The guys pulled me away from the house. I was still trying to spit out the awful taste that lingered. We raced back across the highway and up the little path we had taken.

Back at the cliff, Mrs. O'Leary had found a friend.

A cozy campfire crackled in a ring of stones. A girl about eight years old was sitting cross-legged next to Mrs. O'Leary, scratching the hellhound's ears.

"Hello," she said, while also accompanied with her sign.

"Lady Hestia." I smiled and bowed my head.

She smiled. "Eleanora. Nico. Please sit. Join me."

Nico bowed to the little girl. "Hello again, Lady."

She studied Percy with eyes as red as the firelight. Percy glanced at me and Nico who had already bowed and settled down.

"Chill dude." I signed. I saw his hand itching closer to his pocket. He glanced at us again and then bowed awkwardly.

"Sit, Percy Jackson," she said while still signing. "Would you three like some dinner?"

After staring at moldy peanut butter sandwiches and burned cookies, and the taste of the sour Apple acid smoke lingered, I didn't have much of an appetite, a d shivered in slight disgust. But Hestia, as the small girl waved her hand and a picnic appeared at the edge of the fire. There were plates of roast beef, baked potatoes, buttered carrots, fresh bread, and a whole bunch of other foods I hadn't had in a long time. My stomach started to rumble. It was the kind of home-cooked meal people are supposed to have but never do. The girl made a five-foot-long dog biscuit appear for Mrs. O'Leary, who happily began tearing it to shreds.

I scraped part of my meal into the flames, the way we do at camp. "For the gods...SOME of them. The few who haven't made my life difficult." I signed as I set my plate down again.

Hestia smiled. Percy and Nico had done the same thing.

"Thank you. As tender of the flame, I get a share of every sacrifice, you know."

"I recognize you now," Percy said. "The first time I came to camp, you were sitting by the fire, in the middle of the commons area."

"You did not stop to talk," the girl recalled sadly. "Alas, most never do. Nico talked to me. He was the first in many years. And then Eleanora and I had a beautiful visit just recently one early morning. Everyone seems to rush about. No time for visiting family."

"You're Hestia," Percy said. "Goddess of the Hearth."

She nodded. I rolled my eyes. I'm pretty sure I said her name, but I guess his mind was too busy flashing the big neon danger sign.

"My lady," Nico asked, "why aren't you with the other Olympians, fighting Typhon?"

"I'm not much for fighting." Her red eyes flickered. I realized they weren't just reflecting the flames. They were filled with flames- but not like Ares's eyes. Hestia's eyes were warm and cozy. I had subconscious inched closer to her, like I was trying to warm myself.

"Besides," she said, "someone has to keep the home fires burning while the other gods are away."

"So you're guarding Mount Olympus?" I asked.

"'Guard' may be too strong a word. But if you ever need a warm place to sit and a home-cooked meal, you are welcome to visit. Now eat."

🔆

My plate was empty before I knew it. Nico and Percy scarfed theirs down just as fast.

"That was great," I said. "Thank you, Hestia."

"Yes. Thank you Lady. I haven't had a home cooked meal in a long time." Percy agreed. He seemed to have a whistful look on his face.

She nodded. "Did you have a good visit with May Castellan?"

For a moment I'd almost forgotten the old lady with her bright eyes and her maniacal smile, the way she'd suddenly seemed possessed. I shivered, the anxiety came back. Suddenly the food in my stomach sat rather heavy, making me feel queasy.

"What's wrong with her, exactly?" Percy asked.

"She was born with a gift," Hestia said. "She could see through the Mist."

"Like my mother," Percy said.

And I was also thinking, like Rachel. Rachel could see through the mist. The green eyes reminded me too much of the boho hippy grandma in the Big House attic. And I shivered again. Her green eyes and the green mist, the visions we had simultaneously.

Percy was still talking, I shook my head and tried to pay attention to his hands and what he was saying. "But the glowing eyes thing-"

"Some bear the curse of sight better than others," the goddess said sadly. "For a while, May Castellan had many talents. She attracted the attention of Hermes himself. They had a beautiful baby boy. For a brief time, she was happy. And then she went too far."

