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Annabeth's duffel bag brushed against her thigh as she trudged up Half-Blood Hill. Uncertainty and agitation made her heart palpitate quicker than usual.

Turning her gaze up to the summit, Annabeth raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun, unable to stop the smile drifting onto her face at the sight of the place she would forever call home.

Camp Half-Blood. The Ancient Greek version of the camp name was displayed on the massive archway, and Thalia's tree stood a short distance away.

Annabeth inhaled deeply. Fresh air brightened her senses, as it always did. She hadn't been here in almost a whole year for one main reason; Percy Jackson.

His name still made her heart flutter uncontrollably, and Annabeth scowled at that realisation.

In February, she and Percy had broken up. They really had tried to do long-distance, but it was almost impossible never seeing each other, and the result was a tough break-up. Their friends said they felt like children in a divorce.

Annabeth hadn't seen hide nor hair of Percy since then, but when Grover invited her to the camp's infamous 4th of July fireworks, she had convinced herself that 11 months was enough separation.

Her mouth twitched into a frown as Annabeth took in the unsettling feeling that was weighing down on her.

Something wasn't right.

As she scanned the camp, Annabeth realised why; no one was playing in the basketball court, no campers milled about and chatted, and the training arena was empty.

"What the hell?" Annabeth murmured with puzzlement as she delved forward.

Camp wasn't a complete dead zone. She spotted naiads sitting by a pond, but the tension in the atmosphere was palpable. There were three campers, probably no older than 14, who sat on the grass, but they spoke in soft whispers, faces filled with unhappiness.

Annabeth wanted to pinch herself. Camp Half-Blood had always been filled with unmatched enthusiasm and cheeriness. Even during the second Titan War, even when they were fighting the Romans, the demigods had never seemed so...defeated.

"Annabeth!"

Relaxing with a sigh of relief, Annabeth saw the incoming satyr. Grover barrelled into her with a tight hug, Piper at his heels (hooves?).

"Oh, it's good to see you," Annabeth said happily, all her worries disappearing for a moment. When they drew apart, Annabeth didn't miss the wary looks her two friends exchanged. "What's going on? Was there a monster attack or something?"

Piper's expression was as solemn as she'd ever seen it. "Worse."

"Feels like a funeral everywhere I look," Annabeth said with a frown. She hesitated. "Am I the last one?" There were two weeks to the 4th, but their other friends had arranged to arrive earlier.

Grover gave her a suggestive look. "If you mean, is Percy here, then yes."

Annabeth felt her cheeks warm. "I just need to mentally prepare myself." All her nerves regarding Percy had been muted by the numb ambience of the campers, but they were still there.

"So tell me more about what's happened here," Annabeth nimbly changed the subject, giving her friends stern looks.

"Well," Grover scratched the back of his curly hair. "It's complicated."

She crossed her arms in reply. "I think I can follow."

"You and Percy were kind of the unofficial leaders of camp, right?" Piper tried. "At least, that's what I got when I was here."

Annabeth nodded tentatively. "I guess." She'd never though about it, but Piper did have a point. Whenever quests or trouble with monsters came up, they were the two who usually handled it.

She attributed this to their experience, the fact that they were two of the older campers here, and, as much as she didn't want to think about it, because she and Percy had made a really good team.

"Neither of you have been back to camp since you," Grover trailed off.

"Broke up," Annabeth finished shortly. "You can say it, you know. It's not like the plague." She tried to cover up her surprise at his words. Annabeth had avoided camp because she thought Percy would be here loads, and she wasn't prepared to see him just yet.

When they were dating, they made sure to visit camp at least once a month. Perhaps Percy had had the same reservations as her.

Grover shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry. Still can't believe it." He cleared his throat, sensing her discomfort. "Well, none of us have seen either of you here in almost a year."

"Okay, so," Annabeth frowned. "Camp didn't have any leaders? I don't get it. There's an abundance of people here fit for the job. Clarisse, the Stolls—"

"It's not the same," Grover interjected. "None of them were up for it. No one stepped up."

Annabeth stared blankly at him. She still didn't understand what he was getting it. So they lost two leaders — Chiron was still head of camp. Surely someone else could've handled monster attacks?

"And then other campers did," Grover stopped suddenly, like it was painful for him to recount.

Annabeth glanced at Piper in alarm. No one had told her any of this.

"I didn't know until I got here last week," Piper confirmed.

"This son of Nike, Harlan," Grover explained. "He kind of took over." The satyr winced. "Harlan's different to you and Percy."

Piper pulled a face. "I don't know how much of it is because his mum's the goddess of competition and how much is because he's just a massive dick."

"Morale's low," Grover sighed. "Harlan and his posse are in charge of everything. They take all the good quests, and basically run all things."

Annabeth felt anger bubbling up in her chest. "This is ridiculous," she declared. "How did this happen? I can think of about thirty campers who would never let anyone walk all over them — Clarisse, for one."

"She was away at college," Piper replied. "And like Grover said, she wasn't exactly going to offer herself as a replacement."

Annabeth remained disbelieving. This sounded preposterous. She refused to think that things could've changed so much in the last year. "Okay, so this Harlan," she enunciated with disdain. "How did he even get this much power? What about Chiron?"

"Chiron's job is to make sure none of us die," Grover reminded her. "Not internal issues."

"Is this why you've been trying to get me here for months now?" Annabeth demanded.

Grover blushed. "Kind of."

"I can't just—" Annabeth broke off frustratedly. "I'm not going to fix everything, Grover. I'm only here for a week." Something nagged at the back of her mind. "Wait, you said Percy's already here. Couldn't you just have let him deal with it?"

Her friends exchanged knowing looks again that only increased her annoyance.

"We thought he would," Grover said hesitantly. "But he hasn't. Kind of just accepted it."

Annabeth snorted. "Percy Jackson, going down without a fight? Are you sure?" She ignored the concern pooling in her chest.

"He's different," Piper informed her. "I don't know how to explain it."

Annabeth swallowed.

It's not your fault, she tried to tell herself. The break-up had been a mutual decision. Neither of them could bear the thought of slowly growing apart of years, only to break up even more painfully. They figured it was easier to end things quickly.

No matter what she told herself, Annabeth hated the notion that something could've extinguished the defiance in him.

A sudden rush of commotion caught her attention.

Two figures in the distance grew larger, panicked shouts reaching them. Annabeth squinted; they were two campers, barely even teenagers.

Her eyes widened in horror when she spotted the giant hellhound trampling after them, effortlessly closing the distance.

A few calculations in her brain and Annabeth knew that there was no way the campers would reach camp borders before the hellhound caught them.

Annabeth cursed under her breath, dropping her duffel bag and sprinting off, Piper's shouts lost in the wind behind.

Her instincts kicked in, drawing her dagger as she neared the group. Annabeth watched in horror as the hellhound swiped at the shorter camper, sending the boy flying into a tree, where he collapsed with an audible crack.

"Get your friend!" Annabeth shouted at the little girl, whose eyes were splayed wide with terror. Her features slid through Annabeth's mind — dark skin, dark eyes, dark hair; no, this was a new camper she didn't recognise.

Annabeth leaped between the hellhound and the girl, parrying away sharp claws as she wobbled on her feet. Gods, she hadn't done this in a while.

Fortunately, muscle memory was a thing, and Annabeth easily dispelled the monster with a stab through the throat.

Annabeth released a tired pant, hurrying to the injured demigod's side.

"What's your name?" she inquired, quickly checking the fallen boy for fatal injuries.

"F-Fay," the girl stammered. "Is Phillip gonna be okay?" The terror in her voice squeezed Annabeth's heart painfully.

"He'll be fine," Annabeth reassured her. "All he's got is a broken arm and possibly some broken ribs. Ambrosia should fix it." Her brow furrowed. "What were you two even doing out here? How old are you?"

"We're 12." The shock hadn't faded from Fay's ashen face, but she was starting to calm down. "I'm new." Fay cast her gaze down with dismay. "We'll be on dishes duty for a month now."

"What?"

"We didn't beat the hellhound," Fay said, disappointment in her tone. "That means we come last in our sword-fighting class — so we're on chores."

"You're 12," Annabeth said furiously. "Who the hell throws kids out to face a hellhound?" Reaching an arm out, Annabeth helped Fay carry Phillip's weight between them.

"We have to," Fay said forlornly. "Harlan says that real demigods shouldn't be afraid to go out into the world."

"Well," Annabeth snorted. "Screw Harlan." She recognised the name as the demigod Grover had previously mentioned. It didn't ring a bell prior to then, but Annabeth supposed that the lesser gods didn't claim their children as frequently as the Olympians did.

As the trio rotated carefully, Annabeth's knees nearly gave out when she saw a familiar black-haired demigod standing before them.

"Percy!" Annabeth breathed, a flurry of emotions blurring her vision. Almost immediately, her heart leaped into overdrive, breath catching in her throat.

"Annabeth," he managed in return, paling slightly as he took in the sight.

There were a few beats of silence as Annabeth simply stared wordlessly at him. All the heartache and pain from the last year overwhelmed her instantly, but so did the dizzy, flustered feeling she got around him before they started dating.

Annabeth knew it was stupid to think she had gotten over Percy. Truthfully, she was afraid there would always be something lingering between them. She didn't think she could ever just stop loving someone that important to her.

But the circumstances had driven them apart and simultaneously brought them back together to this moment.

"Grover said there was a monster." Percy's voice sounded almost forced.

Annabeth spared the bronze dust a glance. "Yeah. I took care of it." She broke their gaze, heartstrings tugging agonisingly.

"You're Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson," Fay gasped suddenly.

Annabeth blinked; for a moment there, she'd forgotten that they weren't alone.

"Connor told us stories about you," Fay said, tone lifting in excitement.

"You're a Hermes kid?" Annabeth asked in surprise. She never would've pegged this innocent girl for one of the Stolls' troublemaking siblings.

Fay nodded. "I got here a month ago." Her gaze swivelled curiously between the two older demigods.

Annabeth turned to Percy, as much as it pained her to look him straight in the eye. "Did you know that they got sent out to fight the hellhound on purpose?"

The unreadable expression on his face faltered for a second, betraying the guilt in his features.

"You knew?" Annabeth gnashed her teeth, trying to suppress her anger. "Didn't you stop it?"

"I tried, okay?" Percy snapped. "I got here two days ago. Give me a break."

Years of practice had made Annabeth an expert at reading the boy who used to be her best friend. She looked at Percy now, and it was like looking at a stranger.

His hair was longer, but still windswept in that exact same I-just-woke-up way.

"It's not his fault," Fay said, alarmed at the brewing tension. "It's just the way things are."

"It wasn't always like this," Annabeth said vaguely, hoisting Phillip up as they pressed forward, Percy drifting further away uncertainly.

Approaching silhouettes made Annabeth focus her vision to spot them. Two demigods, drifting  closer, hopefully medics, knowing Phillip's state.

The first warning Annabeth got was Percy tensing up as the figures came closer.

"I see that you failed, Fay." The New Jersey accent made Annabeth recoil instantly. She might've spent years in California, but she was, first and foremost, a New Yorker. "Disappointing, but I can't say we didn't expect it."

The boy who spoke couldn't have been much older than Annabeth, but something about him was familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. He had hair of a blinding platinum colour and equally piercing blue eyes.

If his face hadn't been twisted in a sneer, Annabeth might have almost considered him handsome.

Resisting the sudden urge to drop Phillip and punch the other boy, Annabeth scrutinised him cautiously.

"You don't know who I am," the boy answered, surprising Annabeth. She was a master at concealing her true feelings, but it seemed like this boy could read her just as easily. "But I know who you are." He tilted his head to the side. "Annabeth Chase, right?"

Annabeth pursed her lips. "And you are?"

"Harlan," he replied, not making any move to help Phillip. "Son of Nike."

Oh, so this was Harlan.

Annabeth sudden had a mental image from years ago. Harlan had been one of the many unclaimed demigods in the Hermes cabin. He was the same age as her, or a year older.

The demigod at his side was a girl, probably with some Asian parentage — Filipino, if Annabeth guessed right — who regarded Annabeth with a venomous gaze that made her shift uncomfortably.

Phillip mumbled something unintelligible, groggily regaining consciousness. Weight was lifted off Annabeth's shoulder as he started moving.

"Fay," Annabeth said coldly, never taking her eyes off of Harlan and the girl. "Why don't you take Phillip to the infirmary?"

Fay grasped the opportunity to escape with relief and scurried away with her friend, throwing worried glances over her shoulder.

"So you're the one who sent them into the forest?" Annabeth said slowly, folding her arms across her chest. Percy might not be much help right now, but that didn't mean she couldn't chew out Harlan on her own.

"They're 12," she said emphatically. "What's wrong with you?"

Harlan didn't even blink. "It's bold of you to come back here and criticise me for running the place when you abandoned them."

Annabeth flinched like she'd been slapped. "Excuse me?" she demanded. "Who do you think you are?"

The girl cut in, boredom in her expression. "Listen, you two might've been a big deal, but that was before you left. Harlan and I are kind of in charge around here, if you hadn't noticed. So I'd suggest that you stay out of our way."

Harlan offered Annabeth a smile charged with animosity. "She's right. We could potentially make life incredibly difficult for you."

"It would be easier to take your threat more seriously if I didn't think I could snap you in less than a second," Annabeth hissed viciously.

"Oh," Harlan smirked. "No violence amongst campers or you'll find yourself on dish duty with Fay and Phillip."

"You can't do that," Annabeth scoffed.

Harlan released a dry chuckle. "Actually, ask around, and you'll find that I can."

Annabeth really, really wanted to punch him. She glanced at Percy, angry that he was so composed — when had she become the brash one?

"Things have changed since you left, Annabeth," Harlan said menacingly. "You'd better get with the program."

There was a tug on her arm, and Annabeth saw Percy shoot her a warning look. "Leave it," he murmured imploringly.

Why aren't you stopping them? Annabeth wanted to scream at Percy. Instead, she wrenched her arm out of his grip with a glare at the other two.

Without another word, Annabeth stalked off, anger bubbling up as she tried not to let her red-tinged vision affect her judgement.

The other campers had gathered to view the commotion, and Annabeth didn't miss the wide-eyed gazes of newer campers seeing her and Percy.

Their friends — Will, Nico, and Clarisse among them — looked at her warily. Annabeth caught Grover's eye, and the satyr nodded grimly.

Silence settled on the camp like a blanket. Annabeth had never seen them so quiet before, and it made her sick to her stomach.

Things had changed at Camp Half-Blood.

"Go find something better to do, please," Annabeth said loudly, glaring at the gathered crowd. The ogling campers immediately started to disperse.

Plopping herself down on the steps of the pavilion, Annabeth rested her elbows on her knees and clasped her hands together silently.

Percy stood in front of her, gazing warily down at her. Annabeth hadn't imagined a reunion to be like this — both of them so distracted by other things — but it looked like they had bigger problems right now.

"Why did you let them get away with that?" Annabeth said finally, betrayal seeping into her voice. "The Percy I know would never have done that."

Percy leaned against the pillar quietly. "I tried, when I first got here," he replied monotonously. "Harlan sent Harley out into the forest."

"To punish you?" Annabeth said incredulously. Harley was Leo's little half-brother, and the baby of the camp. Everyone adored him.

He nodded stiffly. "Harlan finds ways to torture you. It's kind of a talent of his." Percy held her gaze steadily, eyes dark and churning. "Harley almost died."

Annabeth shivered, not even wanting to fathom what Harlan would do to her younger siblings if she crossed him. "Gods, this is messed up," she muttered.

There was the patter of footsteps as the rest of their friends joined them. Annabeth glanced up warily at the ragtag group — Piper, Leo, Clarisse, Connor, Travis, Will, Nico, and Katie. Grover settled into a sitting position beside her.

"How did this happen?" Annabeth repeated the question that had become imprinted on her brain since her arrival.

The question was rhetorical. She already knew the answer; it was her fault. She should've visited, should've checked in. It had been selfish of her to avoid camp just so she wouldn't see Percy. Their responsibilities extended far beyond themselves, and Annabeth had shed them in a split second.

"Camp Half-Blood is supposed to be a sanctuary," she said frustratedly. "A home for all demigods. Harlan's turned it into a nightmare."

"He didn't do it alone," Nico's upper lip twisted with disgust. "He's got his entire posse to back him up."

"Kayleigh," Clarisse spat the name like it was poison. "The spelling of her name is even worse than she is."

Annabeth snorted. "Girls whose names are spelt nothing like they sound like are always bitches."

Travis stifled a humorous chuckle.

"She's the one you met," Katie said with a scowl. The daughter of Demeter was usually calm, with rare spurts of temper. Apparently, Harlan and his friends had a way of getting on her nerves. "Harlan's girlfriend — daughter of Hebe. They're like the couple from hell."

"Stephen is the other one," Piper continued. "One of my half-brothers. He became head counsellor after I left. He's worse than Drew."

"He has a thing for Will," Nico added with a frown. "But apparently Chiron said I'm 'not allowed to reap his soul', or whatever that means."

Annabeth couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"Then there's Jennifer," Leo finished. "Daughter of Demeter."

"I'm surprised the plants don't wilt in her presence," Connor snorted.

"How do they have so much power?" Annabeth demanded.

"They're all head counsellors," Clarisse said gruffly. "Chiron reformed the camp leadership after you two picked up and left." Annabeth didn't miss the accusatory glare Clarisse shot her. It was half-hearted, but it was there. "All head counsellors form the Council. They choose one counsellor to preside, and Harlan was made it — the Camp Head."

"How was he even voted in?" Annabeth inquired.

"Everyone's terrified of him," Grover reminded. "Jennifer runs sword-fighting, so she has the power to make the younger campers' lives hell. Stephen organises events — the Aphrodite cabin always has. Harlan decides on missions."

"They delegate the most dangerous quests to the most under-equipped people or the campers who don't abide by their rules," Travis said. The elder Stoll wasn't usually serious, but this wasn't a joking matter. "The number of new campers I've had to patch up..." He trailed off with a shake of his head.

Annabeth clenched her fist. The fact that Harlan was willing to put others at risk just to exercise his power over them drove her mad.

"We're gonna get everything back to normal," Annabeth murmured, mostly under her breath.

And that was a promise.

<<< >>>

"Good morning," Annabeth said blearily as she traipsed out of her cabin. The Ares and Apollo cabins neighboured hers, so Clarisse and Will walked in step at her side.

The Athena cabin used to have nights of laughing, confided secrets, and antics that she loved and treasured as precious memories. Harlan's rules of a strict curfew and no rackets irritated even Annabeth, who wasn't a big fan of messes. But the Hermes cabin playing late-night pranks was a staple of camp culture, and it felt weird without all that.

Things were so foreign that Annabeth sometimes forgot this was real. The last time she was here, she'd still been in high school and would spend the mornings trying to sneak out of Percy's cabin without being noticed.

Those had certainly been good times. If yesterday was any kind of testament, she and Percy could barely even have a conversation together unless they were with others or discussing something professional — like taking back the camp.

That reminded Annabeth of her silent vow.

Something Percy had said to her a few years ago slid into her brain.

You know, Chiron told me you were extremely territorial.

Annabeth blushed. Back then, he'd said it after a waitress flirted with Percy and ended up on the receiving end of Annabeth's glare. But it made sense even now.

