The Curse of Achilles (PJO AU)

The Mark of Athena (Part 5)

Charleston, South Carolina

Leo docked the ship at a pier in Charleston Harbor, right next to the seawall. Along the shore was a historical district with tall mansions, palm trees, and wrought-iron fences. Antique cannons pointed at the water.

By the time Percy came up on deck, Jason, Frank, and Leo had already left for the museum. According to Coach Hedge, they'd promised to be back by sunset.

Percy leaned on the starboard rail, gazing over the bay. He didn't have to wait long before Annabeth joined him.

She took his hand. "What are you going to do while we're gone?"

"Jump into the harbor," he said casually, remarking how strange that might sound to anyone who didn't know him. "I want to try communicating with the local Nereids. Maybe they can give me some advice about how to free those captives in Atlanta. Besides, I think the sea might be good for me. Being in that aquarium made me feel . . . unclean."

Percy pushed aside the memory of the glass dome shattering above him, the temporary panic he'd felt as the water rushed in.

Annabeth kissed him, and that helped. "Good luck, Seaweed Brain. Just come back to me, okay?"

"I will," he promised. "You do the same."

Annabeth turned to Piper and Hazel. "Okay, ladies. Let's find the ghost of the Battery."

Once they had left, Percy checked in with Coach Hedge. He was focused on a Chuck Norris movie down in his cabin and very grumpy about the interruption, so Percy let him be. He returned to the deck of the ship and stared down at the water.

It's fine. Everything is fine, Percy told himself. He took a deep breath and jumped over the railing.

Percy hit the water with the usual cold shock and slowly sank. He held his breath as long as he possibly could, and then slowly took a breath. He breathed normally, just like he always had. He was still the son of Poseidon, which meant he could still breathe underwater and keep his clothes from getting wet and everything else he'd been able to do since learning of his heritage.

The seawater was calming. It reminded Percy of home and safety—of Montauk and Long Island Sound. Lakes and rivers were nice, but saltwater was always the best for Percy. It soothed him in ways that freshwater never could. It had been a long time since he'd just been able to "sit" under the sea and relax.

Sure enough, the Charleston Harbor was slowly working to calm him down. He felt like he'd been on constant alert since boarding the Argo II, so it was nice to let his guard down for a bit. For a while, Percy just floated with the small fish that swam by, letting his worries vanish for the time being.

Eventually, he swam underneath the Argo II. Light shined off of the bronze hull, creating fun patterns on the seafloor. Percy almost felt like he could fall asleep down here, but he had a job to do. He needed to be ready in case the others came back and needed him. But until then, he could make the most of his time.

The dock was about twenty feet behind Percy. He forced himself to stare up at the ship's hull and try to trick his brain into thinking the ship was trapping him underwater.

But that's no problem, he told himself. Because I'm the son of Poseidon and I can breathe underwater. I could stay here all day if I had to. And I would be completely fine.

It was working. He'd been breathing comfortably for at least twenty minutes by now. If he was going to drown, it would have happened a while ago.

Next, even though he really didn't want to, Percy closed his eyes and forced himself to remember the muskeg. He pictured that cold, slimy, wet bog closing in on him. He remembered how helpless and terrified he'd felt.