Reverie - Awakened Sequel - Travis Stoll

Chapter 25

The man was right where we left him. Lounging at the table without a care in the world. As we get closer, he sits up. "Ah, you're back. I hear the nervous flutter of wings. Did you bring me my harpy?" 

"She isn't yours." I remind him. Taking Ella's hand and stroking my thumb over her knuckles. 

Percy nods. "Exactly. She's a living... close-enough-to-human creature. And you cannot sell or buy humans." 

"Oh please! You're Roman, aren't you? Rome was built off of slaves. Slavery was a cherished business." 

The more this guy talks, the more I want to shove my sword down his throat. "Times change. We also used to do human sacrifices. If you'd like to start that up again, I'll gladly let you be the first victim." 

Percy steps in between me and Phineas. "We want to gamble." 

Phineas pauses. "Oh? How interesting. Winner takes all?" 

"No. The Harpy isn't a part of the deal." 

Ella begins to panic, Hazel helps me keep her from flying away as we both shush her and try our best to calm her down. I hold her hands as Hazel pets her feathers. Hesitantly, Ella relaxes. 

We seem to be the only ones who can. Which isn't unexpected, after the abuse she has endured from Phineas, she's probably a bit weary of men more than she is of women. 

"I have a different wager. We've got two flasks of gorgon's blood. One kills. One heals. They look exactly the same. Even we don't know which is which. If you choose the right one,it could cure your blindness."

Phineas held out his hands eagerly. "Let me feel them. Let me smell them."

"Not so fast," Percy said. "First you agree to the terms."

"Terms..." Phineas mutters. "Prophecy and sight ... I'd be unstoppable. I could own this city. I'd build my palace here, surrounded by food trucks. I could capture that harpy myself!"

Ella panics again, Hazel and I struggle to keep her down. 

"Shh, Ella, Ella. It's okay." Hazel whispers consolingly. 

"Very well, demigod. What are your terms?"

"You get to choose a vial," Percy said. "No uncorking, no sniffing before you decide."

"That's not fair! I'm blind."

"And I don't have your sense of smell," Percy countered. "You can hold the vials. And I'll swear on the River Styx that they look identical. They're exactly what I told you: gorgon's blood, one vial from the left side of the monster, one from the right. And I swear that none of us knows which is which."

I feel a frown tug on my features. This is risky. If Annabeth was here, she'd be calling Percy stupid in at least four different ways. "Percy, are you sure you know what you're doing?" 

Percy looks back at us with a solemn nod. "Uh, pretty sure. Hazel, you're the Underworld expert. Is swearing on Styx an unbreakable oath?" 

Hazel nods, her curls bouncing in the prettiest way. "Yes. If you break that promise... Well. Let's just say there are things worse than death."

Phineas stroked his beard. "So I choose which vial to drink. You have to drink the other one. We swear to drink at the same time."

"Right," Percy said.

"The loser dies, obviously," Phineas said. "That kind of poison would probably keep even me from coming back to life...for a long time, at least." 

"But if you win, you get everything," Percy said. "If I die, my friends will swear to leave you in peace and not take revenge. You'd have your sight back, which even Gaea won't give you."

"If I lose," the old man said, "I'll be dead, unable to give you information. How does that help you?"

"You write down the location of Alcyoneus's lair ahead of time," Frank said. "Keep it to yourself, but swear on the River Styx it's specific and accurate. You also have to swear that if you lose and die, the harpies will be released from their curse."

"Those are high stakes," Phineas grumbled, looking over at Percy. "You face death, Percy Jackson. Wouldn't it be simpler just to hand over the harpy?"

"That's not an option." I say through gritted teeth as my grip on Ella tightens. 

Phineas smiled slowly. "So you are starting to understand her worth. Once I have my sight, I'll capture her myself, you know. Whoever controls that harpy...well, I was a king once. This gamble could make me a king again."

"You're getting ahead of yourself," Percy said. "Do we have a deal?"

"I can't foresee the outcome. Annoying how that works. A completely unexpected gamble...it makes the future cloudy. But I can tell you this, Percy Jackson—a bit of free advice. If you survive today, you're not going to like your future. A big sacrifice is coming, and you won't have the courage to make it. That will cost you dearly. It will cost the world dearly. It might be easier if you just choose the poison."

That sounds more serious than just a game. I glance at Percy, watching him pale. Does he know something? Is he keeping something from us? "Percy?" I ask.