I remembered what Ms. Castellan had said: They offered me an important job . . . It didn't work out. I wondered what kind of job left you like that.

"One minute she was all happy," Percy signed, his actual voice seemed to have failed him and he just sighed, staring into the fire. "And then she was freaking out about her son's fate, like she knew he'd turned into Kronos. What happened to..
to divide her like that?"

"Ask your sister."

"Wait what?" I asked looking up, snapping me from my thoughts. I looked up Hestia was looking at me intently. I frowned and furrowed my eyebrows. I opened my mouth to answer, only to close it again.

"Maybe a little glimpse into the past." She signed. Her eyes flicked with the fire and suddenly I was lost in them, I felt a tug in my gut and heat rose in front of me, like the first few times I had tried to use The Sight.

The world around me flickered and suddenly I wasn't around the hearth anymore.

🔆

I was standing in a thrown room. Huge chairs of different variations formed a circle. One chair looked more like a chair you would see in a fishing boat, there was some kind of mechanical lazy-e boy chair, some kind of big important looking chair that looked very hard and uncomfortable to sit in. There was a chair that looked like it belonged in a beauty salon, and matching chairs made of pure sunshine and moonlight. I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes. The door behind me flew open and I watched as the gods strode in, all arguing amongst each other.

At the back of the group was a god, one of the big three. But he looked worried and anxious, he didn't talk to anyone. He had his jaw clamped a d his pale hands in fists.

The gods all took their seats. Hades stood off to the side, he didn't have a chair, and he looked bitter and resentful. He threw Zeus and Posiden nasty looks. Zeus, though I never met him, I knew who he was immediately, his haughtiness and disdain, made it very clear who he was. Finally he turned his eyes on Hades. The arguments around the room died and it was silent.

"We have come to an agreement then." Zeus's voice echoed around the hall, it was a statement and not a question.

"Fine." He spat. "You win. As always. Get whatever you want because you have a big fancy seat!"

Zeus's ignored the second part, but I could see his anger building. "Posiden?"

"Whatever." He waved a hand, clearly he wanted out of this meeting so he could go away serpant fishing or something.

"Does this pact include yourself?" Hades asked, "brother?" He spat the last word like it was a disgusting taste in his mouth.

Zeus's narrowed his eyes.

"Because I won't be entering into this if it does not include yourself!"

"Yes. You know it does."

"No more conquests with the mortals!"

"I know what the pact intailes."

"Really?" Hades raised an eyebrow. "Your past seems to say otherwise."

"Enough!" Roared Zeuse. "This is a pact between the three of us. No more half blood children!"

"Fine." Hades snarled.

"Fine." Posiden agreed.

"Fine." Zeus's added.

There was silence for a moment in the thrown room.

"Then you will offer up the children and be done with that mortal." Zeus's demanded.

Hades blinked for a second. Then he threw his head back and howeled with wild manic laughter. His eyes turned dark, a black purple flame flicked in his eyes.

"I miss heard you brother. Offer up my children?"

"Yes. You have until the summer solstice to bring them to camp or their lives are forfet."

"You cannot be serious?"

The room had gone silent and thick with apprehension.

"Do I look like I'm joking Hades? Offer up the children to camp to be trained. We agreed to no more children!"

"Yes! As in having more! These children were born and raised before you decided this! Only because that accursed prophecy! Because you can't handle the fact that maybe JUST MAYBE my children will finally be better then yours!"

"Enough Hades!"

"No! Not enough! I'm sick of your areagemce and entitlement! Your throwing a fit because I have half blood children and you do not! You want my children exterminated and you will break this promise because you can't ever keep it in your pants and this is all for not! I will not let my children become your play things to brain wash and then kill on one of those useless death quest! Absolutely not!"

