Zeus was gone. One by one, the Olympians left. Athena gave me one last unreadable look before transforming into an owl and flying out of the palace. Demeter waved and disappeared inside a gigantic plant that sprung up from underneath her, just as Apollo and Artemis flashed away, Apollo giving me one last thumbs up before he disappeared. Pretty soon, it was just me, my uncle, Hestia, Poseidon, and Hera.
Hera stepped off of her throne and shrunk down to human form. She walked over to me, tapping her lotus staff on the ground every once in a while. I stayed on the ground, but she tapped my shoulder gently with her staff. A soft, purplish glow surrounded my body, and an invisible force picked me back up to my feet.
"Lady Hera," I said respectfully. I knew from Annabeth that Hera was notorious for her hatred of demigods, so I wasn't really sure how to play this one.
"There's no need to bow to me, Perseus," Hera said softly, an unreadable expression forming in her eyes. "You took this quest to save your mother, am I correct?"
"Yes," I replied instantly. I didn't know what I was sure of anymore, but I'd always be sure of that. "I just recently realized how much she sacrificed to keep me safe as a child. I plan on repaying her for the rest of my days."
Hera smiled at me again. "Such loyalty. You truly are special. May I ask why you used your wish to give thrones to my brother and sister? Surely, you must've wanted to ask for something more similar to money or power?"
"Well, not really," I said honestly. I knew she was testing me, but for once, I didn't have to lie or exaggerate. The truth was good enough for me, and I hoped it would be for her, too. "Without the help of Lady Hestia and Lord Hades, I would've had no way of succeeding in my quest. The very least I could do for them was the return of what's rightfully theirs, anyway."
"As far as demigods are concerned, I generally disapprove," Hera admitted, turning away from me and walking back towards her throne. As she reached the steps in front of it, she turned and looked back at me. "You, Perseus, might just be the exception." She was gone in a flash of purple light.
— - —
[Blessing of Hera] acquired!
— - —
I blinked at the notification. Huh…I guess I really did impress her.
"Well, kiddo, there's nothing left to say but thanks," Hades said, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "I wasn't expecting him to offer you a reward, and I wasn't expecting you to take that as a reward, but I appreciate it. Seriously. Like, a lot. I owe you one. And, outside of all that, you're always welcome in the Underworld."
"It's nothing, uncle," I replied, honestly. "It's the least I could do."
"Your friend Piper is already at camp. I had my wife move her into her cabin while she came back to drop off your mom," Hades gave me another sincere smile and ruffled my hair. "I gotta head back to the palace. Your mom will be back at your place, waiting for you. You did good, nephew. You did real good." The ground next to Hades opened up, and he jumped in with little more than a wave. The mess that was Ares also disappeared into the hole—it looked like my uncle wasn't completely done with him yet.
My dad and Hestia walked over to me next. Hestia wrapped me up in a warm hug and kissed my cheek gently. "Thank you, my champion."
"Of course, Lady Hestia," I said, smiling like a little kid. My entire body felt super warm like I was just wrapped up in a blanket. "It was nothing. It was nothing at all."
Poseidon clapped my shoulder. "That's my boy." "Thanks, Dad," My smile could've split my face in half. Two weeks ago, I was just an academically underachieving kid who never knew his dad. Now, though? I knew my dad. I knew my aunt, my uncle. I had real friends—a real home. "What are your plans this summer?" Poseidon asked me, the corners of his eyes crinkling with smile lines.
"Uh, wow, I didn't think about that," It was mid-June. I'd forgotten it was mid-June. Well, in my defense, I was under the impression that I would be dead before mid-June, but anyway, "Yeah, wow, I have no idea. I'll probably just spend some time with my mom and stay at camp for some time, too."
"Well," Poseidon said, reaching into his pocket. "Maybe I can help you out with that." My eyebrows shot towards my hairline as he placed two keys in my hand.
"What's this?"
"If you'd like to, I want you to come to Atlantis this summer," Poseidon said, a little nervously. His much bigger hand closed my hand around the keys. "I know you and your mother have had a tough life, and that I haven't been there as much as I wanted to be. I —look, I don't have any excuses. I don't. I left you and your mother to a horrible life. Even now, the Ancient Laws do dictate that I can't be there for you, but…"
"They say nothing about me," Hestia finished, a small smile stretching across her face. "If you'd like, I can take you to Atlantis and help you get settled in." I was floored. Atlantis?
