The Moon's Shine (PJO)

Chapter 47

"Why'd you call us here?" Alina asked. "It better be important."

"Why you—" Percy kicked her under the table. "You want to spar?"

Alina's face paled. "I'm fine."

"I agree with Alina," Louisiana chimed in. 

Percy swung to face her. "What? Do you wish to spar?"

"N-no. I agree with her question." Louisiana's complexion suddenly matched Alina's. "Couldn't we have met somewhere else?"

Percy had to admit it wasn't a bad inquiry. Demigods usually minimized their time in the dining hall, as the rules restricted them to their tables. (You could break the rules, but this required an intimidating amount of strength to ward off the security harpies—and let's face it, this generation was lazy with their training.) 

Out of the blue, though, Percy had asked the recruits and Nico to meet up an hour before lunch started. They'd come in cliques. He hadn't been surprised when Louisiana came alone and had only raised an eyebrow at Serena and Caroline.

But he drew the line when Alina marched in with Nico.

He had barely kept it in until the two separated, Alina going to her friends and Nico to him. Percy had just looked at him, and Nico, with an unnaturally red face, had muttered, "Shut up."

"I didn't say anything," Percy had defended himself.

"I know. Just shut up."

Five feet in front of Percy on the opposite side of the table, Louisiana ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "I'm so hungry, but they're not serving any food. Did you make us meet here just to antagonize me?"

"C'mon, don't be like that." Percy stopped beating around the bush, afraid that the recruits were going to jump him at any second. "I called you guys here to celebrate our last day together."

The recruits went silent. Percy couldn't tell what they were thinking. 

"It's finally time, huh?" Alina said after a pause. 

"I know you're all probably holding in your tears, but—"

"Heck yeah!" 

"Huh?" Percy spun toward Serena. 

"You heard me. Leaving means we've passed the hell you call 'training.' Besides, you better visit frequently!"

Percy was filled with emotion. "I'll . . . try." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I got us a celebratory snack as our last meal together."

The recruits perked up at the word "snack," and Percy suddenly felt self-conscious. Their training had been designed solely by him—Nico'd given up on the first day, claiming that he couldn't possibly partake in making a punishment "worse than that on the Fields of Punishment"—and had included rigorous fasting. They've been suffering in silence all along, huh?

All the reason why Percy felt like an angel descending onto earth when he handed each of them—including Nico—an apple. 

"This . . . is it?" Louisiana couldn't help but express her disappointment as she rotated the fruit in her hands. No matter how she viewed it, the object in her hand was an ordinary Honeycrisp. The dents, slight discoloration on the top and bottom, and the smell was unmistakable.

"Take a bite," Percy encouraged. "I promise you'll like it."

Caroline held it up to her mouth—and then took a small, tentative bite. Then she took a bigger one, eyes widening. "It's good! Really good!"