Thunderstorms and Ocean Waves (book 3)

Chow Chow

Ari

The next day Percy and I took Mrs. O'Leary into the woods to find Lenus, Juniper, and Nico where the Council took place last year. I let my mind wander a bit until Lenus called me and Honorary Council member.
"Excuse you?" I asked as he jumped.
"Princess! I didn't see you there!" He exclaimed.
"I bet. Now find Grover before I..." I showed him a sinister smile before he ran off and Nico came over laughing.
"I didn't think you could make that face." Juniper backed away as I changed my expression quickly.
"There are so many sides to me that not many, if any, know about." I smiled at her as she nodded and Mrs. O'Leary sniffed her and she poofed away before I zoned again.
"You coming?" Percy asked as I nodded and he helped me onto Mrs. O'Leary's back and she ran full speed into an oak tree. Just before she hit, we shadow travelled and I just about had a panic attack. I hate the dark, but Percy seemed to have loved it.
Once everything stopped, Percy laughed at me.
"Still scared of the dark?" He asked as he helped me down.
"I hate you... and I hate that I forgot about that." I pouted as he kissed my forehead and took my hand as I stared to calm down.
"What now?" Percy asked as Nico walked over to us.
"We ring the doorbell." He said as we walked up to the door. We barely touched it before it flung open, almost nailing me in the face before Percy pulled me back.
"Luke!" Mrs. Castellan exclaimed as she hugged Nico and then Percy. "Oh! You must be the beautiful girl Luke keeps talking about! Ariannah, right?" She asked as my stomach dropped and my face paled before she pulled us inside and started talking to no one in particular. Nico asked her a few questions as I zoned out. It was too close for me. It was too much like my own home. So much so that it was getting harder to breathe. Once she started to scream, I snapped back to reality and took her frail hands into mine and gently spoke to her until he eyes stopped glowing green and she calmed down as a tear slipped from my eye.
"She dosen't know how to love, you must show her the right way." She said to me squeezing my hands as my heart sank and I choked back a sob. "Oh, I'll get the broom." She said looking down at the cookies she dropped. I regained my composure and stood up straight  before turning around towards the boys.
"Are you ok?" Percy asked.
"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" I asked with a fake smile plaster on my face.
"Oh! Luke! When are you going to give her the ring?" Mrs. Castellan exclaimed as she took my hand and looked at my ring.
"Oh! You already proposed! How sweet!" She exclaimed as my face flushed.
"He wants to propose to me?" I shivered lightly as Percy took my hand in his own.
"Thank you for- everything." Percy said as we walked towards the door.
"Promise me you'll be safe." She said.
"I will... mom." He said before we walked out with Nico leading us away towards Hestia, the goddess of the hearth.
"Your Highness." She said to me as I bowed in respect.
"My lady." I said as Nico and Percy also bowed to her before she offered us some dinner. We pushed some of our food into the fire and she thanked us before we scarfing down our food.
"How was your visit with May Castellan?" She asked as my stomach dropped and I zoned out trying to push away the bad feeling May gave me.
"Ari?" Percy asked as I jumped and looked at him.
"She said something that shook you quite a bit, didn't she dear?" Hestia asked as I pursed my lips and nodded.
"Who was she talking about?" Nico asked.
"My mother." I whispered as my eyes glazed over with tears.
"You love her, don't you?" Hestia asked as my back straightened.
"Of course I do. She's my mother, nothing can change that. It's just, she's done some things that I don't know how to forgive her for yet." I frowned as I played with my fingers.
"May was correct, you must teach her how to love." Hestia said.
"I wish I knew how. And not just that, but I haven't seen her since I was 16 in my last world, it's been almost 90 years since I've last seen her." I frowned as I pulled my legs close to my chest.
"You will see her again in the final decision. She will either make or break everything. But that's up to you." She said as I down on my lips trying to suppress my frustrations.
"Take a breath." Nico said.
"I'm ok." I said pushing everything down. Once Hestia poofed away, everything faded.
When the light finally came back, we were squished into Percy's apartment.
"Percy? Are you here? Are you alright?" Sally called out.
"I'm here." Percy said.
It took a few minutes, but we finally got everything worked out. We got Paul and Sally out of the bedroom and got everyone into the kitchen while Mrs. O'Leary took up the entire living room.
"Oh, Ari! You look so beautiful!" Sall said as she gave me a hug and I hugged her back tightly. I missed her dearly over the summer. She kept her arm draped around my shoulder as Percy went over everything that has happened.
"Oh, speaking of your mother, dear... I think I met her." Sally said as my body shook and my face paled.
"Oh gosh, breathe sweetheart, breathe." Paul worried as he saw my face.
"Are you ok? Did she do anything?" I asked panicking before Sally took my hands into her warm ones.
"Don't worry dear, I'm fine. She just asked me if I knew you." She said as I nearly fainted.
"Please, tell her that you hate me... that you want nothing to do with me. Please." I begged.
"Why?" Paul asked.
"Please, I- I can't lose you too... please." I broke down crying as she wrapped me up in her arms.
"You've been holding that in for a long time, haven't you?" She asked as I nodded and she held me tighter until my tears surpassed and I calmed down.
"Thank you... Gods, I'm sorry." I flushed before she pulled me back into her arms and kissed my head.
"Don't be sorry. Anytime you need me, I'll be here." She said as I nodded before Percy and Nico told her what they needed. "Percy, it's dangerous, even for you." She said.

