young god • percy jackson

07: Flowers Are Pretty!

xx

AUNTY EM'S WAS creepy.

And I was raised in Hell. Surrounded by the dead. So me calling this place creepy means it's creepy.

Percy told me about how Medusa used to lived here, about how he killed her when he was twelve and accused of stealing Zeus' Lightning Bolt.

The shop was abandoned now, previously used by Kronos' army. I'd been camped out here with Kronos for some time. I was high in the ranks. I liked that. Too much, sometimes.

Years ago, while training, Achilles had warned me of my fatal flaw. My ambition. I wanted to be great. My morals were flexible. I would stand with the stronger army if they held me up high, guaranteed a win. It would be my down fall.

Percy was infinitely loyal to his friends. He was easy to manipulate during the war. Easy to confuse with magic. Easily susceptible to illusions regarding his friends and family.

Together we walked into the old store. Percy had Riptide in his hand, still capped.

"Don't you have a weapon?" he asked as he opened up the door.

I drew my sword, holding it up to him. "Pretty, isn't it? Infused with magic."

"What kind of magic?"

"The kind that kills," I said. "A non-fatal wound on a monster will poison him. It won't kill them, but it makes them easier to kill. If I were to nick you with this...Lucky for you I don't use this sword in training. I use the nonlethal sword. But don't worry, I won't hurt a hair on your head." I winked.

He nodded, eyeing the sword as I sheathed it. Again, that unreadable emotion. It rolled off him. I couldn't tell what he was feeling it and it infuriated me. My sword disappeared again as we walked through the empty store.

"You used it during Capture the Flag. You threatened Annabeth with it," he said.

I shrugged. "No. I killed a nymph. Very different."

"Still not cool."

"Debatable," I insisted.

Percy fell silent, deciding he didn't want to argue with me. I didn't blame him. I was stubborn.

"There's nothing here," he said, annoyed at the abandoned store.

Perhaps he just didn't like the memories associated with this place. Perhaps they reminded him too much of Annabeth. Not that it mattered to me.

"Nothing?" I asked, picking up a fresh flower on the counter.

"A flower?"

"Persephone is the goddess of spring," said a voice behind us. It was Nico.

Percy spun and nearly decapitated him.

"Gods, Nico, I almost killed you," Percy mumbled, shaken up.

"Flowers are kind of Persephone's thing," I said.

"You would know. You helped out in the garden," Nico said, taking the flower from my hands.

Percy tilted his head at me. Me face felt warm. I grew uncomfortable under his stare, now. And I hated every fucking minute of it.

"Dark magic can be used to help things grow too, you know," I said quickly, searching the counter area where we'd found the flower.

I moved around the counter. I hit the register hard enough that it popped open. I grabbed a few drachmas and some regular money. If anything it was to change the subject, or distract from the fact that I helped out in Persephone's gardens.

"Does that count as stealing?" Percy asked.

Fuck his morals. His idea of right and wrong. You had to take what you could when you could before the world screwed you over. He should know that better than anyone.

I shrugged, tucking it into my pocket. "It's Medusa's money. I feel no guilt stealing from a monster."

In the distance I heard a screeching sound. It was horrible. I cringed.

"Speaking of monsters," Nico said.

"Okay, try and help me look for a clue on where to find her," I said urgently, clapping at Nico and Percy.

The monster sounded closer now.

They both jumped to action, helping me search. Nico found a few more flowers, the same blue-ish purple ones. But that was it. The monster was circling the building now. The anxiety was rising in me.

"Okay, okay, um," I studied the blue flowers, trying to figure out what they were. Persephone loved her garden, told me all about her flowers. My magic helped them grow in the Underworld.

I'd seen these in the dream my mom showed me. These blue flowers...the hell were they called?

"Hold off the monster, I know a spell to help me remember. I've seen this before but I need time," I said, sitting down on a bench.

"So you get to sit and we have to go fight a monster?" Percy asked, pulling out his sword.

"Oh right, sorry! Forgot you can do magic!" I snapped, glaring up at him.

"Never mind. We'll be back."

"Stay alive," I winked at Percy. His cheeks darkened and I turned away. "Go before it kills us all."

Percy and Nico nodded, hurrying outside. I shut out the sounds of them fighting. I let the flower float in front of me, swirling my hand around it.

It glowed a golden color. Aunty Em's faded around me. I was back in the Underworld, kneeling with Persephone in the dirt.

"The sunflowers are still my favorite," I told her.

"Why's that?"

I shook my head. "They're just...hopeful."

"Not because they watch the sun all day?"

"I can't help that I find Apollo attractive!" I pouted, causing the Queen of the Underworld to laugh.

Mom had forbid Apollo from ever interacting with me once she learned of my little crush. As if he was some sort of predator, or for that matter, the one with the crush. Apollo actually specifically said I wasn't his type anyway (Mom didn't like that).

"I like these," Persephone said, holding up a small blue-ish-purple flower. "Colorado blue columbine."

"Mom said I was born in Colorado," I said quietly.

Persephone smiled sadly. "I'm sure she'll let you visit someday. Once your training is complete."

I gasped, snapping out of the vision. The flower fell to the floor.

I was going home.

Percy and Nico came in a moment later as I stared at the flower on the floor. They looked exhausted, a little beaten up but fine.

"Nix? You look like you've seen a ghost," Nico said.

I snorted. "I grew up with ghosts. This is the face I make when I see living people," I joked.

"What did you learn?"

"We have to go to Colorado. It's a Colorado blue columbine. I was born there," I said, picking up the flower without crushing it.

Percy's eyes were on mine. I looked up at him.

"What?"

"You're very careful with the flowers, especially after you killed that tree nymph," he said quietly.

"I'm kind when I want to be," I assured him, holding out the flower to him.

He took it, staring down at it in confusion.

Nico rolled his eyes, walking out first.