The domed roof of Cabin 1 was a perfect hiding spot. At this height, the whole of Long Island Sound spread out to the horizon. So far up, and at such a steep angle, nobody below could possibly see Jason.

  He breathed in the cold winter breeze, then let out a puff of air. He idly watched it dissipate into nothingness.

  Jason felt the air shift behind him. He sighed but didn’t turn around.

  “I didn’t think you’d find me so easily.”

  There was a familiar snort of a pegasus. Jason heard the clip-clop of hooves as Blackjack landed behind him.

  “Sorry. But you’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”

  Jason sighed again. “Pipes…”

  She walked over and stood beside him. He didn’t want to look at her. Not right now, when he was so…unstable. Troubled.

  “You don’t want anyone to see you right now like this,” Piper quietly said.

  As always, she had an uncanny ability to read him. He could only nod in shame.

  “Guess what, Sparky?” She took his hand. “I don’t care. If you want to scream, I’ll be here. If you want to cry, I’ll be here. And if you’re angry and yell at me, I still won’t leave.”

  “I wouldn’t–” Jason cut himself off, taking a deep breath. “I’m not going to yell at you.”

  Piper’s lips twitched upward, and she squeezed his hand. Her hands were warm, Jason realized. He turned to face her, but he couldn’t think of any words to say. Jason swallowed and turned back to staring at the horizon. The sun was setting.

  After a long moment, Blackjack snorted and flew away, clearly not wanting to be a third wheel. Jason watched the pegasus fly off in slight amusement. It was weird to think that Blackjack was following him now instead of Percy.

  “How long are you going to stay? It’s getting late.”

  “As long as you’re here,” Piper immediately said.

  As always, she was really stubborn when it concerned the people close to her. Jason loved that about her. They stood on the rooftop silently as the air grew colder and the sun shrunk in the distance.

  He didn’t know how much time had passed when he next spoke, his gaze fixed on the camp below. “What am I supposed to do, Pipes?”

  The obvious, rational answer was ‘nothing’. To sit and wait, something Jason had very rarely done. Ever since he was left at the Wolf House, responsibility and duty were always present. He was always at work in the legion. And the more work he did, the more work he received. Jason went from soldier to centurion to praetor in record time–he didn’t get breaks often, if at all.

  And now, he was supposed to just idle away as Thalia waited on Mt. Orthys. Was she suffering? What was Luke and the Titans doing to her? The questions gnawed at Jason constantly, but he couldn’t know. He wouldn’t know until she was rescued, which someone else would be doing, not him.

  He didn’t say any of this out loud, of course. But Piper seemed to know and understand his thoughts regardless of that.

  Sometimes, that ability of hers made Jason uncomfortable. But most of the time, he was glad she knew him so well because he often didn’t have the words to explain his feelings to her. It made things easier when she just…knew.

  “You trust them, right?”

  “I-what?”

  She grabbed his face with her hands, forcing him to look up into her eyes. “You trust Percy and Annabeth, don’t you?”

  Jason stuttered embarrassingly. Her hands were warm on his cheeks. Or was it that his cheeks were heating up? He couldn’t tell.

  “O-of course. Of course, I trust them.”

  “And they trust you too. I trust you, Jason. We can get through this just like we always have.”

  Jason exhaled slowly. He had repeated these same words in his mind to try and convince himself. Yet hearing it from someone else made Jason feel like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Maybe he just needed the outside reassurance…or maybe Piper just had that effect on him.

  “It feels like you always know exactly what to say…”

  Piper chuckled softly. “Actually, I’m usually making it up as I go along.”

  “Then I guess it’s a natural talent.”

  She laughed again, and the sound made Jason feel a little better. Then she kissed him, which made him feel a lot better.

  “I…I guess I just wish we’d have more time, me and Thalia,” Jason admitted, gently pressing his forehead against Piper’s. “It always feels like something’s in the way. Last time, I talked to Thalia just three times before we all…died.”

  He remembered each time very clearly. Their first meeting was during the quest to free Hera. Thalia then visited a few months after that, a little before they set out for Camp Jupiter on the Argo II. And they met once more after the fall of Camp Half-Blood, after Gaia’s rise.

  “You’ll have more time,” Piper murmured. “We got a second chance, extra time. Just…wait a little longer…”

  Jason smiled ruefully. “I know. But honestly, Pipes…I’m getting a little tired of being patient all the time. I’m getting tired of waiting and playing safe. Is it bad…if I want to just do my own thing…?”

  Jason was aware of how vulnerable he sounded. The words sounded foreign even to him, holding a degree of openness that almost surprised even himself. Piper pulled back slightly, meeting his gaze. Jason got lost trying to track the ever-changing colors of her kaleidoscope eyes.

