Theo's POV
I slowly opened my eyes and saw...trees? Is this grass I'm lying on? How did I end up here?
I groaned as I slowly sat up, and that's when I realized where I was.
I found myself in between a forest and...a cabin overlooking the cliffside.
That...Alexios' cabin. The same one that I lived in for the first two months of my life before Orion showed up.
I got up and started slowly walking towards the cabin, but a thought came to my head.
Am I dead?
???: No, you're not.
I quickly turned around and saw a familiar middle-aged woman. She had auburn hair and silvery-yellow eyes and was wearing silver robes.
Artemis: This isn't real. You, however, are simply unconscious.
Theo: Mom?
Artemis: Yes, son.
I smiled at the sight of my mother, but it quickly faded when I remembered what happened earlier.
Theo: Shit. The ship. Percy...
Artemis: Calm yourself, Theo. You needn't worry about Percy, for he has survived.
I sighed in relief.
Theo: Beckendorf?
Artemis shook her head in sadness, which told me everything I needed to know.
Theo: No. No, there's no way. He can't be...
Artemis: I'm sorry, Theo. Charles didn't survive the explosion.
I fell onto my knees and fought the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes. But that was a fight I end up losing, and I found myself crying over the loss of my friend.
After a few minutes of crying, I wiped my tears and stood back up.
Theo: Did...Is Kronos...?
Artemis: Unfortunately, he is not. All your plan did was slow the Titan lord down.
Theo: (sighs) Dammit. Well, at least, it wasn't a total loss. We took out a fair number of monsters on the ship.
Artemis: Which will each undoubtedly be either reformed or replaced with over a dozen more. As for the demigods that were onboard...Only a handful managed to survive.
Theo: (sighs) Fuck's sake.
Artemis: Theo, Beckendorf's sacrifice wasn't in vain. You have scattered the invasion force. New York will be safe for a time, which frees the other Olympians to deal with the bigger threat.
Theo: Bigger threat?
Artemis: You'll learn of it once you reach camp. For now, all I can say is that all of the Olympians, myself and your grandfather included, are busy dealing with it.
Theo: Then...how are we...?
Artemis: Us gods can communicate with our children however we wish. When I made the connection with your mind, my subconscious filled out the rest.
Theo: So...That cabin...That's you?
Artemis: This cabin is where the best and worst moments of my existence occurred. The day you were born...and the day I lost your father.
I nodded in understanding. Artemis then stared at the cabin and looked like a million memories came flooding into her head.
Artemis: Do you know the meaning behind your name.
Theo: My Greek name, or my modern one?
Artemis: Your modern name is derived from your Greek name; therefore, they have the same meaning. Do you know what it is?
I shook my head.
Artemis: It means "divine gift." Throughout the ages, I have received many offerings by mortals and demigods alike. Some weren't as pleasant as others. But the day I held you in my arms was when I finally realized something.
She took a deep breath as she looked back at me with a tearful smile on her face.
Artemis: You are the greatest gift I have ever been given, Theodorus. You always have been, and you always will be.
I shed a few tears of joy as Artemis walked up to me. Before I could react, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly, while I did the same.
Artemis: Please, be careful, my son. I cannot bear to lose you.
Theo: I'll try, Mom.
We separated, but Artemis slipped something into my left hand and held her hands over it.
Theo: What is that?
Artemis: Your birthday gift. From me and Hermes.
I looked at her, expecting her to give me some details.
Artemis: (chuckles) It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you what it was, would it?
Theo: (chuckles) No. No, it wouldn't.
A silver tear fell from my mother's eyes as she cupped my cheek with her hand.
Artemis: I love you, my son.
Theo: (smiles) I love you too, Mom.
Suddenly, I was engulfed in a bright silver light before finally waking up.
I gasped for breath as I quickly sat up. I found myself on a beach as the Princess Andromeda burned in the distance.
That was all the confirmation I needed to know that it was all real. I looked at the bracers on my forearms, which were made for me by Beckendorf.
Theo: (sniffles) I'm sorry, Beck.
Then I looked at my left hand and saw that it was wrapped around something. I opened my hand and found a car fob with the Mercedes logo in the middle and a red button that says "PANIC" on the top of it.
I looked behind me and saw an empty road adjacent to the beach. I looked at the fob and pressed the unlock button.
CHIRP! CHIRP!
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I looked around. There was no car that I could see on the road, so where did that sound come from?
Suddenly, a bright silver light appeared in front of me. I shielded my eyes instinctively, believing that one of the gods was appearing in front of me.
When the light faded away, I lowered my hand, and my jaw dropped at what was in front of me.
It was a metallic silver 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren with a dark pearl red window tint, silver 20-inch BBS rims, and two thin black stripes extending from the front bumper all the way to the back. On both bumpers was a New York license plate that said, "53LA5."
