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Percy wasn’t certain of much in his life, but he knew that his mother loved him, his mother’s husband was a piece of shit, and that he had too many young nobles with too much time and not enough sense up in his business.
Piper came first. He didn’t know what her deal was, really. He knew her dad was rich, she never mentioned her mom, and she had family that lived nearby. They’d first met at a market where Percy watched with awe as she sweet talked her way into a fresh fruit pie. Piper must have seen something on his face because she waved him over and the rest was history. He didn’t ask too many questions, and neither did she.
It was Piper who introduced him to Jason. She’d practically shoved him into Percy’s arms with a grin and an order to show him around the town. It didn’t take a genius to see that the other boy was unnerved by being abandoned to a stranger.
Somehow, and Percy didn’t question his luck, they’d fallen into easy conversation. And then more. It was Jason who’d made the first move. The last slivers of the evening sun in an out-of-the-way alley made the first kiss sweeter than honey.
He hadn’t expected to see Jason again, but Jason didn’t seem to want to stay away.
Percy didn’t have any complaints, most of the time. Jason knew to follow his lead when walking through the town, and Jason always took care to keep his face and hair covered. Jason had offered to share more of who he was, but Percy always refused. He could put enough pieces together, and people like Jason didn’t get to stay with people like Percy. Just look at his mom.
But sometimes, Jason had shit timing.
Percy thought he'd imagined the knock at his window, but then he heard it again. A distinctive pattern that Jason thought was inimitable.
He opened the window and looked down.
Jason grinned up at him, looking like a fool crouched outside his window. “It’s just like in the stories, but instead of a princess in a tower, it’s you in your room.”
Percy snorted. “I don’t see a dragon.”
“Boy!” Gabe roared from the other room, as if on cue. “Get out here! Now!”
Jason narrowed his eyes meaningfully. Gabe was a point of contention between them. Percy knew that even living with Gabe was better than what his mother would go through if they left him, but Jason seemed to think there was a way out for them. Jason was foolish, blinded by his privilege at times, but Percy loved him for it. He knew how rare a good heart could be.
“Stay here,” Percy hissed.
Gabe was already spitting in anger when Percy walked out. His face was bright red and his eyes were shining despite the dim light. “You,” he said. “Owe me.”
Percy bit back the retort that threatened to rise. He needed to get back to Jason, and that meant dealing with this as fast as possible.
“For what?”
“My house!” Gabe roared, raised a finger and pointing it threateningly in his direction. “I put a roof over your head, food in your belly! And what do I get for it? Nothing! Any other man would have kicked you out onto the street years ago! Yet here I am, claiming you as my own! You dirty bastard!”
Percy bit his tongue hard enough he was sure he tasted blood.
“And to make it up to me,” Gabe said, poking his finger in Percy’s direction again. “You’re going to do me a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
Gabe’s grin widened, revealing what seemed to be endless rows of grimy, yellow teeth. “Someone out there is convinced I owe him,” he said. “I don’t. You’re going to convince him of that.”
Percy’s hands curled into fists at his side. Gabe’s gambling debts followed them like dogs, and it seemed that even his mom couldn’t talk them out of this one. “Fine,” he said. “Who?”
“You might know him,” Gabe said, leaning in. “Name’s Hades. Real great guy, that one. I’m sure he’ll be…very understanding.”
Percy turned around before he could say what he was thinking.
He’d heard of Hades, alright. The man wouldn’t kill him on sight, but Percy knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Hades worked in deals, and he wasn’t one to keep his word. Percy didn’t know how large Gabe’s debt was this time around, but he knew there was only a small chance he was going to be able to make something work.
Jason was waiting right where Percy left him.
“What’s wrong?” Jason asked, brows furrowed.
“A lot,” Percy admitted. “But nothing with me. I’m just not sure how I’m going to get out of this one.”
“What do you mean, ‘you’?” Jason asked, glaring down at him. “I’m going with you.”
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Percy asked. “You usually can’t stay down here for long.”
Jason shook his head. “They’ll have to deal with it.”
“I don’t know how long this will take,” Percy insisted. “It could be days. I’ve heard stories about the sort of hoops this guy makes people jump through. This isn’t going to be a quick stop at the market.”
“I don’t care,” Jason said, straightening his shoulders. They had to look like fools, one outside the house and one in, but Percy didn’t care at all. “I’m going with you.”
