Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Chapter 32: I Search for a Traitor
Camp Half Blood
Annabeth's POV
I walked to the oracle's temple to find Rachel I wanted to talk to her before I asked Calypso to help with our search for the traitor. I had my doubts about Calypso and it had nothing to do with her and Percy. She's been acting weird since she came to camp and I want to know what's going on. She's been seeing Triton and if she were the traitor well I would hate to see him hurt. Triton has become very important to Percy and when Percy was in Atlantis for his year of training Triton was the one that kept me up-to-date on Percy's condition. I owed him for that, plus he was family now, Uncle Triton as my siblings called him. I know he thought that was weird since he was a son of Poseidon, but Theseus marrying my mom had changed our world completely and I dare say for the better. I entered the temple and walked to the back portion of the building where Rachel's apartment was located. I walked through the large oak door and saw all the vibrant reds, greens, yellows and oranges that made up the color palette of her home. It was definitely artistic and the paintings on the wall were clearly painted by our oracle.
"Annabeth, is something wrong?" Rachel said as she walked out of the other room she had a bright orange smock on that had streaks of paint in random areas. Her fiery red hair was tied up in a loose bun and her eyes sparkled when she looked at me. Rachel has green eyes, but not like Percy's. Her eyes were the color of a lime and shined brightly making her look like a Disney heroine, I guess like the little mermaid to be exact. Rachel had grown a lot and she had turned into a beautiful woman unfortunately most men stayed away from her for several reasons; one she was the oracle and could spout a prophecy at a moments notice, two she was the oracle who had to swear off men, and three she was the oracle, most men were scared that Apollo would vaporize them if he caught them with her.
"I wanted to talk to you and ask for your help." I said. Rachel's eyes grew big and she motioned for me to sit in one of the plush arm chairs that she had in her living room.
"What do you need, a prophecy?" Rachel asked curiously.
"No, we have good reason to believe that there is a traitor in camp and that whoever it is will try to kill Luke, actually they already tried earlier today." I said. I saw Rachel's surprised and scared look.
"Oh no, not Luke, is he all right?" Rachel said with more worry in her voice than I expected. Does she like Luke?
"Rachel, do you like Luke?" I asked. Rachel's face turned a bright red and she was quiet for a moment.
"I know I shouldn't, but yes, when I saw him in camp for the first time he smiled at me and I just knew that I liked him, but he doesn't feel that way about me." Rachel said. I didn't know how Luke felt about her, but she's the oracle he'd have to be a fool to cross Apollo.
"How can he be interested in you, you're the oracle Rachel?" I asked in disbelief.
"I know, but there is just something Apollo's not telling me, when I ask him about oracles and the whole virgin thing, he avoids the subject. I think he may be holding something back from me." Rachel said.
"You think Apollo is lying about oracles having to be virgins?" I asked aloud.
"Maybe, I need to know, but the rules never said that oracles couldn't have boyfriends." Rachel said. She's right about that, I guess.
"Well let's change the subject here. Why have you and Calypso been hanging out together?" I asked curiously.
"Well, we started to talk one day, we each felt that we had a lot in common because most campers leave us alone, I guess because they feel that we're too different or because they think we're weird. I really don't know why, but Calypso and I talk about our lives and our feelings. I told her about my feelings for Luke and she talks about her feelings for Triton. She really loves him and she thinks that he loves her as well." Rachel said. Well, maybe I'm wrong, maybe Calypso isn't the traitor. Percy will be happy to hear about Triton and Calypso.
"Well, would you help me find the traitor?" I asked. Rachel smiled and extended her hand and I shook it gladly.
"I would be honored to help and I'll do anything to protect Luke." Rachel said with a steely look in her eyes. I smiled at least Luke has one more person that cares for him in camp.
"Let's talk to Calypso I want her to help as well." I said.
"I'm sure she will." Rachel said as she stood up and motioned for us to leave. "She's at the big house, let's go." Rachel and I ran out of the temple toward the big house. We entered through the large family room and walked down the corridor that was off to the left. We passed several doors until we came to the last door on the right. "This is it." Rachel knocked on the door and a few seconds later it opened.
"Hello!" Calypso said, she was wearing a Greek robe that stretched down just above her ankles and her brown hair was loose around her shoulders. "Rachel and Annabeth, how can I help you?" Calypso said in that sing song voice of hers. She had a curious look on her face.
