pocket full of posies
❛ xiv. dangers of unrequited feelings ❜

━━━━━ POSIE FELT LIKE CRYING. No, really. It wasn't from sadness ( shockingly ), but from the euphoria of reaching Camp Half-Blood safely—and most importantly, not dead. Onesimus kept calling her dramatic, but Posie was excited to make it back.

The questers rode on the back of centaurs to make their return, and the excitement Posie felt outweighed any anxiety. She was coming back home; she would see Wyatt and Rose again; she was going back to the Apollo Cabin ( Posie missed her siblings horribly, even their stupid jazz vs. contemporary debates, and even worse—the Shakespeare arguments ). She was going home, and that overpowered any ounce of undetermined anxiety she felt. Posie wasn't exactly sure what she was feeling anxious about—probably a bad omen considering she had the gift of foresight, which Onesimus murmured his agreement to—but she pushed it away at the thought of spending time with her siblings. ( You shouldn't ignore your gut feelings, Onesimus warned her, but Posie only ignored him. )

It didn't take long to reach Camp Half-Blood, luckily—not a long time, at all. They arrived just after Clarisse did, thanks to the centaurs' travel powers. On the way, Posie heard the centaurs murmur excitedly about Dionysus. Apparently, they were anxious to meet the wine god. They had heard he threw some really wild parties, and hoped he would throw one for them. Sadly, there wasn't a party to be greeted with—Mr. D was not in a party mood ( but he never was nowadays ), and instead, all the campers gathered at the top of Half-Blood Hill. They were all waiting anxiously for the questers to come back.

The camp had been through a hard two weeks. The Arts & Crafts Center had burned to the ground from an attack by a Draco Aionius ( which, as far as Onesimus told Posie, was Latin for "really-big-lizard-that-breathes-fire" ). The Big House's rooms were overflowing with wounded. Posie's siblings, who were the best healers, had been working overtime performing first aid. Posie frowned as she spotted Will—her younger brother had his curly blond hair lying flat against his forehead, and he kept rubbing at her blue eyes. He was one of the best healers out of Cabin Seven, but that doesn't mean they need to run him into an infirmary bed. Everybody looked weary and battered as they crowded around Thalia's tree.

They circled the tree, waiting anxiously as Clarisse shuffled forward with the Golden Fleece. The moment the daughter of Ares draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest branch, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from grey to liquid silver. A cool breeze rustled in the branches and rippled through the grass, all the way into the valley.

Everything came into sharper focus—the glow of the fireflies down in the woods seemed much brighter, the smell of the strawberry fields grew sweeter, and the sound of the waves on the beach seemed to be rushing right in Posie's ears. The stars no longer looked dim and dreary in the sky—they were splattered across the dark sky, twinkling like fairy lights. Everything was much more ... magical, almost.

Gradually, the needles on the pine tree started turning from brown to green, and everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but there could be no doubt—the Fleece's magic was seeping into the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison. Chiron ordered a twenty-four/seven guard duty on the hilltop, at least until he could find an appropriate monster to protect the Fleece. He said he'd place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away.

In the meantime, Clarisse was carried on her cabin mates' shoulders down to the amphitheater, where she was honored with a laurel wreath and a lot of celebrating around the campfire. Nobody gave the stowaways ( see in: Posie, Annabeth, and Percy ) a second look, which Posie appreciated. If they did, the three would have to admit they snuck out of Camp to go on this quest, and then they'd be expelled.

Just before the campfire sing-along, they were all sat roasting marshmallows around the fire, listening to the Stoll brothers tell a ghost story about an evil king who was eaten alive by demonic breakfast pastries. Clarisse joined in, telling the kid's tale of the Pied Piper, but with a twist ( a nasty twist, because this was Clarisse, and she loved a lot of good bloodshed ). Then Lee cleared his throat and told a story about a girl who was destined for madness and this boy who—

But Lee never got to finish because Michael booed him and shouted, "Lame! Love stories are over, we need stories about violence!" (Then after, Clarisse cheered Michael on and high-fived him, probably the only time those two would ever be nice to each other. )

Much too soon, the night came to an end, and they all started to get up, but Chiron beckoned Posie over. The other campers started to trickle back to their cabins, but Lee held back, watching Posie walk over to Chiron.