—
Jason was insistent and, selfishly, Percy didn’t want to go alone. That didn’t mean he thought bringing Jason was a good idea. He still got nervous taking Jason to the market sometime.
Whatever comfort Piper had around the commonfolk, Jason lacked. He wasn’t rude or expectant or anything that someone might expect, he was simply too trusting. He seemed genuinely surprised and caught up in the novelty of people talking to him like a person.
And people at the market tended to be a bit more understanding, especially when there was a purchase at stake. The gambling halls that Gabe frequented weren’t nearly as forgiving.
“Promise me,” he said, grabbing Jason by the shoulders and looking into the bright blue eyes he loved so much. “Promise me you won’t be dumb. Listen to me, okay? Don’t speak unless spoken to, and even then, maybe it’s better to play strong and silent type. Got it?”
Jason nodded.
Hades’ favored playground wasn’t the worst, to appearances, but Percy knew more than one name of a person who’d ventured in and was never seen again.
“You know,” Jason whispered as Percy led them on a winding path through alleys and side-streets to the bad part of town. “Depending on how much it is, I could just—”
“Don’t even try to finish that sentence,” Percy cut him off.
He knew Jason had money (and power, and prestige, and Gods knew how many other things), but he didn’t need it shoved in his face. It was just another reminder that they weren’t meant to last, that no matter how he told himself to just enjoy the moment, he knew it was going to hurt in the end. On top of that, he certainly didn’t need charity. This was his problem (well, Gabe’s problem that was now his), and he wasn’t about to take the easy way out.
Percy reached back for Jason’s hand. Both to lead him around a tight corner, and to show he wasn’t really angry. He’d probably offer the same thing, in Jason’s position, but that didn’t mean he'd ever accept it.
The smell of smoke was strong, and Percy weaved his and Jason’s way to where it was strongest.
Jason wrinkled his nose. “Here?” he asked. “Really?”
The longer they stood there, the more people looked their way. They didn’t have time to garner suspicion. Percy wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible and get Jason back on his merry way toward safety and luxury. Where he belonged.
He nodded and tugged on Jason’s hand one last time before letting go. “Follow me.”
Percy didn’t turn back to check that Jason followed him into the run-down looking coffee shop.
The coffee shop was a front. Coffee and imported spices belonged in the market district, to be sold alongside fine silks and golds. As far as Percy was concerned, it wasn’t a very good one, but the city guards were all in on it.
Without a glance toward the guy smoking behind the counter, Percy walked through the small door to the side.
“Ready?” he asked. “Remember, no talking.”
Jason chuckled. “Whatever you say.”
The room behind the coffee shop wasn’t large, but it was foreboding. Even smokier than the outside, the sweet scent curled and clouded Percy’s vision. As sickening as it was, it was familiar too. An odd sort of comfort, even as the memories of growing up dodging Gabe burned.
Hades sat in the middle of it all. He was leaning back with his arms open on either side of him. His head lilted slowly from side to side as he watched the room. Percy watched as Hades brought his pipe to his mouth with more care than most mothers treated their infants.
Percy held his head high as he strode forward. “Hey,” he said, jutting his chin toward Hades. “You and I have business.”
Hades flipped his head toward Percy and blinked slowly. “Oh?” he asked, laughing. “I don’t remember.”
“You wouldn’t remember me,” Percy said. “But Gabe? You remember him?”
Hades laughed again, but this time it was sharper. Foreboding. “Oh, I remember him alright,” Hades said. “And I remember what he owes me. Has he sent you to barter with me? Unfortunately, I do my best work face to face.”
“Gabe’s offering you a deal,” Percy said. “Whatever you need to clear your debt, whatever favor you could think of, he’ll send me on.”
Hades sat up straight, looking far more aware than he had a moment ago. Percy didn’t like it, but he hadn’t gotten this far by being a coward. He didn’t look away from Hades' now too-sharp gaze.
“A favor?” Hades asked, tilting his head to the side. “That’s bold of you, boy. Or should I say, bold of Gabe. You’re the boy he talks about, then? The one who has a knack for getting into things he shouldn’t.”
Percy bit his tongue, and nodded. Jason tensed behind him, but thankfully, Jason kept silent.
“I’d say I could use a boy like you,” Hades said. “But I like them better when they don’t get caught.”
Everyone watching them erupted into laughter. Percy took in a deep breath.
“Whatever you want,” he said. “I’m here to clear Gabe’s debt, and I’m not leaving until I do.”
