that summer |percabeth au| ✔︎

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE - Go Win

Seas the Moment, Daring Delilah, Chasing Sunsets, The Other Woman, Black Star. Like photographs, the name of every boat told a story.

But of the two dozen vessels lined up for the regatta, there were only two stories I cared about: Queen of Cups, and our number one competitor, Never Flounder.

This was it.

Race day.

I looked up to the sky, and though I couldn't see the constellations in the daylight, I stared into the brightness until white sparks appeared before my eyes.

Please, Lyra. Vega, I thought. Keep us steady. Look out for us today.

"Ten minutes," Percy said, and I nodded, headed belowdecks to get ready.

As Percy made his final checks, I changed out of my dress, putting on a sweatshirt and a pair of drawstring pants he had left on the boat. There was no time to wash off the makeup or twist the ornaments from my hair, so for now, part mermaid I remained.

Steadying myself for the race, I scanned the cabin one last time before the start, taking in the final items Percy had brought on board this morning: First aid kit. Extra food and clothing. Two fire extinguishers. Flare gun. Foghorn. Life buoy.

I took a deep, salty breath, counted the waves lapping against the boat until the fear finally left my limbs.

We wouldn't need any of those things, I told myself. They were just precautions. This wasn't even a real regatta—not like the hardcore competitions you'd sometimes catch on television. This was the Pirate Regatta of Amatheia Cove. Loose rules. Shorter course. Untrained weekend sailors. Cheating encouraged.

"This is it," Percy said, peeking at me through the companionway, and his enthusiasm was sudden and contagious. Captured by the warmth in his smile, I forgot about the houses, the stakes of this race, what it meant if we lost. I forgot about my fears.

"You ready?" he asked. His eyes sparkled like the sea, and I answered him with two steps forward and a kiss as vast and deep as our dreams.

A shot rang out. The line of boats wavered and broke, all of us jockeying for the best position.

I manned the tiller while Percy worked the sails. Per my captain's orders, we'd started behind the line, building up speed and crossing the line the instant the race began. The strategy paid off; we'd gotten a clean lead, breaking away from the knot of inexperienced boaters and successfully avoiding their bad air.

From his position at the boom Percy said, "Travis's main weakness is Never Flounder herself. He's so protective of her that he gets skittish when other boats get too close. He'll round the marks too wide or too tight to avoid a hit, and he'll back off if we're coming at him too hard. That'll be our best chance to gain on him."

I nodded, reviewing the course again in my mind, just as Percy had mapped it out for me. There were three marks we'd have to round, plus other obstacles, and that tricky spot by Seal Rock.

"Annabeth," he said, and when I looked up at his face, he was alight with joy. "We got this."

As the mainsail captured the sea air, fluttering and then smoothing quickly, his smile was unchecked. The breeze was moderate as we headed upwind, and after a moment he flattened the sail to pick up some speed. While the cockier sailors put more draft in their sails, banking on more power, we maintained our lead, moving at a steady clip through the first leg of the course.

Percy was so at ease on the water, such a natural sailor. It was the first I'd seen him really let loose, and though he was focused and serious, he was also at peace. Completely in his element. No matter the outcome of the race, in this moment I was as proud of him as I'd been of his little brother at the parade. I hadn't even told him about the big parade win; I had a feeling James wanted to share that news himself.