ROYAL CRIES
━━ chapter twenty

━━ THEY LANDED AT Crissy Field after nightfall.

As soon as Dr. Chase stepped out of his Sopwith Camel, his daughter ran to him and enveloped him in a hug. "Dad! You flew ... you shot ... oh my gods! That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"

Elisa's heart gave a quick jerk at the sight of a seemingly happy father and daughter. She turned her attention to a scene even worse for her.

The Hunter shivered despite the blanket wrapped around her tightly. Sweat beaded on her forehead. If Elisa didn't know any better, she'd think the Hunter was suffering from a common cold.

"Tell me you have some nectar or ambrosia on you," Thalia pleaded with Elisa. Her blue eyes were icy as she stared down at Zoë.

The daughter of Dionysus shook her head. "I never thought of taking any with me."

Even if she had, it wasn't like Elisa had the time to go make a pit stop for anything she thought of taking on a quest.

Elisa looked to Artemis. "Do you keep any with you? Any on the chariot?"

The goddess's face was grim. "I do not. I never gained the habit of keeping any me," she said. "I am not sure what good it would do Zoë now ..."

She whispered the last part; a hollow and hoarse sound Elisa never expected to hear from a goddess.

Elisa hated to take no as an answer. She hated to sit by and watch as Zoë withered away before her. She sat down slowly, keeping Zoë in her line of sight. She crossed her legs and grabbed Zoë's hand. The Hunter's hand was ice cold, sending a shiver down Elisa's spine.

Zoë could barely squeeze Elisa's hand. Elisa's eyes held unshed tears as she looked up at Thalia.

The daughter of Zeus closed her eyes briefly before turning to Annabeth and Percy, both of whom were talking to Dr. Chase.

"Annabeth, Percy," she called to them.

They looked over their shoulders, seeing the scene unfolding before them. The two walked over silently. Zoë's hand was growing colder by the minute as Artemis was binding the wound on the Huntress's side.

"Can't you heal her with magic?" Percy asked Artemis. "I mean ... you're a goddess."

Artemis sighed. "Life is a fragile thing, Percy. If the Fates will the string to be cut, there is little I can do. But I can try."

She tried to set her hand on Zoë's side, but Zoë gripped her wrist. She looked into the goddess's eyes, and some kind of understanding passed between them.

"Have I ... served thee well?" Zoë whispered.

"With great honor," Artemis replied softly. "The finest of my attendants."

Zoë's face relaxed. "Rest. At last."

"I can try to heal the poison, my brave one."

But at that moment, Elisa knew it wasn't just the poison that was killing Zoë. It was Atlas's final blow. Zoë had known all along that the Oracle's prophecy was about her: she would be the one to die by a parent's hand. But yet, she'd taken the quest anyway, all with a brave face, too.

Zoë saw Thalia and took her hand.

"I am sorry we argued," said Zoë. "We could have been sisters."

"It's my fault," Thalia said, blinking rapidly. "You were right about Luke, about heroes, men—everything."

"Perhaps not all men," Zoë murmured. She smiled weakly at Percy. "Do you still have the sword, Percy?"

He brought Riptide out and placed the pen in her hand. She grasped it contentedly. "You spoke the truth, Percy Jackson. You are nothing like ...like Hercules. I am honored that you carry this sword."

Zoë looked at the girl sitting at her side. "Elisa ...?" she said. The daughter of Dionysus squeezed her hand as a way of reminding the Hunter she was still there.

The Hunter tried to smile at her. "There is a proper way to grieve. I promise you. Do not be like me, confront your past, and do not let it control you. You have a strong heart and mind, you would make a worthy Hunter—"

A shudder ran through her body.

"Zoë—" Elisa tried to say, her eyes burning with hot, briny tears.

"Stars," Zoë whispered. "I can see the stars again, my lady."

A tear trickled down Artemis's cheek. "Yes, my brave one. They are beautiful tonight."

"Stars," repeated Zoë. Her eyes were fixed on the night sky. She did not move again.

