Percy's POV
I didn't realize that we were back at the beach until I smelled the salty sea breeze. I was still obsessing over what Pheme had told us. We now knew that we had to look for eight different colored pearls - at least that much of our quest was clear. But where we would even begin to look for the pearls, I had no way of knowing.
I stood in the water and sighed. Annabeth stayed a safe distance away, lest the Mist think that now would be a fun time to not conceal her tail.
The water lapped reassuringly around my feet, and I once again thought of how sad it was that I couldn't share this with Annabeth now. At least, not until we find a way to break her curse.
The waves continued to break along the shore, and I noticed that they were becoming quicker and more insistent.
A woman rose slowly out of the water, and neither Annabeth nor I were too surprised to see her.
Her hair long and dark, and fell to her waist. It was strewn with pearls in elaborate braids.
"Hello, children." She looked really nice and sweet. I was wary, since I knew too well how looks could be deceiving.
Her voice was low and gentle. "There is not much that happens in the sea that I am not aware of, and I know of what the Greek goddess Thetis has done to you." She looked at Annabeth sympathetically.
Annabeth choose to ignore her pity. "You're not Greek then." She cut to the chase.
"Indeed, I am not. My name is Una. I am a Celtic deity, and also one of the guardians of the pearls of Talora."
Annabeth reeled back as if she'd been slapped. "What is this?" she demanded. "Why is it all of a sudden everyone from all corners of the spectrum knows what's happening with us?
Una shrugged her delicate shoulders. "I'm not sure about anyone else, but for us guardians, we always keep an ear out for any threats to the pearls. Thetis is a definite threat. Not to mention most of us are sea deities, so when another goddess rampages, we'll notice. Those things travel through the network."
Around us, the people on the beach more or less ignored us. Nearby, a group of children were playing with a ball. One boy threw too hard and it missed us narrowly. He rushed passed us as if we didn't exist.
"Fine." I held out my hands complacently. "So you're a guardian. Could we work out an agreement? Do you think you could give whatever pearl it is that you're guarding to us and we promise we won't blow up the world?"
"Alright," she said without batting an eyelid.
Annabeth blinked. "What? Really?"
I didn't expect this. I knew from experience that people expect things in exchange. "Why would you just give it to us?" I asked suspiciously.
"I may be a guardian, but should I stand against Thetis, I will fall. The reason I'm giving the pearl to you is because I believe you will be able to protect the pearls much better than I can, and also because I trust you. You two are the kindest souls I have seen in a while."
Annabeth and I looked at each other, many silent messages passing between us. Was Una to be trusted? Could we really just take the pearl and go?
"Thank you," I said finally.
Una held up a clam shell. It opened on its own. Nestled inside was a pearl of brilliant brightness that shone like a second sun. I reached forward and took the pearl reverently. The golden color reflected the sunlight, blinding me for a second.
Beside me, Annabeth was also gazing at the pearl in wonder. "It's beautiful," she breathed.
Una exhaled deeply as if a great weight had been lifted off her. I wondered how long she had been looking after the golden pearl, guarding it from evil beings and making sure that it didn't fall into the wrong hands.
"So," she said, clasping her hands in front of her once again. "Now you have the golden pearl. I dare say that it was easy, but I'm afraid to tell you that the rest won't be as easy to obtain. Some of the other guardians are much more cautious and less trusting, not to mention you might run into all sorts of obstacles during your quests."
"Yippee." I muttered. "I've never gone through that before."
Una's lips twitched as if she were holding back a smile. "I cannot give you any more information on where the other guardians reside as it is forbidden. However, I do wish to see you succeed, so I will leave you with one last parting gift."
She slowly sank back into the water before disappearing completely, leaving only a faint smell of the sea breeze and four-leaf clovers.
"What did she mean, gift?" I asked confusedly.
"There." Annabeth's sharp eyes had caught something. I picked an object out of the water. It was a music box with a beautiful intricate design, engraved with mother of pearl. I could tell that it had been made of white foam waves. I opened it gently. There, engraved on the inside of the lid, were the words 'Luxembourg'.
Great. I've always wanted a trip to Europe.