Chapter 1: A very, VERY confusing day in New York City
Chapter Text
It started with a statue, a girl, and a god.
Two of them, actually, but Cassia didn’t know that. All she knew was that the Greek gods were stories: myths made up by people so they would have something to believe in. She didn’t believe in anything, but it was nice to look at the statues. They were beautiful, frozen sculptures of the imagination translated into stone for centuries to come.
The hustle of autumn brought energy to the ever present New York City that day, but inside the museum it was quiet, if you ignored the stifled coughs and low murmurs of others. Cassia sat on a bench in front of a towering statue of a bearded man holding a trident. He wore a toga, and glimmer of ancient wisdom in his gaze. An engraving on the base read Ποσειδώνας.
Poseidon. The god of the sea.
Cassia sighed and opened up her sketchbook, meeting the statue’s marble glare. Her pencil hovered over the page, unsure of how to capture the god’s majesty. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt a shift in the air around her as she stared at the statue. Just for a fleeting moment, it was almost as if she was in the presence of the god himself. That was impossible, of course.
“How am I supposed to draw you?” Cassia murmured to herself, setting her pencil down at her side and huffing with frustration. She snapped her sketchbook shut and put it back in her bag, stood up, and began pacing down the gallery, observing each carving. Perhaps her mind could paint the picture better than her hand.
She passed by two men on her way down the gallery. One had salt and pepper hair, and wore a jogger’s clothes, and the other had blonde, shoulder length hair. He looked about eighteen, and wore a collared shirt and sunglasses, despite it being October. They were in conversation together, occasionally glancing at the statues and making comments.
Cassia was on her way down to the next chamber when something told her to stop. She now stood in front of a statue of a man with wings like an angel, and long curls. His gaze felt more welcoming than Poseidon’s did. Her eyes trailed down to the base.
Απόλλων.
Apollo.
“He’s awfully handsome, isn’t he?” The man with the blonde hair said, a smug grin on his face as he observed the statue. The other man smirked.
“Personally, I find the one beside him more attractive.”
“Hats like that have never been in fashion.”
“And wings are?”
Cassia ignored their banter. Judging by the way they spoke to each other, she’d guess they were brothers. She stared at the statue, and scoffed. “Ridiculous. A god of the sun. As if.” She muttered, shifting her gaze to a case filled with ancient Greek weapons. There were spears, swords, but none caught her attention. Then she saw a bow- not just any bow. This bow was ethereal. It had intricate designs carved in that seemed to shimmer like gold. The wood looked perfectly smooth, and the string seemed to shimmer like light.
Cassia moved toward the glass case. Nobody seemed to notice it but her. Their eyes would move from the sword display to the battle armour, completely ignoring it, as if it wasn’t even there. A little girl looked at the display Cassia stood in front of, and frowned. “Daddy, where’s the thing inside?” She asked, and her father looked at the case, too.
“I’m not sure. Maybe they’re cleaning it, or it’s being taken out for now.” He said, ruffling his daughter’s hair. “But the armor’s there! How cool is that?” The girl’s eyes widened, and she went to the next display. Cassia raised an eyebrow, a little confused as to why they didn’t see the very obvious bow in the glass case.
Cassia turned back to the glass and found it empty. It was as if that bow had never even existed. Must’ve been a trick of the imagination.
Her phone buzzed with another message from her mother.
When are you coming home? Mom’s making lasagna.
More like Phoebe, her younger sister. Phoebe was.. Something. She had mousy brown hair and an upturned smirk that never meant anything wholesome. She was only nine, and had already jacked a car out of spite. Cass didn’t even know she’d done it until Phoebe had told her, and Cassia knew everything about her sister. She thought for a moment before responding.
On my way home now.
Before she could press send, she heard a deafening screech in the distance. It only grew louder. Cassia dropped her phone out of shock, the sound of it colliding with the marble floor echoing around the chamber. Nobody else seemed to notice the screams of something growing closer and closer. They looked blissfully unaware of the noise. Cass couldn’t think straight as she heard the screeching drawing nearer. Something told her to run as fast as she could. She listened, turned on her heel and sprinted out of the gallery, earning a couple reproving glares from strangers. The ground shook underneath her feet as she braved the labyrinth of galleries upon galleries that seemed to extend forever. Whatever was chasing her was gaining on her.
She made the mistake of looking back, and the minute she saw a wing, she freaked. What was after her? Why didn’t anyone else notice it?
“Woah!” A voice said, latching onto Cassia’s wrist, freezing her in place. It was a girl who looked about twelve, the same age as her. She had curly brown hair and kind eyes. “You okay?”
“Can’t anybody see it?” She cried out, not daring to look behind her. The girl stepped out a little so she could see whatever Cassia was talking about, and her eyes widened. “So it’s you.” The girl stated, a look of shock on her face, mixed in with admiration.
“What?” Cassia asked. She wasn’t anything worth dwelling on, just another kid with a bad track record. Had she accidentally caused another disaster without realising? The girl shook her head. “My name is Maisie, and I’ve been looking for you. Follow me.”
“What?”
“I can see it!”
That got Cassia’s attention. She saw the monster. She wasn’t crazy. “What is it?” She asked, her voice trembling.
“A siren. I have no clue why it’s here, after you, and not in a pack. They sit on rocks and sing sailors to death. They certainly don’t hunt down young demigods in New York City.”
“What does any of that mean?”
“Shush!” Maisie ordered, pressing a finger to Cassia’s lips, silencing her. She led Cass over to a quiet corner, out of sight. “What has your parent told you about your mom or dad?”
“That my dad’s dead.”
“He’s not dead. That was a lie your mom told you to protect you.”
“Protect me? From… from things like that?”
“To protect you from yourself.” Maisie said. She took a deep breath. “You’re powerful. I don’t know who you are, but I can tell you’ve got a lot of force running through your veins. That would be a gift from your dad.”
“My dad?”
“You’re a demigod. Your dad is a Greek god. The entire Greek Pantheon is real, and you’ve got monsters at your heels. I would’ve thought you’d be safer here, considering you were in the presence of a god..”
“I was what?” Cassia interjected, her jaw hanging open. The gods weren’t real. Surely not. But She’d seen a monster with her own two eyes. One from Greek mythology.
“You didn’t notice? Probably thanks to the mist. The gods tend to come down to earth disguised as mortals. They like to look at themselves.”
“So they’re vain.”
The sky rumbled above them. Maisie winced. “I wouldn’t say that if I were you. The gods don’t like being insulted. It’s not a good idea to anger them.”
“Do you know who was in the gallery with me?” She questioned.
“I didn’t get a good look, and it’s almost impossible to tell when they’re disguised as mortals.” Maisie explained, pinching the bridge of her nose. “All I could tell was that they had an aura of power around them. Like yours, but a lot bigger. You’re only half-god. They’re the real deal.”
“Disguised as mortals? Hold up a minute there.” Cassia said, holding her hands up. “Why wouldn’t they just walk around as themselves?”
Maisie raised an eyebrow. “How would you react to seeing a man with angel wings and a halo of light around his head walking down the street?”
“Probably not question it. We’re in New York, after all.”
“That’s not my point. My point is that the mortals, at least enough to really cause a commotion, would cause a racket. Conspiracy theories would crop up everywhere, and it’s just safer in general not to reveal themselves to the mortals. They’d question everything they’ve ever known.”
“Ah, I see.”
Cassia didn’t see.
Maisie took a breath. “Look, I know this is a lot to understand in such a short amount of time, but you need to understand it’s necessary. I have to take you to a safe place, since the attacks will just keep coming. Now that you know what you are, monsters are going to be drawn to you.” She looked down at Cassie’s phone. “And I’d suggest throwing that away. Phones attract monsters. It’s like getting a megaphone and screaming ‘Eat me!’”
“I need to tell my sister what’s going on, and my mom.”
“No time.” Maisie said shortly, peeking out from the corner. “That siren’s on the hunt for you.”
“Again, remind me why a siren is here?”
“Somebody most likely sent one after you.”
“What?”
“Shush!” Maisie said, pressing a finger to Cassia’s lips. She looked around the corner and quickly retracted. “We don’t have much time.”
She grabbed her hand, and pulled Cassia out to the exit. They sprinted down the stairs, and Maisie shoved her into the backseat of a taxi, sidling in beside her. She tossed a golden coin of some sort to one of the three drivers.
Wait, three?
And where were their eyes?
“Camp Half-Blood, please.” Maisie said to the women. One turned to face the girls, and Cassia screamed. She had no eyeballs, just empty sockets. Her skin was grey and her hair stringy. Thanks to a kick in the shins from Maisie, she settled for internal screaming.
The woman turned back around, and the car set off at absolute breakneck speed. Cassia thought she’d seen bad drivers- she lived in New York city, it was guaranteed. She’d never seen drivers this bad. It was actually impressive if you ignored the very high chance of death.
“The Grey sisters.” Maisie explained. She looked a little green in the face.
“Who- who are you?” Cassia found herself asking, clutching her seatbelt buckle tightly.
“I told you already- I’m Maisie. I’m a daughter of Demeter- the agriculture goddess. I was in New York looking for a demigod- you, as it turns out. I’m a little surprised you’ve stayed alive this long.”
“So am I,” Cassia said bleakly. The world was a blur of grey and beige as the car sped on the highway. Maisie kept her head down to avoid throwing up, leaving Cassia to figure out what was happening.
Her father was alive, and he was a god. A God. An immortal, all-powerful, omnipotent being was her dad. She had a feeling the gods weren’t exactly ones to play catch with their kids, or show up to their soccer games on weekends like mortal dads did.
She rested her elbow against the window and stared at the one thing that didn’t seem to be moving: the sun. Its dazzling light seemed to bring a wave of comfort over her. The sun continued to shine down, even though her entire life had been flipped upside down and put into a blender.
The Grey Sisters started bickering in the front seats. Maisie firmly kept her eyes trained on the footwell, and Cassia kept looking at the sun. Maybe, just maybe, this would all make sense to her one day.
But for now, she just had to stay in the light so she wouldn’t go tumbling into darkness.
Chapter 2: Just another terrible day at Camp Half-Blood (where everything's the worst)
Chapter Text
They dropped them in the middle of nowhere. Well, the place apparently had a name, but it wasn’t exactly a place. Just a beaten up dirt road Cassia would avoid at all costs. It didn’t look like much, because there wasn’t much to look at.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Cassia asked, raising an eyebrow. Maisie had thankfully recovered since her bout of motion sickness, and now stood beside Cassia with her hands on her hips, staring at the dirt road fondly. Maisie laughed.
“Of course this is the right place. Why do you ask?”
Cassia picked rust off the mailbox that read ‘3.14 FARM ROAD’ in peeling letters. “This doesn’t really seem like somewhere the greek gods designate their children to train.”
“Do you know anything? This is 1. A disguise, and 2, totally on brand for them.”
“I was expecting something a little more..”
“Luxurious? Grand? Don’t worry, it’s grand, all right. We just put up this ‘old farm’ front to throw off the mortals.” Maisie reassured her, and she began walking down the dusty road. It was a wide, dusty path with loose pebbles just about everywhere. The further they walked, though, the more the road became neater. More organised. Clearly used often. The woods became denser and denser, and Cassia privately wondered if Maisie was leading her down here so she could be sacrificed to the gods in some cult ritual thing. She’d heard about people like that before. This definitely wasn’t the smartest thing she’d ever done.
Then it came into view. A beautiful pine tree with a fleece of glimmering gold on one branch. Below it was..
“Is that a dragon?” Cassia said, her eyes widening at the sight. Maisie smiled fondly at it. “Peleus. Yeah, that’s our guardian dragon. He minds the golden fleece so nobody steals it.”
“The golden-? You know what, forget I asked.” Cass said, sighing. There was a stone archway with the words ‘CAMP HALF-BLOOD’ engraved on it, and beneath the arch were fields of rolling hills and fields filled with wildflowers, plants and playing areas. There was a beach, she could see, further down. There was a big green area with cabins in different colours and sizes built in a rectangle formation, and kids wearing orange t-shirts sparring with each other. Past a small forest clearing were more cabins. They were just tiny dots from where she stood, but the orange was unmistakable.
“Welcome to Camp Half-Blood.” Maisie said, sighing contentedly as she took in the area. The two walked down the path, now a cobblestone trail. Cassia took in the area around her; grand marble pillars, temples, statues of the gods, an active hearth flickering, and a big blue house that reminded her of an old farmhouse.
“Let me take you to the big house- you’ve got to meet Chiron, and our camp director, Mr D.” Maisie led her to the big blue house. Out on the porch were two people playing a game of cards: one was a pudgy man with black curly hair and flushed cheeks. He wore a leopard print shirt and cargo shorts, and held a diet coke in hand. The other man was a centaur. Cassia decided to just go with it.
The pudgy man looked up from his cards, raising an eyebrow as he took in the sight of the new girl. “So you found the girl, eh?”
“Yes, Mr D.” Maisie said. She couldn’t help but notice the lack of enthusiasm in her tone. She clearly didn’t like this guy very much. Cassia got the impression that perhaps she shouldn’t like him, either. “Cassia, this is Dionysus, or Mr D. He’s our camp director.”
Cassia surveyed the man. Dionysus.. Wasn’t that..
“Like.. the wine god?”
Mr D’s face soured. Maisie winced, and Cass got the feeling that wasn’t the smartest thing to say right off the bat. However, instead of blasting Cassia to pieces, he sighed, raising his can of Diet Coke up for a swig. “It’s better than the wine guy, I suppose.” And with that, he turned on his heel and walked back to the table where the centaur was. The centaur smiled. “It’s nice you’re here, Cassia. I am Chiron.”
That name rang a bell for Cassia. Perhaps she’d heard it somewhere before. She raised an eyebrow. “As in the one who trained Achilles?”
“The very same.” Chiron said, standing up. He was a white stallion from the waist down, but wore a blazer and dress shirt like he was going somewhere fancy. “Maisie, would you be so kind as to show Cassia the orientation film?”
Maisie nodded. “Not a problem. Come on, Cassie. Can I call you Cassie?”
“Oh, uh, sure?”
“Great! Let’s go, Cassie.” She grabbed her hand, pulling her into the big house and into a TV room. Once Maisie was sure they were alone, she spoke. “Mr D is.. Interesting, to say the least. You seriously don’t want to anger the guy, because angering a god is never a good idea in general. He’ll turn you into a dolphin, trust. And about that orientation film, I’m going to save you the pain of seeing it. You’ll want to gouge your own eyes out, and it’s worse if Apollo’s your godrent.”
“Godrent?”
“It’s what we call our godly parent,” Maisie explained, rustling through a cupboard for something. “Speaking of godrents, I’ll give you a rundown on how camp works.”
Maisie proceeded to lay out the way it all worked, and afterward gave a quiz. That was somehow the cruellest thing Cassia had experienced that day. She managed to put a god to each of the cabins correctly, and go into detail about how the routine worked. The rest would have to be learned through experience, though, like how to successfully avoid getting after dinner cleanup, and how to not fall to your death on the rock climbing wall.
“I think you’re good. I’ll take you on that tour now.” Maisie said, a satisfied smile on her face as she led Cass out of the house and into the open fields. Kids were playing on a volleyball court, laughing and shouting with each other. People were kayaking on the lake. The thump of arrows hitting their targets in the archery range rang out every five minutes. It looked peaceful. Maisie led Cassia down to the cabin green, and it was seriously nice.
“Hey, Felix!” Maisie called out to a boy who looked the same age as Cass. He had tan skin and curly brown hair, but grey eyes. He was sharpening a spear tip on the steps of a cabin with an owl over the door. The boy, Felix, looked up and nodded at Maisie.
“Maisie,” He greeted, looking neither happy nor annoyed to see her. His gaze shifted to Cassia, his grey eyes seemingly analysing her every move. Cass didn’t think she’d like this kid very much. “And who’s this?” He asked.
“This is Cassia. She’s new.” Maisie explained, smiling at Cassie. “Cassia, this is Felix. He’s from cabin six- Athena. If you ever need weapon training or someone to talk battle strategy to, he’s your guy.”
“Hi,” Cassia said, managing a faint smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“Mmm.” Felix hummed, still observing Cassia. It was like he was scrutinising her already. “Right. Well, welcome to camp, I guess,” He finally said, going back to sharpening his blade. Maisie led Cass away.
Once they were a good distance apart from Felix, Maisie sighed. “I’m sorry if he comes off stuck up or judgemental. He’s really smart, but he has no emotional intelligence. He doesn’t know what to make of you yet, I guess.”
“Noted,” Cass said. She made a mental note not to go near Felix. She didn’t like the boy’s company all that much. Maisie nodded at two girls sitting on a rock, flexing daggers to each other. One of the girls was broad and muscular, and instantly Cassia knew she would not want on her bad side. She had fiery red hair and wore a bandana in the same colour. It clashed horribly. The other girl was easily prettier. She had a deep brown complexion, and wore goddess braids that fell in front of her face. She was a lot less muscular than her friend, but held an aura of strength around her. She reminded Cassia of a cat, stalking its prey before striking.
“That girl with the bandana is Liana. Daughter of Ares, and not someone you want as an enemy. And the other girl is Nova, also a daughter of Ares. Don’t let the hot pink and hello kitty merch fool you: she’s just as deadly. Those daggers are no joke. Try to stay neutral with them.” Maisie murmured to her, throwing a nervous glance at the girls, who had noticed Cassia’s presence. Nova stood up and strode over to them, her eyes darting from Maisie to Cass.
“Who’s this?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest, her lip curling up slightly in a tiny sneer as she looked at Cassia. “Must be a runt if you’re leading her around, Maple.”
Maisie turned red at the insult, and clenched her fist at her sides. “Shut up, Allemande.” She sputtered, but her words held no venom. She sounded intimidated, a little scared by Nova’s presence.
The girl looked her up and down. “Let me get a good look at you,” She said, using the tip of her blade to push Cassia’s chin up. “What’s your name?”
“Cassia. Dubois,” She said, not extending her hand out for a handshake. Nova didn’t come off as a person who would appreciate the gesture.
“Let me guess,” Nova lowered the dagger from Cassia’s chin.“You were led to camp by Maisie here and she gave you a nice little quiz as an introduction, thinking that’ll ease you into camp life.”
“I-” Cassia stuttered.
“I’m here to tell you that you’re hanging with the wrong sort right now. If Chiron sent a half-blood to collect you instead of a Satyr, you’re clearly a powerful force. A big three kid, maybe.”
“Nova, cut it out.” Maisie warned.
Nova’s eyes were glinting with interest.
“Maisie’s trying to make you soft. Make you like her. Well, I’ll tell you now- being nice has done absolutely no good for any warrior. Be loyal, be brave, be powerful, but never nice.” Nova remarked, her gaze darkening. She pointed the blade of her dagger to Cassia’s throat, eyeing it with a hunger that made her slightly nervous, as if her skin looked like target practice.
“You’re an interesting case, Cass. Just remember to be humble until you earn the right to brag.” Nova said, lowering the blade and letting it sit in her hand by her side.
She turned on her heel, and Cassia watched as Nova went back over to her half-sister, her pink dagger twirling in her hand. Maisie grabbed Cassia’s arm and led her away, huffing with annoyance. “See? Nova and her sister- just the whole Ares cabin in general are nothing but brutes. Nova doesn’t want to help you, she wants to control you! Take my advice and stay well away from her.”
Cassia nodded, but threw one last glance at Nova, who was sharpening her dagger. She looked up, and smirked.
Cass allowed Maisie to lead her through the rest of the camp, thinking over her conversation with Nova. “What did Nova mean by ‘a big three kid?’ What's the big three?”
Maisie stopped halfway through her description of the dining pavilion. “Oh. The big three are the original god sons of Kronos. You know, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. They made a pact around world war two, I think, to not have any more children.Two decades or so ago, that pact was scrapped and the gods are welcome to have kids, just like the others are. We often hear rumours of a big three kid being born or being noticed by monsters, but even if we managed to bring them to camp, they’d have a tough time. It’s not easy, being a child of a god that powerful. It’s known for leading you down awful routes that result in horrible death.”
She seemed to take notice of Cassia’s expression. “But I’m sure you’re not one of them. Nova was probably just trying to get under your skin.”
“Yeah,” Cass said, swallowing thickly. “Probably.”
The rest of the tour went smoothly, but Cassia’s mind was elsewhere entirely. Who was her father? Could she really be a child of the big three? With her luck, and having read the tiniest bit of mythology, she was probably a daughter of Zeus. At last, Maisie came to a stop outside cabin eleven: Hermes. A boy with light pink hair and a flannel shirt over his camp t-shirt was picking away at something metal in his hands. He looked up as the girls arrived. He had hazel eyes that glinted with mischief, and an upturned smirk that screamed trouble. The boy set down whatever he was working on, and stood up. He was average in height, but wiry. He looked good in a heist. He probably was. The boy regarded Maisie with a polite nod, then focused on Cassia.
“You’re new, aren’t you?” He said. Cass nodded. “What’s your name? I’m Castillo.”
“Cassia.”
He nodded, then turned to Maisie. “You have sword training in five minutes.”
“Gods, I do! Are you able to help Cassia settle in? Thanks!”
And with that, she hurried off, leaving Cassia alone with Castillo. He let out a groan the minute Maisie left. “I am so sorry you got stuck with her. I’m much better, so you’re in good hands.”
Cassia allowed herself a smile. Castillo seemed alright so far.
“Right, if you ever need a guy to steal something for you, or pick a lock, or jack a car, or win a bet, I’m the one to go to.”
“What do you think of Nova?” She asked abruptly. “Sorry, I was just-”
“-Wondering? That never hurt anyone. Nova’s certainly fierce, but I promise she’s not evil. Maybe it’s because I steal stuff for her, but she’s pretty alright once you get to know her. Better than Maisie.”
“What is the deal with you and Maisie?”
“You’ll see. She’s a total control freak, it’s exhausting. And she will try to force her ideas onto you. Like: ‘Oh, no, Castillo, you can’t replace all of Mr D’s diet coke with Pepsi!’ Look, you seem cool underneath the layers of awkwardness, so I’ll be your friend.”
“Wow, I’m honoured,” Cassia replied dryly.
“You should be. I’m pretty awesome.”
The way Castillo was so at ease, so welcoming and casually treating Cassia like she was his best friend, it made her heart warm. He looked back to the entrance of the cabin. “Come in, let’s get you settled.” He said, leading her inside. The interior of the Hermes cabin was like an old-timey, stereotypical summer camp cabin. It felt homey. The beds weren’t made, and everybody had their own little corners with pictures, or trinkets they had no doubt stolen at some point. There seemed to be a lot more boys in this cabin than girls, all of whom wore the same upturned smirks as Castillo. Cass decided they were most likely his half-brothers. “Welcome to cabin eleven,” He said, showing Cassia to an empty bunk bed in the corner of the room. “That’s Jerry, that’s Terry. No, they’re not twins. That’s Matthew and that’s Naomi, and over there is Ezra and Malachi- don’t trust either of them.”
Cassia followed Castillo’s finger as he pointed out the kids of the cabin. She could see the family resemblance, with the way their eyes all twinkled and their smirks all meant the same kind of trouble.
After making sure she was properly settled in, Castillo led Cassia to the dining pavilion.
At dinner, everybody sat underneath a starry sky, with a fire crackling in the middle of the area. Twelve tables were laid out where people sat. Chiron, the centaur man, sat at a head table alongside Mr D. He raised his goblet. “To the gods!” He said, and everybody raised their own goblets in return. Cassia followed, raising her own glass up to the sky.
“To the gods,” She murmured, silently hoping those words would reveal everything she wanted to know to her. Dinner was served, and Cass couldn’t help but notice that everybody threw away the best part of their meals: the fluffiest bread roll, or the biggest potato (now that was a crime to throw away). Castillo stood up, his plate still holding a piece of steak.
“You coming?” He asked, and Cassia looked down at her plate. She had one part of it she had been saving for the end. “Sacrifices?” She asked, nodding at the fire. Castillo nodded. “Yep. The gods like to feel appreciated, so we sacrifice the best part of our meal to them.”
“Can they eat it?”
“Nah, but they seem to like the smell. Plus, if you need anything from one of the gods, sacrificing is the way to get their attention. Maybe you should try praying to your dad.”
“Uh.. alright.” She said, standing up and following Castillo to the fire, where he scraped his food into the flames.
“To Hermes.” He said, watching the smoke rise into the night air.
He then stepped aside, and Cassia approached the fire. She scraped her food into the pit, and watched as it burnt away.
“To my dad.. Whoever he is.” She said. She turned to Castillo. “What’s the likelihood of him actually listening to me right now?”
“Depends on the god.”
Cassia nodded, turning back to the fire. She cleared her throat. “To my dad.”
She stood back, and watched as the smoke rose into the night sky. It was there she spoke her silent prayer, staring at the stars.
“Let me know you,” She said, watching as the smoke faded into the inky canvas of night.
Chapter 3: Cassia Dubois, and the too loud, no good, very painful scream
Chapter Text
“So… archery’s like, a big thing here?” Cassia said as they were fitted for bows in the armoury, prior to training. Cabins trained together, and if you were proficient enough in a certain skill, you could be enrolled in a master class, which was the best of the best. Castillo was part of master lockpicking class, which Cassia both didn’t know existed, and didn’t want to know what they did there.
“Well, if you’re part of Apollo’s cabin, yeah,” Castillo said as he gathered up a quiver of arrows. “The rest of us have other ways. Me, I’m more of a dagger fighter.”
“I’ve noticed.” Castillo always had his dagger on hand. It had a green handle, and a silver blade that glinted whenever he turned it. A small and nimble weapon for an even more nimble fighter. Cassia felt the bow in her hands. It didn’t feel perfect, but it was good enough. A weapon chose its fighter, that was what Chiron had said.
The two of them walked out into the morning sun, into the sprawling archery range. The rest of the Hermes/unclaimed cabin were already there, warming up their shoulders. Chiron had his bow slung on his back, instructing them on the best stretches. Cassia slipped into the pack and began warming up. She’d shot an arrow maybe twice in her life; both at a school camp, which hardly counted. It seemed, though, that everyone else had some experience.
All of the instructions were confusing, and nobody bothered to elaborate. Cassia decided to give up and figure it out herself. Whatever felt natural had to work fine, right? She fumbled when she attempted to string the bow. Castillo eventually had to do it for her. She dropped one of her arrows as she attempted to nock it in the string.
She closed her eyes, breathing in the air around her. Be calm, A voice inside her commanded. Do what feels natural.
What the hell felt natural? Cassia didn’t know, but she opened her eyes, and reached for an arrow, nocking it in what she hoped was a swift movement. She pulled back the string. Chiron had told them to stand with their feet to the side. Cassia attempted that, but it didn’t feel right. One foot in front of the other, Cassia eyed the target warily, as if it would bite her.
Then she shot. It wasn’t a bullseye, but the arrow had sailed through the air cleanly and landed in the next ring over. Slowly, Cass lowered the bow, observing her shot. Then she grabbed another arrow and shot again. And again. And again. It felt like fire running through her veins, a burning sense of purpose flooding her. It felt right. It felt natural.
She wouldn’t stop until she got that bullseye, and when she did, she’d keep going until every shot was a bullseye. Cass notched her last arrow in the quiver, and sent it hurtling to the target. It sank right through the red dot in the centre. Castillo let out a low whistle. “You’ll be good at capture the flag.”
“What’s capture the flag?”
Capture the flag was about what you’d expect. There were two teams, and two flags. The opposing team’s flag was positioned in the home base of the other team, and vice versa. The goal was to capture your flag and make it back to your own base safely. It seemed normal, but then you got to the little things Chiron chose to mention last minute.
Apparently there was no maiming, no murdering, but fighting was heavily encouraged. How lovely. The Hermes cabin had chosen to forge an alliance with Athena and Apollo. Cass noticed a trend in the Athena clan; they all had grey eyes and a certain menacing aura. The Apollo kids, on the other hand, seemed to be literal rays of sunshine. The light seemed to cling to them, though it was barely noticeable.
“I’m pulling off a heist,” Castillo announced to her as Cassia fastened on her chestplate. “You’re with Felix for this one. Try to kill him for me, will you?” He patted her on the shoulder with a smirk, and hurried off with his brothers.
When Cassia approached Felix, he gave her a once over, not smiling or frowning (what was it with his apathy?) and sighed, turning away. After a few seconds of internal sputtering and cursing, Cassia spoke. “So what are we going to do?” She asked. Felix twirled his spear in his hand.
“We’re going to go on the outskirts and block attacks from a distance.”
“Why aren’t we just going into the main battle?”
He turned to raise his eyebrow at the question. “You’ve had, what, three days of training and you think you can handle yourself in a real combat situation?”
“Okay, there’s no need to be rude about it.”
“It’s called being honest, Dubois.”
Without a good comeback, Cassia shut up and settled for seething in silence as they walked through the outskirts of the woods. The sun today was shining bright, and not a cloud in the sky was visible. There was a chill to the air, though, as the autumn breeze rustled through the reddening trees. Felix looked around with every step he took, as if he were expecting someone to jump into their path and attack the two. Cassia couldn’t help but notice how tightly he seemed to be gripping the shaft of his spear. What on earth could he be so stressed about? When she asked him about it, he glared at her before replying in a snappy tone. “Never you mind.”
“You’re right, you ought to mind your business, Callahan.” Felix and Cassia whipped their heads to see two girls standing in front of them, wearing smirks and holding menacing weapons. Liana and Nova- the Ares girls. Nova had switched her daggers for throwing stars, which she tapped on the side of her thigh absent-mindedly. This somehow made her all the more threatening to Cassia. Felix clenched his jaw, his gaze darkening as his eyes trailed from one girl to the other.
“Liana,” Nova said, drawing herself out of her bored state. “You should go handle the Hermes kids. I can take on Callahan and Dubois, no issue.”
Liana gave a disgruntled once over of Cassia before nodding. “Sounds like a plan. Pulverise them for me, will you?” And with that, she left, leaving Nova against Felix and Cassia.
“I see you’ve brought company,” Nova commented, glancing over to Cassia. “But you don’t seem to be overly enthused about that.”
“Why is that relevant to anything?” Felix raised an eyebrow.
“I just thought you’d be able to see it. I suppose I was wrong.”
“See what?”
“Aren’t you meant to be super smart or something? The potential!”
Felix scoffed. “Potential? Her?”
“I’m right here,” Cassia said, moving forward so she now stood in line with Felix.
“I’ve been talking to Castillo. He told me you’re decent with a bow and arrow. Apparently you picked it up pretty fast,” Nova remarked.
“That’s not anything revolutionary. Maybe it’s just something I’ve got a knack for. It’s not like I’m some super good archer or anything.”
Nova looked to Felix, frustration growing on her face. “Oh come on, Callahan! Pick it up already!”
“You can’t be seriously thinking she’s one of-”
“-The Big Three! Yes, I do!”
“Where’s your proof? A feeling? A feeling isn’t-”
Before Felix could finish his sentence, a blur of silver went past them. It slid across Cassia’s cheek, drawing a thin line of blood. The blur of silver lodged in a nearby tree, and up close, it looked like a star. One of Nova’s stars. But that was impossible, she couldn’t have..
“Liana.” Cassia said, her tone darkening. “Of course. When she turned to go, you gave her one of your stars. She’s hiding around here, trying to get a quiet attack on us.”
She felt the scratch and looked at the blood now on her fingertips, her anger building with each passing moment. That was a clever, dirty move to play, and Cass would have none of it. Without thinking, she nocked an arrow in her bow and fired it at Nova. The girl dodged it quickly, and twisted a star in her hand.
“Now this is getting interesting.” She said, chuckling as Cassia nocked another arrow, aiming it right at Nova.
Felix had gone after Liana without a word to Cass, leaving her in the presence of Nova. Alright, she thought. I can do this. I can at least hold my own.
She couldn’t hold her own, but injuries seemed to disappear as fast as they appeared. Nova had her pinned to the ground, her bow metres away, out of reach. A silver star was pressed against Cassia’s throat, and the cold metal was pressing into the skin further and further with each passing second.
“You gave it a go, I’ll give you that.” Nova said, pressing the star into the skin of her neck a little more. Cassia winced as the sharp point began to cut. “Like I said, you have potential.”
“What is it with you and your potential? Are you stalking me or something?”
“Stalking you?” Nova laughed before running the star point against Cassia’s skin, drawing a thin line of blood. “Gods, no, but don’t you wish?”
Cass had to suck in a lot of air through her teeth as the star cut her skin to stop herself from crying out. Nova stood up, putting her boot on Cassia’s chest, keeping her in place.
“Perhaps I was wrong. You can’t be a big three kid if you haven’t fought back with any cool power yet. No summoning armies of the dead, no tidal waves, and…” She looked to the sky. “...No sign of a thunderstorm either. Maybe I need to provoke it.” Nova said, and she pressed her hand to Cassia's forehead.
Instantly, anger rushed through her. It was burning hot, like she had the sun inside her veins. Her hands found Nova’s leg, and she shoved it away. Before Nova could kick her in the face, the rushing burn of what seemed to be anger took a more literal form.
Everything was brighter, like someone had turned on a massive lamp. Her body felt lighter and hotter. It was a sensation she couldn’t quite describe. The light flared out like Cassia was a bomb hitting the ground, sending out clouds of ash to the immediate area, except the ash was light. Everything was light.
She couldn’t even explain what was happening. It was just light, and a rush of energy that could only be described as waves crashing against rocks. It swallowed her lungs, blurred her vision, took over her body and mind. Then the light dimmed. Nova was on the ground, shielding her eyes.
“You little punk!” She growled, picking herself back up and grabbing a throwing star. She sprinted toward Cassia, who felt so drained she doubted she could even move. The second Nova put her hands on Cassia, however, she flinched and backed away. “You’re burning,” She remarked, wringing her wrists, trying to cool them down. “Not to worry, I’ll just send a star through your thick skull.” Nova threw one of the five pointed blades at Cassia. A burst of adrenaline gave her the strength to hold her arms over her face so she wouldn’t be sliced to bits, and it cut a gash of blood on her hand before melting entirely into a puddle of silver liquid on the ground. Bewildered, Cassia lowered her arms, ignoring the throbbing pain of the injured one, and stared at the silver puddle. Nova was fuming. “I.. I don’t know how I did that- I didn’t mean to destroy your star,” Cassia apologised, stumbling over her words. Nova looked up, and the look in her eyes sent one message: run.
Cassia turned and bolted through the forest, ignoring the yelps of dryads and nymphs who were startled by her. She had no direction, she just needed to separate herself from Nova, who looked as though she was ready to kill her. The daughter of Ares thundered behind her, screaming obscenities in greek which Cassia only caught slight parts of. Cassia stumbled out into a clearing, which was crowded with battling teams. Castillo was zooming around with his daggers, knocking the wind out of those who tried to catch him. Felix was head to head with Liana, both covered in bruises. Nova caught up with Cassia, who had now cooled down, and tackled her with her bare fists. Punches came at her left and right, and fingernails clawed both faces as Cassia began to fight back.
“This is what happens when you mess with me, punk,” Nova snarled as she delivered each strike. Cassia heard the unsheathing of Nova’s hello kitty brand dagger, and nearly passed out when the blade dug into her arm. She screamed.
Cassia still couldn’t put her finger on what exactly she had done to make it that loud, but it didn’t matter. All there was left in the world was the sound of raw fear, of guttural rage, a symphony of violence with one note. The sound shook the trees, sending birds fleeing for the skies, sending dryads into hiding, and making everybody on the battlefield pause. Nova jumped off of Cassia, covering her ears, dropping her dagger on the ground. Castillo fell out of a tree, landing with an oomph, and Felix stared at her, eyes wide with surprise that this girl had that level of noise inside her. The sound died in Cassia’s throat and she coughed at the scratching rawness left. Even her own ears were ringing. With all of her might, Cass stood up, looking at the crowd, who gaped back at her. Castillo’s eyes met hers before he looked up at something above her. Then everybody looked just above her.
“What is the problem?” Chiron said as he came galloping into the clearing. “We heard the screams all the way back to the cabins! Whatever could be the issue?” He looked at Nova’s bruised and furious form, then his gaze flickered to Cassia, standing in the middle of it all, looking like she had been through Tartarus. His eyeline moved to something above her, then back to her again, as if he were searching her for something. He cleared his throat, and Cassia looked up. Above her was a miniature shining sun, with its rays made of arrows.
“You have been claimed,” Chiron broke the silence. “By Apollo. Light-bringer, healer, musician. God of light and archery. Hail, Cassia Dubois, daughter of the sun.” At his words, the crowd kneeled in respect, though a few didn’t look pleased about it.
Chapter 4: The sun and the sunray
Summary:
A shorter chapter for today, just some fluff and setting up later things. Thank you for 70+ hits, you guys are amazing!
Chapter Text
“In hindsight, I should’ve expected it,” Castillo murmured as Cassia dabbed a cold cloth on a bleeding cut of his. “Now that I think about it, you do resemble your dad a fair bit.”
“Have you seen him before?” She asked, grabbing a bandaid and sticking it on Castillo’s arm. During the game of capture the flag, Cassia’s scream had startled him to the point he’d fallen three metres out of a tree, scraping his knee against a rock on the ground. That had been days ago, but Castillo had continued to pick on the scab, making it bleed all over again.
“Once. At the winter solstice.”
Cassia wanted to ask what he’d been like, but she figured Castillo just hadn’t been paying attention at the time, so she left it. Cassia was getting better at this ‘child of Apollo’ thing. Her siblings were determined to figure out her powers. So far, she had a decent medical knowledge, could control light (they’d already used this on the Ares cabin, making their lights go out so they had to stumble in the darkness in revenge for Nova’s attack on Cassia), could scream so loud you went temporarily deaf, and had a knack for archery like most of them. She was useless at poetry, couldn’t hold a tune for the life of her, and wasn’t able to tell the future. To be fair, though, only Juliette could really do that.
Cassia had moved into her cabin at sundown after the game, when the head counsellor, a boy named Danny, gave her a tour. Cabin seven itself was a homey building with a sun doormat. As it turns out, there were a lot of suns in the cabin. The exterior resembled a country home, with its front porch and swinging bench. Inside, bunk beds were made and a few kids sat on them. They turned to look at Cassia as she entered.
“Hey everyone,” Danny announced, drawing those who weren’t already looking their way to pay attention. “Meet Cassia. She’s one of us.”
There were a few friendly ‘hello’s,’ and a couple ‘nice to meet you,’ as was standard before people went back to their business. The bunk beds had yellow quilts and a few decorations on the walls, such as photos, poster boards and fairy lights. Danny led Cass over to her bed, a top bunk in the corner, and she got settled. Everyone seemed at ease here. It made Cassia feel out of place in the one place she should be relaxed. These were her siblings, by the gods!
Lying back on her bed, Cass sighed.
On the shelf was the sun nightlight, and an empty cork board waiting to be filled up. This place was hers now. Nobody else’s. A little corner of the world all to herself. Back at home, her room was nothing special. But everything about this place in particular was special.
Dinner that night was much more enjoyable than the previous night’s. Cassia sat with the rest of cabin seven at their table, and quickly learnt who was who. There was Stella, who was the cabin’s poet, Molly the musician, Francis the archer, Danny the medic, and Juliette, the short-sighted prophet. She could see the immediate future, just mere seconds ahead. Danny raised his glass into the air, and the rest of cabin seven followed suit.
“To Apollo!” He said, and the rest echoed it back. Cassia struck up a conversation with Molly and Francis, who were all too eager to reciprocate. “So.. does dad like.. See us?” She asked. Francis paused for a moment, giving it some thought. “Yes and no. He’ll regularly talk to us through dreams, but face to face? That’s quite rare.”
“It’s not that he doesn’t care about us,” Molly added. “He does, but being a god of so many things means he doesn’t have much time to meet with us in person. I’m sure you’ll meet him soon enough. He’ll give you a talk about who we are and who he is, and then ask if you’ve got any questions for him.”
“That’s actually quite thoughtful.” Cassia raised an eyebrow. “I would’ve thought he wouldn’t think about us all that much.”
“Most gods don’t, but dad does,” Francis said.
Just as dinner was wrapping up, Cassia approached the fire pit in the middle of the dining pavilion. She scraped part of her plate into the fire, and watched the smoke rise into the night sky. “To Apollo,” She said quietly. She went back to her cabin and retired for the night.
When sleep finally found her, she received her first demigod dream. She was standing in a beautiful field. The sun was shining brightly above her. There was a river running nearby, and forest for miles around. Everything was peaceful, and for the first time since Cass had arrived at camp, quiet. An arrow whizzed past her, landing on a target she hadn’t noticed. On inspection, it was golden and shiny.
She looked behind her, and saw a man with tan skin, blonde hair and wings like a swan. He had a warm smile and almost.. Sunny aura. He lowered his bow, which was also golden. “Make sure you stay alert, kiddo."
It had to be him. It couldn’t be anyone else but him.
He tilted his head to the side, watching Cassia’s reaction. She didn’t feel angry or resentful, just glad to finally meet her dad. She remained silent for a moment longer, before breaking out into a smile so wide it made her face hurt. “Dad,” She said, her voice almost a laugh of surprise.
“It’s good to finally meet you, Cassia,” Apollo said, and he walked over to her, wrapping her in a dream hug. Even though she wasn’t physically hugging her father, she swore she could feel his warm embrace, like traces of the sun in winter. Cassia wished nothing more that this was a real, physical thing beyond her dreams, and one day, it would. It had to be.
Apollo backed away, his hands on Cassie’s shoulders, his gaze lingering over her. It was full of affection and pride. “Shall we do some target practice?”
Archery in a dream was certainly a strange sensation. For once, Cassia couldn’t feel the vibration of the string when she let it go. She couldn’t feel where her arrow was, but that wasn’t too much of an issue. Besides, she had bigger fish to fry. She was talking to her father. The way he nocked an arrow in his bow was nothing short of effortless. It was smooth, swift, and no shot flew askew. Her father explained a lot to her: how everything worked now that she was at camp, what her powers most likely included, and who he was to her.
The entire time, though, Cass could feel his gaze on her, watching the way she moved and spoke, the way she was.
“Right, well, I’d best be off,” Apollo said after what felt like hours of talking. He ruffled Cassia’s hair, and before she could say anything back, her father snapped his fingers, and Cassia’s dream ended. She opened her eyes, coming to her senses, and found herself lying in her bed, clutching her pillow like she was hugging it.
Chapter 5: Nova hears a rumour from someone (and she doesn't elborate who)
Summary:
Another chapter for you guys since I'm away for a couple days :) Thank you SO much for nearly 100 hits- oh my gods!
Chapter Text
“Again!” Felix yelled, and Cassia grit her teeth as she picked herself up from the ground, massaging her shoulder. Felix was a ruthless teacher, and a brilliant swordsman at that. “The enemy won’t wait for you to recover, so I won’t wait either.”
“I appreciate it,” Cassia grumbled as she raised her sword again, grounding her feet. Felix charged forward, and Cassia raised her blade, deflecting the attack. The force of the collision slid her back a little. Felix regained his composure and raised his own sword. “Good. Now try playing some offence.”
Cassia nodded, and sprinted toward Felix, who met her blade mid air with a deafening clash. Cassia was getting stronger, sure, but Felix was on a whole other level. He had been training for years, as Castillo had told her. Felix had come to camp when he was nine after being dumped here by his dad. Athena had claimed him, and ever since he’d worked mostly alone, not wanting to trust anyone. For all his cold comments and ruthless training style, Cass did have to appreciate his skill. The kid was a prodigy. Cass finally relented, her sword falling to the dirt under the weight of Felix’s.
“I think that’s enough for today,” He said, slinging the blade on his back. “You’re improving.”
“I can’t say I like swordplay all that much,” Cass heaved a sigh. “It’s too bulky.”
“Bulky, sure, but could you imagine if you were training with daggers instead? Castillo’s impossible to beat,” Felix huffed, a smirk appearing for a second.
“Okay, I'll take it back,” Cass said, dusting off her hands. “Swordplay isn’t that bad.”
“Now you’re making sense.”
Cassia flashed a smile. Felix extended a hand to help her up, and she took it. Cassia remembered what Maisie had told her what felt like forever ago: Felix didn’t know what to make of her yet. Well, hopefully he had a better idea. He’d been warming up to her ever since the game of capture the flag, after realising that perhaps Cassia might not be completely useless.
Dinner that night was slightly different. Nova, for the first time since that fateful game of capture the flag, spoke to Cassia as she was making her burnt offering. Cassia watched the girl scrape her plate into the fire. “To Ares,” She announced, and the smoke floated to the sky. Nova’s gaze travelled from the smoky haze to Cassia. “Hello, Cassia. How are you?” Her tone was clipped and short. Her hands were wrapped in bandages after being burnt by Cassia. They hadn’t spoken since.
Cassia scraped her plate into the fire. “To Apollo,” She said, and the smoke rose into the starry canvas. “Fine, Nova, thank you,” She responded, setting her plate on the washing up pile.
“I would’ve thought otherwise, considering your father’s horrible mood as of late.”
Cassia frowned. “He’s not in a horrible mood. What made you say that?”
“Haven’t you heard? He’s lost his bow- his golden bow. He says it’s been stolen, but I’m sure he lost it while having a romp with one of the nymphs. And, since he’s a busy god and all, word is that a demigod’s going to have to find it.”
“Where are you hearing all this?”
“Rumours.”
She didn’t elaborate, which made Cassia wary of the truth behind that statement. She’d seen her father yesterday in a dream and he had made no mention of it. And a god losing his weapon? That was as likely as Zeus keeping it in his pants.
“So, are you gonna do it?” Nova asked, her gaze growing more and more eager. “Fight for the quest?”
“A quest that’s not even confirmed to be real?”
“You’re missing the point- quests are what we train for. To go on one means you get to see the world- and you get glory. Who wouldn’t want that?”
“All for the low, low price of almost certain death and trauma. Who wouldn’t want that?” Cassia scoffed in return. She turned, and marched back off to join cabin seven.
Apollo spoke to her again that night. Cassia hadn’t been expecting it to happen so often, but she wasn’t complaining. She appeared on an empty beach with an ocean that seemingly went on forever, past the horizon. The sand- she could feel it in between her toes. It was slightly warm, and the breeze was salty and cool. A figure was walking along the shoreline, their footsteps leaving marks in the sand that the waves eventually washed away. Even from here, Cassia could tell who it was.
“Father!” She called out, hurrying to catch up with him. Apollo turned and smiled as she appeared at his side, ruffling her hair. “Hello, Cassie. It’s nice to see you again.”
“I didn’t think we’d talk again so soon,” Cassia admitted as she brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.
“Neither did I, but I’ve been keeping my eye on you.” Apollo said. “You’ve got some serious potential.”
“Oh- thank you.”
“You’ve got something- a spark, you could call it. Your siblings are all so wonderful in their own ways, but you’ve got my attention.”
Cass didn’t really know how to respond to that. He was basically telling her she was special, to him at least.
“And with that spark, it could very well bring a wildfire. You need something to catch fire to, though, and I may just have the thing for you.” Apollo kept his gaze focused on the horizon. “I haven't told anyone this but you, so make sure you only tell people who won't go around mouthing it off to the world, will you? Someone has stolen my godly weapon- the golden bow, it’s called.”
“Someone stole your weapon? Shouldn’t you be.. Uh… looking for it? Or at least, a little bit more panicked?”
“I wish, but I’m quite busy. Being the god of so many things really packs my schedule. I need a demigod to find it for me. And you, Cassia, will be that demigod.”
Cassia stopped walking to let what was happening sink in. “You’re giving me a quest?”
“Well, you’re about ready for it, aren’t you?”
She didn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise. Cassia had only known her father for two days, and she already knew she just couldn’t let him down. He believed in her, that much was clear, and to let that faith die by denying this quest, or even failing..
“I accept.”
“Excellent! I’ll have Chiron make it official, and I’ll make sure Juliette passes on the message.”
“But she’s not the oracle.”
“You’re right, but the current Oracle of Delphi is across the country. Juliette’s a great temporary oracle, and besides, they’re my prophecies. Don’t sweat it. You’ll do great!”
“Yeah,” Cass said, a sinking feeling beginning to form in her stomach. “I’ll do great. I won’t let you down.”
“Right, well, I’d best be off. Good luck, and be quick with finding it.”
Apollo snapped his fingers, and Cassia woke with a start. She slammed her face into her pillow and let out a muffled scream. What in the name of Olympus had she just agreed to?
The next morning, Juliette received her prophecy. Cabin seven raced her to the Big House, and practically burst down the door.
“WE GOT IT!” Shouted Danny, who was leading Juliette in. She wore a dazed expression on her face. Cassia had told her siblings about her dream, and they’d all shared the same mournful expression, as if they were all prophets who could see just how badly this would go.
Chiron looked up, looking momentarily surprised before understanding what was happening. Mr D didn’t even bother to look up from his pinochle cards.
“She’s said the prophecy already?” Chiron said, his eyebrows raising with slight surprise. “Very well. Juliette, what did your father tell you?”
Juliette’s hair was a messy nest of black curls, and it looked like she hadn’t slept. She looked up, and cleared her throat.
“Four will go forward, at the sun’s call
One will go missing, at the sun’s fall,
You shall wear wings of flame as the sky takes revenge,
You will save what you crave most in the end.”
Everybody was silent for a long time. Finally, Cassia drew breath. “That sounds fun.”
“I think it has some hidden meaning- it’s not normally taken literally.” Chiron said. “Cassia, I have to ask this. Will you accept this quest laid out for you by the god Apollo?”
“I accept this quest.” Cassia finally said after a moment of painful silence. Chiron nodded. “You will need to assemble your team. Not too many, though. A trio is recommended.”
Cassia combed through everyone she knew at camp, and who would be the best fit for this. She settled on some.
“What about four?”
Chiron debated it for a moment. “Who are they?”
“Felix, Castillo, and Nova. Can I bring them with me?”
“A daughter of Ares and a son of Athena working together? Would that be the best choice?”
“I’ll make them get along, I promise. I need them all on this quest, Chiron.”
“It’s been done before,” Chiron reasoned. “We’ve had two, we’ve had four, we’ve even had seven. Yes, I think we can go for four again.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
A son of Hermes, a daughter of Ares, a son of Athena and a daughter of Apollo.
It started with a statue, a girl, and a god.
It continued with a bow, a quest, and four demigods.
Chapter 6: This totally won't go badly, said everyone ever
Chapter Text
Cabin six was a beautiful silver building shaped almost like a temple. It had a large grey owl carving hanging over the door. Inside, there was a giant library, with bunk beds being pushed aside as if sleeping weren’t that important. Felix was sitting on the floor, books surrounding him. This must’ve been his idea of fun. When Cassia entered, he looked up and set what he was reading down.
“‘A guide to greek warfare,’” Cassia read aloud. “How fascinating. Are you busy right now?”
“Busy enough to ignore you, why?”
Cassia gave a sheepish smile. “What would you say if I told you that you’re coming on a quest with me and there’s absolutely no way you can back out now?”
Felix was silent for a while. He turned away, and began rummaging through a basket underneath his bed. Cassia could make out lots of tiny dots and battle plans on large poster boards. “Are you good there?” She asked, to no reply. “Felix? Say something.”
Felix was looking over maps and plans he must’ve spent ages working on. Then he grabbed a piece of paper and looked up to Cassia. “When do we leave?”
“As soon as we’re all ready.”
Felix, for the first time likely ever, looked excited. His eyes glimmered with curiosity as he scribbled down thoughts that popped into his head. “Tell me everything. What’s the quest? I probably have a plan for it- you can never be too prepared. And who’s coming? I can make some battle plans based on our fighting styles and what works best and is fastest-” Cassia noticed the way his hands were flexing open and closed, and the way he seemed to suddenly burst with energy. He was in his element, ready to take control, and he couldn’t hide his excitement. Felix hadn’t left camp since he’d arrived at nine years old- three years was a long time to not leave camp half-blood. He had been waiting for this moment, and at last, he would get to go on a quest.
“Wait! Sit down- sit! What is this quest even for?” Felix said, pushing Cassia to sit across from him on a bunk bed. He was scribbling down notes.
“My dad, Apollo, can’t find his golden bow. He needs me to find it for him.”
Felix stopped writing. He looked up, his eyes widening. “That’s a big quest for a young demigod.”
“That’s why I’m bringing you along. I’m sure we’ll manage.”
“Why did he ask you? No offence, you’re cool and all, but you don’t have any experience with fighting. No real experience. He knows that. You were only claimed about a week ago- oh, Cassia, this is not good for you. For any of us.”
“I know, it’s not looking good, but I couldn’t say no.” Cassia said, groaning. “He said he believed in me, and I wasn’t about to let him down by backing away from the quest. He said I was capable and I’d do great.”
“Please don’t tell me you believed him.”
“Gods, no. I’m not ready at all for this. But you weren’t there; the look he was giving me.. It would’ve been like kicking a puppy had I said no.”
Felix nodded. “So he guilt-tripped you into accepting the quest.”
“I- no!” Cassia sputtered, turning red. She wasn’t that easily manipulated, surely. Felix raised an eyebrow, and Cassia sighed, her shoulders slumping with defeat. “I need you to help me, then. You’re the smartest person I know, we’ll need you.”
Felix sat up a little straighter at the compliment, clearly pleased that Cassia was calling him important. “I’ll help you, that was never a question. But I need to know, who’s we? Who else is on this quest?”
Cass cleared her throat. She’d heard about Nova and Felix’s rivalry- Hades, the whole Ares and Athena cabins were constantly arguing with each other. “Castillo from Hermes,” She began, and Felix nodded. “He’s fast, and a real good knife fighter. Good choice.” Cassia swallowed thickly. “And, uh, Nova from Ares.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Felix? You think I’m going to work with Felix? That stupid Athena spawn will just hold us back! He’ll take our glory away, Cassia! Our glory!” Nova spat, pacing back and forth as Cassia sat on her bed, giving her the news of the quest. It hadn’t gone too badly with Felix- he was annoyed, but decided that if Nova was necessary, she was necessary. Nova, however, outright refused to work with Felix. Cassia sat on Nova’s blood red duvet draped across her bunk bed as the girl paced around, hurling insults at just about everything.
“I’m sure It won’t be that bad.” Cassia said, and she instantly realised that was the wrong thing to say. Nova spun around, her braids whipping her face. Her eyes narrowed, and she thrust herself in Cassia’s face. Her arms were folded over her chest. “You don’t get it,” She hissed. “Ares and Athena are rivals. Felix and I are rivals. So, sorry to disappoint you, sunshine, but I’m not working with Felix.”
“What about it would be so bad?” Cassia asked, her voice firm. Nova scoffed and backed away from her face, towering over her. “We don’t agree on a lot of things. Strategy in war is useless when you can just destroy all of them.”
She had a point, but at the same time, she didn’t. “Isn’t that a strategy itself?” Nova’s look grew murderous. “Don’t even start.”
Cassia pondered the situation for the moment. Nova was stubborn, and wouldn’t agree to something unless she was forced to. So Cassia would force her. She pushed herself off the bed and stood in front of Nova. “Allemande, I need you to put that aside. I need both of you on this quest, alright? I won’t take no for an answer.”
“I won’t work with Felix.”
Cassia raised an eyebrow at the blunt refusal, but kept going anyway. Nova was pouting like a little kid when they didn’t get their way, and Cass would have none of that. “You’re going to work with Felix. If you two have an issue, you can work it out on your own. This issue is bigger than your little rivalry. My head is on the chopping block, and if you’re the reason I disappoint my father, I will personally track you down and make you speak haikus for the rest of your life. This is my quest; I choose who comes with me, and you can either go along with it and look good for Ares and get glory, or you can stay back at camp and wait for the next quest to come around- if another comes around anytime soon.”
Nova backed down a little. She was still seething, but wasn’t eager to find out whether or not Cassia’s threat was serious. “Fine.” She said, huffing. Who else is coming?”
“Castillo.”
“Oh, come ON!”
“You got a problem?”
“No.”
“Good,” Cassia said as she walked to the doorway of the cabin. “Get packing and meet at the Big House in an hour.”
“Whatever.” Nova grumbled, slamming the door behind Cassia as she made a beeline for the Hermes cabin.
“Any questions?” Cassia asked as she finished telling Castillo about the quest. The boy was sitting on the floor of his cabin, sharpening his dagger blades. He hadn’t said a word the whole time. He looked up and put down his freshly sharpened knives. “Do you really think it’s the best idea to put Nova on the team? After capture the flag? Come on, Cassia, you can’t seriously expect us to get along with her.”
“Felix said he could be civil with her, so can you.”
“Yeah, but I’m not Felix. The girl hates my guts after I humiliated cabin five last summer.”
“What did you do?”
“I’ll tell you later. My point is that Nova is difficult, and that’s an understatement. Just because she’s taken a bizarre liking to you doesn’t mean the rest of us will get along with her.”
“You’ll get along with her because I said so.”
“What kind of logic is that?”
“My logic. Now, get packing and meet me in the Big House by two.”
Cassia went back to cabin seven, and began packing a backpack with all she’d need. The camp store provided a list of what would be necessary on quests, and supplied most of it. Her siblings, however, insisted that they help her pack.
“You’ll need lots of medical supplies in case you get hurt, and you will get hurt.” Danny said, stuffing a first aid kid in the backpack. “Do you remember how to treat a broken bone?”
“I think so.”
“She’ll be fine, Danny. What about your bow? You won’t be allowed to use dad’s once you find it, so make sure yours is in good condition,” Francis reminded her, filling her quiver with arrows and packing many more in a bundle of cloth. “When travelling, wrap the bow-”
“-In the cloth so it doesn’t warp, got it.”
“And when you find dad’s-”
“-That takes priority. Absolute priority.”
“Great. Make sure you remember that. Good luck with your shots, you’ll do great.” Francis gave her a smile, and Juliette came to her side. “Remember the prophecy, okay? Everything happens for a reason, and make sure you watch your feet on the way out of the cabin, you’ll stub your toe.”
“Guys! I’ve composed a poem about Cassia’s quest!” Stella announced, hopping off her bunk and holding a slip of paper in the air. She cleared her throat. “The bow of the-”
“That’s lovely, thank you Stella.” Molly said, quickly cutting her off. “Cassie, you’re going to do brilliantly. Dad chose you for this, you’re capable, whether you believe it yet or not. When things get hard, just listen to the music around you and remember why you’re doing this. You’re making dad proud. You’re making all of us proud.”
Cassia managed a warm smile. “Thanks,” She said, and cabin seven led her outside, to the big house. Felix was waiting with his siblings, Nova with hers, and Castillo with his.
“Are you ready?” Chiron asked Cassia as she approached them. She nodded, and Chiron sighed. “Very well. I, Chiron, give you permission to leave camp half-blood and begin your quest. Good luck, hero.”
The four cabins led the kids up to Half-Blood hill, and they crossed the border together. “Here we are,” Felix said, sighing. “We’re really about to do this.”
“We’ll be fine,” said Castillo.
“We’d better be,” Nova muttered.
“Ready?” Cassia asked, and together they walked down the other side of the hill, into the mortal world.
Chapter 7: The four idiots and the grumpy desk lady
Notes:
Hey guys! I'm back after being away- can't wait for you to read this one! Also, thank you SO much for 140 hits!
Chapter Text
“Do we have any idea where this bow is?” Nova asked as she leaned against the window of their shuttle bus that would bring them to New York city. “Did Apollo tell you anything at all?”
“Not really,” Cassia said, running her hands over her standard bow that she had been issued by camp. It was plain, nothing special, but could really pack a good few arrows at once. What was her father’s bow like, she wondered? Cassia tried to visualise it. Maybe something that glimmered like the sunlight, with a perfect draw weight, and never warped or got damaged. A bow that could maybe shoot arrows of flame like sun rays? A bow so wonderful, so beautiful that nothing could ever come close to in terms of amazement, except the bow of Artemis, perhaps.
A bow she had to find, with no direction, no plan, and no experience.
“He just told me I needed to find it for him. I don’t even think he knows where it could be.”
“Well that’s reassuring,” Nova grumbled. She traced her finger over the sharp edges of a throwing star, which had been polished to a shine. Cassia could see Nova’s eyes narrowed like a cat’s as she observed the star.
Felix had a notebook in his hands, and he was scribbling something down. He put his pen away and snapped the book shut, looking up. “Well, I might.”
Everybody sat up straighter. Castillo, who had been sitting beside him, raised an eyebrow. “You do? Go on, then.”
“I do think this bow was stolen, not lost. Apollo, as proud as he is, is the god of truth. Lying would be painfully obvious. Cassia, did he seem sincere that somebody really had taken his bow?”
“Well, yes,” She answered. “Also, if he lost it, wouldn’t he be able to get it back himself?”
“Exactly! He doesn’t know where it is, or who might’ve stolen it. But let’s think for a moment: if we had just stolen a god’s weapon, where would we go?”
Castillo thought for a moment. He was good when it came to escape routes, so thinking through a potential one was easy. “I’d hide somewhere. Somewhere the god wouldn’t want or think to go.”
“Exactly. Where does Apollo not go?”
“Anywhere without light. So somewhere dark and cold and without joy.”
“Somewhere without life,” Nova said, looking at the group with a solemn expression. Cassia’s stomach seemed to have fallen out of her body for a reason she couldn’t really explain. She felt scared all of a sudden, like she’d be attacked at any moment at the mere mention of darkness. Her palms went clammy, and her throat felt tighter. Somewhere dark and cold without light where her father did not dare to roam. A place that ensured it was as difficult as possible for Apollo to get his bow back, because being there went against everything he stood for. It could potentially be fatal for Cassia. In her short time at camp so far, she’d learnt that children of Apollo relied on the sun as an energy source. When it went away, they would grow weak. They feared darkness more than anything, and now, she was having to venture into the epitome of darkness.
“The underworld,” She croaked. Felix nodded. “We’ll need to scour the underworld to find Apollo’s bow. I’m sure it’s down there.”
Castillo picked at the stitching on his seat. “Wouldn’t that be really, really bad for Cassia? Daughter of the sun and all?”
“I’ll be fine,” She said. “My dad asked me to find this bow. I’m going to find it, return it and make him proud. I can’t let him down.”
“Cassia’s right.” Nova said, crossing her arms over her chest. “She can’t afford to disappoint her dad. Glory is pretty important.”
“It’s your quest,” Felix said, turning to Cass. “You make the call.”
“If the bow’s down in hell, we’ll find it and bring it back. Even if it’s dangerous,” Cassia said, hoping she sounded braver than she felt.
Nova nodded. “You heard the girl. We keep going. Castillo, you’re good with places- where’s the entrance to the underworld?”
“Santa Monica, naturally.” The boy answered, picking at his nails without a care in the world. He seemed to be doing something different every time Cassia looked his way.
“Right, so we need to get to California from New York in.. how many days?”
Felix consulted his notebook. “Judging from what I’ve heard about Apollo, he’s quite patient, and especially with you- you’re his own kid. But then again, this is his godly weapon we’re talking about, it’s pretty important and if it gets in the wrong hands it might be really bad for everyone.. I’d estimate we have roughly a week to find the bow and return it.”
“It only takes about six hours to fly from New York to California, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time.” Cassia assured them, threading her fingers through her hair to reassure herself.
“We don’t have money for four plane tickets, though. That rules out flying.” Felix said, sighing. A grin spread across Castillo’s face. “Who said anything about paying? We can either just sneak on or get strangers to take pity on us. We’re four kids on our own. Do you have any idea how easy it is for us to both slip under the radar and get sympathy?”
Cassia snorted. “You say it like you’ve got experience.”
“I most certainly do,” Castillo said, using one of his daggers to scrape mud off his shoe. “And it’s about time I put it to use. This bus takes us to NYC. We’re headed from Montauk.. JFK airport is about two hours away by bus.. We can get off there and find a flight for California easily enough.”
“You’re sure Zeus won’t strike us out of the sky?” Nova asked, sitting forward.
“Well, none of us had annoyed him, have we?”
Nobody answered. Castillo clapped his hands together. “Great! We’ll be fine then.”
When they reached the airport, something felt wrong, but nobody could understand what it might’ve been. “Let’s just check in and get out of here,” Felix swallowed a little nervously. The four walked up to the check in desk, where a lady who seemed to have her mouth pinned in an unnatural smile, teeth and all, greeted them.
“Hey! What can I do for you kids today?” She asked, putting down a red phone and looking at them with beady eyes. Cassia was about to speak up when Castillo stepped forward. “Hello, miss,” He began, putting on a juvenile lisp and fiddling with his hands. “We got separated from our parents.. They went on a plane, but I don’t know which one. Can you please help us find them?”
The woman’s brows furrowed slightly, searching for a hint of dishonesty. When she couldn’t find any, her eyes became a little glassy. “Oh, you poor darlings. Yes, of course. Where were your parents headed?”
“California,” Castillo said. “We’re going there for holiday.”
The woman began typing on a keyboard, her false nails clicking against the plastic. “Yes, of course I can get you there. Of course, you’ll have to take a monster plane.”
Felix frowned. “A Monster plane? I don’t think I know that model.” The woman turned to get a look at him and for a second, her eye twitched. Her smile was still plastered on, though now it felt strained. “It’s a new one. A prototype.”
“We’ll take anything to get us to California,” Nova said wearily.“Which gate is it at?”
The woman smiled. “Oh, there’s no need for that. We’ll take you directly to the plane itself!”
Something in Cassia’s stomach went stone cold. “Uh, you will?”
“Yes!” The woman nodded eagerly. There was red lipstick staining her teeth. “What’re your names, my dears?”
“Don’t tell her,” Felix warned quietly. “Keep yourself anonymous, if she finds out who you really are she’ll kill you.”
“That’s seriously dramatic for some desk attendant lady.”
“She’s a monster! Monster planes? She’s not exactly subtle about it! And believe it or not, monsters have grievances against the gods, so they take it out on their children.”
“I’m Stella,” Cassia introduced herself as. The woman looked up and down for a second. “You remind me of somebody,” She said, sniffing the air. “Who’s your dad, darling?”
“His name’s Thomas. He’s a businessman.”
“A businessman, you say? Does he work in the aviation industry?”
“Yes. You must’ve seen him around here.”
“Ah, of course. No wonder. You have your father’s hair, you know. So lovely and curly.. I was always jealous of such beauty.”
“Oh, thank you, ma’am.” Cassia threw a panicked glance to Felix, who kept his mouth in a grim line. He nodded at her, as if to say Play along with it. “So about that flight…”
“Oh! Yes, of course. Just head through that door and you’ll be on your way.” The lady pointed to a regular metal detector. Nova seemed eager to go, but Felix held her back. “The metal detector won’t work,” He explained. “Not when you’ve got throwing stars in your backpack. We’ll have to make it another way.”
“Excuse me, what gate is it?” Castillo asked in an Oliver Twist accent. The woman smiled for a moment, but anyone could tell she was seconds away from strangling the four of them.
“Gate -7. You’ll find it if you just go down.”
“Great, thank you,” Castillo said. He then paused. “Wait, what?”
“Thank you, ma’am!” Felix said loudly as he dragged the group away. Once they were out of sight, he dropped his voice to a fierce whisper. “That woman is a monster.”
“Hey, if you had to sit at a boring desk all day and listen to people complain about missing their flights, you’d be grumpy too,” Nova retorted. “What?” Felix shook his head. “No! I could see it in her eyes and her smile- that’s not a mortal! Monsters are everywhere in the world, and if they sniff out even one demigod, we’re toast.”
“I feel like we should all be collectively more concerned about what gate she mentioned,” Castillo said, frowning. “Gate -7. That both a) doesn’t exist, and b) sounds like a layer of hell.”
“I’m genuinely willing to bet it may be the second one,” Cassia muttered. “So that rules out our chances of booking a flight if we assume every desk worker here is a monster.”
“Every worker sounds a little extreme,” Felix reasoned. “I’m sure it’s roughly 75% monsters, so that’s really not that bad.”
“We can’t afford to take those chances. Does anyone have a plan that doesn’t involve both paying and interaction with other people?”
Castillo ran his fingers over one of the plaques on the wall beside them. His eyes were darting around the airport at lightning speed, like he’d just ingested ten shots of espresso in one go and topped it off with an energy drink. His lips moved silently, and his fingers seemed to be moving in a deliberate pattern: tracing over the letters of the sign in jagged movements before stopping suddenly and turning back.
“Is he.. Okay?” Nova asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning next to Felix. The son of Athena nodded. “He’s just thinking.”
“Thinking?”
“Yes. is that a foreign concept for you, Allemande?”
Nova scowled, but before she could retort, Castillo broke out of his trance. “I’ve got two options.”
Cassia raised an eyebrow. “Let’s hear it, then.”
“We can either sneak onto the plane through the gate and hope that the flight isn’t full, or get onto the ground and stow away in the loading area.”
Cassia’s gaze flickered to one of the giant windows, where multiple conveyor belts loaded suitcase after suitcase into the belly of the plane. “Is that safe?”
“No, but it’s less safe if we sneak on and find out the flight is at full capacity.”
“Alright,” Felix said. “Lead the way.”
“There’s a plane that’s boarding in a few minutes that goes straight to LAX. Santa Monica is about.. 20 minutes by car from there. Three hours walking.”
“How- how on earth do you know this?” Cassia asked, bewildered. As far as she’d known, Castillo had grown up in New York, and there’d be no need for him to know how long it took to walk somewhere on the other side of the country.
“My dad’s the god of travellers, it’s like built in knowledge for me.”
Felix nodded. “It checks out. Which gate is the plane at?”
Castillo pointed to a sign with the number 8 in bold letters. “Right there. It leaves in about half an hour. We should get going.”
Nova slung her backpack over her shoulders. “And how exactly do we get onto the tarmac?”
A wry smile formed on Castillo’s face. “By sneaking into a suitcase, of course.”
“That might just be the dumbest idea ever suggested,” Felix scoffed. “Unfortunately, I can’t think of anything less stupid.”
Cassia grinned. “Suitcases it is, then.”
Castillo turned to her. “I’m going to need you to make a distraction. A big one, like.. A blackout. Can you do that?”
“I can’t cut fuses, you might be better off asking Felix for that.”
“I don’t mean cutting fuses. You can control light, right?”
“Sunlight. I think.”
“Give it a go. If that doesn’t work, figure something out. We need time to actually get in the suitcases. They’ve already been checked by security.”
“How do you know we’ll find four suitcases big enough for us?”
“We’re in America. Everything is unnecessarily large here.”
“Good point. Alright, I’ll try to make a blackout.”
Castillo slapped her shoulder. “That’s the spirit. War twins!” He called out to Nova and Felix, who both turned. “Follow me.”
