the stars were made for falling (ii)

It'd been a while since Camp Half-Blood felt so lonely for Percy. Though he liked the way the trees changed colors as autumn came, the camp's emptiness felt a little more prominent now that they were at war.

Sure, the others politely acknowledged him when they had to (except for Chris, who avoided Percy like he was the plague). But he missed his close friends. He missed Tyson, Grover, and tried to not feel bitter whenever Nico wanted to do more things on his own.At the very least, he knew where Tyson was. But the last he heard of his best friend, Grover was busy spreading word of Pan's death and recruiting nature spirits to their side of the war. Meanwhile, Nico was away on a solo mission.

Percy protested at first, no demigod should have to enter the world alone. But Nico was supposed to do a stealth operation. He was open to taking some of the hellhounds with him, but not another demigod. Besides, Nico claimed, his job was simple. Just attach a homemade tracking device Beckendorf whipped up to a specific bus in the city. The problem was that Beckendorf's gadget, made out of parts from an old cell phone, radio, and a bit of magic, was supposed to be affixed to the bottom of a bus carrying several dozen monsters across the country.

In the end, Percy relented. Nico could hide in the shadows and disappear at will, after all. He was a powerful demigod and Percy had to get used to the fact that Nico might not always need him around.

He also chose to let Nico go alone because of what happened in Newark and what Ananke said to him. His power… Percy had nightmares about what would happen if he accidentally unleashed something like that around any of his allies.

Without Nico around, he spent more than one night unable to sleep. Percy would entertain himself by staring at his hands and forcing his eyes to adjust to the dark. When they did, he could see a little more than just his physical body. Tiny wisps of light curled off his skin. They shifted between hues of green and blue, but he also saw the occasional hint of white. It was his godly aura simmering within him. And to his frustration, it was impossible to tell which immortal parent he inherited his aura from.

Days passed. Percy trained, ate, and failed to sleep.

The only indication he got that Nico came back was when he saw Ruby romping in the strawberry fields, though they'd long since been cleared of foliage given the late autumn weather. She and Cass left with Nico on his mission. If they were back, where was he?

Percy whistled to catch their attention. Ruby, small but fast, reached him first. A few seconds later, Cass came wandering out of the strawberry field. He wondered why she was taking so long until he saw the limp in her stride.

"What happened here?" he asked, hand hovering over her. Cass' left hind leg was covered in drying blood. She also kept her paw raised, as if it hurt to put weight on it. After looking at her carefully, Percy found she lost some patches of fur despite not having any deep wounds. But her thigh had some crisscrossing cuts across it, like something slashed her. Maybe not a monster, but a trap of some kind.

Cass whined and tried to act tough, but she pushed her head under Percy's hand and practically begged for some affection. Given that she was bigger than a wolf, Percy didn't think he could carry her to the Big House. Instead, they shadow traveled to the infirmary.

"-no, he still doesn't know-"

Where he suddenly found himself standing in front of his mom and Nico.

His mom jumped, making Ruby think she wanted to play. She tried to fit herself into Mom's arms while Cass took the clean wood floor as an invitation to lay down on her uninjured side.

"Nico? Why didn't you tell me you were back? Are you hurt?" Percy asked. He also snapped his fingers, getting Ruby to calm down a little.

Nico was sitting on one of the infirmary cots. His clothes were covered in dirt and his hair a mess. There was a shallow cut at his temple that Mom was dabbing at with a cotton pad. (Theincidentthat happened a few weeks ago didn't really change anything between the three of them. At least, Percy didn't think so.)

Nico shook his head, schooling his surprised expression into that stony, child-of-Hades look he made when he wanted to appear more self-assured. "It went fine, Percy. I did what I had to, we just triggered a snare on the way out."

Before he could protest, Nico added, "It wasn't an enchanted trap. We got out fine."

"Did you?" Percy said, pointing at Cass. Nico let out a little gasp at the sight of her leg.

