This Dark Night ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase¹

―ii. skia makes a friend

THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY DANGEROUS about sitting in the backseat of a taxi between a fuming Annabeth and a thoroughly clueless Percy.

Percy tried to talk to Annabeth, but she was acting like he'd just punched her grandmother. All he managed to get out of her was that she'd had a monster-infested spring in San Francisco, she'd come back to camp twice since Christmas (Percy scowled at that), and neither she nor Naomi had learned anything more about Nico's whereabouts.

"Any word on Luke?" Percy asked.

Annabeth just shook her head. Luke was always a touchy subject, even when she wasn't already angry.

"Mount Tam is still overrun with monsters," Annabeth said. "I didn't dare go close, but I don't think Luke is up there. I think I would know if he was."

That pit in Naomi's stomach just kept getting deeper.

"What about Grover?" Percy asked.

"He's at camp," Naomi said. "We'll see him today."

"Did he have any luck? I mean, with the search for Pan?"

Annabeth fingered her bead necklace, the way she always did when she was worried. "You'll see."

As they headed through Brooklyn, Percy used Annabeth's phone to call his mom and let her know what was going on, leaving a message.

They rode in tense silence after that. The city melted away until they were off the expressway and rolling through the countryside of northern Long Island, past orchards and wineries and fresh produce stands.

Eventually, the taxi exited Route 25A. They headed through the woods along the North Shore until a low ridge of hills appeared on their left. Annabeth told the driver to pull over on Farm Road 3.141, at the base of Half-Blood Hill.

The driver frowned. "There ain't nothing here, miss. You sure you want out?"

"Yes, please." Annabeth handed him a roll of cash, and the driver decided not to argue.

The three hiked up to the crest of the hill. Peleus was dozing, coiled around the pine tree, but he lifted his coppery head as they approached and let Annabeth scratch under his chin. Steam hissed out of his nostrils like a kettle and he went cross-eyed with pleasure.

"Hey, Peleus," Annabeth said. "Keeping everything safe?"

Down below, Camp Half-Blood looked as peaceful as ever—rolling green fields, the expansive forest, the shiny white Greek-style buildings. The Big House sat proudly in the midst of the strawberry fields. To the north, past the beach, the Long Island Sound glittered in the sunlight.

But there was tension in the air, as if the hill itself was holding its breath, waiting for disaster.

They walked down into the valley and found the summer session in full swing. The satyrs were playing their pipes, making the strawberry fields grow with their woodland magic. Campers were having flying lessons, swooping over the woods on their pegasi. Smoke rose from the forges and hammers rang as kids made their own weapons for arts & crafts. Annabeth and Naomi's cabins were having a chariot race today (Katie finally figured out a way to build a sustainable chariot, so no healthy trees were harmed in the process). Over at the canoe lake, a couple of kids in a Greek trireme were fighting a large orange sea serpent.

A typical day at camp.

"I need to talk to Clarisse," Annabeth said.

Percy stared at her. "What for?"

"We've been working on something," Annabeth said. "I'll see you guys later."

"Working on what?" Percy asked.