mastermind - percy jackson

vi. endless sleep

"we have to defend olympus"

Annabeth sat at the foot of her mother's throne and cried. Cassandra sat down beside her, wiping the few stray tears that had fallen down her face.

"Annabeth, Cassie" Percy said, "it's not your guys's fault. I've never seen Hermes act that way. I guess... I don't know... he probably feels guilty about Luke. He's looking for somebody to blame. I don't know why he lashed out at either of you. Neither of you did anything to deserve that."

Annabeth wiped her eyes and stared at the hearth blankly.

Percy shifted uneasily. "Um, you didn't, right?"

She didn't answer.

"Percy" She finally said. "What did you mean about Luke's mother? Did you meet her?"

He nodded reluctantly. "Nico and I visited her. She was a little... different." He described May Castellan, and the weird moment where her eyes had begun to glow, and she talked about her son's fate.

Annabeth frowned. "That doesn't make sense. But why were you visiting—" Her eyes widened. "Hermes said you bear the curse of Achilles. Hestia said the same thing. Cassandra asked if you had a nice swim. Did you... did you bathe in the River Styx?"

"Don't change the subject."

Cassandra rolled her eyes, "Now or never Barnacle Brain."

He elbowed her softly. "Um... maybe a little?"

"So you like dipped your pinky toe in, or...." Cassandra joked, trailing off.

"Shut up" Percy grumbled and told them the story about how Nico had brought him to Hades's palace (who then tried to lock Percy in his dungeon) in exchange for information on his past. And how they had defeated Hades and his army of the dead. He didn't bring up his vision of Cassandra pulling him out of the river, but Cassandra knew he was hiding something based on his red face, and shy glance her way.

Annabeth shook her head in disbelief, looking at Cassandra with wide eyes. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"

"I had no choice" Percy said. "It's the only way I can stand up to Luke."

"You mean... di immortales, of course!" Annabeth exclaimed. "That's why Luke didn't die. He went to the Styx and... Oh no, Luke. What were you thinking?"

"So now you're worried about Luke again" Percy grumbled.

Annabeth stared at him like he had just dropped from space. "What?"

"Forget it" He muttered. "The point is—he didn't die in the Styx. Neither did I—"

"Bummer" Cassandra interrupted, a small grin on her face.

Percy rolled his eyes, and elbowed her again. "And now I have to face him. We have to defend Olympus."

Annabeth studied his face for another moment. "I guess you're right. My mom mentioned—"

"Plan twenty-three."

Annabeth rummaged in her bag and pulled out Daedalus's laptop. The blue Delta symbol glowed on the top when she booted it up. She opened a few files and started to read.

"Here it is" She said. "Gods, we have a lot of work to do."

"One of Daedalus's inventions?" Percy asked.

"A lot of inventions... dangerous ones. If my mom wants me to use this plan, she must think things are very bad." She looked at Percy, "What about her message to you: 'Remember the rivers'? What does that mean?"