Chapter 3

Wanderers

I like to think I'm good chemist. I do my research. I plan my reactions beforehand. I calculate how much of each substance I need, then I measure and re-measure to ensure that mistakes don't happen. Unfortunately, my experience in science lab at school didn't translate well to alchemy. The fact that I was using an old mortal DIY chemistry set in lieu of a real transmutation table wasn't helping. When the third incomplete potion burst into flames on the fourth step, I was starting to lose my patience.

"Need a little help here!" I snapped at Malcolm, who was lounging on the stool beside me, paying more attention to his paperback novel than to the hazardous chemicals I was handling.

He looked up in surprise, registering the problem, and then he quickly grabbed the fire extinguisher at his feet. After my first attempt had nearly seared a hole through the surface of my desk, he knew to have it on hand. With haste, Malcolm leveled the extinguisher's hose towards the green flames billowing out of the beaker. I had expected him just to use a little, but he held the trigger down, overdoing it. Everything in my desk's general direction was coated in a storm of fire retardant powder.

Unfortunately, that included me. I coughed and fanned my hand in front of my face, trying to clear the air of the dense fog, which made it hard to breathe. I could hardly see what was going on, since my goggles had been coated in the stuff. I could feel it all over my forearms and in my hair. I thanked the gods I was wearing an old lab coat. At least my clothes would stay clean.

"Malcolm! That's enough!"

He stopped spraying, but the damage had already been done. I was filthy, and my desk was even worse. I eyed him sharply.

"You didn't need to use so much, you know."

He raised an eyebrow defensively. "I got the fire, didn't I?"

"You got me too."

Malcolm snorted. "What happened? Did you get Juniper's formula mixed up with the Greek fire?"

I removed my goggles and rubbed my eyes. The powder was starting to settle into a coat of fine dust on the floor. I groaned—that was going to be a pain to clean up later.

"No, these instructions are just awful."

In my defense, it was true. Even though they were written in ancient Greek, I could hardly read them. The steps practically contained a grammatical error every sentence and were scrawled in atrocious handwriting. Furthermore, the notation Juniper's friend used hardly made any sense. Even the diagrams left much to be desired. Worst of all, a few of the reactions called for substances that I'm not sure are even possible to obtain. How in the world did some dryad expect me to get Lethean water?

In frustration, I wiped my forearms clean and turned to look in the mirror. I looked ridiculous. My face was completely coated in white powder, except for around my eyes, where my goggles had been. My wavy hair looked bleached, not blond.

"What went wrong?" Malcolm asked me, setting the fire extinguisher back down on the floor.

"If only I knew," I muttered, trying my best to wipe the dust off my face. I was only mildly successful; most of it ended up just getting smeared around.

"Are you gonna try again?"

I sighed. I hated to let Malcolm down, but my frustration was starting to inhibit my thinking. I glanced at the clock, which read 4:39 PM.

"No," I said in defeat. "I think I'm done for today. Besides, I have the meeting soon."

He nodded and hung his head. "Well… thanks for trying, I guess."

I managed an apologetic smile. "Don't worry, I'm not giving up."

"Why can't we just ask the dryads to make it for us?"

"I tried, but they refused," I said. "Juniper told me that a few have made amnesia potions before, but none of them have ever made an antidote. A few of them don't even think it's possible. The optimistic ones just gave me their best guess."

"And their best guess isn't good enough." Malcolm growled in annoyance. He clapped his book closed. "Just my luck."

He sulked over to his bunk, where he flopped down on his back dejectedly, and stared at the ceiling with his arms crossed. I heard him mutter something about useless spirits. I rubbed my eyebrows in exasperation. It had been a long day.

Numbly, I started the lengthy task of cleaning up. Normally I would have asked Malcolm to help me, but he didn't seem to be in the 'helping mood'.

The front door opened. I glanced over from what I was doing to see Percy standing in the doorway. He looked confused for a few seconds, then a sardonic smile formed on his lips. I inwardly cursed his awful timing. Of course he'd wander in right after I'd gotten a powder shower.

"Hey," Percy said, looking at me like he was struggling not to laugh. He glanced around the room, "Oh, and hey Malcolm."

"Hi," I said flatly, not appreciating how amused he was acting with my appearance.

"Hi Percy," Malcolm muttered in a bored tone, not even looking at him.

"So…" Percy looked back at me. "Did you two have a flour fight or something?"

I snorted. Malcolm chuckled.

"It was a fire extinguisher, actually," I said, matter-of-factly.

He eyed me with alarm. "Wait, you had a fire in here?"

"Don't worry, my brother made very sure it was taken care of."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "You were on fire?"

"What? No!"

"Huh." Percy's lopsided grin returned. "Then he must be a bad shot."

My stern façade cracked a little. I almost smiled. "What do you need, Percy?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, Beckendorf told me we have a meeting in a few minutes. I just wanted to make sure that's true."

I nodded, glancing at the clock again. "Yeah, in like twenty."

"I… was also gonna ask you if you wanted to walk up early with me."

I blinked in surprise. Percy wanted to spend time with me? In truth, I really wanted to accept, but there was no way I was going up to the meeting wearing my lab coat and covered in fire extinguisher powder. I'm not vain, but I'm not a pig either.

"Oh. I… I can't," I said, unsteadily. "I've uh, gotta clean up first."

His face fell. "Oh, right," he said, a little awkwardly. "Sorry I asked."

"No, no! It's fine." I gave him an apologetic smile. "Next time for sure."

"Uh-huh." He didn't smile back. "I'll leave you to it. Seeya there, I guess."

"See you."

As quickly as he came, he left. I sighed when the door closed behind him. We just couldn't seem to have a decent conversation anymore.

Malcolm's voice broke me from my thoughts. "You two are a mess."

"Oh, why do I even put up with you, Malcolm?"

"Because I'm the best assistant counselor ever?" he asked, joking half-heartedly.

"True."

I smiled weakly as I stood up and removed my lab coat, hanging it on its hook on the wall. I still had to clean up and get ready, and I only had a few minutes to do it. No time to waste.

When I walked into the Big House rec room five minutes late, I got a lot of annoyed glances. Clarisse looked especially irritated. Not even I was completely immune to her glares. The one she gave me just then made me think she was imagining how I'd look as a kebab on Maimer. It almost made me regret spending a few minutes to take a quick shower before coming. Almost.

"Ah, Annabeth," said Chiron, who was in his magic wheelchair in the corner of the room. "Good, now we can begin."

"Sorry I'm late," I said, scanning the room for Percy. He was sitting on the couch, talking to Beckendorf. When I looked at him, he glanced away, avoiding my gaze.

"That's quite alright," Chiron said. "Take a seat and we'll get started."

I nodded and plopped down in a beanbag chair. The talking in the room died down.

"First things first," the centaur announced. "I thank you all for coming today. I had hoped that the meeting last week would be the summer's last, but I fear this one is necessary."

There was an uneasy tension in the room. Chiron had finally said what everyone was thinking. Nobody wanted to be here. After the Battle of the Labyrinth, we had all hoped that camp would be safe at least for the rest of the summer. But defense meetings indicated that camp was threatened. They forced us to face the truth.

"So what's happening?" Travis Stoll asked cautiously.

Chiron gazed at me grimly. "I will allow Annabeth to explain first."

All the counselor's eyes turned towards me. Some looked worried, some looked shocked, and some just looked bored. I took a deep breath.

"You all know my second-in-command, Malcolm." There were some nods. I hesitated for a second, trying to decide how to explain the bizarre experience he had described to me. "Well, this morning, I found him unconscious on the beach."

"What?" Percy looked surprised. "He's okay right? He seemed fine like fifteen minutes ago."

I nodded apprehensively. "Physically, he's fine. But what's weird is that he can't remember anything about how he got there. He just woke up on the sand when I found him."

There was a short silence as the news sunk in.

"So what? Maybe he just forgot," Clarisse said dismissively.

I shook my head. "Athena's children have perfect memory. We don't forget."

She narrowed her eyes on me suspiciously. "You don't usually forget. I think you're just too proud to admit that it's possible."

I tightened my jaw, trying to ignore the passive insult to my whole cabin. "Just wait until you hear the whole story. He didn't forget the memory, someone took it from him."

"How's that possible?" questioned Silena Beauregard, who sat on the opposite side of Beckendorf as Percy. "Memory manipulation is really powerful magic."

I shook my head helplessly. "We don't know. But I've already tried Nectar and Ambrosia on Malcolm. Nothing worked."

Clarisse snorted, still looking unconvinced. "The kid probably got conked on the head. Would explain both the fainting and the memory loss."

"But he would be in pain," I said, shaking my head again. "Like I said—he's not hurt. A blow to his head also doesn't explain how he mysteriously ended up on the beach."

Clarisse squinted at me, not backing down. "Then what do you think happened, huh? You really think some god came down here and stole memories from him?"

I swallowed hard. "No," I admitted, "but I do have a theory. Chiron, do you want to tell your side of the story before we talk about possibilities?"

Chiron nodded grimly. All eyes turned to him. "Annabeth is correct. We have reason to believe that Malcolm did not simply forget."

"What's the reason?" Clarisse asked, crossing her arms.

"He is not the only one who went missing last night," Chiron said. "Argus told me he experienced the exact same thing."

Everyone looked shocked.

"Argus talked?" Percy asked in disbelief.

I wanted to slap my face in frustration. "Percy! That's not the point."

"I know… I'm just saying."

"You found him on the beach too?" asked Katie Gardner, who looked a little scared.

Chiron shook his head. "No, he actually returned on his own. Apparently he woke up by the big tree. But just like Annabeth's brother, he can't remember anything."

"And that's why I doubt this is nothing," I said earnestly. "All of a sudden, both a camper and a staff member both wake up across camp with no memory of how they got there? That's not a coincidence, if you ask me. Someone did this to them on purpose."

Clarisse frowned, "Okay, fine, so it's probably not a coincidence. But how could someone do this?"

Beckendorf glanced questioningly over to me. "What's your theory, Annabeth?"

I hesitated for a moment, before saying, "I think they've been poisoned."

There were uneasy murmurings. Connor and Travis Stoll looked at one another with concern. Michael Yew frowned.

"I don't think so," Michael said. "You're talking about an amnesia potion right? But they don't work like that."

I looked at him, surprised. "You know about them?"

"Sure," he said dismissively. "I hear making them isn't really that hard, it's getting the ingredients that's tricky."

I almost cursed out loud. Why hadn't I thought of asking the Apollo cabin about this? They're the best healers in the camp. If anyone would know how to make an antidote, it would be them.

"Can it be cured?" I asked.

Michael shook his head. "They're made with distilled water from the river Lethe. The only cures are hypothetical. Nobody's ever recovered from it before. But…"

"But what?" Percy questioned.

His frown deepened. "Well, you see, amnesia poisons destroy all memories. The Lethean water in them is dilute, so just touching it won't make you forget anything, but if it gets in your body, you're like a newborn baby."

"But Malcolm only lost some of his memories," Percy pointed out.

Michael nodded grimly. "That's why I don't think it was a poisoning at all."

"Then how did it happen?" Percy questioned.

There was an uncomfortable silence when nobody offered an alternate explanation. Everyone's eyes darted around, but all the counselors looked equally blank. Chiron's expression was hard to read, as usual.

"It's probably the spy that did it, right?" asked Travis. Everyone looked uncomfortable at the mention of the fact that there was a traitor amongst the campers.

"How would that be possible?" Silena countered, "Not even Hecate's children can take memories, and they're the best at manipulating Mist."

"For all I care, the spy could have used brain surgery to remove the memories," Travis said, wearing the sarcastic Hermes grin. I shot him a look that read, You're not helping. He seemed unfazed, and continued, "What I'm saying is we should focus on the 'who' and the 'why', not the 'how'. When my siblings steal stuff from me, I'm usually able to figure out who did it before I figure out how they did it."

"That is the right idea," Chiron said. "What matters the most is that we find who did this and remove the threat. The method used should come to light with the perpetrator."

"Okay, so how do we do that?" asked Percy. "Most of the camp doesn't even know we have a spy. It's not like we can just walk around and ask people if they've seen anything suspicious."

"We have to think like private investigators," said Travis, grinning. "This might even be fun!"

Clarisse frowned at him. "Don't be stupid. There's a lot at stake here."

"No," I said, tilting my head. "His idea isn't actually that bad. We should consider the scene of the crime."

Surprisingly Percy seemed to get the idea. "Ok, what's the last thing that Malcolm and Argus remember?"

"Well, Malcolm tells me the last thing he remembers is looking at the schedule on the Big House porch."

Everyone looked at Chiron, who said, "As I understand it, Argus was in the Big House too."

"Then that must be where it all went down," Percy said, drawing the conclusion that I had already made mentally. "Was anyone else there?"

"Dionysus is still absent," Chiron said thoughtfully, "And I was at the dining pavilion cleaning up, so besides them…"

My eyes went wide with realization. "The new girl. Drew. She was there too! She slept in the Big House last night. Chiron, she didn't disappear before breakfast, did she?"

"No," Chiron said, rubbing his chin. "She was there this morning when I woke up."

"Then she must have done it!" Silena cried, "Why would the two other people in the Big House get attacked but not her?"

A few heads nodded in agreement, but Chiron said, "Seeing as the girl arrived just yesterday, she can't be the one that has been leaking information thus far."

"That doesn't make her innocent, though," Michael Yew cut in. "We don't even know how she ended up in the water yesterday. How do we know she's not in line with Kronos?"

I stood up. "We don't, but I plan to change that. What we need is more information. There are too many unknowns. Chiron, is it okay if I interrogate her?"

"Less of an interrogation, more of a discussion," Chiron said. "But yes, I approve."

"Then I'm coming too," Percy said, standing with me.

"I don't think that's a good idea," I said carefully, remembering how Drew had behaved around Percy earlier today. He would only complicate things.

He shook his head adamantly. "I can't let you do this alone. If she really did this to Argus and Malcolm, she's dangerous. I'm coming with you."

I narrowed my eyes on him in annoyance, letting my pride get the better of me. "Are you saying I can't handle myself?"

"What? I never—"

"Annabeth," Chiron cut off our argument, "Percy is right. It would be wise if you went together. If she can truly cause what happened to Malcolm and Argus, I hate to think what else she might be capable of."

I knew it was a bad idea, but I agreed. "Okay, fine," I said, crossing my arms.

"Now then," Chiron said wearily. "Does anyone else have anything to add before we dismiss?"

All were silent. I sent Percy an annoyed look. He frowned in response. I felt the other counselor's eyes flickering between me and Percy, probably enjoying the drama.

"Very well. This meeting is adjourned. Thank you for coming."

The counselors started to stand and shuffle out of the room. I stayed where I was, watching as everyone else left. Clarisse sent me a pointed look as she walked off. Percy stayed as well, idly fidgeting with his fingers.

Once all the counselors except for Percy and I had left the room, Chiron looked at the two of us sternly. "When you talk to her, make sure you use restraint."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. Interrogations weren't gentle procedures.

"Drew is a new camper," Chiron said. "This is only her second day. She probably has nothing to do with this. Your interrogation is a long shot. If it turns out we are wrong, it will make her feel very unwelcome. The last thing we need is more campers deserting."

I swallowed hard, realizing what he was saying. If we questioned her too hard, we might drive her right into Kronos' clutches.

"We'll go easy on her, don't worry," Percy said. He turned to me. "You ready to go?"

I nodded stoically. "Let's get this over with."

Percy and I walked through the evening in silence to the Hermes cabin. I hated how uncomfortable it felt just being with him. Gone were the days where we could hang out and talk about anything at all like it was the most natural thing ever. I thought about how much I missed the way it used to be.

When we walked up to the Hermes doorstep, we could hear the usual ruckus from inside. Percy knocked loudly on the door to ensure that he was heard over all the shouting and arguing going on. After a few seconds, the door opened, revealing Travis.

"You here for her?" he asked warily.

Percy nodded in response. "Did you tell her we were coming?"

"Yeah, but I didn't say why. Just said you two wanted to talk to her. She actually seems pretty excited about it, for some reason."

I barely managed not to growl. I knew exactly why she was excited, and it had nothing to do with me.

Travis turned around and shouted back into the chaotic cabin, "Drew! Visitors for you!"

I heard the thumping of feet on hardwood—someone was running towards the door. Travis stepped aside, and Drew swung the door open with a big smile on her face.

"Hi Percy!" she exclaimed, beaming widely at him. When her gaze fell on me, her expression faltered slightly. "Oh, and Annabelle. What can I do for you?"

"Anna-beth," I corrected sternly. Between forgetting my name and the way she was looking at Percy, Drew was already getting on my nerves. "We need to talk."

"Hey Drew," Percy replied nonchalantly. "We just want to get know you a little better, you know? Can you come with us?"

Drew had looked hesitant when I had said it, but after Percy asked she nodded in immediate agreement. "Of course! Where are we going?"

"How about the dock?" Percy suggested, "The lake is nice in the evening."

Percy shot me a questioning glance, as if to make sure I approved. I just shrugged. It didn't matter to me where we did it as long as we could get her to talk.

"I'd love that," Drew said, smiling. She looked around. "Which way is it?"

Percy laughed and turned towards the path. "C'mon, we'll show you."

It was only a short walk to the canoe lake, but to me, it felt like hours. As we went, I trailed a few feet behind Drew and Percy, who were chatting away like long lost best friends. Drew kept herself busy stroking his ego, asking him questions she knew would allow him to subtly boast.

"So you're the son of Poseidon, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's me."

"Did you use your superpowers when you saved me from the ocean?"

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "They're not really superpowers. The water just obeys me."

"Oh c'mon, you don't have to be modest! I've heard you're amazing! The kids in my cabin told me you're powers are unbelievable."

"I guess they're pretty cool."

"I would have drowned if you hadn't stepped in."

Percy shrugged. "I couldn't just watch that happen."

"You saved my life," she pointed out shyly, locking her fingers together behind her back. "I think that's more than 'pretty cool'. Thank you."

He glanced over to her and smiled warmly. "That's what friends are for, right?"

I ground my teeth together. Who did she think she was? She wasn't being subtle at all as she flirted with him. Somehow, Percy didn't seem to notice. For once, I was grateful for his obliviousness.

"Is it true that you slayed Medusa?" she asked.

"Well yeah, but I couldn't have done it without Annabeth's help," he said, glancing back at me. "You remember that?"

I offered him a half-hearted smile and nodded. "It's a shame I was there to save you. You would have made a nice statue," I said. Drew gazed at me with dislike. I could tell she didn't appreciate that I'd taken his attention off her.

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" he asked, bewildered.

"Both."

He laughed, then he looked back at Drew, who seemed pleased to have his focus once more. "Anyway, yeah. It was on my first quest, back when I was twelve."

