𝕊𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗 𝔸𝕣𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕤

The Jaws of the golden one

Bella POV

I am so happy ! My cousin’s and siblings are finally here. They were the best. I mean, Percy was too guilty about my death, so much so that I almost felt bad for dying !

Now, I have 2 extremely overprotective siblings and an even more overprotective father. Hades was so happy to see me, he almost cried, but maintained his frosty outer exterior.

But, now, I have a problem. It was my graduation day, and I was still wearing my favourite old sweats. I had absolutely nothing to wear. I was really regretting not accepting my father’s offer to buy a few nice clothes (read: the whole shop).

But being to god of riches, he kind of goes a bit too far. The last time, Nico told me he bought a whole shop just for Nico, tailor fitted suits and blazers.

Unless I could find something better here I was going to graduate in my sweat pants

“Stupid, thieving, annoying vampire!” I growled.

She was leaning casually beside the open window as if she’d been there the whole time. She threw a flat, white box onto my bed. “I’m just passing through. I thought you might need something
to wear.”

I looked at the big package lying on top of my unsatisfying wardrobe and grimaced. Percy would have gone berserk, dragging me and Nico along with him.

Nico and I shared a strong distaste towards shopping, but Percy was a son of Aphrodite, so he didn’t mind it at all.

“Admit it,” Alice said. “I’m a lifesaver.” Thank the gods she found something, I do not wish to be stuck in a shopping mall with Percy.

I would very much rather be dragged along with Alice than to be with Percy.

“You’re a lifesaver,” I muttered. “Thanks.”

“Well, it’s nice to get something right for a change. You don’t know how irritating it is — missing things the way I have been. I feel so useless. So . . . normal.” She cringed in horror of the word.

“I can’t imagine how awful that must feel. Being normal? Ugh.” Well, I have been the most normal I can be, for a immortal daughter of Hades.

Well, I still am partially immortal. See, I didn’t have much powers over underworldly stuff, but ghosts would still bow and worship me.

She laughed. “Well, at least this makes up for missing your annoying thief — now I just have to figure out what I’m not seeing in Seattle.”

When she said the words that way — putting the two situations together in one sentence — right then it
clicked.

The elusive something that had been bothering me for days, the important connection that I froze in place.

Well, I have been in way worse situations before, but seriously, do not invoke the protective side of Nico Di Angelo and Percy Jackson.

“Aren’t you going to open it?” she asked. She sighed when I didn’t move immediately, and tugged the
top of the box off herself.

She pulled something out and held it up, but I couldn’t concentrate on what it
was, I was too worried of the paranoid brothers of mine.

“Pretty, don’t you think? I picked blue, because I know it’s Edward’s favourite on you.”

I wasn’t listening.

“It’s the same,” I whispered.

“What is?” she demanded. “You don’t have anything like this. For crying out loud, you only own one skirt!”