This Cold Year ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase²

―i. another quest goes horribly wrong

"I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS PLAN," Naomi admitted, sliding another hairpin into Annabeth's hair.

Annabeth met her eyes in the reflection of the mirror. "It's a good plan," she said. "More than that—it's the only one we've got."

Naomi sighed, twisting one last strand into Annabeth's bun before securing it with two final pins. "I know," she muttered. "I just don't like you going off on your own—again."

"I won't be on my own," Annabeth reminded her, readjusting the strap of her serving-maiden dress for the dozenth time. "Jason and Piper will be there."

"I know," Naomi sighed. It wasn't that she didn't think Jason and Piper weren't perfectly capable, or even that she didn't think Annabeth was perfectly capable. She just didn't like the idea of Annabeth being away from Naomi and Percy. After their journey through Tartarus, Naomi was still getting used to not being with them constantly. She still woke up in the dead of night, terrified they were still in the pit and they'd been separated.

Annabeth seemed to know that—Naomi doubted she felt much different. She stood up and kissed Naomi softly, as reassuring as a hundred whispered promises. "We won't be long," she murmured. "We just have to infiltrate the palace, get the information we need, and then we'll be out of there."

Naomi looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "When has a plan ever gone right for us?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. "It's going to be okay," she promised. She reached for Naomi's hand. "Come on—you can see us off."

The rest of the crew was already assembled on the deck when Naomi and Annabeth arrived. Piper was in a similar get-up to Annabeth's, from the intricately styled hair to the laced-up sandals.

Judging by the fact that Jason still looked seventeen, Naomi guessed she and Annabeth weren't too far behind the rest of them.

Percy smiled when Annabeth and Naomi stopped next to him. It was closer to reaching his eyes than it had been the day before, but still not quite there. The shadows underneath his eyes had gotten a touch lighter, too, which was a good sign. He must've actually gotten some sleep the night before.

"Hey," he greeted quietly. "You look nice."

Annabeth smiled. "I haven't worn a dress like this since C.C.'s," she said. "Remember?"

Naomi's cheeks felt warm. "Oh, I remember." She was pretty sure that was when she first realized her crush on Annabeth. At the very least, it was when she realized she was certainly not straight.

Percy laughed a little. "At least this time I can appreciate it—y'know, since I'm not a guinea pig."

Annabeth's smile spread a little. "Don't get used to it."

"Alright," Leo said, getting the crew's attention. He handed Jason, Piper, and Annabeth what looked like birthday candles. "Presents from Uncle Leo—emergency flares. If you run into trouble, toss it into the air and it should shoot upward in a streak of white phosphorous. When that happens, you'll have approximately four seconds before the ship's catapults fire on that position and flood the palace with Greek fire and Celestial bronze shrapnel."

"Great," Jason said, looking warily at his birthday-candle-flare. "It's not going to, I don't know... go off by accident or anything, right?"

Leo looked offended. "Of course not!" he said. "At least... I'm eighty-six-percent sure they won't. Eighty-two... Y'know, you might actually want to wrap those in something—I'll be right back."

He hurried back into the belly of the ship as Jason held the flare out as far from him as his arm allowed.

Leo returned with scraps of cloth, which he handed to Jason, Annabeth, and Piper. "There!" he said. "Ninety-one percent sure."