The Moon's Shine (PJO)

Chapter 2

"I believe this is yours, dear," Hestia said, then pressed the broken blade into Percy's hand.

After the tense reunion, Percy and Lady Hestia had made themselves comfortable—him on the ground, and her in the fire.

"You need it more than me," he insisted, but when he tried to give it back, she just shook her head.

"Riptide has a rich history. Whether in one or two parts, it's still powerful." She pointed to the blade in his hand. "I can't take that from you. If used wisely, it could be a weapon."

Percy looked at the broken blade. It sure didn't look like a functional weapon to him;  there was a jagged serration where the hilt should've been, making it dangerous for the wielder too. But Percy wasn't on a mission to disagree with millennia-old goddesses.

Hestia smiled as Percy obediently tucked Top Half of Riptide (hey, if he's going to use it as a weapon, might as well name it) back into his pocket. "Now, why don't you tell me how you happened to be here?"

"I was told there was going to be a council meeting?" Even though it was a fact, he couldn't stop the concern from leaving his mouth and turning his statement into a slight question. Obviously, given the empty thrones, there was no council meeting taking place. But why?

Hestia gave him a confused glance. "Nobody told you?"

"Told me what?"

"That there's no council meeting today. Brother Zeus went to your camp yesterday during what I believe was dinner and informed everybody."

"Oh. I wasn't there." And even if I was, nobody would've told me, he wanted to say but caught himself.

"Then where were you? Isn't presence during dining hours mandatory?" Hestia challenged.

The tips of his ears burned in shame. "I was . . . sparring."

Lady Hestia looked at him with a raised eyebrow, then burst out laughing. Following her mood, the fire grew twice the size. But when she realized he was serious, she abruptly stopped—and the fire diminished—and her brow furrowed in concern. "You didn't eat yesterday?"

"I did!" Percy said quickly, knowing that Hestia wanted to scold him for a good ten minutes. "I wasn't that hungry, so I waited just a bit before going."

Well . . . not really. It wouldn't be a lie if one considered "a bit" as two hours. Plus, he had been hungry. But, by waiting for a few hours, he'd hoped the dining pavilion would be as close to empty as possible. After all, the fewer demigods he saw, the better.

Fortunately, Hestia believed his deception. "That's not healthy," she scolded him. "Go eat. Now."

Percy looked at her incredulously. "I ate lunch an hour ago!"

"That won't help with the nutrients you missed yesterday. Shoo." Hestia glared at him, and Percy almost fled.

Almost. The only thing holding him back was his curiosity. He quickly changed subjects. "Why wasn't there a council meeting today? Lord Zeus hyped it up like crazy. He even reminded me in the middle of the battle . . ."

Percy trailed off as he realized Hestia was now gazing sorrowfully to the side.

"That was before everyone realized the aftermath of the war," Hestia said quietly in a sad tone. "Every cabin was decimated 'till there were only a few left, as you probably know all too well. Half of the Olympians closed themselves off in their palaces that night, and haven't come out since. Brother Zeus decided that holding a council meeting wasn't appropriate at a time like this."