Heir of a Titan - Book 2 PJO

Chapter 13: Is it April Fools?

I felt my mouth drop open and my heart smashed on the floor as I watched Raph leave the war council. Clarisse was being unreasonable. And so was Michael for that matter! The fate of...well everything rested on this...on us... and they were arguing over some stupid chariot. I could feel my hands, not only sparking but now I felt the fire flowing in my veins. I felt the anger and bitterness. I felt the stupid petty arguments between the gods and how it translated into their kids. And this is why we are fighting a war; because stupid petty crap like this.

I turned, blinking the golden tears away. I rounded on Michael.

"What in the actual Hades?!" I sighed angrily. I wish I could scream and rage and cry. But my hands now had sputtering flames and I'm pretty sure my hair was starting to have that angry fiery glow. The air around me rippled with extreme heat.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. And saw the steam. I jerked my head and saw Percy. His sea green eyes were filled with sorrow and confusion, but I got his message. "Not here. Not now."

I clamped my hands into fists and threw myself into the chair beside Selina. I folded my arms and ground my teeth. I could feel the eyes of every counselor watching me, but they all avoided eye contact.

Finally Michael Yew said, "Good riddance." Along with his hands.

I narrowed my eyes at my half brother. As if he actually thought that. I was too angry and hurt by Raph to fully tap into the Apollo gift of if he was telling the truth or not. And at this point, I didn't care. He screwed us all over with his dam pride.

"Are you kidding?" Katie Gardner protested. "This is a disaster!"

"She can't be serious," Travis said- his sign wasn't as fluid as some of the others, but I could follow the conversation well enough. "Can she?"

Everyone looked to Chiron for answers. Hoping he would say something along the likes of April fools or got chya! But no such luck. Of course, we're demigods, we never have any good luck on our side.

Chiron sighed. "Her pride has been wounded. She'll calm down eventually." But he didn't look convinced. I knew Clarisse and Raph. They were stubborn. They wouldn't change their minds. Percy looked like he was going to ask something but at a glance at me, still litterly sparking and red puffy eyes from Beckendorf and a quick glance at Annabeth he clamped his mouth shut and shook his head.

"Now," Chiron continued, "if you please, counselors. Percy has brought something I think you should hear. Percy—the Great Prophecy."

Annabeth handed him the parchment. It looked dry and old, and I could see his fingers fumbled with the string. He uncurled the paper, trying not to rip it, and began to read:

"A half-blood of the eldest dogs . . ."

Annabeth interrupted. "That's gods. Not dogs."

"Oh, right," he said.

Chiron was signing fluently now for me, as Percy read, but I could read Percy's mouth as he got the words mixed up and Annabeth had to help.

Being dyslexic is one mark of a demigod, but sometimes I really hate it. The more nervous I was, the worse my reading got. It was even worse when I became deaf and mute. So I understand when Percy's face became red with embarrassment. But glancing around the room no one seemed phased. We all struggled with reading.

"A half-blood of the eldest gods... shall reach sixteen against all odds..."

He hesitated, staring at the next lines. I gulped. Feeling cold dread rise in place of my boiling lava anger.

"And see the world in endless sleep. The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."

He had stopped talking and everyone was sitting forward waiting for him to read the rest.