𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐥𝐚 𝐫𝐮𝐞

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨

"Mase, you can't trust Clarisse" Percy said, giving Birdie yet another nickname.

Those words made her feel strange. Happy but also angry. The anger was from everyone continuing to accuse Clarisse, despite her being innocent. The happiness was from Percy calling her something else without her telling him to.

"She didn't do anything" Birdie defended as they walked to the woods.

The celebration had just begun. Luke told Percy that they needed to talk about something, which Percy agreed to, but still started a conversation with Birdie.

"Birdie, she stole the bolt" Percy sighed, speaking to her like she was a little girl, even though she was older than him "no, she didn't" she responded, a firework shot into the sky, the noise alarmed Birdie but she remained angry.

As they walked closer to the woods, they could see Luke. He noticed them inching towards him, he looked surprised to see Birdie, the girl who was practically his sister, with Percy.

Once they reached Luke, Birdie had already almost given Percy a lecture about not believing everything he heard. She knew she was being a hypocrite but it was important to her that Clarisse was seen as nothing more than a rude girl without theft on her record.

"Bird" Luke smiled with a nod as they approached. This was the first time they got gotten to speak to each other since the quest began. "Luke" Birdie replied, nodding back.

She had been waiting to talk to him for days, ever since their encounter with Medusa. But, of course, he just wanted Percy.

Birdie felt a bit like a divorced mother taking her child to their other parents for the weekend as she practically handed Percy to Luke.

Birdie stayed still and watched Luke and Percy walk into the woods, something felt wrong in her gut. Something wasn't right.

She heard footsteps but saw no one. Then she noticed the prints in the ground and the moving leaves. "Annie" Birdie whispered, following behind and holding out her hand "be quiet" Annabeth whispered back, taking her older sister's hand and guiding her behind as they went after Percy and Luke.

"What if they see me?" Birdie asked quietly.

Athena had given Annabeth that damn Yankees cap and left nothing for Birdie-Mae.

Annabeth stopped for a short moment, still invisible, and slid a bracelet onto Birdie's wrist, nothing happened. Annabeth then ran her thumb along it, Birdie felt a small shiver. Now, both sisters were unseen.

"Where did you get this?" Birdie asked as they continued, walking next to Annabeth, who was still holding onto her since they couldn't actually see each other "Hephaestus. He gave it to me when you were a statue. He made it for you" Annabeth answered, more fireworks shot out and exploded into the sky.

So, her uncle made her something that would protect her while her mother made it so that when she was met with confrontation, she would bleed out. The difference was unbelievable.

The Chase sisters got close. Annabeth had pushed Birdie somewhere on the opposite side of where she went, so that someone was on either side.

Without trying to, Birdie zoned out. For the first time in a while, it worked. Except this time she didn't try. And this time it didn't feel normal. It felt like someone was covering her ears and blocking her eyes. This went for a long time.

It was like in the underworld, the hands that had held her down were now protecting her.

Even though the voices were weak, she could hear everything.

She could hear the swords clanging against each other.

"You can leave, my dear. I know what fear this brings to you" Melinoë spoke gently, her hand picking up Birdie's. Melinoë was the only thing Birdie could see. Everything else was black.