She wasn't exactly being territorial. She didn't own Camp Half-Blood. But it was her home — and home to dozens of other campers too. It wasn't Harlan's in rights to take that away from them.

"What the hell..." Annabeth trailed off with a gape as she took in the sight before her.

The campers milled about the pavilion, and the disorganisation messed with her brain.

At the table in the centre of the pavilion that used to belong to the children of the Big Three sat Harlan and three other demigods Annabeth assumed to be Kayleigh, Stephen and Jennifer.

Her gaze flickered around the rest of the pavilion. Everyone else was sitting with their own cabins — as the rule had always been — conversing in hushed, solemn whispers.

Chiron didn't seem bothered, sitting by himself, as usual, mulling thoughts over his morning beverage.

Will followed her gaze. "Harlan said he needed his private team of advisors for discussion every morning," he said, face pulling into a frown.

"It's not fair," Annabeth muttered under her breath. "He's just using his position to his own benefit."

Her eyes narrowed when Harlan smirked at her from over Jennifer's shoulder, triumph shining on his face.

"Five bucks and I knock that stupid smirk off his face," Clarisse growled, unconsciously cracking her knuckles.

Annabeth hummed in agreement. "Please, I'd do it for free." Taking a deep breath, Annabeth forced her shoulders to relax.

Percy was sitting alone at another table, Nico on a separate one. Apparently the godly parent rule still applied to everyone else.

"We're sitting together," Annabeth said suddenly, briskly crossing the pavilion to where Nico was. Feeling the ugly stares of Harlan and his friends, Annabeth slid into the long bench across from Percy.

His green eyes widened confusedly when he saw her. "Annabeth—"

There was a shuffling of movement as Nico joined them; apparently, the son of Hades hadn't been waiting for much to break the rules either.

"If they can sit together," Annabeth said decidedly, her food appearing on her plate. "So can we."

She ignored Percy's dumbfounded stare.

Yes, it's awkward, she wanted to reassure him.  But let's set this aside and save our camp first.

Maybe Percy had newly developed telepathy. More likely, he just knew her so well that he could follow her train of thought. Whatever it was, Percy waved Leo and Piper over.

Annabeth roared her torso, knowing full well that Harlan was glaring at her, to beckon the rest of their friends to join them. Offering Harlan a sweet smile first, Annabeth then turned back to her food, digging in, feeling her spirits lift slightly.

The atmosphere lightened, albeit only by a fraction. Other campers started shifting closer to their own friends, but the quiet whispers continued.

"Oh, their faces were priceless," Grover bleated, somewhat smugly as he joined them.

"I'm thinking about adding green hair dye to Stephen's shampoo," Travis mused. "We haven't done a prank in ages."

Piper shot him an alarmed look. "Please give me an advanced warning if you do. I live in the same cabin as him too."

A loud clearing of the throat silenced the pavilion. Annabeth eyed Harlan with intense dislike creasing her features as he stepped up and called for everyone's attention.

"Regarding the recent monster attacks," Harlan announced. "The Council has decided to ban all demigods from the beach. Only those who earn the privilege may go, and this will reduce our scattered numbers."

"What?" Percy demanded, eyes glinting dangerously.

Annabeth instinctively reached out to grab his hand, pulling him down before he could leap out and start a yelling match.

When their fingers brushed, sparks shot up her arm, and Annabeth realised what she'd done With the blood rushing to her face, Annabeth ripped her hand away, catching Percy's gaze momentarily.

His eyes reflected the ocean, colour resembling the waves on a stormy day. The mask he'd held intact yesterday slipped away for a second, allowing Annabeth to recognise the surprise in his expression.

The split second passed and both averted their gazes, Annabeth ducking her head to hide her flaming cheeks.

"Now they're restricting our access to things?" Piper hissed furiously.

"Definitely adding green dye to his shampoo," Connor said firmly, staring disdainfully at Stephen.

No one except for Grover seemed to notice the blip between Annabeth and Percy. Annabeth pointedly ignored the satyr's curious yet amused look boring into her.

Annabeth risked a glance at Percy. Fortunately, he wasn't looking at her. She knew how important the beach was to Percy. In fact, it was important to her too.

Something about the place always managed to calm her down after an especially difficult nightmare or when she had a stressful day. Knowing that she didn't have anywhere to go anymore should that happen made the anxiety in her mind skyrocket.

Annabeth clasped her hands together so tightly under the table that her knuckles turned white. Harlan's voice drowned into the background.

<<< >>>

The sound of Kayleigh slamming the gavel on the tabletop repeatedly made Annabeth want to snatch it from her and bonk the other girl over the head.

Gods, Kayleigh annoyed her to no end. It had been about three days since Annabeth had arrived at camp and unfortunately became acquainted with the four demigods.

Today was the first counsellors' meeting since Annabeth's arrival, and she'd taken over as head counsellor from her half-brother Malcolm, who usually stood in for her whenever she wasn't available.

It was utter chaos in the room. The ping pong table had been replaced with a much fancier oak desk, and Harlan day behind it, Kayleigh to his right.

Of course, since Percy was also a head counsellor — despite being the only person in his cabin — he was also present at the meeting. Annabeth hadn't said a word to him yet today, and he wouldn't even look at her.

As Harlan ran through various boring decisions, Annabeth found her mind wandering to her ex-boyfriend.

Breaking up was the right decision, she told herself sternly. Prior to that, they'd been fighting endlessly. It was one argument after the next, both of them frustrated at the world for shoving them apart.

Annabeth found that everything about him got on her nerves; even things as ridiculous as the way he texted. Their phone calls had grown less frequent and they often went a week without any contact at all.

She could still remember the last fight.

It had been a dozen arguments bunched up into one — Percy buying the wrong groceries, Annabeth accidentally throwing away his papers with the trash, et cetera.

A desperation to just be alone overwhelmed Annabeth. She was tired of fighting, of arguing at every turn. The nightmares were getting worse the more anxious she grew, and fighting with Percy made her as anxious as she was in a battle.

"This isn't working!" she cried that night, feeling like all hope in her life had been extinguished. Dark circles ringed Percy's eyes, evidence of the toll the relationship was taking on him too.

As soon as the words left her lips, Percy paled and sat down hard. "Which part of it?" he said sarcastically, running a hand through his hair.

"All of it," Annabeth choked out. "Everything is—I feel like I'm suffocating!"

Even in his state of distress, Percy knew she was right. Annabeth could see the reluctant agreement in his eyes.

We've been together since we were 16.

Those were the words Annabeth hurled at him. She'd been right. Neither of them knew who they were without the other. He'd basically been her best friend since she was 12. Being in love with him had been a part of who she was, and Annabeth hated how reliant she was on that.

Percy wasn't any different. He would've given up anything for her. He'd promised to try, to make more time, to spend fewer hours at the university — and that was when Annabeth sobbed and told him that he couldn't give up anything and everything for her.

Percy was so fundamentally good. It made her feel so guilty. And she knew that he hadn't even realised what he was willing to do for her.

You can't die for me, Percy. I know you would, and I would do the same for you — but we can't.

The sheer commitment they had to each other had scared them that night. They were only 18. Feeling like they couldn't live without the other wasn't something that should be happening.

So they took a break. Annabeth suggested the distance, and Percy agreed. Figure out who they were by themselves.

A week turned into a month, and in a midnight phone call with scarce words, they'd decided to break up. Annabeth loved him too much — it terrified her how much she trusted him.

The months that followed immediately were good. No more fighting. And even though she had to deal with the nightmares alone, maybe it was worth it.

But she slowly began to feel like a piece of her heart was missing. She would hear a joke and make a mental note to tell him about it before realising that, in fact, she had no right to do so.

It was a dull ache. Not crippling, but it was always there. Annabeth thought that, with time, it was eventually disappear. Being around him again didn't help with that.

As she risked a glance at Percy, Annabeth tried to convince herself that it had been a good idea. They could barely speak to each other now, but gradually, they could go back to being friends, Annabeth was sure of it.

If Percy couldn't be her boyfriend, at least he could still be in her life, even if it had to just be friendship.

Percy's black hair shook slightly as he turned, and Annabeth realised too late — oh, Hades, he was looking — that she was staring at him. Green eyes met grey and Annabeth almost leaped out of her seat in alarm. Snapping her gaze away, Annabeth fought the blush from her cheeks, ignoring the piercing look he directed at her.

"...messages from the satyrs," Grover's voice dispelled the haze in her mind. Annabeth blinked — sometimes she forgot that she had ADHD — and tried to refocus on the meeting itself.

"There's been a worrying uprising of dracanae in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil," Grover continued. "Apparently the leader's convinced them that they are powerful enough to overthrow the gods."

Harlan hummed under his breath. "It's just dracanae, and far away from us."

"There are demigods in South America too," Nyssa, head of the Hephaestus cabin, interjected. "They might or might not have a camp, but either way, shouldn't we help them? If the uprising gets large enough, it could be a massacre."

Annabeth nodded, hearing agreement from the other counsellors. Even Harlan couldn't ignore the votes of everyone in the room.

He said stiffly, "I'll take it into account. Assign the mission to someone. They'll leave tomorrow to deal with it."

Nyssa flashed Annabeth a smile — small victories meant everything at the moment.

"Rachel," Harlan moved on to the next order of business. "Any more prophecies lately?"

Annabeth glanced at the redheaded girl, who set down her pen, her cheeks reddening as she was caught doodling. "No," their Oracle said, twiddling with a piece of her hair absently. "Nothing."

Annabeth could tell that she was lying — Rachel didn't want to give any quests to Harlan. And she wasn't the only one who noticed — Percy shot Rachel a knowing look, which she replied with a twitch of her mouth.

Something foreign tugged at her, and Annabeth felt a bubble of jealousy expand in her chest. No, she chided herself. This was ridiculous.

As ridiculous as she thought it might be, Annabeth couldn't deny the feeling of wrongness she got when she thought of Percy and Rachel together. Percy didn't belong with Rachel, he belonged with—

Annabeth recalled Percy's claim about her being territorial and winced. Gods, she really did have a problem.

Come on, she groaned internally, shoving the thought out of her brain.

Later that night during dinner in the pavilion, which Annabeth once again enjoyed with her friends, Harlan gathered everyone around to officially tell them about the mission regarding the dracanae.

As he started explaining the situation, Annabeth wondered who it would be. Honestly, her money was on Harlan delegating the task to someone like Clarisse, or maybe Lou Ellen from Hecate.

"I've chosen a brave demigod to prove herself in this task," Harlan declared, rather over-dramatically in Annabeth's opinion. "Fay Pritch and Phillip Don!"

Annabeth exchanged wide-eyed stares of disbelief with Piper. Fay had gone a mixture of sickly green and pale, gripping the edge of the table tightly. Her siblings beside her shot her alarmed looks.

"Is he insane?" Katie hissed. "They're 12!"

Annabeth wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but it was like she rose on her body's volition, not her own, and she didn't register that she was standing up until after the words started spilling from her mouth.

"Harlan, that's ridiculous!" Annabeth's voice bounced from pillar to pillar, amplifying her outrage.

Chatter that had erupted upon Harlan's announcement ceased, wide eyes fixating on the daughter of Athena instead.

An ugly grimace twisted Harlan's features into something that sent a shudder rippling down Annabeth's spine. Ignoring the unsettling feeling in her gut, she delved on, "This is a dracanae uprising! It's more serious than you're letting on — it needs our full attention, and a group of more experienced fighters."

"If it's really dangerous, who would you condemn to resolve the issue?" Harlan tried to turn the situation around. "Who would you be willing to sacrifice?"

"Myself," Annabeth found herself saying. Her gaze flickered momentarily to Fay, who was starting to recover from her fright. There was no way she was sending Fay away with a threat as large at this. "Hades, I'll do it myself if I have to," she snapped.

"So you're offering to take Fay and Phillip's place?" Harlan cheek twitched.

Dread crept up on her. Annabeth sensed something like a smug triumph in his tone. With a start, she realised that she'd been baited into Harlan's trap.

Of course, he'd known that she would never agree to throw Fay into the field like that. And now Annabeth was going to be sent on a mission alone — if she disappeared along the way, then that was a problem solved for Harlan. Even if she came back, that gave Harlan the time of her absence to change things at camp.

Backed into a corner, Annabeth had no choice but to nod stiffly.

"She can't go alone," came a tight voice. Annabeth's eyelids fluttered in surprise when Percy joined in, turning a cold glare on Harlan. Percy was usually about as friendly as a toddler, but when he needed to be scary, he could make even the bravest adult shake in their shoes.

"It's an uprising," Percy said emphatically. "That's too dangerous for one demigod to go alone." For the first time today, Percy met Annabeth's gaze and held it. "I'll go with her."

A bolt similar to electricity jolted Annabeth. His eyes were too much like the ocean — it made her heart ache.

Shaking her head, Annabeth suppressed any distractions — later, she told herself — and turned to Harlan with a defiant look. Harlan's expression was wiped clean of whatever arrogance he'd had. Clearly, Percy had surprised him as well.

Annabeth stifled a smirk. If she and Percy quashed a monster attack on this scale, people would talk. The buzz about them leading the camp in Harlan's place would return.

Which was why she predicted what he would say next — "As you've brought to my attention," Harlan said through gritted teeth and a forced smile. "This is of a greater scale than I expected. Stephen and I will go with you. Make sure that everything goes smoothly."

Annabeth furrowed her brow, almost recoiling at the look in Harlan's eyes when he glanced at Percy. The sheer loathing took her by surprise. The distrust and dislike radiated intensely from the son of Nike.

Annabeth frowned. Percy had a talent for pissing people off, yes, but hate? No one really hated Percy. Yet Harlan stood there looking like he would throw himself off a cliff to avoid him.

Flicking her gaze to the side, Annabeth caught a glimmer of satisfaction in Percy's eyes. She shot him a furtive look without even realising it. Before she could freeze up and overthink the instinct, Percy returned it hesitantly.

Annabeth tore her gaze away from him with difficulty, looking back up at Harlan, who was conversing with Stephen in closed whispers. Everyone else in the pavilion started returning to their food and the own conversations, no doubt consisting of the tumult regarding this mission.

As she followed suit and relaxed into her seat, Annabeth overheard Percy mutter to Grover under his breath, "Not a word." Fighting the blush in her cheeks, Annabeth didn't miss Grover's suggestive wink.

Maybe being friends with Percy would come sooner than she expected.

Of course, if the word "friends" was too painful to even think about, well, no one needed to know about that.

<<< >>>

"Juniper said that her intel passed from the rainforest gives this cabin as their headquarters," Grover explained, all professional as he pointed to the area in question on the map.

Annabeth felt a vague memory tug at her; of a small satyr boy chewing on tin cans as they sat in an emporium of stone statues. How in the world had he gotten here?

Nico regarded the map thoughtfully. "I'll try to get us as close to it as possible," the son of Hades assured the group. "But I've never been there before, so there are no guarantees with my shadowtravel."

"I feel like we need a snake bite kit," Percy said as he stared at the map, a little warily.

"It's a snake," Annabeth deadpanned. "We have ambrosia."

"Oh, it's just a snake," Percy said sarcastically. "But when it's a spider you set the bathroom on fire."

Annabeth went scarlet. "That—" she spluttered. "That was one time."

"Friendly reminder that the Amazon rainforest also has massive, hairy tarantulas," Percy informed her, thinly disguising a snicker as a cough.

Annabeth glared at him, prepared to fire back a retort when she suddenly remembered that they weren't alone. And they weren't dating. And Percy wasn't her boyfriend.

Clearing her throat, Annabeth averted her gaze back to the map. Stephen and Harlan were also crowded around the map, having watched the exchange silently until now.

"You are to stay out of the action," Harlan told Nico firmly.

When Nico opened his mouth to protest, Annabeth cut in, "For once, I agree. We can't risk you not have enough strength to shadowtravel us back. Brazil is further away than you might expect."

"Unless you're okay with dying when we return," Stephen added snidely. "I'm sure Will would be devastated." The airiness of his tone made Annabeth want to sock him in his perfect nose. That was the problem with Aphrodite children — no matter how much they irritated her, they always looked good.

On the other hand, Nico didn't seem to have any reservations, glowering like he was prepared to run Stephen through with a sword — which Annabeth really wouldn't put past him.

"Link hands," Nico said instead, voice tight with displeasure. "Don't let go."

Annabeth slipped her fingers between Nico's, then trying not to think too much about it, grabbed Percy's hand. They fit like puzzle pieces — Hades, the Fates really were trying to kill her, weren't they?

Nico closed his eyes as Grover stepped away from the group. Annabeth felt the familiar sensation of being thrust into darkness. Her skin prickled, and the forces shoving her from every direction nearly wrenched her grip out of Percy's hand.

It was over as quickly as it happened, the ground slamming into Annabeth's feet so quickly her knees buckled. Percy's other hand came around and caught round the waist just in time.

"Thanks," Annabeth murmured. Percy tore his arm away like she was poisonous, something unreadable flashing in his eyes. Annabeth chose not to read too much into it.

Focus on the mission, she repeated in her mind.

Blinking the spots out of her eyes, Annabeth tilted her head up, instinctively raising an arm to block the piercing sunlight.

"I've never been to Brazil," she heard Percy muse. "It's hotter than I thought." He wasn't wrong. The summer season and the humidity of the rainforest meant that perspiration was already starting to trickle down her brow.

Swiping it away, Annabeth scanned their surroundings; towering trees, moss and grass covering every inch for the ground, the smell of flowers in the air, and the soft sounds of rustling animals.

The Amazon rainforest was beautiful.

"I don't think we're far from the landing point," Nico noted, gesturing to the map. "I think I deserve a high-five for that." Harlan obliged reluctantly, which Nico took with a dark smirk.

"The cabin's behind those trees," Stephen said, pointing to the aforementioned spot. Annabeth had to squint to see the roof peeking out from behind the blossoming thrush.

"So what's the attack plan?" Percy asked, to no one in particular.

"We should surround the place. Split up into pairs." Annabeth eyed Harlan and Stephen. "I don't know your how good your fighting is."

Harlan scoffed, unsheathing a wicked Imperial Gold sword. Annabeth hated it the instant she saw it; the Greeks always used celestial bronze, yet Harlan insisted on using something so grand. The hilt was even encrusted with jewels. Annabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

Stephen drew dual knives, a little longer than Annabeth's dagger, but shorter than Riptide.

"I still think we should go with Annabeth's idea," Percy said firmly. "I'll take Harlan. Stephen can go with Annabeth."

Did he not want to be alone with her? Annabeth felt something like disappointment grapple at her. Stop it, she chided herself. Could she really blame him?

From a tactical standpoint, he was right. Annabeth knew damn well that she and Percy made an impressive duo. But that wouldn't be of any use if Harlan and Stephen were bad in a fight. It was much safer to split up.

"You can take the back entrance," Stephen said as he scrutinised the map.

"That's what she said," Annabeth said automatically, a hand slapping over her mouth when she said. "Oh gods, please pretend I didn't say that."

Percy had overused that joke so much when they were dating that it had almost become a reflex for her to beat him to the punchline. Something like a snicker escaped Percy, and although he stopped at her sharp glare, the mad grin didn't leave his face.

"As I was saying," Stephen continued, although the corner of his mouth twitched. "Annabeth and I can bust in head-on, make a distraction while Percy and Harlan wipe them out from behind. They won't expect it."

Annabeth nodded, still trying to fight off embarrassment from her previous words. "From Grover's numbers, I think we can expect up to twenty of them. I'll go for the leader."

"Actually, since we're sneaking up from the back, I think I'll take the leader," Harlan interjected. "Percy can cover me."

Annabeth saw Nico start with disapproval, but she settled for a false smile. "Sure." She drew her dagger and patted her pocket, making sure her Yankee's cap was still there. It was always good trick to have up her sleeve.

"Good luck," Annabeth managed as Percy and Harlan crept off to the side. Only Percy three a glance over his shoulder. He looked like he was about to say something, but turned away without another word.

Be careful, she didn't say. Annabeth told herself this would be fine. It would be a swift extermination. Then they could go back to camp and continue tip-toeing around each other for another week.

Stephen didn't say another word until they neared the cabin. "You could cut the sexual tension there with a knife," he voiced suddenly.

"What?" Annabeth flushed red.

"You and Percy," Stephen said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You two were a big thing. I remember."

"I didn't know you were a camper when we were dating."

"You never gave me a second glance," Stephen said, but his tone wasn't vindictive or accusatory. "One of the satyrs found me and Kayleigh right before the Second Giant War."

"What a nice introduction," Annabeth pulled a face. "Gaia was a real bitch." Stephen properly grinned this time. Annabeth found that his personality wasn't as repulsive as Harlan's. In fact, underneath all the sneers and superior attitude, Annabeth could almost say he was tolerable.

"You two were the talk of the town," Stephen continued. He didn't seem to have a point — just making small talk. "Especially for a new Aphrodite kid."

Annabeth stared straight ahead. It was harder to focus on the mission when her partner insisted on discussing her ex-boyfriend. "We knew each other since we were 12," she allowed.

"Childhood sweethearts. It's no wonder you two were the golden couple," Stephen acknowledged. "I guess it doesn't hurt that you're also both really hot."

Annabeth arched an eyebrow. "I thought you were into guys."

"I lean towards guys more," Stephen corrected. "But I do like girls."

"Please don't tell me you're going to ask me out now."

Stephen's nose scrunched up with disdain. "God, no. You're too much like me. I don't think I could date another me."

Annabeth didn't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment. But Stephen didn't seem to mean it as anything. It was just an observation.

There was something very offhanded about his manner that was refreshing.

"Do you have a preferred flank?" Annabeth asked as they approached the cabin entrance.

"Left," Stephen replied, circling round her to take that side.

Annabeth took the right, though she typically preferred left. Percy always covered her right.

"So what, we just," Stephen gestured with his knives. "Break down the door? Because I'm wearing my favourite shirt and I really don't want to damage it."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, aiming her shoulder towards the door as she rammed her body weight against it. The wooden door fell with a deafening "bang!" and the two demigods raced inside.

"Holy Hades!" Annabeth heard Stephen yell as they were immediately overwhelmed by five dracanae. The snake ladies hissed, overloading Annabeth's senses as she dodged a spear and partied another's blade.

A battle cry resounded from behind, striking Annabeth with alarm. Something was wrong.

Annabeth leaped over another felled monster and shoved three dracanae away from Stephen's back.

"What the hell?" Stephen demanded. "I thought you said twenty!"

Annabeth's eyes were wide as she saw the outpouring of monsters in from both the front door and the other rooms of the cabin with horror. "I guess Grover's numbers were wrong! We have to get out of here! We can't kill an entire coven!"

"Where are Harlan and Percy?" Stephen shouted as he swept his knives out, dispelling three monsters in one go. "They should be here!"

Annabeth cursed under her breath. "Harlan must've broken off — gone after the leader!"

"No, he wouldn't do that!"

Slashing downwards, Annabeth chopped the monster's scaly hands off and wrenched the spear out of its grip. Wielding the long blade in a deadly arc, Annabeth impaled four of them on the stick like barbecue food.

The burst of bronze dust revealed Percy and Harlan hurtling through the doorway, wading through the monsters' ranks.

"Where were you?" Annabeth yelled over the ruckus.

Percy had a cut on his left cheek. "This idiot here went after the leader!" he said furiously. They whirled around, back to back, as they destroyed the monsters around them. "And then proceeded to lose him!"

Annabeth wanted to add Harlan to her barbecue stick of death. "Of course, he did," she muttered. The steady stream of monsters through the door was endless. She didn't even know this many dracanae existed.

"We have to get back to Nico," Annabeth decided. She and Percy were good fighters, but eventually the sheer numbers would overwhelm them.

Drawing her dagger back like a throwing knife, Annabeth released it, letting it soar through the air and pin a dracanae to the wall. She bounded across the room to rip the dagger out, sending the monster staggering away into the next doorway, three more following it.

Annabeth gave Percy a warning look, and after she made sure that he nodded, she left to chase down the escaping hoard.

The sounds of Percy and Harlan hurling verbal attacks drowned into the background as Annabeth took off in a wild sprint, pounding after the snake women.

Their hissing sounds were in their own dialect and Annabeth couldn't understand a word they said, but she was catching up to them even more with each passing second.

When she reached the first one, Annabeth leaped onto its back, decapitating it smoothly as she grabbed the monster's shield and spear, dropping her dagger to make space for her new weapons.

The other three dracanae circled her, forked tongues slipping out every now and then. The hissing sounds reminded her of Parseltongue from the Harry Potter movies. Annabeth had always wanted to speak the language when she was a kid.

One of the monsters made the first move, scaled tentacles swiping out to grab Annabeth by the ankle. She leaped nimbly over the appendage and parried a strike with her shield before she feigned right and slammed the spear through the monster's chest cavity.

A screech was all that was left of it, and Annabeth quickly turned to the other two monsters.

Parry, strike, block, slash. Annabeth's mind switched to watch she called 'battle mode' as each monster launched an attack from either side of her.

Annabeth jumped up to avoid both spears, throwing down her shield at the last moment. Upon landing, she wielded the spear like a marching band's baton, swivelling it like she'd seen Coach Hedge do with bamboo sticks when he was imitating his martial arts movies.

For the first time, Annabeth was glad he had made her take those lessons. Both ends of the stick slammed into the dracanae, knocking them off their feet (tentacles?).

The first one fell, and Annabeth didn't hesitate to rush over and spear it through the head. The second monster wasn't so easily beaten, stumbling back but quickly regaining its balance.

Annabeth gripped the spear in the middle, rapidly parrying and blocking strikes. Grunting at the effort that this kind of combat took, Annabeth kicked the snake woman in the gut and forced her spear through it.

As she picked up her dagger again, Annabeth absent-mindedly wondered if she should switch to a different weapon. Making a mental note to bring it up with Leo, Annabeth attached the dagger to her hip and shouldered the spear for extra defence, just in case.

Annabeth jogged back to the rendezvous point. Mobs of dracanae were attacking the others, forcing Nico to join the fight. Stephen and Harlan surrounded him protectively, but Percy was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Percy?" Annabeth yelled as she joined the fight, stabbing one of the monsters attacking Harlan.

"On his way," Harlan said with a grunt as he parried a spear. "We got separated on the way out."

"He said he'd hold them off while we got out," Stephen informed her.

Annabeth groaned frustratedly, spinning the spear around. Typical Percy, being all self-sacrificial. Part of her wanted to race back and yank him out of the cabin, but she knew that wasn't possible. She had to help here. Percy could take care of himself.

"Just fend them off until Percy gets here!" Annabeth called. At her instruction, Nico nodded and obsidian walls exploded from the ground, giving them cover and pushing some monsters back.

Annabeth scrambled up the wall, leaping off the jagged edge so she could land on one of the monsters, taking it down with her momentum. The element of her surprise gave her time to dispel the others surrounding her.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side today. Annabeth felt foreign fear seize her as a whole new wave of dracanae washed over the grass like a wave of terror.

"We need to go!" Nico voiced her thoughts exactly, anxiety clear in his tone. "Now!"

Annabeth backed away, returning to the group. She sheathed her dagger and grabbed Nico's hand, her eyes darting around the scenery.

The dark-haired son of Poseidon was nowhere in sight. "Where is Percy?" Annabeth demanded, whirling on Harlan and Stephen. "Where did you leave him?"

"We already told you," Stephen shot back. "He told us to go! He was still inside the cabin when we left!"

Annabeth's head swivelled as she judged how quickly the wave of monsters were coming closer.

"We need to get back to camp or we'll all die!" Harlan growled.

"We can't leave Percy!" Nico snapped, anger bursting forth.

"We'll come back for him!" Harlan argued. "Percy can handle himself!"

Annabeth's heart was practically beating out of her ribcage as she glanced around, searching wildly for Percy.

Nico cursed under his breath. "Annabeth," he said urgently. "We have to go." Something between hopelessness and desperation shone on his face. "Now. We can't help him if we get ourselves killed."

Harlan roughly grabbed Annabeth's hand, yanking her forward.

"No, we can't—" she cut herself off with a breathless pant. They couldn't just leave him.

Nico's eyelid shut, pain etched into his every feature, and Annabeth recognised the familiar routine he went through during shadowtravel.

Almost of its own volition, Annabeth's hand wrenched itself out of Harlan's grip as Nico stepped into the shadow of the tree above them. Nico's eyes widened fractionally as he realised what she had done.

Then they were gone. A split second passed and the three demigods disappeared completely, leaving Annabeth stranded and alone in the middle of Brazil.

But she didn't have time for that. A billion thoughts hurtled through her brain — what the hell did I just do? — where is Percy? — but the most pressing concern at the moment was that she was moments away from being overrun by dracanae.

Before Annabeth could even ponder over a plan, something deep within her propelled her to reach her hands out, mimicking a shoving motion. It was like someone had attached a grappling hook to her gut and was yanking.

Annabeth let out an agonising yell as she thrust her hands forward, the first monster just inches away from her palm.

Something like an explosion burst from her fingertips, and the masses of dracanae around her were blown backwards, hissing and shrieks piercing the air.

Annabeth stared down at her hands, because what the—

No time — Annabeth forced her legs to work, even though every nerve in her body was screaming at her to think about what had just happened.

She had just pushed away almost a hundred monsters with her mind. Annabeth had seen a lot of weird things over the course of her short life — the underbellies of cannibal sheep, half-horse half-fish creatures — but telekinesis had to be a new one.

Telekinesis. Annabeth allowed herself a mutter of, "shit", before she sprinted to the cabin, her dagger forgotten on her belt loop.

"Percy!" the frantic shout tore from her lips, hysteria threatening to drown her. "Percy!" Annabeth slammed into the wooden wall of the cabin, brow creasing incredulously as her palms splayed across what she could've sworn was the door.

Annabeth released a string of words that Hazel would've given her a disapproving look for under her breath. Her heart leaped into her throat in terror.

Percy was stuck inside. The doors had disappeared, as if by some kind of insane phenomenon, and if Annabeth hadn't come back for him, he wouldn't have lasted the next five minutes.

"Annabeth!" a panicked shout rang out as a heavy weight slammed against the wall from the inside.

Annabeth almost sobbed in relief, knowing that he was just on the other side.

"The door's gone!" Percy said bewilderedly, sounding more terrified than Annabeth had ever heard him. "I don't—I thought—" A shaky gasp. "I didn't think anyone was coming back for me."

Annabeth braced herself against the wall as her eyes brimmed with tears. "You're such a Seaweed Brain," she choked out. "Of course, I came back."

The sounds of battle came from the inside again. "I've barricaded myself in," Percy said helplessly. "But there's no way else out. They're breaking the door down."

Furiously brushing away her tears, Annabeth backed away from the cabin, criticising the architecture as best as she could. "I see a weak point," Annabeth kept her voice steady. She couldn't risk losing her state of mind right now — Percy needed her. "But I don't have anything to destroy it with."

"Can't you just knock it?" Percy suggested.

"With dynamite, yes," Annabeth rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see her.

"I told you we should start bringing explosives to battles." Percy's voice faded into the background as the clashing of metal came from inside. "They're in!"

Focus, Annabeth told herself sternly. Come on. She pushed her worries and concerns about Percy out of her head. She buried all her stray thoughts.

Annabeth stared down at her hands. She'd blasted away monsters with the force of an explosion. If she could just do that again with the wall...

Looking between her hands and the wall, Annabeth warily held her hands up. "How the hell do I do this?" she muttered, trying the thrusting motion again.

Nothing happened.

Annabeth swore under her breath. "How the hell does this work?" she murmured. "This would be a good time for some help, Mum." Unfortunately, Athena didn't answer, but Annabeth wasn't really expecting her to anyway.

Closing her eyes, Annabeth tried to sink herself into a trance. She had never heard of anyone being able to do this before. Annabeth supposed that it was similar to Leo's powers. Only a select few of Hephaestus' children had powers.

Percy had once told her that while her friends all had powers, her greatest strength was her mind. Well, apparently her mind was now strong enough to move things.

A tingling feeling rippled inside, and Annabeth grinned with a spurt of triumph. It wasn't a tugging in her gut this time, like Percy always said he felt whenever he used his powers, but the feeling of having power at the tips of her fingers made her buzz with anticipation.

Reaching out, Annabeth made a pulling motion, a visual image of the wall crumbling down entering her mind.

The splintering of wood was her only warning. Annabeth's eyes sprang open at the creaking sound, and she leaped backward, arms thrown up as the cabin blew up with a massive explosion.

Exhaustion threatened to drag her into unconsciousness, but Annabeth fought against the black spots that danced before her eyes. Her limbs felt like lead, and staggering to her feet required most of whatever energy she had left.

"Percy," Annabeth said weakly, stumbling forward. Disbelief shook her as she viewed the destruction she'd caused. Dozens upon dozens of dracanae littered the scene, most of them unconscious or injured with splinters.

Instead of bringing down the wall, Annabeth had completely obliterated the entire cabin. "Zeus," she murmured in awe.

Her vision tunnelled when she spotted a mop of black hair on the ground. Percy had been closest to the explosion, and the strength of it had thrown him almost ten yards.

"Percy!" Annabeth collapsed at his side, her legs too shaky to keep her upright anymore. Her vision blurred and shifted between darkness and light.

Splinters had pierced Percy's skin, striking Annabeth with wracking guilt. She'd done that.

A patch of red spread underneath the armour he was wearing; a stab wound the only evidence of where the dracanae had got to him.

Her fingers struggled to press against his throat, and for a moment, blind panic seized her, but then, there it was — his pulse fluttering weakly against her fingertips.

Relief coursed through her body, but it was short-lived as Annabeth cast a wary glance all around. A few dracanae were starting to recover, not to their full strength but still enough to overpower her in her weakened state and an unconscious Percy.

A rush of breeze past Annabeth's face caught her attention, and she spun around in alarm, only to see Nico materialise beside her.

His dark eyes were splayed open in astonishment as he took in the sight all around them. His shoulders didn't droop from the shadowtravel, so Annabeth assumed that he'd taken ambrosia when they stopped at camp.

"Percy—" Annabeth manages before a dizzy spell made her head spin and her voice die away. Nico's pale hand on her wrist and Percy's shoulder were the last thing she remembered before the chilling sensation of shadowtravel swallowed her whole, unconsciousness greeting her mere moments later.

<<< >>>

Annabeth woke up in the medical wing.

At least, that was where she figured she was. The sterile ceilings and smell of antiseptic were overwhelming.

A soft groan escaped her lips when she tried to sit up. Her limbs were aching. Her temple was throbbing with a splitting headache bad enough to send her back to sleep.

"Annabeth, what do you think you're doing?" the familiar stern voice stirred her to refocus her vision. Will's concerned face loomed over her, brow furrowed worriedly.

"Will?" Annabeth murmured, propping herself slowly onto her elbows. If she didn't move too quickly, her head didn't hurt as much. Her heart almost stopped when she remembered how exactly she'd ended up in here. "Percy! He's injured—"

Will shushed her. "Maybe don't wake up everyone," he silenced her. "And just take in your bearings." Annabeth obliged, her gaze roving over the infirmary...until it landed on the armchair beside her.

Percy's lanky frame was sprawled across the chair, his hair messy and eyes shut as he slumbered peacefully.

"Once he got better, he refused to leave your side," Will said gently.

Annabeth's breath caught in her throat at the sight. Percy was gorgeous, yes, but there was something mesmerising about him when he wasn't bothered by their complicated lives.

"He woke up before I did?" Annabeth realised with a start.

Will nodded. "Whatever you did to blow up the cabin really tired you out. You've been unconscious for three days, it didn't matter how much ambrosia and nectar we gave you."

Annabeth frowned, mostly at herself. "It was me," she said bleakly. "I blew it up. I don't know how but..." Her voice trailed off as Annabeth lifted her hands up, staring at them bewilderedly.

"Will," Annabeth hesitated. Some things were crazy even in the demigod world. But she could trust Will. "There's something I should tell you." She explained everything that had happened, watching his wide eyes and disbelief.

"You can't tell anyone," she finished. "At least, not until I figure out what it is."

"That explains why you were so tired," Will suggested. "I've seen Nico or Percy pass out for days at a time when they overuse their powers." He gave her a stern look. "Which is why I'm putting you on bed rest until the weekend."

Annabeth's mouth fell open, indignant protests on the top of her tongue, but Will interrupted before she could start. "Doctor's orders," he said smugly, knowing the one way Annabeth couldn't disobey him.

She glared at him as he exited the wing, clipboard in hand. Annabeth leaned back against the wall, gulping as she spared Percy another glance.

That moment when she'd thought she was going to lose him — Annabeth had never been so afraid in her entire life. She would take Arachne a billion times before she chose to go through that again.

It was the right thing to break up. The statement she had repeated as a mantra during the last few months was starting to sound rather empty.

Percy made a quiet murmuring sound, catching he attention as his eyelids gradually fluttered open. They sprung open when he caught sight of her, bolting awake immediately. "Annabeth!"

For a second, Annabeth just took the time to drink him in, and the fact that he was alive and well.

"You drool in your sleep," she finally managed to say.

The corner of Percy's mouth twitched, but his worry didn't evaporate just yet. "You're awake," he said, seemingly astounded.

Annabeth spread her hands. "That I am." Silence draped over them like a blanket, but it wasn't awkward this time. It took her a few moments to realise that Percy was doing the same thing she had done — drinking the sight of her in.

"What happened out there?" Percy question with puzzlement creasing his brow. "I specifically remember you saying you needed an explosive to blast the wall down."

Annabeth wondered how plausible it would seem if she said she'd miraculously found a land mine. Then she realised that, if there was anyone she could truly trust, it was Percy.

"I can move things," Annabeth said, wincing at the insane-sounding statement. "With my mind, I mean. I blasted the dracanae away when I came back for you. I tried it with the cabin, and I guess it was just too much for me."

She regarded him warily. Percy was staring at her blankly, as if his mind was working to catch up with her words.

"You can..." Percy gestured unintelligibly. "What?"

"I don't know," Annabeth said helplessly. "How can you control water? How can Nico summon skeletons? My best guess is it has something to do with my mum."

Percy slumped into his chair, staring at her with newfound disbelief. "That's insane. That's actually insane. I thought we wouldn't have anymore surprises after Gaia."

Annabeth snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Can you do it again?" Percy's inquiry was more curious now than anything. His eyes softened when he looked at her.

Annabeth risked a glance at the door to ensure Will wasn't anywhere to see her break his rules. "I can try," she allowed resignedly. Casting her gaze on the cup of nectar on the nightstand, Annabeth felt the buzz resembling electricity ripple from her shoulder to her arm.

