Project Percy (Kotlc Meets Percy Jackson)

Chapter 12

One wall in Athena's office was a large window overlooking the mountainside. A floor-to-ceiling bookshelf covered two more walls. The last one was taken up by the door and a crystal mosaic depicting the Parthenon. Percy waited in an enormous chaise lounge facing Athena, who sat behind a black desk piled with books and scrolls. Anxiety tightened his chest.

He pointed to the stacks of human newspapers piled next to his chair. Articles were circled in red and then crossed out. "Keeping up with the news?"

"Looking for you." She removed another newspaper from a drawer and handed him the article with his picture circled.

"You don't know who sent this to you?" he asked.

"I have a theory."

Percy sighed. "Well, if you figure it out, maybe you can find out how the reporter knew about me. My parents were super upset about it."

His heart stuttered as Athena sighed.

"I think I know what you're going to say," he said as she opened her mouth to speak. He needed to say it first. That was the only way he'd get through it. "You're going to tell me I'm not related to my family." He felt a pull in his chest as he spoke, like the words were taking part of him with them.

"Yes, I was planning to discuss that." She shook her head. "But what we really need to talk about is why you can't live with them anymore."

The words swam inside his head, refusing to make sense.

Athena reached across the desk to take his hand. He felt tempted to pull away, but couldn't muster up the effort. "I'm so sorry. We've never faced anything like this, and there's no perfect solution. You can't hide your abilities forever, especially as they get stronger. Sooner or later someone will suspect that you're something other, and we can't allow that to happen, for your safety and ours. Now that the Council knows you exist, they've ordered that you move here. Effective immediately."

He felt the blood drain from his face as her words sank in. "Oh."

The too-simple word couldn't communicate what he felt, but he couldn't come up with anything better. Part of him refused to believe him, refused to accept the impossible things he was saying. The same part wanted to kick and scream and cry until she took him home to his family.

But a tiny voice of reason wouldn't let him.

Deep, deep down, beneath the fear and hurt and pain, he knew she was right.

He'd lived every day since he was five in constant fear of discovery. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it up. The headaches from his hydrokinesis were almost unbearable, and if they were going to get stronger...

Not to mention the loneliness. He'd never felt right with his family. He'd never had any friends. He didn't belong in the human world, and he was tired of pretending he did.

But knowing she was right didn't make it hurt any less. Didn't make it any less terrifying.

"Will I get to visit my family?" he asked.

Athena didn't look at him as she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid that would be impossible. We call the areas where humans live the 'Forbidden Cities' for a reason. Access is severely restricted. Plus, they're going to think you're dead."

He was on his feet without deciding to stand up. "You're going to kill me off?"

"As far as your family and the rest of the humans are concerned...yes."

For a moment, he was too stunned to speak, his mind filled with creepy images of gravestones reading HERE LIES PERCY JACKSON. But one image was even worse.

He closed his eyes, desperate to block out the horrifying mental picture, but it only became more vivid: his family, hovering over his grave with tearstained faces.

"You can't do that to my family," he whispered, blinking back tears of his own.

"We have to. If you disappeared, they would never stop trying to find you. It would draw too much attention to everything."

"But don't you know what this will do to them?"

"I wish there was another way."

He sank back into the chaise lounge. Tears streaked down his cheeks and he scrubbed them away. "Will I get to say goodbye?"

Athena shook her head. "The Council specifically forbade me to take you back."

The room spun and a small sob slipped out. It never occurred to him when he left for school that it would be the last time he'd see his family. Ever. It was too much. "Please. I need to say goodbye."

Athena studied his face for a long minute before she nodded. "I can't take you without risking a tribunal, but it will take us an hour to set up your 'death.' Then they will call your family to break the news. You need to be out in thirty minutes. I'll have Annabeth take you. You'll have to change clothes before you go, and get out of there before anyone sees you or it would be very bad for her. Can you do that?"

He nodded, wiping away more tears. "Thank you."

Athena rushed to the door and called Annabeth. Percy couldn't focus as Athena explained what was happening. He was too busy trying to figure out what he would say to his family.

How was he going to tell them goodbye?