︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

DAYS IN THE SUN

chapter nine
❛ 𝚊 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚎. ❜

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

     THE FIELDS OF Asphodel was a strange place. The fields were crowded with dull, flat faces of the dead on fields of darkness. They whispered among one another, but Amara couldn't hear a word they were saying. After a few miles of walking, she began to hear a familiar screech in the distance. Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering black obsidian, above the parapets swirled three dark bat like creatures, the Furies. She had a feeling they were waiting for them.

"I suppose it's too late to turn back." Grover said wistfully.

"We'll be okay." Percy tried to sound confident, but failed.

"Maybe we should search some of the other places first," the satyr suggested. "Like, Elysium, for instance . . ."

The brunette grabbed his arm, stopping him from running off. "Come on, goat boy."

Grover yelped. His sneakers sprouted wings and his legs shot forward, attempting to pull himself out of her grip, but she held out. She narrowed her eyes and sent him a look as he landed flat on his back in the grass.

"Grover," she scolded, rolling her eyes at her protector. "Stop messing around."

"But I didn't—" He yelped again. His shoes were flapping like crazy, they levitated off the ground and started dragging him away from them. And in result, dragging Amara with him as she kept a tight grip on his arm, sending her flying to the ground besides him as she landed on her back.

"Maia!" He yelled, but the magic word wasn't working. "Maia already!" his brown eyes landed on the Grace girl as he looked panicked. "Don't let go!"

A grunt slipped through her lips as she dug her heels into the ground, attempting to slow them down. "What do you think I'm doing?"

"Untie the shoes!" Annabeth screamed as she finally recovered from her shock. While it was a smart idea, it wasn't easy when Grover couldn't sit up to get close to the laces, and Amara was afraid if she let go he would get out of reach. The satyr tried to kick his feet, but the shoes were too tightly laced up.

She was sure they were going to barrel into Hades's palace, but the shoes took a sharp right, dragging the duo into the opposite direction. As the slope got steeper, the more Grover picked up speed. The cavern walls narrowed on either side, and she realized they'd entered some kind of tunnel. There was no black grass or trees, just rock underfoot with the dim light of the stalactites above.

"Grover, grab onto something!" Percy yelling, earning himself a glare from Amara.

"Don't you think we would've done that by now?" She yelled back.

"I was just trying to be helpful!"

Then, her eyes landed on what was coming up. "Oh no," she mumbled, the pit to Tartarus coming into view. "Amara!" The satyr yelled desperately, his eyes also locked on what was ahead of them.

Her necklace came into view as she thought of an idea. "Grover," she said, removing one hand from the satyr to rip the necklace from her neck. "Hold on." The protector did as he was told, wrapping an arm around her as her sword morphed in hand.

Twisting her body around, she grabbed a fistful of Grover's jacket before jabbing her sword into the ground, keeping a deathly grip on the handle as she summoned every ounce of the underworld's wind she could muster to take the shoes off the protector. Soon, the sneakers fell off the son of the Wild's fake feet, taking those with them as they flapped off and down into the pit.

A heavy breath escaped Amara as she relinquished her hold over the wind, resting her body against the rock's of the underworld as she attempted to clear the black dots from her vision. Soon, Percy and Annabeth caught up to the duo as a loud whisper of wind shot through the hole.

"What was that?" Percy asked, edging closer to the pit. Annabeth pulled the brunette to her feet, giving her a look over before she was waved off. "Don't listen to it, Percy." The daughter of Zeus said. "That's Tartarus, this is the entrance to Tartarus." But he didn't listen, instead, he uncapped Riptide.

"Magic," he mumbled, completely in a trance over the words. "Hey," Amara grabbed onto his shirt, pulling him back and towards the trio. "You need to keep your head in the game, now's not the time to let voices distract you."

