The Grace Curse

Chapter Twenty-Eight

THE WHOLE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO WENT ON LIKE NOTHING EVER HAPPENED. It was pretty incredible that Apollo had hypnotized huge amounts of Mortals like that. My thoughts were broken when suddenly my legs wobbled. "Come on steady yourself," Andromeda groaned, allowing me to lean on her for support. I looked up and gasped, Megan's Manor came into view, I almost gasped at how much it resembled the Grace Manor. It was extravagant with its many windows and balconies, but it had dulled floral arrangements unlike my mother's fantastic array. I spied a tall black-haired woman watering plants outside. Megan.

I ran up to the gate and banged on it. "MEGAN!"

Megan flinched and paled at the sight of me as she turned around. She approached the gate and carefully examined me. "You," She muttered. "What do you want? I thought I told Vivien I don't want to see her or—!" She stopped when she saw Andromeda. "No...it can't be!"

Andromeda smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you, Megan,"

Megan crossed her arms. "Indeed, what brought you here Chase?"

"Vivien is dead," My voice cracked. Megan's eyes turned dark. Something behind her eyes seemed like it was concealing something.

"Come," She said. "Tell me everything," She opened the gate and motioned for us to follow inside. We followed her in and sat down on a nearby couch.

"So, tell me Chase, what happened to my estranged sister?" Megan put down her glass of tea. Her house looked much like mine but had something...different. The walls were decorated with purple banners that spelled something like SPQR, I was pretty sure that was Latin or something.

I turned back to Megan. "She was butchered by a Laestrygonian named Agnes,"

Megan put her hands to her temple. "I loved my sister...a lot has happened to the both of us," She explained. I sensed a hint of bitterness in her tone. I wondered what happened after that Thanksgiving night.

"What happened?"

Megan shook her head adamantly. "It doesn't concern you right now, please, finish your story,"

I was taken aback by her demanding tone, but continued. "After my mom was murdered Andromeda here saved me, well sort of,"

She rolled her eyes. "Chase don't be dramatic,"

Megan frowned. "Do continue,"

I gave Andromeda a nasty frown and then turned to Megan. "Shortly after my Mom was killed, I defeated the giant and passed out. Then, if that wasn't enough, I fought off Medusa and still survived,"

She glanced off. "Interesting, most Demigods don't survive one monster let alone...two,"

"The important thing here is that Zeus has been missing from Mount Olympus and I was hoping you could help us. Hera told us Zeus would be absorbed on the Summer Solstice by a monster. We know he is around here somewhere, we have no way of getting where ever that may be in time, I am also facing a greater issue; my friends have been captured by Apollo and all I can do is sit here and act stupid,"

Megan frowned. "Typhon, that's the monster's name. Yes, I heard of the vile creature before," She stopped for a moment. "As for your friends, who are they and what occurred?" I explained to Megan who Blake and Bethany were and how Apollo kidnapped them to blackmail me. I went further with it and told her about how both Aaron and Zoe died in Hecate's Hotel. "Well, this is certainly a significant amount to digest. Would you two wait here for me?"