CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
( THE FULFILLMENT OF
THE PROPHECY )
AS PER CAMP TRADITION, because they arrived back to camp alive – the first ones to do so since Luke – Kali, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover wore laurel wreaths to a large feast prepared in their honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where they each got to burn a burial shroud their cabins made in their absence.
Annabeth's was beautiful – gray silk with embroidered owls – and Kali laughed when Percy told her it was a shame not to bury her in it. She laughed even more when she punched him and told him to shut up.
Because there were no other half-bloods in Poseidon's cabin, others did Kali's and Percy's shrouds.
The Ares cabin took over Percy's. They'd taken an old bedsheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle. Kali's was made by Arianna, Grant, and Oliver. Oliver had gotten ahold of navy blue fabric somehow, and the others had decorated it with ocean-themed iron-on patches, with a large, bright teal green outline of a dolphin painted in the middle.
She was sort of sad to watch it burn. It was clear that her friends put some serious effort into it, and a part of her wanted to keep it because of that.
As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, they were surrounded by Kali's friends, Percy's old Hermes cabin-mates, Annabeth's siblings, and Grover's satyr buddies. The satyrs admired the brand new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders. The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past." Even the naiads came over for a few moments to congratulate them, but left quickly to avoid the heat of the fire.
The only ones not in a party mood were Clarisse, Adelaide, and their brothers. They wore poisonous looks that said they were incredibly angry at them for disgracing their dad. Kali had tried to apologize to Adelaide, only for her friend to ignore her and stomp off. It killed some of her happy mood that had formed because of the celebration.
"Just ignore her for tonight," Arianna suggested over the talking and singing and music. "If she really considers you friends, she'll come around and listen to your apology."
Grant nodded. Through a mouthful of s'mores, he said, "If no', then we 'an pran' her."
"Not everything has to lead back to a prank," Oliver said.
He swallowed the food. "That's where you're wrong, Ollie."
Kali laughed lightly. "I dunno, maybe Grant's right. Connor has a really good prank that involves a bucket, mud, and pegasus crap."
Connor poked his head around a small group of people from where he was talking to Percy and Travis nearby. "What about a prank?"
"We might use one on Addie," Grant told him.
Connor smirked mischievously and came over. "Tell me more."
The two brothers were quick to start planning a prank that may not even happen. Oliver rolled his eyes at them. Arianna grinned and watched, only to turn to look away with red cheeks when Grant caught her eyes and smiled back.
Kali bit her lip as an attempt not to laugh. "Ari–"
"We are not talking about this here," she quickly spoke.
A few snickers escaped. "Oh, my gods, do you really have a cr–"
Arianna jumped into her space and used both hands to cover her mouth. "Shh! I said not here!" Kali couldn't contain her laughter any longer.
At the end of the night's celebration, Percy went back to cabin three with Kali. The awkward air around them wasn't there anymore. Kali felt comfortable enough to truly be herself around him like she was with her other friends, especially now with the quest done. They'd grown closer because of the action-packed ten days, and grew to know each other better outside of rushing to save the world from a civil war between the gods.
Even her and Annabeth were good friends now. Outside of hanging with her siblings, Annabeth actively sought out Kali and vice versa; and because she got closer to Annabeth, she indirectly saw more of the Stoll brothers because Annabeth and Connor were friends, too, and the two Hermes brothers often dragged Percy into their schemes. But if he couldn't join them, they would attempt to get Kali in on whatever they were planning.
Adelaide eventually stopped being so angry and listened to Kali's apology and explanation for having to fight her dad. Adelaide still wasn't happy about it, but now more at Ares than Kali since she now knew he'd been the one to instigate everything. Clarisse and the rest of her siblings were an entire other story, though, and Kali avoided them to the best of her abilities. At some point, the bucket prank was used on the Ares cabin, excluding Adelaide, and when they questioned Grant and Connor about it, the boys just smirked and laughed.
As the excitement of their return died down, Kali's upbeat mood began to dwindle as well. The thoughts of her father and Ralph that she had put on the back burner during the excitement returned, and because she no longer had a cabin to herself, Kali sought out the solitude at the bottom of the ocean when she needed privacy to just sit and think, and attempted to untangle all of her confusing and conflicting emotions. That was the one good thing of her punishment from Mr. D from before the quest – cleaning the pegasus stables for a week gave her more alone time.
(Although, the pegasi wanted to know about her day every time she went in to clean. They also wanted her to sneak them snacks of all sorts, which she obliged to a few times.)
Then Percy got a letter from his mom that caused a wide and happy grin to form on his face. She hated how it made her feel worse than she already was, and she distracted herself with the naiads and their underwater basket weaving lessons for the rest of that day. Hopefully Percy hadn't noticed her downtrodden mood, but the concerned look she got before bed that night told her otherwise.
+++
July came around, and before Kali knew it, the entire camp was gathered at the beach to celebrate the Fourth of July for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus' kids, they weren't going to settle for a few simple red-white-and-blue explosions. They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles. The blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was a couple of hundred-foot-fall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colors.
Kali saw it for the first time last year, and she was looking forward to seeing it again.
In the middle of spreading out a picnic blanket with Oliver and Adelaide (they each agreed to let Grant and Arianna have their own, and Arianna occasionally sent Kali and them panicked, betrayed, blushing expressions for leaving her alone with Grant), Kali noticed Grover walking over to Percy and Annabeth at their own blanket. She told her friends that she'd be right back, and hurried over.
Grover was dressed in his usual jeans and t-shirt and sneakers, but within the last few weeks he had grown to look older, nearly high-school age. His goatee got thicker, he put on weight, and his horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his beanie constantly to pass as human.
"I'm off," he told them. "I just came to say...well, you know."
Kali was sad to see him leaving. But he had gotten permission to go search for Pan, so she did her best to be happy for him. Still, it was hard to say goodbye, even if they hadn't known each other or been friends for that long.
Annabeth gave him a hug. She told him, "Keep your fake feet on."
"And no more flying shoes," Kali added with a bit of humor. "I don't want to hear you flew over a cliff."
Grover brayed a laugh. "I promise, you don't need to worry about that again."
"Where are you going to search first?" asked Percy.
"Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan..."
"We understand," Annabeth said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"
"Yeah."
"And you remembered your reed pipes?"
"Jeez, Annabeth," he grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat." He didn't actually sound annoyed, though.
Grover gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway – nothing like he had been before the quest, a little runty and maybe perpetually nervous.
"Well," he said. "Wish me luck."
He gave Annabeth another hug, and gave Kali one too. He clapped Percy on the shoulder. Then, he headed back through the dunes.
Overhead, the fireworks came to life: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washing (who was a son of Athena, by the way) crossing the Delaware.
"Hey, Grover!" Percy called.
He turned at the edge of the woods.
"Wherever you're going – I hope they make good enchiladas."
Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.
"We'll see him again," Annabeth said.
Kali nodded, refusing to think of how no searcher had ever returned in two thousand years. "Of course we will."
+++
At the end of July, late one night close to one in the morning, Percy and Kali were sitting across from each other on his bed as they played the card game Bullshit. Neither of them were able to sleep. Kali, because that nightmare came back, but this time with just the weird cloaked woman speaking her name as the ground trembled at Kali's feet, and she couldn't fall asleep without worrying she might have it again. Percy, on the other hand, couldn't sleep because he admitted to feeling uneasy about something. He didn't say why or what about, and Kali didn't want to pressure him, so they decided to play a game instead.
"I think it's something about the quest," Percy admitted fifteen minutes into the game.
Kali looked up from her cards with a questioning look. "What about? Everything about it came true, right?"
Percy nodded. "We went west, and faced the god who turned – who was Ares and not Hades... Master bolt was delivered, and the helm was found... Ares had pretended to be our friend, then betrayed us... I did fail to save my mom, but I got her back in the end." He shook his head, face twisting into confusion. "I don't know, I feel like something isn't right."
A thought came to her, and she went to speak but stopped herself. Percy raised an eyebrow at her.
"What is it?"
"Was... Was Ares really friendly, though?" she asked. "All he did was give us a backpack with clothes and snacks because you got back his shield. He didn't do it out of the good of his heart."
He frowned as he thought, then realization slowly covered his features. "Chiron said there was a spy at camp, remember? When the hellhounds attacked." Their card game was immediately forgotten with those words.
"He did!" Kali exclaimed as she remembered. "But who would do that? I can't picture anyone here who would summon hellhounds."
"I don't know." He shook his head. "But that means we haven't really been betrayed yet."
And wasn't that a comforting thought. Which one of their friends would it be? Not Annabeth, that was obvious. But the others? Kali trusted them all, and it was hard to wrap her mind around any one of them intentionally hurting them with betrayal.
"There's not much time left until camp ends for the summer session," she said.
Percy nodded. "I know. We should tell Annabeth about this, so we can all keep an eye on each other."