Elisa's chin quivered as she let go of Zoë's hand slowly. Percy let out a low sigh of hushed heartbreak. Silent tears were streaming down Annabeth's face. Dr. Chase placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders.

Artemis cupped her hands above Zoë's mouth and spoke a few words in Ancient Greek. A silvery wisp of smoke exhaled from Zoë's lips and was caught in the hand of the goddess. Zoë's body shimmered and disappeared.

The goddess stood, said a kind of blessing, breathed into her cupped hands, and released the silver dust to the sky. It flew into the sky, sparkling, and vanished into thin air.

For a moment, Elisa couldn't see anything different in the night sky. Then Annabeth gasped. Elisa looked a little closer and saw the stars burn brighter than before. They made a pattern she had never seen before—a gleaming constellation that looked like a girl's figure—a girl with a bow, running across the night sky.

"Let the world honor you, my Hunteress," said Artemis. "Live forever in the stars."

It wasn't easy saying goodbyes, just like it wasn't back in the junkyard of the gods. The thunder and lightning were still boiling over at Mount Tamalpais in the north. Artemis was so upset that she flickered with silver light.

"I must go to Olympus immediately," the goddess said. "I will not be able to take you, but I will send help."

The Goddess of the Hunt set her hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "You are brave beyond measure, my girl. You will do what is right."

Then, she looked quizzically at Thalia, as if she weren't sure what to make of the younger daughter of Zeus. Thalia seemed reluctant to look up, but something made her, and she held the goddess's gaze. Elisa wasn't sure what passed between the two, but Artemis's gaze softened with sympathy.

Then, she turned to Elisa. The goddess smiled faintly. "My dear ... you have lost much, but you must keep pushing, you must keep pulling yourself forward."

Artemis looked at Percy. "You did well," she said. "For a man."

She mounted her chariot, which began to glow. They averted their eyes. There was a flash of silver, and the goddess of gone.

"Well," Dr. Chase sighed. "She was impressive; though, I must say I still prefer Athena."

Annabeth turned to him. "Dad, I ... I'm sorry that—"

Dr. Chase shushed and hugged her. "Do what you must, my dear. I know this isn't easy for you."

His voice was a little shaky, but he gave Annabeth a brave smile.

Then Elisa heard the whoosh of large wings. A sound she had heard before, on the hill of Camp Half-Blood. Four pegasi descended through the fog: two pure white, a caramel brown, and one pure black pegasus.

She glanced at Percy. "Is that—?"

"Blackjack!" the son of Poseidon called.

It was the pegasus she had met before. But this time, he had brought some of his companions.

The pure black pegasus neighed.

"It was rough," Percy responded to whatever Blackjack had said.

Blackjack looked to the others around, neighing.

"Nah. These are my friends," Percy said. "We need to get to Olympus pretty fast."

Blackjack neighed loudly. Dr. Chase was staring opened-mouth at the pegasus. Elisa nearly smiled at the situation, catching Percy's eye.

"Fascinating," Dr. Chase murmured. "Such maneuverability! How does the wingspan compensate for the weight of the horse's body, I wonder?"

Blackjack cocked his head.

"Why, if the British had had these pegasi in the cavalry charges on the Crimea," Dr. Chase said, "the charge of the light brigade—"

"Dad!" Annabeth interrupted him.

Her father blinked. He looked at his daughter and managed a smile. "I'm sorry, my dear, I know you must go."

He gave her one last awkward, well-meaning hug. As she turned to climb aboard one of the pure white pegasuses, Dr. Chase said, "Annabeth, I know ... I know San Francisco is a dangerous place for you. But please remember, you always have a home with us. We will keep you safe."

Annabeth didn't answer, but her eyes were red as she turned away. Dr. Chase started to say more, then apparently thought better of it. He raised his hand in a sad farewell and trudged away, across the dark field.

