The Heir of a Thousand Lifetimes (A PJO Universe Story)

Apollo's Greatest Hits from the Trojan War

Cassius' feeling is correct.

Immediately after breakfast, Chiron calls him, Apollo, and myself into his office in the Big House. Once we're in the room, Cassius keeps himself placed between me and the god. He refuses to let Apollo get too close to me.

Never again, Achilles says with clear approval in his voice, though it's tinged with bitterness. He was the cause of my greatest nightmare come to life.

"I'm sorry," I apologize, feeling my heart constrict painfully. Apollo gives me a bewildered look.

It is not your sin to apologize for, he assures me. I am only glad that Patroclus is at your side now, if he cannot be at mine. No one will love you better nor protect you better than my philtatos.

I smile sadly at the mournful tone in his voice. "He would not allow history to repeat itself," I agree. "Not in that way."

No, he has always been far less reckless than I, he chuckles. Whatever he has become as he has been reborn, the basis of his soul has not changed.

"I wish I could have met him as you knew him," I admit. "I bet he was wonderful."

He was my moon and stars, Achilles sighs wistfully. I am fortunate I had the honor of loving him.

"Who the hell are you talking to?" Apollo asks me. He's freaked out. Achilles grumbles in my head.

"Achilles," I say, as if the answer is obvious. Who else would I be talking to? Myself? What an idiot, I think.

"Do you do this a lot?"

"Yes. Why? Do you have a problem with it?"

"Well-"

"Wait. I don't actually care," I say sarcastically, as if having an epiphany. Cassius snickers and Chiron sighs deeply.

"You're going to get yourself smote down," Apollo grinds out. Cassius glares at him, while I roll my eyes.

"Yeah? I'd like to see you try," I challenge him.

"She's been wanting to smite you this entire time. Don't tempt her to try," Chiron tells Apollo calmly. It's a feeble attempt to keep the peace. The god just shrugs and leans back in his chair.

"Why are we here anyway?" Cassius asks.

That's a fantastic question.

"It's time to begin planning your quest," Chiron says. Cassius and I glance at each other. "Audra, you will be leading the excursion, of course."

"Of course," I repeat.

"I believe the prophecy makes it very clear you must journey to the ruins of Troy to find the lost tomb of Achilles and Patroclus," Chiron says. I blink at him.

"So, where is that?" I ask. Apollo facepalms.

"In Turkey, basically," Cassius says. I hum.

"Interesting." I wave my hand for Chiron to continue. I'm getting more irritated the longer I'm in here.

"Given Audra's status as the daughter of Zeus," he says, and I grimace, "it will be safe for you to travel by air. So I have arranged for you to fly to Istanbul out of JFK."

I stare at him blankly. I glance at Cassius, who sighs deeply. He shakes his head. He drops his head into his hand, frustrated.

Well, if he won't say something...

"So let me get this straight," I say bluntly to Chiron. "You want me, the blood of Achilles," I point to myself dramatically, "and Cassius, the reincarnated Patroclus," I gesture to my soulmate, "to go to Troy with Apollo?"

I'm entirely dumbfounded. And everyone in this room can tell how absolutely absurd I think this entire prophecy is. Because it is.

Apollo shuffles awkwardly, while Cassius smirks to himself. Chiron clears his throat.

He nods. "Well...yes. That is what the prophecy says."

I throw my hands up in the air. "Let's just revisit some of Apollo's Greatest Hits from the Trojan War, hm? I know Cas and I have only read some of the Iliad, but here's what was super memorable to me."

I'm totally going off memory from class now, because we haven't read this far, but that's irrelevant. I'm pissed.

To turn to Apollo and lean on my hand. I hum. "Remember when you pushed down Patroclus, wounded him, and knocked his helmet off?" He grimaces. "Yeah, that. And he died? Because you convinced Hector it was an awesome idea to kill him?" I nod.

"Right. And then Achilles went feral- rightfully so, of course," I add before Achilles can throw a fit in my head, "and he went on a killing spree and his rage threatened to defy fate."

Apollo shifts uncomfortably in his seat as I sarcastically say, "Hmm, what else? Oh yeah! You guided Paris' arrow! The whole," I aggressively point to my heel, "Achilles' heel thing! That was you, buddy!"

"To be fair-" he starts, and I cut him off. Cassius chokes on a laugh, and Chiron closes his eyes as he awaits my rant to finish.

"Nope. No 'to be fair.' You threw a hissy fit and killed thousands of people. You're responsible for the deaths of both Achilles and Patroclus. And you want us to believe you won't try to do it again?" I finish, crossing my arms.

Apollo stays silent, looking at the floor.

Chiron mumbles, "I do see now why you think this is a terrible idea."

"Because it is!"

"It's also painfully obvious that you're of the line of Achilles," he adds. I narrow my eyes as Achilles scoffs in my head.

That is a compliment of the highest degree, surely, Achilles says indignantly. I crack a smile.

"You look psychotic," Apollo says. Cassius gives him a dirty look.

"She looks beautiful," he retorts.

Aww, I think.

Apollo rolls his eyes but says nothing else. I sit back in the chair and cross my arms as I stare down Chiron.

"Well?"

"It is alarming how much you look like Achilles in this moment," he mutters. He grimaces. "I saw the same look on his face before he went off to the Trojan War."

Cassius mutters something unintelligible in Greek under his breath. He shakes his head. "And now you're sending us off to Troy. The site of Achilles and Patroclus' grave. Oh, how history repeats itself."

Chiron gives us a long look. "I didn't write this prophecy. I am merely enforcing it. You cannot avoid fate."

"So," I say after a moment, "what you're telling us...is that we have to put up with Sunny Boy over here?"

Apollo gives me a dirty look. Chiron facepalms. Cassius laughs- loudly.

"Dear gods, yes," Chiron grumbles. "So make your peace with it-"

"I won't."

"-and listen to the plan. Because this is your quest, Ms. Aleksy."

I glare at him, thoroughly unamused. "Fine. But only for Achilles, and I will absolutely not 'make peace with' Hector's BFF. But I will promise not to try to electrocute him unless he tries to shoot me or Cas with one of his arrows. Then, all bets are off. Deal?"

Chiron rolls his eyes. Cassius inclines his head as he tells him, "This is the best offer you're going to get from either of us."

"Fine. Now, are you ready to hear the rest of the plan?"

Cassius and I share a look before we nod.

"Now's as good a time as ever, I guess."