"I didn't see that when we got back. She acted like she was fine."

"She's a hellhound, they can survive a lot."

Percy went over to the medicine cabinets and rifled around for the jar of healing salve Chiron made specifically for the hellhounds. Mortal and godly medicine didn't really work on monsters, after all. As he tended to Cass' leg, Percy looked up at Nico and asked, "Are yousureyou're alright?"

"He's fine," Mom said, giving him a smile, "nothing a little bit of rest and nectar won't fix."

Percy's eyes went back and forth between the two of them, wondering what they were talking about before he showed up. He stood up slowly and moved to put away his medical supplies. Over his shoulder, he asked, "So… what you were saying before. Who doesn't know what?"

Nico and his mom shared a look. Huh. They were the only ones in the infirmary, but that could change pretty quickly. So Percy asked, "Was it about something I did?"

"No, no," his mom said. She touched Nico's shoulder and added, "I think you should tell him."

That definitely caught his attention. Whatever he was expecting, it paled in comparison to what Nico actually told him. When he last visited Hades, the god commanded Nico to bring Percy to the Underworld. His idea was to have Nico lure Percy into Hades' domain with promises of the Curse of Achilles, only attainable by bathing in the Styx. It was almost certainly some kind of trap on Hades' end.

And to his credit, Percy wasn'tangry.Not at Nico, at least. He knew very well that it was hard for demigod children to say no to their parents. But the idea that Hades wanted to screw over their entire side of the war for his own vanity…

The pipes in the walls groaned and there might've even been the slightest tremor in the ground.

"Percy, Percy!" Nico said, waving with his hands in a bid to calm him down.

Percy inhaled long and slow, closed his eyes, and counted to ten. The rattling in the walls subsided.

"And if you fail?" he asked.

Nico didn't answer. Gods damn it. Nico pressed his fingertips together. "But that's not all. I have a different plan."

Mom asked, "You do?"

"You knew already?" Percy asked her.

She shook her head. "Nico told me what his father wanted, I didn't know anything else."

Nico's eyes darted around the room. He was nervous, but didn't back out. He said, "There's a few tricky things about the curse. But just like Achilles himself, the biggest thing is that it requires the blessing of the bearer's mother."

The weight of this information settled over Percy's shoulders like a weighted blanket. He stared at his own mother, who had a distant look in her eyes. He could already see her debating with herself.

"It- it's too dangerous," she said.

"And I'm already too powerful," Percy added, "I don't want to think of what would happen if I had the Curse of Achilles."

"Exactly," Nico said. He was staring a little bit past Percy's shoulder. And was heblushing?

Nico's face had the oddest pink flush to it, made even more noticeable by how pale he was. He was running one hand over the other. Clearly, there was more he wanted to say.

"I have an idea," Nico said, "It might please my father enough so that he forgets I'm technically disobeying him. But for it to work, it'll have to involve all of us."

He glanced at Mom. Percy thought it was for her approval, but no… it looked more like Nico was seeking someone to comfort him. His mom sat down on the cot next to Nico and nodded for him to continue.

She said, "Go ahead. Tell us."

Percy wasn't going to last much longer. The sun was about to set, drenching the land beneath him in gold and red. One of his hands was clutched over his abdomen, the other holding onto Blackjack's reins. A jagged, burned hole cut clean through both his armor and clothes. With every beat of Blackjack's wings, with every shift of the saddle, white hot starbursts of pain shot through Percy's guts.

Blackjack circled lower, gliding past the border toward the Big House.

"No, Blackjack… bring me to the ocean."

His pegasus friend whinnied nervously."Are you sure, Boss? You're not sounding too hot."

"Please."

Percy felt like he was seconds from passing out or being sick.

The mission he'd been sent on was to track down a cluster of monsters in Pennsylvania reported by a local satyr. The trouble wasn't finding the monsters' base, it was what came after.