The only time Cassia had ever even come remotely close to ‘controlling’ light was the solar flare right before she’d been claimed, and that wasn’t really in her control anyway. It had just happened. This was a big jump, but maybe she could figure out how it worked if she just took it on in a logical way. Her mind trailed back to the many science lessons she’d had in her life. If there was one way to blow a lightbulb, it would be through a power surge. Too much energy and heat for the glass to withstand would blow it out entirely.
Cassia tried to remember how the solar flare had felt. It was like rivers of the sun rushing through her bones, making her whole body feel burning hot. What had charged her at the time was her anger from Nova’s attack. She had to tone it down slightly, and focus less on the sun and more on the tamer, less impressive light inside. She stared up at one of the lights on the ceiling. Her vision immediately began to dim, instead covered in black spots from staring at something so bright. A warm sensation, like Cassia was being washed in sunlight, came over her. It was peaceful for about five seconds until it lashed out in a burning whip, and glass exploded across the airport.
The world seemed to pause for a moment as the light frantically reached for Cassie through the downpour of broken glass, but it quickly resumed when it reached her and turned her into a human torch. People screamed at the sudden darkness and the glass raining down, panicking over what to do next. The force of the explosion sent Cass to the floor. She blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the darkness. She reached forward, and was nearly blinded by the sight of her own arm. It was blazing as bright as the sun. Of course. How had she not realised the light would try to find another source? The perfect light bulb would be a daughter of the light god, so now Cassia was stuck as a glowstick. It might’ve looked cool, but it certainly wasn’t practical. It just sent out the message to any hungry monsters in the airport ‘Hey! One tasty demigod is right here!’
Yeah. Not exactly practical.
“Everyone just calm down, it must’ve been an electrical issue,” Shouted the airport security, attempting to soothe everyone with little to no success.
“I’ve got glass in my eye!” One man, in the faint illumination of emergency flashlights held up by security, cried. He was clutching his right eye, and Cassia’s stomach flushed with guilt. It was only momentary before she realised she had to get rid of her glowstick look ASAP. She shook her head and racked her mind, attempting to figure a way to somehow get rid of the light.
‘Why not try reversing it?’ She thought to herself. Send the light right back. No glass was there, so all it would do would.. Well, make sparks fly, she supposed. She didn’t really know the science behind it, but it was worth a try. With a point of her finger, as if she were commanding an army, light shot out in tiny rays back to the bulbs. The light settled for a moment and dimmed, and after Cassia had depleted herself of the glow, sparks soared through the air in a golden ballet.
“Cass! Come on!” She whipped her head around to find Nova holding out her hand. She was standing on a conveyor belt, one foot in an open suitcase.
Cassia raised an eyebrow. “You sure that’ll work?”
Nova shrugged. “Not a clue. Just get in already.”
The conveyor belt was an interesting experience, to say the least. The staff certainly weren’t delicate with their handling of the cargo, so Cassia had to deal with new bruises forming every five minutes. Castillo’s idea had been a really, really stupid one, so now the four demigods each lay in a suitcase separately. They would pretend to be luggage, and when they were loaded into the plane, they’d hop out and stow away until landing.
So now, Cassia was balled up in some random family’s clothes, smelling old trainers as she was thrown around.
“This one’s heavy, isn’t it?” Cassia stopped breathing for a moment as one of the staff members loaded her suitcase onto another conveyor belt. Their friend scoffed. “Tell me about it. This one’s a real monster- you’d think they’re transporting solid lead in here!”
They were tossed onto the cargo hold of the plane, and finally the door slammed shut. Nova emerged from her suitcase, rubbing her arms and scowling. “I’m not that heavy, they’re just weak.”
Felix winced as he rubbed his shoulder. “Oh man, that’s gonna hurt like Hades tomorrow.”
Castillo sat up from his suitcase, and untangled his limbs. He had twisted himself, legs over his head and his arms bending the wrong way, and his neck in an ungodly position, to fit into his case. He gave them a shake. “I’ve done worse.”
Cassia cracked her neck. “Are you some kind of contortionist or something? I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me you were in the circus before you came to camp.”
The son of Hermes had a devilish grin on his face. “Maybe I was. I’m a real mystery.”
Nova rolled her eyes. “Alright, freak, your plan worked. What do we do once we get to California?”
Felix cleared his throat, grabbing a notebook from his backpack and flipping to his planning page. “Let’s see.. California. We’ll make our way to Santa Monica Pier and get into the underworld. From there, we’ll find the bow, then get back across the country to Olympus, which is in New York. We go from NYC to Camp, and we’re done!”
“You make it sound easy,” Nova complained. “I’m no good with geography, but isn’t San Francisco really close to that?”
Felix huffed. “San Francisco is like.. Five hours away from LA. Roughly.”
“Either way, the risk of monsters attacking us is super high the second we touchdown there. Won’t monsters be absolutely everywhere?”
“First off, there are not that many, you’re overestimating by a ton. Second, monsters are likely wherever we go.”
“Oh, and I was getting worried.”
Castillo cracked his neck. “Well, let’s blow up that bridge when we come to it. We’re on the plane now, all is well.”
“You’re going to jinx us, just you wait,” Cassia said. That was something Phoebe had always believed in: cruel tricks of the authors writing the world’s story. Something to keep the novel of your life interesting to the imaginary audience. Something to make you miserable. Oh, gods, Phoebe. Her little sister must’ve thought Cassia was dead, surely. It had been a week since she’d disappeared off to camp with no explanation, no time to leave a note or anything of the sort. Would her mother perhaps suspect where Cassia had gone? She could only hope. Gods, don’t dim her shine, Cassia thought, her mind imagining the picture of her mother, with her cinnamon curls and speech that flowed like rivers through the countryside. Why had she not thought of them earlier? She felt selfish, going off to camp and discovering her heritage, and now going on a quest across the country without so much as a word to her family, back in their Brooklyn apartment, only left to their imagination as to what had happened to Cassia.
She could see, in the back of her mind, her mother, sitting in front of the fireplace, murmuring comfort to Phoebe, sweet nothings in her native tongue, the language of love, with words rich as honey. Maman, Cassia thought to herself. Je t’aime, Maman.
The daughter of Apollo should not have been caught in her head the way she was, but she didn’t care. The darkness in the belly of the plane made her retreat into the fortress of her mind, searching for refuge in scenarios and memories. She could see why Apollo had been drawn to her mother. When the darkness came, she would sing a lullaby to soothe Cassia’s trembling frame. In the sunset, she danced in its glow, teaching Cassia the steps to a dance full of nonsense. Her mother was full of joy and life. Who wouldn’t love a woman like her? How could anyone leave her heartbroken?
Her father had left her in pieces, and now Cassia most definitely had, too. She took after the god of the sun in ways she wasn’t proud of, apparently.
Chapter 8: Does anyone have a clue where we're supposed to be going?
Notes:
Hey everyone! Sorry if the update between this chapter and chapter nine takes longer than usual, that would be because I'm still writing chapter 9 :) Hope you enjoy this new part!
Chapter Text
Cassia woke to the sound of shouting and arguing from employees on the ground. Castillo shot up, his hair all over the place, covering his eyes with a mop of pink. Nova's glare was still intact, but her eyes were red rimmed. Felix was already pouring over his notes. For what, nobody but him had a clue.
“Can you get us out of here?” Castillo whispered to Felix, who nodded, not looking up from his notebook. “Easily. Just distract them so they're not looking. Nova, I'm going to need your help for this one.”
The daughter of Ares looked up from her dagger, where she had been checking her reflection. “Me?” She looked confused. Felix raised an eyebrow, his lips tugging downward into a slight frown. “Yes, you. I need you to throw your voice and yell a command so they leave us alone, but only once they open the door.”
Nova looked at Felix for a moment before agreeing. The four slipped out of their suitcases, making sure to keep all the belongings in their original condition. To really sell it, Castillo stole a novel from his suitcase. “Fifty shades of grey? Never heard of it before.”
Cassia’s eyes widened. “You might want to put that down.”
“Nah, I'll keep it. Might be good for entertainment.”
Knowing he couldn't be convinced otherwise, Cassia let him hold onto the book, silently praying to the gods that he wouldn't read it when they were meant to be in hiding. Nova stood up, stretching and clearing her throat. Cassia listened for the click signalling that the hatch was being opened. Instead, it was more of a clunk. The hatch began to slide open, giving the group an eye for the tarmac. Nova looked to Felix, who mouthed ‘now.’
“Hey, boys!” Nova’s voice was loud and gruff, and seemingly coming from elsewhere. Cassia was slightly familiar with this tactic. “Get your lazy asses over here, we’ve got an issue with pigeons in the engines again!”
The workers groaned. “Not again. Can’t we shoot them or something?”
“Get to it!”
At last, the men left, leaving the door half open. Castillo hung his head out of the hatch, checking for anyone in sight. When it was clear, he gave a thumbs up and hopped onto the ground. “Oof! It’s higher than you think.”
“Good to know,” Cassia murmured as she slid herself down, landing on her feet, sending a jolt of adrenaline through her legs. Felix followed next, then Nova. They didn’t have time to hang around, however, so they hurried to the nearest cover they could before someone else spotted them. “How are we getting out of here, guys?”
“How about running?” Answered Nova. With no objections, the group began sprinting across the tarmac, making a beeline to the fence surrounding the airport. They looked both ways before speeding across the busy runway (hey, if Cassia could do it with New York traffic, she could do it with LA airplanes) and finally made it to the towering fence. It must’ve been at least five metres tall. Cassia looked at the top of the fence. There was barbed wire, obviously placed there to keep fence hoppers away. Felix frowned, attempting to find a weak spot in the wire. He threw a stick at the barbed part, and it was charred within seconds. “So we can’t go over it,” He said.
Castillo bent down. “We can’t go under it.”
Something clicked in Cassia’s head. “We’ll have to go through it.”
Nova raised an eyebrow. “I know this story. We’re not going on a bear hunt, though. How do you suppose we go through a wire fence?”
“Remember capture the flag? When I melted your throwing star by accident?”
“Yeah, I’m not forgiving you for that anytime soon.”
“I think that must’ve been one of my powers in action. I can harness the power of the sun. Its heat, its light, its energy, oh, it’s all making sense! If I could melt that metal just with my bare skin, maybe I can melt this fence so we can get through!”
“That’s some oddly convenient knowledge you’ve got there,” remarked Felix, wearing an amused grin. “I like it. But how do you get to the point you’re hot enough to melt metal? What’s the process?”
“I think it’s a side effect of when I control light. It has to be, right? Since I’m using the sun’s power, I must get hot, too.”
“Oh, I get it,” Said Castillo, smirking. “You’re like a solar panel. So, how do we charge you up?”
Cassia shrugged. “Uh, stick me out in the sun for long enough?”
“Cause another solar flare?” Nova suggested.
“I like the first option better,” Felix interjected. “Who’s got black clothing on them?”
“Not me.” Castillo brushed his flannel, blue today, fondly. Nova shook her head. “I only wear the colour of my enemy’s blood.”
“And I don’t have any either. We need black clothes to give Cassia as much heat as she possibly can. Black absorbs sunlight more than white does.”
“Or,” Said Cassia, who was sitting in the baking sun, letting the heat swallow her, “We just sit down for a minute and let my dad do his magic.”
A few minutes later, Cassia was fully charged. She walked toward the fence, focusing on the light glaring in the sky. She raised a hand up into the air, and drew a line of light from the sun to right in front of her. She felt her body grow a little hotter. She began to twist the light into something, an animal. A swan. The sunlight swan spread its wings and flew over the endless blue sky, somersaulting a few times before disappearing back into the sun. She was ready. Looking back to the fence, Cassia walked forward, pressing her hands against the wire. They passed right through, leaving a silhouette of her hands in its wake. She continued forward, passing through the metal with ease, all of it turning to liquid silver at her feet. It trickled down through the grass, smoking the green into brown.
“Not bad.” Castillo regarded her with a smirk. “You’d be really good for breaking into places.”
“Not something I’d be interested in anytime soon. Now hurry up and get through before airport security realise there are four teenagers running around.”
The others passed through without a fuss.
“Ah, the ocean,” sighed Castillo. “Probably as polluted as ever.”
“Come on,” Felix said, already walking away. “We have to get to Santa Monica Pier by this afternoon.”
According to Felix, walking to the pier would take three and a half hours, but only three if they didn’t stop to rest. The boys were at the front, Castillo telling rapid fire jokes while Felix listened. Cassia and Nova trailed at the back. Nova kept looking out at the ocean like it had personally offended her.
“You, uh, you don’t like the ocean?” Cassia joked as she took note of Nova’s expression. Nova looked back at her, then nodded. “I don’t. No.”
“Bad experience? Seaweed around your leg?”
“I grew up in Florida, it takes a lot more than seaweed to scare me off.”
“So what did, then?”
Nova didn’t respond right away. When she did, her voice was a little quiet. “My uncle.”
“What did he do?”
“He died.”
“I’m going to need you to give me more backstory here, Nova.”
Nova sighed. “Fine. My mother died giving birth to me, and obviously Ares couldn’t care for me, so I was left with my uncle. Mom’s brother. And he was great for the most part, until he died. I’ll never forget it. We were at the beach one day, jumping off rocks, when my uncle jumped off one wrong and hit his head. There was blood everywhere, and it seemed to just cling to me, it wouldn’t leave me alone.”
“Child of Ares thing, I’m guessing..”
“Oh, shut up, Cassia! Anyway, my uncle died and I couldn’t carry his body back because I was eight and we were alone at the time, so I got out of the water and just watched it drift away.”
Cassia was silent for a long time. “That’s seriously, seriously messed up. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“Yeah, well, not much I can do about it now. Let’s just get this over with. We need to go to the underworld and find your dad’s bow.”
“Who did you hear that story from, again? You said you heard it from rumours.”
“Chiron. I overheard him talking with Mr D about it.”
Cassia nodded, but stayed silent after that. She knew right away that was a lie. Her father had mentioned nobody else knew that Apollo’s bow was missing apart from him and Cassia at the time. He had told Juliette in the prophecy dream. He had told Chiron, but no doubt Chiron would’ve kept his mouth shut and not mentioned it to loudmouth Mr D.
So how had Nova heard that Apollo’s bow was missing before Cassia had been told directly by him? Hadn’t he told her that nobody else knew it was even gone?
After the walk, the four pulled up to the pier, which was alive with people playing rigged carnival games and enjoying the view. “Alright, Castillo,” Felix looked to the son of Hermes. “You said the entrance to the underworld was here. Or one of them, anyway. Where is it?”
“We need to find a place called ‘DOA records.’ The entrance is managed by Charon. There, we bribe him so he sails us across the river Styx with the other dead souls and we make our way to… where are we even going when we get down there?”
“Hades’ palace?” Nova suggested.
“No,” Cassia said firmly. “Something tells me that’s not right. Why would Hades steal Apollo’s symbol of power? He has no use for it. We need to pinpoint a location to go before we venture into the underworld.”
“Oh, we’ll be fine, Cassia, just leave it.”
“Hold up, no. This is my quest, I’m allowed to choose where we go. We came all the way out here based on a suspicion that the person who had stolen this bow would hide it in the underworld. With no evidence or no plan, we just came here. This- this makes no sense! We don’t know WHO would steal the bow, we don’t know WHY they stole it, and we don’t have a clue as to WHERE they’ve gone with it!”
“Oh, just deal with it Cassia! Demigods normally just follow a hunch they have and they’re right! Well, this is my hunch, and I’m pretty sure we’re right!”
The two girls were close up in each other’s faces now, glaring.
“Nova, going into the underworld is just an unnecessary thing to do if we don’t have a real reason to go there. Since you were the one who told us to go here, why don’t you also tell us who you think stole it?”
“I’m not all-knowing, alright? I don’t know who stole it, I’m just trying to help.”
“You’re not being very HELPFUL!”
“Both of you just calm down!” Felix stood in between them, holding his arms out so they wouldn’t kill each other. “This is getting us nowhere. Cassia, Nova is trying to help you and give you advice, don’t be angry when she gets it wrong. We’re all humans here. Nova, Cassia is right. This is her quest, and she’s right to be cautious about venturing into a place that is awful for her and makes her weak without a solid reason as to why. How about we all just calm down and rest for now, and we can just talk about our next move in a calm manner.”
They camped on the beach as the sun began to set, sharing food Castillo had stolen from trucks and carts around the place. They didn’t have a plan. They had no direction whatsoever, and something was nagging in the back of Cassia’s mind. She’d admit part of her was scared of going to the underworld. Darkness was something that made her afraid, but she would never prioritise her own fears over an important quest. No, there just wasn’t a good reason to go into the underworld, to go to all the trouble and have no idea of what to do when down there. What if they ran into something down there that stopped them from going back? What if they went down, found nothing, and came back weaker and more tired? The cons outweighed the pros a hundred to none.
When Cassia flopped down on her bedroll that night, she had never felt so defeated in her life. So lost, so useless. She had no idea what she was doing. No idea at all. Why had her dad chosen her for this quest? Why not Francis, or Juliette, or Stella? Why her?
That night, nightmares came to her. Cassia was standing on the bank of the river styx, a black river like obsidian littered with crushed dreams and broken promises. The fog was thick and grey, but in the distance Cassia could see the dim silhouette of Hades’ palace. Screams of tormented souls echoed around her. In her dream, Cassia moved to the shoreline. Then a pair of hands from behind shoved her into the waters. Her bones turned to mush, her lungs collapsing. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t scream and nothing could get her out of it. The inky black waters of the Styx filled her mouth, drowning her. A voice filled her ear, masked by gravel and the distortion of her mind.
'Pride lost for pride gained.'
A hand reached for her in the endless darkness, and pulled her out of the water. Everything went numb as Cassia’s eyelids shot open.
Chapter 9: Okay, so we all agree Nova's acting weird, right?
Notes:
Hey guys! Thanks SO much for 200 hits, you're all SO amazing! Here's chapter nine for you (sorry it's slightly late- I was struggling to get through writing it because I couldn't think of how to properly express my ideas), and I really hope you enjoy it! This is more of a character development chapter; I promise action is coming soon!
Chapter Text
“A plan. We need a plan.” Castillo sat down on the sandy shore beside Cassia as dawn began to break over the horizon, making the sky shift from a deep blue to a waterfall of soft pink and purple. Waves lapped the shore gently before them. Cassia hadn't been able to sleep after waking from a nightmare the night before, so now she sat, staring at the ocean, searching for answers. It was a moment before Cassia responded.
“Yeah. A plan.”
Castillo seemed to pick up on her dejected tone, and cleared his throat delicately. “You know, we don't have to go to the underworld. You were right; there's no reason to make the trip.” He cast a sideways glance at her and broke into a grin, nudging her. “And we can't really afford to make our leader weak, can we?”
“No,” Cassia replied, staring at the water. “We can't.”
Castillo seemed to realize something. His grin faded. “Are you alright?”
“Fine.”
He raised an eyebrow. “No. You're not. Hermes is the god of lies, you don't think I can't catch you in one?”
Cassia sighed. “You got me there.”
“So, sunray, what's up? And don't even think about saying it’s nothing. I hate to see you so dejected, it makes you look boring.”
Cassia raised an eyebrow now. A tiny smile bloomed on her lips. “That's what you're most worried about? Me being boring?”
“Just tell me what's wrong, Cassie. I’m your friend.”
“I had a nightmare.”
“Ooh, do tell.”
Cassia explained her nightmare and watched as Castillo’s expression shifted from intrigue to horror. After she was done, he sat silently for a long time. Finally, he spoke. “A nightmare like that is trying to tell you something. Someone is going to try to kill you.”
“In the river Styx, in the underworld. Looks like we’re going down there after all.”
“Not exactly.” Castillo bit his lip, thinking hard. “Maybe it's a warning instead. Something telling you not to go down there.”
“Let's go with that.”
Castillo looked Cassia up and down for a moment. “There's something else still bothering you.” Cassia knew she had to tell Castillo about her suspicions. Something told her he was trustworthy.
“I think Nova’s hiding something from us. I've noticed a few things.”
“Like what?”
“She came to me first when Apollo’s bow went missing. She said she'd heard a rumor, but I spoke to my dad that night and he'd told me nobody else knew. Apart from Chiron, and Chiron swore to secrecy, so he wouldn't be blabbing to anyone. So how did Nova know about the missing bow?”
Castillo's brows furrowed. “Oh, that’s seriously weird.”
“It doesn't even stop there. Have you noticed how she's pushing us places? Whose idea was it to go to the underworld?”
“Nova’s. Oh gods, why didn’t we question it? It never made sense in the first place.”
“Because we just assumed she was right. With no evidence to back it up, we blindly believed her. We had no choice- no other leads, no directions.”
“Cassia.” Castillo’s hazel eyes met her own, staring into her soul. It didn't make her uncomfortable, though. It was a natural feeling, like he was just simply seeing her through and through and liked her that way. No judgement. “I believe you.”
Those simple three words seemed to calm her completely. Castillo was on her side. He believed her and together, they would figure it all out. She'd never thought that a slippery son of Hermes could be so sincere, but here he was. Castillo Briella, the boy as fast as a comet. Cassia decided at that moment that Castillo would be her friend. For now and always. She stuck her pinky finger out.
“Pinky promise? No swearing on the river styx. I'm tired of this being complicated.”
Castillo smiled, a real, genuine smile, and linked his pinky in hers. “Pinky promise.”
And Cassia believed him.
When their fingers parted, a thought hit Cassia. “What's the story behind the hair?”
“This beautiful, luxurious, silky smooth hair?” Castillo ran a hand through his shaggy pink mane. It almost reached his shoulders. “When I was on my way to camp, I found a packet of kool-aid. I had to disguise myself because I was being searched for by the police, so I decided to use the kool-aid to dye my hair pink. Eventually, it faded, but I liked it so much I went out and stole actual hair dye. I've been pink ever since.”
“You were being searched for by the police?” Cassia struggled to hide her laughter. “How old were you?”
“Nine.”
“Nine?!”
“Okay, I wasn't being searched for like I was a fugitive or anything, my mom reported me as a missing child and I didn't want to go back to her.”
Cassia knew that this conversation might be treading on dangerous territory. She proceeded with caution. “Why didn't you want to go back to her?”
Castillo looked away. When he looked back at Cassia, his eyes were filled with deep pain. “She wasn't a good person, Cass. I ran away.”
“I get that.” She didn't press the subject. “Anyway, we need a plan. Any ideas?”
Castillo pulled out his daggers, turning it over in his hands. “Maybe you should ask your dad for advice.”
A frown formed on Cassia’s face. “Gods aren’t supposed to help demigods on their quests. Hands off for a mortal quest, that’s the rule.”
“I think you’ll find he’ll give you some help if you ask him nicely enough. He’s not exactly alike to the other gods. Not anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t know yet?” Castillo smiled. “About twenty years ago, Zeus punished Apollo by turning him into a mortal teenager and forcing him to do a bunch of dangerous quests.”
“What did he do?”
“Long story.” Castillo waved a hand. “But it wasn’t even really his fault. I’m getting sidetracked. Anyway, that experience of being human changed Apollo for the better. That’s why he sees you and your siblings in dreams so often. That’s why he’s so caring for things you don’t expect gods to care about. He knows what it’s like now, being the one people never listen to. He’ll give you help because he wants you to succeed, Cassia. He’ll help you because he knows what it’s like to do it all on your own.”
A silence passed between them for a moment. “What’s Hermes like?” Cassia finally had the courage to ask the question. Castillo regarded her in more silence before speaking. “I don’t know. I’ve never met him. We’ve never talked. I wasn’t allowed to ask about him when I was still living at home, and my siblings don’t know him either. He was never here.”
The tone in his voice was bitter. Resentful. Jealous. Cassia had it easy compared to Castillo; A loving father who wanted nothing more than to see her do well and flourish, who checked in with her and tried his best to be in her life. Castillo didn’t even know his dad.
“You don’t need him to be here. I’m here.” Cassia placed a tentative hand on his shoulder. “You don’t need to feel upset that Hermes isn’t here to see you, or talk to you, or help you. I’m here. I see you. I’m talking to you, and I want to help you. You are seen, Castillo.”
“We should, uh, we should go back to the others.” Castillo wasn’t looking at Cassia. She figured he needed a moment. “I’ll go. I need to brief them on something. I’ll tell them about my dream.” Castillo nodded. “Alright.” With that, Cass got up and walked away, throwing one last glance back at the boy with pink hair, seeing him wipe a tear away.
Felix and Nova were sitting in heavy silence further up the beach. Felix was looking over plans and notes with growing frustration. Nova looked bored.
“A plan. We need a plan,” Felix muttered over and over, his brows furrowing as he scoured the papers, trying to come up with one. Cassia sat beside him. “I think I’ve got one.”
Nova raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Let’s hear it, then.”
“I think we should go into the underworld.”
Felix looked up from his notes, jaw slack. “But you literally-”
“-I know what I said, Felix. Last night, I had a dream. I was drowning in the styx. Now that I think about it, though, this dream was trying to tell me something. I think the person we’re looking for is in the underworld.”
“Finally seeing sense, are we?” Nova scoffed. “About time.”
Cassia regarded Nova for a second, reflecting on her many suspicions. A new idea popped into her head. One that was surely dangerous if she was proven right. One that was stupid. Then again, Felix was the child of Athena, not Cassia. “Nova, what do you suggest we do? Since you’ve been having this hunch. I trust your judgement.”
Nova paused. She was silent for a long time, her brown eyes raking up and down Cassia, then out to the ocean, then to the sand at her feet. Then back to Cassia. “I’m thinking of something. A new lead, potentially. Give me some time, maybe a couple hours, and I’ll figure it out. Meet me back here by six o’clock.”
Felix looked skeptical. “And we’re supposed to trust you with this? You’re not the sharpest tool in the shed, Nova.” The daughter of Ares threw a fierce look to the son of Athena. She reminded Cassia of a bull. All that was missing was the steam coming out of her nose. Felix, eager to get on with it, just sighed. “Alright, you go do it. I’m sure you’ll want to prove to your father that you’re good for more than just brutality.”
That received another glare, which Felix deliberately ignored. “I’ll be back. With a lead, might I add.” Nova stood up, and stormed up the beach. Cassia watched her, backpack slung over one shoulder, marching off into the town. Once she was sure Nova was gone, she turned to Felix.
He was already looking at her, eyebrow raised. “You feel it, don’t you?” He said. “Something’s up with her. It’s not fitting together. Nova’s always been a jigsaw with a missing piece, but this is just plain weird.”
Cassia nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I feel it. I told Castillo, and he agreed.” She looked down for a moment, thinking something over. “Felix, when I first told you about the quest and who I wanted to come on it, you weren’t too happy to know Nova was coming with us. Why was that?”
“Is that really relevant right now?”
“It might be. I’m thinking.”
“Very well. Nova and I don’t get along because of our parentage, naturally, but there’s more to it. She’s always been obsessed with glory, making Ares proud of her- as if he’d ever notice her beyond claiming, and this obsession tends to.. How do I say this.. Cloud her thinking.”
“It makes her do stupid things.”
“That’s one way to put it, but yes. Most demigods want to make their parents proud of them. Recognition from the gods means you’ve served your purpose. But at some point, it crosses a line from wistful thinking into mad obsession. Nova’s using that line as a skipping rope.”
Felix faltered for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. “Well, this obsession leads Nova to do irrational things, as you bluntly translated there. This means sometimes she’ll create opportunities to please Ares. She’ll deliberately create a problem and then play the hero so she might get some praise for it.”
“I’m not sure If I feel sorry for her or if I’m furious at her.”
“Believe me, you can be both. I noticed right off the bat how weird this whole situation was- why did Nova know so much? Something was clearly up.”
“So why did you just let her take us out here if you knew she was up to something?”
“Why didn’t you stop her if you knew that as well?”
“Touche.”
“As for why I let her do all of this… I needed to confirm a few things. I needed to make sure my suspicions had actual weight to them. I had to find out why she was targeting you. Remember capture the flag?”
“When she was telling you I might be a big three kid. What was that about, anyway?”
“She was looking for someone who might be asked to go on a quest. She would want to be on their radar so they might consider choosing her. When you were claimed, she was as interested as ever, but it felt really, really wrong. Then she just suddenly knows everything about this quest when I don’t know it? I’m the son of Athena, nobody knows something I don’t.”
“Wow, I’m sure your fatal flaw is an unsolved mystery,” Cassie regarded dryly. Felix smirked. “I’m an aware person, Cassia Dubois. I know Nova is hiding something from us. And I think I might have a clue as to why she was so intrigued when you were claimed by Apollo.”
“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”
Six o’clock seemed to arrive far too quickly. After her conversation with both of the boys, Cassia felt closer to them in a way. To her, they were paintings not yet finished, still rough sketches for the people they’d one day become. Cassia thought of people as artworks, all with different colours and brush strokes and meanings behind them. All beautiful in their own ways. Some wickedly beautiful, others beautifully wicked.
Art… that brought her back to day one. The chilly autumn air of New York City, and the museum where everything had begun. How has only three weeks passed since that day? It was like someone had taken her old portrait and shredded it up, just to begin drawing a new one the second Maisie had run into her.
The entire thing felt like one huge fever dream. The two gods in disguise, the siren (Felix hadn’t had any answers as to how or why there was a siren chasing after her in New York), Maisie, the Grey sisters, and the golden bow in the case.
She had almost forgotten about that. It felt like foreshadowing in a way. Subtle foreshadowing. Just a momentary glimpse of the world she was about to see, before everything turned upside down and it all got extremely confusing. Over the past three weeks, Cassia had learnt that almost everything she could ever imagine and what she couldn’t imagine was possible, and most likely real. A siren chasing after her in the city? Sure, why not? Gods were real? Okay!
Acceptance didn’t make the weird any more normal, it just helped Cassia stay calm. This was just another Tuesday for demigods.
Four weeks ago, Cassia’s biggest worry was her schoolwork and social life. Four weeks later, it was finding her god of a father’s divine bow in a week and returning it to save her ass from letting him down. Oh, what a wonderful world. Somehow, the strangeness of her situation made her smile.
Wait, now she was getting sidetracked. Nova bounded back over to the trio, still huddled on the beach, and sat down beside them, panting. Her dark skin glistened with sweat. “I’ve got a lead,” She announced. Castillo raised both his eyebrows. “Let’s hear it, war girl.”
“Not just a lead, but I know where the bow is!”
Chapter 10: The line between naïveté and hopefulness is almost invisible
Notes:
How's it going guys? It's currently 11pm as I'm publishing this and I haven't slept in a day so I'm just going to publish this and stop talking! I hope you're liking it so far, and sorry for leaving you on a cliffhanger here.
(I swear on the river styx that next chapter we'll pick up right where we left off)
hope you like chapter 10! (And shoutout to my EPIC: The musical fans!)
Chapter Text
The cool ocean breeze sent shivers down Cassia’s spine as they crept through the alleyways of Santa Monica in silence, their paths illuminated by the silver moon. It shone brightly, as clear as polished glass, hanging over the ink backdrop of night. Even without the cold biting her skin, Cassia was on edge. Nova had been gone the whole day, supposedly looking for a lead, and she came back with no explanation but only an answer as to where the bow randomly was?
Why would Apollo’s golden bow be in the Santa Monica Art Museum?
Whatever questions Cassia had, she kept them to herself as the four stalked down sketchy streets. LA was normally a city bustling with nightlife, but in the alleys it was eerily quiet. Only the occasional mutter of a drunk and the rustling of rats in rubbish bins provided any ambience. Nova stayed at the front. Her mood had shifted since she had returned from her day out. When she had turned back up at dusk with a broad grin, announcing that she had found out where the bow was, Cassia thought she resembled a kid, thinking she got away with taking an extra cookie from the cookie jar. What Nova didn’t know was that Cassia had caught her red handed in said jar. Well, at least she thought she did. It was so strange- one moment Nova was on top of the world, but as their agreed time to break into the Museum after dark had drawn closer, Nova got more and more anxious. Now, she was hurrying ahead of the group. In the gleaming moonlight, Cassia could see glistening trails of sweat shining on her skin. Nova clenched her hello kitty dagger tight, running a light finger over the blade. Back and forth, back and forth, not aware of the fact that she was drawing blood.
Was she nervous of being caught for what she had done? Or was it something else? No, it had to be because she was realising that the jig was up. What else could selfish, prideful Nova have to worry her so much?
Castillo looked positively gleeful as they slinked around in the darkness. This was his natural habitat, after all. Being unnoticed was second nature to him. Being sneaky was his first. His light pink hair was beginning to fade slightly, the roots now showing mousy brown. His green flannel was slightly torn up from all of the quick escapes he’d had to make so far, from stealing food to sneaking in suitcases. So now, it was tied around his waist. His neon orange camp shirt somehow sunk into the night.
Felix was watching the back of Nova’s head like it was a threat to him. He kept one hand gripped on the hilt of his sword, cautiously following behind the daughter of Ares. As for Cassia, she was at the back. She was yet to use her bow and quiver of arrows. If she was being honest, this didn’t feel like a proper demigod quest in her eyes. Where were the monster fights? The bloodshed? The intense planning sequences and the sudden realisation dawning on everyone as they pieced together the full story? Cassia’s quest felt lame. So far, they’d snuck onto a flight to avoid one random crazy monster lady, walked to Santa Monica Pier and camped there for two days because Cassia was too scared to go into the underworld. No monsters. No cool fights. Just slinking around and trying not to be noticed. So far, they’d succeeded.
And they’d gotten absolutely nowhere as to how or why Nova (Cassia was almost completely convinced it was Nova) had stolen the bow. And that prophecy was yet to come true.
Four will go missing, at the sun’s call (That had to mean Apollo asking Cassia to go on the quest)
One will go missing at the sun’s fall (One of them (Hopefully Nova) would go missing at sundown. It was currently in the middle of the night)
You will wear wings of flame as the sky takes revenge (No clue what that might look like, and honestly, Cassia hoped she didn’t find out any time soon.)
You will save what you crave most, in the end (The bow, obviously.)
It just felt confusing, honestly. Confusing, pointless and really, really stupid. Cassia still had so many questions: who had sent that siren after her on the first day of it all? Which gods were there in the room with her? What was that bow doing in the case-
The bow in the case. Had Nova been there that day? Or someone else? A bow in a museum case- the New York Metropolitan, to be exact. A bow that the mortals couldn’t see. When Cassia had looked back at the display, it was gone. So… for Nova to claim that the bow was in the Santa Monica Art Museum…
She had to have been there on that first day. Surely. She’d had this bow in her clutch for Olympus knew how long. That had to be it. By the gods, Cassia had it all figured out!
“We’re here.” Nova stopped in her tracks. They stood in front of a blue building. Castillo cracked his knuckles. “Alright, I suppose I’ll get us in, then.”
He pulled out a hairpin and began fiddling with the lock while the others attempted to act nonchalant. Nobody was on the street but from them. All the action was down at the pier and the beach. Within seconds, Castillo had the door opened. With a flick of her wrist, Cassia managed to burst out the camera glasses. She was getting a lot better at controlling her power. Harnessing the sun’s energy was weird, but if she focused, she could make almost anything explode, melt or dissolve. The sun had a lot of heat. All it took was a simple motion for anything to heat up and blow up.
“Take us to the bow,” Cassia said, flashing a look to Nova. The girl stopped biting her nails. “Yeah.. yeah, sure.”
She hurried off, Felix and Cassia at her heels. Castillo would stand watch in case anything happened. Nova continued ahead. Felix and Cass shared a look, both arching their eyebrows. Felix raised his sword slightly. ‘Don’t,’ Cassia mouthed. ‘Not yet.’ He nodded, and they went on silently.
The museum was cloaked in shadow. It was creepy, and much too quiet for Cassia’s liking. She wished she were out the front with Castillo. It was better out there than here. Suddenly, Nova came to a halt. “Here,” She whispered.
She stepped aside to reveal the most gorgeous thing she’d already seen.
It had intricate designs carved in that seemed to shimmer like gold. The wood looked perfectly smooth, and the string seemed to shimmer like light.
That was the description she’d given it when she’d seen it on the day it all went down. The bow of Apollo was truly the most incredible thing Cassia had ever laid her eyes upon. Even from behind a thick glass display, it radiated heat. Of course. It used the energy of the sun, just like her.
“How do we get it out?” Felix stepped closer, lowering his sword, his eyes widening. “I don’t know,” murmured Nova. “I just found it here.”
“Oh, you did, did you?” Cassia narrowed her eyes.
Nova shot her a glare. “I did, Dubois. Now, I need you to melt the glass.”
“No.”
“No?”
“No.”
The girls stared at each other in the darkness for a long moment, their jaws jutted, assessing what to do next.
The air suddenly smelled sour, like decay and misery. Cassia heard the snapping of bones, and her blood ran cold as skeletons in tattered military uniforms surrounded the trio from all sides.
Suddenly, Cassia didn’t want a bloodthirsty fight with monsters. She wanted to go home.
She nocked an arrow in her bow for the first time on the entire quest, took a breath-
“SHUT UP AND FIGHT!”
-and prayed to every god out there that they would make it out alive.
Chapter 11: On three, we're all going to curse Ares.
Notes:
Hey everyone! How's it going? Thanks SO much for 260 hits. You have no idea how stoked I am that this silly little story got this much traction- and we're nowhere near done!
Chapter Text
The first thing Nova did was look at Cassia. Tears filled her eyes. “Cassia,” she said, raising her daggers to protect herself. “I stole the bow. I'm so sorry.”
“Now's not the time to confess that! Just fight!”
Cassia furiously shot at the skeletons, but her arrows had no effect on them. Felix swung his sword, taking off the head of one of the undead pile of bones, but it was all for nothing. More filled its place. His grey eyes were wild, and he was shouting curses in Greek. Cassia couldn't tell if they were directed at Nova or the skeletons.
“Nobody's a child of Hades here! Why are skeletons coming out from the ground?” Cassia screamed, deflecting one of the skeletons' blows with her bow.
“Look at their uniforms!” Felix responded, fiercely charging a horde of them. The skeletons were in military uniforms. Air Force uniforms, naval, combat.. all things to do with war.
And whose father was the god of war?
“If we get out alive, I'm going to kill you, Allemande,” Cassia growled, deflecting another hit aimed at Nova. The daughter of Ares stabbed a couple skeletons, digging her blades through the rib cage and back out again, turning the skeleton to dust. “Ares can summon the dead that have died in war. They owe him a debt, so they're under his command. I didn't send them; he did.”
Cassia paused. “What did you just say?”
Nova met her glare with sorry eyes. “It's because I've failed him.”
“You've been working for your father the entire time?!”
Nova sent one of the skeletons ready to kill Cassia flying across the room. “He put me up to this, I swear!”
“That doesn't make it any better!”
“Can you both shut up?!” Felix backed up beside them. He had blood running down the side of his face, but his eyes were focused on the skeletons. “Nova, what moves are you doing that kill them?”
“Dig your blade into their ribcage and hoist them up. Then throw them across the room. The force makes them break.”
“That's the one and only time you've ever been useful, got that?”
“Felix,” Cassia snapped. “There's more to the story. Shut up.”
Cassia ditched any idea of shooting at the skeletons, and instead began using her bow as a shield to keep the others alive. They were overwhelmed. Cassia rolled and dodged a few attacks, but she could hardly keep herself steady under the weight of the skeletons. Her bow began to splinter and bend. She didn't have that long before it snapped and she was left defenceless.
“Where's Castillo?” Cassia cried. Felix looked back to where they had come from. “Not a clue!”
“Great, just great!” Cassia felt the bow break in two. In a moment of Felix level thinking, she used both broken ends as blades. She stuck one end in a skeleton that was about to snap her neck, and the other in its buddy. She twisted the wood so she held them both up in each arm, and with all her might, she threw them across the room.
The string of the bow was all that remained. It wasn't sharp enough to be used as a garrote wire, and it couldn't strangle a skeleton. Skeletons didn't breathe. Cassia couldn't use her powers. The sun wasn't here to charge her back up and keep her going. If there was one downside to being the daughter of Apollo, it was that Cassia was completely reliant on the sun and light to support her.
She had nothing. Felix was fighting a losing battle against three skeletons in Air Force uniforms. Nova was struggling to keep up with a fresh wave of the dead, and they began to swarm her. Nobody could help Cassia as she was pinned down by a skeleton in a combat uniform. Its spindly hands grasped her neck and closed its fist around it, choking her.
Cassia gasped for air that wouldn't come. Her head began to spin, and panic swelled in her as she realized that this was it. Her death.
Cassia Dubois, she thought as everything began to fade. Died Age 12 on a stupid quest. She is survived by her mother and sister, if they ever find out what happened to her.
Her final wish is that Ares stubs his toe in the middle of the night and falls on his sword.
“That's my sister you're choking, you pile of bones!” The skeleton looked up, and was promptly wacked in the head with a book. The force of the throw sent it flying across the room, ripping its grip from Cassia's throat. She sat up, gasping for sweet oxygen. Upon further inspection, the book was Fifty Shades of Grey.
Huh. Even the worst books served their purpose. Cassia looked behind her to see Castillo, gripping his daggers, wearing a furious look and sporting a bloody nose.
“Well? What are you waiting for? Bring it on!” He shouted to the other skeletons, who looked up from where they were.
Cassia had only ever seen Castillo fight during training. She'd known he was fast, but she never could have expected how fast he really was. Castillo charged the army, his daggers turning into blurs of silver as he darted around the skeletons, slicing them into pieces. They could never see him coming. Castillo lept and flipped through the air, throwing daggers and catching them with perfect accuracy.
Massaging her throat, Cassia gathered the energy to stand up. She saw a skeleton running right at her, and adrenaline crashed through her veins. “Castillo!” The son of Hermes whizzed around to see her. “Dagger!” He looked down to one of the daggers in his hand. He nodded, then tossed it to her. Cassia caught it and got to work. She was fast enough in combat, obviously nowhere near as fast as Castillo, but her few weeks of training at camp had served her well.
Using Nova’s method of throwing the skeletons across the room surely wouldn't work when Cassia had one small blade and not much strength left. So she turned to her medical knowledge. Hit the weak points, she thought. The collarbone had to be the weakest bone on the skeleton. If Cassia could strike that, she could stand a chance in this fight. It was true that Cassia wasn't the most agile, the most graceful, the most accurate fighter in combat yet, but she was definitely a resourceful one. Charging forward, Cassia swung Castillo’s dagger, tearing into the skeleton’s collarbone, severing its head. The skeleton crumpled to the floor at her feet.
“Aim for the collarbones!” She shouted at the others, who were beginning to tire from throwing the undead. Felix swung his sword sideways into the collarbone of a naval officer, beheading it successfully. He looked up. “Good one!”
With a roar of rage, Nova beheaded one of the soldiers. “We can hold them off for now. Go and get that bow!”
Cassia hurried over to the glass display case, furiously thinking of how to open it without setting off multiple alarms. Fortunately, Castillo came in clutch, pausing his terrific display of speed to pry the lock open with a hairpin. A classic trick, yet a good one. The glass case swung open, and suddenly nothing else mattered.
Cassia could feel the bow’s glory, its beauty and power from where she stood. It radiated warmth and light, healing and hope, but also danger and pain. Tentatively, Cassia reached out to pry it from the display prongs. Her fingers closed around the shaft of the bow, wincing as the heat burnt her fingers. It was as if the bow could sense she wasn’t its owner.
“I know I’m not him,” She whispered. Maybe the bow was a little like a horse, and it could sense her fear and trepidation. Or maybe the bow was a bow with no thoughts or feelings, and she was just talking to an inanimate object. Cassia gently took the bow off the wall and felt it in her hands. She could feel the power of the sun in her bones. How did her father carry this with him, let alone use it? All of this power, trapped in one mighty bow, gave Cassia a glimpse into the power Apollo truly held as a god.
And it was a lot.
When Cassia turned around, more skeletons seemed to be emerging. Too many for any of her friends to beat. Castillo was losing his energy, and the skeletons were beginning to predict his attack patterns. Nova’s face was beaded with sweat as she tore through a few soldiers, but more seemed to return in its place. Felix’s mind couldn’t seem to account for a plan to get out of this alive. Where were these undead warriors even coming from? Ares clearly wouldn’t give up trying to kill them until he had killed them. Cassia observed the room for a split second before landing on her target. A hole in the ground that had an aroma of death and decay. A hole straight to the underworld. Cassia didn’t know where it would drop them, but she knew that if there was one way to beat these skeletons, it was to outsmart them.
Surely, Ares couldn’t control the soldiers down in the underworld. No, that was Hades’ domain. So if they went right into the underworld, and maybe asked Hades politely for a way out, they could avoid the monsters above and face the ones below. The thought of darkness and lost life sent shivers down Cassia’s spine. As a daughter of Apollo, darkness was one of her worst fears. It was a dangerous idea, and the gods were an unpredictable bunch, but it seemed that the only way this quest would ever succeed would be to jump into the underworld.
“I’ve got an idea,” Cassia began haltingly, shouldering her father’s bow quickly. Felix looked at her for a moment before returning to combat. “Is it a good one?”
“No,” Cassia confirmed. “It’s a bad one. A horrible, stupid one.”
“Well, I don’t have any of my own, so let’s hear it.”
“We jump into the underworld.”
Felix looked at her like she’d gone crazy. But after a second, he seemed to understand. “That checks out. Nova! Castillo! Did you hear that?”
Castillo came up beside them, out of breath. “I- yeah,” He gasped. “Yeah, I heard. Whatever. Just.. need.. To stop.. Running.”
“Ares’ control of the dead in his service doesn’t extend down to the underworld,” Nova explained, resting her daggers at her side. “So he wouldn’t be able to reach us down there.”
“Everything else would, though,” Castillo panted.
“Let’s take a very hard fall down to Hades,” Cassia said. Skeletons were pouring out of the hole. “They won’t expect us to jump into the hole, will they?”
“They won’t,” Felix confirmed. “So it’s our best bet to just run in and jump for it.”
“What about our landing?” Castillo asked. “We might just die.”
“We’ll die if we stick around up here.”
Nova stared at the gaping hole of death. “Felix is right. We need to take our chances and just hope for the best.”
“You’re all crazy,” Castillo said. But then he grinned. “Eh, so am I. Let’s do it.”
“On three, we charge.” Cassia wiped a smear of dirt off her face.
“One,” Felix said.
“Two,” Continued Castillo, gripping his daggers so tightly his knuckles went ghost white.
“Three!” Shouted Nova.
And together, the four of them sprinted forward, running toward their certain death like a bunch of idiots. The skeletons paused, confused as to why the children were leaping into the hole instead of running away or fighting, but they continued to pursue them anyway. However, when they tried to reach them, they merely fell back into the depths.
Cassia was flying. She had leaped off the ledge with the others in tow, and for a moment, she was soaring through the air, as free as a swan in the sky. Nothing could touch her, nothing would ever go wrong-
-And then she fell. Gravity was stupid in that way. The darkness swallowed her whole, and Cassia kept one hand on her back, clinging to her father’s bow as she and her friends tumbled down into the world of death and darkness alongside a parade of skeletons.
Together, they fell into the underworld.
Chapter 12: Aw, Styx!
Chapter Text
All that Cassia could hear was the roaring of wind in her ears. If anyone was screaming, it was drowned out the further and further they fell into Hades. For once in her life, Cassia knew what real fear felt like.
Fear binded your feet to the ground in heavy chains. Fear made your mind both alert and numb at the same time. Fear held a clawed hand over your throat, slowly choking you, asking you how much more of it you could handle before you dropped dead. Fear made your heart speed up, then stop entirely.
All Cassia could smell was death. There was no other way to describe it. It was rotting, decaying life wafting in the air. Darkness engulfed them.
Cassia cursed herself for thinking of such a stupid plan. Surely there had been another way out of the skeleton situation that didn’t involve falling to their deaths! If they had died at the hands of the undead, at the very least, they would be able to go to their afterlives in peace. Now, they hurtled to Hades knew where, with no plan, no sight, and no communication.
The only thing keeping Cassia from losing her mind was her grip on Nova. She was real. No doubt she was just as scared, if not more, than Cassia, but she was here. And so were the boys. They were all here, but Cassia held onto Nova like it was her lifeline. Nova kept a firm grip on her wrist in return.
Cassia couldn’t keep track of how long they fell for. Minutes? Hours? Days, perhaps? Time blurred together when you spent every waking moment of your existence falling into a seemingly bottomless pit. Where would they even land? Cassia had heard stories about Tartarus back at camp, and the pair of demigods who had fallen in there 21 years back. Those demigods, the ones who had fallen in, had been older. More experienced. What their names were, Cassia couldn’t remember thanks to the crushing fear swirling inside her, but she just knew that if she went to Tartarus, she was already dead.
There was a sudden greyish light that illuminated Nova’s face. She was roughed up and looked terrified, but when she saw Cassia, she seemed to look a little more at ease. At least they could see each other, not just feel the other’s presence. Castillo and Felix were falling side by side, looking around them to see how they’d make it out alive of this one. Skeletons rained down around them, slowly turning rigid.
Then the underworld appeared before them, and Cassia knew they were done for. It was a grey, desolate landscape. In the distance was a red glow, and screams slowly getting louder. The fields of punishment. The people tortured there could be heard from here.
How did Hades and Persephone deal with the noise?
Not the time for stupid questions! Cassia gripped Nova tighter, looking out around them as they plummeted to the ground. Oh, the ground. What were they even going to go splat on, anyway?
The river Styx, that’s what. The wind rushing in her ears seemed to subside as Felix began to shout.
“We can’t land in the Styx! It’ll kill us!”
Nova glared at him. “We’re going to die regardless! The rest is just sand or something!”
Castillo yelped as a skeleton narrowly missed him. “Oh my gods, this is actually the worst way to die!”
“Can you guys shut it? I’m trying to have a tragic moment here!” Cassia yelled over the noise. Felix looked at the falling skeletons, then down at the rapidly approaching Styx.
“Have any of you ever gone sledding?”
“No!” Nova and Castillo shouted in return.
“Yes!” Cassia said at the same time. Felix nodded. “Alright!” He shouted. “Grab a skeleton as they come falling, and try to climb on its back and hold on! We’re going to use them as a sled!”
“Are you saying we’re going to use undead warriors as jet skis?” Nova screeched, her voice pitching up and cracking.
“Just do it!” Felix hollered back.
Skeletons rained down around them, narrowly avoiding crashing into Felix. When one had passed him, he grabbed it and managed to hoist himself on its back. The skeleton was as limp as ever. Castillo managed to do the same, though with a lot less grace and a lot more swearing.
Nova let go of Cassia, and managed to clamber onto one of the undead pile of bones. Cassia could see one crashing down near her. She grasped onto it, trying not to scream at the feeling of bones, and hoisted herself on its back, her legs locking inside the ribcage, using the spine as a seat. She gripped the shoulder blades for support, and tried not to think of all the ways this plan would fail.
The Styx, a river of churning black water, was getting closer and closer by the second. The impact of hitting the water would kill her instantly. It’d kill them all.
“If we die I’m going to kill you, Felix!” Nova howled as the water got closer and closer. Cassia predicted they would have ten seconds at best until they hit the surface and died.
Ten. Cassia recalled the day it all began. The statue, the museum, the sketchbook
Nine. Phoebe’s crooked smile as she told Cassia how she got suspended at school this time.
Eight. Her mother’s soft voice singing a lullaby when the storms got too loud.
Seven. Meeting Apollo for the first time in that wonderful dream.
Six. Laughing with the rest of the Hermes table at dinner before she got claimed.
Five. It had all been so beautiful. Every last moment.
Four. Goodbye to her life. Goodbye to her family. Goodbye to the sun.
Three.
Two.
One.
Cassia heard nothing. She couldn’t open her eyes, and she wasn’t breathing. There was silence, eerie silence, but no pain.
Then everything happened at once. The rushing of a river, the feeling of adrenaline shooting up her legs. Cassia opened her eyes. She was zooming down the river Styx with the others in tow. Castillo whooped in triumph, but his face was pale. Felix was breathing heavily, and Nova was shaking madly. Cassia was all of those things at once. She was alive. She was alive!
The skeletons slowed down, beginning to sink under their weight. In the river, there were things that could only be described as broken promises. Void hopes and dreams sworn on the river. A diploma. A wedding veil. A fake leg.
Wait, that was handy.
“Don’t touch the water!” Felix warned. Cassia grabbed the false leg, trying to ignore what she was doing, and started rowing to the bank. “Grab something!” She called to the others.
“Hey, how come you get a fake leg?” Castillo asked, searching around him for anything to use. Cassia made it to the shore and tossed it over to him.
Eventually, they made it out, coughing, terrified and a little giddy. They had just defied death!
“Beware!” A voice said, and they looked up from where they were lying on the black sandbank to see a man in greek armor. He had curly blonde hair to his shoulders, and held a spear. His heel was missing a chunk of flesh. “If you are to swim in the river styx and bear my curse-”
“Achilles,” Cassia croaked, sitting up. “You’re Achilles.”
Achilles raised an eyebrow. “Uh, that I am. Now, if you are to swim in the river and bear my curse of-”
“We’re not going to swim.”
Achilles paused. “You are not going to swim in the river?”
“We’re not planning on it, no.”
“Oh.” Achilles looked slightly miffed that he hadn’t been able to give his soliloquy on the dangers of taking on his curse. “That is.. The right decision. The wise one.”
“So, you’re really Achilles?” Castillo sat up, pushing his hair out of his face. “Like, the hero of the Trojan War?”
Cassia frowned. “I thought that was Odysseus.”
“He’s the hero of the Odyssey, dumbass.”
“More like the idiot of the Odyssey.”
“Achilles is the hero of the Trojan War.”
“Absolutely not. Odysseus actually did his job for the entire ten years-”
“Are you two quite done?” Achilles tapped his foot impatiently on the ground, arms folded over his chest.
That shut the two of them up. Felix now joined the conversation. “Ignore them. Achilles, we need to get out of the underworld. Do you know of an exit?”
“Oh! Why yes, I do. If you just take the first right and go down the stairs, you will find an exit.”
“Really?”
“No! I am merely a shade, boy!”
Felix muttered something about sarcasm, and Nova managed to gather her strength. She was looking at Achilles in awe. “Achilles, sir, how did you do.. The whole murder rampage thing? I’ve been meaning to do something like that. Killing everyone must have been awesome!”
“A daughter of Ares, I see. Well, It was not ‘awesome,’ girl. I was driven by rage and grief at the loss of my dear Patroclus.”
“Oh, here we go..” Felix muttered, rolling his eyes.
“Story time!” Castillo beamed.
“Let’s not get into that,” Cassia said. “Achilles, thank you for.. Uh.. gracing us with your presence.”
Cassia couldn’t think of anything helpful Achilles had said or done, so that just seemed like the logical thing. He seemed alright with that. He nodded, and disappeared.
“It was just getting better! I wanted to hear about Patroclus,” Castillo whined as they trudged along the bank of the Styx. “I’ve got a book about them back at camp. Well, one of my sisters does,” Felix said, sighing. “I’ll give it to you if we come out of this alive.”
“I can’t believe he didn’t find killing everyone awesome,” complained Nova. “ I’d find killing everyone awesome.”
“Imagine I’ve just died, though. Imagine If I’d been murdered by the enemy.”
Nova snorted. “I’d give them a high five.”
Cassia groaned. “Okay, and what if I died?”
“I’d still go out and kill everyone, just not because of you. You’re not that important, sunshine.”
“What a cliche nickname,” Cassia scoffed.
“Solar Panel?” Nova suggested. “Castillo came up with that one.”
“It’s original, so yes, that’s fine.”
“Alright, solar panel,” Nova teased, and Cassia momentarily forgot that she was meant to be furious at Nova because she’d stolen the bow. “About the bow,” Cassia said, her hand automatically going to feel it on her back as she brought it up. “You said your dad put you up to stealing it.”
Nova stopped smiling. “Yeah. He did. Look, I’m sorry. I really am. It was a stupid thing to do, but he told me that if I did it, he’d get glory and so would I and-” She took a deep breath, looking away. “He said he’d be proud of me.”
“Oh.” Cassia faltered in her anger for just a moment. “Oh, so he’s a manipulative bastard.”
“Yeah.” Nova laughed without amusement. “And I played right into his hand.”
“Well.. I can see where you’re coming from. You really want to make him proud of you, don’t you?”
“Getting Ares’ approval.. It’s everything I’ve wanted since I was claimed. I mean, the great god of war, being proud of me! I wasn’t sure at first, I mean, the whole plan sounded sketchy and had flaws everywhere. I suppose that’s what I get for not being a child of Athena, right? I still agreed to it regardless of my doubts. Now look where it’s landed me. Where it landed all of us.”
“Ares sent the skeletons after us.”
Nova nodded. “That was him telling me that he didn’t care what happened. He could tell you guys had it figured out. And.. that wouldn’t have happened if I’d actually believed in the plan. I’ve always had one foot out the door.”
“You expect me to buy that? Don’t be too confident there, Allemande. We’d have figured it out regardless if you truly believed in what you were doing or not.”
“What does it matter now? Look, Cassia, I promise I’m going to make this right. When we give back the bow, I’m going to explain everything to your dad. He should be told the truth. And.. I’m going to finally stand up to mine.”
“Pinky promise? I’d rather not swear it on the styx after what just happened.” Cassia cracked a smile and held out her pinky. Nova grinned, linking her pinky. “Pinky promise.”
~
They trekked for a little while before coming to an abrupt stop. Castillo’s eyes seemed to widen, and he looked frozen in time. Cassia followed his gaze to where he was looking, and she froze also. There was a man- no, a god, hovering amongst the shades, chatting with one like it was a pleasant Sunday afternoon meeting. He held a long golden staff intertwined with two snakes that seemed to move. A caduceus. The god wore a helmet with wings attached. It was like Cassia had stepped into ancient greece.
“The hat’s a petasos,” Felix muttered. “That’s Hermes. He’s a psychopomp. He transports dead souls down to Charon’s raft so they can cross the river styx.”
“I know who it is,” Cassia retorted. “And I definitely know what one of his many jobs is, but you just never expect to see gods anywhere, do you?”
“That’s my dad,” Castillo mumbled, bewildered. “ That is my dad. Oh, that’s weird. That’s really, really weird. I hate that. Let’s get out of here.”
“Is he flirting with a shade?”
“ Cassia! We’re going!”
They turned to see a looming palace in the near distance. A palace of black, decorated with glittering crystals and jewels harboured from the earth. The House of Hades.
“Guys, hear me out…” Felix bit his lip, thinking hard.
“No,” Castillo sighed. “Zeus isn’t hot, okay? Stop with the madness.”
“Not that kind of a hear me out. What if we go into Hades’ palace and ask him for help? Maybe directions for a way out?”
“I wish it was the first kind of hear me out,” Cassia groaned. “But sure. What’ve we got to lose? Our lives? Hah!”
“Yep,” Castillo muttered, sighing. “Let’s go and ask the god of the underworld for directions to leave his domain. And then, we’ll go and get lollipops and popcorn!”
“I thought you liked stupid ideas.”
“I do, but only when there’s fun involved. This is just going to be depressing.”
“Lighten up a little.” Cassia grabbed his wrist. “Get it? Lighten up? Because my dad’s the god of light?”
“You are an awful comedian.”
“Yeah, I gathered that. Now, let’s go! I want to go home.”
“Alright, Odysseus of Ithaca.”
With an eyeroll and a forceful tug, Cassia joined Felix and Nova in the trek to the House of Hades.
Chapter 13: I'm gonna hold your hand while I tell you this..
Notes:
Hey guys! Sorry for not updating on time, I had to recover after a gruelling all-nighter. Hope you like this chapter as we start really moving along with Cassia's development. Also, I'll probably add more chapters, I originally said 15 to give you an idea, but I think at this rate, there might be a few more. Thanks for reading!
Chapter Text
“Halt! Shades may not enter the House of Hades,” A very cross looking shade commanded, stamping his spear into the marble floor to block the group’s entry. Cassia looked down at herself. Sure, she probably looked like hell, but she didn’t look dead. She looked back up at the shade, scoffing. “Do we look like shades to you?”
“So you’re not dead?”
“No!”
“So, you, living beings, are seeking to have an audience with the God of The Underworld, the formidable Lord Hades?”
Felix nodded. “We are. Please, let us through. We’re demigods on a quest, we need his guidance, and his, er, wisdom?”
The shade seemed to consider Felix’s words for a brief moment, looking him up and down, as if scanning him like he had a barcode attached. “A son of Athena, eh? Very well, I’ll let you go through. Just tell your daughter of Apollo 's friend to mind her manners,” He threw a dirty look to Cassia, who returned it with enthusiasm. Felix groaned. “Cass, stop picking a fight with a shade.”
“He’s picking a fight with me,” She reasoned.
“Cassie, we don’t have time for this.”
“Fine,” She huffed. “But this isn’t the last you’ll see of me,” She added, forking out two fingers pointing to her eyes, then to the shade.
“Guys, let’s go,” Felix said, motioning for Castillo and Nova to follow suit, but the shade slammed its spear on the marble again. “No,” He commanded. “Only you two may go through. A son of Hermes and a daughter of Ares? I have no reason to trust them.”
Castillo and Nova rolled their eyes in unison. “Whatever. We’ll just wait outside for you two when you’re done,” Castillo scoffed, clearly offended that the shade deemed him untrustworthy to be in the throne room of the underworld. Nova looked murderous. This was probably another blow to her pride.
Felix beckoned Cassia to come along, and the two entered the halls of Hades.
The entire palace was made of black marble, cracked with running rivers of gold. It was luxurious, if a little moody. Skeletons bearing spears stood at their posts down the hall. On the walls hung portraits of the god and his wife, Persephone. Instantly, the sight of Hades sent shivers down Cassia’s back. Hades was practically the opposite of Apollo. He had hair as dark as midnight falling down his shoulders. His skin was pale and, even in the portrait, waxy. His gaze was cold, and his robe seemed to shimmer with crying souls. All of that was captured in one portrait. Cassia understood her hesitancy to go to the underworld now. This was directly where her father did not go.
Further along down the hall, there was another portrait. This time, of a teenage boy with black hair sticking up like baby bat wings. He wore a brown aviator’s jacket, and seemed to be wielding a black sword that reminded Cassia very much of the river Styx. The plaque underneath read: GHOST KING. Below it was a name.
“Nico di Angelo,” Cassia read aloud, and Felix turned to face the painting. He seemed to recognise it. “Ah. He’s still alive, he’d be.. Maybe in his thirties as of now? His age is complicated.”
“How come?”
“ Long story. I think he’s married to a son of Apollo, actually.”
Cassia turned to face Felix now, looking bewildered. “Opposites really do attract. Love wins, I guess.”
“Let’s keep going. Hades makes me nervous, and I’m not even a child of Apollo.”
“We’re in winter, so Persephone should be down here, right?”
“Yes, she is, but that doesn’t make Hades any less terrifying.”
“I thought he was going to be all sunshine and puppies,” Cassia said dryly as they stopped before a pair of giant doors, carved with black obsidian. Felix took a deep breath, steadying himself. Cassia took a breath also, to calm the racing of her heart and control every instinct in her body telling her to run.
At the same time, they pressed one hand to a door handle, and in a heavy silence, pushed the doors open to reveal the most beautiful, most terrifying room Cassia had ever seen.
Hades sat on a throne of skulls. At his side rested a helmet as dark as the night itself. Cassia could barely bring herself to meet the god’s eyes, but she forced herself to. “Lord Hades,” She began in what she hoped was a level tone. “I apologise for the interruption. My name is Cassia Dubois, and I am a daughter of Apollo. This is Felix Callahan, son of Athena. We’re currently on a quest to return my father’s golden bow, and the god Ares forced us to make a detour down here to this, uhm, lovely domain of yours. Would you please be able to give us directions as to how we leave?”
Hades regarded her with an arched eyebrow. Then he looked at Persephone. Felix seemed to have shut down at the sight of the goddess, and with good reason. Instantly, Cassia felt her heartbeat quicken and her cheeks flush as she looked at her. Persephone was the most beautiful woman to ever breathe. The goddess wore a dress of black and gold, and a crown adorned with black roses. Her hair was curly and brown, and her eyes were the colour of freshly blooming grass. Looking at her, Cassia felt her brain turn to mush. She would do anything this goddess asked of her. Anything to please Persephone.
But that wasn’t the main focus. Obviously, there were more important things to think about than gorgeous goddesses. The Queen of the underworld seemed to look upon Cassia with pity, as if she were looking at a helpless bug.
At least Persephone was looking at her, right?
Oh my gods, get a grip, Cassia thought fiercely. Persephone made a tsch sound and frowned. “Oh, you poor darlings. Children, falling all the way down here? And because of Ares, the brutal boar? Husband, surely we should help them!” She gave Hades a pleading look, who somehow didn’t immediately cave to his wife’s demands.
“I see no reason to help them, my dear,” Hades said. “They were foolish to come thinking I would simply give them advice.”
“Oh, but Hades! They’re just children.”
“Percy Jackson was their age when he and his friends barged in here, accusing me of stealing my idiot brother’s lightning bolt!”
“Does she look like Percy Jackson to you?” Persephone cried, throwing a finger out to Cassia. “She’s a young girl, and a daughter of Apollo, no less! This is no place for a child of the sun, husband.”
“Fine!” Hades threw his hands up in frustration. “Help them all you want, but don’t expect me to help you.”
Persephone slid down from her throne, making a beeline for Cassia and Felix, who was still silently gawking at the goddess’ beauty. Persephone took Cassia’s face in her hands, and Cassia felt as though she might explode. “Oh, you poor darling! I will most certainly help you. If you go through the fields of Asphodel, you’ll find a long staircase. Take it up, and you’ll reach the door of Orpheus. That will lead you right out into New York City.”
“I- uh- uhm- thank you, Lady Persephone.”
The goddess smiled in a condescending manner, as if she were looking at a helpless little bird that had fallen out of its nest. Cassia didn’t care in the slightest though, for Persephone’s smile seemed to shine brighter than the bow strapped on Cassia’s back.
“Oh, you’re most welcome, my dear. You look like Tartarus itself, you must be so scared!”
How bad did Cassia look, she wondered? Was her hair, normally falling in a mop of blonde curls, all tangled and frizzy? Probably. Her skin must’ve been waxier than a freshly burned candle by this point, and the bags under her eyes could’ve sold for thousands. “I’m.. uh.. I’m sure I’ll be alright,” She said, feeling slightly embarrassed.
“Take care!” Persephone said, pushing Cassia away gently and holding a hand to her heart. All that was missing was her saying Oh, darling! Look at the sickly child! How tragic!
Cassia turned to Felix, who had proven useless throughout the entire interaction, and dragged him out of the throne room. The second the doors closed behind them. Cassia’s mind seemed to clear. She felt very confused; What had caused her to get so flustered and her heart pick up like that? She wasn’t into- no. She wasn’t like that. Tom Holland, She thought furiously. Think of Tom Holland.
Zendaya, her mind told her instead.
“Alright, let’s go,” Cassia said, and Felix seemed to snap out of it. “What happened? Oh, right. Yeah, let’s go.”
“You’re hopeless the second a jaw dropping goddess is in front of you.”
“As were you. Were you crushing on her too?”
“Well, no, I’m not into girls.”
“I was crushing on her.”
“Me too.”
They emptied out into the main entrance again, where Castillo and Nova were waiting, throwing daggers at each other for fun. They looked up as the other two emerged. Castillo raised an eyebrow, grinning. “I guess you guys really liked Persephone, huh?”
“Felix didn’t say a word the minute he saw her.”
“Cassia couldn’t get a proper sentence out.”
Nova smirked. “I didn’t know you were like that.”
Cassia snorted. “Uh, I’m not.”
“Oh. That’s a shame.”
“What?”
“Well!” Castillo clapped his hands together. “Let’s get going. Where to?”
“The fields of Asphodel, everyone,” Cassia confirmed. “We need to get past them, and then we’ll reach a staircase.”
“Asphodel it is then!”
Nova and Cassia held eye contact for a second too long, and Cassia felt the same feeling she’d held with Persephone coming creeping back as she looked into Nova’s deep brown eyes, which were slanted to a wicked fox eye shape. How had she never seen that before? Then the daughter of Ares looked away, tossing her goddess braids over her shoulder and marching off beside Felix, forcing Cassia to hurry along behind her.
Unlike Persephone, though, the feeling didn’t go away with Nova.
Chapter 14: MISSING CHILD
Notes:
hey guys! Sorry this chapter is slightly late, I was seriously busy and school's about to go back for me. Sorry if I get some things wrong in this chapter- I don't live in New York and I've never visited, so I used google maps to help get the names of the streets right 🫡 I'm so thankful for so many hits (over 350!) and I hope you like this chapter. I made it a little longer than normal for you guys.
Chapter Text
Asphodel was the most desolate, most crowded but lonely place Cassia could’ve ever imagined. Shades wafted over to each other, speaking in all languages, but their voices were hollow and sad, and they often just floated away, mumbling about their fragmented recollections of life. One such shade floated over to Cassia, seemingly recognising her. The shade’s shape changed to reveal a young man with a deep tan, and hair the colour of an oak tree. He wore a purple toga with gold accents.
“Apollo?” He asked her, and Cassia’s heart sank. How much did she look like her father, she wondered? Or was this poor shade just clinging to whatever memories of Apollo he could find?
Cassia shook her head. “No, I’m not Apollo.”
The shade frowned. “You are not Apollo? But you have the same eyes.”
“I’m one of his daughters, sir,” Cassia explained. “I’m Cassia.”
“ Kasia . ” The shade repeated the name, but it sounded different. “Cinnamon.”
Nova had stopped to look back when she had realised that Cassia wasn’t following her, and had now taken a place at her side. She looked at Cassia, raising an eyebrow. “Your name means cinnamon?”
Cassia just shrugged in reply. “Uh, I don’t know your name, sir,”
The shade sighed. “Hyacinthus.”
It felt like all the air had escaped out of Cassia’s lungs at the name. Every child of Apollo knew the myth of their father and the mortal Hyacinthus. There were Hyacinths growing on the windowsills back in cabin seven, planted there in memory of the story. Cassia knew that her dad had turned Hyacinthus to a flower, but she’d thought it had just been that. She’d never thought that his soul would end up down here, and in Asphodel of all places.
“What are you doing here ?”
Hyacinthus sighed again. He seemed to be fading with every sentence he spoke, as if his time remembering his life was running out. “I do not know, Kasia. If you see your father, though, tell him..” Hyacinthus paused, contemplating his next words. “Tell him about this encounter. I have no words for him anymore.”
“Are you sure?” Cassia asked. “Nothing you want to let him know?”
“What good would it do? I would leave him with more questions than answers, and I am doubtful I would ever hear his response. No, tell him you have met me, but I have nothing that needs to be said between us.”
“You sound sure.” Cassia nodded, smiling sadly. “I’ll tell him, I promise.”
“Go, little light. Go and live. Pray you never end up here.”