  “You’re a good person, Jason,” she said softly. “I don’t blame you for wanting to be selfish sometimes.”

  Jason did. It was hard not to feel guilty whenever he had those selfish thoughts. Jason was supposed to be the leader, to put the safety of others over his own feelings. But still, he managed a trembling smile.

  “Thanks…being the perfect hero isn’t as fun as it sounds.”

  Piper studied his face. She shook her head fondly, clearly seeing his true thoughts.

  “I don’t want the perfect hero, Sparky,” her fingers caressed his cheekbones. Jason shivered, and it wasn’t because of the winter wind. “I want you, flaws and all.”

  She kissed him again, and this time, it felt different. Jason felt his neurons going crazy as if lightning bolts were coursing through his brain.

  Piper was right. He and Thalia had more time than they ever had before. He would trust his friends to rescue his sister. Things would get better.

  They had to.

  Annabeth didn’t want to go to sleep.

  She had a pretty good idea of what her dream would be if she did.

  But after the day she just had, Annabeth was exhausted. Eventually, she just couldn’t keep her eyes open.

  And of course, immediately after falling asleep, the nightmare came.

  She saw Thalia standing on a familiar dark hill. Her surroundings were covered in dark fog, and there was no sky–just a heavy darkness as if she were in a cave.

  Old Greek columns of black marble were scattered around. The ruins of Orthys.

  Thalia was walking up the hill with her spear in hand.

  “Where’d you go, Thorn?” She yelled. She sounded angry, but Annabeth knew that her friend was also confused and afraid. “Show yourself! Why’d you bring me here?”

  No response. Thalia climbed to the crest of the hill carefully, as if expecting an attack at any moment.

  Annabeth wanted to yell at her to run away. To turn around and leave right now.

  She has been in this exact situation before.

  At the hill's peak was the swirling sky, a huge spiral cloud of fog and storm. And at the bottom of the maelstrom, struggling on his knees, was Luke Castellan.

  Thalia breathed in sharply. She walked forward faster.

  Luke wasn't in a good state. His clothes were tattered and ragged, and his face was drenched in sweat. As he looked up to see Thalia, he almost crumpled.

  “Thalia,” the son of Hermes gasped out. “H-help me.”

  The pain in his voice was real. Evidently, Thalia realized this too, since she stepped closer to Luke.

  “It’s really you,” Thalia hissed, face scrunching up. “Luke.”

  Somehow, Luke managed to smile. It was more of a sickly grimace, but still.

  “It’s good to see you again,” he gritted out. “I missed you, y’know.”

  Thalia visibly flinched. She knelt down to Luke’s eye level. She reached toward him hesitantly, as if unsure whether to hug him or slap him.

  “What happened?”

  “They put me here and left,” Luke groaned. “It’s killing me.”

  Thalia’s electric blue eyes sparked. “Liar.”

  Luke dipped his head and his chest began to heave. A strange hissing sound came from him.

  To Annabeth’s surprise, she realized that Luke was laughing.

  “You always saw straight through me,” Luke admitted.

  “They said you betrayed us,” Thalia growled, voice filled with hurt. “That you tried to start a war against the gods.”

  “Yeah…” the son of Hermes’ face scrunched up in agony. “But you’re my last hope, Thalia. If you don’t help me, I’ll die.”

  “Maybe I should just let you die,” Thalia hissed, blinking fast.

  The sky twisted on Luke’s outstretched arms and back. He shifted with a groan, eyes bloodshot. He coughed painfully, and even though Annabeth could never forgive him, the sound felt like a spike driving into her heart.

  “I wouldn’t blame you,” Luke choked out, hanging his head. “I’ve done some terrible things, Thalia.”

  “Like poisoning me.”

  Luke winced, whether from the accusation or from the sky’s constant weight, Annabeth wasn't sure.

  “Do you hate me for what I did, Thalia?” He quietly asked.

  “Yes. No.” Thalia hesitated, her angry expression crumbling into anguish. “Luke, I don’t know what to feel! I come back to the dead to immediately find that you’ve done all this…how the Hades am I even supposed to react?”

  Luke groaned again, his voice strangled. He looked so weak and in pain that it was hard not to feel bad for him.

  “You shouldn’t have died in the first place,” his voice was still weak, but his eyes flashed with anger. “They let you die…I had to do something. I was so angry. I—”

  He broke down into agonizing coughs. Thalia stared at him with teary eyes, as if the only thing she wanted in the world was to save him.

  “I’ve been here so long,” Luke gasped. His legs began to shake. “I can’t hold it much longer. Thalia, please—“

  His knees buckled, and Luke suddenly fell with a cry of pain. Instinctively, Thalia dropped her spear and lunged forward. She rushed in beside Luke and caught the entire weight of the sky as the son of Hermes collapsed. The great stormy cloud seemed to calm for a moment as a new person took on the burden.