And they did. The following morning, before breakfast, Percy and Kali brought Annabeth to their cabin and caught her up. Tensions rose again of what might happen soon. After, they all acted like nothing was wrong. They didn't even talk about it again. The three just went about their days, subtly looked out for each other just in case, and questioned silently which friend would betray them.
+++
The last night of the summer session came far too quickly.
Everyone had one last meal together. They burned part of their dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads. This year's design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.
"The choice was unanimous," Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first Son of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest he and his little sister, the lost Princess of the Seas, undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"
The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares' cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena's cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share the applause. Kali shifted awkwardly on her feet beside Percy, who had dragged Kali in front of everyone when Luke beckoned them forward. She didn't like the attention, and blushed when Arianna and Grant hooted and hollered. She could just barely make out Oliver laughing loudly at her reaction through all the other voices
"That's my best friend!" Arianna cheered as loudly as she could.
Kali shrunk back with an embarrassed grin and laugh. For a moment, everything was okay, and she knew without a doubt those three friends of hers wouldn't be the ones the betray her.
+++
The following morning, form letters sat on hers and Percy's bedside tables.
By the wrong name written in the blank, Kali knew Mr. D had filled hers out. Percy showed how the god had written his name wrong, too, with a slightly annoyed look.
Dear Kathy Bellevue ,
If you intend to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, you must inform the Big House by noon today. If you do not announce your intentions, we will assume you have vacated your cabin or died a horrible death. Cleaning harpies will begin to work at sundown. They will be authorized to eat any unregistered campers. All personal articles left behind will be incinerated in the lava pit.
Have a nice day!
Mr. D (Dionysus)
Camp Director, Olympian Council #12
Kali already knew she wasn't staying. She needed to get back to Naia and Makoa. To Ralph, though she was dreading seeing him, scared that his mood had since made a 180 from the last time she saw him. Those feelings didn't mingle well with the thought of having yet been betrayed by a friend.
"Are you staying or going to your mom?" Kali asked Percy after getting dressed for the day. All of her things were packed and ready to go.
Percy shrugged, visibly conflicted on what to do. "I don't know." He stood to leave. "I'm going to the arena to do some sword practice. Wanna join?"
Kali thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No, sorry. I want to say by to Ari and Grant before their parents pick them up. If I have time I'll join you, though."
"That's fine. You don't think it's one of them?"
"Not at all," she said. "They're my best friends. I trust them."
"If you're sure."
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Perce. You don't need to worry about them, or me. Go train already."
"You're my little sister–" Kali groaned; he started pulling that card last week and she already found it annoying"–I have to worry about you."
"Whatever." She walked over to him and gave him a quick hug. "I'll come say bye before I leave, whatever you choose."
Then she was off, exiting their cabin. The campgrounds were mostly deserted, shimmering in the August heat. Either the campers were packing up in their cabins, or running around with brooms and mops, getting ready for the final inspection. Argus was helping some of the Aphrodite kids haul their suitcases and makeup kits over the hill, where the camp's shuttle bus would be waiting to take them to the airport. Oliver was there, too, to give Argus and his siblings a much needed helping hand.
Kali caught sight of Arianna exiting her cabin with her own belongings, with Katie Gardner close behind. Katie pulled her younger sister in a tight goodbye hug on the porch.
Kali jogged over the short distance to cabin four.
"See you next summer, Arianna," Katie said. "I'm going to miss you so much."
Arianna sniffled. "Stop it, I'm already sad about leaving... But I'll miss you, too."
They pulled away from each other, and Katie saw Kali. "Hey, Kali! I'm assuming you're not staying again, either?"
As Arianna rubbed at her eyes, Kali slowed and walked up to the porch shaking her head. "No. I have my adoptive family to get back to. I miss them too much to stay."
Katie sighed. "That's too bad. Maybe if you stayed, the Stolls will focus their pranks on you and not me and the rest of cabin four."
"I wouldn't be so sure. Who's to say I wouldn't join them?"
The older girl huffed, and Kali and Arianna laughed as she said, "Is there anyone mature at this camp?"
"Chiron?" Kali suggested.
"And he would be the only one."
"Don't let Mr. D hear you say that," Arianna said lowly.
The conversation ended quickly after that. The sisters hugged one more time to say their goodbyes, and then Kali began to help Arianna carry her baggages to the Big House. She didn't want them getting mingled with all of the belongings to the Aphrodite kids, and thought it would be best to wait there for the time being.
