𝑾𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑽𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔－ 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

𝑺𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏

Ariadne felt a chill behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw three bodies near a small tree in one of the parks leading up to the palace. The brunette squeezed Annabeth. "Give me a second."

The blonde nodded. She needed time to herself, that Ariadne knew.

She walked quickly toward the tree.

There stood the three Fates.

They were three ancient women with silver hair and bony arms. All three wore cotton dresses and had their hair tied back in a white bandanna. Two fates on the right and left held knitting needles, the middle holding two balls of yarn. One ball was a deep purple, the other a deep green color.

A shiver ran down Ariadne's spine. Annabeth couldn't see them, as they were hidden under the shade of a tree.

Ariadne Phoenix, the Fate on the left said, twisting her knitting needles as they created an intricate pattern. It is time to complete the prophecy.

"But it's already completed," Ariadne said.

The Fate on the right smiled. No. You are the last piece, to end this prophecy, you must make a choice.

She was afraid to ask.

The middle Fate held up a pair of scissors. Large, gold and silver long bladed scissors that were similar to shears, holding them above the two different yarns strings.

Choose, the middle Fate uttered. You know which one is which, so choose.

Ariadne gulped.

Staring at the two strings, her eyes flashed toward the green. It was so similar to the shirt that her mother's new daughter wore in the picture Kronos had left her with.

Her eyes seemed to switch back and forth. An old, bony finger ran over the sharp blade of the scissors.

Her head buzzed. And she felt an image of the earth swallowing her whole popped into her brain. She thought about the vision one of the three Fates had shown her.

And she knew which one to pick.

She nodded at the string connected to the left Fate's knitting needles. "That one," she whispered.

The middle Fate held up the scissors. It held a deadly gleam, holding the fate of a someone's lifeline in its blades. And before she knew it, a snip appeared through the purple string.

It is done, the middle Fate spoke. Your choice has been made. The Fates see all, they know all. And your prophecy has been fulfilled. Let us hope you are happy with the choice you have picked.

And they were gone. Wisps in the air that left behind an old, musty smell that made her gag.

She backed up before hurrying back to the elevator. Percy and Annabeth stood there, silent. They noticed her, and the boy tilted his head.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"Just Aria," Ariadne said. "Just wanted to see how I was."

They nodded.

She hoped her face wasn't that pale.

Annabeth seemed to notice something. "Why do you smell like smoke?" She was talking to Percy.

"Long story," he said. Ariadne raised an eyebrow.

Together they made their way down to the street level. Neither of them said a word. The music was awful—Neil Diamond or something. Ariadne wished the gods would bay Led Zepplin or AC/DC or something else that was better than that.