𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐔𝐌 • Heroes of Olympus

XII

Percy

𝐀 𝐅𝐄𝐖 hours out of Charleston, and Percy’s vision was already going blurry.

‘Exhausted’ would've been an understatement.

By the time he, Annabeth and Coach Hedge got onto dry land, Percy could barely control a droplet. 

“Keep moving, cupcakes.” Coach Hedge bounded off along the river bank, looking healthy as ever. “We're on land now. It's not safe.”

Percy tried to stand up. His head screamed Bad idea! Were those stars he was seeing?

“Easy there, Seaweed Brain.” Annabeth was beside him in a second, holding him upright.

For a moment, Percy was blinded by her beauty. Literally. The world had turned into a giant blob of colors. 

Or maybe that was the exhaustion. 

“I can't walk,” Percy said solemnly. He leaned into Annabeth’s shoulder, burying his face in her hair. “You should carry me, Wise Girl. Princess style.”

“You need to sit down.” Annabeth pushed Percy down against a tree. Despite the worry in her eyes, she was smiling. Percy took that as a major win.

“Hedge!” Annabeth called. “We can't move right now. Percy needs to rest.”

Hedge looked unimpressed. “Jackson will be fine. Get going already.”

“No,” Annabeth deadpanned. She folded her arms and glared at Hedge. The satyr glared right back.

After an intense staring contest that lasted maybe 2 minutes, Hedge looked away.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “10 minutes.”

“Yayyy!” Percy leaned back against the tree.

“I should send Chiron an Iris Message,” Annabeth said, walking over to the river. “Let him know about the Romans.”

“I'll go find something to eat.” Without waiting for a reply, Coach Hedge went off. Whether the satyr had a death wish, Percy didn't know.

With a sigh, Annabeth threw a drachma into the rainbow mist from the river. Chiron’s face appeared immediately.

“Annabeth.” The centaur’s smile fell as he took in Annabeth's background. “Where are you? Are you not on the Atlantic yet?”

Percy raised his hand. “Yeah, about that—”

“We're not with the Argo II crew,” Annabeth cut him off.

Chiron frowned. “What? What do you mean?”

Annabeth told the centaur what had happened with the Romans at Fort Sumter. She explained her exchange with Reyna. She let him know about the true seven of the prophecy, and informed him that her and Percy were returning with Hedge.

The kindly centaur’s face seemed to age thirty years during the course of their conversation, but he assured them he would see to the defenses of the camp. Tyson, Mrs. O’Leary, and Ella had arrived safely. If necessary, Tyson could summon an army of Cyclopes to the camp’s defense, and Ella and Rachel Dare were already comparing prophecies, trying to learn more about what the future held. By the time Percy and Annabeth got to camp, they would be ready.

After the Iris Message, Annabeth came to sit beside Percy. He took her hand in his. They sat like that, holding hands, until Hedge finally returned, very much alive. He dropped a box of donuts infront of the demigods.

“Eat up, cupcakes,” he said, joining them on the ground. “It seems we're in South Carolina. Which means”—he took a huge bite of the cardboard box—“we’ve still got a long way to go.”