Grant came rushing over just a few minutes later. He dropped his bags unceremoniously into a pile and tackled the girls in a hug; they immediately hugged back. "Gonna miss you two," he said. "I'll send updates through e-mail again, or a letter sent by my dad."
"You better," said Kali. "Your stories about your mom's chickens on the homestead are hilarious."
"They're so freakin' stupid."
The three detangled from one another.
"Oliver is helping his siblings bring stuff to the shuttle bus, by the way," Kali told them. "If you haven't said bye to him yet, I'm sure you'll get a chance when your parents get here."
"I was wondering where he was," said Arianna. "I already said bye to Addie, but I couldn't find him."
"Yeah..." Grant began but trailed off. He eyes drifted to something behind the girls in the distance. "Where's Percy going with Luke?"
Kali turned around so fast that she almost made herself dizzy.
Sure enough, there deeper within the campground, Luke and Percy were walking together – toward the woods. Luke was sweaty, probably from training, and carried what looked to be a six-pack of some sort of soda. Kali wanted to shrug it off. It was just Luke; Percy would be fine. But with knowing they had yet to be betrayed by a friend, worry built in her chest.
She felt silly for it. It was just Luke. Even though Grant really did insist that the Stolls were telling the truth about how he'd been acting differently since his own quest, she didn't want to think too deeply about it. This was the guy Annabeth thought of as family, or maybe even had a tiny crush on. One of the two half-bloods to get Kali to safety from the sphinx. The one who took Percy under his wing when he got to camp.
But other than asking how the quest went when they got back, Percy said that Luke acted somewhat distant with him. Kali couldn't argue against it, because he stopped helping her train one on one, and gave it over to Beckendorf completely. It hurt a little, when he did that, honestly. Did she suck at sword fighting so bad that he got tired of trying to teaching her?
Kali continued to watch them get closer to the woods. Something didn't feel right.
When they got to the tree line, she didn't bother going down the steps of the porch. Rather, she climbed and jumped over the railing, and headed in the same direction. She ignored Grant and Arianna calling her name in confusion, running to the tree line closest to the Big House.
It wasn't long until she got to the creek, farther down from where she and Percy had first fought together in Capture the Flag. She stepped in it, turning her body into water like she did at Crusty's, except without the chance of becoming too exhausted. When she thought she heard someone or something, she froze behind a tree or ducked behind a shrub to hide her still visible clothes.
Soon, she heard voices. She quieted her steps, then hid behind a large tree that was more on land and shifted back to normal. Carefully, she peered around. Twenty or so feet away, in a shaded area by the creek, sat Percy and Luke with the six pack of sodas. Except there was something as Percy's feet that had him frozen.
Luke's voice became clear. "Pit scorpions can jump up to fifteen feet. It's stinger can pierce right through your clothes. You'll be dead in sixty seconds."
"Luke, what–" Percy cut himself off. "You."
Luke calmly stood and brushed off his jeans.
The scorpion crawled onto Percy's shoe.
Kali stepped out from behind the tree with her dagger in hand. She took two steps forward before stopping. "What are you doing, Luke?"
He barely looked surprised to see her, and Percy's shoulders tensed. "I think you know what."
"Stay back, Kali," said Percy.
She shook her head. She didn't know if it to Luke or Percy. Because she did know what, but she didn't want to believe it; because she didn't want to stay back, just in case Luke attacked.
"I saw a lot out there in the world," Luke said. "Didn't you feel it – the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics – being pawns for the gods. They should've been overthrown thousand of years ago, but they've hung on, thanks to us half-bloods."
"Luke... You're talking about our parents," Percy said.
He laughed. "That's supposed to make me love them? Their precious 'Western civilization' is a disease, Percy. It's killing the world. The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground, start over with something more honest."
"You're as crazy as Ares."
His eyes flared. "Ares is a fool. He never realized the true master he was serving. If I had time, I could explain. But I'm afraid you won't live that long."
The scorpion crawled onto Percy's pant leg.
They needed a way out of this. But that meant they needed more time.
"Kronos," Kali said. "That's who you serve."
The air became colder.
"You should be careful with names," Luke warned. "You've been here longer, Kali, you should know better."
She scowled at being patronized.
Percy spoke up, "Kronos got you to steal the master bolt and the helm, didn't he? He spoke to you in your dreams."
Luke's eye twitched. "He spoke to you, too, Percy. You should've listened."
"He's brainwashing you, Luke."
"You're wrong. He showed me that my talents are being wasted. You know what my quest was two years ago, Percy? My father, Hermes, wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of Hesperides and return it to Olympus. After all the training I'd done, that was the best he could think up."
