It felt good to have a regular dinner at Camp. Tyson sat with Percy at the Poseidon table. The sunset over Long Island Sound was beautiful. Things weren't back to normal by a long shot, and when he went up to the brazier and scraped part of his meal into the flames as an offering to Poseidon, he felt like he really did have a lot to be grateful for.
He and his friends were alive. The camp was safe. Kronos had suffered a setback, at least for a while. The only thing that bothered him was Nico, hanging in the shadows at the edge of the pavilion. He was standing next to Evangeline who was rambling on and on about something.
There she was, he hadn't seen her since Grover's meeting. She was twisting her camp necklace and not the snake one, she only used to do that when she was nervous. Percy wasn't super obsessed with her like Tyson said he was.
He just picked up on things she did, like chewing on her bottom lip while she was busy thinking, or when she moved her fingers frantically he would know she was close to freaking out.
After dinner, the campers headed towards the amphitheater, where Apollo's cabin promised an awesome sing-along to pick up their spirits, but when his eyes looked for the children of Hades, he found Evangeline walking with Landon to the fire, he then saw Nico turn and disappear into the woods. Percy decided he'd better follow him.
As Percy passed under the shadows of the trees, he realized how dark it was getting he had never been scared in the forest before, though he knew there were plenty of monsters. Still, he thought about yesterday's battle, and he wondered if he'd ever be able to walk in those woods again without remembering the horror of so much fighting.
He couldn't see the son of Hades, but after a few minutes of walking, he saw a glow up ahead. At first, he'd thought Nico had lit a torch. As he got closer, he realized the glow was a ghost. The shimmering form of Bianca di Angelo stood in the clearing smiling at her brother. She said something to him and touched Nico's face—or tried to. Then her image faded.
Nico turned and saw him, he didn't look mad.
"Saying goodbye," He said hoarsely.
"We missed you at dinner," Percy said. "You could've sat with me, or Eve."
"No,"
"Nico, you can't miss every meal. If you don't want to stay with Hermes, maybe they can make an exception and put you in the Big House. They've got plenty of rooms. Or maybe in the Hermes Cabin—"
"Percy," Nico cut him off. "I'm not staying."
"But...you can't just leave. It's too dangerous out there for a lone half-blood. You need to train."
"I train with the dead," he said flatly. "This camp isn't for me. There's a reason why Hades doesn't have a cabin here, Percy. He's not welcome, any more than he is on Olympus. I don't belong. I have to go."
Percy knew that he was right, he didn't like it, but Nico would have to find his own, dark way. He remembered Pan's cave, how the wild god had addressed each one of them individually... except Nico and Evangeline.
"When will you go?" Percy asked.
"Right away. I've got tons of questions. Like who was my mother? Who paid for Bianca and me to go to school? Who was that lawyer guy who got us out of the Lotus Hotel? I know nothing about my past. I need to find out."
"Makes sense," The son of Poseidon admitted. "But I hope we don't have to be enemies."
He lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry I was a brat. I should've listened to you and Eve about Bianca."
"By the way..." Percy fished something out of his pocket. "Evangeline gave me this, she thought you might want it." He held out a lead figurine of Hades—the little Mythomagic statue Nico had abandoned when he fled camp last winter.
Nico hesitated. "I don't play that game anymore. It's for kids."
"It's got four thousand attack power," He coaxed.
"Five thousand," Nico corrected. "But only if your opponent attacks first."
Percy smiled. "Maybe it's okay to still be a kid once in a while." He tossed him the statue.
Nico studied it in his palm for a few seconds, then slipped it into his pocket. "Thanks."
He put out his hand. He shook reluctantly. His hand was cold as ice. "I've got things to investigate," he said. "Some of them... Well, if I learn anything useful, I'll let you know."
Percy wasn't sure what he meant but he nodded. "Keep in touch, Nico."
He turned and started to walk away but stopped. "Oh, and Percy. If you hurt my sister's feelings again I will find you and kill you."
The son of Poseidon's eyes widened at the threat. Nico sent him a nod and trudged off into the woods. The shadows bent towards him as he walked like they were reaching out for his attention.
A voice right behind him said. "There goes a very troubled young man."
Percy turned and found Dionysus standing there, still in his black suit.
"Walk with me," he said.
"Where to?" The raven-haired boy asked suspiciously.