I had to give it to Hades though, I understood where he was coming from
He was considered one of the big three, yet he didn't have a chair in Olympus, he didn't even have a cabin at Camp, (yet Zeuse wanted him to turn his kids over to be thrown into Hermes cabin...? That seemed stupid. Would he even be able to claim his children if there was no cabin? I didn't know.) and even now, he agreed to a promise, and now Zeus was twisting the original pact. All Hades was doing was defending his family (though I thought he was married to Persephone... I didn't bother to get into that aspect of this. Though I did notice her seat was empty right now. Maybe it was winter and she wasn't aloud to leave the underworld.)

Hades was creepy on a regular basis, but now that he was angry he was terrifying. His hair was on fire, his eyes danced with the purple glow and he looked ready to kill something. Even though this was a dream or memory from the past, I stepped away.

Zeus leapt to his feet. He had his master bolt in his hand, looking ready to strike his own brother down. The door behind them burst open and a small girl ran into the room.

Zeus's froze, his bolt held high, Hades own sword held up ready to strike. The girl staggered into the middle of the room.

"The spirit of Delphi is present! Low your weapons!" A deep voice boomed through the awkward silence.

I looked around and with a start, I saw my father, Apollo. He wasn't wearing jeans, and a tight white shirt but a sharp tailored double-breasted suit with broad shoulders and a nipped waist, high-waisted trousers. He wore a fedora and polished leather shoes. He looked like quite the hipster at the moment. It was odd. It was clearly the early 1930's. Somehow Apollo pulled off the sharp 30's wealthy gangster, hipster look.

He stood up and walked towards the child and knelt down, his hands on her shoulders.

"Speak child. We will listen."

She doubled over immediately and began to cough. Green smoke billowed from her mouth. Her eyes became sid green, like glowing emeralds. She opened her mouth and her voice gave me the shivers.

"To call a truce a promise must be.
To break that peace a war insues.
The disparing seeks vengeance.
The innocent be at stake.
The broken will be cursed.
The knowing be damned.
The gifted a choice.
The seeing shall die but live endless days,
Until the heir who sees brings peace to it all."

She shivered and then collapsed into Apollo's arms. He held the girl until she got back onto her feet.

"Explain yourself!" Zeus cried.

"I can't!" Her voice was weak and shaky, but there was defiance in it.

"You know how prophecies work father! She does not know the meaning any more then we do. Her job is to deliver them!" Apollo said, looking at Zeus.

Zeus looked like he wanted to curse her or smite her but he somehow refrained. His angry blue eyes crackled with electricity as he turned them to his brother instead.

"I will not ask again. You have a deadline!"

"Curse you and your pacts! You never keep them! And you changed it already to suit your own needs! My children are innocent! They have done nothing! They were born before you made this!"

"I won't ask again Hades!"

"CURSE YOU!"

Zeus's threw his bolt. But there was an eruption of black, curled and blue fire and Hades was gone before the bolt made contact. Apollo had grabbed the girl, shielding the Spirit of Delphi from the wrath of Zeus.

🔆

I blinked a few times and I shook my head. I would have stumbled back, but I was already sitting, but the feeling was the same, I threw my arms out like I ment to catch myself. I just ended up grabbing Nico and Miss O'Leary. I was breathing hard and felt claimy.

"What in the actual Hades was that?" I signed.

"We must understand the past so we can withstand the future."

"Nora? You okay?"

"Define okay?"

I had let go of Nick and the dog to sign, but went right back to gripping Nico.

"Nora? What happened?"

"No one else ...was I the only....you guys didn't see that?"

"See what?" Percy asked.

"What?"

"Lady Hestia told Percy to ask you what happened to Miss C." Nico explained prying my hand off his wrist first. "You stared at her for a second then freaked out."

I frowned and blinked at Hesita, trying to figure out what she ment me to understand.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I don't understand!"

She frowned slightly and tilted her head. "No, perhaps not yet."

Percy frowned, "I still don't understand what happened to her, Ms. Castellan's, to switch back and forth!"

The goddess's face darkened. "That is a story I do not like to tell. But May Castellan saw too much. If you are to understand your enemy Luke, you must understand his family."

