We retreated to the main doors of the Empire State building. We were out of options. No more help was coming.
Then I heard a rumbling in the south. It wasn't a sound you hear much in New York, but I recognized it immediately: chariot wheels. A girl's voice yelled, "ARES!"
And a dozen war chariots charged into battle. Each flew a red banner with the symbol of thewild boar's head. Each was pulled by a team of skeletal horses with manes of fire. A total of thirtyfresh warriors, armor gleaming and eyes full of hate, lowered their lances as one—making a bristlingwall of death.
"The children of Ares!" Austin said in amazement. Leading the charge was a girl in familiar red armor, her facecovered by a boar's-head helm. She held aloft a spear that crackled with electricity. Clarisse herselfhad come to the rescue. While half her chariots charged the monster army, Clarisse led the other sixstraight for the drakon.
"Ares, to me!" Clarisse screamed. Her voice sounded shriller than usual, but I guess thatwasn't surprising given what she was fighting.Across the street, the arrival of six chariots gave the Party Ponies new hope. They rallied atthe doors of the Empire State Building, and the enemy army was momentarily thrown into confusion.Meanwhile, Clarisse's chariots circled the drakon. Lances broke against the monster's skin.Skeletal horses breathed fire and whinnied. Two more chariots overturned, but the warriors simplyleaped to their feet, drew their swords, and went to work.
They hacked at chinks in the creature'sscales. They dodged poison spray like they'd been training for this all their lives, which of coursethey had.No one could say the Ares campers weren't brave. Clarisse was right there in front, stabbingher spear at the drakon's face, trying to put out its other eye. But as I watched, things started to gowrong. The drakon snapped up one Ares camper in a gulp. It knocked aside another and sprayedpoison on a third, who retreated in a panic, his armor melting.
"We have to help," Annabeth said. Annabeth and Percy jumped onto the monster's back and ran toward its head, trying to draw itsattention away from Clarisse.Her cabinmates threw javelins, most of which broke, but some lodged in the monster's teeth.It snapped its jaws together until its mouth was a mess of green blood, yellow foamy poison, andsplintered weapons.
"You can do it!" Percy screamed at Clarisse. "A child of Ares is destined to kill it!"Through her war helmet, I could only see her eyes—but I could tell something was wrong.Her blue eyes shone with fear. Clarisse never looked like that. And she didn't have blue eyes.
"ARES!" she shouted, in that strangely shrill voice. She leveled her spear and charged thedrakon.
"No, that's not Clarisse." I muttered. "WAIT!"
But the monster looked down at her—almost in contempt—and spit poison directly in herface.She screamed and fell.
"Clarisse!" Annabeth jumped off the monster's back and ran to help, while the other Arescampers tried to defend their fallen counselor. Percy drove Riptide between two of the creature's scalesand managed to turn its attention to himself.
I saw a flying chariot land on Fifth Avenue.Then someone ran toward us. A girl's voice, shaken with grief, cried, "NO! Curse you,WHY?"I dared to glance over, the fake Clarisse was lying on the groundwhere she'd fallen. Her armor smoked with poison. Annabeth and the Ares campers were trying tounfasten her helmet. And kneeling next to them, her face blotchy with tears, was a girl in campclothes. It was . . . the real Clarisse.
I bolted out towards them. Whoever the fake Clarisse was maybe I could still save them.
"YOU WANT DEATH?" The real Clarisse screamed at the drakon. "WELL, COME ON!" She began to attack the drakon with Percy and managed to kill it.
The rest of us stared at Clarisse in awe. I had never seen anyone take down such a hugemonster single-handedly. But Clarisse didn't seem to care. She ran back to the wounded girl who'dstolen her armor.
Annabeth undid the fake Clarisses armor. I looked down at the dying face of Silena Beauregard.
"What were you thinking?" Clarisse cradled Silena's head in her lap.Silena tried to swallow, but her lips were dry and cracked.
"Wouldn't . . . listen. Cabin would .. . only follow you."
"So you stole my armor," Clarisse said in disbelief. "You waited until Chris and I went out onpatrol; you stole my armor and pretended to be me." She glared at her siblings. "And NONE of younoticed?"The Ares campers developed a sudden interest in their combat boots.
"Don't blame them," Silena said. "They wanted to . . . to believe I was you."
