ETERNAL! | percy jackson

chapter four - two sides of the same coin

CHAPTER FOUR
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ESTELLA'S CABIN was practically over Artemis when Percy showed up during sunset, requesting for her. He wore his camp shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants because the nights grew cold still.

He stood in the doorway, the golden sun setting on his shoulders. His black hair looked bright and shiny, and his skin was tanner than when she last saw him.

"Hey, wanna go to the lake?" He asked.

From behind, Estella could hear her friends snickering. "Sure," she said, quickly leaving the cabin.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, peering through the window.

"Nothing's wrong. Let's just go," Estella said. "Want me to teleport there?"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Won't you get tired?"

"Well, I've gotten better at teleporting longer distances. I can do it."

Percy smiled, showing his pearly white teeth. "I mean it saves me the walk, so let's do it!"

Estella giggled and grabbed his hand, quickly taking him away from the Hermes cabin. They landed on the sand, where Percy immediately sat down. The lake looked vast and glittered in the sunlight. Estella chided herself for thinking about how romantic this spot was. But she knew they weren't here for that, despite what everyone, including Aphrodite, wanted.

"How have you been?" He asked.

Estella glanced at him while he stared at the lake. "Good, I guess. I feel bad for Grover. Oh! And I have a new stepsister that also is a demigod."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "No way. Who's her parent?"

Estella shrugged. "Not sure. So in the meantime, she'll be staying in my room."

"Who do you think it is?"

"Hmmm... Definitely not one of the major gods. And it's a woman, so maybe Iris or Nyx?"

Percy laughed. "What if she was a child of Hecate, too?"

Estella stared at the glistening water, with its waves gently lapping the shore. She shook her head. "Wouldn't that mean the Great Prophecy could be about her? I feel like if she was a child of Hecate, it would be more bad than good."

"But it's not about her. It's about you and me. I'm sure of it."

Estella threw some sand she had been grasping and looked over at Percy seriously. "But you don't know. They haven't told us the Prophecies yet."

Percy looked back at her, his eyes were practically dazzling. Estella tried not to look stunned, like the other thousands of times she was amazed by his beauty.

"They'll tell us soon. They have to."

Estella felt bitterness claw at her throat. How had a nice night between them turned into talking about the Prophecy that haunts them every day? She was sick of it, and the gods for forcing their wars onto children. So much for wanting to be back at Camp Half-Blood.

"You okay?" Percy asked in Estella's silence.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she forced a smile. "I just don't want to talk about the Prophecy anymore."

Percy gently moved his hand on top of hers, which was rooted in the sand. Estella glanced down at the gesture, feeling her cheeks heat up. She looked back at Percy, who was smiling at her.

For the rest of their fleeting time, the two sat in comforting silence. Not talking about Prophecies or the danger that awaits them.

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THE DINING hall was bustling and full of young teenagers talking about their years. The Hermes cabin, in particular, packed the wooden bench and spoke of all different things that didn't entertain Estella.

While she did have a great time with Percy, when she said goodbye, her mind was filled with worry. Especially being around Althea. Estella prayed and prayed that they would not be half-sisters.

Julia and Alice tried talking to Estella, but she only responded with one-worded answers. While Alice didn't seem to notice, Julia, who sat beside Estella, gently nudged her shoulder.

"You okay? What's on your mind?"

Estella poked at her meal, which was honey ham and mashed potatoes. "Just thinking about the burden of saving the world."

Julia sighed. "I know I can't really comfort you on this, but you need to remember that the prophecy has not been acted on yet. For this summer, you won't need to save the world."

Estella half-smiled. She knew Julia meant well, but Estella had always been a worrier. Even kind words won't be able to stop her mile-a-minute thoughts.

"Holy shit," someone from across the room gasped.

Estella's hair rose on the back of her neck.

"Althea," Alice said. "You've been claimed!"

There was a familiar flash of red light, and Estella's heart dropped. Above Althea's head was Hecate's symbol.

Althea also received the Mark of Hecate. Her clothes were transformed and she now wore the same Grecian dress and black cloak that Estella once had. Her hair was curled and her makeup was done, making her look similar to a goddess. 

Estella's eyes instinctively went to Percy, who could only stare at Althea with wide eyes.

Chiron stood up from his seat at the front of the room. There was a small man next to him, in replace of Mr. D, that Estella had not noticed earlier. "Hail Althea Dean, daughter of Hecate, goddess of entrance-ways, night, light, and witchcraft."

"How does he know her name?" Estella asked Julia.

"Oh, me and Alice introduced her and Chiron when you were with Percy," Julia told.

Estella nodded curtly, trying to ignore the searing pain in her gut, now knowing that the Prophecy she once thought was hers may not be.

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          ESTELLA HADN'T spoken much since the claiming. She felt bad for Althea, since she didn't know the gravity of the situation, and she couldn't control who was her parent. Much of Estella's resentment was toward Hecate, who managed to further complicate her life.

The two girls lay in bed. It was around midnight, but Estella's eyes were wide open, and stared up at the dark ceiling.

"Stella?" Althea asked. She must've been on edge like her sister. "Are you mad at me?"

Estella immediately sat up. She was lucky she had night vision because she could see the pain in Althea's expression. "No, no, of course not. I'm mad at our mom, which is super weird to say."

Althea giggled. "Now we're full sisters. Who would've thought?"

"Wait," Estella gasped. "Do you think our dads know?"

"Oh my gods," Althea said, which was weird for Estella to hear. "They definitely do. Maybe that's how they met- they joined a support group for having children with Hecate."

"Ew," Estella cried. "I don't even want to think about that."

The two girls laughed together in the darkness. After that, Estella was able to fall asleep easily. Little did she know it would be her last good slumber for a while.