CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

The first time Calypso received a quest of her own, it was handled with the utmost discretion. Well, as discreet as demigods can be.

"Alright, that should do it." Percy announced, clapping his hands together as he took a seat on the silt of the lake's floor.

"Did we really have to meet down here?" Piper was trying to wring the lake water out of her camp tee-shirt.

The large air bubble Percy had summoned held the six of them comfortably, though they were all soaked except for the son of Poseidon himself naturally.

"Hey, you wanted a spot Mr D didn't have eyes or ears on." Percy replied with a shrug. "This is about as soundproof as it gets."

"I still think Bunker Nine would've been better." Leo muttered.

"It's exactly where Dionysus would expect." Annabeth pointed out. "He's already suspicious since Rachel stayed the night at the Big House."

Calypso ignored the bickering, instead peering around with intrigue. "This is well formed, Percy. Where do you funnel air from?"

Percy blinked at her. "Funnel what?"

She dragged her fingers through the water, tickling a large carp as it passed by. "The air supply. I don't see the funnel."

"Oh, I don't really…do that." Percy admitted. "It's never really been a problem."

Jason raised a brow. "Have you ever made a bubble like this big enough for six people?"

"Well, no."

Calypso let out a light chuckle. "You must be used to naturally extracting the oxygen from the water. But with so many people, a funnel would help."

She gently twirled her fingers toward the direction the carp had swum in. A thin tendril of air extended outward, searching upwards until it broke through to the surface. The air inside Percy's subaqua bubble suddenly freshened with the new influx of oxygen.

"Huh. Neat trick." Percy looked thoughtful. "Where'd you learn-"

"Seaweed Brain," Annabeth interrupted patiently. "You can pick Calypso brain about water magic later. We have to figure out how to start this quest without anyone actually knowing about it."

Piper took a seat on a large, algae-riddled rock half embedded in the sand. "Well, we should probably figure out who's going."

Annabeth exchanged a loaded look with Percy at that. "We talked about that last night. Considering Percy was the only thing that drove Ketos off last time, I think we'd better divide and conquer."

Jason looked strangely uneasy. "What do you mean?"

Annabeth ran through the plan: she and Percy would remain behind at camp where they would reach out to Poseidon and Triton, to figure out if there is another way to track Ketos, and potentially even banish the creature. Meanwhile, Jason, Piper, Leo and Calypso would head for Broadwater Spa.

"Rachel remembered where she'd seen it." Annabeth added dryly. "Apparently her mom visits the Berkshires twice a year for a charcoal cleanse that's to do for."

"Rachel's mom goes to a spa run by an immortal?" Piper echoed in a dubious tone.

"It's on the shores of Lake Laurel which is technically more of a pond than a lake." Annabeth shrugged.

"Where is Rachel anyway?" Jason wondered aloud.

Percy snorted. "She's babysitting Dionysus for us. So we have about twenty minutes before she throws a hairbrush at him and calls it a day."

"The spa sounds promising." Calypso agreed hesitantly. "Though I'm not entirely certain how helpful Eurynome will be to our cause."

"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it." Leo promised with a smile. "But first thing's first. We can't get to Massachusetts if we can't leave camp."

"Could Chiron help?" Jason suggested. "He doesn't seem to have a problem with Calypso at least."

Percy looked faintly annoyed as he sighed. "Chiron's all about maintaining balance. I don't know if he's willing to go toe to toe with Mr D over this. No offence, Calypso."

"None taken." She chewed her lip thoughtfully. "I could try sneaking out over night?"

Piper winced. "I heard Dionysus has asked the harpies to keep an eye out for you trying to leave."

"He can't stop me." Calypso sounded braver than she felt, the old fear of Dionysus being able to do anything he damn well liked surfacing.

"Maybe not but he could use you leaving as an excuse to banish you properly." Piper replied gently. "You might not be allowed to return."

Calypso tried to conceal the way her heart clenched painfully at the thought. By the sympathetic looks she received from the others, she wasn't all too successful. And yet…

"It would be worth it." She said slowly. "If it meant Ketos could not terrorise the camp further."