That seemed to brought him back to his senses as he helped drag Grover to his hooves, the demigods and satyr ran up the hill as the voice behind them got louder, shaking the burning cave above them. They kept going, never halting until they reached the top of the tunnel, and out into the Fields of Asphodel as the wind ceased and the voice screamed in anguish before it too disappeared.

"What was that?" Grover panted but Amara ignored his question.

"A thank you, would be nice." She sneered as she dusted the rocks and dirt off her clothes, slipping her necklace back over her head and resting it against her chest.

"Thank you, thank you!" Grover rambled, repeating it like a mantra as he dived forward and hugged her so tightly she thought she would lose oxygen.

"Let's keep going." Percy said. "Can you walk?"

Grover gulped heavily as he let go of the demigod. "Yeah, sure, I never liked those shoes anyway."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

The Furies circled the parapets, high in the gloom. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the two-story-tall bronze gates stood wide open. Up close, Amara saw that the engravings on the gates were scenes of death, making her grimace. Some were from modern times — an atomic bomb exploding over a city, a trench filled with gas mask wearing soldiers, a line of African famine victims waiting with empty bowls — but all of them looked as if they'd been etched into the bronze thousands of years ago. She was beginning to wonder if she was looking at prophecies that had come true.

They soon found their way to the throne room. Hades was at least ten feet tall, dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder length and jet black. He wasn't bulked up like Ares, but he radiated power. He lounged on his throne of fused human bones, looking lithe, graceful, and as dangerous as a panther.

"You are brave to come here, son of Poseidon." Hades spoke in an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."

"Lord and uncle, I come with two requests." Percy said, taking a step forward. The brunette looked around the throne room, her eagle ring being spun around her finger over and over again.

The god of the underworld raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out.

"Only two requests? Arrogant child. As if you had not already taken enough. Speak then. It amuses me not to strike you dead, yet." Annabeth cleared her throat, touching Percy's shoulder lightly. He sighed. "Lord Hades, look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be . . . bad."

"Really bad." Grover added.

"Return Zeus' Master Bolt to me, please sir, let me carry it to Olympus." Percy pleaded.

Amara's fingers left her ring and instead went to her necklace as she gripped it slightly, a look burning through Hades's eyes. "You dare keep up this pretense, after what you have done."

Percy glanced back at her, but she could only offer a shrug as she was just as confused as he was. "Um . . . Uncle. You keep saying 'after what you've done.' What exactly have I done?" He asked.

The throne room shook with a tremor so strong, people probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles as debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors bursted open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits. Hades bellowed. "Do you think I want war, godling?"

"You are the Lord of the Dead." Percy said carefully, in a way she noticed like he was talking to an upset child. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"

"A typical thing for my brothers to say! Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields?"

"Well . . ." Amara sent Percy a glare, making it clear he was only making the situation worse.

"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century along, how many subdivisions I've had to open? More security ghouls." He moaned. "Traffic problems at the judgement pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth, but my expenses!"

"Charon wants a pay raise." Percy blurted out, and the Grace girl let out a silent groan at his words.

"Don't get me started on Charon!" The god yelled. "He's been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I've got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. No, godling. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war."

"But you took Zeus' Master Bolt."

"Lies!" More rumbling sounded throughout the palace as Amara looked around. Hades rose from his throne, towering to the height of a football goalpost. "Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan."

"His plan?" Percy questioned.

"You were the thief on the winter solstice. Your father thought to keep you his little secret. He directed you to the throne room on Olympus. You took the Master Bolt and my helmet. Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helmet back!"

"But . . ." Annabeth spoke. "Lord Hades, your helmet of darkness is missing, too?"

"Do not play innocent with me, girl. You, the satyr, and my brother's daughter have been helping this hero — coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt — to bring me to an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?"

"No!" Percy said. "Poseidon didn't—I didn't—"

"I have said nothing of the helmets disappearance." The lord of the dead snarled. "Because I had no illusion that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can't ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you."

