The Silver Archer 2️⃣ (Percy Jackson)

48. Birthday Shenanigans

Adira

The rest of the summer seemed strange because it was so normal. The daily activities continued: archery, rock climbing, Pegasus riding, making out with Percy in his cabin and almost getting caught (7 times). We played capture the flag (though we all avoided Zeus's Fist). We sang at the campfire and raced chariots and played practical jokes on the other cabins. I spent a lot of time with Percy and Tyson, playing with Mrs. O'Leary, but she would still howl at night when she got lonely for her old master.

Annabeth and I pretty much hung around each other. I was happy to be with her. I was lucky to have her.

I wanted to talk to her about Kronos, but I couldn't do that anymore without bringing up Luke. And that was one subject I couldn't raise. She would shut me out every time I tried.

July passed, with fireworks on the beach on the Fourth on my birthday. This year, a firework had a photo of my face and Brett's, wishing us happy birthday. Percy surprised me by a dance on the beach once it was dark, with our feet in the water.

August turned so hot the strawberries started baking in the fields. Finally, the last day of camp arrived. The standard form letter appeared on my bed after breakfast, warning me that the cleaning harpies would devour me if I stayed past noon.

At ten o'clock I stood on the top of Half-Blood Hill, waiting for the camp van that would take me into the city. Percy and I'd made arrangements to leave Mrs. O'Leary at camp, where Chiron promised she'd be looked after. Percy, Tyson and I would take turns visiting her during the year.

I hoped Annabeth would be riding into Manhattan with me and Percy, but she only came to see me off. Fortunately, Cassie had arranged for me to go to school with Percy at Goode, and to keep an eye on Corey and Brett, who left a little early from camp this year.

Annie said she'd arranged to stay at camp a little longer. She would tend to Chiron until his leg was fully recovered, and keep studying Deadalus's laptop, which had engrossed her for the last two months. Then she would head back to her father's place in San Francisco.

"There's a private school out there that I'll be going to," she said. "I'll probably hate it, but..." she shrugged.

"Yeah, well, call me, okay?"

"Sure," she said half-heartedly. "I'll keep my eyes open for..."

There it was again. Luke. She couldn't even say his name without opening up a huge box of hurt and worry and anger.

"Annabeth," I said, grabbing her hands. "What was the rest of the prophecy?"

She fixed her eyes on the woods in the distance, but she didn't say anything.

"You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze," Percy remembered. "The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise. We raised a lot of the dead. We saved Ethan Nakamura, who turned out to be a traitor. We raised the spirit of Pan, the lost one."

Annabeth shook her head like she wanted him to stop.

"You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand," he pressed on. "That wasn't Minos, like I'd thought. It was Nico. By choosing to be on our side, he saved us. And the child of Athena's final stand—that was Daedalus."

"Percy—"

"Destroy with a hero's final breath. That makes sense now. Daedalus died to destroy the Labyrinth. But what was the last—"

"And lose a love to worse than death." Annabeth had tears in her eyes. "That was the last line, Percy. Are you happy now?"

The sun seemed colder than it had a moment ago.