"Let's call that Plan B." Percy suggested with forced cheer. "But in the meantime, I have an idea."

Annabeth looked as if resisting the urge to roll her eyes was physically painful. "You had a half-spun joke that I turned into a plan, Percy."

"That's what I said." He shrugged, turning back to Calypso with a grin. "How attached are you to your hair?"

Calypso blinked at him. "Isn't everyone?"

Piper took over from that point.

Which was not to say Piper herself handled the shears (after all, Leo had pointed out, her own hair still looked like she cut it with a pair of kitchen scissors), only that Piper wisely knew when to enlist help.

"How short are we aiming?" Drew enquired, scrutinising a Calypso's long, cinnamon coloured hair. "Uma Therman in Pulp Fiction? Rosemary's Baby? GI Jane?"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Drew."

"It's just a thought," her half-sister shrugged, tilting Calypso's chin upwards. "You have the bone structure for a pixie, you know."

"I…Thank you?" Calypso squeaked uncertainly, glancing toward her friend. "Are you sure this is necessary?"

Piper sighed, taking a seat on one of her half-sibling's bunks inside Cabin 10. "It's the only plan we have. Maybe just…I don't know, at her chin?"

Drew made a noise of faint approval. "A Kelly McGillis in Top Gun moment. Yeah, I see it. Maybe you're not entirely a lost cause, McLean."

"You can't know how little that means to me, Drew." Piper muttered. "Have you seen any movie that didn't come out in the eighties?"

Drew shrugged. "Why bother? They get so serious and gritty after that. Whatever happened to a little escapism?"

Calypso eyed her hairdressing scissors with alarm. "Piper-"

"Relax, Calypso." Piper was pained to admit it but: "Drew knows what she's doing."

"She's right." Drew shrugged as she carefully tied off Calypso's braid at both ends. "I've given almost everyone at Cabin 10 their Mom-approved hair transformation. McLean refuses because she wouldn't know taste if it bit her on the-"

"Enough." Piper said in a bored tone laced with charmspeak. "Just cut the damn hair, Tanaka."

Drew worked smoothly with well-practised hands. Calypso could feel the braid fall away, the absence of its physical weight a strange and unsettling sensation. She couldn't remember if she'd ever cut it like this before. As a child perhaps? There had been little point on Ogygia since it rarely grew.

But as Drew revealed the final result in one of the large mirrors hung near the windows, Calypso couldn't help but feel like an entirely new goddess. Well, former goddess.

"Some of my finest work." Drew admired for herself, twirling one of Calypso curls around her finger. It sprang upwards, slightly curlier now that it was lighter.

"I feel like a Spartan." Calypso admitted shyly, running her hands though the much shorter auburn locks that ended just at her chin.

Piper frowned. "You don't like it?"

"Spartan women cut their hair off when they married." Annabeth interjected from the doorway. "Just checking in. You guys ready?"

"I think so. It's lovely, Drew." Calypso praised. "Thank you."

The Aphrodite child tried to hide how pleased she was at the compliment. "Take note, McLean. That's how you're meant to treat someone who's done you a favour."

"Yes, yes, you're a regular saint." Piper grumbled, then handed over a plastic ID tag on a lanyard from her pocket. "Here, take the stupid pass. And remember, if anyone asks, you're terminally ill and visiting a movie premier is part of some Make-A-Wish program, okay?"

Drew snagged it eagerly. "Pleasure doing business with you, McLean."

Annabeth kept a close eye out as she led Piper and Calypso through the woods to the Oracle Cave. Mr D seemed preoccupied with some argument with Chiron but she had no doubt he was paying close attention to Calypso's movements with his godly senses.

"Watch out!"

Annabeth reflexively yanked Calypso out of the path of a chunk of pale, cloudy crystal as it dropped from the ceiling with a crash, splintering into pieces against the stone floor of the cave. It joined a dozen other broken crystals of purple, white and green, glittering like jewels in the afternoon sunlight.

"Cutting it a little close there, Jason." She called up to the son of Zeus who was floating near the roof with a crowbar, slowly prying loose the crystals.

