𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐄

𝐗𝐈𝐈

The least the Oracle could've done was walk back to the attic by herself.

Instead, on the next morning, Selene and Percy were elected to carry her. She had a slight feel that it was because of the scene they'd put on the creek.

"Watch her head!" Selene warned as they went up the stairs. But it was too late.

Bonk! Percy whacked her mummified face against the trapdoor frame and dust flew.

"Are you fucking stupid?"

Percy sat the mummy down. "Well at least I'm not a traitor."

"That's it?" Selene asked, her words suddenly too loud. "Fuck you, Percy Jackson!"

"You cannot be mad at me!" He shouted back, dust trickling from the ceiling. "You know how badly I got hurt when Luke betrayed camp—betrayed me! I have all right to be mad at you after today"

A fiery red hue painted Selene's face as she leaned in closer to Percy, their eyes locked in an intense gaze. She could feel his breath hardening against her skin as she muttered, "How could I know that if you never told me?"

"I—" Percy had no response.

Selene looked at him for what felt like an eternity until she broke eye contact, taking a step away from him.

"I feel like I get to know you in installments. You didn't tell me about how you felt—for gods' sake, Percy, I didn't even know you were close to that guy. And about joining the Hunters, did you even notice Zoe's hands? I melted them while she was teaching me how to use my fans." Selene paused for a while. She was still feeling insanely guilty, now not only for Zoe, but also because of what she did to the Stoll brothers, Beckendorf and Nico. "She asked me to take her place, and I agreed, but only because I felt guilty."

It looked like Percy didn't know what to say. Selene examined every inch of Percy's face, waiting for his response. She wiped the growing wetness from her own eyes before it became tears.

"You kinda looked like a Chad when you yelled at me. Thought you were punching the wall next."

The sadness inside Selene twisted into anger. She lowered her eyes and pressed her lips together, turning her head away from him. "You're such an asshole. Forget about it."

Selene grabbed the mummy up and hauled her up, setting her on her tripod stool. Percy ran to her just behind. When they finally settled her there, they were both huffing and sweating. Who knew a mummy could weigh so much?

They got out of there and slammed the attic door shut. Thalia tromped up the stairs.

"What's up with you both?"

"Mene, can we talk?"

She looked wistfully out the second-floor window at the rolling hills covered in snow. She fought the urge to look back at him. "Tell Percy I don't wanna talk to him, Thalia."