{1} 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐒𝐄𝐘𝐄 | p.jackson

c h a p t e r - t h i r t y - f o u r

( chapter thirty-four )

in which life kicks their asses. . . yet again
( i'm starting to see a pattern here. . . )

COMPARED TO MOUNT OLYMPUS, MANHATTAN WAS QUIET. Friday before Christmas, but it was early in the morning, and hardly anyone was on Fifth Avenue. Argus, the many-eyed security chief, picked up Nia, Naomi, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover at the Empire State Building and ferried them back to camp through a light snowstorm. The Long Island Expressway was almost deserted. 

As they trudged back up Half-Blood Hill to the pine tree where the Golden Fleece glittered, Nia half expected to see Thalia there, waiting for them.

But she wasn't. Thalia Grace was long gone with Artemis and the rest of the Hunters, off on their next adventure. 

Chiron greeted them all at the Big House with hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches. To placate her friends, Nia got her cut from Atlas checked out by Chiron. Like Nia had predicted, the cut was just a long slash, but Chiron still made her sit and relax for a bit after giving her an ambrosia square.

Grover went off with his satyr friends to spread the word about the strange encounter with the magic of Pan. Within an hour, the satyrs were all running around agitated, asking where the nearest espresso bar was. 

Nia and her friends sat with Chiron and some of the other senior campers -- Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers. Even Clarisse from Ares cabin was there, back from her secretive scouting mission. She had a new scar on her chin, and her dirty blond hair had been cut short and ragged, like someone had attacked it with a pair of safety scissors.

"I got news," she mumbled uneasily. "Bad news." 

"I'll fill you in later," Chiron said with forced cheerfulness. "The important thing is you have prevailed. And you saved Annabeth!" 

Annabeth smiled at Percy gratefully and Nia looked away.

"Luke is alive," Percy said. "Annabeth was right."

Nia's head whipped in Percy's direction. "Wait, what?"

Annabeth sat up. "How do you know?" 

Percy told them all about how Poseidon had told him that the Princess Andromeda was sailing from San Francisco with the remains of Kronos. Long story short -- Luke was wounded; he would retreat and regroup before making another attack and was making alliances with Poseidon's enemies, the older spirits of the ocean, who would fight to protect Luke.

"Well, that's not good," Nia mumbled once Percy was done.

"Well." Annabeth shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "If the final battle does come when Percy is sixteen, at least we have two more years to figure something out."