"You stupid Aphrodite girl," Clarisse sobbed. "You charged a drakon? Why?"
"All my fault," Silena said, a tear streaking the side of her face. "The drakon, Charlie's death. . . camp endangered—"
"Stop it!" Clarisse said. "That's not true."
Silena opened her hand. In her palm was a silver bracelet with a scythe charm, the mark ofKronos.
"You were the spy."
Silena tried to nod. "Before . . . before I liked Charlie, Luke was nice to me. He was so . . .charming. Handsome. Later, I wanted to stop helping him, but he threatened to tell. He promised . .. he promised I was saving lives. Fewer people would get hurt. He told me he wouldn't hurt . . .Charlie. He lied to me."
Clarisse scowled at her cabinmates. "Go, help the centaurs. Protect the doors. GO!"
They scrambled off to join the fight.Silena took a heavy, painful breath. "Forgive me."
"You're not dying," Clarisse insisted. She looked at me desperatly for help. But I had already been trying to heal her. I shook my head, nothing could be done.
"Charlie . . ." Silena's eyes were a million miles away. "See Charlie . . ."
She didn't speak again.Clarisse held her and wept. Chris put a hand on her shoulder.Finally Annabeth closed Silena's eyes.
"We have to fight." Annabeth's voice was brittle. "She gave her life to help us. We have tohonor her."
Clarisse sniffled and wiped her nose. "She was a hero, understand? A hero."
I nodded. "Come on, Clarisse."She picked up a sword from one of her fallen siblings. "Kronos is going to pay."
I'd like to say I drove the enemy away from the Empire State Building. The truth was Clarissedid all the work. Even without her armor or spear, she was a demon. She rode her chariot straightinto the Titan's army and crushed everything in her path.She was so inspiring, even the panicked centaurs started to rally. The Hunters scroungedarrows from the fallen and launched volley after volley into the enemy.
The Ares cabin slashed andhacked, which was their favorite thing. The monsters retreated toward 35th Street.Clarisse drove to the drakon's carcass and looped a grappling line through its eye sockets.She lashed her horses and took off, dragging the drakon behind the chariot like a Chinese NewYear dragon. She charged after the enemy, yelling insults and daring them to cross her. As sherode, I realized she was literally glowing. An aura of red fire flickered around her.
"The blessing of Ares," Austin said beside me as we watched her. "I've never seen it in person before."
"I AM CLARISSE, DRAKON-SLAYER!" she yelled. "I will kill you ALL! Where is Kronos?Bring him out! Is he a coward?"
"Clarisse!" Percy yelled. "Stop it. Withdraw!"
"What's the matter, Titan lord?" she yelled. "BRING IT ON!"There was no answer from the enemy. Slowly, they began to fall back behind a dracaenaeshield wall, while Clarisse drove in circles around Fifth Avenue, daring anyone to cross her path.
The two-hundred-foot-long drakon carcass made a hollow scraping noise against the pavement, likea thousand knives.Meanwhile, we tended our wounded, bringing them inside the lobby. Long after the enemy had retreated from sight, Clarisse kept riding up and down the avenue with her horrible trophy, demanding that Kronos meet her battle.
Meanwhile I headed back up to Olympus.
Depressing is not a word that usually describes Mount Olympus, but it looked that way now.No fires lit the braziers. The windows were dark. The streets were deserted and the doors werebarred. The only movement was in the parks, which had been set up as field hospitals. Will Solace scrambled around, caring for the wounded. Naiads and dryads triedto help, using nature magic songs to heal burns and poison.
I ran over to help Will out. I passed a satyr with a broken leg, a demigod who was bandaged from head to toe. There was also a golden burial shroud of Apollo's cabin, for Michael. I swallowed a lump in my throat as I thought about what had happened to my brother. I had only known him a few months but in that time my siblings had become my true family.
Next to Michael laid another golden Apollo shroud. Many Apollo children had died when the bridge had exploded. Just thinking of a bridge gave me chills.
Will had been promoted to head counselor after Michael's death.
"Eliana," he said softly bringing me in for a hug. "I'm sorry."
I hugged him back a little confused. He wasn't talking about Michael or our other brother, and the rest of our siblings were injured but alive.
"What's wrong?" I asked, he gave me an empathetic look and glanced over toward the satyrs area.
It was Cyprian. He was gone.
I felt tears spill out of my eyes as I knelt down beside his covered body. They told me he had died protecting another demigod.
"Cyprian.." I said as tears poured from my eyes. I placed my hand on his face. His face was still slightly warm. He had dried blood coming from his nose and mouth. His black curly hair had dirt and debris in it. I never even got to say goodbye.
Cyprian was my best friend. I had known him since I was twelve. He was the only one who ever truly understood me.
"Goodbye." I whispered quietly, leaning down and kissing his temple.
I choked on a sob and I managed to pull myself together. I needed to go and help the wounded. There would be plenty of time to mourn my brothers and best friend later.
So that's what I did. I used my powers of healing as a way to distract myself from the grief. Any injuries I had received in battle had healed almost instantly. But my powers were slowing down. Just as it had the night before. My body needed rest or at least a break.
During all this Percy, Annabeth and Grover had gone to face Kronos. I was instructed to go bandage their wounds after the battle had finished.
When I arrived Annabeth was limp in Percy's arms.
"Eliana!" He called. I rushed over quickly, inspecting her arm. I held my hands over her arm but I was too tired. Nothing happened, no glow, no tendrils of light, no healing...
"Shit," I muttered, closing my eyes and trying again.
"I've got this." Someone placed their hand on my shoulder. I looked up to meet my father's gaze..or should I say sunglasses. His armor was made of pure fire and was so bright I figured it may blind my friends if they looked at it. "God of medicine, at your service."
"Dad..." I mumbled. I didn't understand how he was here. I thought he was with the rest of the Olympians fighting Typhoon.
"You did good, kiddo." He said giving me a bright, swoon-worthy smile. I wrinkled my nose. This was not what I imagined he'd be like. He chuckled at my face. "You have your mother's eyes."
He passed his hand over Annabeth's face and spoke an incantation. Immediately the bruises faded. Her cuts and scars disappeared. Her arm straightened, and she sighed in her sleep.
Apollo grinned. "She'll be fine in a few minutes. Just enough time for me to compose a poem about our victory: 'Apollo and his friends save Olympus.' Good, eh?"
"I don't think now's the time.." I said.
"When is it not the time for a good poem?" Apollo feigned hurt. "Just like your mother. She was never a fan of my poems but she was a fan of my-"
"OK!" I said sucking in a breath and interrupting his chitchat. "I'm going to go back down and help Will out before someone overdoses on ambrosia."
The next few hours were a blur.
I went back and helped Will bandage and fix people up. Including himself as he seemed to have forgotten about his own injuries.
Mrs. O'Leary had dug Chiron out of the rubble and rushed him off to camp. The Stolls looked kind of worried about the old centaur, but at least he was alive.
The Cyclopes had saved Thalia from the fallen statue. She was on crutches, but otherwise, she was okay. Connor and Travis Stoll had made it through with only minor injuries. They promised they hadn't even looted the city much.
Katie Gardner reported that she'd seen Rachel Elizabeth Dare run out of the Empire State Building at the end of the battle. Rachel had looked unharmed, but nobody knew where she'd gone.
Nico di Angelo came into Olympus to a hero's welcome, his father right behind him, despite the fact that Hades was only supposed to visit Olympus on the winter solstice. The god of the dead looked stunned when his relatives clapped him on the back. I doubt he'd ever gotten such an enthusiastic welcome before.
Clarisse marched in, Ares bellowed, "There's my girl!"
The god of war ruffled her hair and pounded her on the back, calling her the best warrior he'd ever seen. "That drakon-slaying? Best I've ever seen! You've made me proud."
She looked pretty overwhelmed. All she could do was nod and blink like she was afraid he'd start hitting her, but eventually, she began to smile. Which was unusual because I'd only ever seen her scowl.
The gods began to give thanks to the demigods. Annabeth was appointed as architect of Olympus and Percy...
"PERCY JACKSON!" Poseidon announced.
His name echoed around the chamber. All talking died down. The room was silent except for the crackle of the hearth fire. Annabeth smiled and squeezed Percy's forearm, giving him a small nod.
"Go on, hero."
First Percy bowed to Zeus. Then Percy knelt at his father's feet.
"Rise, my son," Poseidon said.I stood uneasily."A great hero must be rewarded," Poseidon said.