  Annabeth wanted to scream. But she was frozen in her dream, nothing but a silent observer, a fly on the wall.

  “Agh!” Thalia cried out, awkwardly trying to get her arms above her head. She glared at Luke, lying down beside her. “You idiot…”

  Luke managed to roll over onto his back, gasping. “Thalia…”

  His face was covered in grime and sweat. He stared at Thalia as she trembled, struggling under the massive weight of the sky.

  “None of them believed me. But I knew…I knew you would help me…” Luke whispered. “I can always count on you…”

  Thalia clenched her jaw in pain. “Help me carry it, Luke.”

  The son of Hermes slowly staggered to his feet. “Don’t worry, help is on the way. It’s all part of the plan–”

  “If you leave, Castellan, I’ll never forgive you,” Thalia hissed breathlessly, making Luke pause. She gasped for breath, staring at him with pleading, begging eyes. “Luke…it’s us against the world. Don’t you remember?”

  Luke stared at her, frozen. His expression was hard to read in the dark fog.

  He didn’t walk away like he did to Annabeth. But he didn’t move to help, either.

  “Luke! Help me!”

  And the sky began to swirl violently again, pushing Thalia harder against the ground.

  Annabeth woke up in her bed, screaming Thalia’s name.

  She was the only person in the Athena cabin at the time. All of her siblings were out in the world for the school year.

  On the one hand, it was good that she didn’t disturb anyone.

  On the other, the empty cabin made Annabeth feel more alone than ever.

  It was still dark outside. Annabeth sat up in her bunk, trying not to cry. She remembered Jason’s words yesterday. He had felt helpless, unable to do anything to help Thalia.

  Annabeth was starting to feel pretty helpless herself.

  She was starting to realize, that despite knowing the future and knowing so much more than her first life, there was still so much she couldn’t control. Every single time Annabeth planned ahead, something would inevitably go wrong anyway.

  It just felt so unfair. Getting a second chance at life, only for Annabeth not to be able to make everything better. She had wanted a complete fix-it, a perfect run with no regrets.

  (‘Percy, don’t you ever feel like, what if the world really is messed up? What if we could do it all over again from scratch? No more war. Nobody homeless. No more summer reading homework.”)

  A prideful wish that had actually come true. Was it so strange that Annabeth had hoped? It was naive, but considering that she had more knowledge, more experience, and all her friends with her…it had made Annabeth feel like anything was possible.

  Hubris at its finest.

  Perhaps this rude awakening was long overdue.

  When talking to her friends yesterday, Annabeth almost felt like a fraud. She was supposed to be their leader. The one responsible for remembering things, making sure things turned out better than their last life. Yet she felt just as lost as everyone else.

  Annabeth slapped cheeks gently. Get a hold of yourself, Chase, she scolded herself. This was the life of a demigod. No matter how much she knew, she wouldn’t be able to know everything. Therefore, Annabeth couldn’t be responsible for controlling everything, no matter how much she felt otherwise.

  But with these new memories, she couldn’t just keep failing. Annabeth knew she had to do better.

  She could still change things. Annabeth focused on that fact, subconsciously narrowing her eyes. She would change things, starting on this quest. Bianca and Zoe were meant to die. That was not going to happen again, not on her watch. And after that, they would get Thalia back, too.

  No more failures. No more mistakes.

  Annabeth knew she couldn’t go back to sleep, so she got up and went to the Poseidon Cabin. A harpy tried to kill her for being out of curfew, so Annabeth was covered in monster dust by the time she arrived.

  Seriously, whose idea was it to hire these bird hags?

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Percy only realized she had snuck in when he woke up with her in his bunk. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence…but Tyson had been there, which had made for an awkward conversation at 8 am.

  She and Percy then went to Grover, their stalker/mole. He told them about overhearing Zoe talking to Chiron about her dream. It seemed that once again, Artemis was lost.

  Annabeth relayed her own dream to the two, and suffice to say, they were pretty gloomy campers when they got to the pavilion for breakfast. Even blue pancakes weren’t enough to fully cheer up Percy.

  Piper met up with them, and let it slip that Jason was feeling impatient. Annabeth couldn't blame him at all; she was starting to get really antsy, honestly. It had been a while since she had been eager for a quest.

  Fortunately, the Oracle was due to give Zoe the prophecy tonight, at Capture the Flag. And despite the stakes, Annabeth briefly let her competitive and loyalist side take over. She was going to break that losing streak today.

  Percy seemed excited, too. He and Zoe had gotten off to an even worse start than before. He was trying to hide it, but Annabeth knew her boyfriend wanted to prove Zoe’s words of blame wrong.

