σɾɳιƚԋαʂ (ρʝσ x ɱαʅҽ σƈ)

The Return of a Familiar Face

I nodded, and Percy and Zoe left, leaving me and Annabeth alone.

She cleaned the monster slime off her knife. I'd seen her do that hundreds of times, but I'd never thought about why she cared so much about the blade.

Annabeth: Theo, even with the centaurs' help, I'm starting to think—

Theo: I know.

I had a bad feeling this might be our last chance to talk, and I felt like there were a million things I hadn't told her.

Theo: Look, there was some...some visions Hestia showed me.

Annabeth: You mean about Luke?

Maybe it was just a safe guess, but I got the feeling Annabeth knew what I'd been holding back. Maybe she'd been having dreams of her own.

Theo: Yeah. You and Thalia and Luke. The first time you met. And the time you met Hermes.

Annabeth slipped her knife back into its sheath.

Annabeth: Luke promised he'd never let me get hurt. He said...he said we'd be a new family, and it would turn out better than his.

Her eyes reminded me of that seven-year-old girl in the alley—angry, scared, desperate for a friend.

Theo: Thalia talked to me earlier. She's afraid—

Annabeth: That I can't face Luke.

Theo: Yeah. But there's something else you should know. Percy told me that Ethan Nakamura and Maryam Aziz seemed to think Luke was still alive inside his body, maybe even fighting Kronos for control.

Annabeth tried to hide it, but I could almost see her mind working on the possibilities, maybe starting to hope.

Theo: I didn't want to get your hopes up, in case that...

Annabeth: Theo, for so much of my life, I felt like everything was changing, all the time. I didn't have anyone I could rely on.

I nodded. That was something most demigods could understand.

Annabeth: I ran away when I was seven. Then with Luke and Thalia, I thought I'd found a family, but it fell apart almost immediately. What I'm saying...I hate it when people let me down, when things are temporary. I think that's why I want to be an architect.

Theo: To build something permanent. A monument to last a thousand years.

Annabeth: I guess that sounds like my fatal flaw again.

Years ago, in the Sea of Monsters, Annabeth had told me her biggest flaw was pride—thinking she could fix anything. I'd even seen a glimpse of her deepest desire, shown to her by the Sirens' magic. Annabeth had imagined her mother and father together, standing in front of a newly rebuilt Manhattan, designed by Annabeth. And I had been there too, welcoming her home.

Theo: I guess I understand how you feel. But Thalia's right. Luke has already betrayed you so many times. He wasn't exactly a saint, even before Kronos. I don't want him to hurt you anymore.

Annabeth: And you'll understand if I keep hoping there's a chance that you're wrong.

I looked away. I felt like I'd done my best, but that didn't make me feel any better.

Across the street, the Apollo campers had set up a field hospital to tend the wounded—dozens of campers and almost as many Hunters. I was watching the medics work, and thinking about our slim chances of holding Mount Olympus...