νεκρός || Annabeth Chase x Fem!OC

Vol. 1-13: Tempest's weirdness become weirder

ANNABETH

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"You are in so much trouble," Clarisse said.

We'd just finished a ship tour we didn't want, through dark rooms overcrowded with dead sailors. We'd seen the coal bunker, the boilers and engine, which huffed and groaned like it would explode any minute. We'd seen the pilothouse and the powder magazine and gunnery deck (Clarisse's favorite) with two Dahlgren smoothbore cannons on the port and starboard sides and a Brooke nine inch rifled gun fore and aft- all specially refitted to fire celestial bronze cannonballs.

Everywhere we went, dead Confederate sailors stared at us, their ghostly bearded faces shimmering over their skulls. They approved of me because I told them I'm was from Virginia. They were interested in Percy, too, because his name was Jackson- like the Southern general- but then Percy ruined it by telling them he was from New York. They all hissed and muttered curses about Yankees. Most of them seemed to approve of Tempest, too, since she's from New Orleans, but then she mentioned how much she can't stand what the Confederates did. I agreed with her, and then they didn't like me as much.

Tyson was terrified of them. All through the tour, he insisted Tempest hold his hand, which she didn't look too mad about, to my surprise.

Finally, we were escorted to dinner. The CSS Birmingham captain's quarters were about the size of a walk-in closet, but still much bigger than any other room onboard. The table was set with white linen and china. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, potato chips, and Dr Peppers were served by skeletal crewmen. I didn't want to eat anything served by ghosts, but my hunger overruled my fear.

"Tantalus expelled you for eternity," Clarisse told us smugly. "Mr. D said if any of you show your face at camp again, he'll turn you into squirrels and run you over with his SUV."

"Did they give you this ship?" Percy asked.

"'Course not. My father did."

"Ares?"

Clarisse sneered. "You think your daddy is the only one with sea power? The spirits on the losing side of every war owe a tribute to Ares. That's their curse for being defeated. I prayed to my father for a naval transport and here it is. These guys will do anything I tell them. Won't you, Captain?"

The captain stood behind her looking stiff and angry. His glowing green eyes fixed Percy with a hungry stare. "If it means an end to this infernal war, ma'am, peace at last, we'll do anything. Destroy anyone."

Clarisse smiled. "Destroy anyone. I like that."

Tyson gulped.

My eyes drifted over to Tempest, thinking about what she had done against the Hydra. She'd simply pressed her hand to the ground and said the Greek command Serve me, and three ghosts popped out of the ground and fought. I wondered what else she was hiding. Who was her godly parent? None of the Olympians had power over the dead, and unless Hades broke his oath...

I looked away from her.

"Clarisse," I said, "Luke might be after the Fleece, too. We saw him. He's got the coordinates and he's heading south. He has a cruise ship full of monsters-"