The Half-Blood Project

26- Their Deepest Apologies

Percy Jackson

"NO!" Before I could even protest, one strong voice yelled out, and I turned, looking for who the voice belonged to. I was hoping it would be someone other than my father, but of course, it was. 

I frowned and looked at him, who was looking at Zeus, all who were there also looked at Zeus with little emotion on their smooth, undying faces. 

"Brother, tread carefully here," Zeus spoke in a calm voice, which made my skin tingle dangerously, it was like the calm before the unsteady thunderstorm that flooded the cities with its rain and thunder. 

"We do not make decisions like this without the entirety of the council, as you can see, Artemis, Aphrodite, and Demeter aren't present, we will do this without the votes of our fellow goddess's?" My father argued and everyone was still silent. I stole a glance at Annabeth who stood a few feet from me, her eyes fixated on the ground, sweating profusely. 

Zeus seemed to ponder this, scratching his beard that flickers with electricity and lightning. I feel his power, how he's holding back on zapping me into dusty Percy and I know he wants to, he wants me to be gone forever. But he hasn't acted yet. 

"Posideon is right." A voice on the left of Zeus speaks, it's light and airy, young, reminding me of some outgoing boy who can't keep his trap shut. I turn, finding the man who spoke is wearing a mailman's uniform, strange in the setting of such a high court, but oddly makes sense, even with the golden staff in his hand. It has silver snakes curling up the side and it's beautiful, glimmering in the hearth fire. "We cannot kill them, they have proven themselves worthy opponents of Kronos." 

Zeus rolls his dark beady eyes. "Hermes, we do not even know if Kronos is truly alive, we cannot assume anything yet, it's much too early." 

I spoke without thinking. Of course, I did. "Sir, but you do know, he's been hunting us, either killing or trapping us into his cause. He's on the move and every day, he gets stronger." 

Zeus's eyes, if possible grow darker and darker and his fists clench, Annabeth whips her head to me, panicking, those grey eyes full of such fear, I've never seen before. He's going to murder me on spot, isn't he?

I wince, waiting for a quick but insanely painful death that grants me a one way trip to a hell I won't escape, but it doesn't happen. 

"Perseus, you have tested my patience by coming here, by banding together demigods to fight a Titan who is not on the rise. Don't make me kill you." Zeus says slowly, in a cold, merciless voice that shows he will not hesitate to kill me if he truly wants to. 

"Lord Zeus, all we want is survival. Is that too much to ask?"

Zeus's eyes flicker again and I know he's thinking of Thalia and Jason. Well, I have to hope he is. Does he know what his kids have done? Does he know the limits of their bravery?

"We will cast a vote with the members of the council we have now," Zeus grit his teeth together and I could tell he was straining that anger together, trying not to let it burst. 

I looked to Annabeth and stepped closer to her, she gripped my forearm tightly, her nails digging into my skin, I tried to not notice the pain. Grover gripped my other forearm with his nails which too, dug into my arm. I thought a felt a pair of eyes on me, from the throne by Ares, Athena, but I ignored it. 

"Raise your right hand if you wish for the two demigods and satyrs to live," Zeus spoke in a low rumbling voice. I looked frantically up and down the rows of seats. Four hands. More than I expected. My father, Hermes, a big man in a mechanic uniform and the woman seated on Zeus's right side, who looked strangely cold and distant with a facade of marble.