“You think you’ll make it back?” Hades asked. “Fine then, I’ll give you a chance. If you pull this one off, I might even owe Gabe money!”
More laughter filled the room, but dread blossomed in Percy’s stomach. Whatever was making Hades grin this wide surely wasn’t going to bode well for him.
“You know about debts, and how they can’t go unpaid,” Hades said, chuckling. “Or else you wouldn’t be here. But, here’s the thing. That stepfather of yours isn’t the only man who owes me, it just happens that some are more protected. There’s one in particular that owes me more than I’m willing to say. He’s hiding behind his family’s name, coward that he is. There’s something that could help me get to him, something you could get me. They’re hard to come by, but I happen to have it on good word that there’s one in this city right now.”
Percy nodded. He didn’t like getting involved with the nobles, but he’d expected this much. Hades’ favors were deadly because he used the people who owed him like pawns against each other. “Whatever,” he said. “What do you need?”
“Nothing big,” Hades said. “Just a necklace. A small pendant on a chain.”
The sense of foreboding grew. “What’s so special about it?” Percy asked.
“It’s an owl pendant,” Hades said. “And maybe, if you come back alive, I’ll tell you what it is. Good luck.”
—
The description was shit, and they both knew it
“An owl pendant,” Percy said, kicking at a rock on the path. The fake coffee shop was far behind them now, but the favor Hades had called in remained ahead. “How am I supposed to find an owl pendant? And not just any owl pendant, a specific owl pendant. It’s supposed to be in the city? Because, yeah, that’s helpful.”
Jason cleared his throat. “I may have an idea.”
Percy froze and turned back around. Jason was looking anywhere but at Percy with his hands shoved into his pockets. “It could be nothing,” Jason said. “But—”
“But,” Percy said. “It might not be.”
“My…cousin…” Jason trailed off. “Wears an owl necklace. Uh, everyone in her family does. They’re visiting, actually. I don’t, uh, suppose there’s a library around?”
Everyone in the family wearing one…a royal emblem of some sort would make an awful lot of sense. Percy guessed even the wealthy bastards could gamble it all away, and Percy knew from Jason’s rants that it was usually only one person or two who actually controlled a family’s wealth.
“Your cousin?” he asked, feeling something like hope. Maybe Jason was his good luck charm and this wouldn’t have to be as impossible as he thought. “You mentioned a library?”
“Cousin, yeah,” Jason said. “She has a bad habit of finding the nearest library and disappearing into it. It’s gotten her into trouble more than a few times. She likes ones in towns more than on estates. She says she likes seeing the knowledge being used or something, I don’t know. Her entire family’s weird.”
Percy knew that, officially, there was a library. There was a building near the town center that had signs indicating a library, at least. It just wasn’t somewhere he’d ever gone. His mom had educated him, bringing in tutors he didn’t know how she afforded to fill in the gaps. He could read, technically, it was just that him and letters didn’t get along very well. Words didn’t behave on the page for him, and that was in the few instances he actually managed to get himself to focus.
Every tutor of his had spoken of it highly, but his favorite tutor — an old man named Chiron — had looked so hopeful when he mentioned it. Like he actually thought Percy would grow to be a great scholar and make his home there. Chiron had needed to leave to go teach other students, but Percy never managed to leave the feeling of failure behind. Not when it came to the library.
But, if Jason was somehow right, that this girl had the necklace they were looking for and she was in the library, it was the best place to start.
“Okay,” Percy breathed out. He straightened his shoulders. “We’ll have to go toward the market then. It’s near there.”
Jason’s brows furrowed. “Are you okay?”
He frowned and looked over himself from head to toe to make sure nothing was out of place. “Yeah?” he said. “Why? Is something wrong?”
Jason took a step forward and reached a hand out, tanging their fingers together. It was a casual enough touch that could be easily explained away, but Percy couldn’t deny the comfort it offered. Maybe he was acting foolish over the thought of going to a library, of all things, but it’d been a stressful day. Things with Hades could have gone so much worse, and it wasn’t like he’d expected to do that or for Jason to show up.
He still wasn’t sure why Jason had shown up.
“Just…stressed, I think,” Percy admitted. He forced himself to take a deep breath in and let it out. “But don’t worry about it. It’ll be fine.”