I sighed as the two resumed their chatter. It hurt me especially badly that Percy seemed to be enjoying it as much as Drew was. The two of them talking reminded me a little bit of what he and I used to have.

Thankfully, before their talking could torture me for too long, we reached our destination. The beach might be the best place in the camp to watch the sunrise, but the canoe lake is without a doubt the best place to watch the sunset.

Percy took off his shoes and sat down on the edge of the dock, letting his feet dangle into the water. Drew and I followed suit, sitting on opposite sides of him.

"So Drew," I said, forcing a cheerful attitude, "How did you enjoy your first night in the Big House?"

"It was nice I guess," she said, idly kicking her toes in the water. "s'Kinda boring though… I think I like the cabin better."

"You didn't get to visited by anyone in the infirmary?" I asked.

"The horse guy." Drew glanced over at me. "Kyrion, or Kyrreigh, or whatever."

"Chiron?" Percy offered.

"Yeah! Chiron," she grinned thankfully at him.

"You didn't see anyone else?" I asked, narrowing my eyes on her.

She tapped her chin in thought. "Yeah, I also talked to some annoying boy and—" Suddenly, she looked like she was gonna throw up. "Oh yeah! I met this super gross monster with eyes all over its face. I thought monsters couldn't get into the camp! What was up with that?"

Percy and I looked at each other with matching expressions of surprise.

"The boy you met," Percy said, uncomfortably. "Did he tell you his name?"

"Well no," Drew shrugged. "He came in and started asking me a bunch of questions. I was tired, so I just told him to go away."

"Did he have blond hair?" I asked.

"Uh-huh," said Drew. She looked at me. "And gray eyes— Wait, just like you!"

I nodded, narrowing my eyes on her. Now that was suspicious. Malcolm hadn't said anything about meeting her. "My brother, Malcolm."

She snorted. "You need to teach him some manners, hon. He was being awfully rude. He wouldn't leave when I asked. I had to yell it at him to get him out."

"What about Argus?" Percy asked. "You said you met him?"

"Who?" she asked, confused. "The monster?"

Percy nodded. "The dude with all the eyes. He's like the camp watchman."

Drew's face reddened slightly. "Oh… whoops. I didn't know he was staff. I just told him to leave me alone. He's lucky I didn't hit him."

"I don't blame you." Percy scratched the back of his neck bashfully. "He freaked me out too when I first got here. He's actually a cool guy, but he never talks."

I wasn't about to let Percy get off track. "Did they say where they were going when they left you?"

Drew frowned. "No. I didn't ask."

I knew that my next question would probably make her suspicious, but I was tired of beating around the bush. "Were they acting weird?"

"What?" Drew said, confused. "No. I mean, a little maybe, but it wasn't anything too strange. They just left in a hurry. Why do you ask? Did something happen?"

Percy glanced at me questioningly. I tightened my jaw and nodded. He looked back at Drew and said, "Well, yeah. They both went missing last night, and neither remembers anything about it. We think you were the last person to see them."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "God, are you serious? They're okay right?"

"They're fine," I assured her. "We just want to know what happened."

Percy nodded in agreement. "Did you see anything or hear anything, I dunno, out of the ordinary? Or do you know anything about it?"

Drew shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know anything about them. But I'll tell you something if you promise not to call me crazy."

Percy and I glanced at each other again in surprise. "We won't," he said, seriously. "You can tell us anything."

I saw her swallow. "I don't remember how I got here," she said anxiously.

My eyes widened. I had been meaning to ask her about how she'd come to end up in the water for a while now, but I never expected her to volunteer the information.

"You don't?" I asked, alarmed.

"No," she said miserably. She brought her legs up out of the water and hugged them to her chest. "Yesterday morning, I was out in the city, when this weird-looking girl started following me. At first I was just kinda creeped out, but when she got closer, I saw she was some kind of monster or something!" Drew shivered, hugging her legs tighter. "Her legs, oh god… her legs were so horrifying. One was like a horse's, and the other was like a robot's."

Percy grimaced. "An Empousa." I nodded in agreement.

"You've seen one before?"

"Unfortunately, yeah," he said, rubbing his arm sheepishly. "Two caused me to set my school on fire like a month ago."

Drew blinked in surprise at what Percy said, but didn't question it. After seeing one herself, I guess the news didn't surprise her so much.

"Anyway," she continued, still looking scared, "I… I just ran. I had no idea what to do—I yelled and screamed for help. I was running through a crowded clothing store, but people just looked at me like I was an idiot! I don't even think they could see the monster."

"The Mist hides the mythological world from the mortals' eyes," I explained.

"Yeah… Chiron told me," she sighed. "The last thing I remember is hiding in the changing room. I could hear the thing's footsteps coming towards me. But… but that's where it ends. The next thing I knew, I was in the ocean, and you were saving me." She smiled at Percy.

I frowned, considering it. If she was lying, she was doing a really good job of it. The story she gave coincided extremely well with the description Malcolm had given about what had happened to him.