Elisa mounted the caramel pegasus, which she learned was named Rocky from Percy. Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth mounted the other three pegasi after her. And soon, they were soaring over San Francisco. They flew over the bay and flew toward the eastern hills, and before Elisa knew it, San Francisco was only a glittering crescent behind them, with an occasional flicker of lightning in the north.

There was silence between the four demigods. Thalia had fallen asleep, even with her fear of heights. Annabeth was silent, clearly deep in thought. Her stormy grey eyes were trained ahead of her. Elisa had a feeling she knew what the daughter of Athena was mulling over. The death of Luke and what her father had told her.

Elisa looked to the sky before her, absentmindedly curling the pegasus's mane hair around her forefinger. She, too, was lost in her mind deeply. She never thought she would see the day where her heart ached more than the day Bianca died. Maybe it was the fact she watched Zoë wither away, maybe it was because she could have done something more to help Zoë, that she could have stopped the Hunter before Atlas made one last hit.

With Bianca's death, it wasn't her plan that got her killed; it was Percy's plan. Not that Elisa blamed him ... Percy meant the plan for himself, but Bianca had taken it upon herself.

Even still, some of the blame could be placed on Elisa. She never tried to talk Bianca out of going, even though she knew that Bianca could die on the quest. Then, Elisa made an even dumber decision of going on the quest, knowing that she could die.

If Elisa had died just like Bianca, that meant Nico would be alone. She wasn't sure if that was to make her feel better, with the constant fear of how she was going to tell Nico his sister was dead.

Percy silently guided Blackjack to fly next to Rocky. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm ... alive," Elisa said. "I guess that can count for something. You?"

Percy watched Elisa, his brows knitted together. She knew he was thinking of something that was puzzling him, but she was too scared to ask. She wasn't exactly glad he managed to ask, though.

"Why did you do it?" he asked.

Elisa knew there was no point in asking what he meant. "Bianca," she said. "I couldn't let her death be for nothing. I wasn't sure if you died if we would've been able to get out alive. Besides, now I can say you owe me your life."

Percy flushed. "I was doing just fine!" he insisted.

A faint smile appeared on Elisa's face. "It didn't look like that to me, but sure."

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Elisa wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but Thalia was the one to wake her up by gently shaking her shoulder. She rubbed her eyes and slid off the back of the caramel-colored pegasus. When stars stopped blurring her vision, she saw the true beauty of everything before her; Olympus. The mountain was cast in twenty different colors made from torches and fires, the light stood out against the early-morning darkness.

The twisting streets were full of demigods, nature spirits, and minor godlings bustling around. Winter clearly wasn't a thing to the Olympians. Elisa could smell whole gardens in full bloom, many things she couldn't name. Music drifted from many windows, the sound of lyres and reed pipes.

The pegasi had dropped them off in front of huge silver gates. Elisa stared up at them with amazement on her face. Before they could think of knocking, they opened for them.

The four pegasi flew off, leaving the four demigods alone. For a minute, they stood there, simply staring at the palace before them—side by side—then, they walked into the throne room.

There, waiting for them, were twelve humungous thrones shaped in a great big 'U' around a central hearth, just the same as the cabin placements at Camp Half-Blood. All of the seats were occupied; each god and goddess stood at least five meters tall.

The ceiling above glittered with constellations—even the newest one, Zoë the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn.

"Welcome, heroes," Artemis said.

There was a sudden moo. That was how Elisa noticed Grover and the Ophiotaurus.

A sphere of water was hovering in the center of the room, next to the hearth fire. The serpent bull was swimming happily around, swishing his serpent tail and poking his head out the sides and bottom of the sphere. He seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble. Grover was kneeling at Zeus's throne, as if he'd just been giving a report, but when he saw the demigods, he cried, "You made it!"

He started to run for Percy, but seem to remember he was turning his back on Zeus, and looked for permission.

"Go on," Zeus said. But he wasn't paying attention to Grover, he was staring intently at his mortal daughter before him.

Grover trotted over. None of the gods spoke. Every clop of Grover's hooves echoed on the marble floor. The Ophiotaurus splashed in his bubble of water. The hearth fire crackled.

