. Lashing out at everyone here isn't going to fix that."
"I must return to Atlantis," Poseidon calmed down a little bit. Honestly, I was surprised he calmed down at all. If his temper was anything like mine, that could've gotten really ugly. He stood up abruptly and walked over to me. I was a little confused, but he bent down a little and hugged me. It was a little awkward, but I appreciated the gesture. "Tomorrow will be difficult," My dad told me, pulling away. "But you can do this. I know you can."
My eyes felt a little warm. "I won't let you down."
"I know," He smiled at me. He waved to Hestia and Hades. "Sister, brother, I take my leave." Poseidon gave Aphrodite another sour look. He then became a hologram, then a wind, and then he was gone, leaving only the smell of a pleasant sea breeze lingering behind.
"What about the contingencies?" I asked. "Let us worry about that," Hestia gave me a kind smile. "Allow me to speak to your uncle for a few moments. Aphrodite, would you mind escorting him back to his room?"
Aphrodite's fingers stilled on my hand. "Certainly, Lady Hestia."
Hades tossed me another bag. "Some food for later. I know you might get hungry—there's some for Piper in there, too."
Aphrodite smiled pleasantly at me again and led me back into the elevator. The door closed as Hestia started to talk to my uncle about something. As the elevator hummed to life and we began ascending, the silence between Aphrodite and me felt anything but empty. She stood beside me, perfectly composed, her golden bracelets tinkling faintly with the motion of the elevator. Meanwhile, my thoughts were doing their best impression of an angry swarm of bees.
"So," Aphrodite began, her voice as smooth as the elevator's glide. "Eventful evening, wouldn't you say?"
"That's one way to put it," I muttered, watching the floor numbers tick up on the display. My reflection in the mirrored walls caught my eye, and I frowned. Disheveled hair, dirt-streaked face. Yep, I was definitely the spitting image of presidential suite material. Aphrodite turned slightly, giving me a sidelong glance.
"You handled yourself well back there, you know. Not many mortals can keep their wits about them when the gods start bickering. Especially with Hades tossing out his…theatrics."
I snorted. "Yeah, well, let's just say I'm getting used to that sort of thing. Pretty sure I qualify for hazard pay at this point."
She laughed softly, the sound warm and musical, and for a moment, it chased away the lingering tension in my shoulders. Bulbs of pleasure sprouted in my chest. "Hazard pay," she repeated, shaking her head. "You've got a good sense of humor, Percy. That's rare—especially for someone in your position."
"My position?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "You mean the whole reluctant pawn in a game of Olympian politics thing? Yeah, a real laugh riot. Maybe I'll add it into my stand-up routine after this."
Aphrodite's lips quirked into a smile, but there was something else in her expression—something softer, almost wistful. "It's more than that," she said quietly. "You're…different. Special."
I blinked, not sure how to respond to that. Compliments from Aphrodite were like getting hit with a tidal wave of glitter—sparkly, overwhelming, and impossible to shake off. "Uh, thanks, I guess?"
As we stepped out of the elevator, the hallway stretched ahead of us, quiet and elegant, with the same intricate carpet patterns and soft lighting as before.
Aphrodite slowed her pace as we approached the door to my room, her expression unreadable, though her eyes still held that unnerving mix of warmth and mystery. "Here we are," she said softly, stopping just short of the door. I turned to face her, already bracing myself for another cryptic remark or teasing comment. Instead, she surprised me. She leaned in, pressing a soft, feather-light kiss to my forehead. The gesture was so quick, so fleeting, that it felt more like a whisper than anything else.
Her warmth lingered for a moment, and my brain promptly short-circuited. "Uh…what was that for?"
"For luck," she said simply, her smile turning playful again. "And maybe just a little because you're adorable when you're flustered."
I groaned, covering my face with one hand as she stepped back, clearly enjoying herself. "You're impossible."
"Perhaps," she said with a soft laugh. "But you'll thank me tomorrow. Sweet dreams, hero."
Before I could say anything else, she turned and walked away, her golden bangles tinkling softly with every graceful step. I stood there for a moment, staring after her like an idiot, until the sound of the elevator doors closing snapped me out of it.
Shaking my head, I muttered to myself, "Yeah, sweet dreams. Right." I opened the door to my room and stepped inside, dropping the bag of food onto the table before flopping onto the ridiculously soft bed.
As I stared up at the ceiling, the warmth of that forehead kiss still tingled faintly, and for reasons I didn't fully understand, it made me feel a little more ready for whatever tomorrow might bring. Just a little.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This chapter was very, I didn't find a way to cut it, so I left it all. Enjoy.
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