𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑, percy jackson

CHAPTER 25! he could not have imagined that cherry could be any prettier

suddenly, percy remembered about the object in one of his pants pockets.

he pulled out a tangle of beads.

the boy was careful to untangle the jewelry, trying not to destroy it. it was probably worth more than him.

cherry could feel his eyes on her.

"what?" she questioned, sniffling a little.

"this is yours." percy held out her pearl necklace. "i got it from zeus. well, i took it."

cherry stared at the object.

she reached out for it, and he placed it in her hands.

her fingers traced over the beads.

"thank you." cherry spoke so low it was almost a whisper.

but percy heard it.

most of the sailing was done quietly.

the water glittered green beneath them.

cherry didn't want to think about grover, but that's where her mind had taken her too.

according to percy's dream, they had about 24 hours to save him.

besides cherry's knife, they only had an empty thermos, and a bottle of multivitamins.

suddenly, percy spoke.

"annabeth, what's chiron's prophecy?" percy questioned.

annabeth pursed her lips. "percy, i shouldn't-"

"i know chiron promised the gods he wouldn't tell me. but you didn't promise, did you?"

"knowledge isn't always good for you."

"your mom is the wisdom goddess!"

"i know! but every time heroes learn the future, they try to change it, and it never works."

"the gods are worried about something i'll do when i get older. something when i turn sixteen."

"percy, i don't know the full prophecy, but it warns about a half-blood child of the big three- the next one who lives to the age of sixteen. that's the real reason zeus, poseidon, and hades swore a pact after world war ii not to have any more kids. the next child of the big three who reaches sixteen will be a dangerous weapon."

"why?"

"because that hero will decide the fate of olympus. they will make a decision that either saves the age of the gods, or destroys it."

cherry's eyes continued to analyze the horizon.

she knew all about the prophecy.

they weren't supposed to mention it, but didn't he deserve to know?

cherry could feel percy's sudden shift in emotion.

he couldn't get seasick, but he definitely felt ill.

"that's why kronos didn't kill me last summer." percy realized.

"you could be very useful to him. if he can get you on his side, the gods will be in serious trouble." annabeth agreed.

"but if it's me in the prophecy-"

"we'll only know that if you survive three more years. that can be a long time for a half-blood. when chiron first learned about thalia, he assumed she was the one in the prophecy. that's why he was so desperate to get her safely to camp. then she went down fighting and got turned into a pine tree and none of us knew what to think. until you came along."