Elisa looked at her father. He looked the same as ever, but he didn't look as sour as he normally did. She wasn't sure the reason, but it was odd to see.

Grover gave Annabeth and Thalia hugs. He grasped Elisa by the shoulders, soon wrapping his arms around her tightly. Elisa cringed from pain but patted him on the back. The satyr let go of her, grasping Percy's arm.

"Percy," he said, "Bessie and I made it! But you have to convince them! They can't do it!"

"Do what?" Percy asked.

"Heroes," Artemis called.

The goddess slid down from her throne and turned into a human-sized young girl, perfectly at ease in the midst of the giant Olympians. She walked for the half-bloods, her silver robes shimmering. There was no emotion on her face. She seemed to talk in a column of moonlight.

"The Council has been informed of your deeds," said the Goddess of the Hunt. "They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas's attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act."

It seemed to be the obvious choice to Elisa. How could they just sit back while a Titan was planning to overthrow them? But there was some mumbling and shuffling among the gods, as if they weren't thinking the idea to act was the right choice. In the end, nobody protested.

"At my Lord Zeus's command," Artemis said, "my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans' cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes ..."

She turned to face the other immortals. "These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?"

She looked around at the assembled gods, meeting their faces individually. Zeus in his dark pin-striped suit, his black beard neatly trimmed, and his eyes sparking with energy. Next to him sat a beautiful woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered colors like peacock feathers. The Lady Hera.

On Zeus's right, Poseidon, who looked a lot like the boy who stood next to Elisa. The God of the Sea was dressed like a father on vacation in Hawaii. He had a weathered, suntanned face with a dark beard and deep sea-green eyes.

Next to Lord Poseidon was a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, a misshapen head, and a wild brown beard, fire flickering through his whiskers. The Lord of the Forges, Hephaestus.

Next to the God of Forges was the most normal-looking god. He was wearing a business suit, checking messages on a mobile phone that had two snakes slithering up and down. God of Inventions, Lord Hermes.

Then was Apollo. He leaned back on his golden throne with dark, square sunglasses on. He had iPod headphones on, so Elisa wasn't even sure the god was paying attention, but he gave her a thumbs up.

Next was Elisa's father, Dionysus, God of Madness. He was twirling a grapevine around his finger. He met Elisa's eyes, and although his bored expression didn't change, his eyes said a lot. Elisa wasn't sure, not that great at reading expressions, but she almost saw relief in his eyes.

On the goddess's side, a dark-haired goddess in green robes sat next to Hera on a throne of woven apple tree branches. Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. Next to Demeter sat a strikingly beautiful woman. This goddess had stormy grey eyes and was wearing an elegant white dress. From the eyes alone, Elisa knew she was Athena, seeing the same eyes on Annabeth; Lady Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom.

The final goddess was a goddess who seemed to not be able to choose one form to take. Her face morphed every second, one moment she looked like Elisa's first ever crush, a girl with coiled hair and dark skin. The next moment, she took the form of a beautiful woman with brown hair and blue eyes; an actress Elisa had seen in some movies. But the form she stuck with the longest was a woman with jet black hair that flowed down her back and sparking green eyes.

Elisa squinted up to the goddess, going through the names of the Olympians she had already named. It was—

Aphrodite.

Suddenly, the goddess's changes in appearance made better sense. As the Goddess of Beauty, she seemed to take the form of whatever Elisa thought was pretty.

The Goddess of Love met eyes with Elisa, her green eyes gleaming. The goddess's expression made Elisa look away just from the pressure of the stare.

All the Olympians in one place. So much power in the room, it was a miracle nothing was exploding yet.

"I gotta say" —Apollo broke the silence— "these kids did okay." He cleared his throat and began to recite: "Heroes win laurels—"

"Um, yes, first class," Hermes was quick to interrupt. He sounded anxious to hear to avoid Apollo's poetry ( and after hearing it first-hand, so was Elisa ). "All in favor of not disintegrating them?"

A few tentative hands went up—Demeter, Aphrodite.

