Daughter of the Sea || HoO

CHAPTER NINE

Tori looked up the staircase. At the top stood a girl in a white silk dress. Her skin was unnaturally pale, the color of snow, but her hair was a lushmane of black, and her eyes were coffee brown. She focused her gaze on Leo with no expression, no smile, no friendliness. She was pretty, but you could tell that she had a cold personality.

She looked at Jason and Piper, and seemed to understand the situation immediately. Then she turned her gaze towards Tori, and her expression changed. She looked angry, and for a split second Tori thought she saw the girls eyes go pure white. 

"Great, I've only been here for five minutes and I already pissed somebody off." Tori thought, but then smirked, "haha Percy, new record."

The unnaturally pale girl made her facial expression, yet again, emotionless. She turned to her,-what Tori assumed brothers- and said, "Father will want to see the one called Jason."

"Then it is him?" Zethes asked excitedly.

"We'll see," the girl said. "Zethes, bring our guests." 

The group started heading for the stairs, but before Leo could even take a step the girl stopped him. 

"Not you, Leo Valdez," she said.

In the back of her mind, Tori wondered how she knew Leo's name. Normally when people know your full name, they're trying to kill you. Tori narrowed her eyes at the suspicious emotionless girl.

"Why not?" He asked sounding like a whiny kindergartner.   

"You cannot be in the presence of my father," the girl said."Fire and ice—it would not be wise."

"We're going together," Jason insisted, putting his hand on Leo's shoulder, "or not at all." 

The girl tilted her head, like she wasn't used to people refusing her orders. "He will not be harmed, Jason Grace,unless you make trouble. Calais, keep Leo Valdez here. Guard him, but do not kill him." 

Cal pouted. "Just a little?"

"No," the girl insisted. "And take care of his interesting suitcase, until Father passes judgment."

Jason, Tori, and Piper looked at Leo, their expressions asking him a silent question: How do you want to play this?

"It's fine, guys," he said. "No sense causing trouble if we don't have to. You go ahead."

Tori could tell that Jason was still a bit hesitant. She placed a hand on his arm, to get his attention, a quietly said, "We need to do what she says, it's the only way we'll get information and our best chance of survival."

Although it didn't make him any less hesitant or tense, Jason agreed with Tori. What she said made sense, he sent her a subtle nod and turned his attention to the girl on the staircase.

"Listen to your friend," the pale girl said. "Leo Valdez will be perfectly safe. I wish I could say the same for you, son of Zeus. Now come, King Boreas is waiting."

•••••••••••••••

As Tori started climbing the icy stairs, she started to think that Leo hanging out with Cal the hockey jock might be the least dangerous option in this place. Tori walked in between Piper and Jason, and Zethes stayed behind them, his blade drawn. The guy might've looked like a disco era reject, but there was nothing funny about his sword. Tori figured one hit from that thing would probably turn her into a Popsicle. That was a theory she didn't want to test.

Then there was the ice princess. Every once in a while she'd turn and give Jason a smile, but there was no warmth in her expression. She regarded Jason like he was an especially interesting science specimen—one she couldn't wait to dissect. She would also turn her attention to Tori, but she did not receive an emotionless smile. The girl gave her a scowl that was so cold, Tori felt like could feel the coldness in her soul.