"We need to talk." I said, Calypso let us into her room, which was basically a large bedroom with a queen sized bed in the middle of the room as well as a large dresser and mirror off to the side. Calypso sat on the bed and motioned for Rachel and me to sit in the two chairs that sat against the far wall of the room. "We have reason to believe there is a traitor in camp, one who plans to kill Luke." Calypso had a worried expression on her face that I couldn't read very well. Then she gave a sympathetic look toward Rachel.
"How can I help?" Calypso asked curiously.
"Rachel and I are going to try and find the traitor and we would like you to help us." I said.
Calypso looked at both of us with a concerned expression. "All right I'll help you. I know Luke doesn't have a lot of friends here and neither do I. I know what its like to be an outcast and to be branded a traitor, so I will help as much as I can." Calypso said. I couldn't read her expression, but she was clearly sad about something and I just couldn't put my finger on it.
"Thank you Calypso, you're a good friend." Rachel said as she gave her a hug. Calypso was clearly taken aback by that and blushed furiously.
"Glad to help." Calypso said softly.
"What's the plan Annabeth?" Rachel asked. I explained to both of them about the band and that we would use it to help protect Luke. "That sounds fine, but how does that fit into us finding the traitor?"
"Well the traitor will have to follow Luke and in this case the band therefore we are going to split up and stake out different areas around where the band practices and we will also keep an eye on Luke's surroundings." I said logically.
"What are we looking for?" Rachel asked.
"Anything unusual, such as people watching Luke, people acting strangely and of course we're keeping an eye out for monsters." I said. Rachel and Calypso both nodded in agreement. "Let's get going the band is practicing down in the boat house by the ocean." The three of us left the big house and rushed to the ocean, once there we split up and setup a perimeter around the boathouse. We each had a whistle that made a noise like an owl if we spotted danger such as a monster we would blow the whistle and alert the band. The band practiced for three more hours until it was dark. The doors to the boathouse opened, Percy and the rest of the band exited looking pretty tired. I motioned for Calypso and Rachel to go back to their living quarters. The rest of the band split up except for Percy and Luke. I caught up to them as they were walking toward the big house.
"Hey, wise girl." Percy said as I approached them.
"Hey, Annie." Luke said with a smile.
"How did the practice go?" I asked. Percy and Luke both smiled.
"It was great I didn't know that Percy could sing so well." Luke said with a smirk.
"Hey, I'm not just your ordinary son of Poseidon." Percy said as he slapped Luke on the back as they both started to laugh. "Besides, the old son of Hermes here plays a mean bass." Luke smiled and shrugged humbly.
"It's good to see that you two are getting along." I said happily.
"Hey, when we're not trying to kill each other we get along pretty well." Percy said as he punched Luke in the shoulder. Luke rubbed his shoulder then he punched Percy in return. They both rubbed their shoulders in mock pain. I couldn't help but laugh at their childish antics.
"So Luke I guess you're staying at the big house?" I asked.
"Yea, Chiron set me up on the second floor in the room just down the hall from his study." Luke said. I wasn't sure if I should tell him this or not, but I just couldn't help myself.
"Well, Rachel and Calypso are helping me look out for the traitor." I said.
"So, how are you getting along with those two?" Percy asked. I knew what he was getting at they had both somewhat dated Percy in the past.
"Don't think so high and mighty of yourself seaweed brain, neither one of them are in love with you so I don't have to crush them." I said sarcastically. Percy just rolled his eyes and Luke laughed. "Besides I hear that Calypso loves Triton." Percy smiled and put his arm around my shoulder. "I also hear that the oracle has a crush on a certain son of Hermes." Percy and Luke both stopped walking and just stared at me.
"Rachel has a crush on Luke." Percy said. Luke's face turned so red that the scar on his face stood out even more.
"You like her don't you?" I said as I gave Luke an accusing look.
"No, I can't she's the oracle, she can't have a boyfriend." Luke said.
"Well you didn't say that you didn't like her and who said anything about you being her boyfriend?" Percy said mockingly. Luke started to speak, but he couldn't, instead he just exhaled loudly.
"OK, OK, I kinda like her, but we have barely spoken to each other." Luke said. I could tell he was embarrassed.
"Well, I can arrange for the two of you to talk more." I said. I can't believe I'm playing matchmaker, if the Aphrodite cabin found out about this I would never live it down.
