Love & Chaos 2: A New Pharaoh for Egypt

Chapter 7

Not So Burnt Scrolls

Liz.

"I trust we'll all be rendezvousing eventually, and I look forward to seeing you all again. Except for maybe Nico... Get out of my sight, loser," she teased him. "But, Sarah... you certainly have a gift."

"Actually, I was going to bring that up. I want to stay. You need a medic, and none of you are really all that qualified, no offense."

"None taken. That's why I was going to ask you to stay," Liz explained. "You can stay with me and Annabeth. You showed your true abilities last night, especially extracting that bullet from my guy Ryan. And the way you talked him through it was amazing, how'd you get so comforting?" She smiled knowingly but Sarah ignored it.

"I had to take First Aid when I was training to babysit. I never thought I'd be removing bullets, which is way past my line of training, but I guess it worked out fine."

"When this war is over I want you to work for me in the infirmary," Will laughed. "No, but really."

"Hey, Abigail," Liz called before the demigods left for home. "Rest up those wounds, why don't you?"

"I will, Liz. But it really wasn't that much damage, just surprised me."

The rest of everyone left, though the Amazons had abandoned them the previous night. Liz was wearing the sling Sarah had prescribed to her but had yet to drink any nectar. The pain that was distracting her more wasn't something that their godly medicines could solve.

"Before we leave, I have a stop to make." She exited the ship and made her way down the street.

She rang the doorbell, trying to restrain her emotions. The woman opened the door to the shabby apartment, and while she looked like grief had aged her twenty years, she didn't look surprised to see Liz standing at her door.

"So the dead daughter comes home?"

"I'm researching my past – my real one, you see – and I was wondering, how did you conceive a demigod over five millennia old?"

"Your patron, Aphrodite, came to me. She knew that I couldn't have children, and she said she would give me the perfect one, under the condition that I give her two things in return."

"What did she ask you for?"

"My love life and my promise to keep you alive until you turned seventeen. I thought after the fire she would kill me for sure, but it seems that you're alive and mostly well. What happened?"

"I got shot. No biggie. Look, people who I care about are a rather high marked target on an execution list made by very important people. I've arranged for my friend Artemis to come and pick you up and take you to safety. I won't let you or anyone else die. You'll know it's her because she'll be about yay-high, thirteen, and appearing inside your house with a carriage. Don't worry about a thing. I just wanted to tell you, thank you. You helped me become the woman I am today."

Her mortal mother looked at her, and she knew the look all too well. She was trying to conceal her feelings, like usual. Liz had learned it from the best, after all. "Mum, I need you to let yourself feel. Feelings are what keep us alive in this messed up war. Sorry for jump starting the end of the world."

"How can feelings be helpful at a time like this?" she asked, looking away.

"It's a war where only Love can save us. And Love brings a lot of feelings with it. Mum, please stay safe," she pleaded before turning to leave.

"Anchors up in five," she said, walking past Leo. She made her way down to the infirmary, ready for her magic medicine now.