The Blood of Olympus (Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 23: Piper

Chapter 23: Piper

 

            MAKEUP BRUSHES WEREN’T USUALLY DEADLY.

            Piper managed to duck, slamming herself into the hard ground. She could feel the bristles of the makeup brush rub against her back as it sailed over her head. Her head lifted up just in time to see the makeup brush slam into one of the pillars.

            Thoon clapped her hands together, and Piper could see the claws she had on each finger were painted pink. “I love destroying things!” the giant squealed. Her voice sounded like cat claws on a chalkboard.

            Just thankful that she didn’t get killed, Piper scrambled to her feet. She ignored the stinging in her skinned knees, holding her sword in front of her. “Now I can see why you’re the opposite of my mother,” she thought out loud. “My mother hates destruction, and you love it.”

            “Ah, yes!” Thoon laughed, continuing to clap her hands together. “You’re smarter than I thought, Piper. My mother and I often spoke about how dense you were.”

            Ouch. Piper ignored the insult. “Yeah, I am pretty smart. I’m the only child of Aphrodite who doesn’t mind getting dirty in a fight.”

            “Is that so?” Thoon gave an innocent smirk. “I couldn’t tell. You look dirty most of the time, according to my mother.”

            Piper bit back a sassy comment. She had to stay calm. This was Thoon’s specialty. Thoon loved to belittle people and make them feel horrible. Piper had tried to mentally prepare herself, but she hadn’t been prepared to become so mad.

            “And you’re saying this to me?” Piper asked calmly. “Next time you feel the urge to insult someone, look into a mirror, Thoon. Instead of being a sight for sore eyes, you’ll make someone have sore eyes.”

            Finally Thoon’s smirk vanished, leaving her with a scowl. She opened her purse once more, digging through whatever she was hiding in there. She was muttering under her breath while she dug through her bag.

            “Yes!” Thoon finally smiled and pulled out a huge nail fire. It had to have been the size of a palm tree. The nail file was decorated with animated bones. “I really hate mean half-bloods, Piper McLean. I’ll need to, ah, file you back into place.”

            Before Piper could react, Thoon slammed down her nail file, almost as if Piper were a bug and the nail fire was a fly swatter. Piper suddenly found herself on the ground, the huge nail file pressing her down. She felt a horrible throbbing in her head and her chest. She could barely breathe, and she was aware of the high-pitched whining slipping out of her mouth. Her hands frantically tried to push the nail file away, but Thoon was too strong.

            Behind the ringing in Piper’s ears, she could hear Thoon laughing. After a few horrible moments of having the nail file crush her, Piper felt the pressure leave her spine, and she could finally breathe.