"Just to the campfire," he said. "I was beginning to feel better, so I thought I would talk with you a bit. You always manage to annoy me."
"Uh, thanks."
They walked through the woods in silence. Percy noticed Dionysus was treading on air, his polished black shoes hovering an inch off the ground. He guessed he didn't want to get dirty.
"We had many betrayals," Dionysus said suddenly. "Things are not looking good for Olympus. Yet you, Evangeline, and Annabeth saved this camp. I'm not sure I should thank you for that."
"It was a group effort."
He shrugged. "Regardless, I suppose it was mildly competent, what you three did. I thought you should know—it wasn't a total loss."
They reached the amphitheater, and Dionysus pointed toward the campfire. Clarisse was sitting shoulder to shoulder with a big Hispanic kid who was telling her a joke. It was Chris Rodriguez, the half-blood who'd gone insane in the Labyrinth."
Percy turned to the God. "You cured him?"
"Madness is my specialty. It was quite simple."
"But...you did something nice. Why?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I am nice! I simply ooze niceness, Perry Johansson. Haven't you noticed?"
"Uh—"
"Perhaps I felt grieved by my son's death. Perhaps I thought this Chris boy deserved a second chance. At any rate, it seems to have improved Clarisse's mood."
"Why are you telling me this?"
The wine god sighed. "Oh, Hades if I know. But remember, boy, that a kind act can sometimes be as powerful as a sword. As a mortal, I was never a great fighter, or athlete, or poet. I only made wine. The people in my village laughed at me. They said I would never amount to anything. Look at me now. Sometimes small things can become very large indeed.
He left Percy alone to think about that. And as he watched Chris and Clarisse singing a stupid campfire song together, holding hands in the darkness, where they thought nobody could see them, he had to smile.
The rest of the summer holiday felt strange to Percy. The daily activities continued: archery, rock climbing, Pegasus riding. They played capture the flag (avoiding Zeus's fist). They sang at the campfire, raced chariots, and played practical jokes on the other cabins.
He spent a lot of time with Tyson, playing with Mrs O'Leary, but she would still howl at night when she got lonely for her old master. Evangeline and him pretty much skirted around each other or she would shadow travel to somewhere else if she caught sight of him as if he was some kind of poison.
Percy was glad to be with her, but it also kind of hurt when he wasn't with her too. He missed her.
July passed, with the fireworks on the beach for the Fourth of July celebration. August turned so hot the strawberries started baking in the fields. Finally, the last day of camp arrived. The standard form letter appeared on Percy's bed after breakfast, warning him that cleaning harpies would devour him if he stayed past noon.
At ten o'clock he arrived at Half-Blood Hill, waiting for the camp van that would take him into the city. He'd made arrangements to leave Mrs O'Leary at camp, where Chiron promised she'd be looked after.
Annabeth was staying at camp a little longer. She would tend to Chiron until his leg was fully recovered, and keep studying Daedalus's laptop, which had engrossed her for the last two months. Then she would head back to her father's place in San Francisco.
Percy saw Evangeline at the bottom of the Half-Blood Hill biding Landon goodbye, apparently, Landon's aunt taught at a private boarding school in San Francisco so he would be going there for the year.
After Landon left he saw the daughter of Hades turn around and the moment she glanced at him, she was about to walk away when Percy yelled. "Hey!"
The Merlyn girl turned around and walked towards him. "Hey," she mumbled.
"Landon left?" Annabeth asked.
"Yeah," She nodded. "Gone to boarding school."
Percy felt slightly relieved that the son of Hermes wouldn't be at camp for a while. "What about you?" Evangeline asked the blonde.
"There's a private school out there that I'll be going to," the daughter of wisdom said. "I'll probably hate it, but..." she shrugged.
"You'll keep in touch?" Percy asked.
"Yeah," Annabeth said. "I'll keep my eyes open for..."
She stopped short. Percy knew why. They were treading on the topic of Luke. Annabeth couldn't even say his name without bringing up all the hurt, pain, and anger that the topic of Luke Castellan carried with him.
"Annabeth," Percy spoke up. "What was the rest of the prophecy?"
Annabeth was avoiding eye contact by looking into the woods.
"You shall delve into the darkness of the endless maze," Percy remembered. "The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise. We raised a lot of the dead. We saved Ethan Nakamura, who turned out to be a traitor. We raised the spirit of Pan, the lost one."
