A/N: Sorry I accidentally pressed publish!
Y/n Pov:
Percy shifted, waking up. I went over to him.
"Rest," I said. "You're going to need it."
"Tyson...?"
I shook my head. "Percy, I'm sorry."
We were silent while the waves tossed us up and down.
"He may have survived," I said halfheartedly. "I mean, fire can't kill him."
Waves lapped at the boat. Annabeth showed him some things we'd salvaged from the wreckage—Hermes's thermos (now empty), a Ziploc bag full of ambrosia, a couple of sailors' shirts, and a bottle of Dr Pepper. We'd fished Percy out of the water and found his knapsack, bitten in half by Scylla's teeth. Most of my stuff had floated away, but we still had Hermes's bottle of multivitamins, and of course, I had my ring, Annabeth had her knife and Percy had Riptide.
We sailed for hours. Now that we were in the Sea of Monsters, the water glittered a more brilliant green, like Hydra acid. The wind smelled fresh and salty, but it carried a strange metallic scent, too—as if a thunderstorm were coming. Or something even more dangerous. Percy knew what direction we needed to go.
No matter which way we turned, the sun seemed to shine straight into my eyes. We took turns sipping from Dr Pepper, shading ourselves with the sail as best we could. And we talked about Percy's latest dream of Grover.
I estimated we had less than twenty-four hours to find Grover, assuming Percy's dream was accurate and assuming the Cyclops Polyphemus didn't change his mind and try to marry Grover earlier.
"Yeah," Percy said bitterly. "You can never trust a Cyclops."
I stared across the water. "I'm sorry, Percy. I was wrong about Tyson, okay? I wish I could tell him that. I wish I didn't judge him. I don't know why I did. He saved my life. He saved your life. I guess I was too blinded by the past." I muttered the last sentence.
I looked down at our measly possessions—the empty wind thermos, the bottle of multivitamins. I thought about Luke's look of rage when I'd tried to talk to him about his dad.
"Y/n, what's Chiron's prophecy?" asked Percy.
I pursed my lips. "Percy, I shouldn't—"
"I know Chiron promised the gods he wouldn't tell me. But you didn't promise, did you?"
"I was ordered not to speak of it."
"Since when do you follow orders?"
"I - every time heroes learn the future, they try to change it, and it never works."
"The gods are worried about something I'll do when I get older," Percy guessed. "Something when I turn sixteen."
I played with my ring. "Percy, I don't know the full prophecy, but it warns about a half-blood child of the Big Three—the next one who lives to the age of sixteen. That's the real reason Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades swore a pact after World War II not to have any more kids. The next child of the Big Three who reaches sixteen will be a dangerous weapon."
"Why?"
"Because that hero will decide the fate of Olympus. He or she will decide that either saves the Age of the Gods or destroys it."
Percy let that sink in. "That's why Kronos didn't kill me last summer."
I nodded. "You could be very useful to him. If he can get you on his side, the gods will be in serious trouble."
"But if it's me in the prophecy—"
"We'll only know that if you survive three more years. That can be a long time for a half-blood. When Chiron first learned about Thalia, he assumed she was the one in the prophecy. That's why he was so desperate to get her safely to camp. Then she went down fighting and got turned into a pine tree and none of us knew what to think. Until you came along."
On our port side, a spiky green dorsal fin about fifteen feet long curled out of the water and disappeared.
"This kid in the prophecy...he or she couldn't be like, a Cyclops?" Percy asked. "The Big Three have lots of monster children."
I shook my head. "The Oracle said 'half-blood.' That always means half-human, half-god. There's nobody alive who it could be, except you."
"Then why do the gods even let me live? It would be safer to kill me."
"You're right."
"Thanks a lot."
"Percy, I don't know. I guess some of the gods would like to kill you, but they're probably afraid of offending Poseidon. Other gods...maybe they're still watching you, trying to decide what kind of hero you're going to be. You could be a weapon for their survival, after all. The real question is...what will you do in three years? What decision will you make?"
"Did the prophecy give any hints?"
I hesitated.
Just then a seagull swooped down out of nowhere and landed on our makeshift mast. Annabeth looked startled as the bird dropped a small cluster of leaves into her lap.
"Land," she said. "There's land nearby!"
Percy sat up. Sure enough, there was a line of blue and brown in the distance. Another minute and I could make out an island with a small mountain in the centre, a dazzling white collection of buildings, a beach dotted with palm trees, and a harbour filled with a strange assortment of boats.
The current was pulling our rowboat toward what looked like a tropical paradise.
~
"Welcome!" said the lady with the clipboard.
