as we fall ✤ octavian

two

Sometimes, Laoise wondered what it would be like to not be a demigod.

Life would be simpler, she assumed, as she stuffed some spare clothes into her backpack. Her biggest priorities would be things like boys, and school dances, and homework. Not fighting a rogue demigod hellbent on destroying Camp Jupiter from the inside out.

At least she could protect Logan, Laoise huffed, shoving a first aid kit into the side pocket of her backpack. She'd never have kids, she knew that, but she'd go to war for the children currently in her life. If it wasn't so dangerous to be a human descended from Gods, she might consider motherhood, but she couldn't bare the idea of her children having to live the life that was thrust upon her.

But Logan...Logan was precious. He was every bit as innocent as a child ought to be, despite being the child of the God of fire, he was pure, unrelenting kindness. While she may never have kids, he might as well be hers, considering all the time they'd spent together in the past, playing games. The only time she'd allow herself to lose at anything was when with Logan.

Maybe if she wasn't a demigod, Logan would have someone better to look out for him. Someone who wasn't a child of Cupid. Someone who wasn't useless.

But she'd taken the role of mother, of older sister, of ally, the moment he'd arrived at Camp Jupiter three years ago, a trembling mess as he cried for his mommy. She'd held him tight, and from the moment on, he'd glued himself to her hip.

Useless. She groaned as she zipped up her bag, struggling to keep everything contained inside of it. Fucking useless.

How the hell was she supposed to protect Logan on a quest of this magnitude? She couldn't do shit outside of use her body to get attention. She couldn't fly, like Jason, or fight well, like Reyna. Even Octavian could shoot a decent arrow - all she was good for was seduction.

So, nothing. Absolutely fucking nothing.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," a voice mused from the doorway into her cabin, and she didn't have to look up to know who was speaking to her.

"Fuck off, Octavian."

He barked a laugh, and when she looked up, his bright blue eyes were fixed on her with amusement glistening in them. "Why would I do that? You're now my quest mate. We have to get along now, if we want to defeat Brigid."

"Do we even know where to start?" Laoise asked as she swung her backpack over her shoulder. "Where is she? What does Vulcan expect us to do?"

"Us?" He raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry your little head about it, Campbell. I'll do all the work, you can just sit there and look pretty."

She bared her teeth in a snarl, earning a grin from him. "Good Gods, I'm kidding. Don't bite my head off."

Laoise folded her arms over her chest, staring at him expectantly.

"Reyna suspects Brigid is hiding somewhere in the Yucatan peninsula, working on manipulating Ceres into joining her," He continued, finally answering her question after a long silence.

"She's in Mexico?" She gaped.

Octavian nodded. "That's where Ceres tends to spend her time. Rumor has it, she's in with the Mayan Gods. If Brigid can get Ceres on her side, the Mayan Gods come with her too. All she needs is that pesky planting Goddess to ally with her, and a full on war will break out."

"You think there will be a war?" Her expression grew even more shocked than it had already been, eyes widening and jaw dropping.

"Brigid's plan is to take over Camp Jupiter. If she has the Mayan Gods on her side, alongside Ceres, of course there will be a war. Our Gods will jump to defend us, defend our camp, and then the Greeks might get involved, if Ceres does join Brigid."