Aligned: A KOTLC and HoO crossover {SLOW-ISH UPDATES}

Chapter 7

Percy's POV:

I saw Macie talking to the new kids. Jason frowned. 

We suspected Macie was an empousa, but we hadn't seen anything other than fangs and a stiff leg that Macie had blamed on 'a cheer practice gone wrong' when Leo had confronted her.

Annabeth sighed in relief when Macie left the nine kids alone. She said, "Jason, Piper, and Leo, spread out around the party- pretend you're mingling or something. Percy and I will keep an eye on the nine. Got it?"

We all nodded. Piper, Leo, and Jason went off in three different directions, searching for Macie and her other friend, Dahlia something or other. We weren't sure if she was also an empousa, but better safe than sorry.

I waved at Sophie and her friends and walked over to her. "Hey, guys," I said casually.

"Hi," Keefe replied. 

"Macie seems... cool," Sophie said. She seemed to have hesitated before the word 'cool', but it was so quick that I probably imagined it. 

"Yeah, her parties are always fun," Annabeth said smoothly.

I noticed that Dex kept drumming his fingers - almost exactly how Leo did. Maybe he was a son of Hephaestus. "Hey, Dex, you like building things?"

The nine of them exchanged looks like there was some inside joke. 

"Yeah, how could you tell?" Dex asked.

I gestured to his hands. "My friend Leo- you met him at lunch- drums his fingers too, and he's great with machines and building stuff."

Dex nodded. "Cool."

Annabeth turned to the rest of them. "What do you guys like to do?"

They exchanged looks. 

Sophie snickered. "Keefe here likes feelings." 

Hmm, that one's tough. Aphrodite, most likely.

Keefe scowled at her, then turned to Tam. "Tam is dark and shady." 

Hades, obviously.

Tam punched him lightly. "Linh loves swimming, Marella plays with fire-" 

Poseidon and Hephaestus. Wait, but aren't Linh and Tam twins? How can they have different dads?

Dex cut in, "Fitz and Sophie are good with mind tricks," he offered.

Hmm... Athena? I glanced at Annabeth. She nodded, seeming to say, Go with your gut.

"Wylie likes rainbows," Linh said, giggling. 

Iris, then.

I grinned. "Nice." 

Wylie frowned slightly, but it quickly turned into a grin. "And Biana... hm. Biana can disappear easily."

That's a hard one. Hermes, maybe?

Biana flipped her hair. "It's a gift."

Annabeth chuckled. "Pretty handy in sticky situations," she said.

Biana grinned.

Sophie glanced at Biana's arms, almost subconsciously. "You have no idea," she murmured.

I glanced at Annabeth, but she seemed almost as confused as I was.

"Sophie, are you okay?" she asked gently.

Sophie blinked and shook her head. "Yeah, just bad memories."

I decided not to pry. 

***
Sophie's POV: