"Clarisse, stop." The girl was practically dragging him through the woods.
"Move over Chris, we need to talk to Percy."
"But is that ... explain to me." Chris said tripping over a branch.
"Well, but walk fast."
"Okay, okay. But look where you are going I don't want you to hit me against a tree like Annabeth to Percy".
"That happened because he is an idiot."
"That sounds more logical. Can you explain it to me already?" They stopped to rest a little. Chris took a canteen out of his backpack and handed it to Clarisse, wanted to sit next to her and put his arm around her but didn't want to rush anything.
"Who wants the lovebirds separated from?" The girl said slowly as if explaining to a novice in the camp how to use a sword.
"Athena".
"And who obeys all of her orders?"
"Their children".
"Everybody?"
"Well ... everyone except Annabeth."
-Exactly. She has always done what she thinks is right despite what her mother says".
"But that...
"And who takes command of cabin six when she's gone?"
"Malcolm". He said spitting out the name of Annabeth's brother.
Clarisse looked at him as if the answer was obvious, she raised her eyebrows widening her eyes but the boy did not understand.
"Let's see Chris, Athena wants Annabeth and Percy separated, right?" Ares's daughter was armed with all the patience she had.
"Yes"
"But Annabeth would never leave the fish child for anything in the world."
"Yes". He said feeling embarrassed for not understanding the first time, but he was so happy to have Clarisse back that he couldn't focus on anything other than being with her like before.
"Malcolm obeys his mother without questioning anything".
"So if Athena told him to keep Annabeth away from Percy ...
"That's why he locked Annabeth the night she disappeared and ...
"And he didn't let Percy enter the infirmary, because he knew she would resist the spell, he had to wait for the effect of the darts to completely dominate her."
"And when she disappeared and Jason took her, he acted like nothing. He wants Annabeth to choose Jason!" she exclaimed, standing up.
"So we have to go warn the squid head now if we keep Annabeth away from Malcolm and Jason we can buy him time until he finds the antidote or the spell weakens."
"But first he has to find her and nobody knows where she is."
"I know where she is."
...
"Hey, Trav". Connor said to his brother approaching him while sitting on his bed. It was a strange thing, the Stolls were not used to staying locked up in their cabin doing nothing.
The boy just shrugged without any encouragement but didn't look at his brother, his head was down and he made strange noises.
"Ready for the next prank?" Travis shrugged again but still did not respond.
"Come on, brother, talk to me. You ..." That little noise again "Are you crying?". His tone had gone from prankster to worry. He approached his inseparable companion but the moment he put his hand on his shoulder, he took it away immediately.
"Leave me alone"
"Trav ...
"Leave me, Connor, I'm serious." He had never used that annoying tone with him. Hermes's son did not know what to do.
"But...
"Get out! Come on leave me alone!" He said turning his back to him.
"NO!"
"What?"
"I said no, I won't leave until you tell me what's wrong. An hour ago you were on the plan to "get Katie back" and now you're acting like ... like you've given up".
"Maybe I did."
"I can't believe that, you don't give up, the Stolls don't give up that easy, you ...
"Do not you understand? I already tried everything! But nothing works, I can't make her love me again!"
"Don't worry, you guys are going to be together again. Remember what Aphrodite said, just make Katie remember that ...
"You think I don't remember that? She also said that perhaps not all couples are for each other and if those are us ...
"Don't talk like that, maybe just a matter of time."
"Look at Percy and Annabeth. Their love seemed to us all the strongest in the world and have you seen how they are? Percy is exploding and Annabeth disappeared! Maybe we will never see her again and we all go to hell and ...
He was instantly silent as he received his brother's fist to the nose.
"But what...
"You deserved it. Now let's take your stupid butt to the infirmary and continue pranking Katie. You had better go back to being the one you were two hours ago because if you don't, you'd have a black eye, aside from a broken nose". Connor said, red with fury, lifting his brother abruptly from the floor.
"I love her too much Connor..." the boy started crying, now he understood what those noises were from before. Sobs.
"Shut up and move".
What the Stoll brothers did not know was that all their talk was being heard by a certain daughter of Demeter with a confused heart hidden under the window frame.
...
"Leo, where's Percy?"
