OF LIGHTNING AND OF ICHOR | pjo verse

iv. percy jackson

iv. percy jackson

WHEN ANDY BLINKED herself into consciousness, her eyes painted with faint tears dried to a crust, her vision cleared enough for her to gain semblance of her surroundings. Her eyes fell on the familiar settings of the room that had little change over the years---from fading stencil markings of messy sketches to renovated decor of the room, holding a sense that it was once lived in. It was Andy's and Morgan's old shared room within the Big House. They had resided there until they turned five, when they had been moved into the Hermes cabin with the intent of, hopefully, assisting in their claiming by their godly parent.

It obviously had not worked.

At the feeling of the familiar sheets, a dull lavender that almost appeared white, and the warmth of her pillow Andy had half the mind to slip back into unconsciousness. However, as her eyes tracked over the four figures in the room as well, already holding a suspicion of whom they were without having to look.

Harmony stood at the center of her bed, jaw clicking every so often as her teeth bit the inside of her cheek. An occasional grunt would rise in response as Leia whispered something back to her, the younger brunette resting her hand on the base of Andy's ankle.

Priya who, while reclined in a chair with her feet leveled on the foot of the bed where Andy resided, would occasionally shift her position at any given moment to jut her chin over her shoulder. The repeated tapping of her heels gave way to how, at any moment, she was ready to jump to her feet.

Lastly, Morgan, who stood farther off to the side near her old bed. Her arms rested over her chest and her face was half shadowed by the turn of her head, but Andy held an inkling that a scowl of some form was painting her expression. Behind her, tucked under the bedsheets, the shape of a body could be seen, lengthening from where the feet laid all the way to the waistline. Further up, however, remained blocked by Morgan's frame and prevented Andy from making out the face of her neighbor.

"It's still hard to believe," Andy heard Priya say. "I mean, a camper being chased to the camp boarders isn't something that's new. But by the Minotaur of all monsters?" She ignored the looks she earned at the mention of the beast name. "And Andy was there to see it--"

"Priya," Harmony interrupted, peering at the younger girl. "This isn't something to take lightly. Imagine what could have happened! Why was Andy even there in the first place?"

At the feeling of a sharp jab lingering up her temple, a hiss fell from Andy's mouth and alerted those to her change in state. Harmony was the first to react, rushing over to the bedside table, out of Andy's line of sight before reappearing and urging a straw between the young girl's lips. As soon as the liquid hit Andy's tongue, relief flooded through every network that mapped her body, breaking through any ache that could be causing her pain.

The familiar taste illusioned by the golden liquid carried remnants of sugar and coconut of the cassava cakes. Liquid cake. A warmth ran through her as Andy thought back to her time in Kauai, her small frame peering up at Harmony's father as he worked around the kitchen, a place that had been his second home, teeth on display as he let out a hearty laugh whenever he noticed her standing by, eager for the treat of freshly baked dessert.

Draining the glass until only a pair of ice cubes were left, Andy had all but collapsed back on to the bed as her soothe muscles practically turned to jelly. Harmony placed the glass back on the bedside table, not taking her eyes off of Andy as narrowed, studying her minisculy, as if waiting for any sign that the nectar hadn't accomplished its job properly.

"How do you feel? Does your head hurt still?"

Andy shifted in her old bed, wiggling her body slightly in search of any signs of protest. Upon finding none, her eyes traveled down to the bracelets on wrist, the silver and gold metal reflecting the soft light of the room, no longer holding their own glow.