  Even Piper seemed to be looking forward to it, having been roped in by her siblings. Silena Beauregard, the current head counselor, had riled up the Aphrodite cabin impressively effectively.

  “We’ll show them ‘love is worthless’!” She declared. “We’ll pulverize them!”

  The Aphrodite cabin cheered in agreement with a little more bloodlust than Annabeth expected.

  On the flip side, the Hunters were not having a good time. They had huddled together, whispering nervously. Zoe had clearly told them about her dream, and they were obviously not happy to be stuck here. Some looked like they had been crying and many looked resentful.

  Annabeth had a feeling they would take it out on the campers during the game.

  At one point, she saw Zoe pulling Bianca off to the side, discussing something seriously. Annabeth noticed that the two were getting along very well. It was strange; Bianca had already become a sort of personal assistant to Zoe, despite joining just a few days ago.

  There were around twenty people on each side. Definitely smaller than a usual Capture the Flag game, but Annabeth would make it work.

  “This is so cool!” Nico gushed off to the side. He was showing off his way-too-big armor to Leo. “I feel awesome! Do we get to kill the other team?”

  Leo looked at the son of Hades warily. “Uh, no.”

  “But the Hunters are immortal, right?”

  “Only if they don’t fall in battle, Nico. This counts as battle.”

  “Man, it would be awesome if we just, like, resurrected as soon as we were killed, so we could keep fighting all we want!”

  Leo nodded with a forced grin. “That’s the spirit, buddy. But we don’t want you to get hurt, so follow the team, keep your sword up, and you’ll have a blast, alright?”

  Nico lifted his sword up with effort. He tried swinging it a few times and almost stabbed Leo in the chest.

  Chiron hoof thundered on the pavilion floor.

  “Heroes!” He declared. “You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Blue team–Camp Half-Blood, will take the west woods. The Hunters–the red team–will take the east woods. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed. To your positions!”

  “Magic items?” Nico waddled up to Percy. “Like that pen sword? Do I get a magic item?”

  Annabeth interrupted them with a loud, “Blue team! On me!”

  They all cheered and followed her into the forest. They set their flag at the top of Zeus’ Fist, as was tradition. Annabeth assigned the Hermes cabin (Nico and the Stolls) and the Hephaestus cabin (Leo and Beckendorf) to guard it.

  “Apollo cabin, you’re on defense. Spread out and watch the guard team’s back. Ares, Aphrodite, you’re with me on offense!” Annabeth said, and they all cheered with gusto, especially the Aphrodite kids.

  Percy walked up to her. “What about me?”

  She gave him a sly look, one that Percy knew quite well. He immediately wilted.

  “You’re kidding.”

  “You’ve got border patrol, Seaweed Brain,” she said with a bright smile. “It’s a very important job. Only you can do it!”

  “But I’m better on offense! I can get the flag the quickest!”

  “Quicker than Zoe can get ours?”

  Annabeth had been at camp for years. She had seen Zoe beat Camp Half-Blood singlehandedly at Capture the Flag more than once. Percy obviously had too, since he hesitated.

  “You’ll get action, don’t worry,” Annabeth teased. “I’m counting on you to stop her. You’re our last line of defense if all else fails.”

  Percy sighed, relenting. “You’re so mean, Wise Girl.”

  She gave him a quick kiss since his pout was starting to make her feel bad. “I’ll make it up to you, promise.”

  Her team darted into the forest. Annabeth sent Piper and her siblings off to the right to cause a diversion. She and the Ares kids, Sherman Yang and Ellis Wakefield, made a wide arc through the right side of the forest to try and advance on their flag from the flank.

  They crossed the border and soon reached the clearing. The silver flag was just up ahead, guarded by three Hunters. One of them was Bianca di Angelo.

  Annabeth could hear fighting in the woods. It was now or never.

  “Go!”

  They all charged out of the trees. Sherman and Ellis attacked two of the Hunters, momentarily surprising them. Bianca quickly nocked an arrow to help, and while she was distracted, Annabeth tackled her from the side.

  Bianca went sprawling into the snow, groaning. Oops. Maybe Annabeth shouldn’t have hit her so hard.

  “Sorry!”

  Annabeth looked up. The silver flag was tied to a tree branch, ten feet up. There was no time to climb, so Annabeth crouched low and jumped.

  She managed to snag the end of the flag and ripped it down. Ellis and Sherman were still fighting the Hunters, and they were losing. Soon, reinforcements would arrive.

  So, Annabeth abandoned her teammates and took off.

  What? It was the smart thing to do.

  An arrow exploded behind her, forming a cloud of yellow smoke. Annabeth quickly covered her nose as the smell of sulfur spread across the clearing.

  Sherman let out a wail. “Damn fart arrows!”

  He and Ellis gagged and collapsed.

