Annabeth POV:
"WHAT?" Percy cried out after Zeus had announced that Makenna was a daughter of Ares.
Zeus glared at Percy, but he kept looking at Ares.
"You?" Percy asked. "You broke the pact?" He should probably shut up.
"It was bound to happen some day," Artemis muttered.
"Listen," Ares pounded his fist on his throne, "it's not my fault!"
We all stared at him.
"Actually," Apollo stated, "it is."
I was in shock. Makenna, perfect little Makenna, daughter of the god of war? Did that mean that Clarisse was her. . .sister?
That was messed up.
"Well," Ares said defensively. "I thought that my kid would be someone like Clarisse, a drakon-slayer. Not someone like her." He looked at Makenna with a glance of disgust.
Percy got even angrier. "What do you mean 'not someone like her'?" he exploded. I would expect someone to stop him, but all the gods were watching. "It's not her fault that she's stuck with someone like you!" I covered my mouth. He should really shut up. Like, now.
"Listen, son of Poseidon. Why do you care so much?" Ares shouted.
Aphrodite stopped smiling. Instead she looked nervous, like one of her love plans was going to get messed up. Her blue eyes flickered from me to Percy, then to Percy to Makenna.
Percy flushed a bit, and I felt like my heart was getting poked and pushed and pressed all at the same time.
"Um. . . .well—," Percy stuttered. I closed my eyes and starting talking to myself in my head. I did not want to hear this.
I opened my eyes in a sudden moment of realization. I wanted to see Percy get embarrassed in front of all Olympus. I wanted to see Percy admit that he was falling for Makenna. I wanted to see the event that would break my heart.
"Yes?" Ares smiled slyly, waiting for Percy's response.
"Because—," Percy started. The next thing I did I never forgave myself for it. But I never gave myself enough credit for it, either.
"STOP!" I yelled. "STOP IT!"
Percy looked over at me in surprise. Athena was giving me the same look. Aphrodite, on the other hand, looked beside herself in glee. The other gods looked pretty confused.
"I'm sorry," I said, "it's just, please don't continue, Percy. Please," I took a step closer to him. From the corner of my eye, I saw Athena's gaze turn stern.
"I promised that I would tell you the truth," I told him, gazing into his sea-green eyes, and trying to hold myself together, "and here it is."
I took a deep breath and began.
"The truth is, Percy, was that I really didn't want Makenna do be a daughter of Zeus. I didn't want her to be a daughter of Apollo. I didn't want her to be a daughter of anybody. Long story short, I was jealous her. She was just really pretty, and she had something about her that made me feel that you liked her."
And then there was the flirting," I took a deep breath, which came out as a sob. Soon enough, the tears started falling. "That made me upset. Really upset. For a full hour, I hated you and your guts. Then, Makenna seemed like this model camper to Chiron. And she interrupted us. And," I sobbed, "she just, made me really upset," By this point, I was weeping.
"I'm sorry, Percy," I said, "for being such a stupid, dull-witted fool. I'm sorry, Lady Athena, for being such a horrible daughter. I'm sorry, Makenna, for hating you. I'm sorry, Lord Zeus and the rest of the gods, for crying here, in front of you," I continued crying.
It was silent besides my crying. Soon, my stomach started to hurt, and I felt dizzy.
The last thing I saw before I fainted was Percy running towards me, worry on his face but a small smile on his lips.