Jason took another step closer. “You sure?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
Jason looked doubtful, but Percy knew he was just waiting for the right time to strike. That time was not now. “If you say so.” Jason pulled his hand back, sadly, but flicked his arm out in a mockery of a bow. “Now, lead the way to the temple of books, good sir.”
It wasn’t far to the library. Percy froze in front of it, but Jason charged forward before Percy could get too caught up in his own thoughts.
“She’ll probably be in the architecture section,” Jsaon muttered, looking around the inside of the building. It wasn’t one large space, like Percy had expected, but seemed to be broken up into smaller ones. “Any chance you know where that is?”
Percy snorted. “No.”
The men closest to them gave them suspicious glares. Percy took a step closer to Jason, hating this feeling of not belonging.
Jason either didn’t sense his unease or ignored it, because Jason walked right over to one of those men with a wide grin on his face. “Hello!” Jason greeted. “Sorry to be a bother, but I’m visiting family and decided to come into town to see what the library had to offer. My uncle’s own library doesn’t have very many books on architecture, you see, and one of his friends mentioned there might have some here. I’m sorry to ask, but would you know where I could find them?”
Maybe it was the earnest look on Jason’s face, or the fine materials he wore, but the old man abandoned his own books and started leading them down the main hall.
“It’s so thrilling to see a young man interested in architecture!” the man said. “Unfortunately, most here aren’t so enthused. We have a small selection, and I hope it’s to your satisfaction!”
“I’m sure it will be,” Jason said, still grinning.
The man led them through the stacks with confidence. This was someone who spent more of his time with books than with people.
“What did you say your name was?” the man asked.
“He didn’t,” Percy answered before Jason could.
The man reared back and then looked toward Jason as if he expected Jason to admonish Percy. But Jason just grinned.
Grumbling, the man took them the rest of the way before leaving them with the one other person in the section: a girl about their age with blonde curls hunched over a book almost as large as her.
Jason turned toward her and clasped his hands behind his back. Percy stood back. It seemed that Jason was right, and the girl he’d mentioned was exactly where he expected. He quashed down the suspicious voices that threatened to crawl up, asking how Jason knew her so well, in favor of focusing on their end goal. Jason said this girl could have the necklace Hades wanted. That was what mattered, not his jealousy.
Jason cleared his throat.
The girl didn’t move.
He cleared his throat again, but this time said, “Annabeth.”
The girl, Annabeth, jumped almost a foot high. She jerked her head in their direction, and her narrowed grey eyes took them both in as if looking to see how fast she could take them both down.
“Jason?” she asked, blinking. “What are you doing here?”
“That’s what I asked this morning,” Percy muttered to himself. He went ignored.
“Looking for you!” Jason said. “Heard you were in the area.”
Annabeth’s eyes narrowed again. “Right,” she said. “Because you looking for me is something you do all the time.”
Percy internally cheered at the undertone of bitterness.
“It is when I need something,” Jason said.
Annabeth’s lips flattened into a straight line. “I don’t think that’s something you’re supposed to admit.”
“Maybe not,” Jason said, shrugging. “But sometimes being direct is most effective. We’re kind of on a time crunch, after all.”
“And who is ‘we’?”
Percy took in a deep breath and stepped forward. “I’m Percy,” he said. “An, uh, friend of Jason’s.”
Annabeth looked him up and down, judging him. “Right.”
“We need your necklace!” Jason spit out, taking no care for tact. Percy knew Jason had diplomacy training, and yet this was what Jason decided to do.
Percy had never seen anyone look as confused as Annabeth did. “What?” she asked. “My necklace? Why?”
“It’s my fault,” Percy said before Jason could try to make the mission sound more noble than it was. “My mother’s husband got into some trouble and I was roped into helping him. Someone has demanded a necklace with an owl on it as payment, and Jason thought of you.”
“And who are you?” she asked.
Percy didn’t know how to answer that, but Jason came to the rescue. “He’s my…is lover the right word?” Jason asked. “Boyfriend? We haven’t described it, really, but, uh, that.”
Annabeth looked between the both of them. “This is who you’ve been going on about in your letters?”
Percy’s face heated up. He was grateful Annabeth’s attention seemed to be on Jason and not him. He knew he’d mentally thought of Jason as…something…but it wasn’t like they’d sat down and talked about it. It’d been months now, and Percy’s heart was full anytime he even thought of the other man, but it was so different hearing it. It wasn’t something he’d known he’d wanted so badly.
