Chapter 92: I'm a tree hugger

(Percy POV)

Medusa didn't look particularly petrifying in fact she just looked like she had looked before I realized she was Medusa. Long blond hair that flowed over her shoulders, perfectly arched brows, high cheekbones, full lips and beautiful green almond shaped eyes.

Even though it was cold she wore nothing more than a white t-shirt and sneakers and a red jacket.

"Medusa?" I asked as my jaw dropped, "How-"

"Not here." she said, and she took my hand and dragged me away, "The cops will be here soon."

She brought me to a side street in where she had parked, I assumed, her car.

It was a gleaming black car. Large and bulky, yet aerodynamically curved. According to the logo it was a Mercedes but it could've been the mist. This car was a beast.

She opened the shotgun door and gestured me to get inside. I stepped inside and Medusa sat down on the driver's seat.

Without saying a word she turned on the engine and drove out of the alley and drove away from the "crime scene." and drove towards Beacon Street.

We drove in complete silence, I was still surprised to see Medusa again and how she had managed to kill the Nuckelavee but I did not want to be rude by asking. Medusa must have picked up my confused expression because she said. "You wonder why I am in Boston?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Thanks for helping me anyway."

She gave me a smile, her green eyes filled with kindness and I remarked again how similar her eyes were to mine. "After you released me from my curse."

Her expression turned really dark for a second, which was explainable. "Hestia gave me a new home. Told me to go to Boston, outside Greek territories. Where I could live in peace."

"Sorry for breaking that peace." I murmured, but she waved it off, "I had problems before you showed up."

Before I could ask what she meant she honked a few times, cursing the Boston traffic in ancient Greek. She turned north and drove towards Bowdoin ST, skillfully dodging Pedestrian and the other cars. "What do you mean problems?"

Medusa made a Tsk Tsk sound, "Are things ever easy in our lives?"

I said nothing.

"So, I see you are back from the dead." Medusa asked.

"How'd you know I died? And why aren't you surprised?" I asked. She sniffed a few times, "You still smell like demigod but your scent is less powerful."

"My scent?"

"Yeah, it smells like cookies." she said glancing at me, she saw my horrified expression and smiled. "Easy Percy, I'm not going to hurt you, I would never hurt you."

She honked a few times and almost killed a pedestrian. "So…" I said, "How'd you turn that Nuckelavee in stone?"

Medusa frowned. "Well, I actually wanted to talk to you about that for a long time." She admitted. She crossed the Longfellow bridge, "Where are we actually going?" I asked.

"Just somewhere private."

"Cool."

Finally she stopped the car and parked it next to a small park. The park wasn't much more than a frozen bench and a whip. But it was private.

Medusa gestured to get outside and I followed her instructions. She glanced a few times around, to see if other kids were eavesdropping, but it was way to cold for people to be outside.

She shoved the snow of the bench and sat down. "Come, I don't bite." she said with a smile and gestured for me to sit down too.

I sat down on the bence and glanced at Medusa. It was a long time since I had seen her and honestly, I hadn't given her a second thought after I lifted the curse.

"So the stone thingy," Medusa said nervously, her leg was shaking a bit. I stared into her eyes and I felt she was scared.

"Don't worry," I reassured her, "Just tell me. I see if I can help."

Medusa sighed, "Please don't take it the wrong way, but the curse is not entirely lifted."

I opened my mouth to ask something but she cut me off, "I'm eternally grateful for what you did but the curse is partially lifted."

"How?"

She pursed her lips, "I'm not 100% sure but I think that the curse can only be lifted 100% if Athena agrees."

My jaw dropped, "I'm so sorry, If-"

"Don't be." Medusa said stern. "You gave me everything, in fact."

"But you curse," then I realized I was looking straight at her, "Why am I not turning into stone?"

Medusa chuckled, "I was about to explain that. See, when you lifted the curse I gained controll over it."

"Like you did with the Nuckelavee," I said thoughtfully. "You can turn it on and off!"

She nodded, "Yes. It's now just a minor detail. I can actually have a normal life. Without turning everything into stone."

"That's great." I said and I was truly happy for her.

Medusa grabbed my hands, "But there is something else."

"What?" I asked trying to imagine what kind of problems she could have.

She gave me a proud look, "I'm a mother."

My brain was kind of slow, blame the cold, I saw Medusa looking at me expectantly. "Oh my gods."

She nodded cheerfully, "Can you believe it? Me?"

"That's great," I admitted. Directly after I said it a question popped up, was it human? I knew Medusa's other two children, (Who were born after she got decapitated) and there was like a 70% chance her child was a monster.

Medusa must have read my thoughts. "It's not like that…I think."

"Who's the father?" I asked, trying to bring up a happier subject.

Medusa's expression turned dark, "Poseidon."

My jaw must have hit the floor, so many questions ran through my mind, I managed to say, "how?"

Medusa blushed, "Well, when the original Perseus...sliced of my head."

I blushed too, I felt embarrassed; that I actually had killed her the first time. Not that she knew it.

