The Half-Blood Project

42- Foul Waters

Annabeth Chase

When Percy returns alone, it's an omen and not the good kind. It's the kind of omen that makes you believe that the world is a much darker place than it is perceived to be, the kind of omen that coats your tongue and mouth, tasting like the sourness of death. 

I don't like omens. Not good ones, not bad. They are just bringers of uncertain luck. 

I'm sitting at a picnic bench drawing out a battle map of Manhatten with Malcolm, my sister Rosie and another brother Sean when I hear shouts and a commotion down at the beach. I feel my heart quicken and my lungs start to fold into themselves as I run down to the beach where everyone is standing around Percy. 

He stands there on the beach, soaking wet to the bone, Riptide in one hand a photo in the other, which is dry. A painful look is painted on his face. 

"Where's Becken-" My voice dies in my throat, I see Silena, poor, pretty Silena stare at the ground, face paling and tears pooling in her big blue eyes. 

"The ship, it's gone, Charles-" Percy's voice creaks. "He sacrificed himself, he's gone." Percy chokes out and I can see his whole face contort into a saddened rage. Beckendorf was too smart to let himself get caught, he probably did this on purpose, knowing there was no way the both of them could make it. 

Chiron comes galloping down to the beach and corrals everyone but me and Percy away, back towards camp. 

"Percy." My voice is soft as I walk towards him and take his free hand, drawing his tear-filled eyes to me. "It's okay." 

"No, it's not." He drops Riptide onto the sand, landing with a soft thunk. 

I wrap him in a tight hug, he's soaked to the bone, shivering, despite being able to have the ability to keep dry in the water. He smells like seaweed and smoke. 

"He was so ready. So ready to die. And he looked me in the eye and I knew, I knew there was no trying to save him. I should have tried." He cries into my shoulder. 

"No, Percy, you did all that you could, Beckendorf knew the risks, he died a hero," I whisper and when he looks back up at me I lean up and kiss his forehead, it was impulsive and I didn't even know I did until his face turned bright red. 

He gulps. "I need to ask Chiron something, lets go." He sidesteps and walks up the dunes towards the Big House. I stare at him for a moment, as he walks away. I shake my head and follow him to the Big House. 

Chiron, Percy, and a couple of other leadersscounselorse sitting around the ping-pong table in the rec room with a couple of cans of easy cheese and crackers. 

"I've agreed, for the sake of the world and Percy, for you to know the truth." Chiron looks at us, his mysterious dark eyes pinned on Percy who is looking at the centaur intently. 

"In 1945, a prophecy was issued, from an ancient oracle who is nothing but a shell of bones. Now, most of the prophecy was forgotten but the message was clear, a child of the eldest gods would either destroy or save Olympus. And when the gods got wind of this, they did the only thing they thought was right. Wipe out the demigod population." 

"That failed." Conner Stoll laughed through a mouthful of crackers. 

"Indeed. Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus is a Hunter of Artemis, an immortal group of women fighters. That means we have two who could be our savior or destroyer. Nico and Percy." 

"No." Percy cuts in, his voice dark. "No, I am of the prophecies. I won't let Nico die, he won't succumb to that fate, it's me. After all, I'm the one who started this, started the Project."