cupiditas |PERCY JACKSON| [book 3]

XXXVIII

AS THEY TRUDGED BACK UP Half-Blood Hill to the pine tree where the Golden Fleece glittered, Selena half expected to see Thalia there, waiting for them. But she wasn't. She was long gone with Artemis and the rest of the Hunters, off on their next adventure.

Chiron greeted them at the Big House with hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches. Grover went off with his satyr friends to spread the word about their strange encounter with the magic of Pan. Within an hour, the satyrs were all running around agitated, asking where the nearest espresso bar was.

Annabeth, Percy, and Selena sat with Chiron and some of the other senior campers—Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers. Even Clarisse from the Ares cabin was there, back from her secretive scouting mission. She had a new scar on her chin, and her dirty blond hair had been cut short and ragged, like someone had attacked it with a pair of safety scissors.

"I got news," she mumbled uneasily. "Bad news."

"I'll fill you in later," Chiron said with forced cheerfulness. "The important thing is you have prevailed. And you saved Annabeth!"

Annabeth smiled at Selena and Percy gratefully.

"Luke is alive," Percy stated, "Annabeth was right."

Annabeth sat up. "How do you know?"

Percy told them what his dad had said about the Princess Andromeda.

"Well." Annabeth shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "If the final battle does come when Percy is sixteen, at least we have two more years to figure something out."

Chiron's expression was gloomy. Sitting by the fire in his wheelchair, he looked really old. I mean... he was really old, but he usually didn't look it.

"Two years may seem like a long time," he said. "But it is the blink of an eye. I still hope you are not the child of the prophecy, Percy. But if you are, then the second Titan war is almost upon us. Kronos's first strike will be here."

"How do you know?" Percy asked. "Why would he care about camp?"

"Because the gods use heroes as their tools," Chiron said simply. "Destroy the tools, and the gods will be crippled. Luke's forces will come here. Mortal, demigod, monstrous... We must be prepared. Clarisse's news may give us a clue as to how they will attack, but—"

There was a knock on the door, and Nico di Angelo came huffing into the parlor, his cheeks bright red from the cold.

He was smiling, but he looked around anxiously. "Hey! Where's... where's my sister?"

Dead silence. Selena stared at Chiron. She couldn't believe nobody had told him yet. And then she realized why. They'd been waiting for them to appear, to tell Nico in person.

"Hey, Nico." Percy got up from his chair. "Let's take a walk, okay? We need to talk."

The two left and Selena turned back to Chiron, "So... what are we going to do about Luke and his goons?"

"Things need to change here at camp." Beckendorf stated,

Chiron nodded, "More training that usual."

"Less games." Selena stated, "Our lives are on the line. Instead of arts and crafts, we need to learn sword techniques. Beckendorf, how are you guys doing on weapons?"

"We're working on Greek fire bombs."

Selena nodded, "Great. We need more traps and lay them out along the perimeter. More guards. Luke cannot get in here." She turned to the daughter of Area, "How was Arizona?"

Clarisse and Chiron looked at each other, "What is it?" Annabeth asked,

"We have something to show you."