Wow I am a verified terrible person. How long has it been since I posted a chapter? I don't even know. But here is chapter ten for all of my wonderful readers, I do not deserve you.

Chapter 10.

Stars, Donuts and Rain

Annabeth's P.O.V

After a few hours of dreaming about Jason, Percy and Leo turning into pieces of toast (and I mean toast like the kind you put jelly on) Leo woke me up for my turn to keep watch. Instead of just leaning against a tree, I decide to climb up to one of the lower branches to actually get a somewhat good vantage point. Observing my surrounding I notice that the trees aren't that dense in this area so I can see a decent distance away.

I soon realize that my "good vantage point" was a total waste after spending twenty minutes staring at nothing, so I tilt my head back to look at the sky. My mind goes blank and I lose track of time. Once I realize that I zoned out, I blink hard and hope I didn't accidentally fall asleep, and for some reason I feel slightly confused. I look below me to the boys, still asleep in the same positions, I look around us half expecting to be attacked, but no leaves rustle.

I look up to the sky and see… it's because I can see the stars. So close to the city I wouldn't expect to see them, not with the tragic amount of air and light pollution, but there they are. Hardly any clouds obstruct my view and the stars twinkle so clearly that I can make out constellations glittering against the dark background, just like the ones I drew above my bed.

"This night is sparkling" I say to myself.

"Don't you let it go," I'm surprised to hear Percy reply as he sits up from where I thought he was sleeping. "It's supposed to rain tomorrow."

"What are you doing awake?" I ask quietly, glancing at the others to make sure I didn't wake them up.

"I don't know, it just felt like it was time to take watch for you." He replies in a sleepy voice.

"I haven't been up for long." I assure him. "Get some more rest."

He mumbles something that was probably an "okay then" and lays back down. I smile a little but I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because the stars are out.

I wait another hour before waking Percy. I probably spent more than my share awake but I don't mind.

Just as I feel like I'm on the verge of falling asleep, the air lightens around me as the sun peaks over the horizon. Letting out a small sigh, I know that any chance I had to fall asleep has vanished. For some reason, I feel like there are eyes on me, the kind that are saying "you look like you're asleep but I know you aren't"

Opening my eyes, I sit up and see Percy leaning against the same tree Jason was last night.

"Good morning." He says quietly.

And it was.

In fact the whole day went by pretty smoothly, we made it from sunrise to sunset with no problems (which is a miracle if I'm honest). No monsters or creatures of any kind bothered us, well there was this squirrel who had fun dropping pinecones on us, but what can you do.

A couple juice boxes and several miles later the sun is beginning to set and we decide to find a place to cam. Clouds cover the sky, causing the daylight to dwindle more quickly. It seems like Percy was right about it raining tonight. I wonder briefly if that is a power that comes with being the son of Poseidon, predicting rain.

Then, out of nowhere, Leo blurts out "Do you smell doughnuts?"

"You're probably just hungry." Percy says, dismissing the comment.

"No wait, I smell it too." Jason says as if he surprised himself. We all stop in our tracks, doughnuts in the middle of the woods? Then I remember a story I once heard, three kids found a doughnut shop in the middle of nowhere, apparently one of them actually bought some, but they were attacked by a hydra. I tell the story to the others.

"We'll just avoid the shop then" Percy says.

I shake my head, "If were close enough to smell doughnuts then they're close enough to smell us."

"They already know were here." Jason agrees.

"Are we going to be attacked by a hydra then?" Leo asks.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see something dark slither through the trees. I turn just in time to see it serpentine deeper into the trees until it disappears.

"A basilisk" I whisper as I draw my dagger.

"Said to be so poisonous that just looking at it will kill you." Jason says while tossing his gold coin into the air, turning it into a spear. I slowly move in a circle to try to locate the monster again and see Percy draw his sword and Leo pulling a hammer out of his belt, and promptly setting it on fire.

"It is also said that it is only twelve inches long and can be killed with the stench of a weasel." I say, completing my circle. "But I don't think all of that is true." I swear the basilisk took my words as a challenge because he bursts through the trees in full attack mode. His enormous body covered in an almost tar like slime.

"I thought the basilisk was a European myth." Leo shouts as he dodges the charging monster.

"Tell me where Greece is, Leo." I respond before ducking under the creature's massive head.

"Don't touch the poison!" Percy shouts somewhat unnecessarily as he hops away from the basilisk's trail of ooze which leaves the grass sizzling.

"I don't have a weasel!" Leo shouts, nearly avoiding being smashed by the monster's tail.

"Distract it for me." I call out, then retreat a few yards back from the monster. No one seems to question me and they all do their best to keep the basilisk busy. Jason prods it with his spear and Leo throws a seemingly endless stream of flaming hammers while Percy stands directly in front of it, maintaining the basilisk's attention.

I readjust my grip on my dagger as I raise it above my head, it's not a throwing knife, but it will have to do. I suck in a deep breath, then contract every muscle in my body and release the dagger from my hand. It flies in a deadly arch through the air and meets its target, directly between the basilisk's eyes. A few seconds after collapsing to the ground, the monster turns to dust and I retrieve my dagger. As I wipe the grime off the blade, I notice Percy staring at me but I can't read his expression, he turns his head and says "That was not twelve inches."

The sun is long gone but we decide to keep moving just in case the basilisk has friends, we all agree that gaining some distance from the doughnut shop (the one we haven't actually seen) is nothing but a good thing. After a little while it starts to rain and after a little while longer we feel safe enough to pull out our sleeping bags and be done for the night.

"Same as last night?" Jason asks as we unroll our sleeping bags under a tree. Sleepy and soaked to the bone, I agree for simplicity's sake. Then just as I am laying down, I notice that Jason isn't even wet. Puzzled, I look over to Leo and Percy to find that they are both dry as well.

"Why am I the only one that's wet?" I ask, slightly annoyed.

"I can use my power over the air do divert the rain away from myself"

"The water kind of just evaporates off of me"

"I only get wet when I want to, since I'm the son of Poseidon."

"Unfair," I grumble as I crawl under my sleeping bag, hair plastered to my shoulders. I hear everyone settling in then feel something touch me. I open my eyes and see that Percy has draped his arm across my waist and that instantaneously, I am perfectly dry. My cheeks feel warm and I smile at him even though his eyes are closed.

"Thank you," I whisper.

"Anytime," He replies.

I smile even wider before drifting into a pleasant sleep.

When Leo wakes me up the rain has reduced to an almost nonexistent mist. Leo is asleep before I even sit up and I notice that Percy's arm is still resting over me. "It was nice while it lasted" I say to myself, shifting into a sitting position then I pause. It would be reasonable to assume that Percy's power to keep himself dry was subconscious, but when he extended it to things beyond himself… I smack him on the shoulder "You stayed awake just to keep me dry!" I try to stay angry and fight back the heat rising in my cheeks.

"Maybe" he replies

"You're such and idiot, you're going to be exhausted tomorrow." I glare at him even though his eyes are closed. "I'll take your shift, now actually get some sleep seaweed brain." I push his arm off me, glad that his eyes are still closed because I'm sure I've never blushed so hard in my life.

"You're not taking my shift." He says then rolls over and relaxes.

A few hours later he wakes up to take watch.

I'm surprised he didn't get mad at me for calling him seaweed brain.