Nico had his own mission and took the hellhounds with him. Which was probably for the best. Percy insisted on going only on solo missions himself since the event at Newark. Of course, he needed transportation. But in this case, not having backup costed him dearly.

Blackjack touched down on the damp sand, waves washing halfway up his four legs.

"Are you sure you don't need help? You took a real beating."

Percy staggered into the water and waved Blackjack off. "Go, Blackjack."

He didn't turn back, waiting to hear the sound of beating wings before he dived under the waves. Instead of willing the currents to propel him deeper, Percy tried to swim the best he could. Already, the ocean was taking the edge off his pain.

Percy found a much bigger encampment of monsters than what he expected. They chose a sneaky location for their base, some ghost town named Centralia. Percy heard the stories of the place; it used to be a mining town. Now there was a big fire under it that'd been burning for decades, driving out most inhabitants. Not ideal for humans, but perfectly suitable for cylcopses, telekhines, and a drakon the size of a school bus. They'd set up a bunch of tents and took over some of the old buildings to refit them into forges.

The downside was that water was limited, Percy had only a canteen of nectar in case he got hurt, and had to take out the encampment on his own. Whatever plan he could've made went out the window when he was spotted.

While he braced himself to fight the drakon, a telekhine snuck up behind him.

Percy only saw a flurry of blackish fur and something bright orange, turning on instinct. The next thing he knew, there was a knife blade in his gut.

Sometimes after fights, people could walk away without even knowing they were stabbed. It usually just felt like being punched really hard. Not in this case.

Whether fresh off the anvil or enchanted, the blade was burning hot. It cut through his armor, jacket, and shirt, striking something deep within him.Percy was just thankful Blackjack didn't get caught up in the implosion afterward. It was just like the ship in Newark. Percy hissed through his teeth as a shockwave caused monsters to burst and the roads to crack open. Fire and smoke shot into the sky as the very town itself began disintegrating.

Which is how Percy found himself diving deeper and deeper into the water. He couldn't stop some of his powers from seeping into the ocean around him, carrying him fifty feet, a hundred, two hundred…

The ocean grew darker and colder. Percy crash landed on the sloping sea floor, sending schools of fish scattering.

Leave,he warned them.

He'd been holding himself together since his initial outburst, but the pain kept Percy from being able to get his powers back under control. He'd even destroyed his own supply of nectar.

Now he was someplace where he didn't have to hold back. As the ocean healed him, Percy's body convulsed as shockwaves annihilated everything in a growing radius around him. He squeezed his eyes shut, sensing the manmade wreckages, rocky shelves, and everything else unfortunate enough to be around him.

It was next to impossible to think of anything but his pain or his power. But he tried to distract himself with the memory of Nico covered in powdered sugar, of Clarisse topping a cupcake high with black frosting, of the year-rounders sharing a laugh as they thanked his mom for her baking. Percy almost smiled as the aching pain in his gut grew duller and duller.

By late November, campers were bundling up in jeans and heavy jackets despite the camp's border warding away any extreme weather. Not that Nico seemed to mind. The son of Hades was thriving in the cold weather and longer nights.

But Percy wouldn't have to be outside running drills or building defenses today. It was his turn to organize the reports for camp. They were spread out over the ping pong table in the Big House's rec room, making his head spin. At least his old stab wound healed fine enough. Only a thin, reddish scar remained.

His job was to organize and respond to messages from campers, satyrs, and nature spirits across the country, some far more dire than others. Earlier in the day, he received an urgent call from a set of twin children of Demeter who reported a growing platoon of monsters loyal to Kronos in their hometown. They were all the way out in Oregon; the only person Percy could send in time was Nico. (Plus the entire hellhound pack.)

He prayed the other would be back by tomorrow morning. He also hoped Nico could come back uninjured, but that would be pushing it.

Percy buried his face in his hands, wondering how Chiron could stand doing this for millenia. Ignoring his ADHD, it was miserable for Percy to sit inside Camp Half-Blood while others risked their lives.