Annabeth shook her head like she wanted him to stop. "You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand," He pressed on. "That wasn't Minos like I'd thought. It was Nico. By choosing to be on our side, he saved us. And the child of Athena's final stand—that was Daedalus."
"Percy—" Evangeline tried to say.
"Destroy with a hero's final breath. That makes sense now. Daedalus died to destroy the Labyrinth. But what was the last—"
"And lose a love to worse than death." Annabeth had tears in her eyes. "That was the last line, Percy. Are you happy now?"
The sun seemed colder than it had a moment ago.
"Oh," he said. "So Luke—"
"Percy, I don't know who the prophecy was talking about. I—I didn't know if..." she faltered helplessly. "Luke and I—for years, he was the only one who cared about me. I thought..."
Before she could continue, a sparkle of light appeared next to them, like someone had opened a gold curtain in the air.
"You have nothing to apologize for, my dear." Standing on the hill was a tall woman in a white dress, her dark hair was braided over her shoulder.
"Hera," Annabeth said.
The goddess smiled. "You found the answers, as I knew you would. Your quest was a success."
"A success?" Evangeline said. "Luke is gone. Daedalus is dead. Pan is dead. How is that—"
"Our family is safe," Hera insisted. "Those others are better gone. I am proud of Annabeth."
Percy could feel the temperature drop as he saw Evangeline's hand clenched in anger, he couldn't exactly blame her. "You're the one who paid Geyron to let us through the ranch, weren't you?" He asked his voice tittering on the edge of anger and fury.
Hera shrugged. Her dress shimmered in rainbow colors. "I wanted to speed you on your way."
"You didn't care about Nico," Evangeline said. "You were happy to see him turned over to the Titans."
"Oh, please." Hera waved her hand dismissively. "The boy said it himself. No one wants him around. He does not belong. I would have let you be taken too." She looked at the brunette.
"Hephaestus was right," Percy growled. "You only care about your perfect family, not real people."
Her eyes turned dangerously bright. "Watch yourself, son of Poseidon. I guided you more than you know in the maze. I was at your side when you faced Geyron. I let your arrow fly straight. I sent you to Calypso's island. I opened the way to the titan's mountain. Annabeth, my dear, surely you see how I've helped. I would welcome a sacrifice for my efforts."
Annabeth stood still as a statue. She could've said thank you. She could've promised to throw some barbecue on the brazier for Hera and forget the whole thing. But she clenched her jaw stubbornly. She looked just the way she had when she'd faced the Sphinx—like she wasn't going to accept an easy answer, even if it got her in serious trouble.
"Percy's right," She turned her back to the goddess. "You're the one who doesn't belong Queen Hera. So next time, thanks... but no thanks."
Hera's sneer was worse than an empousa's. Her form began to glow. "You will regret this insult, Annabeth. You will regret this very much."
Percy averted his eyes as the goddess turned into her divine form and disappeared in a blaze of light. The hilltop was peaceful again. Over at the pine tree, Peleus the dragon dozed under the Golden Fleece as if nothing happened.
"I'm sorry," Annabeth said. "I—I should get back. I'll keep in touch."
"Listen Annabeth—" Percy started but was cut off when Argus honked the car horn down the road.
"You'd better get going," Annabeth said. "Take care, Seaweed brain."
Annabeth jogged down the hill. He watched until she reached the cabins.
"Well, have fun, tell your mom I said hi," Evangeline spoke up, about to walk away when Percy quickly stopped her.
He thought about Mount St. Helens, Calypso's Island, Landon, and Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and how suddenly everything had gotten so complicated he wanted to tell her he didn't really want to be so distant from her.
He was hurt when she said that the kiss was a mistake, he didn't think that. He didn't think that it was a mistake.
Percy liked the taste of mint he got when she kissed him, he liked the warm fuzzy feeling in his chest whenever he saw her, he liked it when she would let him play with her rings, and he missed how he could sit and watch while she painted.
"What?" she looked at him.
"What are you going to do now?" Percy asked.
"I have to go back to the Underworld. Take care of some family matters." She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, not looking at him.
"That's ominous," The son of Poseidon slightly smiled.
"I'm an ominous person," She shrugged. "Anything else?"
"Yeah, how long before you go back?"
