Macaria had to admit that she loved being back at camp, away from everything that could hurt her and her brother, she felt almost as though she was on top of the world. Grover announced that he'd be able to spend the rest of the summer with them before resuming his quest for pan.

His bosses at the Council of Cloven Elders were so impressed that he hadn't gotten himself killed and had cleared the way for future searchers, that they granted him a two-month furlough and a new set of reed pipes. The only bad news: Grover insisted on playing those pipes all afternoon long, and his musical skills hadn't improved much. He played "YMCA," and the strawberry plants started going crazy, wrapping around our feet like they were trying to strangle Percy and Grover.

'Stupid satyr can't even play reed pipes well.' One of the strawberry plants muttered. The empathy link between Grover and Percy were still together and they were constantly talking to one another. It was nice to see her brother had her friend back, and Macaria had missed Grover.

Macaria spent some time with Silena and Charles, just watching them talk to each other and seeing them work on their skills, Macaria originally had been afraid of Charles but the more she spoke to him, the cooler he seemed to be. He was a vey nice but shy person, who got along really well with Tyson.

During archery class, Chiron pulled her and Percy aside and told me he'd fixed Percy's problems with Meriwether Prep. The school no longer blamed him for destroying their gymnasium. The police were no longer looking for either of them.

"How did you manage that?" Percy asked.

Chiron's eyes twinkled. "I merely suggested that the mortals had seen something different on that day-a furnace explosion that was not your fault."

"You just said that and they bought it?"

"I manipulated the Mist. Some day, when you're ready, I'll show how it's done."

"You mean, we can go back to Meriwether next year?"
Chiron raised his eyebrows. "Oh, no, they've still expelled you. Your sister could go back but I'm guessing you wantt to be together. Your headmaster, Mr. Bonsai, said you had-how did he put it?-un-groovy karma that disrupted the school's educational aura. But you're not in any legal trouble, which was a relief to your mother. Oh, and speaking of your mother…"

He unclipped his cell phone from his quiver and handed it to Percy. "It's high time you called her."

The worst part was the beginning-the "Percy-Macaria-Jackson-what-were-you-thinking-do-you-have-anyidea-
how-worried-I-was-sneaking-off-to-camp-without-permission-going-on-dangerous-quests-andscaring-me-half-to-death" part.

But finally she paused to catch her breath. "Oh, I'm just glad you're safe!" That's the great thing about our mom. She's no good at staying angry. She tries, but it just isn't in her nature.

"We're sorry, Mom," Percy told her. "We won't scare you again."

"We didn't mean to worry you.." Macaria said into the phone sadly.

"Don't promise me that. You know very well it will only get worse." She tried to sound
casual about it, but they could tell she was pretty shaken up.

"We could come home for a while," The Jackson siblings offered.

"No, no. Stay at camp. Train. Do what you need to do. But you will come home for the next
school year?"

"Yeah, of course. Uh, if there's any school that will take me."

"Do I have to go back to the other school if Percy isn't there?" Macaria asked, making her voice sound really sad and cute.

"Of course not, honey." Their mother sighed. "Oh, we'll find something. Some place where they don't know us yet."

As for Tyson, the campers treated him like a hero.

It would've been nice to Tyson to stay in Poseidon's cabin but he made an announce when they were sitting on a sand dune overlooking the Long Island Sound.

"Dream came from Daddy last night," he said. "He wants me to visit."

"Poseidon sent you a dream message?" Percy asked.

Tyson nodded. "Wants me to go underwater for the rest of the summer. Learn to work at Cyclopes' forges. He called it an inter-an intern-"

"An internship?"

"Yes." Percy looked like he wanted to frown but he held in his jealousy.

"When would you leave?" They asked.

"Now."

"Now. Like … now now?"

"Now."
"I'm happy for you, big guy," Percy managed. "Seriously."

"I'll miss you Tyson…" Macaria said sadly.

"Hard to leave my new siblings," he said with a tremble in his voice. "But I want to make things.
Weapons for the camp. You will need them."

The Fleece hadn't solved all the camp's problems. Luke was still out there, gathering an army aboard the Princess Andromeda. Kronos was still re-forming in his golden coffin. Eventually, a fight will break out even bigger than what it was like before.

"You'll make the best weapons ever," Percy told Tyson and held up his watch proudly. "I bet they'll tell good time, too."

Tyson sniffled. "Siblings help each other." Tyson took out a box and handed it to Macaria. "And what kind of brother would I be if I didn't help out my big sister?"

Macaria sniffed and rubbed away a few tears.

"You're our brother," Percy said. "No doubt about it."

He patted Percy on the back so hard he almost knocked him down the sand dune and gave Macaria a big hug that almost crushed her lungs. Then he wiped a tear from his cheek and stood to go. "Use the shield well."

