︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

DAYS IN THE SUN

chapter thirty-six
❛ 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚕, 𝚒 𝚊𝚖 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚋𝚒𝚐 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛. ❜

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

AMARA'S FINGERS RAN through Aella's mane, the storm spirit standing perfectly still as the adoptive family prepared her for the journey ahead. Blackjack, Percy's steed, was beside her as he waited patiently for her to finish her work on the wind and lightning pegasus.

"Are you sure you have everything?" Silena demanded, the older girl held a worried look as she eyed her boyfriend. "Really Charlie, why does it have to be you?"

Charles Beckendorf held a smile, pushing back his girlfriend's hair as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "I think, Amara already beat you to that talk." He teased, the couple's eyes landing on the brunette.

She had asked Beckendorf to trade her places, or, in the very least let her go with him. But the son of Hephaestus had smiled, ruffled her hair, and said it was a simple mission that he and Percy could handle.

So, Amara made him take Aella. He tried protesting, but stopped after thunder roared across the sky.

"I'll be okay," he promised. Charles ran his fingers over the daughter of Aphrodite's face, analyzing her features as he pressed one more kiss to her lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

With that, Silena made her out of the stables to give the adoptive siblings a moment.

"You know it's weird," Beckendorf admitted, standing beside the younger girl. "Usually, it's me seeing you off on a quest. Now, it's the other way around."

Amara hummed, rubbing Aella one more time before turning to face her adoptive brother. "It's strange," the older boy continued. "I'm so used to worrying about you."

She rolled her eyes playfully, giving the boy a small shrug. "You can't worry about me forever, Charlie. Besides, you need looked out for more than I do."

He laughed, throwing his arms around her shoulder and pulling her into his side. "If I didn't look out for you, Ara," Beckendorf gave her a pointed look. "Who would? It's my job as your older brother, age will never stop that."

Silence over fell the duo, the reality creeping in.

"My boy," hoofs trotted their way into the stables as Chiron appeared. "It is time."

Amara's grip on the older boy loosened, a shaky breath escaping as electric blue met warm brown.

"You're coming back." She demanded, not asking to ensure he would.

Charles smiled, "I'll come back, I promise. After all, I am your big brother."

She groaned. Beckendorf had been rubbing it in over the past year, but, the brunette always secretly enjoyed it.

A frown curled onto her lips, worry flooding into her electric blue eyes as Charles gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry," he said. "Besides, what would you do without me?"

"Be Jada's favorite."

"That's harsh Ara," he faked a wince. "I'm hurt."

She laughed, a smile replacing her frown as the son of Hephaestus grinned.

"Beckendorf," Charles called. The centaur held a sad look, he could never get used to seeing the campers being forced to make these types of goodbyes.

"I'll be back before you know it." The dark skinned boy promised, slipping on Aella. Amara gave a soft wave, a faint smile resting on her lips as Beckendorf and Blackjack took off into the sky. The duo was heading off with one goal, finding Percy Jackson.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Throughout the day, Amara hadn't been able to sit still. Before he left Beckendorf had asked for a favor, requesting that someone stay with his little sister and girlfriend. He knew the two would be anxious, so Clarisse La Rue and Jake Mason watched over the girls.

Jake was with her everywhere she went, which had been a lot considering she couldn't sit down for longer than twenty minutes before needing to find something else to occupy her.

It was worse when night fell, the son of Hephaestus had to almost wrestle the younger girl in staying within his cabin walls. The brunette insisted on looking for Beckendorf and Percy, but with a little help from melatonin that Charles had given him, Jake was able to get the electric blue eyed girl to sleep.

The next day, the Mason boy had been able to occupy Amara by bringing her into the workshop. The duo sat there working for who knows who long, until Clarisse had made her way inside the cabin with Silena by her side.

"Hey," Clarisse greeted. The raven haired girl beside her held a smile, baby blue eyes shining. She was practically jumping in place. "Percy's back, Annabeth said he's in the dining pavilion."

The daughters of Zeus and Aphrodite shared a look, Amara's project long forgotten as the duo took off running. "Wait up!" Jake yelled, he and the daughter of Ares sharing a look before they chased after the girls.