"A couple of days, why?" She furrowed her eyebrows.
"My birthday, it's in two days and I was just wondering, if you would maybe, want to come over to my house?" He asked.
The raven-haired boy could see her grim face turn into a smiling one. "I'll drop by, to see all your embarrassing baby pictures."
He rolled his eyes as he nudged her. "Shut up," he grumbled, hoping she wouldn't be able to see the blood rushing to his cheeks.
"Why Jackson? You don't want me to see all the pictures of baby you?" She teased.
"You think you're funny, Merlyn?" He grinned.
"I think so yeah," She admitted.
"Oh, is that—is that so?" Percy raised a brow.
"Yeah, that's what I said."
"Mmm," The Jackson boy hummed. "Yeah right,"
"I'm not the one laughing so much am I?"
"I can make you laugh,"
"No you can't," She placed her hands on her hips.
"You're so dam wrong about that," He made a silly face.
He broke her and caused her to laugh. "I won," he gloated.
"Fine, but you're not going to win the race."
"What?"
Evangeline quickly tapped his shoulder and yelled, "You're it, kelp head!" And she ran down the hill.
The son of Poseidon had a look of disbelief on his face before he ran after her. "Cheater! I wasn't ready!"
"Not my problem!" She laughed as she dodged Percy trying to pull her back.
After a while Percy chased her, he finally caught up to her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and spun her around. He stopped spinning her and set her down on the ground. Her cheeks were slightly tinted pink as she laughed good-heartedly.
Percy had the biggest smile on his face, as he started laughing with her. Argus honked the horn a second time. He didn't want to go, he didn't want to spend the rest of the year without seeing her. He wanted to be with her.
"Well," she spoke out of breath. "Looks like you have to go now,"
Percy nodded he glanced at the car down the road and then at her. He did something that took her by surprise.
He pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her. Holding her close Percy buried his head into her hair while she was taken aback by the sudden gesture she hugged him back. He didn't want to let go of her, ever.
Soon enough the moment came to an end, as she pulled away. Percy knew he had to go. "Take care of yourself, waterboy." She gave his hand a slight squeeze.
The son of Poseidon stared at her, he wanted to do more than just hug her but he knew he shouldn't. "You too, princess."
Two days later it was Percy's birthday. His mom threw him a small party at their apartment. Paul Blofis came over, and Tyson came too. And his mother bought two extra blue cakes just for him.
Paul had asked Percy if he would be okay with him marrying Sally, to which Percy gave his blessing. And then Poseidon dropped by and disappeared. They convinced Paul that the sea god left via the fire escape. And after Percy, his mom, Tyson, and Paul played a game of Monopoly. Tyson was surprisingly good at it. In the first five rounds, he knocked Percy out of the game and started bankrupting his mom and Paul. The son of Poseidon left them playing and went into his room.
The Jackson boy set an uneaten slice of blue cake on his dresser. Then took off his Camp Half-Blood necklace and laid it on the windowsill. There were three beads now, representing his three summers at camp—a trident, the Golden Fleece, and the latest: an intricate maze, symbolizing the Battle of the Labyrinth, as the campers had started to call it.
He looked at the phone by his bedside. Percy thought about calling Rachel Elizabeth Dare. His mom had asked him if he wanted to have anyone else over that night, and Evangeline still hadn't come, but he'd thought about Rachel. But he didn't call. He didn't know why. The idea made him almost as nervous as a door into the Labyrinth.
He patted his pockets and emptied his stuff—Riptide, a Kleenex, his apartment key, Evangeline's ring he had slipped from her hand when they kissed. He placed the ring in a small box and placed it in his bedside drawer.
Then he patted his shirt pocket and felt a small lump. He hadn't even realized it, but he was wearing the cotton shirt Calypso had given him on Ogygia. He brought out a little piece of cloth, unwrapped it, and found the clipping of moonlace. It was a tiny sprig, shriveled up after two months, but Percy could still smell the faint scent of the enchanted garden. It made him sad. He remembered Calypso's last request of him: Plant a garden in Manhattan for me will you? Percy opened the window and stepped onto the fire escape.
His mom kept a planter box out there. In the spring she usually filled it with flowers, but now it was all dirt. Waiting for something new. It was a clear night. The moon was full over Eighty-second Street. Percy planted the dried sprig of moonlace carefully in the dirt and sprinkled a little nectar on it from his camp canteen.
