The Moon and the Stars || Heroes of Olympus

Chapter 39

I once again struggled to get to sleep, tossing and turning for half the night. Though once sleep finally took hold, I slept without nightmares and woke feeling refreshed.

Leo docked the ship at a pier in Charleston Harbour, 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.

As usual, the two of us were the first on deck, so passed the time playing cards until eventually, we had a seven person game of snap going. Leo was a terrible cheat but decided it was ok because, and I quote, "it's not cheating if it's my ship". Hazel won her third game in a row when Jason appeared and he, Frank and Leo had to leave for the museum.

"We'll be back by sunset." Leo assured me. "Good luck with your spirit."

I pressed a kiss on his lips. "Stay safe."

"I'll do my best."

The three of them left, leaving Piper, Hazel, Hedge and I to the cards.

"Another round of snap?" Hazel grinned.

Piper raised her eyebrows. "So you can destroy us again? I don't think so. Twenty-one?"

"Sure."

Coach Hedge had stopped playing and started chewing on the cards by the time Percy made an appearance and switched the game back to snap.

I groaned. "Don't let Hazel start winning again."

She shoved me gently. "You're only saying that because you're winning."

"I'm never gonna win." Piper sighed.

"You will if we team up against Hazel."

Annabeth joined us on deck before we could descend into an argument at Percy's obvious cheating. She took a few minutes to speak with Percy before we left.

She turned to us. "Okay, ladies. Let's find the ghost of the Battery."

-Ω-

At first, we had a pretty good time walking along the Battery. According to the signs, the seaside park was called White Point Gardens. The ocean breeze swept away the muggy heat of the summer afternoon, and it was pleasantly cool under the shade of the palmetto trees. Lining the road were old Civil War cannons and bronze statues of historical figures.

Charleston Harbour glittered in the sun. To the north and south, strips of land stretched out like arms enclosing the bay, and sitting in the mouth of the harbour, about a mile out, was an island with a stone fort.

The park wasn't crowded. Most of the locals were probably away on summer vacation, or holed up at home taking a siesta. We strolled along South Battery Street, which was lined with four-story mansions. The brick walls were blanketed with ivy. The front gardens were bursting with rosebushes, honeysuckle, and flowering bougainvillea. It looked like Demeter had set the timer on all the plants to grow several decades ago, then forgotten to come back and check on them. I smiled.

"Kind of reminds me of New Rome," Hazel said. "All the big mansions and the gardens. The columns and arches."

I nodded. Not that I had noticed the similarities in architecture.

The other girls didn't say much.

I'd never been good at reading Annabeth's expressions, but she seemed deep in thought. Maybe about the architecture she loved so much.

Piper kept looking around like she expected an ambush. She had said she'd seen this park in the blade of her knife, but she wouldn't elaborate. I assumed she was afraid to. After all, the last time Piper had tried to interpret a vision from her knife, Percy and Jason had almost killed each other in Kansas.