And with that, Hyacinthus faded into yet another faceless shade, one amongst the millions that wandered the black fields. Cassia stayed where she was standing, watching him float until she lost track of him. Nova cleared her throat. “Well, it’s not every day you meet your dad’s dead boyfriend.”
Cassia met her gaze. “I guess not. But,” she sighed. “We need to keep going. This place is depressing.”
As they set off again, Nova struck up a conversation. “You’re coping surprisingly well with the underworld. Isn’t it meant to be really bad for you?”
“It is,” Cassia clarified. “But the worst thing about it is the fear. Turns out that darkness just isn’t as scary when you’ve got others with you.”
Nova snorted. “That sounds like a Disney movie.”
“I promise I won’t start singing.”
Nova laughed, which made a few shades around them pause, staring. A warm sensation fluttered in Cassia’s chest as Nova laughed, but it quickly faded when she stopped. Nova took out her Hello Kitty dagger and rubbed some dirt off it as they walked, and Cassia threaded light in her fingers. The silence wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but it wasn’t really comfortable either.
Then a thought struck Cassia. “What were you trying to achieve by stealing the bow?”
Nova ran her finger over the point of her blade, drawing a prick of blood that she didn’t flinch at. She looked at Cassia with a hint of caution, as if she were expecting the girl to attack her. Cassia was angry, and rightfully so, but she couldn’t really stay mad at Nova. Something told her not to be upset. What kind of stupid, irrational part of her was thinking that way?
“Ever since I was claimed, I’ve just wanted Ares to be proud of me,” Nova began. “I always trained the hardest, fought the meanest, beaten the strongest, and then I found out that the last time my dad actually made an effort to acknowledge one of his kids was when she slayed a drakon single-handed.”
“Yikes.”
“Not exactly achievable, is it? Imagine my surprise at the winter solstice when my dad comes up to me privately and asks me if I want to make him proud of me. Of course, I said yes, and then he told me that if I stole Apollo’s bow, then waited until a demigod went on a quest to find it and tag along with said demigod, then kill the demigod and pretend to find the bow and go back alone, he’d get bragging rights that one of his kids had done another god a service and made him look good, and he’d be proud of me.”
“Nova, your dad’s an A-grade asshole.”
“Tell me something I don’t know! And then you showed up and made a huge spectacle with that stupid solar flare and getting claimed by Apollo, and then getting a quest from him, all within a week or two! I’ve been waiting three years for the chance to make my dad proud of me, and now it’s blown completely because I decided to back out like the coward I am.”
“You’re not a coward for realising that Ares’ plan was flawed and stupid and would honestly be worse if you continued following it!”
“ Worse? How on earth could following the original plan be worse?”
“Think about it! We’d have found the bow, but you would’ve been up against both Felix and Castillo if you’d managed to kill me. So, you could’ve died. Furthermore, now that we do have the bow, yes, your dad is angry with you, but when we give back the bow and explain it all to my dad, he’ll take it out on Ares and the worst you’ll get is being shouted at by him.”
Nova’s gaze darkened. “You don’t know my father.”
A fierce sense of protectiveness swelled inside Cass. She grabbed Nova’s chin, forcing the daughter of Ares to look down at her. “I will personally make sure that Ares doesn’t lay so much of a finger on you when we’re done with this quest. I’ll demand Apollo to protect you if I have to.”
Nova scoffed. “And do you really think he’ll do that for you?”
“Yes.”
Nova searched Cassia’s face for any sign of doubt or hesitation, but found none. “Why are you so bent on protecting me?”
“Because you’re worth protecting, Allemande. Any other stupid questions?”
Nova mumbled something Cassia couldn’t hear and pulled her hand down from her chin, unable to meet Cassie’s eye. Cass stared down at the ground, and she noticed that they weren’t walking on the black grassy fields of Asphodel anymore. They were walking on black obsidian covered in dust. She stopped at the very first step of a long, winding staircase that was on the side of a jagged cliff as dark as midnight. Felix and Castillo were already waiting for the girls to catch up. Castillo grinned. “About time we got out of this place.”
“Cass,” Felix nodded at her. “Got the bow?”
“Got it,” She confirmed, patting it on her back.
The trek up the stairs to the door of Orpheus was more annoying than anything else, though it did give them an overview of the underworld that they hadn’t had time to appreciate before, considering that they had been falling to their deaths. The fields of punishment glowed red off in the distance, and Asphodel sprawled out for millions of kilometres, filled with melancholy, mediocre souls (perhaps the mediocre part was slightly mean) weaving through the crowds. Further in the distance was a place filled with beautiful green hills and clear water. Elysium. Cassia knew that when she died, she wanted nothing more than to end up there.
After her adventure to the underworld, the realm of death didn’t scare her so much anymore. Death as a concept wasn’t as imposing as it used to be. Obviously, life was preferable, but death wasn’t the end of the line.
The underworld hadn’t been a place of nightmares. Yes, it was scary, and yes, it was strange, but Cassia had gotten off easily. They all had. A new sense of hope washed over Cassia as she saw the door of Orpheus come into view. One door kept them from the normal world. The minute they were back in the city, Cassia could go and give her dad the bow back. It was just perfect.
Tentatively, she raised a hand to the door, feeling the cool stone, and she pushed on it. The door swung open and the group was blinded with light and the scent of fresh air. Cassia stepped outside, welcoming the beautiful, precious sunlight on her skin. And the city around her- home.
“What day is it?” Castillo asked, nudging Felix. He gave it some thought. It would’ve been.. The 27th of November. It took us about two days to get to the west coast, then we camped on the beach for a night, then on the second night we went to the museum and fell into the underworld-”
“It’s the third of December,” Nova said, glancing at a billboard. “We were in the underworld for two days. It took us a day to get from the Styx into Hades’ palace and convince him, and another day to get across Asphodel and up the staircase. How long did Apollo give you, Cassia?”
Cass bit her lip. “A week.”
Felix frowned. “We need to get that bow to him today. We’ve got no time to waste. Anyone know how to get to the Empire State building?”
“Duh,” Cassia said. “You just go right down 5th avenue. It’s a pretty quick walk.”
“She’s right,” Castillo chimed. “Hurry up and follow me.”
Snow was beginning to fall in the city, freezing Cassia right down to the bone. The only source of warmth she’d brought was a hoodie, so now she was trying not to get hypothermia as she ran down 5th street with her friends in a pair of cargo pants, a hoodie and converse. Nova’s braids whipped around her as she ran. She hadn’t brought anything warm apart from a pair of fingerless gloves for combat, and they did little to keep out the cold. Felix had packed more sensibly, and he looked quite comfortable in a beanie and thick parka jacket. Castillo was in his regular camp shirt with wide leg jeans. His pink hair had faded a little during their adventure.
Huffing and wincing at the freezing air in their lungs, burning their throats raw, the four sped past the rows of shops, their eyes fixed ahead of them. They ignored the shouting of New Yorkers (Cassia managed to count at least 5 people saying ‘Hey! I’m walking here!’) and did their best not to get hit by turning cars. On one such occasion, Felix had to hold Castillo back so he wouldn’t be flattened by a truck on 47th. Cassia gave herself a moment to catch her breath when something caught her eye. On a pedestrian post was a poster with Cassia’s face on it. The words underneath read: MISSING CHILD.
Of course. Her mother didn’t know where she was. Guilt seemed to stab her in the heart as the realisation sunk in. It had been over a month, a month since she’d been seen by her family. She hadn’t thought to call or send a letter explaining where she had gone. She missed her own bed. She missed Phoebe. She missed her mom. The minute this quest was done, Cassia would go home and explain in excruciating detail the entire story.
“Cass, come on!” Felix yanked her away, and they set off running down 5th avenue once more. At last, they came to a stop in front of the Empire State Building in all of its glory. Mediocre glory, but still glory. They trailed inside, and approached the bored-looking front desk man. He looked up from his monitor, raising an eyebrow at the four children. “What do you want?” He asked, curling a lip at the sight of their dilapidated clothes. “We need to get to the 600th floor, sir,” Felix said, stepping forward.
The man snorted. “There is no 600th floor, kid, move along.”
“Sir, we need to get up there.”
“As I said, there is no such thing as the 600th floor. Beat it before I call security.”
“They’re with me.”
A new, gruff voice joined the argument. Cass didn’t turn around. The sound of heavy boots stomping on the floor made her blood run cold. Then anger seemed to flood into her mind. Who was this random guy, and what did he think he was doing? She wanted to pick a fight with him. Felix’s eyes widened as he turned, and Cassia felt a hand on her shoulder.
She looked up to see the scarred, cruel face of Ares.
Chapter 15: Daughter of sun
Summary:
Cassia kicks ASS
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Cassia couldn’t breathe. Her mind was clouded with fury at the sight of the god. Ares looked down at her, his lip curling upward. His grip on her shoulder tightened, and a chill ran down her spine. The man at the front desk went pale. “Oh- of course, sir, go right ahead.”
“I think I might just do that,” Ares growled, grinning at Cassia like he was imagining breaking her neck. He probably was. With a rough shove, Ares sent Cassia on her way to the elevator, with the others trailing behind. Nova, Felix and Castillo were on the opposite wall, eyeing Ares with varying degrees of pure terror to murderous rage. The elevator doors slid shut, and it began to climb. Ares was a buff, tall god with close cropped black hair. He wore leather pants and a leather coat, and fingerless combat gloves like his daughter. Nova didn’t look much like her dad at first glance, but it was in the eyes. Nova had the same glint in her eyes when fighting that Ares did now as he looked down at Cassia.
“So,” he huffed, giving Cassia a once over. “ You’re Apollo’s little girl. The one on the quest that my daughter set up.”
Nova flushed with shame, and Cassia felt hatred boil in her heart. “Only because you manipulated her into doing it.”
“Manipulation? Hardly. It was blackmail. I don’t have time for words, that’s my half-sister’s domain.” Ares looked at Felix. “Your mother.”
“Yeah,” Felix scoffed, his arms crossed over his chest. “I figured that much.”
Ares chuckled. “My aura must be doing its work, I see. Getting you all riled up. Normally, I’d smite you for it, but I’m far too excited to smite you right now.”
Castillo, who was flipping his daggers in his hand, glared in Ares’ direction. “Excited for what, exactly?”
“To kill you right in front of your parents, of course. Hermes, Apollo, and Athena are currently talking in the throne room. I’m going to barge in with you brats and tell them all how you failed your stupid quest, then tear your heads off your bodies and feed you to my boars.”
Castillo visibly flinched, retracting. Ares looked to Nova, grunting with distaste. “And I’ll make sure you die in shame. You’ve smeared dirt on my name, girl.”
Cassia watched the numbers climb higher and higher, well into the 300’s by now. Her death was rapidly approaching unless she figured out a way to escape. To run and never look back. Felix was silent for a moment. “Why are they there?”
“What?” Ares snapped.
“Our parents. Why are they in the throne room?”
“Do I look like I know or care?”
Level 400. Castillo caught Cassia’s eye. The trickster was out of tricks. All that was left was a burning anger in his eyes, one that Cassia understood. This wasn’t fair, but being a demigod wasn’t fair. They would die to the hands of a god for no good reason. It wasn’t fair in the slightest. They’d be forgotten, wiped away, known as the stupid kids who Ares once smited.
Level 500. Cassia thought of Nova, dying in shame, a disgrace to her name. All she’d worked for, all the effort for approval would be erased the minute Ares tore her apart. Nova didn’t look angry, she looked broken. Hopeless. This was her rock bottom.
And Cassia had failed. After everything, all her promises, all her adventures, would fail. She would die in a stupid, painful way, right in front of her father. What a fool she was. A lump formed in her throat as she saw the numbers change to 600.
Ares shoved Cassia out of the elevator as the doors opened. Cassia didn’t even have time to acknowledge the beauty of Olympus as she accepted the reality of her impending doom. She truly would die here. In this beautiful place. What a cruel world this was. Ares had one hand on her shoulder, the other on Nova’s, forcing her along. The boys knew better than to run for it. Running was a cowardly thing to do.
Cassia had run before. She’d run from Nova during capture the flag. She couldn’t beat Nova, so how would she ever stand the slightest chance that she’d beat Ares? Obviously, she wouldn’t. She’d die at his hands, and there would’ve been nowhere to run. Not that she would’ve run anyway. There was no way out of this. It was better to just admit defeat and die right there than run and hide.
Olympus was a city of gold. The streets gleamed, and marble statues decorated the paths. Beautiful, sprawling gardens stretched out around them. There were tall apartments made of all sorts of materials. Clear, sparkling lakes and rivers where naiads played. Thick woods where dryads roamed.
Ares lead them to the throne room, blocked off by giant golden doors the size of cruise ships. The doors swung open for him, and Ares shoved the children inside.
The Olympian Throne room was stunning, and grand, and awe-inspiring, but most of all terrifying. Three gods stopped talking abruptly. Cassia first spotted Athena, perched on her throne of silver and blue, curling with snakes and engravings of owls. The goddess had dark brown hair like Felix’s that was tied back in a long ponytail. She wore traditional greek armour, and her helmet rested on her side. Her eyes were grey, and as they met Cassia’s, they seemed to pry her of all information, as if they had a window into her soul. She looked serious, and as her gaze flicked to Felix, they appeared to have a conversation in silence.
Then Cassia looked at Hermes. She’d seen the god before, in the underworld, but they’d never officially met. Cassia could see where Castillo took after him. Hermes had mousy brown hair, and seemed to move faster than light. Even sitting down, he was darting around so quickly that he looked like he was completely still. The god paused at the sight of his son. Cassia looked to the last god.
Apollo looked at Cassia, and he seemed to understand instantly what was going on. He looked to the bow on her back, and back to her. Then he nodded. He looked just like she’d seen in her dream: long blonde hair, tan skin, angel wings, the whole godly look. Cassia looked away, unable to admit that she was about to fail.
Athena spoke first. “Ares, what is this?”
Ares grinned. “ This is the death of these children of yours. You see, they pissed me off, so I’m going to kill them and you get front row seats. Don’t worry, it’s their own fault.”
Apollo sat up. “Lay one hand on my daughter-”
“-She crossed me. She’s an idiotic demigod, just like her little friends. Think of it as a mercy killing.”
“Mercy?” Hermes questioned.
“Quiet, both of you,” snapped Athena. “You know we can’t directly interfere with mortal quests, Apollo.”
“As far as I’m concerned, the quest is over! This is just putting my daughter up for slaughter! I think I can very much interfere.”
“The quest isn’t over until the prophecy is complete.” Athena fixated on Cassia. “And I don’t think It’s quite done. So, we stay out of this.”
Apollo swore in Greek.
Ares cackled with wicked laughter. “Oh, this is perfect! I get to kill your kids, and you get to watch!”
“Why don’t you make it more entertaining?”
Felix’s voice joined the conversation. The son of Athena stepped forward, wearing a mask of hidden plans. “Let us fight you. All four of us, against you.”
“Hah!” Ares scoffed. “The only demigod to have bested me in battle was a son of Poseidon. As far as I’m concerned, none of you hold a modicum of that power.”
“You’re right,” Felix said blankly. Castillo’s eyes widened. “Have you actually lost your mind?”
“Shut it,” Felix warned. “Ares is right. We don’t have that power. Not even close. But this is for your enjoyment. We’d hate to dim the mood with our screams of agony as we die.”
Ares frowned. “But the screams make it fun.”
“This will be more fun.”
Ares pondered it for a moment. Cassia realised in that moment that Ares truly was an idiot. Then he clapped his hands together, beaming like a kid in a candy store. “Alright! More bloodshed and violence for me!”
“Great,” Castillo groaned. “Now our parents can watch us lose a battle and die in agony.”
“Five minutes for us to discuss our, uh, death screams?” Felix asked. Ares nodded. The son of Athena grabbed the others and shoved them into a corner. He dropped his voice to a whisper. “I’ve just given us a sliver of a chance to survive. Four against one? He’s seriously underestimating us. If we plan our attacks perfectly, we’ll get him and get him good. Nova, I want you to lead the attack. He’s angriest at you, so go head to head with him for a few moments and try not to get murdered. Castillo, I want you to grab your daggers and speed around him, and try to get a scratch on him. Cassia, using your light just isn’t practical. It’s too bulky. Use the bow.”
Cassia froze. “What? No! I’m not allowed!”
“Are you seriously worried about rules when we’re about to fight for our lives?”
“Of course not. I’ll use the bow. Where do I aim?”
“His heel.”
“Got it.”
Felix took a deep breath. “And I’ll back Nova up. Noves, give Castillo your throwing stars so he’s got a backup in case something happens to his daggers.”
Nova nodded, passing Castillo the silver stars one by one. She looked terrified and furious at the exact same time. Felix put his arms around both Castillo and Cassia’s shoulders, and the pair put their arms around Felix and Nova so they stood in a huddle. “Guys,” Felix began, but he faltered. “I don’t know what to say, really, but if we don’t make it, thanks for the quest. Cassia, you’re not half-bad in combat. You’re braver than I thought.”
“That was so nice I’m not even going to be offended at the first part,” Cassia said. “I couldn’t have gotten the bow back without you guys. I’d be dead if not for Felix’s training, or Nova’s direction, or Castillo saving me from being choked. I’ve only been in this world for a few weeks, but you’ve made them some of the best weeks of my life. Now, let’s go beat up Ares.”
“To beating up Ares.” Castillo put his hand in the middle of the circle.
“To beating up Ares,” The others repeated, putting their hands in the middle, on top of Castillo’s, and they raised them as if they were in a sports game.
And together, they turned to face Ares. The god had a heavy red sword hanging at his side, and he’d taken his sunglasses off to reveal flames in his eye sockets. Cassia refused to let herself waver in her fury. She took the bow of the sun off her back, and notched an arrow. What use were rules anymore? This was a fight to the death, and if Cassia was going to die, she would die in a heroic manner. The daughter of the sun, wielding her father’s bow, fighting the god of war with her friends.
She glanced sideways to Felix, who had his own sword gripped in his hands tightly. “At your signal, owl boy.”
Felix nodded. “SHUT UP AND FIGHT!”
Cassia allowed herself to smile for just a moment at the reference, and then they launched into action. Ares immediately charged Nova, who swung her spear (seriously, how many weapons did that girl have?) to clash with the sword blade. Felix ducked to her side, and Castillo took off, darting behind Ares, daggers in his hands, attacking from behind. Cassia didn’t yet join the fight, as there was no need, but there soon would be. Ares kicked Castillo out of the way, and he skidded back, recovering his breath whilst Ares dealt with Nova.
“I always knew you were a failure,” He snarled, pressing against Nova’s spear shaft. With a powerful thrust, the spear broke in two, and Felix jumped into action, his sword clashing with Ares’. For a fleeting moment, Felix held the upper hand. His mind was working at a thousand thoughts a second, scanning the fight with terrifying accuracy as he seemed to plan his next move. Cassia pulled the string back of her father’s bow, and the world slowed down as she held it.
It was burning hot to the touch, but Cassia could handle it. She had never felt so good, so powerful before. The bow was ready for her use. Cassia let go of her breath, and let go of the string, and her arrow sailed through the air with speed to match Castillo’s. The arrow scraped Ares’ arm, drawing a thin line of golden ichor, but not doing real harm. The cut seemed to make Ares realise what he was truly up against, and he pushed back, sending Felix’s sword to the ground.
Then Ares turned to Nova. Cassia didn’t stop to see what was happening, as she launched into a series of flips to avoid the volley of arrows Ares had sent flying at her with a lazy wave of his hand. Skeleton warriors rose from out of the ground, cracking the beautiful marble and leaving a few holes, showing the city below them. Castillo charged a skeleton, throwing a dagger into its ribcage, and the skeleton fell back, and down into one of the holes, tumbling out of the sky.
Cassia had never shot so well before. The bow seemed to recognise where Cassia needed to aim, and it seemed to guide her in the right direction. No shot went astray. With a spark of solar heat, she set the head of three arrows on fire and shot at a pack of skeletons, swiftly dodging the bullets from their guns.
Then Nova screamed, and Cassia heard a thump. Her head whipped around so fast it cracked, and Cassia saw Nova kneeled on the ground, clutching one of her eyes that had- no.
A dagger was lodged in her left eye. Blood ran down her face, and Ares laughed.
She thought she knew how anger felt, how it sounded, and how the blood of it smelt. She was used to the hum of furious energy in her bones as rage bubbled over. She knew the urge to tear a person apart and reduce them to nothing but ashes. At least she thought.
No. She’d never truly experienced the raw underbelly of anger until now. The truth was, anger fed at your heart. It squeezed your lungs until no air remained, leaving you gasping for vengeance. It messed with your mind, blocking out the world until you emerged with destruction behind you. Anger was truly the worst monster anybody could encounter. No god had beaten it. No heroes could overcome its raw power. Anger was an invisible beast, lurking in the shadows of your soul.
Anger drove people to the brink of insanity. Anger was an invisible puppeteer, pulling at your strings, controlling your every move. Cassia darted forward to Ares’ back with such ferocity it surprised even her, and grabbed one of her arrows from her quiver. She wouldn’t need a bow for this. With a leap and a very stupid decision, Cassia plunged the arrow into Ares’ back, digging through his leather coat, into his back.
Ares howled, and smacked Cassia across the room. She landed on the marble, digging her nails into the crevices as she stood back up. Ares was glowing red with rage and power, and Cassia faced him with more rage than what should have been possible. “You were wrong to think I’m weak,” She growled.
“You are weak. Just because you got one dig at me doesn’t make you strong.”
“No,” She replied, raising her hands. “But this does.”
With all the power in her bones, all the burning rivers of rage thriving through her veins, Cassia summoned light. The heat and power of the sun responded to her, and with one touch, her arrows turned to flame. She drew back the bow, and sent the flame firing into his chest. On impact, the arrow released an explosion of heat and light. A solar flare.
The world was silent in chaos. The force of the solar flare sent Cassia off her feet, kneeling on the marble. With a quick thought, she made shields around her friends to protect them from it all. The marble around her began to melt. After all, it was the heat of the sun the marble was presented with. As the marble cracked and melted under her feet, Cassia was transported back into a brief memory of her mother.
‘Grief and sorrow are the foundations for our structures. Without them, we would be torn apart entirely.’ She had whispered in Cassia’s ear as she had cried. Over what, Cassia couldn’t remember.
Cassia’s structure was crumbling to the ground, and it wasn’t afraid to drag her down too. Every breath she took felt like poison filling her lungs, and each step she made added to the chaos around her. She’d never really known much about this world, but right now one thing was certain: she was going to die.
And there, in the burning remains of marble, she spotted a glimmer of gold, unscathed by the flames dancing on its surface. Cassia moved toward it, ignoring the growing pain in her leg. Her fingers closed around the bow, wincing at its burn. The screaming of her friends became distant as the structures supporting Cassia turned to ashes, and she was sent tumbling into the endless abyss of sky, waiting for the moment when the ground below tore her apart.
Notes:
This was probably one of my favourite chapters I've written, and by FAR the one I was looking forward to writing in full the most. I literally wrote snippets of this at the VERY first planning stage, so I really hope you loved it as much as I do. since I'm back at school and I'll be quite busy, I gave you guys this chapter slightly earlier than my usual schedule. Thank you for all the kudos and hits, I'm so glad you like this silly little story.
All my love, crowncraftella <3
Chapter 16: Daughter of blood, child of war.
Summary:
Nova crashes out because her girl crush is missing for half a chapter
Chapter Text
Time seemed to stand still for just a moment as Nova saw Cassia fall. They locked eyes as Cassia went under, and Nova forgot about the pain in her eye. Her heart thumped in her chest as Cassia’s eyes, blue as the noon sky, bore into Nova’s for just a second, and the daughter of Ares forgot her circumstances. She forgot that they would soon die. She merely existed in the moment with Cassia Dubois.
Then Cassia disappeared, and the world was forced back into motion. Several people ran forward at once. Castillo zipped over to where she had fallen, but Felix held him back, shouting something about how the floor there was unstable. Nova rushed forward, ignoring his warning, but Cassia was already too far down to be seen.
Nova had felt angry before. Hell, one of her powers was literally transferring anger into someone else! But she had never felt such a guttural rage like this. It tore at her soul, it gnawed at her throat, it spat poison onto her skin.
Nova Allemande was a girl full of hatred. She hated her father, she hated her life, and she hated Cassia Dubois.
Naturally, she couldn't just let her die in agony at the hands of her father.
Nova Allemande, daughter of blood, child of war, had been a coward. She was sick of running, of hiding, of sneaking, for Hades’ sake! She had lied, she had manipulated her friends, and now it was her fault that Cassia Dubois, that stupid, wonderful, girl, was falling to her death.
Nova Allemande was done running. She had no weapon, no plan, no dignity, but she had rage. And she had the memory of Cassia looking at her in a way she'd never seen before and would never see again. Nova raised her head to see Apollo, still sitting on his golden throne that felt like mockery given the occasion, and met his gaze. He was calm. How could anyone be so calm after watching their daughter, their own flesh and blood, fall to her death?
They seemed to reach an understanding. Nova recognized Cassia in Apollo. They shared the same eyes, the same hair, and probably the same smile. Nova felt her heart beat a little louder, as an unfamiliar feeling arose at the thought of Cassia's smile. Now wasn't the time to think of such things, so she got up. She reached up for the dagger lodged in her eye, her own dagger. The Hello Kitty one she’d decorated when she was nine. Ares had lodged it in her eye, and so, she would let the blade once named Emrys breathe again. Nova gripped the hilt of the dagger, and with one painful motion, dislodged it. The severed remains of her eyeball fell onto the floor, and Nova crushed it with her boot. Then she turned to face Ares.
Nova knew battle. She knew war and she also knew fighting. She understood bloodshed in a different light to Felix. For the son of Athena, the world was laid out before him to be analysed and studied as he went. Each fight was calculated and strategic. That was where Athena and Ares parted in terms of similarities, if they even had any in the first place. Athena dominated strategy. Ares dominated rage. As Nova charged, her mind flashed with memories, thousands of memories. Her uncle’s smile. Being claimed at camp. Pranking the Hermes cabin with scorpions and then having an all out war. Cassia.
Cassia.
The name that made Nova feel warm. It made her feel happy. Hopeful. Like there was some magic to it that soothed her. That girl’s smile, the way her eyes narrowed as she argued with Nova… It electrified her right through to the bone.
Wait, why was she thinking of this? She was about to fight her father! Nova lunged forward, into the air, the blade formerly known as Emrys, immortal, thirsting for the blood of gods, to feast on the golden ichor from the immortal’s wounds. Nova, too, thirsted for godly blood. This was the man who was never so much as acknowledged Nova or her siblings once in their entire lives. Her mother had died, her uncle too, and Nova had been left all alone. And now, when she finally had something going, actual friends and a weird family, it was being torn down around her by the wicked wrath of war.
Nova’s senses were alive, her mind focused on one thing and one thing only: blood. What she proceeded to do matched Cassia in terms of stupid. Nova slid underneath Ares, Emrys slicing through his boot with one fluid motion. She then lay the blade down on the burning marble floor, feeling heat flock to it. Ares sneered, raising his sword above Nova’s head. “You idiot. You really thought you could harm me? Me? Alright, maybe your little girlfriend had some skill on her, but it clearly wasn’t enough, was it? She’s dead, and you’ll be dead as well.”
Nova looked up, and her mind went blank. The last thing she remembered happening was lifting the dagger off the ground, and aiming it straight for Ares’ eye with one final throw.
When Nova came back to herself, golden ichor dripped from her lips, running down her chin and neck like rivers of wealth. Castillo and Felix stood opposite her, also covered in the liquid, but they seemed to be wearing expressions of horror. Of disgust. Of fear. Ares lay unconscious in front of them, sprawled on the ground, a puddle of ichor surrounding him. Nova looked down at her hands. They were burned, licked clean by tongues of flame. Emrys was clutched in her hand.
“Nova,” A voice began haltingly, as if she had to be cautious around the girl. Nova’s head snapped up and looked at the girl, and the ground fell from beneath her. Cassia was covered in blood. Not ichor, but human blood. Her own blood. Her hair had been burned, or drained, somehow. At the roots, it was a mousy brown, like it had been stripped entirely of its light. The bow was somehow still on her back, but what scared Nova the most was the fact that Cassia had burns over her entire face and neck. All over her arms, too. They had formed to make Cassia look like a cracked clay vase that had been glued back together again. She had never looked so beautiful.
“You’re alive,” Nova murmured, dropping the blade at her side, falling to the ground with a clang. The daughter of Apollo nodded, and the girls fell into each other’s arms, holding onto the other, sobbing with the pain of a thousand wars, the joy of second life, and the agony of love.
Cassia pulled back after a few moments, her hands resting on Nova’s shoulders. “I know why Maisie told me not to make an enemy of you now,” She remarked, smiling. That single smile lit up the whole world. Nova returned it, and the boys came over before they could continue speaking. Castillo dropped beside them, and Cassia took him in her arms, the two embracing like siblings. The son of Hermes’ hair dye had faded, leaving a simple light brown. His arms were decorated with gashes and cuts, as were his hands, staining the back of Cassia’s shirt with red handprints.
Felix sighed, sitting down beside Nova. The two were silent for a moment, and then conformed into a hug.
“Quite impressive,” Athena remarked from her throne. “Very impressive, I should say. Felix, colour me proud. And you-” She looked at Nova with a stern gaze. “Attacking your father in such a way was.. Ruthless. But, ruthlessness is necessary to save ourselves and those we love.” Nova nodded, unsure of how to respond to that. Then Athena looked down at Cassia. “Your father is waiting out in the hall for you. I’d not keep him waiting.”
Cassia nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” She stood, and threw one last glance at her friends before disappearing behind the golden double doors.
Chapter 17: The sun and the sunray (reprise)
Notes:
Hey guys! Sorry for uploading this chapter later than my usual schedule, I was really busy with school, but here's the second last chapter (ahhh!) of this work :) Hope you enjoy some fluff and comfort!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Cassia moved one with the light raining down through the windows in the hallway, hardly processing what was before her, and what was behind her. Her mind was flashing with the fight, trying to remember her rage, her fear, her movements. Their blades poised to bring war to its knees, the four had moved as one, like cogs of a machine, to breathe another breath, to live another day, and they had won. Ares’ howls of pain, the infant cries of defeat were now whispers of the past, haunting the shadows, haunting the crevices of Cassia’s mind.
Cassia wasn’t afraid to see her father again. She wasn’t sure how she felt, as she was still in a state of dazed contentment as she strode down the hallway, basking in the sunlight that was etched onto the carpet. A figure she was now familiar with stood at the end of the hall, his back turned to her. Cassia paused a few metres away, taking the golden bow off her back. “Dad,” She began, and Apollo turned around.
Instantly, relief melted over his expression, and he pulled his daughter into a close embrace, his wings folding around them like a cocoon. Cassia remembered the first time they had met: the feeling of hugging him through a dream had been like feeling the sun in winter. And now, it was real. It was like falling into the warmest bed she’d ever known, like dancing as the sun set. It was the most joyous, brightest moments of Cassia’s life. Her mother’s smile, Phoebe’s laughter, sparring with Felix, hanging with Castillo, and fighting Nova. It was everything right in the world. Cassia never wanted to leave her father’s arms. If she could, she would’ve stayed in that moment until her body turned to dust and she was taken by the earth.
Cassia pulled back from the hug, wearing a lopsided smile as she held out the beautiful golden bow. “Got your bow. Might’ve used it once or twice.”
Apollo glanced at the bow, and took it. “I see that,” He replied, shouldering the weapon with a smile. “How did you find the quest?”
“Want an honest answer or a kind answer?”
Apollo laughed. “Honest. Never be afraid of offending me.”
“I loved it. I mean, sure, I didn’t have a clue of what to do or what I was getting myself into, but it wasn’t all that bad. Even falling into the underworld wasn’t horrible.”
“You what?”
“Ares.”
“Ah, I see. And your friends. Tell me about them.”
“Oh! Castillo’s the one with the pink hair, he’s a son of Hermes- super fast, he’s awesome…” Cassia trailed off on a rant about what her friends had done on the quest. They had all been incredible in their own ways. Felix had saved their skin more times then they could count thanks to his quick thinking, and he’d helped Cassia improve in combat back at camp. Castillo had provided Cass with a brother, and a partner in crime. Nova had been a monster in battle, and, for all her rude comments and brutalistic ideas, was just right.
“And you?” Apollo asked, raising an eyebrow. “Tell me about yourself, Cassie.”
“There’s nothing interesting to me. I’m still the same person I was a week ago.”
“I highly doubt that. You seem more sure of yourself. I don’t think you knew how to control light as nearly as well as you could a week ago.”
“You got me there. I guess.. I guess I’ve gotten better in combat- obviously, there’s still much room to improve, but it’s a start.”
“Huh,” Apollo said. “You’ve got so much to say about the others, you're left with nothing regarding yourself.”
“Is that a good or a bad thing?”
“On one hand, it’s admirable. You’re being awfully humble after completing such a big feat, and raising up your friends. But on the other hand, how can you rise to greatness if you don’t know who you are?”
“I.. Well, there’s not exactly a book explaining myself.”
“Want me to tell you who I see you as? I’ll do it anyway; I see a girl who’s gone through a drastic change and adapted to it better than I did when it happened to me. I see a girl who’s talented, who’s smart, who’s brave and who’s empathetic. You’ve got this incredible power inside of you, the whole power of the sun, and you create more than you destroy with it. That’s incredible, Cassia. I am unbelievably proud of you.”
What do you say when you’re presented with pride? Thank you is simple, efficient and what you’re expected to say, sure, but sometimes it feels too small for the words gifted to you.
Cassia wasn’t sure who she was yet, but it would come in time. What mattered, though, was that no matter what, her dad was proud of her.
“Is my mom okay?”
Apollo looked taken aback at her question, but forced it back down. “Your mother’s fine, yes. So is your sister.”
“Do they know what’s happened? All of it?”
“I’m sure your mother suspects, but she’ll be worried sick.”
“No shit, sherlock.”
Apollo raised an eyebrow at Cassia’s language, but she ignored it. “My mom’s been worried about me for over a month by now, not knowing whether or not I’m alive or dead. I need to get back to Brooklyn to see her. Like, now.”
“Woah, woah, woah, Watson, just hold it for a moment. You’re in no shape to turn up on your mother’s doorstep looking like you’ve just survived a mining accident. You will go right back to camp, where you’re safe, and I will go and talk to your mother. I’ll explain everything in excruciating detail to both her and your sister. Does that sound fine?”
Cassia bit her lip, folding her arms over her chest. “Fine.”
Apollo sighed. “Good. Now, you’ve inherited self-healing powers from me, so your burns should clear up and leave a light scar pretty soon. You can’t do any training back at camp for two weeks, nor can any of your friends. Oh, and for Nova, tell her she’s totally fine for stealing the bow, I get it, and that eye will be permanently blind.”
“Hold on, what?”
“As much as I want to talk to you more, Cassie, I need to go. It’s beginning to turn into night- you couldn’t tell, since we’re on Olympus, but I need to get going. I promise I’ll see you soon.”
“Wait, you’re just leaving? Now?”
“I have to go. I love you, okay?”
Before Cassia could say anything back, he was gone.
“That's the gods for you,” Castillo said from the other end of the hallway. He was leaning against the door, eyes darting around the room before landing on Cassia. “You told me once; ‘You don’t need him to be here. I’m here.’”
Cassia snorted. “Well, clearly I wasn't speaking from experience.”
“You don’t need to feel upset that Apollo isn’t here to see you, or talk to you, or help you. I’m here. I see you. I’m talking to you, and I want to help you. You are seen, Cass.”
“You done quoting me now? I feel like an idiot. I really thought this would be a normal relationship. That we'd actually be close.”
“Hey,” the son of Hermes appeared at her side. “He loves you, okay? He's grateful, I know it. You just weren't expecting him to go so quickly.”
“Since when did you become so philosophical?”
“Since my best friend put everything into perspective for me. Thought I'd return the favour.”
Cassia sighed. “How are you holding up?”
“The daggers are gone.” Castillo held up a bandaged hand stained with blood. “They fell out of the sky, and unlike you, they didn't come back.”
“Sorry about that. You loved them.”
“I did, yeah, but I'd rather lose them forever than lose you forever.”
Castillo wrapped an arm around Cassia’s shoulders and pulled her close. He had that lopsided grin Cassia had worn when she'd faced her dad. The son of Hermes must really have been rubbing off on her. “Now, let's get back to camp. I can't wait for Mr D to complain that I'm still alive!”
Castillo led Cassia out of the hallway, and she didn't look back at that mournful spot, now cloaked in shadow. Instead, she marched forward with Castillo, laughing about what they would do back at camp.
Cassia wasn't sure what the mortals thought as the four paraded through the streets in the middle of the night, covered in blood, but she didn't care. Felix chatted about Liana’s reaction to him being alive (since Felix no longer hated Nova, he was focused on a rivalry with her sister, Liana), and Nova began talking about how she could freak people out with her eye. Cassia jumped in with discussion on how she could improve her combat skills, and Castillo was already planning pranks.
Back at camp, everyone flooded out of their cabins in their pajamas, shivering from the cold, to welcome back the demigods. Nova was lifted onto her sibling’s shoulders, and she gave an embarrassed grin to Cassia, who returned the favour with a smile of her own. Then she turned to her siblings.
“Cass!” Molly nearly crushed her with a hug, and soon everyone else piled on top. They brought her in for hot chocolate and to talk about the quest, gasping and shrieking at all the right moments. When it was revealed that Ares had been behind it, Stella screamed. “Oh, this will make the most brilliant story, don't you all think? I'm feeling inspired for a haiku-”
“That's very nice, Stella,” Francis interrupted. “Cass, you actually did it! I mean, we all knew you would, but you did it!”
“I did!” She replied, laughing as she sipped her too hot drink. “And I came back alive!”
Cassia passed out the minute her head hit the pillow, and when she woke, sunlight was streaming through the windows. At the foot of her bed was a small parcel with a gold ribbon. Reaching for it, Cassia unwrapped the parcel to find a golden necklace that moved like liquid. One end was fashioned like a snake head. Cassia attached it to her wrist, and the tiny golden snake came alive. It slithered up her arm, hissing playfully, leaving a glow on her skin wherever it touched. Cassia reached for the note.
Cass,
I'm sorry I had to leave so soon. I told your mother everything, and as sore as I am now, she took it well. I think. I'd advise you to go back for Christmas at the very least.
As a small token of my appreciation, meet Flora. She's made from light and she’ll spend most of her time curled on your wrist. I've given her some nice healing properties that speed up your healing powers.
I promise Flora doesn't bite (not you, at least). Hope you like her, because she'll never leave you alone.
- Dad
Cassia stared at the note, then at Flora, then back at the note again. A warm sensation spread in her chest, and she smiled.
Notes:
Thank you so much for reading this chapter! I can't believe we're almost done with this work, this has been such a big part of my life for so many months now. Lmk if you'd like a spinoff about another character!
Chapter 18: The end (for now)
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It started with a statue, a girl, and a god.
Two of them actually, but Cassia hadn't known that. What she knew now is that the gods were stories; both fiction and fact. Something for people to believe in. Cassia believed in a lot of things, and it was nice to look at the statues. They were beautiful, frozen sculptures of the imagination translated into stone for centuries to come.
The chill of winter brought a sleepy kind of chaos to the ever present New York City that day, but inside the museum it was quiet, if you ignored the stifled coughs and low murmurs of others. Cassia stood in front of a towering statue of a bearded man holding a trident. He wore a toga, and glimmer of ancient wisdom in his gaze. An engraving on the base read Ποσειδώνας.
Poseidon. The god of the sea.
Cassia sighed and looked away from the statue, feeling a chill run up her spine as faint traces of power washed over her. Flora curled a little tighter on her wrist, reminding Cassia that she was there and wanted attention. Cass pulled back her coat sleeve and the golden snake snapped playfully before slithering further up her arm, seeking more warmth.
The mortals in the gallery observed the exhibits, speaking in hushed tones as they gawked at the ancient weapons. They were history, frozen moments in time, but they were Cassia’s history.
“I don’t get the hype. We’ve got all of these back at camp.” Nova rested her arm on Cassie’s shoulder, scanning the museum and scoffing at the mortals drinking in the past. The daughter of Ares wore a black winter coat with a red scarf the colour of fresh blood. Her eye had healed up quite nicely; now it was just a socket with a thin scar running through it like the imprint of burning wire.
“Neither,” Cassia admitted, shrugging. “But it’s the best the mortals can do, isn’t it?”
“Unbelievers, they are. No wonder the gods don’t pay attention to them.”
“They’re a clueless bunch, but they’re alright if you ignore them. That’s probably how the gods think of them as well.”
Nova glanced over her shoulder to the statue of Poseidon. “What’s the deal with you and this place, anyway? You basically insisted I come with you. Here. A museum.”
“And yet, you still came.” Cassia raised an eyebrow playfully, hiding a smile.
“I wasn’t about to turn you down.”
“You never had a choice in the first place. Now come on, my mom wants to meet you.”
“And then there’s that.” Nova tilted her head back, exposing the smooth dark skin that was perfectly stretched for a moment. “Your mother sounds terrifying.”
“I promise she’s not. She already loves you.”
“And what about you? Do you love me?” Nova had a playful glint in her eye as she nudged Cass in the side. The daughter of Apollo chuckled, pushing her away. “Of course not, you idiot. You just happen to be one of my best friends.”
“Uh! You wound me, Cassie.”
“Oh, come on, you moron.”
“Where are they? I’m not meeting your mother alone.” Nova looked behind her as they walked down Cassia’s street, kicking snow in front of her. Cassia sighed, folding her arms over her chest. “Lix is in Missouri- he wanted to see his grandmother for the holidays, and Castillo’s in vegas. He’s trying to rekindle his relationship with his mom. My mother’s not scary, that much I can promise you. My sister.. ” Cass shuddered. “I love the girl, but she’s genuinely insane half the time.”
“Sounds like Castillo to me. I’m sure I’ll manage.”
Cass walked up the steps of 362 Senator Street, Nova at her side. She’d been back since her quest, of course. A few days of bedrest later, Cass had been driven back to Brooklyn to see her mom and sister. The second she had opened the door, her mother had stolen her in a breath-stealing hug, crying with relief that her daughter was safe and alive.
Cassia raised her closed fist and knocked twice on the door. Not a moment later, it swung open to reveal a girl of about nine with mousy brown hair and constantly moving hands. “How’s it going, you little rascal?” Cassie remarked, ruffling Phoebe, her little sister’s hair. Phoebe swatted her hand away and turned her attention to Nova. She seemed impressed by Nova’s missing eye, and the whole look of the girl in general. “I didn’t know you could have cool friends, Cass,” she finally stated, having decided on something to say.
“Uh, I’ll have you know that Stephanie and Avina are pretty cool,” Cass shot back, hanging her coat on the coat hook and taking Nova’s to hang beside hers. Nova raised an eyebrow. “You have other friends?”
“I had a whole life before I met you. Not that I’m complaining or anything, but Steph and Avina are more-”
“-Boring. Dead. Boring.” Phoebe finished the sentence for her older sister, pushing Cass out of the way and standing before Nova. The daughter of Ares stood at least two heads taller than her, but Phoebe had at least two feet of sass. “Not bad, Cass. Not bad. I approve.”
“Approve of what, you idiot? Stop harassing poor Nova and go tell mom we’re home.”
“Cassie hasn’t shut up about you and the others. ‘Oh, Nova did this, Castillo did that, Felix just went here!’”
“Enough, Phoebe,” Cassia pushed her away from Nova. The girl hurried down the hall and into the kitchen.
“You’ve got a nice place,” Nova commented, looking around. The hallway was homey and lived in, with photos of little Cassia and Phoebe smiling together. The entire place was like one big hug. Cassia hadn’t really noticed it all before. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
“Phoebe told me you were back.” A new voice joined from around the corner, and a woman with long curly brown hair and a smile brighter than the fire in the hearth stepped into view. She had a slight french accent, and her face was creased from smiling so much. After the quest, Cassia’s hair had permanently changed from pure blonde like her dad to brown like her mothers at the roots, but it quickly faded into gold once more. Cassie cleared her throat. “Maman, this is Nova. Nova, this is my mom. Victoria.”
“Nova, my cannelle has told me all about you.” Victoria surged forward, planting a kiss on both of Nova’s cheeks. “Please, come in.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Dubois.”
“Oh, it’s just Victoria, my dear.”
Cass smiled as her mother gushed over Nova, begging her to come make herself at home. Phoebe came up to ask the girl about her adventures, so Nova told stories of fighting monsters to Phoebe’s delight. Cassia helped her mother in the kitchen, helping with the creation of the gratin dauphinois.
“You’ve really grown, cannelle,” Cassia’s mother said softly as she watched her daughter work. Cass looked up. “I was only gone a month or so, maman.”
“Not so much physically, my sweet. You look so much like your dad it’s a little scary sometimes. But then you came home with traces of my hair.”
“Not complaining, I think it looks cool.”
“And your smile. If it wasn’t his enough already, it’s like I’m looking right at him every time I see you.”
In the past, Cassia would be saddened by the comparison. It had just been another way of reminding her that no matter how many fragments of her father she carried within her, she would never be able to fully piece them together to see him in the mirror. But it was different now. Being like her father made her proud. It made her feel warm inside. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It’s always been a compliment.”
Her mother set down her knife for a moment. “Cassia, I know a lot has happened since you’ve been gone and come back, but I feel I need to tell you something.”
Cassia set down her sliced potatoes. “Yeah?”
“Your sister… her father isn’t exactly what you’d call normal.”
“Please tell me he’s just a psycho in prison and not…”
“I’m sorry, sweetie. I need you to take Phoebe, when the time comes, to camp with you.”
Cassia never wished for this to happen. She’d never prayed that her sister would turn out to be a demigod like her. The life of a demigod was brutal. You died young, you went through hell and had to pretend to be normal in the fall. Cassia knew firsthand the consequences of quests: she was constantly waking from nightmares of falling to her death. Sometimes, she had to hide in the dark under covers and tell herself that she was okay, and everyone she loved was okay as the memories came flashing back. It had changed her, for better or for worse. But she owed it to her mother that Phoebe never went missing one day like Cassia had. That she never turned up a month later with scars, trauma and a new hairstyle. No, that couldn’t happen to Phoebe. Cassia wouldn’t let it happen.
“I’ll do it. Of course I’ll do it. She’ll have me watching out for her.”
“That’s my girl.”
“So Phoebe’s also a daughter of Apollo, huh? That’s interesting. How’d you get dad to come back?”
“I didn’t.”
“Say what now?”
After dinner, Nova had to bid goodbye and head back to camp. After Cassia watched the camp van drive off down the street, she turned back inside and went upstairs into her room. Lying down in her bed, Cassia stared at the ceiling. It had felt like years since that day in the museum, when Cassia had seen the bow that had started it all, but it had only been a few months. A lot could change in a short amount of time. If there was one thing Cassia could rely on to never change, though, it was that the sun would always rise in the east and fall in the west. No matter what happened to her, she’d have her dad watching, with her always.
Cassia’s eyes fluttered shut, and just as she felt herself drifting off to sleep, someone knocked on her window. Cassia sat up, and turned a light on to see Castillo and Felix covered in scratches and bruises. Castillo held two pistols in his hands, whilst Felix had his sword drawn. She opened the window and the son of Hermes wasted no time in explaining.
“We need to leave. Now. Drakons- they stormed downtown vegas- I barely survived.” Castillo was panting, his forehead beaded with sweat.
“What? Do you need to come in?”
“No time, Cass! We need to get to camp. Now.” Felix’s eyes were wild.
“But-”
“Now!”
Cassia cursed to herself as she hastily packed a bag, praying to the gods that her mother forgave her for whatever mess she was about to get herself into this time. She reached for her bow and arrows, and changed into a pair of combat trousers and a silver puffer jacket, paired with her worn out converse. She slapped Flora on her wrist, who glowed softly in the dim light of her room, and scribbled a note to her mother.
“Ready?” Felix held out his hand, and Cassia looked back one last time at her bedroom before taking his hand, dousing herself in the winter air.
And together, the trio raced off into the night.
Notes:
Thank you so much for reading Perks Of Being A Sunray. I've spent the last few months of my life planning and writing this and to think that it's finally done makes me feel all sorts of things. This isn't the end, you will be seeing the characters again, so I'd like to announce that this will be a long fanfiction, but as long as I take a break, it will be marked completed. I hope you loved this story, and I hope you come back when we revisit this world.
All of my love,
crowncraftella x
Chapter 19: THE SECOND SEQUENCE: MARCH OF THE DRAKON SLAYERS
Notes:
So you know how I said I'd be taking a break? Technically I am, but in celebration of 500 hits (HOW IS THAT ACTUALLY POSSIBLE??) I've given you guys a sneak preview into the second sequence! <3 Here's a small summary for you so you know what to expect...
Chapter Text
Drakons. Drakons everywhere. Not dragons, but Drakons. They’re so, so much worse. Simply put, a drakon is a dragon but a lot more violent and dangerous. And they’re suddenly cropping up all over the country, hunting down demigods. They’re almost impossible to kill, even when you have backup, and yet, here are some teenage demigods that are tasked with killing them.
Don’t feel bad; Drakons suck!
Things are so much worse than anyone knows; young demigod numbers are dwindling thanks to their untimely deaths, and it’s gotten to the point that the gods are stepping in.
It’s not safe for demigods to leave camp half-blood anymore. Drakons are roaming the streets of America, hunting them down and eating them all up. It’s been over a year since Cassia Dubois has been home from camp, and it’s not like the gods have helped her or her friends in any way. But time is ticking, and every day young demigods are snapped up before they can be reached. So, it’s time for Cassia, Felix, Castillo and Nova to leave camp with explicit permission and help bring the demigods to camp. Their mission is simple: find the demigods given in a file by the gods, and slaughter the drakon or whatever monsters they might be up against. (They might even be lucky enough to meet a few Olympians!)
It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a camp to collect a demigod.
The group just better hope they don’t accidentally draw drakons to the camp’s borders…
Chapter 20: Prologue - the monster in the mirror
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When Cassia Dubois looked in the mirror, she saw a monster. Like the ones she would hunt, like the ones who she killed, like the ones who had torn her life to pieces. Her features were twisted and unnatural, uncanny, almost. Her gaze seemed to search the soul for something to feast on.
When Cassia Dubois looked in the mirror, the monster stared back. When she moved, it moved. Gone was the girl who had gone on an adventure to find her father, Apollo’s bow and came back alive. That girl, that nïave, oblivious girl, had been washed down the drain alongside the blood on her hands.
When Cassia Dubois looked in the mirror, the monster who had torn down her life stared back, and it smiled.
Cassia hated that monster. She wanted to tear that smile from its lips eternally, to see it cower and plead. Cassia felt the familiar rush of fury running in her veins, and she raised her fist, slamming it into the mirror.
Glass fractured, but the fractured grin of the monster still remained. The monster that had taken everything. Cassia screamed at the glass, punching it again and again until it turned to sand. That was the only way the monster would stop staring.
But even when the mirror was gone, the monster was still there. To forget its presence inside her, she would go out and slaughter others like it. Perhaps that would soothe her hate. That was silly, though, because nothing would ever satisfy her. No amount of bloodshed, no amount of murder, no amount of burning could save Cassia Dubois from herself.
Notes:
welcome back! here's the prologue for you. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 21: Heaven turned hell
Notes:
and we're BACK! fyi- this sequence takes place a year and a half after the first (1st ended in december, we're in june of the next NEXT year over, so Cass is 14 (she's born in March!)). We're going to address some heavier topics and use heavier language, I will put a content warning before chapters including these things in big bold letters so you don't miss it!
I will update a little slower during this sequence because I'm aiming to write longer chapters, so patience is really appreciated. You guys are amazing, ilysm <33
Chapter Text
Cassia notched an arrow in the string of her bow, and in one swift motion, pulled it back and released it. The arrow cut through the air, but Cassia didn’t pause to see where it landed. She continued running, her chest screaming, throat scorching, eyes stinging. Adrenaline charged through her veins, aiding her heart to bang over and over again like a marching drum.
Pushing her hair out of her face, Cassia observed the situation for a brief moment. The challenge was before her, pistols raised. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, his forehead beaded with sweat. It plastered his pink hair to his skin. Despite his exhaustion, Castillo Briella, one of Cassia’s best friends in the whole world, looked more alive than normal. As they sparred, an old feeling returned for a fleeting moment. The feeling of excitement, the thrill of danger that nobody had known for over a year.
Cassia ran forward, pushing herself into the air, notching another arrow and aiming right for Castillo. The son of Hermes raised his pistols and cocked the gun as Cassia fell back to earth, and the arrow met the bullets midair.
Both fell to the ground with a clatter, but the demigods continued to fight. It was the only way they could feel somewhat normal these days. Castillo bolted forward, and with a graceful flip, Cassia landed behind him, her fingers digging into the dirt of the arena floor. For a year, they’d been chasing exhaustion. They’d been scouring for battle, for combat, for real threat beyond the camp’s borders. This was the closest they could ever get to it.
It wasn’t enough.
Castillo cocked his guns once more and shot, but Cassia knew his moves too well. They knew each other too well to properly be a threat for the other. Every move could be predicted when they fought, and each strike could be dodged. It simply wasn’t fun. They worked brilliantly together, but when they chased at high speed, seeking aerial combat, they had no choice but to turn to each other. Nobody else wanted to fight them.
It was an old dance; one they knew all too well. It was a song played too many times to the point it wasn’t enjoyable. Their problem? They had no real enemy in the camp’s borders. No real cause to fight for, no clear motivation to fight at all.
They were safe, and they hated it. Everyone hated it.
Castillo skidded to a halt, throwing his guns on the ground in frustration. After the events of two winters back, the son of Hermes had switched his infamous daggers for twin pistols. He’d said that seeing Nova, their friend, have her eye gouged out by her father Ares with a dagger had made him reluctant to use the weapon. Since then, he had changed more than his weapons. He was taller, and more desperate to use his energy. When Cassia had first met the boy, he’d been hyper, sure, but now the kid couldn’t physically stay still. His hair had grown out longer, now falling in a short wolf cut up to the collar of his shirt. He wore cargo shorts today, paired with a My Chemical Romance ‘The Black Parade’ t-shirt that was at least three sizes too big. His shoes, his regular converse, were covered in scribbles and random words.
“A draw. Again.” He picked his guns up and tucked them into their holsters, which were hidden beneath his shirt most days. “I just want to go out and kill something, is that too much to ask?”
“You’re telling me,” Cassia grumbled. She’d been harbouring bitterness in her heart ever since the fateful winter evening. Felix and Castillo had pulled her back into the world of demigods right as she’d gotten back and found some new version of normal. Just as the pieces finally fit together, the whole puzzle broke up. She was still trying to figure out how to re-make it. She was constantly bored, constantly angry, always willing to fight. If it weren’t for her photokinesis and knack with archery, she could very well be classified as an Ares kid. Not that she’d like that (especially after meeting the god).
Cassia had grown, but she wasn’t happy with that. Her skin was darker, tanned by the sun, covered in freckles. Her hair had returned to pure blonde instead of the cool ombre effect she’d once had and grown to love. She wasn’t bothered to dye it back. Nobody could leave camp and buy some dye anyway.
Cassia was stronger. She was smarter. She was sure of herself for the most part, but she was irritated and stuck. Camp, for all of its beauty, was a box, closing demigods in until they clawed at the walls.
Most days, Cassia would opt to go into the forest and release a flock of metal birds made by the Hephaestus cabin. The birds would take to the skies, flying around, and archers could practice their aim. But the birds were also growing predictable. Cassia wanted to run, to climb high into the trees and flip down. To shoot, to sprint, to be in combat and feel the danger in the back of her throat, mixing with her blood.
There were only so many times she could craft animals from sunlight. After speaking to her father, Apollo, on the issue all demigods in the camp faced, he asked Chiron to allow the demigods out, but the centaur refused. Everybody knew why, but it was getting to the point that nobody cared. For now, it was just going to be making solar flares on the beach and capture the flag for Cassia Dubois.
Cassia ripped the arrow that had collided with the bullet mid air from the ground, clenching it tightly in her fist. With a perfectly aimed throw, she hurled it into the sky and watched it climb until it was no longer visible amongst the cobalt canvas. It was her way of telling the gods to stick it.
Castillo raised one of his pistols to the sky, and shot a bullet into a cloud. It would never reach Olympus, but pretending made everybody feel better. Morale wasn’t exactly high right now, all thanks to Drakons.
The minute you mentioned the cursed beast, everyone in your proximity would tense and reach for their weapons. The beasts had overrun the country. They were stalking demigods, eating them right up and breeding at a rapid pace. They were giant, and they were everywhere. The Ares cabin had taken to teaming up with the Iris cabin to create gruesome depictions of the monsters being slaughtered. Drakons made it impossible for demigods to leave camp half-blood, so they were stuck in the place until further notice. Chiron had banned quests from the gods to ensure that everybody stayed safe, and also thanks to brawls forming each time a quest had come in. People wanted out, and they would do anything to get out.
Cassia Dubois hadn’t seen her family in over a year. She’d left a note before leaving, but she’d expected to go back. She hadn’t. She had no clue how Phoebe or her mother were coping. Did they even know she was alive? It only made her more furious. She wanted those drakons dead. Every last one of them.
Monsters kept her from her family. Monsters kept her from her life. She wasn’t afraid of monsters, so why did everybody in charge stop her from fighting them?
‘The most important thing is your safety,’ Chiron had explained to much backlash.
‘In other words,’ Mr D had added, sipping his diet coke lazily. ‘Too many of you brats are being eaten by drakons, so to stop your parents from freaking out we’re locking you in here. You can either deal with it or get out and die.’
“Hey, you two, quit bitching about bitched out problems and get over to the main cabin area.”
Nova Allemande, the daughter of Ares who had been part of the reason Cassia had been sent on her quest (it was a long story), stood in the entrance to the arena, arms folded over her chest, throwing stars strapped to her belt. Nova was muscular and calloused from hours of consistent training with all types of weapons. She had dark skin that was now lined with thin scars, and the eye that was still intact was slanted like a fox’s. Her hair was always done in long goddess braids that now reached past her waist. She was beautiful until she opened her mouth and you got to know her.
Cassia rolled her eyes, shouldering her bow. “What now? More brawls that my cabin needs to break up?”
Nova scoffed. “Not today. We’ve got a new one over the line.”
Castillo and Cassia shared a bewildered expression. New demigods arriving at camp was extremely difficult these days, so for one to actually make it over the line and survive was a big deal.
“A new one?” Castillo questioned. “Who are they?”
“I dunno yet, but it’s Leila’s doing.”
“Trust a kid from seventeen to bring a demigod over the line.”
Cabin seventeen was dedicated to the children of Nike, the goddess of victory. Her children were the most competitive people known to mankind, and went to any and all lengths to secure a victory. Getting them on your team for capture the flag was considered a huge advantage.
Cassia fell into step between Nova and Castillo, leaning her elbow on Nova’s shoulders. The daughter of Apollo looked out at the camp with boredom. She’d seen it all before. She’d seen it all too much. “I wonder what this new kid’s like. How do you think they’ll react when they find out there’s no going back?”
“What do you think?”
“I’m hoping we’ll get some serious tantrums. But they’ll adjust eventually. We all do.”
Yes, it was twisted to find comedy in someone else’s misery, but the gods did it on the daily. Too many times Cassia had tried to sneak out. Too many times had she been held back by Mr D, threatening to turn her into a dolphin until Felix came to the rescue and reasoned that Apollo wouldn’t be happy.
Get bored. Try to escape. Get caught. Be threatened. Get away with it. Repeat.
It was a cycle. It had been a cycle for a year and a half, and Cassia was losing it. Anger simmered like oil in a heated pan now. Frustration was a boiling pot, spilling over every now and then until someone reduced the heat and calmed the waters for a month or so. Fights constantly broke out.
The best way to bond people together was to give them a common enemy. Only thing: the demigods of camp half-blood had many enemies. Did they blame the drakons and vow to kill them, or turn to the gods and make their voices heard?
As the trio emptied out into the main cabin area, a thick crowd of around 200 kids circled around someone- the new demigod was what Cassia assumed. The daughter of Apollo weaved through the crowd and ended up behind a ridiculously tall son of Zeus, and didn’t care enough to push past him.
“You got claimed!” Someone from the crowd shouted. Cassia stood on her tiptoes to catch a glimpse of a caduceus- the symbol of Hermes. She silently lolled her head back and rolled her eyes. As if Hermes didn’t have enough children already.
“‘Scuse me, son of Hermes comin’ through-” Castillo pushed through the crowd, heading into the centre where the new demigod was. “A daughter of Hermes, huh? Nice to meet you, the name’s Castillo. I’m the current head counsellor for cabin eleven.”
“You look a little… young to be the head counsellor.” The girl’s voice was distinctly familiar, but Cassia couldn’t place who it was.
“Well, most of us die young, so forgive me if I seem slightly underage for the role.”
“Uh.. that’s a joke, right?”
“Nope.” Felix walked out from the crowd. The son of Athena was even taller now, his olive skin now decorated with scars from sword training. His hair was slightly shaggy. “Ignore Castillo’s bluntness. He’s not lying, exactly, but you’ll find most things we joke about here are very much true.”
“Who are you people?”
“We’re demigods. Like you. Children of the Olympian gods.”
“I know that- wait. Is there someone named Cassia here? Cassia Dubois? Uh, a daughter of Apollo, I think?”
Instantly, everyone turned to Cassia, the crowd parting like the red sea until it reached the son of Zeus in front of her. “Dude,” Someone whispered, nudging him. The son of Zeus blushed and hurried off to the side, leaving Cassia face to face with the new demigod.
Her mind went blank as she registered who it was.
“Phoebe,” She said, her voice a little strained, and her younger sister nodded. A moment of silence passed before Phoebe broke into something between a sob and a scream.
“I thought you were dead!”
She ran forward and tackled Cassia to the ground, trying to land a punch on her, but Cassia easily overpowered her and pulled her in for a hug. “Good to see you too, Pheebs.”
“You- I- everything’s gone to shit and-”
“Just stop, okay? We’re together now. I’ve got you.”
Cassia scanned the crowd, then locked eyes with Felix, still standing in the middle. “Welcome to camp half-blood,” She said, holding her little sister tight. “You’ll grow to despise it.”
Chapter 22: Solar storms
Notes:
Quick clarification: at the end of the previous chapter, when phoebe says 'everything's gone to sh!t,' this means that not only does their mother think cass is dead, but also means that their mother is actively dying (dramatic, I know)
shorter chapter for today since i'm meant to be studying for a science exam but i got sidetracked and started writing this instead!
btw, tysm for 30 kudos! I normally talk about the hits, but the kudos means so much as well! :) Have a great day/night, and I'll catch you all later <3
Chapter Text
In her dreams, Cassia was free. She was fighting for her life, alongside her friends. Falling into a churning ocean one moment, escaping a collapsing cavern the next. Intelligible shouts ricocheted through burning valleys, laments swam through the freezing oceans, and yet Cassia felt alive. The danger, the mortality presented before gifted excitement. For a precious, rare moment, Cassia was herself again.
Tonight, her dream was a memory. A year and a half ago, Cassia, Castillo, Nova and Felix were frantically searching for Apollo’s golden bow. Frequently she returned to the memories. What once had scared her now filled her with nostalgia.
Cassia lay gasping on burning marble, caused by her own power. She remembered this all too well; This was when she was meant to have died. Her father’s golden bow lay untouched by the flames licking its surface, and Cassia felt the burn as her fingers closed around it. The final fight with Ares had been brutal and terrifying, but it was nothing compared to falling to her death. Almost.
The ground gave out beneath her, and Cassia locked eyes with Nova before disappearing into the open sky, where the ground below waited to tear her apart.
In her dream, she was burning. She was a flame, a streak of sunlight, falling through the sky, crossing the sinking sun, coating her in an orange glow. New York City lay below her, its thousands upon thousands of lights blinking endlessly like morse code. She recalled her skin being branded with fire. She remembered the tears on her face boiling, and she remembered how she’d survived.
One moment, she was dying, and the next she was alive in the throne room again, surrounded by light. Ares’ face was distorted and blank, like Cassia couldn’t recall his features. Not that she wanted to. The scene around her was strange, with its curling black shadows creeping closer and closer.
A hand grasped her wrist, and the world shifted. She was standing on a pier, watching the ocean shine under the glaring sun. Someone stood beside her. “I hate to tear you from your death memories, but I need to see you, Cass.”
Cassia looked beside her to see Apollo. It wasn’t unusual for him to appear in his children’s dreams to see them, but it sucked when she was having an especially dangerous one. “What’s up?” She asked, looking back out to the sea. In her hand, she held a stone. With a lazy throw, it fell into the ocean, disappearing from view.
“You’re planning to escape again, aren’t you?”
“When did I tell you that?”
“I’m the god of prophecy, I know a lot.”
“What’s it to you?”
Apollo sighed. “Believe it or not, I actually care whether or not you die. Let’s just say for a moment you manage to get out… then what? Congratulations, you’re out in the world again. Expect a drakon to find you in about an hour.”
“You’re underestimating me,” Cassia snorted. “I’m able to avoid them.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
Cassia scowled. “I’ll figure something out as I go.”
“Sure you will. Cassia, I get you’re skilled in combat, I understand you’re smart, I never doubted any of that, but you don’t know what you’re going up against. Drakons are everywhere. I’ve counted five in the Brooklyn area. It’s not that I don’t find you capable, you’re more than capable, but it’s a matter of safety. You can evade one drakon if you’re lucky, but you wouldn’t stand a chance against all of them.”
“Who said I’m going up against them at all?”
“I know you. I know you’re furious that these things are the reason you can’t see your mother, but I need you to listen to me and take my advice. If you manage to get out, I’ll find you pretty much right away.”
Of course. Sometimes, having your dad be the sun god really sucked. “Alright, so you want me to just stay here for the rest of my life? Or are you gods going to actually step in and handle something for once?”
Apollo’s gaze hardened slightly, but Cassia didn’t care. She was done hiding, done staying safe, and most certainly done with this place. “As your father, I’m telling you to-”
“-My mother thinks I’m dead! The one who’s actually been in my life thinks I’m dead, and I can’t go and see her.” Cassia shot a ray of light from her palm over the ocean in anger. “I don’t care if you’re my dad, or if you’re a god, I don’t care about any of that! I care about the fact that my mother is dying and I especially care that I can’t see her! I will tear through every drakon in this country if it means I can get out of this prison.” She finally stopped, her chest rising and falling heavily, her eyes burning with frustration.
Apollo was silent, looking out at the horizon, following the ray of light Cassia had sent across the ocean. At last, he replied. “How did you hear about your mother’s state?”
“Phoebe told me.”
There was silence between them once more.
“I’ve lost five children of mine because of these drakons. Three boys, two girls. If I could kill them, I would. I’d destroy them all in a heartbeat if I was allowed to.”
“Allowed?”
“Zeus,” Apollo scoffed. “We’re unable to intervene with any of this. He’s told all of us to stay out of it. Something about the fates and not tampering with it. But it’s getting to the point where these kids are dying faster than we can have more. At this rate, we’ll have none but the ones at camp. Artemis has lost three hunters and dozens are injured. Hermes had one come to camp yesterday- Phoebe, but six of his are dead. Two of them were only a few months old. Athena’s lost three. Two for Demeter. One for Hephaestus. It’s just getting worse and worse. You might be one of the best fighters in your generation, but if you go out there, you risk your life. I need you to stay here, Cassia. I know you’re frustrated. But by the gods, If I lose you next..” He trailed off, flicking a hand and sending a ray of light shooting over the horizon.
“They don’t tell us anything.” Cassia looked right at the sun, her demeanour sullen. “We don’t know who’s alive out there. On the rare occasion we’re allowed to go out and try to find a demigod, most of the time the one who went out comes back in a funeral shroud. It’s hell in here, and it’s hell out there. If you can’t intervene, then we need to do it ourselves. The only ones who can stop this are the ones stuck here. I have to go out if I want to stop those kids from dying.”
“Zeus is getting involved with keeping you all in. I can speak with Athena… maybe come up with some idea that allows you to go out but stay protected. I’ll get her to propose it to Zeus, she’s always been his favourite. We’ll see what happens from there. I can promise you that much.”
“Thank you.” No matter how frustrating her father could be, Cassia was grateful for him. He tried. Apollo pulled Cassia into a hug, and she accepted it gratefully. A lot had happened, and she needed someone to lean on like Phoebe needed her.
Chapter 23: Thinning of the rope
Chapter Text
“Uppercut! Hook! Cross! Jab!”
Cassia slammed her fist into Nova’s padded hands, landing an uppercut, a hook, a cross and then a jab at every command. Her hair stuck to her forehead, but she couldn’t have cared less as she packed a punch over and over again.
“Good,” Nova praised, egging Cassia on. The daughter of Ares was excellent when it came to fist-fights, and had offered to coach Cassia. If Cassia had thought Nova was growing more mature at the end of two Decembers ago, she was very, very wrong. She was always ready to pick a fight, and encouraged infighting only slightly less than her siblings. She was the first to place the bets during brawls.
Nova ditched the pads on her hands and grabbed Cassia’s wrist mid-punch. Knowing what was coming, tucked her head into her neck as she was swept off her feet in a judo flip.
Nova had her knee on Cassia’s chest, wearing a grin that would’ve paired perfectly with a punch in the face. “You’ve got to work on your guard. You let me do that this time.”
“That’d be because I like being beaten up by you.”
“Hah, hah. Get up, we’re doing this until you get it right.”
Grumbling, Cassia brushed dirt off her sleeve. “I never do this to you when I’m coaching you in archery.”
“Well,” Nova replied, raising her fists. “Maybe you should.”
After her argument with Apollo the night prior, Cassia had been up non-stop, thinking and seething over and over again. She’d been avoiding Phoebe since her claiming, letting Castillo carry messages for her.
“I’m here to beat someone up.” A girl stood in the doorway. Cassia rolled her eyes back and groaned. “You’re worse than me. Stop being so dramatic and talk.”
“Why don’t you talk to me? You’ve been avoiding me. Why?”
“Who told you that?”
“Castillo.”
“Remind me to fight him.”
“Answer me. Why have you been avoiding me? You just dumped me with Castillo and I’ve barely seen you!”
“I’ve got things to do other than babysit you, Phoebe.”
“I don’t need babysitting. It was mom, wasn’t it? That scared you right off.”
Cassia snorted. “Don’t be stupid. I don’t get scared.”
“Mom dying doesn’t scare you?”
Cassia faltered, her heart freezing over at the mention of ‘mom’ and ‘dying’ in the same sentence. She shook herself slightly. “It won’t happen for a while. And when it does, we’ll be old enough to handle ourselves.”
“You know that’s not true.”