"That's not an easy quest," Percy said. "Hercules did it."
"Exactly," said Luke. "Where's the glory in repeating what others have done? All the gods know how to do is replay their past. My heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the garden gave me this" – he pointed angrily as his scar – "and when I came back, all I got was pity. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to steal something worthwhile, something no hero had ever had the courage to take. When we went on that winter solstice field trip, while the other campers were asleep, I snuck into the throne room and took Zeus' master bolt right from his chair. Hades' helm of darkness, too. You wouldn't believe how easy it was. The Olympians are so arrogant; they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storms rumbling, and I knew they'd discovered my theft."
The scorpion now sat on Percy's knee, and Kali had taken a careful step closer.
"So why didn't you bring the items to Kronos?" he asked.
Luke's smile wavered. "I... I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt – Artemis, Apollo, my father Hermes. But it was Ares who caught me. I could have beaten him, but I wasn't careful enough. He disarmed me, took the items of power, threatened to return them to Olympus and burn me alive. Then Kronos' voice came to me and told me what to say. I put the idea in Ares' head about a great war between the gods. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight. Ares got a wicked gleam in his eyes. I knew he was hooked. He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence." Luke drew his sword – a new one Kali had never seen before with two different types of metal, celestial bronze and steel. He ran his thumb over the flat of the blade, as if he were hypnotized by its beauty. "Afterward, the Lord of the Titans...h-he punished me with nightmares. I swore not to fail again. Back at Camp Half-Blood, in my dreams, I was told that a second hero would arrive, one who could be tricked tricked into taking the bolt and the helm the rest of the way – from Ares down to Tartarus – and a demigod with enough anger to switch sides because of the death of her brother."
Kali shook her head, speechless. She wouldn't have done that. Not in a million years.
"You summoned the hellhounds, that night in the forest," Percy realized.
"We had to make Chiron think the camp wasn't safe for you, so he would start on your quest. We had to confirm his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked!"
"The flying shoes were cursed," Percy said. "They were supposed to drag me and the backpack into Tartarus."
"And they would have, if you'd been wearing them. But you gave them to the satyr, which wasn't part of the plan. Grover messes up everything he touches. He even confused the curse. If he hadn't, then you'd be dead and Kali would be even angrier at the gods."
"You're wrong," she argued. "I wouldn't–"
"Am I?" Luke asked. "You're angry, Kali, I know you are. You're supposed to be one of them! A Nereid like your mother and aunts, the spoiled youngest Princess. You aren't angry that they cursed you?"
Kali worked her jaw. Slowly, she admitted, "I'm upset that it happened, but that's it. And I would be angry if Percy died – but not at them. They wouldn't be the cause of it, because they weren't the reason we got dragged to the entrance of Tartarus. That was you, Luke. You made a mistake." She glared at him, grip tight on her weapon. "Kronos made a mistake."
The air grew colder again.
Luke glared back. "And what do you plan to do about that? You can't fight me and win. You're not that good of a fighter." He looked down at the scorpion, which was now Percy's thigh. "Whoever you're angry at it doesn't matter now anyway. You should have died, Percy. But don't worry, I'll leave you with my little friend to set things right. Maybe it will get you, too, Kali."
"Thalia gave her life to save you," Percy said with gritted teeth. "And this is how you repay her?"
"Don't speak of Thalia!" he shouted. "The gods let her die! That's one of the many things they will pay for."
"You're being used, Luke. You and Ares both. Don't listen to Kronos."
"I've been used?" Luke's voice turned shrill. "Look at yourself. What has your dad ever done for you? Either of you? Kronos will rise. You've only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest – the ones who serve him."
"Call off the bug," Percy said. "If you're so strong, fight me yourself."
Luke smiled. "Nice try, Percy. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake."
"Luke–"
"Goodbye, Percy and Kali. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won't be apart of it."
He slashed his sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness. Kali threw her dagger at him, but he was gone too fast and it got lodged in the trunk of a tree.
Meanwhile, the scorpion had lunged at Percy. Kali saw it sliced in two on the ground, and looked away from it to verbalize her relief that he hadn't got stung, only to be filled with horror when she saw him stumbling.
"Percy!" She ran to him and helped him to the water in the creek. It didn't do anything. "No, no, no..." The red welt on his hand oozed, and Kali clamped her own hand down halfway up his forearm. She thought of how the blood had slowed underneath her hands back when the hellhounds attacked, and hoped she could will the spread of the poison to slow. Just to give them time.
Already, he was turning green.
