¹Mσɳ Aɱσɳ Cαɾα | ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ

16. Can I bring her home for Christmas?

♡ Asteria sat on a bench, not too far from the fountain Percy was using to make calls. 

The gardens were quiet; everybody was too absorbed in solstice festivities to notice the presence of two missing demigods. 

She smiled as she watched Percy talk with a cyclops, his brother Tyson. 

Percy told him about their quest and Bessie—he wanted to hear every detail about the cute baby cow serpent, and he assured Tyson that Annabeth was safe. Finally, he got around to explaining how the shield he'd made him last summer had been damaged in the manticore attack.

"Yay!" Tyson said. "That means it was good! It saved your life!"

Asteria coughed lightly. Percy looked back and raised a brow but she looked away, pretending to be occupied with the flower's around them. 

The two of them talked for a while longer, discussing war plans and preparations as well as their father's ongoing fights with the old sea gods. They talked about all the cool things they could do together next summer, but then Tyson's boss started yelling at him and he had to get back to work.

Asteria's eyes narrowed in thought as she listened. 

She might need to make a few calls.

She snaps out of her thoughts when she hears Percy call her name and wave her over. 

"Are you finished?" Asteria asks.

"Nope," Percy replied. "I have one last call to make."

She gave him a look.

"Don't look at me like that," Percy laughs. "It'll be quick, plus I need you here so you can charm my mum into helping you find a place to stay."

Charm her into offering to let you stay with us, which is what Percy really wanted to say.

Asteria huffed out a breath but motioned for him to continue. 

"Sally Jackson," Percy said. "Upper East Side, Manhattan."

The mist shimmered, and there was his mum at their kitchen table, laughing and holding hands with her friend Mr. Blowfish.

Asteria looked at thyme curiously before looking back at Percy.

"You interrupted their date."

"They aren't dating."

Asteria watches as Sally Jackson leans into the male as she laughs and raises a brow.

"Do they know that?"

Percy grumbles and raises his hand to cut through the mist and cut the connection, but before he can, his mother sees him.

Her eyes got wide. She let go of Mr. Blowfish's hand really quickly.

"Oh, Paul! You know what? I left my writing journal in the living room. Would you mind getting it for me?"

"Sure, Sally. No problem."

Asteria leans into Percy and whispers, "They are on a first-name basis. I think they are dating Perseus."

Percy gives her a look that makes her laugh. 

Paul leaves the room, and instantly his mum leans towards the Iris message. Asteria steps slightly out of view.

"Percy! Are you all right?"

"I'm, uh, fine. How's that writing seminar going?"

She pursed her lips. "It's fine. But that's not important. Tell me what's happened!"