  Annabeth kept running for the border. Arrows whizzed past her ears. Just ten yards from the creek, a Hunter came out of nowhere and slashed at her with their knives. Annabeth fell backward to dodge, almost dropping the flag.

  “So close!” She teased. “But you’re not going any farther!”

  Three more hunters ran out of the woods, bows drawn and knives raised. Annabeth was surrounded.

  “Not so fast!” The voice of Silena Beauregard cut through the air.

  The Aphrodite cabin stormed into the clearing, ferociously engaging the Hunters in battle. The creek was just yards away. Annabeth got up and began fighting side by side with Piper like she had done hundreds of times.

  Suddenly, Annabeth heard Percy’s nervous voice. “Annabeth!”

  She parried a Hunter’s stab and kicked her aside, looking to the other side. Percy was dueling Zoe one-on-one. The lieutenant had the blue flag in her hands. Percy was doing his best to slow her down and keep her from crossing the border.

  Zoe darted around Percy’s next strike, trying to make a break for it. But Percy managed to kick at her legs from behind, momentarily stumbling her.

  “Hurry!” He called.

  “Move aside!” Piper commanded their foes.

  For a brief moment, the Hunters obeyed, hesitating. It was all Annabeth needed to dive through the gap between them and dash for the creek. She bolted across to her own side just in time.

  Percy cheered, his blade still locked with Zoe’s. “Yes!”

  The lieutenant briefly glanced over her shoulder with a frown. She twisted her dagger and disarmed Percy, then quickly kicked out his feet from under him. The son of Poseidon faceplanted in the snow.

  “Ack!” Percy lifted his face off the ground and glared at her. “We already won! What was that for?”

  “My apologies. I did not realize,” Zoe’s tone was clipped.

  Both sides soon converged on the creek, and a loud cheer went up among the campers.

  “The game is done!” Chiron declared. “Camp Half-Blood wins!”

  The campers celebrated like they had won a war. People were hollering, whistling, and dancing. Leo set off one of his makeshift fireworks, lighting up the sky. Annabeth thought she even saw Silena Beauregard and Charles Beckendorf kissing like in that one WWII picture.

  She helped Percy up from the snow. “It’s one to fifty-five now.”

  “Hey, let them have this,” he grinned, dusting himself off. Suddenly, Percy paused and tapped his finger on his chin. “Say, when you said you’d ‘make it up to me’, what did you mean–”

  Gasps suddenly went up around the clearing. The celebration sounds withered away, all except for Nico, who kept cheering until he realized everyone had gone silent. His voice awkwardly trailed off.

  Mist curled around their feet, turning the snow a sickly shade of green. A ragged figure approached out of the woods.

  “Impossible,” Chiron muttered, more nervous than Ananbeth had ever heard him sound before. “It–she has never left the attic. Never.”

  The withered mummy stopped in the center of the group. No one dared to speak, let alone move. A voice hissed inside Annabeth’s head. Several campers around her grinned their ears.

  “I am the spirit of Delphi. Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python,” The Oracle turned to Zoe Nightshade. “Approach, Seeker, and ask.”

  Annabeth tensed. Here it was.

  Zoe didn’t seem surprised. She took a deep breath and asked, “What must I do to help my goddess?”

  The Oracle’s mouth opened. Green mist poured out and formed a vague image. A mountain, with a girl standing at the barren peak. Artemis was wrapped in chains, kneeling with her hands raised.

  “Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,

  Following the trail of Olympus’ bane,

  The Titan’s Curse must they withstand,

  As friends bear arms in the ruined land.

  Campers and Hunters combined prevail,

  And the raging storm shall tip the scales.”

  The green mist swirled and retreated into the mummy’s mouth, the image disappearing with it. The Oracle sat down on a rock and went still. Like it had never moved at all and could sit by the creek for a thousand years.

  Annabeth met Percy’s eyes. She had never heard the prophecy in the first timeline, but this didn’t seem right. Percy looked at her with a bewildered expression, clearly taken aback.

  Great. It seemed like the prophecy had changed for this quest, too.

  All was silent for a while.

  Eventually, Leo coughed. “So, uh…who’s carrying the mummy back to the Big House?”

  Annabeth fought the urge to groan. Many others didn’t have her self-control. At the very least, he had lightened the mood.

  “It was a valid question! What, are you volunteering?!”

  Zoe cleared her throat. “We need a council, Chiron. We must discuss the prophecy.”

  “It would seem so,” the centaur’s voice was heavy. “Campers, return to your cabins for today. Cabin leaders, let us gather at the Big House.”

  In a few minutes, they had gathered at the Big House rec room. Dionysus summoned snacks on the Ping Pong table: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and Diet Coke. He and Chiron sat at one end of the table.