"Kali!" Arianna's voice tore through the silence. "There you are. Why did you– oh, my gods." She gasped and ran over. Grant was right behind her. "What happened? Where's Luke?"
"No time," Kali said. "Grant!" She looked up at him, one of the fastest runner she knew. "Get Chiron. Now."
"Kal–"
"Now!" she yelled. "It's a pit scorpion sting! Run!"
Grant's eyes widened and he took off. "Chiron!" she heard him yell. "Chiron! We need help!"
In the grass nearby, Arianna grew healing herbs of all kinds. She gathered a bunch and crushed them, then placed them on the welt. Kali watched as she then stood and ran to yank the dagger from the tree, cutting off a piece of Kali's camp shirt. She soaked it in water and wrapped it around the herbs and Percy's hand.
"I don't know if this will work," she said, voice shaking.
Kali ignored her. "Help me carry him."
They got him up and placed his arms around their shoulders. Kali kept her hand on his forearm. The wood nymphs came out of hiding and took a hold of his legs, and they carried him as fast as they could through the woods until Chiron came galloping to them. He didn't ask any questions except for one, if it really was a pit scorpion, before running away once they got Percy secure on his back and a confirmation from Kali. The two girls were left to run back on their own.
When they broke through the tree line, Arianna slowed down but Kali pushed herself to run harder to get to the Big House. Then, abruptly, an arm shot out and grabbed her by the waist. She and whoever grabbed her nearly fell. Kali kicked and struggled to get away.
"Let me go!"
"Kali," Lee's voice only made her pause for a second. "You can't go in there, Chiron needs to focus."
She tried to shove his arms off. "Lee, put me down! Let me go!"
"Not until you calm down!"
"He's dying!"
"Chiron is healing him, and you're just going to be a distraction," Lee tried to reason with her. "He's going to be okay. I promise."
Kali weakly struggled. There was a lump in her throat but she refused to start crying. When she stopped struggling so hard, Lee carefully set her back down on her feet and let go. She shoved him away from her with a glare he didn't deserve.
Annabeth came running up a second later, worry etched on her features. "Kali, why did Grant just tell me something happened to Percy? Is he okay?"
"If Percy dies, I'm gonna kill him," she said through clenched teeth.
"You're gonna kill Percy if he dies?" Lee asked, almost sounding amused.
"No. I'm going to kill Luke Castellan."
There was a long beat shocked silence.
Suddenly, Annabeth was gripping her arm tightly. "Kali," she said in a shaky voice, causing the younger girl to look up at her, "I need you to tell me what happened right now."
+++
Annabeth did not take the news of what Luke did well at first. She tried to argue that Luke wouldn't do that, and got teary eyed. The fight left her soon, though, and she sat deep in thought on the Big House's porch's steps. They had been expecting a betrayal from a friend. It didn't mean it didn't hurt.
Kali stayed beside her, lost in her own mind, as they waited for either Chiron or Argus to tell them it was okay to come in. She felt like she should have figured Luke out sooner.
Lee stuck close to them both. In an attempt to lighten the mood, he said Kali looked a lot like Percy when she was brooding. Kali denied that she was brooding and instead planning a murder, to which Lee just sighed and muttered something about angry middle schoolers.
They ended up waiting most of the day. During that time, Arianna and Grant finally left. First her and then him. Neither of them were happy to go and Grant seemed to be in shock over the news of Luke, but Kali promised to send them an update on Percy when she could. That eased there minds well enough.
Once Oliver and Adelaide got news of what happened, they did their best to keep Kali busy, even inviting Annabeth along. She only did so after lunch, but after an hour she let the trio be and went to hang out with one of her siblings instead.
It was when the sun began to set when Connor shouted her name.
Halfway up the climbing rock with Adelaide, the two of them the last ones on there, Kali stopped and looked down at him. He insistently waved at her to come down, and she did after making sure Adelaide knew where she was going. Before she even got a chance to ask what he wanted, he grabbed her hand and began to drag her away as he spoke.
"It's Percy. Chiron said you can go in and see him now," he told her.
Kali sped up her pace to stay at his side. "What? Is he okay?"
Connor nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Well, as good as he can be after getting stung by a pit scorpion. I already got Annabeth, so she's there."
A wave of relief washed over. "Thank the gods," she breathed. "Thanks for telling me." She took his hand from his and went to run to the Big House.
She got there in no time, hurrying into the building and then to the sickroom. As Argus opened the door and let her enter, she heard Chiron say, "–Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit, as well as Arianna's herbs."
