When the conch horn blew and I heard Percy's name being shouted, I quickly ran with Silena. I ran just a little quicker, excited to see him. "Percy! Thank the gods. But where...?"
He blushed and I did a little too when I held onto his arms. We were still working through everything, and although I hadn't told him everything I thought, I was getting there. "Is Luke...?"
"The ship blew up. He wasn't destroyed, I don't know where-"
Silena brushed through the crowd and my heart broke as I left Percy to hold her. Her hair wasn't brushed and she didn't have makeup. "Where's Charlie?"
"Silena, let's talk about this at the Big House—" Chiron tried.
"No," she sobbed. "No. No!"
She clung to me as I also started to cry. She and Charlie were always like parents to me, caring for me like a normal family probably would, and it hurt seeing my sister, and someone who I considered a mother, grieving.
Clarisse came and held us both, but mainly Silena. Once Silena and I gave Clarisse advice on her boyfriend, Chris, who was returned to his normal mental state by Dionysus, she decided she would be our bodyguards.
I smiled at Clarisse. "Take her to the Big House? I'll be there soon."
Clarisse nodded. "Let's go Silena. I'll make you hot chocolate."
I turned back to Percy, "I'm glad you're not dead, Seaweed Brain."
"Thanks Cor, me too." Percy looked to the ground. "We'll uh, need to talk later. But my father said it's time, I need to know the full prophecy."
Chiron didn't looked surprised. "Very well. Annabeth, Coriane, we will show Percy the truth, all of it."
•.•.•.•
We saw the blade of Kampê and Percy and I made awkward eye contact. We talked about what our kiss meant to each of us, and we agreed it was sealing our love that we confessed, but it was the last time Percy had truly been mine.
I cleared my throat. "Prophecy."
Annabeth gave me a sad smile. She knew what we were going through and though she mainly heard my side, she was now neutral between us. She wanted us to work, and she tried to not take my side, she was being a voice of reason when Percy and I were too stubborn.
I looked to the Oracle, I hadn't seen her since I'd gotten my quest. I hadn't wanted to see her again. If I could've forced only Annabeth up here, I would've.
"I never understood this." Percy whispered.
"What?" I asked.
"Why it's a mummy."
"She wasn't always a mummy. For thousands of years the spirit of the Oracle lived inside a beautiful maiden. The spirit would pass generation to generation. Chiron told me she was like that fifty years ago. But she was the last."
"What happened."
Annabeth shook her head. "Let's just get our job done and get out of here. O Oracle, the time is at hand. I ask for the Great Prophecy."
Annabeth grabbed one of her necklaces and opened the punch, the tiny roll of parchment no bigger than my pinky.
"You mean all these years it's been right around her neck?" Percy asked.
"The time wasn't right." I said. "Percy, we read this when we were ten years old. We still have nightmares."
"Can I read it now?"
"At the war council."
When we got downstairs I flocked to Silena, ignoring Clarisse and Micheal Yew, the new Apollo leader, arguing over loot.
"Hey sis, how you holding up?" It was a dumb question.
Silena only blinked in response, her hot chocolate left untouched.
"Do you want me to get you anything else? I can do anything, please?"
She shook her head.
I sighed in defeat and laid my head on her shoulder, squeezing her hand. Clarisse ran off.
Katie Gardner groaned. "This is a disaster!"
I scowled at Micheal. "Honestly, just give her what she wants so she'll stop refusing to fight in this war."
Micheal scoffed. "The loot is rightfully ours!"
Percy looked at me in confusion and I gave him a look of I'll tell you later.
"Now is not the time." Chiron said, ending all arguments. "Percy, read it."
I knew it by heart, I'd been waiting for this to come true since I'd read it.
"A half-blood of the eldest gods,
Shall reach sixteen against all odds,
And see the world in endless sleep
The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap
A single choice shall end his days.
Olympus to preserve or raze."
When Percy finished Connor Stoll said, "Raise is good isn't it?"
"Not raise." Silena said, voice hollow. "R-a-z-e means destroy."
Everyone began discussing what it could mean other than Percy dying. I'd been so focused on our friendship, on there always being other children who could lay claim, I had never thought of it meaning Percy would die.
As a kid I never thought I would be close with the child, but here I was in some situationship with him.
"Let's move on," Percy said when he noticed my shaking hand, the one not holding onto Silena. "We've got a spy."
"A spy?" Jake Mason, the new Hephaestus leader, asked.
Percy told us about what happened when Charlie died, how Kronos knew they were coming, how he had been communicating with someone in camp.
Silena cried harder and I assumed it was because that was when Charlie died. I hugged her and Annabeth put a hand on her shoulder.
Connor glanced at us. "We've suspected a spy for years. It must be somebody who knew him well."
"Yes," Katie frowned. "Like one of his siblings."
They started arguing again.
"We need to find that necklace." Chiron said. "His next assault is on the way."
"You mean the bigger threat my father mentioned?" Percy asked.
Chiron sighed after glancing at me. "We didn't want to tell you til you returned to camp. You needed a break with your... mortal friend."
I bit the inside of my cheek as Percy glanced to me, seeing my reaction. I knew he was with her, but I prayed that didn't have anything to do with him needing to talk to me.
Chiron showed Percy the fact Typhon was being released from his prison. You could see the gods fighting him, just barely. To add, Oceanus was fighting against Poseidon. The war was waging and we were losing.
"That's enough for one night." Chiron said and the war council was adjourned.
•.•.•.•
Before going to sleep I met Percy outside his cabin.
"What do you need to tell me?"
"So, when Rachel and I were... hanging out."
"You know how I feel about that."
"Yes, I know, I'm sorry, she dragged me out because Paul let me use his car. She wanted me to join her for vacation. At her private island."
I dug my nails into my palms. "Mhm."
"I said I couldn't but she kept insisting. And then when Charlie came to get me she uh... kissed me."
"What?" I whisper shouted, not trying to wake up those who were already sleeping. "You told me she had no feelings for you, Percy, you promised me!"
"I didn't want her to kiss me and I didn't think she would!" Percy defended. "She just grabbed me and kissed me, it was in the moment like our kiss was!"
"Did her kiss come with a love confession too then?" I sneered. "Did you tell her you loved her and then come back to me, are you going to do what you did to me with her?"
"Gods, Coriane, no! I didn't even like her kiss, I only like yours."
That was so corny I cringed. "Disregarding that... Percy, you say you won't hang out with her, yet you do with her more than me all summer. You say she doesn't like you, but she kissed you. You say all these things, your promise all these things, and then you break them. You can't keep breaking my trust."
Percy looked upset, the most upset I'd ever seen him. "Coriane, I'm so sorry. I'll do anything, I will get on my hands and knees, just forgive me."
I glared up at him. "Percy, I don't want to do this, but eventually it will come down to her or me, and if you have to even think about it."
"I would pick you," Percy said instantly. "It would always be you. Coriane, I know I haven't been the greatest friend, and I probably wouldn't make the greatest boyfriend right now, but I swear, I want you and only you."
"You haven't shown me that thought, Percy. You say it but you don't act on it. Do that, and then I'll believe you."
He nodded. "How do you want me to show you? Want me to kiss you right now? Confess my love again? I meant it when I said I'd get on my hands and knees."
I laughed. "No. I don't know yet, but kissing me right now is not the thing to do."
Percy nodded. "When you know, tell me and I'll do it right away."
I smiled at his eagerness and it made me feel a little more confident in him, but the pain of all his betrayals stung. "I need to be with Silena, but tomorrow when you, Annabeth and I do cabin inspections maybe we can talk a little more. Annabeth might be mad though, I'm definitely telling her."
"I figured."