"Go to your cabin for lights out, Mr. Fletcher," said Chiron, placing a hand on Posie's shoulder. "Your sister and I need to talk." He said it like he was reading off Posie's eulogy, and Lee seemed to notice. He shuffled nervously on his feet for a moment, but sighed and ducked his head to run to Cabin Seven, which was dim in the moonlight.

Chiron didn't speak as he picked up Posie and dropped her on his back. He trotted for the Big House, clopping into his office. Posie avoided looking at the boombox she, Percy, and Annabeth had messily dropped back into his office. She sat in the chair in front of his desk as Chiron busied himself with organizing everything.

"You—" Posie's voice faltered, and she winced. Maybe this is why she was so nervous—Chiron ominously said they had a lot of things to discuss when they made it back to Camp. "You said we needed to talk."

A good conversation starter, Posie, Onesimus murmured with a snicker, but Posie shoved his voice into the back of her mind. She didn't need his snarky remarks right now.

For a moment, Chiron didn't respond. Then he said, "Yes. Before I left Camp this summer, I ..." He sighed, and looked at her. "Did you have any more visions? I want your answer, not what Percy said."

"Um ... yeah." Posie shifted in her seat. "A lot of them."

"Tell me all of them. From the first one you had, and then the latest."

The daughter of Apollo racked her brain. The dream of the man speaking to her on her vision of Polyphemus's island felt so long ago, but it only could've been a week or two—but maybe that was the Sea of Monster's magical time working against her.

"It was that night, after the bronze bulls," she started. "My old daggers had been ruined by my, um ..." She glanced up at Chiron, who was watching her expectantly. "Anyway, it was that night I had the first dream. This man talked to me again—the same one from last summer—"

"Miss Easton, a man was talking to you in your dreams?"

"Uh, yes." She nodded. "The same one who talked to me while I had a dream about Poseidon and Zeus fighting. That was the first ever dream he spoke to me—but it kept happening. It happened over the quest last summer, when he told me ..." She trailed off, realizing just how much she was keeping from Chiron. She was going to say: When he told me the name of the voice in my head—the voice in my head that wasn't my voice.

You can't tell him that I'm here, said Onesimus quickly.

But you know who this man is? Posie countered.

... Yes. Onesimus sounded like he choked out the answer. But I can't tell you who he is. I swore on the River Styx I wouldn't. He said bad things would happen if I told you too soon. Bad things would happen to you.

Posie wanted to scream at Onesimus, but she swallowed the anger and looked back at Chiron. "He spoke to me over that quest, and then ... he stopped. For a while. He started talking to me again this summer."

"Right before this quest." Chiron nodded. "What would he say to you?"

Posie faltered for a moment, then she said, "It ... depends. Last summer, he said that I would fall. Or he would show my childhood home, and my dad" —her voice broke, but acted as if it hadn't happened; seeing Beau Easton in that ... way, still haunted her— "and he would say, 'In time, you will understand'."

"But I had a vision of him again the night the bronze bulls attacked," she continued. "Said that I would fall in time, that I'd understand, and that I'd get my answers. But ... he said that I had to help him, and then he would help me."

Chiron interlocked his fingers, his thumbs going around and around as he thought. "You don't believe this man is my father?"

For a moment, Posie was confused. Then she remembered that Kronos was Chiron's father. She supposed there could be worse fathers than Apollo or Beau Easton. "Um ... no. You don't think he is, do you?"

"I don't know enough," the centaur admitted, and a clear invitation for her to keep talking.

"Well ..." Posie shifted in her seat, "the man said we've met—once. But he wouldn't say when. Said that it would give away who he was. And he said helping him would give me answers and ... give him the respect he deserves." She looked back up at Chiron, trying to read his reaction. The centaur pursed his lips and looked off, leaving her to continue. "Um ... the way he helped me was ..." She paused, sucking in her bottom lip. She was getting dangerously close to admitting she could control plagues. Quietly, Onesimus told her to not say anything about that. "He showed me Polyphemus's island," she said. "And the Golden Fleece."

