How Do You Say Gods- Sea of Monsters

20: THE FLEECE WORKS ITS MAGIC TOO WELL

"At least these things aren't long, no offense Percy," Magnus said as he thumbed through the last few pages and glanced at the still staggering pile.

"None taken," Percy quickly assured. "You think I want more crap happening to me in each book!" He was rubbing his necklace where the second bead resided. The silver pine tree painted in detail on the golden clay had been obvious at the start, but ominous now.

Magnus nodded agreement to that, silently thinking that whatever happened to Percy inevitably also affected Annabeth and the less of that the better as he theatrically cleared his throat and read the new title.

Percy felt un unpleasant buzzing in the side of his head for definitely being able to figure this one out early. Thankfully it wasn't quite painful, but left him jittery in his seat all the same like he should be waiting for something to go wrong with Thalia now permanently back in the picture, but at least she'd been here all along so it didn't torment him to guess right.

"That would be a real puzzling one if the evidence wasn't right in front of us," Jason chuckled as Thalia lounged out in her chair.

"Something good came out of this misadventure for everybody," Will laughed at the explosive following weeks where Percy and Thalia hadn't exactly blossomed into immediate friends, but he'd never seen Annabeth happier.

... you never know when your world is about to be rocked to pieces.

"So dramatic, such intrigue, what on earth could be about to happen?" Thalia said with almost a straight face.

"Remind me to enter you into a poker tournament," Percy rolled his eyes.

... the rest of summer before resuming his quest for Pan.

"Well I would hope so," Jason yelped. "Guy spent long enough and nearly died on the last one."

"Like that's going to stop him," Percy grinned as the happy feelings flowed right back into him now. Grover had been getting cheered by every bush he'd passed for being the first satyr to come back alive, but more importantly, he was safe at home again.

...wrapping around our feet like they were trying to strangle us.

"If Polyphemus had just given him some reed pipes, I bet he'd have annulled the marriage himself," Nico chuckled.

... he could dissolve the empathy link, now that we were face to face,

Percy was already shaking his head as the sentence started and was pressing a stubborn hand to the back of his head like he could hold it into place, nobody needed the following outburst from him saying as much.

... I didn't need an empathy link with plants to know how they felt.

"Thrilled enough to murder, that's a real accomplishment on some level," Alex's lip was quivering by the end he tried so hard to say that sincerely.

... manipulated the Mist. When you're ready, I'll show how it's done."

"That's a thing!" Percy burst out. "Why has he not been teaching me that this entire time!"

Thalia had to press her fist against her mouth to stop herself from busting out laughing he still didn't know it to this day.

..."Oh, no, they've still expelled you.

Then she and everyone began laughing once more, and Percy sighed but waved it on. "Fine, whatever, I'm worried the apocalypse would come early if I managed to ever leave a school without getting expelled. Surely it's one of the coming signs of doom."