This Dark Night ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase¹

―ii. chiron gets sacked (and percy gets a brother)

"Speaking of hello," Naomi said, looking at the very tall, distinctly one-eyed boy trailing behind her friends. "Who's this?" 

"Naomi, this is Tyson," Percy introduced. "Tyson, this is my friend Naomi." 

The tall kid looked at her with one big brown eye. "Hi." 

"He's a Cyclops," Annabeth said.

Naomi blinked. "I got that."  

"He's also my friend," Percy added, glaring pointedly at Annabeth. 

Naomi wasn't sure what that was about. "Oo-kay," she said. "Hi, Tyson." 

"Hi," he said again.

"I'm gonna go check and see if the Stolls need help in the armory," Ethan told her. "Or just... make sure they haven't set it on fire or something. See you at dinner?" 

Naomi nodded, bumping his fist as he passed. "See you." She turned back to Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson as he walked off and jabbed a thumb toward the front door behind her. "Come on—Chiron's upstairs, but... well, he's not going to be here much longer." 

❊

Chiron was in his apartment, listening to his favorite 60s lounge music while he packed his saddlebags. 

As soon as Tyson saw him, he froze. "Pony!" he cried in total rapture.

Chiron turned, looking offended. "I beg your pardon?"

Annabeth ran up and hugged him. "Chiron, what's happening? You're not... leaving?" Her voice was shaky. Naomi understood why—Chiron was like a second father to her. 

Chiron ruffled Annabeth's hair and gave her a kindly smile. "Hello, child. And Percy, goodness. You've grown over the year!" 

Percy swallowed. "Clarisse said you were... you were..."

"Fired." Chiron's eyes glinted with dark humor. "Ah, well, someone had to take the blame. Lord Zeus was most upset. The tree he'd created from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned! Mr. D had to punish someone."

"The wrong someone," Naomi grumbled. 

"But this is crazy!" Annabeth cried. "Chiron, you couldn't have had anything to do with poisoning Thalia's tree!"

"Nevertheless," Chiron sighed, "some in Olympus do not trust me now, given the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" Percy asked. 

Chiron's face darkened. He stuffed a Latin-English dictionary into his saddlebag while Frank Sinatra music oozed from his boom box.

Tyson was still staring at Chiron in amazement. He whimpered like he wanted to pat Chiron's flank but was afraid to come closer. "Pony?"

Chiron sniffed. "My dear young Cyclops! I am a centaur."

"Chiron," Percy said. "What about the tree? What happened?"

He shook his head sadly. "The poison used on Thalia's pine is something from the Underworld, Percy. Some venom even I have never seen. It must have come from a monster quite deep in the pits of Tartarus."

"Then we know who's responsible. Kro—"

"Do not invoke the titan lord's name, Percy," Chiron warned. "Especially not here, not now."

"But last summer he tried to cause a civil war in Olympus! This has to be his idea. He'd get Luke to do it, that traitor." 

"Perhaps," Chiron said. "But I fear I am being held responsible because I did not prevent it and I cannot cure it. The tree has only a few weeks of life left unless..."