"You didn't try to stop us? But—"

"Return my helmet now, or I will stop death." Hades threatened. "That is my counter proposal. I will have the death pour back into the world and I will make your land a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson—your skeleton will lead my army out of hell."

The skeleton guards all took a step forward in warning, raising their weapons menacingly at the four. "You're as bad as Zeus," Percy growled, and Amara took a slight offense to that. "You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me?"

"Of course." The god said.

"And the other monsters?"

His lips curled. "I had nothing to do with them. I never wanted a quick death for you—I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment. Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?"

"Easily?"

"Return my property!"

"But, I don't have your helmet. I came for the Master Bolt."

"Which you already possess!" Hades bellowed. "You came here with it. Little fool, thinking you could threaten me!"

"But I didn't!"

"Open your pack then." Amara froze, her eyes landing on Percy. He slid the backpack off his shoulder and unzipped it to reveal the contents of a two foot long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends humming with energy.

"You have got to be kidding me," The daughter of Zeus's voice broke through the silence, anger becoming clear in her eyes and tone as she stared at her father's sacred weapon, his symbol of power. But she knew her anger wasn't directed at the Jackson boy, they had been set up.

"You heroes are always the same." Hades rolled his eyes. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus' Master Bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now . . . my helmet. Where is it?"

"Lord Hades, wait! This is all a mistake!" The raven haired boy promised, holding his hands up.

"A mistake?" The lord of the dead roared.

The skeletons aimed their weapons. From high above, she could see the three Furies swooped down to perch on the back of Hades throne. The one with Percy's old math teacher's face grinned at her eagerly and flicked her whip, almost like she was saying she was excited for round two.

"There is no mistake." Hades hissed. "I know why you have come—I know the real reason you brought the Bolt. You came to bargain for her."

The god loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of Percy, and there stood a woman. Amara immediately noticed she had Percy's ears, and his chin. She switched her eyes to the Jackson boy, he looked weak on his feet. His mouth trembled open, he reached a shaking arm out to what was obviously his mother, but his fingers flinched away from the fire's heat.

"Yes." Hades said with satisfaction. "I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helmet, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet, but if you displease me, that will change."

Percy twitched slightly, his hand going to the pocket that held the pearls. "Ah, the pearls." The lord cackled. "Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."

He pulled out the pearls. "Only three." Hades stated. "What a shame. You do realize each one only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, little godling. And choose which of your friends you will leave behind. Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms."

"We were tricked. Set up." Percy mumbled. But Amara wasn't listening to the conversation, instead her eyes were scanning the daughter of Athena, soaking in the blonde's appearance as she made sure to commit it to memory, never wanting to forget one of her oldest friends if things didn't go her way. She proceeded to do the same to Grover, fighting her small grin as memories raced through her mind.

And then, her mind drifted to the two other people she would be leaving behind at Camp. A certain blond scarred face son of Hermes who had promised to never let her live it down if she got her butt kicked during the quest. He would have to make a long trip to fulfill his promise if she didn't make it back alive. Luke disappeared from her thoughts as the son of Hephaestus filled them, she knew if he was here, she would be scolded endlessly. He would tell her how reckless she is, how insane her idea was, and ask why it had to be her. But it was simple why it had to be her, she was never meant to go on this quest to begin it.

Chiron only wanted her because she was Zeus's daughter, it was basically asking for good luck, in which turned out not to be true. But she was never picked, chosen, wanted. It was Percy's quest, and she was forced onto it. The son of Poseidon never wanted her, and she never wanted to go. Yet, they both were forced to do things they didn't like.

The son of Poseidon. He was running his fingers through his hair, lip caught between his teeth as he held a frustrated expression with a hint of sadness. A frown twisted onto Amara's lips, she had judged the raven haired boy too quickly, a bad habit of hers. He wasn't as bad as she thought he was, sure, they bickered, but he didn't get under her nerves like she thought he would, not after the Tunnel of Love. Despite how horrible she had been to him, he could've left her in that boat to smash against the wall, but he didn't, he chose to help her out and get off that boat with her. And for that, she owed him an enormous debt and it was time to repay him.