"I'm gonna be okay, right?" Drew asked with fear in her voice. "I'm not, like, sick or something, am I?"

"No," I decided, "but I do think that what happened to you is connected to what happened to Argus and Malcolm."

Percy nodded in agreement. "It's gotta be. Memory loss? Waking up far away from where you were at first? That's exactly what happened to them."

"Okay, good," she sighed in relief. "After— after these past few days, I was scared I was going insane."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked, tilting his head. "You seemed to take everything at camp pretty well."

"Not that," Drew shook her head. "I mean… before I came to camp. With my dad telling me my long-lost mom is some kind of goddess, and then the monster…"

"Your dad told you you're a half-blood?" I asked, surprised. All parents knew it was just safer to keep us ignorant. "When?"

Her eyes fell to the floor. "Yesterday. I found out the morning before I got here. We've been fighting about my mom a lot lately. You see, he's always been, like, touchy about her. He sent me to boarding school for summer since I wouldn't stop asking. He would never even tell me her name."

"But he did?" Percy asked.

"No." Drew hung her head. "But he did tell me what she was. I was yelling at him on the phone, demanding to know why he'd never let me know anything about her. I guess he cracked or something… he told me she was a goddess, and he said that I'm a demigod. I thought he was lying. I got so mad that I went shopping to comfort myself. That's when I ran into the donkey-thing."

There was a short silence. The sun was starting to disappear behind the hills. Across the lake, I could see demigods walking towards the dining pavilion.

"Well, that's why the monster attacked you, then," I explained. "The more we know about what we are, the more easily they can smell us."

She nodded, still looking distraught. "Chiron told me. He said I can't even leave camp anymore. I just… I just hope my dad isn't too mad at me."

"You can send him a letter," Percy said. "You probably should, so he knows where you are and doesn't freak out when you don't answer your phone."

"I will." Drew carefully lowered her feet back into the water.

There was a conch horn blast in the distance, signaling all campers to report to the dining pavilion for the evening meal. It also signaled the end to our interrogation. Thankfully, it had gone pretty well, all things considered. We had found out Drew wasn't only innocent—she was also a victim.

"That's dinner," I said, standing up to leave. "We should probably get going."

I'd reached the end of the dock when I heard Drew say, "Wait!"

I looked back, thinking Drew been talking to me. I was wrong—she was talking to Percy. It looked like he had been getting up, but she had grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Huh?" he said.

Drew looked apprehensive, like she was scared of what she was about to say. I got a sick feeling in my stomach. She wasn't about to—

"Let's hang out some more sometime."

I went numb. She wasn't technically asking Percy out, but I could tell that was what she meant. I had known that she had been planning to ask him out eventually—she had told me she would, after all—but it still horrified me.

A dopey smile formed on Percy's face. "Sure," he said, "whatever you want."

His words cut through me like knives. The look on his face was even worse. It brought back so many emotions. I'd seen that look on his face once before—right after I'd kissed him in Mt. St. Helen's. But this time, he wasn't looking at me.

I turned and stormed away, unable to watch anymore. They probably didn't even notice me leave. I couldn't believe it.

No, I thought, It can't be true. He must have just said yes to be nice. She's new. He wants her to feel welcome. Gods, he probably just thinks they're hanging out as friends.

But his face kept haunting me. I must have imagined that, right? There's no way he could look at a girl he just met the same way he looked at me. We'd known each other for years.

No. I refused to believe it. It had to be a misunderstanding. Percy wasn't like that. I convinced myself that he hadn't even realized Drew was asking him out. At least it made me feel better.

Drew and Percy were both late to dinner. When they showed up, I saw Percy smile and give her a friendly wave, then he walked off to his own table, while Drew went to the Hermes one. Percy looked oddly casual for having just been asked out, but Drew had a huge smile on her face.

I shook my head in disbelief and kept pushing my mashed potatoes around with my fork. I hadn't eaten a thing.

"Hey, are you alright?" asked Malcolm.

I glanced over at him. I didn't even have the will to act like I was okay. I felt awful. "Fine," I said half-heartedly.

He looked genuinely concerned. "Seriously, if it's something bad you can tell me."

I shook my head. "I don't want to talk about it."

He nodded, wasting no time to change the subject. "How'd the meeting go?"

"Surprisingly productive," I said ambiguously.

"Did you guys figure anything out?"

"Lots." I glanced around the table. None of our siblings seemed to be paying attention to us. Most were too busy chatting quietly with each other. A few on the end were yelling at some of the Ares kids. I lowered my voice. "The new girl said that you came and talked to her last night."

Malcolm raised his eyebrows. "What? No I didn't. I mean…"

"What?" I said, when he didn't finish his sentence.

"I mean I was planning on doing it, but I blacked out and stuff."