She looked like a flight attendant—blue business suit, perfect makeup, hair pulled back in a ponytail. She shook our hands as we stepped onto the dock. With the dazzling smile she gave us, you would've thought we'd just gotten off the Princess Andromeda rather than a banged-row boat.
Then again, our rowboat wasn't the weirdest ship in port. Along with a bunch of pleasure yachts, there was a U.S. Navy submarine, several dugout canoes, and an old-fashioned three-masted sailing ship. There was a helipad with a "Channel Five Fort Lauderdale" helicopter on it, and a short runway with a Learjet and a propeller plane that looked like a World War II fighter. Maybe they were replicas for tourists to look at or something.
"Is this your first time with us?" the clipboard lady inquired. Annabeth, Percy and I exchanged looks. Annabeth said, "Umm..."
"First—time—at—spa," the lady said as she wrote on her clipboard. "Let's see..."
She looked us up and down critically. "Mmm. A herbal wrap to start for the young ladies. And of course, a complete makeover for the young gentleman."
"A what?" Percy asked.
She was too busy jotting down notes to answer.
"Right!" She said with a breezy smile. "Well, I'm sure C.C. will want to speak with you before the luau. Come, please."
Now here's the thing. Annabeth, Percy and I were used to traps, and usually, those traps looked good at first. So I expected the clipboard lady to turn into a snake or a demon, or something, any minute. But on the other hand, we'd been floating in a rowboat for most of the day. I was hot, tired, and hungry, and when this lady mentioned a luau, my stomach sat up on its hind legs and begged like a dog.
"I guess it couldn't hurt," Annabeth muttered.
Of course, it could, but we followed the lady anyway.
The place was amazing. There was white marble and blue water everywhere I looked. Terraces climbed up the side of the mountain, with swimming pools on every level, connected by waterslides and waterfalls and underwater tubes you could swim through. Fountains sprayed water into the air, forming impossible shapes, like flying eagles and galloping horses.
I turned to Percy, who looked glum. "Are you okay? You look pale."
"I'm okay," Percy said. "Just...let's keep walking."
We passed all kinds of tame animals. A sea turtle napped in a stack of beach towels. A leopard stretched out asleep on the diving board. The resort guests—only young women, as far as I could see—lounged in deck chairs, drinking fruit smoothies or reading magazines while herbal gunk dried on their faces and manicurists in white uniforms did their nails.
As we headed up a staircase toward what looked like the main building, I heard a woman singing. Her voice drifted through the air like a lullaby. Her words were in some language other than Ancient Greek, but just as old—Minoan, maybe, or something like that. I could understand what she sang about—moonlight in the olive groves, the colours of the sunrise. And magic.Something about magic. Her voice seemed to lift me off the steps and carry me toward her.
We came into a big room where the whole front wall was windows. The back wall was covered in mirrors, so the room seemed to go on forever. There was a bunch of expensive-looking white furniture, and on a table in one corner was a large wire pet cage. The cage seemed out of place, but I didn't think about it too much, because just then I saw the lady who'd been singing...and whoa.
She sat at a loom the size of a big-screen TV, her hands weaving coloured thread back and forth with amazing skill.
The tapestry shimmered like it was three dimensional—a waterfall scene so real I could see the water moving and clouds drifting across a fabric sky.
Annabeth caught her breath. "It's beautiful."
The woman turned. She was even prettier than her fabric. Her long dark hair was braided with threads of gold. She had piercing green eyes and she wore a silky black dress with shapes that seemed to move in the fabric: animal shadows, black upon black, like deer running through a forest at night.
"You appreciate weaving, my dear?" the woman asked.
"Oh, yes, ma'am!" Annabeth said. "My mother is—"
She stopped herself. You couldn't just go around announcing that your mom was Athena, the goddess who invented the loom. Most people would lock you in a rubber room.
Our hostess just smiled. "You have good taste, my dear. I'm so glad you've come. My name is C.C."
The animals in the corner cage started squealing. They must've been guinea pigs, from the sound of them. We introduced ourselves to C.C.
"Oh, dear," she sighed. "You do need my help."
"Ma'am?" Percy asked.
C.C. called to the lady in the business suit. "Hylla, take Annabeth and Y/n on a tour, will you? Show them what we have available. The clothing will need to change. And the hair, my goodness. We will do a full image consultation after I've spoken with this young gentleman."
"But..." I said frowning. "What's wrong with the way I look?"
C.C. smiled benevolently. "My dear, you are lovely. Really! But you're not showing off yourself or your talents at all. So much wasted potential!"
"Wasted?"