"That's how he helped?" Chiron arched an eyebrow at Posie. "Showing you things your foresight would show you despite him?"

The daughter of Apollo shifted in her seat. "Well ..." she picked at the skin around her nails, "I don't know how to tell you, Chiron."

This time, the centaur raised both eyebrows. "Tell me what, Miss Easton?"

"In the Sea of Monsters, Apollo found me, and—" She took a breath, swallowing the bile in her throat. She had said it aloud to Percy and Annabeth, but they were different. Chiron had known for years Posie had the gift of foresight, and told her nothing, why should she tell him this?

"Plagues," Posie croaked, feeling like her heart was lodged in her throat. "Apollo said I can control plagues."

There was a beat of silence. Then there was a second beat. A third. A fourth—

"Plagues," the teacher repeated, looking stunned.

Posie nodded. "Have you seen a half-blood who could control plagues?" She sounded desperate and pleading, she knew this, but she also was desperate. She didn't want to be this anomaly.

" ... No." Chiron shook his head, but Posie didn't want to believe him. Some part of her insisted that he was lying. "I—I have never seen a half-blood control plagues, Miss Easton."

"You're lying." Posie didn't know why she said it, but she had. "I—You have to be lying. It's been thousands of years, I can't be the first one—" Her voice broke and tears filled her eyes, and she took a shuddered breath. "Chiron—I don't want to be the first one."

The centaur looked pained for a moment, but he sighed and looked down. "Josephine, there are things I cannot tell you—not you specifically, but Camp Half-Blood. But ... I will do everything I ensure your powers won't harm anyone."

"Is it Kronos talking to me?" said Posie, a drop in her shoulders. She had been so sure that Chiron knew something. "Is he trying to get me on his side because he knows I can control plagues?"

"... It is possible it's my father," admitted Chiron. "But ... Tell me more. Has the man said anything more to you?"

Posie didn't want to, but if this was the only way to get answers ... "The man talked to me like he knew I could control plagues—even before I knew. He said if I could understand the power I possess, I could prove to understand ... something. He never said what. He said he knows me well, and ..."

She stopped, and Chiron looked at her expectantly. "Well?"

"He used a dream of my father, Chiron ..." Posie stared at the pictures of past heroes strung on the wall behind Chiron. She wondered if any of them had gone through something like this; she hoped they hadn't.

Chiron's expression turned into something she couldn't quite read, but she figured it was an expression of pity. The centaur knew what Posie had left behind in the Easton house—a terrible father who suffered from fits at night, where he prophesied his own daughter's suffering. "And ..." He sighed and fixed a Celestial bronze pen on his desk. "And what did the man tell you in this vision?"

"He used my dad's ... fit, and my dad's face and voice." The more Posie talked, the angrier she became. This man—whoever he was—used something so traumatic to her as fodder for his stupid message of answers. "He said I should be scared. That 'this' has been done before; 'There are two sides to every coin' is what he said. I remember that very well."

Chiron cantered nervously in his offer, his horsetail swishing nervously. Posie chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before continuing, "I asked him what he meant about this 'other girl'? But he didn't say. All he said was that he hopes I can handle the truth; if I can't, then why was I given the ability?" She frowned, thinking back to the man's tone. "He said it all like he was ... nervous. Like if I couldn't handle the truth, or handle whatever other answer he would tell me, then something bad would happen."

She waited for someone to talk—Onesimus or Chiron. But neither spoke, leaving her to fill the empty sounds with more confessions. "I had this vision of a girl. Well, young woman? She looked—eighteen, maybe? But ... It's hard to explain, okay?" But Posie tried; she told Chiron about the vision she had of Cassius, Fabricius, and Liviana all on a ship that was approaching a stretch of land. How, in the vision, they all spoke in Latin, used the Roman names Mercury and Janus, and talked about storming innocent towns for Sulla—for Rome.

Somehow, Chiron seemed even more nervous. "You think this Liviana girl is this 'other girl' that man told you about?"

"Um ... yeah." Posie nodded. "Before we landed in Miami, I had another vision—of Liviana. Her eyes glowed ... green. The same green that my hands glow when I'm using—"

"Your ability," Chiron caught on grimly.

