The Beginning of the End (J. Grace)

XIV: The ghost of battery calls me irrational

"What actually happened?"

"Wait- so, why did he go into your room?"

"That's so cute!"

"Oh, my Gods, he actually said that?"

"Is a mum talk a thing? Like, a dad talk, only mum? I need to give him one."

"I need the details, girl!"

"You both act like a couple, just date already!"

"Why did you try to pretend that you don't like dad?!"

"Oh, my Gods!"

Yeah... that's how the walk went, I suppose.

Charleston Harbour glittered in the sun; to the north and south, strips of land stretched out like arms enclosing the bay and sitting in the mouth of the harbour -maybe a mile away- was a stone fort on an island. It looked important, but I didn't have time to think about it due to the bombardment of questions I was receiving.

We turned away from the seawall and into the fairly quiet gardens, so walked through South Battery Street without having to worry about bumping into people when Dove twirled around (sometimes with me) ahead of the others.

The street was lined with four-story colonial mansions with ivy clinging to the brick walls and facades adorning soaring white columns like Roman temples. There were front gardens bursting with rosebushes, honeysuckle and flowering bougainvillea. Any kid of Demeter would love it, and so did I: it was beautiful.

"Look!" Wise Girl finally put an end to the endless questions and pointed across the harbour to a shimmering white figure floating on the water. There was no mistaking that it was glowing, and moving... towards us. Hmm, maybe not... I don't really feel like dealing with that today.

I drew my sword from its scabbard as we all stood still, bracing ourselves. Bethy Baby's hand rested on her dagger, and did Piper's and Hazelnut seemed ready to draw her sword at any given moment. Out of the three of them, my daughter seemed to be the most on edge.

"That's not a ghost." She breathed as the figure came closer and I could make it out to be a woman. "No ghost glows that brightly."

I rested my free hand on her shoulder, offering up some comfort to her. But Dove was walking away, across the street and to the edge of the seawall, as if in a trance. She was almost run over by a horse-drawn carriage!

"Dove?" I called out to her uncertainly.

"We'd better follow her." Annabeth reasoned, so I sheathed my sword and went with the others, running after our friend.

"It is her." Piper grumbled once we were back in earshot, glaring at the woman like the sight offended her.

I squinted at the figure in the harbour, unable to make out details from the velocity of her blinding brightness. But then she floated up the seawall and came to a halt before us, her glow fading.

I gasped and took three instinctive steps backwards, recognising this goddess instantly. She was beautiful, that's for sure. Although, what else would you expect? Her features were constantly shifting from one gorgeous model to another.

She dressed like a Southern belle, just as Lightning Boy had described. At the thought of him, I wondered what it was that could've happened to Rey which made him not want me to come here so desperately. Yes, it was because she never acted the same around him again... but why?

The goddess's gown had a low-cut bodice of pink silk and a three-tiered hoop skirt with white scalloped lace. Long white gloves occupied her hands and a feathered pink and white fan was clutched to her chest.