𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲.

Until Next time

Compared to Mount Olympus, Manhattan was quiet. Friday before Christmas, but it was early in the morning, and hardly anyone was on Fifth Avenue.

Argus, the many-eyed security chief, picked them up at the Empire State Building and ferried them back to camp through a light snowstorm. The Long Island Expressway was almost deserted.

As they trudged back up Half-Blood Hill to the pine tree where the Golden Fleece glittered, Lilia half expected to see Thalia there, waiting for them. But she wasn't. She was long gone with Artemis and the rest of the Hunters, off on their next adventure.

Chiron greeted them at the Big House with hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches.

Grover went off with his satyr friends to spread the word about our strange encounter with the magic of Pan. Within an hour, the satyrs were all running around agitated, asking where the nearest espresso bar was.

Annabeth and Percy sat with Chiron and some of the other senior campers-Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers. Even Clarisse from the Ares cabin was there, back from her secretive scouting mission. She must've had a difficult quest, because she didn't even try to pulverize him. She had a new scar on her chin, and her dirty blond hair had been cut short and ragged, like someone had attacked it with a pair of safety scissors.

"I got news," she mumbled uneasily. "Bad news."

"I'll fill you in later," Chiron said with forced cheerfulness. "The important thing is you have prevailed. And you saved Annabeth!"

Annabeth smiled at Percy gratefully.

"Luke is alive," Percy said. "Annabeth was right."

Annabeth sat up. "How do you know?"

He told her about the Princess Andromeda

"Well." Annabeth shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "If the final battle does come when Percy is sixteen, at least we have two more years to figure something out."

Chiron's expression was gloomy. Sitting by the fire in his wheelchair, he looked really old. I mean... he was really old, but he usually didn't look it.

"Two years may seem like a long time," he said. "But it is the blink of an eye. I still hope you are not the child of the prophecy, Percy. But if you are, then the second Titan war is almost upon us. Kronos's first strike will be here."

"How do you know?" Percy asked. "Why would he care about camp?"

"Because the gods use heroes as their tools," Chiron said simply. "Destroy the tools, and the gods will be crippled. Luke's forces will come here. Mortal, demigod, monstrous... We must be prepared. Clarisse's news may give us a clue as to how they will attack, but-"

The groups attention was caught by what sounded like a fight.

"You little fuck." Celia glared at Lilia.

"Celia come on I'm sorry!" Lilia almost laughed.

"Don't laugh at me! This is serious, you said you wouldn't leave again. And oh guess what you did!" She hissed shoving Lilia to the ground.

"Should we stop them?" Percy asked slightly concerned.

"Nah! I missed their entertainment." Connor laughed.

Lilia lay on the floor laughing. "I cannot believe you just shoved me over."

"Shut up!" Celia said pulling her back up.

"Forgive me?" Lilia said with puppy dog eyes.

"For now." Celia mumbled, crossing her arms and turning away. "But I swear if you disappear one more time, you best belief I'm personally going to hunt you down!"