little bird - Percy Jackson

chapter twenty six

The deadline.

My birthday. Sixteen. Sixteen.

Deadline. Nico. Gaea. Falling.

A brilliant blue sky, the sun shining over the rolling hills in the distance. The sparkling city of Rome glistening beneath them like a freshly waxed car.

I hate my birthday. We have to find Nico.

The city spread through the hills and valleys, jumping over the Tiber with dozens of elegant bridges, and stretched past the horizon. The streets were an elaborate maze held in by glass buildings, Roman columns, and cobblestone piazzas. Parks splotched across the city beneath them, littered with olive trees and junipers and multicolored flowers.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, you're in the final countdown, happy birthday to you.

It was beautiful, a clash of nature, white columns, and cobble stone. It was as if the civilization was unable to decide what part of the world it belonged to - old or modern - or maybe it believed that the world itself still belonged to Rome.

Belonged to Gaea.

"We're setting down in that park." Leo announced, pointing ahead towards a wide green shot of grass that was dotted with palm trees, "Let's hope the Mist makes us look like a large pigeon or something."

Wren stood against the rails of the Argo II, watching as they sailed through the sky. She wondered what the Romans saw when they looked up the giant bronze trireme as little chaos inside. There was no pointing and screaming, no running civilians, not a single car veered off the road.

Percy spotted Wren at the rails, a soft grin growing on his features as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and stalked towards her. He knocked his shoulder into hers as he stood at the railing, standing so close that she could practically feel his every breath, distracting her from the jagged Roman streets below.

She knew who it was the second she felt the light shove, shifting to look up at the taller boy with amusement, "Cooties, Jackson." Wren teased before taking a step away and moving to push the boy back with an exceptionally weak shove.

Percy grabbed ahold of her extended arm, giving a tug that pulled her right back to him, a smug look on his face, "I think we're past the point of cooties, no?"

His exceptionally smug look only grew when Wren gave a light laugh, biting the inside of her lip to keep the grin from inflating his ego even further.

"You're cheeky." Wren poked her finger into the boys chest. Percy laughed as he leaned down, Wren pulling her head back with an equally as cheeky purse of her lips.

They were on the deck of the ship, where anyone could see. And Annabeth practically bolted towards them, "You did not!"

Oo, yikes.

The duo froze, Wren turning to Annabeth with a surprised face and faux innocent sparkling in her eyes, "I didn't what?"

Annabeth gaped as she looked between the two before quickly lurching forwards and smacking them. Percy, ever the gentlemen, held Wren in front of himself to avoid the Chase girls attack, "Wren Demetra Kelley!"

"Ow - Ow!" Wren cried, whacking the girls hands away and stepping her foot down on top of Percy's, "Jesus woman, what is with the full name?"

"You weren't in your room this morning! And this-" Annabeth pointed between the two of them with an all too proud smirk, "I can't believe you guys!"