A grandfather clock against the wall ticked at irregular intervals. I gripped the armrests on my straight-backed chair hard enough that the wood whined.
The office Prometheus and I sat in had a big desk between two chairs, each facing each other, with the blinds of the only window drawn. At that distance I could've lunged across the table and choked the smug bastard where he sat, and no one would've seen a thing that happened in the dim room. Said smug bastard took a sip from a mug in his hands, sighing happily.
"This tea really is the good stuff. You have no idea the lengths one goes to just to find fresh leaves in a world like this, but I have to say, everything feels worth it when you do."
"Get to the point."
"You don't want to chat?" Prometheus took another sip from his drink. "Fair enough, I suppose. I expected it. I'm here for a very simple reason. I propose we work together."
"Why?"
"Because we can be of great help to each other, you and I."
"Help doing what?"
Prometheus peered at me across the lip of his steaming mug. "I don't think I need to answer that. But if you'd like me to… Tearing my family off of the false thrones they've built themselves and casting them back into the dank filth they should never have dragged their way out of in the first place!"
By the end he was snarling, and yet as soon as the words ended his face was placid once more. He sipped his tea.
"Does that clear things up?"
I laughed. It wasn't a happy one, but I couldn't help it.
"You've gotten worse at lying, Prometheus. Three years ago you helped them rise to power. You're one of them. And now you want to talk about stopping them? I wasn't born yesterday."
"By divine standards you were," he said. "But that's beside the point. There seems to be a misunderstanding. I never helped the Titans return."
"Sure you didn't."
"But it's true!" He laid his mug back onto its saucer, looking me in the eyes. "Their power couldn't be contained forever. They would have returned to the world with or without my help. That's a theme, by the way— with or without me. You faced Kronos. Not that shell held within a mortal boy, but his true power, and you've done it twice now. That you still live is impressive. But that means you must know. Tell me: do you truly believe my paltry power would've turned the tide against him?"
I stayed silent, because I couldn't.
"I picked the Titans because they were the winning side, just like I warned you they would be. But they were not the winning side because I picked them. There is a difference."
"You could've fought anyway. Like we did."
"That would've been admirable," Prometheus said. "Unfortunately, I am a coward, not a brave hero. So I picked what worked best for me."
There was a bit of silence, filled only by the off-beat sounds of the clock. My hands released the chair, resting on my knees instead, leaving finger-shaped indents where they'd held the wood.
"I still don't buy it. The Titans are stronger than ever. You said it yourself. I've faced Kronos twice now, so I'd know. A coward doesn't have any business picking a fight like this."
Prometheus tilted his head. He rubbed his chin, fingers sliding over the rough scarred skin. I could see the exact moment an idea hit him— although, with a crafty bastard like this, I could never be sure if even that was planned too.
"You haven't realized it yet, but we have plenty of power on our side," Prometheus said. His bony finger reached out, pointing across the table. "We have you ."
I don't know why, but the sudden statement pinned me in my seat. I was frozen, watching him. Forced to listen.
"Do you have any idea how much power you absorbed in that throne room?" Prometheus asked. "It's not because you're mortal that you're struggling to control it. Kronos wreaked havoc on the thrones of every Olympian. And with nowhere else to go, it rushed to the best recipient. You ."
I stared down at my own hand, feeling the power pulsing underneath. I thought of the ball of power nestled in my chest, and how no matter how much control I gained I never felt an end to it. It was tantalizing. Power like that was the thing I needed most right now.
But I couldn't bring myself to trust the words yet, not with who they were coming from.
"So I'm a walking divine landmine. That's great. But what can you do for me?"
Prometheus beamed. "I am so glad you asked."
He stood up. Power thrummed through my arm, ready in case he tried something, Wolf House protections or no. But he never moved toward me, instead pacing behind the desk with his arms linked.
"Given your current timing and poor Lelantos's predicament, I'd say you're using him to shield your activities. If other immortals can't sense you, you think that you can cruise around the country taking down Titans with no one the wiser."
"You say that like we can't."
"Because it's true. Come on, Percy, you've seen it now, haven't you? When you used your power while Kronos was paying attention, your veil was pierced faster than a stomach under a vulture's beak. Imagine what will happen if you fight hard enough to take down a Titan. Menoetius you might get away with, weak fool that he is, but what about after that? One bout with Krios, Hyperion or Coeus and the gig will be up."
