The Forbidden Daughter | PJO Book One

eighteen

THE FLEECE WORKS TOO WELL

That afternoon was one of the happiest Ariana ever spent at camp, which maybe goes to show, you never know when your world is about to be rocked to pieces.

Grover announced that he'd be able to spend the rest of the summer with them before resuming his quest for Pan.

His bosses at the Council of Cloven Elders were so impressed that he hadn't got himself killed and had cleared the way for future searchers, that they granted him a two-month furlough and a new set of reed pipes.

The only bad news: Grover insisted on playing those pipes all afternoon long, and his musical skills hadn't improved much.

He played YMCA', and the strawberry plants started going crazy, wrapping around their feet like they were trying to strangle them.

Then Grover told Percy he could dissolve the empathy link between them, now that they were face to face, but Percy told him he'd just as soon keep it if that was okay with him. He put down his reed pipes and stared at him.

"But, if I get in trouble again, you'll be in danger, Percy! You could die!"

"If you get in trouble again, I want to know about it. And I'll come help you again, G-man. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Ariana nodded. "I would go with him as well."

In the end he agreed not to break the link. He went back to playing YMCA' for the strawberry plants. Ariana didn't need an empathy link with the plants to know how they felt about it.

Later on during archery class, Chiron pulled Percy and Ariana aside and told them he'd fixed Percys problems with Meriwether Prep.

The school no longer blamed him for destroying their gymnasium. The police were no longer looking for him.

"How did you manage that?" Percy asked.

Chiron's eyes twinkled. "I merely suggested that the mortals had seen something different on that day - a furnace explosion that was not your fault."

"You just said that and they bought it?" Ariana said, raising her eyebrows.

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

"You mean, I can go back to Meriwether next year?" Percy asked/

Chiron raised his eyebrows. "Oh, no, they've still expelled you. Your headmaster, Mr Bonsai, said you had - how did he put it? - un-groovy karma that disrupted the school's educational aura.
But you're not in any legal trouble, which was a relief to your mother. Oh, and speaking of your mother."

He unclipped his cell phone from his quiver and handed it to Percy. "It's high time you called her"

The worst part was the beginning - the
'Percy-Jackson-what-were-you-thinking-do-you-have-any-idea-how-worried-l-was-sneaking-off-to-camp-without-permission-going-on-dangerous-quests-and-scaring-me-half-to-death' part.

Ariana laughed at him throughout his whole lecture causing him to punch her arm multiple times.

Chiron sighed at the both of them.

But finally she paused to catch her breath. "Oh, l'm just glad you're safe!"

"I'm sorry, Mom." Percy told her. "I won't scare you again."

"Don't promise me that, Percy. You know very well it will only get worse!" She tried to sound casual about it, but Ariana could tell she was pretty shaken up.

Being a half-blood, Percy would always be doing things that scared her. And, as he got older, the dangers would just get greater.

"I could come home for a while." He offered.