This Cold Year ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase²

―xxiii. born ready

NAOMI WAS PROUD TO SAY she only panicked a little. 

Percy held onto her as they hit the water, immediately forming an air bubble around them before the water could even try to get into Naomi's lungs. She clung to him as they submerged, trying to ignore the uncomfortable cold she could still feel through the bubble.

"You okay?" Percy asked, voice echoing strangely in their air bubble. 

"Golden," Naomi said. She glanced outside of the bubble, at the water and sea life around them. Despite her exhaustion, she smiled. "Deja vu."

Percy cracked a smile of his own, somehow hugging her closer. "I still prefer last time."

"Oh, me too," Naomi agreed. She looked around again, noticing a glimmer down below. "What is that?" 

Percy followed her gaze to the bottom of the bay. "Looks like Imperial gold," he said. 

"We have to get those weapons back to Camp Jupiter," Naomi said. 

Percy nodded. "We should probably head back up first. I'm sure Frank and Hazel are worried."

Naomi nodded in agreement. "Hopefully they've already gotten rid of Golden Boy," she said. "I really don't want to deal with him right now."

Percy laughed. "I'll kill him for you." 

Naomi smiled and pecked his cheek. "My hero."

❈

Thanks to Percy's air bubble, Naomi didn't have to risk hypothermia as they emerged from the bay. She was glad—pneumonia was not on her bucket list. 

They were standing at the edge of the glacier when Frank and Hazel arrived. 

"Hey," Percy said as Hazel and Frank ran over to them, like they were just meeting up for a casual lunch.

"You're alive!" Frank marveled.

Hazel nearly knocked Naomi over as she tackled her in a tight hug.

Percy frowned. "The fall? That was nothing. I fell twice that far from the St. Louis Arch."

"You did what?" Hazel asked.

"Never mind. The important thing is—we didn't drown."

"So the prophecy was incomplete!" Hazel grinned. "It probably said something like: The son of Neptune shall drown a whole bunch of ghosts."

Percy shrugged. He looked at Frank like he was miffed. "I got a bone to pick with you, Zhang. You can turn into an eagle? And a bear?"

"And an elephant," Hazel said proudly.

"An elephant?" Naomi asked in awe.

Percy shook his head in disbelief. "That's your family gift? You can change shape?"

Frank shuffled his feet. "Um... yeah. Periclymenus, my ancestor, the Argonaut—he could do that. He passed down the ability."

"And he got that gift from Poseidon," Percy said. "That's completely unfair. I can't turn into animals."

Frank started at him. "Unfair? You can breathe underwater and blow up glaciers and summon freaking hurricanes—and it's unfair that I can be an elephant?"

Percy sighed. "Okay. But next time I say you're totally beast—"

"Just shut up," Frank said. "Please."

Percy cracked a smile.

"If you guys are done," Hazel said, "we need to go. Camp Jupiter is under attack. They could use that gold eagle."