"Is there anyone here who would deny that my son is deserving?" Percy waited for someone to pipe up. The gods never agreed on anything, and many of them still didn't like him, but not a single one protested.
"The Council agrees," Zeus said. "Percy Jackson, you will have one gift from the gods." Percy hesitated.
"Any gift?"Zeus nodded grimly. "I know what you will ask. The greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on a mortal hero in many centuries, but,Perseus Jackson—if you wish it—you shall be made a god. Immortal. Undying. You shall serve as your father's lieutenant for all time." Percy stared at him, stunned.
"Um . . . a god?"
Zeus rolled his eyes. "A dimwitted god, apparently. But yes. With the consensus of the entire Council, I can make you immortal. Then I will have to put up with you forever."
"Hmm," Ares mused. "That means I can smash him to a pulp as often as I want, and he'll just keep coming back for more. I like this idea."
"I approve as well," Athena said, though she was looking at Annabeth. Percy glanced back. He seemed to be deciding whether to become a god and leave Annabeth or stay.
"No," Percy said. The Council was silent. The gods frowned at each other like they must have misheard.
"No?" Zeus said. "You are . . . turning down our generous gift?" There was a dangerous edge to his voice, like a thunderstorm about to erupt.
"I'm honored and everything," Percy said. "Don't get me wrong. It's just . . . I've got a lot of life left to live. I'd hate to peak in my sophomore year."
The gods were glaring at him, but Annabeth had her hands over her mouth. Her eyes were shining. And that seemed to make up for it.
"I do want a gift, though," Percy said. "Do you promise to grant my wish?"
Zeus thought about this. "If it is within our power."
"It is," Percy said. "And it's not even difficult. But I need your promise on the River Styx."
"What?" Dionysus cried. "You don't trust us?"
"Someone once told me," Percy said, looking at Hades, "you should always get a solemn oath."
Hades shrugged. "Guilty."
"Very well!" Zeus growled. "In the name of the Council, we swear by the River Styx to grant your reasonable request as long as it is within our power." The other gods muttered assent. Thunder boomed, shaking the throne room. The deal was made.
"From now on, I want to you to properly recognize the children of the gods," Percy said. "All the children . . . of all the gods." The Olympians shifted uncomfortably.
"Percy," his father said, "what exactly do you mean?"
"Kronos couldn't have risen if it hadn't been for a lot of demigods who felt abandoned by their parents," Percy said. "They felt angry, resentful, and unloved, and they had a good reason."
Zeus's royal nostrils flared. "You dare accuse—"
"No more undetermined children," Percy said. "I want you to promise to claim your children—all your demigod children—by the time they turn thirteen. They won't be left out in the world on their own at the mercy of monsters. I want them claimed and brought to camp so they can be trained right, and survive."
"Now, wait just a moment," Apollo said, but Percy was on a roll.
"And the minor gods," He said. "Nemesis, Hecate, Morpheus, Janus, Hebe-—they all deserve a general amnesty and a place at Camp Half-Blood. Their children shouldn't be ignored. Calypso and the other peaceful Titan-kind should be pardoned too. And Hades—"
"Are you calling me a minor god?" Hades bellowed.
"No, my lord," Percy said quickly. "But your children should not be left out. They should have a cabin at camp. Nico has proven that. No unclaimed demigods will be crammed into the Hermes cabin anymore, wondering who their parents are. They'll have their own cabins, for all the gods. And no more pact of the Big Three. That didn't work anyway. You've got to stop trying to get rid of powerful demigods. We're going to train them and accept them instead. All children of the gods will be welcomed and treated with respect. That is my wish."
Zeus snorted. "Is that all?"
"Percy," Poseidon said, "you ask much. You presume much."
"I hold you to your oath," He said. "All of you." Percy got a lot of steely looks.
Strangely, it was Athena who spoke up: "The boy is correct. We have been unwise to ignore our children. It proved a strategic weakness in this war and almost caused our destruction. Percy Jackson, I have had my doubts about you, but perhaps"—she glanced at Annabeth, and then spoke as if the words had a sour taste—"perhaps I was mistaken. I vote that we accept the boy's plan."
"Humph," Zeus said. "Being told what to do by a mere child. But I suppose . . ."
"All in favor," Hermes said.