When they arrived at the dining pavilion, there was already a big crowd surrounding who Amara assumed was the sons of Hephaestus and Poseidon. She and Silena started pushing their way through the crowd, Jake and Clarisse right behind them.

"What happened?" She heard Annabeth say. "Is Luke—"

"The ship blew up," Percy spoke, and the brunette felt like the sky had just been lifted off her shoulders. He was okay. "He wasn't destroyed. I don't know where—"

The brunette broke through the crowd first, sea green eyes landing on her. But she wasn't looking at him, her eyes looking for a certain dark skinned boy. Silena and the children of Hephaestus and Ares broke through as well.

"Where's Charlie?" The raven haired girl asked, a wide smile lacing her perfect lips.

Percy held a helpless expression, his only response being the look he sent their camp director.

"Silena, Amara," Chiron cleared his throat. "My dears, let's talk about this at the Big house—"

"No," Silena muttered. "No, no."

"Amara," Percy attempted to step forward, but she had stepped back. She knew it was impossible for a heart to break, but she was pretty sure hers did. "I'm so sor—"

He was interrupted by the daughter of Aphrodite falling to her knees, sobs racking her body as Clarisse slid beside her. Amara used it to her advantage, disappearing into the crowd as she ran.

"Amara!" Percy's yell reached her ears, but she kept running and could vaguely hear footsteps racing after her.

She just ran, her mind racing as the world became numb around her. Her mind was her worst enemy right now, memories flashing through her eyes.

"Come on Amara," the nine year old Beckendorf held a warm smile, his hand outstretched towards the six year old before him. "It's going to be okay, I'll be your friend. It doesn't bother me if you're a child of Zeus, I think that's really cool."

A branch hit the daughter of Zeus, scratching the demigods arm before she kept going.

"It's okay to be afraid of the water," Beckendorf admitted, the ten year old kicked his feet easily in the water. The seven year old watched him with fear, holding on tightly to the pier's railing. "Everyone's afraid of something, it takes courage to admit it out loud."

She raced through a bush, jumping over a small stream as her feet pounded against the earth once more.

"Run, Amara!" Beckendorf yelled, the eleven year old right behind the eight year old as he kept the other campers at bay. "Get the flag back to our side!"

She nearly ran into a tree, easily side steeping around it and kept going.

"It's okay to be sad," Charles admitted, holding the nine year old in his arms as she sobbed. The twelve year had made his way into her cabin, checking up on her after realizing she hadn't left it all day. "I know you miss Thalia, and she would be proud of you. I am."

Amara's breathing began to grow heavy. Her eyes glassing over, but she kept going.

"Geez Ara," Beckendorf was leaning against the railing as he watched the ten year old hold one of their campers at sword point. Her head was tilted, a smirk lacing her lips as her family's nickname for her escaped from the thirteen year old for the first time. "Does the word going easy mean anything to you?"

She shook her head, trying anything to push away the memories that kept flooding her mind.

"You know," Beckendorf had his backpack swung over his shoulder, packed to go home for the school year with his mom. "You're more than welcome to come with us, mom wants to meet you." The fourteen year old offered, but she shook her head. "I have Luke and Beth," the eleven year old argued. He only smiled, ruffling her hair.

Her foot got caught on a branch, snagging it and she was sent crashing down into the ground.

"Thank you," Charles said, walking around a mall with the twelve year old who held a wonder filled look in her eyes. "For giving me and mom a chance," the fifteen year old said.

She analyzed her location, figuring out where it is she had ran too until her eyes landed on Zeus' fist.

"I can't believe it," Beckendorf teased, narrowly missing the thirteen year's punch. "You're getting along with Percy Jackson. Maybe miracles do exist." The sixteen year old smiled. "Charles!" Jada scowled, her eyes narrowed. "Leave the poor girl alone."

The footsteps behind her seemed to cease, but she had no desire to look back as her fingers dug into the grass beneath her. Amara's breathing was uneasy, tears pooling in her eyes as they streamed down her cheeks. Her body shaking.

