Chaos Rising |BOOK 2| Harry Potter x PJO |Alexandra Marine|

BONUS: THE DAY SHE SAW THE NEW HIM

"Start making sense, Beth," I rolled my eyes. "What do you mean someone poisoned Thalia's tree?"

Annabeth blushed red. "Look, I don't wanna surprise you-"

"Let's wake him up first," I said. "Percy, wake up."

"Ari-" Annabeth stuttered, "look, you should understand-"

"It doesn't matter, let's get the tree to safety first."

In the distance, the sun was setting behind a city skyline. I could see a beachside highway lined with palm trees, storefronts glowing with red and blue neon, a harbor filled with sailboats and cruise ships.

Percy opened his eyes slowly, "Where are we?"

"Miami, I think," Annabeth said. "But the hippocampi are acting funny."

Sure enough, our fishy friends had slowed down and were whinnying and swimming in circles, sniffing the water. They didn't look happy. One of them sneezed.

"This is as far as they'll take us," Percy said. "Too many humans. Too much pollution. We'll have to swim to shore on our own."

None of us was very psyched about that, but we thanked the horses the ride. Tyson cried a little. He hugged the horse around the neck, gave him a soggy mango he'd picked up on the island, and said good-bye.

Once the hippocampi's white manes disappeared into the sea, we swam for shore. The waves pushed us forward, and in no time we were back in the mortal world. We wandered along the cruise line docks, pushing through crowds of people arriving for vacations. Porters bustled around with carts of luggage. Taxi drivers yelled at each other in Spanish and tried to cut in line for customers. If anybody noticed us—six kids dripping wet and looking like they'd just had a fight with a monster—they didn't let on.

"Look, what do you mean-"

"IT WAS LUKE!" Annabeth said. Her voice trembled. I stopped. "Okay? Luke poisoned Thalia's tree!"

I blinked. "Say that again."

"Umm..." Percy stuttered, "I hate to be the one to break this to you, Ariana. I've heard that you're his fiance and all that... but Luke has turned sides."

I closed my eyes. "What?"

"I understand," Annabeth said. "Even I couldn't believe it."

My mind exploded. I didn't know how to feel. Luke- turning sides- a part of me laughed in disbelief and the other seemed to cry in despair.

Now that we were back among mortals, Tyson's single eye had blurred from the Mist. Grover had put on his cap and sneakers. Even the Fleece had transformed from a sheepskin to a red-and-gold high school letter jacket with a large glittery Omega on the pocket.

"Ari-" Annabeth began.

I sighed, not letting my tears show, "Just- not now."

Clarisse ran to the nearest newspaper box and checked the date on the Miami Herald. She cursed. "June eighteenth! We've been away from camp ten days!"

"That's impossible!" Annabeth said.

But I knew it wasn't. Time traveled differently in monstrous places.

"Thalia's tree must be almost dead," Grover wailed. "We have to get the Fleece back tonight."

Clarisse slumped down on the pavement. "How are we supposed to do that?" Her voice trembled. "We're hundreds of miles away. No money. No ride. This is just like the Oracle said. It's your fault, Jackson! If you hadn't interfered—"

"Percy's fault?!" Annabeth exploded. "Clarisse, how can you say that? You are the biggest—"

"Stop it!" I said. I closed my eyes. I still couldn't believe it. Luke-