"According to the legends Chrysaor and Pegasus came to being." Medusa said reluctantly.

"Is that really how that happened?" I spurted out.

"I don't know," Medusa snapped, "Because I was decapitated."

"Sorry." I said with a small.

She waved it away, "It doesn't matter what happened. What matters is that after you lifted my curse I gave birth to a third child."

I frowned, "Say what?"

She nodded, "A girl."

"Bu-"

"Apparently she was stuck inside me." Medusa said thoughtfully. I knitted my eyebrows, "A normal girl?"

Medusa gave me a wary look, "Her name is Loren and she is now around 5 years old."

I wanted to ask how her daughter could've been five years old if I only released her two years ago. But I knew that those things were pretty common in Greek Mythology.

"So a girl?" I asked.

Medusa nodded, "Yes, a girl."

Then it struck me. "Wait...she is my half-"

"Sister." Medusa said proud, "You have a sister."

"That's great," I said, "No! It's amazing!"

Medusa took my hands, "But Percy, there's something wrong."

I frowned and I grew worried. I've never met Loren but I already loved her. The way Medusa talked about her made me feel fuzzy and made me want to meet her. Besides, most of my siblings were not as civilized as Tyson or Despina.

"What is wrong? She is human right?" I asked.

"I'm not sure." Medusa whispered. "She is really kind but she has weird powers."

"Powers?"

Medusa nodded, "Last year I was at the Zoo and there was a terrorist attack. Loren got scared and turned all the mercenaries into stone statues."

"How?" Then I a memory floated to the surface. Last Winter Solstice. Zeus had mentioned a power peek in Boston.

"The Gods, if they find out."

"They won't." Medusa said with a glint of danger in her eyes and I knew that Medusa would do anything to protect Loren. "Hestia told me they won't be able to sense her again. She masked her scent."

I relaxed slightly. At Least Hestia was doing her part. "Is she human? Demigod or a monster?" I asked, "Not that there's anything wrong with monsters." I quickly corrected myself. A few of my best friends were monsters, including Nyx. [Don't give me that look!]

Medusa's eyes stared into the distance, like she was thinking really hard. "I'm not sure. She looks human but I think…"

She grabbed my hands tighter and stared into my eyes, "I think she was originally going to be a monster but that you lifting the curse affected her too."

I couldn't come up with anything, I was struck by this news.

Finally I managed, "Does she know?"

Medusa shook her head. "She doesn't know anything about my origins or anything about the Greek Gods."

"You should tell her." I told Medusa.

Medusa avoided my gaze and stared at the ground, "Actually…"

"Actually what?" I asked, "You need to tell her." I insisted, she might be in danger.

Medusa met my gaze and I saw she was feeling desperate, "I want you to tell her."

I blinked, did I heard that correctly. "Me?"

Medusa nodded, "Yes. I think you are the perfect person for that."

"I don't know how to do that!" I cried out.

Medusa's face saddened, "Please?" She begged. "I don't think I can do it myself. But you, you always fill people with hope."

"I don-"

"Please, for me." Medusa asked with a small smile.

I couldn't resist the smile. "Fine, I'll do it right after I finished my quest."

Medusa's face lt up, "Thanks Percy!" She said and she gave me a hug. "Don't worry, she'll be happy to see you."

After a few silent minutes she pulled back. "You should continue your quest. Find your friends."

"Yeah," I said rubbing the back of my head. "I have no idea where they are."

Medusa smiled, "That's why I brought you here. So you can go back to your friends."

I gazed around at the abandoned frozen park. "How exactly?"

"You need to talk to Yggdrasil."

My eyes widened. "Wait you know about the Vikings?"

Medusa chuckled, "You honestly thought I was waiting inside all day, hoping some poor demigod would stumble into my workshop?"

"Yes."

"Of course not. Monsters have a life too." Medusa huffed, "But anyway. You need to get back to your friends and I think you should try to talk to Yggdrasil."

"Okay," I said and pointed at the whip, "And how do I talk to Yggdrasil."

Medusa smirked, "You are the champion of Chaos and Demeter. If you ask it nicely Yggdrasil will listen."

"How you know-"

Medusa rolled her eyes, "Come one Percy. I'm not stupid." she gave me a final warm smile, "But your secret is safe. Now go on and try to lure the branches of Yggdrasil. Just imagine it and use your voice."

I stared at the whip in front of me and closed my eyes, I imagined a giant pine tree with thousand and thousand of branches. I was standing in front of the tree.

"Focus on your friends and try to lure the branches with your voice." Medusa said.

"Magnus Chase," I whispered and the imaginary branches wavered, like the wind blew through them. "Magnus Chase." I repeated and slowly the branches began to expand towards me.

"More." Medusa said excited, "Talk to it like its an sentient being."

I resisted the urge to laugh, instead I whispered. "Please bring me to Magnus Chase, he's somewhere."

Suddenly the imaginary branches snatched forward and engulfed me

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