The Daughter Of Night

Chapter Twenty-Seven - I Attend A Family Reunion

Chapter Twenty-Seven - I Attend A Family Reunion
Posted: Monday 27th May 2024

It was decided amongst the demigods that I was too much of a liability to take anywhere, so I was on the ship with Coach Hedge as my babysitter.

Percy and Annabeth headed off to find the start of Annabeth's epic solo death quest, Hazel, Frank and Leo headed off to find Nico and Jason and Piper disappeared for a picnic whilst they waited for the others to signal for help.

I paced the deck, I was exhausted but restless. I felt useless standing on the ship, but I wasn't sure how I had been able to resist my mother's orders and I wasn't certain that it would stick.

The prophecy of seven was not my prophecy, but I was certain that I had some role to play. I wondered if my travelling to Tartarus with Nico had fulfilled the first line, The joy of the sun will delve the depths, but I certainly hadn't discovered something I didn't expect, unless being able to disobey Nyx's orders counted, but I didn't think that it did.

My mind cast further back, trying to pin down what it could possibly be that I least expected, but I was stopped short in my thoughts when I remembered the vow I had made to Zeus three years ago when Athena had vouched for me not to be killed by Zeus.

I had sworn never to go against Olympus, sure I had been given no choice, but I had gone against Olympus when Nyx ordered me to side with the giants. Was my oath broken now? Was my time ticking away, were the fates ready to cut my string?

It seemed like the entire world was against me, my body felt warm, like I was burning from the inside. I thought it was my imagination for a moment, until I noticed that I was literally smoking.

Before I could even scream, the world went black and I tumbled to the floor.

*

When I woke, I was in what must have been the ship's sick bay. A cool wet cloth was on my forehead and I could feel cold icy compresses all over my body. I pushed myself into a sitting position and came face to face with Piper, who looked like she was just about to replace my compresses.

"You're awake!" She said, "had us worried for a bit there, Coach said you almost burned up."

"Burned up?" I frowned, "why?"

Piper shrugged, "don't know, sorry. Coach said something about too much energy, he had to give you a tonne of nectar to get you to stop smoking."

"Smoking? Too much energy?" I repeated. I had absolutely no clue what had happened.

"I'd take it easy if I were you, Nico suggested it might be a bi-product of you breaking free of Nyx's control."

"Nico? You guys saved him, how long have I been out? What happened?"

"A week," Piper said grimly, "we've been trying to keep you cool, but your temperature keeps rising. We're sailing to Epirus-"

"The doors of death?" I asked, "to free them from the mortal side?"

Piper nodded, "it's the only way we will stand any chance against Gaia and the giants."

"The doors need to be sealed on both sides," I stated, "how are you planning on sealing the doors on the Tartarus side?"

Piper's face turned pale. She recounted the whole story of everything that had happened in Rome. How they had defeated the giants with the help of Mr D and then set course to rescue Annabeth who had recovered the Athena Parthenos and how Annabeth and Percy had fallen into Tartarus.

My heart dropped at the thought of my friends in that kind of trouble.

"They'll die," I said, "the only way to the heart of Tartarus is through the Mansion of Nyx, they won't even make it to the door without help let alone through the mansion."

Piper's eyes pricked with tears, "we were hoping that you would spark some optimism about their odds."

"I can't lie about it," I said, "the odds aren't good."

Piper said nothing, but she looked down at her own feet, I didn't know her well enough to be able to work out what she was thinking.

*

I was threatened at club point by Coach Hedge to stay in my bed or he would, 'beat me back to Tartarus.' I didn't take kindly to the threat, but I didn't want to challenge him on it.

The ship passed into the Adriatic, stopped in Venice, was attacked by a giant turtle and docked in Croatia before I was granted 'permission' to come off of bed rest. The satyr couldn't work out what was wrong with me, but my temperature had seemed to stabilise and he was almost certain that I was no longer about to burst into ashes.

I was stood on deck gazing out across Split harbour when it happened. It was as if the ground fell out from under me and for a brief moment I was falling in darkness, then my feet hit the floor and around materialised Tartarus.

I almost choked on my first breath of air, but managed to take in my surroundings. On all sides were bodies, people, gods, monsters. Everything you could think of was around me.

"Yeah, not bad," I heard Annabeth's voice from somewhere behind the crowd. Slowly my understanding of the situation started to come together. I was surrounded by the children of Nyx, we were in Tartarus and Percy and Annabeth were here. They were trying to get to the doors of death.

"I guess we could get one photo for our scrapbook," Annabeth continued, "but you guys are so... well dark. Even if I used flash I don't think you would come out."

"Yeah you guys aren't photogenic," Percy said. I began to push my way to the front of the crowd, making my way around Eris, I found myself near Nyx, looking right at Percy and Annabeth, who looked awful, as if they were walking corpses.

"How dare you not tremble before me! How dare you not beg for a photo and an autograph! Even Zeus trembles before me!"

Nyx raised her sword and pointed it at Annabeth. The two demigods backed up several paces, clearly thinking that they had perhaps pushed it a bit too far.

I wasn't entirely sure what overcame me to think I could stand up to Nyx. But the next thing I knew, I was standing between Nyx and Annabeth, with my own sword tip pointing at the goddess.

Nyx's gaze settled on me and an emotion I couldn't perceive flickered across her face. Anger? Fury? Fear?

"Stand aside," she commanded.

I felt no pull from her words, I stood tall and stared at her.

"No," I said.

"Ariadne?" Annabeth said, "how did you- what are you doing here?"

"Same thing as everyone else," I said, "she," I gestured at Nyx, "called me."

"Stand aside!" Nyx said more forcefully.

"No," I said again, "if you want them, you're going to have to get through me!"

Nyx laughed, "You owe me your life, I can take it away like that," she snapped her fingers.

Some certainty filled me, and in that moment, I knew that somehow, Nyx had no power over me.

"Do it then," I said.

She glared at me, and I understood that she had come to the same conclusion I had.

"Restrain her!" Nyx screamed. My brothers and sisters surged forwards and my world grew dark.