"It's your birthday and you could've gone anywhere," Beckendorf teased the fourteen year old. "And you picked, a library?" Amara smirked, bumping her shoulders into his. "What? Never seen one before?" Jada laughed, watching the siblings interact before the seventeen year old trapped the girl within his arms. Tickling her, causing laughs to emit from both the demigods.

The wind had began to pick up, swirling around the daughter of Zeus as her electric blue eyes flashed to teal.

"Amara Rose Grace-Beckendorf," the son of Hephaestus tested the sound of it, sitting beside the fifteen year old who held the adoptive papers in her hand. The eighteen year old held a smile, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. "I love you Ara, thank you for allowing me to call you my little sister."

Wind spirits flew around the girl in a circle as her head hit the floor. Her hands held onto her shirt, over her heart as thunder rumbled in the sky above.

Arms wrapped around her shoulders, holding the demigod as she cried. She felt like someone had torn her heart from her chest, squeezing until there was nothing left. A scream erupted, sobs falling from her lips as lightning struck only a couple feet away and Jake Mason's grip around her tightened.

Charles Beckendorf was dead, her adop—older brother was dead. Two thoughts ran through her mind. One being the fact he would never come back to her again, and the other being how was she going to face Jada Beckendorf and tell her that her only son died?

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Chiron had given cabin nine and the daughters of Zeus and Aphrodite a couple hours, reality setting in before they were summoned to a head counselor meeting at the big house.

Clarisse stood in front of the ping pong table. She was dressed in her bloodred bronze armor, the boar shaped helmet stuffed under her arm next to a knife that hung loose from her belt and the dirty blonde's electric spear had been strapped on her back.

The daughter of Ares was yelling at Micheal Yew, the new head counselor of the Apollo cabin. "It's our loot!" He yelled, standing on his tiptoes so he could get in Clarisse's face. "If you don't like it, you can kiss my quiver!"

The other head counselors struggled to hold in their laughs. Travis and Conner Stoll had permanent grins on their lips, Katie Gardner scoffing at the brothers but she too held a small smile. Pollux from the Dionysus cabin was on the other side of the daughter of Demeter, an amused look on his face.

Silena wasn't paying attention, she sat beside the daughter of Ares. Her baby blue eyes were vacant, red and puffy as she stared mindlessly at the cup of hot chocolate in front of her.

Jake Mason sat beside Amara, the son of Hephaestus managing a faint smile at the argument. The daughter of Zeus wore one of Beckendorf's hoodies, she had stolen it from his closet and often wore it to school. She could smell his cologne, the faint scent of fire sticking to the material.

"Stop it!" A voice yelled, earning the head counselors attention as the demigods looked at Percy Jackson. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, Annabeth and Chiron by his side. "What are you guys doing?"

Clarisse glowered at him. "Tell Michael not to be a selfish jerk."

"Oh, that's perfect, coming from you," the son of Apollo spat.

"The only reason I'm here is to support Silena!" The dirty blonde shouted. "Otherwise I'd be back in my cabin."

"What are you talking about?" Percy demanded.

Pollux cleared his throat. "Clarisse has refused to speak to any of us, until her, um, issue is resolved. She hasn't spoke for three days."

"It's been wonderful," Travis said wistfully.

"What issue?" The Jackson boy asked.

Clarisse turned to Chiron. "You're in charge, right? Does my cabin get what we want or not?"

The camp director shuffled his hooves. "My dear, as I've already explained, Micheal is correct. Apollo's cabin has the best claim. Besides, we have more important matters—"

"Sure," the daughter of Ares snapped. "Always more important than what Ares needs. We're just supposed to show up and fight when you need us, and not complain!"

"That would be nice," Conner muttered.

Clarisse gripped her knife. "Maybe I should ask Mr. D—"

"As you know," Chiron interrupted, his tone filled with slight anger. "Our director, Dionysus, is busy with the war. He can't be bothered with this."

"I see," she said. "And the senior counselors? Are any of you going to side with me?"