"Yeah, and her tears were the same color—the color of poison." Posie licked her lips. That image flashed across her mind; Liviana's gaunt face as her blonde hair spread above her head, her eyes glowed, and tears of poison leaked from her eyes. She shook her head. "The man talked to me—We've met. And will again—soon."

"Is that what he told you?" asked Chiron.

Posie nodded. "I'm scared of what he means by that," she admitted.

Chiron's eyes softened. "You shouldn't be scared, Josephine. Now that you've retrieved the Golden Fleece—borders will be stronger than ever. And you're capable of protecting yourself if you were to ever leave Camp Half-Blood."

"Leave?" Posie frowned. "Like ... stay somewhere else?" Was this Chiron's way of kicking her out? Was Posie too much of a liability to stay around so many people with the power of plagues?

The centaur's brown eyes crinkled. "While I was with my brethren, I looked into ... something Apollo told me about. You have a mortal aunt."

"Yeah," agreed Posie. "But ... I don't know where she is. I can't stay with her if I don't know where she is."

"But Apollo knows, and so do I," countered Chiron. From the pocket of his tweed jacket ( Posie had no idea why he still wore that in the height of summer ) he pulled out a folded piece of lined paper. "Information I gathered about your aunt, Shiloh, and her boyfriend—"

"Isaque," answered Posie. "They're still dating?"

Chiron nodded.

"And you stalked them?"

He frowned at the daughter of Apollo. "It was not stalking, Josephine. It was looking into public information. Besides, when I called as a family friend of your mother" —he gave Posie a knowing look; of course Shiloh and Isaque would struggle to understand why Posie had two fathers, especially when Shiloh always assumed the "old lover" who ended up leaving Posie with Beau was a woman— "Shiloh was ecstatic to know her niece was still with family and not in the foster care."

"So ..." Posie tapped a finger on the wooden arm of her chair, "you're saying I should go stay with them?"

Chiron nodded. "And Shiloh and Isaque are willing to move wherever you need to go."

A small spark of happiness ignited in Posie's chest. She missed Shiloh and Isaque horribly. "But ... what exactly do they know? About Beau? About where I was for all those years?"

Chiron smiled slightly. "They know that you and your father decided it would be best—after Mrs. Hall's death—for you to go live with your 'mother's' side of the family. They believe that you live in a big house on a strawberry farm with an uncle—Mr. D—a family friend—myself—and some cousins."

"So the watered-down version of the truth?" Posie countered.

Chiron spread his hands. "You know how the Mist works, Josephine. I promised Shiloh you were living a good life while you were here. She wondered where your mother was, but I just told her that your mother had an important job, but that your mother made sure you had a good life here."

An important job like driving the sun chariot ...

Posie's cheek twitched. "So, they lived in Miami?"

"Not lived, but they were visiting because Isaque's art was in an exhibition down in Miami."

"Where do they live?"

"Hard to say," admitted Chiron. "From what Shiloh told me—they visit many places, sometimes for many months at a time, but they bounce from place to place. She said they had a place in L.A., in San Fran, in New York City—in Manhattan. In D.C.. And ... Maine, oddly enough. Shiloh said she loves winter, and Maine is a very beautiful place."

So they're rich ... Onesimus drawled in the back of Posie's mind, but she paid him no mind.

"Do you think ... it'd be okay to live with them?"

"Do what you want, Josephine," said Chiron. "Do you want to live in the mortal world?"

She found herself nodding. "Yeah, I really want to."

Chiron smiled at her. "When the summer session ends, you'll leave for your aunt. You'll need to talk to her; tell her how you've been, where you want to stay during the year, answer any questions Shiloh'll have for you."

Posie swallowed the prick of anxiety in her throat. That feeling always came back when a new chapter of life started. It was the fear of the unknown. "Chiron ... I know I should've told you all this earlier—"

He raised his hand, and Posie clamped her lips together. "Hindsight is twenty/twenty, Josephine. Even you—with the gift of foresight—suffer from the haziness of the future. But it is good I know now."

She nodded, knowing he was trying to make her feel better. "You don't think it's Kronos, do you?"