(A/N: WHY THE FUCK DOES THE POLICE DISPATCH CALL IT A MCLAREN IN THE GAME?!?!? THERE ARE 3 MERCEDES CARS IN THE GAME, THE SL500, THE CLK500, AND THIS ONE! WHY CALL THE FIRST TWO A MERCEDES BUT CALL THIS ONE A MCLAREN?!?!)
Theo: HOLY SHIT!
I was completely stunned by the car. Most people would get a cheap sedan or a minivan for their first cars, NOT A DAMN SUPERCAR!
But I can't complain.
I immediately opened the car's butterfly doors and sat in the driver's seat. I was admiring the interior, then I noticed the note on the steering wheel. It was in Ancient Greek, so I understood what it said.
Try not to wreck this one. They don't come cheap, you know
Happy birthday, Theo
-Grandpa
P.S.: Check the sun visor
Theo: (smiles) Thanks, Grandpa.
I lowered the sun visor and saw a card of some kind on the cover of the mirror. I took the card and saw that it was a driver's license, with my full name, birthdate (as in 1993, not 1000-something BC, because that'd be weird), and everything.
Theo: (laughs) This is something else.
I immediately put my hand on the gearstick and lifted the cover on top of it, revealing the start/stop engine button. I pressed it with my thumb, and the supercharged and intercooled 5.5L V8 engine roared to life.
I smiled like a kid at a candy store because of the sound of the engine. Then the smile faded once I realized that I had to get to Camp Half-Blood fast.
I lowered the handbrake, put the car in drive, and put my foot down, causing me to accelerate. I nudged the gearstick to the left to change to go up each gear as I sped down the empty road.
Percy's POV
If you want to be popular at Camp Half-Blood, don't come back from a mission with bad news.
Word of my arrival spread as soon as I walked out of the ocean. Our beach is on the North Shore of Long Island, and it's enchanted so most people can't even see it. People don't just appear on the beach unless they're demigods or gods or really, really lost pizza delivery guys. (It's happened—but that's another story.)
Anyway, that afternoon the lookout on duty was Connor Stoll from the Hermes cabin. When he spotted me, he got so excited he fell out of his tree. Then he blew the conch horn to signal the camp and ran to greet me.
Connor had a crooked smile that matched his crooked sense of humor. He's a pretty nice guy, but you should always keep one hand on your wallet when he's around, and do not, under any circumstances, give him access to shaving cream unless you want to find your sleeping bag full of it. He's got curly brown hair and is a little shorter than his brother, Travis, which is the only way I can tell them apart. They are both so unlike my old enemy Luke it's hard to believe they're all sons of Hermes.
Connor: Percy! What happened? Where's Beckendorf and Theo?
Then he saw my expression, and his smile melted. My father told me that Beckendorf is dead, but Theo managed to survive. He was washed up on shore while unconscious.
Connor: Oh, no. Poor Silena and Annabeth. Holy Zeus, when they find out...
Percy: Theo's alive. I don't know where he is, but...
Connor: Okay. That's one less broken heart to worry about, at least.
Together we climbed the sand dunes. A few hundred yards away, people were already streaming toward us, smiling and excited. Percy's back, they were probably thinking. He's saved the day! Maybe he brought souvenirs!
I stopped at the dining pavilion and waited for them. No sense rushing down there to tell them what a loser I was.
I gazed across the valley and tried to remember how Camp Half-Blood looked the first time I ever saw it. That seemed like a bajillion years ago.
From the dining pavilion, you could see pretty much everything. Hills ringed the valley. On the tallest, Half-Blood Hill, Thalia's pine tree stood with the Golden Fleece hanging from its branches, magically protecting the camp from its enemies. The guard dragon Peleus was so big now I could see him from here—curled around the tree trunk, lending up smoke signals as he snored.
To my right spread the woods. To my left, the canoe lake glittered, and the climbing wall glowed from the lava pouring down its side. Twelve cabins—one for each Olympian god—made a horseshoe pattern around the commons area. Farther south were the strawberry fields, the armory, and the four-story Big House with its sky-blue paint job and its bronze eagle weathervane.
In some ways, the camp hadn't changed. But you couldn't see the war by looking at the buildings or the fields. You could see it in the faces of the demigods and satyrs and naiads coming up the hill. There weren't as many at camp as four summers ago. Some had left and never come back. Some had died fighting. Others—we tried not to talk about them—had gone over to the enemy. The ones who were still here were battle-hardened and weary. There was little laughter at camp these days. Even the Hermes cabin didn't play so many pranks. It's hard to enjoy practical jokes when your whole life feels like one.
Chiron galloped into the pavilion first, which was easy for him since he's a white stallion from the waist down. His beard had grown wilder over the summer. He wore a green T-shirt that said MY OTHER CAR IS A CENTAUR and a bow slung over his back.
Chiron: Percy! Thank the gods. Where are...