There was also the added weight of Nico's plan. Percy didn't like it, but he hated the fact that he kept putting it off since he first heard it. Sure, he'd love for Nico to be safer from both the war and his father's judgement. But this was a dangerous gamble and Percy had never been much of a lucky person.

His reprieve came soon enough when the ground shook and Percy heard this hissing of hundreds of snakes. He breathed a short sigh and shoved his chair back.

Kampê was outside the Big House. The snakes sprouting from her legs were snapping at each other and she was gritting her teeth. Percy frowned.

"What happened?" he asked.

Kampê snarled, though not at him. She said,"Kronos still eludes me."

So that was why she was mad. Kampê spent a week away scouring the East Coast for Kronos' ship. And this wasn't her first time seeking it out, either. She spent three or four weeks away from camp searching the West Coast for it as well. The old sea gods should've pulled their support from the Titans' side by now. But from what Percy could figure, they snuck in a few protective spells to mask thePrincess Andromedafor a little while longer.Neither Kampê or his dad could find it yet.

"Did you find anything else?" Percy asked.

Kampê's sneer lessened. She made a rumbling sound from within her chest, almost like a reptilian purring."I found many enemy base camps.I had no need for my provisions, I ate quite well."

Percy suppressed a shudder and chose to not probe her. Kampê's ancient Greek combined with her brutal nature reminded him to be thankful that she was his ally. Kampê was not like Chiron or any god he'd met. She still felt so very ancient.

He said, "Good for you. Get some rest. I don't know when or where you'll next be needed."

He turned around to head back inside.

"Percy."

He stopped.

"You and I have no need for defensive plays. I believe it is time for you to consider more offensive measures."

Percy turned around. Kampê continued,"Your allies are spread thin. And they are only children. They are struggling, and this camp is too small to enact any real warfare. But when I find Kronos' ship, it would shatter the Titan's forces and courage ifyouwere to destroy it."

Kampê rested a hand on the hilt of her scimitar, those reptile eyes of hers boring into Percy. He didn't move. He regarded her strangely. Did she know something? Did she know he was ascending?

She must've sensed his hesitance. She continued,"If you cannot do this, then you must send the Titans another message. You must be as ruthless as they are. Strike them where they are weakest. Do you think you can do this?"

Percy swallowed. "I don't know."

The snakes clustered around Kampê's legs leered at him.

She said,"War is rich in opportunity. You will have your chance."

With that, Kampê turned around and stalked toward the forest.

Even though the snow was half a foot high outside of camp, inside there was only a light dusting of frost on the ground. This December was shaping up to be a particularly cold one. Percy worried for Nico, even though he was somewhere far warmer than New York at the moment.

The curtains in the cabin were drawn shut to hide the light from Percy's lamp. Though he was responsible for setting his cabin's curfew, he didn't want anyone knowing he was awake. Or that Nico was gone.

Percy paced the length of the cabin over and over again. Nico promised he'd be back in an hour. Did the Romans have any way of taking him captive? Would they even try?

He was already a little tempted to hop on Onyx and try shadow travelling himself, but now Percy was starting to really consider it. He checked his alarm clock again. It read2:29 AM,though it'd be a few hours earlier in California. Did Nico confuse the time zones?

He'd left a little after midnight when some of the other cabins turned off their lights. Percy was afraid something was happening at Camp Jupiter; he'd been waking up more and more with the taste of offerings on his tongue. Even now, he could taste steak and cheese at the back of his mouth.

The offerings also made his godly side go haywire. Twice in the past twenty-four hours, Percy had moments of that awful, ethereal weightlessness. By feeding his godly side, the Romans were unknowingly chipping away at his mortality.

Percy stopped dead in his tracks, arms hugging himself as he fought the thrum of power pulsating under his skin. The room spun and he held his breath until the feeling settled. He exhaled (and nothing happened).

He rubbed his eyes. Percy's lamp flickered. The shadows in the cabin darkened.

