The Veiled Legacy | PJO - Book Two

two

GODDESS GONE CRAZY

"Smart call back there." Percy said, "choosing the air-conditioning."

He and Ariana had just searched the museum. Now they were sitting on a bridge that spanned the Kladeos River, their feet dangling over the water as they waited for Frank and Hazel to finish scouting the ruins.

To their left, the Olympic valley shimmered in the afternoon heat. To their right, the visitors' lot was crammed with tour buses.

Good thing the Argo II was moored a hundred feet in the air, because they never would've found parking.

Ariana skipped a stone across the river.

She wished Hazel and Frank would get back. The longer she spent sat there bored out of her mind, the more she thought about her part in the prophecy.

Ariana knew she'd have to go on a quest, possibly alone, that much was already decided. She also knew their was a high chance of her dying along the way, if she failed it was guaranteed.

To top it all off, the boy she had kissed, she couldn't get out of her mind.

It was as if they had never even kissed. Not to mention the drawing of a goddess, who cursed Annabeth, on his bedside table.

To sum it all up, Ariana wanted to scream and kick and cry into her pillow. The betrayal was imprinted into her, she couldn't believe Leo had done that.

And despite it all, Ariana knew she would continue to love him.

"Somethings bothering you." Percy noted, he was sat besides her.

"Dunno what you're on about." She waved it off.

Percy rolled his eyes and pointed at her. "I've been around you consistently since we were twelve years old, Ariana. I know when your bothered about something."

"I swear to every single god if there is another prophecy and I'm involved I will drown myself." Ariana huffed.

Then she spoke extremely quickly. "Everything, literally everything is going wrong! I keep thinking about this stupid prophecy and how I might die! Plus, I think I know what I have to do and I really really really do not want to. Then, Leo kissed me and he's now barely speaking to me, we haven't spoke about what happened. He has a drawing of fucking Calypso on his bedside table. And I really like him Percy, like really like him. But he likes Calypso, who cursed Annabeth. And I know I'll always love him even if I don't want to." Then she groaned. "Not to mention Nico basically going on a suicide mission."

By the end of it she hadn't even realised she started to cry until Percy slung his arm around her, pulling her in.

He didn't speak; Ariana was grateful for it. She didn't know how much she simply needed a hug, some reassurance that somebody was there for her.

"Maybe we should talk. But not-"

Percy was interrupted.

"Guys!" Frank stood at the far end of the parking lot, waving at them to come over.

Next to him, Hazel sat astride her horse Arion, who had appeared unannounced as soon as they'd landed.

Ariana quickly wiped away her tears and put on a fake smile - she did not want to let Hazel see her upset.

She and Percy jogged over to meet their friends.