Annabeth ran in right behind him. We'd been doing so many combat missions lately, she hardly brushed her curly blond hair anymore, and she didn't care what clothes she was wearing—usually the same old orange camp T-shirt and jeans, and once in a while her bronze armor. Her eyes were stormy gray. Most of the time we couldn't get through a conversation without trying to strangle each other. The only one who really knew how to handle her was Theo.
Then came Zoe Nightshade next to her. She had dark-brown hair, brown hair, and coppery-colored skin. She had her orange camp T-shirt and jeans. Next to her stood Diego the saber-toothed tiger. He wore bronze armor as well as a bronze horsehair helmet, which was taken off every once in a while.
Before I had the chance to respond, we heard a car engine roar in the distance before cutting off. About a few seconds later, we saw Theo coming down from Half-Blood Hill.
Annabeth ran towards Theo and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug. Theo wrapped his arms around her waist as he hugged her back.
Annabeth was smiling as she separated, but her smile faded when she noticed the grim look on his face.
Annabeth: What happened? Is Luke—
Theo: We blew up the ship. He's still kicking, though. I don't—
Silena Beauregard pushed through the crowd. Her hair wasn't combed, and she wasn't even wearing makeup, which wasn't like her.
Silena: Where's Charlie?
I glanced at Chiron helplessly.
Chiron: (clears his throat) Silena, my dear, let's talk about this at the Big House—
Silena: No. No, no.
She started to cry, and the rest of us stood around, too stunned to speak. We'd already lost so many people over the summer, but this was the worst. With Beckendorf gone, it felt like someone had stolen the anchor for the entire camp.
Finally, Clarisse from the Ares cabin came forward. She put her arm around Silena. They had one of the strangest friendships ever—a daughter of the war god and a daughter of the love goddess—but ever since Silena had given Clarisse advice last summer about her first boyfriend, Clarisse had decided she was Silena's personal bodyguard.
Clarisse: Come on, girl. Let's get to the Big House. I'll make you some hot chocolate.
Everyone turned and wandered off in twos and threes, heading back to the cabins. Nobody was excited to see me now. Nobody wanted to hear about the blown-up ship.
Only Zoe, Theo, Annabeth, Diego, and Chiron stayed behind.
Zoe: I'm glad you're okay, Percy.
Percy: Thanks. Me too.
Chiron: I'm sure you did everything you could, Percy. Will you tell us what happened?
I didn't want to go through it again, but I told them the story, including my dream about the Titans. I left out the detail about Nico. Nico had made me promise not to tell anybody about his plan until I made up my mind, and the plan was so scary I didn't mind keeping it a secret.
Chiron: We must call a war council immediately, to discuss this spy, and other matters.
Percy: Poseidon mentioned another threat. Something even bigger than the Princess Andromeda. I thought it might be that challenge the Titan had mentioned in my dream.
Theo: Artemis said the same thing.
Chiron and Annabeth exchanged looks, like they knew something I didn't. I hated when they did that.
Chiron: We will discuss that also.
Percy: (takes a deep breath) When I talked to my father, he said to tell you it's time. I need to know the full prophecy.
Chiron's shoulders sagged, but he didn't look surprised.
Chiron: I've dreaded this day. Very well. Annabeth, we will show Percy the truth—all of it. Let's go to the attic.
Theo's POV
I'd been to the Big House attic once before, which was not an experience I wanted to go through again anytime soon.
A ladder led up from the top of the staircase. I wondered how Chiron was going to get up there, being half horse and all, but he didn't try.
Chiron: You know where it is. Bring it down, please.
Annabeth: (nods) Come on, Percy.
Annabeth and Percy climbed up the ladder, leaving me, Chiron, and Zoe. I had asked Diego to keep Silena company along with Clarisse. I figured that she needed it.
Chiron: May I ask you how you managed to get to camp?
Theo: Birthday gift from Mom and Grandpa.
Chiron raised his eyebrows.
Theo: If we win this war and survive, I'll show you guys. How's that?
Chiron chuckled. While we waited, my mind drifted back to what Artemis said about me being the best gift she'd ever been give. A stray tear fell down my cheek, which I quickly wiped off.
Zoe: Are you alright?
Theo: Yeah, I'm fine. Just...Just something else my mother told me.
Chiron: Is it something we should worry about?
Theo: No. It's fine.
Then, after a minute, Annabeth and Percy came down from the attic, with Annabeth holding a very small roll of parchment.
Zoe: Is this...?
Annabeth nodded.
Theo: You mean to tell me that the most important prophecy that's ever been told, one that so important that it had the gods shitting themselves, is written in that tiny piece of parchment?
Percy: It was hanging around the Oracle's neck as well.
Theo: You're messing with me, right?
Percy: I wish I was.
Chiron: Size matters not when it comes to these scenarios. Now come along. We must discuss this to the war council.
The senior counselors had gathered around the Ping-Pong table. Don't ask me why, but the rec room had become the camp's informal headquarters for war councils. When Annabeth, Chiron, Zoe, Percy, and I came in, though, it looked more like a shouting match.
