Fire boy and water girl

Connor falls from a tree

   Word of our arrival spread out as soon as we step foot on the beach.

   Connor Stoll spotted us, who was on watch, and  got so excited he fell out of his tree. Something that usually would've made me laugh but unfortunately didn't because of the situation.

  He blew the conch horn and ran to us.

   "Adelaide! Percy!" He asked. "What happened? Where's beckendorf?"

   He saw our expressions and his smile melted. "Oh, no. Poor Silena. Holy Zeus, when she finds out..."

  He put his arm on my shoulder and together we climbed the sand dunes.

   A few hundred yards away, people were already streaming toward us, smiling and excited. We sat at the dinner pavilion and Chiron was the first to get to us.

   "Percy! Adelaide!" He said. "Thank the gods. But where..."

  Annabeth then appeared.

   "What happened?" She grabbed Percy's arm. "Is Luke—"

   How bout, are you okay? And not ask about a traitor. I thought.

   "The ship blew up," He said. "He wasn't destroyed. I don't know where—"

   Silena Beauregard pushed through the crowd and my heart sank.

   Her hair wasn't combed and she wasn't even wearing makeup, which wasn't like her.

   "Where's Charlie?" she demanded, looking around like he might be hiding.

   All I could do was shake my head, tears forming in my eyes as I pushed them away. He didn't make it.

   The old centaur cleared his throat. "Silena, my dear, let's talk about this at the Big House—"

   "No," she muttered. "No. No."

   She started to cry, and the rest of us stood around, too stunned to speak.

   We'd already lost so many people over the summer, but this was the worst. With Beckendorf gone, it felt like someone had stolen the anchor for the entire camp.

   Finally Clarisse from the Ares cabin came forward.

   She put her arm around Silena. They had one of the strangest friendships ever, a daughter of the war god and a daughter of the love goddess, but ever since Silena had given Clarisse advice last summer about her first boyfriend, Clarisse had decided she was Silena's personal bodyguard.

   Clarisse was dressed in her bloodred combat armor, her brown hair tucked into a bandana. She was as big and beefy as a rugby player, with a permanent scowl on her face, but she spoke gently to Silena.

   "Come on, girl," she said. "Let's get to the Big House. I'll make you some hot chocolate."

   Everyone turned and wandered off in twos and threes, heading back to the cabins.

   Nobody was excited to see us now.

   Nobody wanted to hear about the blown-up ship.

   Only Annabeth and Chiron stayed behind.

   Annabeth wiped a tear from her cheek. "I'm glad you're not dead, Seaweed Brain and Tidal wave klutz"

   "Thanks," Percy said.

  "I'm glad I'm not dead too." I said In a attempt to lighten the mood.

   Chiron put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure you did everything you could. Percy will you tell us what happened?"

   I sat silently as Percy went through it again, and he told us about a dream including the Titans.

   Chiron gazed down at the valley. "We must call a war council immediately, to discuss this spy, and other matters."

  "Poseidon mentioned another threat," I said. "Something even bigger than the Princess Andromeda."

  Chiron and Annabeth exchanged looks, like they knew something I didn't. I hated when they did that. It's like when girl, friends have a secret language and can talk with their eyebrows

   "We will discuss that also," Chiron promised.

   "One more thing." Percy took a deep breath. "When I talked to my father, he said to tell you it's time. I need to know the full prophecy."

   Chiron's shoulders sagged, but he didn't look surprised.

   "I've dreaded this day. Very well. Annabeth, we will show Percy the truth—all of it. Let's go to the attic."