"Aphrodite, what are you doing here?"
"I can't take it anymore, darling." The goddess sighed. "I have to do something".
"I think you did too much already." Athena's daughter said with a certain sarcasm pointing to her clothes.
" What do you mean?".
"I'm locked up because of you!"
"You blame the wrong goddess, Annabeth. I did not lock you here".
"But...
"What I'm going to do is something I really want to do."
"But the darts and that ...
"I said what I want, Annie."
"Annabeth"
"As you prefer, my dear."
"But the fault of all the ...
"Have a seat, dear. Let's have tea."
"I'm fine like this, thanks."
"Ok". Aphrodite said as she smoothed her dress thoughtfully.
"What do you want to do now?"
"Do you remember what I told you the last time we spoke, Annabeth?"
"Listen to my heart and ...
"And I'm on your side"
"So?"
"No one messes with my favorite couple and puts me aside, Annabeth. NOBODY". The goddess began to approach her with a malicious look on her beautiful face.
"What will happen now?" Annabeth was usually not afraid of anything (except spiders) but the glitter in the goddess's eyes made her recoil until she hit the wall behind her.
"Don't worry, Annabeth."
"What is that?". She said as she looked at the strange object that had appeared on Aphrodite's hands.
"Just don't move."
"But what...
Annabeth only caught a glimpse of blue and the goddess's hand pointed at her.
"Let's see who laughs last Athena". A smile peeked from Aphrodite's mouth as Annabeth fell to her feet.
...
"Where we are?". Ares' daughter said as she made her way through the undergrowth of the forest.
"We're almost at the edge of Camp Clarisse, don't worry."
"I don't worry, fool. I just want to go back".
"To see Malcolm?" The boy said with some regret.
"No, I do not know". Clarisse was confused. At first, the image of Malcolm did not come out of her mind, now it was replaced in moments by Chris's face. "I don't think so." She said with a shy smile on her lips.
Chris was so happy to see her fighting the spell and smiling at her that he forgot where he was. He also forgot the ravine at the edge of the camp. He stumbled and rolled down.
"Then ... ahhh!
"CHRIS!"
When Clarisse reacted, Chris was already out of sight.
She crawled as far as she could to the cliff and her soul returned to her body when she heard his voice.
"Clarisse! Do not move!"
"But...
She saw him hanging from a ledge holding himself almost with his fingernails.
"Stay away!"
"How can I help you? Answer me, Chris!"
"CHRIS!" She was panicking, Clarisse couldn't help but hate herself for it. Her head was spinning, one part of her was pink and the other a deep red that tried to prevail over the powers of the goddess of love.
"Arghh!" The girl growled freeing her mind from the spell. She took her spear and nailed it to the edge of the ravine. Like an expert she hung herself holding the spear and swinging with one hand, she hung upside down.
Her head was just above Chris's hands and with all her strength she held the boy's hand and helped him find a foothold.
Together they went back up, Chris somewhat confused because he noticed something strange in Clarisse's gaze, a red flash.
"Clarisse Are you ...
"Shut up". The girl threw her arms at him, hugging him by the neck. Before Chris reacted, Ares' daughter put her lips to his.
Chris responded to the kiss with such effusiveness that it almost caused another fall in the ravine. They parted laughing, but he didn't want to release her.
"Finally! I thought ... I thought you had forgotten about me"
"Well, you're not so lucky." She replied with a frown, a gesture he loved.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm only sure of one thing at the moment."
"Of what?". He asked uneasily.
"That ... I love you, Chris." She had never told him before, and the fact that she did made the boy almost pass out.
"I love you too, Clarisse!" He kissed her again while thinking that he was the only one who knew the sensitive and fragile side of the rough god of war daughter.
"We have to go back! We have to help Percy, Clarisse!"
The girl kept hugging him but he was convinced.
"The rest of us can manage on our own but he is about to explode, Annabeth disappeared and he has not heard from her."
"And Malcolm?"
"Oh no! Does the spell still work?"
"No, but where is he?"
"I don't know when Jason disappeared he did too."
"We have to find him!"
"Why?".
"Because he knows where Annabeth is."
"Of course not. Remember, he hit Percy the night she disappeared".
"You do not understand it! Everything is a plan!"
"What?"
"Who wants to keep Percy and Annabeth apart?" She said as if it was obvious.
"Athena but ...
"Let's go!" She said pulling his hand.
"Clarisse explain it to me, how ...
"I'll explain on the way!"