young god • percy jackson

08: I Still Hate Dreams!

xx

"WHY ON EARTH would they take the Queen of the Underworld to Colorado?" Percy asked, laying on the motel bed next to mine.

Nico offered to take the couch. Percy and I didn't argue.

I drained myself setting up magical wards so we could sleep in peace. The spell back at Aunty Em's took a lot out of me. The wards sapped me of the rest of my strength. We had no nectar or ambrosia so I'd just have to sleep like a normal person. Thankfully, Nico and Percy hadn't  been seriously hurt during their fight with the monster.

"No idea," I told the son of the Sea God. I genuinely didn't know.

Across the room Nico snored peacefully. He could fall asleep anywhere, apparently.

"You've really never been to Colorado," Percy asked. "You never lived with your dad when he was..."

He trailed off. When he was alive.

"I think at one point I did. I was young. A baby," I said. "I must have, been. Mom never talked about it."

My eyes felt heavy. My head felt fuzzy. A day full of travel and draining magic was getting to me.

"Hey Percy?" I asked, looking over at him.

"Hm?" he asked, rolling on his to look at me. I could barely see him in the dark.

"Thank you for coming on this quest with me," I said. "Really. You didn't need to. I haven't done anything to deserve it. But thank you."

"You want answers and you just want to help," Percy said simply. "I see not reason not to help."

I smiled a bit, rolling over to turn off the light.

"Goodnight, Percy," I said quietly.

"Night, Nix."

xx

Have I mentioned I hate dreams?

Tonight's was a nightmare, really.

I watched as the world froze. Every last bit of the world was frozen.

"Do you see what will happen, godling?" a voice cooed.

I was staring out at the world from the top of the mountains. I could hear Demeter's horrible scream. In her agony she froze the whole world over. If she couldn't live with Persephone, then no one had any right to live.

I always feared Demeter because she did not cower before Hades like others. She stood up to him.

"If you do not save the Queen?" the voice said, bitter.

All I could do was watch. And when I looked to my right. Persephone was dead, ichor staining the mountains. Next to her was Percy and Nico, both dead.

On the other side of me.

It was Ares. War God.

"You will bring the end of the world."

"End of the world?" I asked.

"You will be angry with the gods. They've denied you much power. I like a good war, but with no world...there is no war. Find Persephone. Hades is...annoying me."

xx

I woke with a sharp gasp, falling out of bed. I'm not the most graceful person alive, I'll admit, but damn. That was embarrassing. Especially with Percy present.

Not that it mattered what he thought of me.

Percy jumped awake next to me. He reached for his sword as he searched for danger. He found none and turned to me sitting on the floor, confused and red in the face.

I pushed my hood off my head, pushing my hair away from my face. I tried to ignore the image of Percy dead that stuck in my mind. I tired to ignore how upset the idea of him being dead made me. Here I was, supposed to be hating him, standing for everything he stood again and yet? I was scared at the idea of him dying.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Bad dream," I mumbled, pulling my knees to my chest and lowering my head. I hated dreams.

I hated the panic I constantly awoke with. I hated the fear. I felt sick.

He nodded. "Like...a demigod dream?"

I nodded, hesitantly telling him what happened. What Ares has shown me, trying to keep my voice neutral when I mentioned his dead body. I couldn't look at him.

"Ares visited you in a dream...?"

"Mom's good with Astral projection. I can be reached pretty easy that way. Apparently by other gods too," I said bitterly.

I looked over at the couch. Nico was gone. A note was left on the couch on a hotel notepad. I picked it up, trying to avoid Percy for a minute. It simply read breakfast, a few extra letters scratched out. It only made it harder for me to read. I assumed that meant Nico would be providing us a lovely meal. I tossed the note aside and laid back down on my bed with a groan.

"What's wrong?"

I loathed that I wanted to tell him, that I found comfort in talking to him.

I looked over at Percy. "Just what Ares said...about being mad at the gods. Power..."

He nodded. "We'll figure this out."

I didn't believe him. I sat on the bed next to him. He was close to me now.

"I saw you dead Percy," I said. "I don't want to be the reason you die."

Percy studied me for a moment before looking down at the space between our hands on the bed. I kept staring at him. I wanted to see those green eyes.

"Are you really okay, Phoenix?" he asked gently. His hand was close to mine, fingers inching closer. My breath caught in my throat.

"I think so. I just...I'm confused...Need to think," I said.

His hand met mine on the comforter. He squeezed gently. I could feel his eyes on me now, as I looked down at out joined hands.

My mind started wandering dangerous places. I didn't have time to do this now. I needed space to think. I stood up, pulling my hand back, wondering what the hell that was.

"I need to clean up," I said, walking off into the bathroom.

I took a cool shower, trying not to think about Ares words too much. Colorado was far away. How long did we have until Demeter sent us into a forever winter?

Then my mind drifted to Ares warning. What had the gods denied me? What power? I ran my hands through my hair as I showered. What had they denied me? Why would I be angry? No one was ever pleased with the gods but angry?

It wasn't long before my mind drifted to Percy in the other room. All too aware that he was out there. Too aware.

I turned the shower colder.