𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗦 ⇉ 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗬 𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗪.

It was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. It was like fog had cleared. It was like she'd been trapped on this boat, before, with no way out. She'd been screaming into the void with no hope of an answer. But now, Percy could answer. Her shadows would take her messages to a living, breathing person. Someone would hear her.

Oh, gods. It might have been the best feeling ever.

"I need to write to him," she told Chris. "I need to tell him."

Chris was in agreement, of course. "He can pass along messages," he whispered excitedly. "To Val, to Annabeth–maybe even to Clarisse!"

Bellatrix lunged for her desk drawer, where she kept paper and a pencil. She'd go down to her Sanctum, later, after their meeting and send it off.

"Wait." When Bella turned to face him, she saw him go pale. He'd realized soemthing. "What about the spy?"

"What about them?" Bella asked, before she understood what he was saying.

They didn't know who the spy was. They couldn't pass messages along, because those messages might get to the wrong person, and come straight back to Luke. He'd kill them.

Bellatrix threw her pencil across the room. It buried itself in the wall, and it's shadow shook, like it was nervous.

She put her head down on the desk. Chris grabbed her shoulder.

We haven't died yet," he reasoned, "so Percy is safe. We just . . ."

". . . have to tell him to keep the secret," Bellatrix finished blandly. "Val can't know. Clarisse can't know."

It hurt. It hurt so bad, because Bella had wanted, for so long, to be able to talk to her younger sister. She had dreams sometimes–they were always the worst–of being able to hug Val again. Sometimes, in her dreams, she'd joined them, and Sera had been happy, and things were better. Bella woke up crying anyway.

"Write it," Chris prodded. "It's better than nothing."

He was right.

The pencil flew back into her hand, barely missing Chris's nose.

Percy– her letter started. You can't tell anyone. Things aren't safe here. We believe Luke still has contact with camp. The shadows are the only safe way to communicate.

It had to be enough.

𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗫 𝗟𝗘𝗧 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 hope for the first time since Sera dragged her away from a dying Percy.

𝗦𝗛𝗘 𝗞𝗘𝗣𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 letter close to her chest, in a hidden pocket, as she and Chris headed to their meeting. Bella dragged her feet, as she always did, but she knew that they had to go. If they didn't, Luke and Sera would start to get suspicious. Bellatrix was grateful her shadows didn't leave any trace because she was almost positive they'd already searched her Sanctum.