Home Is Where The Heart(h) Is

Chapter 10: Darkness II

"Keep walking!" Hecate hissed. "They're watching us! No, don't look around, you'll draw attention." She sighed in exasperation, forcefully turning Percy's head around.

"Where are we going?" Percy asked.

"Somewhere they can't find us..." She left it at that, not elaborating further.

Percy decided following Hecate was better, since she had saved his life twice, and she seemed to know what she was doing. She had magically changed their clothes to blend into the crowd. 

Finally, the duo reached a house at the end of the street. It was run down, with wooden planks as walls and a door broken on its hinges. It made a groaning creak as Hecate swung it open. She stepped inside and Percy followed, shutting the door behind them.

Hecate snapped her fingers and the fluorescent lights on the walls lit up, casting a white-blue glow on the room, which turned out to be furnished with a simple table and chairs. The room smelled musty. Evidently, it had not been cleaned nor used in a while. 

"Where's this place?"

"You mortals call it a safe house. The monsters cannot reach us here." Hecate took a seat and gestured for Percy to do the same. "Let's talk, Perseus."

"So...are you with Olympus, or against?" Percy questioned.

"Neither," she answered simply, "I have no love for either side. I will sit and watch this battle unfold. The Giants know I killed Mimas and helped you escape Orion, hence I am, of course, hunted by him just as much as you are."

"But do you know their plans?" Percy asked. 

"Yes, I do. But-" she held up a hand to silence Percy's oncoming request, "I see no reason to divulge it to you either. You have not done anything to deserve my help."

Percy winced slightly, remembering the Titan war. He recalled seeing some rogue demigods casting spells on the backlines, creating Mist and throwing comets of fire and ice. What had happened to them, only now did he wonder.

"I'm sorry," Percy muttered. Hecate's stoic expression softened slightly. She sighed, "Fine, I will give you one piece of information. The Giants are planning to unleash Tartarus' monsters."

"Thank you," he said gratefully, though the piece of information horrified him. He would have to figure out how to stop that from happening. Hecate shrugged. "Your girlfriend helped me, after all."

Percy looked confused. "Girlfriend? Since when did Annabeth help you?"

Hecate made a sudden noise Percy only realised it as laughter. "I was talking about Hestia. She has helped me more than once."

The room suddenly felt warmer than usual. Percy could feel his face heating up. "She's not - my - my girlfriend." He spluttered out, like something had caught in his throat.

"No? Love is a kind of magic, Perseus," Hecate smiled knowingly. "And magic is a strange and illogical thing."

Percy thought about that, and suddenly froze. Poseidon was possessed when he entered Percy's dream, and Percy gave that seashell to Hestia. What if...

Blood drained from his face.

Oh Hades, no.

~

Hestia couldn't look - no, she didn't want to look - at what lay before her eyes, the thing so horrible and monstrous, unbelievably hideous and foul. She could smell the stench of what smelled like rotten meat, its hot breath making her hairs on her skin repulse. She choked, her eyes watering.