Clarisse was still in full battle gear. Her electric spear was strapped to her back. (Actually, her second electric spear, since I'd broken the first one. She called the spear "Maimer." Behind her back, everybody else called it "Lamer.") She had her boar-shaped helmet under one arm and a knife at her belt.
She was in the midst of yelling at Michael Yew, the new head counselor for Apollo, which looked kind of funny since Clarisse was a foot taller. Michael had taken over the Apollo cabin after Lee Fletcher died in battle last summer. Michael stood four feet six, with another two feet of attitude. He reminded me of a ferret, with a pointy nose and scrunched-up features—either because he scowled so much or because he spent too much time looking down the shaft of an arrow.
Michael: It's our loot! If you don't like it, you can kiss my quiver!
Around the table, people were trying not to laugh—the Stoll brothers, Pollux from the Dionysus cabin, Katie Gardner from Demeter. Even Jake Mason, the hastily appointed new counselor from Hephaestus, managed a faint smile. Only Silena Beauregard didn't pay any attention. She sat beside Clarisse and stared vacantly at the Ping-Pong net. Her eyes were red and puffy. A cup of hot chocolate sat untouched in front of her while Diego rested his head on her lap, allowing her to absentmindedly rub his head. It seemed unfair that she had to be here. I couldn't believe Clarisse and Michael standing over her, arguing about something as stupid as loot, when she'd just lost Beckendorf.
Theo: HEY! What the hell are you two knuckleheads doing?!
Clarisse: Tell your cousin over here not to be a selfish jerk.
Michael: Oh, that's perfect, coming from you.
Clarisse: The only reason I'm here is to support Silena! Otherwise, I'd be back in my cabin.
Theo: What are you talking about?
Pollux: Clarisse has refused to speak to any of us, until her, um, issue is resolved. She hasn't spoken for three days.
Travis: It's been wonderful.
Percy: What issue?
Clarisse: (turns to Chiron) You're in charge, right? Does my cabin get what we want or not?
Chiron: My dear, as I've already explained, Michael is correct. Apollo's cabin has the best claim. Besides, we have more important matters—
Clarisse: Sure. Always more important matters than what Ares needs. We're just supposed to show up and light when you need us, and not complain!
Connor: (mutters) That would be nice,
Clarisse: Maybe I should ask Mr. D—
Chiron: As you know, our director, Dionysus, is busy with the war. He can't be bothered with this.
Clarisse: I see. And the senior counselors? Are any of you going to side with me?
Nobody was smiling now. None of them met Clarisse's eyes.
Clarisse: Fine. (to Silena) I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get into this when you've just lost...Anyway, I apologize. To you. Nobody else.
Silena didn't seem to register her words.
Clarisse threw her knife on the Ping-Pong table.
Clarisse: All of you can fight this war without Ares. Until I get satisfaction, no one in my cabin is lifting a finger to help. Have fun dying.
The counselors were all too stunned to say anything as Clarisse stormed out of the room.
Michael: Good riddance.
Katie: Are you kidding?! This is a disaster!
Travis: She can't be serious. Can she?
Chiron: (sighs) Her pride has been wounded. She'll calm down eventually.
He didn't sound convinced.
I wanted to ask what the hell Clarisse was so mad about, but I looked at Annabeth.
Annabeth: (mouths) I'll tell you later.
Chiron: Now, if you please, counselors. Percy has brought something I think you should hear. Percy—the Great Prophecy.
Annabeth handed Percy the parchment. His fingers fumbled with the string. He uncurled the paper, trying not to rip it, and began to read:
Percy: A half-blood of the eldest dogs...
Theo: Gods, Percy. Not dogs.
I couldn't blame him for saying it wrong. Dyslexia can be a bitch.
Percy: Oh, right. 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.
He hesitated.
Chiron: Percy. Read the rest.
Percy: A single choice shall. . . shall end his days. Olympus to per—pursue—
Zoe: Preserve. It means to save.
Percy: I know what it means. Olympus to preserve or raze...
The room was silent.
Connor: Raise is good, isn't it?
Silena: Not raise. R-A-Z-E means destroy.
Annabeth: Obliterate. Annihilate. Turn to rubble.
Percy: Got it. Thanks.
Everybody, including me, was looking at Percy—with concern, or pity, or maybe a little fear.
Chiron closed his eyes as if he were saying a prayer. In horse form, his head almost brushed the lights in the rec room.
Chiron: You see now, Percy, why we thought it best not to tell you the whole prophecy. You've had enough on your shoulders—
Percy: Without realizing I was going to die in the end anyway? Yeah, I get it.
Chiron gazed at Percy sadly. The guy was three thousand years old. He'd seen hundreds of heroes die. He might not like it, but he was used to it. He probably knew better than to try to reassure him.