"What?". The boy was on the dock repairing it, with Calypso's help. Although he went to great lengths to be a gentleman and do all the heavy lifting, the girl was still as stubborn as he remembered her and refused to sit and watch.
"Where is he? Did he come to talk to you? " Aphrodite's daughter had tears in her eyes but only Calypso had noticed. Leo was so absorbed in his work that he had not noticed his friend's hysteria.
"No, the last time I saw him he was going to talk to you, I think he wanted a girl talk." He said giggling before noticing Piper's tear-filled eyes.
"Did he found you? What happened?".
"No ... yes... we talked but I thought you had told him ... I ... I didn't know that he didn't know and ... I said ... I".
"Piper, Piper, I don't understand you. What did you say to Percy?"
"The ... from the recorder." She said between sobs and with tears running down her cheeks.
"What?! Why?".
"Because I thought you had talked to him and ...
"Oh no".
"He ... just ran away. I wanted to reach him but I couldn't and I thought that he had come with you as we said that you ...
"I know, I was going to tell him about it as soon as I got back from talking to you, but I didn't think you ...
"I am an idiot! I just opened my mouth and said it without thinking! You should have seen his expression I wanted the earth to swallow me!".
"Do not say that".
"But...
"No buts, let's go find him," Leo said looking at Calypso. Together they took Piper to the infirmary to give her something to calm her down. While they were looking for Percy.
As the last search place, they went to Argo II, while Leo searched the cabins Calypso went to the stables, where Hazel and Nico's boxes were found. While in the hallway she heard Frank's voice.
"Please Hazel you have to try to understand it."
"I'm sorry, I can not"
"But it is a spell, you don't want it."
"My head is shaking off. Sorry, but I only think about how He is so similar to Sammy, I can never forget him ...
"I understand I swear I do, he was your first love and Leo looks just like him and more now with the spell that forces you to love him but ... I need you." The agony in the boy's voice made Calypso's heart squeezed.
she didn't dare come any closer for fear of being discovered but she felt that Frank needed a hug or a hand on his shoulder to support him. She liked the boy, and no one deserved to feel what he, Percy, and everyone else was feeling.
She heard footsteps go down the stairs and as soon as she saw Leo, she silenced him, pointing to the place where the voices of Hazel and Frank were coming from.
"We have to go". He articulated with his lips without making a sound, she nodded and they walked as quietly as they could towards the deck of the ship.
"Percy is not on board and they need time alone," Leo said walking towards the dining room.
"I agree, but technically they are not alone."
"What do you mean?"
"The other boy, Nico is in his box, right?"
"No, he disappeared just like Malcolm and Jason. No one knows where they are".
"Do you think Percy went looking for them?"
"I do not think so. He wouldn't be so silly to go alone, would he?"
"Well...
But it was interrupted by the exclamation of several campers.
"Clarisse!" The daughter of war had returned. Fully recovered from the spell and with the murderous look of always.
"PERSEUS JACKSON! BRING YOUR FUCKING ASS BACK HERE! ¡NOW!" (See how delicate she is? But Chris loves her that way.)
...
I was in my favorite hiding place, I knew that no one would find me here. Annabeth and I are the only ones who know it, well taking Aphrodite away.
Several times I heard the voice of Leo and Calypso calling me but I needed to process what Piper had told me. I couldn't believe it, Jason really liked Annabeth, without a spell or anything.
Before I calmed down or enough a poor tree was a victim of Riptide. One hit after another to release the fury I felt until I toppled the tree. It was fortunate that no one noticed, I did not want to be found, much less that someone knew of my favorite place. Our place.
It wasn't long when I heard Clarisse's sweet tones.
"PERSEUS JACKSON! BRING YOUR FUCKING ASS BACK HERE! ¡NOW!"
"I guess it's her again," I said standing up and walking back to camp.
When I arrived I couldn't help but feel jealous of Chris, he was holding Clarisse's hand just like before and he had a smile of in love happiness stamped on his face.
"You have to go to Annabeth."
It was the first thing she said when she saw me.
"I already know it"
"And what are you waiting for?".
"It's not that easy when you don't know where she is."
"I know where she is." I could have kissed her. But I just hugged her with happiness.
"Where!" Maybe I was a little rough about taking her by the shoulders and shaking her but I was desperate.
"Don't touch me, fool! "
"Tell me, now!"
"She's on the Argo II."