The head counselors smiles dropped, the amusement wiped from their faces as they refused to meet the daughter of Ares' eyes

"Fine," Clarisse turned to the daughters of Aphrodite and Zeus, sparing them a faint smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get into this when you've just lost . . . Anyway, I apologize. To you two. Nobody else."

Niether one of the girls seemed to register her words, Silena's attention locked on her hot chocolate while Amara mindlessly played with her hoodie strings.

The dirty blonde threw her knife into the ping pong table. "All of you can fight this war without Ares. Until I get satisfaction, no one in my cabin is lifting a finger to help. Have fun dying."

Clarisse stormed out of the room, leaving the demigods in a state of shock.

"Good riddance," Micheal Yew finally spoke.

"Are you kidding?" Katie protested. "This is a disaster!"

"She can't be serious," Travis said. "Can she?"

Chiron sighed. "Her pride has been wounded. She'll calm down, eventually." But, he didn't sound entirely convinced before continuing. "If you please, counselors, Percy has brought something I think you should hear. The Great Prophecy."

Annabeth handed Percy a parchment.

"A half-blood of the eldest dogs . . ."

"Er, Percy?" The blonde interrupted. "That's gods, not dogs."

"Oh, right," he said. "A half-blood of the eldest gods . . . shall reach sixteen against all odds . . ."

He hesitated. "And see the world in endless sleep . . . The Hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."

"Percy," Chiron urged. "Read the rest."

"A single choice shall . . . shall end his days. Olympus to per—pursue—"

"Preserve," Annabeth said gently. "It means to save."

"I know what it means," he grumbled. "Olympus to preserve or raze."

The room was silent, the head counselors taking in the newest prophecy. "Raise is good," Conner said. "Isn't it?"

"Not raise," Silena spoke for the first time, her voice hallowed out from crying. "R-a-z-e means destroy."

"Obliterate," Amara continued, her boyfriend's eyes landing on her. Her throat hurt, her voice was cracking from her screaming earlier. "Annihilate. Turn to rubble."

"Thank you, Mara." Percy spoke gently, but even that couldn't hide his rage from the prophecy's words.

"You see now, Percy." Chiron had his eyes closed, as if he was praying. "Why we thought it best not tell you the whole prophecy. You've had enough on your shoulders—"

"Without realizing I was going to die in the end anyway?" The son of Poseidon spat. "Yeah, I get it."

The centaur gazed at him sadly. Amara's nails dug into her palm, her electric blue eyes had became locked on her boyfriend after his comment.

"Percy," Annabeth said. "You know prophecies always have double meanings. It might not literally mean you die."

"Sure," he agreed. "A single choice shall end his days. That has tons of meanings, right?"

"Maybe we can stop it," Jake offered. He gently peeled opened the brunette's hand besides him, tearing her fingers away. "The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap. Maybe we could find this cursed blade, and destroy it. Sounds like Kronos's scythe, right?"

"Perhaps we should let Percy think about these lines," Chiron said. "He needs time—"

"No." Percy folded up the prophecy and shoved it into his pocket. "I don't need time. If I die, I die. I can't worry about that, right?"

Amara's grip on the son of Hephaestus' hand tightened, shocking the older boy as he prevented his body from jolting due to the sudden movement. It was the most she had done in hours, basically becoming limp ever since she heard the news.

"Let's move on," the sea green eyed boy said. "We've got other problems. We've got a spy."

Micheal Yew scowled. "A spy?"

Percy explained to them what happened on the princess Andromeda, how the Titan lord knew their plan all along and shown the son of Poseidon a silver scythe pendant he had been using to communicate with someone at camp.

Silena started crying again, her sobs filling the room while the daughter of Athena rubbed the girls arm.

"Well," Conner said uncomfortably. "We've suspected there might be a spy for years, right? Somebody kept passing information to Luke, like the location of the Golden Fleece a couple of years ago. It must be somebody who knew him well."

She didn't know if it was subconsciously, but Percy had briefly looked at Annabeth. He looked away however, once he was shot a glare by the electric blue eyed girl. "It could be anybody."

"Yes," Katie agreed, eyeing the Stoll brothers. "Like one of Luke's siblings."