"Well, surely you're not happy the way you are! My goodness, there's not a single person who is. But don't worry. We can improve anyone here at the spa. Hylla will show you what I mean. You, my dear, need to unlock your true self!"
Something happened that had never happened before. I was sad about the way I looked. I never was and in other circumstances, if someone told me I needed a makeover, I would be offended, but C.C. sounded so convincing, I gave in.
I was lost for words. "But...what about Percy?"
"Oh, definitely," C.C. said, giving him a sad look. "Percy requires my personal attention. He needs much more work than you."
The guinea pigs squealed like they were hungry. Annabeth and I shared a look.
"Well..." Annabeth said. "I suppose..."
"Right this way, dears," Hylla said.
We walked outside, but something didn't feel quite right. There was a tugging sensation in my stomach. Hylla showed us the library and Annabeth and I was amazed. It was huge. I reckon even bigger than Atlantic High.
Then, she led us to a room and put us in two chairs. Hylla called for support due to there being two of us. They washed my hair, trimmed it and styled it into little braids (A/N: if possible, if not possible replace it with a golden flower crown). They did my eyebrows, eyelashes and nails and did my makeup - which is something I refuse to wear. I took a shower with coconut shampoo and marshmallow body wash. They gave me a sleeveless silk white dress and a pair of sandals. Annabeth had the same outfit, hair and makeup as me. I didn't feel like myself
We knocked outside Miss C.C.'s room. "Miss C.C.?" I said politely.
We walked in. Percy was nowhere to be seen and that got me worried.
"Where's Percy?" I asked.
C.C. smiled. "He's having one of our treatments, my dear. Not to worry. You look wonderful! What did you think of your tour?"
Annabeth's eyes brightened. "Your library is amazing!"
"Yes, indeed," C.C. said. "The best knowledge of the past three millennia. Anything you want to study, anything you want to be, my dear."
"An architect?"
"Pah!" C.C. said. "You, my dear, have the makings of a sorceress. Like me."
Annabeth and I both took a step back. "A sorceress?"
"Yes, my dear." C.C. held up her hand. A flame appeared in her palm and danced across her fingertips. "My mother is Hecate, the goddess of magic. I know a daughter of Athena and Artemis when I see one. We are not so different, you and I. The three of us seek knowledge. We admire greatness. Neither of us needs to stand in the shadow of men."
"I—I don't understand," I said.
"Stay with me," C.C. was telling Annabeth and me. "Study with me. You can join our staff, become a sorceress, learn to bend others to your will. You will become immortal!"
"But—"
"You are too intelligent, my dear," C.C. said. "You know better than to trust that silly camp for heroes. How many great female half-blood heroes can you name?"
"Um, Atalanta, Amelia Earhart—"
"Bah! Men get all the glory." C.C. closed her fist and extinguished the magic flame. "The only way to power for women is sorcery. Medea, Calypso, now there were powerful women! And me, of course. The greatest of all."
The greatest of all...?
"You...C.C...Circe!" I guessed.
"Yes, my dear."
Annabeth and I backed up, and Circe laughed. "You need not worry. I mean you no harm."
"What have you done to Percy?"
"Only helped him realize his true form."
I remembered Circe's story. She turned men into pigs. I scanned the room, looking for pigs. My eyes landed on a cage full of Guinea pigs. Guinea pigs. Guinea pigs. Pigs. My eyes widened.
"Forget him," Circe said. "Join me and learn the ways of sorcery."
"But—"
"Your friend will be well cared for. He'll be shipped to a wonderful new home on the mainland. The kindergartners will adore him. Meanwhile, you will be wise and powerful. You will have all you ever wanted."
She had a powerful tone in her voice, a tone I had heard before. The tone made me do whatever she said, such as she was trying to hypnotize me. Wait...hypnotise me? I know that tone! She's charm speaking us!
"Let me think about it," I murmured, playing along. "Just...give me a minute alone. To say goodbye."
"Of course, my dear," Circe cooed. "One minute. Oh...and so you have absolute privacy..."
She waved her hand and iron bars slammed down over the windows. She swept out of the room and I heard the locks on the door click shut behind her.
I ran over to the cage, pulling Annabeth with me. "All right, which one is you?"
All the Guinea pigs squealed.
I scanned the room and spotted the cuff of Percy's jeans sticking out from under the loom.
Yes!
I rushed over and rummaged through his pockets. Finally, I found the bottle of Hermes multivitamins and started struggling with the cap. When I opened it, I grabbed a lemon chewable multivitamin and tossed it in my mouth. I gave Annabeth another one. The door flew open and Circe came back in, flanked by two of her business-suited attendants.