Percy sighed with relief.

Nico stepped out of the shadows. He swayed and collapsed on his bunk with his jacket still on and his sword still at his side.

"Nico," Percy said, shaking his shoulder, "What happened?"

"Hm… tired," Nico said, closing his eyes.

"With Camp Jupiter."

Shadow travelling took a toll on Nico, especially when it was long distance.

Percy said, "Just tell me if they're alright."

Nico opened one eye. "They're fine, I think."

"What kept you, then?"

With some effort, Nico sat upright. Percy handed him a bottle of nectar. After Nico had a sip and could keep his eyes open, he said, "Camp Jupiter's been busy. They've got a whole new fleet of chariots and when I saw them, they were running massive battle simulations. Hundreds of kids in armor, it was insane. I poked around to find out why and it seems like they're training to launch an attack on Mount Othrys."

Percy's blood ran cold. "That sounds like a suicide mission."

Nico waved his hands, "No, not soon. But they're planning to do something big. I saw all the maps and stuff in their war room. Since they're so close to the Titan's base, they think their only choice is to try capturing it."

That would explain the sudden spike in offerings this past week. The Romans had a sizeable force, but they must still be nervous. Percy rubbed a hand over his face. Why did he ever have to discover the Romans?

His life would've been so much easier. But it was late and they both had enough for today. Percy said, "Thanks, Nico. Get some sleep."

Nico nodded and hung up his sword while Percy finally let himself get into bed. As Nico changed into his pajamas (a matching set covered in cartoonish skulls and crossbones, courtesy of Mom), he added, "I saw Octavian, by the way."

Percy groaned and rolled over to face Nico. "What was he doing?"

"Fortune telling stuff, like gutting teddy bears. He mounted the knife he cut you with on the temple wall."

He shut his eyes. "Of course he did. What a dick."

Nico snorted and crawled into his own bunk.

Percy opened his eyes and found himself in a place he didn't recognize. He was surrounded by railroad tracks and massive cargo trains. The night sky overhead was full of stars.

His eyes adjusted to the dark just as a cyclops walked by carrying two massive wooden boxes on her shoulders. Not knowing what else to do, Percy followed her.

When they reached a more illuminated area, Percy stopped in his tracks. One of the cargo trains was surrounded by monsters. A dragon snoozed in a train car while a few more cyclopes shared beers in another.

"You lazy bums, someone else is going back for the last few crates!" the female cyclops said. She dropped her cargo on the gravel in front of them. One of her companions waved his arms. "Hey! There's ceramic in one of those! We need that shit for the Greek fire bombs."

Percy's cyclops put a hand on her hip. "Then you should'a carried it yourself."

Two of the other cyclopes grumbled, hopping off the train cart before lumbering into the darkness. They were all between eight and ten feet tall. Besides them, there were snake women, some harpies, a few griffins, and a manticore. Many of them were loading crates onto the train while the griffins chowed down on the body of a rail worker. Percy grimaced.

No one could see him, thankfully. So he figured he wasn't actually in this place, he was only dreaming of it. But this didn't feel like Chaos' doing.

"Curious, Percy?"

Taking the place of the two cyclopes was Ananke. She towered over the monsters, looking like one herself when she was half-bathed in shadows. No one seemed to notice her, either. She was gazing at the stars above.

"Where are we?" Percy asked.

She smiled. "A place called Phoenix, funnily enough."

Phoenix. As in, Phoenix, Arizona?

"Before you ask me," Ananke began, "I do not know where these supplies are heading or for what purpose. That is unimportant in the end."

"But you could find out if you wanted to?"

She finally lowered her gaze to meet Percy's eyes. Instead of answering him, Ananke pointed at something to her left. Percy followed her and found the manticore scolding the harpies.

His lips pulled back into a sneer. The last manticore Percy ever dealt with got him imprisoned under the sky. But this one had a clipboard in one clawed hand and a pen tucked behind his ear.

