Wicked Delight

A Rocky Start

Amoriel had gotten better.

She had come to terms with the fact that Percy and Annabeth falling into Tartarus was beyond her control, thanks to the support of the crew of the Argo II.

While she still felt upset, she no longer blamed herself for everything that went wrong in life. Instead, she chose to focus on the positive aspects. Her little brother was back, regaining his health, and their family was complete. She had her boyfriend by her side. What more could a girl ask for?

However, Amoriel's concerns turned to Nico. Although physically fine, he was not in a good place mentally. She understood his struggle, considering he had returned from the terrible depths of Tartarus. Sitting in front of her vanity table, brushing her hair thoughtfully, Amoriel contemplated Nico's well-being.

"Whatcha doin', reina?" Leo suddenly appeared, startling her. Standing behind her reflection in the mirror, he came and sat on her lap, resting his head on her neck and wounding his arms around her middle, offering comfort.

"Just thinking," Amoriel murmured, leaning into Leo's embrace. He kissed her shoulder, and she ran her fingers through his hair, soothing him. Leo closed his eyes, relishing the sensation, and Amoriel couldn't help but giggle at his dramatic response.

"Tell me..." Leo prompted lazily, resting his chin on her shoulder.

She sighed gently, her thoughts focused on Nico. "I'm worried about Nico, that's all," she confessed. "He's not himself. I rarely see him smile anymore."

Leo laughed, teasing her. "Nico? Smile?" Amoriel playfully rolled her eyes, aware of Nico's reserved nature. "Why are you staring at yourself while worrying about Nico? That's a little narcissistic, don't you think?" he joked.

Amoriel laughed, remembering their banter. "Don't call me that. You know how much I hate his guts," she retorted. Leo smiled proudly, appreciating the playful exchange.

Leo then grew serious and nuzzled her neck. "You're okay though, right?" he mumbled into her shoulder. "You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?" He lifted his head to look into her eyes.

Amoriel sighed and turned to face him, reassurance in her gaze. "I'm fine, mi amore. I promise." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, but he turned his head at the last moment, meeting her lips with his own.

Her hands moved from his hair to cradle his face, their kiss filled with affection. Their moment was interrupted by a sudden cracking sound that reverberated through the ship. Amoriel stumbled, pulling Leo down with her as the ship started swaying precariously.

"Gods' sakes!" Leo cursed. "No wonder Buford can't get his license. Look at this steering!" he scolded, revealing his frustration with the ship's controls.

Amoriel frowned, realizing something was amiss. "Leo, I don't think Buford's bad steering is the problem..."

Amoriel's intuition proved correct. The Argo II was under attack once again, this time by the Numina Montanum, rock gods recognized by Hazel. The numina hurled rocks at their flying ship, attempting to divert their course.

Nico, perched atop the mast, tried to locate the gods through the thick fog but was hindered by the obscuring mist. Leo rushed to man the controls, and Amoriel joined her younger sister, Hazel, who was deflecting the incoming boulders with her sword. Amoriel drew her own sword and destroyed one that was hurtling towards Hazel, shattering it into pebbles before it could reach her.

"Thanks for joining us," Hazel said, deflecting sharp fragments of a cliff with her blade.

Amoriel squinted through the fog, ignoring Hazel's slightly irritated tone, attributing it to the dangers they faced. "Hard to port!" Nico's voice called out from the foremast of the ship.