Chiron shook his head. "It does not sound like my father, no. But who is speaking to you ... Well, I have some ideas, but we'll see if he speaks to you again."

Posie wanted to ask who Chiron thought was talking to her, but Onesimus deterred her from it. He kept saying the more she talked, the more she came to reveal he was around.

You can't do that! insisted Onesimus. Chiron can't know I'm with you!

Why not? Posie asked.

Because it would ruin everything.

No matter how much Posie asked, or how differently she phrased the question, Onesimus wouldn't add anything more. She rubbed the ring carved out of black marble. Its green eyes taunted her, like it knew something she didn't.

"Thanks, Chiron," she told him, starting to stand up. "I'll call Shiloh this week."

Chiron smiled at her very teacher-like, but his eyes flickered down to the ring. Before he could ask about it, Posie hurried from his office and out of the Big House.

✿

It felt amazing to get back to a normal schedule. It was even comforting to see Austin and Kayla leaning over her creepily, grinning widely when they saw she was awake. She was glad to go back to Will helping her make the beds of Austin and Kayla ( who both always got out of cleaning up ). She even was glad to hear Lee and Michael bickering about who would do what archery lesson ( "I refuse to help Cabin Eleven!" Michael screeched, his ears red in embarrassment.

Lee stifled a snicker. "That's because Travis asked why you were here over Christmas."

"He said I looked like a fucking elf!" )

Overall, Posie was happy to be back. Once the party ponies had headed back to Florida, Chiron made a surprise announcement: the chariot races would go ahead as scheduled. The campers all figured they were history now that Tantalus was gone, but completing them did feel like the right thing to do, especially now that Chiron was back and the camp was safe.

Tyson, who wasn't keen on the idea of getting back on a chariot after his first experience, opted out. He was happy when Percy went to try and find somebody else. Posie just didn't expect Percy to ask her.

"So?" Percy smiled at her. "Will you?"

Posie thought about it for a moment, but shook her head. "Sorry, Perce. I enjoy watching from the sidelines." She squeezed his arm when she spotted his disappointed face. "But I'll cheer you on from the sidelines. Besides, Michael would actually have my head if I raced against him and Lee."

It was two weeks until the race, and Percy and Annabeth trained harder than Posie had ever seen. And the morning of the race—the entire camp was buzzing excitedly, though they kept glancing nervously towards the sky like they expected to see Stymphalian birds gathering—but none did. It was a beautiful summer day with a blue sky and plenty of sunshine. The camp had started to look the way it should look: the meadows were green and lush; the white columns gleamed on the Greek buildings; dryads played happily in the woods.

Rose had a field day teasing Posie, of course. But that was just ... well, Rose. The daughter of Hermes gave Posie a wicked grin when she spotted Percy and Annabeth driving the chariot onto the track. "Didn't he ask you on a date, Posie?"

Posie curled her top lip, feeling her ears burn. "He didn't ask me on a date, Rose! He asked if I wanted to team up with him and Annabeth for the chariot races."

Rose shrugged, waving her hand dismissively. "Schematics." She nudged Wyatt. "Doesn't Percy look at Posie with heart eyes?"

Yes, he does, Onesimus answered, despite knowing Rose couldn't hear him. ( Good thing, too. He would only fuel the daughter of Hermes's teasing. )

The son of Dike sent Rose a look. "Posie's uncomfortable, Rose. Drop it."

Rose gave him a betrayed look. She huffed and sat back on the seats that had been set up for the chariot races. Wyatt looked over at Posie; Sorry about her, the look read. Posie ignored the way Onesimus teased her, trying to calm her frantic heart. She couldn't have a crush on Wyatt. That was stupid!

Wyatt would never like Posie like that. She shouldn't hold out hope just because he shut down Rose's teasing.

The dangers of crushes, Onesimus said in a sing-songy voice.

It's not a crush! insisted Posie.

Unrequited feelings? he then posed.

Posie wanted to argue, but she knew there was no getting through to Onesimus. If anything, he'd just call her foolhardy for trying to argue with him. She shuffled in her seat, hating the feeling. Onesimus did have a point, even if Posie would never admit it to anyone. It was dangerous to have unrequited feelings for someone.