  Zoe and Bianca di Angelo sat on the other side. Annabeth, Grover, and Percy were on the right side. The other head counselors were on the left.

  “There is little time for talk,” Zoe began. “Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately.”

  “And go where?” Chiron asked.

  “ Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,” Bianca recited. Her face glowed with excitement–literally, it looked like she had been taking showers in liquid moonlight. The daughter of Hades looked a lot different after just a few days with the Hunters “We’ll take five hunters and head west. Simple.”

  “Yes. Artemis is being held hostage,” Zoe agreed. “We must find her and free her.”

  “What about the fifth line, then?” Percy cut in. “ Campers and Hunters combined prevail . We have to do this together.”

  Bianca frowned. “Then we’ll just–”

  “No!” Zoe stood suddenly, making Bianca jump. “The Hunters do not need thy help.”

  “Zoe, you’re older than many of us here,” Annabeth jumped in. She kept her tone calm and civil. “You should know more than us of how pointless it is to fight against prophecies.”

  The lieutenant grimaced. She sat back down.

  “We must not delay,” Chiron warned. “In five days is the winter solstice.”

  “Oh, goody. Another annual meeting,” Dionysus grumbled.

  “Artemis must be present at the solstice. She has been one of the most vocal on the council for action against Kronos’ minions,” Zoe said. “If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing, and we will lose another year of war preparations.”

  Dionysus tilted his head. “Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together?”

  Percy coughed loudly. “Yes.”

  Zoe glared at him, then sighed. “I am.”

  “You’re right, of course,” Mr. D nodded. “I was just checking.”

  “We have less than a week to find her. We also have to find the monster she was hunting,” Annabeth suddenly said, drawing curious gazes. “Before she left, Artemis went to track ‘the most important monster of all, one that could bring the downfall of Olympus’. Doesn’t that sound familiar?”

  Bianca inhaled sharply. “ Following the trail of Olympus’ bane. If we find that monster, it could lead us to where Artemis is being held.”

  “The bane of Olympus, you say?” Zoe murmured. She was absentmindedly playing with a Ping-Pong paddle in her hand. “I have hunted at Lady Artemis’ side for centuries. But I do not know what this beast may be.”

  “Mr. D?” Percy asked. “Would you know?”

  “I’m a young god, Peter Johnson,” the god drawled, not even looking up from his magazine. “I don’t keep track of ancient monsters and dusty titans. Terrible party conversation.”

  “Olympus’ bane can mean many monsters,” Chiron mused, brow furrowed. “Typhon, for instance. Or the sea monster Keto. But if either of them were stirring, we would know it. The alarm would have already been sounded.”

  “What about the Ophiotaurus?” Annabeth crossed her arms. “Legends say that the person who kills and burns its entrails would have the power to bring down the gods.”

  Percy shot her a nervous glance, no doubt wondering if this was the right time to tell everyone.

  “That’s quite possible,” Chiron’s eyes gleamed with pride as he looked at Annabeth. “It is certainly a more elusive beast. No one has seen it since the first Titanomachy, but if it has reformed…”

  “What about the other lines, then? Like, the one about ruined land,” Connor Stoll asked.

  “The Titans have ruined a lot of land,” Percy offered.

  “I wonder what the Titan’s curse means?” Silena wondered aloud. “And apparently someone has to withstand it?”

  “I’m most concerned about the last line. And the raging storm shall tip the scales .” Grover chewed on a Ping-Pong ball. “It sounds like there’s something that will break or make this quest.”

  Annabeth and Percy exchanged nervous glances. That line had been bothering her, too. A raging storm could mean a lot of things. Technically, the sky that Atlas carried was a storm funnel cloud. But Annabeth couldn’t help but think it was more than that.

  For example, Percy was really good at making storms…

  “Enough. We are wasting time debating things that we can never know for sure,” Zoe interrupted firmly. “We must decide who will go.”

  “Let’s start with the Hunters. Which of you will go?” Beckendorf said.

  Zoe stood again. “I shall go. And I will take Phoebe, our best tracker.”

  “The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?” Travis suddenly asked.

  The lieutenant nodded.

  “We have a T-shirt for her from the camp store,” Connor held up a silver T-shirt that said ARTEMIS THE MOON GODDESS, FALL HUNTING TOUR, and a list of places underneath. Annabeth remembered going on that tour last year. “It’s a collector’s item, and she was admiring it. You want to give it to her?”

  Zoe rolled her eyes and took it without a word, to Annabeth’s surprise. She frowned at the Stolls suspiciously.

  Next to her, Percy quietly, “Oh… Oh. I had forgotten about that…”

  Annabeth frowned at her boyfriend. He gave her a gesture that meant ‘I’ll tell you later’.

