52 Enemies everywhere

"<I've gotta say... this is weird,>" said Thalia with a frown. "<It has been far to long that they have been letting you pretty much do as you please.>"

'Do as I please?' I wondered, doing my best to not show a curious expression at Thalia's words that would make Annabeth's siblings curious about what I am thinking. Annabeth's siblings... real siblings... children of the same mother...

I don't like it.

"<See?>" muttered Thalia. "<She already found herself a new family, just like I told you. She is inviting you to her table just to show them off, because she was claimed by her dear godly parent and you weren't. Face it Chris, she has always been jealous of you and now that she thinks she's got one up, she is rubbing it on your face.>"

A small frown formed on my face, but Thalia quickly changed the subject.

"<Still, that isn't what I was thinking about right now,>" she said, placing her finger under her chin. "<People here love rules, they seem to live and die for them, because they know the rules are set by the gods. Follow the rules and you please the gods, break the rules and you displease the gods.>"

'We already knew that, didn't we?' I thought, wondering were Thalia was going.

"<And yet we are breaking all the rules,>" she said, which made my eyes widen a fraction. "<You can't eat in a table that isn't your parent's, you can't sleep in a cabin that isn't your parent's, you can't play with a team that isn't your parent's, and so on. Yet you eat with the children of Athena, Hephaestus, Aphrodite and Ares, even though you should be with the children of Hermes. You sleep in the cabin of Athena, Hephaestus, Aphrodite and Ares, even though you should sleep in Hermes' cabin. You get picked in the teams of Athena, Hephaestus, Aphrodite and Ares, even though during war games you should always be with the children of Hermes.>"

She... was right, wasn't she?

"<Of course I am, but that is not important right now,>" she said, her expression growing tense. "<What matters is figuring out why they are letting you go about as you please.>"

Maybe they don't care?

"<Yeah right, the bastards that have made our live hell just suddenly don't care? Be reasonable Chris,>" said Thalia in a sarcastic tone, making me realise that she was probably right. There enjoyed hurting us, didn't they?

"<Yes they do,>" replied Thalia. "<Which means they won't be stopping.>"

I see... but if that is the case, why aren't they doing anything?

"<Maybe they want you to slip, maybe they want an excuse to take you out whenever they want. They are you enemies Christina! Don't you see? They are already setting a trap for you... no, they already have the trap in place, and we fucking fell for it!>" raged Thalia. She didn't like not being right, or not predicting others.

I don't like it when Thalia doesn't like something.

'So what do we do?' I asked. 'And what is the trap?'

"<That's what we need to figure out,>" said Thalia while bitting her thumb nervously. She... she really was stressed, wasn't she? She was truly worried about me...

My gaze moved to Annabeth, who was at my side. She was eating calmly while talking to someone whose name I didn't know, one of her siblings no doubt, about some philosopher of Ancient Greece. She was completely oblivious of the trap, wasn't she?

If she is unaware, she won't come out fine form it.

No, Annabeth is very smart, everyone always says so... she should notice something. Maybe she already did, and is waiting to tell me? Maybe she can't because of the enemies!

"<Or maybe she is a part of it.>"

Or maybe she is a part of it- no. No, no. She wouldn't actually betray me... right?

"<Oh dear...>"

I felt my limbs grow heavy as I gave a side glance to Annabeth. She wouldn't betray me, right? Of course not, I jut had this conversation with Thalia today, and I know that Annabeth wouldn't leave me...

"<But being prepared never hurts,>" commented Thalia, wrapping her arms around my neck in a hug while pressing her body against my back. "<And it would be better to have a plan just in case, don't you think?>"

'A plan?' I thought while looking at Thalia. 'Well, that isn't the worst idea... its not like I think she will betray, its just in case....'

"<Exactly!>"

'And, what were you thinking?' I wondered, my mind paying no attention to the food in front of me.

"<Well, you have been helping an awful lot in the creation of that mechanical dragon at Cabin 8... I mean, it is basically the child of you and that Beckendorf boy...>" said Thalia with a grin. "<And isn't it normal for a child to put his mother above all else?>"

Hmm, I have indeed been helping that boy in building a mechanical dragon, but it is mostly an idle project we both focus on whenever we have free time, we still have no actual way of bringing it 'alive' or anything...

"<Well, if you program it properly, like a computer, then anything is possible....>" said Thalia with a mad grin. I liked it.

'Okay then, I suppose it isn't a bad plan...' I thought to myself. 'Besides, it is only just in case...'

"<Good, now... have you thought about which of those assholes you are planning on offering a piece of your food today?>" asked Thalia while rubbing her chin. "<Obviosuly the perfect answer would be none, because they can all go f*ck themselves, but you need to give some to Athena at least, given that she is undoubtedly one of the worst b*tches among them all, who has cursed more mortals out of petty or unjustified things than nearly anyone else, perhaps except for Hera...>"

Thalia began muttering, analysing which god was best, before finally arriving to a solid conclusion, one that seemed to satisfy her.

"<Aha! Okay, grab four pieces and give one to Athena, one to Nemesis, one to Nike and one to Hestia!>" commented Thalia with a proud grin.

'Hmm, okay, but I don't understand why.' I thoguht while placing the first pile of food and thinking about a proper prayer.

'Emm, this is for you Athena. Thanks for letting me eat in this table and... being smart? I think?' I prayed, probably doing a bad job at it given the deadpanned stare Thalia was giving me. 'And for not cursing me? I also think I like books, so thanks for that?'

"<Well, if I didn't know that they would know when a prayer doesn't come from the heart or whatever, I would give you a prepared speech for when you pray...>" sighed Thalia in an exasperated manner. "<But don't worry my dear Chris, your prayer was beautiful! I just know that those idiots won't appreciate them at all, not as much as me at least...>"

'Hmmm, okay then,' I commented while placing the second pile. 'This one is for Hestia. I like my family and don't like heat, at least I think so. Please don't hurt my family and don't burn me?'

"<Okay, that officially sucked,>" said Thalia while rubbing her head with her hands. "<But Hestia hasn't made it a habit to randomly smite mortals, so hopefully it will be fine...>"

I then placed the third pile and began my third prayer. 'This one goes to Nemesis. I think you are the Goddess of revenge or something like that. Please make all the monsters hurt.'

"<Well, no doubt that one came from the heart,>" commented Thalia. "<Though I do have to wonder just how effective it will be, seen as every single demigod to ever live must have prayed for exactly that...>"

'And last but not least,' I thought while placing the fourth pile in the offering stone. 'This one goes to Nike. I usually win all the time, even if I don't get why it is important, so please tell me why every cares so much about it? And if it is important, please let me keep winning?'

"<I kinda wish all your prayers didn't end like questions, but better that than saying something and somehow offending them by making them think you are ordering them around or something...>" said Thalia. "<They aren't the most rational and enlighten beings after all, even if they are the most prideful, so not taking risks seems like the best course of action.>"

A moment of silence descended between Thalia and me as we watched the food burn away, ignoring the fact that the gods most certainly ignored my prayers.

"<Well, time to get back to planning,>" said Thalia. "<We need to figure out what to do now that we know there are enemies everywhere.>"

.

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Author note: Yeah, Thalia is a bit paranoid, which makes Christina a bit crazy... honestly, voices in your head telling you there are enemies everywhere? I didn't originally plan for Christina to become the Mad King but here we are... and no, she won't be burning people alive so don't worry.