Annabeth: Percy. You know prophecies always have double meanings. It might not literally mean you die.
Percy: Sure. A single choice shall end his days. That has tons of meanings, right?
Jake: Maybe we can stop it. The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap. Maybe we could find this cursed blade and destroy it. Sounds like Kronos's scythe, right?
I didn't think about that, but I knew it wouldn't matter. Every time someone tried to change their prophecy, they ended up fulfilling it.
Chiron: Perhaps we should let Percy think about these lines. He needs time—
Percy: No.
He angrily folded up the prophecy and shoved it into his pocket.
Percy: I don't need time. If I die, I die. I can't worry about that, right?
I looked at Zoe and saw her hands shaking.
Theo: That's a later problem. We have a very serious now problem. We've a got a spy working for Kronos here.
Micheal: A spy?
Percy and I told them what had happened on the Princess Andromeda—how Kronos had known we were coming, how he'd shown us the silver scythe pendant he'd used to communicate with someone at camp.
Silena started to cry again, and Annabeth put an arm around her shoulders.
Connor: Well, we've suspected there might a spy for years, right? Somebody kept passing information to Luke—like the location of the Golden Fleece a couple of years ago. It must be somebody who knew him well.
Maybe subconsciously, he glanced at Annabeth. I knew why he did that, but I didn't like it. I glared at Connor, which made him look away quickly.
Connor: Um, I mean, it could be anybody.
Theo: (under his breath) Yeah, that's what I thought.
Katie: Yes. Like one of Luke's siblings.
Katie Gardner frowned at the Stoll brothers. She'd disliked them ever since they'd decorated the grass roof of the Demeter cabin with chocolate Easter bunnies.
Travis and Connor both started arguing with her.
Silena: STOP!
Silena banged the table so hard her hot chocolate spilled and Diego quickly lifted his head from her lap.
Silena: Charlie's dead and...and you're all arguing like little kids!
She put her head down and began to sob. Diego slowly put his head back on Silena's lap and purred.
Hot chocolate trickled off the Ping-Pong table. Everybody looked ashamed.
Pollux: She's right. Accusing each other doesn't help. We need to keep our eyes open for a silver necklace with a scythe charm. If Kronos had one, the spy probably does too.
Michael: We need to find this spy before we plan our next operation. Blowing up the Princess Andromeda won't stop Kronos forever.
Chiron: No, indeed. In fact, his next assault is already on the way.
Percy: You mean the 'bigger threat' Poseidon and Artemis mentioned?
He and Annabeth looked at each other like, It's time.
Chiron: Percy, we didn't want to tell you until you returned to camp. You needed a break with your...mortal friends.
I saw Zoe blush slightly.
Theo: What happened?
Chiron picked up a bronze goblet from the snack table. He tossed water onto the hot plate where we usually melted nacho cheese. Steam billowed up, making a rainbow in the fluorescent lights. Chiron fished a golden drachma out of his pouch, tossed it through the mist.
Chiron: O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, show us the threat.
The mist shimmered. I saw the familiar image of a smoldering volcano—Mount St. Helens. As I watched, the side of the mountain exploded. Fire, ash, and lava rolled out.
Newscaster: —even larger than last year's eruption, and geologists warn that the mountain may not be done.
I knew all about last year's eruption. Percy caused it. But this explosion was much worse. The mountain tore itself apart, collapsing inward, and an enormous form rose out of the smoke and lava like it was emerging from a manhole. I hoped the Mist would keep the humans from seeing it clearly because what I saw would've caused panic and riots across the entire United States.
The giant was bigger than anything I'd ever encountered. Even my demigod eyes couldn't make out its exact form through the ash and fire, but it was vaguely humanoid and so huge it could've used the Chrysler Building as a baseball bat. The mountain shook with a horrible rumbling as if the monster were laughing.
Percy: It's him. Typhon.
I was seriously hoping Chiron would say something good, like No, that's our huge friend Requis! He's going to help us! But no such luck. He simply nodded.
Chiron: The most horrible monster of all, the biggest single threat the gods ever faced. He has been freed from under the mountain at last. But this scene is from two days ago. Here is what is happening today.
Chiron waved his hand and the image changed. I saw a bank of storm clouds rolling across the Midwest plains. Lightning flickered. Lines of tornadoes destroyed everything in their path—ripping up houses and trailers, tossing cars around like Matchbox toys.
Announcer: Monumental floods. Five states declared disaster areas as the freak storm system sweeps east, continuing its path of destruction.
The cameras zoomed in on a column of storm bearing down on some Midwest city. I couldn't tell which one. Inside the storm, I could see the giant—just small glimpses of his true form: a smoky arm, a dark clawed hand the size of a city block. His angry roar rolled across the plains like a nuclear blast. Other smaller forms darted through the clouds, circling the monster. I saw flashes of light, and I realized the giant was trying to swat them. I squinted and thought I saw a golden chariot flying into the blackness. Then some kind of huge bird—a monstrous owl—dived in to attack the giant.