  “As I was saying, I shall take Phoebe. But I also wish for Bianca to go,” Zoe said.

  “Me? I just got here,” Bianca looked stunned.

  “You have much potential, Bianca. You just need to realize it. You will do fine.”

  Percy tensed. “Zoe, that’s a lot to expect from her. She’s still inexperienced and unprepared. Quests can be life or death out there. Uh, no offense.”

  “Nonsense. With Phoebe and I with her, no harm will come to her,” Zoe glared at him. She did that to Percy a lot.

  Percy’s voice lowered to a growl. “You don’t know that.”

  “And thou does? Even though I have lived a hundred times longer than thee?”

  Annabeth frowned. “Living longer doesn’t mean you don’t make any mistakes, Zoe.”

  Bianca’s gaze darted between them. She looked unsure and a little scared.

  “It’s fine. I’ll go,” she said, twisting the skull ring on her finger. Annabeth started–that was Nico’s skull ring. “I want to help. And I want to prove myself.”

  Percy clenched his fists but did not argue further.

  “And for the campers?” Chiron asked.

  “Me!” Grover stood up so fast before either Annabeth or Percy could say anything. He brushed Ping-Pong ball pieces and cracker crumbs off his lap. “Anything to help Artemis!”

  “But thou are not even a half-blood.” Zoe wrinkled her nose.

  “I am a camper! With my woodland magic, I can play a tracker’s song. It’ll save us a lot of time.”

  Zoe frowned but was clearly swayed. She nodded. “Very well.”

  “I’ll go, too,” Percy stood.

  “Absolutely not,” Zoe turned her withering gaze onto him. “Thou art a boy. I won’t have the Hunters traveling with a boy.”

  “I don’t know what you’re worried about, Zoe,” Percy rolled his eyes. He took Annabeth’s hand as if to prove it.

  “I do not worry that you will try anything,” the lieutenant explained. “It is the concept. We do not trust men. Only tolerate them. And on a dangerous quest, that is not an option.”

  Percy looked offended. “Hey, Bianca gets along fine with me, though! Right, Bianca?”

  Bianca looked like she was trying not to smile. “Zoe, maybe–”

  “No,” Zoe said firmly. “This is not negotiable.”

  “What about Grover?” Annabeth challenged.

  “He is a satyr. He does not count. He is not technically a boy.”

  Grover frowned. “Wait, what?”

  “Again,” Zoe said flatly, putting both hands on the table. “I will not waver on this. I will bring a satyr if I must, but not a male hero.”

  Chiron pinched the bridge of his nose. “This quest is for Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions.”

  Annabeth watched as Percy rolled his eyes and sat back down. She raised an eyebrow at him. He was giving up that easily? That made no sense. She would have to talk to him about it later.

  Percy took out Riptide in pen form and started playing with it. Zoe’s eyes flared with sudden fury before turning away. Annabeth raised an eyebrow. Did he do that on purpose?

  She put that aside for now and stood. “Then I’ll go.”

  Zoe didn’t argue.

  Chiron waited a few moments, then nodded. “So be it. Annabeth and Grover will accompany Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. May the gods be with you.”

  “Amen!” Dionysus agreed drunkenly, despite the fact he hadn’t drunk a bit of alcohol.

  The council concluded, and everyone went back to their cabins. Zoe went out first, followed by Bianca who waved at them before going. Beckendorf patted Percy’s shoulder on the way out. Silena gave him a pitying look.

  Next was Grover, whose previous excitement had faded away. “Sorry, Percy…I didn’t know they’d do that before I volunteered.”

  “It’s all right, G-man. It’s not your fault,” Percy told him. “Zoe wouldn’t have let me on anyway. You two can save Thalia, I know it.”

  “If I can find her, I will,” he promised.

  Annabeth remembered that no one knew that Thalia and Artemis were in the same place yet.

  After Grover left, it was just her and Percy. She crossed her arms. “Mind telling me what you know?”

  “The Stolls poisoned that shirt they gave to Phoebe,” Percy immediately explained. “This happened last time too. I snuck on the quest, and since they were already down one, Zoe let me join.”

  Annabeth blanched. “Poisoned?”

  “Non-lethally,” he quickly added.

  “Still, it’d feel kind of wrong to just let it happen.” Annabeth frowned and hesitated. She knew Percy wouldn’t agree to this…but she had to ask anyway. “Maybe we could tell her, and you could stay–”

  “I have to go,” he shook his head. Percy’s sea-green eyes were bright. “I…I have to save Thalia. It was my fault. If I stay here…I’ll never be able to look Jason in the eye again.”

  He was always so loyal. Annabeth couldn’t help but shake her head fondly. “Seaweed brain…it’s not your fault. But okay. Are you sure Phoebe will be fine?”