"It's me," she spoke up, interrupting their arguing as six eyes landed on her, sea green, stormy grey, and dark brown. Percy's eyes were the widest as he shook his head and hands. "What? No, you can't."

Annabeth and Grover went to argue next, but Amara held up a hand, stopping them before they could get any words out. "Come on Jackson," she argued, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "It's only right, four never should had gone on the quest, three is the scared number.

"I'm only here because of who my father is, that's all there is to it. I was never chosen, you never picked me, and you three never needed me. Besides," she twirled her eagle ring as she tried to calm her nerves. "I owe you from the Tunnel of Love ride, and it's time I pay my debt."

A scowl appeared as his eyes narrowed at her. "Who cares if four shouldn't have gone, it doesn't mean you have to stay behind! And that debt? Repay me by making it back to Camp, back to Luke and Beckendorf. Because this isn't fair!"

A smirk twisted onto her lips. "Barnacle Breath, life isn't fair," she explained with an amused tone. "So, go. I'll look after your mom, she'll be fine."

Percy clenched his jaw as his mind raced, running a million miles an hour as regret flooded through him. He should've listened to his gut, he knew he should've given the daughter of Zeus a chance sooner instead of later. "I swear," he promised. "I will come back for you." If he had, he would've been able to understand her better. Their both children of the Big Three, they should've bonded over that and talked about the expectations that were expected of them. How they were different from everyone else and only they could understand. Instead, they followed in their father's current footsteps to perfection, making an enemy of one another. "I swear, on the River Styx, that I will get you out of here."

Her eyes widened. She could barely get words out, her tone filled with disbelief. "You know, you can't break an oath to the River Styx."

He nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. "It's a promise, we'll see you again." He held out his hand for her, his smile turning into a smirk. "Don't start doubting me now, Grace."

Her smirk widened as she took his hand in hers, giving it a firm shake. "I would be a fool to do so, Jackson."

Grover rushed forward, wrapping his arms around the demigod as Annabeth joined in, until they were interrupted by the uproar of Hades. "See you soon," the blonde promised, dragging the teary eyed satyr with her back to Percy's side.

"I'll be back," the sea green eyed boy promised. "I'll find a way."

The cocky expression on Hades's face slowly began to fade, "Godling . . ."

"I'll find your helm, uncle." Percy told him. "I'll return it, and remember Charon's pay raise."

"Do not defy me—"

"And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls."

"Percy Jackson, you will not—"

"Now!" Percy yelled, the pearls smashing at their feet just in time for the skeletons to attack Amara. She ripped her necklace free from around her throat, spinning her weapon around once it morphed into her palm. Shortly after, she bended the wind that blew freely throughout the throne room to her will, using it to knock the skeleton warriors back, finishing them within seconds.

Hades gave her a smirk as he leaned forward in his throne, his head tilted. "Well, you certainly make an impression, niece."

She twirled the sword around before resting it on her shoulder blades, her eyes rolling. "I try too, you know, it's a good thing to impress gods who are trying to kill me."

And with that, she launched herself forward to the approaching skeleton army.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

"Father." Percy was quiet, the courage he felt inside not portraying in his voice. "Should you not address the master of this house first, boy?" Zeus' voice struck the silence that clung to the room.

The son of Poseidon's head remained hung, unable to face the king of gods that would kill him within the blink of an eye. "Peace, brother." Poseidon's voice was softer. "The boy defers to his father. This is only right."

"You still claim him then?" Zeus' voice trembled. "You claim this child whom you sided against our scared oath?"

The god of the sea stayed strong against his brother. "I have admitted my wrongdoing. And if I recall correctly, you have broken the oath not once, but twice. Now I would hear him speak."