"You would do that?" Luke said. Ah, he really does like her.
"Next time I talk to her I will tell her that you want to talk and I'll send her to the big house, ok?" I asked.
"That sounds ok, thanks Annie." Luke said. We finally reached the big house, Luke walked inside and waved goodbye to us. Percy and I started to walk back towards the cabins when we ran into Rachel. She was walking outside looking around for someone or something, so Percy and I decided to talk to her.
"Rachel, what are you looking for?" I asked. Rachel looked at Percy and me warily.
"I was talking to Calypso and she suddenly said she had to go, I was trying to see where she went. Rachel said worriedly.
"Did she say what was wrong or where she was going?" I asked.
"No she just said that she had something to do and then she ran off." Rachel said with concern in her voice.
"Maybe she had a date with Triton." Percy stated.
"That's possible I guess." Rachel acknowledged.
"Guess what?" I asked. Rachel looked at me as if she knew what I was going to say, which is possible since she's the oracle.
"What did you do Annabeth?" Rachel asked.
"Well, I kinda told Luke that you would like to talk to him and be friends." I said, trying not to give away that I said that she liked him.
"You did what?" Rachel yelled. Percy looked around and motioned for Rachel to keep it down.
"You wanted to talk to him didn't you?" I asked. Why is she mad?
"I'm sorry, but it's a little embarrassing and besides if Apollo found out Luke might get in trouble." Rachel whispered. Percy and I both smiled.
"You do like him don't you?" Percy said with a smirk. Rachel just glared at him. "I'll take that as a yes."
"So he wanted to talk?" Rachel asked hopefully.
"Yes, he said that you could stop by the big house, his room is on the second floor near Chiron's study." I said. Rachel's face lit up and her green eyes sparkled, I hadn't seen her this happy in a long time.
"Do you think it's too late to go talk to him?" Rachel asked happily.
"Go ahead I think he would be happy to see a friendly face his first night at the big house." Percy said with grin. I nodded in agreement. Rachel gave me a hug and ran off toward the big house. Percy and I watched her as she ran to the big house and slipped through the front door.
"You know those two being together is crazy right?" Percy asked. He was right, but I knew that Rachel and Luke needed each other and for some reason I thought it could work out. I guess I had a stupid grin on my face because Percy just smiled at me.
"Annabeth, you're acting like an Aphrodite girl, do you know that?" Percy said sarcastically.
"Don't push you're luck seaweed brain." I warned. Percy put his arm around my shoulder and we began to walk toward our cabins. Suddenly we heard a scream from the big house. We both turned around to see smoke billowing out of one of the windows on the second floor. Percy and I ran to the big house as fast as our legs could go. We entered and ran up the steps to be confronted by a terrified Rachel dragging Luke behind her. Luke was out cold and it looked like someone had hit him on the head.
"Annabeth, help her and get Luke out of here." Percy yelled. I gave him a worried look. "Don't worry I have it covered." I ran out of the house with Rachel, we carried Luke out as fast as we could muster. As we walked outside of the house I saw a storm move in from the ocean and settle over the big house, rain started to pour down in buckets. Then a huge ball of water floated over the house and suddenly it shot through the window on the second floor where I had seen the smoke billowing out earlier. After a few seconds the smoke subsided. Chiron and Mr. D were outside all four of us were trying to help Luke and Rachel. Then I heard coughing from the front door of the house, Percy walked out coughing, he was covered in black dust and his skin was red from the heat. He walked toward us and stood in front of Chiron. "The fire is out sir, but Luke's room is toast."
"Good job Percy, you saved the house." Chiron said.
"How are Luke and Rachel?" Percy asked.
"They need to go to the infirmary and so should you that cough sounds pretty bad and I won't take no for an answer." Chiron said.
"All right, I'll go, but you know this wasn't an accident, Luke was knocked out and I found this in his room." Percy said as he held the remains of a ceramic container. Chiron and Mr. D looked at the remains and Mr. D smelt it.
"Greek fire!" Mr. D said.
"It looks like the traitor was at work again." Chiron said. Damn, if Rachel hadn't gone to the house when she did Luke would most likely be dead. I'm going to find that traitor if it's the last thing I do.
The traitor was hard at work it seems. Good thing Rachel showed up when she did. The traitor shall be revealed next chapter, I promise.