"Where is the rest of the shipment?" he demanded.

"This is all that arrived," one harpy said. She and two others were sitting atop some smaller wooden crates.

The manticore snarled, "I'll never hear the end of it from those telekhines if they only get half of the ore and dog biscuits they ordered!"

"Perhaps there was a delay in the supply chain, given that our allies in Centralia were…" the harpy made a nervous sound.

Percy glanced at Ananke. She gave him a knowing look.

"Bah, those idiots," the manticore said, "they were warned in advance that the son of Poseidon was coming for them. Serves them right for not checking their emails."

The manticore stalked off, scorpion tail flicking back and forth.

"Wait," Percy said, brain replaying what the manticore said. "They knew I was coming?"

That shouldn't have been possible. It wasn't like Percy gave monsters a courtesy call to give them a heads up.

"Yes, what could it mean?" Ananke asked, sounding like someone who already knew the answer. She was playing with him.

Percy's eyes narrowed. But he had to be wrong. He said, "Somehow, information from Camp Half-Blood got leaked."

Ananke did not respond. She waited.

He thought hard about that mission, trying to remember every detail about it. Percy had made sure to fly high enough to not be easily seen (while still low enough to avoid Zeus' wrath). If there had been a lookout at Centralia, they didn't do their job right. Unless there wasn't one at all, and Camp Half-Blood had someone who sent the information ahead of time. Not someone that snuck in, since the Labyrinth no longer existed. But someone who was already there. A mole.

A traitor.

"Ah, it looks like you've figured it out," Ananke said.

Percy shook his head. "No, no way. Who would ever do that?"

There weren't even a dozen campers this year. To think someone with nowhere else to go would betray the camp, it was almost too much to wrap his head around.

"I have no stake in this war," Ananke said, "Like the Fates, I am inescapable. Both Olympians and Titans alike revere ad cower before me. But as your elder sister, I feel an obligation to help you where I can. So I offer this as well; there will soon be a time when you will no longer be able to deny your divinity. Chaos has already set your path into motion, and I see only a handful of outcomes for you, Percy."

As she spoke, that torch held up by her serpent's tail flickered and shifted in color. One moment, it was orange fire. The next, it was white hot. It breathed and shifted almost like a living creature.

Percy frowned. "I'm not denying it, though. I said I was going to be a god already."

"You most certainly did. But that was not what I was referring to."

Ananke checked the sky again. "We have some time left. How will you spend it?"

The two cyclopes came back carrying more crates. Ananke slipped off the train car. Like a snake through water or a leaf in the wind, she wove between the two incoming monsters with ease. Her serpentine agility was hypnotic.

"You said this was Phoenix?" he asked. Ananke came closer to him, a glint in her eye.

"What are you thinking, little brother?"

Camp Half-Blood was spread thin already, and now there might be a traitor among them. Percy himself could try to stop this train from reaching its destination, but he had issues closer to home to worry about. Meanwhile, Camp Jupiter was only a state away.

"How do you show someone something in their dreams? The way gods do?"

Ananke's yellow eyes glinted. "You have someone in mind?"

He nodded.

Ananke spread her smokey wings. In the dull light, Percy fixated on the wisps of white mist that curled off of them. She said, "First, envision the person in question. And close your eyes."

He thought that was overkill, but Percy did as Ananke said. He shut his eyes and thought of Jason.

"Do you see their face?" she asked.

He nodded. He saw Jason's blond hair, blue eyes, and that little scar he had. With some guidance, Percy managed to find Jason's physical whereabouts. He was asleep within Camp Jupiter, snoring softly in his bed. It was really strange, using his godly powers to find a demigod. The image of Jason in his mind's eye was a little blurry and shifted like a grainy television.

"Not bad for your first attempt," Ananke said, as if she could see what he was seeing. "Now bring him here. Imagine this hero standing beside you."

