𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 • 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 ¹

𝐗𝐗𝐗𝐗𝐕

Camp went late that summer. It lasted two more weeks, right up to the start of a new school year, and I have to admit they were the best two weeks of my life.

Grover had taken over the satyr seekers and was sending them out across the world to find unclaimed half-bloods. So far, the gods had kept their promise. New demigods were popping up all over the place—not just in America, but in a lot of other countries as well.

Annabeth and I were hanging out next to Grover and Percy but far enough to where we were out of earshot.

"So.. how was the kiss?" Annabeth asked, the waves washing around us. Annabeth, Clarrise, some of our other friends and I were supposed to be swimming in the lake, so we were in swimsuits. The others had already gone back up so we sat in the sand.

I flicked water at her. "Annie!"

She shoved water at me then ran into the water, grinning. "What? It was a valid question."

"I'm gonna kill you!" I exclaimed, running into the water behind her. We spent the day splashing each other.

Nico had some undead builders working on the Hades cabin. Even though we were still the only kids in it, it was going to look pretty cool: solid obsidian walls with a skull over the door and torches that burned with green fire twenty-four hours a day. Next to that were the cabins of Iris, Nemesis, Hecate, and several others I didn't recognize. They kept adding new ones to the blueprints every day. It was going so well, Annabeth and Chiron were talking about adding an entirely new wing of cabins just so they could have enough room.

The Hermes cabin was a lot less crowded now, because most of the unclaimed kids had received signs from their godly parents. It happened almost every night, and every night more demigods straggled over the property line with the satyr guides, usually with some nasty monsters pursuing them, but almost all of them made it through.

I watched as Tyson led a group of Cyclops builders. They were hoisting huge stones in place for the Hecate cabin, and I knew it was a delicate job. Each stone was engraved with magical writing, and if they dropped one, it would either explode or turn everyone within half a mile into a tree. I figured nobody but Grover would like that.

That evening was the last night of camp—the bead ceremony. The Hephaestus cabin had designed the bead this year. It showed the Empire State Building, and etched in tiny Greek letters, spiraling around the image, were the names of all the heroes who had died defending Olympus. There were too many names, but I was proud to wear the bead. I put it on my camp necklace—three beads now. I felt like an old-timer. I thought about the first campfire I'd ever attended, back when I was thirteen, and how I'd felt so at home. That at least hadn't changed.

"Never forget this summer!" Chiron told us. He had healed remarkably well, but he still trotted in front of the fire with a slight limp. "We have discovered bravery and friendship and courage this summer. We have upheld the honor of the camp."

He smiled at Percy, and everybody cheered. As I looked at the fire, I saw a little girl in a brown dress tending the flames. She winked at me with red glowing eyes. No one else seemed to notice her, but I realized maybe she preferred it that way.

"And now," Chiron said, "early to bed! Remember, you must vacate your cabins by noon tomorrow unless you've made arrangements to stay the year with us. The cleaning harpies will eat any stragglers, and I'd hate to end the summer on a sour note!"

The next morning, Percy and I stood at the top of Half-Blood Hill. We watched the buses and vans pull away, taking most of the campers back to the real world. A few old-timers would be staying behind, and a few of the newcomers, but Percy was heading back to Goode High School for his sophomore year. We managed to convince Chiron to allow me to tag along. It was going to be the first time I would go to school without any of my siblings. But being with Percy made the ache go away a bit.

"Good-bye," Rachel said to us as she shouldered her bag. She looked pretty nervous, but she was keeping a promise to her father and attending Clarion Academy in New Hampshire. It would be next summer before we got our Oracle back.

"You'll do great." I hugged her. I apologized to her for being rude when we first met and she left it off. We got along most times these days.

Rachel bit her lip. "I hope you're right. I'm a little worried. What if somebody asks what's on the next math test and I start spouting a prophecy in the middle of geometry class? The Pythagorean theorem shall be problem two. . . . Gods, that would be embarrassing."

I laughed which made Rachel smile.

"Well," she said, "you two be good to each other." Go figure, but she looked at Percy like he was some kind of troublemaker. Before I could protest, Rachel wished us well and ran down the hill to catch her ride.

I thank the gods, got to stay in New York but not at camp. Dad decided he wanted me to take my mind off the whole Caelan's death thing. So he was sending me to some boarding school in the city.

"And close to me?" Percy asked.

"Well, someone's got a big sense of his own importance." But I laced my fingers through his.

The guard dragon Peleus curled contentedly around the pine tree underneath the Golden Fleece and began to snore, blowing steam with every breath.

"You've been thinking about Rachel's prophecy?" Percy asked me.

I frowned. "How did you know?"

"Because I know you."

I bumped him with my shoulder. "Okay, so I have. Eight half-bloods shall answer the call. I wonder who they'll be. We're going to have so many new faces next summer."

"Yep," He agreed. "And all that stuff about the world falling in storm or fire."

I pursed my lips. "And foes at the Doors of Death. I don't know, Perce, but I don't like it. I thought... well, maybe we'd get some peace for a change."

"Wouldn't be Camp Half-Blood if it was peaceful," Percy said.

'You got that right.. Or maybe the prophecy won't happen for years."

"Could be a problem for another generation of demigods," Percy agreed. "Then we can kick back and enjoy."

I nodded, though still uneasy.

"Race you to the road?" Percy said.

"You are so going to lose." I took off down Half-Blood Hill and Percy sprinted after me.

For once, I didn't look back. 

Here we go, finishing book one and the Percy Jackson series. So the original idea was to have a third and a half book which would be like what happened between Mark Of Athena and The Last Olympian. That has been changed. If you want those scenes, you can request them as one shots.

Next book will be called 'Her Hero' and it should be coming out today. There will be a prologue that will be set in The Lost Hero and The Son Of Neptune. Please enjoy that and be looking out for that book!

What'd you think of the book?

Love you all!