"Wait just a minute," Ares growled. He pointed a finger at Thalia and Percy. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here—"

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits."

"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled. "She has done well."

Thalia flushed brightly. She studied the floor. Unfortunately, Elisa knew how Thalia felt; wanting so bad to win your absent parent's favor, and unaware of what to do once you got it.

Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. "I am proud of my daughter, as well. But there is a security risk here with the other two."

"Mother!" Annabeth said. "How can you—?"

Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look. "It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods ... such as Thalia and Percy ... are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point."

"Right!" Ares shouted. Then, he realized. "Hey, wait a minute! Who you callin'—?"

He started to get up, but a grapevine slithered around his waist like a seat belt and pulled the God of War back down.

"Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later."

Ares cursed loudly and ripped the vine off of him. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?"

Dionysus looked down at the four half-bloods below him. "I only hold love for my daughter. As for the rest ... I have no love for them. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?"

"I do not pass judgment," the Goddess of Wisdom said. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide."

"I will not have them punished," said Artemis. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it."

"Calm down, sis," said Apollo. "Jeez, you need to lighten up."

"Don't call me sis! I will reward them."

"Well," Zeus grumbled. "Perhaps. But the monster at least must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?"

Most Olympians nodded.

It took Elisa a moment to understand. They meant the Ophiotaurus. She figured it was a safe move, knowing just how dangerous keeping the creature alive was.

"Bessie?" Percy asked, his voice echoing loudly. "You want to destroy Bessie?"

The serpent bull protested the idea.

Poseidon frowned. "You have named the Ophiotaurus Bessie?"

"Dad," said Percy, "he's just a sea creature. A really nice sea creature. You can't destroy him."

The God of the Sea shifted in his throne uncomfortably. "Percy, the monster's power is considerable. If the Titans were to steal it, or—"

"You can't," Percy insisted. He looked at Zeus. "Controlling the prophecies never works. Isn't that true? Besides, Bess—the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. It's just as wrong as ... as Kronos eating his children, just because of something they might do. It's wrong!"

It seemed that Percy may have gotten through to the Lord of the Sky. His eyes drifted over to his daughter, Thalia. "And what of the risk? Kronos knows full well, if one of you were to sacrifice the beast's entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. Do you think we can let that possibility remain? You, my daughter, will turn sixteen on the morrow, just as the prophecy says."

Percy looked back to Elisa, pleading with her to make a stand.

"You have to trust them—er, sir," she spoke up.

Zeus scowled. "Trust a hero?"

A hero who just saved your sorry ass, was a passing thought in Elisa's brain. She cringed at the look on Zeus's face, shutting her mouth to keep her thoughts to herself.

"Elisa is right," said Artemis. "Which is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion, Zoë Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have a new lieutenant. And I intend to choose one. But first, Father Zeus, I must speak to your privately."

Zeus beckoned Artemis forward. He leaned down and listened as she spoke in his ear.

Beside Elisa, Percy tensed and grabbed her arm tightly.

The girl frowned. "What the fuck is your problem?" she hissed.

Elisa," he said under his breath, as so as not to be heard. "You can't."

The daughter of Dionysus regarded him cooly. "What are you talking about?"

"You just can't. Think about Nico ... I couldn't ... I don't ..."

"Percy, you look like you're gonna be sick," Elisa whispered back.

"I shall have a new lieutenant," the goddess announced. "If she will accept it."

Percy paled more—somehow. "No," he murmured.

"Thalia," Artemis said. "Daughter of Zeus. Will you join the Hunt?"

Stunned silence filled the room. Elisa stared at Thalia with shock. But Annabeth was smiling. She grabbed and squeezed Thalia's hand and let it go, as if she'd been expecting this all along.

"I will," Thalia said firmly.

Zeus rose, his eyes full of concern. "My daughter, consider well—"

"Father," she said. "I will not turn sixteen tomorrow. I will never turn sixteen. I won't let this prophecy be mine. I stand with my sister Artemis. Kronos will never tempt me again."