Theo: Are those...the gods?
Chiron: Yes, Theo. They have been fighting him for days now, trying to slow him down. But Typhon is marching forward—toward New York. Toward Olympus.
Theo: Shit.
Percy: How long until he gets here?
Chiron: Unless the gods can stop him? Perhaps five days. Most of the Olympians are there...except your father, who has a war of his own to fight.
Percy: But then who's guarding Olympus?
Connor: (shakes his head) If Typhon gets to New York, it won't matter who's guarding Olympus.
I thought about Kronos's words on the ship: I would love to see the terror in your eyes when you realize how I will destroy Olympus.
Was this what he was talking about? An attack by Typhon? It was sure terrifying enough. But Kronos was always fooling us, misdirecting our attention. This seemed too obvious for him.
Theo: It's a trick. We have to warn the gods. Something else is going to happen.
Chiron: Something worse than Typhon? I hope not.
Percy: He's right. We have to defend Olympus. Kronos has another attack planned.
Travis: He did. But you two sunk his ship.
Everyone was looking at me and Percy. They wanted some good news. They wanted to believe that at least I'd given them a little bit of hope.
I glanced at Annabeth. I could tell we were thinking the same thing: What if the Princess Andromeda was a ploy? What if Kronos let us blow up that ship so we'd lower our guard?
But I wasn't going to say that in front of Silena. Her boyfriend had sacrificed himself for that mission.
Percy: Maybe you're right.
I shook my head, refusing to believe it.
I tried to imagine how things could get much worse. The gods were in the Midwest fighting a huge monster that had almost defeated them once before. Poseidon was under siege and losing a war against the sea Titan Oceanus. Kronos was still out there somewhere. Olympus was virtually undefended. The demigods of Camp Half-Blood were on our own with a spy in our midst.
Oh, and according to the ancient prophecy, Percy was going to die when he turned sixteen—which happened to be in five days, the exact same time Typhon was supposed to hit New York. Can't forget that, now can we?
Chiron: Well, I think that's enough for one night.
He waved his hand and the steam dissipated. The stormy battle of Typhon and the gods disappeared.
Percy: (mutters) That's an understatement.
Theo: No shit.
And the war council adjourned.
Timeskip
The next morning was pretty normal. I woke up, had breakfast. Except this morning, one of the head counselors had to inspect the cabins, which Annabeth was assigned to do.
After a few minutes, Annabeth arrived at the Artemis cabin, which was inhabited by only me and Zoe. She looked around with an impressed face.
Annabeth: This is somehow even cleaner than your room in Brooklyn.
Theo: Well, this is my mother's cabin. Figured I ought to take more care of it than I usually would.
Annabeth nodded before scribbling in her inspection scroll.
Annabeth: Five out of five.
After Annabeth left, I walked around the camp, which looked a lot more like a military base nowadays.
Suddenly, a fight broke out between the Ares and Apollo cabins. Some Apollo campers armed with firebombs flew over the Ares cabin in a chariot pulled by two Pegasi. I'd never seen the chariot before, but it looked like a pretty sweet ride. Soon, the roof of the Ares cabin was burning, and naiads from the canoe lake rushed over to blow water on it.
Then the Ares campers called down a curse and all the Apollo kids' arrows turned to rubber. The Apollo kids kept shooting at the Ares kids, but the arrows bounced off.
Two archers ran by, chased by an angry Ares kid who was yelling in poetry.
Theo: What the hell?
???: Not that again.
I turned around and saw Annabeth observing the fight with a disappointed expression.
Annabeth: Last time Apollo cursed a cabin, it took a week for the rhyming couplets to wear off.
Theo: Yikes.
My uncle Apollo was the god of poetry as well as archery, and I'd heard him recite in person. I'd almost rather get shot by an arrow.
Theo: What are they fighting about anyway?
Annabeth ignored me while she scribbled on her inspection scroll, giving both cabins a one out of five.
I found myself staring at her, which was stupid since I'd seen her a billion times. She and I were about the same height this summer, which was a relief. Still, she seemed so much more mature. It was kind of intimidating. I mean, sure, she'd always been cute, but she was starting to be seriously more beautiful.
Annabeth: That flying chariot.
Theo: What?
Annabeth: You asked what they were fighting about.
Theo: Oh.
Annabeth: They captured it in a raid in Philadelphia last week. Some of Luke's demigods were there with that flying chariot. The Apollo cabin seized it during the battle, but the Ares cabin led the raid. So, they've been fighting about who gets it ever since.
We ducked as Michael Yew's chariot dive-bombed an Ares camper. The Ares camper tried to stab him and cuss him out in rhyming couplets. He was pretty creative about rhyming those cuss words.
Theo: We're fighting for our lives, and they're bickering like Gryffindor and Slytherin about some fucking chariot.
