Storm Rising

Chapter 21

Percy's POV

A thousand questions and thoughts are reeling through my brain at once. Who? Why? Where are they? I manage to voice the most prominent question. "Who?"

Bianca takes a deep breath and sits down on a half broken log. I sit beside. "The Olympians killed them."

"How did you know?" I ask Bianca, still processing her words.

"The stab mark in their bodies were identical to the ones that you gave Ares, Athena, Artemis, and the one Ivory gave to Apollo. The wound in the stomach was in the same exact place as the one I killed Sydney with," Bianca's voice drops off. "The water on the floor was from your father. Their clothes were charred from Zeus lighting bolt. The water acted as a conductor for the lightning. I was held to the wall of the Artemis's hunters tent by the same barbed wire chains."

I put my hands in my head. I know the Olympians hate me, but this was too much. Killing hundreds of mortals is no revenge, it's slaughter. I stand up and pull Diarkis out of my pocket. I look down the blade before bringing it over my head and slamming it deep into the ground. A golden light pulses outward from the blade, rippling over the ruins of the street. The golden light seems to repair the broken street. The houses are intact and new. Green grass and beautiful plants look healthy in the afternoon light. Children run around and play in the yards. I see my parent's blue van, the car they got after blackjack destroyed Paul's prius, pull into their driveway. Paul and my mother get out of the car and begin to unload groceries. Bianca gasps. I turn around to look at her and notice a patch of the grey ground that we stand on. My parents finish unloading the car and head into the house.

The scene we see suddenly changes. Bianca and I are in the shadows of the Olympian throne room. Zeus sits in his full glory while Hera sits listlessly by on her throne, reading a book. Apollo is on his throne, not listening to music on his iPod for once. He is reclining in his throne so his bandaged leg can be stretched out. A pair of crutches lay by the bottom of his throne. Artemis sits on her silver throne, both her wounded legs stretched out, a look of rage in her eyes. Athena has both of her arms in casts and slings. Her legs are heavily bandaged. Ares sits sharpening his knives while a nymph tends to his legs. Wheelchairs are by Athena, Ares, and Artemis' thrones. Poseidon sits in his throne with Brandon in a smaller throne at his side. My fists clench at the sight of Brandon. Bianca puts her hand around my right clenched fist and I relax. Demeter sits on her throne, talking quietly to Hestia and Hades. Hephaestus is tinkering with metal, but Dionysus is not reading a wine magazine. Both look into the meeting. Aphrodite is brushing her hair while Hermes checks his phone.

Zeus slams his master bolt into the floor, calling the meeting into attention. Immediately, Poseidon and all of Zeus's children look up expectantly.

"We are here to discuss how to punish the traitor, Percy Jackson," Zeus booms. Ares, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Dionysus, Poseidon, and Brandon all grin wickedly at Zeus's statement. Hestia, Hades, and Demeter look on sadly. Aphrodite and Hephaestus look in different.

"I say we track him down and kill him," Apollo says.

"Two problems," Athena states. "One: we don't know where he is. Two: death is too kind a fate.

Artemis rubs her chin thoughtfully. "We could destroy the camp. The traitor always loved that place."

Shouts of protest broke out from all the gods with children at camp Half Blood . "Silence!" Zeus roars. Everyone quiets down quickly. "We can not destroy the camp. That would wipe out the heroes we need."

"We need to hurt something close to Jackson that we can reach," Poseidon adds.

Zeus nods. Brandon stands up from his green throne. "May I say something?" He says, bowing and groveling like Octavian used to.