SANITY; heroes of olympus

03.7

[act three; chapter seven     -     the beauty of war]

Leo docked the ship at a pier in Charleston Harbour, right next to the seawall. Along the shore was a historical district with tall mansions, palm trees, and wrought-iron fences. Antique cannons pointed at the water.

By the time Andy came up on deck, Jason, Frank, Donnie, and Leo had already left for the museum. According to Coach Hedge, they'd promised to be back by sunset. Zara, Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel were ready to go, but first Andy turned to Percy, who was leaning on the starboard rail, gazing over the bay.

She pulled the grey chunk of his hair lightly and asked, "What are you going to do while we're gone, Fish Face?"

"Jump into the harbour," he said casually, like it was totally normal. Then again, it was Percy, so it couldn't exactly be too far off from normal. "I want to try communicating with the local Nereids. Maybe they can give me some advice about how to free those captives in Atlanta. Besides, I think the sea might be good for me. Being in that aquarium made me feel...unclean."

His hair was dark and tangled as usual, but she always liked to focus her attention on that little grey streak, the one that had begun to fade slowly over the years. When the two of them were fourteen, they'd held the weight of the sky together. The strain left them both with some grey hair, though Percy's was much more prominent than hers because his hair was darker. But still, it was there, and it was a constant reminder of all that they did for each other and their friends, for the sake of humanity, really.

Checking to see if anyone was watching (which they most definitely were), Andy gently cupped his jaw, pressing her lips against his. She could feel his smile against her rosy skin, his own hands gripping her waist.