Annabeth: They'll get over it. Clarisse will come to her senses.
Theo: You don't really believe that, do you?
Annabeth sighed before shaking her head.
Annabeth: I should go. I still have to inspect Demeter, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Athena.
Theo: I can come with you if you want.
Annabeth: (smiles) Sure.
I went with Annabeth as she inspected a few more cabins. Demeter got a four. Hephaestus got a three and probably should've gotten lower, but with Beckendorf being gone and all, we cut them some slack. Hermes got a two, which was no surprise. All campers who didn't know their godly parentage were shoved into the Hermes cabin, and since the gods were kind of forgetful, that cabin was always overcrowded.
Finally, we got to Athena's cabin, which was orderly and clean as usual. Books were straightened on the shelves. The armor was polished. Battle maps and blueprints decorated the walls. Only Annabeth's bunk was messy. It was covered in papers, and her silver laptop was still running.
Annabeth: Vlacas. [Idiot.]
Malcom: Yeah, um . . . we cleaned everything else. Didn't know if it was safe to move your notes.
That was probably smart. Annabeth had a bronze knife that she reserved just for monsters and people who messed with her stuff.
Malcom: (grins) We'll wait outside while you finish the inspection.
The Athena campers filed out the door while Annabeth cleaned up her bunk. I watched Annabeth straighten up. She closed her laptop, which had been given to her as a gift from the inventor Daedalus last summer.
Theo: Any good designs from that thing?
Annabeth: Too much. Daedalus had so many ideas, I could spend fifty years just trying to figure them all out.
Theo: I could help you out with those from time to time. I'm not as smart as you are, but I'm a fast learner.
Annabeth: Thank you, Theo. I'm fine for now, but if I need help, I'll ask.
She shuffled her papers—mostly drawings of buildings and a bunch of handwritten notes. I knew she wanted to be an architect someday, but I'd learned the hard way not to ask what she was working on. She'd start talking about angles and load-bearing joints until my eyes glazed over.
Annabeth: You know... This whole thing with Beckendorf and Silena. It kind of makes you think. About...what's important. About losing people who are important.
I nodded. My brain started seizing on little random details, like the fact that she was still wearing those silver owl earrings from her dad, who was this brainiac military history professor in San Francisco.
Theo: I know. Is, um...Is everything good with your family?
Okay, really stupid question, but hey, I was nervous.
Annabeth looked disappointed, but she nodded.
Annabeth: My dad wanted to take me to Greece this summer. I've always wanted to see—
Theo: The Parthenon.
Annabeth: (smiles) Yeah.
Theo: Well...If we win this war, you could still see it.
Annabeth smiled in appreciation as she stared at her inspection scroll.
Annabeth: Three out of five. for a sloppy head counselor. Come on. Let's get back to Chiron.
On the way to the Big House, Percy joined us as he was sorting through reports, which I knew he hated. We read the last report, which was handwritten on a maple leaf from a satyr in Canada. If possible, the note made me feel even worse.
Percy: "Dear Grover, outside Toronto attacked by giant evil badger. Tried to do as you suggested and summon power of Pan. No effect. Many naiads' trees destroyed. Retreating to Ottawa. Please advise. Where are you? —Gleeson Hedge, protector"
Annabeth: You haven't heard anything from him? Even with your empathy link?
Percy shook his head.
Ever since last summer when the god Pan had died, our friend Grover had been drifting farther and farther away. The Council of Cloven Elders treated him like an outcast, but Grover still traveled all over the East Coast, trying to spread the word about Pan and convince nature spirits to protect their own little bits of the wild. He'd only come back to camp a few times to see his girlfriend, Juniper.
Last I'd heard, he was in Central Park organizing the dryads, but nobody had seen or heard from him in two months. We'd tried to send Iris messages. They never got through. Percy had an empathy link with Grover, so he'd be the first to know if Grover was in trouble. Grover had told me one time that if he died, the empathy link might kill Percy too. I didn't know if that was true or not, but I was not planning to test that theory anytime soon.
Percy: Annabeth, Theo. Listen, I had this dream about, um, Rachel...
I raised my eyebrows as Percy told us about the dream. Apparently, after a small argument with her father, Rachel Dare looked at a few sketches she had drawn earlier. One was of a younger version of Luke, another of the Empire State Building surrounded by an army, and another of Orion standing over me at sword point while I was on the ground.
For a while, Annabeth didn't say anything. Then she rolled up her inspection scroll so tight she ripped it.
Annabeth: What do you want me to say?
Percy: I'm not sure. You're the best strategist I know. If you were Kronos planning this war, what would you do next?
Annabeth: I'd use Typhon as a distraction. Then I'd hit Olympus directly, while the gods were in the West.
Percy: Just like in Rachel's picture.
Annabeth: Percy, Rachel is just a mortal.
