"In Latin my name, Aurelia, basically means 'the golden one.' My mother literally named me her golden light through the storm that was her life. That is my job. To be everyone's light at the end of the tunnel. And I got stuck worrying so much about...
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Aurelia hated herself for feeling selfish.
Her whole life she had conditioned herself into believing that no one cared about her struggles, and because of that she didn't care about her hardships either. She was given the power to influence and feel people's emotions—caring about people's struggles was her job, and her job only.
She has never spoken about her time with the pirates. Not with Jason. Hardly even with Reyna.
As the boat sped down the Columbia River, Aurelia tried to forget. She watched Hazel and Ella make a nest out of old books and magazines they'd liberated from the library's recycling bin.
They hadn't planned on taking the harpy with them, but Ella acted like the matter was settled. "Friends," she muttered. "'Ten seasons. 1994 to 2004.' Friends melt Phineas and give Ella jerky. Ella will go with her friends."
Now she was roosting comfortably in the stern, nibbling bits of jerky and reciting random lines from Charles Dickens and 50 Trick To Teach Your Dog.
Percy knelt in the bow, steering them toward the ocean with his freaky mind-over-water powers. Hazel sat next to Frank on the center bench, their shoulders touching—and their jittery emotions about their position was annoying Aurelia.
Aurelia had been quiet for most of the trip. She had pulled her mirror back out and decided to push her energy into fixing her hair and readjusting her clothes, specifically the bands she kept around her wrist so they hid her scars.
Those bands were given to her by Venus.
"Such beauty," Venus had praised when she found Aurelia.
Aurelia had been eleven and was traveling to Camp Jupiter after her training with Lupa and the wolves. The wolf had forced Aurelia into a thick pair of pants and coat that was two sizes too big on the latina's small frame (which was still malnourished from her several weeks with the pirates).
"My lady," Aurelia gave a small bow, remembering her etiquette from her time with Circe. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"So much power too," Venus continued. "I thought my son was just bragging when he said that his darling daughter was truly a 'beautiful, golden girl.' I'm proud to say he wasn't."
Aurelia hadn't reacted when Venus said it but it instantly brought back the memories of her mothers cries, her pleas. "Your son?"
"Pavor," Venus murmured. "Your father."
"My father said that?"
Venus beamed, still circling the eleven year old girl. "Good posture. Lovely features, your complexion is stunning." Venus ran her fingers through Aurelia's dark hair. "And as much as I love long hair, short hair suits you. A bit on the skinny side, but once you get to camp you will thicken up a little. These clothes are ... usable. But that is an easy fix. Circe did well." Then Venus noticed her wrists.