The sons of Hermes immediately started arguing with the daughter of Demeter.

"Enough!" Silena's hand banged against the ping pong table, spilling her hot chocolate. "Charlie's dead and . . . and you're all arguing like little kids!"

"She's right," Pollux said at last. "Accusing each other doesn't help. We need to keep our eyes open for a silver necklace with a scythe charm. If Kronos had one, the spy probably does too."

Micheal grunted. "We need to find this spy before we plan our next operation, blowing up the princess Andromeda won't stop Kronos forever."

"No indeed," Chiron agreed. "In fact his next assault is already on the way."

Percy scowled. "You mean the 'bigger threat' Poseidon mentioned?"

"Percy," the centaur said. "We didn't want to tell you until you returned to camp. You needed a break with your . . . mortal friends."

Amara's brow lifted at that, her gaze landing on her boyfriend.

"Tell me what's happened," Percy said, avoiding his girlfriend's questionable look.

Chiron picked up a bronze goblet from the snack table, tossing water onto the hot plate. Steam billowed up, making a rainbow in the fluorescent lights. The camp director fished a golden drachma out of his pouch, tossed it through the mist, and muttered, "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show us the threat."

The mist shimmered, the side of Mount St. Helens exploding with fire, ash, and lava rolling out. A newscaster's voice was talking "—even larger than last year's eruption, and geologists warn that the mountain may not be done."

The explosion had been far worse than the damage Percy had caused last summer, the mountain was tore apart and collapsed inward. A form rose out of the smoke, unfazed by the lava as Amara's eyes landed on the monster.

The giant was bigger than anything she'd ever encountered. It was hard to make out its exact form through the ash and fire, but it was vaguely humanoid. The mountain shook with a rumbling, as if the creature were laughing.

"It's him," Percy said. "Typhon."

Chiron nodded. "The most horrible monster of all, the single biggest threat the gods ever faced. He has been freed from under the mountain at last, but this scene is from two days ago. Here is what is happening today."

With a wave of his hand, the image changed. Storm clouds rolled across midwest plains, lightning flickering in the sky. Tornadoes destroyed everything in its path, houses, trailers, cars. Amara leaned forward slightly, eyeing a bolt of lightning that was aimed for the tornado.

"Monument floods," an announcer was saying. "Five states declared disaster areas as the freak storm system sweeps east, continuing its path of destruction."

The cameraman zoomed in on the tornado. Within the storm she was able to see small glimpses of the giant, a smoky arm, and a dark clawed hand. Smaller forms darted through the storm, circling Typhon as the creature tried swatting them.

Amara was able to make out a golden chariot flying through the darkness, a monstrous owl diving in for an attack.

"Are those . . . the gods?" Percy asked.

"Yes, Percy," Chiron said. "They have been fighting him for days now, trying to slow him down. But Typhon is marching forward, toward New York. Toward Olympus."

"How long until he gets here?"

"Unless the gods can stop him? Perhaps five days. Most of the olympians are there . . . except your father, who has a war of his own to fight."

"But then who's guarding Olympus?"

Conner shook his head. "If Typhon gets to New York, it won't matter who's guarding Olympus."

"It's a trick," Percy said. "We have to warn the gods. Something else is going to happen."

The centaur looked gravely. "Something worse than Typhon? I hope not."

"We have to defend Olympus," the son of Poseidon insisted. "Kronos has another attack planned."

"He did," Travis reminded him. "But you sunk his ship."

Everyone looked at him.

"Maybe you're right," Percy agreed after a moment.

"Well," Chiron said after a moment. "I think that's enough for one night."

He waved his hand and the steam dissipated, the stormy battle of Typhon and the gods disappeared.

"That's an understatement," Amara muttered, earning a look from the counselors as she made her way out the door with Jake Mason by her side.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

The next day, Amara had been assigned to do cabin inspections. Usually it was a one demigod type of job, but Chiron didn't seem to bother hiding his worry over her after Beckendorf so he assigned Annabeth to be paired with her.