I thought about the sad little pictures of Hermes taped above May Castellan's sink. I wondered if Ms. Castellan had been that crazy when Luke was little. That green-eyed fit could've seriously scared a nine-year-old kid. And if Hermes never visited, if he'd left Luke alone with his mom all those years...

"No wonder Luke ran away," I signed. "I mean, it wasn't right to leave his mom like that, but still- he was just a kid. Hermes shouldn't have abandoned them."

Hestia scratched behind Mrs. O'Leary's ears. The hellhound wagged her tail and accidentally knocked over a tree.

"It's easy to judge others," Hestia warned. "Is his anger any better than your own? Is his desire for love and acceptance any different than your own?" She paused and surveyed us, "Maybe our previous talk about understanding the others anger...you seemed to have followed through on your plans with you soon of Hades."

I nodded, still feeling shook up from May Castellan's vision and then what Hestia showed me. I shook my head to rid the feeling and focus on the new topic. "Yes. We did. With the help of Persephone...but it worked and has saved my life ready."

She just nodded once and then turned to Percy, "And you seek the same thing, young hero?"

Nico set down his plate. "We have no choice, my lady. It's the only way Percy stands a chance. Nora already proved that."

"Mmm." Hestia opened her hand and the fire roared. Flames shot thirty feet into the air. Heat slapped me in the face. Then the fire died back down to normal.

"Not all powers are spectacular." Hestia looked at Percy. "Sometimes the hardest power to master is the power of yielding. Do you believe me?"

"Uh-huh," he sputtered. It looked like he just said it to keep her from messing with her flame powers again. I pressed my lips together, she had done something similar in my conversation with her. (Either it worked and she kept doing it, or she just liked messing with fire and watching kids squirm.)

The goddess smiled. "You are a good hero, Percy Jackson. You and your sister. You are similar in many ways. You were raised well by your mortal parents. Not too proud. I like that. But you have much to learn. When Dionysus was made a god, I gave up my throne for him. It was the only way to avoid a civil war among the gods."

"It unbalanced the Council," I remembered.

"Suddenly there were seven guys and five girls." Percy added with a nod.

Hestia shrugged. "It was the best solution, not a perfect one. Now I tend the fire. I fade slowly into the background. No one will ever write epic poems about the deeds of Hestia. Most demigods don't even stop to talk to me. But that is no matter. I keep the peace. I yield when necessary. Can you do this?"

"I don't know what you mean." Percy signed as his body deflated.

She studied him. "Perhaps not yet. But soon. Will you continue your quest?"

"Is that why you're here—to warn me against going?"

Hestia shook her head. "I am here because when all else fails, when all the other mighty gods have gone off to war, I am all that's left. Home. Hearth. I am the last Olympian. You must remember me when you face your final decision."

I didn't like the way she said final. I glanced at Percy but he was frowning and looking at Hestia.

"Are you talking to me or Nora? Do we make the same decision together? Or are these different decisions?"

"Yes, indeed Percy."

Percy and I both gapped at her. That was the most unhelpful answer I have ever heard. I looked at Nico, who looked just as confused. I looked to Percy and then back at Hestia's warm glowing eyes.

"I have to continue, my lady. I have to stop Luke . . . I mean Kronos." Percy finally answered. I smiled, I felt relieved he finally came to the conclusion on his own and I didn't feel like pressing him to do this.

Hestia nodded. "Very well. I cannot be of much assistance, beyond what I have already told you. But since you sacrificed to me, I can return you to your own hearth. I will see you again, Nora and Percy, on Olympus."

Her tone was ominous, as though our next meeting would not be happy.

The goddess waved her hand, and everything faded.

🔆

Guys! I seriously hope the whole Orical thing with Nora is making sense right now!!! I didn't want to just take the story and insert a girl and take away- this book definitely follows the OG plot of Rick Riordan's story more closely...but I want to throw her own struggles in- with her anger and fire powers and understandinf her titan heritage and her Orical spirit... I hope it's making sense! 🫣

Please...let me know if the comments! This book hasn't been getting a lot of traction in the comment sections so...not sure if ya'll are enjoying this or not.