Percy swallowed the lump in his throat. "I have spared him once already." The king of the gods scoffed at the father and son. "Daring to fly through my domain . . . I should have blasted him out of the sky for his impudence."

"And risk destroying your own Master Bolt?" Poseidon's voice held the same tone as waves from the calm before the storm. "Let us hear him out, brother."

"I shall listen." Zeus decided. "Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast this boy down from Olympus."

"Perseus," Poseidon spoke in the same tone. "Look at me." Percy's stomach felt uneasy but he still looked at the god. "Address Lord Zeus, boy. Tell him your story."

He had no choice but to tell him his story, and afterwards, he didn't feel better. He was still as nervous as ever when he pulled the Master Bolt from his backpack. Zeus opened his fist for the bolt to fly in his grasp, crackling the room under lightning and electricity.

"I sense the boy tells the truth." The king grumbled. "But that Ares would do such a thing . . . it is most unlike him."

"He is proud and impulsive, it runs in the family." Poseidon said, leaning forward in his chair.

"Lord?"

"Yes?" The brothers answered in chorus.

"Ares didn't act alone. Someone else — something else — came up with the idea." Percy paused. "In the dream, the voice told me to bring the bolt to the Underworld. Ares hinted that he'd been having dreams too. I think he was being used, just as I was, to start a war." Percy wasn't comfortable with the way Zeus judged him with his cold, stormy eyes. They reminded him of Amara's whenever she rolled her eyes or glared at him, particularly when she was angry.

"You are accusing Hades, after all?" The king asked. "No. I mean, Lord Zeus. I've been in the presence of Hades. This feeling on the beach was different. It was the same thing I felt when I got close to the pit. That was the entrance to Tartarus, wasn't it? Something powerful and evil is stirring down there . . . something even older than the gods."

The second the words left his lips, the brothers exploded into discussion, a battle of ancient greek that Percy couldn't understand a word of. Finally, Zeus held up his hand.

"We will speak of this no more. I must go personally to purify the thunderbolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal." He looked to Percy as he rose. "You have done me a service, boy. Few heroes have accomplished as much."

"I had help sir." Percy insisted. "Grover Underwood, Annabeth Chase, and—" Zeus interrupted him before he could even breathe a letter of Amara's name, something he couldn't believe the god would do to his own daughter.

"To show my thanks, I shall spare your life. I do not trust you, Perseus Jackson. I do not like whatever your arrival means for the future of Olympus. But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you live."

"Um . . . thank you, sir?"

"Do not presume to fly again. Do not let me find you here when I return. Otherwise you shall taste this bolt. And it shall be your last sensation." Zeus threatened.

"Wait, um . . . Lord Zeus?" Percy looked up at the god. "I have this friend, Amara Grace." Zeus's eyes flickered with recognition for the name of his youngest daughter. "She sacrificed herself on this quest so that we could leave the Underworld. I made a promise to her that I would get her back. I swore on the River Styx, and I'm pretty sure that's serious. So I was wondering if you could help me?"

Zeus's lips twitched at the sound of his nephew's oath that could coast his life for his daughter. And then, he thought about when the last time he had seen his daughter in person was. Not through the sky, or send a storm her way to let her know he was watching, or even let his sacred animal watch over her day while she was at camp. But face to face, something that hadn't happened for years now.

"Very well, godling. I shall have her returned to you. But mind not to make such harsh oaths." With a stomp of his thunderbolt to the tiled floor, a sudden light burst from the hearth, a form standing in the middle.

It was Amara.

A grin appeared on the son of Poseidon's lips as he let out a breath of relief, for a moment, he didn't think he was going to be able to fulfill his promise. "Amara," he said, lightly jogging to the brunette's side, but he was met with a sword to his throat.

He tried to back up, his hands in the air but she followed, keeping the weapon to his throat. Poseidon's eyes became filled with confusion, not understanding if the two were friends or enemies, while Zeus' held a glint of amusement at the sight of his daughter holding her sword at the son of Poseidon.