Nothing happened at first.
Then, as he watched, a tiny silver plant sprang out of the soil—a baby moonlace, growing in the warm summer night.
"Nice plant," a voice said.
Percy jumped. Evangeline and Nico were standing on the fire escape right next to him. They'd just appeared there.
"Sorry," Nico said. "Didn't mean to startle you."
"That's—that's okay. I mean... what are you doing here?"
"You invited me," Evangeline said. The brunette's hair was down, and neatly combed, it looked like it was painted black. She wore black jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, a jacket with black Converse. The white streak in her hair braided off to one side. Percy wasn't sure if it was just him or if her eyes looked even more prettier than usual.
"Yeah I know that," Percy said.
Nico had grown about an inch taller over the last couple of months. His hair was a shaggy black mess. He wore a black T-shirt, black jeans, and a new silver ring shaped like a skull. His Stygian Iron sword hung at his side. "I've done some exploring," he said. "Thought you'd like to know, Daedalus got his punishment."
"You saw him?"
The daughter of Hades nodded. "Minos wanted to boil him cheese fondue for an eternity, but our father had other ideas. Daedalus will be building overpasses and exit ramps in Asphodel for all time. It'll help ease the traffic congestion. Honestly, I think the old man is pretty happy with that. He's still building. Still creating. And he gets to see his son and Perdix on the weekends."
"That's good."
Nico tapped at his silver ring. "But that's not the real reason I've come. I've found out some things. I want to make you an offer."
"What?" Percy looked at Evangeline who shook her head. "Don't ask me, I don't know," she said.
"The way to beat Luke," Nico explained. "If I'm right, it's the only way you'll stand a chance."
Percy took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm listening."
Nico glanced inside his room. His eyebrows furrowed. "Is that... is that blue birthday cake?"
Evangeline peaked inside. "Blue birthday cake?"
The di Angelo boy sounded hungry, maybe wistful. Percy wondered if the poor kid had ever had a birthday party, or if he'd ever even been invited to one.
But Evangeline beat him to it. "Why don't you go inside for some cake? I need to talk to Percy about something."
Her brother nodded as he went inside through the window, after Nico had left Percy turned to the brunette. "You came,"
"You called," she said. "I'm sorry I missed it, I got held up."
"It's fine," Percy gave her a small smile. "You didn't miss much just Tyson kicking my ass at Monopoly,"
"What the fuck is Monopoly?"
"It's a game," he explained. "And then Paul... he asked if it would be cool with me if he asked to marry my mom."
"That's a good thing, right? You like Mr. Blowfish?"
"Yeah, yeah it is. He's much nicer than Gabe."
"The one you stoned?" Evangeline recalled.
Percy chuckled. "Yeah, him."
She nodded. "Then Poseidon stopped by."
"Fish Jesus was here, and I wasn't told about this?" Evangeline gasped.
The son of Poseidon rolled his eyes at her nickname for his father. "Yeah, you could have met him if you weren't late."
She smirked. "I was trying to find something,"
"What?" He asked.
She stuffed her hand in her jacket pocket, she fished out a small light blue box with a black bow tied around the lid. She handed it over to him. "Happy Birthday, Seaweed Brain."
Percy took the box as a blush crept onto his cheeks. "Than—Thank you."
"Open it," she told him.
The raven-haired boy did as told, and undid the bow and placed the ribbon on his windowsill. Evangeline watched him with an anxious expression wondering if he would like it or not.
Percy lifted the lid off and in the box was a necklace with a golden chain and trident pendant with four charms; three small crystal charms and a blue seahorse one.
He looked up at her. "This is beautiful."
"You think?" She asked.
"Yeah, I love it. Thank you."
"You're welcome," she smiled.
"Where did you get this from?" Percy asked as he immediately put it on.
"I—uh," she cleared her throat. "I might have made it. During the spring." She mumbled.
Percy felt his heart beating against his chest. He smiled softly at the thought of her making him a birthday present. "Thanks, Eve."
"You're very welcome, Perce."
------✧------
A/N: We're officially fucking done with botl!!! (pat on the back for me)
I am not used to writing in someone other than Evangeline's POV but it was fun. Percy took Evangeline's ring, he kept it and she got him a necklace so they could match. *sobbing*
They're the best thing I have ever created