Percy Jackson: The Firstborn

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Hera and Hestia

With Damon

The door opened on its own, as if giving him permission to enter. Damon crouched down and stroked the peacock that had guided him, then stepped into the cabin, but not before leaving a Hiraishin mark on the doorframe. You never knew when you might need to use it.

”Wow.”

He could not help but be impressed when he entered the cabin. It looked more like a small house than a cabin. It had a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen... clearly, it had not been made to house demigods. It looked more like a normal home for a married couple.

Every decoration looked expensive.

What caught Damon’s attention the most was the mural decorating the walls of the living room. More than a mural, it looked like a biography of Hera, although it did not show her face.

He could see her figure: imposing, just as a queen should be. He could not help but smile at that. Hera had always seemed like a spoiled little princess to him... although, well, part of that was his fault. Whenever she wanted something, he would move heaven itself if necessary to get it for her.

There was a small fireplace to warm the house. It seemed to have enough wood to be lit, so he approached and prepared to use a simple fire jutsu. But before he could do it, the fireplace lit itself, making Damon raise an eyebrow slightly at how sudden it was, though he simply shrugged.

He could not help but yawn. It had been far too long of a day, and an even longer one waited for him tomorrow. He would take a better look at the whole ”cabin” later.

He headed toward what seemed to be the bedroom, and when he entered, he froze.

A matrimonial bed.

It was huge... too huge. He almost felt like sleeping there would be a crime against humanity lol.

Above it, right on the wall, peacock feathers decorated everything, giving the room a majestic touch. There was also a vanity and an enormous wardrobe.

Wardrobe? It was more like one of those strange rooms where people kept clothes... a lot of clothes.

”Why does it look like the sheets are worth more than an entire city?”

”I must admit Hera has very good taste,” the two-tailed cat replied mentally.

”Looks like a royal chicken coop,” Kurama commented, earning laughter from several of the other bijuu and an annoyed retort from the huge cat.

”Well, I think I’ll sleep better on the couch... it feels like sleeping on those sheets would be some kind of blasphemy or something,” Damon said.

He made his way back to the living room and lay down on the couch. In truth, the fireplace was doing its job very well. It did not take him long to fall asleep with the help of the warmth generated by the flames.

Unaware of that, a small light appeared on the armchair beside the couch, before revealing the girl who had shown him around the camp. With a small cup of hot chocolate in her hands, Hestia remained seated without saying a single word, never taking her eyes off the blond currently sleeping.

Hestia raised her gaze toward a flowerpot beside the window, which held a flower almost identical to the one Damon had offered Hera that afternoon so he could remain in her cabin. She could feel the divine energy surrounding and protecting the small flower so it would not wither.

She focused her attention back on the blond.

A coincidence?

She wondered silently.

She could not think much more about it, because another light appeared. Hestia did not look away for even a moment, watching as Hera appeared with a crystal vase full of water, where the other carnation rested. She placed it by the window next to the other one.

”Did you tell him to offer it to me?” Hera’s soft voice was heard in the silent room.

”I’m as surprised as you are,” Hestia replied. ”Even more than you.”

Hearing that, Hera turned around to face Hestia, who was still sitting in the armchair. Hera leaned against the wall by the window and crossed her arms, waiting for an answer that did not need a question.

Hestia drank a little of her chocolate.

”He didn’t think about it. He went straight for the carnation,” she answered, not noticing that her lips were stained with chocolate. ”He knew you would like it, enough for you to let him in.”

The subject was quite serious, but Hera could not help but smile when she saw her sister, or rather her upper lip, stained with chocolate.

Hestia stared at Hera with her head slightly tilted. She did not understand what was so funny about all of this until she saw the queen point at her lips. Hestia wiped her own with her tongue, earning a small laugh from Hera and making Hestia puff out her cheeks slightly in annoyance.

The creaking of the couch leather was heard, silencing both goddesses, since they thought the blond had woken up because of their conversation and Hera’s laugh. Luckily for both of them, he only seemed to move to get more comfortable.

Hera stared at the blond.

Her gaze lowered.

She had sensed a strange power in the blond’s stomach.

”Hestia, have you noticed—”

Hera tried to say, but Hestia interrupted her.

”There is a strange power sealed inside him, more specifically in his stomach,” Hestia said. ”If you concentrate more, you’ll see there is not only one.”

Hearing that, Hera focused her attention on the blond.

”There are nine.”

”Twelve,” Hestia corrected. ”His left hand has sealed power too, but it is different from the ones in his stomach.”

”And the other two are in the palms of his hands,” Hera continued, receiving a nod from the goddess of the hearth.

”Do you think he is dangerous?” the queen asked.

”No,” Hestia answered quickly.

Hera was slightly surprised by how certain Hestia sounded when she said that... but Hestia herself was even more surprised. She did not know why she had answered so quickly and with such certainty, but something inside her told her... no, screamed at her to remain beside the blond.

”Why are you so sure?”

”No...”

”I don’t know,” Hestia replied, looking away from Hera to watch the flames in the fireplace. ”Instinct?” she half-asked, not even believing her own words.

She looked back at Hera.

”I don’t know, Hera... but something tells me he will not hurt anyone... quite the opposite. As long as he remains close to him, he will be safe.”

She made a small pause, as if trying to organize what she felt.

”Besides, when I’m with him, I feel an air of order and peace. It is simply impossible for me to see him as a danger.”

But at the same time, if Hestia had learned anything throughout history, it was that appearances could be deceiving. Everyone believed it was easy to take advantage of her simply because she was kind to everyone.

They could not be further from the truth...

Hera, not entirely sure about her sister’s words, nodded and looked back at the blond, who was still sleeping.

Then she remembered where she was.

And who she was with.

The truth was... she did not know how she had not remembered sooner.

Did Hestia know what this place represented to her?

”Hestia...” she began to say.

Hestia knew what she was going to say. Before she could continue, she placed the cup of chocolate on the nearest table, rose from the armchair, and walked toward her sister.

Step by step, Hestia began to take on a more adult appearance, as if she had gone from eight to twenty years old in a matter of seconds. She stood in front of Hera and placed both hands on her cheeks.

”I know, Hera... I have always known.”

Hera lowered her gaze.

At the moment, there were only two people she trusted... Hestia and Rhea. And even then, she felt bad for not telling Hestia that this cabin was the place she came to whenever the depression returned. Where she locked herself away and distanced herself from the world... even from her.

Hestia looked at her gently. When Hera raised her eyes, the goddess of the hearth smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

”Remember, Hera... you will never be alone. But I also know there are times when you feel better here than outside.” Those words brought a small smile to the queen’s face.

I guess I’m a better actor than I thought, Damon thought to himself, a faint smile appearing on his face.

>>>>>

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