“Phoebe, I’m the older one, okay? I know what I’m talking about.”
“No, you don’t. You haven’t been there for the past year and a half. You weren’t there when she was diagnosed, you weren’t there when she finally gave up on the idea that you were still alive, and you weren’t there when she told me she’d be seeing you again soon!”
Nova looked between the sisters, hiding her amusement well. Cassia glared at her momentarily. “Nova, I’ll meet you outside.”
“Yes, ma’am,” She said, giving a mock salute and striding out of the arena, leaving the girls alone. Cassia unwrapped her fingerless combat gloves and hooked them on her belt. “Phoebe, you know I didn’t mean to leave.”
“You didn’t make that very obvious in your note, did you?”
“You want me to explain all of it, then?”
“Yeah, I do! I want to know why you’re being such a bitch and why you’re trying to act like mom dying isn’t awful!”
“Fine!” Cassia stormed across the arena, coming to a halt in front of Phoebe. Cass was at least a foot taller than her sister, but Phoebe was given an extra few inches when she was angry. “That night, my friends came and said they’d barely escaped from drakons.”
“You mean dragons?”
“No. Drakons. They’re the hideous siblings of dragons.”
“Like you, then.”
“Shut up! Drakons are all over the country, and they’re eating demigods, no matter how young or old, faster than the gods can hook up with mortals to make more. So, to stop all of us from dying, they’ve locked us in here while they do absolutely nothing to handle the drakon problem. We can’t leave. You’re wondering why I didn’t come back? I wanted to. But once you come in, you don’t come out. Babies are being slaughtered. Little kids. Children, teenagers, adults, it doesn’t matter. These monsters are unstoppable. The only time a demigod’s defeated one was when they had the blessing of Ares- the god of War. And we’re not on the best terms, so I doubt I’ll get that sort of favour any time soon.”
“So for the past year and a half, you’ve been in here? This place doesn’t look too bad.”
“It’s all I’ve seen for eighteen months. Same people, same program, same challenges, same games. We’re all sick of it, but the gods won’t do anything. And now you come in and tell me that our mom’s dying and she thinks I’m dead-”
“-Who do you have to be brave for?”
“ Everyone.” Cassia blinked back tears. “If one of us falls apart, the rest will follow. We have to force it down because nobody will pick us up if we fall. We're on our own, Phoebe. To some degree, we always have been, but this is different. Nobody is coming to help you.”
“But you helped me. And Leila helped me.”
“And who do you think will help me?”
Phoebe went silent, looking down at her shoes briefly. “Exactly,” Cassia muttered. “The only reason you’re alright is because you’ve had older kids to help you. I’ve got my dad, maybe, but it’s mostly just doing this solo.”
“So.. we can’t leave?”
“We can’t leave.”
“But mom’s sick. Surely they’d let us go see her.”
“They won’t.” Cassia kicked at the dirt as she watched Phoebe’s hope falter. Then her expression morphed into fury.
“WHAT?” Several birds took flight at the volume, and Nova ducked back into the arena to catch a glimpse of the action. Phoebe stamped her foot into the dirt, leaving a firm footprint. “Who do they think they are to decide whether or not I see my DYING MOM? ‘Oh, look at me, I’m Zeus, I’m able to tell you what to do!’ I HATE THIS PLACE!”
“Damn,” Nova started with a smirk, folding her arms over her chest as Phoebe stormed around the arena. “Guess you got the tantrum you were hoping for.”
Cassia rolled her eyes. “Not helping, Nova.”
“I never meant to help. But that anger she’s got.. Could be useful for training. She’s got some serious spunk. More than you when we first met.”
“Thanks so much.”
“Hey, at first I thought you were just another pretty songbird or nurse in training, but then you melted my daggers- still pissed about that, by the way, and I realised; ‘Hey, this girl’s not half-bad.’”
“Now’s not the time for sentiments. I need to help my sister.”
“Do you, though? I don’t see her.” Nova scanned the arena. Phoebe was marching off in the distance toward the main cabin area, leaving the girls alone. Cassia sighed. “I guess I can’t do much about that, can I?”
“Nope. Now, wanna fight or what?”
“Hope you’re ready to die,” Cassia snapped, siding on her knuckle duster. Nova laughed. “As if. You couldn’t kill me before, you can’t kill me now.”
The girls launched into a fist-fight, rolling on the ground without a care in the world. Nova was constantly changing up her fighting style. No two moves of hers were the same, and Cassia appreciated the challenge. She didn’t mind losing to Nova- she just loved being in her presence. Over the course of the eighteen months they’d been stuck here, they’d grown close. Nova wasn’t one for sentiments or emotional conversations, so instead, she would offer Cassia a chance for a brawl to get her emotions out. It always helped in one way or another.
Soon enough, Nova had Cassia pinned on the ground, defeated. “Alright, you win,” She laughed. “Now off, you harlot.”
“My deepest apologies, ma’am,” The daughter of Ares shot back, leaning back so Cass could stand up.
“You’ve got a cut on your face,” The daughter of Apollo noted, smirking as she removed the knuckle duster and tossed it back to Nova.
“Nothing a little dirt and spit can’t fix.”
“Ew. That’s absolutely not sanitary.”
“It’s character building.”
“You need band aids, and it needs to be cleaned out.”
“We don’t have that on hand. Can you kiss it better instead?”
Cassia raised an eyebrow at the request, but a faint blush creeped at her cheeks. Nova seemed to realise what she had said and coughed. “No, I meant- uh, child of Apollo- healing touch thing. Obviously.”
“Uh-huh. Yeah, I can do that. We’re able to touch people and heal minor injuries.”
“Do that.”
Cassia brushed her thumb over the cut on Nova’s cheek and watched it disappear. She was firm in making sure she never once caught her eye.
“Cassia?”
A boy of about sixteen stood in the doorway to the arena. He had hair dyed a shocking green so it looked like he had showered in radioactive liquids. His eyes were dark grey, like thunder-heavy storm clouds. His entire body was lit up with electric shocks under his veins, as if it were blood for him. Aspen, a son of Zeus and one of the most feared demigods in camp. His double edged sword was no joke, and nobody wanted to suffer electric shocks for days if they crossed him. He made even the Ares kids afraid.
“Mr D wants to speak with you. Me, also. Follow me to the big house.”
“You're dead,” Nova muttered as Cassia broke away. Cassia didn't look back at her, instead keeping her gaze focused before her.
The big house was no stranger to the daughter of Apollo, but it brought a sense of unease. Being summoned by Mr D was never a good thing, and being tracked down by Aspen wasn't good either. The son of Zeus made no conversation, not even casting a sidelong glance at Cassia as she strided beside him. They walked up the steps to the front porch, where Mr D was playing pinochle yet again with Chiron and a satyr. The god looked up, rolling his eyes at Cassia.
“You. Cassidy Doboys.”
Cassia didn't bother to correct him.
“Asher here finally brought you, eh? Sit down, girl. Play some pinochle while I explain to you how you're going to die.”
Chapter 24: Electric Love
Notes:
Sorry for taking so long with this chapter (school had me crashing out lmao). Tysm for 600 hits (ABAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAA HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?), you guys are so amazing and I love you all!
Enjoy!
Chapter Text
At least they had chips. You should never die on an empty stomach. After Mr D’s very comforting and gentle reassurance, Cassia and Aspen had sat across from the god. The son of Zeus had an unreadable look on his face, and whenever Cass attempted to decipher it he’d raise an eyebrow at her. Mr D took a sip from his diet coke and crushed the can. “Right. You’re going to die.”
He sat forward, setting down his playing cards for a moment. “Asher here-”
“It’s Aspen.”
“Asher is to be a lieutenant in a new regime we’re trying. When I say ‘we’ I mean the gods. Look, your father came storming in demanding that we sort out the drakon issue by using the demigods, and then Athena started yapping. Personally, I tuned out, but for once in his life Zeus listened to reason. So, you’re all going off in ‘squads,’ according to the wisdom goddess. These squads are made from one person from every cabin in this place, and Arsehole is leading one of these squads.”
Aspen coughed into his hand at the name, but didn’t say anything. Mr D went back to his playing cards. “That is all. Arson, you go and explain to Centaur Doing Boys here what’s going on.”
Cassia and Aspen left, setting off across the strawberry fields. “He didn’t bother to explain it, so I will. Athena has suggested that demigods form teams, squads that go out and defeat drakons and retrieve demigods. There’s power in numbers. It means that demigods won’t be bored anymore, and the drakon scales, teeth, and poison can be used by us.”
He paused, drawing himself up.
“My father, Zeus, has appointed me as leader of this operation. I’m in charge of a squad, but also in charge of every squad. The reason I needed you today, Cassia, is because I’d like you to be on my personal squad.”
Cassia stopped dead in the middle of the field. Working alongside Aspen meant you had some worth. It would mean she’d be on the front lines, fighting every day, training harder than ever before. She’d scrape death over and over again.
“Your personal squad?”
“Yes. You’ll be on the most dangerous missions. I’ve handpicked the best of the best- all you have to do is accept my offer. You’ll end up on a squad one way or another. Anybody who can fight has to. But I’m giving you the chance to fight with the elite.”
It was everything the girl had dreamed of. She could see it all now; charging a drakon with her squad members, laughing in the face of death. All she had to do was be good enough. “I’ll do it,” She decided. The corner of Aspen’s mouth pitched up slightly. “That’s what I expected of you. Now go. I believe you have a shift in the infirmary.”
For the first time in a long time, Cassia walked around smiling, beaming, even. Light flowed from her fingertips and formed beautiful little ribbons that faded into the sun. People noticed her good mood, and they set down their weapons. They stopped their arguments. They watched in bewilderment. What on earth could anyone have to be joyful about?
Humming ‘electric love,’ Cassia bounded up the steps to the infirmary, kicking the door open and hugging the person nearest to her. Danny, her older brother and the cabin’s designated medic, dropped his clipboard at the sudden affection. Cassia pulled away, still beaming, and pulled on her surgical gloves, her smile just as bright as her aura.
“What in the name of dad has got you so happy?” Danny asked, picking up his clipboard and checking his notes.
“Oh, just some good news! You know, everything’s going to be just fine!”
“Huh.” Danny tilted his head to the side. “For once, you don’t sound sarcastic saying that.”
“Me! He chose me!” A little excited squeal escaped Cassia, and she hurried off to her duties, giggling like a little girl.
“Who chose you for what?”
Cassie was already enamoured with her patient, talking at top speed as if she were a certain son of Hermes. The patient, a beautiful girl from cabin ten, looked highly amused.
“I’ve not seen anyone this happy for ages, let alone you,” She remarked, smiling as Cassia changed her bandage.
“There’s something to finally be happy about, that’s why I can’t stop smiling.” Cass looked up from her work. “It’s starting to hurt a little.”
“It’s not love,” The girl replied. “That’s not why you’re happy this time. Ugh, I wish I could know what’s got you so.. Sunny. All I know is that you’re not heartsick.”
“That’s a good thing, Felicity.”
“Never. How dare you, Cassie.”
The girls went silent for a moment before erupting into laughter.
“Come on, what’s made you so happy? Tell me, please!”
“I’m sworn to secrecy, Licie.”
“But Cass!”
“Secrecy!”
“You’re no fun.” Felicity rolled her eyes dramatically, resting her chin on her available hand. Her perfectly painted lips curled into a crimson smile. Felicity tossed her chestnut curls over her shoulder, batting her eyelashes. “Please?”
Cassia snorted. “You’re no charmspeaker. You’ll have to do better than that. Sorry, but my lips are sealed.”
Felicity rolled her eyes, slumping back in her chair as Cassia continued to change and check her bandages. Felicity had sprained her wrist during sparring practice. Nothing too major, but just enough for Cassie to treat her.
The daughter of Aphrodite gossiped about the latest failed romances she’d heard news of outside the camp, and then to all the cutest weapons on the market.
“I mean, a barbie line for guns would be perfect, honestly- my gods, is that Nova? She looks like a war criminal.”
Instantly Cassia snapped back into attention, whisking her head around to see Nova being led over to a bed. Blood ran down her face, and she was cursing something or someone out. A few other Ares kids trailed in behind her, all sporting bruises and cuts.
Molly, one of Cassia’s sisters and cabin seven’s best musician, shuffled over to Nova with a washcloth and disinfectant. Nova muttered something, pushing Molly’s hand away, and Molly scarpered off, raising an eyebrow.
Soon she appeared at Cassia’s side. “Nova’s refused my treatment. Says she wants you.”
“Tell her I’m busy. She can deal with having someone other than me treat her for once.”
“I’d rather not get my head torn off, thank you.”
Cassia lolled her head back and groaned. “Fine. Take over Felicity’s sprain for me, will you?”
“Easy.” Molly replaced Cassia in one swift motion. Felicity smirked, caught in a knowing smile for whatever reason, and twinkled her fingers in a mock wave as Cassia strode across the infirmary to Nova.
“I leave you for two hours and you get yourself beaten up,” She remarked with a sigh, kneeling before the daughter of Ares. Nova didn’t respond, scowling as she allowed Cassia to dab at her wounds. The daughter of Apollo was sure to be gentle with the disinfection process, but Nova flinched at the sting of alcohol, digging her nails into her palm.
“Stop that.” Cassia whacked her hand away, clasping her palm and murmuring a prayer to her father. The cuts cleared up instantly, and the skin smoothed over. Turning her attention back to the main problem, Cassia located the source of the blood. “What happened this time, huh?”
“Drakon patrolling the boundaries. Got too close for our liking.”
“Got too close for my liking. Look at the state of you.” Cassia trailed off, clicking her tongue off the back of her teeth. “What does it take to keep you in one piece?”
“That’s an impossible task, sunshine.” Nova offered a lazy grin, relaxing as the pain ebbed away. Cassia chuckled softly. “Stop with the cliche nickname. Sunshine is so overused.”
“But it suits you. You’re so sunny, like the sun.”
“Forget the muses, you’re the real poet.”
Cassia ran her finger over the cut trailing from Nova’s forehead to the bridge of her nose, softly singing a hymn of healing. The cut wasn’t deep, thankfully, so it was something Cassia could fix in a second. She dropped her hand, satisfied with her work.
“You’re glowing,” Nova murmured.
“Thanks. It’s the sweat.”
“No,” Nova shook her head, laughing. “I meant you’re glowing. Like, light is glowing around you. Idiot.”
“Great observation, warmonger. It happens when I use my powers.”
“Told you. You’re literally a ray of sunshine. Therefore, I can call you sunshine because it’s true.”
“It’s annoying.”
“That makes it even better.”
“Get out of my infirmary, Allemande.”
“Roger.” Nova stood up, pushing herself off the side of the bed where she had been sitting. “Later, sunshine!” She called as she strolled away, tilting her head back and cackling with laughter as Cassia raised her middle finger, standing in the doorway. Cassia watched her leave, tracking over her form until she disappeared around a corner where the trail to the cabins began.
“That was quick.” Felicity stopped on her way out, standing at Cassia’s side. Cass shrugged. “Nova’s resilient. And stubborn.”
“Sure she is. Well,” Felicity held up her freshly bandaged wrist. “I’m all patched up for another three days. I’ll catch you around, Cassie.”
“See you, Licie.”
“Yep.” Felicity was studying Cassia’s expression, who was still looking out at the corner where Nova had disappeared from. A maddeningly smug grin spread across the daughter of Aphrodite’s face. Cassia took note of this and raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Nothing. You’re very sunny. ” And with that, Felicity bounded out of the infirmary, disappearing around the corner.
Chapter 25: The best motivators are our worst fears
Notes:
Heyy! I'm sorry for not posting earlier, I've been really snowed under with school and I still am (curse you, assessment block), so I'll post a little later than usual for the next three ish weeks while I focus mainly on school. This chapter is a little filler before the REAL action gets underway. Time to meet a bunch of new characters?
Q: What do you guys think about Aspen? Do you like his character?
Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Text
“Everyone under their banners! Everyone under their parent’s banner- I’m looking at you, Helena!” Aspen stood in the amphitheatre, waiting for the rest of the camp to gather for the campfire. Helena, Aspen’s twin sister, scowled and sat under the Zeus banner, folding her arms over her chest. Aspen paid no attention to his sister’s pouting, instead, focusing on a few specific people in the crowd. Cassia trailed in alongside Castillo, who was threading light in his fingertips that Cassia had given him.
“Ugh, what does Aspen want?” Castillo threw a disgusted to the son of Zeus, who thankfully didn’t catch on. Cassia’s fingers worked mindlessly, threading a small strand of hair as she walked beside Castillo. “No clue,” She shrugged. That was a lie. She did have an idea, but she wasn’t about to go around telling everyone that. Castillo didn’t seem to realise she was lying, which was odd for the son of Hermes.
Cassia sat under a golden banner with a sun symbol printed on it with her siblings. Since the summer had begun, they hadn’t had any new campers. Francis, Molly, Juliette, Danny and Stella were already seated, gossiping amongst themselves. Stella had a pad of paper and a pen ready for writing in case anything interesting went down. Danny was wrapping a bandage around his wrist over and over again whilst whispering something to Molly, who was nervously counting beats of a silent melody on her fingers. Francis was staring in the distance, murmuring to himself. Looking around the campfire, almost every camper was on edge. No doubt they had heard of the severity of the situation. One girl, a daughter of Iris, was crying.
Cassia sat beside Stella, who for once wasn’t writing self-absorbed poems. The girl shot a sideways glance before leaning in. “Dad’s stressed. Like, really stressed. Another one of his died.”
“Another?” Cassia gasped softly, covering her mouth with her hand. “How old?”
“Five.” Stella’s expression was grim. “She held a lot of potential, too. But that’s not the worst thing. She was being retrieved by one of us.”
“Oh, Stella, you don’t mean..”
“Sky from fourteen.”
“That’s why they’re so upset?”
“That’s why.”
Cassia sighed, putting her head in her hands. “They shouldn’t have sent Sky. She was twelve.”
“Yes, but Sky told them she could get away quickly thanks to refracting light and making a rainbow- ugh, you know what I mean. But it didn’t work. It was night when the drakon found them.”
“What state were they in?”
“Hardly recognizable. Danny had to clean the bodies and then deliver the report to dad.”
“It didn’t go well, did it?”
“Couldn’t have gone worse. Dad’s never been this… dark before. And now Iris is upset. Everything’s just falling apart.”
The sky overhead boomed with thunder. Every single head shot up with terror, wondering if somehow Zeus had gotten offended from their conversation. “It’s not him, it’s me.” Heads looked down to see Aspen standing before the campfire, illuminated by the amber glow. “Thank you for your attention. I’m sure you all know why I’ve called this meeting.”
Aspen held himself tall. His hands were behind his back, expression impassive. The air was dense with tension, hanging like humidity after a summer storm. “Things are bad. Today, we lost one of our own: Sky, daughter of Iris. This cannot continue. Going out alone is getting us killed off one by one. I understand you are all afraid, and that fear is rational. But if we don’t fight as one, we will all die. I’m sure you are all familiar with my parentage. My father, Zeus, has spoken to me in a dream and dished out the following instructions: from now on, we will be gathering in squads, arranged through age and skill. In these squads, you will be handed an objective and be allowed to leave camp to complete your objective. These could include retrieval missions, or slaying drakons. Am I clear so far?”
A hand rose in the air. “Is this compulsory?”
“Yes. May I continue?”
Nobody spoke.
Aspen nodded. “I’ll take that as a yes. The aim of these squads is to eliminate the drakon threat, or contain it as best we can. I have been made the leader of this whole operation, and have a squad of my own selection. You will know who you are. Please stand up.”
Cassia rose to her feet, looking around at the others. There was Helena, Aspen’s softer twin sister, Maisie from cabin four, Leon from cabin three… When Cassia saw Nova, her heart picked up a little. She wouldn’t be alone. Felix was standing too, as was Felicity from ten, Finn from nine, Castillo, and Mason from thirteen. Not a bad squad.
“The ten of you will join me in taking on the most dangerous missions, as I previously mentioned privately. We will report directly back to Olympus after each objective is completed to give a full report.”
Felix raised his hand this time. “Why us only?”
“Because, Callahan, you are the most important in this operation. You are on the most important squad, doing the most important missions. The gods need to hear a report, and they’ve asked us to provide it to them.” Aspen’s tone made it clear that he wasn’t inviting further inquiry. Felix nodded, but didn’t look satisfied.
“All of you will join me tomorrow in the big house for a meeting. For the rest of you, squads have been posted on the camp’s billboard. You may view them after this meeting is concluded. That is all, thank you.”
Everyone filed out slowly, but the ten in Aspen’s squad stayed behind. The son of Zeus himself left, leaving them alone. Helena, also a child of Zeus, cleared her throat. “I don’t know why he’s got such a big stick up his ass. Nice to meet you all, though.”
“You, too,” Maisie replied, flashing a warm smile Helena’s way. The daughter of Demeter had been the very demigod to bring Cassia to camp a year and a half ago. This felt very full circle. “Should we introduce ourselves? I’m Maisie, my mom’s Demeter, and I like baking.”
“Not relevant, Maple,” Nova interrupted. “What can you do? What are your powers?”
“I can control poisonous plants. Poison ivy, deadly nightlock, Angel’s trumpets, you name it, I can control it.”
“What about regular plants?” Nova asked. “A maple tree could be good for flattening drakons.”
“Nope. Only the dangerous plants.”
Helena cleared her throat. “I’m Helena, my dad’s Zeus. I can control clouds and air pressure. Aspen can control thunder and storms, but I can make someone pass out.”
“That’s useful,” Cassia remarked.
“Thanks.”
Leon raised an eyebrow when he saw the others looking his way. “What? Oh. My name’s Leon, uh, my dad’s Poseidon, and I can make earthquakes happen. Big earthquakes. What are you all still looking at? Nova, you talk.”
“Sure. I’m Nova, daughter of Ares. I can curse weapons every now and then and I can sense blood.”
Felix snorted. “What, like a shark?”
“Exactly like a shark, you moron. It gives me an energy boost, and I’m also good at fighting.”
“Useful. I’m Felix, my mom’s Athena, and I was blessed with foresight in battle. I have the ‘Athena kid’ starter pack, so I’m smart too, I suppose. Cass?”
Cassia stepped forward. “Hey, I’m Cassia, my dad’s Apollo. I can control light in pretty much any form apart from fire, and I can blow a lot of stuff up since I use solar heat.”
“Uh, hey, I’m Finn, I can…”
They continued until they had covered everyone present. Finn from Hephaestus could wield metal with just his hands, Felicity from Aphrodite was able to make people fall hopelessly in love with her, Castillo from Hermes was so fast he was just a blur, and Mason from Hades was able to commune with spirits and order ghosts around. They all dispersed for the night, but Felix held Cassia’s wrist tight. Nova and Castillo were at his side. “Stay. All of you.”
“Alright,” Nova remarked, crossing her arms over her chest. “What’s up, owl boy?”
“Aspen.. I don’t trust him.”
Nova snorted. “Just because he’s leaning a little too into a leadership role doesn’t mean he’s not trustworthy. You sound paranoid.”
“I don’t trust him. He.. he gives me a bad feeling. Like he’s leading us to our deaths.”
“We’re demigods,” Castillo scoffed. “Everything leads us to our deaths.”
“Why would you think he’s leading us to that?” Cassia asked. “I’m not saying you’re wrong, but you’re not giving the best reasoning here.”
“I’m too tired to deal with this,” Castillo complained, stretching his limbs. “See you all tomorrow.”
Nova yawned. “Yeah. Night, you idiots.”
The two set off together, conversing quietly. Cassia turned back to Felix. “I’m not sure why you’re feeling so worried, but I feel it might turn out to be the right train of thought.”
“And why exactly do you believe me, if you said yourself I didn’t have the best reasoning?” Felix tilted his head to the side with a tired smile.
“Because you’re the smartest person I know. You’re bound to be right. You always are.” Cassia pushed her hair out of her face. “I’m going to bed. I’m in your corner, Callahan.”
“Much appreciated, Dubois.”
Cassia planted a kiss on his cheek and set off down the path toward cabin seven, cloaked in shadows.
Her heart was heavy with worry. She, too, had a nasty feeling that this would lead her, or someone else, down the path of death.
Chapter 26: Why is peace always a justification for violence?
Notes:
I'm uploading this chapter now so I don't have to worry until Friday ish about writing and delivering a new chapter for you, so have this one tonight! I'm going to be REALLY busy this week, so I won't make any updates.
(P.S - If you recognise where the chapter title is from, I love you xx)
enjoy!
Chapter Text
When Felix slumped onto his bed that night, he stared at the ceiling shrouded in darkness for hours on end, anxiety eating away at his sanity. Cassia’s agreement hadn’t brought him any comfort, it had just provided more reason to be worried. Something was up with Aspen, something horribly wrong.
And Felix couldn’t figure it out. That was unusual. He was a child of Athena, goddess of wisdom- he was meant to be able to figure things out others couldn’t. Finally accepting that sleep would never find him, Felix sat up and slid off his bunk, landing on the floor with a quiet thump before rushing over to his workbench. Groping for a torch, he fumbled for his notes and battle plans. Felix rolled them out before him, searching for what he’d written on drakons. Ever since the drakon threat had been introduced, all of the Athena cabin had worked together to study them and find a way to defeat them. It was impossible to do alone without the help of a god, yet no matter how many times they had advised against the solo missions, they always went ahead. Almost everyone came back in a shroud.
Anger was clouding their judgement. It was an issue Felix was all too familiar with. But ever since his thirteenth birthday, and that fateful conversation with his mother, things had changed for him. Felix was getting better at seeing the world for what it was, flawed yet beautiful, dangerous yet fascinating. The drakons were predators. Starving predators, desperate for their next meal. He’d suggested rehabilitating them, but that had ended with Nova punching him in the face. She wanted blood. He wanted a solution.
Felix ripped a piece of notepaper from its pad and grabbed the nearest pen, scribbling out the solution the gods had conceived. Fighting in numbers was a good choice, yes, but the proposal that the senior squads actually attempted to slay a drakon was… idiotic. No other term for it. Was there a way to work around that flaw? Probably not. If the gods themselves worked on the plan, that included Felix’s mother, Athena. The goddess of wisdom had every answer in the book, right? So if she agreed on this plan, it had to be the best way. Felix trusted his mother’s judgement. He never doubted her intelligence- gods forbid he ever think of such a thing, but this plan felt wrong. There was a nagging in the back of his mind, advising him to take this on himself. To find another solution.
“Felix.”
Felix turned to see Athena standing behind him, and he yelped. None of his siblings stirred, thankfully. Taking deep breaths to slow his racing heart, Felix pushed his work aside. “Mom. Why are you here?”
“You already know. Your concerns aren’t unreasonable, my son. This plan is indeed flawed, and no doubt will cost the lives of many of our own.”
“So you acknowledge that some of us will die.”
“Of course. There is always a sacrifice in battle.”
“Then why didn’t you find another way to approach this? Is this the best solution?” Felix inquired, feeling frustration rise in the back of his throat. Athena sighed. “Yes, it is. This is the best we can do.”
“You’re wrong.” Felix had never said such a thing before. Athena raised an eyebrow, but didn’t blast him to shreds. Perhaps the goddess was feeling patient. Felix ran a hand through his dark brown curls. “I’m sorry. I just don’t see how this is the best option we’ve got.”
“Anger clouds judgement. You understand that better than most, Felix. You may not realise this now, but when this is all said and done, you will know it was the best we could do.”
Felix’s mind trickled to the junior squad that was due to leave in the morning for a retrieval mission. Images flashed into his mind of what was to come: bloodshed, panic, injuries, but survival. Just as he tried to see more, he was met with a splitting headache.
“You push yourself too hard,” Athena noted. “I blessed you with that foresight to a certain extent. Don’t attempt to overuse it.”
Dawn was beginning to break in the distance. Athena cleared her throat. “I must leave. But Felix, remember this: your suspicions are correct. The son of Zeus serves his father.”
“Wait, I’m right? Mother-”
As Felix stretched a hand out to stop her, Athena disappeared in a flurry of owl feathers, each of them sinking to the floor.
As dawn broke, Felix threw on his shoes and set off across the cabin ground, beelining toward cabin seven. He pounded on the door, and it swung open to reveal an extremely annoyed Cassia. Her hair was all over the place, falling less in glossy blonde curls and more in multiple rat nests, and she had a soft glow surrounding her. “What do you want?” She asked, glowering at the son of Athena.
“I need to break into cabin one.”
“It’s six in the morning.”
“Aren’t you meant to be an early bird? Child of Apollo and all?”
“Shut the hell up before I punt you into the sun.”
“If you think that’ll scare me off, you’re wrong.”
Cassia scowled, but stepped out into the morning air, closing the door behind her. “Breaking into cabin one, huh? What’s made you decide to do that?”
“No time to explain.”
“What makes you think I’m the person who’s good for breaking into places when your best friend is literally a child of Hermes?”
Felix paused. “Oh. I didn’t think of that.”
“Uh-huh. You look like shit. Have you slept? Forget it, you probably haven’t.”
“I’ve got to go.”
“To bed?”
“To Castillo. Bye!”
“Go to bed!” Cassia shouted as she went back inside to her cabin.
Felix didn’t knock this time. Castillo wasn’t one for formalities, and he’d be less likely to tear Felix’s head off like Cassia or Nova would. With a quick kick of the door, Felix stormed in. When he looked at Castillo's bunk, it was empty.
“Hold it!” Felix whipped his head around to see Castillo, still half-asleep, pointing his guns at Felix’s head. “Who the fuck d’you think you are?”
Felix smirked, pushing the guns down. “It’s me, dude. I’ve got an idea. Time to wake up.”
“Nuh-uh. You can’t legally wake me before 7:30.”
“It involves breaking into somewhere.”
“I can do that any time of day. Why would I want to do it at six in the morning?”
“It involves breaking into Aspen’s cabin.”
Castillo shook his head, waking himself up. “Oh, you’re evil. I’m in.”
Cassia’s younger sister and newly claimed daughter of Hermes, Phoebe, sat up from her bunk, rubbing her eyes. “What are you two doing?”
Castillo holstered his guns as he pulled on a monster brand shirt. “Breaking into private property. Nothing you need to worry about, Phoebe.”
“Breaking into a place? I want to go.”
“Nah, it’s boring, trust. Besides, you should sleep some more. You’ve got your first mission today, yeah?”
“I do?” Phoebe blinked. “I do. But I still want to come.”
“Can’t allow it, sorry Pheebs. Your sister would have my head if I put you into trouble.”
“Cassia doesn’t have to know.”
“She’d know anyway,” Felix added, grinning. “Castillo can’t keep anything from her.”
“Ugh, you’re lame,” Phoebe groaned, flopping back into bed. “Whatever. Have fun being boring.”
Castillo laced up his heavily scribbled converse, checked the ammo in his pistols and joined Felix out the door. “I know that once you've got an idea, there's no stopping you,” Castillo remarked as they passed cabin ten. Felix nodded. “You’d be more than correct. My idea this time is that Aspen’s up to something, and I'm going to stalk him before the meeting.”
“Care to not sound like a deranged James Bond?”
“I- fine. Aspen’s serving his father.”
“That's it? Seriously? That's like saying Cassia serves Apollo. Obviously that's true, and that's expected.”
“No, it's different. Apollo's not a total dick like Zeus is.”
Castillo cast a quick glance up to the sky before letting Felix continue. “As I was saying, it’s different. Aspen serving Zeus means he’s not for us, he’s for the gods. We’re not exactly for the gods, are we?”
Castillo snorted. “Do I look like I’d wear a t-shirt with the words ‘HERMES 4LYFE’ on it?”
“Exactly.”
“Oh,” Castillo said, nodding slowly. “So he’s a rat.”
“A rat he is,” Felix confirmed. “But I don’t think Helena is. Perhaps she’s not her father’s favourite.”
“Oh, you’re evil,” Castillo laughed as they approached cabin one. “I like it. Alright, owl boy, let’s get you into this cabin.”
Castillo was a master of sneaking into places. Felix was obviously familiar with his game, but it never shocked to amaze the son of Athena just how good he was. Within seconds, they were inside, sneaking alongside the walls that were obscured by night. Dawn was breaking, but they hid in the shadows. The giant statue of Zeus glared disapprovingly down at them, but they paid no attention as they pressed themselves against a wall. Helena was standing on one side, Aspen on the other. The twins didn’t get along most of the time.
“Who argues at six in the morning?” Castillo whispered.
“Aspen, apparently,” Felix muttered. Helena was pacing back and forth, bickering in hushed tones with her brother, who looked as cold and impassive as always.
“Why do this, Aspen? It’s not like father cares-”
“He will appreciate that someone around here understands the risks necessary for peace.”
“You keep throwing that word around; peace. Why is peace always the justification for violence?”
“You’re much too much like mother. Toughen up, Helena. This is the way of the gods.”
Helena rounded on her brother, standing on her tiptoes to be eye level with him. “Don’t lecture me about the way of the gods! We’re meant to be family, and yet this plan you’ve got is going to tear us apart. It’ll tear the squad apart, it’ll tear the whole camp apart.”
“You’re being ridiculous. They’re not that intelligent, especially not Felicity.”
“Felicity is one of the sharpest minds I know of,” Helena rebuked. “There you go again, mouthing off stereotype after stereotype. First it’s that Castillo can’t be trusted, next it’s that Nova is too brutish to have a mind, now it’s Felicity can’t possess both beauty and brains!”
Aspen scoffed. “I trust father’s judgement. It’s disappointing that you don’t.”
“Stop talking to me like I’m some soldier you’re in charge of instead of your sister! You get put into power one time and tyranny arises. Aspen, people are going to die. So many will die or get hurt with this plan! A junior squad shouldn’t be going out on deadly missions.”
“I’m doing what is needed to keep us alive! I’m just warning you, Helena, these people are just like their parents. We know what the gods are like. Father has told us.”
Helena rolled her eyes, and began pacing again. “I won’t pin people to narrow minded stereotypes. We’re past that. These people are our friends, not copies of the gods.”
“How do we know Cassia isn’t conversing with her father about all of this? How do we know he’s not poisoning her?”
“What does Cassia have to do with anything I just said? For the last time: you’re not listening to me!”
“You’re impossibly naive!”
“You’re on the way to becoming a dictator if you’re not careful!”
“I’ve had it up to here with you, Helena!”
Aspen turned on his heel and stormed out of the cabin, Helena following close behind, ensuring she got the last word in. The double doors slammed behind them, and the two boys appeared from the shadows.
“Well that,” Castillo began. “Was certainly an eye opening experience.”
“I was right.” Felix bit his lip. “I was right. Aspen’s working directly for Zeus. Anything we do or say in front of him will eventually be relayed back to his father.”
“Think Cassia and Nova might want to be in the loop about this?”
“Oh, absolutely. Especially Cassia. Maybe she can talk to Apollo for us and find out more. He might’ve heard something at a council meeting.”
“It’s worth a try,” Castillo reasoned, shrugging. “But we should get out of here and find them before we have that meeting.”
“Definitely.”
Castillo and Felix darted out of the cabin and across the green, both frantically wondering what this could mean for the months to come. Athena’s words echoed in Felix’s mind: ‘You may not realise this now, but when this is all said and done, you will know it was the best we could do.’
No, He thought as he rushed toward cabin five. There is always another way. There are a multitude of ways to win the battle.
Athena was wrong. The gods were wrong. Aspen was wrong. There was another way, and Felix would stop at nothing to find it.
Chapter 27: war and healing
Notes:
Nothing much to say here, but thanks for 700 hits!
Chapter Text
Nova Allemande was torn from her sleep far too early for her liking when her friends pounded on the door at full force. At once, she sat up and grabbed a throwing star on her bedside table. Her siblings were still fast asleep, but Nova was half-awake. She trudged to the front door, barely aware of what she might do if it were an intruder at her doorstep. Something about… blood? And shed. Bloodshed, maybe? She was too tired to think.
Castillo burst through the front door, a crazy grin on his face, followed by Felix with a similar expression. Nova registered this for a moment before preparing to shout. “What are you two doing? It’s barely sunrise!”
“We’ve been sneaking around,” Felix answered. “And we found something.”
“It’s about Aspen- get this, he’s a rat. Serving his father.” Castillo pushed his hair out of his face, which was windswept and messier than his handwriting.
“Hold on, what?” Nova sat down on her bed, sighing. “I’m hardly awake.”
“Wake up,” Castillo shot back, cocking his pistol and aiming at Nova’s head, finger on the trigger. Instantly, the daughter of Ares was charged with adrenaline. She reached for her throwing star and hurtled it right at Castillo’s skull. The son of Hermes calmly tilted his head to the side, and pulled the trigger. A little flag stuck out with the words ‘BANG!’ written on it.
“I hate you,” Nova growled, shaking her head.
“Love you too. Now, get dressed and make yourself look decent. We’ll go bother Cassia.”
“That’s more dangerous than pissing me off,” Nova scoffed, pulling on a hoodie. “Hold on, I’ll go do it. I think she’d blow you up.”
“Whatever,” Castillo muttered, twisting his guns. “We’ll just be here.”
“In my cabin?” Nova raised an eyebrow. “Unless you want my siblings to crucify you, you’ll wait outside.”
Nova was reluctant to get out of the warm cabin into the chilly air, but the distance between cabins seven and five was next to none. Nova didn’t bother to put on shoes, so she was stepping on the wet grass, cursing out Felix and Castillo for ruining her sleep. Soon, she arrived on the doorstep to cabin seven. Nova pounded her fist on the door a few times. “Cassia, get your lazy ass up!”
The door swung open to reveal the daughter of Apollo, glowering at Nova. Her hair was falling in glossy curls down her back, and her skin was glowing with the first rays of sun. Had her freckles always been that defined? And her hair, had that really always been so golden? “What?” She snapped.
Nova felt something in her heart tingle, and faint blush crept onto her cheeks. Even though Cassia was ready to break Nova in two, she looked beautiful.
“Hello? Am I talking to a brick wall here?” Cassia snapped her fingers in Nova’s face. “Why are you here? First Felix, now you. Is today the day we all decide to annoy me?”
“Felix found something about Aspen. Apparently he’s a rat.”
“A rat?” Cassia lowered her hand. “Huh. Alright, come in. Tell me everything.”
Nova stepped inside, sitting down on Cassia’s bed and kicking her feet up. It was still warm. Cassia came over, rolling her eyes. “Get off,” She said, sitting beside her and shoving her playfully. “I just woke up so I might be a little slow, but tell me what’s going on.”
“Felix and Castillo broke into Aspen’s cabin and apparently he’s a rat. That’s all I heard. Felix knows more.”
“We can’t leave those boys to do anything alone,” Cassia yawned, stretching her arms above her head. “I’ll get dressed, just wait.”
Cassia turned away from Nova and slipped off her ratty T-shirt, exposing her bare back for a brief moment. Nova was instantly filled with embarrassment and something worse that she couldn’t name. Cassia’s skin was tanned and freckled all over, like stars in the night sky.
“I can feel you looking, you creep,” Cassia chided, unable to hide the laughter in her voice. Nova sputtered and looked at a wall. “You’re right there!”
Cassia laughed as she pulled on an oversized t-shirt that she’d stolen from Castillo over her head and turned to Nova. “I’m kidding, you idiot. You’re acting like I’m a Victorian woman showing you my ankle.”
“Hah,” Nova replied, attempting to make her blush disappear. Cassia didn’t seem to notice. “Right. Let’s get over to the boys.”
Cassia slipped on her converse and pulled her hair back into two plaits, and they set off back to Felix and Castillo. Cassia was threading light through her fingers, watching the sunrise. Nova wanted to pause time and stay in this moment forever, watching Cassia stare at the dawning sky whilst being the most radiant thing around.
“You’re up,” Castillo sighed, running over to the girls. Felix was close behind. Cassia turned to greet them, and Castillo skidded to a halt. “And you look like shit. God, don’t show yourself until you’ve had a shower.”
“Uh-huh,” Cassia replied, unimpressed. “Same goes for you. You have dirt on your face, did you know?”
“Yeah, but you look worse.”
“Impossible. I was inspired by you. I’m even wearing your shirt.”
“So you did steal it!”
“Both of you, stop,” Felix interjected, standing between the two. “We have catching up to do. Castillo and I broke into Aspen’s cabin and heard him and Helena arguing. Aspen is serving his father, Zeus. He’s not for us, he’s for the gods, and he’s assuming we’re just like our parents. Cass, he said Apollo was poisoning you-”
“Hah!” Cassia snorted. “I guess he just doesn’t understand the difference between having a loving father or a controlling dickwad for a parent.”
Nova raised an eyebrow, eyeing Cassia warily. “I’m guessing you don’t like people shit talking your dad, then.”
“Try it and I’ll tear you in two.”
“Point taken.”
“Anyway,” Felix continued. “Aspen is willing to let younger demigods die. Children. I know there’s a better plan, but I need you guys to help me stop Aspen if he gets too.. Tyrannical here and there.”
“Aye aye, captain,” Castillo said, giving a mock salute. Cassia elbowed him playfully. Nova nodded at Felix’s demand. “So can we go back to bed now?”
“You can go back to bed now. I should probably sleep.”
“You haven't slept?”
“It's Felix,” Cassia sighed. “Of course he didn't sleep. He was thinking.”
“My mind never rests, why should I?”
“You have issues, owl boy. Go to bed- and that's coming from the medicine god in me.”
Felix rolled his eyes, but set off toward his cabin at a sluggish pace as Cassia shouted at him to get some rest. Castillo zoomed off toward his cabin to catch some sleep. Cassia turned to Nova. “I’m up for the day, I suppose. You?”
“Uh, yeah, me too,” Nova replied. “I need to sharpen my stars. Want to come?”
“Sure. I could probably sharpen my arrows.”
And so they sat, perched on the steps to cabin seven, Cassia telling stories of her childhood to lighten the anxiety in the air. She was nervous for Phoebe, who would be on the first mission leaving later that day. Cassia’s words were joyful and nostalgic, but her hands were tense and pale. Her smile didn’t seem to reach her eyes. Cassia loved her sister dearly, that was obvious, so if she lost her… Nova knew it would break her.
Talking about her childhood and her family seemed to make her more and more anxious, so Nova switched the subject. “Why don’t I tell you a bit about my childhood?”
“You?” Cassia looked up, eyebrows arched in surprise. “I thought you didn’t like talking about your childhood.”
“Eh,” Nova shrugged. “I’m feeling nostalgic. It wasn’t all bad. My mom- I never knew her, but according to my uncle, she was a police officer. A real good one, too. Nothing fazed her, but then again, we were in Florida. Anything is possible in Florida, so when Ares waltzed into her life she barely blinked.”
“She sounds cool.”
“She must’ve been. I never met her, though. My uncle was just as cool- he ran a surfing shop near the beach. He took me in and we used to go surfing after he closed up for the day.”
“That.. that’s nice.”
“It was. He taught me all about the ocean: how to look for rips, the best places to catch a wave, how to not fall off your board, the basics. Once we saw a shark.”
Nova looked down at her star, admiring the newly sharpened edges. “After he died, I was taken into custody by Ares.”
“What?”
“Custody is the wrong word. He grabbed me, told me he was my dad, and dumped me at camp. I’ve been here ever since.”
“Oh.”
“It’s okay, you can laugh. My life’s better now. Not perfect, but it’s better.”
“My life..” Cassia snorted. “Far from good right now. Uh, when Phoebe arrived, she took me aside and told me that our mother is dying. I don’t know how long she’s got, or what she might look like if I ever see her.”
“That’s depressing.”
“Tell me about it. What I lack with mortal family issues, I make up for with my dad. I won’t pretend everything’s perfect between us, because it isn’t, but it’s good. That’s all I can ask for.”
The girls went quiet, looking out at the surrounding area as the world began to wake. Nova watched Cassia as she admired the view. Her heart was full looking at her. Cassia was beautiful with the dawn, radiant with the day, and alluring with the sundown. Cassia noted Nova's stare, and offered a sideways smile in return. “What?” She asked.
“You're beautiful.”
Cassia was surprised by the comment, but it vanished instantly as she settled into a soft smile. Her eyes, blue as the summer afternoon sky, shone with the first rays of day.
“And so are you,” She replied, her tone laced with sincerity. Nova felt herself blush, but couldn't bring herself to look away from the girl.
With nothing to break their gaze, no distractions to pause the moment, Nova felt something dawning on her. It filled her with warmth, then burning heat, then sheer panic as it settled in.
“You've got a scratch on your cheek, did you know? A scar.” Cassia reached her hand up to Nova’s cheek, grazing her thumb over the small cut. Her touch made Nova’s body flush. “I don't think I've ever told you how much I liked it.”
Cassia pulled away, her expression unreadable. Her eyes were shining with something other than beauty.
“You haven't.”
Just as the moment was perfect, it was interrupted. One of Cassia’s siblings came out of the cabin. “Oh,” he said, holding a clipboard awkwardly. “Am I interrupting?”
“No, it's fine,” Cassia replied. “You're all good, Danny.”
Danny nodded. “Right. Well, we've got the briefing soon.”
“How soon?”
“Ten minutes.”
“Thanks,” Cassia nodded. Danny’s eyes flickered to Nova for a moment before clearing his throat. “Good to see you, Nova,” he added before hustling off toward cabin four.
Cassia tucked her hair behind her ear and stood. “I need to get ready. See you in ten?”
Nova had to leave? Now? Right when she was finally understanding something, it was all broken up by interruptions. Nova wanted to grasp Cassia by the wrist and talk until their voices gave out, but the girl would probably murder Nova for trying it.
Cassia went back into her cabin, leaving Nova alone on the porch. Sighing, the daughter of Ares made her way back to her own cabin.
Ten minutes later, every demigod in the camp was gathered in a crowd around the campfire. The junior unit was standing in a small pack, whispering to each other. A few of the older campers were providing advice. Cassia, as Nova noted, was one of them. She was standing before Phoebe, firing words in French to the daughter of Hermes, who replied with rushed phrases.
Nova hadn't heard Cassia talk in her native tongue so much before. She'd heard pieces of French here and there when Cass was irritated or especially tired, but never to this degree. Castillo appeared from nowhere, picking up on the conversation and adding to it in the same language. Neither girl raised an eyebrow at this.
“Demigods,” Aspen called for silence, but nobody listened. The crowd thinned, but Cassia was still trying to talk to Phoebe. Aspen cleared his throat. “Cassia.”
Cassia broke from her conversation with a glare directed to Aspen, but shuffled away. “Thank you,” the son of Zeus added dryly. He drew himself up, pushing his green hair out of his eyes.
“Junior squad, welcome to the service. Your mission is to travel to the Manhattan area and locate one demigod: Ria Rocha, believed to be a child of Apollo. You have been briefed on current drakon numbers and risks involved.”
Nobody in the junior squad dared to speak.
“Your leader, Thomas, will be giving you orders. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir,” they chimed back. Aspen nodded, satisfied. “Then go. Bring your house honour.”
At the camp’s borders, Cassia was being held back by Felix and Castillo as the demigods passed through. Phoebe bid her a goodbye, and disappeared over the hill. Cassia stopped struggling, and stumbled forward to the gateway. She made no attempt to pass through it, simply watching the path before her. The crowd eventually left, going back to their activities, but Nova, Felix and Castillo waited for her. Nova cleared her throat, cautiously stepping forward to grasp the daughter of Apollo’s wrist.
Cassia flinched at her touch, but didn't pull away. Nova reached up for her chin, tilting it towards her. “Hey,” she started, her voice exceedingly gentle. Far too gentle for a child of war. “She's coming back. It's time to trust her.”
“She's eleven.” Cassia sighed with defeat. “She shouldn't be going out- I should be out there right now. She needs to be safe.”
“When you were twelve, you fell into the underworld with the three of us. I promise Phoebe, who is with a squad of people, will be alright. It's only Manhattan they're going to.”
“I..” Cassia’s fingers fumbled with the air, and light took flight from her fingertips. It trailed upward toward the sky, like a puppet’s strings.
“You don't have to say anything.” Nova lowered her hand from Cassia’s jaw, and the girl’s eyes glittered with tears. Nova opened her arms for a hug, and Cassia melted into her embrace, sobbing. Nova held her, muttering sweet nothings as the girl cried, whilst she silently thanked Aphrodite for the work she had done, even in the circumstances.
Chapter 28: Never stop running, child of speed.
Notes:
Thanks for reading this chapter! Some info: Castillo's mother is implied to be a s3x worker. Nothing against the workers in the industry!
Also:
- His mother was implied to have been abusive
- If the geography doesn't make much sense and you're american, i'm sorry :") I'm from Australia and It's currently 1 in the morning so I'm running on fumes, the Les Mis soundtrack, and google maps
Chapter Text
Castillo despised the silence. He hated moments when the world went still, or quiet, or even slowed a little. No, the world had to keep moving so Castillo could keep going. He couldn’t stop to pause or allow his thoughts to turn into memories. Keep going, don’t slow down.
So, when he took a minute to breathe, everything began to fall apart internally. As he watched the junior squad leave, Castillo had to hold himself back. He wanted to pull Phoebe back, to keep her grounded and let Cassia hold her. Nova had her arms around the girl, who was sobbing on her shoulder. Castillo understood the fear she felt. Cassia and Phoebe had been sisters their whole lives. Castillo had only known Phoebe was his half-sister for a few weeks, but he already loved her with his whole being. He had to keep her safe for Cassia, whom he also loved. They were both his sisters.
Nova was muttering reassurances in Cassia’s ear, but they didn’t seem to be helping. Castillo wasn’t great with emotions or feelings (he couldn’t even figure out his own), but he knew Cassia needed someone who loved Phoebe also to comfort her. He moved forward, reaching out his hand in a comforting gesture. Nova shuffled away awkwardly, and Cassia latched onto Castillo. The daughter of Apollo was trembling in his arms. Instantly, Castillo held her tighter. An urge to fight flooded him.
“She’ll be back,” He murmured. “I know it.”
Back in cabin eleven, Castillo had a moment to stop. It was all against his will: he wanted to keep moving, keep zooming around like he was used to, but he had nowhere to run. He was alone for the first time in a while, without mischief to cause, and without a fight. The cabin was filled with shadows despite it being noon. Castillo hoisted himself up onto his bunk, and took his guns out of their holsters. He sat on his bed for a moment, twirling the gun in his fingers, but quickly realised he wasn’t able to escape the memories.
The last time he’d watched someone leave, knowing they were in grave danger, his mother had died. Two winters ago, Castillo had felt inspired by Cassia’s relationship with her mother. He’d wanted to give it another chance, and his mother had agreed. So, when Cassia had left for Brooklyn in the midst of December, Castillo had made his way to Nevada.
Las Vegas wasn’t exactly a place filled with good memories, but there was a sense of nostalgia as Castillo roamed the streets. He knew who to avoid, and what streets to stay away from. These were the streets his mother worked on night to night. These were the streets Hermes had found her, gotten her pregnant, and Castillo had been born. If there was one thing Castillo’s mother had going for her, it was her bluntness. Castillo didn’t glorify his father, or look up to him like Cassia did. Then again, Cassia’s dad wasn’t neglectful of his kids. Hermes had never tried to reach out to Castillo. As far as he was concerned, Castillo didn’t have a father.
So, navigating the streets of the sinful city, Castillo wound up at his mother’s doorstep on the outskirts. The woman opened the door, and for the first time in five years, they were reunited. There was silence. Dead silence. Castillo’s mother hadn’t wanted him, hadn’t been ready for him, and Castillo hadn’t been ready to exist. It was awkward for both of them.
“It’s you,” She began flatly. She was a beautiful woman, still in her thirties. She had been young when Hermes had found her- only 20.
“It’s me,” Castillo replied, clutching his hoodie strings nervously.
“How are you?”
“Fine.”
“Oh.”
It was the deepest conversation they’d ever had. Castillo’s mother tucked her short, mousy brown hair behind her ear, sighing. “Are you staying?”
“No. I shouldn’t.”
“Dangerous?”
“Yeah. There have been rumours of drakon numbers increasing.”
“Drakons?” His mother raised an eyebrow.
“Bigger dragons.”
“Oh. How long are you here for, then?”
“Uh.. I don’t know. Maybe a few minutes?”
Castillo’s mother slowly nodded. “Longest you’ve been here in years.”
“Longest we’ve talked in years.”
“Hah. Well,” His mother stepped to the side. “Want to come in?”
“Sure.” Castillo had thought he could spare a few minutes. He thought he’d be safe.
Inside, the house was in better shape than he’d remembered. It was clean, it was decorated nicely. His mother had a degree hanging on the wall.
“After you left, I started recovering,” His mother explained as she passed him a mug of tea. “I left the streets and went to college. I’m working as a secretary for now.”
Castillo nodded, staring at his tea. His stomach was lurching. His mother’s life had been better since he’d gone. It was just more proof that he made everything around him worse. He’d been a burden on his mother. Neither parent had wanted him. Still, he focused on what had gone well since running away. “I’ve met some friends. Uh, my life’s fine, I suppose. Just came back from a quest.”
“And it went well?”
“Mostly, yeah. I saw dad.”
“Your father?” His mother stiffened. “And… what did he say?”
“Nothing. We didn’t talk. Made eye contact.”
“That’s a start.”
“Maybe.”
“Look, Castillo,” His mother set down her mug. “It seems like us being apart was for the better. I’m on my feet, I’m doing good, and it seems you are, too. I think we should keep it that way.”
“Both staying out of the other’s way?”
“I’m not going to lie , I wasn’t ready to have you. You know that. I wasn’t a good mother. I couldn’t be who you needed, and I’m sorry. I don’t think I can ever be who you need. It’s better if you go and don’t come back.”
“What? You can’t even try to fix it? Even when you’re better now, and when I’m older?” Castillo could hardly believe what he was hearing. It sounded a lot like: ‘Sure, come to Nevada, let’s talk. When you finally get here, I’ll tell you I actually never want to see you again!’
“It’s just beyond fixing at this point.”
“ Nothing is beyond fixing so long as we both want it fixed.”
His mother shook her head. “I… I don’t want it fixed.”
“You don’t want me.”
“No, it’s-”
“You don’t want me. Just admit it. The least you can do is have the guts to say it!”
“I can’t- I can’t provide for you, Castillo-”
“You don’t want me.” Castillo felt his mind speeding up, his heart beginning to writhe in his chest like a rabid animal in a cage.
His mother sighed with defeat. “What good would saying it aloud do? I think you should go. Goodbye, Castillo. Find someone better than me.”
Unable to believe his mother’s self-pitying act, Castillo stood and stormed out of the house. Nevada wasn’t covered in snow during the winter, but it was dry and cold. The son of Hermes doused himself in the air. His mother didn’t rush after him, instead staying right where she sat.
Castillo stomped down the road when he paused. A shiver ran up his spine, and it wasn’t because of the cold. Whipping around at the last moment, Castillo caught a glimpse of a Lydian drakon, 20 feet tall, imposing itself on him. It was drifting through the air in slow motion, jaws opened wide, eyes focused on Castillo. The son of Hermes understood this phenomenon: he could get so fast everything was slowed down. He reached for his newly given guns and began opening fire. The drakon roared as the bullets ricocheted off its scales. Castillo reached in his backpack for a grenade, which he had in good supply after his detour to Texas on the way to Nevada. He pulled the pin and tossed it toward the drakon, who paused for a moment before it was coated in fire. The drakon screamed in agony, trampling all around.
Castillo was preparing to get running once more when he saw it happen. The drakon collapsed, burning up, right on his mother’s house. The building caught alight and exploded in a rush of energy. Castillo remembered this: getting up, realising what he had done, understanding the threat beginning to form, and running. That night, he ran from Nevada to Brooklyn. Super speed made him fast, but nothing would ever make Castillo Briella fast enough to run from his mistakes. In the city of sin, Castillo had accidentally murdered his mother.
What happened in Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas for Castillo. It followed him everywhere, looming in the shadows, hiding in the silence. All he could do was distract himself.
So now, as he sat on his bed, Castillo pushed the memory down in his chest, locking it in the deepest corners of his heart. He holstered his guns once more, and slipped off his bunk. Gathering himself, Castillo plastered a mischievous grin on his face and dashed out to find Felix. Perhaps the son of Athena would have something new on Aspen they could gossip about.
Chapter 29: The nightmares start when you wake up
Notes:
Wazzup guys I'm back with another chapter. Cassia's not doing well 😝 and OH BOY is it starting to show
Also there's sneaky foreshadowing here (in a few places) so stay alert!
But we got Nova x Cassia in this chapter so I hope you enjoy some yuri + gay panic 🔥
x
Chapter Text
When Cassia Dubois looked in the mirror, she searched for the fragmented remains of the girl she once was. The girl who existed before this had all occurred. The girl before the statue and the god.
Cassia Dubois was many things considered divine- the power of the sun coursed through her veins, she was the daughter of a god, but she wished to be a child again. Naivety was a treasure, ignorance was as precious as ichor. None could afford either in these times, but Cassia wished to leave this world, leave this camp, stop playing soldier and go back home. There, she would make dinner with her mother, then play some video game with Phoebe. Perhaps a tune would rest on her lips, and she’d sing as she braided her hair.
Simplicity was a gift never appreciated. Once, she’d craved adventure, but now? She wanted a life of basic things. She wanted her family, safe and sound. She wished that her worst problems would arise during her studies.
Instead she was a soldier.
So, looking in the mirror, Cassia strayed from her pitiful search for nostalgia. Distracting herself from the issues around her wouldn’t make them go away. Phoebe was in danger, serious danger. Cassia wasn’t about to escape the camp and drag her sister back here, but she was going to the reason Phoebe had to leave in the first place: Aspen.
How stupid had she been to admire him? Aspen didn’t care what happened to any of the demigods that weren’t in his squad, and he only cared because he needed them. He was willing to send children to their deaths to what? Please the gods? Eliminate the threat? It wouldn’t work. What could children do against drakons, of all monsters?
Cassia couldn’t be the girl she wanted to be anymore. Those days were long since past. She was a daughter of Apollo, whether she liked it or not. A soldier. A demigod. She would never again be able to embrace the human side of her, not in the face of war. Never in the face of death. Power was everything, but names meant more.
Cassia looked away from her reflection, clenching her fists. Her fingertips were burning with light harvested from the fluorescent lights above her. The camp bathrooms were dipped in shadows. With a frustrated sigh, she rejected the light from her fingers. It shot into the lights and settled back into a harsh glow above her.
A single thought formed in her head: If anything happens to anyone, I’ll destroy Aspen with my bare hands.
It felt reasonable. Cassia was a girl filled with anger, anxiety, and fear. Fear, left unchecked, festered into more and more anger. Anger, left unchecked, evolved into violence. Cassia was well beyond common sense by this point. Everyone wanted something to do with her: Aspen wanted her skills on the team. Apollo wanted her to stay right here and just stay alive, but she knew she had to care for her siblings for him in return. She doubted she could do any of those things, considering her past experiences. Felix wanted her help, Castillo wanted her company, Nova wanted her.
Flicking through her thoughts, Cassia shook her head at the mention of Nova. The daughter of Ares had been far too thought provoking for Cassia’s liking recently. She had so much to do and worry about, and Nova was slowly slithering her way up to the top of the list. Though Cassia would rather worry about Nova than her other problems.
“Cass?” Nova pounded on the door. “We agreed you could have two hours for crying. It’s been three. Get out.”
“Oh my gods,” Cassia groaned, swinging the door open. Nova stumbled forward and gathered herself with a scowl. “You saw nothing.”
“I saw everything.” Cassia stepped out of the cubicle, which was shockingly roomy, and strode out of the bathroom, Nova at her heels.
“Well?” Nova caught up with Cassie and began walking backwards. Her long goddess braids swayed in her face. With a huff, Nova gathered them in her hands and held them in a makeshift ponytail. Cassia raised an eyebrow. “Well what?”
“Are you feeling better?”
“Of course not. I’m just too tired to cry.”
“What can I do to make you feel better, huh?” Nova stepped in front of Cassia. Cass stepped sideways to get around her, but the girl gripped her wrist. Cassia was used to the sun’s heat charging her body, but she wasn’t used to whatever this was. Her entire body felt flustered and hot, like she’d just run a marathon.
Snap out of it, She scolded, pulling away. Nova grasped her wrist again. “Well? Wanna punch me? Use me as target practice? Fight me?”
“Tempting.”
“I’m not leaving you alone, Cass. You’re self-destructive. You’ll blow yourself up because you think you deserve it.”
“Thanks so much.”
“I’m saying you should take it out on someone who can handle it. I can handle you, so beat me up.”
“Hang on, you want me to beat you up?”
“It’d be an honour, sweetheart.”
Suddenly Cassia's mouth was dry. Nova looked cocky and far too confident for her own good. Her lips were curled into a sideways smile, eyes narrowed and ready for a fight. Nova made Cassia feel good and bad at the exact same time, but not bad in the same way Phoebe leaving made her feel bad. This was downright awful, but in such a good way.
Her heart was racing, palms sweating, stomach twisting-
-And it felt strangely good. What even was this feeling dawning on her? How was she meant to express it? She'd felt this before, but never to this degree.
“So, sunshine?” Nova tilted her head to the side. “What’ll it be? A fistfight or target practice?”
Cassia was silent as realisation crashed over her. Her cheeks flushed, and all of her worries and fears seemed to evaporate for a blissful moment.
“Target practice sounds good,” She replied. Archery was something she had control over. What she didn’t have control over was this feeling.
After practice, Cassia strode over to the towering marble statues of the gods that were spaced evenly across the green. Nova had long gone back to her cabin, and sundown was settling over the horizon. Cassia paused as she approached a statue of Aphrodite, staring up at the goddess’ marble face. Her eyes were fixed on the sunset, avoiding Cassia’s gaze. The daughter of Apollo sighed, her arms falling to her sides as she thought up something to ask the love goddess.
“Why, Aphrodite?” She asked, sighing. “Why now? Why her?”
The statue held no reply. Stone didn’t talk.
“I was perfectly fine without these unnecessary feelings,” She continued. “I don’t need this. Why did you have to look down at me, out of everyone?”
If Aphrodite could hear her, she wasn’t saying much. Cassia ran a hand over her face. “If- if this is really your will, please…” She trailed off, thinking. “...Please let it last.”
She turned away from the marble goddess and stopped before another statue. Her father was also looking out at the sunset, ignoring his daughter’s presence. Cassia said nothing, but summoned the orange glow of setting sun to her fingers, forming a beautiful raven of sunlight to fly up and dissolve, raining light down on the marble. With little effort, Cassia lit up the marble engraving of her father’s name for a moment as a way to pay respect. As the sun disappeared below the lake’s surface, sinking once more into the earth, Cassia moved on, her footsteps glowing softly as they imprinted the slowly moistening grass, building with dewey night.
Until something stopped her. She turned to her left to see a towering statue of Artemis above her, the goddess’ bow drawn, prepared to shoot her right in the heart. With the sinking sun and rising moon, Artemis was bathed in a milky glow. Cassia raised her hand slightly, trying something she had never considered before. Technically, the moon’s light was the sun’s. If she could control the sun’s light to some degree, surely that included the moon’s also?
Raising her fingers up slightly, Cassia drew out the shy light of the moon as an offering to the goddess. The light obeyed, albeit reluctantly. Cassia twisted it into a deer, and the deer gently approached the statue. She kneeled before Artemis, then settled down in a resting position. The light split into tiny shards of moonlight, running along the base of the statue, illuminating it like Cassia had done for her father’s statue.
What had told her to stop and provide respects to the goddess, Cassia didn’t yet know, but she understood that an instinct meant a lot more than it seemed when you were a demigod. Everything happened for a reason, and if you had a little voice in the back of your mind encouraging you to pay respects to a goddess, you did exactly that. Cassia felt her exhaustion seeping in as she moved away from the statues, and her desire to flop into her bed growing. She knew that she would have horrible nightmares the minute she fell asleep, but what could she do?
The rest of the cabin was fast asleep by the time Cassia arrived. The only source of light in the room was the tiny lamps, shaped like the sun, at the end of each bed. Children of Apollo were notoriously scared of the dark, even Cassia, who had ventured to the underworld. Cassia kicked off her shoes and pulled on a random shirt, sliding into bed without a second thought. She lay underneath her covers, clinging to the warmth that just might protect her from what nightmares she would experience the moment she slipped into unconsciousness.
Tonight, she was home. She stood in the hallway of her house, but no lights were on. It was dark and cold. The floorboards creaked as Cassia shifted her weight, slowly stepping forward into a home she missed more than anything. In the kitchen, voices were arguing in hushed tones.
Cassia noted the photos that rested on the coffee table were dusty. The furniture looked brand new, but it was the same it had always been. It hadn’t been sat on for a long time. Cassia came to a mirror hanging on the wall and gasped. Her hair was dark brown, like her mother’s, and her skin was pale. Her eyes were a muted blue, like oceans during storms, and her lips were cracked. When she raised a hand to her face, her hand was bruised and bloody.
This isn’t real, She told herself. It’s meant to scare you.
She continued into the kitchen. Her mother was standing, back turned from Cassia, arguing with a man she recognised. It wasn’t Apollo, though. This man had winged sandals and hair like salt and pepper. Hermes. She’d seen the god twice before, and she wasn’t his biggest fan. He wasn’t the greatest father, to say the least. But he was Phoebe’s father.
“You’re lying,” Cassia’s mother snapped. Victoria looked ill, much worse than Cassia had ever seen her look before. She looked like Cassia. “You- No, I refuse to believe it. It’s been over a year- why would you tell me this now?”
“She’s alive, Victoria, I swear it.” Hermes stepped forward, but Victoria batted his hand away. “Cassia is dead. My daughter is dead.”
“I promise you she’s alive,” Hermes pleaded. “I wouldn’t lie about this.”
“If she really is alive, why wouldn’t her own father come and tell me?”
“Apollo can’t, you know that. He sees her regularly, though. She’s doing well.”
“She is dead. You are lying. You’re a god of lies, why would you expect me to believe this?”
“Why would you not hold onto hope?”
“Because,” Victoria turned on her heels, a hint of her old ferocity reappearing. “I was warned of demigod’s lives. They die young. I love my
cannelle
more than I could possibly say, but she is dead. A year and a half of no contact means she is dead. It’s not-” She took a breath as her voice broke. “It’s not that I don’t want her to be alive, but I can’t afford to get my hopes up just for my heart to be broken all over again. I couldn’t see her, could I? And if this threat is as serious as you say, she’ll end up dead too. I can’t lose my daughter again. It’s easier to accept that she's gone from me in this life.”
Cassia turned on her heels and sprinted out of the kitchen, tearing through the hallway and out into the summer night. She ran all the way down senator street and didn’t stop until she was two blocks away. When she finally came to a halt, she broke down in tears. Her mother, dying, truly rejected the idea that Cassia was still alive. Cassia understood the risks drakons posed on her. On everyone. She had a place on the most elite squad- the one with the most dangerous missions. She would die. A scream built in her throat, and when it escaped the entire night went still. Cassia felt powerless, helpless, a puppet on a set of strings, forced to carry out her missions with the team. When she inescapably died, the next demigod would take her place and so on. Her mother thought she was dead and refused to accept the truth, Phoebe was somewhere out in the world, the world packed with drakons and monsters preparing to slaughter her, and Cassia could do nothing to protect her.
The real nightmare began when she would wake up.
Chapter 30: The end of beginning
Summary:
Aspen feels angsty.
Notes:
Hey guys! Sorry for not uploading, I'm STILL in an assessment block and I'm on my third mental breakdown of the month. Just going to say it here: Aspen is an important character! Pay attention to him ;)
Hope you like this chapter, we're about to REALLY get moving.
Chapter Text
When Aspen looked at his squad members, he saw potential others didn't. He felt like a mentor, a teacher, someone great and admired. Perhaps like his father, the king of the gods, Zeus. That was his goal.
Scanning the scowling faces of his squad, Aspen noted his observations in silence. Helena, his twin sister, was fidgeting with her silver ring- their mother's ring, in fact, as she talked to Maisie. Helena was nervous about something- no, someone. Maisie, that child of Demeter Aspen had heard held a real mean streak during battle, was chattering away, twirling a lock of her chocolate hair in her finger.
Leon, the son of Poseidon often locked up in his cabin, was resting his head against a wall. Leon was apparently a force to be reckoned with, but Aspen couldn't be sure. He'd have to take his father's word for it.
Then there was Nova, bickering with Felix. Nova was powerful, no doubt. She was strong and violent and a good team player (apart from the fights), but she seemed a little distracted. Felix was explaining something logical to her, dodging her fists mid sentence without flinching. The son of Athena was too clever for his own good, Aspen was sure. The way Felix’s gaze scanned Aspen’s face, analysing his every move, made him uneasy.
Then there was Cassia. With every day that passed, Cassia grew less and less like the girl Zeus had promised. His father had promised Aspen a proper demigod: she was the girl who had gone to the underworld to find Apollo’s bow, the girl who had taken on Ares with her friends and survived! Where was she? All Cassia did was fight and shout and cry. Not much to her.
Finn- useful in weaponry, good for forging or repairing the team’s weapons, but a little bit of a shallow character. Aspen wasn’t sure he even had a personality. Felicity was painting Castillo’s nails, and the two were gossiping about something. The nail polish quickly turned into paint for Castillo’s guns.
Once Aspen drilled sensibility into the group, they would unlock their full potential. They would demonstrate the reasons Zeus had asked Aspen to form this very squad. Each god had put forward one of their children for the job- one demigod with the strongest skill set and sharpest minds. These were who Aspen had been given.
Everybody had an issue. Helena was too nervous, Maisie too nice, Leon too lazy, Nova too violent, Felix too perceptive, Cassia too unstable… The list continued.
Aspen had to make these kids work. This squad had to perform perfectly. Aspen couldn't disappoint the gods. He remembered the day he'd been up on Olympus: it had only been a few weeks ago. The city has amazed him, but it hardly held a candle to the Olympians themselves.
When Aspen entered the room, the gods turned to look at him. His insides froze under their scrutiny, but he forced himself forward. He was a child of Zeus, like most of the gods in the room. He kneeled before his father's throne, and rose.
“Aspen, my son,” Zeus began, boring his electric blue eyes into his son’s stormy grey. “I have chosen you for a task. I trust you are already aware of the premises?”
“Yes, father,” Aspen responded. Zeus nodded. “Good. Then you understand why you are here, yes?”
“I do.”
“Then by all means,” Zeus waved a hand. “Hera, announce your champion.”
The queen of the Olympians sniffed at the sight of Aspen, but drew herself up. “Helena will be my representative.”
“Uh, one of mine?” Zeus raised an eyebrow. “Yes, very well.”
“If I may,” Poseidon began. “I nominate my fine son, Percy Jackson-”
“The boy’s retired,” Athena snapped.
“Fine. Leon.”
“I want Maisie to be on this squad,” Demeter announced. Ares threw a knife across the room. “Nova.”