The cup wobbled for a few seconds before it was slowly elevated, then drifted across to her. Annabeth reached out to grasp it with her hand, rubbing at her eyes sleepily as she sipped on the drink.

"It makes me tired," Annabeth noted. It was the one common thing she'd noticed in all three times that she'd done it. "Even something as small as that." Annabeth gulped. "Maybe it's better that way. I'll use it less."

Percy frowned. "How is that a good thing?"

"I almost killed you," Annabeth said imploringly. "I practically blew you up. I'm not exactly a master of control over it yet."

"Okay, firstly, you saved my life," Percy corrected. "I would've died in that house if you hadn't come back for me, which, by the way," he paused. "I, uh, need to thank you for."

"You would've done the same for me," Annabeth said dismissively. She couldn't dwell on why she'd done what she did — if Annabeth spared any more thought on that, she didn't think she'd ever stop thinking about it, and that was just the start of the downward spiral that would surely follow.

Percy didn't deny her statement. "I mean, you were already incredible before you could move things with your mind," he remarked. The nonchalant compliment warmed Annabeth's cheeks, and she ducked her head to hide the uncontrollable smile that broke out.

"Leo was the same about his powers before he learnt to control them," Percy pointed out. "Just saying, that it's an asset, not a threat. You would never hurt me."

The confidence in his voice when he said that made Annabeth wonder how in the world she'd been so lucky as to have someone like Percy trust her as much as this. She didn't deserve it.

"Well, controlling it will have to wait," Annabeth said vaguely, trying to turn the subject. "Will said I'm on bed rest."

Percy gave an accusatory glare. "You're leaving next to fend off Harlan alone?"

Annabeth had almost completely forgotten about Harlan. Everything had been so normal.

When he saw her confused look, Percy sighed. "Harlan's been...especially annoying."

Annabeth frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He's been taking single-handed credit for dismantling the uprising and rescuing us when the situation turned ugly."

Annabeth gnashed her teeth. "I'm going to kill him," she muttered. "He wasn't even there when the cabin locked itself."

"Yeah, what the hell happened there?" Percy added. "It was like—"

"Magic," Annabeth agreed. "I've been meaning to talk to Lou Ellen about it. If the dracanae can do magic, then we're at a major disadvantage. Because, contrary to whatever Harlan's been saying, we haven't actually dismantled the rebellion." 

"I think we angered them, actually," Percy said bleakly. "They're not gonna let it go so easily; us barging in to wipe them out."

"It's not over yet," Annabeth said grimly. "If Harlan has any sort of common sense, he'll follow up on this. Send scouts to the forest. See what they're planning next."

Percy pulled a face. "Bold of you to assume he's got any common sense at all."

As it turned out, despite the rareness of occurrences like this, Percy was right. Harlan's continual insistence that the threat was over was taken as fact by the other demigods. Everyone was eager to forget about the battle that had nearly killed their best hero.

Annabeth didn't have any power to do anything. Bed rest was tougher to do than she'd expected, and the two days felt like the longest she'd ever had.

Mostly, Annabeth preoccupied herself with blueprints of a new weapon she could fashion for herself with Leo's help. A spear was useful, from what she'd experienced the other day, but it needed to be compact and light.

She toyed with the idea of it being changeable, and Leo was more than happy to take her sketches of it.

Percy dropped in frequently — in fact, he was around more often than not. Annabeth knew she should probably be keeping her distance, but she tired of it, so she allowed herself this one guilty pleasure. They could be friends, right?

Another thing she did was keep a long list of things she planned to do the moment she was out of the infirmary. On the top of the list was sorting out her new powers, perhaps with many prayers to her mother.

She decided that would have to wait, because she desperately needed to speak to Lou Ellen, the head counsellor of the Hecate cabin and the most capable magic user in camp.

"Hey, can I have a word?" Annabeth asked as Lou Ellen opened the door. The other girl was a few years younger that Annabeth, but her emerald eyes sparkled with intelligence and unmatched determination.

"Sure," Lou Ellen said, surprised to see her. "What's up?"

Annabeth stepped into the cabin, allowing herself a second to take it all in. The Hecate campers were famous for their elaborate pranks — almost rivalling those of the Hermes cabin — and mess of magic lingering in their cabin.

Plant pots were levitating in the air, though Annabeth wasn't sure if Lou Ellen was actively doing it or they were out there by others. Sparkling tinsel decorated one of the beds, the sparkly string rippling on its own accord every few seconds.

"You know about the mission to quash the dracanae uprising, right?" Annabeth asked.

Lou Ellen snorted. "It's the only thing Harlan's capable of mentioning at all." She shook her head with a laugh. "Him crushing the rebellion on his own was just about the most ridiculous thing I've heard all week, and my half-sister Josephine turned another camper into a ferret the other day!"

Annabeth grinned in reply. It was good to know that not all the campers had been swayed by Harlan's cocky words. "When we were at the cabin — where the dracanae were — Percy was inside it, and all the doors disappeared."

The other girl's eyebrows shot skyward. "Disappeared?" she repeated with a choked gasp. "But that's—"

"Magic," Annabeth confirmed with a nod. "I'm afraid that the monsters have found some kind of way to do magic. And if they have—"

"No," Lou Ellen said firmly, shaking her head. "Monsters can't do magic, other than some of Hecate's personal servants."

Annabeth sighed frustratedly to herself as she sat down on one of the empty chairs. "I just don't get it. Doors don't disappear for no reason."

Her gaze flickered up to Lou Ellen, who had gone ashen. "What is it?"

"Only Hecate's children or sorcerers can do magic," Lou Ellen said slowly. "But we can imbue objects with magic — it's like magical objects, but temporary. We call them talismans."

Annabeth nodded understandingly. Like her Yankee's cap. Like Riptide.

"The other day, Harlan came to me," Lou Ellen said tightly. "Asked for a talisman that could shutter down a building. He said it was confidential camp business."

It was like the ground had yanked out from under Annabeth's feet. She stared blankly at Lou Ellen. "No, that's..." she trailed off, a sickening feeling of horror starting to clench her gut.

She'd seen it, hadn't she? How much Harlan hated Percy. With every fibre of his being, apparently, and enough to lock him in a building full of bloodthirsty monsters.

Annabeth gripped the edge of her seat until her knuckles were washed white. "Shit," she murmured, glancing up at Lou Ellen warily, seeing that the other girl had come to the same conclusion.

<<< >>>

Thwack!

Bang!

The sound of metal against metal filled the arena as Annabeth beat the crap out of the robot. The Hephaestus cabin had improved on the training dummies, giving them the ability to move and fight back based on the camper's moves.

Even as Annabeth wielded her new weapon, the satisfaction it should've filled her to the brim with was overtaken by the sinking feeling of dread in her stomach.

Two days cooped up in the infirmary, followed by a horrible revelation about their camp leader was enough to give her the need to release some pent-up frustration.

Annabeth swept one end of the spear under the dummy's wheels, flipping it over before she impaled its cloth chest. The robot powered down as a result of the gaping hole in its circuits, and Annabeth tiredly prodded it off into the pile of ruined dummies she'd spent the day cultivating.

"Want a better sparring partner?"

Annabeth jumped, clutching her spear as Percy appeared behind her. Gods, she needed to focus. If Percy could creep up on her, there was no way she'd last a minute in a real fight.

Annabeth frowned. "With the dummies, I can imagine anyone's face on it."

Alarm flashed through Percy's eyes. "I hope it's not mine."

"Not yours," Annabeth reassured him. "A certain son of Nike."

Percy cast a wary glance at the pile of rags that used to be training dummies. "Wow, what'd he do to piss you off."

Annabeth ignored his question, eyeing the next dummy as it powered up and started rolling towards her. She rearranged her stance, shifting her hands so she wielded the staff like a longer blade.

Before she could even strike, a familiar bronze sword snapped up and decapitated the dummy.

Annabeth scowled. "I had it."

Percy recapped Riptide. "I know." His eyes drifted to the staff in her hands. "New weapon?"

Annabeth looked down at the staff.

Leo had made it with the help of some of his half-siblings. The adamantine they'd somehow procured — a metal that only the gods and their heroes from mythology used — mixed with celestial bronze was genius.

The staff could transform into a whip as well, and compacted into a bracelet curling up her wrist in the shape of a snake. Annabeth had gotten the idea from Jason's gold coin.

"Figured I'd switch things up," Annabeth said dismissively. The staff retracted into a cuff bracelet that she lid onto her right wrist. "I spoke to Lou Ellen. We figured out why the doors—"

Annabeth cursed herself off with a low snarl when she saw Harlan stalk into the arena, Stephen at his side. Their weapons were at their hips, evidence that they were about to spar.

Her hand unconsciously reached for her bracelet, but Percy pulled it back with a warning look. "Relax," he whispered.

"You don't understand," Annabeth hissed. She swept across the arena, feeling fury bubble up within her.

"Harlan!" her shout reverberated around the circular arena. It was empty except for the four of them.

Harlan glanced over at them. His platinum hair was enough to evoke an animalistic urge to add him to the pile of dummies. "Annabeth, Percy," he said, piercing eyes turning on them.

"You son of a bitch," Annabeth growled. "I know what you did—"

"Calm down," Stephen said in alarm, stepping up so he was close enough to break up a fight if needed. "What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," Annabeth snapped. "Don't pretend you aren't in on this two." She ignored Stephen's look of confusion as she swivelled to face Harlan.

"A talisman from Lou Ellen?" Annabeth said, her voice cold. "Real smart, Harlan. I can't believe you would do that."

To her satisfaction, Harlan paled slightly at her words, something close to worry sliding into his eyes.

"We have enough problems in this world already!" Annabeth had to make a conscious effort to keep from raising her voice. "Monsters hunt is every day! Mortals turn us away because we're different! The campers are supposed to be our family!"

Stephen gave her an impatient look. "What are you talking about?"

"Harlan got a magical item from Lou Ellen," Annabeth said finally. "He used it to lock Percy inside the cabin with the dracanae."

Stunned silence was the best way to describe Stephen and Percy. The son of Poseidon had gone white as a sheet, Riptide dropping out of his hand with a clatter as his hand went slack.

"What?" Percy's voice was dangerous enough to send a shiver down Annabeth's spine. For a moment, Annabeth was reminded of him towering over Ahkylys in Tartarus.

But it wasn't just a threat in his eyes, it was also hurt — betrayal. Annabeth understood that. As much as Harlan might be a tyrant, she had never thought that he was capable of doing something like this.

"Is that true?" Stephen echoed Percy's expression, horror starting to drain at his face. When Harlan didn't reply, his friend repeated, "Is that true?"

His words were charged with too much horror to be false. Annabeth felt guilt churn in her; Stephen hadn't known.

Annabeth didn't lessen her glare. "Answer him then. Tell him how you left Percy to die in there."

"I didn't mean to!" Harlan snapped. "Lou Ellen said it was a talisman with a locking charm. All I meant was for Percy to be out of the action for a little bit—"

"I almost died!" Percy exploded. "What is wrong with you?"

Stephen looked at Harlan wordlessly, his expression unreadable.

"You don't understand!" Harlan's roar was deafening, silencing them. "You don't understand what it's like!" he said viciously. "I was unclaimed for five years! I tried everything to fit in, to make friends, but I didn't have any family — how could I when I didn't even know which cabin I belonged to?"

"And of course, Percy Jackson doesn't have any of that," Harlan shook his head, releasing a mirthless laugh. "Because he's the son of Poseidon. You will never understand what I suffered through, not knowing who I was. Being completely alone for so long."

"You're the Hero of Olympus," a sneer twisted Harlan's upper lip. "You always will be. Everything was under my control until the two of you came back. Everyone will always look up to you, whether it's because of the things you've done over the years, or because you're the son of one of the Big Three."

"I will always be a nobody," Harlan said quietly. His blue eyes whirled with pain and a threat that made Annabeth nervous.

"We're a family," Annabeth was the first to speak, her voice flooded with sympathy even as she looked at him imploringly. "We're demigods and we're supposed to look after our own. Nothing excuses what you did."

Even though Annabeth felt sorry for Harlan, she didn't feel an inch of guilt at her claim. They were all broken, maybe some more than others. But Camp Half-Blood was a refuge for all them to get away from that, not some way for Harlan to enact his sick revenge.

"Well, then it's a good thing that no one will ever find out," the first thing Stephen said since Harlan's confession made Annabeth freeze up. The son of Aphrodite looked exhausted but determined. "No one will believe you," he said quietly. "Harlan's camp leader. It'll be dismissed as a preposterous claim."

Annabeth's jaw clenched. She hadn't expected that. But Stephen was right. Harlan might be borderline insane, but he was powerful. If it meant that he could get away with something like this, then Annabeth had severely underestimated the extent of how bad this was.

"We're leaving." Stephen tugged Harlan away, leaving Percy and Annabeth standing in the arena, at a loss for words.

Annabeth felt her throat constrict when she saw Percy slump to lowest seats of the arena, sea-green eyes conflicted with a storm of emotions.

"This crossed a line," Percy murmured, still in shock as he slowly shook his head. "I-I didn't realise..." Annabeth watched as his brow pinched together.

"When I had that wish," Percy said softly. "After we defeated Kronos. I made sure that parents would claim their demigod children. I assumed they would follow through. Clearly, some of them only did so too late."

He sighed. "Sometimes I see why Luke did what he did. I'm not saying he was right, but I do get why he was so angry at the gods." Percy's gaze flickered up to meet hers. "I thought that my wish would just resolve all the problems immediately. Well, that didn't exactly work out, did it?"

Annabeth remained silent for a moment, lost in thought. "The gods aren't perfect," she said at last. "Let them try to kill me," she snorted when Percy aimed a worried look at the sky. "But contrary to myths and popular belief, they're not. Immortality doesn't inherently mean that they're good. They might be all-powerful and all-knowing, but that doesn't justify the horrible things they've done."

"One of those horrible things is the effect its had on their children," Annabeth hesitated. "Luke was a good person. So was Chris. And Ethan. And, as hard as it is to believe, Harlan, too, at some point. The gods' decisions twisted that and left them with too much bottled-up anger. I'm not just blaming them; I think we all played a part in this. He said that he felt alone here too, at camp."

"But people can change. And Harlan doesn't see that," she continued. "He's too fixated on power, and revenge, and coming out on top. His past experiences doesn't mean he gets to do that. We've all been through hell," she swallowed. "Quite literally, for us, but we've always had hope. Harlan doesn't have that. It's not your fault. It makes him different to us, and right now, it makes him dangerous."

As if on cue, the conch horn sounded, warning the demigods of oncoming battle.

"What?" Annabeth murmured confusedly, exchanging alarmed looks with Percy.

Percy drew Riptide, his expression dark. "That's—" But Annabeth had already taken off running, the rest of his words lost in the wind.

As she neared Thalia's pine tree, a sickening feeling similar to dread started to grow. Call it a gut feeling, but Annabeth could almost sense that something bad was about to happen.

She pushed through the crowd of demigods who had gathered, weapons at the ready, with Percy at her heels. When Annabeth finally managed to burst forth into open space, she sucked in a gasp like she'd just been punched.

There was an entire legion of dracanae, about five times as many as they'd seen at the cabin and no less than five hundred monsters. Their silhouettes and slithering tentacles were stark against the horizon, their spears glinting under the setting sun.

The sky, streaked with pink and purple, was almost poetic, Annabeth noticed. Ironic.

At the very front of the amassed army was a slim, muscled snake woman who Annabeth assumed was the leader. She was flanked by two bodyguards, and in her spindly hands — the thing that had knocked the wind out of Annabeth — were none other than Fay and Phillip, both children struggling to wrench themselves free of the monster's iron grip.

Annabeth held out a hand, seeing Percy stiffen as he took in the same sight. They couldn't attack now. This didn't look like an act of war. They had to avoid a conflict for as long as possible. The demigods were far outnumbered, and there was no time to summon reinforcements from Camp Jupiter.

"That's the Queen," Percy breathed. "The one Harlan lost at the cabin."

Harlan, Stephen and Chiron stood ahead of the demigods as the dracanae approach.

"How did this happen?" Annabeth whispered, nearing Rachel, who was staring at the monsters with a hardened gaze.

She'd told Harlan to send out scouts. She, Percy and countless other counsellors had said that the threat was nowhere near gone, and Harlan had stupidly ignored them.

"Harlan sent them out on a quest," Rachel said, face twisting angrily. "To get a golden apple from the garden of the Hesperides." Rachel gave her a wary look, sensing Annabeth's outrage. "I know."

Fay had said that failing in a mission put them at the bottom of their sword-fighting class and opened them up to being seen as weak. She'd been pressured to take up the mission, Annabeth knew it, and now she and her friend had been captured by the enemy.

"Chiron," the Queen hissed, passing her two captives to her bodyguards. "We come in peace."

"Somehow, I find that debatable, seeing as you have taken two of our demigods," Chiron said coldly.

The Queen's face twisted into something like a grimace. With a jolt, Annabeth realised that she was smiling.

"I am here to propossssssse a trade," the Queen's tongue slipped out, quick as a fox. "These two demigodssss delivered ssssafely, in return for one of yoursssss."

Annabeth stiffened. What? A hostage swap? That didn't make any sense.

"We don't guarantee to fulfil your offer," Chiron said sternly. "But which camper is the one you desire?"

A feeling of horror rippled from Annabeth's head to toe as the Queen's gaze suddenly snapped to her. "Perssseussss Jackssssson."

Annabeth released a choked gasp, stepping in front of Percy protectively. "You're crazy if you think we'd just give him to you," she said harshly.

"We don't want to hurt him," the Queen cackled. "We wasn't merely to ussssse him as a bargaining chip. The godsssss won't let any harm come to their precioussssss hero."

"I could do it," Percy's whisper took Annabeth by surprise. "I would have better odds at escaping than Fay and Phillip. They won't hurt me before they make their demands — I'll find a way to escape before that happens."

Annabeth glanced up at him warily. "That's a terrible plan."

"It's the best one we've got."

He was right. She knew that. They couldn't risk a war against the dracanae. It was no longer an uprising, but a revolution. Too many people would die. They weren't prepared for this so shortly after the Titan and Giant wars.

As the Queen drifted closer to them, her army crossed the threshold by two metres, gradually closing the distance.

"How do we have any guarantee that you wouldn't hurt Percy?" Annabeth asked, though her mind was whirling with possible ideas on how they could do this.

If she tried to take Phillip and Fay back by force, the dracanae would attack. They would destroy Thalia's tree and take down the camp's protective boundaries before she could even move.

If she didn't give them Percy, then they would most likely kill Fay and Phillip.

"We don't," Harlan answered sharply. "We don't trade lives. No deal."

Annabeth turned on him with a livid expression. No, no, no, Harlan was going to mess this up.

"What are you doing?" Annabeth hissed. "They'll kill Fay and Phillip."

"Two lives are enough to spare so that we don't risk Olympus," Harlan shot back.

Annabeth bit back a nasty comment about how hypocritical that was — he'd just said that he didn't trade lives.

But before she could try to clue Harlan in on her and Percy's plan, Harlan turned back to the Queen.

"I'm sorry, but we can't agree to that," Harlan said stiffly.

The Queen took a moment to think again. Annabeth was sure she wasn't used to such unfeeling humans.

"Look, I'll go," Percy cut in. "It's no big deal." Annabeth could see him trying to catch Harlan's eye, but the son of Nike refused to oblige.

