The Silver Archer 2️⃣ (Percy Jackson)

01. A Little Visit

Adira

Life with Percy was great up to that next summer. I had just turned 17 and was going into my junior year of high school. Hooray, right?

Wrong.

Ever since I read that goddsamn sheet of paper, the prophecy, a week after I went back to camp this summer, life honestly sucked. Spending time with Percy was honestly everything I wanted to do, knowing he and I's lives were limited. Someone out of us, shorter than the others'.

Anyway, Percy and I were taking his stepdad, Paul's Prius for a spin. Percy hadn't gotten his license just yet, though he was well past 16, but until he wasn't so stressed with the upcoming war, he was going to take his test. If anything were to happen with the police, he and I both agreed that I'd hop into the driver's seat and we'd switch places, since I had my license.

He and I were driving along. It was a hot August day. My brunette hair was pulled back in a dutch braid and I wore a white button-down short sleeved shirt over my swimsuit. Percy had one hand on the wheel, the other holding my hand. He kept taking occasional glances at me, and I kept laughing. "What?" I laughed.

"Nothing," he said, looking back onto the road. I rolled my eyes.

Looking at him, he looked so much more grown up than he was 4 years ago when he was just that awkward 13 year old teenager that didn't know what the term "half-blood" or even what our joke "dam" meant. I convinced myself that he thought the same thing about me. My hair had become way lighter than it had from when I was 13. When I was younger, I was a pure blonde, then I was a dark brunette, then I'm back to brunette with very light tips.

I looked ahead of our vehicle. It was a perfect spot to just sit down and watch.

"Pull up right there, babe!" I told him.

We parked on a ridge overlooking the Atlantic. The sea is always one of my favorite places, but today it was especially nice—glittery green and smooth as glass, as if Percy's dad was keeping it calm just for us.

His dad, by the way, is Poseidon. He can just... do stuff like that.

We got out of the vehicle, and sat in front of the bumper. We sat right next to each other, watching the small waves crash against the surf.

I looked at Percy, thinking that he'd at least look comforted. But no. Even this didn't comfort him. You could just tell in his face. I felt bad. I felt stressed too, but I felt even bad for him. Bad things are going to happen on his birthday. I had to try to push it off my mind too.

"Hey, Perce," I said, grabbing his arm, "You need to stop focusing on this. Please, just for a little while. You still have a few days."

He looked at me, letting out a sigh. "I know you're right, but-"

I put my hands on his jawline. "Perseus 'Percy' James Jackson, by the laws of the daughter of Artemis, goddess of the moon and the hunt, I order you to focus on something other than the prophecy," I ordered, smiling.

"Something else?" He asked, giving me a look. I playfully rolled my eyes.

"As long as it keeps you busy without thinking of... that," I explained. Slowly, he leaned forward, putting his hand on my waist. I pulled him towards me, my lips meeting his. My back arched when he pulled my body closer towards his. I sat on my knees as he smiled into our kiss, letting out a small groan. I hooked my hands around his neck, pulling his body closer towards mine.

He grabbed my legs, positioning me on top of him. I sat on his lap, as he slowly tugged on the white button-down of my shirt. He kissed my neck, as I sat my forehead on the crook of his neck. I pulled his head up so he was looking at me once again. His hands were placed under my shirt, holding my bare sides.

"I swear to the gods," he muttered. "You're more beautiful than any woman I've ever met," he whispered into my ear.

We both pushed our lips against each other. He pulled me closer towards him, so we both had to tilt our head so we'd have more room.

We were so distracted, we didn't notice the huge black form swooping down from the sky until four hooves landed on the hood of the Prius with a WUMP-WUMP!

Blackjack the pegasus was an old friend of ours, so I guess Percy tried not to get too annoyed by the craters he'd just put in the hood; but I didn't think that Mr. Blofis would be real stoked.

Percy and I stayed how we were sitting, looking up at the horse. "Blackjack," I sighed. "What are you—"

Then I saw who was riding on his back, and I knew the day was about to get a lot more complicated. "'Sup, lovebirds."

Charles Beckendorf, senior counselor for the Hephaestus cabin, would make most monsters cry for their mommies. He was huge, with ripped muscles from working on the forges every summer, two years older than me, and one of the camp's best armorsmiths. He made some seriously ingenious mechanical stuff. A month before, he'd rigged a Greek firebomb in the bathroom of a tour bus that was carrying a bunch of monsters across the country. The explosion took out a whole legion of Kronos's evil meanies as soon as the first harpy went flush.

Beckendorf was dressed for combat. He wore a bronze breastplate and war helm with black camo pants and a sword strapped to his side. His explosives bag was slung over his shoulder.

I rushed off of Percy, and I'm pretty sure I was as red as one of Apollo's sacred cows.

"Time?" Percy asked, brushing his hair back with his hand.

He nodded grimly.

A clump formed in my throat. I'd known this was coming. We'd been planning for it for weeks, but I'd half hoped it would never happen.

I looked up at Beckendorf, trying to hide how embarrassed I felt. "Hi, Beckendorf."

"Hey. Sorry to ruin your guyses date."

"It's fine," I mumbled. But honestly, it didn't feel fine. Percy... he was supposed to... well... y'all know. "You guys have to go save the world now."

"Pretty much," Beckendorf agreed.

Percy looked at me helplessly. "Would you tell my mom—"

"I'll tell her. I'm sure she's used to it. And I'll explain to Paul about the hood."

He nodded thanks. "Wait- how're you gonna get home if I picked you up-"

"I'll find something. Good luck." I kissed him on the lips. "Now, get going, son of Poseidon. Go kill some monsters for me."

I got up, waddling to the shotgun seat of the Prius. I saluted towards them, giving Percy a wink, who winked back at me. I watched as he flew up on Blackjack, Charlie right behind him.