All the gods raised their hands.
After that the chatter continued. I saw Nico run in from the elevator, and his face told me instantly something was wrong. So of course I couldn't help but over hear what he was saying to the trio.
"It's Rachel" he said. "I just ran into her on 32nd street."
Annabeth frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "What's she done this time?"
"It's not what she's done. It's where she's gone...or going..." Nico stammered. "I told her she would die if she tried, but she insisted. She just took Blackjack and-"
"She took my pegasus?" Percy demanded.
Nico nodded quickly. "She's heading to Half-Blood Hill. She said she had to get to camp."
All their faces fell and they immediately rushed for the door. Before Percy turned around and saw me watching them.
"Eliana come with us Rachel might be hurt!" He shouted. I didn't hesitate to follow even though I didn't know who this Rachel was.
"What was she thinking?" Annabeth said as we ran for the river.
The traffic was horrible. Everybody was out on the streets gawking at the war zone damage.Police sirens wailed on every block. There was no possibility of catching a cab, and the pegasi had flown away.
"She'll never get through the defenses," Annabeth said. "Peleus will eat her."
"We've got to hurry." Percy glanced at Nico. "I don't suppose you could conjure up some skeleton horses."
He wheezed as he ran. "So tired . . . couldn't summon a dog bone."
"Skeleton horses?!" I said incredulous. "You can do that?" He looked surprised at how impressed I was.
"Oh you two haven't properly met!" Percy said as we ran. "Nico this is Eliana daughter of Apollo and top healer," he glanced at me." Eliana this is Nico son of Hades a good friend of mine."
"Nice to meet you." I said in between breaths.
Finally we scrambled over the embankment to the shore, and I let out a loud whistle. I hated doing it. Even with the sand dollar I'd given the East River for a magic cleaning, the water here was pretty polluted. Three wake lines appeared in the gray water, and a pod of hippocampi broke the surface.They whinnied unhappily, shaking the river muck from their manes. They were beautiful creatures, with multicolored fish tails, and the heads and forelegs of white stallions. The hippocampus in front was much bigger than the others—a ride fit for a Cyclops.
"Rainbow!" Percy called. "How's it going, buddy?"He neighed a complaint.
"Yeah, I'm sorry," I said. "But it's an emergency. We need to get to camp."
In no time, Percy, Annabeth, Nico, and I were zipping up the East River faster than Jet Skis. Wesped under the Throgs Neck Bridge and headed for Long Island Sound.
It seemed like forever until we saw the beach at camp. We thanked the hippocampi and waded ashore, only to find Argus waiting for us. He stood in the sand with his arms crossed, his hundred eyes glaring at us.
"Is she here?" I asked.He nodded grimly.
"Is everything okay?" Annabeth said.Argus shook his head.
Argus shook his head.We followed him up the trail. It was surreal being back at camp, because everything looked so peaceful: no burning buildings, no wounded fighters. The cabins were bright in the sunshine, and the fields glittered with dew. But the place was mostly empty.
Up at the Big House, something was definitely wrong. Green light was shooting out all the windows. Chiron lay on a horse-size stretcher by the volleyball pit, a bunch of satyrs standing around him. Blackjack cantered nervously in the grass.
Rachel Elizabeth Dare stood at the bottom of the porch steps. Her arms were raised like she was waiting for someone inside the house to throw her a ball.
"What's she doing?" Annabeth demanded. "How did she get past the barriers?"
"She flew," one of the satyrs said, looking accusingly at Blackjack. "Right past the dragon,right through the magic boundaries."
"Rachel!" Percu called, but the satyrs stopped me when he tried to go any closer.
"Percy, don't," Chiron warned. He winced as he tried to move. His left arm was in a sling, histwo back legs were in splints, and his head was wrapped in bandages.
"You can't interrupt."
"I thought you explained things to her!"
"I did. And I invited her here." Percy stared at him in disbelief. "You said you'd never let anyone try again! You said—"
"I know what I said, Percy. But I was wrong. Rachel had a vision about the curse of Hades.She believes it may be lifted now. She convinced me she deserves a chance."
"And if the curse isn't lifted? If Hades hasn't gotten to that yet, she'll go crazy!"
The Mist swirled around Rachel. She shivered like she was going into shock.