It didn't help Rose's teasing when Percy waved Posie over. She looked to Rose and Wyatt, almost for permission, but Rose's shit-eating grin was back. Posie sneered at the daughter of Hermes, but that was only fodder for the brunette. ( "Posie and Percy sittin' in a tree! C-E-C-S- ... Oh, shit—How do you spell kissing?" ) But Wyatt only smacked Rose across the back of the head, waving Posie to go on. She ignored the horrible kissing noises Rose started to make and walked over.

"Good luck, Percy," said Posie, grinning at him.

From the chariot, Tyson bounded over and gave her a bone-crushing hug. She yelped and tapped his shoulder to tell him to let her down. He grinned down at her, and Posie smiled back. "Good to see you too, Tyson."

"I have helped Percy!" Tyson pointed to the chariot and weapons he had carried all on his back.

Posie glanced at the chariot, trying to figure out what he meant. But she figured it out pretty quickly; the old Athena chariot had been altered slightly, all done by Tyson. The carriage gleamed with bronze reinforcements. The wheels were realigned with magical suspension so it would glide along with hardly a bump. The rigging for the horses was so perfectly balanced that the team turned at the slightest tug of the reins.

"That's amazing Tyson!" Posie gasped. "You did this?"

"Yes!" He nodded happily. "And more!" He looked like an excited child as he brought out two javelins, each with three buttons on the shaft.

The first button primed the javelin to explode on impact, releasing razor wire that would tangle and shred an opponent's wheels. The second button produced a blunt ( but still very painful ) bronze spearhead designed to knock a driver out of his carriage. The third button brought up a grappling hook that could be used to lock on to an enemy's chariot or push it away.

"Careful," warned Tyson as Percy fawned over the javelins. "Others have tricks up their chariots."

"Don't worry, Tyson," said Percy. "Annabeth and I will be—"

"Josephine?!"

The daughter of Apollo flinched at her full name. No one besides Chiron ever called her Josephine, unless ... she was in some sort of trouble.

Michael was hanging halfway out of the Apollo chariot, wagging a finger at Posie. "My baby sister? Fraternizing with the enemy? Betrayal!"

Lee grabbed Michael by the back of the shirt and pulled him back into the chariot. He looked amused, but still gave Posie and Percy an apologetic look.

Posie flushed with embarrassment, turning back to Percy. The son of Poseidon raised his eyebrows at her like, That's your brother? "Sorry, Perce. Michael's, uh ... competitive."

Percy snorted lightly. "Couldn't tell."

She punched his shoulder lightly, giving him a look for the sarcasm. Before he could protest, Tyson gasped excitedly, pulled a wristwatch out of his pocket, and held it out. "Here!" He shoved it into Percy's hands.

The wristwatch didn't look like anything special—just a white-and-silver clock face, and a black leather strap—but Percy still cradled it carefully. "Thanks, man." Percy nodded and put it on.

"Didn't finish in time for the trip," Tyson mumbled. "Sorry, sorry."

"Hey, man. No big deal." Percy shook his head. "You still gave it to me. That's what matters!"

"If you need protection in race," the Cyclops advised, "hit the button."

"Um ..." Percy glanced at Posie, who only shrugged. "Okay, Tyson." He stared at the clock face for a moment, then looked back to Tyson. "And, hey, um, Tyson ... I wanted to say, well ..." Percy stumbled for words, looking embarrassed.

"I know what you will tell me," Tyson said, looking ashamed. "Poseidon did care for me after all."

Posie frowned. "Tyson, what do you mean?"

"Poseidon sent Percy to help me. Just what I asked for."

Percy blinked. "You asked Poseidon for ... me?"

"For a friend," Tyson corrected, twisting his shirt in his hands nervously. "Young Cyclopes grow up alone on the streets, learn to make things out of scraps. Learn to survive."

"That's so cruel!" Posie gasped, a horrified look on her face. "How could they—"

Tyson shook his head earnestly. "Makes us appreciate blessings, Posie. Not be greedy and mean and fat like Polyphemus. But I got scared. Monsters chased me so much, clawed me sometimes—"

"The scars on your back?" Percy said gently, watching Tyson with a sympathetic look.