“But we’re getting back to that later,” Annabeth said, shaking her head. She pointed a finger toward Jason. “Don’t let me forget. I’m not letting him get away without a discussion. No one, no matter how pretty, is allowed to hurt you. I have to make sure he knows that. Are we clear?”
“As crystal,” Jason said, grinning again. For the record, Percy wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. “But don’t you want to know about why we want the necklace?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
“Great!” Jason said before he took a seat down next to the chair Annabeth had claimed. “Like Percy said, he’s been pulled into this entire thing, and we’re just trying to get it settled.”
“Right, and you need the necklace which will let me into any town, home, or fortress that my family is affiliated with without question.”
Jason nodded. “Based on what the guy said, we think it’s one of your brothers or cousins that owes him money,” Jason said. “He probably wants the necklace to get access to this theoretical relative of yours. But, if he is in such financial straits, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for him to try to pawn off something with your emblem. Nor would it be wild to speculate that you were hassled for it.”
“The way you’re doing now?” Annabeth asked, brow raised.
“I wouldn’t call this hassling,” Percy pointed out.
“Just say you got caught on the street or something,” Jason offered. “It wouldn’t be suspicious.”
“I’d never be allowed out without a guard!” Annabeth whisper-shouted. “You know how much I value my freedom.”
“I’ll be your guard,” Jason said, standing a bit taller. “They’re trying to get us to court, anyway. We can use that as an excuse.”
Annabeth was silent for a moment, obviously processing the pros and cons. “Fine,” she said. “Whatever. Maybe this will get my mother to shut up about that.”
Without another word, Annabeth reached up behind her neck and removed her necklace. She hesitated for a moment, but then held it out in front of her. “Take it,” she said. “I’ll say I handed it over, knowing I could tell them what happened and they’d know not to accept it as permission.”
“Thank you,” Jason said, taking the necklace. “Really, it means a lot.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Annabeth retorted. “Just wait until my mom gets her claws into you. She’ll expect a formal proposal sooner rather than later.”
“Uh…”
Percy did not like the sound of this, but Annabeth’s laughter relieved some of the tension.
“Now go do whatever you need to do,” she said. “I’ll stay here and then we’ll go back together. It’ll paint a better story.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Jason pocketed the necklace and the two of them left Annabeth to her own devices.
“Courting?” Percy asked, once they were out of earshot.
Jason’s ears went pink. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Her mom has been trying to push for it for years. It’s nothing new.”
“If you say so.”
It wasn’t easy to shove the worry down, but Percy had known this sort of thing was going to happen eventually. And, oddly enough, meeting Annabeth gave him a bit of hope. She seemed kind, underneath her suspicion. And, more importantly, she seemed to be a good friend to Jason, if a bit protective. There was hope there, and Percy would cling to that. Maybe he could have a better ending than his mother.
They fell into a comfortable silence, and they didn’t get nearly as many suspicious looks walking out of the library as they had walking in.
“You know,” Percy said as they wandered down the street. “This was way too easy.”
“I like to think of it as the Gods smiling down upon us,” Jason shot back, grinning.
He laughed. “Maybe,” he said. “Or a huge coincidence. But that’s not what I’m concerned about.”
Jason frowned. “What’s the matter, then?”
“We look like it was too easy,” he pointed out. “There’s no way Hades is just going to believe that we were able to steal this without anything to show for it. She’s the daughter of a rich family. We'll have to look like we fought for it.”
Jason got a contemplative look on his face. “Hm,” he hummed. “You might have a point.”
“Okay?” Percy was forced to take a step back when Jason unexpectedly moved forward, pushing them both into a small alley to the side Percy hadn’t noticed until now. “What are you doing?”
“Well,” Jason said, eyes darkening. “It was just an idea, but, I think I know of a few ways we could rough ourselves up.”
Percy had absolutely no complaints.
—
It was very obvious that no one in Hades’ little den expected them to return, and Percy took great glee in tossing the necklace over with a flair. “Found it,” he said. “We’re even now. Got it?”
Hades gripped the necklace tight enough his knuckles turned white. “How did you get this?”
“I know someone who knows someone,” Percy said. “Like you said, it happened to be in the city. You gave me a task, I got it done. Isn’t that what I was supposed to do?”
Instead of answering, Hades roared. His hand was still tight around the necklace, and he was slow to get up to a standing position, but Percy knew the look on his face well. He’d seen it a hundred times on Gabe.
He reached out and grabbed Jason’s hand. “Run!”