"And Kali," Percy added, and looked at her as he said it. He looked a lot better than before. No longer green, no longer weak and disoriented. It was a relief to see. He still looked like utter crap, though. "You did something to slow the poison. I felt it."
From where he sat in his wheelchair at the foot of the bed, Chiron turned and looked at her intriguingly. Annabeth had the same expression.
"You didn't tell me that," Annabeth said.
Kali shuffled closer. She sat down in a chair on the opposite side Annabeth was on. She shrugged. "Maybe? I really don't know. I just panicked, and hoped it worked."
"What were you trying to do, Kali?" Chiron implored.
"Slow the poison." They all stared at her. "Um...it's– when I was trying to stop the bleeding when the hellhound scratched Percy, the blood slowed down because I wanted it to, not because I was putting pressure on the wound. So, I took a chance. Tried to will the poison in his bloodstream to slow down." Another pause. They were all still staring at her. It made her uncomfortable. "What?"
"You controlled his blood?" Annabeth asked in complete shock.
"Holy shit," Percy breathed out.
Kali floundered. She didn't know how to really respond to Annabeth; other than shocked, she looked amazed. As did Percy.
Chiron rubbed his beard. It was hard to read his expression. "Interesting," he murmured.
To get the attention off of herself, she looked at her brother and asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved."
Chiron hummed. "Apt, considering that was pit scorpion poison. I'm aware Kali has told Annabeth what happened, but I would like to hear it myself – from you, too, Percy, if you can."
Between sips of nectar, Percy began the story. How he ran into Luke in the arena, and how Luke offered him some Coke and to hang out in the woods. How it started off fine, but quickly went sideways as Luke admitted everything. Kali explained how she noticed them, followed, and got there just as Luke told Percy about the pit scorpion. And then...everything else.
"I can't believe that Luke..." Annabeth's voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and sad. "Yes. Yes I can believe it. May the gods curse him... He was never the same after his quest."
"This must be reported to Olympus," murmured Chiron. "I will go at once."
"Luke is out there right now," Percy said. "I have to go after him."
Chiron shook his head. "No, Percy. The–"
"What about me?" asked Kali. "I can–"
"Absolutely not," he interrupted her. "The gods–"
"Won't even talk about Kronos," Percy snapped. "Zeus declared the matter closed!"
"Children, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready."
"I wasn't ready when we went on the quest," Kali said, just barely holding back from yelling at Chiron. "I'm not a good fighter and you allowed me to go, anyway."
"Because I knew your brother, Annabeth, and Grover wouldn't let anything happen to you," Chiron told her.
Kali looked away and glared at her lap. Why did people keep babying her? Why wasn't anyone telling her she could do something, anything? She knew Chiron was right, but hearing he didn't believe she could look out for herself still stung. Did anyone older believe in her at all?
Percy spoke up after a moment of silence. "Chiron...your prophecy from the Oracle...it was about Kronos, wasn't it? Were either of us in it? Or Annabeth?"
Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Percy, it isn't my place–"
"You've been ordered not to talk to us about it, haven't you?"
His eyes were sympathetic yet sad. "You will be a great hero, child. Kali, you also will do magnificent things. I will do my best to prepare you both. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you..."
Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows.
"All right!" Chiron shouted. "Fine!" He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing."
"We can't just sit back and do nothing," Percy said.
"Yeah, we have to do at least something," Kali said.
"We will not sit back," Chiron promised. "But you must be careful. That is the something you must do. Kronos wants you two to come unraveled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come."
"Assuming I live that long," Percy said.
Kali whacked his shoulder. "Don't say that."
Chiron placed his hand on Percy's ankle. "You'll have to trust me, Percy. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice... But you must decide whether to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, or return to the mortal world for seventh grade and be a summer camper. Think on that. When I get back from Olympus, you must tell me your decision." He looked at Kali. "I assume you're leaving, yes?"
Kali could tell he didn't like her decision to go, just like he didn't last year. "I have my little brother and sister to get back to," she said as an answer. "I promised them to come back."
Chiron sighed yet smiled with just a twinge of disappointment. "Very well. I won't try to change your mind. It would be futile to do so... I must go now," he told them. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Argus will watch over you." He glanced at Annabeth. "Oh, and, my dear...whenever you're ready, they're here."
"Who's here?" Percy asked.
Kali shrugged. No one answered.
Chiron rolled himself out of the room. The sound of his wheels clunking carefully down the front steps, two at a time, gradually got quieter.
