𝒊𝒊. 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆

𝒊𝒗.

Noelle had left Percy with Tyson. Well, she didn't leave them by choice. Annabeth had stomped over, grabbed her arm, and tore her away from the two of them.

"Ow!" Noelle shrieked. "What was that for?"

Annabeth didn't answer until they were near the volleyball courts.

Annabeth let go of Noelle's arm after digging her fingers into the girls tan skin. "You let that... thing into camp? You know how much I hate cyclops!"

"Percy would've died and the bulls would've overrun camp," Noelle argued. "I'm sorry for caring about our home."

"You only cared about your boyfriend," Annabeth snapped.

"That's not true!" Noelle was seething with rage.

First her and Percy had argued. Now, her and Annabeth, her best friend, are arguing.

"Look," Noelle said, her eyes becoming intense, "I'm gonna go and cool off. Find me when you've done the same, and maybe I'll talk to you like a civilized human being."

Noelle didn't give Annabeth the chance to respond because she jogged off to the Big House. She got to the gigantic farmhouse and walked inside. She followed the sound of voices until she was stood in the doorway of Chiron's quarters.

"...only a few weeks of life left unless..."

"Unless what?" Noelle asked, startling both Percy and Tyson.

Noelle wasn't an idiot, she knew they were talking about Thalia's tree. What did confuse her was the sight of Chiron packing his saddlebag. Her brows furrowed, but she refrained from asking more questions. She didn't need more people upset with her.

"No," Chiron said. "A foolish thought. The whole valley is feeling the shock of the poison. The magical borders are deteriorating. The camp itself is dying. Only one source of magic would be strong enough to reverse the poison, and it was lost centuries ago."

"What is it?" Percy asked. "We'll go find it!"

Noelle almost smiled. Percy still wanted to do a quest with her even after their argument. That had to mean he wasn't as mad as he let on.

Chiron closed his saddlebag. He pressed the stop button on his boom box that Noelle didn't even notice was playing. Then he turned and rested his hand on Percy's shoulder, looking him straight in the eyes. "Percy, you must promise me that you will not act rashly. I told your mother I did not want you to come here at all this summer. It's much too dangerous. But now that you are here, stay here. Train hard. Learn to fight. But do not leave."

"Why?" Percy asked. "I want to do something! I can't just let the borders fail. The whole camp will be—"

"Overrun by monsters," Chiron said. "Yes, I fear so. But you must not let yourself be baited into hasty action! This could be a trap of the titan lord. Remember last summer! He almost took your life."

Noelle began to realize why Chiron was leaving. He had been blamed for Thalia's tree being poisoned, even though it was obviously Kronos's doing. Noelle began to feel an even heavier sadness rushing over than when she look at Thalia's poisoned tree.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she tried her best not to let them slip. Chiron had trotted over and brushed a stray tear from her cheek. "Stay with Percy, child," he told Noelle. "Keep him safe. The prophecy— remember it!"

"I will."

"Um..." Percy said. "Would this be the super dangerous prophecy that has me in it, but the gods have forbidden you to tell me about?"