Down in Flames [OC Demigod Fic]

Chapter Ten: "Lucky to Find You"

Rhodes took the news fairly well. I had to convince him that I wasn't on drugs several times, but eventually it started to make sense to him. The hellhound and harpy attacks helped him come to terms with the facts, and events from his past began to fit together like puzzle pieces. 'So that's why I've never seen any of my baby pictures' 'I guess that's the reason I was homeschooled' 'No wonder they wouldn't let me have a cell phone'.

As of now, we still don't know whether his mortal parent is his mother or his father. He did tell me that his parents were currently separated; they'd never really had a great relationship, so his mother had moved out. He hasn't seen her in months. His dad barely paid attention to him, but insisted on having custody—I suppose that's why Rhodes ran away.

"Wait so if you're a demigod... Who's your parent?" He asks me this morning after we turn in our hotel key; yes, he actually paid for the hotel, whereas I would have just picked the lock and snuck in. It turns out Rhodes actually brought thousands of dollars with him. The perks of having rich parents, right? We could probably rent a car, but air travel has much less traffic.

"Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire and the forges." We walk slowly over to the bike, and I sense that a long conversation's about to take place.

"Woah, can you—" he makes a whooshing sound and hand gesture. In reply, I create a small flame in the palm of my hand as Rhodes stares at it in awe. "That's way cool. Or rather, way hot."

"Thanks," I laugh at his pun and extinguish the fire by clenching my fist.

"So if you're a Greek demigod... Why are you leaving the Greek camp and going to this Roman one on the other side of the country?"

"Let's just say I caused a few 'accidents'," I say, feeling uneasy and more than a little bit guilty. I don't regret leaving Camp Half-Blood, but I do regret how I went about it. Though I was treated awful by so many campers, I miss Amaryllis and Truett more than anything; they were looking out for me that night because they truly cared.

"Understandable," he answers, catching on that it's still a touchy subject. "Should we get going to Camp Jupiter, then?"

I nod and we continue on our way.

At lunch, I quizzed him on the Olympians and some other gods he might need to know about. By the time we finished eating, Rhodes could say the Greek and Roman names of all twelve Olympians and Hades.

"It still doesn't feel real," Rhodes comments pensively. I must be wearing him out with all this knowledge— it'll be easier for him to understand when we reach the camp.

"The whole 'Greek myths are real' thing didn't make sense for me, either— not until I got to Camp Half-Blood."

"I wish I knew who my parent was," he sighs, gloom casting over his face.

"Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough," I remind him of the rule a demigod named Percy Jackson once asked of the gods; campers must be claimed by their thirteenth birthday. Rhodes told me he was almost seventeen.

When we leave the restaurant, I pause at the reflective glass window just outside the door. In the reflection, behind me, is the ghost of Dennis, looking at me with harsh eyes and a dismal expression. I snap my head around to face him— he is gone. Turning back to the window, I see only myself.

Sometimes I wonder where I'd end up if I died right now. Considering my recent actions, I'd say the Fields of Asphodel have a place reserved just for me. I suppose that's one of the reasons I want to help Rhodes, this lost demigod, reach safety— I feel like I have to redeem myself. Perhaps then, they might consider putting me back in the judges' good graces.

"You coming?" My friend calls to me. I blink a few times, breaking away from my thoughts. Running to catch up to Rhodes, I fall into step with him and we silently walk together down a newly cemented sidewalk. I notice more sidewalk construction up ahead— though a bit out of our way— where some concrete was still drying, left unattended.

"Rhody, look at that!" I quickly point it out to and drag him over to the wet cement. He curiously raises an eyebrow at me. Explaining my motive, I ask, "Want to leave our handprints?"

"They'll just pour over it," he states flatly. My shoulders slump and I realize he's right. As I'm about to walk away, I see him bend down, his hands hovering over the wet cement. "That doesn't mean we still can't leave our mark," he smiles up at me brightly. I join him, squatting on the other side of the wet cement square.

Spreading our palms out wide, we both lightly place our hands onto the cement's surface; the sticky stuff felt weirder than I expected. It's less like pudding and more like tar. We withdraw our hands quick enough, and thankfully, no cement has stuck to our fingers. It must be a demigod thing.

And there are our handprints, for all the world to see. Rhodes' hands are much bigger than mine; he's half a foot taller than me, after all.

I look over at him and see he's already staring back at me, his crystal blue eyes gleaming, as if he knows some marvelous secret.

"What?" I ask him, beginning to laugh.

"I was thinking about how I thought I was crazy, until I met you," he says, and I give him a quizzical look, prompting him to explain. "Wait— oh gosh, I didn't mean it like that," he covers his face in embarrassment, turning pink. "You're not crazy."

"I am, but that's obvious," I reply with a smile, shaking my head at his innocence. If he really knew me, we wouldn't be friends; I guess it's better, then, for me to pretend. "What were you going to say?"

"I meant, about the demigod thing. I thought that I was the only person who was this way. My parents blamed my overactive imagination for all the strange things I saw. But now, thanks to you, I know I'm not alone."

"I was lucky to find you, then," I answer calmly, feeling my cheeks burn red. Leaving camp really was for the best. The Fates must have known that. Though Rhodes would have found his way to camp eventually, I believe that we met for a greater reason than for me to bring him to Camp Jupiter. In this moment, I feel that our destinies are intertwined, somehow— that there's a light at the end of my tunnel of anger, darkness and fear— and Rhodes is standing there, in the glimmering sunlight.

Regaining my composure, I flash him a quirky smile and turn around before continuing our walk to the bike. "C'mon, we'd better get going if we want to make it there before sunset."