He stopped pacing, gray eyes boring into my godly being.
"The moment they realize they are under threat, every last one of them will act. They will mob you. They will tear you apart piece by piece before you have the chance to gather power, and incinerate every last speck until you won't reform for a millenia. Every moment will be full of nothing but pain. You will lose what little you have left. Those mortals outside will never grow old and gray. They will be hunted to the last child, dying quickly only if they're lucky. Calypso will discover what true punishment may look like. She will suffer for a million mortal lifetimes, all because you—"
A bang cut him off. Splinters dropped to the floor from a fresh hole straight through the desk in front of me. Prometheus's beloved tea wobbled and tipped over, spilling off the edge.
"Enough."
Prometheus sighed, lowering his head. "I apologize. It wasn't my intention to get you worked up, merely to point out the folly of your current path. I don't wish that fate on you. In fact, I'm here to save you from it."
"So what's your alternative?"
"A simple plot with a bit of trickery." He peered at me, meeting my eyes with a steely gaze of his own. "However, in order to share it, I will need an oath. Unless I betray your trust, swear that I will not come to harm."
"That's the only way you'll help?"
"Cowards must look out for themselves," he said.
I stood up. He was only a foot taller than me now. I'd probably surpass his height if I took my full true form again. I leaned forward, resting my palms on the partially-shattered table.
"I swear on the River Styx that unless I feel you've betrayed me, I won't harm you."
"That's not the oath I asked for."
"It's the one you'll get. I'm not an idiot. This way, there are no loopholes for you to betray us on a technicality. And there's no way in Hades I'm taking the fall just because somebody else hurt you. Not doing it myself is the best you'll going to get."
After a long moment, Prometheus sighed.
"That will suffice, I suppose," he said. "The plan to take down Menoetius is simple…"
-
My head was spinning as I left the office. Long strategies like this were never my forte. I'd meet up with Calypso and ask what she thought about everything. This was her uncle, after all. She'd know better than I ever would.
As I stepped out into the hall, somebody was waiting there. Jason smiled.
"Good meeting?" he asked.
"Better than expected." And weren't those the truest words I'd ever spoken? "He's a piece of shit, but he might be a useful one."
Jason rubbed the back of his head. We walked down a hallway with thick shag carpeting and walls as blank as the entry-room, traveling toward the sounds of voices deeper in the mansion.
"You really don't like Perry, do you?"
"Prometheus," I corrected.
"Sorry. Force of habit. He's been coming around every few months since all the way back when Camp Jupiter was still standing. Without his help, we probably wouldn't be here today. I don't know what you're past is with him, but he's been good to us. I feel like I've got to say that for him."
"I believe you," I said. "That's what makes him dangerous. He's the kind of guy who would do all that as nothing but an investment, just for you to say something like this."
"Are you sure you aren't giving him too much credit?"
"It's better that way than underestimating him. He's smarter than me. If I let my guard down even a little bit, I'll get played."
"Whatever you say."
I could tell Jason didn't really believe me, but he was nice enough not to disagree any more. Prometheus had been keeping his friends alive for years. Who was I compared to that? A stranger that showed up out of the sky one day with only the introduction of a sister he hadn't seen since he was a baby.
"I'm thinking we'll throw a party."
Jason't voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Come again?"
"A party," he repeated. "We've got some food to waste. We'll bust out something extra, dig out the drinks Perry— I mean, that Prometheus brought. With everything we can make one hell of a night."
"Is it a special occasion?" I asked.
Jason stopped in front of a window that looked out over the central pool. Afternoon light hit him from the back, making his blond hair shine bright. If he were anyone else I'd say he was staring incredulously at me, but his eyes stayed fixed down the hall. Only in little moments like this did he act blind.
"Dude," he said, "how often do you think we get guests? And you guys are on your way to fight somebody that controls a quarter of the country. I think everybody could do with something to lighten the atmosphere a little."
"Huh. When you put it like that…"
He grinned, thumping my shoulder— and without turning his head my way, he didn't miss my shoulder by even an inch. "Don't worry about a thing! I'll get it set up. All I ask in return is stories about Thalia's adventures."
"She won't tell you?" I asked, surprised.