She knelt before the goddess and began the oath to Artemis. "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men ..."

Afterward, now a Hunter and the lieutenant, she walked over to them. She smiled and reached over to hug Percy first. He flushed awkwardly as she pulled away, gripping his shoulders.

"Uh ... aren't you supposed to not do that anymore? Hug boys, I mean?" Percy asked. Elisa rolled her eyes at the question.

"I'm honoring a friend," Thalia corrected. "I must join the Hunt, Percy. I haven't known peace since ... since Half-Blood Hill. I finally feel like I have a home. But you're a hero. You will be the one of the prophecy."

"Great," he muttered.

"I'm proud to be your friend."

Thalia hugged Annabeth, who was trying hard not to cry. Then she even hugged Grover, who looked ready to pass out. She looked to Elisa, smiling slightly. The two hugged, and when Thalia pulled away, she said quietly, "I'll make sure everything I do as a Hunter will honor Bianca and Zoë."

Elisa's chest tightened as she gave Thalia a watery-eyed smile.

Then, Thalia went to stand by Artemis's side.

"Now for the Ophiotaurus," the goddess said.

"This boy is still dangerous," Dionysus warned. "The beast is a temptation to great power. Even if we spare the boy—"

"No." Percy looked around the gods. "Please. Keep the Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him under the sea somewhere, or keep him in an aquarium here in Olympus. But you have to protect him."

"And why should we trust you?" rumbled Hephaestus.

"I'm only fourteen," Percy replied. "If this prophecy is about me, that's two more years."

"Two years for Kronos to deceive you," said Athena. "Much can change in two years, my young hero."

"Mother!" Annabeth sounded exasperated.

"It is only the truth, child. It is a bad strategy to keep the animal alive. Or the boy."

Poseidon stood. "I will not have a sea creature destroyed, if I can help it. And I can help it."

He held out his hand, and a trident appeared in it: A twenty-foot-long bronze shaft with three spear tips that shimmered with blue, watery light. "I will vouch for the boy and the safety of the Ophiotaurus."

"You won't take it under the sea!" Zeus stood suddenly. "I won't have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession."

Deep lines appeared on Poseidon's face. He sighed laboriously. "Brother, please."

Zeus's lightning bolt appeared in his hand; a shaft of electricity that filled the whole room with the smell of ozone.

"Fine," Percy's father gave in. "I will build an aquarium for the creature here. Hephaestus can help me. The creature will be safe. We shall protect it with all our powers. The boy will not betray us. I vouch for this on my honor."

Elisa snuck a look in Percy's direction. The boy was a vibrant shade of red, brighter than Elisa had ever seen on someone.

Zeus seemed content with the plan. "All in favor?" he asked the Council.

To Elisa's surprise, more hands went up than before. Dionysus abstained, and so did Ares and Athena. But the other nine Olympians . . .

"We have a majority," Zeus decreed. "And so, since we will not be destroying these heroes ... I imagine we should honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!"

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Leave it to the Olympians to throw an extravagant party. But to Elisa, the word "extravagant" felt like an understatement.

The Nine Muses cranked up the music, and Elisa realized that the music was whatever each listener wanted it to be: The gods could listen to what they wanted, probably more classical music, while the young demigods could listen to whatever they pleased.

Dionysus went around growing refreshment stands out of the ground, and a beautiful woman walked with him arm in arm—his wife, Ariadne. Dionysus looked happy for once ( she'd never say it, but Elisa felt a prick of anger in her blood ).

Nectar and ambrosia overflowed from golden fountains, and platters of mortal snack food crowded the banquet tables. Golden goblets filled with whatever drink you wanted. Grover trotted around with a full plate of tin cans and enchiladas, and his goblet was full of double-espresso latte, which he kept muttering over like an incantation: "Pan! Pan!"

Gods and goddesses kept coming up to Elisa to thank her. At that point, they had reduced themselves to human size, so they didn't accidentally trample any partygoers.