Don't you get it, you idiot? Annabeth mentally screamed. Percy can escape.

"No," Harlan ordered. "No."

The Queen frowned. "You'd let two of your demigodssssss die?"

Harlan regarded her with scrutiny. "No, of course not. There is a third option that I would like to take."

Swifter than Annabeth could react, Harlan drew his sword and hacked the head off of the dracanae holding Phillip. Phillip was released with a terrified scream, and the dracanae's decapitated head rolled onto the ground, stopping at Harlan's foot.

Annabeth released a gasp that was immediately covered by the Queen's horrified screech.

All hell broke loose.

The Queen snarled, snatching Fay and scampering back, the rest of her army racing forward like a sweeping wave of death approaching.

The dracanae moved faster than any human, and the monster's army was engulfing them within moments, slashing spears and shields everywhere.

"Fay!" Annabeth's yell was lost in the flurry of activity as the demigods charged forward, both sides clashing harshly. Her bracelet slithered off of her wrist into her whip.

Flinging her arm forward, Annabeth slashed at three of the snake women, lassoing her whip around one of their throats and yanking hard enough to slice her throat. The monster disintegrated with a cry.

"Annabeth!" Rachel's shout for help attracted her attention. The redhead was rapidly stumbling away from an approaching monster, her sword out. Rachel had the basic capabilities to defend herself, but she lacked the natural demigod instincts and experience.

Leaping into action, Annabeth's whip morphed into a staff as she pounced on the monster, flipping it over before she promptly impaled it through. The squelch made Rachel turn green to match her eyes.

"Take her to safety," Annabeth ordered Kayleigh, who was being actually helpful for once by dragging Phillip back to camp and defending him as they went. "Go!"

Once she was sure Rachel was in good hands, Annabeth turned back to the battle that had so abruptly broken out. Percy was still nearby, cutting deadly arcs into the monsters' ranks.

The dracanae could be dispelled with one good hit, which was the only advantage the demigods had. There were many more monsters than campers, and they were better fighters than some of the younger campers.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled over the clashing of weapons. When he glanced over at her, she gestured towards the Queen, who was racing through their ranks towards the forest.

Her idea seemed to click in his mind, and Annabeth took off in a mad sprint, her feet pounding into the ground with Percy not far behind. Annabeth swept monsters off their feet as she streaked across the ground, and Percy slashed them onto dust as he pursued.

Annabeth's mind worked to trace out the possible routes the Queen was taking. As she aimlessly passed the strawberry fields, the stables, and the forges, Annabeth became increasingly sure that she was heading to Zeus' fist.

Fortunately, the Queen had to take the long route around Thalia's barrier, and Percy and Annabeth were able to cut through the camp grounds.

Annabeth gestured to the group of dracanae who had peeled off from the army and were following their Queen as a "watch out" to Percy. He nodded, an extra burst of energy allowing him to overtake her.

Annabeth was typically more nimble, but when it came to strength in running, Percy took the lead. Feeling her lungs start to ache as they crossed the threshold into the forest, Annabeth slowed to a stop, the Queen gone from her view.

"Where is she?" Annabeth demanded, pivoting aimlessly. "Where's Fay? Where's—" She raised her staff instinctively as one of the dracanae leaped out on her, joined by five more.

Altogether, she and Percy had to face eleven monsters, and find Fay before the Queen did something to her.

"I got this!" Percy yelled. "Go!"

Annabeth found the time to shoot him an incredulous look. Eleven dracanae?

"Go!" he repeated parrying multiple strikes. Annabeth ducked out from the dracanae surrounding her and started running towards Zeus' Fist.

When she threw a glance over her shoulder, she saw Percy slam Riptide into the ground, the resulting earthquake knocking a few of the monsters off their feet.

As Annabeth traced the familiar path she usually took to Zeus' Fist, her head swivelled in search for Fay or the Queen.

"Sssssstop!" the Queen's raspy voice rang out, freezing Annabeth in her tracks. "Put down the staff!" The snake woman emerged from behind a tall tree, Fay sobbing in her grasp.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth!" Fay cried. "I'm sorry!"

Annabeth eyed the Queen helplessly as the tip of her spear came dangerously close to Fay's throat. The sharpened blade nicked the girl's skin, sending a trickle of blood flowing down into her clavicle.

"Okay, okay," Annabeth said breathlessly, her heart beating from the running and the adrenaline. Reluctantly, Annabeth set down her staff, raising her empty hands into the air.

Percy used to tell her that he could sometimes almost see the gears in her head turning. If the Queen has known Annabeth at all, this would've been one of those times.

The Queen had made her set her weapon down, but she didn't know that Annabeth could probably blast her two yards down with her mind. But she couldn't risk the Queen hurting Fay in the process.

One false move and Fay was dead.

"What do you want?" Annabeth pleaded. "It's too late for the exchange now. If you leave now, you can save the lives of your army."

The Queen's lip twisted. "You think thisssss issssss all of my forcessssss?" she sneered. "Naive demigod."

Annabeth scowled. "Naive" was one of the things she hated being called. "Dumb" was another one.

"And assss for what I want," the Queen cocked her head to the side. "I want you to open up the Labyrinth."

Annabeth blinked. "The Labyrinth?" she echoed bewilderedly. "Why would you—"

"A quick escape," the Queen said airily. "Of course. For mortals and demigods, the Labyrinth is a terrifying place. For centuries-old monsters like me? It is a sssssssanctuary."

Annabeth found that fascinating. Back when she had investigated the Labyrinth with Clarisse and Chiron in case Luke launched an attack through it, she'd pored over at least a hundred legends regarding the magical entity.

None of that said that some monsters were capable of navigating it with ease. Back then, the only person capable of directing them safely through had been Rachel. That wasn't the case anymore since Pasiphae had revived it.

The Labyrinth was a horrible danger to anyone who entered it. Well, except for the Queen, apparently.

"Only demigod blood can open the entrance," the Queen hissed. "If you help me escape, I will return your friend unharmed."

Annabeth swallowed. "I don't exactly have a choice here," she tried to keep her voice from trembling, for Fay's sake. The younger girl was shaking fearfully, her eyes wide with terror.

Annabeth didn't blame her. When she was 12, going across the country with Percy and Grover had been terrifying.

"Fine," Annabeth said resignedly. "It's this way." She didn't see any other way to capture the Queen and get Fay back unharmed. At least this way, the Queen's forces were still scattered, and Fay would be safe.

Nostalgia attacked Annabeth as she trudged through the woods. Her staff was somewhere back where she'd set it down, regrettably. Annabeth had pretty much given up all hope of Percy finding them. While Percy had pulled off many daring rescues, there simply wasn't time for one more.

Annabeth led the way down into the ditch. She remembered being here with Percy almost four the years ago — had it really been that long? — thinking that three minutes had passed, when in reality, two hours had gone.

The delta symbol — Daedalus' symbol — was shrouded in the cave's darkness, but when Annabeth pressed her fingers to it, the triangle glowed blue, illuminating her surroundings.

"Back against the wall," the Queen ordered. Annabeth forced herself to obey, giving Fay a comforting look as she did so.

"It's gonna be okay, Fay," Annabeth whispered. The daughter of Hermes mustered up the energy to nod.

The wall slid open with a grinding sound, and Annabeth was hit with déjà vu as she gazed warily into the abyss. The Labyrinth may be less dangerous after Daedalus' death, but Pasiphae's magic still lingered. Personally, Annabeth wouldn't take the risk if she had the option.

Pounding footsteps were Annabeth's only warning before Percy swung into the cave, eliciting an outraged cry from the Queen, who promptly threw Fay to the side and parried Percy's strike.

Annabeth spotted her staff — Percy must've picked it up for her — and summoned it into her grip. The closed quarters didn't leave much space for a staff, but with a whip, Annabeth was able to bat away the Queen's strikes.

Fay cowered behind the Queen as Annabeth desperately searched for a way to get her back.

"You shouldn't have done that, Perssseussss Jacksssson," the Queen snarled, a menacing, gleeful smile stretching across her face. The Queen shoved Percy back with her shield, sending him sprawling to the floor with a groan.

Spinning around with ease, the Queen grabbed Fay by the collar of her shirt and flung her into the gaping entrance to the Labyrinth.

"No!" she heard Percy yell. Blood rushed in her ears as Annabeth desperately flung herself forward.

But the wall shifted close, sealing Fay inside the Labyrinth.

Panic swelled in her chest as Annabeth was knocked to the side by the Queen's spear. The tip of the blade came down towards her chest — but Annabeth gripped it with both hands, crying out painfully as her hands went slippery with blood in an effort to divert the blade.

The Queen suddenly retracted the blade, and Annabeth was left gasping for breath, her hands shaking with the deep cuts into her palm.

"Thank you, demigod," the Queen hissed. "Ssssssee you sssssoon."

Annabeth realised with a start what was about to happen, but the Queen had already pressed the tip of the blade to the delta symbol. That was her blood — demigod blood. The triangle glowed blue, to Annabeth's horror, and the entrance to the Labyrinth slid open once again.

Wherever Fay had been, she was gone now. Not a sign of the demigod behind the open wall. The Queen flashed Annabeth one last toothy smile before she disappeared into the maze and the wall slid shut behind her.

"No!" Annabeth cried as the Labyrinth sealed itself for the second time today, taking with it another person they'd meant to keep.

Rolling over to her side, Annabeth almost threw up at the sight of the mangled skin of her hands.

"Annabeth!" Percy's pleading voice in her pulled her back to reality, rooting her to the spot. "Annabeth, your hands!"

Annabeth felt numb as Percy shuffled over to her side, checking her hands.

Fay was gone.

She was stuck in the Labyrinth, a worse fate than death.

"I could've saved her," Annabeth choked.

"No, no," Percy's murmurs didn't help to comfort her as he stared hopelessly at the wall. "You couldn't have done anything. You couldn't—" Percy broke off with a wracked inhale.

Annabeth remembered then that everything she'd gone through, he had too. The Labyrinth would forever haunt the two of them.

<<< >>>

Pit.

Pat.

The sound of her own footsteps without any visibly cause would always freak Annabeth out. It happened whenever she wore her Yankee cap — looking down and seeing air where her body should be.

The 3am moon hung in the sky, surrounded by twinkling stars. The beauty of the night sky taunted her.

Fay would never see it again.

Annabeth suppressed the urge to cry. She and Percy had sat there in front of the Labyrinth door for who knew how long. Both of them knew that they had failed a 12-year-old girl, who was now condemned to a life of wandering aimlessly. If she cried now, she didn't think she'd ever stop.

She hadn't had the energy to scream at Harlan, even though this was his fault too. She had a plan. He'd gone and bashed everything up.

The battle wasn't light on losses either. By some sort of godly miracle, there were no casualties. It seemed that once the Queen had escaped, the rest of her army turned tail and retreated. Chiron had stopped the demigods from pursuing.

Of course, no casualties didn't mean none had come close. The hospital wing was overflowing with the injured, if Will's worries scurrying was any testament to that.

Fay's disappearance wasn't counted as a casualty. No body was found yet, Harlan had said. Well, of course — they'd never find it.

The battle had ended just before sundown, and a counsellors' meeting was postponed to tomorrow morning to ensure that everyone was in the right state of mind for it.

Annabeth thought bitterly that Harlan would be glad about this — she was too tired to fight, to argue anymore. All she could think about was the fact that a child had lost a life today. Fay could've gone on to do amazing things, to be an incredible hero, to save lives. She wouldn't get the chance to do any of that now.

The nightmares worsened. That was what had woken Annabeth up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat.

She hadn't had a nightmare of Tartarus in months. She'd thought that it was over. But maybe it would never be. Maybe it would always hang over her shoulder like an ominous threat.

That was what propelled her to head to the beach. Camp was large but it still felt claustrophobic. The beach had always been a symbol of freedom for Annabeth.

Harlan might've banned it, but, well, screw him, honestly.

The ocean breeze that rippled past her face, messing up her hair put a smile on Annabeth's face. It was refreshing, and frankly, a relief to be able to take in this kind of fresh air.

As she padded down the beach, carrying her sandals so that the sand warm against her toes, Annabeth paused to take a deep breath. The clear sky shone down on her, and somewhere up there, Annabeth likes to think that her mother was watching over her too.

When her eyelids fluttered open again and Annabeth cast her gaze downward, she almost had a heart attack when she saw the silhouette illuminated by the moonlight.

Other people might've had to squint or get nearer, but Annabeth immediately thought, Percy? She'd recognise him anywhere.

Pulling off her cap tentatively, Annabeth continued to just look at him, debating whether to go down to him or to turn back.

Quickly, the decision was made for her. Percy turned around, green eyes flashing with recognition.

"Thought I could count on being the only one here," Percy said as she traipsed down to his side. He was wearing one of his old swimming jerseys from high school, the words "GOODE HIGH" emblazoned on the back. He'd grown since then, of course, so the shirt was a little tight around the shoulders, which Annabeth had to admit wasn't entirely a bad thing.

Annabeth glanced down at her own pyjamas. She usually slept in a hoodie, shorts and furry socks, but the heat and lack of air-conditioning at camp meant that she was in a t-shirt and scandalously tiny shorts.

Even though Percy had seen her in less, Annabeth still blushed, and was glad that the darkness covered it up.

"Couldn't sleep," she said vaguely.

Annabeth felt his gaze boring into her. "Nightmares?" he asked quietly.

"Tartarus," she replied, and they exchanged knowing looks.

Another thing about Percy that she loved; he understood her. He knew exactly what she was thinking, what she was feeling without her having to say a word.

Annabeth sat down in the sand, leaning back on her palms as she gazed out onto the water. The rippling has a calming effect on her, and the moon's reflection was angelic.

"Mine was of us in the Labyrinth."

Annabeth glanced at him in surprise. The Labyrinth? Of course, given today's events, it made sense, but she had never had a nightmare of the Labyrinth before.

"I couldn't save you," Percy added, sitting down on her right.

Annabeth closed her eyes. This was a recurring theme in her own nightmares. Being unable to help her friends and being forced to watch them perish.

It scared Annabeth — just the thought of Percy dying. It was one of the reasons she had wanted to break up with him.

She cared about him too much. If anything ever happened to him...well, it would be near impossible to recover from something like that.

Annabeth looked over at Percy. The moonlight accentuated the curves of his facial features. The crescent moon was mirrored in his eyes, which had now relaxed to that of a calm sea.

In that moment — in that exact moment — Annabeth knew that she was still in love him. Gods, it hurt knowing that she would do just about anything to be able to lean over and kiss him, yet she couldn't.

It hurt almost as much as thinking about him dying.

Most of the time, she could pretend like her entire childhood had been perfect. But on nights like this, she had to face the ugly truth that maybe she was just too broken to be fixed.

After all, Percy was the best thing that ever happened to her, and look what she did there.

Annabeth missed when she was able to tell him anything. I'm damaged, she desperately wanted to say. Help me.

But she couldn't. Percy wasn't hers anymore. He wasn't hers to love, to lean over and kiss, or to ask confide in. A pang of heartache shot through her.

"What are we going to do?" Annabeth said aloud, to no one in particular.

"About Harlan?" Percy asked.

Annabeth nodded. Among other things, she didn't say.

"He'll come to his senses," Percy said. The confidence in his tone surprised her.

"You really think so? You don't think he's too far gone?"

Percy looked over at her, green eyes piercing into her very soul. "It's never too late."

Annabeth thought that maybe — just maybe — he wasn't talking about Harlan anymore.

<<< >>>

"Quiet!" Jennifer hollered as Kayleigh slapped the gavel on the table a couple more times.

"No! I won't be quiet!" Travis yelled back. "Harlan is the reason Fay is gone! That's my sister!"

Harlan sprung to his feet with a menacing glare. "That was not my fault!"

"It was!" Annabeth fired back. "We had a plan! Percy was going to escape!"

"Maybe if you just left the tactical stuff to our best strategist this wouldn't happen!" Nico snapped.

Harlan slammed his palms on the table, fury etched into his features. "No, this is all your fault!" He turned an accusing finger on Annabeth and Percy. "Everything fine until you two arrived! Can anyone deny that?"

The room went silent. Annabeth gritted her teeth.

"Maybe in some magical, crazy way," Harlan rambled. "You two just attract trouble wherever you are."

"That's ridiculous!" Percy was next to join in, raising his voice. "Don't blame me and Annabeth for your mistakes! The Queen was going to make a peaceful exchange before you decapitated her body guard!"

"Silence!" Harlan roared, and his voice dropped with disgust and a dangerous undercurrent that sent a shudder down Annabeth spine.

"I am the leader of this Council," Harlan said quietly. "I have the final decision in things like this."

For the twentieth time today, Annabeth mentally cursed the people who had allowed him to gain this much power in the first place.

"Fay is only in the Labyrinth," Harlan said, every word charged with force. "She can still be taken out."

"Are you talking about a rescue mission?" Will asked, astonished. "You know that that's insane, right?"

"We'd be sending more demigods to their deaths!" Lou Ellen protested. "Look, I'm all for rescuing Fay, but we don't even know if that's possible! And sending others into the fray will only put them at danger as well as leave us with less manpower during a crisis."

"I'm delegating this mission to Annabeth and Percy," Harlan's voice boomed with decisiveness.

Annabeth felt sick to her stomach. "What?" she demanded.

"You and Percy were the ones present during Fay's capture. Whether you want to believe it or not, it was your fault," Harlan held up a hand when their friends moved to defend them. "You will enter the Labyrinth and start your search for Fay as soon as possible."

"You're crazy!" Clarisse declared. "You're actually crazy! Annabeth and Percy are two of our best fighters! The dracanae army will be back, believe me, and we can't afford to not have them here when that happens!"

"They are only two people," Kayleigh snapped back.

"You clearly don't know either of them that well then," Katie said shortly. "I think we've all learnt our lesson when it comes to underestimating either of them."

Annabeth glanced at Harlan, analysing him carefully. While she was grateful for her friends' defence, the mad glint in Harlan's eyes told her that he wasn't going to budge on this.

Sending them into the Labyrinth while they knew so little about it was practically a death sentence.

"I'll do it," Annabeth spoke clearly and with finality. "You won't take any other answer anyway. But Percy should stay with you. Clarisse was right when she said that he's our best fighter."

"No," Percy cut in, alarmed. "Are you insane? You can't go alone in there!" He sat across the room from her, hands braced on the table as he looked imploringly at her.

Your nightmares, Annabeth held back for the sake of everyone else in the room. I can't let you do this.

If Harlan was going to condemn someone, then at least she'd be the only one.

"Going alone into the Labyrinth almost confirms that you'll go crazy," Percy said, his voice shaky. "Annabeth, you remember the last time we were in there. Could you have gone through it by yourself?"

Annabeth found herself at a loss for words. He was right in that aspect. "Better me than both of us," she settled for.

"We've beat the odds a million times," Percy reminded her. "If we're together, at least we have a chance." His gaze flickered to the rest of the room, a blush instantly warming his cheeks.

Annabeth blinked, suddenly realising that they weren't alone. She averted her gaze, feeling the amused looks of their friends.

"I'm going," Percy said, clearing his throat. "That's final." He gave her a pointed look, and Annabeth begrudgingly relented on the issue.

Right after the counsellor's meeting, Annabeth and Percy were armed with supplies before they trekked to the Labyrinth's entrance, Stephen leading the way as their friends trailed behind.

