𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐔𝐌 • Heroes of Olympus

X

IN HER dream, Andy was back on the hilltop. The purple bonfire burned higher than ever.

"You are a good girl," a voice boomed. Andy didn't need to see its source to know who it was. "Not a moment's hesitation in dropping your quest. How wonderful! I'm really proud. I chose right, didn't I?"

"Shut up," Andy bellowed. "I'm doing this for Nico alone. You will die for what you did to him."

"I will die, you say? Silly girl, you are too proud. I was once proud too. I thought the gods could never defeat me. Then they hurled a mountain on top of me, crushed me into the ground, where I struggled for eons, half-conscious in pain. That taught me patience, girl. It taught me not to act rashly. Now I’ve clawed my way back with the help of the waking earth. I am only the first. My brethren will follow. We will not be denied our vengeance—not this time."

"Is this the part where you ask me to join you?" Andy drawled. "My answer is no."

The giant laughed, catching Andy off guard.

"Oh, I have no need for you to join me," it said. "You can come here, get your little friend, and leave. I won't stop you. You have the word of Enceladus."

Enceladus. The name struck a chord.

"I'm not a fool to trust you, Enceladus," Andy hissed. 

"But you are a fool, Andy Fotos. A fool who doesn't see the big picture."

The bonfire roared. Andy tried to step back, but her feet were heavy. She realized the ground was pulling her down, clinging to her boots like wet sand. When she looked up, a shower of purple sparks had spread across the sky, and the sun was rising in the east. A patchwork of cities glowed in the valley below, and far to the west, over a line of rolling hills, she saw a familiar landmark rising from a sea of fog.

"Why are you showing me this?" Andy said.

"So you can come here, of course," Enceladus answered. "Just be at the summit by noon on the solstice, and you may collect your friend and go in peace. And let the world pay for your foolishness."

Before Andy could understand what that meant, the dream dissolved, and she was in a different place.

***

Andy stood in the Hades cabin, Nico facing her. The boy looked troubled. His eyes darted around, not meeting Andy's.

"So, are you going to tell me?" Andy's mouth moved on its own accord, and she understood it was another memory.

Nico hesitated, then said, "It's nothing Andy, I'm fine."

He's hiding things from you. He always is.

"Is there something bothering you, Nico?" Andy pressed.

"No, no, I'm fine." He played with his ring. "I just…"

"You know, you can tell me if something's wrong. I can at least try to help."

"Of course, I know."

Liar. Don't trust him. 

Andy shook her head. She didn't know where those thoughts came from. It definitely wasn't hers.

The dream flickered like her other memory-dream had.

"Well, then," Andy said, "good luck with… whatever you're doing."

Nico nodded, shifting foot to foot. He looked genuinely uncomfortable.

Hiding things. Liar.

No.

Andy pushed the thoughts away. The dream flickered again, disappearing completely. This time, however, Andy didn't wake up falling. Instead, she stood in the ruins of what must've been a huge mansion once. In front of her, two huge spires made of earthen tendrils rose from the two ends of a reflecting pool. The bigger one was tightly woven, but the other one was loosely woven, and through the tendrils, Andy saw a woman inside.