𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑 • PERCY JACKSON

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏: 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒

...

PERCY JACKSON WAS TIRED.

After all who wouldn't be tired after blowing up a cruise ship, briefly battling a Titan? He walked out of the ocean at camp and news spread like wildfire that he was back. The beach at camp was on the North Shore of Long Island, and it's enchanted so most people can't even see it. People don't just appear on the beach unless they're demigods or gods.

That afternoon the lookout on duty was Connor Stoll from the Hermes cabin. When he spotted Percy, he got so excited he fell out of his tree. Then he blew the conch horn to signal the camp and ran to greet Percy.

Connor had a crooked smile that matched his crooked sense of humor. He's a pretty nice guy, but you should always keep one hand on your wallet when he's around, and do not, under any circumstances, give him access to shaving cream unless you want to find your sleeping bag full of it. He's got curly brown hair and is a little shorter than his brother, Travis, which is the only way Percy can tell them apart.

"Percy!" he yelled. "Man, you'll never guess whose here. What happened? Where's Beckendorf?"

Something on Percy's face changed and Connor's smile melted. "Oh, no. Poor Silena. Holy Zeus, when she finds out . . ."

Together they climbed the sand dunes. A few hundred yards away, people were already streaming toward them, smiling and excited. Percy's back, they were probably thinking. He's saved the day! Maybe he brought souvenirs!

Percy's stomach bubbled with so much guilt he felt like throwing up. He stopped at the dining pavilion and they were already there, waiting for him.

When he get's there, they're all talking and had had just interrupted an important conversation.

At the table were Chiron and Annabeth. His heart felt a bit funny when he saw her. She hardly brushed her curly blond hair anymore, and she didn't care what clothes she was wearing—usually the same old orange camp T-shirt and jeans, and once in a while her bronze armor. Her eyes were stormy gray. She was too busy preparing for the war to care too much about her appearance.

Then Percy locked eyes with the person sitting next to Annabeth and his heart soared.

Eris Lewis.

She looked the same, yet so different. Her face had matured slightly, with her cheekbones standing out more. She still had some acne and scars on her face and a mouth full of clear braces. Her skin was a shade darker. Her locs were a dyed lighter shade of brown, almost a bit reddish, and were in a long high ponytail that reached her butt. She wore an orange camp tank top and a pair of shorts. She had a new pair of clear glasses that were more circular than the last pair. She stood and Percy realized how tall she was now. After a year, Percy thought after growing to be 5'10 he'd after years of being shorter than her he'd finally bested her but as soon as she stood up he knew she had to be at least 6'0. She wore old sneakers and on her left leg, there was a metal leg prosthetic that ran up her ankle.

He saw her and all the words magically disappeared from his mouth.

Eris blinked, "Oh, hey!" she smiled at him slightly and Percy felt his face burn.

Eris was more muscular too. Her body was lean and compact with strong muscles. Her arms and legs were extremely defined from training so often with Hippolyta and when she waved her shirt rode up slightly and he could see abs.

Chiron stood, "Percy!" he said. "Thank the gods. But where . . ."

His beard had grown wilder over the summer. He wore a green T-shirt that said MY OTHER CAR IS A CENTAUR and a bow slung over his back.