But Elisa felt suffocated by it all. She made her way outside the grand building, stopping by the edge of the main gardens. And there, although she could still hear music and feel the dull thud of the heavy beats, it was a lot quieter. She sat down on a marble bench. It was cool to the touch as she laid her hands on it.

Off in the distance, ahead of her, in the garden was a satyr and a wood nymph. The two were behaving as the other satyrs and wood nymphs back at Camp Half-Blood do. The satyr was chasing the wood nymph, hopeful to get her affection. But as soon as he got close, the wood nymph turned into a tree, and the satyr ran head-first into a maple tree.

"They never learn," said a calm voice.

Elisa looked to her left, finding her father standing beside her. He was facing the garden as she was, his hands tucked neatly into his suit pants.

"I'm starting to get that," Elisa said.

"As the God of Festivities, I expected you to be enjoying the party," said Dionysus. He sat down beside her, dusting off his pants.

"It doesn't feel right," admitted Elisa. "Zoë died maybe three hours ago and you're expecting me to be out there partying like it's my last day on earth."

"Because it could've been your last day on earth," said the god. "I know I played off the fact I didn't want you to go because that Peter Johnson would be going, but it was because I wasn't sure how the quest was going to end. I was afraid you would be the one to die in the land with no rain."

Elisa sighed and hung her head low. She wiped away a tear that fell from her eye. "I can't go back to camp," she admitted. "I can't face Nico. I know he's expecting both of us to be coming back. I'm not even sure if they ever got to say goodbye to each other."

She tried to blink the tears away, but more only kept falling. It seemed that now—now that she had more privacy than she had in days—she couldn't stop crying. She felt silly and foolish for it all. For crying so heavily in front of a father who she barely knew.

Dionysus sat quietly by her side, patting her on the knee. When it seemed that Elisa could try and hold it together, he said, "My time as a demigod was never easy. Watching my friends and comrades die in front of me ... well, it never got easier. Everyone tells you that it does, but truly, only time can heal wounds."

"And I'm supposed to live like this? For the rest of my life?"

Dionysus didn't respond.

Elisa could feel a migraine forming. "I'm avoiding Aridane, you know."

It was her attempt at making the situation light-hearted. She wasn't sure how well it worked.

However, a faint smile appeared on her father's face. "She's more upset with me than you."

Elisa shrugged slightly. "I would still feel weird, waltzing up to her like that. I'm sure my face is a constant reminder."

Dionysus started to smile more. "Ariadne and I have already based out our problems, she understands why I sired you, Castor, and Pollux."

"Are we the only kids you have?" Elisa asked curiously.

Dionysus thought for a moment. "I have more children but it will be a few years before they're able to attend Camp Half-Blood."

Elisa raised her eyebrows. "Where are they?"

"One is in Miami, I know that," said Dionysus.

The God of Madness changed the topic soon after: "I'm not saying that celebrating after all you saw is wrong, but I'm also not saying that it would be a bad thing for you to try and enjoy yourself. Go and talk to some people, and if you hate it, come sit out here until it's all over."

He stood up, patting Elisa on the shoulder. "A god I do suggest avoiding is Apollo. He is nothing but trouble."

Elisa watched her father walk away with raised eyebrows. She supposed for having a god as a father, that was the closest thing she was ever going to get as support and love.

She walked back into the party, looking for the least crowded area to hang around. She was scanning the crowd when she caught Percy's eyes. He was standing beside a snack table, a half-eaten cookie in his hand. Elisa snickered to herself, walking over.

Percy shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth, saying to her, "Here you are, ready to ruin the party for me."

Elisa rolled her eyes. "You're an ass, Chico Pez."

"I learned it from you," he told her.

She shook her head. "Not at all. The thing is, when I'm an asshole, I'm funny. You're never funny."

"I would say I'm hilarious," Percy argued. "People laugh at my jokes."

"Yeah—pity laughs," Elisa said dryly.

Percy shoved her lightly in the shoulder. A sly smile slowly started to appear on his face. "Did you mean what you said? That if I died, we wouldn't have made it out."