Percy: But what if her dream is true? Those other Titans—they said Olympus would be destroyed in a matter of days. They said they had plenty of other challenges. And what's with that picture of Luke as a kid, and Theo on the ground with Orion standing—
Annabeth: We'll just have to be ready.
Percy: How? Look at our camp. We can't even stop fighting each other. And I'm supposed to get my damn soul reaped.
Annabeth: I knew we shouldn't have shown you the prophecy. All it did was scare you. You run away from things when you're scared.
Theo: Whoa, hang on—
Percy: Me? Run away?
Annabeth: Yes, you. You're a fucking coward, Percy Jackson!
Theo: HEY! KNOCK IT OFF! BOTH OF YOU!
I got in between them, stopping them from potentially getting into a fistfight.
Theo: We are not doing this right now, okay? This is exactly the kind of shit Kronos wants. We can't focus on the bigger threat because we're too busy fighting each other.
Annabeth and Percy huffed before Annabeth stormed away. I glanced at Percy with an apologetic look before following Annabeth.
Timeskip
Things did not improve later that day at all. If anything, the day became worse.
That afternoon we had an assembly at the campfire to burn Beckendorf's burial shroud and say our goodbyes. Even the Ares and Apollo cabins called a temporary truce to attend. Beckendorf's shroud was made out of metal links, like chain mail. I didn't see how it would burn, but the Fates must've been helping out. The metal melted in the fire and turned to golden smoke, which rose into the sky. The campfire flames always reflected the campers' moods, and today they burned black.
I hoped Beckendorf's spirit would end up in Elysium. Maybe he'd even choose to be reborn and try for Elysium in three different lifetimes so he could reach the Isles of the Blest, which was like the Underworld's ultimate party headquarters. If anyone deserved it, Beckendorf did.
Annabeth gave me a peck on the cheek before leaving. Most of the other campers drifted off to their afternoon activities. It was just me and Percy standing there staring at the dying fire. Silena sat nearby crying, while Clarisse and her boyfriend, Chris Rodriguez, tried to comfort her.
I decided to walk to Silena.
Theo: I'm really sorry, Silena.
She sniffled. Clarisse glared at me, but she always glares at everyone. Chris would barely look at me. He'd been one of Luke's men until Clarisse rescued him from the Labyrinth last summer, and I guess he still felt guilty about it.
Theo: Uh... Silena, you know Beckendorf carried your picture. He looked at it right before we went into battle. You meant a lot to him. You made the last year the best of his life.
Silena sobbed.
Clarisse: Great work, Miller.
Silena: No, it's alright. Thank...thank you, Theo. I should go.
Clarisse: You want company?
Silena shook her head and ran off.
Clarisse: She's stronger than she looks. She'll survive.
Theo: You could help with that. You could honor Beckendorf's memory by fighting with us.
Clarisse went for her knife, but it wasn't there anymore. She'd thrown it on the Ping-Pong table in the Big House.
Clarisse: Not my problem. My cabin doesn't get honor, I don't fight.
I noticed she wasn't speaking in rhymes. Maybe she hadn't been around when her cabinmates got cursed, or maybe she had a way of breaking the spell. With a chill, I wondered if Clarisse could be Kronos's spy at camp. Was that why she was keeping her cabin out of the fight? But as much as I disliked Clarisse, spying for the Titans didn't seem like her style.
Theo: Alright. I won't pressure you. But you should know that letting pride get in the way, it won't end well for anyone.
Clarisse: I don't care. The Ares cabin has been dissed too many times. And don't think I don't know what people say about me behind my back.
I sighed. I remember telling Clarisse that she can be so determined that it's terrifying two years ago after we left the Sea of Monsters. But right now, her determination is doing more harm than good.
Theo: So, you're actually willing to let Kronos crush us?
Clarisse: If you want my help so bad, tell Apollo to give us the chariot.
Theo: Nobody gives a shit about a stupid chariot. Grow up, La Rue!
She charged me, but Chris got between us.
Chris: Whoa, guys. Clarisse, you know, maybe he's got a point.
Clarisse: Not you too!
She marched off.
Chris: Hey, wait! I just meant—Clarisse, wait!
He went off after Clarisse.
Percy walked away shortly afterward, leaving me alone to watch the last sparks from Beckendorf's fire curl into the afternoon sky.
I glanced at the bracers on my arms. I remembered Beckendorf giving them to me before I went off on the quest to retrieve Zeus' master bolt along with Percy, Annabeth, and Grover.
I decided to leave something to remember him by.
I flicked my hidden blades and carved out some initials on both bracers...
κβ
It's Ancient Greek for C.B. Charles Beckendorf.
Then I took out my bow and carved out another set of initials on the handle...
λφ
It's Ancient Greek for L.F. Lee Fletcher. He was the one who gave me the bow and quiver.
Suddenly, I heard a loud bark coming from the direction of the forest. I recognized that bark from Mrs. O'Leary. Assuming the worst, I immediately ran towards the forest.