I frowned at him. "We were supposed to talk to her together, Malcolm."

He rolled his eyes. "Can you blame me for being curious?"

"I guess not. But I also don't think Drew is lying. Maybe you just don't remember it?"

"I guess…" he said, uncomfortably.

"Also," I said, putting my fork down, "Argus and Drew both also lost memories. I think the same thing that happened to you happened to them."

His eyes widened. "No way, are you serious? Last night?" I saw him glance over to the Hermes table, where Drew sat.

"Argus, yes. But not Drew," I shook my head. "She says it was how she got to camp. She doesn't even remember."

"Really?" He looked back at me, stunned. "I don't understand. I thought it was a spy—someone in the camp. But someone brought her here?"

I heaved a sigh. "I know. I don't get it either. It basically destroys that theory."

He rubbed his forehead in deep thought. "I got nothing. Unless she's lying."

"I don't think so. She really seemed scared when I talked to her."

Malcolm shrugged. "We need to know more. I don't think we have enough info to put it all together."

I let my eyes gaze off into the distance, losing focus. "Yeah," I said. "I think it's best we just give it some time. Maybe it won't even happen again."

Malcolm frowned. I doubted he was convinced about the last part. Neither was I, but after what I'd just seen at the canoe lake, I didn't feel like thinking.

"Okay." Malcolm stood up, gave me a concerned look, and walked off, leaving his empty plate behind.

I scowled down at my untouched food, then followed my brother's example.

For the second night in a row, I woke up on Mt. Othrys. I sat up on the cold stone floor before the golden sarcophagus, where I had been laying. Emanating from the coffin, the same evil presence I had felt the night before filled the room, chilled me to the bone.

Every natural instinct in my body ordered me to run. I knew exactly who was in there. But you know that feeling you get when you see a car crash about to happen? Even if I knew a disaster was coming, I couldn't tear my eyes away. I was rooted in place.

"Hello?"

"My messenger returns," boomed the evil voice, sounding amused.

The voice was indescribably powerful. It spoke with such authority that I could practically feel my soul quaking under its tone. I was an ant. He was a giant.

"I'm nobody's instrument," I declared, sounding a whole lot braver than I felt. "Especially not you."

"You'd be wise to reconsider. I can be very generous to those I favor."

I narrowed my eyes, instinctively taking a half-step back from the sarcophagus. "What do you mean 'generous'?"

"I understand that I have come to own that which you want the most. Something… no—someone you've lost." On the last three words, a second voice—the one I recognized—joined Kronos'. They spoke in union.

"Luke," I felt a tug in my heart. Tears welled my eyes. I tried to blink them away, but I failed. Kronos was offering me Luke.

"Yes," Kronos spoke into my mind, alone once again. "If you cooperate, I will return my vessel to you."

I clenched my jaw, steeling my resolve. Inside me, my emotions were in turmoil, but I refused to allow myself to be manipulated. "I'll never cooperate with you," I struggled to say.

"You'd condemn your friend—your love—to death, without even hearing my conditions?"

I wanted to scream YES, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. The temptation to know was too strong. "What— What do you want from me?"

"Do not inhibit my instrument. Do not interfere with the Wanderer's Curse. That is all I ask of you."

"The Wanderer's Curse?" I blinked, stunned. "So it is your spy! You've cursed the camp! I'll never stand by and watch you harm my family."

"The Wanderer's Curse will bring no harm to your friends, as long as they do not obstruct it. It is merely a means to an end. Ignore it, and the son of Hermes is yours to keep."

A knot formed in my throat. I swallowed hard. "And if I refuse?"

The air temperature dropped sharply. "Your noncompliance will not obstruct my goals, only delay them. Cross me and I can guarantee you, once I obtain my new vessel, the son of Hermes will suffer as I have suffered."

"Leave me alone!" I shouted, grabbing my head. "Let me sleep in peace!"

"Your peace is outdated. Consider your allegiance carefully, or my vessel's blood will end up on your dagger."

"I'll never betray my friends!"

Kronos' tone became sharp. "We shall see."

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A horrible pounding sound came from inside the coffin. He's trying to get out! I realized. Terror seized me. I turned to run, but it was too late.

BANG-BANG-BANG!

Just as I started to flee, I heard the coffin explode open. Time dilated severely. My legs gave out. In slow motion, I started to fall.

Just before my head hit the stone floor, everything went black.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

I sat up in terror, hearing a pounding sound. I heard some of my siblings groaning in annoyance. It was pitch-black in the cabin, but I wasn't the only one that was awake.

I checked my beside clock. 2:25 AM.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Who in the gods name is at the door?" I heard one of my siblings ask, sounding severely irritated.