They had started at the Zeus cabin, the daughter of Athena assigning the only resident of cabin one five out of five. Amara was a tidy person, but, ever since what happened with Charles . . . she's either been in cabin nine or ten with the children of Hephaestus and Aphrodite.

The duo skipped Hera's cabin, moving on to Poseidon where the Jackson boy awaited with a stack of reports in hand. It was still a bit messy, despite it just being Percy. He had semi made his bunk bed, and straightened the Minotaur horn on the wall.

"I think," he started. "It deserves a four out of five."

Annabeth scoffed. "You're being generous."

Amara picked up a pair of short, raising at brow at her boyfriend. "Generous, huh?

Percy snatched them away, giving his girlfriend a small eyeroll. "Give me a break, Mara." He lightly begged. "Tyson isn't around to clean up after me this summer."

"Three out of five," Annabeth said, taking charge as Percy sent the daughter of Zeus a pleading look.

"Sorry, Seaweed Brain," the brunette had a faint smirk laced on her lips. "There's no saving you from this one."

The trio moved on, Percy keeping a close eye on his girlfriend beside him. Despite the fact she had managed to form something on her lips that had been straight since yesterday, it didn't meet her eyes.

The light that was once there only twenty four hours ago, was gone. It reminded him of when he first met Amara, her electric blue eyes had been dimmed out and replaced with a broken, hallowed look.

They stopped outside the Aphrodite cabin. The beds were perfectly made, clothes color coordinated with fresh flowers blooming on the windowsills. Annabeth had given it a five out of five, the brunette making her way to Silena's side.

"Great job as usual, Silena." The blonde complimented.

The older girl only merely nodded, a sleeping bag neatly made was besides her bunk. The walls were decorated with pictures of Beckendorf, Amara, and the daughter of Aphrodite's family.

"Bonbon?" Silena offered, a box of chocolates laid on her lap. "My dad sent them. He thought . . . he thought they might cheer me up."

"Are they any good?" Percy asked.

"They taste like cardboard," Amara murmured.

With a shrug, the son of Poseidon tried a piece of chocolate while the electric blue eyed girl promised to see the Beauregard girl later and they were on their way.

Another fight had broken out between cabins five and seven, the demigods crossed over to the commons area. Some of the Apollo campers were armed with firebombs, flying over the god of war's cabin in a chariot pulled by two pegasus. The roof of cabin five caught on fire, naiads rushing from the canoe lake to spray water on it.

The Ares campers called upon a curse, and the children of Apollo's arrows turned to rubber. But the children of the sun god kept shooting, despite the arrows bouncing off everything. Archers ran past the trio, a child of Ares on their tail with his sword raised.

"Curse me, eh? I'll make you pay!" The Ares kid cried. "I don't want to rhyme all day!"

"Not that again," Amara mumbled, rolling her eyes at Micheal Yew who taunted an Ares camper. "Last time Apollo cursed a cabin, it took a week for the rhyming couplets to wear off."

"What are they fighting about anyway?" Percy asked, but she didn't answer. Her attention was lost, focused on the fighting breaking out only mere feet away.

He admired his girlfriend next to him, not having the chance to really see her since the raids against Luke's army began. Chiron had tried keeping him out of it as long as possible, until, the princess andromeda.

She had grown a couple of inches since last summer, but Percy still had the upper hand as he towered over her. The Jackson boy always enjoyed it, making it more fun when he would pick her up unguarded. During the past almost year of their relationship, Amara seemed to become much more mature and settled into herself than before. To him, the daughter of Zeus was seriously starting to become beautiful.

"The flying chariot."

"What?"

A faint smile twitched at the corner of Amara's lips from the boy. "You asked what the children of Ares and Apollo were fighting about."

"Oh, right."

"They captured it in a raid in Philadelphia last week," she explained. "Some of Luke's demigods were there with that flying chariot. The Apollo cabin seized it during battle, but it was the Ares cabin who led the raid. So, they've been fighting about who gets it ever since."

The trio was forced to duck, Micheal Yew's chariot dive bombed an Ares camper. The camper tried stabbing him, cursing the son of Apollo in rhyming couplets.