"I—wow. You want me to come with you to Atlantis?" I somehow stumbled out. "I do," Poseidon confirmed. "On the ground, our progress would be limited. Underwater, however, I could teach you a great many things about battle strategy and help you branch off your hydrokinesis. You could live with me and serve in my court, for starters. We'd get in a lot of training."
"That sounds good," I said, visions of Atlantis floating around in my head. I imagined shimmering underwater cities with towers of coral and pearl, glowing softly in the ocean's depths. Swimming alongside dolphins that clicked and chattered like old friends. Training every day with my dad, learning to wield the sea itself like it was an extension of my body. For a moment, it felt so real I could almost taste the salt in the water and hear the gentle hum of an ancient city alive with magic. And then, like a wave crashing over a sandcastle, the vision shattered. Reality surged back in, cold and sharp. Gabe's ugly mug blurred the coral reefs. "But…my mom. I'm not leaving her alone with Gabe."
Hestia's nose crinkled at the mention of my stepfather. "I've been observing that…man for a few days. I believe he is the lowest that humanity has to offer."
"I agree. I think you should show him your new eye," Poseidon said venomously. He took a moment to compose himself. "That leads to what I just gave you. Look closer." I dangled the keys in front of my eyes. There was a small strip of leather with a surfboard design on it.
Carved along the side, right along the waves, was a message: Hither Hills. "Hither Hills?" I read aloud, running my finger over the beautiful design. "What is that?"
"That, my champion, is the new house your father and I purchased for you and your mother," Hestia smiled at me brightly. "Hither Hills— right in Montauk. It's a seven-minute walk to the beach."
The keys in my hand suddenly felt like pure gold. "Oh no. No, no, no. There's no way I can accept this."
"You can," Poseidon said firmly. "Money is of no concern to us, Percy. Getting you and your mother in a safe space is what matters. Plus, you could visit her all the time if she was there."
"Won't she get lonely?" I asked. I mean, sure, it was sort of a feeble attempt at finding an excuse, but my dad just grinned at me.
"Are you forgetting the fact that you have two goddesses on your side?" My dad laughed loudly.
"Relax, my champion," Hestia soothed, gently cupping my face. "I will keep your mother company. And Aphrodite, on occasion."
"Well, then, I accept," I beamed. My dad grinned right back at me and pulled me in for a quick one-armed hug. "Excellent," Poseidon said happily. "Take a while, get your mom settled into the house, stay at camp for a while, and I'll let you know when I'm ready for you, oh, and maybe before moving out, you could let that man see your new eye."
"That… that sounds good to me," I said, and he waved at me before disappearing into the sea breeze.
"I will also take my leave, now," Hestia said, kissing my forehead. "Bye, Percy. I will see you at camp."
"Goodbye, Lady Hestia," I said, and she smiled at me, leaving a column of red-hot fire that charred the front of my t-shirt. I was alone in the throne room, now. I took a deep breath. Everything had changed so much in the past few weeks. All I wanted right now was to see my mom and take her to the new house Hestia and my dad got us.
First, though, I was hungry. Really hungry. I pocketed the keys and whistled a happy tune as I started to walk back toward Olympus. The plan was simple: I was going going to take the elevator back down, catch a cab to my neighborhood, eat a big boy pizza, and kick Gabe's ass. I gently opened the doors. My shoes crunched against the Olympus stairs as I began to make my way down.
"You did it," A voice called from the top of the staircase. I turned around and saw that Aphrodite was looking back down at me, looking the same as she had a few days ago. "I sure did." "
Well, now I feel bad for telling you I didn't believe in you," Aphrodite licked her lips and giggled. I joined in. It felt good to laugh. "Not the most motivating thing to hear from a goddess, no."
"Well, a hero deserves a reward," Aphrodite said, combing her way down the stairs. Her eyes glinted, and I ignored the fact that I could feel my heartbeat in my throat. "You must be quite hungry. I know this wonderful restaurant off Broadway."
"Broadway," I repeated. I looked down. "
Aphrodite's lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "Yes, with your mother perhaps." I didn't even realize I'd stopped breathing until she was standing directly in front of me—so close that her perfume, a mix of roses, something sweet, and something undeniably her, filled my senses. Her fingers brushed lightly against the fabric of my sleeve, a touch so faint it might've been accidental. Her smile deepened as her gaze flicked up to meet mine, her eyes gleaming with an amused challenge. Then her fingers slipped beneath the fabric, squeezing my arm.
"Yeah… I would like that."