This Cold Year ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase²

―v. pelicans, haikus, & awful plans

AS THEY EMBARKED ON WHAT COULD BE their last date ever, Naomi realized she, Annabeth, and Percy really should have gone on more when they had the chance.

Of course, date probably wasn't the best word for what she and her partners were doing—this was, first and foremost, a scouting mission to check out the town of Mykonos and make sure there were no monsters waiting to ambush them.

What they got instead, though, were pelican pedestrians.

Naomi squinted at one suspiciously as it strolled into one of the storefronts. "Are we sure it's not a monster?"

"Like, seventy-nine percent sure," Percy said, which were pretty good odds for them.

"I'll take it," Naomi decided.

"This place is incredible," Annabeth gushed, marveling at every building she could see. Naomi grinned at the sight—she was so in her element, and Naomi could never get over that beautiful glint in her eye that told Naomi she was taking inspiration from every structure, every design choice around them.

"There's so much blue," Percy said, pointing up at the dozenth solid blue roof they'd passed.

"It's like we're in Mamma Mia," Naomi said. She was half-waiting for an ABBA song to start playing out of nowhere.

Percy laughed, his arm thrown around Naomi's shoulders and his hand clasped in Annabeth's. They'd gotten a few second-looks—apparently triads were something to gawk at—but Naomi couldn't bring herself to care. She was with the people she loved most, enjoying the sunlight and the sights for what could be the last time.

And for once, even the deadline—forty-eight hours away—couldn't put a damper on her mood.

August first was rapidly approaching, and though Naomi wished she could slow down the clock, she knew there was no way.

There was no point dreading it anymore.

Annabeth ducked into one of the gift shops and came out with a brochure that advertised the town's best features.

"Oh, look," she said, showing a page to Naomi. "There's a Little Venice here."

"Lead the way," Naomi said immediately.

It wasn't a far walk, and soon they found themselves in a beautiful seaside part of the city with a plethora of bars, restaurants, and boutiques.

Naomi wasn't sure how close Little Venice was to the real thing, but she couldn't help but wonder if Nico would have liked it here—if he'd feel at home or be offended by inaccuracies.

Up ahead, Naomi spotted a gelato shop and smiled.

"Come on," she said. "We can't leave without ice cream."

❈

They brought gelato (dairy-free for Frank) back for the crew, and they enjoyed the ice cream on the deck. For the first time in days, no storm or monster attack interrupted them—they just got to eat ice cream and talk.

"We saw these pelicans walking around town," Percy reported. "Like, just going through the shops, stopping at the bars."

Hazel frowned. "Monsters in disguise?"

"No," Annabeth said, laughing. It was such a beautiful sound. "Just regular old pelicans. They're the town mascots or something. And there's a 'Little Italy' section of town."

"That's why the gelato is so good," Naomi said.

"Europe is messed up." Leo shook his head. "First we go to Rome for Spanish steps. Then we go to Greece for Italian ice cream."