He gave a friendly wave. "My bad. We're almost done here though."

Calypso could only watch miserably as the crystals she had enchanted to remind her of home were destroyed but it was necessary. If Tethys was using them to control Rachel, they could not be allowed to remain.

But a second crash broke her concentration, this one louder: Leo had stumbled off the ladder poised near the cave walls, eyes wide. "Whoa."

Percy, still on his own ladder, turned to follow Leo's abrupt silence. "Oh, it turned out nice. You got the braid?"

Annabeth held Calypso's long thick braid aloft. "Ready to go. Leo, is she here yet?"

Leo wasn't answering. He was too busy ogling his girlfriend.

"Leo."

"Huh? What? I mean, sure, yeah, it's great, I-I really- wow, it looks…" he babbled, persistently more flustered as Calypso's lips twitched in a smile.

"It looks alright?" she wondered quietly. "Truly? I mean, I know it'll grow back but-"

"You're beautiful." Leo blurted out. "Just so- wow. Yeah, it looks great. Just terrific."

"Terrific." Piper looked as if she were dying to tease him further but at that moment, a short familiar figure appeared on the threshold.

"What the heck are you guys doing?" Daisy Bronson eyed them all as if they'd lost their damn minds.

Leo appreciated the swift dose of pre-teen judgement; it was enough to knock his mouth closed after it had dropped open staring at Calypso. "There you are, munchkin. Good news, I found a way you can pay me back for saving your butt in Chicago."

It had been a few weeks since he'd really spoken to Daisy. She'd been settling well into camp, having been claimed swiftly by Ares' brood. She hadn't grown any taller, but she seemed less skinny. She stood straighter.

At the moment, her arms were folded, topped with a suspicious glower. "What do you want Valdez?"

"It's need to know, munchkin." Leo said breezily. "But suffice to say it's gonna help take care of our big ugly fish problem."

Daisy's gaze drifted to Calypso. "You mean the one your girlfriend brought here? That's what everyone's saying."

A shadow passed over Calypso's expression as Leo swiftly replied: "Everyone's an idiot. Wanna be in on the secret mission or not?"

Daisy went quiet, evidently reviewing the company gathered in the cave of the Oracle herself: Annabeth and Percy were practically rockstars amongst the camp. Jason had his own reputation as the badass reformed Roman while Piper had her own circle of fans who came to watch her train every now and again. Calypso was a former goddess who may or may not be in control of a giant sea dragon.

The young demigod let out a sigh. "What do you want me to do?"

Leo explained the plan as simply as possible: Rachel would help her pretend to be Calypso, holed up in the Oracle Cave supposedly guilt-ridden and in hiding. Since she was a new camper, Mr D wasn't likely to recognise her absence as easily and all Daisy had to do was keep him occupied for a few weeks until they could sort this mess out.

Annabeth and Piper brandished a woven knit beanie for her to wear, to tuck the newly cut braid into.

"You ever pretended to be asleep when your mom came to check on you?" Percy chuckled. "It's just like that. Just pretend your sleeping, cover your face and let the hair hang out."

"This is a pretty dumb plan." Daisy retorted with her customary bluntness. "What if he tries to wake me up?"

"Rachel will help as much as she can." Piper promised. "And we're kind of hoping that Mr D will be satisfied knowing Calypso's writhing in her own guilt, away from camp."

"And you guys will be…?"

"We're going to figure this out." Jason's voice betrayed the faintest hint of nerves. "We'll get permission from Chiron, pretend we're acting on Calypso's behalf since she can't leave."

"You can't think this will fool him." Daisy said doubtfully. "All of you just leaving all at once?"

"We won't all be gone." Annabeth glanced at Percy who nodded back. "Percy and I will stay here, keep Ketos in check while the others look for a solution."

"Come on kid," Leo teased, keeping his tone forcefully light-hearted. "All you have to do is spend a few nights up here in a cushy cave you don't have to share with a pack of mouth-breathers."

"Lay off. They're my siblings." She said with a hint of warning, but seemed to accept the terms. "Can Michael come visit?"