A tear welled in Tyson's eye. "Sphinx on Seventy-second Street. Big bully. I prayed to Daddy for help. Soon the people at Meriwether found me. Met you. Biggest blessing ever. Sorry I said Poseidon was mean. He sent me a brother."

It was quite possibly the sweetest thing Posie ever heard anyone say.

"Percy!" Annabeth called. "Come on!"

Chiron was at the starting line, ready to blow the conch. But Peryc looked back to Tyson and Posie. "Uh ..."

Before she lost the time, Posie gave him a grin and pulled him in for a hug. "Good luck, Percy!"

✿

One of the first lessons you ever learn living at Camp Half-Blood is not to make bets with any of Hermes's children. But still—campers fall for it.

Making her way back to the stands, Rose had lost interest in the teasing, biding her time with bets on who would win. Connor and Travis surely had stopped by already and probably made some corny jokes while they were at it, but they were long gone. Wyatt gave Posie a relieved smile when she sat beside him.

"Rose bet that Percy and Annabeth will win," he whispered to her.

Posie wanted to say that she knew Lee and Michael would win—sibling pride and all—but she had a feeling Rose was right. Besides, Rose was notorious for winning ... anything that involved money. Posie figured it had to do with Hermes, being the god known for mischief.

"Your pretty boy and Annabeth are gonna win," said Rose smugly, shrugging.

"He's not my pretty boy!"

Chiron blew the whistle—and the race started. And they were off. Posie's eyes stayed glued to the racetrack. She watched as Annabeth and Percy's chariot shot down the track, the wheel gliding beautifully. It wasn't long before they the first turn, and Annabeth and Percy's chariot was a full chariot length ahead of Clarisse, who was busy trying to fight off a javelin attack from the Stoll brothers. Loudly, Rose cheered, "Yes—Travis, Connor!"

"I thought you were cheering for Percy and Annabeth?" Posie asked, ducking as Rose's fist pounded the air.

"I am—but I want drama!"

Wyatt exchanged an exasperated look with Posie.

"We've got 'em!" Percy yelled to Annabeth.

But he spoke too soon.

"Incoming!" Annabeth yelled. She threw her first javelin in grappling-hook mode, knocking away a lead-weighted net that would have entangled them both. Apollo's chariot had come up on their flank. Before Annabeth could rearm herself, Michael threw a javelin into our right wheel. The javelin shattered, but not before snapping some of Athena/Poseidon chariot's spokes. The Athena/Poseidon chariot lurched and wobbled, but somehow—they kept going.

They were now neck and neck with Apollo—with Hephaestus was coming up close behind. Ares and Hermes were falling behind, riding side by side as Clarisse went sword-on-javelin with Connor Stoll.

"You're mine!" Lee yelled. He was driving the Apollo chariot.

"Yeah, right!" Annabeth yelled back. "Eat some shit, sunshine!"

Loudly, Onesimus cackled at the insult.

The daughter of Athena picked up her second javelin—which was a risk considering they still had one full lap to go—and threw it at Lee. Her aim was perfect. The javelin grew a heavy spear point just as it caught Lee in the chest, knocking him against Michael and sending them both toppling out of their chariot in a backwards somersault. The horses felt the reins go slack and went crazy, riding straight for the crowd.

Posie, Rose, and Wyatt scrambled for cover as the horses leaped the corner of the stands and the golden chariot flipped over. The horses galloped back towards their stable, dragging the upside-down chariot behind them.

"... That felt personal," admitted Posie, hand to her chest as she felt her rapidly beating heart. "Annabeth nearly killed me and my brothers ..."

There was a thunder of hooves, and Posie watched as the Athena/Poseidon chariot passed hte starting line and galloped into their final lap. They were slowing slightly—probably from the hit the wheel took—but they were still going by fast. Even worse, the Hephaestus team was still gaining. Beckendorf grinned as he pressed a button on his command console. Steel cables shot out of the front of his mechanical horses, wrapping around the Athena/Poseidon chariot's back rail.

