𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

22 - people are DYING and you're FLIRTING.

˖*࿐ •*⁀➷

BY THE TIME MABEL managed to crawl back into her mind, cementing cracks shut and weaving loose threads back together until she resembled something mildly sane, Hazel and Frank were speeding toward them on Arion.

Her and Percy stood at the edge of the glacier, the son of Poseidon leaning on the staff with the golden eagle while she stood at his other side, arms crossed. They remained close, the profile of her side slotting perfectly against his.

The only remains on the glacier around them were the main gates, which listed sideways, and a tattered blue banner lying over a pile of snow-bricks.

When Hazel and Frank ran up to them, Percy just grinned. "Hey," he greeted, like the four of them were just meeting for lunch or something.

Mabel hated his leisurely attitude sometimes— it spiked her cortisol to insane levels.

''You're alive!" Frank marveled.

Percy frowned, glancing over the edge of the glacier behind him. "That fall? That was nothing. I fell twice that from the St. Louis Arch."

"You did what?" Hazel's eyes widened.

Mabel blew out a breath, still bitter, and grumbled, "Of course you did."

He smiled faintly, brushing his fingers down her back in what was supposed to be a placating motion but just infuriated her further. "Never mind. The important thing was I didn't drown."

"So the prophecy was incomplete!" Hazel smiled brightly. "It probably said something like: The son of Neptune will drown a whole bunch of ghosts."

Percy just shrugged. He was looking at Frank like he was a little miffed. "I got a bone to pick with you, Zhang. You can turn into an eagle? And a bear?"

"And an elephant," Hazel added, pride coating her voice like summer sun.

Mabel cocked a brow at the son of Mars, something mildly impressed flickering over her face— she'd sunk back into that impassive blankness she'd become so comfortable in for the past eight months, the mask of indifference she liked to shut everything away behind. It was easier that way.

"An elephant," Percy echoed, shaking his head. "That's your family gift? You can change shape?"

Frank shuffled his feet, looking uncomfortable. "Uh... yeah. Periclymenus, my ancestor, the Argonaut— he could do that. He passed down the ability."

"And he got that gift from Poseidon," Percy finished, dark brows drawing low. "That's so unfair. I can't turn into animals."

"Oh, poor baby," Mabel deadpanned, brown hair tumbling over her shoulders.

Percy narrowed his eyes at her, like that would hide the flush creeping over his cheeks.

Frank stared at him. "Unfair? You can breathe underwater and blow up glaciers and summon hurricanes— and it's unfair that I can be an elephant?"

Percy considered that. "Okay. I guess you got a point. But next time I say you're a total beast—"

"Just shut up," Frank requested, looking desperate. "Please."

Percy just gave a lopsided grin, faintly tilting his head in an if-you-say-so motion. Mabel tried very hard not to focus on it.

"If you guys are done," Hazel cut in, looking mildly amused, "we need to go. Camp Jupiter is under attack. They could use that gold eagle."