𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔－ 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝑺𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏.

The captain stood stiffly with an angry gaze at Ariadne and Percy. "If it means an end to this infernal war, ma'am, peace at last, we'll do anything. Destroy anyone."

"Destroy anyone," Clarisse repeated with a smirk. "I like that."

Tyson swallowed nervously.

"Clarisse," Annabeth said. "Luke might be after the Fleece, too. We saw him. He's got the coordinates and he's heading south. He has a cruise ship full of monsters—"

"Good! I'll blow him out of the water!"

"No!" Ariadne disagrees quickly. "Clarisse, you don't understand. We have to combine forces. Let us help you—"

She pounded her fist onto the table. "No! This is my quest! Finally, I get to be the hero, and you three will not steal my chance."

"Where are your cabin mates?" Percy looked around, "You were allowed to take two friends with you, weren't you?"

"They didn't... I let them stay behind. To protect camp."

"You mean even the people in your own cabin wouldn't help you?"

"Shut up, Prissy! I don't need them! Or you!"

Clarisse," Percy told her. "Tantalus is using you. He doesn't care about the camp. He'd love to see it destroyed. He's setting you up to fail."

"No! I don't care what the Oracle—"

"What?" The brunette leaned forward. "What did the Oracle tell you?"

"Nothing," Clarisse gave her a glare. "All you need to know is that I'm finishing this quest and you're not helping. On the other hand, I can't let you go..."

"So we're prisoners?" Annabeth asked.

"Guests. For now," Clarisse put her feet on top of the white table cloth, picking up another can of Dr. Pepper and opening it. "Captain, take them below. Assign them hammocks on the berth deck. If they don't mind their manners, show them how we deal with enemy spies."

***

ANNABETH WOULDN'T SPEAK WITH HER. The blonde wouldn't even look her in the eyes, only laying the opposite way in her hammock. No matter how hard the brunette tried, she couldn't get her best friend to look at her.

Of course she had no idea what she had done. It wasn't everyday that Annabeth wouldn't talk with her. Actually, that had never happened before. The two were like sisters and it was really breaking Ariadne's heart.

Both were rooming together under the ship as their hammocks swayed with the boat. She couldn't sleep and wasn't planning on it, not until her friend talked to her or gave a reason for ignoring her. But Annabeth was stubborn, and it would take a lot of prodding and annoying to get her to talk.

Ariadne hated being left in her thoughts. It was like being trapped in a metal cage of anger, frustration and confusion. Her own personal punishment for being, well, her. Everything she could have done differently or should have done differently rattles her brain every so often.

The girl wasn't great with serious emotions because of her ADHD. She couldn't wrap her head around the idea that Luke would poison Thalia's tree and betray them like that. Thalia has saved them all that night, and if it weren't for the pine tree, there wouldn't be a magical barrier around camp.

She knew Annabeth was talking the betrayal the worst. It was a given, seeing as she was on the run with the blond boy. But Annabeth wasn't great at communicating her feelings, deciding it was better to carry the burden herself. The blonde was full of strategies and plans but had none when dealing with emotions and feelings.