WINGED ₁

66

PERCY AND BECKENDORF WERE GONE FOR ONE DAY.

It wasn't right. They were only supposed to be gone for two hours. But as dusk fell, Madeleine started to get sick.

She called Rachel. The girl informed her that Beckendorf had picked up Percy on time, and she had not seen him since.

She visited Drew in the Aphrodite Cabin. She was sitting on her older sister's bed, holding Silena's hands and reassuring her.

She played volleyball with Lee until her arms bruised. She sparred with Ethan. She tossed and turned in her bed. 

Finally, Madeleine couldn't stand it anymore. She dressed and crept out of her cabin without eating breakfast. She did not wake up Ethan up, because he rarely slept and it was nice to see him so peaceful.

Castor was on watch, his hair stark white in the early-morning gray. Madeleine climbed the tree he was sitting in and sat next to him.

He glanced over at her. "Can't sleep?"

She shook her head, gazing off into the distance. She was afraid that if she spoke, she would throw up.

They watched the sun rise in silence. They weren't exactly friends, but they were somehow closer than that. She had saved his life without really knowing who he was, and they both played integral parts in the war now. They didn't have time to cultivate a new relationship.

But his presence was nice. He was quiet, unlike his father.

When the sun rose high in the sky and the conch horns sounded for breakfast, Castor bid Madeleine goodbye and went to go eat. Connor joined her a few minutes later for his turn on watch, carrying two pieces of toast with jam on it, wrapped in a napkin.

Madeleine ate slowly, trying to keep her food down. She stared out at the water.

They waited for hours. Madeleine wasn't sure what she was hoping for anymore. She just wanted them to come back. She knew she should have gone on that mission. If anything happened to them, it would have been her fault.

Connor was rolling a blunt when Percy appeared out of the surf. He walked like he was a god, the sea foam parting around his shoulders.

Madeleine jumped out of the tree. Her flying shoes caught her, and she tumbled over to Percy. He caught her in his arms, squeezing her tightly, and she let all of her worry leave her body in one short gasp.

"Percy!" Connor yelled, running to catch up to them. "What happened? Where's Beckendorf?"

Madeleine pulled away from Percy, her heart sinking like a stone. His face was grim and sad, like he had aged ten years since she had seen him last. He was still wearing his collared shirt. His eyeliner was smudged.

"Oh," Madeleine said, very quietly.

"Oh, no," Connor said, his smile melting. "Poor Silena. Holy Zeus, when she finds out..."

They didn't need to say anything else. The sun was a blur in Madeleine's eyes. She had two faces: the face that was holding Percy tightly, forgetting Rachel's words, and the face that was grieving Beckendorf.

She would never see him again. But she couldn't think of that right now. She couldn't break down in public. 

Together, they climbed the sand dunes, Madeleine gripping tight to Percy's hand. Over the hill, people were ditching their afternoon activities, streaming toward them, smiling and excited.

Percy stopped at the dining pavilion, and Madeleine and Connor stopped with him. Connor lit his blunt and held it up to Percy, a silent invitation.

Percy took it.