𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

116

A Titan strode toward them, casually kicking lesser monsters out of his way.

Hadrian and Percy jumped back so fast, they almost bumped into some monsters.

The titan was roughly the same height as Bob, with elaborate Stygian iron armor. His eyes were blue-white, like core samples from a glacier, and just as cold. His hair was the same color, cut military style. A battle helmet shaped like a bear's head was tucked under his arm. From his belt hung a sword the size of a surfboard.

Percy swallowed back the shame that crept up his throat. He forced himself to look anywhere except where he really wanted to.

Kiss. They were going to kiss. And now that he'd come so fucking close to it, Percy's hunger for it increased ten fold.

Hadrian hadn't backed away first, so... that had to mean something right?

Percy forced himself to look at the Titan. His face was strangely familiar. Percy was pretty sure he'd never seen the guy before, but his eyes and his smile reminded Percy of someone...

The Titan stopped in front of Bob. He clapped him on the shoulder. "Iapetus! Don't tell me you don't recognize your own brother!"

"No!" Bob agreed nervously. "I won't tell you that."

The other Titan threw back his head and laughed. "I heard you were thrown into the Lethe. Must've been terrible! We all knew you would heal eventually. It's Koios! Koios!"

"Of course," Bob said. "Koios, Titan of..."

"The North!" Koios said.

"I know!" Bob shouted.

They laughed together and took turns hitting each other in the arm.

Percy's heart was beating so fast, still thinking of how close he and Hadrian had been. It was a wonder the monsters around them hadn't heard his pulse.

Apparently miffed by all the jostling, Small Bob crawled onto Bob's head and began making a nest in the Titan's silver hair.

"Poor old Iapetus," said Koios. "They must have laid you low indeed. Look at you! A broom? A servant's uniform? A cat in your hair? Truly, Hades must pay for these insults. Who was that demigod who took your memory? Bah! We must rip him to pieces, you and I, eh?"

"Ha-ha." Bob swallowed. "Yes, indeed. Rip him to pieces."

Percy's fingers closed around his pen. Compared to Bob's simple way of speaking, Koios sounded like he was reciting Shakespeare. That alone was enough to make Percy irritated.

He was ready to uncap Riptide if he had to, but so far Koios didn't seem to notice him. And Bob hadn't betrayed them yet, though he'd had plenty of opportunities.

"Ah, it's good to see you..." Koios drummed his fingers on his bear's-head helmet. "You remember what fun we had in the old days?"

"Of course!" Bob chirped. "When we, uh..."

"Holding down our father, Ouranos," Koios said.

"Yes! We loved wrestling with Dad...."

"We restrained him."

"That's what I meant!"

"While Kronos cut him to pieces with his scythe."

"Yes, ha-ha." Bob looked mildly ill. "What fun."

"You grabbed Father's right foot, as I recall," Koios said. "And Ouranos kicked you in the face as he struggled. How we used to tease you about that!"

"Silly me," Bob agreed.