  “Yeah. The Stolls aren’t that crazy.” He leaned back in his chair, stretching. “I’ll catch up with you guys tomorrow. Grover will probably lead you guys to D.C., since you’ll be retracing Artemis’ steps. I’ll meet you at the National Air and Space Museum.”

  “The Smithsonian?” Annabeth grinned. She had gone there last year with her family, but it really wasn’t a place you could fully experience in one trip.

  “Yeah. Maybe we’d even have time for a date,” Percy smirked.

  Annabeth rolled her eyes. “You’re adorable.”

  “Thank you,” Percy rested his head on his hands. “What do you think about the prophecy?”

  She paused, considering how to respond. She recalled the original prophecy that Percy told her and compared it to their new one.

  “At first glance, this one sounds better.”

  “Right?” Percy agreed. “It doesn’t say anyone’s going to die this time. That’s gotta be a good thing. If it hadn’t changed, there’s no way I would have let Bianca join the quest, no matter what Zoe says.”

  Annabeth nodded. “I still don’t like how little we know, but maybe ignorance is bliss here.”

  If Percy had remembered the original prophecy correctly, then only two lines had changed: the one about friends in a ruined land, and the storm tipping the scales.

  Though, Annabeth supposed the order had changed, too. Did that mean anything? She didn’t know what it might mean, but she wouldn’t put the possibility past Fate.

  She had to figure out the other two lines as soon as possible. For Bianca, for Zoe…for Thalia.

  Percy took her hand. “You’re stressing yourself out again, Annabeth. You’re doing that thing when you’re overthinking and planning, and your lip scrunches up and your eyebrows knit together and—”

  “Okay, I get it,” Annabeth sighed, cutting her train of thought. She’d have plenty of time to think later. “You’re right. I should focus on preparations for right now.”

  He nodded, pleased to have dragged her out of her spiraling.

  “I have to find Bessie in the morning. Oh, and I have to call Mom, and tell her I’ll be on a quest again.”

  “I guess I should call Dad, and let him know we might drop in,” Annabeth said. “Oh, and don’t forget about Nico.”

  “Huh? What about Nico?”

  “We have to get his trust quickly,” she explained. “He plays way too big of a role for us to just leave him be.”

  Percy nodded slowly, thinking over her words. “You’re right. We needed him in the Battle of Manhattan. And according to Jason, Epirus too. But if Bianca doesn’t die, it should all be okay.”

  Annabeth bit her lip. Percy was jumping to conclusions a little too much for her liking. True, if Bianca didn’t die, they likely wouldn’t have many problems with Nico.

  But that wasn’t a guarantee. And even more importantly, it wasn't a guarantee Bianca would survive this quest. As Annabeth had learned painfully, knowing the future didn’t always mean you could change it for the better.

  Percy also knew that, of course. But Annabeth guessed he just didn’t want to consider it.

  “I’ll ask Leo, Piper, and Jason to keep him company while we’re gone,” Annabeth said. “The sooner he gets to know all of us, the better.”

  “That makes sense,” he nodded. “He could use some friends this time around…”

  The son of Poseidon sighed wistfully. Annabeth wondered if he was thinking of how Nico died in their last life—teleporting the Seven away with his shadows, sacrificing himself to Gaia’s army.

  “I’m not going to ruin his life again,” Percy murmured. “I have to keep Bianca safe this time.”

  Annabeth swallowed. That was the second time that Percy had said ‘I have to’. First Thalia, now Bianca. That damned loyalty of his…he just couldn't help feeling responsible for everyone close to him. She could see the weight on his shoulders every time he said something like that.

  “Percy,” Annabeth said quietly. She pulled his arm gently, forcing him to look at her. He was trembling slightly under her grip. “It’s going to be okay. We–and I do mean we, not just you–can do this.”

  Percy breathed out slowly, smiling softly. “You’re right. You know, during the Titan War in our last life I always felt like I had it unfair. I was the guy given all the pressure. I mean, I was a little honored I guess, but…I felt like I had to carry everything. I hated it.”

  “And now?”

  “And now…” he smiled wider, taking her hands. “I’ve got a bunch of amazing friends who I know are willing to carry the burden with me, and the most awesome-est girlfriend in the world.”

  He really was adorable.

  Annabeth got up and kissed him right then and there. Percy almost fell out of his chair as she straddled him. She ran her hands through his black hair as Percy finally clued in and began kissing her back.

  Now, Chiron and Dionysus were still in the Big House. But the rec room was empty, and Annabeth hadn’t had a chance to do this with Percy in a while.

  Her heart was still filled with worries about Thalia, Luke, and the future. There were many things she didn’t know and couldn’t prepare for, which scared her.

  But for just this moment, Percy was in her arms, they were together…and she could pretend that nothing else existed.