“Didn't she-”
“-doesn't mean she's not bloody good at what she does. I have to respect such a bold girl.”
“Have it your way,” Athena sighed. “I nominate my son Felix.”
“I,” Apollo began, crossing one leg over the other. “Would like my daughter Cassia to be on the squad.”
“You're too soft with her,” Ares snarled. “She's not that good.”
“Remind me who fought against you and won, again?”
“You listen here-”
“I nominate one of my hunters,” Artemis interrupted, rolling her eyes at the two gods. “Her name is Irene."
“Does that count?” Apollo muttered. Artemis raised a sharply arched brow. “I don't see why it shouldn't, brother.”
“Alright, alright. I'm not having a go at you, just wondering.”
“Uh-huh. Anyway, I’ll ensure she speaks with Cassia. I’d like to get in contact with the girl.”
“Hold on, you'd better not be asking my daughter to join your hunt-”
“-hush, Apollo. Hephaestus, continue.”
“Eh?” Hephaestus looked up. “Oh. Uhm, Finn.”
“ I nominate my wonderfully deadly daughter Felicity,” Aphrodite chimed in. She eyed Apollo playfully, wearing a knowing smile.
“What?” He asked.
“Oh, nothing,” the love goddess answered. “Well, I'm sure she’ll tell you soon enough.”
“I- what?”
“Both of you, stop it,” Artemis scolded, throwing a glare to her brother.
Hermes picked at his nails before answering. “My son Castillo would be good.”
“Oh, what do I care? None of my kids are old enough,” Dionysus sighed. “I'll give you this one: Oscar. He's a kid from Hades.”
“Very well,” Zeus announced. “Aspen, I hope you have those names committed to memory. After your first mission you will report to us. Am I clear?”
“Yes father,” Aspen replied.
Zeus nodded. “You may go.”
As Aspen walked out the door, the gods began arguing once more.
“What do you mean by she'll tell me something?”
“Oh, nothing!”
“Aphrodite I swear-”
And now, Aspen had his team waiting for their first mission. They would be incredible. They were individually chosen by the gods themselves! Aspen would ensure that they were perfect in every way. Though as he admired his new peers, Felix caught his eye. He was intelligent, far too intelligent for his own good. Pair that with his constant suspicion and you held a recipe for disaster. Felix, no doubt, was suspicious of Aspen, or perhaps the gods. Aspen couldn’t have cared what the boy thought of him; Aspen was two years Felix’s senior. He was the one in control, not the son of Athena. He had nothing to worry about.
“Attention,” Aspen called, and the discussions around the room paused. “Let's discuss our first mission, shall we? Make yourselves comfortable, you'll be here a while.”
The demigods gathered in a circle, each attempting to play it cool around Aspen. The son of Zeus picked up a file encased in a thin golden stamp, holding it up for the others to see. “We have our first mission,” He began. All eyes fixated on the envelope hungrily.
Aspen broke the seal and took out the slip of paper containing their task. As he read, he struggled to maintain a stoic expression for the others. Uncertainty and panic began to prickle the hairs on his neck. He looked up from the page and moistened his lips. “We’re going to Florida to collect a child of Ares. We’re expected to locate and kill a Lydian Drakon that is harassing the demigod.”
“Kill?” Oscar straightened his back, shooting a cautionary glance around the room. “They can’t be serious. Even with twelve of us, we’d barely be able to make a scratch in that thing’s hide.”
“Well, maybe we can,” Maisie offered, her smile seeming more like a grimace as she doubted her words. “I mean, didn’t a daughter of Ares kill one by herself?”
“Not with her own strength,” Nova grunted, cracking her knuckles. “She had the blessing of my dad.”
“Could you maybe do the same? If you got Ares’ blessing, that is.”
Nova sighed heavily, gaze now downcast. Cassia took the reins of the conversation. “No chance he’d want to help us. We don’t have the best history.”
“We? What did you do to piss him off?” Maisie raised an eyebrow, unbelieving of Cassia’s words.
“Not important,” Felix interrupted. “Aspen, let’s say we manage to complete this. What next?”
“Glad you asked, Callahan,” He replied, consulting the paper. “We’re to report directly to the gods both before and after this task. During that meeting, my father will explain to you all the objectives and any other details. The gods will each offer some advice if they have any, and we’ll set off.”
“Wait,” Felicity held up her hands. “You’re telling me… I have to talk to my mother?”
“I’m not talking to my dad,” Leon protested, clenching his fist, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.
“You don’t have a choice,” Aspen snapped. “We don’t have a choice.”
“We used to spend our days playing games and creating,” Finn complained. “Now we’re marching to our deaths, like we’re soldiers, not children.”
“This is the will of the gods,” Aspen recited, his heart freezing over as the words left his tongue. “This is what is necessary for everyone’s benefit.”
“Why can’t the gods do this, huh?” Castillo asked. “They’re the ones with the power. Why can’t they just snap a finger and exterminate the entire species?”
Felix and Cassia shared a look before the daughter of Apollo began speaking. “First part of the question: I asked my dad the same thing. Apparently it’s ‘not that simple.’ Zeus won’t allow them to do anything.” She threw a cold look to Aspen, as though it were his fault. Aspen sort of agreed with her. “Apollo said it was something to do with tampering with fate and letting it play out. In short, it’s just natural selection.”
“As for exterminating the drakons,” Felix continued. “No species can be fully exterminated without repercussions of some kind. You’re unbalancing an ecosystem, and those are built on balance entirely. They’re an invasive species, so we need to manage their numbers, but it’s unethical to kill them off.”
“So the kids die but the drakons live?” Nova scoffed. “Some godly logic right there.”
“Why do we even have to do this?” Castillo questioned. “What’s binding us to this duty? We can just say no.”
“You can’t,” Aspen said. The son of Hermes stiffened. “What?” He asked.
“You can’t say no to this. I couldn’t, neither can you. It extends further than what I initially told you: you weren’t selected by me. The gods chose you themselves. Each of your parents chose you, save Oscar and Helena.”
“Who chose me?” Helena asked.
“Hera.”
“And me?” Oscar asked. “If Hades didn’t choose me-”
“-Dionysus. I wish we had some agency in this situation, but we don’t. We just have to carry out our orders. The gods are watching us specifically. We can’t afford to fail.”
There was a heavy silence throughout the group. Finally, Felix spoke, his voice resigned, filled with dull acceptance. “So this’ll kill us.”
Aspen couldn’t bring himself to answer.
“You hear that? We’re the gods’ favourite. They chose us to die.” Nova stood still, her fists clenched so tightly they were trembling. Or perhaps she was scared.
Cassia looked up from the floor, meeting Aspen’s stare. Her eyes were gold with her power, filled with rage. “I need to speak to someone. Excuse me.”
With that, she stormed out of the room.
“Cass! Wait!” Felicity ran out also, trailing after her. Castillo soon followed, then Nova, then Felix, and then the rest, until it was just Aspen and Helena left in the room.
“Why agree to this?” Helena asked. “I told you people would die.”
“I didn’t think it would include us.”
“Always assume it involves us.”
With one last glare, Aspen’s sister thundered out the room, leaving the son of Zeus alone. He fumbled for the necklace hanging around his neck, running his thumb over the letter S carved from gold.
“I’m sorry we won’t be 17, mom,” He apologised quietly. He pressed his lips to the cool metal briefly. “But we’ll see you soon. We’ll all be back together and dad won’t be anywhere near you, or me, or Helena. Everything will be okay.”
“I’m going to fix it, just like you told me to.”
Chapter 31: For her, because of her.
Notes:
Wazzup chat it's ya girl crowncraftella back with another banger 😝
jk but fr it's great to post again since im ALMOST DONE WITH MY EXAMS
(one more to go, pray for me im cooked for drama)
time for some plotting and sweet sisterly moments! Phoebe's back and she's okay!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Cass, wait!” Felicity grasped Cassia’s wrist, pulling her back with surprising strength. The daughter of Apollo froze before breaking away, continuing to march down the hill. Cassia wasn’t quite sure what she’d do once she reached the shoreline. Maybe she’d scream, or curse, or do both. All this time, she’d thought her father had actually cared for her. As it turned out, he was willing to send her off to her death.
She cursed herself for being so naive. Being a god’s favourite was never a good thing. It just brought trouble and pain into her life. As if Cassia didn’t have enough of that already. Cass had been scared of losing Phoebe ever since she’d come to camp, but now Cassia had to face the idea that she might die long before Phoebe ever would. And then, her sister would be alone. Their mother would soon die, and Phoebe would be the last Dubois standing. It wasn’t like Hermes would exactly step in and father her.
So, what was she going to do? Simple. Cassia was going to call on her father, and from there she’d scream every single insult in both French and English at him. If she could, she would fight him until her hands bled and scream until her voice gave out. She’d summon her powers and use them to burn him. She didn’t care if her dad couldn’t be hurt by his own domain; she would make him burn.
Who cares if he eventually smited her? Cassia would be murdered any day now by a lumbering 20 foot tall monster. She’d rather go out in a blaze of defiance than to die a faceless soldier on a battlefield.
Ignoring Felicity’s pleas, Cassia stormed down to the main cabin area where she had roamed the night before. The statues were still encased in marble, their gazes fixated on an unmoving horizon. Cassia paused before the statue of Apollo, glaring up at her father’s face. He didn’t look down. A bubble of hurt began to expand within the girl’s chest as she thought back to the conversations she’d had with him. Had he honeyed his words to build false confidence? To build false security, to prepare her for this very moment as if she were some unwilling sacrifice for Death’s altar? For months she had fallen at her father’s feet, trying to be the perfect daughter to make up for lost time. She’d been naive to believe he truly cared… none of the gods did. They didn’t care, they only paid attention. They paid attention when they were ready to slaughter one of their kin, like a farmer sending cows to the abattoir.
They would feed all sorts of delusions to their children, promise unimaginable honours, swear praise and love and affection and everything their sons or daughters had lacked their whole lives. They promised to make them whole. When the child believed them, they would die. Nova had almost fallen victim to that once. She’d paid for her foolishness with an eye. Cassia would never be so lucky. Everyone had looked past her father’s favouritism, all collectively agreeing he’d changed for the better and wouldn’t dare do such a thing.
He’d been planning this the entire time. Cassia wanted to scream, to cry, to hit and hurt him. But what could she do? He was the god, she was the girl, and all she had was the statue.
The statue, the girl, and the god. What a fateful trio. What a melancholy sight. The liar and the gullible.
Cassia had prided herself on being a daughter of the sun. She embraced it. Now, looking at her arms dipped in liquid light, she felt wrong. Cassia stared in silence at the statue, restraining everything she could.
“Now you know how it feels.”
Castillo appeared at Cassia’s side, ducking to avoid her punch. He popped up on her other side, hands folded over his chest. He glanced up at Apollo’s statue, then looked to Hermes a few gods down. “Being abandoned. Being led on and buttered up.”
“I should’ve known better.” Cassia dug her nails into her palm, feeling her eyes grow hot with brimming tears. “ Why,” she whispered, staring down at the ground, “Did I ever believe I was the exception?”
“Because we believed you were, too.”
Cassia looked up with surprise. Castillo smiled grimly. “If we’d had recognised what this was, we’d have warned you. But we thought it was different. It felt so genuine. He seemed to really care about you.” Castillo snaked an arm around Cassia’s shoulders, being unusually gentle with her. She rested her head on his shoulder in return.
“He wasn’t like my dad,” Castillo said. “He was attentive with you, patient… fatherly. Everything you needed. Something to make you whole.”
“That’s their plan, isn’t it?” Cassia laughed bitterly. “I never should’ve gone to that museum.”
“Museum? Tell me more.”
Cassia looked up at the statue once more. “The day this all began, I was in a museum, looking at a statue like this. I’d had no previous interest in Greek mythology or history before that day. But something told me to go and check it out. So I did. What I found was a room filled with marble gods.” Cassia recalled that autumn day that constantly haunted her thoughts. What could have happened if she hadn’t gone that day? What if she had gone the day before, or the day after? What if she hadn’t gone at all? She wouldn’t be here, resting her head on Castillo’s shoulder, thinking of her upcoming death.
“One of those gods stood out to me. It happened to be my dad’s,” She continued, sighing. “Then a monster came, Maisie found me, brought me here and it all snowballed from there.”
“Something told you to go to that museum?”
“Yeah. A gut feeling as I walked past.”
“That would be the fates, working their stupid magic. That all happened for a reason. You were meant to go that day, meant to see that statue, and you were meant to meet Maisie. It’s not perfect, but it’s what was always planned for you.”
Castillo seemed to ponder his words momentarily. “I still remember the day we met. You’d just arrived, and Maisie was leading you around. She brought you over to me.”
“So she did,” Cassia chuckled. “I was terrified on that first day.”
“You’d just talked to Nova, so that definitely checks out. But I remember Maisie leaving you with me.”
“Yeah,” She snorted. “You said you’d be my friend.”
“And you said it’d be an honour.”
“ Sarcastically.”
“Is it still sarcastic, then?”
“No,” She answered. “It became sincere pretty quickly after that.”
“I have that effect.”
Cassia laughed softly. Castillo looked out at the horizon behind them. “Listen, I know you’re upset, but wait until you see your dad in person to try and kill him. Then we can all see.”
“Patience was never one of my virtues, Castillo.”
“I know that, but just wait a little longer. I reckon we’ll be headed to Olympus any day now.”
“Are you nervous?”
“Nervous?” Castillo pondered it for a moment. “The word for it isn’t really ‘nervous.’ It’s more…”
“...Filled with a crushing terror and dread as you draw closer to your inevitable, untimely, gruesome death?”
“Not that. It’s more that I understand what’ll probably happen. My life up here hasn’t been great, so this knowledge that it’s going to be over soon feels reassuring, somehow. But I don’t have a family to live for. Not like you.”
“Hey,” Cassia nudged him. “Phoebe’s your sister as much as she’s mine. I’m your sister, too. We’re your family. Felix and Nova and me. You’ve got to live for us.”
“Or we’ll die together.”
“Either way, we’re together, aren’t we?” Cassia flicked her wrist, sending a ribbon of light dancing into the sky. “We’ve fallen into the underworld together. We fought Ares together. We’ll live or die in this together.”
Castillo stood, grabbing one of his guns from its holster, and cocked it. With one swift aim, he fired a paintball right at a statue of Hermes, staining the god’s face with red. “You told me to wait until we saw the gods in person to go batshit crazy on them.”
“Yeah,” He answered, cocking the gun again. “But I’m not great at taking my own advice.”
With another shot, Hermes’ chest was covered in red. It reminded Cassia of fresh blood oozing from a fresh wound. The thought of gods bleeding a colour other than gold sent chills up her spine. Would things be different, Cassia wondered, if the gods bled the same as mortals?
What if ichor was made of iron? What if when slashed, the gods fell? What if they were mortal, just as fragile, as their children? Gods couldn’t be killed. Was that why the demigods never stood up to them? Would Cassia really try to make her father bleed the way she soon would if she knew that, deep down, he was just as frail as she?
She would make him bleed, immortal or not. A new sort of anger coated her heart and Cassia knew what she had to do to balance the score. She would ensure he never forgot what he did to his daughter. She wouldn’t let him move on. She would scar him and would be dead before she could face any consequence.
You will not forget me, She thought as she stared at the statue. I will never let you forget me.
Castillo lowered his gun, admiring his work on Hermes’ statue. The red paint was dripping down to the base of the marble, pooling on the dirt. In his eyes, Cassia could tell that he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted that paint to truly be blood. He was thirsting for suffering as much as she was, if not more. Hermes had ignored him his entire life, and now gave him death. If that were to happen to Phoebe also… no. Surely, with Castillo’s defiance, Hermes wouldn’t attempt it when Phoebe grew older. Cassia would work to build a world where her sister would grow up without fear. It was a world she would miss, but as long as she had built it, she would be alright.
To achieve peace for the demigods, violence on the gods would have to occur. Cassia wasn’t afraid to aim her arrows to her father’s heart if it meant the world would change for the better. Gods bled, but gods healed, yet not without scars. This would be remembered by them. This is what happens, Cassia thought, When you handpick us for slaughter. Compliance was never mandatory.
She remembered Aspen’s words: This is the will of the gods. What did the gods know of anything? They sat on golden thrones, watching their blood and flesh die and suffer, and did they help them? No. Change wouldn’t happen unless the gods themselves felt threatened. If Cassia got close enough, she could slit her father’s throat and watch the ichor pour out. Nova had done that once. The satisfaction in her eyes as she tore out his blood egged Cassia on. This would make an impact.
The last person Apollo expected to aim their shots toward him was Cassia. So she would shoot. She would fight and scream and hurl insult after insult. What did she have to worry about? Consequences? She’d be dead soon.
Cassia stood, facing the marble statue. She raised a hand, and a thin line of golden light curled around Apollo’s stone neck. The light faded, but the marble held the scar.
I will make you bleed.
“Your sister’s back,” A voice called behind her. Cassia spun around to see Felix, looking up at the statues calmly. The boy held no reaction to the damage done. Felix had never outright defended the gods’ choices. Not like Aspen had. He seemed to understand the cause behind the paint. The cause behind the light.
Cassia swallowed back a cry. “She’s back?” She asked.
“Phoebe’s back. She’s alive and mostly well. Come on, you need to meet your new sister. They retrieved a daughter of Apollo.”
The new sister in question was a girl no older than six or seven with auburn hair and green eyes. Ria was her name, and she looked around at her new siblings nervously. When she honed in on Cassia, she yelped. “You’re burning!” She cried, and Cassia raised her hand. “I’m not. It’s my power.”
“Your power?”
“My power.”
Ria looked slightly less terrified, but still stuck close to Stella and Molly. Seven was far too young for a camper, but what choice did they have but to take her?
Cassia kneeled before her new sister. “My name’s Cassia. You can call me Cassie.”
“I’m.. Ria.”
“That’s a lovely name. Do you know what you are, Ria?”
She shook her head.
“You’re a demigod,” Cassia explained. “Your dad’s a god. He’s our dad too.”
“Who’s.. Who’s our dad?”
“His name’s Apollo,” She began. “He’s a god of light and sun and music and medicine.”
“So that’s why you’re burning?”
“The light? Yeah. That’s my power.”
“Do I have that?”
“I guess we’ll see.”
Looking at this innocent face, not yet aware of the pain surrounding her, Cassia felt defeated. This was life so young, so fresh, still hopeful.
She had a new person to build a new world for.
“Dad is going to see you soon. In a dream.” Molly kneeled down, taking Ria’s face in her hands. “He’s going to tell you all about us and this world.”
“Is he nice?”
“Yeah. He is nice.”
“Does he love me?”
Silence. Cassia looked down, as did Molly. Stella looked to the side, and Francis picked his nails whilst Danny fiddled with his necklace. It was Juliette who spoke up. “He does.”
Why were they hesitant to answer? They all said they were loved by their father to themselves, but did they really believe that? He'd stopped seeing them in dreams a long time ago. It was like he'd… forgotten about them.
“Cassia,” Francis called, “Go and see Phoebe. She’ll be wanting your company.”
Phoebe. Her sister was okay, and alive. Maybe this was a sign that she’d be okay. Phoebe wasn’t a little girl anymore, she was smart and rearing to prove her worth. Cassia needed to trust her more. With a nod, the girl hurried up to the infirmary, where Phoebe was sitting on a bed, fussing over her bandages.
“Thank the gods you’re alive,” Cassia murmured as she rushed forward, strangling her sister in a hug. Phoebe tried to fight her off, but eventually caved and returned the embrace. Cassia pulled away, Phoebe’s face in her hands. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Proud?” Phoebe blinked. “It’s nothing special, just a mission.”
“A death-defying mission that brought another demigod to safety. You went out there before I did and lived. Of course I’m proud- how can I not be? You’re my sister and you’re out here pulling off deadly missions.”
“I just… didn’t expect you to be proud. Pleased at best.”
“Phoebe,” Cassia sat at her sister’s side. “I am always, always going to be proud of you. You never fail to impress me with your skills. You’re incredible. You’re brave and smart and loyal, and I couldn’t ask for a better sister.”
“A sister who turns up in your life after a year crying her eyes out?”
“Especially a sister who comes back into my life after a year crying her eyes out.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying each other’s company. The sunlight of early afternoon streaked through the windows of the infirmary, bathing the place in warmth. It reminded Cassia of better days, when their mother would make them lemonade and the girls would sit in the sunniest spot of the living room, where the floorboards were warmed and a summer breeze wafted through the windows, mingling with the scent of dinner being prepared in the kitchen. Phoebe would beg Cassia to sing her a song, and show her how to dance. They would twirl around the room, the song usually interrupted by Cassia’s laughter. Their mother would often take a break from cooking and show the girls how to dance one by one. When Cassia had been younger, she’d danced on top of her mother’s feet, listening to her voice, slowly honeying with age, singing in her native tongue.
All of those memories were associated with the streaky afternoon sun. Light held the happiest memories.
Phoebe rested her head on her sister’s shoulder, her eyes drooping with exhaustion. Cassia pulled her close and let the sunlight warm her bones, enjoying the quiet she’d so longed for.
As she watched her sister’s chest gently rise and fall, a melancholy sort of happiness swelled in her chest.
This world I’ll build will be for her, because of her. I won’t live to see her grow, but I’ll die knowing she’ll grow in a world of peace.
She deserves the world I never had, so I’ll create it just for her.
Cassia was so sure of herself in those simple, simple days.
Notes:
Sooo I won't be posting for most of next week since I am unfortunately on school camp, but i'll try to release another chapter by saturday (if I can)
next stop - olympus, where Cassia plans to beat the shit out of her dad 👍
Chapter 32: Sign your life on a silver blade
Notes:
Last chapter for about a week since I'll be away on camp!
Chapter Text
“I need a favour.”
“What kind?”
“Weaponry.”
“That’s certainly my court. What do you need?”
“A dagger. Something throwable.”
“Why?”
“Don’t ask.”
Nova shrugged. “Alright.”
“Thanks,” Cassia breathed as she leaned against the doorframe to cabin five, weighed down by her archery armour ever so slightly. Her bow was strapped on her back, alongside a quiver of arrows. Aspen’s squad would be leaving today for their first mission. But first, they had to report to the gods. Nova pulled a dagger out of her belt and tossed it to Cassia, who caught it with ease. The daughter of Ares wore a black chestplate with a red undershirt. In her pockets were many throwing stars. On her back was an axe. Her hair was pulled back in a flowing ponytail crafted from her goddess braids, which had been freshly done by the Aphrodite cabin. Her jagged scar where her eye had once been stood out today. It was a sign of war and battle. A sign of experience.
Cassia felt the stirring happening again in her stomach as she noticed Nova’s scar. In the midst of chaos and dawning bloodshed, Cassia found herself staring, and her cheeks flushing. Nova didn’t seem to take notice.
“Are you nervous?” Nova asked as she gathered more knives and stuffed them into random pockets in her cargos. Nervous? Cassia was petrified. She was about to demand a private audience with a god, then aim a knife to his neck and await the consequences.
“A little bit,” She replied. Nova scoffed. “You sound like you’re pissing yourself. What are you planning?”
“I’m not planning anything. I’m planning to stay alive.”
“Bullshit.” Nova stood up and turned to face Cassia, wearing a lopsided grin on her face and a rare twinkle in her eye. “You’re trembling and even though you’re acting put together, you’re beyond scared. You’re planning something risky, and most likely stupid.” Nova moved forward, crossing her arms over her chest. “So go on, sunshine, tell me what sneaky little trick you’ve got up your sleeve.”
“I’m not telling you,” Cassia objected, but Nova merely rolled her eyes to the heavens and raised an eyebrow.
“So it’s like that, then? Fine. Rate how dangerous it is on a scale from pissing me off to me attacking Ares.”
“Which end is which?”
“Very funny. Tell me.”
“It’s in line with you attacking Ares.”
Nova guffawed, her eyes wide with joyful disbelief. “Oh, you’re suicidal. Whatever gets you going, I suppose.”
“Yeah,” Cassia admitted. “It’s stupid. Real stupid. Suicidal, and very dangerous. But you know what? I don’t care anymore. I’m sick of suffering while my father feeds me some half-arsed lie from his throne on Olympus. I’m tired of being disregarded, ignored, targeted. If the gods want me to be their little champion, so be it. I’ll throw a dagger into their ichor-laden hearts and clothe myself in their gold and call myself the champion.”
Nova let out a long whistle. “Damn, they really pissed you off, huh? Gotta say, it’s cool to see you so… angry. You’re pretty hot when you’re making threats of violence.”
“Glad I could be of service, Allemande,” Cassia snapped as she strapped daggers to her belt. She was fired up and there was no extinguishing it. As she turned to leave, Nova grasped her wrist.
“Your armour’s lopsided,” She commented, reaching to adjust the strap on Cassia’s shoulder. Cassia felt the stirring in her stomach grow until it could have passed for a hurricane. Nova looked up into Cassia’s eyes, and Cassia understood what she felt. What the stirring really was. What it had been trying to tell her.
Cassia Dubois would be dead by the end of the day, no doubt. With this plan of hers, she’d be smited and turned to ashes in seconds. So what did she have to lose? Cassia grasped Nova by her shoulder straps and pulled her in. Nova threw her arms around the daughter of Apollo and their mouths opened under each other. Cassia’s heart raced- this was the cruel hands of Aphrodite, twisting her stomach into knots, urging her to continue the kiss. Nova’s hands found Cassia’s hair, and with a gentle tug pushed her back so they could come up for air.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Nova panted, and Cassia melted into her lips, desperate to taste the faint blood on her tongue. Nova was a wildfire, solar storms, whatever you wanted to call them. She was unpredictable and hot and dangerous, but gorgeous. So, so gorgeous. For a blissful moment, Cassia forgot her plan to injure her father. All that mattered was Nova Allemande, the girl that Cassia had fallen into the underworld for. The girl that Cassia had fallen from the sky for. The girl Cassia had fallen for.
Nova’s fingers delicately traced the back of Cassia’s neck before grasping it to hold her even closer. There was nothing interrupting this time around. Cassia had Nova all to herself. Then Nova pulled away. Cassia wanted to hold her against her body until the end of time. She never wanted it to end, but all good things did. They kissed one last time before Cassia left as though nothing had happened.
The farewell was fuzzy. Phoebe had to be dragged from Cassia, screaming and sobbing. She knew just how much more dangerous her sister’s mission was. Phoebe was dreading the shroud that would soon cover Cassia. None of it felt real. Cassia knew, in her heart, that this would be the death of her. What she was about to do was reckless, dangerous, and stupid. Aspen noticed nothing suspicious of Cassia’s behaviour. Nobody did. Castillo knew her plan, but kept silent. Choices were choices, and they couldn’t be changed by others. Cassia was willing to sign her life away on a silver dagger. A single blade would be her end, and she was the one holding the handle.
The journey to the Empire state building felt like forever. As Argus drove the demigods through the streets, Cassia remembered the first time she’d made it up to Olympus. Running on the pavements, pushing past citizens, bodies frozen by winter and exhaustion clouding their minds, Felix, Nova, Castillo and Cassia had made it, only for Ares to grab them. Times had been better back then. There had been a strange thrill that, afterwards, had made Cassia fall in love with danger.
She wasn’t thrilled about reaching Olympus this time, however. No. When she got up there, she would have to demand an audience in private with Apollo. Then she’d attack. She’d fail, and she would die.
There was no backing out now. Not when Cassia had signed away her life on that knife.
As the demigods filed into the Empire State building, the security guard looked up from his desk and raised an eyebrow. He appeared to recognise Aspen, and without a word, opened the elevator door for them.
The 600th floor button was already lit up, ready to be pressed. Aspen pressed it, and the doors slid shut.
Nova’s hand gently scraped Cassia’s, and the girls shared a moment before Cassia looked away. Guilt began to settle in her stomach. What had she done? Nova had no clue what Cassia was about to do. Nor did Felix, or Felicity, or Phoebe.
Cassia was throwing it all away- not even dying with honour, but with defiance. Still, she pushed such thoughts away and focused on the knife up her sleeve. Nova’s knife.
Olympus was beautiful, just as Cassia had remembered it. The cities of gold were shining, and nymphs played with minor gods and goddesses in the streets. Marble statues and temples were flooded with worshippers. The muses sang somewhere nearby. On the top of a hill was the Olympian throne room, towering over the city.
The doors were bigger than cruise ships- did it really have to be so big? Still, they swung open for Aspen and the others. There was a grand hallway with statues of the gods. Then one more set of doors.
“Remember, these are gods,” Aspen said, pausing at the entrance. “Show respect at all times, speak only when spoken to or given permission, and show appreciation.”
Cassia felt sick.
The doors swung open, and the gods sat on their thrones around a crackling hearth. Zeus was a man in a pinstripe business suit with a white head of hair. His eyes were crackling with electricity. It was much more cruel than Aspen’s. The other gods were paying rapt attention to their chosen champion. Helena seemed to shiver under Hera’s scrutinous gaze.
“Aspen,” Zeus called, and his son hurried forward, kneeling at the throne. “You are finally here with your… friends in tow.”
“Yes, father,” Aspen replied. Cassia could see in his eyes he was nervous.
“You understand why we have summoned you. Your mission is simple: travel to Florida to retrieve a demigod, but we expect you to slay a drakon and bring it back.”
“I understand, father,” Aspen chimed.
“There is one more thing.” Zeus sat up in his seat. “My daughter, Artemis, had nominated one of her hunters to partake in this mission also.”
Cassia and the others turned sideways to see Artemis. She was a tall, dark haired goddess with a hawk’s gaze. Cassia adored her aunt instantly. Artemis gave a curt nod to a teenage girl, and the girl stepped forward. “This is Irene, one of my loyal followers. She has agreed to join you on your missions.”
“Wow,” Felix muttered. “She’s impressive.”
Irene had hair as dark as Nyx, paired with olive skin and cold, ruthless eyes. She wore a silver hunting jacket and cargos, with a matching bow strapped on her back.
“I have requested that she stick with Cassia.”
Cassia nearly yelped with surprise. Irene found her within the group, and quickly made a beeline. As intimidating as she seemed, Irene was nervous. So Cassia was her comfort person. Artemis had probably recommended it, considering Cassia was her brother’s daughter. Cass straightened her posture. As much as she was terrified of her coming death, she had to remain cool-headed and impressive in the presence of the gods.
She gave a quick nod of acknowledgement to Irene, then turned her attention back to Zeus.
“That is all. Olympians, I will leave you to speak with your chosen demigods if you wish.”
A ripple of discussion went through the group. Irene turned to Cassia. “Artemis says you’re good at archery. Is that true, or are you just a daddy’s girl who managed to suck up to Artemis as well?”
“I’m good at archery, period. As for the daddy’s girl thing, that’s all about to change.”
“Excuse me? Don’t tell me you’re about to stage some pathetic little rebellion against the dad who gives you everything.”
“Rebellion? No. I’m setting myself up for death in approximately five minutes from now. It’s not for me, it’s not about me, it’s about those I love.”
“Oh, spare me.” Irene rolled her eyes. “Your dad gives you everything you could possibly want.”
Cassia could see, in the corner of her eye, Apollo getting ready to approach her. She had only a few minutes to spare. She grabbed Irene’s collar. “Listen here. I’m about to pull a knife out of my sleeve and slit my father’s throat because he set me up to die. He never gave me everything I wanted, but everyone thought he did. So did I. It’s all a ruse. Artemis is willing to let you die, Apollo buttered me up first before putting my head in the guillotine. I’m not living through this nightmare, so I’ll let him smite me before I fight in his name. I’m not someone you want to piss off, alright? Learn my name- Cassia Dubois. Know it before it’s too late, because I’m about to kill myself and make a god bleed.”
Cassia felt her fingertips grow hot with power.
“The gods don’t care. They’ve never cared. I’m not some daddy’s girl with a victim complex- I’m not a martyr, I’m trying to send a message.”
“What message?”
“That the gods can’t expect us to just obey them all the time. If one of us rebels, who’s to say the others won’t?”
“You’re insane. This is suicide.”
“Exactly. So, Irene, piss me off again and I won’t hesitate to send an arrow through your throat. I know you’re not immune to violent deaths.”
“Hunters of Artemis can’t die.”
“Yes, you can. In battle. Watch your step around me or I might just turn my bow to you.”
Irene pushed herself away from Cassia just as she saw Artemis and Apollo walking over. She clenched her fists, debating whether or not to expose Cassia’s plan. “When you manage to have a knife to his throat,” She murmured. “Know you have my respect. I hope Hades has mercy on you.”
“Cassia.” Apollo nodded to his daughter, smiling warmly. “Irene. It’s nice to see you two finally meeting.”
“Yes,” Irene said. “Cassia is… certainly surprising.”
“Irene’s pleasant,” Cassia replied. “Look, dad, I need to talk with you. Alone.”
Apollo raised an eyebrow. “Very well.”
“Out in the hall, if possible.”
Make him believe something’s wrong, Cassia thought. Make him worried. Act nervous.
“Of course,” he replied.
Cassia looked back to Irene as she left. The girl bowed her head, and Cassia followed her father out of the room.
She had signed her life away on a silver blade.
The golden doors closed behind them, and Cassia knew that this was it. She slid the knife out of her sleeve, holding it tightly behind her back. Apollo then turned to face his daughter, and Cassia threw her dagger right toward his heart.
Chapter 33: We become what we behold
Notes:
i may or may not have gotten carried away writing after publishing the last chapter...
anyway enjoy!
Chapter Text
Time stopped. Cassia was absolutely convinced that the world paused for a few moments, giving her time to truly understand what she had done. The knife cut through the air, its path clear. Apollo didn’t even register what she had done until the very last second. His eyes widened ever so slightly, and then time picked up once more.
The knife landed right where it had meant to: his heart. The god cried out in pain, stumbling back. Ichor dropped on the floor, pooling in golden puddles.
Cassia was a being of fear and fury. That was what guided her hand. When he recovered his strength, Cassia would be struck down in an instant. She had mere seconds to act. Time slowed again.
Apollo was temporarily at her mercy. If Cassia brandished another weapon, she could hold it to his throat and pour out her rage. She could have the blood of the gods on her fingertips. She could truly begin building the world Phoebe needed. She could stop the slaughter here and sacrifice herself for it.
Or she could run. She could sprint and never stop running. She would hide in the moonlight eternally, evading gods and mortals and everything in between. She could avoid consequence.
What was she, a coward? No! Cassia wanted to see the gods on their knees, she wanted to see her father suffer like he intended for her to suffer. He had no right to send his daughter off to her death, but Cassia had a right to revenge. To balance the scales. She needed more blood to create an impact. What did she care about those whom she loved? This was it- the first bullet to penetrate the armour. Why would she stop now?
Time picked up once more.
Apollo dropped to his knees, finally raising his head to see his daughter standing over him. Cassia’s face was unrecognizable: a mask of indifference. “Cassia,” He asked. “Why?”
His tone made her pause. He wasn’t angry, just confused and upset. No. Soon, he would grow angry. He would then kill her. She needed to have him scarred, so he could never forget the daughter who had fought back. She didn’t respond, instead yanking the dagger out of his chest. Ichor spilled onto the marble floor.
Why wasn’t he fighting back?
“You don’t get to ask me why,” She snapped. “I know what you did. Champions, is what you all called us. But I know what we really are: pawns. Your little puppets that you personally chose to die.”
“That isn’t what-”
“Shut up!” She blinked tears out of her eyes. “You don’t get to dictate what we are, who we are, or when we die. You don’t get to sit on your throne and handpick me for death and suffering and pretend you actually care about me at the same time.”
Apollo looked hurt. “I’m not pretending to love you.”
“Somebody who loves you doesn’t choose you to die.” Cassia pointed the blade to his throat. “I’d prefer you to openly despise me, like Ares does with Nova, than pretend to love me and choose me to go on this mission. I’m not stupid. I know that this squad will die. You’ve given us impossible tasks.”
“That was not my intention.”
“And yet you did it anyway. You might’ve thought you were nominating a champion, your best fighter, your most capable child, but in reality, you sent her to die. Unfortunately, I’m not going down without making you pay for it. I am going to make you bleed and suffer like you are mortal. I don’t care if you kill me for it. I will never let you forget what you have done to me. To all of us.”
“If I wanted you dead, I would’ve stood up by now and snapped your neck,” Apollo retorted.
“If you wanted me alive, you wouldn’t have put me on that squad.”
“Then tell me who should’ve been on there!” His eyes were burning with fury. “Molly? Francis? Danny? Ria? Go on, Cassia, tell me which of your siblings you’d rather see in your position.”
“None of them! None of us should have to die fighting drakons,” She snapped. “We’re kids. You’re our father. You’re meant to keep us safe, to love us and protect us, not set us up to die!” Cassia clutched the knife tighter. She couldn’t contain her emotions anymore. It was all too much: either way she was dead and Phoebe would be alone. Her friends would suffer and die like her. There were no happy endings, and now Cassia had stabbed a god.
He’ll kill you, A voice whispered beside her. The minute he gains the strength, you’ll be killed.
“Shut up,” She muttered, whipping her head to the side where it had come from. Nobody was there. That voice wasn’t hers.
I bet he’ll snap your neck like he said. Or maybe he’ll slice your throat, like you’re about to do to him. You should keep striking him. At this point, it’s really just pitiful self defence.
“Stop talking.”
He’ll grab you by the throat and choke you. Then he’ll take your dagger and stab you over and over and over. He doesn’t need to be a god to kill you.
“SHUT IT!” Cassia threw her dagger at the voice. The ichor stained blade lodged into a wall. The voice was everywhere, telling her what would happen if she didn’t keep fighting.
But that dagger, her weapon, was on the other side of the room. Cassia had nothing protecting her but herself, and that wouldn’t be enough.
“I didn’t say anything.” Apollo stood, drawing himself up to his full height. The wound was already healing.
This was her death. Her painful death. Cassia had no power. The bad thing about gods is that when they bled, they healed. Then you had a furious deity on your hands, and you were in deep, deep trouble.
I’m sorry, She thought. I’m sorry I couldn’t cut deeper.
“I want to know what made you think that this was a logical idea. A reasonable comeback for what you think my intentions were.”
“You gods never die. But you bleed. You scar, and you remember. If you send me to die, so be it, but I wasn’t about to let you forget me. Don’t think I’ll die at your hands without getting your blood on mine first. Don’t think that any of you are safe from our fury. Because it’s your fault we’re dying. You have all the power to kill the drakons, yet you insist that children have to do it instead.”
“As I told you, that was Zeus’ call, not mine.”
“Then Zeus is a prick!”
Apollo clamped a hand to her mouth. “Don’t you dare repeat that unless you actually want to die.”
“I’m going to die anyway!” She protested, taking a step back. “You’re about to kill me, so what do I care anymore?”
“How cruel do you think I am?” Apollo scoffed with disbelief. “ Kill you? You’re my daughter. You could’ve cut off my head and I still wouldn’t lay a finger on you. If I were my father, you would certainly be dead.”
“So should I be grateful that you won’t kill me? Is that the message?”
“I’m not saying you should be anything. You’re right to be angry, and I agree that this plan is insane, but what choice do I have but comply? If Zeus asks for a champion on his suicide squad, I provide one. Unfortunately, it was you.”
Cassia was beyond reasoning. She couldn’t understand any of this- why this was done in the first place. The cruelty of the gods was unlike any fate or destiny. They did it because they wanted to.
They didn’t deserve that power. The gods were not just, kind rulers. They weren’t right, or moral. They did horrible things, they blamed victims and mortals, so many mortals got hurt and killed because of them.
Looking at her father, Cassia finally understood him. He was not a man. He was not a father figure. He was not sincere with his attitudes or love. He was a god, an unpredictable force of nature. He was as much a monster as the drakons in the city below.
He could tell her anything he wished, but she no longer believed him. How had she once looked up to him? This.. glorification had hurt her more. Cassia no longer wore her title as a daughter of Apollo with pride: it was a thing of shame. It tied her to monstrosity. To cruelty. To control.
How cruel do you think I am? That was what he had said.
“A year and a half ago, I was told that you had changed. I believed that because I had no other choice. But now, I finally see. You didn’t change. No god is capable of changing. You are born and cemented in your ways. You are just as cruel and unreasonable as the day you aided the Trojans, as cruel as the day you flayed the one who challenged your skill, as cruel as the day you cursed Cassandra. You don’t change. You will never change.”
Apollo didn’t speak for a long time after Cassia finished. This room, this very room, was the first time they had ever met in person. The sun and the sunray. In her mind, that was what Cassia had regarded them as. One was a small part of the other, an extension. But now?
They were the sun and the solar storm. One wreaked havoc on the other.
Finally, when the wound had closed and the blood had dried, the god spoke. “Why are you so determined to antagonise me?”
“Because I can’t see the humanity in you.”
Cassia felt their relationship splinter at her words. This was what she wanted. She’d played into her father’s hands all along, retrieving the bow for him, thinking highly of him, defending him, and now it was this. This was best for her. It was another way she wouldn’t get hurt. She owed her father nothing, and this finally confirmed it. It was one less person to stay alive for. One more person who wouldn’t stop in their tracks at the news of her death.
She was grateful for that.
“Go,” He commanded, his voice hard. “Just go.”
Cassia left, filing back into the throne room. She could see her friends talking to their parents: Castillo looking at his father with blind hatred, Nova and Ares clutching their daggers, Felix and Athena arguing.
There was nothing good left in this room. The gods and demigods weren’t meant to get along. They were merely the ones giving their children life: they were not mentors, or friends, or guardians.
Irene noticed Cassia’s living and breathing presence and she shuffled over. The tension between them earlier had disappeared.
“You’re not dead,” She remarked.
“Unfortunately,” Cassia replied dryly. Irene smiled for a moment. “How did it go?”
“Horrible. I think he hates me now.”
“You’re saying he didn’t hate you beforehand?”
“Very funny.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I doubt he was worth a daughter like you anyway. It’s his loss, really.”
“His wound, too.”
“I must admit, that’s impressive. You stabbed a god and lived to tell the tale.”
“I told you I had guts.”
“And now I believe you.”
Cass felt herself genuinely smile for the first time that afternoon. Her life was messy, but in the coming days, all that mattered was her mission, and her friends. Hopefully she would die before she had to report back to Olympus and avoid seeing her father. That most certainly was a bridge not only burned, but detonated.
“Demigods!” Aspen stood in the centre of the room. Everyone turned to look at him. “Let’s go. We have a mission to complete.”
“So tell me,” Irene said as they walked over. “Who is that?”
“Aspen,” Cassia answered. “He’s a son of Zeus.”
“So that’s why he has a leader complex?”
“That’s why.”
As the demigods left Olympus, nobody was in a good mood. They emptied out into the streets of Manhattan, where Aspen stopped them and urged them to sit down in Central Park. Cassia had been here on her quest- this was where they had wound up after leaving the underworld.
“I know that was nobody’s favourite thing to do,” Aspen said, sighing as he sat. Everyone sat in a circle beside him.
“Oh really?” Castillo scorned. “Hermes didn’t even try to hide the fact that he doesn’t care about me.”
“Ares and I nearly killed each other,” Nova sighed.
“Poseidon won’t shut up about my other brother. You know, the better one.” Leon slumped back, scowling.
“I stabbed Apollo,” Cassia admitted. Everyone went silent.
“You what?” Helena asked.
“I stabbed Apollo. I’d been planning to do it already.”
“And you’re still alive?” Maisie inquired, jaw hanging open with shock.
“Hold on,” Finn shook his head. “I thought you and Apollo were close.”
“Not anymore.”
“Damn,” Mason whistled. “Shocked you aren’t dead, but hey!”
“Zeus told me I was disposable,” Aspen chimed, and everyone turned their attention to the green-haired lieutenant. “I get that’s nowhere near as serious as Cassia’s- you’re absolutely done for there, but it still sucks for me. I’ve been told my entire life that Zeus thought of me as a leader.”
“Aren’t you defensive of Zeus?” Felix asked. “ And directly working for him?”
“Oh please,” Aspen waved a hand dismissively. “That was always a way for me to get insider information. The man is clueless when it comes to eavesdroppers.”
“Hang on,” Nova held up her hands. “You’re telling us that you actually aren’t a rat?”
“This is the first I’m hearing of this,” Helena said, eyes widening with disbelief. “We’ve had so many arguments about ‘the way of the gods-’”
“Zeus is listening to us. Not right now, but I can feel his presence when he’s watching. It’s like a change in the air pressure. A change in the wind. An approaching storm. That’s why I defend him when I know he’s listening- it makes me seem more believable.”
“So then, if you’re not Zeus’ rat, what are you?”
“A teenager. One who’s trying to survive, like the rest of you. And someone,” He continued. “Who wants a change. Not for me, but for the younger generation. Cassia, you had the right idea, but you lacked others. You’ve got one god listening to you, but that was a very, very risky move. I say we turn our attack to Zeus.”
“Is this a rebellion?” Castillo looked at the others, hardly daring to hope. Aspen, for the first time, smiled. “This is a riot. Attacking the other gods with our powers will anger Zeus. He’ll kill us. If we all attack Zeus and Zeus only, the other gods will see that we’re strong enough to take down their king. Zeus will be forced to listen to us.”
“How do we make them listen?” Leon asked.
“Simple,” Interjected Irene. “The way you spark fear in gods is by acting as cruel and merciless as them. As insane and unreasonable.” She looked up. “The way you make your parents fear you is by becoming them.”
“Exactly,” Cassia said. “I did that. I know how it feels to see a deity bleed before you. To make them momentarily afraid. They will not make us obey.”
“Have you taken after me?” Nova asked, grinning. “Looks good on you, sweetheart.”
“We still have a mission to complete,” Aspen said. “But we now have another objective: Make the king of the gods bleed.”
Chapter 34: Nobody's soldier
Chapter Text
Was this truly the best option? Was this the only choice? Did they have a choice?
When Felix had promised himself that he would find another solution, he hadn't meant addressing the situation at the root. He'd meant a more humane option, something that wouldn't involve children getting hurt.
Well, children weren't exactly getting hurt in this option, were they? Instead it was gods. Bleeding deities were fine and all, but what did Aspen expect to happen when Zeus was injured? That he would relent? Please. This was the king of the gods- if Athena were anything like him, Zeus had an astonishing amount of pride, followed by an ego the size of Canada.
Needless to say Felix was doubtful.
Then there was Cassia- what had she been thinking? This would not go unpunished. No matter how fair or mature Apollo was, no god would allow the injury to simply heal over. Cassia had no clue what she had done. What had driven her, anyway? Fury? Determination? A need to protect the young? Felix wished he could see past her eyes, constantly fixed in a narrow glare, and understand what she was thinking as they set down south.
Cassia wasn't herself. She was angry, irritable, and a little too bright. She burned too hot. She was blinding. Felix had always thought children of Apollo were gentle beings, associated with gentle light, so unlike their radiant father but so similar at the same time. Cassia was a reminder that sunrays did as much harm as they did good.
Felix tilted his head back a little, catching the hawkish stare of the sun above him. Judging by the way the heat blanketed itself over the city so quickly, Apollo was not pleased with his daughter. Cassia either didn’t know or didn't care. Felix couldn't blame her- she had plenty of other things on her mind. Phoebe being one of them.
On that topic, each time Phoebe crossed Felix’s mind, a puddle of dread settled nicely in the pit of his stomach. For his thirteenth birthday, Felix had been gifted the ability of foresight, only in battle. He could predict or sense what would happen in wars, fights, and battle after battle after battle. He wasn't sure if it was a gift or a curse. Most of the time, he couldn't see it directly, but sensed it until it finally occurred, and Felix understood.
That understanding always brought guilt. He should have realised sooner that Skye from cabin fourteen would die on that stupid retrieval mission. But he always ignored it.
Besides, this was probably something more tame, like an injury. Phoebe wouldn't end up like Skye, Cassia would always make sure of it. Whatever dread Felix felt was to be ignored for his friend’s sake. Cassia couldn't take much more stress.
“Hey,” Felix said, resting his hand on Cassia’s open palm, which was glistening with sweat. “Are you sure you're alright?”
The girl snapped her head to the side, searching Felix for any hint of insincerity. “I'm fine,” she replied, pulling her hand away. “Why don't you go ask Nova if she's okay, hm? Since you seem to be doing wellness checks on us.”
The bite in her tone warned Felix not to continue.
“I'm not doing a wellness check. I'm just asking if you're okay,” he replied gently. Cassia clenched her jaw, probing the inside of her cheek with her tongue for a brief moment. Then she tossed her golden curls over her shoulder, scoffing. “What makes you think I'm not?”
Felix tilted his head to the side. Did he back off and likely save himself from her anger, or remind her of his wit and get a little satisfaction?
“Let's see. You're biting the inside of your cheek, likely to stop yourself from saying something you'll regret, your knuckles are white from being clenched in a fist for so long, you've been plaiting your hair obsessively since we left Olympus and you're burning hot, which only happens when you're especially unstable emotionally.” Felix took a breath, wearing a wry smile. “Do I need to continue?”
Cassia looked side to side on the busy New York street, checking for witnesses. Nobody would stop to stare in this city. Aspen was striding away, followed by the others. Cassia raised her fist but made no motion to actually punch Felix. Her blue eyes met his grey, and her gaze softened. It was like she remembered he was her friend. Her best friend.
“Just piss off,” she spat, turning on her heel to storm after the others. Nova whistled, dropping back to walk at Felix’s side as Cassia muttered curses under her breath. “She's been really unpredictable lately.”
“Can you blame her? Her life's a mess, so are her emotions.”
“You can say that again. Funny how she manages to find the time to stab gods but not address her feelings.”
“Ooh, good one.”
Nova raised her hand for a high five, to which Felix obliged. He'd give this one to her.
“I know Florida’s not your favourite place,” Felix muttered as they stepped over vomit. You had to love New York.
Nova shrugged. “I'm older now. It still sucks, but maybe I'll manage it better now. After Ares cut out my eye, I feel like I've seen things a lot better.”
“There's a scientific reason for that, you know,” Felix remarked, unable to contain his grin. “When you lose one of your senses, the others are heightened. So actually, you losing one eye might have-”
“-i don't believe you, you little dork,” Nova replied, giving him a playful shove. “You know what I mean.”
“Alright. Let's say I do. Why did that put things into perspective?”
“Because,” she explained, “I understand how these experiences shaped me. They help me understand why I'm afraid of what I am, and face it.”
“That's oddly philosophical.”
Nova snorted. “Tell me about it.”
There was a comfortable silence between them as they made their way down the street. Finally Nova spoke. “Do you think she'll be okay?”
Cassia, she meant. Felix considered the question. Cassia had never had trouble like this in her life. Her mother would soon die, Phoebe was solely under her care and protection, she had stabbed Apollo and burned a valuable bridge for a reason Felix didn't know, and now she had to play soldiers for Aspen.
“I think this is going to break her,” he admitted.
Nova raised an eyebrow. “Not what I was expecting. I thought you'd say something like ‘she’s strong, she'll handle it,’ or ‘we just need to make sure she's alright enough.’ Not that.”
“I think,” Felix continued, “That this will really do her in. She'll collapse, like a star that can't hold its weight.”
“Well, that's dark.”
“I think that she'll bounce back. She's resilient that way. It'll break her, but she won't be unfixable. Maybe this is needed for her to feel better.”
“What do you think will do it?”
Felix held the answer in his lungs. “Her mother’s death. But I could be wrong.”
“As long as it's not Phoebe,” Nova sighed. “If anything happens to that girl, Cass might just lose her mind.”
“She's already losing it.”
“I’d rather not be depressed on Cassia’s behalf,” Nova said. “So now I'm going to point out the fact that we’re here.”
At least they weren't at JFK this time around. LaGuardia airport was furiously busy with all sorts of people rushing to catch their flights, so the group of teens went largely unnoticed. Still, Felix couldn’t stop the nostalgia he felt as he waded through the crowds. This was eerily similar to the quest he’d ventured on with Cassia, Castillo and Nova well over a year ago. They had snuck on a flight destined for California by storing away in the cargo hold. Felix hoped they would have to do no such thing this time around.
“How are we going to get through the metal detectors?” Asked Felicity, tilting her head to the side, eyebrows furrowing. “We’ve all got weapons.”
“We won’t need to go through them,” Aspen said, keeping a firm hand on his sword. “Castillo will cause a distraction and Finn can disable the detectors.
“What sort of distraction?” Castillo asked, sighing heavily. The son of Hermes looked bored.
“Fire your guns. That’ll scare them.”
“Roger.” Castillo raised one of his guns to the ceiling, cocked the trigger and pulled it. A loud bang sent people sprinting, screaming with panic. The bullet fell harmlessly to the ground at Felix’s feet.
“Everyone on the ground! NOW!” The security guards drew their own pistols, scanning the terminal for the perpetrator. They landed on Castillo, who had his other gun sweetly poised to shoot their faces one by one. The boy wasn’t grinning as usual, instead rolling his eyes at the fuss. “It’s not that big of a deal, relax. Panic never saves lives.”
“Drop the gun! Put your hands in the air!”
“Hmm,” Castillo pondered. “I’m on my last nerve today, and you’re really getting in my bad books. Do you really want to play this game with me?”
“DROP THE GUN!”
Castillo sighed. “Once a fugitive, always a fugitive.”
There was a coldness, a ruthlessness in his eyes that sent shivers down Felix’s spine. It reminded him of somebody, but he failed to recall who.
He pulled the trigger with such carelessness Felix had no option but to watch, as the bullet left the barrel of the gun and embedded itself in the guard’s skull. Felix swore he saw life leaving the guard’s eyes on impact. Then it was over. His life. Just like that. The guard fell to his knees, then face forward onto the tiled floor. A pool of blood began to settle around him.
Then everyone began screaming. In the chaos, Felix looked to his friend in masked horror. Castillo’s eyes were full of regret, of anger, of confusion.
And suddenly, Felix knew who he’d seen in Castillo’s eyes. It was the cruelty capable only of gods. Castillo had become an extension of his father, even for just for a moment. But it was a moment long enough for somebody innocent to end up dead.
“I-” Castillo lowered his gun, lips moving wordlessly as chaos continued around him. He found Felix. “I don’t know why I did that. I- I-”
“There’s nothing you can do now,” Felix said firmly. “We have to keep moving. Hopefully the mist can cover this up.”
“I just killed someone,” He gasped, reaching for his throat with his free hand. “I just- I just killed someone.”
“Castillo!” Felix grabbed his friend by the shoulders. “There is nothing you can do now. Just put the guns away. We need to run.”
Castillo wriggled free of Felix’s grasp, stumbling away from the body, looking at his actions in horror. What was going on his mind, Felix wondered? This had happened at random. It was so out of character for Castillo Felix had to wonder if he’d been possessed of some sort. But there was no time to dwell at the moment; They needed to leave and board the plane as soon as possible.
Aspen, however, didn’t share the other’s horror. He held some grim satisfaction in his eyes, and he raised his double edged sword, holding it against a few mortals. “Keep testing us, and you’ll end up like him. We’ve got more dangerous weapons than bullets to kill you,” He snarled.
“Shut up!” Nova screeched, punching Aspen in the arm. “Just keep moving. We don’t want to make more of a mess.”
Aspen retaliated, shoving the blade against Nova’s throat. “Allemande,” He muttered, voice dripping with danger, “If you want to keep your voice box intact I’d suggest you keep your mouth shut.”
Nova threw a pleading look to Cassia. Nova never asked for help, but here she was, begging for the daughter of Apollo to step in and pry Aspen away.
“He’s right,” Cassia said, and Nova stopped struggling. “It’s the mortal’s fault. Castillo was obviously provoked. It’s all justified. Stop making such a big deal, Nova. I thought you liked violence.”
“I-” Nova frantically grasped for words, but fell short. “Who are you?”
“You know who I am,” Cassia replied, her voice hardening. “I’m just finally realising that the world is always pitted against us. I’m ready to take action. Maybe you need to let go of whatever hesitancy you still have and join us before you get left behind.”
“Excuse me? I was the one who led the charge on Ares! I had my eye cut out by my own father for you!”
“We’ll talk about this later.” Cassia pulled Aspen off of Nova and walked in line with him, completely ignoring Nova’s death glare.
“You okay?” Felicity asked her. Nova shook her head. “No. None of this is okay. I don’t know who the hell that girl is, but that’s not Cassia Dubois.”
Felix sidled up beside Castillo, who was frantically walking through the airport, pushing through the crowds. Luckily, the mist had concealed his crime, so the guard could have dropped dead from anything. “Castillo,” Felix began. “I know now’s not the greatest time, but-”
“-It wasn’t me. I didn’t do that. I didn’t fire the shot.”
The tears in his eyes made Felix falter. He was so used to seeing Castillo laugh and make bad jokes and speed around, not be strangled with guilt and shame. He believed what he said. It felt more like a confused truth than a desperate lie.
“What do you mean by that?” Felix asked. Castillo looked ahead of him, blinking away his tears. “I don’t know. One moment, I’m fine, but then Aspen asked me to make a distraction and I had no control over what I did. I was just so… angry, all of a sudden. Like someone had climbed into my mind and forced me to shoot.”
“I believe you,” Felix said. “I swear I do. But for now, we have to keep moving. I need you to stay focused. Aspen won’t be pleased if you’re distracted.”
“I couldn’t give two shits about how Aspen feels!” Castillo’s hands made their way to his pinkish hair, pulling on it as he struggled to calm down. “Just give me a minute and I’ll talk. Sorry Felix.”
Felix nodded. The rest of the trip went without fuss. The group snaked their way onto the plane, convincing a large family ready for a summer vacation that they were headed to California rather than Florida and that the tickets had been switched with the group’s. Soon, they were buckled in and waiting for the moment when they could breathe and unpack the day’s events.
Felix laid back in his uncomfortable seat, staring out the oval window at the endlessly sprawling tarmac. His mind recapped what had happened to him so far: arguing with his mother, being pulled into a full-scale rebellion against the gods, watching his friend blow an innocent man’s head off, and watching another one change before his very eyes. It wasn’t even lunchtime.
“Your ‘ideas’ are just barely coherent hopes and dreams I’d expect of a child.” Athena had set those harsh words on Felix’s shoulders during their discussion/argument. Felix had proposed alternatives that he had, since their last conversation, been developing. She hadn’t taken the ideas well. Or seriously. “Let’s be realistic, Felix. This is the only way we can make the best of your situation. It could be a whole lot worse had I not thought of the current plan. Instead of gratitude, from you I receive defiance and suspicion. I expected better of you.”
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I have reason for defiance. I’m not exactly the biggest fan of being hauled to this stockyard before hitting the abattoir with my friends,” Felix retorted. Athena’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Watch your words, boy.”
“I’ve thoroughly inspected them before use.”
“You-”
It was cut short by Cassia’s re-appearance. Everything snowballed from that moment. Back in the present, Felix sighed heavily, his chest deflating as he began to accept his upcoming death. He’d been insisting for so long that he would find a way out for everyone, only to fail. His mother, the very goddess of wisdom, once again, had proposed the wisest and most logical solution. Felix just hated it.
It was harder to appreciate battle strategies when you were the soldiers ready for sacrifice.
Now they were Florida bound. With luck, some of them would return to Manhattan thoroughly injured, hauling their friends in black shrouds, to deliver a half-hearted report. Then they’d go back to camp and mourn their losses before being called right back.
One by one, they would all be picked off, until the final knees sunk to the ground, and the final breath left someone’s lips. Would the gods replace the squad? Who knew? They were the best of the best, these pitiful little demigods. If they couldn’t take the heat, nobody else stood a chance.
Felix knew, in his heart, that try as he might…
…He never really stood a chance, either.
Chapter 35: There's "functional" in "dysfunctional"
Notes:
if you notice that Cassia's acting different or inconsistently - i promise you that was intentional, not lazy writing on my end. (there's a lot of setting up that will have a good payoff soon, I have this planned. Speaking of plans, you guys are in for a ROUGH time)
also, last chapter update for about sixish days since I'm away again and don't have wifi, but I can still write in my trusty google doc offline so I'll do a big upload (1-2 chapters) when I get back.
Chapter Text
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Nova trapped Cassia against a wall as the girl left the airplane bathroom. Cassia looked ready to kill Nova, but relented. Nova was livid- what had Cassia turned into? What happened to the girl who was friendly and fun?
“Do you just go around slamming people against walls?” Cassia retorted, almost breaking into a smile. Well, when she put it like that, it sounded funny. Nova cursed herself for almost breaking character. She was actually angry, so why was Cassia nearly making her smile?
“Do you just go around defending Aspen? Riddle me that, Cassia.”
“Ooh, no more nicknames. I'm so scared of you.”
“This isn't funny!” Nova’s hands fell on Cassia’s shoulders. “Aspen was wrong for what he did. Castillo, I don’t have a clue, but you're wrong for defending Aspen.”
“Would you defend Castillo?”
“I don't think he was in his right mind.”
“That's not answering my question.”
“Yes. I’ll defend Tils if I have to.”
“Then I can defend Aspen.”
“What?” Nova shook her head. “No! Of course you can't! The circumstances are different. Aspen took advantage of the fear and threatened innocent people.”
“Castillo killed an innocent person.”
“What is with you? He's your best friend!”
“I'm just saying the obvious, Nova.”
Nova pulled away, struggling to grasp her friend’s words. How could the same lips Nova had felt against hers, so soft and sweet, say such things? It wasn't natural.
“Did you carry your morals on the dagger you threw at your father?”
Instantly Nova knew she had struck a nerve. Cassia’s expression hardened, glazing over with fury. Nova wanted to apologise, but her pride stopped her. Besides, Cass needed to know when she crossed the line.
“Do you think,” she began, hand trailing up to grab Nova by the neck. “That I won't throw another dagger at you if you keep being a problem for us?”
Nova pulled her hand away. “As if you can get rid of me that easily. Remember who pinned you down and threatened to tear your pretty little limbs apart just eighteen months ago?”
“You're not that girl anymore. One kiss and you've grown soft.”
Now it was Nova's turn to grab Cassia’s neck. She leaned in close, her lips brushing against her ear. “I don't change. I certainly don't grow soft. Test me one more fucking time and I'll show you that I'm the girl I've always been.”
Cassia shivered under Nova's grasp.
The girl could feel the goosebumps forming on her flesh. Nova pulled away, and a small protest barely passed Cassia’s lips. Whatever attraction simmering between them was firmly shoved away. If Cassia wanted affection, connection, Nova wasn't about to give it. Not in this place, not here. Not when Nova was so unbelievably angry at this girl. If needed, she would follow through with her threat.
“I liked you better when you had a personality,” Nova snapped. “Not when you're some sociopathic stabber.”
Cassia scoffed and pushed Nova away. Her skin was searing hot. Nova watched the girl storm off, muttering under her breath.
Whatever. Like Nova even cared. Cassia’s temper tantrums didn’t bother her in the slightest.
Stupid bitch. Imagine turning her down- her! Cassia! Honestly, what was wrong with Nova? Maybe she was too focused on something as small as Aspen’s actions from earlier to pay attention to what was in front of her. Cassia sat herself down beside Aspen, tugging on her hair obsessively as she stewed in embarrassment. Of course the one time she attempted to initiate a moment, Nova shut her down. Cassia was worth more than that girl anyway. And then there was that other thing: that comment about having no personality? Being a sociopathic stabber?
Come on, Nova wasn’t even being creative at this point. Cassia rolled her eyes to the heavens, then remembered she wanted to dismember the heavens, so she looked back down. Aspen raised an eyebrow. “What’s irritated you?” He asked.
“Oh, nothing,” Cassia replied airily, waving a hand dismissively at the question. It invited further inquiry, but naturally Aspen didn’t receive the memo.
“OK,” He shrugged. “I wanted to discuss the battle strategy for the drakon we’ll encounter in Florida.”
Cassia removed herself from her enraged rants about Nova. “Battle strategies are Felix’s thing. I’m the one behind the bowstring.”
“Yes,” Aspen agreed. “To the first point you made, not the second. Battle strategies are Felix’s thing, but I don’t trust him.”
“Why not?”
Aspen leaned in, dropping his voice to a whisper. “Because I don’t think he supports our cause. I reckon he might still be on the gods’ side.”
“Felix?” Cassia threw a look to her friend, who was in deep thought. She snorted. “I don’t believe you for a second.”
“Either way, Cassia, I’m suspicious of him. I trust you.”
“Now why would you do that?” Cassia tilted her head to the side. It was a joking gesture. Aspen smirked. “Because you know what has to be done for the greater good.”
“Can’t fault you,” She smiled. “So, weather boy, what’s our strategy?”
“I want you to take Irene and Castillo, our long-range fighters, and organise a trio of sorts. The three of you will take different points and open fire from there. The rest of us can charge.”
“Do you have a diagram?” She asked. Aspen shook his head. Cassia shrugged. She didn’t care all that much for fancy diagrams, not like Felix did. Besides, as they drew nearer to Florida, the buzz of adrenaline began to grow louder. Soon they would have their first battle in over a year. A year! Oh, Cassia couldn’t wait for the action, the danger, the risk!
Gods, she was thinking like Nova with all of this-
Stop it, She scolded. No. Forget about her. She’s nothing compared to you.
Yes. That’s right. Nova was nothing important, not to Cassia. She weighed her down, anyway. Held Cassia back. So what if Nova rejected her? It wasn’t like Cassia couldn’t find anyone else she wanted. Please. Nova thought she was all tough and terrifying, but Cassia hadn’t been intimidated by her threats since they were twelve.
All that mattered was Phoebe. First and foremost Phoebe, then taking down Zeus. Then dying. Cassia needed to write it down, because she was starting to have a hard time keeping up with all of her different objectives.
In order of priority and/or immediate threat, it went:
- Surviving the drakon fight.
- Keeping Phoebe safe.
- Zeus.
- Dying.
Yes, that was easier. Honestly, Cassia would have a great last few months of her life. She’d run around the country with her friends killing monsters, all while avoiding her father completely and therefore consequences, and then she’d die. Life would be good.
Oh, and she’d make sure Phoebe had a great future before death. Couldn’t forget about that.
Upon landing, Cassia stepped out into the Floridian sun. It was swelteringly hot thanks to the mid-July weather, so hot that Cassia felt like a human solar panel. Maybe her father was making her life slightly harder. Cassia didn’t doubt he had some way of turning up the sun for specific people. He was petty like that.
Oh well, light gave her energy anyway. She fell into step beside Aspen, and they marched ahead, emptying out into the streets.
“Welcome to Jacksonville,” Nova stated, her tone drier than Cassia’s mouth. Seriously, where was water when you needed it? Cassia lost herself, thinking of how thirsty she was when Maisie asked a question. “Is this where you lived, Nova?”
Nova shook her head. “No. I lived down near West Palm Beach.”
“Oh, OK,” Maisie said, nodding slowly. “So are you familiar with this place?”
“A little bit, but I haven’t been back in so long. A lot of things will be different. I think we’ll need our human map, Castillo, to lead us.”
Castillo looked murderous. After murdering that random guy, Cassia couldn’t blame him for sort of going off the rails. She liked his solution, doubling down on the hostility. Gave him a dangerous edge. Good for the drakon fight. “Think we’ll find your uncle in the water?” He asked, and Cassia had to hold back a laugh. Nova’s expression darkened, but before she could make a move Aspen held her back. “Leave him alone, Nova. He’s been through enough.”
“What the fuck?” She backed off, but looked enraged. She looked at Cassia, then at Castillo. “At least there’s something left of my uncle to find. Unlike your mom.”
In an instant, Castillo had his guns aimed at Nova’s face. Nova had her daggers against his throat.
Things were so different. On their first quest, the group had bonded well. They were a family of sorts. Now they were out to kill each other. Families, after all, were often dysfunctional. This was bound to happen. Cassia decided to break it up before it escalated too far. Wouldn’t want anyone dead. Yet.
“As much as I want to see Nova’s face blown off,” She cooed, stepping between them. “We have to keep moving. Let’s kill each other after we kill the drakon, okay?”
“You’re next,” Nova growled at her. Cassia smiled sweetly before flipping her middle finger in Nova’s face. “In your dreams.”
If this group was a family, Felix was the unfortunate child who hadn’t yet lost his mind. He was close to it, though, so hooray for that! Felix whacked both of the girls in the head, and pointed Castillo’s guns downward without a flinch. “I hate you all,” He snapped. “Keep moving before I drag you to our destination. Castillo,” He forced Castillo to pay attention. “Where are we going?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I’ll figure out six ways I can kill you with the airport sign if I have to.”
“Jacksonville Naval Air station.”
“Good.” Felix ran a hand through his hair. He’d given up on styling it a long time ago. It got its daily comb-through when Felix was about ready to blow everyone up. “Now,” He began. “You lead us there. Aspen,” As much as he despised Aspen, he was his superior and therefore had to be addressed with respect. “Would you brief us on the battle strategy we’re going to use? I assume you have one, you know, since you didn’t ask me to make one.”
Aspen regarded the tension between the four with a thin, lipless smile. Grim satisfaction. Oh, that kid made Felix sick. All he did was stir the pot, make everything more complicated. Who had suggested the stupid uprising? Aspen! Who had escalated Castillo’s accidental kill? Aspen.
“I didn’t need to ask you,” The son of Zeus replied.
“How brave of you to do it alone. All right, lieutenant, let’s get this over with. Who are we retrieving?”
“A son of Ares. He’s about eight. The drakon is a Macedonian breed, roughly eighteen feet wide, at least twenty feet tall. Our plan is to have our long range fighters positioned in various angles so they have a constant stream of shots focused on the monster. The rest of us will charge.”
“Charge?” Felix questioned. “Just… charge? What about positions, who takes where, who works best together?”
“Just take the bloody order, Callahan.”
“Little hard to do that when the orders are incomprehensible.”
“Let’s
go,”
Helena scolded, fanning herself irritably. “Felix, construct a more detailed plan on our way there. Aspen, shut up.”
Felix definitely liked Helena.
And so they hurried to Jacksonville Naval Air station as night fell. Had the day really gone by so quickly?
And there, in the pale illumination moonlight bestowed upon the city, in the darkened grounds of the station, Cassia watched as a lumbering silhouette sniffed the air for its next meal. Using a spark of light, Cassia set an arrow ablaze and nocked it in her bow, swiftly drawing the string and letting the flame light up their surroundings. The arrow landed neatly in the ground a good fifty feet away, and the drakon took notice of the distraction. It thundered over to the light, checking it out.
“How far away is the demigod?” Leon asked. “A few of us can go and retrieve him and get out of here while you handle the drakon.”
“What, don’t wanna fight?” Nova asked, scowling.
“Not really, no,” Leon admitted. “I’m happy to go and get the kid to safety if someone wants to back me up.”
“I will,” Felicity sighed. “I doubt I’m much use in the darkness. I can’t see for shit. How could I throw any axes accurately?”
