𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐋¹ || 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍

𝐂

✦ 𝐀 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 ✦

THE REST OF THE DAY WAS AS STRANGE AS THE BEGINNING. Campers trickled in from New York by car, pegasus, and chariot. The wounded were cared for. The dead were given proper funeral rites at the campfire.

Silena's shroud was hot pink, but embroidered with an electric spear. The Ares and Aphrodite Cabins both claimed her as a hero and lit the shroud together. No one mentioned the word spy. That secret burned to ashes as the designer perfume smoke drifted into the sky.

Even Ethan Nakamura was given a shroud– black silk, with a logo of swords crossed under a set of scales. As his shroud went up in flames, Percy hoped Ethan knew he had made a difference in the end. He'd paid a lot more than an eye, but the minor gods would finally get the respect they deserved.

Dinner at the pavilion was low-key. The only highlight was Juniper the tree nymph who screamed, "Grover!" and gave her boyfriend a flying-tackle hug, making everybody cheer.

They went down to the beach to take a moonlit walk, and Percy was happy for them, though the scene reminded him of Silena and Beckendorf, which made him sad.

Mrs. O'Leary romped around happily, eating everybody's table scraps. Nico sat at the main table with Chiron and Mr. D, and nobody seemed to think this was out of place.

Everybody was patting Nico on the back, complimenting him on his fighting. Even the Ares kids seemed to think he was pretty cool. Show up with an army of undead warriors to save the day, and suddenly you're everybody's best friend.

Slowly, the dinner crowd trickled away. Some went to the campfire for a singalong. Others went to bed. Percy sat at the Poseidon table by himself and watched the moonlight on Long Island Sound. Percy could see Grover and Juniper at the beach, holding hands and talking.

It was peaceful.

"Hey, you," Aurora slid next to him on the bench. "Happy birthday."

She was holding a huge misshapen cupcake with blue icing. Percy stared at her. "What?"

"It's August eighteenth," she said, "I'm pretty sure, that's your birth date."

Percy was stunned. It hadn't even occurred to him but she was right. Percy had turned sixteen this morning – the same morning he had made the choice to give Luke the knife.

The prophecy had come true right on schedule, and Percy hadn't even thought about the fact that it was his birthday.

"Make a wish," she said.

"Did you bake this yourself?" Percy asked.

"Tyson helped," Aurora said.

"That explains why it looks like a chocolate brick," Percy said, "With extra-blue cement."