"Well," Circe sighed, "how fast a minute passes. What is your answer, my dears?"
"This," Annabeth said, and she drew her bronze knife.
"Toxótis," I called.
The sorceress stepped back, but her surprise quickly passed. She sneered. "Little girls, a knife and an arrow against my magic? Is that wise?"
Circe looked back at her attendants, who smiled. They raised their hands as if preparing to cast a spell.
"What will Annabeth's and Y/n's makeover be?" Circe mused. "Something small and ill-tempered. I know...a shrew!"
Blue fire coiled from her fingers curling like serpents around Annabeth and me.
Hah! Do you think that's going to stop me? Think again.
I leapt forward and pointed the arrow at her, ready to shoot. "How about turning me into a panther instead? One that has her claws at your throat!"
"How!" Circe yelped.
Annabeth held up my bottle of vitamins for the sorceress to see.
Circe howled in frustration. "Curse Hermes and his multivitamins! Those are such a fad! They do nothing for you."
"Turn Percy back to a human or else!" I said.
"I can't!"
"Then you asked for it."
I pulled on the bow and Circe's attendants stepped forward, but their mistress said, "Get back! They're immune to magic until that cursed vitamin wears off."
I dragged Circe over to the guinea pig cage, knocked the top off, and poured the rest of the vitamins inside.
"No!" Circe screamed
All the guinea pigs ate one. The cage exploded. Percy was sitting on the floor, a human again—somehow back in his regular clothes, thank the gods—with six other guys who all looked disoriented, blinking and shaking wood shavings out of their hair.
"No!" Circe screamed. "You don't understand! Those are the worst!"
Half agree.
One of the men stood up—a huge guy with a long tangled pitch-black beard and teeth the same colour. He wore mismatched clothes of wool and leather, knee-length boots, and a floppy felt hat. The other men were dressed more simply—in breeches and stained white shirts. All of them were barefoot.
"Argggh!" bellowed the big man. "What's the witch done t'me!"
"No!" Circe moaned.
Annabeth gasped. "I recognize you! Edward Teach, son of Ares?"
"Aye, lass," the big man growled. "Though most call me Blackbeard! And there's the sorceress what captured us, lads. Run her through, and then I mean to find me a big bowl of celery! Argh!"
Circe screamed. She and her attendants ran from the room, chased by the pirates.
I turned my bow and arrow back into a ring and helped Percy get up.
"Thanks..." Percy faltered. "I'm really sorry—"
I interrupted him with a hug. My arms were around his neck and he eventually rested his on my hips. I pulled away. "I'm glad you're not a guinea pig."
"Me, too."
Percy was blushing and my face felt warm. Percy's eyes trailed down to my lips and mine did to his. Subconsciously, we started leaning in, when Annabeth interrupted opening the door, "So are we leaving or what?"
Percy and I quickly jumped apart, and my face felt as hot as the sun (no uncle Apollo I am not calling you hot, drop it). Annabeth smirked.
"What were you two doing?"
"Nothing!" Percy and I said in unison.
"Okay..."
She left.
"Come on, Seaweed Brain," I said. "We have to get away while Circe's distracted."
We ran down the hillside through the terraces, past screaming spa workers and pirates ransacking the resort.
Blackbeard's men broke the tiki torches for the luau, threw herbal wraps into the swimming pool, and kicked over tables of sauna towels.
I almost felt bad letting the unruly pirates out, but I guessed they deserved something more entertaining than the exercise wheel after being cooped up in a cage for three centuries.
"Which ship?" Annabeth said as we reached the docks.
I looked around desperately. We couldn't very well take our rowboat. We had to get off the island fast, but what else could we use? A sub? A fighter jet? I couldn't pilot any of those things.
"There," Percy said.
I blinked. "But—"
"I can make it work."
"How?"
Percy grabbed my hand and I grabbed Annabeth and he pulled us toward the three-mast ship. Painted on its prow was the name that I would only decipher later: Queen Anne's Revenge.
"Argggh!" Blackbeard yelled somewhere behind us. "Those scalawags are a-boarding me vessel! Get 'em, lads!"
"We'll never get going in time!" Annabeth yelled as we climbed aboard
Percy thought for a moment. He closed his eyes and said, "Mizzenmast!"
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. The next second, the air was filled with whistling sounds of ropes being snapped taut, canvases unfurling, and wooden pulleys creaking.
Annabeth ducked as a cable flew over her head and wrapped itself around the bowsprit."Percy, how..."
The Queen Anne's Revenge lurched away from the dock, and by the time the pirates arrived at the water's edge, we were already underway, sailing into the Sea of Monsters.