The door! I realized. Someone was knocking on the door! With haste, I stood up in my pajamas, grabbed my dagger off my bedside, and didn't bother to tie my hair back. Clumsily, I stumbled barefoot on the cold hardwood floor over to the front entrance. After what had just happened in my dream, I was a bit scared to open the door, but I swallowed my fear. I couldn't just let whatever it was keep my siblings and I awake all night.

I swung it open, dagger at the ready. I'm not sure what I expected to find behind the door at 2:30 in the morning, but I definitely hadn't been expecting—

"Drew?" I asked, baffled.

She looked distraught, near tears. "Annabeth, help! It's Percy… he—he… I didn't know what to do, you need to come quickly!"

A cold sense of dread washed over me. I had felt tired before, but after hearing Percy was in trouble, I was wide-awake. I stepped out onto the deck and closed the door behind me, not even bothering to say an excuse to my cabin mates, who were probably listening.

"Show me the way," I said, sternly.

She lead me wordlessly out into the cabin yard. The night air was still and silent. When we found Percy, he was laying unconscious near the edge of the forest, about a hundred yards from the cabins.

I rushed to his side and knelt beside his prone form. Percy was lying on his back, out cold. I numbly took his pulse, horrified that I might feel nothing. Thankfully, it was strong.

"How did this happen?" I demanded of Drew.

"I don't know!" Drew wailed. Tears fell down her face. "I came out to use the bathroom and I just saw someone walking through the yard. I called to him but he didn't answer. When I caught up to him, oh god… Annabeth, if only you could have seen it."

"What was it?" I demanded, irritated. I'm not sure if I was mad because Drew was crying, or because I wanted to cry as well.

"He was in some kind of trance! He didn't even notice me until I got right in his face and yelled at him to stop. Then he just passed out!" She sniveled.

I came to a horrified realization. "The Curse," I breathed.

"The what?" Drew asked me, aghast.

I swallowed hard, eyeing her sternly. "I'll explain later. For now, I need you to help me carry him. Can you do that?"

Drew choked back a sob. "Yeah, I can try. I'm— I'm just not that strong."

"Just grab his legs."

She obeyed. On a count of three, we lifted Percy. Drew held him under his knees; I held him under his armpits. I allowed his head to rest against my abdomen as we carried him so that it would not dangle.

It was slow going. Drew wasn't kidding when she told me she was weak. We had to stop three times on the hundred-yard walk back to Percy's cabin so that she could adjust her grip. For me, it wasn't much of a problem—I've done enough physical training at camp that I probably could have lifted him myself, but I didn't want to risk injuring him in case I dropped him.

"He's gonna be okay, right?" Drew asked quietly, the third time we stopped.

"He should be," I said.

"You think is what happened to me, right? And your brother, and the staff guy?" She sounded horrified as she gazed at his unconscious form. "Did I just walk off in a trance, all on my own? Is that really how I got here?"

I swallowed hard. "I think so. It looks like this is how the Curse works. I just… I don't understand where he was going."

"It's a curse?"

My jaw tightened. "I promise, I'll explain later. Here, help me again."

It took us about fifteen minutes to get him back. We entered cabin #3 as quietly as possible, trying to avoid waking campers from any other cabins. With some effort, we managed to get him onto his bed.

Drew sat down on one of the other bunks, struggling to regain her breath. "Oh god…" she muttered, sounding terrified, "So I just— I just walked all the way here from New York City in a trance…"

I kept myself busy making Percy comfortable. I put a pillow under his head and pulled the blankets up to his waist. Thankfully, I had some experience doctoring an unconscious Percy—I'd had to do it for a few days when he first came to camp.

"Try not to worry about it too much," I said softly. "Of all places you could have ended up, you chose a good one."

"You don't get it!" she exclaimed. I looked over at her in confusion. She continued, "I didn't choose anything, Annabeth! You didn't see Percy when he… oh my god… it was the most unnatural thing I've ever seen. He just stared right through me." Drew sounded miserable. "It was like I wasn't even there… And yesterday, I must have been like this! I was a zombie for a whole day! And I don't even remember it."

I rubbed my forehead in exhaustion. I had neither the will nor the want to console her. "Drew, it's gonna be okay. Just go get some rest."

"No. I should stay and wait for him to wake up."

I was tired and unable to control myself, so I got territorial about it. "No, you should go and rest," I said, forcefully, giving her a sharp look. "I'll watch him. He's my responsibility."

Drew's eyes widened a little. She looked at me, then at Percy, then at me again. At first, she just looked surprised. "Wait, you…?" Then, her knowing look narrowed accusingly on me. I saw her jaw tighten. "You do, don't you?"

Well, too late to back out. She knew. There were butterflies in my stomach, but I matched her glare, refusing to back down. I said nothing.

When I didn't deny it, Drew's perfect face cracked into a scowl. She inhaled sharply, her upper lip twitching in anger. "You… you…"

I guess she was too upset to find the right insult for me, because at that, she stormed out of the Poseidon cabin, slamming the door behind her.

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