SERENDIPITY ~ a. chase

xix ~ The Inevitable Truth is Revealed

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chapter nineteen ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
019. The Inevitable Truth is Revealed

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CASSIE WAS FEELING A SERIOUS SENSE OF DEJA VU. Being in the car Argus was driving with Annabeth, Percy, and Grover reminder her of their first quest together. It was unbelievable that that was two year ago now.

Manhattan was much less busy than the first time they sat in this car together. It was the Friday before Christmas and so early that barely anyone was on Fifth Avenue. Argus had picked them up from the Empire State Building after Percy made a few Iris-messages.

There was a light snowstorm pelting the car windows. The Long Island Expressway was nearly deserted. Once they got to camp they plowed their way up Half-Blood Hill, greeted by Thalia's pine tree still baring the Golden Fleece. Cassie slightly frowned at the daughter of Zeus' absence, they had gotten closer during the quest.

Of course the group was happy for the new lieutenant of Artemis. She could enjoy her adventures with the hunters, less worry on her shoulders. They were welcomed at the Big House with hot chocolate and grilled cheese sandwiches curtesy of Chiron.

Grover had left them to tell his satyr friends all about the occurrence of Pan's magic. Word spread quickly and within an hour many satyrs were hurrying every which way asking for espresso.

Cassie, Annabeth, and Percy were busy meeting with the other senior campers. Among them were Beckendorf, Silena, and the Stoll twins. Cassie was overjoyed to see Clarisse back from her mission, less happy with the new scars and cuts on her sister. Clarisse had decided to join Cassie's signature hair cut, carelessly snipped at with scissors all short and raggedy.

"I got news. Bad news." Clarisse informed them.

"I'll fill you in later," Chiron moved on, forcing a smile, "The important thing is you have prevailed. And you saved Annabeth!"

Annabeth shot Cassie and Percy a grateful smile, more directed at the former who blushed and averted her eyes to the table. Strange timing, but she found herself thinking back to the red-headed mortal girl that saved her at the Hoover Dam, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Her comment stuck with Cassie, filling up her head. Do you always kill people when they blow their nose?

They were really only alive because of the random people helping them along the way. Even a random mortal girl like Rachel who had no reason to. Maybe Cassie shouldn't have left her clueless about everything.

"So Luke is alive as much as that sucks," Cassie announced, "and Annabeth was right, no surprise there."

Annabeth perked up in her chair. "How do you know?"

Cassie scoffed under her breath at the blonde's interest. Percy, sensing the tension, took over explaining him and his father's conversation about the Princess Andromeda.

"Well, if the final battle does come when Percy is sixteen, at least we have two more years to figure something out." The daughter of Athena strategized.

The brunette got the feeling that by 'figure something out,' Annabeth meant 'try to get Luke to realize he's being stupid and change his ways,' which seemed to frustrate her more.

Chiron held a gloomy look on his face and the wrinkles between his eyebrows made him look extremely old. He was old but usually it wasn't as noticeable.

"Two years may seem like a long time. 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," Chiron expressed his worries.