"Oh, she tells stories," he said. "But I'm not interested in those ones. I want to hear the stuff she won't say."
Matching smirks spread on our faces.
"You know," I said, "I think I can manage that."
-
The moon was out with the stars for company. Distant roars and shrieks from monsters couldn't dim the chatter as everyone sat outdoors, ringing the pool in lounge chairs or splashing and playing in the water. Almost all my followers were present, along with all ten Roman demigods that called the Wolfhouse home. Jason hadn't been kidding about spare supplies. There were tables laden with snacks and, even more amazingly, real alcohol.
I never drank before. After taking it slow at first, I gave in and drained five or six beers. The taste would take getting used to, but it helped me match the mood. Laughter burbled out of people all around the pool. A smile hadn't left my face in hours.
"So we run out the other side of the tunnel, the pig still on our tails, and Thalia goes whiter than the snow." I leaned forward, tilting a half-empty can of beer as I talked. "I can't figure out what's wrong with her. But she won't move, so I have to do something. I grab her shield and we both jump on. Before I know it, we're sliding all the way down the ravine."
"Didn't you say the drop was seventy feet?" Pranjal asked, nursing a drink of his own. He had his arm over a girl I'd been introduced to when the party started, a redhead with slight buck teeth named Gwendolyn.
"Probably more like eighty," I said. "Why?"
"You're crazy."
"Probably. Speaking of crazy, you should've seen Thalia. She couldn't stop shrieking the whole way down. When we finally stopped, she could barely use her voice. You know what the first thing she says to me is? If you tell anyone that I'm scared of heights… "
I put on my best Thalia impression— meaning tensing my face like I was trying to frown someone to death and glaring with everything I had. My audience busted a gut, especially Jason, while Thalia looked toward us. When she had figured out what we were getting up to, she specifically placed herself on the opposite side of the pool to make sure she wouldn't overhear. From the look on her face, it was only half-working.
Sitting around me on chairs or on the ground were six of our hosts. There was Pranjal and his girlfriend, Gwen. Next to them was Frank the shapeshifter. The boy was naturally quiet, but I was pretty sure he was having a good time. Then there was Jason, of course, and a drop-dead gorgeous girl with dark skin and braided hair that hadn't let his hand go once since he sat down. Piper. That was her name.
"That's why you told the story about the bus crashing in the lake first!" said Leila, the last member of my audience. "To show she's afraid of heights!"
"She's over that now, though," Jason said. "She grew out of it."
Leila waved him off. "Sure. But that's not nearly as fun. Do you have any more stories about her almost pissing herself?"
"Just something with a goat path," I said. "But that one's not nearly as fun."
"Booo!" Leila said, knocking back what I was pretty sure was her tenth drink.
I'd learned more about the blond in the last hour than I expected I would in a year. When we met she was so suspicious, completely on guard. She'd allowed Thalia to lug her by the armpits rather than take a ride on one of our chariots. Then the party rolled around, and it was like a different person came out.
Despite promises from Jason that he'd get me the first drink, it was Leila that reached the stache before anyone else. I was sure she was the drunkest at the party. Her cheeks were bright pink, and her arm swayed slightly as she held her latest can.
Leila knocked back the rest of her beer and looked for another, although she gave up when she didn't find any in arm's reach.
"More stories!" she demanded.
"You know, I think that's enough for us." Pranjal stood, stretching, and Gwen stood with him. "We're calling it a night."
Leila gave the couple a whistle, to which Pranjal delivered a firm flick to her forehead. She treated us to a theatrical 'death' by planting her hands on her head and falling down on her back.
Pranjal snorted. "Good night, everybody."
A chorus of good nights followed the two as they disappeared back into the manor. Soon others started following their example, not just from our group but all around the pool. Frank left, and soon after Piper yawned deeply, excusing herself and tugging on Jason's hand.
The blond boy paused as he started to leave.
"You want me to put her to bed?" he asked me, nodding his head at where Layla lay spread-eagle on the ground.
"Put who to bed?" groused the girl. "I'm not a kid! I'm an adult. A young adult, sure, but if you fight off monsters for a living you get to choose your own bedtime! I will die on this hill!"
"Nah, it's fine," I said. "I'll look out for her."
He raised an eyebrow as Leila continued to rant about the inalienable rights of demigods and the need to push through new anti-mother-hen legislation.