"Hey!" Percy shouted. "Stop!" Percy ran toward her, ignoring the satyrs. Percy got within ten feet and hit something like an invisible beach ball. He bounced back and landed in the grass.Rachel opened her eyes and turned. She looked like she was sleepwalking—like she could see him, but only in a dream.
"It's all right." Her voice sounded far away. "This is why I've come."
"You'll be destroyed!"
She shook her head. "This is where I belong, Percy. I finally understand why."
The house rumbled. The door flew open and the green light poured out. I recognized the warm musty smell of snakes. I hated snakes.
Mist curled into a hundred smoky serpents, slithering up the porch columns, curling around the house. Then the Oracle appeared in the doorway.The withered mummy shuffled forward in her rainbow dress. She looked even worse than usual, which is saying a lot. Her hair was falling out in clumps. Her leathery skin was cracking like the seat of a worn-out bus. Her glassy eyes stared blankly into space, but I got the creepiest feeling she was being drawn straight toward Rachel.Rachel held out her arms. She didn't look scared.
"That's freaky." I muttered.
"You've waited too long," Rachel said. "But I'm here now."
The sun blazed more brightly. A man appeared above the porch, floating in the air—a blond dude in a white toga, with sunglasses and a cocky smile.
"Apollo," I said.
He winked at me but held up his finger to his lips."Rachel Elizabeth Dare," he said. "You have the gift of prophecy. But it is also a curse. Are you sure you want this?"
Rachel nodded. "It's my destiny."
"Do you accept the risks?"
"I do."
"Then proceed," My father said.
Rachel closed her eyes. "I accept this role. I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future and embrace the past. I accept the spirit of Delphi, Voice of the Gods, Speaker of Riddles, Seer of Fate."
I didn't know where she was getting the words, but they flowed out of her as the Mist thickened. A green column of smoke, like a huge python, uncoiled from the mummy's mouth and slithered down the stairs, curling affectionately around Rachel's feet. The Oracle's mummy crumbled, falling away until it was nothing but a pile of dust in an old tie-dyed dress. Mist enveloped Rachel in a column.
For a moment I couldn't see her at all. Then the smoke cleared. Rachel collapsed and curled into the fetal position. Percy, Annabeth, Nico, and I rushed forward, but Apollo said, "Stop! This is the most delicate part."
"What's going on?" I demanded. "What do you mean?"
Apollo studied Rachel with concern. "Either the spirit takes hold, or it doesn't."
"And if it doesn't?" Annabeth asked.
"Five syllables," Apollo said, counting them on his fingers. "That would be real bad."
Despite Apollo's warning, Percy and I ran forward and knelt over Rachel. The smell of the attic was gone. The Mist sank into the ground and the green light faded. But Rachel was still pale. She was barely breathing.
Then her eyes fluttered open. She focused on us with difficulty. "Percy."
"Are you okay?"
She tried to sit up. "Ow." She pressed her hands to her temples.
"Rachel," Nico said, "your life aura almost faded completely. I could see you dying."
"I'm all right," she murmured.
"Please, help me up. The visions—they're a little disorienting."
"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.Apollo drifted down from the porch.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the new Oracle of Delphi."
"You're kidding," Annabeth said.
Rachel managed a weak smile. "It's a little surprising to me too, but this is my fate. I saw it when I was in New York. I know why I was born with true sight. I was meant to become the Oracle." I blinked.
"You mean you can tell the future now?"
"Not all the time," she said. "But there are visions, images, and words in my mind. When someone asks me a question, I . . . Oh no—"
"It's starting," Apollo announced.Rachel doubled over like someone had punched her. Then she stood up straight and her eyes glowed serpent green.When she spoke, her voice sounded tripled—like three Rachels were talking at once:
"Nine half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire, the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. The child of truth and son of war, together will settle the score, And the Mother of All will be no more."
At the last word, Rachel collapsed. Nico and I caught her and helped her to the porch. Her skin was feverish.
"I'm all right," she said, her voice returning to normal.
"What was that?" I asked.
She shook her head, confused. "What was what?"
"I believe," Apollo said, "that we just heard the next Great Prophecy."
"Prophecy? But didn't we just finish completing the last Great Prophecy which ended in a major war!" I exclaimed.
Rachel frowned. "I don't even remember what I said."