Elisa shrugged half-heartedly. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I was running on impulse, I was doing whatever I thought would help us all get out alive."

Percy's smile turned grim. "Like Artemis said, if the Fates will it, there was nothing we could've done."

The back of Elisa's throat started to burn again. It mixed horribly with her growing migraine. "I get it," she said sourly. "I couldn't do anything."

A heavy round of silence settled between the two. Elisa looked at the snack table behind her, grabbing a macaron from a golden platter. She snapped it in half, offering one side to Percy.

"You're right," she said as the son of Poseidon took the dessert. "No matter what I did, they still would have died."

Percy nodded slowly, eating his half of the macaron. "You talk to your dad yet?"

Elisa scratched the side her right temple, silent for a moment. "A little bit. He told me why he didn't want me going on the quest. I didn't ... We didn't talk about the quest much itself, I just mentioned Zoë and how it felt wrong to have a party like this."

Percy swallowed. "I talked to my dad, and he said that a Titan had to be forced to take the sky but anyone else could choose to ... Basically, Luke took it from Atlas to trick Annabeth into taking it. I guess he knew Thalia and I would want to go."

Elisa's face remained passive. She ate her half of the dessert, wiping her hands on her pants. "He's sly. Luke, I mean."

"You talk as if you know who he is," Percy noticed. "I thought—back at Camp, you asked who he was."

"I didn't know you were talking about Luke Castellan," said Elisa. "I've met him before, back when I was on the run. Long before I made it to Camp."

The son of Poseidon was staring at her keenly, as if he was seeing her in a whole different light. "What d'you mean?" he asked.

Elisa's lips tightened and her eyebrows furrowed. She never wanted to relive it all, nor did she ever want to tell anyone what had happened. She never spoke of what had happened aloud, maybe because then she would truly have to face it all.

She took a deep breath, "I've been on the run for nearly two years, you know. I told you how a couple of empousai attacked me, but I couldn't kill one—the one that set fire to the apartment. Basically, I ended up getting away, but she promised to hunt me down until I was dead."

"How did you meet Luke?"

"I'm getting there," Elisa snapped. "The empousai—Maurelle—kept her promise. There was never a day I didn't see her lurking around. We'd have another stand-off and I would manage to get away again, but she always brought up Kronos and this guy named Luke. She would try and convince me to join them, that they would restart humanity anew. Eventually, I gave in, I ..." She paused. "They had this sort of initiation thing, I guess to make sure I was really, truly going to join."

"When did you agree?"

"A year later," Elisa said. However, the way she said it made it sound more of a question than a true answer. "I'm not sure, but I put it off for as long as I could. But I did meet Luke around the time I said I would join. He's a lot different now than what he was back then."

Percy frowned. "You agreed around, like, winter of '06?"

"Yeah," Elisa said. "Why?"

"That was a year after Luke stole Zeus's lightning bolt," said Percy. "At that point, I had already been at camp and got it back."

Elisa raised her eyebrows, grabbing another macaron. She took a bite, saying, "I never did the initiation, but I got tricked into something else months later that Maurelle said was good enough. I pushed it off for nearly a year, actually."

"What'd you do?"

"Right after?" Elisa asked. "I threw up."

"No." Percy shook his head. "What happened after that?"

"Maurelle found me and then we had this big fight," said Elisa. "That's when she pulled out my mother's head, like it was a trophy or something. We started fighting and then—in the end, I managed to kill her, but some mortals saw and I had to catch the next train. It's how I ended up in Bar Harbor, Maine."

"Why did you ever tell the empousai you would join?" Percy asked. "I wouldn't have."

"If I hadn't, I would've starved or got killed by her—whichever came first," said Elisa. "It was all about survival."

"Somehow," Percy murmured, "you tell me something else that no one should have gone through."

Elisa tried to smile. "We're not just someone. We can't be, not with gods for parents."

👑 AUG. 29TH, 2022 / rushed?? feels incomplete and all over the place??