"We're fighting for our lives," Percy said in disbelief at the scene before them. "And they're bickering about a stupid chariot."

"They'll get over it," Annabeth reassured. "Clarisse will come to her senses."

The son of Poseidon continued to look through more reports as the girls inspected the rest of the cabins. Demeter got a four, Hephaestus got a three. Annabeth left Amara in charge of that one, not wanting to step on the brunette's toes with Beckendorf gone. Hermes got a two, not a surprise considering all the demigods that had been shoved into cabin eleven.

Last but not least, the trio's final stop was the Athena cabin. The cabins had books straight on the shelves, armor's were polished clean with battle maps and blueprints decorating the walls.

The only empty bunk, had been Annabeth's. The blonde's bed was covered in paper, the silver laptop from Daedalus still running.

"Vlacas," the daughter of Athena muttered, calling herself an idiot as a son of Athena walked up to the trio with a suppressed smile. "Yeah, um . . ." Malcolm was second in command, one of Annabeth's half-siblings. "We cleaned everything else, didn't know if it was safe to move your notes."

"Safe choice," Amara held a small, barely noticeable smile on her lips.

Malcolm grinned at the daughter of Zeus. "We'll wait outside while you finish inspection." With that, the Athena campers fled out the door while Annabeth quickly cleaned up the bunk.

Percy and Amara wandered around the cabin, a certain camp rule popping into the latter's head. When Silena and Beckendorf started dating only weeks before her and the son of Poseidon, Chiron reminded the entire camp about two campers not allowed to be alone together in a cabin.

"So," Percy cleared his throat. "Get any good info from that thing?"

"Too much," Annabeth sighed. "Daedalus had so many ideas, I could spend fifty years just trying to figure them all out."

"That'd be fun," Amara muttered, helping the daughter of Athena shuffle her papers. The Chase girl was very picky about who she lets touch her notes, not even her siblings dared crossing that line.

But not her, she has always been able to help the older girl. She knew how the blonde thought, knowing her next moves before she even made them. It's what made the duo so dangerous, why campers feared the pair when they were on the same team or even against each other in capture the flag.

"You know . . ." Annabeth broke the silence, her fingers pushing her hair behind her ears. It was a nervous habit, one the stormy eyed girl has had ever since they were kids. "This whole thing with Beckendorf, it kind of makes you think about . . . what's important. About losing people who are important."

"It'll be okay Beth," Amara murmured, giving her oldest friend's hand a gentle squeeze.

Silence filled the air, until the daughter of Athena gave herself a three out of five on the brunette's inspection sheet.

"You sure?" She asked. "It's worthy of a four or five."

"It's alright, come on, let's get Percy's report finished and back to Chiron."

On the way to the big house, Percy read the last report handwritten on a maple leaf. "Dear Grover," he read aloud. "Woods outside Toronto attacked by giant evil badger, tried to do as you suggested and summon power of Pan. No effect, many naiads' trees destroyed. Retreating to Ottawa, please advise. Where are you? — Gleeson Hedge, protector."

Amara grimaced. "You haven't heard anything from him? Even with your empathy link?"

He shook his head. Last she heard, the Underwood boy was in Central Park organizing the dryads. But, that was over two months ago.

"Annabeth, Amara," the son of Poseidon stopped the girls by the tether ball court. "Listen, I had this dream about, um, Rachel . . ."

She raised a brow, she still hadn't gotten over her previous feelings about the mortal. She didn't particularly like her, but, she heard her boyfriend out.

His dream had been about Rachel Elizabeth Dare throwing darts at a painting of Percy, her charcoal picture of Luke as a child despite the mortal never knowing him then, and a final painting of the Empire State Building surrounded by Typhon and a small army.

It was quiet for a while, the brunette and blonde duo letting the words sink in. Finally, the latter spoke. "What do you want us to say?"

"I'm not sure," Percy admitted. "You're the best strategist and swordswoman I know. If you were Kronos planning this war, what would you do next?"

"I'd use Typhon as a distraction. Then I'd hit Olympus directly, while the gods were in the west."