"Really, I don't mind," I insisted.
"If you're sure," he said. "Say, Percy…"
It seemed like he wanted to say something important, but he paused and shook his head. "Nevermind. I'll tell you another time."
I watched his retreating back for a moment, noting the way he picked the waiting Piper out of the crowd.
"Is that guy blind or not?" I mumbled, hardly realizing I spoke the thought out loud.
"His eyes don't work."
I turned my attention to Leila, still laying by my feet. She absently kicked her legs in the air.
"Those eyeballs are toast," she said. "They see as much as a Gray Sister waiting her turn. His lights are off all day. If Nyx moved in nextdoor, he wouldn't spot a thing."
"You could've just said that he's blind."
"But he's not." Leila tilted her head up, framing her cute face against the white tile. "Blind means you can't see. He can see, just not with his eyes. He's a real hero, more than the rest of us ever will be. The things he overcame—" she cut off, blowing loose strands of hair out of her face and laying her skull back on the tile. "Whatever. You wouldn't get it."
I glanced around the poolside. In less than a half-hour it had gone from being crowded to nearly empty. Thalia was still there, talking intently with Grace. Mikey had been dragged off to bed by Calypso a while ago. Four or five of my followers were still swimming or chatting, but that was it.
I finished my beer and lay down next to Leila.
The tile was cool against my body. Despite everything the Titans had destroyed, one thing that survived was the weather. We were on the West Coast, where even a warm day was always chased off by a chilly night. I stared at the stars, tracing constellations with my eyes, and smiled.
"If I wouldn't get it, then explain it to me."
Leila glanced at me, a hint of the suspicion she showed before she got drunk leaking out. "You serious?"
"So serious."
"Well, it's a long story, and it's not a happy one. So don't whine if the depression chases off your buzz."
Lying side by side, she fulfilled her promise. She told me everything.
It started at the same time we were fighting in Manhattan. Camp Jupiter hadn't even known, but that didn't mean they were doing nothing. They marched on Mt. Othrys, the heart of the Titans' power, and dealt Kronos's brother Krios a crushing defeat.
"He's the Ruler of the South now," Leila said tonelessly. "At the time, we really thought we won. Looking back now… I don't know if I pity how stupid we were, or miss being that optimistic."
When Kronos returned, the shackles came off. Monsters all over the country rallied. They slaughtered mortals for fun, ransacking cities like an invading army. At first Camp Jupiter tried to protect them. Soon, they were too busy trying to protect themselves.
"We held out for a year and a half," she said. "By that point monsters had us surrounded. Our protections were already failing, so we made a gamble. If we could reach the Wolf House, where Lupa had been, maybe we'd be safe. There were about a hundred of us then."
They didn't have flying chariots to bypass the monsters infesting the city. They had to fight their way through, making sure never to stop or slow down. They lost ten that way, but they made it all the way to Sonoma.
"He was waiting for us there," Leila said. "I was a Centurion of the Fourth Cohort. I marched on Mount Othrys on the front lines, so I'd seen him, and I'm telling you he looked exactly the same. His black armor had every constellation on its surface, and his helmet was shaped like a ram with these big, curling horns. He gestured for Jason to come out, and Jason did. They fought then."
"I think Jason believed that he would fight him in single combat. And Krios did fight alone— but that didn't stop him from sending his monsters to slaughter the rest of us. Jason got desperate. He was fighting against both Krios and time. Just when it seemed like he'd made an opening, the same as on Mt. Othrys, Krios showed that the rules had changed."
Leila held a hand up toward the stars, spreading her fingers and gazing between them.
"Half of us didn't close our eyes in time as he took his true form, and they were gone. Just like that. Jason's eyes burned out from proximity, and just to finish the job, Krios hit him with something none of us could see. We just heard him scream. He's had the scar ever since."
"How did you survive?" I asked.
"Krios left after that. He wanted Jason to die slowly. Even with him gone we were still surrounded by monsters. I would've given up. But somehow, Jason got to his feet. He explained it to me once, but I never completely understood it. He said he knew that he couldn't give up, and that once he lost his sight he gained something else. He figured out how to sense everything through the air. He knows how you move even with his back turned. He opened a path for us, fighting until his cuts had cuts of their own. So sure, his eyes might not work, but I'm telling you now: never look down on him. All of us here… we owe him our lives."