"Be careful," Piper said forcefully, though Annabeth didn't miss her trembling hands. "Please." She gave both her and Percy a hug.

Annabeth tried not to think that this was goodbye. She'd been through the Labyrinth once, she could do it again. In and out, she told herself.

"You're gonna make it out," Nico said gruffly as he faced the two of them. "And you're gonna be yourselves." Out of everyone here, Nico and Chris were the only ones who understood the true nature of the maze.

Chris had been driven mad by Minos within the walls, and Nico had only gotten out safely because of his connection with the Underworld.

Taking a deep breath, Annabeth took the first step into the cave, exchanging a wary look with Percy. She took one mental screenshot of her friends, crowded around with worried expressions.

Once they were inside, Stephen pressed his hand to the delta symbol, and the door slid open. Before Annabeth could walk through, Stephen faltered. "I'm sorry."

Annabeth saw Percy's eyes flicker with surprise.

"Harlan is my best friend," Stephen's voice sounded strangled. "He-he was the first person who befriended me. But this is—I can barely recognise him anymore. When I found out he locked you inside the cabin..." he trailed off.

"He's my best friend," Stephen finished, voice cracking as he turned away.

Annabeth felt a welling of sympathy for the demigod. "It's okay," she found herself saying.

"You have to get through this," Stephen told them firmly. "If you're gone, Harlan will have full control over camp. No matter how much I care about him, I can't have him abusing his power to get people like you out of his way."

Percy nodded. "We'll try our best." He shone his torchlight into the dark corridor, something close to fear flashing momentarily across his face.

Annabeth felt her breath catch in her throat as she stared into the seemingly endless abyss. "Together," she murmured, glancing at him.

Percy offered her a half-hearted smile before they stepped inside and the wall slid shut behind them.

Darkness immediately engulfed Annabeth, and her heart leaped into her throat, pounding madly.

"Wow," Percy's voice was tight. "This is cheerful."

Annabeth held her staff out, the soft glow of the weapon illuminating her surroundings slightly.

The walls were muddy, and if she hadn't known better, she would've thought they were still inside the cave.

Annabeth felt her legs go weak. "Percy," her voice trembled.

He turned back, eyes shining underneath the magical metal. "Oh."

Annabeth gripped her weapon tighter. This was ridiculous. Come on, she'd faced worse things than the dark.

Something cool slid past her fingers; Percy had slipped his hand into hers. "I'm not letting you go, okay?" he promised.

Annabeth squeezed his hand tighter as they started moving down the path. "The Labyrinth goes everywhere, right?" her voice rang out more steadily than she expected. "Do you—do you think there's an entrance to-to Tartarus?"

Percy shuddered up ahead. "Let's avoid that, if possible," he suggested.

The click-click-click of gears alerted Annabeth to something shifting beneath her feet. "The floors moving," she suddenly realised. Annabeth glanced up to see the obscured handholds on the ceiling.

Annabeth barely had time to latch onto one of the handholds with her left hand before the floor slid out from underneath her. Her staff slithered back onto her wrist as she reached out and — by the window of a split second — grappled for Percy's hand.

Percy yelped as he almost fell, dangling off with just her hand for support.

The gaping hole where they'd been previously standing was now an endless void that looked far too familiar.

Percy stared down. "Do you think that's—"

"Don't," Annabeth breathe. "Names have power, remember?" Maybe it was a coincidence that something like an entrance to Tartarus had appeared right after they mentioned it, but Annabeth didn't put it past Daedalus' maze.

Percy pushed himself off the wall with his momentum and landed on the other side of the crevice. "Jump," he told her, beckoning her forward.

Annabeth squinted — was Percy getting further away? "You're moving!" she said fearfully, suddenly aware of the fact that the crevice was expanding by the second. "You're getting too far — Percy, I can't jump that far!"

Percy's brow furrowed. "I-I'm not moving."

"You are, you are," Annabeth felt panic overwhelm her.

"It's a trick," Percy pleaded. "Look, do you trust me? I need you to jump, and I'll catch you. I swear."

Percy looked so impossibly far. The rational part of her brain told Annabeth that jumping now, no matter how much strength she put into it, would drop her down into Tartarus.

But this was Percy. She could trust him. 

Annabeth took a ragged breath before she swung herself forward with all her might, squeezing her eyes shut as she was sure she'd fall into the realm of her nightmares — and strong arms caught her as she stumbled, her feet impacting the floor.

When Annabeth turned back, the crevice was gone.

"You trusted me." Percy sounded more disbelieving than she was.

Annabeth was suddenly aware of how close they were. She could see the blue specks in his eyes. "Of course, I did," she said breathlessly.

As she struggled to her feet, Percy peered ahead warily again. Annabeth glanced around. "It's changed," she remarked. "It's not mud anymore."

Percy looked around, seeing that she was right. Annabeth wasn't sure when it happened, but they were in a separate section of the maze now. The walls were made of chiselled stone and cobblestone lines the floor.

It wasn't as dark anymore — dim light shone from nowhere in particular.

"Do we have any idea where we're going?" Percy wondered aloud.

Annabeth paused as they came to a fork in the tunnel. "I'm taking an educated guess," she insisted, trying to decide which path to take. "What do you say? Left or right?"

When she turned around, there was a strange expression on Percy's face. Annabeth furrowed her brow. "What is it?"

"Water," Percy said the last thing she expected. "I can sense water. The tunnel on the left." He gestured in its general direction, but Annabeth didn't see what he was talking about. It was a dark tunnel, like any other.

Annabeth relaxed her shoulders, trying to sink herself into her other senses. A dull tingle in the back of her brain seemed to drag her towards the tunnel on the right.

"You want to choose the right one," Percy realised.

Annabeth nodded, returning a wary glance. "I think it's to do with our godly parents. You're drawn to the water. I'm drawn to whatever's in this one."

"We're not splitting up," Percy said suddenly.

"Gods, no." Annabeth lifted up her staff. There wasn't any visible difference in the pathways, but now that she could feel the prominence of the one on the right, it became even more obvious. "Fay would've been drawn to a certain path without even realising it."

"Hermes," Percy deduced. Annabeth allowed herself a second to be surprised — but really, she should know not to underestimate Percy's intelligence by now.

"I would go with water," Annabeth said finally. "If anything happens, at least you're in your element. You can use the water; do your hurricane thing."

"Probably better than cashing an earthquake underground," Percy commented, delving into the tunnel. Annabeth followed behind him this time, occasionally throwing a cautious glance over her shoulder.

"I miss having Grover and Tyson with us," Annabeth said, recalling the last time she'd been here.

Percy hummed in agreement. "Comedic relief." Annabeth could heat his voice growing more confident; they had to be nearing the water.

Time passed differently in magical places, Annabeth knew that. But it felt like they could've been walking for minutes or hours. Her feet ached, yet her lungs remained unaffected.

The ceiling was the first change Annabeth noticed — the height shifted, an taller arch growing as they continued. Next was the marble. Cobblestone morphed into white marble streaked with grey lines.

If anything, Annabeth was now growing surer that the Labyrinth was less of a threat than when Daedalus had been alive. Of course, the maze could just be lulling her into a false sense of security before all hell broke loose.

Annabeth tried not to think about that happening.

The two of them made casual conversation as they trekked. Making jokes as if they were 14 again. It was comforting and at the same time, disconcerting. Annabeth knew that they were blatantly ignoring the elephant in the room, but it felt good.

Eventually they would have to confront it — but, well, that could wait.

"It's getting stronger," Percy said abruptly. "I can feel—" He stopped suddenly, making Annabeth screech to a halt to avoid crashing into him.

When Percy sidestepped, Annabeth was astonished to see a door in front of them. The partition hadn't been there a moment ago, but there it stood — oak and iron with a medieval design to it.

"Is it locked?" Annabeth questioned. Percy reached out a hand and shoved on it. The door creaked open in answer.

"It shouldn't be this easy, right?" Percy asked nervously.

Annabeth swallowed. "No complaints here." She stepped through the doorway, Percy close behind, and found herself in a large marble room.

The grand white marble had followed them from the other corridor, but when Annabeth turned back, the door had disappeared altogether. Honestly, had she expected anything else?

"Wow." Percy voiced her thoughts as she pivoted, scanning their surroundings and trying to regain her bearings. For someone who liked to know exactly where she was at all times, the Labyrinth was especially disorientating to Annabeth.

Everything about the circular marble room unsettled her. The grandiose marble walls and floor were new, and in good condition — she guessed that the room had been built in the last three centuries.

But when she looked — really looked — at the architecture, it was ancient. Circular rooms had gone out of style during the early AD years. The archways reminded her of old Greek temples built around 100BC.

Yet the materials were as modern as they came.  Cracks lining the marble were the only component betraying the room's age.

"Twelve doors," Annabeth counted them in her head. "Twelve Olympians."

"Coincidence?" Percy tried hopefully.

Annabeth winced. "No such thing as coincidence when it comes to us."

"That's where the water was."

Annabeth followed Percy's gaze to one of the doors. It didn't seem any different to her, but when Annabeth stepped closer, she realised that the cracks in the marble weren't cracks.

"It's..." Annabeth frowned. "It's the symbol for Pisces."

Percy blinked. "The zodiac sign?"

"No, Pisces my roommate." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Of course, the zodiac."

"What, so Pisces is Poseidon?" Percy threw his hands up in the air helplessly. "For once in my life could the Fates just give me a break! Make it easy! I don't know, put a trident — or a wave!"

Annabeth couldn't help the laugh that escaped her.

Percy's lips tugged into a frown. "I love how you're having fun at my expense." The torchlight lay abandoned in the now lightened room. "Which one is Hermes?"

Annabeth glanced around the room. The twelve zodiac signs were just visible in the cracks. Shifting her weight to one foot, Annabeth sighed, "I have no idea."

There was a beat of silence.

"Remember when I would send you those "Which Greek God are you based on your zodiac sign?' Instagram posts, and you told me to stop it or you'd block?" Percy's disdained voice echoed around the room. "I think you owe me an apology."

"I highly doubt some social media posts will help us solve a century-old mystery." Annabeth traced one of the shapes with her finger. "This one's a Leo."

Percy pursed his lips. "I'm sorry. It's taking all my energy not to make a bad pun."

"Good, if you did I wouldn't put it past me to stab you."

Percy gulped.

"Leo is a lion," Annabeth reasoned. "That's easy enough. Zeus." She drifted over to another crack — a 'V' shape with the top ends curling.

When her hand touched the crack, Annabeth felt the now-familiar sensation of thrumming at her fingertips. "This one's Athena," she said with absolute certainty. "Aries."

"Gemini has to be either Apollo or Artemis," Percy remarked. "The twins." He spun around in a circle. "Hey, which one do you think is Mr D?"

Annabeth chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. Nothing immediately came to mind. "What if Dionysus isn't one of them?" she mused. "The architecture of the room — I knew it was off. I think the original twelve Olympians are the ones used here."

She pointed to the Capricorn symbol. "Hestia," Annabeth said simply, and was gratified to see Percy nod in agreement.

"Leo's opposite is Aquarius," Annabeth continued. "Normally, I would say Hades. But seeing as he isn't technically an Olympian—"

"Hera," Percy finished her thought, marvelling at her idea. "Not bad." Annabeth turned around to see him staring at the Sagittarius sign. "I'd bet anything that that's Artemis."

Annabeth nodded eagerly, starting to feel her anxiety melt away as the mystery began to unravel. "So Gemini is Apollo. Scorpio—" Annabeth paused. "Death and destruction. Ares."

"That leaves Hephaestus, Demeter, Aphrodite and Hermes," she noted, walking across the room to another door. "Taurus is obviously Aphrodite. Libra is the scales — Hephaestus."

"Virgo's ruling planet is Mercury," Annabeth recalled. "That can't be a coincidence. Mercury is Hermes' Roman form."

Percy was quiet for a second. "That doesn't sound right," he said slowly. "You're a Cancer, right?" When Annabeth nodded, Percy gestured to the Virgo sign. "It's like a curly 'M'. Isn't there something about Virgo relating to maidens?"

With a start, Annabeth realised that Percy was right. "Damn," she muttered. "So Hermes is Cancer?" The image of the crab and the god in her mind didn't seem to mix well, but Annabeth was starting to feel more assured of that being the correct answer with every passing second.

Percy tentatively pushed the door open. The wood swung open to reveal a brilliant, blinding white passageway. "Only one way to find out."
He stepped through first, waiting expectantly for Annabeth follow.

Annabeth.

The name snapped her attention back to the door they'd labelled as Athena's. The Aries symbol almost looked like it was reeling her in, the spindly cracks like fingers ready to grasp her tight.

Annabeth felt her chest tighten. Answers were through that door — to her powers, to stopping Harlan, to Percy. Her mother's wisdom was infinite, who was to say that—

"Annabeth," Percy's urgent voice broke her out of her reverie. His brow creased with concern. "You okay?"

Annabeth blinked. "Yeah," she breathed. "Fine." Annabeth gripped her snake bracelet with her left hand, comforting herself with the thought that she was protected no matter what they had to face.

When Annabeth crossed the threshold, a spinning sensation similar to shadow-travel yanked her off her feet and plonked her down somewhere else.

Dizzily, Annabeth stumbled forward, bracing her hands against a wall to regain her balance. Percy stood in front of her, Riptide already in his hand as he held out the weapon defensively.

Wherever they had been transported to reminded Annabeth far too much of the Underworld. The white passageway was gone, replaced by obsidian walls and a dark hallway.

"My pack's gone." Panic shone through Annabeth's voice as she reached for her vacant shoulder. "Crap."

When she looked forward, Percy was in a similar situation. Their weapons were the only belongings that remained with them.

Hermes was the god of travel. Annabeth supposed that transporting them from light to darkness was some kind of sick twisting of that.

"I hope Fay's okay," Annabeth said worriedly. "She's here alone. Gods, she's—she's 12."

Similar anxiety emanated from Percy, who fixed his stare ahead. "She'll be fine," he said, though he sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her. "Fay's strong."

The protective instinct that arose in Annabeth whenever a younger camper was in danger was inexplicable. She attributed it to how Thalia and Luke had watched over her when she was younger, and now she felt like she owed it to them to return the favour with others.

It was different for Percy, Annabeth figured. He was a natural hero; his first instinct was always to protect his friends and everyone around him. It was one of the things she loved most about him.

Annabeth supposed that if she had to be in a deadly maze, Percy was probably the best person to be stuck here with her.

Crack.

A web of lines started to trace its way down the rock by Annabeth's right foot. Her gaze drifted down fearfully. "Percy..." Annabeth yelped and  leaped back as the rock split open fully, a tall stone shooting up.

Annabeth's whip sprang into her hand, buts he couldn't exactly fight a wall.

The stone was jagged, the top of it arched and words etched roughly into its surface.

Annabeth Chase
1993-2012

2012. That was this year.

"It's not real," Percy's voice was dangerously low, but his own gaze was fixated on the second gravestone that had erupted beside him.

PerseusJackson.
1993-2012

Annabeth sucked in a sharp breath, but the rumbling of the ground didn't cease. "Hermes' statues would be used to mark graveyards," Annabeth said frantically as she turned to Percy. "It was said that he would aid in smooth travel to the Underworld."

A spray of rocks interrupted her, showering Annabeth in gravel and leaving her coughing through the clouds of dust.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled, but she couldn't see him through the thick smoke. "Annabeth!" The ground shook, nearly knocking her off her feet.

Annabeth reaches out blindly and grabbed the closest object to her. A cry tore from her lips when she opened watering eyes to see her hands gripping a gravestone that read, "Luke Castellan. 1980-2009."

"Is his body under there?" the words tumbled out uncontrollably, unmistakeable horror flooding her voice.

Percy didn't reply, and Annabeth felt a shrill ringing in her ears as she numbly stared at the other gravestones.

Charles Beckendorf
1991 - 2009

Silena Beauregard
1992 - 2009

Ethan Nakamura
1993 - 2009

Leo Valdez
1994 - 2010

Leo's alive, Annabeth told herself, but a sob still threatened to rip from her throat. No, he's alive.

Annabeth mustered up all the strength she could and stumbled over to Percy, who was frozen as he stared blankly at the gravestones.

Bianca di Angelo
1935 - 2007

Zoë Nightshade
c. 100 BC - 2007

Michael Yew
1992 - 2009

"Percy!" Annabeth was desperate, her hand grasping aimlessly as she shook him roughly by the arms. "Percy, it's not real! None of their deaths were your fault! Percy!"

His green eyes were splayed open with horror and regret. "Beckendorf—he blew up—"

The corridor shook, and Annabeth almost collapsed against the wall. A deep crumbling noise caught her attention; the ceiling was caving in.

"Percy!" Annabeth pleaded again. Her hand found his cheek, turning his chin so that he was looking at her. "Percy!"

His eyes refocused, and to her relief, Percy wasn't looking through her anymore.

"We have to go now," she said emphatically, grabbing his hand as she forcefully dragged him after her.

Percy took a few seconds for his brain to catch up, but soon he was running at full speed by her side. Momentarily whipping her head back, Annabeth watched with terror as the crashing ceiling started catching up to them.

A few more seconds and they'd be buried alive.

The path ahead that had previously been obscured in darkness cleared. Annabeth paled.

No, no.

She slammed into the dead end, pounding her fists on the wall frustratedly. "No!" her shout echoed harmlessly.

"Annabeth!" Percy spun her around to face him, face etched with fear.

The sounds of the earthquake drowned into the background as Annabeth gazed at Percy, her chest aching.

This was it. This was really it.

"Percy, I..." The words caught in her throat.

Percy's expression crumbled, eyes drawing together as if he was in pain. "I know," he whispered.

Annabeth swivelled her body so that Percy was behind her.

The avalanche of rocks was five feet away.

Four.

Three.

Two.

Annabeth released a yell, drawing her hands forward as she blasted the falling debris away, hoping that maybe, just maybe, Percy would make it out of this alive.

I love you, she thought desperately, eyes squeezing shut.

As Annabeth braced herself for the inevitable weight about to drown her in stone...

It never came.

Everything just—disappeared.

Her eyelids fluttered open tentatively, and Annabeth realised that she was lying down on the ground. Percy was sprawled at her side, eyes wide with surprise.

Their gazes met, and Annabeth allowed herself a moment — later, she thought — before she struggled to her feet. Offering Percy a hand, Annabeth pulled him up as she scrutinised their surroundings.

The gravestones had shaken both of them more than she liked to admit. Annabeth had thought that she had moved past the deaths of some of her closest friends, but maybe they would forever linger. She didn't think there would ever be a day where she could hear Silena or Luke's name and not feel a heart-breaking pang in her chest.

"Where are we?" Percy's tone was wary as he eyed the room suspiciously. Annabeth didn't blame him; her heart still had to return to its normal pace.

She could see the floor they were standing on, but no walls. The darkness that surrounded them seemed endless.

"When we get out of here, Hermes and I are having some words," she heard him mutter, whether it was to himself or to her was unknown.

Ssssssssss.

Annabeth shivered. Gods, she didn't think she'd ever get the sound of dracanae out of her head.

Ssssssss.

Percy shot her a worried look. "Do you hear that?"

Annabeth froze. "You mean—you mean, the hissing?" Dread started to engulf her as Annabeth realised that the hissing wasn't, in fact, in her head at all.