"Don't see why not." Leo shrugged. "How is the little beansprout?"

Daisy smiled faintly. "His mom is some lady called Demeter so he's spending a lot of time in the fields. I think he likes it. He seems happy. But it'd be nice to see him more."

Calypso laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure Rachel would not mind if your friend visited. It sounds like you two are quite close."

To Leo's astonishment, Daisy didn't scowl or glower at Calypso's kindness. In fact, she went sort of…pink.

Before he could ridicule her mercilessly for it, Jason let out a grunt and the last crystal pried loose from the ceiling, toppling to the ground with a crash!

"That's the last of them." he confirmed, floating back to the ground.

With a heavy heart, Calypso bent down to collect some of the pieces. Just a few, just in case. Perhaps she could reconfigure the spells to prevent Tethys from using them as a conduit. She would dearly like to keep some memory of her old home alive.

"You two should get going." Annabeth glanced between Calypso and Jason expectantly. "You know the way into the city from here. Drop Calypso at the apartment and then circle back to Camp. After Rachel announces the prophecy at dinner tonight, you, Piper and Leo leave for the quest and rendezvous with her there."

Leo's fingers tapped anxiously. "I don't know. Maybe I should go with Calypso."

"The second both you and Calypso don't turn up at dinner, Mr D is gonna know something is up." Annabeth countered. "This only works if he sends you on the quest himself. Knowing him, he'll get a kick out of splitting you and Calypso up again."

"New York is riddled with monsters." Leo sounded unenthused. "What if they catch her scent?"

"I know it sucks." Percy assured Leo with a grim expression. "But she'll be safe, I promise. But you guys have got to leave now if Jason is going to make it back in time. And you and Piper have to go sell the lie to Mr D."

Calypso carefully tugged Leo aside as the others discussed the details further. "I don't know if I've ever seen you fuss over something this much that wasn't Festus. Or the Archimedes sphere. Or-"

"Can you blame me?" he groused, quickly linking his twitching fingers with hers. It did nothing to still them but he appreciated the warmth of her skin all the same. "You'll be alone, Calypso."

"Not entirely." Calypso promised, though she too looked nervous. "And besides, I've been alone before."

"All the more reason not to abandon you now."

"You're not abandoning me." She insisted, her voice growing fond. "Not in any way that matters. We'll be together soon enough and off to see more of my delightful relatives. Have faith, hero. You promised you'd come back for me, remember? I'm holding you to it."

Leo's lips curled upwards. It had been a dream waking up to her in his arms this morning, after a late night of kissing and talking and touching. He couldn't remember ever sleeping so well.

He wondered if this quest be an excuse to do it more often.

As if sensing where his thoughts had gone, Calypso's brow twitched with amusement but she said nothing, only quickly brushed a kiss to his cheek.

"I'm ready if you are Jason." She called out.

Leo watched as she gathered her pack, carefully prepared with extra clothes and a fresh mix of that hyper-ambrosia Titan magic and followed his best friend out of the cave. She gave Daisy a grateful smile as she passed and the little demigod continued to pinken and flush at the attention. Leo would've made fun of her for it, if he weren't too busy worrying about all the disastrous circumstances that might befall an ex-goddess in one of the largest cities in the world.

"Come on." Piper nudged his arm. "Annabeth is right. The dinner call will be soon, we have work to do. Rumours don't start themselves."

Leo knew he had a role in this plan of theirs, to spread the lie that Calypso was overcome with shame and guilt over Ketos' attack, that she had sequestered herself in the Oracle Cave and refused to leave on account of fearing Dionysus' wrath. He knew it would be his responsibility to take on the quest tonight, when Rachel announced the prophecy to the halfbloods at the campfire.

But the last line of that prophecy continued to bounce around his skull like a nasty earworm. The one about sacrificing blood's gift to banish Ketos. He couldn't help but remember the way Calypso had bled as they left Ogygia, the golden ichor draining from her by the pint as she transformed.

And part of him couldn't help but fear that the sacrifice being demanded was the gift of Calypso's new mortal life.

A/N: OH DEAR