"I won't," I said sincerely. "Thank you for telling me."
I of all people knew how hard it could be, telling a story like that.
She looked at me, and for the first time since settling on the floor, I pulled my eyes off the sky to look at her back. We were the only ones by the pool now. I couldn't help but notice what a pretty color her eyes were, gold-brown like wheat ready for harvest.
"I'm not drunk you know," she said suddenly.
"Sure you aren't," I said.
"I'm serious! I know you think I am, but I'm letting you in on a secret. It's all an act."
"Uh-huh."
She frowned and pushed her way to her feet. Without any warning, she ran at the wall next to us and kicked off of it. I surged up to catch her before she landed on her neck and hurt herself, but she completed a perfect flip.
She held her hands out wide. "Could a drunk do that?"
"Probably," I said. "But it was still really cool."
She growled. "Hater. I'm going for a swim."
She marched to the pool's edge starting to shed clothes. I joined her, of course. I had promised to look out for her.
Her sweater came off first, followed by her socks. When she started unbuttoning her jeans I blushed, but only a little bit.
"It's an act," she said again. "The rambling, the blushing, the unsteadiness... I'm doing it all on purpose. I'm a daughter of Ceres, fermented crops don't even affect me."
I pulled off my own shirt. "Alright then. It's an act. Why bother?"
She gave my upper body an appreciative glance. "Good choice. To answer the question… It's kind of complicated, actually." She pulled off her own shirt, leaving her in nothing but her underwear. "At Camp I was a Centurion. Now, I'm a better fighter than Gwen or Piper. I go on every supply run and any mission we need, and I have to stay vigilant. The last time we let our guard down… That's why there's only ten of us left. I don't regret the way I live. I chose it. But that doesn't mean I don't need breaks."
I'd pulled off my pants as she talked, stripping down to my boxers. Then I noticed her hands were still moving. They reached around her back, fingers squeezing the clasp on her bra.
"Hold on," I said, stopping her with a hand on the wrist. "Weren't you just trying to convince me that you're not drunk? Taking off your clothes with a stranger is about the worst way of doing that. "
She rolled her eyes. "What's the opposite of constantly keeping your guard up?"
"I don't know, but probably not 'Getting naked'."
She leaned in close enough for me to smell her. She had a sweet scent, like ripe fruit with plenty of sun.
"It's total, wild release," she whispered.
Her fingers popped open her bra. She tossed it halfway across the pool's courtyard. Giggling, she took a running start toward the water, her perky tits jiggling freely with each step. Leaping in headfirst, she managed to pull her panties off and hurl those away too in midair. If she was aiming for me, it was a good shot. The underwear landed across my forehead.
I pulled it off, tossing it away onto the tiles. Leila surfaced, laughing and gesturing for me to follow. I did exactly that— after stopping to kick off my boxers.
Even I was slightly surprised at myself. Just because one of us was skinny dipping didn't mean we both had to. But something was waking up in me, something I'd felt a few times before.
I wasn't stupid. Even without Jason's nifty sixth sense I could tell which way this wind was blowing. Ever since Leila lost her first piece of clothing I'd felt a primal urge that had only grown stronger, telling me to do what was natural. Telling me to make her mine.
I jumped into the pool.
I could get wet now. The control I once had over water disappeared with my mortality. I still came from Poseidon, but that wasn't my immortal half anymore. I was a god of my own now, and not a sea-based one.
My head burst out of the water with a couple strong kicks. I flicked my head back, tossing sopping hair out of my eyes. Leila met me there, swimming close and laying a hand against my chest.
"I need nights like this," she said. "It's what keeps me sane. Little breaks where I act drunk and crazy and trusting. Just for one night here and there I let go of my common sense. The idea is to have as much fun as possible, without thinking about a single thing. It works pretty well."
I could see the desire in her eyes, and my body moved on reflex.
I dragged her naked body to mine through the cool water, disrupting her swimming as my hands grasped her cute soft backside. My own legs were more than enough to keep us both afloat. Her body shuddered, and I felt it in mine.
She was offering herself to me. Her body was mine, as long as I took the lead and made the decisions tonight. She was asking to be used .
My fingers tightened their grip as my tongue plunged past her delicate lips. Leila melted into me, our night starting for real only then, in that pool under the stars.