Okay… here goes nothing. Percy tried to imagine Jason standing in the web of railroad tracks next to him while still holding onto the actual image of Jason in his head. Gods, is this how dreams were sent? How'd anyone manage it? Maybe being able to split your mind and body into smaller portions helped, but Percy only kind of ever did that once.

"Open your eyes," Ananke said.

He did as he was told. Ananke had vanished, but Jason took her place. He looked around, as bewildered and confused as Percy probably did when he was dropped into this vision of Phoenix.

Jason turned around and jumped at the sight of Percy. "Dear Juno!"

In his head, he heard Ananke laugh.You could have concealed yourself as well.

You didn't teach me how,Percy replied.

He held up his hands in a placating gesture, "Hey, Jason."

Jason's electric blue eyes felt like they gave him a small shock. He asked, "Are you in your pajamas?"

Percy looked down. He forgot about his Blastoise t-shirt and flannel pajama pants.

"Um, don't worry about it."

And Jason was one to talk, he wasn't dressed much better. All of a sudden, Jason's whole body flickered.

Keep the connection intact,Ananke said.

With a start, Percy tried to focus on keeping Jason with him. He didn't know he had to pay so close attention. Assuming he didn't have much time given he was a novice god with ADHD, Percy said, "Look, Jason. We're in Phoenix, Arizona. See all those monsters?"

Percy pointed and Jason took in the dozens of monsters milling about. He continued, "I don't know where this train is going or how long it's staying, but it's a threat to our side of the war."

Just then, the manticore reappeared. He went up to the cluster of cyclopes and waved his clipboard in their faces. "What's the lot of you doing sitting around? Where are your stock lists? We have only three more days to make sure all the supplies ordered by Kronos are here and ready to move!"

Huh. Convenient. Percy said, "Okay. So you have three days."

"Just three?" Jason asked. But he didn't sound afraid. He sounded a little angry, even. Like this was another thing on his to-do list to cross off. Percy could relate.

"We'll muster the forces necessary to deal with this," Jason said. After a beat, he added, "We will not fail you… lord."

Percy visibly cringed. "I don't know why I have to keep saying this. Don't call me stuff like that."

Jason cocked his head to the side. "You still want to go by Percy? I thought it was clear that you were… you know. A god."

He ignored Ananke's gleeful presence in his head. "It's complicated. I don't like being worshipped, I don't want sacrifices or prayers. I just want this war to end."

Jason looked like he could sympathize. His form flickered again, muffling whatever it was he said. Percy figured it was time to send Jason on his way.

He said, "Good luck. Also, be sure to tell Octavian I want that knife off his wall. It's embarrassing."

Percy let go of his concentration. Immediately, Jason's outline began to blur and fade. Just as Jason vanished, presumably returning to the waking world, Ananke said,It's time for you to wake up as well.

"Fine," Percy said.

The world around him melted away, just as it always did.

It came as no surprise that the yearly trip to Olympus for Christmas was canceled. Olympus was shoring up its defenses, but it still hurt camp morale. To make matters worse, the TV in the Big House living room was regularly playing news broadcasts to follow updates on Mount St. Helens. Compared to a few months ago, Typhon was stirring a little more often.

And then there was the issue of the spy. None of the campers other than Nico knew. But Chiron, his mom, Argus, and Kampê were all aware. Percy also had to immediately veto Kampê's offer to torture the campers one by one until the mole fessed up. According to Chiron, there was no need to alert the year-rounders. Not yet. They risked scaring the traitor into going silent, which was the last thing they wanted. They had to find out who it was before it was too late. What would happen if they weren't found out by the time summer began? How many lives would be jeopardized then?

In an effort to soothe even a little the tenison, Percy's mom put up a fake Christmas tree on the Big House porch. Beckendorf and Mason had fun decking the thing out with celestial bronze tinsel and LED lights that strobed in all kinds of crazy patterns. Silena suggested even doing some kind of secret Santa event.

Just as Percy was beginning to think he could have a moment's rest from the war, he got an IM from Tyson at dinner time. Just a few days before Christmas.