Annabeth studied the ice in Percy's drink.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
"Nothing." She set the glass in the table. "I...just took your advice about something. You...um...need anything?"
"Yeah. Help me up. I want to go outside."
"Percy, that isn't a good idea."
He slid his leg out of the bed anyway. Annabeth caught him before he could crumble to the floor. Kali stood and walked over incase she needed help.
Annabeth said, "I told you..."
"I'm fine," he insisted.
"You don't look fine," Kali mumbled, uncaring of whether or not he heard her.
Percy managed a step forward. Then another, leaning heavily on Annabeth. Kali stuck close until they got close to the door, then moved to open it. Behind them, Argus followed but kept his distance.
By the time they made it to the porch, Percy's face was beaded with sweat. He looked nauseated. But he had managed to make it all the way to the railing.
It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun.
"What are you going to do?" Annabeth asked him.
"I don't know," he said. "I get the feeling Chiron wants me to stay year-round, to put more individual training time or something, but I'm not sure I want that. With Kali leaving, though, I'd feel bad about leaving you alone with only Clarisse for company."
Annabeth pursed her lips, then said quietly, "I'm going home for the year, Percy."
He and Kali both stared at her. "You mean, to your dad's?"
She pointed toward the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Next to Thalia's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted – two little children, a woman, and a tall man with blond hair. They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one Annabeth had gotten from Waterland in Denver.
"I wrote him a letter when we got back," she explained. "Just like you suggested. I told him...I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided...we'd give it another try."
"That took guts."
"I hope it goes well for you," Kali said.
Annabeth gave her a grateful, small smile. "Thanks, Kal." Then, her lips pursed and she said, "You two won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least...not without sending me an Iris-message?"
Percy managed a smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to."
Kali feigned offense. "I'll have you know I'm a well behaved kid during the school year. Adults are just stupid sometimes."
"Sure," he said, unbelieving.
"When I get back next summer," Annabeth said, "we'll hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?"
"Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena."
She held her hand. Percy shook it.
"Take care, Seaweed Brain," she told him. "Keep your eyes open."
"You too, Wise Girl."
Annabeth and Kali then shared a hug. "The same goes for you. Stay safe, okay?"
"No need to worry about me," she said. "See you next year, Annabeth."
Kali and Percy watched her walk up the hill and join her family. She gave her father an awkward hug and looked back at the valley one last time. She touched Thalia's pine tree, then allowed herself to be lead over the crest and into the mortal world.
As Percy looked out at Long Island Sound, Kali leaned her forearms against the railing and did the same. The dread of leaving came back.
The sea does not like to be restrained, her father's voice echoed in her head.
It made sense for her to feel restrained at camp, but she felt as if the opposite were true. Although she wouldn't change it for anything in the world, in the mortal world she had to be a big sister and stay a big sister and take hits thrown at her and do as told lest Ralph get super angry. She was a rock Naia and Makoa could lean on. Something steady and strong they looked up to. Here, though? Half-Blood Hill and the valley were her safe haven. She didn't have to worry about angering her adoptive father, whether it be on purpose to get his attention of the others or completely on accident. She could go with the flow of everyone else at camp, or intentionally cause a bit of trouble with her friends.
The sea may not like being restrained, but the earth didn't move unless it wanted to.
Kali felt Percy staring at her. "What?" she asked without looking back.
"You don't look happy to be leaving," he said.
She shrugged with one shoulder. "I love this place. But...I promised to come back to Naia and Makoa. They don't know about the demigod stuff. It's too dangerous for them, and if I stay here with no explanation they'll be heartbroken."
Percy sympathetically frowned. "That sucks. I'm sorry."
"It's not so bad," she said. "They need me and I love them, so it's easy to leave, but I still don't like to. Besides, it's not like the camp can go anywhere. It will still be here in a year." Kali straightened and brushed a few strands from her face, sighing softly. "I'm gonna go back to the cabin. Choose whatever you want, Perce, okay?" She gave him a one armed hug. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Me too," he said as he returned it.
Once they pulled away, she left. Within moments Kali found herself in the cabin, sitting on the edge of her bed. She looked at her hands, then at her necklace that hung at the front of her shirt. She gently held the bronze shell with her fingers.
"I'm sorry, Mom," she whispered. "I'm not going to be able to visit for a long time."
With that, she tucked it back under her shirt and mentally prepared to leave Camp Half-Blood.
————
A/N— and here's the final chapter of part one!! there's still an interlude chap i have to finish and i wasn't going to post this until i did, but i got impatient with myself and then the official pjo trailer came out, so here it is lol