❦𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓒𝓻𝓲𝓶𝓮❦ - 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓬𝔂 𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼𝓸𝓷

𝒳𝒱𝐼. 𝐸𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓅𝒶

𝒯𝒽𝑒 blond and brunette followed after Hylla, who led them to two rooms where they changed out of their clothes and into robes. The girls were then led to a room to get herbal wraps and after that, they were led to huge fancy tubs. They were escorted by two more women and bathed, their skin scrubbed raw. After getting out of the tubs, Annabeth and Zoe put their robes back on and were taken to have facials done. 

They got face masks, had their makeup done, and were given smoothies. They had their hair done next, and were given small plates of fruit. Both of the girls' hair was washed and combed. Annabeth had her blond hair braided with gold while Zoe's light brown hair was done up in a half up half down style, her clips in her hair and golden thread weaved into it. The girls then got manicures and pedicures, making fast friends with one of the girls doing their nails who said her name was Reyna, Hylla's sister.

Annabeth and Zoe were then brought back to the changing rooms. They were given sleeveless silk dresses like C.C.'s, only white. After they were changed, Hylla came back to lead them on a tour. She showed them the vast beaches, the living quarters, and a few different animals such as a sleeping tiger, sunbathing like a house cat, a sleek jaguar that circled Zoe's legs, and foxes that scampered around. Next they were shown the library which both girls gushed over, both wanting to sit in the comfy chairs and read forever.

Eventually, they headed back to the room where C.C. and Percy were.

Zoe looked around the room and frowned. "Where's Percy?"

She vaguely heard a squeal, but she ignored it, raising a brow at C.C..

She smiled, saying, "He's having one of our treatments, my dear. Not to worry. You two look wonderful! What did you think of your tour?"

Annabeth's eyes brightened. "Your library is amazing!"

"Yes, indeed," C.C. said. "The best knowledge of the past three millennia. Anything you want to study, anything you want to be, my dear."

"An architect?" Annabeth asked, her expression full of hope and excitement.

"An inventor?" Zoe questioned, her face mirroring Annabeth's.

"Pah!" C.C. said. "You two, my dears, have the makings of a sorceress. Like me."

Zoe and Annabeth each took a step back. "A sorceress?"

"Yes, my dears." C.C. held up her hand. A flame appeared in her palm and danced across her fingertips. "My mother is Hecate, the goddess of magic. I know children of gods when I see them. We are not so different, the three of us. We all seek knowledge. We all admire greatness. None of us needs to stand in the shadow of men."

"I—I don't understand." Annabeth stumbled out.

Zoe heard a faint squeal again, but ignored it in favor of glaring at C.C..

"Stay with me," C.C. told the girls. "Study with me. You can join our staff, become sorceresses, learn to bend others to your will. You will become immortal!"

"But—"

"You are too intelligent, my dears," C.C. said. "You know better than to trust that silly camp for heroes. How many great female half-blood heroes can you name?"

"Um, Atalanta," Annabeth said.

"Amelia Earhart—" Zoe continued.

"Bah! Men get all the glory." The sorceress cut off the daughter of Aphrodite, closing her fist and extinguishing the magic flame. "The only way to power for women is sorcery. Medea, Calypso, now there were powerful women! And me, of course. The greatest of all."