The hissing continued, until Annabeth saw the first snake emerge from the shadows surrounding them. The reptile was long, green, covered in scales, and probably extremely venomous.

Another joined it. Then another.

"Oh Gods," she heard Percy whimper. "I think being buried alive was a better option,"  he said anxiously. There was a shink as Riptide burst into its full form.

Percy wielded the sword defensively, and the celestial bronze did work to keep the snakes at bay, but only at arm's length.

A writhing mass of snakes was starting to surround them, until Annabeth could only see about a circle of empty floor with a diameter of two metres around them.

She brandished her whip as a warning, blood pounding deafeningly in her ears. "Stay back," she ordered. The empty threat didn't deter the snakes, which simply crept closer and closer.

Annabeth could've counted at least three hundred of them. She'd never liked snakes. The fangs, the hissing sound...

"Any chance that George and Martha are here?" Percy asked nervously.

For a second, Annabeth shot him an incredulous look. Then she remembered the two names belonging to the snakes who sat on Hermes' caduceus.

Unfortunately, Percy's two slithery friends weren't anywhere in sight, and the snakes continued to move closer to them.

Annabeth spotted the first snake to make a move. It rested its head back, baring it fangs dangerously before it leaned forward into the air, prepared to bite her head off.

Thwack!

Her whip slashed at the snake, and it burst into bronze dust. Okay, so they were magical snakes. At least their weapons would work against them.

On the other hand, Annabeth's killing of one of their brethren made the rest of the snakes retract into a similar position, and her last though was, oh no, before she braced herself for a torrent of painful bites.

"Hey! Get back!"

Annabeth's heart skipped a beat when she heard the high-pitched shout. That voice — she knew that voice.

From the inky blackness, the African-American demigod emerged, brown eyes seized with both determination and fear.

"Fay!" Annabeth gasped. "You're—"

"No, don't talk to me!" Fay shouted, her hand at her side. "No more illusions! No more tricks! I know that no one's coming for me! Stop showing me false hopes!"

With a sinking feeling, Annabeth realised that Fay thought she was another trick of the Labyrinth. Her heart clenched painfully at the thought of what Fay had gone through during her absence.

"Fay," Percy said slowly. "It's us. It's me and Annabeth."

"Lies!" Tears spring into Fay's eyes. Her cheeks were gaunt and deep eye bags left her eyes looking sunken. "Just leave me alone!"

"It's really us," Annabeth pleaded, her whip returning to her wrist as she held her hands out. She took a hesitant step forward, praying that the snakes wouldn't attack. "Look, I-I found you and Phillip that day, remember? You were running from that hellhound?"

When Fay didn't falter, Annabeth rushed, "You were so determined to prove yourself that you went on every quest Harlan gave you, even if it meant that you might die." She gulped. "You-you reminded me of myself at that age. I would've done anything for a quest, and when I finally got one, I was so eager — so proud. Even if I actually almost died during it."

"Phillip got hurt!" Fay cried. "I made him come with me to fight the hellhound! I asked him to come get the apple from the Hesperides! He got captured because of me!"

"He's safe now. He's okay, and he's worried about you." Annabeth implored, "It's me, Fay. Come home with us."

Annabeth waited with bated breath, until Fay burst into tears and flung herself into Annabeth arms.

Annabeth was taken by surprise as the younger camper hugged her, sobbing as she did so.

"The things I-I saw," Fay stammered between hiccups. "Annabeth, the dead bodies—the world burning—" She cut herself off with a shudder.

Annabeth met Percy's eye over Fay's head. She sensed the worry he was feeling. What the hell had Fay been through?

The frantic manner and manic glint in her eye gave Annabeth an uneasy feeling. Fay was 12. Chris had been brought back from the brink of insanity by Dionysus, but it seemed like Fay hadn't had her mind broken as he had.

Annabeth wasn't sure what to think as Fay withdrew. She didn't know what to ask. The Labyrinth changed people, whether they were aware of it or not.

"I'm surprised." The bored, masculine voice made Annabeth jump. There was a swishing sound and a snap as another figure materialised in the room.

Annabeth scowled. She would recognised the two-faced — both literally and figuratively — god anywhere. "Janus," she said tightly.

"You," Fay gasped with evident fright. "You-you're the voice that kept taunting me. You-you—" Hermes' snakes gathered behind her, ready to strike at any moment.

The god rolled his eyes, which was confusing with his adverse faces. "Nothing personal," one head said dismissively. "You had two choices; kill yourself or let the Labyrinth do it for you."

"What about this?" Percy challenged, spreading his hands. "A secret third option?" Annabeth gritted her teeth. There was Percy's impertinence again.

Fortunately, Janus didn't seem offended. "That's why I'm surprised," he replied simply. "I never thought I'd see you two again."

Percy pursed his lips. "Lucky us."

"What do you want, Janus?" Annabeth demanded. Fay didn't cower behind her, and instead, she stood strong by her side.

"As it seems, Annabeth Chase," the second head drawled. "You have another choice to make."

Annabeth frowned. The last choice she'd made had sealed Luke's death while ensuring that Percy lived. She wasn't exactly looking forward to this.

Two doors appeared behind Janus. At first glance, they appeared identical. But then Annabeth noticed the shimmering images on the door to the left. A hydra, a centaur and a drawing of Kronos were some of the few that would shimmer before disappearing again.

"You've been absent from the mortal world for four days," Janus remarked. "The dracanae army attacked Camp Half-Blood an hour ago. A battle rages on."

"What?" Annabeth's voice sounded foreign to her own ears, and rather strangled too.

"This door," Janus' first head said as he gestured to the door with shimmering murals. "Will take you back to Camp Half-Blood. You can fight the dracaena. Hopefully, win."

Annabeth made a humorous noise. "I don't get it. That isn't even a choice. Why wouldn't I choose that?"

Janus' second head smirked. "Because the other one will take you back to your dorm in Boston."

Annabeth blinked. "What?"

"Of course, after you go through Athena's corridor in the Labyrinth," the first head added. "You wanted to. We see everything. You were drawn to it. You want answers. You'll never get this chance again — you know that. The Labyrinth changes constantly. Your chance will be gone if you don't take it now."

"You can turn your back on the demigods," the second head said.

"No one will fault you," the first head supported. "It was your choice."

"Annabeth?" Percy sounded alarmed. "What is he talking about?"

Annabeth's gaze flickered to the mundane door. To her horror, it was so tempting to choose it.

The campers relied on her so much. There was so much responsibility on her shoulders. The second she returned to visit, it had been her job to resolve this problem with Harlan. Then Fay had disappeared, and here Annabeth was, in the Labyrinth again.

Being a hero was tiring on most days. But in the worst of times, it was downright exhausting. Annabeth wanted to scream from the pressure everyone put on her.

Leading the camp was something she'd taken up voluntarily all those years ago. Then she left, and people blamed her for it. Or maybe Annabeth blamed herself.

She had to be a better leader. A better girlfriend. A better person. And it was crushing her.

"Annabeth," Percy said urgently, rushing up to grab her by the shoulders. "Are you-are you really thinking about this?"

"I'm sorry," Annabeth choked out. "I-I'm just Annabeth in the mortal world. I don't have to look at you and see that I made the worst mistake of my life in pushing you away. I don't have to see how I failed camp, how I failed all my friends. I don't have to be Annabeth Chase, the Hero of Olympus." She closed her eyes for a moment. "It's so much," her voice was barely above a whisper. "Too much."

Her eyes sprung open to see Percy looking at her with an agonising gaze.

"I didn't know," Percy said softly. "And that's my fault. But this pressure, you don't have to crack under it. You're Annabeth Chase. Not Annabeth Chase, Hero of Olympus, but Annabeth Chase, one of my best friends since I was 12."

He swallowed. "Annabeth Chase, the most incredible person I've ever met in my entire life. Annabeth Chase, the girl who walked into my life by accident and changed it forever. And I'm so, so grateful for that."

And Annabeth saw what the demigod world brought. Yes, the gods were flawed. Yes, she risked dying and becoming just another gravestones.

But it also meant that she got to meet these amazing people. It meant that she built friendships that would last forever. It meant that she met Percy, who taught her that it was okay to love and to trust someone else just by loving her back so blindly and unconditionally.

That maybe it was okay to love under the risk of getting hurt, because at the end of the day, love and hope was all they had, and it was all worth it.

No, for all the terrible things it brought her, Annabeth wouldn't give up the demigod world for anything.

"You're right," she whispered. "It's not a choice."

Percy's grip slackened as Annabeth turned back to the god. "Take us back to camp, Janus," she said firmly. "We have a fight to win."

<<< >>>

Hurtling through darkness was much more terrifying when Annabeth didn't know where exactly they were going. With Nico, she trusted the son of Hades to shadowtravel them.

With Janus, well, Annabeth trusted the god about as far as she could throw him. For all she knew, he could've sent them spiralling back into Tartarus.

The ground slammed against Annabeth's heels with a painful, sharp impact, sending bolts of pain shooting up her legs. She wobbled upon landing, grabbing Fay so the younger girl wouldn't fall.

"Oh my Gods," she murmured under her breath, watching the chaos unfold all around them.

The battle had clearly already escalated for some time. There were demigods and monsters clashing in every direction that Annabeth looked. Broken bodies littered the ground, and Annabeth didn't want to see which were dead and which were not.

"Fay," Annabeth told the girl urgently. "Go find the other younger campers."

"I can help," Fay protested.

"Annabeth's right," Percy said worriedly. "You've been through enough." When Fay didn't budge, Percy sighed and knelt down. "Hey, I know what it feels like to want to jump into battle. But the best thing you can do is help protect the youngest campers and those who are injured. Can you do that for me? For Annabeth?"

Annabeth gaped, impressed, as Fay nodded slowly before she turned her back and scampered off.

"You'll have to teach me that," Annabeth marvelled.

Percy replied with a grin, thought it didn't reach his eyes. The tension in the air was palpable — a completely different type of tension now. He was worried about their friends and the fate of the camp.

"Hey, we made it out of the Labyrinth," Annabeth said, still disbelieving at her own words. "We can beat some monsters." Annabeth flicked out her whip into a staff as Percy drew Riptide. He nodded in reply, and the two of them sprang into action.

Annabeth had to admit that the one thing she would always be able to rely on with Percy was how well they fought together. Even when they'd been arguing day and night, fighting always came naturally to both of them.

Annabeth knew Percy better than he knew himself, and they always worked their way across the battlefield smoothly. Over the years, they'd swiftly moved through changeable forms and attack methods.

When Percy had the Achilles curse, Annabeth had been his entire defence. After it was washed away by the Tiber, he constantly forgot to cover his open side, and Annabeth found herself repeatedly jumping in to make sure he didn't get skewered.

Now, two years later, Percy had fallen into a different rhythm — sort of a combination of both his styles of fighting. Annabeth buffeted one of the monsters with her powers towards Percy, who promptly impaled it.

"I hope we find the Queen first," Annabeth said darkly. "She's not getting away this time." She ripped the heads off of three dracanae before knocking another onto the ground and spearing it through the chest.

"You're pretty scary with that," Percy informed her, waving unintelligibly at her whip. Annabeth replied with a wild grin.

Once they had cleared their area, Annabeth spotted a couple of monsters having peeled off from the main group and were hurling rocks at the Big House, breaking holes into the wooden planks.

Percy released a yell he slammed Riptide into the ground, the resulting tremor sending the dracanae wobbling. Before they could escape, Annabeth pounced, slashing her way through them without much effort. The ends of her staff sliced through them like a knife in butter.

"There!" Annabeth pointed towards the flash of green betraying the Queen's disappearance into the training arena. She didn't know who had let the Queen inside the camp borders, but Annabeth didn't want to know who the monster had threatened.

As they raced into the Arena, blocking the only entrance and exit, Annabeth brandished her whip menacingly, approaching the Queen.

"It was pretty stupid of you to return," Annabeth practically snarled. "Don't think I won't hesitate to send you back to hell."

The Queen sneered. "You're getting cocky, Annabeth Chassssse. And you're sssssssuppossssed to be the ssssmart one."

Percy warning shout alerted her to the whirring of machines as training dummies powered up and started circling the demigods.

Damn it.

"Defend the entrance!" Annabeth yelled as she bounded forward, attacking the dummies before they could get the jump on her. "Don't let her escape!"

Annabeth climbed the first training dummy with ease, flipping off it and landing squarely on her feet. When her toes hit the ground, Annabeth spread her hands, a telekinetic blast spreading the dummies out.

The Queen was wide-eyed, and Annabeth allowed herself a moment of smug satisfaction before she stabbed another dummy.

"There issssss more than one way out of here, demigod," the Queen hissed before she turned her back on Annabeth her tentacles sliding across the ground as she speedily headed for the arena bleachers.

Annabeth watched in mixed awe and dread as the Queen flipped like an acrobat into the stands, scampering up the seats as gracefully as a trapeze artist. The snake woman flung herself over the wall of the arena, disappearing as she dropped down on the ground outside.

Groaning internally, Annabeth nodded when Percy looked at her questioningly. As Percy raced out of the arena, Annabeth readied her own weapon and turned warily to face the six training dummies.

Come on, this is what you train for.

Annabeth parried three blades, sweeping her left leg across to kick one of the dummies. The robot flew across the arena, clattering as it rolled aimlessly on the ground.

Her staff loosened into a whip, and Annabeth proceeded to slash the thick metal rope across the dummies near her, almost cutting them to rags.

Annabeth narrowly dodged one of the remaining dummies' attacks before she speared it through the chest, using the other end of the staff to impale the dummy behind her.

She wrenched her blade out of both dummies, panting as she backed away from the destroyed robots and continued in the direction she'd last seen Percy.

Her heart sped up when Annabeth spotted the conflict raging between Percy and the Queen in the centre of the cabins.

The Hecate cabin lay in shambles, the roof having caved in and the windows shattered.

A storm to rival Zeus swirled around Percy, the rain pelting on the area as he stood protectively   in front of the Hermes cabin.

The Hermes cabin was the safe house for younger or disabled campers in the case of a battle. Names ran through Annabeth's mind — Fay, Phillip—

She shook her head. No, she had to focus.

Annabeth had to use extra strength to propel herself past Percy's winds. When she was in the middle of the fight, Annabeth joined his side, helping to beat the Queen back.

Percy's winds roared in Annabeth's ear as her whip curled around the Queen's ankle and Annabeth promptly threw her away.

The Queen landed beside Hestia's hearth, frantically beating out the flames on the sleeve of her dress.

"You think you can beat me?" the Queen screeched. "I am a superior monster!" Too late, Annabeth realised what the Queen was about to do a second before the monster picked up a log from the hearth and hurled it at the cabin behind them.

Annabeth watched in horror as the wooden Hermes cabin caught fire with ease, the flames licking away at the planks.

Screams could be heard from inside as the children and the vulnerable streamed outside, gathering in a circle behind them.

Annabeth recognised Fay and Phillip among the demigods, who had a total of about 20. Instinctively, Annabeth stepped in front of them, glaring daggers at the Queen.

"You can't hurt them," Annabeth yelled over the storm. "They're under our protection. You'll have to go through us."

"You underestimate me!" the Queen's eyes glinted maniacally. Her pupils narrowed into slits. "You, boy! I recognise you as one of my previous guests!"

Annabeth glanced back to see Phillip freeze up when the Queen pointed at him.

"Come here, my boy," the Queen's voice grew sickly sweet, almost musical. "Come to me." The lilting tone was so soft, so soothing—

"Charmspeak," Percy choked, and Annabeth shook the haze off of her mind. "I thought empousai were the only ones—"

"Come here, my child," the Queen purred, and to Annabeth's horror, Phillip took a dazed step forward.

Annabeth started running. "No, Phillip!" she shouted.

"Freeze!" the Queen ordered sharply, and Annabeth did just that. Her feet slowed to a stumbling halt, and it was like Annabeth couldn't move. "The rest of you! Don't move!"

She wanted to so desperately — Phillip — but she couldn't move. "Phillip!" Annabeth managed as she tirelessly fought off the effects of the Queen's charmspeak.

Percy was in a similar state, taking wracking gasps as he moved sluggishly, far too slow to stop the younger boy from blindly walking towards the enemy.

"Phillip, stop it!" Fay's cry of dismay pierced the air. "Stop it!" she shrieked. "Stop it!"

For a heart-stopping moment, Phillip faltered, trembling as he froze in his spot. "Fay," Annabeth heard him murmur. Annabeth stared at him in astonishment for a moment — how had he—

Alarm bells went off in Annabeth's head when saw the Queen pull an arm back, her spear in the air, aimed directly for the unsuspecting demigod—

Annabeth cried out as the monster let the spear fly like a javelin, the blade streaking through the air. A moment too late, Annabeth roughly yanked her feet from the glue holding her down and staggered forward.

No, she wouldn't reach him in time — the bade —

But someone else got there first. Fay had torn herself from her previous position and was hurtling past Annabeth in a blur of orange, barrelling right for Phillip.

Then the sickening squelch of metal piercing flesh as Fay shoved Phillip out of the way, the spear impaling straight through the gut before she collapsed to her knees, blood staining her shirt.

Annabeth's world shook. "No!" the cry tore from her throat as Annabeth blazed past the fallen demigod.

Red tinged her vision. Fury bubbled in her veins.

The Queen was fast but Annabeth was faster.

She slashed her whip at the dracanae's throat, the metal slicing clean through the Queen's neck. Green blood splattered across the ground before Annabeth, and the Queen gurgled for a moment, her hands coming up to grasp her throat as her eyes widened—

And then the dracanae's body burst into bronze dust, her head rolling onto the ground like a sick imitation of Medusa.

The staff fell out of Annabeth's hand as she stumbled backwards, spinning around with growing dread to see Fay on the ground, propped up against Percy as Phillip sat by her side.

"No, no, no," Annabeth murmured, refusing to believe that this was happening, because, no—Fay couldn't be—

Dark, red blood spilled from her lips, drawing a line from her chin to the neck of her orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.

"Fay, why?" Phillip was sobbing, tears streaking his face as he tenderly held the hand of his best friend. "Why did you—"

Fay's fingers twitched weakly — her hand curled around his. "You know why," she croaked. "I like you, dummy. You're my best friend. I wish I—" Fay broke up off with a shaky couch. "I wish I—"

"I l-like you too," Phillip's lip trembled as he made a visible effort to suppress his cries. "Of course, who-who wouldn't? You're my best friend too, Fay. You're brave, and strong, and sweet, and-and—"

Phillip's voice cut off abruptly into a sob, his head bowing down as his tears dripped onto Fay's shirt.

Fay's dark eyes had gone glassy, a vacant expression settling over her face as her hand went slack in Phillip's grip.

Annabeth swallowed down a cry.

Fay was dead.

Annabeth sat there numbly for what felt like an eternity. All she could do was stare at the broken form of a little girl — not even a teenager — who she'd gone through hell to save, and who, in the end, died anyway.

Her gaze flickered to Phillip, and a bubble of sympathy exploded in her chest. Phillip had just lost his best friend and his first crush. Annabeth knew that it would take a long time to stop hurting.

When Luke died, even though she didn't like him anymore, it was like her heart had cleaved into two. Yet she knew he was doing the right thing, a small comfort for her.

But Fay had been snatched away so unfairly.

Annabeth tilted her head up slowly, meeting Percy's eye. His face was pale and his eyes were anguished, but he still raised a trembling hand and closed Fay's eyes for the last time.

