The Forgotten Daughter

Regroup

"That's impossible." Percy protested. "I'm the Son of Poseidon. I can't drown."

Aliana just looked at him. "The bolt from the stone may not have hit your chest, but it did hit you."

He shook his head. "No. That doesn't make sense. When I hit the water, I still felt energized by it."

Aliana thought about that. It didn't make sense.

"Maybe that's because it didn't have time to finish its work." Annabeth spoke up. "It just grazed you, and only for second. Maybe it didn't take all of your power, just some of it."

Percy stared at the ground, dumbfounded. "So... I can't breathe under water anymore."

Aliana hung her head. This was exactly the kind of thing she'd been trying to avoid.
* * *
"This is my fault." Aliana slammed the door shut behind her.

Annabeth and Percy jumped as it banged against the wooden doorframe. They had regrouped at Mason's apartment. It wasn't likely that he would go back there; and if he did, then they would be ready.

"It's not your fault." Annabeth walked over and placed a hand on Aliana's shoulder. "You didn't make Mason do this."

"No." She agreed. "But I am the cause."

"How?" Percy asked, flopping down onto the ragged couch.

Aliana sighed. "We knew each other, before Denver." She bit her bottom lip. "He's the only reason I made it to camp alive. He carried me to the Big House after I was injured."

"Wait." Annabeth interrupted. "How did he carry you to the Big House if..." her voice trailed off. "He's a Half-blood."

Aliana nodded. "Yeah, or at least he was."

"The Stone?" Percy assumed.

"Yes." Aliana heaved a long breath. "He couldn't control his power very well, if at all." She crossed her arms. "It was fine until... he accidentally used it on me." She hung her head. "He thought he'd killed me. As soon as he got me to the Big House, he ran off into the woods and prayed to all the gods to spare me." She hugged herself. "They granted his request, but they took away my memories of him as a punishment."

"I thought the gods weren't supposed to be directly involved in our lives." Percy pointed out.

"They aren't." Aliana confirmed. "but sometimes they make exceptions." She met Percy's gaze. "Like when it's a child of the Big Three."

Annabeth's jaw dropped. "You're kidding."

Aliana shook her head. "While he was in the woods, his father, Zeus, rejected him and used the stone to strip him of his power."

"And now he's trying to take everyone else's power?" Percy surmised.

"No." Aliana clarified. "Just yours."

"Why mine?" He asked.

Aliana shrugged. "Because he doesn't know you, because you're a kid of the Big Three, I don't know, but all he's trying to do is become a Half-blood again." She sank onto the couch. "He was doing it so he could be with me again."

"But now you're not a half-blood either." Annabeth pointed out.

Aliana hung her head and sighed. A realization flashed into her mind and her head snapped up. "But now he is."

"What?!" Percy and Annabeth exclaimed in sync.

Aliana stood up. "Those bolts he hit us with. They weren't from the stone." She locked eyes with them. "They were coming from his hands. He has his power back, at least while he's holding the stone."

"So if we get the stone," Annabeth thought out-loud.

"I'll have my powers back." Aliana finished.

"And Mason will be at our mercy." Percy added.

Aliana nodded. "The only way we'll have a chance is if we get the stone."

"Then I guess we know our next move." Annabeth crossed her arms.

"Yeah." Percy stood. "We have to find Aliana's little boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend." Aliana's fists clenched.
                                      *   *   *
They trudged back into the apartment. Percy flopped backwards onto the couch; Annabeth sat cross legged on the floor; and Aliana leaned against the bare wall opposite the sofa. They'd been searching all day, but hadn't found any sign of Mason.

Annabeth slung her backpack off her shoulders and unzipped it. She rummaged through the supplies she'd gathered from camp and pulled out a carefully rolled scroll. She unwound the paper and scanned the words of the prophecy for the millionth time. Her eyes settled on one of the lines. She gasped.

"What?" Aliana moved to her side and knelt down.

"This line." She pointed to the end of the second verse. "Now I know what it means."

"What what means?" Percy pushed himself off of the couch and half-crawled half-rolled over to the girls.

"Well," Annabeth explained. "the line says 'everything is not what it seems.'"

"And?" He urged. He was too tired to think for himself apparently.

Annabeth sighed. "We thought Mason was a mortal and he's not? We thought he was on our side... and he's not." She looked at Aliana to see her reaction.

She only nodded. "I also thought my dreams were from Kronos, but they weren't."

"Exactly." Annabeth declared with finality.

"So, you're saying the prophecy is almost fulfilled." Percy deduced.

Annabeth nodded.

"Well then." Aliana spoke up. "It looks like we only have one verse to worry about." She stared at the fourth verse.

"Mason is probably the Abandoned Son and the friend that's rejected." Percy reasoned.

"So who's betrayed?" Annabeth asked. "Aliana?"

Aliana shook her head. "No, the prophecy is about me so it's one of my friends." She looked at Percy and Annabeth. She didn't really have any other friends.

Percy met Aliana's gaze. "That's a happy thought."

"So is the second line." Annabeth commented. "Who is that for?"

Aliana focused on the foreboding line. The Fates are singing the end of days. "I have no clue, but I get the feeling we're going to find out soon." Her gaze moved to the final line of the prophecy. The Abandoned Son will rise again. It made it sound like he was going to win... if he hadn't already.