Backbiter by Annabeth Chase

Chapter Fourteen: Thalia Returns

(The Sea of Monsters pg 277-279)

That evening, I was stationed to guard the Golden Fleece with Connor. We sat inside the camp border as a storm raged around the valley and we tried to remain alert, ready for any threat that might come our way but despite my best efforts my mind wandered. Tyson had left to work in the Cyclopes Forges earlier that day. The war was coming, and they needed as much help as they could get. After seeing the shield, he had made for Percy, I was positive he would make amazing weapons, but I was sad to see him go. I still felt bad about not trusting him and wished I had been able to spend more time with him as a friend. 

As I was wiping a few annoying tears from my face. Connor said, "What is that?"

We both jumped to attention, I was ready to fight until I realized what he was pointing at. Near the base of the tree, a misty substance was gathering and as we watched it started to form itself into a condensed shape. I had absolutely no idea how to fight the Mist or any type of magic that this might be.

I faced whatever it was, sword drawn and said, "Connor raise the alarm, I don't know what this is, but we might need back up." He nodded and blew the horn we had been given at the start of the shift. The chain of command was for a specific set of reserves to come help and if more were needed a couple of them would be able to go and gather the others while a group of ten held off the enemy. As we waited for our friends the Mist started to form into a shape that looked like a human and my blood felt like it had solidified into ice.

This was what I had been waiting for, the tree was healing and purging Thalia. As we watched the Mist gained density and started to solidify, changing from a misty substance to solid matter. The black boots and leather jacket, exactly as I remember from that night six years ago. As the other campers arrived Thalia's face came into focus, and she lay there on the hill looking quite dead and a bit older than I remembered but otherwise unchanged.

I heard Grover yelp loudly once he recognized her. I turned to him and said, "go get Percy!" As Grover nodded and took off, I turned to another camper and told them to go get Chiron. I was already crying and felt as though my throat was closing off.

The storm fading made it feel even more like that night we had come to camp. I was a scared kid. I didn't want to leave my best friend behind but I promised Luke I would stay safe while he helped her. I felt as though I was watching her collapse and knowing she was gone all over again.

But she wasn't gone, she was here. We watched as the deathly white skin gained warmth and old wounds closed. I knelt next to her to see if I could feel a pulse. She was back. Luke had brought her back and I couldn't figure out what to do with that information. Chiron had seemed so certain this wasn't possible but here she was, just as Luke had wanted. Of course I wanted Thalia back, but being brought back to control a prophecy and the outcome of a war that could end the world ... I didn't know if that was a good thing.

As I saw Chiron coming up the hill with Percy I realized how many people had already gathered. I rushed to meet them but when I tried to speak I didn't know what to say.

They both looked very confused. However, for a moment, looking at Percy my brain abandoned the entire hillside and wondered how someone who had successfully thwarted the Lord of Time on multiple occasions, could wear a shirt that said 'seal of approval' with a cute baby seal picture on it.

Percy ran straight past me towards Thalia, shaking me out of the weird moment and reminding me how confusing the rest of this situation was. Everyone else was in shock, Percy was the only person doing anything.

"She needs nectar and ambrosia," Percy said. Everyone else was frozen, whispering, aware of the consequences of what was happening.

"Come on," he said, looking from me to Chiron to Grover as he propped her up. No one moved and he started to look angry as he said, "What's wrong with you people? Let's get her to the Big House."