She heard him mumble a quiet prayer in Ancient Greek.

Αντίο, ήρωα. Χορός στα πεδία του Elysium.

Goodbye, hero. Dance in the Fields of Elysium.

Thalia had taught them that prayer. It was one of the things she said to the Hunters.

You will be in Elysium, Annabeth said silently. She could picture all her fallen friends welcoming Fay with open arms. And you'll be in good hands.

The three of them didn't move until Chiron trotted up, face grim as he took in the sight. Something about his eyes told Annabeth that Fay wasn't the only one they had lost tonight.

<<< >>>

"Hey." The gentle voice was a familiar comfort Annabeth was grateful for. "Can I come in?"

Annabeth offered Percy a half-hearted smile as he stepped inside, looking around the Athena cabin.

"I don't think I'll ever come in here without being afraid that your mother's going to smite me," Percy said absently, his eyes flickering nervously.

Annabeth felt the corner of her mouth twitch up. Her mother had a reputation for despising Percy, although more recently, when Annabeth was up in Olympus for some architecture meetings, Athena had mentioned some sort of disappointment over their break-up.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Percy asked suddenly.

Annabeth exhaled deeply. The burning of the shrouds had taken place last night. It had been two days since the battle, and the campers were recovering from heavy losses.

Six demigods had died.

Among them, Fay and Kayleigh. Annabeth hadn't known the Harlan's girlfriend that well, but any death was regrettable.

Confronting Harlan had quickly become inevitable. Annabeth knew she had to do it.

"No, it's okay," Annabeth sighed. "This is...this is something I have to do on my own." It wasn't a such a heavy responsibility anymore, but a duty she gladly took on.

Camp Half-Blood was her home, and she would protect and lead it at all costs. And she took pride in the choice she'd made.

Later, when the sun was going down and the colourful sunset started to prevail, Annabeth knocked on the door to the Nike cabin.

The door swung open to reveal Harlan inside by himself. His eyes were ringed with red and he looked more quiet than Annabeth had ever seen him.

"I need to talk to you," Annabeth said, equally tired.

Harlan just gestured for her to enter silently.

When she looked at him, Annabeth found that she couldn't bring up all that rage that she previously had to shout at him and hurl accusations. They had both lost someone in the most recent battle.

"Your greed and your lust for power cost us so much," Annabeth said coolly, clenching a fist as she tried to keep her composure. "Your hate for Percy almost got him killed. And your need for revenge — it got Fay and Kayleigh killed."

"You don't think I know that?" Harlan's voice sounded so depressed, so broken that it pained her. "You don't understand what it was like."

His face scrunched up agonisingly. "Being alone. Completely. You had friends — you had Luke, Percy, Silena, Charlie. I had nobody. I resented the demigods, all of you, for making my life a living hell. For talking about home and friendship and unity when all I'd ever experienced was them turning their backs on me."

"I just—" Harlan clenched his jaw. "I wanted to take something back from them for what they did to me." He swallowed. "But it went too far. I didn't even see what I was doing until it was over. Revenge becomes meaningless when one of your best friends dies."

"It's not too late, you know," Annabeth said gently. "You don't have to be the villain forever."

Harlan winced. "I doubt that. I made everyone miserable. One way or another, I caused the battle with the dracanae. Camp Half-Blood won't be my home anymore — it can't."

"So I'm leaving," Harlan said simply. Annabeth's eyes widened, and that was when she finally noticed the emptiness of his bed and the duffel bag on top of the duvet. "I'm a son of Nike — I can handle myself out there. I don't have to take that kind of hate anymore, and I don't have to try hard to fit it or to get revenge anymore. I can have a new start elsewhere."

"Maybe Camp Jupiter," Annabeth suggested.

Harlan didn't look very impressed. "Maybe," he allowed.

"There is one more thing you should do before you go," Annabeth said quietly.

Harlan arched an eyebrow.

"Abolish your position," Annabeth said firmly. "It's too much power for one person to hold. Return equal balance to all the counsellors. If an absolute, final decision is needed, Chiron can make it. No one should be able to take advantage of the position to hurt anyone else."

Harlan pursed his lips, and Annabeth could almost see the musings running through his mind.

"That's all I wanted to say." Annabeth twiddled with the hem of her t-shirt, hesitant as she reached the door. "Good luck out there, Harlan." She threw one last glance back at the boy who had had so much taken from him, and who had taken so much from the world, before she turned her back and continued down the path.

<<< >>>

The counsellor's meeting was bustling once again. Annabeth had grinned at the re-return of the ping pong table.

It was one of her favourite things about camp; they were stronger than anyone would ever expect. The losses they suffered never made them lose hope, and they moved on together.

Harlan's sudden departure had taken the campers by surprise, and left a position empty. Chiron had called today's meeting to make a final decision on that. Annabeth hoped that Harlan had taken her advice.

"So, as you're all probably expecting, we're here today to make a decision regarding the position of Council Head," Chiron declared.

Annabeth felt Percy glance at her — he knew that Annabeth gone to speak to Harlan, but she hadn't had the opportunity to tell him about the details of their conversation yet.

"Harlan has resigned from his position," Chiron announced. "And as his last act in power, he yielded Head of the Council to Annabeth."

Annabeth choked on her breath, eyes widening. "What?" her voice was soaked with astonishment. "Me?"

For a moment, she blindly wondered if there was another Annabeth.

"Harlan hated me," she snorted. "Are you sure you heard him right?"

Chiron had an amused expression on his timeless face. "A hundred percent." Annabeth caught the swell of pride in her mentor's face.

Annabeth fumbled for words to answer, her eyes darting around the room. Piper looked at her encouragingly — Nico looked like he had expect this anyway — Clarisse wore a knowing smirk—

Her gaze landed on Percy. Anticipation had seized his features, but there was also something else. An expression Annabeth didn't often see on Percy — thoughtfulness. Percy was usually the one to act first and think later.

But he looked at her now, and Annabeth remembered what she'd told him down in the Labyrinth. The pressure she felt to be who everyone thought she was. 

But this pressure, you don't have to crack under it. You're Annabeth Chase.

"No," the word tumbled from her lips before she even comprehended what she was saying. Confused murmurs spread across the room, Chiron's brow drawing together in bewilderment.

"Don't get me wrong," Annabeth delved on. "I'm honoured — I really am. But I can't take on that kind of responsibility." She knew that she'd be a much better leader if not all the weight was on her shoulders. Annabeth didn't want to turn into anything like Harlan.

"No one should. It's risky," she continued. "That much power — it's tempting for everyone. I know myself, I know my fatal flaw, and I know that I would be much better as an unofficial leader."

Finding the right balance. That was what she was doing.

Janus had given Annabeth two vastly different choices. He made it seem like to choose the demigods, she had to give up being normal. And to live like a mortal, she would have to give up everything she loved about herself.

Well, screw the gods.

"And I would say that I strongly advise that the position is abolished," Annabeth finished. "It hasn't done us any good since its creation. The panel of counsellors has always worked for us — everyone having an equal say."

Her lips quirked up into a smile. "The Romans might be able to answer to two praetors, but we're the Greeks. We do things differently, and I love that about us."

Annabeth waited with bated breath as agreeable chatter crossed the arena. Angling her head towards a certain son of Poseidon, Annabeth couldn't help but roll her eyes when Percy shot her a goofy thumbs-up sign and a lopsided grin.

Oh, that grin was going to be the death of her.

Of course, they discussed. Counsellor meetings usually bored her, but Annabeth found that it wasn't so bad today. She was starting to appreciate things going back to normal.

Chiron eventually reached the decision that Annabeth was right — to which Percy had added, "Was anyone surprised?" — and promptly abolished the position.

It gave Annabeth great relief that the camp would be in good hands once she returned to her mortal life. Though she was definitely planning on making frequent visits to make sure nothing like that ever happened again. Not on her watch.

As everyone filed out of the arena, chattering and laughing, Annabeth realised with a start that it was the 4th of July. She released a sigh of disbelief; so much had happened in the last week that she couldn't believe that this was supposed to her the highlight of her trip.

The giant yolk that was the sun was starting to set, and the Stolls began ushering everyone down onto the beach.

The annual camp fireworks were about to start.

"Marshmallows à la Leo," the son of Hephaestus declared as he handed out speared, slightly burnt marshmallows out to everyone. "We love America!"

"I'm Italian," Nico informed him, and was promptly swatted away by threat of fire.

The atmosphere was charged with excitement and friendliness, and Annabeth could finally relax. Smiles were contagious, and they even coached a begrudging one from Nico by the time night started to fall.

"It's back to normal," Piper moaned happily. The 15 of them were spread out on the beach, Katie content with building sandcastles with Chris.

The Stolls, as usual, were off organising the fireworks, and Annabeth wondered what the fireworks would be like this year.

"No more Hercules," Rachel said immediately to that with a groan. "I'm sick of him."

"He's a classic!" Leo protested. He winced. "Even though he was kind of a dick."

"No, no, no," Nico declared. "You're all wrong. It's got to be Achilles this year."

"Also a dick, by the way," Percy added. "He was so depressing."

"He was a ghost!" Nico said defensively. "Of course, he was depressing!"

"You know he was supposedly gay," Annabeth commented nonchalantly.

All her friends turned to her with stunned expressions.

"Really?" Grover asked, astounded.

Annabeth rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Come on! Have none of you ever read a book?"

When the others seemed to get over that not-so-crazy idea, Annabeth realised that a certain daughter of Ares was missing.

"Where's Clarisse?" Annabeth wondered aloud, glancing around.

Percy scanned the beach. "No idea. She's usually off teasing the new couples by now."

Annabeth caught Grover and Nico exchange knowing looks. "You guys are onto something," she said accusatorially. "What've you done now?"

Grover plastered on an innocent face. "Nothing."

"No, no, that's his 'I'm guilty' face." Percy pointed at him dramatically.

"Oh, look," Will said suddenly. "The fireworks is starting."

Annabeth's mouth dropped open as she swivelled her head round, looking at the hooded expressions of her friends. "You're all in on this!" she gasped. "What is it?"

"The fireworks," Leo emphasised, nudging her. "Come on, let's get closer to the water."

Percy, who was sitting on her right, gave her a worried look, but obliged anyway. He stood up, offering her a hand which Annabeth took, flushing when she felt the eager stares of her friends.

"This isn't over," she told them sternly before Percy dragged her down the beach, sand spraying everywhere.

They stumbled to a halt, Annabeth laughing uncontrollably as Percy yanked her back before she could fall into the water from the momentum.

"Look!"

Annabeth followed Percy's gaze to see the first scene of the fireworks burst across the night sky.

She squinted to make out the figures as they moved, the sparks fired into the air in procession.

"What..." Annabeth's voice trailed off as she made out the image of a zebra in the background, a wooden floor, and two people huddled on the ground together.

The yellow sparks of golden hair and the mop of black hair —

"Oh my gods," Percy choked out a laugh first. "Oh my gods, that's—that's—"

Percy looked down at her, the fireworks bursting in the sky reflected in his eyes as he gazed at her like she was the only person in the world. The moonlight lit up his features, his wild grin — gods, that grin again — and his flushed cheeks.

"That's us," Annabeth breathed, shaking her head as a smile spread from ear to ear. "Kindness International."

It was the animal truck from their quest for Zeus' lightning bolt — the first time she and Percy had ever really talked to one another. Up to that, they'd pretty much just argued and shot insults back and forth.

Annabeth remembered every detail vividly; how it was far too easy to tell this strange boy about her nightmares and her dreams, and how she felt like she had a family for the first time in forever.

"That's what they were ganging up on us for," Annabeth realised with a start, and when she turned her head, she saw their friends standing a few metres away, grinning satisfactorily as they stared at the fireworks display.

Annabeth shifted her gaze back to the moving images, and the surprised shouts from the smokers had started to fade as the scene dissipated.

"Oh gods," Annabeth's hand flew to her mouth as the next burst of fireworks illuminated Long Island Sound.

They were on Circe's island, Annabeth lying unconscious as Percy placed the Golden Fleece around her neck.

"I can't believe they did this," Percy said in disbelief, but he didn't sound very irritated by it.

Annabeth grinned. "I can't believe they didn't use a scene of you as a guinea pig." When he turned an accusing glare on her, Annabeth just shrugged innocently. "You made an adorable guinea pig."

"Should I make the change permanent?" Percy chuckled. "Eat celery for the rest of my days."

"Ah, no," Annabeth said lightly. "I'd miss you too much." The fireworks blinded her, but not as much as the beaming smile that stretched across Percy's face.

Butterflies were going crazy in her stomach, and all Annabeth could do was stare at the mesmerising display.

She should've been suspicious. Her friends hadn't given her any grief about her and Percy — of course, they'd been planning this the entire time.

The third scene emerged, dark red embers imitating an explosion in the background, as two best friends sat behind a rock, moving together into a kiss.

Annabeth went as red as the fireworks.

"I can sense emotions!" she heard Grover's faraway bleat. "Never forget that!"

Annabeth buried her scarlet cheeks in her hands, unable to stop laughing even as she did so. "Oh my gods, I can't believe the entire camp is watching this right now."

If possible, Percy was blushing even more than she was.

Before she could back down, Annabeth added, "It was a good first kiss."

Percy looked more dazed than anything else. "Easy for you to say. I could've spent the entire day standing there trying to remember my name."

Gods, Annabeth had thought he'd died after that. And as she had stood up to burn his shroud and give his eulogy, Annabeth had been glad that she'd at least kissed him first.

Percy hesitantly slung an arm across her shoulders, and Annabeth could've died there and then knowing that everything in her life was right again.

Annabeth snuggled into his side, smiling giddily when she caught him freeze up with panic. It helped that he was just as nervous as she was.

"Is that you taking the poisonous knife for me?" Percy broke her out of her thoughts, gesturing to the scene.

Annabeth could picture it in her head, and she nodded. "Yeah."

"Did I ever thank you properly for that?" Percy mused.

"Well, you did show me the one spot on your body that could kill you," Annabeth laughed. "I'd think so, yes."

"Wrong," Percy corrected. "I'll never be able to thank you enough for that."

"Imagine if you'd died then," Annabeth murmured. "Owing me so many favours."

Percy laughed, his face scrunching up in that adorable way that Annabeth loved. "A right nightmare."

The next scene took Annabeth by surprise — she'd expected a certain other image. It was their reunion kiss upon the Argo II landing in New Rome.

Annabeth remembered how stressed she'd been that day. Anxious to see Percy again and yet still worried about how the separation would hit them. It was crazy to think about
how much they'd grown up between the Titan and Giant wars. They were less than a year apart, and yet, Annabeth could've sworn that they became completely different people.

"You judo-flipped me," Percy thought aloud. "It hurt."

Annabeth bit her lip. "Good." Her voice trembled, and Percy looked down at her concernedly.

"Are you okay?"

Annabeth swallowed as Percy's arm slid off of her shoulder. "Percy," she broke off, unsure of what to say.

It was Percy. There was so much history there. So much tension. So many things she should've done, should've said.

"I'll start," Percy offered, earning a weak, bubbling laugh from her. "Okay, um, I didn't think this was how my 4th of July was going to go."

"I thought I'd end up watching the fireworks alone, wishing that I had never left you in the first place," he confessed. His eyebrows suddenly shot skyward. "Oh, wow."

Annabeth's attention snapped back to the fireworks, which had caught his eye.

It was Percy, dangling off of the edge of a cliff, Annabeth hanging on for dear life as Tartarus loomed below them.

For the first time, Annabeth didn't feel that jolt of fear that never failed to seize her. "It doesn't scare me anymore," she said suddenly. "It-it doesn't—"

Annabeth glanced up at Percy, his face cast in the dark, red glow. "Because now that's one of the moments where I knew that I loved you," she finished, her voice unwavering, even though her heart was beating faster than she'd ever experienced. "I knew that I would love you forever."

"I'm sorry," the words tumbled out like a stream, but Annabeth couldn't stop yet — there was so, so much she had to tell him. "I'm so sorry," she inhaled with a shuddering gasp. "For everything."

"For what?" Percy said helplessly, looking down forlornly at his hands. "It took two people to break up this relationship."

Annabeth squeezed her eyes shut.

"I love you," Percy's voice just brushed above a whisper, and Annabeth was ready to melt. Her eyelids fluttered open to see him gazing at her with so much admiration that it hurt. "I love you so much that it hurts sometimes."

"I'm scared, Percy," Annabeth whispered, feeling her eyes prick with tears. She blinked them back. "I'm scared that if I let myself care for you too much, it'll hurt so bad if anything ever happens to you."

"You don't have to be scared anymore," Percy pleaded. "It's worth the risk. You and me."

"I'm gonna mess it up." Annabeth shook her head. "I'm gonna ruin it, and you'll never want to speak to me ever again—"

"That's a lie," Percy interjected emphatically. Tentatively, he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "My heart shattered when we broke up, and the first thing I do when I see you again is gravitate back to you. I'll always be here for you, Annabeth. That's a promise I can make."

"I love you," Annabeth whispered. "More than I could have ever imagined was possible. More than anyone loves anyone."

"I highly doubt that," Percy murmured. "I think there's one person who can contest that." The corner of his mouth quirked up. "Namely, me."

All of a sudden, cheers erupted from the campers on the beach, deafening applause and whoops filling the air.

Annabeth's eyes drifted once more to the fireworks display. It had changed again.

"Look," she said with a choked laugh. "Look, Percy."

The scene played by the fireworks was Percy and Annabeth kissing underwater, surrounded by a large bubble of air, seaweed shrouding the sea bed as they embraced passionately.

Percy was laughing. "That really was the best birthday present—"

His smile, his laugh, the light dancing in his eyes; it was all too much.

Annabeth hooked her fingers into the front of his shirt and pulled him in, smashing her lips against his.

A groan escaped her when they finally kissed, and Percy didn't take long to react. Once he got over his initial shock, his hands were on her waist, crushing her into him as she threaded her hands in his hair.

Annabeth felt him grin against her mouth, and for a moment, she couldn't believe this was happening — they were kissing on the beach under the fireworks — and she was too feverish to even think straight—

"Well, it's about time!" a voice declared.

Annabeth withdrew, laughing as she saw Clarisse standing further up the beach with her arms crossed and a manic grin on her face.

Déjà vu rippled through Annabeth as the rest of the campers surged forward, hoisting them onto their shoulders amidst helpless laughs and shouts.

"The lovebirds need to cool off!" Connor yelled gleefully.

A resounding cheer was the only warning Annabeth got before she was carried down the beach.

Percy grappled for her hand, and when she looked over, his eyes sparkled in a way that made her want to start kissing him and never stop.

Annabeth's face was burning, but she was laughing too, gripping Percy's hand tight right until they were dumped into the water, sinking into the blue waves as the dying embers from the fireworks pelted into the sea.

There was a flurry of bubbles as Annabeth plunged into the water, and when the bubbles faded, she was looking at Percy, floating opposite her inside their air bubble.

"They're probably waiting for us to come up," Annabeth heard herself say, even as Percy grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, the water leeching from her clothes and hair in an instant.

"Hey," Percy said with a mischievous grin. "When you're the son of Poseidon, you don't have to hurry."

Annabeth clasped her hands behind his neck as he leaned in. The 4th of July display might've been over, but fireworks continued to explode in Annabeth's head.

And it was pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time.