The Gods Don't Like Their Parties Crashed.

Every year the Greek god, Zeus threw one of the biggest parties of the year and Lucy planned to crash it. Her social adviser decided, not her, it was time she came out of hiding. He said the party was the perfect occasion. She didn't trust him, while her guardian, Teagan Moore did. Butting heads with her guardian's gut instincts seemed like a bad omen. The man only showed up when he wanted, and it rubbed her the wrong way. Her guts screamed spy! 

His other advice...get married at age sixteen. For protection. 

It was the 21st century!

But…

She spent the last four years in fear, hiding from those who wish to kill her for her wings.

Her wings folded tight against her back. hidden by the cape of her red dress. One more person and it'll be her turn to be announced to the party below. 

A man stood at the door, music from string instruments floated through the opening. He turned to her after he announced the man and his date before her. His eyebrow rose but he said nothing only looked at her thick brown hair that curled its way down her back. At her name and father's name, he turned back to the entrance, "Lucy Gorgon" 

The crowd gasped over the music at her surname.

The announcer continued, "Daughter of Pegasus." Laughter filled the room. Chills ran up and down her back and her legs shook but she moved forward where the others could see her. 

"Surely, you are the child of another being?" asked someone from the crowd. Yeah, she didn't believe it at first either. They looked up at her. Good. 

"It's what I have been told," with that she spread her wings, "how else could I have inherited these?" 

In the last four years, her wings had grown and she could fly. With a leap, the air grabbed her wings and the people below reared back in fear when she came in, to land.

Good, now they fear her, not the other way around anymore. She thought. 

"You know you still have to verify you are what you claim." said one of the women in front of her. 

"I have been told that, but I didn't think I needed to worry about that." Her wings moved, and the crowd moved back more. 

"But you do." With that, someone grabbed her hand. The same woman but her eyes slit in the center, "hold still and put your wings away." 

With that, she tucked her wings back under the cape. 

"Good girl." The words clawed at Lucy and she tried to get her hand back. "Uh uh," the snake woman warned before sticking her tongue out. A tongue with a forked tip. Lucy squicked but managed not to jerk away. The woman pricked her finger. With a squeezed blood appeared. The tongue flicked above it. After a few minutes, the woman dropped her hand, "Poseidon's granddaughter. and then hissed at her. 

The air around her changed and the crowd parted. "Poseidon's granddaughter, we finally met. I'm Zeus"

It wasn't a good sign, he knew about her. She suspected it meant he had sent others to hunt for her over the last sixteen years. 

"Lucy." she bowed to him. Her advisor taught her the correct way. 

"A mortal's name. I take it Poseidon wasn't at your naming."

"My mother named me before she died or so I have been told." 

"I'm sorry for your loss," he didn't sound sorry, "but let me introduce you to our side of the family." He took her hand.

"The whole reason I'm here," she said with a smile she had practiced in the mirror until it looked real. 

He led her into the middle of the ballroom. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up like a cat's when facing a threat. Her wings flecked but she hoped no one noticed. The music stopped and the dancers followed, seemed frozen in the middle as if watching for something. With a gesture from Zeus, they left. 

She shivered at the sight. 

"Cold?" he asked. 

"A little." she lied. Her cape and feathers kept her too warm.

His smile said he didn't believe her. "Alex." he gestured to someone behind them. "Your coat." 

Before she could turn around something soft but heavy was placed on her shoulders. 

"I'll leave her with you," Zeus said, already greeting someone else in the crowd. 

"Are you not going to look at me?" asked the person behind her. As if he dared her, she turned around and took a step back at the sight of two things. His eyes were different colors, one brown and one blue. She blinked and laughed once her brain registered his sharp jawline and square face, pulling her focus away from the two small black horns on his crew-cut head. 

"What no long flowing hair?" she joked. 

"What? Not someone you expected at a party hosted by the head of the gods?”

"More like someone ready to lead an army…"

"Out of hell?" he asked. 

