𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

Chapter 21

The book opens and the screen shown the chapter title
'I Battle My Jerk Relative'

Ares narrows his eyes at Sereia.

|Sereia: A Coast Guard boat picked us up, but they were too busy to keep us for long, or to wonder how three kids in street clothes had got out into the middle of the bay. There was a disaster to mop up. Their radios were jammed with distress calls.|

The Guard drops them off at the Santa Monica pier with towels around their shoulders and water bottles that have
'A JUNIOR COAST GUARD!'
on it. They sped off to save more people. Their clothes are sopping wet, and Sereia barefoot.

|Sereia: When the Coast Guard boat had appeared, I'd silently prayed they wouldn't pick me out of the water and find me perfectly dry, which might've raised some eyebrows. So I'd willed myself to get soaked. Sure enough, my usual waterproof magic had abandoned me. I was also barefoot, because I'd given my shoes to Grover. Better the Coast Guard wonder why one of us was barefoot than wonder why one of us had hooves.|

"Good thinking" says a Ravenclaw to which many nod in agreement including Athena hesitantly.

After reaching dry land, they stumble down the beach, watching the city burn against a beautiful sunrise.

|Sereia: I felt as if I'd just come back from the dead - which I had. My backpack was heavy with Zeus's master bolt. My heart was even heavier from seeing my aunt.|

Annabeth: I don't believe it. We went all that way -
Sereia: It was a trick. A strategy worthy of Athena.

Athena glares at her.

Annabeth glares at Sereia
Annabeth: Hey.
Sereia: You get it, don't you?
She drops her eyes, and sighs.
Annabeth: Yeah. I get it.
Grover: Well, I don't! Would somebody-
Annabeth: Sereia. I'm sorry about your aunt. I'm so sorry...

|Sereia: I pretended not to hear her. If I talked about my aunt, I was going to start crying like a little kid.|

"You were a kid...you can cry" says Shacklebolt. "She's 15. She's still a kid." says Remus. Sereia glares at him "I'm not a kid!"

Sereia: The prophecy was right. "You shall go west and face the god who has turned." But it wasn't Hades. Hades didn't want war between the Big Three. Someone else pulled off the theft. Someone stole Zeus's master bolt, and Hades's helmet, and framed me because I'm Poseidon's kid. Poseidon will get blamed by both sides. By sundown today, there will be a three-way war. And I'll have caused it.
Grover shakes his head, mystified.
Grover: But who would be that sneaky? Who would want war that bad?
Sereia stops in her tracks, looking down the beach.
Sereia: Gee, let me think.
Standing in the distance is Ares, waiting for them, in his black leather duster and his sunglasses, an aluminum baseball bat propped on his shoulder. His motorcycle rumbles beside him, its headlight turning the sand red. They walk to him.
Ares: Hey, kid. You were supposed to die.
Sereia: You tricked me. You stole the helmet and the master bolt.
Ares grins.
Ares: Well, now, I didn't steal them personally. Gods taking each other's symbols of power - thats a big no-no. But you're not the only hero in the world who can run errands.
Sereia: Who did you use? Clarisse? She was there at the winter solstice.