Percy's POV

"Mom, I know. I could die. Nico explained that."
"But if we don't try we'll all die," Nico said. He hadn't touched his lemonade. "Mrs. Jackson, we don't stand a chance against an invasion. And there will be an invasion."
"An invasion of New York?" Paul said. "Is that even possible? How can we not see the… the monsters?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "I don't see how Kronos could march into Manhattan, but the Mist is strong. Typhoon is trampling across the country right now, and mortals think it's a storm system."
"Mrs. Jackson," Nico said, "Percy needs your blessing. This process has to start that way. I wasn't sure until we met Luke's mom, but now I'm positive. This has only been done successfully twice before. Both times, the mother had to give her blessing. She had to be willing to let her son take the risk."
"And you want me to bless this?" She shook her head it's crazy. "Percy, please-"
"Mom I can't do it without you. And if you survive this… this process?"
"Then I go to war," I said. "Me against Kronos, and only one of us will survive."
I didn't tell her the whole prophecy about the soul reaping and the end of my days. She didn't need to know that I was probably doomed. I can only hope I'd stop Kronos and save the rest of the world before I died.
"You're my son," she said miserably "I can't just…"
I could tell that I would have to push her harder if I wanted her to agree, but I didn't want to. I remember poor Mrs. Castellan and her kitchen, waiting for her son to come home, and I realized how lucky I was. My mom and always been there for me, always tried to make things normal for me, even with the gods and monsters and stuff. She put up with me going off on adventures, but now I was asking for her blessing to do something that would probly get me killed. I locked eyes with Paul, and some kind of understanding passed between us.
"Sally." He put his hand over my mother's hands. "I can't claim to know what you and Percy have been going through all these years. But it sounds to me… it sounds like Percy is doing something noble. I wish I had that much courage."
I got a lump in my throat. I didn't get compliments like that too much. My mom stared at her lemonade. She looked like he was trying not to cry. I thought about what Hestia had said about how hard it was to yield, and I figured maybe my mom was finding that out.
"Percy, I give you my blessing." She said. I didn't feel any different. No magic glow in the kitchen or anything.
I glanced at nikko.
He looked more anxious than ever, but he nodded. "It's time."
"Percy," my mom said. "One last thing. If you if you survive this fight with Kronos, send me a sign." She rummaged through her purse and handed me her cell phone.
"Mom, I said you know demi gods and phones-"
"I know," she said. "But just in case. You're not able call… maybe send a sign that I could see from anywhere in Manhattan. To let me know that you're OK."
"Like the Theseus," Paul suggested. "He was supposed to raise white sails when he got home to Athens."
"Except he forgot," Nico muttered. "and his father jumped off the palace roof and despair. But other than that, it was a great idea."
"What about a flag or a flare?" My mom said. "From Olympus- the Empire state building."
"Something blue?" Ari suggested. My family had a running joke for years about blue food. With my favorite color, and my mom went out of her way to humor me. Every year my birthday cake, my Easter basket, my Christmas candy canes always had to be blue.
"Yes," my mom agreed. "I'll watch for a blue signal. And I'll try to avoid jumping off a palace roofs." She gave Ari and me one last hug. I tried not to feel like ever saying good bye. I shook hands with Paul. Then Nico, Ari, and I walked into the kitchen doorway and looked at Mrs. O'Leary.
"Sorry girl," I said. "Shadow travel time again." She whimpered and crossed her paws over her snout.
"Where now?" I asked Nico. "Los Angeles?"
"No need," he said. "There's a closer entrance to the Underworld."