𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲.

The End

That evening was the last night of camp-the bead ceremony. The Hephaestus cabin had designed the bead this year. It showed the Empire State Building, and etched in tiny Greek letters, spiraling around the image, were the names of all the heroes who had died defending Olympus. There were too many names, Lilia gently traced over the name of her sister, she smiled sadly and held it tightly in her hand.

"Never forget this summer!" Chiron told them. He had healed remarkably well, but he still trotted in front of the fire with a slight limp. "We have discovered bravery and friendship and courage this summer. We have upheld the honor of the camp."

He smiled at Percy, and everybody cheered.

"And now," Chiron said, "early to bed! Remember, you must vacate your cabins by noon tomorrow unless you've made arrangements to stay the year with us. The cleaning harpies will eat any stragglers, and I'd hate to end the summer on a sour note!"

➳

The next morning, Lilia and Percy stood at the top of Half-Blood Hill. They watched the buses and vans pull away, taking most of the campers back to the real world. A few old-timers would be staying behind, and a few of the newcomers, but Percy was heading back to Goode High School for his sophomore year-the first time in his life he'd ever done two years at the same school.

"Good-bye," Rachel said to them as she shouldered her bag. She looked pretty nervous, but she was keeping a promise to her father and attending Clarion Academy in New Hampshire. It would be next summer before they got their Oracle back.

"You'll do great." Lilia hugged her. Since Rachel became the oracle, the two girls seemed to get on great.

Rachel bit her lip. "I hope you're right. I'm a little worried. What if somebody asks what's on the next math test and I start spouting a prophecy in the middle of geometry class? The Pythagorean theorem shall be problem two.. Gods, that would be embarrassing."

Lilia laughed, and to her relief, it made Rachel smile.

"Well," she said, "you two be good to each other." She gave Percy a pointed to look, as if to say he was some kind of trouble maker. Before he could protest, Rachel wished them well and ran down the hill to catch her ride.

Lilia had decided she'd be staying at camp this year, help Chiron with the new campers.

"You better visit loads." Percy said wrapping his arm round Lilia's shoulders.

"I guess I could say hi to you when I go to see Annie." Lilia said with a fake huff.

He ruffled her hair and laughed.

"What, am I not your main priority?" He said dramatically.

"Someone's got a big sense of his own importance."
She laughed, leaning her head against him.

The guard dragon Peleus curled contentedly around the pine tree underneath the Golden Fleece and began to snore, blowing steam with every breath.

"You've been thinking about Rachel's prophecy?" Percy asked Lilia.

She frowned. "How did you know?"

"Because I know you."

She bumped him with her shoulder. "Okay, so I have. Eight half-bloods shall answer the call. I wonder who they'll be. We're going to have so many new faces next summer."