She blinked rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the lights of Olympus as she realized Percy Jackson stood in front of her, not one of Hades' skeleton warriors. She removed her sword from his throat, slipping her necklace back over her head once her weapon morphed back.

"Sorry," she mumbled, giving the boy an apologetic smirk. "Amara," her father's booming voice reached her ears as she turned around, electric blue meeting dark electric blues as they regarded one another. "May I have a word with you, in private?"

She was quiet for a moment, observing her father who she hasn't spoken to like this in years. When they came to visit for field trips, if they saw each other, they would look at each other, and that's how far they would get. She shrugged, giving Percy one last look as she gave him a nod before jogging to her father's side. With a stomp of his lightning bolt, they were transported to the inside of cabin one back at Camp.

The god of the sky kept his eyes locked on Amara, who watched him back with the same intensity that came from being his daughter. She arched a brow at her father, her hands going into her jacket pockets as she waited for him to speak, finally, he did. "Amara," he said, his voice quiet as he scratched the back of his neck. "You have done well."

It was quiet for another moment before he spoke up again, his hand away from his neck. "What you do during training, how far you have come with controlling the wind, it's impressive. I saw what you did to Medusa and you've never shown that much power before, makes you a natural. A good leader as well, Dionysus' training has proven to be working so far."

He cleared his throat as he continued. "I am aware that . . . that I'm not in your life like I was before you came to Camp, but I want you to know I am always with you. Whenever the wind picks up," electricity flashed through his eyes as a small smile formed on his lips. "Whenever lightning strikes, thunder roars, or a storm appears. That is me, my daughter." The god placed a hand on Amara's shoulder, causing her eyes to meet his own.

"That is me, telling you hello and proving I will always be with you every step of the way. I'll always stand behind you, Amara. You are my daughter, no matter what, and I am grateful you were born to be my daugh—" she couldn't hold herself back anymore, but after everything she's been through since she arrived at camp and gone on the quest, all she desired was a hug from her father. She crashed into his chest, wrapping her arms around his upper body faster than he could comprehend what she had done.

Zeus stood still, frozen in place as it took him a moment to realize what she had done. A smile curled onto his lips as he regained his composure, wrapping his arms around his daughter and pulling her tightly into him, resting his chin on the top of her head.

Eventually, Amara unburied her head from his suit, looking up at the king of the gods. He had a soft look on his face as he pushed away her bangs that had made their way into her eyes. He allowed a genuine smile to appear, an action that rarely anyone got to see, the exception being the Grace family. A smile reached the brunette's lips for the first time in years as she allowed her father to be the first to witness it. Zeus's own smile widened by the sight, having not seen such a smile since his youngest daughter was merely six years old. He wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her into him as he took in her appearance, not knowing when the next time he'll be able to see her up close will be.

"You better not tell anyone," she mumbled into his suit, her eyes closed as she gripped onto the top, never wanting to let go. A hum escaped his own lips, a soft chuckle following behind. "As long as you promise not to let anyone I have a soft spot for you, my daughter."

Her smiled widened as she felt his fingers twirl a piece of her hair, and she wished time could stop in this moment. She's never been able to truly spend enough time with her father, and she hoped she would be able to more often. "Amara," the god spoke. "I hope you know how proud I am of you, and how much you mean to me." With those words, Zeus also made a silent promise to himself, from that day onward, he would make more time for his child. She deserved it, especially after all she's been through.

The demigod responded to his words by leaning her head more comfortably against his chest, enjoying the moment as she never knew when it would happen again.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

3-23-23

     hello! thank you so much for all the love and appreciation, this is by far my favorite chapter so far and i hope you enjoyed it as much as i enjoyed writing it! one more chapter to go which will come out on saturday. and i promise to work hard to get part two out as quickly as possible. thank you for the patience, see you in the next chapter !!! <3