"I will, big guy."

"Save your life some day."

The way he said it, so matter-of-fact. He headed down to the beach and whistled. Rainbow, the hippocampus, burst out of the waves. The Jacksons watched the two of them ride off together into the realm of Poseidon.

"What did he make you?" Percy asked after he cleared his throat.

"Let's see." Macaria said and pulled out the box and saw there were two blue rings in the box. One had a 'K' and another had an 'S'. She placed her rings on one hand each. The rings turned black in color.

"Is it… a mood ring?" She asked, she was trying to pout as she had already seen how Percy's new wristwatch had spiraled out to full size. Hammered into the bronze were pictures in Ancient Greek style, scenes from their adventures this summer. There was Annabeth slaying a Laistrygonian dodgeball player, Percy fighting the bronze bulls on Half-Blood Hill, Macaria riding on an ice surfboard, Tyson riding Rainbow toward the Princess Andromeda, the CSS Birmingham blasting its cannons at Charybdis. Macaria ran her hand across a picture of Tyson,
battling the Hydra as he held aloft a box of Monster Donuts.

"Maybe it does something else?" Percy said.

"I guess only time will tell." Macaria muttered.

"Hey, Jacksons."

They turned around and saw Annabeth and Grover standing at the top of the sand dune.

"We know," Annabeth said softly. "Chiron told us."

"Cyclopes forges." Grover shuddered. "I hear the cafeteria food there is terrible! Like, no
enchiladas at all."

Annabeth held out her hand. "Come on, Seaweed Brain. Time for dinner."

Percy took it and Grover helped Macaria up. They walked back toward the dining pavilion together, just the four of then, like old times.

A storm raged that night, but it parted around Camp Half-Blood as storms usually did. Lightning
flashed against the horizon, waves pounded the shore, but not a drop fell in the valley. They were
protected again, thanks to the Fleece, sealed inside the magical borders.

"Wake up." Macaria heard her father's voice and she opened her eyes in saw golden eyes. "Wake up, brace yourself."

He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to her feet, at the exact moment her feet touched Macaria woke up.

There was a banging on the door. Grover flew inside without waiting for permission. "Percy!" he
stammered. "Annabeth … on the hill … she …"

Dawn was just breaking, but Macaria awoke near the base of the tree. Macaria felt arms around her and blinked in surprise when she saw a girl was holding onto her, unconscious. Annabeth for some reason knelt down right beside her with tears running down her eyes. The girl had short black hair and freckles across her nose. She was built like a long-distance runner, lithe and strong, and she wore clothes that were somewhere between punk and Goth-a black T-shirt, black tattered jeans, and a leather jacket with buttons from a bunch of bands she'd never heard of.

Macaria wrapped the girl around with her blanket and tried to move away but the girl had a strong hold on her. The entire camps seemed to be stirring. Word was spreading. Something huge had happened. A few campers were already making their way toward the hill, satyrs and nymphs and heroes in a weird mix of armor and pajamas.

A small crowd gathered around them and Macaria noticed the Fleece was still by the pine tree, glittering in the first light of dawn. The storm had broken and the sky was blood-red. Percy was on Chiron's back right beside Grover.

"Curse the titan lord," Chiron said. "He's tricked us again, given himself another chance to
control the prophecy."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"The Fleece," he said. "The Fleece did its work too well."

Percy and Chiron came forward and everyone moved out of the way.

"It healed the tree," Chiron said, his voice ragged. "And poison was not the only thing it purged."

When Annabeth saw them, she ran to Chiron. "It… she … just suddenly there …"

Percy leaped off Chiron's back and ran toward them. Chiron said: "Percy, wait!"

"It's true," Grover said, panting from his run up the hill. "I can't believe …"

Nobody else came close to the girl.

"Macaria are you alright? What are you doing here?" Percy asked me as he checked for injuries.

"I'm not sure, I didn't go to sleep here…" She said tiredly. "This girl was around me when I woke up. She needs nectar and ambrosia." Her skin was cold but her fingertips were burning.

Macaria picked the girl up bridal style and Percy made sure they didn't fall by placing a hand on her shoulders for support.

"Come on!" Percy yelled to the others. "What's wrong with you people? Let's get her to the Big
House."

No one moved, not even Chiron. They were all too stunned.

Then the girl took a shaky breath. She coughed and opened her eyes.

Her irises were startlingly blue-electric blue.

The girl stared at them in bewilderment, shivering and wild-eyed. "Who-"

"I'm Percy," Her brother said. "You're safe now."

The girl looked over at Macaria. "I'm Macaria, Percy's sister."

"Strangest dream …"

"It's okay."

"Dying."

"No," Percy assured her. "You're okay. What's your name?"

The girl's blue eyes stared into their eyes.

"I am Thalia," the girl said. "Daughter of Zeus."