Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝔽amily drama

"We do not see any sister," one of the girls said coldly. "We see three half-bloods and a Hunter. All of whom shall soon die."

"You've got it wrong." Percy stepped forward but didn't let go of Nicki's hand. "Nobody is going to die."

The girls studied him. They had eyes like volcanic rock, glassy and completely black.

"Perseus Jackson," one of them said.

"Yes," mused another. "I do not see why he is a threat."

"Who said I was a threat?"

The first Hesperid glanced behind her, toward the top of the mountain. "They fear thee. They are unhappy that this one has not yet killed thee."She pointed at Thalia.

"Tempting sometimes," Thalia admitted. "But no, thanks. He's my friend." Nicki let out a quiet 'awh'. Thalia rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. Nicki was just happy her trio goal worked out.

"There are no friends here, daughter of Zeus," the girl said. "Only enemies. Go back."

"Not without Annabeth," Thalia said.

"And Artemis," Zoë said. "We must approach the mountain."

"You know he will kill thee," the girl said. "You are no match for him."

"Artemis must be freed," Zoë insisted. "Let us pass."

The girl shook her head. "You have no rights here anymore. We have only to raise our voices and Ladon will wake."

"He will not hurt me," Zoë said.

"No? And what about thy so-called friends?"

Then Zoë did the last thing any of them expected. She shouted, "Ladon! Wake!"

"Are you insane?" Nicki hissed, freeing her hand from Thalia so she could use it if needed.

The dragon stirred, glittering like a mountain of pennies. The Hesperides yelped and scattered. The lead girl said to Zoë, "Are you mad?"

"You never had any courage, sister," Zoë said. "That is thy problem."

The dragon Ladon was writhing now, a hundred heads whipping around, tongues flickering and tasting the air. Zoë took a step forward, her arms raised.

"Zoë, don't," Thalia said. "You're not a Hesperid anymore. He'll kill you."

"Ladon is trained to protect the tree," Zoë said. "Skirt around the edges of the garden. Go up the mountain. As long as I am a bigger threat, he should ignore thee."

"Should," I said. "Not exactly reassuring."

"It is the only way," she said. "Even the three of us together cannot fight him."

Ladon opened his mouths. The sound of a hundred heads hissing at once sent a shiver down their back, and that was before his breath hit the trio. The smell was like acid. It made their eyes burn, their skin crawl, and their hair stand on end. The stench was like a decomposing rat, except a hundred times stronger, and mixed with the smell of chewed eucalyptus.

Thalia went left. Percy went right. Zoë walked straight toward the monster. Percy tugged Nicki along behind him. Percy's fingers began to turn blue from how tight Nicki was gripping his hand. He kept forgetting that it was her first quest and she was probably terrified.

"It's me, my little dragon," Zoë said. "Zoë has come back." Ladon shifted forward, then back. Some of the mouths closed. Some kept hissing. Dragon confusion.

Meanwhile, the Hesperides shimmered and turned into shadows. The voice of the eldest whispered, "Fool."

"I used to feed thee by hand," Zoë continued, speaking in a soothing voice as she stepped toward the golden tree. "Do you still like lamb's meat?"