Their chariot shuddered as Beckendorf's winch system started working—pulling Percy and Annabeth backward while Beckendorf pulled himself forward. Posie saw Annabeth flip off Beckendorf before pulling out her knife. She hacked at the cables, but they were too thick.

"Can't cut them!" she yelled.

"I want to bet for Hephaestus!" Rose shouted suddenly.

"Make it twenty drachmas instead of ten, then!" Wyatt pulled Rose back into her seat.

The Hephaestus chariot was now dangerously close, their horses about to trample Percy and Annabeth underfoot—

"Switch with me!" Percy yelled at Annabeth. "Take the reins!"

"But—"

"Trust me!"

The daughter of Athena pulled herself to the front and grabbed the reins. Percy turned, struggling to keep his footing, and uncapped Riptide. He slashed down and the cables snapped like kite string. The Athena/Poseidon chariot lurched forward, but Beckendorf's driver just swung his chariot to their left and pulled up next to them. Beckendorf drew his sword—he slashed at Annabeth but Percy parried the blade away.

They were neck and neck now, and Clarisse came up from behind, making up for lost time.

"See ya, Percy!" Beckendorf yelled. "Here's a little parting gift!"

He threw a leather pouch into their chariot. It stuck to the floor immediately and began billowing green smoke.

"Greek fire!" Annabeth screeched. "Get rid of it!" she shouted, but Percy looked pretty occupied with Beckendorf. If Percy let his guard down long enough to deal with the Greek fire, Annabeth would get sliced and they'd crash anyway.

But then something happened very quickly—too fast for Posie to really make sense of it, but she had a good idea it had to do with the watch Tyson gave his brother. Suddenly, a metal rim spiraled outwards like an old-fashioned camera shutter, a leather strap wrapped around Percy's forearm—until he was holding a round war shield four feet wide. Too far away to see it in great detail, Posie just saw enough to see Beckendorf's sword shatter the moment it clanged against the shield.

"What?" he shouted as Posie and Rose let out shrieks of delight. "How—"

He didn't have time to say more because Percy knocked him in the chest with his new shield and sent the son of Hephaestus flying out of his chariot, tumbling in the dirt. Percy was getting ready to slash the Hephaestus driver when Annabeth shouted, "Percy!"

The Greek fire was shooting sparks. Percy shoved the tip of Riptide under the leather pouch and flipped it up like a spatula. The firebomb dislodged and flew into the Hephaestus chariot at the driver's feet. He yelped.

In a split second, the driver made the right choice: he dived out of the chariot, which careened away and exploded in green flames. The metal horses seemed to short-circuit. They turned and dragged the burning wreckage back towards Clarisse and the Stoll brothers, who had to swerve to avoid it.

And then? Percy and Annabeth won. There was thunderous applause. In the roaring crowd, Posie jumped up and down, laughing with delight. Over the crowd, Posie heard Wyatt yell, "Well, Rosie? I want my twenty drachmas!"

"What do you mean?!" Rose squawked. "I betted for Percy and Annabeth!"

"Bullshit, Ashford!"

Posie grinned at the exchange, watching as Wyatt started to pull Rose into a headlock. Quietly, in the back of her mind, she heard Onesimus cough not-so-discreetly. She'd never admit it to him, but ... there was danger in having unrequited feelings.

✿  NOV. 18TH, 2023  /  hey ,, how y'all doing

a small perlisa cameo early in the chapter because i miss them

it's always jarring writing for pfop after a long time, mainly bc of onesimus- with him, this fic is very different from any of my other fics. so getting back into the mindset where i have him making comments, and have him and posie having conversations is, not really hard, but ... hard to remember- if that makes sense. like i've written whole chapters and forgot to include onesimus, so i had to go back in and add him

don't worry if you feel like you don't understand what posie and chiron talked about- there's a lot of callbacks to act one as a whole, and stuff that happened in act two (obvi lol) so a lot of nitty-gritty details you probs missed just casually reading. like i'm the author and i had to go through chapters i was referencing and pulling details from to make sure i was getting the information right- so definitely do not worry lol

i think now there will be only one more chapter for this act?? (don't hold me to that, i may add a scene i took out earlier,, but we'll see)

anyways,, thoughts? opinions??

(not edited nor proofread)