𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐀, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

twelve

YOU/EMBER ✦

"you want help with that?" i ask percy as we carry it out of the house, "its okay, i got it." he tells me, "just make sure its facing the right direction before you take my necklace off."

as we reach the front door, percy stands in front of me holding the head, "good tip, star girl" he says sarcastically as i open the door watching him walk out. 

'star girl.' i smile at the name he called me appreciating his recognition of the meaning of my name, ember: meaning spark or burning low.

i close the screen door behind him, carefully watching nervously as he approaches the fury. i really should be the one to do it. im supposed to keep him safe— but i knew there was no way he would let me do it so i didn't try and argue.

as the fury approached him he quickly removed the necklace from the head— turning the fury into stone.

𝚿ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

"what is it?" i ask grover, who's standing in front of a statue, "uncle ferdinand" he says sadly, "oh no" percy sympathises, "grover im so sorry"

"this is as far as he got on his quest," the corners of my mouth curve down a bit, feeling sorry for grover. this must hurt, "we aren't even to trenton, but look at him." tears fill grovers eyes as he chuckled slightly, "he's not like the others, he— he doesn't look afraid." percy and i are silent. he looks over at me as grover clears his throat, "you-you used the head to get rid of alecto?"

"yeah" percy responds. "good. that was the right move." after a moment of silence grover wipes his tears from his eyes, "uh- we should get going, it'll be dark soon." percy takes his eyes off me and looks behind him, "but what are we going to do with the head?" he asks. "i just took down a fury with it without even trying— we cant just leave it for someone to find." i look over to percy trying to understand where hes going with this, "leave the hat on and bury it in the basement. that should keep it safe."

"sure." i say quickly— the fact that my necklace— the only thing tying me to my mom will be gone forever.

"no." grover says interrupting my thoughts, "we need to figure out another way to get rid of the head." my eyebrows furrow, "what— why?" percy questions, "embers necklace is the only thing that connects her to her mom, that's outta matter to you." percy lets out a sigh, "then what are we supposed to do with the head!?"

"i'm working on it" grover tell us, "and what did she mean by 'you could have saved your mom'?" i ask percy, "what do you mean?" his voice turns defensive. "is your mother still alive?"

"she's with hades." 

"guys just please, stop." grover interrupts. 

"what are you actually doing on this quest percy. and why did i have to hear that from medusa?"

"okay. while we're at it, 'you should have accepted my offer?' what was that about? and why do we have to hear it from alecto—"

"guys, stop!" grover yells as he turns to face us, "percy you've been fighting with both of us the entire day— and, ember asked you a question back there and you never really answered." he looks to me and then back at grover, "what are you so afraid of?" 

"what are you talking about?"

"you heard me." grover says. 

"i dont know-"

"i think you do." percy licks his lips, "you've been fighting with her—you've been fighting with me."

"because the oracle said that one of you would betray me! okay?" he spits out. grover and i both look at him with confused faces. "you shall be betrayed by one who calls you friend and you shall fail to save what matters most in the end, that's the rest she said to me." percy reveals looking between the two of us.

"i chose her because i didn't think that we'd ever be close enough." my face drops as he talks to grover, "and i chose you because i thought that if i could count on anyone to be on my side, no matter what it was you, and now im feeling so— alone! i don't know what to think or who to trust." grover looks at him and then to me.

"i didn't mean it that way."

"alecto offered to help our quest if i gave you up to her." i tell him answering his question from before. he furrows his brows, "what did you say?" i look at him,

"i killed her sister."

"medusa offered to help me save my mom if i turned in the two of you."

"and what'd you say?" i questioned.

"i cut off her head." he says and i look at him, 

"you didn't chose to be demigods, we didn't choose this quest. but, we can decide that as long as the three of us are together, none of us are gonna be alone." percy looks at me, "and if we can't do that then we might as well head back to camp right now, cus' we won't make it." i feel percy's eyes on me, "i think i've got a better idea on what to do with this." he says referring to medusa's head.

i can't wait to find out.

a/n  sooo happy this chapter is so long!! (we finally got to a nickname mind the bumpy road!) so excited for new chapters, tysm for reading!