𝗚𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗘! 𝙥. 𝙟𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 ¹

The Fleece Succeeds, Failfully

CHAPTER TWELVE: LYDIA

They arrived in Long Island just after Clarisse thanks to the centaurs' travel powers. Lydia rode with Annabeth on one of Chiron's centaur buddies. They didn't talk much, and it wasn't like they could—with the wind howling so loudly in their ears. Lydia zoned out, watching the world blur by the whole trip back to camp.

The camp had been through a hard two weeks. The arts and crafts cabin had burned to the ground from an attack by a Draco Aionius. The Big House's rooms were overflowing with wounded. The kids in the Apollo cabin, who were the best healers, had been working overtime performing first aid.

Everybody looked weary and battered as they crowded around Thalia's tree. The moment Clarisse draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest bough, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from gray to liquid silver. A cool breeze rustled in the branches and rippled through the grass, all the way into the valley. Everything came into sharper focus—the glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the strawberry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach.

Gradually, the needles on the pine tree started turning from brown to green. Everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but there could be no doubt the Fleece's magic was seeping into the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison.

Lydia let her shoulders drop. She sighed in relief. The hard part was over, and her home was safe. Nothing could go wrong anymore—at least that's what she thought.

Chiron ordered a twenty-four/seven guard duty on the hilltop, at least until he could find an appropriate monster to protect the Fleece. He said he'd place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away.

In the meantime, Clarisse was carried on her cabin mates' shoulders down to the amphitheater, where she was honored with a laurel wreath and a lot of celebrating around the campfire.

Nobody gave Lydia, Annabeth or Percy a second look. It was as if they'd never left. Which, in a way, was the best thank you anyone could give them, because if they admitted that they'd snuck out of camp to go on the quest, they'd have to expel them. And Lydia did not want to get expelled.

The next morning, after the party ponies headed back to Florida, Chiron made a surprise announcement: the chariot races would go ahead as scheduled. Lydia had figured they were history now that Tantalus was gone, but she was wrong and she didn't feel like participating.

Percy and Annabeth ended up teaming up again. Percy would drive, Annabeth would defend, and Tyson would act as their pit crew, and Lydia would be their cheerleader—or something.

The three of them spent the next two days training like crazy. So, Lydia didn't see much of them. She did see a lot of Desdemona and Cressida, though.

She'd practically spent the entirety of those days, gossiping on the pier while her friends worked their asses off to build a wooden box with wheels. Oh well, to each their own.

Lydia told Des and Cressida everything.

"—And Grover was in a wedding dress! I didn't even know Grover could look that good in a wedding dress!"

Cressida laughed heartily, but Desdemona was focused on something else.

"What happened to your ring?"

Lydia's face dropped.

"I lost it." She explained. "When we were fighting the Cyclops, I don't know where it went."

Lydia summoned Agathos, rubbing her finger against the hilt.

"I'm sorry, Lydia." Cressida cooed. "I know how much it meant to you."