Heroes with Wands

Chapter 31

Annabeth

The empousai surrounded us. I stood back-to-back with Percy like I'd done so many times before. I heard a faint splashing sound, and glanced down to my foot touching the silvery-gold liquid of unicorn blood. I swallowed.

Kelli, the vampire demon I stabbed in the back in Daedalus' workshop, faced us. She bared her fangs, and her red eyes glowed against her paper-white skin.

She seemed especially interested in killing my boyfriend.

"Who the Hades are you?" Piper demanded. "Go back to Tartarus." An empousi snuck up behind her and grabbed her, her long nails against Piper's throat. Piper made a low growl-like sound from her throat.

"Back off my girlfriend," Jason growled. He flipped his coin and tightened his grip on his gladius.

"Permission to kill, my lady?" Kelli said. Who was she talking to? A figure dressed in white came out from the shadows, holding large vial of unicorn blood.

I didn't recognize her, with her cold dark eyes and long brown hair. She was a goddess, yeah, but I didn't know who. Piper seemed to know. She said, "Jason, Leo, look; our favorite D-List goddess."

"D-list," hissed the goddess. "We will see about that, Piper McLean. Calais, Zethes, what should we do with these demigods?" Calais and Zethes. Demigod sons of Boreas. Brothers to-

"Khione," Leo said, grinning. "As hot as ever, I see."

The snow goddess scowled. "Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus-I am most definitely not hot." With a flick of her wrist, snow billowed around Leo, and sent him flying. Piper screamed.

My fists shook. "What's your business here?" I demanded. "I heard the story-I hate Hera as much as anyone, but she was right; you're definitely D-list."

Zethes drew his sword. "Khione is not D-list."

"The queen of the gods said so," I reasoned. At least I had their attention away from Hazel. The empousa were stupid-too busy wanting to watch a fight between a daughter of Athena and a snow goddess. They didn't pay my friend any attention.

Cal snorted. "Hera is queen. Sister is D-list! Ha!" Even Zethes laughed at that.

"You know," Percy said, "Khione needed the unicorn blood to help Gaia rise. Then we're all dead. Even you two, Cal and Zethes."

"Is this true?" asked Zethes.

"Yep," Jason said.

"Silence, fools, before I kill you!"

"It's funny," I began slowly, "how often we hear the words, 'kill you' in one day." My friends snickered and laughed.

Khione glared at the four boys, and they turned into ice statues. Percy's hand was freezing in mine. I pulled away. It wouldn't take long for him to die of the cold. My heart hammered in my chest.

Khione's eyes focused on me, and she was about to glance at Hazel, but I cried desperately, "What do you want? Why are you making the empousai work for you? Aren't they servants of Hecate?"

Kelli grabbed me, stroking my neck with her sharp nails. I felt blood drip down my neck. It wasn't much, and the pain barely fazed me, but I stiffened and got ready to punch her.

"That's funny," she giggled. "Most people would plead for mercy by now. You're totally different!"

"Well, I'm not most people," I pointed out exasperatedly, unicorn blood seeping into my sneakers. "And your poorly painted unnaturally long nails don't frighten me. I suppose it's what you'd call...bravery?" Kelli hissed, ready to sink her fangs into my neck, but Khione ordered a stop.