"No," Apollo mused. "The spirit will only speak through you occasionally. The rest of the time, our Rachel will be much as she's always been. There's no point in grilling her, even if she has just issued the next big prediction for the future of the world."
"What?" Percy said. "But—"
"Percy," Apollo said, "I wouldn't worry too much. The last Great Prophecy about you took almost seventy years to complete. This one may not even happen in your lifetime." I thought about the lines Rachel had spoken in that creepy voice: about storm and fire and the Doors of Death.
"Maybe," Percy said, "but it didn't sound so good."
"No," said Apollo cheerfully. "It certainly didn't. She's going to make a wonderful Oracle!" I still couldn't believe I was related to this man.
Apollo turned to me looking grim. "I will warn my child, I can sense that you've been gifted with strong Precognition, and if the Great Prophecy does take place soon you will see it."
I frowned. He gave me a smirk. "Though I sense that you've already seen some of it in your dreams."
"Lovely." I said not sounding very excited about this new prophecy. It was hard to drop the subject, but Apollo insisted that Rachel needed to rest, and she did look pretty disoriented.
"But right now you need sleep," Apollo scolded. "Chiron, I don't think the attic is the proper place for our new Oracle, do you?"
"No, indeed." Chiron looked a lot better now that Apollo had worked some medical magic on him. "Rachel may use a guest room in the Big House for now, until we give the matter more thought."
"I'm thinking a cave in the hills," Apollo mused. "With torches and a big purple curtain over the entrance . . . really mysterious. But inside, a totally decked-out pad with a game room and one of those home theater systems."
Chiron cleared his throat loudly."What?" Apollo demanded.
Rachel kissed Percy on the cheek.
"Good-bye, Percy," she whispered. "And I don't have to seethe future to tell you what to do now, do I?"Her eyes seemed more piercing than before. He blushed. "No."
"Good," she said. Then she turned and followed Apollo into the Big House.
The rest of the day was as strange as the beginning. Campers trickled in from New York by car, pegasus, and chariot. The wounded were cared for. The dead were given proper funeral rites at the campfire. Silena's shroud was hot pink, but embroidered with an electric spear. The Ares and Aphrodite cabins both claimed her as a hero, and lit the shroud together. No one mentioned the word spy. That secret burned to ashes as the designer perfume smoke drifted into the sky.
Michael's shroud was golden and was embroidered with a bow and arrow.
That evening was the last night of camp—the bead ceremony. The Hephaestus cabin had designed the bead this year. It showed the Empire State Building, and etched in tiny Greek letters,spiraling around the image, were the names of all the heroes who had died defending Olympus.There were too many names, but I was proud to wear the bead. I put it on my camp necklace—my first bead. It was hard to believe that I had only been at camp one summer but it felt like a lifetime.
"Never forget this summer!" Chiron told us. He had healed remarkably well, but he still trotted in front of the fire with a slight limp. "We have discovered bravery and friendship and courage this summer. We have upheld the honor of the camp."
He smiled at me, and everybody cheered. As I looked at the fire, I saw a little girl in a brown dress tending the flames. She winked at me with red glowing eyes. No one else seemed to notice her, but I realized maybe she preferred it that way.
"And now," Chiron said, "early to bed! Remember, you must vacate your cabins by noon tomorrow unless you've made arrangements to stay the year with us. The cleaning harpies will eat any stragglers, and I'd hate to end the summer on a sour note!"
I had decided to head back to my home in Kentucky. My dad had found a school that would accept me as a sophomore despite not finishing freshman year. I was still deeply saddened by Cyprian's death but I hoped that going home would bring me more comfort. My dad did say that if I ever wanted to return to camp he wouldn't object.
I promised myself to at least complete the first semester before deciding to return here. I wanted to spend time with my dad again. I hadn't told him about what had happened. All he knew was that the mysterious storm was not actually a storm.
Will had told me that he had decided to stay for the year this time. He told me if I ever wanted to come back he'd be waiting for me. I was glad I had a brother like him.
In other news I would be 16 in two weeks. I was looking forward to the day. I headed back to my cabin and began to pack my stuff up. My dad had bought me a plane ticket back home so I wouldn't have to suffer through the long bus trip again, which I was very thankful for.
That night when I went to bed I dreamed of a boy with blond hair and eyes like lightning.