“Castillo,” Leon repeated. “How far away is the demigod?”
Castillo kept his eyes firmly trained on the drakon before answering. “Palm hills drive. If you go down, near the cemetery, cross the highway and take a sharp right before it, you’ll find him. Make sure you’re strapped,” He advised. “You’ll have to defend him.”
“And if we get him before you’re done?” Felicity asked.
Castillo turned his head. “Take him to the Target nearby.”
Leon and Felicity exchanged curt nods before sprinting off into the night, heading South to cross the highway. The others were positioned a safe distance from the drakon. “What the hell are the mortals seeing this thing as?”
“A large plane, most likely,” Irene suggested. “Cassia, I’d suggest you and I pair together to get a lay of the land. Castillo-” She turned to the son of Hermes. “Come up the rear.”
“You bet I will,” He winked. Irene whacked him with her bow.
“Right. On my signal, you and I move,” She told Cassia, who nodded silently. “Thanks to my time as a hunter, I’ve got good night vision. I’ll advise you where to aim, both of you.”
“I don’t really need that,” Cassia said. “I’m good enough.”
“In daylight, yes. But it’s currently dark and there’s no sun to help you. And… I doubt you’ve hunted during nighttime. So this is my court. I’d suggest you stow away your ego a little.”
Cassia rolled her eyes, but didn’t protest any further. Castillo smirked as he silently loaded his guns, pushing away all of the guilt and anger he’d been harbouring for the day. It was time to kill a drakon.
“Hold on, I’m the leader,” Aspen interrupted. “Irene, I'll make the calls here.”
“You said yourself that the long-range fighters take vantage points. I’m elaborating on your vague description.”
“You’re taking control.”
“Oh gods, get a hold of yourself. This is my area of expertise, no superiority complex can undermine that.” Irene turned away. Aspen simply wasn’t worth her time. “Cassia, Castillo, you both heard me. Let’s move out. Cass, right, me left, Castillo in the back.”
Felix watched as the three stalked off into the darkness, silently splitting and assembling a V formation. Then Irene and Cassia turned, drawing their bows. Castillo had achieved the high ground, and he had his pistols ready to open fire.
Helena opened her fan, her weapon. The others grasped their knives, swords, and spears.
Then Aspen gave the command. “CHARGE!”
Chapter 36: The drakon
Notes:
Hey! I'm back from my trip, and I've got about 1 and a 1/2 chapters ready to go after this one. I'm currently editing them, but they'll be uploaded soon!
!! PLEASE READ !!
Trigger warnings for this chapter:
- Gore
- Vomit
- DeathIf you are squeamish or uncomfortable with any of these topics, please read at your own risk or skip to the next chapter! Take care :)
Chapter Text
Arrows sliced the air, chinking the drakon’s scaly hide as it took notice of the demigod meal before it. Nova threw her stars left and right, swords slashed and spears stabbed.
Cassia lept around and around again as she reviewed her training. Light footing, quick movements and flawless shots. That was her formula to be the best fighter. Irene and Cassia worked as one being, neither needing to shout instructions for the other to heed. Cassia saw an opening, and she took it. Irene caught a glimpse of a threat and shot it down.
Despite the darkness, Cassia felt alive with heat and energy. Power. Something she hadn't felt for a long time. Then and there, Cassia lost sight of her troubles regarding her father and the gods and Phoebe. All that mattered was this huge beast below her, roaring into the night, spitting poison and fire.
Gunshots cracked the air like a whip, and Castillo darted forward, so quickly he was just a blur, and opened fire, targeting vital organs. That seemed to be the trio’s strategy. It would make the melee group’s job easier.
This was what Cassia loved about being a demigod: the danger, the thrill of the fight! Oh, it was all so perfect. Irene was flawless, Castillo ever reliable, and Cassia controlled.
Helena sent sharp wind toward the drakons from all sides, whipping it with freezing gusts with each flutter of her fan. Aspen jutted his double edged sword, now charged with voltage, deep into the beast’s scaly hide. It let out a guttural roar of agony and writhed around.
Felix appeared from the sides, tearing into the flesh with his sword, neatly dodging showers of poison with time to spare. Nova was a beast in her own right, lodging silver stars near the eyes. Her aim wasn't quite as good as Cassia or Irene’s (nobody's was quite as good as that), but it did its job.
Finn seemed to be using a gadget of some sort that Cassia couldn't make out in the dim moonlight. It managed to make the drakon’s footing uneven though, so it must have been effective.
Finally, Oscar was shrouding the group in darkness, dressing them with shadow, obscuring the drakon’s vision, and by default, everyone else's.
“I can't see for shit,” Cassia grunted, shifting her aim from left to right, not dating to make a blind shot. That would kill someone, surely. Irene was less cautious. “Squint your eyes,” she recommended. Cassia tried it. “Hm.”
“Did it work?”
“Yeah. I can see absolutely nothing. Thanks!”
Irene’s eyes shot upward. “Artemis was right. You really have your father's annoying attitude.”
The mention of Apollo sent an uncomfortable jolt through Cassia’s body. A spark of heat rippled through her.
“Uh-huh,” she dismissed. “Think it's safe to turn into a torch?”
“Sure.”
“Really?”
“Well,” Irene shrugged. “As long as you're ready to have a drakons charge your way.”
“On second thought,” Cassia pulled back as a fresh roar from the drakon pierced their conversation. “Let's just get closer to shoot.”
“Castillo's taking the tail-end, you and I could aim for the eyes simultaneously?”
“Could work.” Cassia managed to catch sight of the drakon’s snaking tail sweeping near the girls. She drew her bowstring and let the arrow navigate the darkness. It was swallowed whole by the black fog, and soon the drakon trained its deadly yellow eyes on Cassia. The daughter of Apollo froze. Her blood turned to ice as she processed the danger she was in. This was not a matter of cowardice; this was human instincts telling her to move, to fear what was staring at her. Irene was less impacted by this, and took the distraction as an opportunity. She nocked an arrow and swiftly shot into one of the beady eyes. Instantly, Cassie snapped out of her waking nightmare and took out the other eye with a clean shot.
“It's blind!” Irene called to the others. The darkness was falling heavier and heavier upon them, like the blankets of grey clouds before a storm. Cassia heard shouts of acknowledgement, and caught a momentary glimpse of Felix sprinting out before being swallowed by the ocean of night.
“We should head in,” Irene said. “We're more useful when we can actually see what's going on.”
Darkness scared Cassia. It wasn't natural for her. She couldn't navigate it like she could with light. She swallowed thickly as the girls stood, ready to run in. “You go,” she replied. “You're better in darkness.”
“You'll be fine too,” Irene argued. “What's the hold up? We've got a job to do, let's move.”
“Just not a fan of darkness.” Cassia had to close her sweaty palms around her bow, hoping the wood would absorb the moisture soon enough. Irene rolled her eyes. “Excuses, excuses. Where's the girl who stabbed her father? Bring her back!”
Cassia shook her head. “I’m fine. Let's head in.”
In the midst of the shadows, it was chaos. There was freezing air lashing Cassia’s face one moment, then she was being baked alive the next, courtesy of Helena. Twice she had nearly run into one of her fellow demigods, but Cassia wasn't able to summon light. There was no light source to use around her. For once, Cassia was truly powerless. She had to actually rely on her wits and skills. Bo-ring.
Maisie could sense the poison spray thanks to cleverly placed plants nearby, so for now, that threat was eliminated. But the drakon was not. As wounded as it was, the monster still inflicted heavy damage.
“Where do we aim?” Castillo shouted, presumably to Felix. It was the son of Athena who replied, anyway. “Stomach! The stomach! Tear it open if you can!”
“Roger!” Castillo began to open fire, but quickly stopped. “I can't see anything. Oscar, can you turn down the shadows?”
Silence. Oscar didn't reply. Aspen’s voice carried across the battlefield. “Oscar, stop the shadows.”
Again, silence. Cassia’s attention was diverted, however, when the drakon sprayed poison in her direction. With a sharp squeal, Cassia darted out of the way, but not before her dominant arm caught a dosage of it. The pain was blinding, and Cassia immediately knew it would be intensely corrosive to her skin. Flora, whose light had been extinguished by Oscar’s shadow also, slithered to life and frantically began working on Cassia’s healing powers.
As Cassia kept back into action with the others, Flora worked overtime, draining Cassia’s energy fast in order to keep her alive. The poison was deadly, Cass knew that, but she was clinging to the hope that Flora would do her job and slow the poison as it entered her bloodstream. Still, Cass was in deep trouble. She had no time to dwell on this, though, as she fired arrows at the drakon, aiming blindly and shooting with rapid urgency. She didn't care where her arrows penetrated, as long as they weakened that thing she would be happy.
The group was winning, but Cassia's body was weakening with each second that passed. Aware enough to know that she was no longer helpful to the fight, Cassia turned and ran in the opposite direction, stumbling through the darkness. It would have been brighter had she shut her eyes. She was beginning to pick up pace when she tripped over something soft. Landing with an oof, Cassia fumbled on the ground, trying to feel whatever she was lying on. It was warm and squelchy, but also sticky on her fingers. Tentatively, Cassia lifted her finger to her nose and got a whiff of blood.
She backed off, trying to mask her horror and fear as best as she could. That's when her hand, propping her up, felt the unmistakable texture of hair. Cassia quickly repositioned, assuming it was some poor dead animal.
Billowing fire, the drakon broke through the clouds and lit up the night. Cassia looked down at her hands, then the floor she sat on.
More like the body.
Illuminated by the raging flames before him, Oscar’s body lay crushed barely beyond recognition. His stomach had burst open, skull crushed, body flattened. The only way Cassia knew it was him was because of the small necklace, bearing the symbol of Hades. It was so gruesome, so horrifying and wrong that Cassia didn't know how to scream. Did she scream? Her stomach lurched, and she scrambled away from Oscar’s desecrated corpse to empty it. Vomit pooled in her mouth, filling her tongue with the acrid taste.
Cassia keeled over, her body taking over automatically to finish the job. Bile and vomit mingled in the back of her throat, then spilled out onto the ground. A wave of dizziness overcame her, and her hands dug into the earth. Time slipped into insignificance as Cassia kneeled there, retching up her horror.
The unmistakable sound of a death cry echoed, and the drakon hit the ground with an earth-shaking crash. There were cheers and sighs of relief all around, but the darkness didn't seem to disappear. Cassia's pain in her arm was blinding, and the girl was forced to curl up, pulling her knees to her chest, to try and stay calm. Visions flashed across her eyes, hallucinations of things that she feared. Phoebe dying, jaws opening wide to devour Cassia whole.
Someone reached out for her. A hand, warm and steady.
It pulled her close, and Cassia rested her head on the shoulder of her father. Or the hallucination of him. She wasn't sure. This would be okay, she thought. It wouldn't be a half bad place to die. Cassia could distinguish no features of Apollo. It was just a being of light holding her close. However, he leaned down, brushing a lock of blood stained hair from Cassia's face. It was unmistakably his voice that murmured in her ear.
I don't need to be a god to kill you.
She frantically sat upright to try and run, but a hand snaked itself around her throat. When she tried to scream, she was silenced. She couldn't move.
The air left Cassia’s lungs painfully fast and she blacked out.
Chapter 37: SENDHELPSHE'LLDIEANDIT'SALLMYFAULTANDI'MPANICKINGHELP
Chapter Text
Two dead was a lot more than Aspen had anticipated. Then again, he hadn’t expected everyone to survive, but he hadn’t expected Cassia Dubois to drop dead. Dawn had risen over in the east, and the shadows had faded with the night. The visibility was one thing, the silence another. That’s when Aspen had looked behind his shoulder, and about twenty feet away lay Cassia Dubois, still and unconscious, beside the minced remains of Oscar Holloway, son of Hades.
“Oh my gods!” Helena screamed, abandoning her brother’s side and rushing over. Aspen made his way over to the daughter of Apollo. Her arm was burned horribly, like something had splashed acid on her skin. Blood coated her clothes. Her skin was a ghostly white and ice cold. Felix dropped on his knees at Cassia’s side, pressing two fingers to her neck. After a tense moment, the son of Athena sighed. “She’s alive.”
They didn’t need to ask whether or not the same could be said for Oscar. That body would haunt Aspen’s dreams. It was a death that he could be held responsible for. The gods weren’t going to be happy with this. Aspen needed to ensure that it wouldn’t happen again. Nova Allemande dropped her throwing stars into the dirt. “What happened to her?” She asked.
“Drakon poison,” Felix answered. Suddenly, Aspen wasn’t so sure that she would stay alive. He swallowed his doubt. “How is she still alive? Wouldn’t the poison have reached her heart by now?”
“This bracelet,” Felix said, holding up Cassia’s limp wrist. It was a golden snake, slithering around her owner’s arm, pumping a golden light into her bloodstream. “It’s keeping the poison out of her bloodstream to the best of its ability.”
“What is it?” Felicity asked. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Cassia told me about that thing,” Castillo said quietly. “It’s a gift from Apollo. It’s meant to make her healing powers stronger.”
“Why is it injecting her with light, though?” Helena inquired. Felix stood back up. “Cassia relies heavily on light to sustain her. So, that bracelet/snake is keeping her alive.”
“Who’s going to thank Apollo for us, then?” Helena looked around, her eyes landing on Aspen. “You know, for making sure you don’t get slaughtered for having two kids die on your mission.”
“Don’t remind me,” Aspen grumbled.
“We need to get out of here,” Finn said. “Oscar needs to be buried properly, and Cassia needs medical attention.”
“We have to go to Olympus first,” Aspen replied. Everyone’s jaws dropped open, and a few of them swore.
“Not when someone’s on death’s doorstep, surely,” Felicity scoffed. “I doubt the gods would appreciate a half-dead girl dropped at their feet, and a corpse in a bag on the side.”
“I have my orders,” Aspen replied dryly. “We have to report to Olympus before and after this mission.”
“The sooner we get there, the sooner we leave,” Nova said. “So let’s hurry up and go, shall we? As much as I hate this bitch,” She threw a resentful look to Cassia. “We sort of need her alive.”
Aspen didn’t care what the mortals thought of the group as they rushed through the streets. Nova had bravely volunteered to bag up Oscar’s body, which was more a pile of guts than an actual human. So now she dragged a black bag containing human remains, and Felix held his friend’s limp frame. Castillo muttered something to him, and Felix nodded. Cassia was then handed over from one boy to the other. Then Castillo broke into a run, instantly becoming a blur and disappearing from sight. Felix turned to Aspen. “Castillo’s agreed to take Cass up to Olympus already. She needs healing, and he knows someone who can do that.”
Cold body in his arms, tears in his eyes, Castillo was desperate. Cassia couldn’t die. Not here, not now. It would be too similar to when his mother had died. No, he couldn’t lose Cass too. His limbs were screaming for a rest, and Castillo knew he had pulled something from not warming up, but he didn’t care. He just needed to get Cassia to safety, and he needed to see her wake up. Phoebe still needed her. Castillo still needed her.
He wasn’t sure how long he had been running for when he appeared in Manhattan. Cassia’s lips were blue, and the snake bracelet was getting dimmer and dimmer. Her arm wasn’t healing, it was getting worse. The acidic poison revealed a pearly white bone. Soon she’d be dead and- no, he couldn’t think like that. Castillo burst into the empire state building and yanked the keys from the security guard- he hated that guy, by the way. He frantically pressed the 600th floor button and nervously paced around the elevator for the agonising twenty minute trip up. When the doors opened, he zoomed as fast as he possibly could to find the nearest god. Anyone, he thought as he searched. Literally anyone, please appear.
Castillo had never really thought much of Artemis, but now he couldn’t have been more grateful for the stone faced goddess. Abandoning manners, Castillo rushed up to her. “DoyouknowwhereApollois?” He asked. Artemis took in the scene in dead silence. Her eyes trailed down to Cassia’s injury, and she understood. “I do not know where my brother is,” she answered. “What happened to this maiden, boy?”
“Adrakonfoundherandattackedherandshe’sbeenpoisonedandIneedtofindApollobecausehecankeepheraliveandshe’sgoingtodieandican’tloseher-”
“Slow down.”
“-She’lldieandit’sallmyfaultand-”
Artemis held up a hand, demanding silence. “She will live, demigod. She will live.”
“How do you know?” He exclaimed. Castillo had never shouted at a goddess before, but his fear of Cassia dying trumped his fear of Artemis.
“I will go and contact my brother,” She said calmly, and she left.
Castillo dropped to his knees, holding Cassia in his arms. This was all so nightmarish- the blood, the burns, the coldness of her body. It was on his shoulders now. If he hadn’t been fast enough and Cassia really did die, Castillo would never be able to face himself. Or Phoebe. He owed it to both of them, their survival. “You have to live,” He begged her. “You have to.”
A figure appeared, but Castillo couldn’t register who it was. Then somebody grabbed him, and his panic went into overdrive. Who were they to grab Cassia, and grab him? What if they separated him from her? What if she died? Castillo felt like a small child with the way he began kicking and screaming, reaching out for Cassia as she was taken away. He didn’t know what he did or said, or for how long he fought. A warm hand rested on his shoulder. Warm like Cassia’s, but Castillo couldn’t see who it was. Nothing was working, not his mind, not his eyes, not his hearing. All that remained was fear.
Someone was trying to speak to him, but Castillo registered nothing. Was he being dragged away? He couldn’t tell. The world was a blur, and the noises were muffled. It was hell. Cassia was most certainly dead, he just knew it.
When he gained consciousness of his whereabouts, Castillo was sitting with a blanket around his shoulders and a cold glass of water in his shaking hands. Cassia was nowhere to be seen. He was in a silent hallway, resting against a wall. To his right were two gigantic golden doors. Oh. He was in the hallway to the Olympian throne room. The door opened a fraction, and Nova stepped through. Her cheek was bruised and her forehead sported a cut, but otherwise she seemed alright. “Quite the show you put on,” She remarked, sitting beside him. “Or so I hear.”
“What happened?” He asked, but his voice was gone. It was a hoarse whisper. Nova cracked a smile. “That sounds like it hurts. As for what happened, Cassia’s alive. It was bad, though. She went into shock.”
When Nova realised that Castillo couldn’t reply, she continued. “From what I know, and it’s not much, you went up and bothered Artemis into finding her brother. Apollo took Cass away, and that freaked you out. You were screaming stuff- really bad stuff, and finally tired yourself out by the time we showed up. Maisie put you in a blanket and got you water. She was with you until a few minutes ago, when we had to go in to give the Olympians the report.”
“And.. it’s over?” He whispered. Nova nodded. “It’s over. We’ve been given a break to basically get our shit together. You’ve been recommended to go into therapy.”
“Artemis asked that?”
Nova laughed. “Nah. Hera, actually. Apparently you’re ‘deeply disturbed’ and ‘mentally unhinged.’”
Castillo managed to smile at that. Nova fixed the blanket around his shoulders. “But I think you’re just scared.”
She wasn’t saying it with malice, which was a first. Normally fear, to Nova, meant weakness. “Cassia’s up. Apollo fixed her up easily.”
“Where is she?” He croaked. Nova nodded down the hallway. “I think they were talking down there, last I heard. Come on, lightning mcqueen, let’s go find her.”
Nova held out her hand, and Castillo took it.
As they turned a corner, Cassia appeared, Apollo at her side. The girl held no sign that anything had happened between whatever exchange they’d no doubt had, but Castillo couldn’t imagine there hadn’t been some tension. You know, after Cassia stabbed her father. Her arm was being held in a sling, and she looked exhausted. When she laid eyes on Castillo, her expression widened with surprise as she took in his state before softening. “Heard you saved me, my hero,” She said. Castillo opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. He rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Cassia. She was taken aback momentarily, but soon returned the embrace.
“You two are so wholesome, you’re going to make me puke.” Nova took a step back, looking up and down at Apollo. She nodded. “So she’s not dead?”
“She’s not dead,” replied the god.
“Damn it.”
“I hate you,” Cassia muttered, but she was mainly focused on Castillo. “Okay trouble,” she laughed softly. “We should leave. We've got a sister who needs to make sure I’m alive.”
Chapter 38: You don't get to die yet, get up.
Notes:
hey so uh what the hell do you mean this reached 1000 hits? oh my gods- thank you! thank you so much! I can't quite believe that this stupid story actually had 1000 hits and 49 kudos! (Kudos is always much appreciated, as is commenting!)
Some quick notes:
- I love you all so much <3
- If you've been reading this as one big piece, please take a break and drink some water :)
- MORE ACTION SOON! (including nova x cassie so keep reading )okay that's all, thanks again!
- crowncraftella xx
Chapter Text
“Listen,” Apollo grabbed Cassia’s wrist before she could leave with her friends. Nova and Castillo were already around the corner. “I don’t care what you think or say, I need you to listen to me. This-” He gestured to her injured arm. “-can’t continue. You can’t just show up half-dead after each mission. Your sister still needs you, okay?”
“Can’t survive when you put me to death.”
“Oh my gods,” Apollo rolled his eyes. “I did not intend for you to die. But that’s not the point- the point is that you need to stop acting like you’re dead already when you’re still alive. You can survive, Cassia, I know it. You’ve fallen into Hades and survived a fight with a god. You have a team of your friends behind you. This is nothing in comparison. So stop acting like you’re already dead and start recognising that you have the skill and talent to stay alive.”
The audacity managed to make Cassia offended enough to listen to him. When she tried to protest, however, Apollo held a hand up. “Don’t even start. Don’t say something about how I’m plotting to kill you or you’re righteous for stabbing me. I am not your enemy, Cassia. I have never been your enemy. I chose you because I genuinely believe you can stay alive through this. I want you to live. So, stop antagonising me and remember who the real enemy is.”
Before Cassia could stop herself, she blurted out. “You aren’t going to try to kill me because I stabbed you?”
“That would just prove your point, wouldn’t it? That you can’t see the humanity in me.”
“I- I don’t believe you.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
Apollo sighed. “I need you to understand that I don’t hate you or want you dead. I never have, even after what you did. You’re scared, I get that. I’d be petrified if I had to do what you did. Cassia, look at me,” He rested his hand on her shoulder gently, beckoning her to meet his gaze. “I will never hurt you, I swear. I did nothing with the intention for you to wind up dead. I chose you for Aspen’s squad because I know how capable you are. You’re powerful, I knew that from the moment I claimed you. You’ve made incredible solar flares and your shots never miss. It’s time to use your full potential. I think,” He brushed a small bit of dirt off Cassie’s cheek. “That with enough training, you could easily take down a drakon by yourself.”
“What’s your final point?”
“That, even though you’re scared, I know you’re capable of astonishing things. You have so much power and skill, but if you don’t utilise your talents, you won’t survive. And if you’ve adopted this mindset that I’m pitted against you and you’re going to die, drop it. Now. I’m on your side, always. And you’re going to survive.”
“Yeah, right,” Cassia snorted. “The last thing. I mean.”
“No,” Apollo forced Cassia to stay where she was. His eyes were burning with the fires of Cassia’s solar flares. “Cassia Dubois, you are going to survive.”
Arriving back at camp with a body bag, several injuries and overall crippling team morale wasn’t the most positive message to send to the other kids, but what choice did anyone have? As Cassia fell into step alongside Aspen, she finally asked a burning question in her mind. “What have the gods done that provokes us to attack Zeus?”
Aspen looked at her as if she were an idiot. “Put us on this squad. It’s a death sentence.”
“But what if it’s because we’re the best they’ve got to handle it? So we can take on the worst drakons because we’re able to withstand it?”
“Would you describe Oscar’s situation as ‘withstanding it?’”
“I’m not saying we’re immune to death, but-”
“-Cassia, the gods hate us and want us dead. I thought that was obvious. Are you with us or not?”
“My main priority is just living through another day.”
“There’s a difference between living and surviving, Cassia. You survive daily, but you can live if you join us. This creates change.”
“Through violence.”
“What happened to you? You were on board with this a few days ago. You even stabbed Apollo- an excellent spark.”
“Look, it’s not the violence in general I hate, it’s the violence against the gods. We have a shot of survival, and we’re throwing it away for some half-baked rebellious plan!”
“You’re overthinking this.”
“No, Aspen. You’re not thinking enough. We can live- we’re good enough at what we do. We need to focus on survival.”
“Cassia,” Aspen turned to face her. “You nearly died. Oscar is dead. We’re all going to die doing this and we all know it. Why not go out making an impact, creating a change, making the gods realise that they can’t continue like this?”
“Because I’m not going to die! Not when I have so much to live for. I have my sister to protect. I won’t accept death. Not yet.”
“Who changed your mind? You know, since you don’t seem to hold your own opinions. First it’s my influence, then your father’s, then mine again, and- oh, your dear father’s changed your mind this time. Am I right? Apollo told you something like ‘you can survive this!’ And you somehow believed him. Cassia, when will you realise that he doesn’t care? You’re disposable, he showed that when he put you on this squad.”
“This isn’t about him.”
“Believe me, you’ll kick the bucket with the rest of us and he’ll just sit on his throne, sipping nectar.”
“This isn’t right, Aspen. This idea that we have to beat up Zeus- what good will it achieve, really? We hit him, no doubt the gods will hit back twice as hard. It’s suicide.”
“Oh sorry, I didn’t realise I was speaking with Felix.”
“You mean someone logical? Good. Aspen, violence achieves nothing good. Castillo killed someone innocent and look at the state of him!”
“Cassia, shut up.” Aspen’s hands were charged with electricity. “Fighting keeps us alive. I'm not interested in hearing about your little wholesome speeches. I'm interested in your skills.”
“Fighting is one thing, throwing away your chance of survival is another.”
“And who are you to talk? You stabbed Apollo!”
“Okay, okay,” Helena stepped in-between them. “Let's just.. calm down.” She threw a nervous glance to Cassia, who folded her arms over her chest defiantly. Aspen tilted his head to the side, his toxic green hair falling in a sideways mop. “Why the change of heart, Dubois? It won't save you or your sister.”
“Oh, you little-”
“That's enough.” Helena pressed her hand against Cassia’s chest. Cass was about to turn on Helena, but one look from the girl told her to drop it.
So Cassia sauntered off, allowing her thoughts to linger as she walked away from Aspen and Helena. Aspen was off the rails.
In cabin one, the squad was hastily assembled for their next mission. Aspen had laid out plans and a file from Olympus. “I'm not going to lie to you,” he began, pacing the room. “Oscar's death is not a deep cut. He's forgettable. Disposable. Still, the less we lose, the better. I've been handed the next mission: we're headed to Brooklyn, it's very local. We need to retrieve a son of Demeter next. He's four.”
“Four?” Felicity twisted one of her chestnut curls around her finger. “Please tell me we're collecting him from the father.”
“The father has been killed.”
Four years old, already dealing with the loss of a parent. “Are we expected to kill the drakon?” Leon asked, scraping at the prongs of his trident.
Aspen nodded in reply. The file was passed around. It was a clearly written objective, with additional comments from Demeter highlighting what the boy, Nathan, looked like.
“I don't understand,” Nova asked. “Why are we bringing kids this young to camp? It's not the safest place for children, is it?”
“It's safer than out there,” Irene muttered. “When I was still travelling with the hunters, we were beaten up by drakons daily. And that was with Artemis at our side.”
“Did the goddess actually do anything?” Castillo raised the question. Irene scowled. “Of course she helped, but that doesn't block death or injury.”
“How are the other squads going?” Cassia found herself asking. Aspen pulled up a large whiteboard. “Multiple injuries across the board, only one death. We've retrieved ten demigods so far. We have fifteen squads.”
There was a giant map of the U.S. decorated with tiny dots. That must be the demigods they could track. There were dots in blue, the demigods, and dots in red, the drakons. The drakons outnumbered the demigods two to one.
Aspen pulled a yellow pin from a container and stuck it on the map, right over the Brooklyn area. “This is where we'll go.”
With no other words to say, the group dispersed for the night.
“It's horrible, isn't it?” Felicity remarked as she kicked pebbles off the path. Moonlight hung over the ocean. Irene and Cassia were at her side. “This whole operation. Oscar is gone, and we're still doing this.”
“The show must go on,” Cassia replied dryly. “Besides, Aspen couldn't care less who's dying so long as he gets those missions done.”
Irene laughed softly, her voice devoid of any lightness. “That’s how it'll be, won't it? We'll be picked up in body bags and they’ll keep dying.”
“It’s just…” In the glow of the moonlight, Felicity’s eyes shone with unshed tears. Her bottom lip wobbled. “I liked Oscar. He was kind.”
“Very poetic, Felicity.” Irene rolled her eyes. “You’ll see him soon enough. At the rate we’re going, I think we’ll be dead by next Tuesday.”
Felicity burst into tears and fell into Cassia’s arms. The daughter of Apollo threw the huntress a glare. “What? I wasn’t lying.”
“A little sensitivity never hurts.”
“That word is foreign to me.”
Cassia managed to send Felicity off into her cabin for the night. Personally, Cass was in no mood to sleep- like it would ever come. There was too much on her mind. Irene seemed to glow softly, a dim silver light illuminating her dark features. “Do hunters die often?” She asked.
Irene looked out at the midnight lake, carefully observing the moonlight captured on the crest of the lapping waves. “No. Not often.”
“What happens when they do?”
“I’ve never seen it myself,” Irene said. “But I believe we hold a funeral for the fallen maiden and release her soul. Artemis gives a blessing and bids farewell.”
“That’s nice.”
“Cassia,” Irene turned to face her. “Who are you?”
Cassia looked away, thinking of a reply. Who was she? She didn’t know. “Well, I’m a daughter of Apollo-”
“No.” Irene held up her hand. “I didn’t ask who your father was, I asked who you are.”
“I don’t know who I am.”
“You want to know who I think you are?”
“Why not?”
“You’re clever. Really clever. Not like Felix. You’re cunning and determined to make a change. You don’t care what you must do, you’ll do it for others. You’re fueled by ambition and a thirst to prove yourself to everyone around you. To Aspen. To your dad. To Artemis. You’re always thinking of new ways to navigate a situation, always reconsidering your moves and motives. Constantly changing. You’re shockingly loyal to those around you, which I will never truly get why
they
of all people have won your heart over. You still love so many people, and you’re kind when you want to be, but that’s what I see the most. The ambition. Intelligence and determination. That’s you, Cassia. Own it.”
Chapter 39: Broken and blooming
Chapter Text
“Sort yourself out,” Helena snapped as she entered the cabin, throwing her bag down at the entrance. Aspen hurled another dart at Apollo on the incredible mural on the ceiling. He was growing really tired of that guy and his stupid daughter.
“What do you mean?” He replied, moving his scowl from the god to his sister. Helena marched over, tossing her pale blue hair over her shoulder. She pointed her folded fan at Aspen’s chest. “I mean you need to sort yourself out. Get it together. You’re the leader, and you’ve got people questioning your decisions.”
“It’s not my fault they can’t see sense.”
“Aspen, I agree with them.”
“Not my fault you can’t see sense.”
Helena scowled, grabbing a dart from Aspen’s fingertips and throwing it at the gigantic statue of Zeus that resided in the middle of the cabin. Their father, watching his children argue.
“When I told you to accept that he would never give you validation, that wasn’t a gateway into taking advantage of scared and angry kids and turning their fear into a plot to try and attack our father. I hate him with all of my soul, Aspen, but I wouldn’t pick up a dagger and stab him.”
“Cassia Dubois seems to never know where her values lie. I mean, she stabbed Apollo, agreed on my plan, then randomly backed out.”
Helena dragged her palm down her face. “I’m not talking about Cassia Dubois,” She said through gritted teeth. Aspen rolled his eyes. “You mentioned stabbing. I was distracted.”
“The reason Cassia backed out is because she realises what will happen. The fallout of her actions was next to nothing, but that’s only because her father is forgiving. If we stab Zeus, the first two people he’ll smite are us.”
“You’ll be safe, why do you care?”
“I’m not safe! We are never the exception! And I care because you’re my brother. As reckless and idiotic as you are, you’re all I’ve got. Aspen, think about what will happen. Zeus won’t just stop at us, he’ll kill everyone on our squad. You’re not just killing yourself like you think you are. You won’t be seen as a martyr who encourages some uprising against the gods- you’ll be seen as the one who was willing to give up twelve lives. You want to know who else was willing to give up twelve lives? The gods. You’re just as bad as them if you do this.”
“That’s a reach, Helena.”
“No, it isn’t. You are not being brave and noble. You’re being unfair and cruel to kids who want nothing more than to survive. You twisted Castillo’s intentions when he fired that trigger. I don’t know why he did it, but encouraging the violence on your part is not how a leader should act. Castillo is a child. He’s scared and uncertain of whether he’ll see tomorrow. So is Cassia. They’re just kids, Aspen. Don’t drag them into this. Drop it and help them stay alive.”
Aspen stood up and began pacing around the room. Helena found more words to say. “You used to embrace what the gods told you. You told me that you trusted our father’s judgement. Now you don’t. That’s fine and all, but you can’t drag down others with you. Not for this. Our main goal is to stay alive. Find the balance, Aspen. This is not the time or place to have this fight. And stop controlling kids by using their fear to manipulate them.”
Before Aspen could reply, Helena turned on her heel and stormed out of the cabin, slamming the door behind her.
Across camp, in her bed in cabin five, Nova Allemande lay awake, staring at the blood red sheets in between her fingers, listening to the others snoring to try and drown out her thoughts. Her mind flashed with memory after memory of Cassia’s limp body, dead to the world, her arm seeping out pus and poison. When Nova tried to sleep, the same nightmare came to her: Nova carrying Cassia in the body bag. Why was she so disturbed by this? She hated the girl and her stubborn nature. Her bitchy attitude didn’t make her any cuter, nor did the constant agreeing with Aspen. Though that might’ve stopped. Nova wasn’t sure. It was hard to understand what that girl was thinking sometimes.
Nova drifted off again, and this time she was confronted with Cassia’s minced remains. Aspen was telling her to pick up the body and put it in the bag, and Nova had to reach down and feel Cassia’s intestines in her hands and- NO!
Nova woke up, gasping and shivering, her bed marked with her silhouette, crafted from sweat. Finally acknowledging that sleep would never come, she sat upright and swung her legs off the bed, hovering above the ground for a few moments. The ladder was rarely used in the Ares cabin, so Nova jumped from her top bunk and landed on the dusty floorboards with a dull clunk. The only way Nova would ever find peace was if she saw herself that Cassia was still alive and breathing. She wasn’t exactly scared of many things, but she would admit that seeing Cassia so lifeless set off a new sort of fear within her heart, like a stray firework.
The dew of the grass soaked her feet as Nova walked across the grass, exchanging it for sharp gravel as she found the main path connecting the cabins. In the dim light, Nova was guided by the silvery glow of Artemis’ cabin, hoping it would lead her to Apollo’s soon enough. Of course, Nova found herself standing at the front door, hand hovering over the doorknob. Apollo kids never locked their doors- why would they when they could make any unwelcome guests leave with their arrows? Nova really, really hoped that Cassia hadn’t found the time to add her onto the list that was pinned up on the inside bulletin board.
This was most definitely trespassing, but Nova couldn’t say she cared. The Apollo cabin was silent, but filled with sleeping kids, Cassia amongst them. Nova knew where Cassia’s bed was, she’d been in here before, so treading over to it was nothing difficult. All she had to do was make sure the girl was breathing, then she’d leave.
That sounded really creepy.
One thing, though: Cassia’s bed was empty. The sheets were rumpled, so she had been in there. Where was she now?
“What the hell are you doing in my cabin?”
Nova spun around to see Cassia standing behind her, arm out of the sling. Cass was wearing a giant t-shirt with the words ‘CREMATION IS MY LAST HOPE FOR A SMOKING HOT BODY.’ Her hair was long past her shoulders and a little ratty. She didn’t look angry, just mildly irritated.
“Nice shirt,” Nova pointed out.
“Castillo got it for me. So what are you doing in my cabin at two in the morning, silently standing over my bed?”
“It sounds creepy when you say it that way.”
“It is creepy.”
“I needed to make sure you’re alive.”
“What?”
“I keep having nightmares where you’re the one who’s minced up like Oscar. Why are you up?”
“I’m the one who sat on his body, why do you think I’m up? Obviously I can’t sleep.”
“I thought you were dead when I found you,” Nova said.
“I’m not. Not yet. So, you got all the reassurance you need?”
“No.”
Cassia set down her glass of water on her nightstand, walking closer to Nova. She gently took Nova’s hand in hers. “I’m alive, Nova.”
“I doubt we’ll ever get any sleep.”
“At this state? No chance. Though, if you want some company, you can always stick around here.”
“I thought you’d still be pissed at me.”
“And I thought you would still be angry with me, but here we are. We have bigger things to worry about than an argument.”
Cassia sat down on her bed, making room for Nova to join her. Nova did, settling herself nicely on the plush mattress. “I keep having nightmares,” Cassia admitted. “Where I find Oscar, but I can’t get up and move. I just lie there in his remains until I manage to wake up.”
“I imagine you’re the one in the body bag. I have to carry you all the way back.”
Cassia shuddered. “We’re both pretty screwed up, aren’t we?”
The nightmares didn’t seem to reach Nova here. When Cassia was with her, mere centimeters away, the horrific memories vanished. All that really mattered was Cassia’s warmth. She’s alive, Nova thought. She’s alive and she’s next to me.
Nova didn’t have to fight anything here. It was safe in this little corner of the world. Tentatively, Nova reached up and brushed a lock of hair from Cassia’s face. It sprung right back into place, but neither girl minded. “Since you’re up,” Cassia said, “Why don’t you just stay here? My siblings don’t care, and I like your company.”
“For the night? You sure?”
“Why not? Better to struggle together, right? Then we have each other to ground ourselves.”
Nova nodded, reaching for Cassia’s hand. The girl squeezed it, and Nova smiled. It made her heart flutter and her cheeks warm. She wanted more, to be able to hold Cassia close and keep her safe in her arms, where no dreams or realities could harm her. Cassia edged a little closer, both girls facing the other, the silence hot and heavy. Cass wrapped her arms around Nova, and she pulled her close as she pressed her lips to Nova’s. Nova fell back onto the pillow and Cassia clambered on top of her, peppering her with mint-flavoured kisses. This was perfect. This was heaven. Nova had never felt so satisfied and so hungry at the same time. She physically needed Cassia as close to her as possible, just to keep her safe inside of this climate forever. But Cass wasn’t fragile. She was ambitious and demanding, knowing what she wanted almost always.
Nova flipped Cassia onto the bed, and the girls joined together again, holding the other to their bodies, limbs entangling amongst the sheets. Nova kissed with desperation, drinking in the realness of the moment. Cassia was all hers in this moment, this beautiful and incomprehensible girl, demonstrating affection for her. Nova.
And to think that just a year and a half ago, they’d been enemies. Nova was so glad she hadn’t slit Cassia’s throat during that game of capture the flag. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have realised just how badly she was down for Cassia. Nova had been in love before. She’d had a few kisses with girls, but nothing compared to this.
Nova gave a sharp gasp as she came up for air, which made Cassia giggle. “Shush,” she laughed. “Or else my siblings will wake up.”
Nova burst into giggles at the thought. Her nerves were floating away with each passing moment. This was fun. This was a private, fun moment between them. No distractions, no missions daunting with the coming sunrise, just them, alone, in the night.
When Nova finally woke up, sunlight streamed through the many windows, and Cassia lay fast asleep at her side. Her hair was sprawled out on the mattress like a halo, and her chest rose and fell steadily. Nova noticed that Cassia held a firm grip on her arm, while using the other as a pillow. So Nova obviously couldn't move. This was peaceful, though. If Nova could, she'd take this moment and stay in it forever. The slight moment of pure joy in the midst of pain and suffering. Though one question lingered in the back of her mind: what are we?
Nova eventually drifted off once more. When she woke, it was mid-afternoon, and Castillo Briella was standing right above the girls, grinning like a madman. Felix was at his side, checking over his notebook. Nova screamed, leaping out of the bed and tackling Castillo to the ground. “What the hell are you doing?” She shouted. Castillo shook with laughter underneath her weight. “I knew it! I knew you two had a thing for each other!”
“Not funny, Briella!” She growled. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t snap your neck.”
“Oh, she’d never kiss you again,” He replied. “Not after you killed her brother.”
“Why is everyone just bursting into my cabin?” Cassia sat upright, glaring at the two demigods on the floor.
“Not in the slightest bit embarrassed, are you?” Castillo asked, laughing. Cassia walked over, giving Nova a whack on the arm. “Get off him.”
Nova relented, standing back up. Cassia helped Castillo to his feet, then gave him an annoyed shove. Felix pushed himself off of where he had been leaning, looking up from his notebook. “I’d normally choose a more orthodox way to rouse you both, but time’s against us.”
Cassia raised an eyebrow. “What’s so urgent?”
“I may or may not have figured out a way to keep us alive . It’s almost guaranteed to work.”
“That’s great and all, but why did that require you both looming over me as I slept?”
“Because,” Felix explained, setting his notebook down. “We don’t have long to implement it. We need everyone on the squad, minus Aspen, to meet in the arena in ten minutes.”
Notes:
Q: Do you guys have a favourite character? Lmk who they are in the comments!
Chapter 40: Cognitive Dissonance
Chapter Text
It had a name. Cognitive dissonance. The process of when contradictory thoughts and actions play out, forcing you to either come to terms with your hypocrisy or change your belief. Or better yet, ignore it. Aspen knew he was a hypocrite. He was like his father in that way. Saying one thing, yet doing the other. Believing neither.
So, he laid it out as clearly as he could. I believe that the gods don’t care. I want to stab my father and watch him bleed. But I am serving him by leading this squad. That’s hypocritical of me, but I don’t think I have a choice.
My name is Aspen, I am seventeen years old. My father is Zeus. I lead a team of demigods on missions to kill drakons. We have lost one life. If I lose two more, I will die.
Three was the limit. Aspen remembered his father’s words each time he met the glare of the marble statue hovering above him. “Should three die, I will have no choice but to ‘dismiss’ either you or your sister.”
“Not Helena. Please, sir, she’s done nothing wrong.”
“Then don’t let the others slip from your grasp. Make them live.”
Tearing his gaze away, Aspen surveyed the dark room. It was late afternoon. He hadn’t slept or said a word, just sat on the freezing floor, thinking of a way to stay alive for now. He didn’t plan to for much longer: he’d fill out his duty, and then, quietly, privately, he would take himself out before the guilt came pouring in. Death was expected on such dangerous missions, but that never made it any easier. The report was never any easier. As much as Aspen tried to fight it, he had to admit eventually that the gods terrified him. They were too powerful. He had to make sure they knew that he was just as powerful as them by taking down their king.
But Helena had gotten in his head. She was right, he knew that. If he followed through, everybody would pay the price. Even the innocent, unproblematic ones like Maisie or Leon.
But did he care? He’d be dead. Besides, he was doing them all a favour. The trauma would never truly leave any of them, no matter how innocent they were.
If it was any way to tell the gods to stick it.. Aspen could get the rest through this nightmare and then sink the ship with them still onboard.
“DIE!” Aspen hurled a bolt of lightning at the statue, which cracked it clean in two. The marble repaired itself, as it always did. Aspen put his head in his hands and let out a guttural roar.
So it was decided. He didn’t care who died or what happened to anybody anymore. He would make Zeus bleed, and he would do it as soon as he possibly could. Do you know, he wondered, seething at the statue, Just how deep my hatred runs for you?
Well, Cassia was eating the gravel again. She’d never really considered a diet of dirt and cement, but there was a first time for everything. She’d hesitated with her shot and lost control of her footing. Get up, she thought. Make the shot this time.
This was all Felix’s idea. As much as Cassia loved him, she really wanted to kill him sometimes. But she trusted his plans, so she would put up with this a little longer. Apparently, to survive, the squad had to train together and memorise formations and plans. Standard for a child of Athena.
Ugh, Cassia’s limbs weren’t cooperating with her brain. Get up already! She thought. You look vulnerable.
Come back in five minutes, her arms whined.
Cassia grit her teeth, grateful for her hair that hid her face from view as she shed a frustrated tear. She had to do it again, and again, until it was perfect. Cassia had to perfect this so she could stand a chance of survival. She had to, and she couldn’t let herself care about her injuries or complaining limbs.
“Nobody is coming, get up,” She muttered, pushing herself up into a kneeling position. Cassia flicked her mane of curls out of her face, which were hanging loose after falling out of their plait for the third time. Her bow lay a few metres away, looking no worse for wear.
“Cass, you good?” Felix’s voice carried through the arena, only slightly weighed down with concern. Cassia cleared her constricted throat of its childish tears. “I’m fine,” She called back. “Just give me a minute.”
Her shoulder was shooting pain across her body, and Cassia’s hands were scraped raw and bloody from multiple falls. There had been a regression since Oscar’s death. A mental blockage that restricted Cass from making the split-second decisions that saved or ended lives. Whenever she notched an arrow and had to act fast, caught in the wind’s arms, defying gravity for a moment, her head began to scream. It paralyzed every muscle in Cassia’s body and time glossed over, and the minute window closed. Then she regained the ability to move, but unfortunately she was always falling to the ground. It was dangerous, too. She kept getting caught mid-flip.
“Cassia?” Felix sounded impatient. As long as she was conscious and breathing, she was able to keep going. Time was of the essence, and each time Cassia made a crucial error she wasted more of it. Cass grabbed her bow and readjusted her sheath of arrows. “Ready!”
“Let’s run this again. Everyone, in position for sequence 6a!”
Cassia’s legs begged for a rest, but when Felix shouted to begin and Nova made the incision on the training dummy, she ignored their pleas and searched for Irene’s signal. There was a specific moment for each member of the squad to chip in, and Cass needed to wait for Irene. They were a duo, according to Felix’s plans. Both archers, they doubled the damage done with the least amount of time possible.
First Nova, then Leon would appear to back her up, and Castillo would leap in with his guns for close-range, high speed fighting if necessary.
Nova, Leon, Castillo, Cassia thought as she hoisted herself high in the air, using light to form footing beneath her shaking feet. Felicity throws her axe, and Finn swings the mace. Then Irene and I shoot for the eyes.
Felicity threw a pink axe at the dummy, and Finn maimed the dummy with his mace. Cassia felt the light disappear and notched an arrow in her bow as she fell into a flip. Irene fell at the same time from across the arena, and as if communicating through some unspoken language, they released their arrows at the same time.
Then I need to land without breaking my neck.
Cassia landed on her knees, stripping them of skin. She had successfully made the shot, but she would have to invest in better armour than her simple archer chestplate.
Everyone performed perfectly, and Felix was satisfied enough to let them go for the evening. This was the start of an intense training regime, designed to keep as many people as possible alive. Cassia, however, stayed back. She had to perfect her landing. That shot had been a lucky fluke, not a demonstration of actual skill. There were targets all around the arena, waiting for her use.
Cassia pulled her hair in a ponytail and refilled her sheath of arrows, then stood in the dim centre of the room. The gravel was uneven and would make her job harder.
Enemies, she thought. Every last one of them are enemies.
The targets glared, their pupils dilated, begging for an arrow to burrow deep into their stone skulls. Cassia sprinted forward, leaping high in the air as she sunk an arrow into the red dot, but not stopping to admire her handiwork. Backflip, frontflip, forward roll, kill two birds with one arrow.
In a matter of seconds, she was where she had begun, breathing heavily, searching for any untouched targets.
And there he was, looming quite comfortably in the darkness, golden bow drawn, aiming for Cassia’s throat. And she knew that he, of all archers, would not miss. Adrenaline began pumping in her blood, and Cassia raised her hand just in time for a thin shield of light to form as the arrow sliced the air. The force of the shot was so powerful that it lodged the arrow halfway through the shield, centimetres from her eye. Cassia let the arrow fall as she backed up, notching an arrow of her own and searching for him with growing impatience.
“Looking for someone?”
Cassia spun around to see him there, aiming at her chest. Caution was thrown to the wind, Cassia released her bow’s string. Of course, he dodged it without a flinch and let his arrow find its own way to Cassia’s heart.
A burst of energy. A weightlessness. A thousand chords of fear striking in unison.
Light was everywhere, and Cassia was part of that light. Heat set her organs aflame, and then it was over. And Cassia had an arrow pointed at the back of his head.
There was silence, then a scoff of surprise. He turned, unfazed by the danger he was in. “You really are my daughter.”
Chapter 41: As you like it
Notes:
Longer chapter for you guys since I'm super busy with school rn! (I have a 6 minute history documentary due in two days and a ten minute documentary for sociology due on Monday, so I won't update over the weekend). Also, enjoy the shakespeare references (Quick lore drop: Stella is the cabin's poet and she loves reading and writing poetry and books) <3
Chapter Text
“What are you doing here, dad?” Cassia asked, lowering her bow as the danger ebbed away. Apollo lowered his own weapon, shouldering it. Cassia's gaze trailed over the beautiful golden metal. She'd shot from that same bow before. It was incredible, perfect, always accurate.
“Well, you obviously need a lot of work with your combat skills. I don't mean to insult you, but you're atrocious.”
Cassia scoffed. “Was I atrocious when I fought Ares?”
“You were when you fell from the sky.”
“I-”
“I'm kidding, don't stab me again. You're good, really good, but you need to refine your powers if you want to succeed in combat.” Apollo ruffled his daughter's hair, which had fallen out of its ponytail once more. Cassia batted his hand away. “I know how to use my powers. That's not difficult.”
“Mm,” he agreed, “But you're not using it to the full potential. Solar flares are one thing, but you don't use what you've got regularly. I don't think you properly comprehend just how much you can do with my powers.”
That caught her attention. She could do even more? Cassia shouldered her bow and allowed herself to be curious. What her dad offered was tempting. “Like what?”
“Travelling at the speed of light, for starters. You've done it twice before. You can create things, real, tangible objects and use them, and you can burn down the world.” Cassia saw the gleam in his eyes and knew that she was capable of all he claimed, and probably more. Long ago, Cassia had first clasped her fingers around the shaft of the golden bow and seen just a modicum of Apollo’s power. She had felt it in her bones and within her blood, and it told her to gain this power for herself. To have the sun’s energy at her neck and call, to weave wonders from its light and warm the ground with merely her footprint… that was a feeling Cassia couldn't quite describe. But she understood that what Apollo was offering was possible.
All Cassia needed to do was accept it. “Why are you helping me so much?”
“I lost a son yesterday. He was a few hours old. The sooner these monsters are dead, the better. I will not lose another one of my children.”
Cassia still wasn't seeing the real reason behind this, but she didn't protest as Apollo grabbed her by the shoulders. “I'm not allowed to kill drakons, but you are. And there's nothing stopping me from helping you in every way I can think of to get the job done faster and keep you alive. Cassie, you don't yet realize just how much of my power you inherited. It's like nothing I've seen before, nothing like your siblings have. You are the embodiment of my most blinding domain, but you don't utilise your potential. I'll admit that I haven't been able to help much in the past, but this time I can and will. It's time for you to be a sunray.”
“That's certainly a heroic speech,” Cassia commented, and Apollo rolled his eyes, pushing off her. “But it was effective. I'm listening.”
“That's a first,” he replied. “So, do you want to actually see what you can do?”
“More than anything.”
Apollo held out his hand. “Then let me show you.”
Cassia hesitated before taking it. There was one question burning in the back of her mind. “Why are you not angry at me for stabbing you? It's unnerving.”
“Do you want me to be angry with you?”
“Well, no,” she backtracked. “But I don't get why you're not. You should be.”
“Yes, I should be angry. But wouldn't that prove your point? That the gods never change? That all we are are monstrous killers with glass egos? So wouldn't me choosing not to be angry tell you that..”
“That you are capable of change, and I was wrong.”
Apollo snapped his fingers. “That's it.”
Cassia scoffed. “Did you just want me to admit that I was wrong this entire time? Purely for the satisfaction?”
“Is that what you would do?”
“Of course.”
“Then that was very much my intention.”
Cassia cracked her knuckles with one finger. “So would you admit that not showing up in my life before I came to camp was a bad parenting move? You know, since I've admitted my mistake.”
“You've barely scraped the ice with yours, but yes, it was wrong of me to be absent in your life, even if it's expected of the gods.” Apollo chuckled dryly. “I suppose even our status can't excuse us from parental duties.”
“Good enough,” Cassia shrugged. “And it's probably the deepest conversation we've ever had.”
“That's a pretty sad fact.”
“Story of our lives. Now, I heard you say that I've travelled at the speed of light twice. I don't recall those moments.”
“What about the time, during your fight with Ares, where you fell through the floor and into the open air?”
The memory replayed in Cassia's head. The whistle of wind in her ears, the city below her, the sky above, and the sun sinking into a deep amber sunset. The burn of the bow in Cassia's arms, and the mumbled prayers that were carried away by the rushing air.
Then a certain desperation had flooded her body, and Cassia knew that she could not die here. It wasn't the right time. Then there was something: A burst of energy. A weightlessness. A thousand chords of fear striking in unison.
And Cassia was one with the light, burning alive. Then she lay on the marble once more.
“That’s how I survived?” She asked. Apollo nodded. “Mhm. That's how you survived. That was a fluke, more of a fight or flight response and a mix of power from the bow, which was a constant source of energy for you. Had you not been holding it, you would've died. You managed to pull it off and make it back to the throne room, but I doubted you realised what you had done.”
“And the second time I did it?”
“Just then. When you were suddenly behind me.”
“Was that a fluke?”
“No. It was a natural response, but it was uncontrolled. What you need, Cassia, is to control it.”
“How do I do that?” She asked. “Is there some sort of mental state I need to get myself into and then pray to three different gods?”
“Of course not, don't be stupid. It's ridiculously-” Apollo disappeared in a flash of light, appearing behind Cassia. “-easy. You just have to tell the light what you want it to do.”
“That's not exactly a detailed set of instructions,” Cassia said.
“It's not a complicated task. Try it. And since I'm a huge source of energy for you, you will recharge almost instantly. So, we’ll do this until it's perfect, because time is of the essence.”
“I knew I should've stabbed you again,” Cassia groaned, but she obliged. She felt the crawling of light under her fingertips and squeezed her eyes shut.
Move, she thought. Do your thing.
Cassia opened her eyes. “I'm doubtful that this is how it works.”
Apollo was fighting laughter. “Oh, it's not. I just wanted to take the chance to embarass you.”
Funny, she thought. But not to me.
There was a hum of energy around her, swarming like a cloud of locusts. The ground beneath Cassia's feet grew hot, and her body began to pump light through her veins. Cassia zoomed forward, faster than she knew was possible, and summoned a ball of light in her palm. On impact, the light met a shield and it bounced off.
Instead of shock or maybe anger, Apollo looked satisfied. “There it is.”
He held out his hand, and light gathered to form a glowing sword. Cassia willed more light to form a step up for her as she leapt into the air, taking her bow off her shoulder and nocking an arrow. Within a graceful flip, Cassia fired and landed, fortunately only stumbling a little. It was easier to land when the combat was real.
Apollo swung the sword made from light, forcing Cassie to block, then dodge. Even though he was an archer god, he was excellent in swordplay. Felix would be thrilled to know when Cassia told him.
Obviously, Cassia was no match for him, but she was fast. She was clever and quick with each movement, throwing out unexpected motions and taking moments to utilize the sunlight in her veins.
Light frantically weaved platforms for her to use, and Cassia let herself fall through the air as the sword swung toward her chest. Cassia listened to the energy screaming at her, begging her to use it. And you can make the world burn, Apollo had told her.
So she would do just that.
She raised her hand, gathering light to form a miniature sun clasped in her palm. The ground grew closer, as did the sword, and Cassia let the light explode at her command.
There was a blinding shine paired with a cloud of warmth, and Cassia felt herself hit the floor amidst the chaos.
The light faded, and Apollo was unfazed. Of course the solar flare wouldn't hurt him, but it had made a distraction and stopped him from landing a swipe at her. Cassia picked herself up, brushing the gravel from her hands. She felt exhausted.
“You need to work on your landing,” he said. “Everything else? Perfect. That's what I’m talking about.”
Pride swelled inside of Cassia's chest. The sun was setting over the horizon, marking the end to another day. Apollo noticed the dimming light. “I wish I could stay longer, but wherever the sun goes, I go. I'll see you soon, Cass.”
Cassia bid him goodbye and watched him disappear. Her heart felt heavy and her mind heavier, but she dragged herself back to cabin seven, where Stella was reading out Shakespeare as a bedtime story for Ria.
Stella’s eyes were blazing with anticipation as she read out the words, not caring that little Ria was only likely to understand 20% of what she said. “ All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,”
Stella paused, leaning in. Ria clutched her covers. “What parts?” She gasped, eyes wide as daisies.
“ As you like it?” Cassia remarked, throwing her shoes at the door and hanging her bow up on the wall. Stella smirked. “I see you know your Shakespeare.”
“My mom used to quote it. She’s a huge nerd for literature.”
“Your mom and I would get along,” Stella decided.
“Are you sure Ria can understand what you’re saying?” Cassia asked, ruffling the little girl’s head. Ria laughed and batted Cassia's hands away. Stella scoffed. “Of course she can. Ri-ri, summarise what’s happened so far.”
Ria sat upright, beaming. “So there’s this guy and this guy, and this talk about…”
Cassia threw a look to Stella, who shrugged. “Eh, probably best that she doesn’t get it yet. This is more useful to me. Helps me with my storytelling skills.”
“Stella!” Ria complained. “What are the parts?”
Stella cleared her throat and continued.
Ria obviously understood nothing, but seeing the glee in her expression was enough for Cassia to let it go. That innocence needed to be preserved. She understood where Apollo had been coming from. He needed to make sure his children survived, and Cassia was one of them. She owed it to him to live, didn’t she? Just as much as she owed it to Ria to keep her safe and sound.
While Ria might not have understood the words, Cassia did. And it made her think, as she lay down in bed that night. She recited the lines over in her head:
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
She couldn’t help but think of the babies that had died because of the drakons. It was even more horrible when Cassia offered it some thought.
Then, the whining school-boy with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school.
Ria. So young and innocent, not yet wrecked by the force of the world.
And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow.
Cassia recalled her mother’s tales of her father’s love. She would hang onto every word, like Ria with Stella’s stories. Her mom would smile off into the distance as she poured out her locked up love to Cassia’s ears. Her mother still loved Apollo, no doubt.
Then, a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden, and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth.
Cassia thought of Nova. Before they had become friends, Cassia had seen how desperate she had been for Ares’ approval. She had been ready to risk everything for glory- and she did. Love. What a strange concept it was. Her mother had described it with contented sighs and dreamy eyes.
“Oh, you have no idea, Cassia. The effect love has on your heart. It squeezes every ounce of compassion into a single soul. But your father’s love was warming, just like sunlight. Like you. One day, you’ll feel it just as I did.”
This… love. Was it love? Yes, Cassia felt like she could privately admit to it being love. This love wasn’t warming like sunlight. It didn’t strangle compassion out of her heart. Whatever type of love Cassia had received, it was a wildfire sparking her soul aflame. It burned away at every sensible instinct, clutching her heart with its forking tongues, holding it hostage.
If Cassia was a sunray, Nova was a wildfire. Something fast approaching, fast-growing and dangerous. The heat couldn’t burn Cassia, though.
You were wrong, maman, She thought as she rolled over on her mattress. I don’t feel love like you did. This is much, much worse.
Only when her face was buried in her pillow would Cassia ever admit that her cheeks were red with fierce blush at the mere notion that she was stupidly, incredulously in love.
Chapter 42: It's in the blood
Notes:
Some cool things I'd like to note here:
- The knife is symbolic of violence (which is an endless cycle)
- The reason Cass is so hypocritical and inconsistent is because of: a.) a lot of stress b.) conflicting desires and morals c.) confusion (since she's unsure of who is right or wrong (is her father actually trying to help her? is Aspen right ect.))
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Three days.” Aspen threw the file on the table, nearly knocking over the bowl of chips. Everyone tensed. A new mission was on the horizon. Irene frowned. “This is the son of Demeter, no? Nathan?”
Aspen flicked a hand through his hair. “That's him. We've been told to leave in three days' time. No need to report to the gods.”
“Why not?” Felicity looked up from where she was polishing her axe blade. She dabbed at her lipgloss, checking her reflection on the shiny surface, and flicked her gaze back up to Aspen. The son of Zeus rolled his eyes. “Because, Felicity, they didn't exactly appreciate the little show both Cassia and Castillo put on. What, with Cass stabbing her father and Castillo demanding Artemis to help him.”
Castillo looked up from the chip bowl he had his hand in, scoffing. “Excuse you,” he said. “My best friend was dying.”
“Anyway,” Aspen continued, curling a lip up at Castillo. “They aren't interested in seeing us. So, thanks Cassia! You just ruined our chances of sparking an uprising, since we have no audience with the gods.”
Cassia raised an eyebrow. There was no way she was getting the blame here. Nova seemed to flare up on her behalf. “Like we even wanted to anyway!” She dug her nails into the table. “I'm not eager to lose another eye by stabbing Ares again.”
“You also stabbed Ares?” Maisie inquired, bewildered. Nova threw her a fierce look, and Felix spoke. “On our quest. It's a long story.”
“Cut everyone some slack, Aspen,” Nova growled. “Castillo was panicking, Cassia wasn’t thinking right, and I did what I did to survive. Leave us out of your uprisings, we just want to stay alive.”
With a final glare, Nova dug her hand into the chip bowl.
“Three days. Don't end up dead.” Aspen turned and stormed out of the room without looking back.
“I’m really beginning to hate him,” Leon said.
“Only now?” Nova questioned. Her expression was hostile, body tense. Felicity extended a gentle hand to soothe her, but Nova immediately shifted away. Felicity retracted at once, looking down. Nova was scary when she was like this.
“Who's going to stop him, then?” Maisie asked, opening her palm and watching a Venus flytrap grow in her hand. Helena clenched her fist, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. “I suppose it's up to me, isn't it?” She said, flashing an exhausted smile. “I'll take care of Aspen.”
Helena rose, brushing her ice blue hair from her face. She left the room and silence continued.
“With our plans, we can survive.” Felix sat up a little, taking a small sip of water. He didn't sound fully convinced. Castillo frowned. “Not with Aspen’s guidance.”
“Not with anyone’s guidance,” Nova growled. Cassia watched as she traced the tip of her dagger, Emrys, with her thumb. Blood began to trickle down her hand. Emrys was the same blade that Nova had fought Ares with. The same one that Cassia had used to stab Apollo. That was the blade she’d borrowed, and seeing it draw more blood made Cassia's stomach clench.
Cassia reached for Nova's hand. Nova pushed her away. “I'm fine,” she grumbled. “No, you're not,” Cassia retorted. “Stop it. You're hurting yourself.”
Nova sighed with exasperation. “I'm fine.”
The thin stream of blood turned into a gush as the dagger pierced a long strip of Nova’s thumb. The daughter of Ares made no indication that she even registered the pain. Cassia snatched Emrys from Nova, her own blade slicing her palm.
“I should go,” Felicity coughed, and several others followed. Nova and Cassia held a weighty silence as they mulled over the blood running down their hands. There was a silent understanding that this space needed to be vacated by the others.
When the door had shut, Nova spoke in a low voice. “I'm fine.”
“No,” Cassia replied. “You aren't.”
“Give me the knife.”
“I won't let you keep hurting yourself.”
“We're going to die, what do I care?” Nova slammed her bloody fist on the table. “Aspen’s going to kill us all, just you wait. All of this is meaningless- meaningless! I should've taken a page out of your book and stabbed Ares-”
“I care!” Cassia snapped. “And as for Aspen killing us, that won't happen. By the gods Nova, I'll throw myself from Olympus again if it means keeping the rest of you safe.”
“But would you, Cassia? Or is this just a momentary martyr complex that's the latest personality you've adopted?”
“ Excuse me?”
“Oh, don’t act so innocent. You’ve got a new persona up your sleeve the moment someone wrongs or rights you. Are you optimistic? Calm? Vengeful? Clever? Nobody knows, because you’re never consistent.”
“They’re called emotions.”
“Then what’s your personality, hm?”
“Why don’t you take me out of a life or death situation so I can actually live a normal life and then I’ll get back to you, hm?”
“If it means I get a concrete answer, then sure! It’d be better than whatever this,” She pointed her hand between herself and Cassia. “Is.”
“You want to know who I really am?” Cassia asked, clenching her fists. She’d known who she truly was the moment she’d seen Ares for the first time. Cassia stepped forward. “I’m ambitious. I’m going to survive, as is everyone here, and I will stop at nothing to achieve it. I don’t care what I give up, I don’t care who I have to hurt- I’ll kill Aspen if it means I’ll stay alive.”
Nova scoffed. “Really? That’s who you are? I rarely seem to come across her. I mean, first time I met you you’re a whiny weakling, then you become some sort of ‘chosen one’ for the quest, then a stupidly sacrificial lamb, then someone who supposedly went through a lot even though you had everything laid out for you on a silver platter, and now you’re argumentative, ruthless and far too powerful for your own good!”
“Nothing’s being served on a silver platter for me this time,” Cassia retorted. Nova scoffed. “Welcome to the real world, then, sunshine! We’ve all gone through shit, you’re not special!” She laughed bitterly. “Oh wait, you are, actually. How could I forget you’re Apollo’s favourite little girl? His precious sunray that he so desperately wants to keep alive!”
“He’s like that with all my siblings,” Cassia defended. “And he wants to keep me alive because he knows that I have people who rely on me! Like my sister!”
“That’s a lie and you know it. Just admit it, Cassia: You’re a hypocrite. You’re always contradicting yourself.”
“You wanna talk about hypocrites?” Cassia laughed. “Ok, how about when you came into my cabin and slept in my bed? That doesn’t seem very ‘I hate Cassia’s guts’ of you, does it?”
“So then I’m a hypocrite, sure. But by your standards I already was, so what’s the harm? But you? You’re not exempt from what you’re condemning. Everyone’s a hypocrite: the gods, the demigods, mortals, everything in between. It’s in the blood.”
“No, I’m not a hypocrite like you are. I stick to what I believe. I’m consistent.”
“Hm, but does that make you a morally just person?” Cassia raised an eyebrow. “I mean, when you say you’re consistent you mean you… what, beat other people up for the hell of it? Enjoy fighting and discourse? That doesn’t mean that you’re a righteous person.”
“My father is literally the god of war. It’s in the blood.”
“Doesn’t make it right, does it?”
Nova’s eyes narrowed. “Kissing you was a mistake.”
“Sure was,” Cassia agreed, cracking her neck. “I prefer being your enemy, honestly.”
For a moment, Nova looked as though she would punch Cassia, but she didn’t. Instead, she settled for something far worse. “I hope you’re dead by the end of this.”
“Me too, Nova,” Cassia said as Nova stormed out of the room. “Me too.”
Notes:
Q - How do you guys feel about Nova? And also, how do you feel about Cassia?
Chapter 43: Birds in the heavens know I love you
Summary:
depression part 1
Notes:
i'd apologise for this but i'll have to do a lot more of that later so... good luck!
Chapter Text
Oh, how she’d missed these streets. Brooklyn was her home, and nothing would change that. Aspen was barking orders at the group, but Cassia was solely focused on the street sign. Senator street.
Her home. Nathan, the son of Demeter they were to retrieve, was in his house: 364 Senator Street. Two doors down from Cassia's childhood home. The drakon could be anywhere, Felix had told them. They could be difficult to spot in urban areas.
“A distraction would kill two birds with one stone,” Felix reasoned as he straightened his chest plate. “If most of us take on the drakon, it opens at most two people to collect the child.”
“I can go,” Maisie piped up, “I’m good with kids.”
“No,” Felix said. “You're going to be crucial in this fight. I want you to use your vines to restrain the thing. Cassia, how about you and Castillo go in?”
Cassia raised an eyebrow. “Don't you need us?”
“We need to keep this low-key. You're not exactly casual with your attacks. That's not a bad thing, but we want a clean and quick job, not an explosion.”
“And me?” Castillo pushed his hair out of his face.
“Gunshots would be way too loud. Plus, I think it's best if you both have a break this time around.”
Considering last time, Cassia added, fighting an eye roll. “Alright. Let's get running.”
“Hold it!” Felix held his hand up in the air. “Not until we have the drakon focused on us. You'll draw its attention to the demigod it's guarding. Wait on the side for a moment.”
The street was completely clear and quiet. There was a lone dog bark, and then a deafening roar. A drakon stomped into view, fixing its beady yellow eyes on the demigods. Irene drew her bow and the others brandished their weapons. Felix looked to Aspen. “On your command.”
“You sure it's not yours, Callahan?” Aspen replied snarkily. “NOW!”
Cassia and Castillo exchanged a quick look before sprinting through the chaos, avoiding plumes of fire and being crushed. 358, 360.. they were close. The townhouses became more familiar.
362- that was home, so unbelievably close. Beside it, 364.
Cassia furiously fiddled with the doorknob, but Castillo pushed her aside. He pulled out a hairpin and effortlessly unlocked the door. They rushed in and slammed the door behind them.
Instantly, something was wrong. The house was freezing and dark. The lights wouldn't turn on. “The father’s dead, right?” Castillo whispered. Cassia nodded. “Yeah. The kid must've come back here, but the bills weren't paid.”
As they crept into the living room, a horrid smelt penetrated their nostrils. Flies were buzzing over something, and Cassia gripped her friend’s arm. She squeezed her eyes shut. “Is it..?”
Castillo exhaled sharply. “Oh. Oh gods. I knew he was dead, but I didn't think..”
“ That's the father?” Cassia gasped, the horror of it all prompting her to take a peek. The body was as pale as snow, and already beginning to decompose. Cassia broke away from Castillo and moved toward the corpse, outstretching a gentle hand to cover the ugly knife in his gut.
“No touch!”
Cassia jolted back as a child appeared from nowhere. He held another knife in his hands. He couldn't have been older than four, but he looked even younger from the fear etched upon his features. He was almost as pale as his father, and Cassia couldn’t blame him. She'd be terrified if two big kids with scary weapons walked over to her father's corpse. The boy had mousy brown hair that was outgrown. How long had he been uncared for?
“No touch,” he repeated. Cassia nodded. “Okay, I won't touch.”
“Sleeping.”
“Sleeping?”
The boy nodded. “Daddy is sleeping. He told me not to wake him up.”
Castillo rested his hand on Cassia’s shoulder. “Hey,” he murmured, putting his guns away. “What's your name?” “Nate,” the boy answered.
“Nate, my name is Castillo.”
“Your hair is pink.”
Castillo chuckled softly. “I guess it is.”
“Weird.”
“It's a style choice. This is Cassia,” He patted Cass gently. “She's a friend. We're friends. We're not going to hurt you, or wake up your dad. We've come to get you out of here.”
“From the big monster?” Nate lowered his knife. Castillo nodded. “Yeah. There's no more monster. It won't hurt you.”
