WINGED ₁

25

THEY ARRIVED IN LONG ISLAND JUST AFTER CLARISSE, thanks to the centaurs' travel powers. Percy rode on Chiron's back again, but Madeleine got her own centaur, for the sake of speed.

When they got to camp, the centaurs were anxious to meet Dionysus. They'd heard he threw some really wild parties, but they were disappointed. The wine god was in no mood to celebrate as the whole camp gathered at the top of Half-Blood Hill.

The camp had been through a hard two weeks. The arts and crafts cabin had burned to the ground from an attack by a Draco Aionius. The Big House's rooms were overflowing with wounded. The kids in the Apollo cabin had been working overtime performing first aid. Everybody looked weary and battered as they crowded around Thalia's tree.

The moment Clarisse draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest bough, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from gray to liquid silver. A cool breeze rustled in the branches and rippled through the grass, all the way into the valley. Everything came into sharper focus―the glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the strawberry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach.

Gradually, the needles on the pine tree started turning from brown to green.

Everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but there could be no doubt―the Fleece's magic was seeping into the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison.

Chiron ordered a permanent guard duty on the hilltop, at least until he could find an appropriate monster to protect the Fleece. He said he'd place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away.

In the meantime, Clarisse was carried on her cabinmates' shoulders down to the amphitheater, where she was honored with a laurel wreath and a lot of celebrating around the campfire.

Nobody gave Annabeth, Percy, or Madeleine a second look. It was as if they'd never left. In a way, that was what was better, because the best possible thank-you that Madeleine could've gotten was Drew's body slamming into her and tackling her into the grass.

"You idiot," Drew said. "You absolute idiot. I should break up with you right now."

Madeleine smiled at her, teeth scraping nose, and hugged her. "You wouldn't. You love me."

Drew ran her fingers along the cut on Madeleine's neck. "Lucky you, I have a new boyfriend from the Apollo cabin. He'll patch you up"

Drew hoisted Madeleine to her feet. They didn't speak anymore, but they didn't need to. Madeleine had been right.

Drew would always take care of her.

⎯⎯ ୨ winged ୧ ⎯⎯

The next morning, after the party ponies headed back to Florida, Chiron made a surprise announcement: the chariot races would go ahead as scheduled. Everyone had figured they were history now that Tantalus was gone, but Madeleine didn't really care either way. Percy and Annabeth were happy about it, though, so she was happy. Since Tyson wasn't a big fan of getting back into the chariot, the two of them had teamed up. They had extended an offer to Madeleine, but she had waved them off. She figured the two needed some alone time, and she had her own people to spend some time with.

The night before the race, Madeleine was giving the Hermes horses one final brushing for Travis and Connor and hanging out with Percy when a voice behind them said, "Fine animals, horses. Wish I'd thought of them."

A middle-aged man in a postal carrier outfit was leaning against the stable door. He was slim, with curly black hair under his white pith helmet, and he had a mailbag slung over his shoulder.

A wave of emotions washed over Madeleine, but the most obvious was relief. He had come back. He hadn't been lying.

"Hermes?" Percy stammered.