"Just like in Rachel's picture."

"Percy," Amara's voice was tight, her eyes were cold and hardened. "Rachel is just a mortal."

"But what if her dream is true?" Percy argued. "Those other Titans, they said Olympus would be destroyed in a matter of days. They said they had plenty of other challenges, and what's with that picture of Luke as a kid—"

"We'll just have to be ready," Annabeth said.

"How?" Her boyfriend demanded. "Look at our camp, we can't even stop fighting each other. And I'm supposed to get my stupid soul reaped."

Stormy grey eyes narrowed at the son of Poseidon, anger evident in the former. "I knew we shouldn't have shown you the prophecy," Annabeth spat. "All it did was scare you. You run away from things when you're scared."

"Me?" Percy scoffed. "Run away?"

"Yes, you. You're a coward, Percy Jackson." The blonde glared harshly. "You won't even tell Amara the truth about who you've been spending time with, you're scared of her reaction! If you don't like our chances and would rather take the coward's way out, maybe you should go on that vacation with Rachel."

"Annabeth," Amara spoke, earning the daughter of Athena's attention. "What are you talking about? Vacation with Rachel?"

"You have got to be kidding me, Percy!" Annabeth snapped, her curly blonde hair whipping around. "It was your one job!"

"Does it matter what my plans are with Rachel?" He yelled back at the Chase girl.

"Plans with Rachel?" The daughter of Zeus scoffed, Chiron's choice of words yesterday making much more sense.

"Good luck getting out of this one," Annabeth muttered. "Find me later Amara, before the . . . you know."

She nodded, giving her oldest friend an attempt at a smirk before Annabeth walked off. Her gaze landed back on Percy, the son of Poseidon held a guilty look.

"Rachel?" She asked. "Is that who you've been hanging out with in the city? While I've been helping with raids."

"Amara—"

"Come on Seaweed Brain," she placed her hand on his chest as she pushed him back. "You really had to sneak behind my back with . . . with her?"

"It's not like that Mara—"

"Oh really?" Amara scoffed, blinking back the tears she could slowly feel forming. "Explain what it is then, because my boyfriend was running around with a girl that I don't even like all summer."

"She's just a friend!" His hands grabbed her shoulders, holding the brunette in place. "She is just a friend," he promised.

"Percy—"

"Look, I'm sorry Mara. I should've told you sooner about me hanging out with Rachel, especially knowing how you feel." He apologized, but she wasn't paying attention.

"You were just so busy with the war," Percy explained. "I just . . . I didn't want you to be focused on me when you were risking your life. And I knew what your reaction would be . . . Rachel would send you over the edge and make you lose sight of anything besides your anger."

He attempted to meet her eyes, but she moved her head down and thought over his words. Percy's hand slid to her face, gently tilting her head up as electric blue met sea green.

"What vacation was Annabeth talking about?" Amara finally asked, the son of Poseidon shaking his head.

"I was going to tell her no regardless." Percy explained, his hand tracing her cheek. "The only girl I want to go on vacation with, is you."

She let his words sink in, the pit in her stomach slowly disappearing with the hopeful look on the sea green eyed boys face.

"Okay," she finally said and a smile curled onto Percy's lips. "But you're not off the hook, completely."

Percy shook his head, surging forward as his lips met hers gently. She could practically feel his smile against her lips, one of his hands sliding to her waist where it stayed.

Amara broke the kiss while Percy's head rested against hers.

"I still can't believe I'm allowed to do that," he boosted, a grin appearing.

"Maybe if you keep saying things like that," she threw her arms around Percy's neck. "You'll be completely off the hook."

"Sounds perfect to me."

"I never said you were though."

His grin dropped while Amara sent him a teasing smile that met her eyes for the first time days. For a moment, everything felt okay. It always seemed that way with Percy, he managed to show her the light whenever she was sure she was drowning in the dark.

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01-23-25

hello ! i'm so happy we're finally in act five and i'm sorry but not sorry for killing off charles ! i have so many things planned for this act, and i cannot wait for you to see them ! also guys i need help, twilight fic next or heroes of olympus...