Cassia cleared her throat. “How long have you been here, Nate? How long has your dad been sleeping?”
“Long time,” Nate replied. “I got cold.”
“Cassia's really warm,” Castillo said. “I bet she can warm you right up.”
Cassia held out a hand. “We want to help you, Nate. We're friends.”
Nate warily observed Cassia's outstretched palm as she summoned a small strand of light to twist itself into a hummingbird. The animal took flight and landed on Nate’s finger before sinking into his skin.
“Warm,” he muttered. “The bird is warm.”
“It's made from sunlight,” Cassia said gently. “Is it okay if I pick you up, Nate?”
“No!”
Cassia turned to Castillo, frantically mouthing ‘ help me!’
Castillo brushed past her, pulling a handmade bracelet with green and pink beads. “You want this?”
Nate reached for it, but Castillo pulled it just out of reach. “You can have it, but you need to let Cassia carry you.”
Nate turned to Cassia, and she took the chance to scoop him up in her arms. Castillo placed the bracelet on his wrist, and Nate was distracted enough for them to take the knife away. “Did you steal that?” Cass asked as they began to leave the house. Castillo blushed and looked away. “Uh, no. I made it. It's sort of a hobby.”
Cassia’s heart melted a little. “When did you take it up?”
“A few months ago. Maisie recommended it to me so I could stop fidgeting so much.”
“Could you make me one?”
Castillo nodded with embarrassment, averting his gaze. Nate began to wriggle in Cassia's arms as they opened the front door. “Dada!” He cried. Cassia lowered his hand and held him against her chest. “You're okay. Don't worry about him.”
Nate began to wail, the noise carrying through the walls of the house and into the street, if a little faintly. The drakon seemed to pick up on the sound and roared, searching for the source. “Shit,” Cassia whispered. “What do we do?”
“We need to calm him down,” Castillo muttered. “Maybe sing to him. Singing calms kids.”
“It calms babies.”
“Does it really matter? Besides, you're a daughter of Apollo. I'm sure you've got some magical singing powers.”
Maybe Molly did, but Cassia sure didn't. She was good at fighting and shooting arrows, not singing to crying kids. She took a deep breath and shakily choked out the words to the only lullaby she could remember in full.
Chut petit bébé, ne dis pas un mot, maman va t'acheter un oiseau moqueur…
Castillo knotted his eyebrows together. “Why french for ‘Hush little baby?’”
“It's the only way my mother would sing it,” she hissed back.
Et si cet oiseau moqueur ne chante pas, maman va t'acheter une bague en diamant.
Cassia’s voice was uneven and tired, but the melody was salvageable. Molly would have easily outdone her, but for what they had on hand, it wasn't half bad. Nate began to drift off to sleep. Castillo opened the front door and ushered Cassia outside. The drakon was still fighting strong, but it was definitely weakened. “There's no way we'd be able to get him out there until the drakon’s dead,” Cassia said, scanning the street. Castillo looked left and right. “The house next door might be a good place for him to take refuge.”
Number Sixty-Two was Cassia's home. That was hard to swallow. Still, she agreed and let Castillo unlock the front door before shuffling in. Cassia was mentally preparing an explanation for her mother when she paused.
What had happened?
The house was dark and silent, and the furniture was completely gone. It was like nobody lived here anymore. Cassia passed Nate to Castillo and sprawled her fingers on a door frame, feeling for the old markings she had once carved in with a pair of scissors. “I don't understand, did she move?”
“Who moved?” Castillo asked.
“My mother,” she replied, swallowing thickly. “This is my home.”
Castillo's eyes widened. “Well, uh- maybe it's because she knew her daughters were safe?”
Cassia shook her head. “No.. she'd tell Phoebe.”
Doubt began to creep along the crevices of her mind, and doubt turned to fear, and fear turned to dread. Phoebe had told her something when she'd arrived: Mom’s sick and it's all gone to shit.
Cassia had known her mother was dying, but it hadn’t felt real until this moment, when she stood in the ghost of her home. The coldness suddenly strangled her and goosebumps shot up her arms and neck. Something was very, very wrong. And Cassia already knew what it was. Her mouth was parched, and no saliva would moisten her tongue as she struggled to get the words out.
“She's gone.”
Dead, gone, never to be seen again. Victoria Dubois, the woman Cassia had loved all her life, the one who had raised her and captured the heart of a god, the woman who raised two brilliant daughters on her own, the mother who sang like a bird. She was dead.
Dead and died alone. The thought made Cassia feel ill. She'd died believing she would reunite with Cassia, but when she reached her afterlife she'd be let down. Phoebe would never say goodbye. The girls had missed the chance to be with their mother because of the drakons. Cassia didn't cry, instead staring at the floorboards in disbelief. There was no way that this could be true, surely. Parents weren't meant to die this early in life. They died when you were married and had a stable job and were mature enough to not depend on them. They couldn’t die right when Cassia needed them most. No, her mother couldn't be dead, right? Oh, but she was.
Pull it together, she chided. You've got a job to do. Phoebe needs you, you're all she's got.
“Cass,” Castillo placed a hand on her shoulder. She tensed and Castillo let his hand fall away. “Okay. Let’s just wait this one out, yeah?”
Cassia could hardly process his words, but she nodded, digging her fingernails into the small carvings. How long had she been gone?
Getting back was a daze. Nate was fast asleep in Maisie's arms, since she was one of his half-siblings. Castillo gave mumbled explanations to Felix and Nova on the way back. Nova carried drakon fangs in a bag, and Felix had bottled poison in glass vials. They both sported bruises and cuts, but when they heard the news, Cassia watched their expressions shift from shock to horror.
Felix was trying to say something to Cassia, but her attention was on Nova. The daughter of Ares stared back before looking away.
“You're back!” Phoebe beamed, wrapping her sister in a hug. Cassia was numb as she pulled away. “Hey,” she began. “Let's go somewhere private. I have some news.”
Phoebe allowed Cassia to lead her away to the lake. At least there, nobody heard Phoebe's earth shattering scream as the world burned down around her.
Chapter 44: Stricken webs
Notes:
some fluff here because it's about to get even WORSE for everyone involved. i wish you all the best of luck
Chapter Text
Light quietly joined together, plucked from the finest strands of sunset to form the skeleton of a hyacinth. The flower glistened like teary cheeks as it captured the fine glow of the sun as it sunk into the lake, into the horizon. Cassia watched the sun disappear from view, but the hyacinth remained in her fingers.
For the past year and a half, Cassia had been alone in this world, yes, but then Phoebe had come. Phoebe- the one thing tying Cassia to her mortal life other than her mother. But now mother was dead, and Phoebe was sobbing her little heart out elsewhere. The talk hadn’t gone well. Cassia had tried to be calm and comforting, but her heart had given out halfway through the word dead. Risking another breakdown, Cassia forced herself to fixate on the horizon. Her father’s domain disappeared from view for another night, but the deep orange hue that lit up the eve lingered. Cassia clasped the flower tight. Where are you? She wondered miserably. Why aren’t you here? Isn’t that what fathers do?
This was it, then. The point of no return. Cassia had to be the strong one out of the sisters; How else would Phoebe survive the grief? As for who Cassia would cry on, she didn’t need to address that at this time. She had to stay alive and be stable for Phoebe. It was all for her. There was a future waiting, just beyond the sunset. One where Phoebe went to school and Cassia followed her dreams. They would grow up and grow old and then see their mother.
Gods, Cassia was exhausted. Her head throbbed in dull time with her heartbeat. Her tongue was covered in salt from tears and her eyes were puffy.
This was the tragedy of being a demigod, right? They suffered past their short lifespans. Monsters only did so much damage. A mother that Cassia had never been able to say a proper goodbye to had much more of an effect. Regret, sorrow and grief were the top contenders for the main feeling within her chest, so Cassia allowed them to wage their wars from within.
The final trail of sunlight vanished, and the day slipped into the skin of night. The hyacinth disappeared, chasing after the light. Cassia wanted nothing more than to give up and stop here. To end this pain and walk away before it could escalate was the dream, but it was too late. Cassia had a duty now, a job that extended past Phoebe. She had to murder drakons, and keep these kids alive.
It was all to build a world where Phoebe would be safe and sound. So, one day they would be laughing in a cosy home elsewhere, and Phoebe would be older. All Cassia needed to do was make that world, to stay alive to see it, to keep living.
They'd be looking for her by now. Cassia sniffed, wiping her eyes and stood. As she prepared to face her others, footsteps from behind her made her jump. Nova was standing there, holding two bows. The darkness cast an ominous shadow across her face, obscuring it fully from Cassia's view. She snorted. “You've got a weird tendency to watch me from behind.”
“Well,” Nova said. “How else do I approach you?”
She nodded to the bows. “What's that for? Gonna shoot me?”
“Actually, I come offering peace. And archery, if you're up for that.” Nova held up a bow. “I was wondering if you'd like to teach me how to shoot.”
“Right now?” Cassia laughed. Nova offered a small smile. “Felix said that it was important you had something that gave you some control. You're in control here, sunshine. Are you up for it?”
Nova held out the bow, and Cassia took it. “Yeah,” she agreed. “I'll teach you archery.”
Felix had been right; being in control was needed right now. Cassia knew her way around a bow, and being able to teach Nova kept her calm. Plus, it sort of acted as an apology between the both of them. Words didn't need to be said. Nova was a receptive student, and Cassia enjoyed watching her focus. In the pale moonlight, her eyebrows were furrowed and eyes gleaming with pride each time she made an accurate shot.
After hours of this, the girls stopped. Cassia and Nova sat beside each other, legs hanging over the pier. The midnight lake paved a stairway to the lowering moon as night shifted back to day. Nova twirled an arrow in her fingers. “I don't know what we are,” she began quietly, “But I know..” she sighed. “I love you. So, whatever we are and whatever we decide to be, just know I love you.”
Cassia turned to face her, their expressions unreadable through the darkness. “I love you too. Whatever happens, whoever dies, I don't want to go without you knowing that.”
“What do we do with this knowledge?” Nova asked. Cassia couldn't think of an answer, but she reached for Nova's hand and held it in hers. The girls locked eyes and shared a precious moment of silence. Then Cassia pressed her lips to Nova's, and the sun began to rise.
Nova pulled away for a moment, her eye lingering on Cassia’s lips. Then she devoured her whole, body and mind, fingers tracing the back of Cassia’s neck. Through heavy breaths, the girls came to pause with their foreheads resting on the other. Cassia placed a hand on Nova’s shoulder.
“Aren’t you scared?” She asked.
“Of what?” Nova said. “Death? Aspen? Only thing I'm really scared of is losing you.” Nova kissed Cassia again, and Cassia wrapped her arms around Nova, pulling her body to hers. She was scared of many things: losing Phoebe, dying, but somehow losing Nova had worked its way up there into the list.
Cass threw caution to the wind and pushed Nova into the lake, off the pier. Nova screamed before splashing the water’s surface, and Cassia jumped right in beside her. When she resurfaced, soaked by the cool water, Nova was already treading, laughing like a maniac.
They joined together again, and Cassia couldn't help but giggle hysterically as they were about to kiss. The tiniest touch gave her butterflies. Nova held Cassia close. “Is this okay?” She sounded a little nervous.
“It's more than okay.” Cassia wrapped her arms around Nova and let the girl melt in her embrace. The water was calming down, and the dawn was slowly rising. “You're so warm,” Nova sighed. “Like a solar panel.”
Cassia laughed. “A solar panel? Really? ”
Nova looked up at her. “Well, you said it yourself. Sunshine is overused.”
“You're pretty comfy to hug too, bloodlust,” Cassia chuckled. “But we should get out soon. I'd rather not catch a cold.”
“Can we stay like this for a little longer?” Nova asked, her tone surprisingly gentle. “Sorry. You're just…nice.”
“Never apologise for wanting to be loved,” Cassia replied, planting a kiss on her cheek.
“Who said anything about love?” Nova teased. “You grew on me, that's all.”
“Historians will say we're friends.”
“I say we're friends.”
“Uh!”
The girls both burst into giggles. They both made it back to shore and sat.
There was a brilliant dawn on the horizon, lighting up the world. Nova pulled away, and for the first time in a long time, Cassia smiled. They were the salt and the sea: too lost in their bond to ever tear away. A poem handwritten by a cramped hand, sliced fingers from plucking a thorned rose.
Love and pain, they held each other’s hands. When tomorrow arrived, they would have to fight once more. Day after day they would get hurt and bleed, but day after day they would find hope. Things would get better because life healed over even its deepest wounds. Cassia could see it now with the rising sun, a new future where she would stay in love and get to keep Nova.
A future where Phoebe would be alive and well.
Chapter 45: Promise your life on a golden strand
Chapter Text
It was a duty to not only her memory, but himself. Keep Cassia alive. She'd begged him of it in her final moments, grasping onto him with all of her remaining strength. Victoria Dubois had been the fiercest of women right until the end. Listen, she'd said, boring her eyes into his. If what you say is true, and she really is alive… keep her that way. You're all she's got now, so act like the father you claim to be.
Ow, that last part had hurt, but he’d taken it to heart.
As Apollo marched through the halls on his way to the throne room, nymphs and servants jumped aside, muttering frantic greetings of respect before moving on. Right before the stupidly large golden doors, he paused, remembering that this was the place Cassia had stabbed him. What had he felt? Betrayal? Not necessarily. He understood her anger far too well, but it had still shaken him afterward. His own daughter wasn't afraid to demonstrate just how much damage the demigods could do against the gods. That they were not to be played, or ignored.
When would Cassia find out about Victoria? Apollo silently wished it would be never, that she would just never think to ask him of it. But when she eventually did, he wouldn't lie to her.
The doors opened with a gentle push, and Apollo stepped forward, taking his place amongst a few other gods.
Athena sat up straight, giving him a curt nod before speaking. “Now that we're all in attendance, shall we begin?”
“Get this over with,” Ares grunted.
“I've got a job to do, Athena,” Hermes complained.
Athena rolled her eyes. “Very well. I’d like to draw your attention to four demigods. You are most likely familiar with at least one of them: Cassia Dubois, Felix Callahan, Nova Allemande and Castillo Briella.”
“Uh, I recognize the other names, but Castillo?” Hermes furrowed his eyebrows. Athena scoffed. “He's one of your sons. Pink hair, guns.”
“ Oh, him. Yeah, I know him.”
“Why are we focusing on them specifically?” Apollo asked, leaning back on his throne. Athena waved her hand, and a small vision appeared. And there was his daughter, mid-way through an intense fight. Her hair was blazing with the fire of a thousand suns, eyes locked on her target, perfectly in coordination with her bow. Each time he saw her, he saw himself. He would never be able to get over that, really.
Apollo watched in silence as Cassia took a split second to realise something, then she touched her arrow with her finger and fired. The whole world seemed to burn. Solar flare, he thought with satisfaction. Flashy, but useful. Very me.
“What about her?” Ares asked. “Can we kill them?”
“No,” Athena scolded. “Just watch. Do you see that power behind her eyes?” She looked to Apollo, as if to confirm. He nodded. “She's exceedingly powerful, yes.”
“I'm seeing big three levels of power here. It's highly unusual for any child of Apollo.”
“It's rare for any kid of mine to even have photo kinetic abilities in the first place,” he shrugged. “So it's not a part of parenthood I'm quite used to.”
“ Why is she so powerful? It's abnormal.”
“Possibly because my domain has no limits when it comes to the sun,” he answered. “If she's got the key, let's say, to this power, then she can open the door to every single strand of sunlight imaginable. The only thing stopping her in any way is her mortality. Too much light can kill her.”
“Sure, let's say your answer is indeed plausible,” Athena replied, waving her hand again. “But what about my son, Felix? I have no answer for… this.”
Felix was astonishing in a fight. He was flawless and each move was calculated. Then he raised his spear to the sky and seemed to call for something, and an owl appeared. It circled him before landing on his shoulder, and you could practically see the knowledge being granted.
Then Nova Allemande- the way she wielded anger to her will was nothing short of incredible. Each time blood was shed she looked more and more energised, and there was a ruthlessness within her gaze that made the god shiver ever so slightly. He’d seen that in Cassia before; If anything, it was a warning. This is what we’re capable of.
And finally, Castillo Briella. At first glance, he seemed scrappy; resourceful, quick. That was until he actually began to move. You never saw him leave, he was either there or he wasn’t. Then something made Apollo’s blood run cold. Castillo had his guns poised at a mortal’s face. The bullets flew into the man’s skull, and he dropped dead.
“I-” Castillo lowered his gun, lips moving wordlessly as chaos continued around him. He found Felix. “I don’t know why I did that. I- I-”
“There’s nothing you can do now,” Felix said. “We have to keep moving. Hopefully the mist can cover this up.”
“I just killed someone,” He gasped, reaching for his throat with his free hand. “I just- I just killed someone.”
“Castillo!” Felix grabbed his friend by the shoulders. “There is nothing you can do now. Just put the guns away. We need to run.”
“They’re incredible,” Ares said, admiring Castillo’s aim. Athena shook her head. “No, they’re weapons. Weapons that we need to ensure are not exploited, or used by the wrong party. I have no explanation for why these four are so powerful, but I do know the importance of keeping this under wraps and keeping them on our good side.”
“Keeping them on our good side?” Hermes snorted. “What, you’re not expecting another uprising, are you?”
Athena gave Apollo a glance. “I don’t know, you tell me.”
He cleared his throat. “It’s certainly not out of the question. With… the situation we have put these kids in, I don’t doubt that they are angry. Who knows, anger often leads to violence and an abandonment of rationality. I’ve seen it before.”
“Sure,” Ares snorted. “But you don’t really think they’d try it again, do you? I mean, we can crush them without blinking!”
“I wouldn’t underestimate them,” Was all he said in reply.
The doors opened once more, and Zeus strode through the room. He didn’t appear to notice the other gods conversing, but when he did, he raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “What are you doing here alone?”
“Getting along, Father,” Athena promptly replied. “And we happen to be discussing our children.”
“Oh. Them.” Zeus flicked a speck of dirt off of his master bolt, which he had gathered from his throne. “Yes, I’ve been meaning to advise you of something: you are not to help your child, no matter how dire their circumstances. If I hear of any instances of interfering with natural order, I will personally select your punishment instead of the usual lucky draw.”
“Of course,” The four gods replied in unison, and Zeus left. Hermes and Ares soon followed, having grown bored. Apollo stood up, thinking over his next move, when Athena interrupted him. “Our children, it seems, are collaborating.”
“Felix and Cassia?” He turned around. “Really?”
“Yes. You know, your daughter is certainly not stupid. But I’d advise you to be careful with her. I believe you have experienced this uprising that’s broiling first-hand. Am I correct?”
“She isn’t dangerous.”
“But she has proven herself a danger to you, has she not?”
“Our children are children. Not threats.”
“Ah,” Athena gave the smallest of smiles. “But is that not the same mentality that landed Zeus in chains by the rest of us? And is that not how, more than twenty years ago, we almost fell due to one bitter child? You said it yourself, Apollo; don’t underestimate them.”
“Then what are we going to do with them?” He asked.
“Make sure that they never have a reason to revolt. We must keep them on our side.”
Apollo really wasn’t doing great with that last part: first, he’d ordered Cassia to go on a quest down to the underworld and fight Ares, then he’d barred her from leaving, then nominated her for the most dangerous squad for the drakon missions, and now he was refraining from telling her that her mother had died.
Not exactly parent of the year.
Athena filed out, and Apollo let a tiny strand of light flicker to life. I will burn down the world for you, he thought. Like you would burn it down already.
~
“When did you get so tall?”
“I've always been tall, did you shrink?”
“ Excuse me?”
“Nova, if you move I will actually punch you.” Cassia’s voice barked over the bickering between her and Castillo. Nova was propped at the foot of Cassia’s bed, letting the daughter of Apollo take out her braids. Castillo stuck out his tongue at Nova and went back to making his bracelets, occasionally tossing one of them at Nova just to spite her.
Felix was writing in his notebook beside Cassia, who had come prepared with snacks. They deserved some bonding time, especially after everything that had happened. Any distractions were welcome.
Felix sat up. “I think I've got it.”
Castillo looked up. “Some brilliant plan that will keep us alive and kill Aspen?”
“What? No, this sudoku puzzle.” Felix looked appalled at the group’s surprise. “How boring do you think I am?”
“Ow, ow, ow, ow!” Nova winced as Cassia undid her braids. “Ugh, I will never get used to that feeling.”
“What are you planning to do with your hair after this?” Castillo, who had now switched his activities and was drawing over his pistols, asked. Nova rolled her eyes. “Like I know. I’ll just ask Felicity what I should do and let her take care of it.”
“I think you’d look good with your natural curls,” Cassia said.
“Yeah,” Nova agreed. “But they’re a pain to style each morning. You’d know about that.”
Cassia raked a hand through her own curls, which had long fallen into an unruly mop that she kept tied back most of the time. “On second thought, maybe get something else.”
“And.. done!” Castillo held up his guns to show an elaborate design. Golden snakes twirled around the handles and the barrell, their fangs bared to strike. Felix’s eyes widened. “Wait, you drew that?” Cassia whistled. “So that’s why you needed Flora.”
“Yes, and yes,” Castillo said, handing over the bracelet, which Cassia fastened on her wrist. Nova scoffed. “It’s not that good.”
“You’re just mad because you’ll have to see them whenever I try to shoot you,” Castillo teased, and Nova threw him a death glare in return. Castillo laughed. “Like you can do anything at the moment. You’re under Cassia’s command.”
Nova mumbled something about being free and sunk back into silence. She reached up to feel her hair. “We're nearly done,” Cassia told her.
“Did you know we have a mission tomorrow? And the day after that?” Felix looked up from his book. “Smaller ones, sure, but missions.”
Suddenly, Cassia whipped her head around. Nobody was there, but she couldn’t escape the feeling that somebody was whispering to her. Something about burning down the world.
Tempting, she thought. But right now, I’m busy. Try again later.
Chapter 46: Why we carry our burdens
Notes:
Hey!! Thanks for 1300 hits (which is actually insane omg)! This takes place 9 months after the last chapter. enjoy <3
Chapter Text
NINE MONTHS LATER
When they saw her coming, they looked away or bowed their heads. Nobody was quite sure what to do around her, or any of them, really. Most couldn’t even look at Nova these days. Each and every one of these demigods had seen the power Aspen’s squad possessed. They now understood why the gods had chosen them specifically: they were threats. It was fortunate they didn’t turn their weapons to the demigods.
Cassia wasn’t sure what to make of this respect. It was more fearful, but either way, it made her feel even more powerful. Was this how gods felt? It had to be. All of these people, all aware of her abilities, all afraid to tick her off. How gratifying. But what did she make of this power? It brought unease, aligning herself with these gods, the ones whom she was cautious of. Fearful of. While she had the demigod’s reverence, the gods still expected hers for them. She was only one of the more powerful mice trapped in the cage.
Nova Allemande threw a smirk at a young boy watching her with envy, and the boy yelped, running for the hills. She chuckled before turning to Cassia. “Oh man, I’ll never get sick of that.”
“I can tell,” She replied. “It’s the fifth time you’ve done it today.”
“And it never gets old!”
“For you, at least.”
Nova snorted, nudging Cassia in the ribs. “Hurry up, Felix wants to meet with the squad for a strategy meeting.”
Cassia nodded and took Nova’s arm in hers. “I haven’t seen Aspen lead a meeting in a while. Think he’s phasing Felix in so he can have a break?”
Nova shook her head. “I doubt it. I reckon he’s still recovering from the last meeting with Zeus.”
Both girls shared a dark look. Suddenly, Cassia was very grateful for her archery armour. Helena had shared the horror stories: stakes had never been higher, and after Aspen had let it slip the gods were yes, afraid of them, he’d been taken aside by Zeus. Nobody had heard from him in person since. Helena insisted he was alive; but there was a difference between surviving and living.
Speaking of living, this new way to spend the days had grown on Cassia. There was some normalcy in their routine, especially since they’d had no fatalities for nine months. The world was returning to normal, drakon numbers decreasing, and Cassia couldn’t have been more optimistic for that future she’d hoped for. The squad had grown close, each of them developing their skills brilliantly.
Cabin six had fully transformed into a military base. Felix had hundreds of maps and notes sprawled across the room. The other squad members were talking quietly: Felicity was braiding Irene’s hair, Maisie and Leon were blushing at each other, Castillo was pushing his freshly dyed pink hair out of his face, checking himself out in the mirror, and Helena was fanning herself, watching the room with red-rimmed eyes. Finn was working on a new design for his mace. Ah, the squad. Upon the girls’ arrival, Felix looked up and relaxed. “Ah, you’re both here. Excellent. Attention, everyone.”
The group looked up and gathered around, preparing for the weekly report. “Patrol is going perfectly. Our squad alone has retrieved two demigods, so it seems that the trio missions are a success. I think we’ll continue with those, especially since there are so few drakons nowadays. For this week, I want you all to work on your endurance a little, but nothing too extreme. Battle plans will stay the same, and we’re expected for a mission to Missouri on Wednesday. Any questions?”
Nobody spoke. Felix nodded, satisfied. “Excellent. And one last thing.” He smirked, waving a hand to Cassia. “Happy Birthday, Cassia.”
She blushed, embarrassed, but accepted the following chorus of Happy Birthday’ s from the team. Castillo slung an arm around her shoulders as the others filed out. “So, fifteen, huh? Wow, you’re old.”
“You’re older than me,” She protested to no avail. Felix snorted. “So what’re your birthday plans? Headed to the croquet club after bingo?”
“You’re fifteen in two week’s time, you can’t be talking!”
“Come on, guys,” Nova pretended to be concerned. “Don’t say that. You guys know you’ve got to speak up. She can’t hear you- it's old age.”
“Not you too,” Cassia groaned.
“ Anyway,” Felix interrupted at a louder volume. “Obviously, we’ve got you presents. To celebrate your seniority.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet of you I’m almost going to forgive you for calling me old.”
“Good enough,” Felix shrugged, placing a small box in her hands. It reminded Cassia of the very picture people visualised when you said the word present: a perfect cube with a neat red ribbon. Cassia untied the bow and unwrapped the paper. Inside was a silver necklace, and hanging from the delicate chain was a star charm. Simple, but beautiful. Just the kind of gift Felix would give her. Cassia gasped. “Oh Felix, it’s incredible.”
“I picked up jewellery making for this, be grateful,” Felix said with a stern look. Cassia allowed Nova to fasten it on her neck, and she pulled the son of Athena in for a hug. Probably just because it was her birthday, Felix returned it without that much complaining. Cassia pulled away. “Thank you, I love it.”
“You’d better,” He grumbled, but Cassia could see the relief in his eyes.
Castillo chucked his gift at Cassia’s head next. “Mine’s better, sorry Felix.” Felix rolled his eyes as Castillo flashed a cocky grin. Intrigued, Cassia tore apart the wrapping and found herself with a bundle of arrows, crafted completely from light. They were somehow encased within the shape of the arrow, and solid to touch. “Is this why you made me-”
“-Bottle light? Yes. Yes, it is.”
“And you made this?”
“I had help, but I’m willing to take credit.”
“Oh wow,” she whispered. “They’re probably-”
“-Amazing? That’s an understatement. They always return to you and you only, since you’re the light’s master by default. And it can’t break. Plus, it moves at the speed of light- hah, get it?”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nup!”
Cassia laughed breathlessly at the arrows. These would make her unstoppable anywhere. “Castillo, you never fail to surprise me with your genius.”
“It’s what I do,” He replied, cocking his pistol and shooting confetti over the group. “Happy Birthday, solar panel.”
He wasn’t one to refuse Cassia’s hugs.
Finally, Nova. The daughter of Ares pulled something from behind her back and Cassia’s eyes widened with glee. A small child’s python slithered on Nova’s arms. “Happy Birthday. Now get this thing off of me, I don’t know how you like them.”
Cassia quickly took the snake in her arms and it curled up on her arm, drinking in her warmth. “How did you even get this beauty?”
“Easy,” Nova shrugged. “I got Castillo to break into a pet shop and steal it for me. But the idea of the snake was mine.”
Cassia looked up from her snake to Nova, who was sheepishly staring at the ground. “So… do you like him?”
“Nova,” Cassia placed her hands on Nova’s shoulders. “I love him. And I know how much you hate snakes- thank you. Really.” She planted a kiss on Nova’s cheek, and Castillo scoffed. “Oh look, she really is getting soft.”
“Am not,” Nova scowled. “Now, what’s our next order of business?”
“Right,” Felix took the notes off his workbench. “Cassia, check on Aspen without Helena knowing. You might be able to get something out of him that she doesn’t want him repeating. You know, so he doesn’t trigger bad memories.”
“You’re telling me to.. Sneak behind Helena’s back to pry traumatising memories out of Aspen?”
“That’s right.”
“Consider it done.”
“Am I interrupting?” Phoebe stood in the doorway, her eyes flicking between Cassia and Felix. She’d turned thirteen in November, and she’d grown since their mother’s death. She looked older, sadder, more weighed down and tuned in to the world. Cassia had tried to be there for her, but she’d been busy. Phoebe hadn’t rebounded well after their mother’s loss. Not like Cassia, anyway. Cassia smiled, shaking her head. “No, Pheebs. What’s up?”
“Uh, I wanted to- uhm, I mean- No. Forget it. You look busy.”
“I’m not busy,” Cassia said. Phoebe needed to stay. She’d been slipping away. “Phoebe, I’ve got time for you. Let’s go for a walk, yeah?”
“Don’t forget your job, Cassia,” Felix reminded her as she left.
“How have you moved on?” Phoebe asked as they slowly strolled through the camp. “I just can't. I feel so bad for her, she was all alone..” she trailed off, sniffing.
Cassia placed an arm on her sister's shoulders. “I haven't, Phoebe. And I feel terrible too- I feel guilty that I wasn't there. I feel guilty that I left, but we can't change the past, only shape the future. And look…” Cassia turned Phoebe to the lake, where the sun shone brilliantly up above. “...There's still daylight in the darkness. We'll get through this because time will heal what hurts. Let yourself feel, but know that this will pass.”
“Are you over it, then?” Phoebe looked away.
“No. I'm not. But I have to push through- there are people that still need me. Like these new demigods. Like you. Someone's got to be your shoulder to cry on.”
Phoebe blinked heavily. “Why haven't you lost hope yet? We're going to die, this is all too much for anyone to handle.”
Cassia swallowed. “I haven't lost hope because I haven't lost you. You're my future, Phoebe. Always. And I'm willing to slaughter ten drakons just to protect you.”
Phoebe looked down. “We're here.”
And they were. Cabin one felt more like the Bastille than a home for demigods these days. It was dark, and rumours spread like wildfire regarding Aspen’s state. Some said he was dead, others claiming that he was being held captive and Helena had to sign an NDA to protect the secret. Neither of those appeared to be true.
“So we are. Hey, chin up, alright? Everything's going to work out.”
Phoebe smiled a little before taking off back down the long, winding path, leaving Cassia alone. Helena would be on patrol duty, so Cassia had a brief window to speak with Aspen. Bracing herself for whatever she might find within, she opened the large doors and engulfed herself in darkness.
The tiles were freezing even when Cassia was wearing shoes. The chill seemed to creep up her legs and spine, but she continued walking. The statue of Zeus was covered in red, from his eyes to his chest and legs… all stained dark red. Aspen was angry.
“It's… you.” A voice muttered from the shadows, and Aspen stepped forward. He looked even worse than Cassia could have imagined: his skin was porcelain white, lips bloodless, hair overgrown and the rest of him… a large, deep scar the shape of a jagged lightning bolt covered his neck. His eyes were boiling with rage, but his posture was weighed down by exhaustion.
“It's me,” she replied. “Felix told me to come see you.”
“Of course,” Aspen huffed with laughter. “And I don't my sister knows of this?”
“Felix thought it would be best to keep her in the dark.”
“I see. Helena can't take much more of this.”
Slowly, Cassia removed her archer chest plate. “What happened to you?”
“Zeus wasn't fond of my… announcement,” Aspen replied. “So he took me aside and threw lightning bolts, one for each time I disobeyed him.”
Cassia’s stomach lurched. She remembered what Aspen had told them: ‘They’re cowards- cowards! They’re all afraid of us, afraid of you. Really, we have half a mind to rebel-”
That was when Zeus had silenced him.
“Are they really afraid?” She whispered.
“Gods are always afraid. But no matter what, they're still going to be the bigger bullies.”
“What do we do, then?”
“We rise. Expose them. They're scared- use it.”
Cassia frowned. “Is.. is that right? An eye for an eye?”
“Why not? It's what they've done to us, isn't it? We're just setting a balance. Yeah, an eye for an eye.”
“But does that make it right?”
“Cassia, you can't fight immortality with morality. You can't fight hate with kindness and expect to win. We must rebel.”
“But after what Zeus did to you, you know the consequences of this if we fail.”
“Then we won't fail,” Aspen snarled. “What, you thought I'd be tortured into silence? No! We fight. I want Zeus to bleed.”
Cassia stepped back. “But what if we do fail? You were tortured for only speaking out! Just imagine the consequences if we all fully uprise- they will kill us, Aspen.”
“What do I have to live for anyway? And what do you? Cassia, it's all meaningless. We will be forgotten if we comply. But if we die martyrs… think of what we can achieve. We could keep future generations safe.”
“And what if we fail, and die? Those future generations will be too scared to uprise. We’ll be made examples of what happens when you step out of line.”
“We have to try!”
“It's not worth our lives! Let's try and make change by demanding them. Not killing ourselves.”
“Where's your rage? They've taken away our innocence!”
“They won't take my humanity!” Cassia cried. “They won't define who I am or what I do. I will not die at the feet of the gods.”
Chapter 47: Wolves and lambs
Chapter Text
Aspen was silent for a moment, staring blankly. Then he burst into laughter. The sound of his dry, humourless laughter echoed uncomfortably through the room. Maybe you lost your mind when Zeus tortured you, Cassia thought. Because you’re even crazier than before.
Aspen emerged, wiping a tear from his eye. “How are you this stupid? You’re dead already! Don’t you understand? You’re just a dead girl walking, you’ve been one for ten months. Wait, no, you’ve been one since you were born. Meant to die, we’re poor sacrificial lambs the gods have no issue feasting on.”
“We don’t have to be those lambs,” was all Cassia could say in reply. It was a weak answer. Aspen nodded, shrugging. “No, we don’t. But do you think the wolves are going to listen to the lamb if she asks them nicely to not eat her and her friends? Exactly. Of course they won’t. They’ll just tear her to pieces with their teeth where she stands. But if the lamb, say, has a knife to the wolves’ throats and demands them not to eat her, they’ll listen. Do you get the analogy yet, sweetheart? You’re the lamb: they’re the wolf. If we did things your way, we’d be dead.”
“And if we did yours, we’d also be dead. Those wolves would gang up and tear us apart if just one had a knife to its throat. They can’t die: injuries barely matter to them. I say this from experience.” Cassia opened her palm, summoning a small ball of light to hover over her skin. “I’m not blinded by ideals, Aspen. I’ve seen all the gods have to offer. I understand you. Your stance, and for a while, I agreed wholeheartedly.” She looked up, closing her fist. “The gods are dangerous, they’re cruel, vapid and vain. They do horrible things to us and we have every right to rebel, every right to be furious. But it’s better to walk away from the monster than become it. Irene told me once that the way to make our parents afraid was to become them. I think we’ve done just that: and the reason they’re scared is because we plainly show the sides of themselves they loathe the most. The gods are monsters, Aspen. They aren’t human. Are you willing to give up your humanity, to turn yourself into the thing you hate so dearly, just to seek vengeance?”
“Yes,” he admitted. “My entire life’s purpose has been shaped by the gods. If I can show them, for a moment, just how horrific they are by mirroring them, then I’ll be happy. Zeus has taken everything from me. He’s taken my life, my soul, my identity. He won’t take away my anger. Nothing can.”
Cassia was silent, watching Aspen from across the room. “Nothing I say can ever convince you to act otherwise. So be it then: this is your path, walk down it. I’ll walk down mine.”
“Fine.” Aspen shrugged, unbothered. “But expect yourself to end up dead like the rest of us.”
Cassia turned and left, emptying out into the outside. The sun shone beautifully above the water, lighting up the lake with endlessly moving steps to the horizon. She was painfully aware of every sense: the hair brushing the back of her t-shirt, the loose lace on her shoe, the sweat beginning to form on her arms from growing despair. She needed her mom. Cassia sank to her knees, her head in her hands. This was all beyond her control- this entire situation. Children dying left and right, Phoebe needing Cassia more than ever, Cassia’s inevitable death, the gods’ cruelty that was endless. Maman, please just tell me it’ll be okay, she thought. I need you. Where are you? Where have you gone?
But her mother was dead. She’d been dead for nine months. And Apollo wasn’t about to come and see her. Cassia really was on her own: maybe she always had been. Had she only called herself his daughter to trick her mind into believing that he cared? Maybe that association had nurtured the notion that they were close, like a real father and daughter. Why couldn’t she have been normal, mortal? Gods, why hadn’t she walked out of that museum on the day it began with a statue, a girl, and a god?
Why did she even cling to hope that didn’t exist?
With tears just about to fall, Cassia picked herself up and kneeled on the shoreline. Shakily, she summoned light in her palm. Pathetic, she thought. Pull yourself together and stop crying.
Cassia trained her eyes on the ball.
“ Fix this. Do something, stop hiding.”
Cassia closed her fist and squeezed her eyes tight as the tears fell. She wanted her mom, she wanted her dad, she wanted someone to hold her and promise her that it would all work out. She was tired, so tired.
~
For the fifth time, the gods broke out in an argument. Zeus allowed approximately five seconds of it- at least, that was what Apollo counted, before he raised his lightning bolt and the room went silent. He should have been terrified, but he knew it wasn’t aimed at him. He just kept looking at his hand, where he was repeatedly summoning a ball of light and watching it fade. Zeus lowered his lightning bolt. “Let’s continue this in a civil manner.”
“Do you not see the danger?” Athena cried. “Father, these children are angry. And their leader is Aspen- I’m aware enough to recognise that we may have an uprising on our hands!”
“Again, Aspen has been silenced. The others, without him, will be too scared to even attempt it.”
“Do you think that will stop them?” She questioned. “You’ve just angered them more, if anything. By damaging their symbol of the resistance, you’ve given them more motivation to act out. I won’t be surprised if tomorrow morning his squad is at our doors with pitchforks and nooses!”
Apollo tapped out. More talk of danger. He knew from experience that gods couldn’t even die- all these children needed was a change. To stop being oppressed and treated so carelessly, it was so obvious! Yet Zeus didn’t care to listen to the very goddess of wisdom. These were victims of the gods themselves. Cassia was one of them, and she was a victim of Apollo himself. Gods, he’d really failed her, hadn’t he? He’d tried his best, but she was just as harmed as her friends. At this point, what could he even do to repair the damage? Most likely nothing.
“Enough! They won’t do anything. Let them stew in misery, what do we care? It would be out of character for us to pay them any mind.” Zeus sat back in his throne.
An image flashed in Apollo’s mind: Cassia’s sharp-tongued words as she had a knife in his heart. The hatred and pain in her eyes was a mirror of his own from many years back. He knew all she wanted was for him to see her, to be there, to love her. If something was going to happen on the demigod’s side, she would lead it. These children were just children. Not threats, not dangers to the gods. Just scared children who had been deprived of love from absent parents. It had to end.
“Maybe we should pay them a piece of our mind,” Apollo said, and Zeus raised an eyebrow. Apollo was no stranger to his own father’s rage should he cross a line. He still had scars from the lightning bolt. Do it for her, he thought. “I mean,” he continued. “Wouldn’t that diffuse a piece of the tension, if the issue is centered around our tendency to treat our children like they’re cigarettes?”
“Interesting analogy,” Athena said, “but I agree. I take no joy in watching my children suffer because of my absences- these demigods have all suffered enough. Let us see them, father. Please.”
Zeus rolled his eyes. “No. I won’t allow it, and that is final.”
Do it for her. “Why not? Because you’d rather be an asshole than actually allow us to break this cycle of trauma you expect us to imprint on our kids?” Apollo snapped. The room fell dead silent.
Zeus bristled, but Apollo continued. “Try me. I dare you. I don’t care what you do to me anymore, I will stop at nothing to take my daughter out of Aspen’s squad and shut down this stupid operation. CHILDREN should not have to murder drakons when we are PERFECTLY CAPABLE. You know, because we’re OMNIPOTENT, ALL-POWERFUL GODS.”
“You DARE-”
“I dare!” He stood from his throne.
“Do your worst, old man. I’m sick of playing your games- hell, I’m almost tempted to support the demigods. They’re RIGHT to rise against us! We’ve done nothing but harm to them, been the root of their agony and trauma for thousands of years. How many close calls will it take for you to realise that we cannot continue like this? I’m done with obedience. You cannot expect me to stay silent when I am watching my daughter fall apart.”
“It is the NATURAL ORDER OF THINGS!”
“FUCK your natural order! And fuck you, for another thing!” Apollo’s rage seemed to dominate his crushing fear of what Zeus might do now. He had to end this. Before Zeus could get another word in, Apollo stormed out of the throne room.
Olympus was exquisitely beautiful, as usual. Perfect and endlessly sprawling, but so deeply flawed. Do it for her. Do it for Cassia, the girl he’d been watching for such a long time. Ever since he could remember- he’d been keeping up with her during the moments she felt alone. Watching silently. He’d seen her turn from a little girl into a capable fighter so fast, forced to grow up. When he’d claimed her, he couldn’t have been more proud. When she’d made sacrifice after sacrifice, defence after defence, it filled his cup ever so slightly.
He’d held her in his arms as she brushed arms with death. He’d seen her fight for what she believed in, fall in love, grieve, all of it. Apollo didn’t care if it somehow killed him- Cassia needed to have a future where she wasn’t in constant danger. Every demigod needed it. What sort of a hypocrite was he if he completely ignored his experiences twenty years ago?
He had an idea. Apollo held out his hand, and his famous golden bow materialised within it. The same one Cassia had found for him.
~
“There’s something for you.”
“Oh?” Cassia looked up from Ria’s hair, which she had been brushing out. Francis held out a small note, hastily folded. Probably something from Felix. Cassia opened it.
Look underneath your bed when nobody is watching.
When the lights were out, Cassia slipped onto the floor and peeked under her bed. Her eyes widened at the familiar sight of her father’s divine bow, glowing faintly, ready for use. There was a proper letter sealed in an envelope, but what Cassia reached for first was the bow. Power flooded through her body as she held it. Her eyes brimmed with tears. “Thank you,” She whispered.
Chapter 48: As the world caves in
Notes:
lowk had no motivation to write lately, but i gotta move this story along like omgg. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter !! :D
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Another success,” Nova remarked, bringing down a knife on the base of a drakon’s tooth. With a clean cut, the ivory broke away in a sharp shard. Nova dropped it in the bag that Castillo was holding. Cassia plucked one of Irene’s arrows from the eye socket and jumped to the ground. “Let's get back to camp.”
The Hephaestus cabin gladly took the bag of teeth. Felicity took Cassia’s arm and they set off down the path to clean themselves up. “You know that junior squad that's out right now?”
“That's the one Phoebe’s in, right?” Cassia raised an eyebrow. Felicity confirmed it with a nod. “They've got a drakon in Queens to manage. Apparently they sent a distress message to the camp. I think they'll send us out to assist.”
“Are they okay?” A slight nervousness rose in Cassia’s gut. Felicity winced. “Well, Phoebe’s fine. But they've lost two.”
“No!”
“They're hiding right now. How come you didn't know about this?”
“I've been preoccupied with Aspen. Shit, I should've been concentrating on Phoebe. Every other time is fine, but the minute I turn my back..”
“Hey, she's fine.” Felicity adjusted Cassia's chest plate strap. “Phoebe’s tough. We’re headed out tonight to assist, so I'm sure she’ll be completely safe once you're with her. You'd never let anything get close to her.”
“Damn right I wouldn't,” Cass wrapped her fingers around her bow, distracting herself from the crippling fear of Phoebe's situation with rivers of power. She could protect her sister with this new tool.
“Did I tell you that Aspen’s finally joining us again?”
Cassia stopped dead in her tracks. “Tell me you're joking.”
“Why would I joke about that? It’ll probably work out alright. Aspen’s got a task, and he'll make sure it's completed. He's competent enough.”
“Yeah, but he's unhinged. I saw him the other day- he's lost it, Felicity. Completely lost it.”
“I doubt your presence did much to subdue that madness. Look, just keep your head down. Aspen knows how to lead. You've got to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
That night, the squad assembled at the gateway, shivering from the autumn chill. Castillo had extra ammo, and Felix had stocked up on his weapons. Everybody seemed on edge. This was the first real threat they'd approached since Oscar’s death.
Aspen appeared to be carved out of marble. His features were unchanging, locked within their stony scowl. Helena was at his side, whispering assurances behind her fan. Nova was sharpening her throwing stars, scraping them on her skin and brushing away the blood. Each time she sliced, her eyes lit up with a rush of energy. Tonight, it was all out.
“Let's move,” Aspen muttered, turning and stalking into the forest, expecting the others to follow. The silence was heavy on the way to Queens, save for Felix giving a report on the currently stationed squad. “Two casualties, multiple injured. This drakon shouldn't have been assigned to them, but here we are. The retrieval demigod is deceased. Our main objective is to let the remaining few escape with their lives.”
“Who’s dead, then?” Maisie whispered, clutching her hands together with nerves. Felix sighed. “Samantha, child of Tyche.”
Castillo whistled. “Her luck really ran out.” Felix whacked him on the arm. “Not the time.” He turned to Aspen, who was continuing down the path. “I need you to give the command for the archers. It’s going to be pitch black when they’re shooting.”
Aspen didn’t reply. Helena threw Felix an apologetic glance before following after her brother. As they travelled to Queens, Cassia forced herself to maintain a cool head. Yes, the fear of Phoebe being injured was suffocating, but Cassia needed to breathe. She was catastrophizing: nothing would happen to Phoebe.
“You’re here,” A boy gasped, his eyes lighting up with joy. His arm was in a makeshift sling, but he seemed poised to wrap Aspen in a hug. The other demigods of the junior squad creeped out of hiding, curiously watching the seniors get to work. Phoebe and Cassia locked eyes, and Phoebe rushed forward, trapping her big sister with a hug. “You’re here,” She whispered. Cassia wrapped her arms around her in return, closing her eyes. “I’m here. You’re safe, I’m here.”
“Where is it?” Felix approached Phoebe, ripping her from Cassia’s arms. Phoebe looked around. “The drakon? Uh, we’re not sure.”
“What do you mean ‘you’re not sure?’” Nova scoffed. “How do you lose a drakon?”
“It’s hiding,” A small girl chirped. She sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “I think it could tell you were coming. We could.”
“Because we told you we were?” Nova asked, raising an eyebrow. The girl shook her head. “No, we could sense you. You must reek to monsters, we’ve had no trouble with them since they took off.”
“Drakons aren’t stupid,” Felix muttered, furrowing his eyebrows. “It must be waiting for us to come find it. ”
“Then we’ll find it,” Nova said, brushing a graze from her knee. “And we’ll kill it. Doesn’t matter how smart the thing is when we’ve got weapons.”
“It always matters,” Felix sighed. “But yes, we should get this over with quickly. I want to go home.”
Night was still high when the two squads began to move, searching for the monster. Phoebe clutched her standard issued camp sword tight, shivering. Cassia took her bow off her back, making a list of priorities in her head to remain as calm as possible. In the darkness, she was entirely reliant on Aspen’s orders to shoot. She had to ensure, however, that she was cool-headed when it was natural to panic.
Like when a twenty foot tall drakon breathed on them.
Everybody froze. “Don’t move a muscle,” Felix whispered. Yellow eyes fixated on the group, blinking repeatedly. Aspen had appeared beside Cassia, his breathing silent. “Shoot it,” he murmured in her ear. “That is an order.”
Cassia nodded, slowly nocking an arrow and pulling back the string. The eye shut, disappearing back into the shadows. “Where is it?” She whispered through gritted teeth.
“Still there. Shoot it.”
Murmuring a silent prayer, Cassia released the arrow. There was a second of silence before a deafening roar. Aspen brandished his double-edged sword. “CHARGE!”
The squad lept into action, launching assaults on the screaming beast, which was stumbling around blindly thanks to Cassie’s shot. Demigods zipped around, mostly attempting to stay alive. Phoebe’s heart seized with fear when her sister disappeared from her side. Arrows were flying, people shouting. Cautiously, the daughter of Hermes lifted her sword and scanned the area. She couldn’t see a single thing.
“Cass?” She cried. “Castillo?”
Neither replied. Phoebe couldn’t feel anybody familiar on her side. There was screaming from all around. How much more nightmarish could this possibly get? Give up, she thought. Or I’ll get trampled. I need to get away.
But you’re a demigod! Another part of her yelled. Act like it! Your sister is out here, one of the best archers of her age. She’s only two years your senior. Get out and fight! Show the world what a daughter of Hermes can do!
“I’m not Cassia,” She mumbled.
Remember what Castillo taught you. Remember your training. You’re a demigod, this will become second nature. Fight!
With a deep exhale, Phoebe charged, digging her sword into what she hoped was the drakon’s hide. There was a piercing, beastly scream, so it was suffice to say that she had succeeded.
The fight continued. There was screaming from both humans and drakon. Phoebe constantly heard orders being barked.
“SHOOT!”
A volley of arrows whistled through the air, followed by a thump of arrows. The drakon wailed. Phoebe had a chance to do some real damage. She took a running leap onto the back of the monster, digging her sword deep into its back.
“Get ready,” Aspen gave Irene and Cassia the warning. Cassia reached for her regular volley of arrows to find it empty. Great. She pulled out one of Castillo’s light arrows: less subtle, but easily more effective. The drakon had to be close to death anyway.
“Where are we shooting?” Irene asked, blindly navigating the scene. Aspen held up his hand. “Irene, shoot left. Cassia, shoot straight.”
“Are you sure?” Cassia asked. She couldn’t see what was ahead of her, but something felt wrong. “Of course,” Aspen replied, turning away. “Now, SHOOT!”
With a quick reflex, the arrow sliced the air like a knife, leaving a trail of sunlight after it. The surrounding area was illuminated for the first time. Cassia watched as her arrow’s course was interrupted by a figure on the drakon’s back. Her eyes widened for a split second as realisation hit her like a semi truck. Her lips parted to give a warning cry.
“PHOEBE!”
Her sister turned to greet the arrow rushing toward her throat. Before Phoebe could react, it buried itself deep. Her eyes widened a fraction, lips parted slightly. She locked eyes with Cassia. “Oh,” She mouthed before loosening her grip on her sword and tumbling to the ground, where a resounding crack confirmed the worst possible thing.
The final straw was when Castillo’s arrow dislodged itself and returned into Cassia’s fingertips, bloodied, paired with a tendon curled around the arrow’s point. The world drowned Cassia Dubois. The earth blanketed itself on her shoulders as blood coated her hands.
All at once, her heart, mind and hope died.
Notes:
So... Uh... I'll post the apology video with tears soon. Thanks for reading guys! 👍👍
Chapter 49: Show them all
Summary:
depression, depression, and a hint of anguish
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
There was silence. Dead silence. Darkness engulfed the world and Cassia let it swallow her whole. Her fingers unclasped her father’s bow and it fell to the ground.
Castillo was holding Phoebe in his arms, talking to her corpse. Cassia had taken that life from her eyes.
Cassia had done that.
Somehow, that didn’t feel real. Maybe it would, soon enough. The arrow in her fingers didn’t bring any revelation, it just hollowed out her soul. First her mother, now Phoebe. Her family was dead. Cassia’s reason to continue, the very purpose she had even decided to build a new world where others could be safe was for the benefit of Phoebe. During construction, however, she’d killed her. Murderer. The word left a bloody taste on her tongue.
“Cassia,” Felix placed his hand on her shoulder. “Cassia, we have to go.”
She said nothing in return, but continued to stare at Castillo and Phoebe across the field. What had she just done?
Then it began to dawn on her. She’d really killed, taken away Phoebe’s future. She was gone, dead, down in the underworld. With a single arrow, Cassia had lost it all.
Her attention landed on the drakon. It was bordering on death and yet, that wasn’t nearly enough. Cassia wanted many things dead: herself, the gods, anyone who was responsible for this mess, and that monster. It deserved to be torn apart.
So did the gods. They’d taken everything from Cassia, from the demigods. Phoebe had no future because the gods barred it. Children died because of the gods. They couldn’t turn a blind eye to this, not anymore. Cassia would burn down the world just to make them notice. She’d burn herself in the process.
She shoved Felix away and broke into a run, pushing Castillo back from Phoebe. Her eyes were still sparkling, she was still in there somewhere. But she was in pain. “Phoebe,” Cassia whispered. “Can you hear me?”
Phoebe’s eyes met Cassia’s. She was so close to death, there was no saving her. Her bones were broken, throat torn. Cassia wouldn’t let her die alone. Not like this. “I’m so sorry,” she cried, tears blossoming and cascading down her cheeks. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry. You’re not dying, you’re okay. I’m here. You’re safe.”
Phoebe kept her gaze locked on her sister. What was she thinking? “I’m so sorry,” Cassia sobbed. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Phoebe’s lips moved silently, and Cassia worked desperately to figure out what she was saying.
Show them all.
The light in her eyes vanished, and Phoebe Dubois was no more.
A scream shattered the freezing air, rippling oceans and cracking mountains. Cassia punched the earth until her knuckles bled. Nature cowered and gods flinched. She stood and faced the drakon, and without a word drew all her strength.
Light began to burn the monster to a crisp. It writhed and howled in agony, its body slowly separating in two. Cassia raised her hands and willed all of the power she possessed to destroy everything in her path. The sky lit up with lightning that wasn’t hers, night paused in its tracks and day joined it at its side. Rivers began to change their course and plants withered around her.
The gods were listening. The gods were watching.
The drakon burst into flames and sunk into the ground, but Cassia’s fury did not subside. She looked into the sky, the chaotic canvas of moon, sun and lightning. “This is because of you,” She growled. “All of you!”
Lightning struck to her left, but Cassia continued. “You want to kill me? BRING IT ON! I’ll fucking kill you and kill you again and again and again, and I will NEVER be satisfied. I HATE YOU!” Nova pulled Cassia back just as lightning hit where she had been standing. “SHE’S DEAD AND IT’S YOUR FAULT! IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!”
Nova continued to yank Cassia away as she screamed. “CASS.” Nova grabbed her by the shoulders. “I know you’re beyond description right now, but you cannot pick a fight with Zeus.” She threw a resentful look to the sky. “No matter how justified it is.”
For that, Zeus sent a lightning bolt down to Nova’s side. Cassia ripped her away and yanked her bow off the ground. Drawing back the string, nocking an arrow, Cassia trained her eye on the clouds. On Olympus.
She released and watched as the arrow climbed into the sky, disappearing past the clouds. There was silence. “TRY ME!” She screamed.
More silence. That's when Castillo grabbed her from behind. “Sorry Cass,” he muttered in her ear before bringing the butt of his pistols into the side of her head.
The day turned black.
When she woke, there was silence. The infirmary was empty and dark. How many hours had it been? Cassia’s throat was parched and her head felt heavy. There was low murmuring from behind closed doors that she could barely make out.
“What do we do?”
“We have to just watch her and make sure she doesn't do anything drastic. She's mentally deranged.”
Cass had no clue who was talking, nor did she care. Nothing felt meaningful. Not her life, not her hopes and dreams, not her beliefs. Who cared, at the end of the day, if Aspen was right? Everyone would die eventually. Maybe the gods did deserve what he had in store for them. It wasn't like Cassia had the ability to stop him, not anymore.
What was the point of living? Cassia was already dead. Her anchor to this world had sunk down below. She could follow after it now. There was nothing in her way, nobody to live for, nobody who relied on her.
Her stomach went numb as Cassia faced the consequences of her actions: she had killed Phoebe with her shot. She was at blame. First her mother, now her sister. Both dead. All dead. Entirely dead. They would never come back.
The door opened and Felix filed into the room, joined by Castillo. Both looked terrible, like they hadn't slept or eaten in days. But when they winced at the sight of Cassia, she knew she looked somehow worse. Castillo sat at the end of her bed. “How are you feeling?” He whispered.
Cassia didn't reply. Her tongue couldn't form the words. Castillo sighed. “I'm sorry for knocking you out. We couldn't risk you dying thanks to Zeus.”
“Cass, do you remember what happened?” Felix poured her a glass of water and placed it in her hands. Cassia didn't move. She didn't make any indication that she even understood the question.
“I didn't hit her that hard, did I?” Castillo looked at Felix with worry. He shook his head. “No. A concussion wouldn't make her mute. She's just not ready to talk.”
“Cassia,” Felix dropped his voice to a gentle whisper. “Phoebe is dead.”
“Very sensitive of you,” Castillo snapped. Was Cassia hallucinating, or were his eyes bloodshot? Felix rolled his eyes. “She's not fragile. She knows it.”
“We tried everything,” Castillo said, turning his attention back to Cassia. “I swear upon the Styx we did Cass, but nothing worked.” He furiously blinked away tears. “I'm so sorry.”
“We should go.” Felix stood. “This is going to be alright, Cassie. I know you don't believe it now, but..” he sighed deeply. “...you will be okay.”
The boys left and Cassia was alone again, staring at the flickering light across the room. Something inside of her lifted, like a balloon she'd held for so long had been let go.
That's when Cassia knew she had lost her mind.
Notes:
...is now a bad time to point out the parallels i drew between cass and Apollo? With the whole 'accidentally killing someone you love and holding them in your arms as they die' thing? No? Okay.
Chapter 50: Table for three, dinner for one
Notes:
This is probably one of the worst chapters in terms of horror (there's another big one later).
!! DISCLAIMER !!
This chapter will include:
- Cannibalism
- Gore
- Graphic descriptions of corpses
- Vomit
- Heavy topicsIf any of these make you uncomfortable, please read at your own risk.
Chapter Text
Across the room was the same thing as always when things got bad: the single, lonely hyacinth that lay, wilting, on the floor. Cassia doubted it was tangible, most things she created weren’t. But when she needed to calm down, or she had no choice, she trained her gaze onto that single flower, slowly dying with each time it appeared.
When she gathered the strength to face the mirror, she noticed how she had lost her father's features. Her hair, once golden, was a dark brown like her mother's had once been. Her eyes were pale and cold. Her skin was waxy.
The silence came naturally for her. It was the only way to keep herself in one piece. No speech meant no confrontation, and no confrontation meant nothing had happened.
Cassia Dubois, what a name, what a girl. The girl who'd lost it when she was the one with blood on her hands. How did the gods manage their sanity?
People tried to talk to her. Nova took her hands and held them, attempting to coax Cassia out of the grave she had dug herself. A few times Cass had let her be held by Nova. Words became scarce between them. It was one of the very few moments Cassia could let go of her pain.
Each time, when Nova left, she said the same thing: “I love you.” A whispered phrase, punctuated with a kiss on the cheek before she would leave.
Cassia couldn't bring herself to eat, not since the nightmares had begun. It was always the same: her empty house, the open door, her mother and sister sitting at the dinner table in dim candlelight, waiting.
The door was open tonight. There was no need to knock on the splintered wood. Carefully, she crept in, avoiding the floorboards she knew creaked under her weight. Cassia turned to view her reflection in the old mirror that hung by the door; Her hair was a deep brown, her face gaunt. The house was drowning with shadows cast by the few flickering candles on the table. Two figures sat, motionless, in their seats. Cassia was prepared for what this would no doubt be: the bodies of her mother and sister, ready to dine. No, she couldn't face this. Surely, seeing such a thing would kill her. Cassia moved toward the door, but it was firmly locked. There was no going back.
Her footsteps were light and cautious, afraid to wake the sleeping corpses. On approach, Phoebe's body didn't look too bad. But perhaps that made the horror of the situation even worse: she looked so close to life, but it was just out of reach. The arrow was lodged in her throat, dried blood staining her shirt and skin. Her eyes were empty and lifeless, just as they had been when Cassia had held her in her arms, begging Phoebe to stay with her.
Their mother was worse: flesh fell off her bones in small chunks. Slowly, Cassia took her seat. Maybe if she had some control over what occurred, she wouldn't be as scared.
“Mother, Phoebe, it's so lovely to have you both here, just in time for dinner," She choked out, forcing a wavering smile. Nobody had a reaction. “Shall we?" Cassia reached forward to uncover her plate, and leapt back with a yelp. A smooth, blood-stained brain lay on the cold china, paired with a knife and fork.
Phoebe opened her mouth to speak, but all that emerged was a gargling sound. The sound of blood being swirled around in her throat. Cassia had to fight the urge to scream like she had that same night Phoebe had died in her arms. None of this was real, but the tablecloth had too much detail. Cassia's mother opened her mouth and her jaw unhinged before collapsing on the table before her.
On Phoebe's plate was a heart, on her mother's, an eye. And on Cassia's, a brain. Was she meant to eat it? No, surely not. This was all some horrible nightmare birthed from her trauma. It would all be over soon enough, she just needed to take some medication. Cassia's attention was then drawn to the pain in her stomach- hunger pangs. She was starving, and this was all she could eat.
No, she thought. I won't have to eat it. It won't come to that.
So she sat in silence, watching the candle burn away as the night wore on. The hunger grew worse and worse until it was unbearable. Tears filled her eyes as self-control slipped away and starvation won, and finally, she couldn't take it a moment longer. Cassia pulled the plate in front of her, picked up her knife and fork and frantically began making an incision. Blood spilled out of the organ and pooled on the plate, but Cassia continued cutting.
She raised the fork, skewered with a piece of frontal lobe, to her lips. Don't, she thought. Don't give in.
Oh, but she was starving. Just a taste couldn't hurt, right? Surely not. And since this was a dream, did it even matter what she did? God, her rationality really was slipping away.
Cassia closed her eyes and placed the brain in her mouth. It lay on her tongue, freezing her mouth. It was the single most disgusting thing she had ever eaten, and Cassia had been wrong. She could very much feel the texture and taste the flesh. This was real.
Cassia forced herself to chew, trying not to vomit or cry at the same time. With a painful swallow, the brain slid down her throat and settled in her stomach. 'More,' Her stomach cried. The hunger grew worse. Carefully, she opened her eyes. Phoebe's face was stained red. The heart was only a small pile of bloody flesh on her plate. 'Keep eating,' She thought. 'Maybe this will all be over when you finish.'
Slowly, she raised another piece of brain to her mouth. Piece after piece, Cassia chewed and swallowed. Finally, all that was left was blood. The candles dripped wax onto the tablecloth and the fabric burst into flames. The corpses looked even more eerie with fire casting shadows on their faces.
Cassia woke up gasping and retching in her bed. Something was very wrong with her head. She ran to the bathroom and threw up, and when she looked to see what had come out, she almost screamed. Pink, mushed flesh. So it had been real. She really had eaten a brain.
Cassia looked away, holding her head in her hands. She was going insane- what was going on in her mind? Did she even have one anymore?
Cassia stopped eating after that. Light began to feed her, seeping into her veins day and night. It kept her alive, unfortunately. Every now and then, a warm presence would wrap around her, enveloping her in a hug from an intangible being. Then he left and the darkness returned.
Friends tried to reach her. Felicity talked about spring fashion. Castillo painted intricate designs on her nails, trying to make her smile with jokes. Felix walked her through plan after plan after plan. Irene, however, said nothing. She always sat beside Cassia, staring at the wall. Finally, curiosity got the better of her.
“What are you looking for?” She croaked, her voice rusty from disuse. Irene never took her eyes off the wall as she replied. “I'm looking for what you see. I've watched you stare at this for hours on end.”
“There's nothing special about it,” Cass said.
“No, there isn't. But you still stare at it anyway.”
Days later, Aspen came into her space. He sat across from her, staring her down with an unreadable expression. He sighed deeply. “I'm terribly sorry for your loss. We’ll prevent further deaths.”
“Through your revolution?” Cassia muttered, allowing the old feeling of anger beginning to rise. Aspen nodded. “Even if you won't join us, we'll seek justice for Phoebe. But I saw your reaction on that day: you made the gods look, made them listen. You threatened them and picked a fight with Zeus. Come on, Cassia. I know that beneath your talk of morality and humanity, you're dying to see the gods suffer like you have.”
Cassia scoffed. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Even during the most traumatic period of her life, Aspen was attempting to recruit her for a revolution. Trying to twist her pain into violence. “Phoebe is dead and you're already using her memory as a way to manipulate me into joining your suicidal cause. Do you understand how insane that is?”
“It's necessary,” he replied, his gaze darkening. “You're a powerful tool, and with your suffering we can strengthen this uprising even more. Join us. We'll ensure that Phoebe's death is not in vain, and the gods are held accountable for her demise.”
“Fuck you,” Cassia snapped. “I'm not a tool, none of us are. For a person who despises the gods, you sure act like them.”
Aspen stiffened. Then he delivered the final blow. “Remember that it was your own shot that killed her.”
With that, he got up and left. Cass was prepared to dissolve into tears again when she came to a realisation: that was what Aspen wanted. He wanted her to unravel, to fall off the edge entirely until she sought nothing but revenge. No, she wouldn't let him twist her into someone she wasn't.
Show them all.
Phoebe's final plea to her sister resonated in her heart. Show them all.
So it was decided. Cassia blinked away her tears, staring at the wall in front of her. Letters began to form on the paint, glowing gold. At last, they formed the three words.
SHOW THEM ALL.
Chapter 51: Can't help falling in love with you
Notes:
as a semi-apology for the last chapter, here's some fluff and also angst (with a side of hope)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Remind me why we’re here,” Cassia sighed, staring up at the house that was once her home. Nova rolled her good eye. “Because we need to pack up this part of your life. Come on, it won't be that bad.”
“I disagree,” the daughter of Apollo said. Nova grasped her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Just give it a try. It healed me when I had to pack up my uncle’s house. Who knows, it might work for you too.”
The house was dark and very, very cold. Cassia felt like she was in her nightmares all over again: when she looked into the mirror by the door, she was met with the gaunt, lifeless appearance of her shell. Nova appeared at her side. As always, the daughter of Ares looked beautiful. Her braids were put back in a long ponytail, leaving two braids at the front out. She wore an oversized T-shirt and jean shorts with chunky converse. Her good eye was sparkling with a new hope. Ever since Cassia had started talking, Nova had made it her mission to stay by her side and help her in any way she could. It was so sweet, Cassia thought she might cry as she thought about it.
The dining table was empty of corpses. Nova slowly walked through the living room, sitting down on the couch. Cassia inspected the photos that hung on the wall: Phoebe smiling, Cassia holding up an academic medal, the sisters as toddlers sitting on the couch, reading. What Cassia wouldn't give to have Phoebe back, or her mother. What she wouldn't give to have this life back. On the shelf was a camera, coated in a layer of dust. Gently, Cassia took it in her hands and turned it on. She fiddled with it for a bit, snapping a few photos of Nova before looking back through what she had done.
There were photos of Phoebe’s 10th birthday, Cassia unwrapping a Christmas present.. the usual. But further back, all that was were photos of their mother. Victoria, looking so alive, laughing at the person behind the camera. Photos of her in the sun, photos of her kissing… no.
Cassia had never really asked her mother or father about their brief relationship. And now, here it was, frozen in time for her to watch. Apollo was beaming as Victoria laughed at something. Cassia had that same smile as her dad. Her mother tossed her head back like Cass did when he laughed. They both looked so carefree, so happy.
She clicked the button to reach the next photo and was met with a video. She pressed play, and saw her parents in the living room, dancing. The record player was echoing Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t help falling in love.’
No words were exchanged between them, but Cassia saw the look in her father’s eyes- she recognized it. The look of pure love.
Tears filled Cassia’s eyes as she watched them dance, never taking their eyes off the other. The video ended, and the screen went black.
Cassia’s gaze travelled to Nova, who was standing in the same spot where her parents had been dancing. She was looking at the walls, absorbing Cassia’s past life. Her eyes shone as she landed on a baby photo of Cass, and the girl instantly knew that Nova was a keeper.
She set the camera down and moved over to the record player, flicking through the library her mother had collected over the years. She found what she was looking for and set the vinyl before pressing play.
Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you
Nova looked around, cracking a confused smile as Cassia slowly moved toward her. “Elvis? I didn't think you were a fan.”
“Things change,” she replied, taking Nova's hand in hers and guiding them to her waist. Nova smirked. “Cassia Dubois, are you asking me for a dance?”
“Yes I am, Nova Allemande.”
Nova pulled Cassia a little closer, and Cassia raised her hands to Nova’s shoulders.
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?
The girls navigated the floor with little planning, but eventually they found a rhythm, a pattern to stick to.
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
“I think about the first time we met a lot,” Nova admitted. “When I first saw you. Honestly, I thought you were just-”
“- A pretty little songbird with no real grit?”
Nova smiled. “Yeah. Something like that.”
Take my hand
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you
“I didn't expect us to turn out like this,” Cassia remarked. “I thought you were my enemy for a bit, then a rival, then a friend.. now this.”
Nova chuckled. “A lot’s changed. But I'm not mad about the outcome.”
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
“My parents danced to this song,” Cassia muttered. “I just saw the video they recorded of it.”
“So that's why you came up to me for a dance?”
“I saw, in their eyes, how much they loved each other. I think I see it in your eyes too. You look at any version of me like I'm the most precious thing in the world.”
“You are,” Nova smiled. “And.. I can see it in your eyes, too. You light up when we're together.”
“I saw my parents, so in love, and… I think that could be us.”
Nova brushed a lock of hair out of Cassia’s face. “It’s like that already. But.. for the record. I couldn't help falling in love with you. It was very much against my will. I was quite dedicated to hating you for some time.”
Cassia laughed. “Cliche much?”
“That's rich, coming from you.”
Take my hand
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you
For I can't help falling in love with you
With the final note of the song, Cass and Nova cloaked themselves in the other's embrace, sinking into their affection. There was hope in hopelessness at last. There was a wound that would likely never fully close inside of Cassia, but she could still seek happiness. There was joy because of her family, but there would be joy after her family.
“I love you,” Cassia murmured, closing her eyes as a tear blurred her vision. Nova sighed. “I love you too.”
And into boxes went Cassia’s life. The books disappeared from shelves, the pictures went from the walls. Cassia had set apart one box for items that she could keep. She packed the camera, her childhood stuffed toy, her jewellery, a few of her mother’s prized possessions, pictures of her family and her mother's own cookbook of personal recipes. There were a few more things, like blankets and perfumes. Cassia was almost done with unpacking her mother’s closet when she found a black box with the word Cassia written on it.
Inside were perfectly positioned memories. Ultrasound images, a positive pregnancy test, handwritten letters and a golden necklace with a sun charm at the end of it.