Her face turned hot, Yes, she thought but said instead, "I was told to expected anything." Especially an attack. At that, she remembered she needed to get Teagan in. 

Alex noticed her taking two steps back away from him. "What ready to run already?" He pointed at his horns. "They are not that scary. Not like those wings of yours."

She pulled her wings in tighter, "No, I need to let in a friend. Is there a backdoor to this place?" 

"I don't think Zeus's going to like that."  

"Are you going to tell?" The stairs were that way so the back was…

"Miss Gorgon." A man walked in front of her, "I understand you are looking for me."

"Bad timing, Adviser." And no she wasn't looking for him.

"You are looking for Zeus' matchmaker?" At Alex's words, she stopped dead in her tracks. Knew it, spy! "His… as in he set them up with Zeus?" her stomach turned. "I thought he was an adviser." 

"For marriages and mistresses. Zeus is always looking for a mistress, the younger the better."

"Excuse me, but bathroom?" 

"Why?" he asked.

"I'm going to lose dinner." With a disgusted expression, he pointed to the far end of the room. "There is going to be a line!" he warned as she ran past him. 

When she reached the middle of the ballroom again the dancers kept moving in her way. Move, she wasn't going to make it. 

A low hum filled the air and the floor vibrated. "What?" The dancers once again ran into the crowd, while she stood frozen in place her upset stomach forgotten. 

Someone turned her around, it's Alex. "Your friend?" he asked.

"No, she is not this creative," she answered, but still looked around for Teagen. Did she find a way in? 

Everyone around her had their eyes on something above their heads, their faces white with fear. 

Coming down from the ceiling with wings on his back was a boy, her age, but not just any boy. Wyatt, who she hadn't seen in four years. His red hair was bright against the white of the ceiling.

A grin formed on her face. He searched the crowd, and when he found her, he gave her a grin in return.  

The low hum stopped and a roar echoed in the silence. A giant wolf ran through the room at her. "I guess she found a way in," she said, "and we need to duck." 

"What?" Alex asked, baffled.

"Duck!" she said and pulled him down, barely making it before the wolf stood over them. 

“Who is this?” Alex asked. 

“My guardian.” she answered, “Teagan.” 

"Only one guardian?" Alex asked. 

"I'm told there should be more." 

"Look like you might have a target on your back."

"Yeah," she gestured at Wyatt still in the air, "he wants my wings." 

"I don't mean him. I mean someone had your guardians killed from the sound of it." 

Teagan bent her neck so they could see her teeth and snarled at him. 

"Not me!" 

"Lucy. Ms. Moore!" Wyatt called and landed. Removing the wings that appear to be attached to a wire from the ceiling. They bounced in the air once they no longer held his weight. Teagan - Ms. Moore growled again but not for long before she head-butted the teenager with affection. "We need to get out of here. Father wait outside with the van."

"The van?" Lucy asked, confused.

"Van." Wyatt nodded before he pulled her up from the floor. "You are in danger."

"I was just telling her that," Alex said.

Wyatt glared at him before he turned his back to him. "Let’s go," he said to her. The noise started again. Wyatt grabbed her hand, sending a warm shock up to her elbow. He pulled her this way and that way around the people with their hands covering their ears. 

Once outside with the noise a forgotten buzz she heard him say  "There's Father.", and they made it to the van. Somehow they lost Teagan and Alex in the building. He opened the door, "hurry." he said but didn't make her get in the van.

"Lucy." in the driver's seat sat the man she called father most of her life until she found out he wasn't her father and also found her wings. "You are in danger. Get in." 

She did. "How do you know?" she asked.

"Don't you read the gossip about the gods?" Wyatt answered instead of...she didn't know what to call "father." 

"Do you?" she asked. 

"How do you think I knew about this party?" 

The door for the front passenger's side flew open and Teagan jumped in. "Matthew.'' She greeted the driver, who said, "No time for chit chat," he put the van in gear, "the gods don't like their parties crashed.”