The first letter read as followed:
My darling girl,
Words can't even explain how excited I am to meet you, and give this to you when you turn eighteen. I've got a name planned: Cassia. Oh, Cassie, you're going to be so wonderful. If you're anything like your father (and I suspect you will be), you’ll be beautiful, brave, smart and kind. I hope you stay safe in your life, especially when I'm not around to protect you. But your father will. I'm sure of it. We both love you beyond words, and here I am, trying to do just that.
All of my love, your maman.
The second letter was from Apollo.
Cassia,
You won't read this for a long time, and I imagine that by then lots will have changed for you and me. I suppose that you’ll be old enough to know who I am, hopefully you’ll have even met me. If that's the case, then know this:
While I don't know you as of right now, I know that no matter what I will protect you from anything that tries to harm you. That's something I'm able to do very well. I think you’ll take after me in lots of ways, but you won't be flawed like me. No, you'll do something dramatic for the better in your lifetime. And when you do it, whatever it may be, I'll be boasting to anyone that will listen about what you've done.
You've got the power to change everything, kid. And I love you already for it. If you ever need me, I'm probably already waiting for the call.
- Dad
Cassia fastened the golden necklace around her neck and added the black box to the pile of things she would keep. I wish you were here, she thought as she fiddled with the small charm. You’re still part of this. Part of me.
And he was. Cassia had never really accepted that fact before. Whether she liked it or not, Apollo truly was part of her. She’d always approached it as more of a ‘god ≠ parent, god = person I know who I have connections with.’
But now it was different. Cassia’s mortal family was gone, but her father was still alive. He would always be alive. And Cassia had originated from him as well as her mother. It had always been I’m his daughter and never He’s my dad.
It was time for Cass to accept Apollo into her life as a father, not a friend, not an enemy, not a mentor. The grief she felt would not subside, but it would be easier to cope with if she had a shoulder to cry on, an adult who could hold her close and tell her that it would work out.
Notes:
I actually had the idea for the dancing scene ages ago and I'm SOO glad I got to add it in finally! I uploaded this chapter much earlier than I normally do between posts because I'm going to be busy this week (I've got three exams) and I'm also moving :D
Anyway, hope you liked the chapter and I hope I tore your heart out even more with the letter scenes! <3
Chapter 52: If we have each other
Notes:
slowing down a bit before we jump to whatever the hell Aspen's cooking up
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Will we ever reach peace?”
“That is one thing I have no current answer for, Felix.”
“Is it something I'm doing wrong? Something I'm missing?”
“It is far beyond your control, child. Do not blame yourself for what you have not done.”
Felix sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily in order to stay awake. He hadn't had a wink of sleep all night. Plans were scattered around his workbench, scribbled layouts for peace that were scrapped. Castillo sat by his side, attempting to visualize what would happen with each scenario. His hands were coated with black ink.
Athena was relentless. The goddess paced the room, sorting through every single possibility after updating the boys on the situation: Aspen would attempt to harm Zeus in the next summoning. Cassia’s decision in this revolution would let it rise or fall. She alone had the power to shift the course of reality, and nobody was able to tell her. Athena had told them many things: A systematic change was certainly needed, and Felix would be elected to craft a new system if Cassia supported the diplomatic approach to the change. If she were to back Aspen, however, the gods would fall and many would die.
The stakes were high, to say the least.
Castillo took a swig from his monster can. “Lady Athena, why would you come to us about this? Why not some of the more sensible gods, like Artemis or.. I don't know, who else is sensible?”
Athena cracked a small smile. “Because, child, you demigods understand the situation better than myself, better than any god. You are living it, and still are willing to converse with us to reach a solution. That is admirable.”
“Felix fits that category,” Castillo said, whacking his friend on the back to wake him up. “But I wouldn't say I do. I just blow things up. Buildings, heads, relationships..”
“You are capable of representing the impact of our actions in a controlled manner.”
“Translate that.” Castillo nudged Felix. The son of Athena groaned. “You're messed up and you show that without trying to kill the gods.”
“I don't know, I've come close to aiming my pistols to Hermes more than once.” Castillo fiddled with the trigger of his gun. Athena snatched it from his hand. “Have some sense. Have you ever actually tried to kill your father?”
“No.”
“Then you are the perfect candidate.”
“But why us four, specifically?” Felix inquired. “Nova, Castillo, Cass and me, why us?”
“You're known to us gods. All of Olympus knows your names. You are figureheads for the future, representing what we can become.”
Castillo slumped onto the desk, resting his head in his arms. “Translate,” he murmured to Felix.
“They remember us. We're very marketable.”
“What I still don't get,” Castillo said, his voice muffled from where he lay his head on the desk. “Is why you aren't addressing all four of us. If Cassia’s so important, why isn't she here? And I imagine Nova’s got some value too.”
“Cassia is a difficult case. I do not wish to interfere with her decision making in accordance with this revolution. She is the most influential out of the four of you, up there we know her as the one who demonstrated that gods could be harmed.”
“Nova did it first,” Felix remarked. “We saw it. You saw it.”
“That was Ares. Cassia stabbed Apollo. It's very different. It wasn't expected. Cassia fought out of anger, she sought revenge. Nova was fighting for her own life.”
Athena pulled Castillo upright by the scruff of his neck. “Wake up, we aren't done talking.”
Castillo pushed his hair out of his face. “I'm not going to be any more useful to you.”
“Very well,” Athena decided. “You may go.”
Castillo practically slid out of his seat and crawled out of the cabin to his own, leaving Felix and Athena alone. The goddess leaned against the table. “Have you been in contact with your father?”
Felix stiffened. “No. We haven't talked since he brought me here.”
“You never did tell me what happened between you two.”
“That was for a reason.”
Athena took Castillo’s seat, sitting beside Felix. “You are still my son, Felix. And in light of all that's occurred, I think I owe you the mother I never was. Please, tell me about your father. Tell me what happened.”
“What is there to tell?” Felix ran a hand through his hair, avoiding his mother's owlish gaze. Athena gently reached for his chin, making him look back at her. “You went through something you shouldn't have had to go through. What did that man do to you, Felix?”
“He would lock me in the basement for days,” Felix admitted. “That was the worst of it. He just… I think he thought that you would raise me, you would stay. When you didn't, he didn't want a reminder of you. He didn't want me.”
“No,” Athena sighed. “It appears he didn't. But that doesn't make you worthless. I made you, every part of you, as perfectly as Hephaestus makes his weapons. If your father didn't want you, that does not mean nobody does. Your friends love you, I've seen it.”
“What made you reach out?” Felix wondered aloud. Athena smiled sadly. “The entire revolution has made us reflect. We've failed you. I failed you. When you needed a mother, I was a mentor. I'm hoping that we can make up for lost time.”
“I wouldn't mind that,” Felix replied. There was a beat of silence before Athena opened her arms and Felix fell into them, hugging a mother he’d never known. This was his reason for seeking peace, this was proof that what was broken could be fixed. Felix would fix it for everyone. Cassia had mentioned building a new world for those who needed it: Felix saw no need to replace it when it could be mended.
~
“Castillo.”
That voice, that word from those lips made his blood boil. Behind his desecrated and scarred statue, Hermes stepped into the early morning. Castillo reached for his pistols but found none. He'd left them on Felix’s desk.
Hermes admired his ruined statue, a sly smile curving the corners of his mouth. “Crude, but I see the vision. I suppose the red paint is meant to represent blood?”
“Why are you here?” Castillo asked, folding his arms over his chest defiantly. Hermes raised an eyebrow. “Haven't you heard? We're trying to stop you from revolting, so we’re attempting to be parents.”
“That must be hard for you. Did you have to take inspiration from Apollo or something?”
Hermes chuckled. “A little, yes. But I'm sure you know that he's far from perfect. I expect that Cassia would have told that to you many times.”
“What do you want, then? Come to apologise for everything? If you have, then it's useless.”
“Apologize? Maybe when I've broken the marble that's encased your heart. If you'd ever accept it, which I don't think you will. I know that I've never been a father to you, Castillo, and you truly did deserve better. But what can I do or say to fix it?”
“You can show up, you can be present, you can actually give me advice and-”
“-Be the father you deserved. I know. But it was a rhetorical question. Is it beyond fixing?”
“Nothing,” Castillo breathed, “is beyond fixing as long as you both want it fixed.”
“And do you want it fixed?”
That was a hard question. On one hand, Castillo wanted to keep the anger in his heart forever. It gave him reason to keep fighting, to continue creating art, to wake up each morning. But that anger never brought satisfaction. Maybe it was time to let it go.
“I don't know if I can move past it all,” Castillo whispered. “I’ve hated you for so long. How can I just let it all go and act all happy?”
“You don't have to. You're welcome to be angry.”
“Do you even want it fixed?” Castillo interrupted. “Or is this all just so you think you're safe from me turning on you?”
Hermes was silent for a long time. When he spoke, he spoke with a sincerity Castillo had never expected of him. “I do. What's been done to you is disgusting, and I'm sorry for never being there to guide you out of darkness like I should have. I'm sorry that your mother couldn't be the person you needed until you were gone, I'm sorry that I've never been that person either. We both failed you. The world has failed you.”
“Phoebe’s gone.” Castillo stared at the ground. “Cassia's spiralled, Aspen’s out of control, and the person I swore to protect is dead. I..” a lump formed in his throat. “I don't know what to do with myself anymore.”
Out of the corner of his blurry vision, Hermes opened his arms. Castillo hesitated, unsure of what to do. Clearly expecting rejection, Hermes began to lower his arms. Castillo shot forward and began to sob, the pressure of his situation piling on his shoulders. Hermes pulled him close, not speaking once.
“I don't have the energy for it anymore,” Castillo cried. “I can't take another loss.”
“I know,” his father replied.
A voice, high and clear, carried a morning song in the wind. Most likely one of the dryads from the forest.
There's a dawn beyond the dark
There's a scab after a scar
Hold me close now,
Until I heal
O father of mine,
Until I heal
There's a shade when there's a sun
There's a bank before the sea
Keep me safe now,
Until I'm ready
O mother of mine
Until I'm ready
There’s a candle when there's no hearth
There is hope in hopelessness
Seek the light now,
O child of mine
Seek the light now
And come to me
There is victory in loss
There is peace after war
Come and rest now,
O child of mine
Come and rest now
The fighting’s done
Notes:
try and see if you can figure out which verse is meant to correspond with each kid :)
Chapter 53: The villainy you teach me I will execute
Summary:
revolution go brr
Notes:
hey guys! I just finished my last exam today and I've also just moved house, so I've got much more free time on my hands.
Chapter Text
“All you are,” he snarled, “is a monster. Not a king. Not a god. Not even a man. A monster.”
With that, he tore his gaze from his father’s unchanging face. Aspen slumped into a chair, shifting his attention to the walls of writing. Every crevice had plans, things that he could resort to if it went wrong at any moment. Knowing the gods, and knowing Cassia, it would face challenges. But not to worry, for Aspen had a plan to bring in the new age.
Centuries from now, people would thank him, worship him for his service. The gods would be forgotten as demigods took control, and Aspen would be cemented in the history books as a saviour.
Oh, how the people would fall to their knees, sobbing with gratitude and relief. Cassia would be considered a traitor. The crowds would take care of her, and that problem would forever be erased. If Cassia loved the gods so much, Aspen didn't see why she shouldn't face the same end as them. Cassia Dubois, he thought, a cruel smile upturning the corners of his mouth, Fly away before I shoot you down. Maybe Cassia could be shot by Aspen himself: she used her father's bow, so her meeting a similar ending as her sister would be something else. The possibilities were endless.
Every plan was ready to be put in motion, all Aspen needed was an opening.
Immortality could not be met with morality. Evil could not be overpowered by goodness. The gods had done nothing but evil to demigods, and here was little miss Sunshine begging to protect them. Pathetic. She was capable of so much destruction and yet, she tried to fix things. The system was completely shattered, there was no fixing it. Aspen needed it rebuilt entirely. That was how progress was made. `
Aspen had a thought. He stood and grabbed his permanent marker, moving to the base of Zeus' statue. After this was all said and done, people would stand before the entire symbol of this revolution.
‘If you wrong us, shall we not revenge? The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard, but I will better the instruction.’
I will have your blood.
So plead, dear gods, on your knees like mortals once did for you. Beg of me mercy that is barren from the corners of my heart. Let the blood of your children stain your hands, your chained wrists. Let it blur your vision.
I will have your blood.
~
“All you are,” she sniffled. “Is his son.”
Helena’s expression made it seem like she was speaking with someone already dead. It was as if she could see the exact moment Aspen’s life would end, and was studying him with sorrow and exhaustion. Aspen hated her for it. “We’re not his kids.”
“Biologically, we are. Just as much as most of the Olympians are our brothers and sisters.” Helena focused on the pale moon above, her bottom lip quivering ever so slightly. “I hate it just like you do, but at the end of the day, it’s his blood that poisons our veins.”
“ Poisons. Yes, that’s what I’ve always told you.” Aspen sat up straighter. “Think of this as an antidote. It will heal us, all of us.”
“If this blood is poison,” Helena sighed, looking down at the barely visible veins on her wrist. “Then it’s already too late for you. Aspen, do you not see how you’ve turned into him to achieve your goal?”
“Don’t you dare say that,” Aspen snapped, grabbing his sister’s wrist and digging his fingernails into her skin. Helena’s eyes widened and she winced from the pain. Aspen didn’t back down- Helena should be afraid. How dare she, his own sister, oppose him on something like this? How dare she compare him to- to Zeus?
Helena ripped her arm from Aspen’s grasp, rubbing it gently, trying to smooth over the crescent marks of his fingernails from the surface of her skin. “Is sacrificing your humanity, your morality, your everything worth this?”
“How can it not be?” Aspen cried. A flock of birds took flight from treetops nearby. “How can it not be? They’ve taken everything. I have nothing to lose and the entire world to gain. And tell me, Helena, do you truly believe that morality ever won a war? Has humanity fueled revolutions? No! It’s all about control. We’re all sick of the gods and we’re right to be, I’m the only one who’s willing to do anything real about it. If you’re not coming along for the ride, just let me know now so I won’t be dragging dead weight.”
“If this is who you are, I won’t stay by your side! I’m your sister and I love you dearly, but Aspen, you’ll end up replacing one tyrannical rule with another.”
“I won’t!” Aspen felt the scream building in his throat. “And I’m done waiting for the perfect moment to start this! This starts now. I will have the gods’ blood. I WILL HAVE IT!”
There was a heavy silence across the landscape. Aspen emerged from his rage with laboured breaths, his chest heaving. Helena’s eyes were filled with tears. “In the far future, when you take your last breath, ask yourself if any of this was truly worthwhile. If you won’t be honest now, be honest then. May Hades have mercy on your soul.”
She set off across the fields, leaving Aspen standing alone. Now he had nothing left to lose. He had no choice but to begin his revolution. This was the endgame.
~
“Perhaps, it is time for this operation to end.”
“Shall we rally the chosen squad?”
“...Yes. Invite them here. Let them meet with us.”
“Very well. I’ll pass along the message.”
“One more thing.”
“Sir?”
“I wish for Cassia and Aspen to meet with us first.”
“Are you quite sure?”
“I am sure. The operation will not be the only thing ending when those children walk out of those doors.”
“Your wish is my command, Lord Zeus. I will pass along the message promptly.”
Chapter 54: When the sun breaks through the mist
Notes:
fun fact! we're getting close to the end (finally), so enjoy this angst/comfort while you can because it's about to get so, SO much worse
fun fact! yk how the first line goes 'it started with a statue, a girl and a god?' yeah, that god was Apollo (in case you didn't realise that or forgot)
the sun always knows where his sunray is 😇
Chapter Text
Cassia despised this place, with its golden streets and perfect weather. It was a reminder of her pain. Of her suffering. Of everything that had brought her to this moment. Of course she received odd looks as she navigated Olympus. Nymphs and Naiads whispered as she passed. Little kids had their eyes covered and were told that it was rude to stare.
Rude to stare at the infamously unstable girl, anyway.
Cassia had come up early after being told to make her way to Olympus alone. Aspen would be arriving later, which left her with some free time before the final meeting. Something was definitely wrong about all of this. Why has Zeus summoned his biggest problems? He was most likely going to kill them both and ensure that nothing ever changed.
If this was the ending to this saga, Cassia would leave a horrible review. After all the tension, the death, the torture, no demigod would have justice. At this point, if Aspen ended up getting his way and killed Cassia, she'd have the solace that something had changed that might protect demigods. And Aspen’s plan was horrifically violent.
That's how bad it was.
Today, Cassia wore an all black outfit fitted with her archer chestplate and heavy boots. She was dressed for combat. She was ready for war. Her hair had not yet returned to its golden hue, but the bow on her back shone brighter than ever, as if it could sense that its owner was nearby.
Soon, Cassia found a private garden with winding paths of pebbles and fields of wildflowers. In the centre of it all was a marble statue depicting Aphrodite. Her hands spat water into the basin below. The pool itself was crystal clear, reflecting a thousand rainbows from the sunlight that never ceased.
Sighing, Cassia sat at the fountain’s ledge. She removed the bow from her back and held it in her hands.
It was too powerful for her. She needed someone else, someone older, more experienced, more stable, to wield it. She had to return it to her father when this was all said and done. That was likely to be in her will than in person.
“I've done everything wrong,” she murmured. “I stabbed before I thought, I shot before I had the mind to wait, I tried to create and instead I destroyed. How am I able to say that I'm any better than Aspen? What if we’re the same, but he's willing to admit what I can't?”
Cassia set the bow on the ground. “I’m as much of a monster as he is. I’m unhinged, I'm dangerous and I clearly can’t get past myself. This is bigger than me, it always has been. It's not even about me - my death means nothing!”
She was so angry at herself she wanted to cry. But that would be childish. She'd done it every time she'd been furious, and had that solved anything? No. It was time to wake up and stop playing the role of the victim. Cassia Dubois was a monster. An ever lurking, vile, monster who believed she was self-righteous. What an idiot she had been. And now, sitting in the most beautiful place on earth, it was still about her. Hadn't her entire purpose been to create a better life for demigods in general? If that was it, she’d failed miserably and hadn't stopped once to ask herself if perhaps she was the problem.
There was lots wrong with the system. The gods sucked, Aspen sucked, Cassia sucked. But why was it, when she was the one suffering, it was the end of the world? What about Aspen’s torment, or Castillo’s grief? She'd been too focused on herself to care. Phoebe had been Castillo’s sister too. Gods, Cassia was an awful person. And even now, she still made it about her! What a narcissist.
“I’d disagree,” someone said, taking a seat beside her. “Your death would mean an awful lot.”
Apollo sat beside her. Cassia didn't look up. “Are you trying to fix this so we back down, or is this genuine?”
“It's always been genuine. You aren't a threat to the old order in the same way Aspen is. I support your stance. Most of us do.”
“It needs to be fixed. This..” She trailed off, putting her head in her hands. “This system! Kids die, you act sorry and move on. It needs to end. You need to show up and stay by our sides like you've always been supposed to.”
Cassia finally looked up, meeting her father's eye. Apollo looked away. “I know. I know.”
“And another thing,” Cassia felt her anger rise. “If you're so desperate to be a better dad to me, then you should've shown up when Phoebe died. When my mom died. Why didn’t you?”
“I wasn't allowed.”
Cassia scoffed. “I don't recall you being allowed to see me when you and I had that sparring session. Admit it, you're scared of conversations like this. Of having to call yourself out on your failures. You'll show up when I'm feeling good and then disappear when I actually need you. You think you're helping me by giving me more weapons, giving me another burden of control that I can't handle. I'm not a weapon, so stop giving me weapons and treating me like I'm this incredible symbol. I'm a kid. I thought that you, out of everyone, could recognize that. Maybe I'm not actually a terrible person, maybe I'm just FIFTEEN.”
Apollo flinched, which only made Cassia more furious. “Oh, spare me! Don't act so upset that I'm finally realizing what this has been all along: love based on conditions. I had to get your bow for you just to meet you in person. I've had to kill drakons and lose everything. I believed that maybe it was my fault we were like this. That I had to open up and accept you. But that's wrong. I shouldn't have to do anything. You're the parent, you should've been able to take the weight from my shoulders. But you didn't because you don't want to see me so fucked up. You only love me when I'm at my best, if that means fighting Ares or being impressive in battle. You only care when I'm the daughter you want me to be, when I'm making you look good.”
“That's not true.”
“But it is!” Cassia stood. “Let's go back to when you claimed me. What had I just done? Something big and impressive, something that made you look powerful.”
“Love doesn't change with the circumstance,” Apollo replied. “When you stabbed me, my love for you didn't waver. Of course I love you, don't be ridiculous.”
“ ‘Oh, look at me, I didn't want to kill my daughter when she stabbed me.’ That's not love, that's mercy. Love would be admitting to your shortcomings, reflecting on yourself, coming back to me and being the dad I've needed all along! I'm still here, still trying to fix this broken system for my brothers and sisters. I'm still willing to let you in if you start trying. The least you can do is fix this. Fix us.”
Apollo was silent, and Cassia dropped back onto the ledge, head in her hands as she broke down. “I'm just so tired of this. Of being someone I'm not. And I don't understand why you can't love me when I'm in pain.”
On the ground lay the beautiful golden bow that had weighed Cassia down. Apollo picked it up and slung it on his own back. “I know I've not been who you need. You're right. I've been selective when I support you, and it's normally when it's beneficial for me. I've been strategic with how I approach you, because this entire system, and every god’s love is political. Calculated. It's fucked up, isn't it?”
Cassia didn't expect to hear him swear. She looked up, blinking through her tears. Apollo sighed. “That's why this is all so crucial. This plan of yours to change it without violence. Love never had to be political. Affection shouldn't be calculated. Cass, I'm sorry that you've gone through what you have. I fully accept my role in hurting you to this degree. This bow should never have been yours. Not because you don’t deserve it, but because you're not the one who's meant to be in power. Cass, it's okay for you to be angry. For you to be confused and upset. You should be. You're not a horrible person, a weapon, a symbol or a tool. You're fifteen.”
“You're sorry,” Cassia murmured. “But what are you going to do to fix it?”
Apollo smiled. “You'll see.”
“I think it'd be better if you told me,” she sniffed, smiling slightly.
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Cassia laughed softly, wiping her eyes. Apollo awkwardly rubbed her shoulder, unsure of whether or not to touch his daughter. Cass gave in, resting her head on his shoulder and watching the flowers sway in the breeze. She closed her eyes and sighed with relief. The weight on her shoulders had been lifted slightly. Apollo wrapped an arm around Cassie and she melted into his embrace.
They sat like that for a while, the sun and the sunray, soaking up the other's presence. Beyond the garden was a world in dire need of repair, but Cassia decided to solve one world at a time. She wished her mother and sister could be by her side but she could only have so much.
“When you're out there in a few hours,” Apollo said, “In that meeting, remember what you've been fighting for. And remember how you want to achieve that.”
Cassia sat upright, raising an eyebrow. “What?”
“I don't know what Zeus is planning, but you and Aspen in the same room won't end well. If anything happens..”
“Nothing will happen,” she replied.
But the look in her father's eyes told her that he was giving this warning not as a concerned parent, but as the God of prophecy.
Bells somewhere rang one, two, three times. “That's for you,” Apollo said. “And me. But I think it's best if you go first. Wouldn't want you to be late.”
Cassia stood, wiping the last of her tears and readying herself for whatever lay ahead. “See you later,” she said, hurrying off to the throne room. She would have added love you , but she wasn't ready.
Looking back, Cassia really wished she had said it.
Chapter 55: The winner takes it all
Notes:
This is the most disturbing chapter left. Please read these warnings before you read (and read with caution!)
!! PLEASE NOTE !!
This chapter includes:
- Gore
- Murder
- Graphic descriptions of death
- Misogyny (not graphic but i hate it 😒)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Before you die,” Aspen said, facing the double doors that concealed the gods from view. “I’d like to bestow my admiration for your perseverance. While I might not agree with your solution, I have to appreciate your ability to remain so hopeful after such a tragedy.”
What was he trying to say beneath the niceties? Besides the obvious assumption that Cassia would be dead, Aspen was saying something else. He wanted a reaction, no doubt. A burst of fury that he could manipulate against the gods somehow. Cassia bit back a retort. “Thank you,” she replied, strained. “And in light of your death, I should say how I… found your actions game changing, if radical.”
“I suppose I must also applaud your loyalty to yourself. I mean, being able to stay on the gods' side when they were the root cause of your sister's untimely demise? That takes a stomach I didn't know you had.”
Cassia froze. Something wasn't right. “Now that I reflect on it, the gods were blamed out of convenience. It's easy to hate them.”
“Indeed,” Aspen said. “It's strange, your abstinence from it.”
“I don't think I should pin another thing on the gods when for once, it was not their fault I lost my sister. It was an accident. I shot, trusting you, and you couldn't see clearly and therefore made an error.”
“Sure. An error.”
Cassia stiffened. “What do you mean by that?”
Aspen smirked. “Oh, I just thought you were brighter than that. Weren't you meant to be sharp?”
The way he said it. An error. No, there was no way.. surely not. Even Aspen wouldn't stoop that low.
And here he was, proudly exclaiming it.
“You knew.” Cassia's voice was hollow as her heart shut down. “You knew it would hit her, and you made me do it.”
“I couldn't just let you not taste tragedy, could I?” Aspen chuckled. “Yes, it was known to me that it would hit Phoebe. And it was intentional. I wanted you out of the game. I hoped your plans would die with your sister. Maybe you would even link arms with me and be at my side.”
“You..” Cassia couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. This was the most disgusting thing she’d heard. After so long of blaming herself for Phoebe's loss, here was Aspen proudly claiming responsibility. He was worse than the gods: he was proud of his deed. The gods treated murder as something necessary. Aspen saw it as something done for amusement. Another piece in the game of politics. It was so unfair to Phoebe, to every demigod that had died.
“You don't care about them, do you?” She asked. “It's only about power. You couldn't care less who dies as long as you take Zeus’ throne.”
“That's all it is in the end,” Aspen remarked. “Plays for power.”
Cassia scoffed. “Tyranny doesn't die, it just possesses another vessel.”
“It's a good thing, then, that you won't be alive to see it.”
The doors swung open and Aspen marched through, leaving Cassia frozen in horror. Horror turned to rage, and rage turned to violence.
How had she not seen this coming?
As Cassia stalked forward to stand before the gods, she pressed a hand loaded with heat to wrist, branding the skin with the imprint of her palm. She'd been so stupid all this time, never thinking once that Aspen would have something horrific planned. She'd been searching for the humanity within the monster, but never realising what the monster was capable of.
Twelve gods, twelve thrones, two plans, two worlds. This was history in the making, and now Cassia finally understood why you should never want to live through it. Aspen silently brandished a knife from his sleeve, hiding it from the gods' view. “You summoned us, father?”
The venom in his tone made Cassia believe he was poisoning Zeus himself. The King of the Gods sat back in his throne, observing the two children with a judgemental eye. “I did,” he confirmed. “We are aware of your differing ideals. You are to settle this dispute in this very room. Only one may survive.”
“Very well,” Aspen said. “And if I win?”
“Then we will let you try to destroy us.”
Aspen’s eyes lit up. Cassia felt sick. “And if I win?”
Zeus peered down at her, but it was Athena who answered. “Then the world is yours to change. I think you know what you will do with it.”
Goddess and demigod locked eyes, and Cassia nodded. If she could manage it, Cassia would bear the torch for a few moments before sharing it with the gods. She didn't want the world, she wanted to be a part of it. She wanted every demigod to be a part of it, to hold that torch with her, to shape their own parts of the world like they had always deserved.
“That's a pitiful promise if I've ever heard it,” Aspen chuckled. “Are you done dreaming?”
Cassia clenched her fist and she let her bag fall to the floor, but not before Cass removed Flora from her wrist. The snake curled into a ball, looking up at her owner with a confused look, as if she were wondering that this would be the last time she was a part of Cassia.
Aspen took his ground, brandishing the knife. Emrys. How it had ended up in his hands, Cassia had no idea, but this was probably Aspen's idea of symbolism. With the same knife used to take down gods, Aspen would take down their defendant. With the same blade Cassia had once signed her life away on, the same blade she'd stabbed her father with, Cassia would become victim to its brutality. But it was wrong to blame the blade, especially when the brutality it inflicted was thanks to its wielder.
Cassia scanned the room one last time, absorbing every tiny detail. She met her father's eyes, and for a moment they acknowledged everything that they had once been through. There was no pity in his gaze. For one last time, they were the sun and the sunray.
Cassia looked away and stepped forward, her mind replaying everything that had brought her here. The statue, the girl, the god.
Aspen was merciless. He smirked as he raised the knife, waiting for Cassia’s move. With a deep breath, she darted forward, avoiding Aspen’s sudden jab. She twisted, she turned, she flipped and she dived. Cassia was excellent, but Aspen was otherworldly. She should've expected it: a son of Zeus. Aspen closed the gap between Cassia’s movements. He began to anticipate her movements and adjusted accordingly. With a well timed flip, Cassia landed a foot in his face, knocking Aspen back. However, the son of Zeus quickly recovered and grabbed Cassia by her hair, dragging her to the ground and laying a firm foot over it, trapping her.
“Hmm,” Aspen sighed, crouching over her, illustrating her skin with the point of the knife. “You forgot who I am,” He lowered his mouth to her ear. “I'm not weak like the others. No sunlight can save you now.”
Cassia struggled against his grip and quickly realised it was futile. Aspen had her trapped. He calmly stepped off her hair, holding her in place with his knife resting on her chest. If she made a single movement, she would be impaled. “I should really dedicate a statue to you,” he chuckled. “ Cassia Dubois, the flame who was snuffed out. Oh, but who would care? You'll be known as a failure in history. A weakling. A traitor.”
“I’d rather that than be thought of as a tyrant,” she replied through gritted teeth. “You're a coward, Aspen. You had to destroy, manipulate and cheat your way to this moment. All I had to do was walk to it.”
“With the help of Olympus,” he snarled in reply. “Or your dear father. Without him, I doubt you'd even be brave enough to face me. But you know he's watching, and you want him to be proud of his precious little sunray that he loves so dearly.”
Cassia spat on Aspen's face. He wiped his cheek, looking murderous. “So that's how it is. I'll just have to kill you now, then.”
In a moment of instinct, Cassia sat upright, sweeping Aspen’s legs so he crumpled to the ground. She felt a stab of agony as the knife buried itself into her shoulder and her skin became warm with blood. Aspen wiped his nose, which he had smacked on the pavement, and lunged forward, pushing Cassia back down with so much force her head hit the marble.
The back of my head is the most durable, she thought. Not fatal. Shoulder impaled, not a vital area. Don't remove the knife.
Thank the gods that she was Apollo’s daughter. Finally, that knowledge came in clutch. She milked the blow for a few seconds as she created a plan for how she could get out of this. The ball was in her court; the knife was in her shoulder. And though she knew she shouldn't remove it, what choice did she have? Cassia was unarmed, and now so was Aspen. She had a chance to play offensive.
With a sharp cry, Cassia dislodged the knife and poised it to Aspen's throat. There was a beat of silence between the two as they observed the scene. Aspen's hands were ready to slam her into the floor again, and this time it would definitely be worse. But if he moved, his throat would be stabbed. They had reached a stalemate.
Time paused, waiting for either one to act. Cassia’s life flashed before her eyes. Her favourite memories.
Being claimed. Her first quest. The day Phoebe was born. Her mother teaching the girls how to dance. Cassia braiding Phoebe's hair as she sang a French lullaby.. hugging her dad, jumping into the water with Nova and kissing her, helping Castillo with his projects, theorising with Felix all night long, shooting with Irene, gossiping with Felicity, every single person Cassia loved appeared before her. They didn't encourage nor discourage her. They were waiting, watching, seeing what Cassia would do next.
And honestly? She had no idea.
Cassia looked deep into Aspen's eyes, searching for the last scrap of humanity inside. There was nothing anymore. Aspen had sacrificed everything for his cause, and so would Cassia.
Show them all, she thought. It wasn't a plea from her sister to show the gods how monstrous Cassia could be, but instead a display of humanity, of diplomacy, of peace. Show them all that it doesn't have to be like this.
Cassia smiled. “Show them all.”
Aspen’s eyes widened with confusion, and Cassia took her chance. She forced Aspen to lay underneath her instead, switching positions. Cassia kneeled over him, discarding Emrys into the flaming hearth.
“I'm fucking glad Phoebe died.” Aspen was desperate, grasping onto anything that could make Cassia lose control of herself. “She was pathetic, you know? Pathetic. Gods, seeing her with that arrow in her throat, looking all pitiful was the best thing ever. And seeing you lose it! Hah! I mean, what great entertainment that was! And just know that the gods will never change. You will never change. You're a monster, Cassia Dubois. You're dangerous. They should put you down like the bitch you are.”
Cassia slammed Aspen’s head into the marble once as a warning. Aspen came up laughing. “Oh, go on, prove my point.”
Cassia cracked a smile of her own. “You sound like a dead man walking.”
“I am!” Aspen howled. “And I have nothing to lose. So, go on, Cassia. Try to kill me. You're too noble, too holy to even get your hands dirty. You'd probably euthanize me and then turn to the audience, accepting flowers. Morality never beats immortality.”
“Maybe it didn't,” Cassia replied. “But this time, it did. I'm morality, and I'm going to beat you into the ground.”
Aspen cackled. “You don't have the nerve.”
Cassia pulled his head back, slamming it into the marble again. And again. And again. Aspen's laughs turned to screams as he realised that he was dying in a painstaking manner. He begged for mercy, but Cassia had none left to dish out to the man who had orchestrated deaths and expected her to enjoy his symphony. Aspen was not deserving of mercy. He was deserving of justice. And Cassia knew that as long as he lived, he would never fully pay for his crimes. Only Hades could craft a suitable punishment now.
The screams grew quiet, and Cassia felt bones crushing. Finally, there was a pool of blood seeping out as Aspen lay still on the marble, his eyes lifeless and mouth filled with his final scream.
Notes:
chat.. how we feeling?
ok but fr though Aspen was one of the most interesting characters to write. Writing his descent into boderline madness was really cool and I'd like to say that he was the way he was because of desperation. I'd draw parallels between him and Shylock from Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice' because Aspen has been made into a villain from torment and mistreatment, abuse and so on. Aspen is given the chance to take revenge, so he justifies it by claiming it was for the demigods' good. But he strips it away when he is clinging to his chance and essentially is driven only by his lust for power and control.
In conclusion, Aspen is yes, a terrible person in the end who did terrible things, but I think it's important to acknowledge his complexities as a character too. He's both victim and villain.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk :D
Chapter 56: something old, something new, something buried, something blue
Notes:
edit 1:
sooo i know i haven't been posting... and that might be because i've got no writing motivation but I've told myself that we're nearly done and so that's definitely helping me post.
anyway helena crashes out FINALLYenjoy xx
edit 2: hi guys, you might notice that I re-uploaded this chapter. That would be because I absolutely hated what i did with the previous version. it didn't feel like it belonged in the story and it felt corny if I'm honest. Here's a completely revised version that I like a lot more. Hope you enjoy! xx
Chapter Text
The blood was everywhere. Cassia’s vision began to blur as the primal instinct to run took over. Someone was talking but she couldn't register who. All that existed was Aspen’s body and Cassia. His blood coated her hands, her arms, and was she hallucinating, or was it pouring down her face as well?
The adrenaline ebbed away, and the pain in Cassia’s shoulder grew so unbearable that she fell to her knees, clutching the wound as it began to rain blood. Yes, she’d survived, and the world was finally going to change for the better, but Cassia didn't know if she could make herself live to see it. What had she just done? Something inhumane, something evil and vile. She'd proved Aspen's point in the end. They really weren't that different.
Her breathing grew laboured and panic rose in the back of her throat. Her hands shook and she didn't know what to do with herself. Who was talking? Why was it all so loud?
“Cassia?”
It was someone she knew. Someone steady. Her father. Apollo knew that something was wrong, and from afar he was trying to reel her in.
Don't cry in front of them, she thought. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, don't cry…
The tears blinded her, burning her eyelids as she tried to blink them away. She couldn't be seen as this fragile by the gods. Her head began to throb painfully.
“I want change,” she said, her voice breaking on the world change. “I want these missions to end and for you, all of you, to start treating your children properly.”
The gods shifted in their seats, clearly hesitant. Cassia stamped her foot on the ground. “I have fought tooth and nail in order to have this chance to come before you and for you to actually do as I say. The rules were clear; if I won, the world was mine to change. I don't want the world, I want to be a part of it. We can work together.”
“It's complicated, child,” Demeter sniffed. “What if the others are not as willing to cooperate as you are?”
“They are, ” Cassia insisted. “Or at least they can be.”
Aphrodite cocked her head to the side. “You’ve changed. Is it that girl that's made you believe in your cause again?”
“Nova?” Cassia nodded. “I saw how broken the system was in Nova first. Then Castillo, then Felix. My friends, they've all suffered because of this cycle. It doesn't have to be this way. It never did.”
“What did you see in those children?” Athena asked.
“Determination.” Cassia felt herself grow more confident as she spoke. “Even after everything, they stuck by me, they fought by my side and they never turned against you, not once.”
Ares coughed loudly.
“With an exception,” Cassia corrected. “But the circumstances called for it. I wasn’t able to cope with the system as well as they did. I took a single act as a personal insult, and I stabbed my father for it.”
Gasps all around. Apollo shrugged. “It's true.”
“What’s your point?” Ares grunted.
“My point is that I was able to change, to grow, to understand that this anger I’ve harboured, my friends have harboured for so long only makes this worse. As much as we want to solve our problems using guns and knives, it can’t truly fix anything. Nothing good comes from violence, and nothing ever could.”
Athena frowned. “You say that, but you slaughter the son of Zeus.”
“Aspen’s death wasn’t a good thing,” Cassia replied. “But I had no choice. It was his way or mine. And..” She took a breath. “..His way involved lots of death. And violence.”
“So what now?” Artemis asked. “I mean, you have what you wanted: a chance to shape the world. What are you doing with it?”
“I..” Cassia faltered. What would she do first? Right now, all she wanted was a hug, maybe some tea and medical attention, but in terms of reconstructing an entire system she had no idea where to start. Ugh, where was Felix when you needed him? “...I don’t suppose you have any ideas?”
Artemis gave the smallest of smiles. “I say we give the girl time to actually make plans before we ask them of her. We can’t expect two miracles in one day.” Cassia returned the smile and mouthed a ‘thank you’ before turning to the rest of the gods.
“Right. Time. I sort of need that.” Cassia shook her head, attempting to rid her vision of the sparkles she kept seeing. She was concussed, definitely. Aspen’s attack had left her more injured than she’d accounted for. It most likely wasn’t fatal, but the headache was certainly making it seem that way. “Can I just.. Take five? I’ll be back.”
She didn’t bother to wait for approval. Cassia doused herself in the fresh air outside the throne room, clinging to a railing that overlooked the entire island of Manhattan below. “Fuck,” She gasped, pinching the bridge of her nose as the headache turned into a migrane. The responsibility of crafting a new system and then running that new world seemed to crumble on her shoulders.
When she shut her eyes to stop the stars and the spinning of the world, she was met with images of Aspen’s broken frame over and over, staring at her lifelessly. Noises became too loud, and the light was all too bright. She could feel her own brain, her eyes in their sockets, her blood coursing in her veins. Cassia sank to the ground, head lowered and knees spread slightly apart. Her shoulder began to bleed even heavier as she leaned against a wall, desperate to black out here and now.
Let me die now, she thought. I'm ready to go. I'm so tired.
The stars shone brighter in her eyes, blurring her vision entirely until all that remained was the dazzling glare of a thousand suns. Cassia’s consciousness slipped away.
She died happy.
Hey, wake up! Come on, stop ignoring me.
…
Cassia!
Cassia's eyes shot open and she sat up with a gasp. She wasn't in the hallway anymore, but instead in an endless black void. She knew that voice. It was Phoebe, shaking her awake. Her little sister looked healthy, and there was no trace of blood on her skin. She had a faint glow surrounding her, lighting up her smile even more.
So now you decide to listen, she teased. Come on, Maman's waiting!
Maman. Their mom, she was waiting for them. Cassia stood and followed after her sister as a doorway filled with sunlight revealed what lay beyond: Elysium. In the doorway stood their mother, looking as beautiful as she had in that video Cassia had watched. She didn't look sick or skinny, but healthy and strong. Cassia felt stronger, too. All of her broken parts were gone as she neared heaven.
You're finally here, her mother said with a smile. Cassia felt a smile of her own creep onto her face and she rushed forward to clasp her mother in a hug. “I thought I’d never see you again,” she whispered. Her mother pulled away and cupped her daughter’s face in her hands. You see me now, my darling.
Is she coming with us? Phoebe asked. Finally? To Elysium?
Victoria's smile faltered. No, she said. Not this time. Cassie, your life is not yet over.
“What?” Cassia stepped back. “Then why am I here? Is this some final cruel trick of the gods?”
I do not think so. Your soul is on the verge of collapse, I can feel it. You want to be here, but your heart still beats. The fates have not yet let you stay with us.
“But that's not fair!” Cassia cried. “After everything that's happened, I finally see you both and it's all going to be ripped away! I want to stay!”
You will stay one day, her mother promised. But you're still needed. You have friends, siblings, strangers who need you. Your father still needs you.
“I need you!” Cassia felt her body growing hot with power. “Maman, please!”
But her mother merely planted a kiss on her daughters' head before turning and walking through the door. She then disappeared. Cassia dropped to her knees in disbelief. Phoebe still remained, unsure of her next move.
“Phoebe,” Cassia croaked. “I'm so sorry,”
Phoebe looked down at her sister and smiled.
It's okay.
“I killed Aspen.” Cassia stared at her hands, then at the ground. “He was the one who told me to shoot. He was the one who killed you, he even admitted to it. He's dead.”
Phoebe knelt beside her .
Mom’s right. You've still got a life to live. People need you. You need life more than you realize.
“I can't live anymore,” Cassia whispered. “I just can't do it.”
You can, she insisted. You've got hopes and dreams, you've still got breath in your body, Cassia. Don't throw that away just because you want to be with us. Be with them. They're your family as much as we are.
“And when I see you again – what happens then?”
That's when we'll catch up on everything we missed. I'm going to wait for you. I'll see you on the other side .
Phoebe stood and left. Cassia watched her fade into nothingness as her soul crossed into the beyond. The darkness began to close in and for the first time, Cassia felt herself rejecting it. There was still so much she had to do. Death was not an option. Death was a cowardly solution, and he would not be coming for Cassia anytime soon. Nobody was coming for her, she had to get up.
So she did. And golden light began to thread itself a new reality, a new sense of being. Cassia was one with it, allowing it to coat her skin, her hair, her very soul. The sands of sunlight trickled from its hourglass, turning over a new day.
And finally, she woke, calm and collected, with a comfort that she'd never felt before. A comfort that relied on nobody but herself. Cassia stood and made her way over to the balcony, gazing at the gorgeous Manhattan beneath the sky. She turned her attention to the throne room doors, and with a deep breath, walked on over and rejoined the gods.
Chapter 57: and now, the end is near, and so i face the final curtain
Notes:
guys!! it's a happy chapter!!
but also this is the second last chapter ever of this fanfic :( I'll write something mushy when I upload in a couple days, but for now enjoy the happiness!
Chapter Text
The graves stood side by side, each dressed in an endless display of flowers. There was a tune in the breeze, carried on by the birds that swam through the skies. The morning air held a slight bite as fall began to take hold. September was here. While the leaves were yet to turn brown, attempting to clutch the remnants of the summer, there was a slight turn at the tips.
Cassia had asked to be alone for the final goodbye. She’d run through this with so many people- her father, her friends, her siblings. This time, it was just Cassia, Phoebe, and their mother. There had been speeches before, long talks of love and memories carried on forever by those who remained, but this time it would be silent.
The mourners had been kind enough to leave Cassia a space for her own flowers.
After the meeting with the gods, Cassia had returned to camp and been met with emotions that scaled all over the place. Helena let herself mourn Aspen, but accepted the truth in the end. Felix, Castillo and Nova had flocked to Cassie’s side, keeping her upright half the time. Felicity sobbed for Oscar’s demise, for every demigod they had lost. It was over now.
And this time, it really stuck. A new system had been implemented; one that allowed demigods and gods to see each other more often. They crossed paths regularly. Demigods were now no longer forced to fight for their lives: a full time, completely optional defence team had been assembled, to which Nova was the lieutenant. Olympus opened its doors and finally, two worlds came together, wielded in gold.
Felix was working on a panel of advisors for the Olympian’s meetings, adding in potential concerns they ought to be aware of. Castillo was creating artworks around the city, crafting brilliant murals and painting the streets in wisps of colour. As for Cassia, she was the face of it all. She had been made an official guardian of both the mortal and immortal worlds, positioned at the golden gates, bow slung on her back. Occasionally, she tutored demigods in archery and in her own time took to the endless landscapes, chasing the winds as they blew past.
But now, she was standing before two graves, holding two hyacinths in hand. Without a word, she placed them below their names.
PHOEBE DUBOIS
VICTORIA DUBOIS
ETERNALLY WITH THE LIGHT
Cassia stepped back, opening her fist and letting threads of sunlight rise into the sky, letting her grief go. She would see them again one day. And her mother had been right: Cassia still had a life to live. There were two worlds waiting for her.
But before she could go, she hummed a soft melody. The birds caught it, and it resonated in the canopy of trees above.
“Au revoir,” She whispered, pressing two fingers to her lips and reaching out to touch the marble with one finger each.
And with that, Cassia turned and walked amongst the winding path.
“Again!” Nova barked, and the demigods raised their weapons once more, turning against each other to engage in combat. The daughter of Ares prowled around the rows of kids clashing swords, offering corrections for those who she noticed weren’t up to standard. Since the change, Nova had leaned back into her heritage. The loss of her eye made the kids seem to respect her, and she ran with it. Cassia entered the arena with a wry smile, weaving through the kids, who nodded their heads with respect as she passed. Nova looked up to meet her eye and smirked. “Yeah?”
Cassia planted a kiss on her cheek. “I just wanted to drop by before I head to my own job. How’s the training going?”
“Oh, you know,” Nova waved a hand dismissively. “They’re improving for sure. I think I’ll start putting them in the junior units soon.”
“And the senior units?”
“Perfect. We’re eliminating more threats than we thought was possible. And, one of my siblings back at camp is telling me how their training sessions are going. Things are good. The defence lines should be excellent.”
“See you later?” Cassia asked. Nova nodded. “See you later.”
They shared a brief kiss before Cassia pulled away and left, strolling down the streets again. It wasn’t long before she found Castillo, somehow perched on an impossibly small ledge as he sprayed paint over a marble wall. The mural itself depicted splashes of colour and life, with waves of reds, oranges and yellows clashing against a starry night.
Moving on, Cassia passed the Olympian throne room, where Felix would no doubt be in session with the gods at this time. Finally, she reached the golden gates that she guarded. Demigods and immortals came before her and she let them enter one by one, each regarding her with a polite nod. Behind her was Olympus, and beyond her was Manhattan. Cassia had the best view anywhere of the city below, watching cars scoot by like ants moving in formation.
When nobody needed to pass, she spent her time engaging in affairs, balancing out scales and smoothing over issues that arose. But summer was coming to an end, and Cassia was beginning to wonder what she would do in terms of education.
At the end of that particular day, as Cassia was closing up the gates, she was joined by her father. “I’ve got something for you.”
“Is it a coffee?” She asked, slinging her bow back over her shoulder. “Because I’m exhausted.”
Apollo smirked. “Not exactly.” He handed her an envelope. When she opened it, there was an acceptance letter to a private school in the city and an address. On the back of the address was a note.
Cassia! I’m so glad you’re coming to stay with me, I’ve missed you so much!
Much love, Aunt Diane
Cassia paused before looking up slowly. “Is… is my aunt, who last I heard was living in Berlin, going to be my guardian while I finish school?”
Apollo merely nodded. Cassia looked back down at the note. “I haven’t seen her in years. And- and school? Who’s idea was this?”
“Your mother’s,” He replied. Cassia raised an eyebrow. “It was mine. Enjoy it. You definitely need an education so you’ll be able to handle what comes next.”
“What about my friends?” Cassia asked. Apollo smiled. “Well, obviously we somehow managed to track down willing hosts for them and pulled strings to get them in there with you.”
It was a god thing, she figured. Not something to question. Cassia grinned. “Finally. Something normal. But what about.. This?” She gestured to the gates. Apollo waved his hand dismissively, like it couldn’t have mattered less. “We’ll figure something out. When the summer comes again, you’re welcome to resume your post up here if you want. But when you’re down there, I don’t want you getting distracted by the rest of us. None of your friends should be bothered by this.”
“That’s… awesome, I.. how did you even-?”
“Don’t ask. I had to call in a lot of favours to convince the school that you weren’t dead. And then I had to convince your aunt that you also weren’t dead. So, you’re legally considered alive again.”
“I was considered dead?”
“After your mother’s death and the fact that you were reported missing for well over a year… legally, they claimed you were dead and were just looking for your body. You aren’t anymore. Welcome back.”
Cassia began to walk down the street slowly beside her father. “Not half-bad, being considered alive again. So, when does school start?”
“Oh, not until the 10th. You’ve got plenty of time to settle in with your aunt and get everything you need for the year. But I’m personally making sure you keep that bow on you just in case anything creeps up.”
“Fine by me,” She replied.
And side by side, they walked down the main straight. The sun and the sunray, once more.
Chapter 58: one last time
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It started with a statue, a girl and a god. Two of them, actually, and Cassia now knew that as she looked back on everything that had happened to her in the past two years. How had everything boiled down to this one moment? And how, after narrowly escaping death and fighting battles until her legs gave out and her soul preparing to collapse, how was this the most terrifying moment of her entire life?
Her uniform crisp and neat, hair (which had finally turned blonde again) tied back in a long braid down her back. In her arms she carried her laptop and folder for second period biology. By her side was Castillo, his uniform already splattered with paint and doodles on his arms from his art class, tie completely undone and shoes untied. He'd received three different infringements already.
“Where the hell is this classroom?” She murmured, craning her neck into different classrooms as they hurried down the hallway. Castillo paused. “What's the classroom name?”
“Lab four.”
“Hold my arm.”
Cass grabbed it and Castillo began to run at full speed, dragging Cassia with him as she attempted to keep up. Before she knew it, they were outside lab four. A steady stream of students were entering the classroom in a neat line, so the duo slipped in the middle so they wouldn't be considered late.
“Oh, thank the gods.” Nova sighed as she spotted her friends. She was already seated at a bench. Her hair was done in a high ponytail, her braids flowing slightly with the blast of the air conditioner. She pulled back a chair that Castillo slipped into on her left, and Cassia to her right. There was still one empty space.
“Is Felix not here yet?” Cass asked. Nova pretended to look confused. “What? He was just here!”
“How bad could business studies be?”
“Bad.”
Felix came bolting in, taking his seat and sitting down as the clock struck 9:30. “Where were you?” Nova barked. “We agreed we would meet earlier.”
“Sorry,” Felix gasped for breath. “I was having the most brilliant conversation about the structure of time with my physics professor.”
“Time has a structure?” Castillo scoffed. “I'm doubtful.”
The biology teacher entered the room and the students all stood. She was a tall, looking presence with hair greyer than storm clouds. Her lips were folded in a thin, disapproving line.
“You may sit,” she commanded, and the students began to open their notebooks before looking up, pens ready to write. “Hold on,” she waved a hand. “I've got to mark you all off before I fry your neurons. Uh, Nova Allemande?”
Nova raised a hand lazily. “Here,” she said. “Rather be out there,” she murmured underneath her breath.
“Castillo Briella?” Castillo raised his hand. The professor scoffed. “You must be an art student. Felix Callahan?”
Felix rose his hand. The teacher nodded approvingly. “Cassia Dubois?”
Cassia raised her hand. “Here.”
The professor continued to call out the class by name before closing her laptop and moving to the whiteboard. On it, she wrote her name.
“My name is Mrs Brunnings,” she introduced. “And I will be your biology teacher for the next year. You will learn how my class operates. All I ask of you is that you sit down, shut up and do the work. Now, who can tell me anything about the endocrine system?”
Felix raised his hand, as did Cassia. Several other students were also eager to answer. Answers were called. It was standard, repetitive, boring even, but it was normal. Oh, how Cassia had missed this boredom. Nova looked out the window, scanning the skyscrapers that surrounded the school before her eyes widened with glee. “Is that a drakon?”
The four demigods instantly stiffened and looked out at the scene: an infant drakon was chasing after a satyr guarding a demigod. They exchanged a knowing look before simultaneously raising their hands. Mrs Brunnings raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess, the new kids need to report to the office so you'll need a hall pass?”
“Uh..” Felix faltered. Did they run with the excuse?
Mrs Brunnings had already written the slip of paper and was holding it out to the group. “Oh, go on, get. Go save the world.”
Nova raised an eyebrow, and Mrs Brunnings gave a small smile, which she paired with a wink. Cassia took the hall pass and the others followed her out of the door. In the corridors they ran until finding their lockers and snatching their weapons. Felix with his spear, Nova with her stars, Castillo with his guns and finally Cassia with her bow.
They charged out of the school building, weapons at the ready to fire. Cassia felt the familiar warmth of the sun at her fingers and prepared for action. A smile began to form as she prepared for combat once more, with her best friends at her side.
“Ready?” Nova asked, cracking her neck. Felix scoffed. “Obviously, I've got a plan for us.”
“Let's hear it,” Cassia said.
Castillo cocked his triggers. “Oh, it's good to be back.”
It started with a statue, a girl, and a god. Since then, it had been a story of four demigods who found each other and undertook deadly missions, four demigods who changed the world for the better with their own hands.
All because of one single girl, one small sunray who had decided to walk into that museum on that fateful autumn day. That was how Cassia was here now. That was why she was who she was.
And so, as she pulled back the string of her bow and prepared to fire, Cassia Dubois finally, after everything, felt free.
New York City rumbled ever on, and the sky held its weight up above them, blanketing the city of gods with a blue canvas.
It started with a statue, a girl and a god.
THE END.
It ended with the release of an arrow.
Notes:
*deep sigh* okay, here goes.
First of all, thank you, reader, for reading this. After months of work and even more time just imagining this world and these characters, It's finally written down. 58 chapters, in fact. It's going to be weird to not upload these chapters anymore, but i'm glad that I now have the chance to work on other things. If you're an arcane fan, I'm writing a short fic rn that you might like so definitely check that out. I'm also open to any requests, so just comment down below if you have anything you want me to write!
Ending this story feels very odd to me, but I'm shocked I did it and STUCK TO IT. Normally I'd give up after a month or so.
Thank you for the comments, the kudos, the clicks, all of them kept me going. And thank you for clicking on this fanfic out of the thousands that exist in this fandom. That means a lot.
I'll see you in the next one,
crowncraftella xx
Chapter 59: Third time's the charm
Notes:
yk what would be crazy? uploading after swearing i was done with this but don't you just love inspiration 😝 so uh.. welcome back ig! suprise! i didn't know i'd be writing this until a week ago and happy 4th of september. not that it's a special day but i've uploaded again so you can take the day off 🙏 missed you guys fr now who's ready for some FELIX ANGST 🔥🔥
Chapter Text
“It started with a statue, a girl, and a god. Two of them, actually, but Cassia hadn’t known that. All she knew was that the gods were legends, stories made up by mortals to-”
“I’ll be sacrificing you to those same gods if you don’t shut your mouth.”
Castillo shrugged and stood upright, raising his hand high for the tour guide to see. Not that she didn’t notice him right away, with his mop of pink hair and constant chatter. She seemed to melt with relief when finally, one of the kids was bothered to engage in her speech. “Yes?” She asked sweetly, blinking with wide, hopeful eyes. Cassia kicked her best friend in the back of his heel with her shoe. “Don’t even think about it,” she warned. Castillo simply grinned. “Oh, because you’ll…?”
She shot him her best glare, but the son of Hermes merely turned away and beamed at the tour guide. He cracked his knuckles and recited the lines Felix had fed him on the bus there. “If the Moirai are said to weave and cut the threads of mortal destiny independently of Zeus’ will, yet Zeus is often described as “the most powerful of gods” who holds supreme authority over mortals and immortals alike, how do we reconcile this apparent contradiction in divine hierarchy, and does this imply that the concept of Fate in Greek mythology represents an impersonal cosmic order that even Zeus must submit to, or rather a narrative device reflecting differing regional and temporal theological traditions?”
Cassia Dubois averted her gaze from the disaster that would unfold, finding interest in the statues that surrounded her. She’d met them many times before, and had grown used to their marbelised features. She met the gaze of Athena, the highly respected goddess of wisdom and warfare, and Felix’s mom. Make him stop, she silently pleaded. But of course the goddess was deaf.
Castillo was staring expectantly at the tour guide, who had now begun stumbling over words and dates. “πὶ τῷ ἔρωτι τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος,” Cass mumbled. “What have you done to the poor woman?”
“What?” He whispered in return. “Felix wanted us to buy them time.”
“And there’s no other way than to harass some poor worker? She didn’t know half of what you said.”
“That’s what makes it fun, my dear sunray.”
Cassia flushed at the nickname, looking away and scoffing. “ One time that was used. One!”
“One’s enough for me,” he replied, winking at her.
Cassia shook her head. “Felix really gave you that one to ask her?”
“You’ve gotta hand it to him, the boy’s an expert in complicated questions.”
“Uh-huh,” replied the daughter of Apollo, unfazed. “How many have you memorized?”
Castillo paused. “Three.”
Cassia nodded. “We can make that work. This chick’s only being paid $15 an hour, there’s no way she’s going to answer your questions anytime soon.” She threw a look to the doorway leading to another gallery, craning her neck to catch a glimpse of their friends. “They’re cutting this close.”
If Felix and Nova missed the moment, the kids would be lucky to see the light of day ever again. For over a year the four had been balancing their education and duties as demigods. Almost every day they noticed a shift in the air and had to rush out of their classrooms to eliminate the threat. For over a year Cass had been hearing the same phrase: “By the gods, Cass, ifI lose you next…”
Her father, the god Apollo, had said it to her a long time ago. Only now had it surfaced in her memory, and with it came loaded thoughts of what could happen if she made a single mistake. And she’d thought the drakons had been bad. On a daily basis she now brandished her bow and shot down monsters, then finished her schoolwork before heading home for dinner.
So now, she stood in a museum with her friends on a school trip, anxiously waiting for Felix and Nova, who had rushed off to kill a flock of killer birds that was harassing a satyr and a young demigod. Castillo craned his neck to the doorway where Cass was looking. He frowned. “Give it five seconds.”
“Before what?” She whispered in reply, reaching for the long plait that draped down her shoulder and running her fingers through it. There was the scream of a bird- no, many birds all at the same time. The pair froze. A chill washed over Cassia and it gave way to heat building in her veins. “I think that’s them,” she muttered, dropping her hand. Castillo reached underneath his shirt for his pistols, hesitating. “We’re in public. Is it safe?”
Another screech. Then there was a flash of red as Nova tore a bird to pieces with her throwing stars. In the doorway, she caught her breath, hands on her knees, chest rising and falling rapidly. She was covered in scratches. “What are you two doing?” She spat, looking up. “Come on! We need backup!”
The two shared a knowing look before abandoning the group and brandishing their weapons. Castillo pulled out his pistols, and the sharpshooter zipped past Nova to take down the birds. Cassia broke into a run, fumbling for the daggers she kept in her socks in case she ever got caught without her bow like this. She grabbed her girlfriend by the collar and dragged her along as they sped down the hallway, listening for the gunshots and screams of both bird and human.
“Where’s Lix?” Cassia asked. Nova scoffed as she gathered herself and caught up. “He bought me some time to come grab you. He’s alive. Probably. Maybe. Not sure.”
Cassia threw the daughter of Ares a look. Nova looked up to the heavens. “Fine! He’s alive, but he won’t be if we leave him with only Castillo for back up.”
“I don’t have my bow.”
“Can’t you make one out of light?”
“Definitely not right now.”
“But you’ve got the daggers?”
“Yep.”
“I knew those were a great anniversary present.”
Cassia rolled her eyes, but she was fighting a smile. “Let’s go help out the boys.”
“Yes ma’am,” Nova replied, and the two rushed outside, where Felix and Castillo were battling a flock of metal birds. Gunshots echoed through the street, and mortals were screaming. Felix swung his spear with practiced efficiency, constantly analysing the animals’ movements.
Nova went into the fray, and Cassia scaled a railing, pushing herself into the air and building all of the strength she’d earned so it could crash into the birds, braid flying behind her. “Show me what you’ve got,” she murmured, raising the blades.
Chapter 60: ignorance, blissful ignorance
Notes:
doing this instead of my english essay ✨oh, and the ending will make more sense the more you read :)
Chapter Text
“Ow, ow, ow, ow OW!”
“I’m sorry!”
“No,” Felix gasped, muscles tensing as he gripped Cassia’s hand tighter. “Don’t be. This is just really painful.”
She helped him sit on a bench up in the bleachers, where they had a great view of the city around. The afternoon was fitted with the orange haze of sunset and the warmth of summer on its way. The end was in sight: then they’d all head to camp and spend their summer smoothing over issues for Olympus and throwing each other off the pier. Cassia closed her eyes for a moment, drinking in the sunlight to gather much needed energy after their fight with the birds. They’d managed to take them down, but their skin had suffered. Felix had gotten the worst of it. Being the one who could heal herself and others, Cassia had ordered her friends to camp out on the bleachers for the evening while she treated them.
“The sunlight should apply the same properties to you as it does to me if I do this right,” She said, handing Nova a washcloth damp with antiseptic ointment. Castillo was sunbaking, stretched out on a silver bench like a cat, blazer tossed aside and shirt half-unbuttoned (much to everyone’s protests). Cass paused her work to give her friends a warning look. “So don’t interrupt me. I don’t have much time before the sun sets.”
With that, she shut her eyes and held out her hands over Felix’s sliced skin. Her lips began to move silently as she recalled the hymn taught by her older brother, Danny, in case she needed to heal someone on the go. Cassia could feel the light answering her, and she directed it to the son of Athena’s wounds. When she opened her eyes, the light was stitching the skin back together, closing the gaps and vanishing scratches. With a few flicks of her fingers, the light moved faster. Once it was done, the light vanished, leaving only slight scars. Cassia sighed, slumping slightly as weariness took hold. “That’s the best I can do,” she said. “You’ll have the scar. My specialties aren’t in healing.”
Felix practically glowed with health. He flexed his arm, admiring the healed skin. “You’re a lifesaver. Seriously. Thanks Cass.”
“No worries,” she yawned. “But I don’t think I can do that again for a while.”
Nova passed Cass an energy drink from her bag. Cassia took it and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t drink Monster.”
Nova raised an eyebrow right back at her. “It’s either going to you or Castillo.”
“Never mind, thanks.” Cassia cracked open the can and took a long sip, her throat stinging from the sudden liquid after hours of dehydration. She swallowed and coughed. “Never getting over the taste of that,” she said, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.
“Should we go out for dinner?” Felix suggested. “It’s probably not safe to head home and explain this to our guardians, is it?”
Nova scoffed. “Definitely not. Where should we go?”
“Pizza?” Castillo shifted slightly, not opening his eyes. Cassia took another sip of her monster and considered it. “I'm not really feeling it. Maybe Olive Garden?”
“Hah!” Castillo sat up now, snatching the monster from Cassia. “Not everyone's got an inheritance to spend. KFC?”
“It's a Friday night, it'll be packed,” said Felix. “Raising Canes?”
Nobody had any objections to that.
Cassia nearly cried when she started on her chicken, and Castillo actually did. Felix was the one to start the conversation they'd been avoiding for weeks. “So, who's ready for a summer of dealing with Olympus?”
“No,” Cassia fake sobbed, putting her head in her hands and pounding her fist on the table. “You can't make me.”
Nova rolled her eyes. “Do we have to?”
Castillo didn't even reply. He stared ahead at whatever was a thousand yards away. Felix winced. “Tough crowd. Okay, but we need to talk to them about it.”
“Do we, though?” Cassia said, slowly reaching for Felix’s hand and lacing their fingers together seductively, batting her eyelashes. “You wouldn't really make me do that, would you?”
Nova looked up and her jaw fell open, staring at the two of them. “Hey! You're my girlfriend!”
“How little do you think of me, Cassia?” Felix sighed, pulling his hand away. “You're not my type.”
“Excuse me? She's everyone's type!” Nova retorted, glaring sideways at him. Felix folded his arms over my chest. “Not mine. Now can we stop avoiding this conversation and talk about this summer? Nobody wants to work for the gods. Let's just encourage them to pick other people for the job.”
Cassia sighed, sitting back. “It feels rude to so quickly discard their offer. Especially after the drakon situation, I don't want to rock the boat.” She paused before speaking again. “And it's given me more time with my dad. I don't really want to give that up.”
“I'm tired of painting Zeus on every surface,” Castillo complained. Nova nodded. “And I'm sick of fighting.”
Felix raised an eyebrow. “You, Nova Allemande, are sick of fighting?”
“Well, yeah!” Nova looked around before throwing her hands in the air. “Really?”
“I'm tired of guarding those gates,” Cass remarked, summoning light in her fingertips and threading it. The others hummed in agreement.
Felix sat up. “Right, so are we going to talk to them about it?”
Three voices, one word: “No!”
Felix sighed. “Impossible. You're all impossible.”
“On a more enjoyable note, we’re heading to camp this summer. It's only a week or two away,” said Castillo, who had finished licking the salt off the bottom of the plate.
Cassia perked up at that. “Oh, right! I've been dying to get back to the routine.”
Felix looked up at Cassia quite suddenly. “Have you heard from Irene?”
She shook her head. “No, not since last summer. You wouldn't expect to hear from a hunter when she's out there, would you?”
“Well, no,” Felix reasoned, looking out the window into the street. “I was just wondering. I didn't hate her.”
“She didn't seem to hate you either,” Cassia replied, a teasing grin sliding onto her face at the same time as Castillo. Felix caught on and rolled his eyes. “Really?”
Nova smirked. “You don't randomly ask about some badass huntress girl who didn't totally hate you. Felix Callahan, do you have a crush on a hunter of Artemis?”
“Talk about doomed romance,” Castillo joked. Felix shot him a glare. “I do not have a crush on Irene. I merely appreciated her prowess."
“Oh, yeah,” Cassia agreed. “Just like how I appreciated Nova's fighting skills when she had a knife to my throat.”
Nova winked, and Castillo made a gagging sound. “Gods, get a room.” He looked back at Felix. “Why are you asking about her, if not because you're interested in her?”
“I was wondering about her,” Felix answered. “She just dropped off the face of the earth.”
“Hunters are all about secrecy,” Nova remarked. “She didn't even tell Cassia when she'd be leaving or where she was headed. It's just what they do.”
“She was excellent with tactical battles,” Felix sighed. “I was honestly hoping to see her in the future and ask her opinion on a few things.”
“Dude,” Castillo chuckled. “You sound like you're in love with her. Admit it: you have a crush on Irene.”
“I do not!”
“There's no shame in it,” Cassia said. “Irene’s awesome. She's smart, an excellent fighter, no-nonsense, pretty.. she's definitely your type.”
Felix groaned, running a hand down his face. “I don't like Irene. Not in that way. And if I did, I'd never tell you idiots.”
“I don't think Lix likes being the one looking stupid,” Cassia teased. Castillo gave her and Nova a wicked grin as they began to conspire. Felix sighed. “Oh, here we go..”
“Look at the way he's avoiding eye contact. I don't think that's because Cassia’s so beautifully radiant. He's embarrassed."
“Do you see the blush on his cheeks?”
“Oh, and the glint in his eye at the mention of Irene’s name?”
Felix sat silently and took it all. When the three were done, he sat upright. “You done?”
“Oh, one more thing,” Cassia added, batting her eyelashes sweetly. “Irene once told me that you had acceptable hair.”
Felix blushed, and Cassia clapped a hand to her mouth as she killed herself laughing. Castillo’s shoulders were shaking as he silently sobbed, and Nova burst into witch-like cackles, which only made the situation funnier.
Castillo raised his hand, and a waitress came over. “Hi, can we get the bill?” She nodded and returned with the paper. Castillo flashed a businessman smile to the group. “Dinner's on me.” He handed her a silver credit card that most definitely didn't belong to him. Once the waitress was gone. “Right, don't ask how I got that one. Should we get you home, sweetheart?” He blew a kiss at Nova. The daughter of Ares made a show of taking the kiss and smashing it with her fist before standing up.
It was only a short walk to the subway before the group bid their goodbyes. “See you on Monday,” Cass said as they awaited their trains. Her train pulled into the station. Nova bid her goodbye with a quick kiss. “Ew,” Castillo said before letting Cass plant a kiss on his cheek. She did the same for Felix. “Rest your shoulders,” she instructed. The boy nodded and gave Cass a playful shove towards her train. Cassia stepped on, taking a seat, and giving her friends a smile and a finger wave as the station was left behind.
They passed into a tunnel, and the carriage was shrouded in shadow. When they emerged, someone burst through the door, panic written all over their face. It was a young man in a business suit. “Help me!” He pleaded. Not one single person looked up from their phone, like they'd never even heard him.
Cassia sat upright. The man locked his gaze on her. “You have to help me,” he choked. “Please. He's after me.”
Cassia reached for the blades in her socks. “Who?”
Before her question could be answered, the train went through another tunnel. The darkness came and receded. The lights came back to reveal a red haze that had settled over the floor. Cassia suddenly felt irritable. Who did this guy think he was, running up to her and begging for her help?
“What's your problem?” She snapped, her grasp tightening over her blade. The man’s shoulders slumped in hopelessness. “He's here.”
Cassia felt a chill run down her spine, and her heart began to speed up. Her skin felt slippery and grippy at the same time, charged with adrenaline. She knew this now as demigod senses, and if they were active, something was very wrong.
Get out of here, a heavenly voice hummed in her ear. You shouldn’t see this, poor little darling.
And Cassia felt her shoulders relax with agreement. She shouldn’t be here. And there was always the next train to catch, wasn’t there? Yes, it was best that Cassia protected her innocence. The train came to a halt, and suddenly every passenger stood and emptied out onto the station at the same time, Cassia being one of them. The man was the only one left. He began to scream as the doors slid shut, pounding on the glass as the red smoke rose around him to reveal a towering silhouette.
Look the other way, the voice told her again, and Cassia obeyed, gaze flicking up to the screen displaying the trains that would next arrive on the platform. When she looked back down, the train had disappeared from the station. Cassia shrugged it off and waited for the next train to arrive, which she boarded and made her way back home without any more. interruptions.