"Brother!"Tyson said,"The Titan's big ship has been found!"

The entire dining pavilion ground to a halt. Everyone abandoned their plates and seats to cluster around Percy, eager to hear the news. He ignored how the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Their spy was listening in.

"That's great!" Percy said, trying to sound upbeat. It was about time the protective magic placed on thePrincess Andromedafinally wore thin.

Tyson nodded."Dad is going to-"

"Hey, big guy. Would you mind calling me later? After dinner?" Percy quickly asked.

"No, what's happening?" Clarisse asked.

"Yeah! It's been way too long since we've had any good news," Travis said.

Percy silently cursed. Of course, Tyson was oblivious to his inner turmoil. He said,"There might not be a later. Dad is already preparing an attack. The big ship will be sunk by midnight."

All around him, campers and nature spirits cheered. Nico and Percy shared a look.

He dissolved the IM amidst Clarisse leading a victory chant. Each and every camper looked ecstatic.

As Chiron tried to calm everyone down, he pointedly glanced at Percy. Chiron gave him the smallest of nods. It was all he needed to signal for Nico's to quietly shadow travel them to Cabin Three.

"Fuck,"Nico said. "The spy's gonna warn Kronos for sure."

Percy couldn't agree more. "I need to tell my dad."

Good thing they had a fountain in the cabin. Percy fished out a gold drachma and risked using atinybit of his power to will the water into a finer spray of mist. He tossed the coin in.

"O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me…" Percy hesitated. Then, he said, "Show me Kronos aboard thePrincess Andromeda."

"What-"Nico half asked, half shouted. He was staring at Percy like he was a madman.Just as the rainbow over the fountain began to shimmer, Percy shoved Nico out of view and pressed a finger to his lips. Nico had no choice but to keep his mouth shut now.

Poseidon's attack better come fast. Percy didn't want to risk delaying it if he told his dad that Kronos would anticipate him. Even a few hours day's delay could let Kronos's army dock and escape. So he hoped he could be a good enough distraction.

The image in the rainbow opened up slowly, as if Iris herself was asking,You sure about this?

Then Kronos himself appeared. It looked like Luke on the other end of the call. He was standing with his back to the Iris message, staring through his floor to ceiling windows at the open ocean beneath the dusk sky.

"This better be worth it,"Kronos said without turning around. Just like the last time they met, Percy heard both Luke's voice and Kronos' gritty, ancient one.

"I promise it will be," Percy said, trying to ignore his heart jackhammering in his chest.

"Oh?"Kronos turned around. He smiled at the sight of Percy. It looked wrong, though. It was Luke's smile with Kronos' cruel eyes."Perseus. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I…" he swallowed, "I want to bargain with you."

Kronos took a step closer. He was dressed in a white suit with a black tie. His hair was gelled and styled in a way Luke never did his. It was neat, perfect. Like Kronos was an A-list celebrity on the red carpet. He strolled away from the window and the Iris message followed him. Kronos sat down at a mahogany desk and folded his hands in front of him.

A glint of silver caught his eye. Percy spotted a chain link bracelet that looked oddly out of place. There was a tiny silver charm on it, a miniature scythe.

"I've been waiting for you to come to your senses,"Kronos said,"But you continue to surprise me, regardless. Your recent actions wouldn't have indicated you were in a bargaining mood."

"You've been keeping tabs on me?" Percy asked. Kronos chuckled in a noncommittal way.

He tried his luck. "You've been doing it with your spy, right?"

Kronos raised a brow. He asked,"Oh? You think there's something awry in the little Greek camp?"

Why couldn't this guy just give a straight answer?

Kronos smiled, languid and confident."I'm willing to bet you haven't yet found them."

Percy ignored how his blood ran cold. Maybe a small part of him had hoped there never was a spy. Unless Kronos was trying to play mind games, which he might've been, then there really was a traitor in their midst. Kronos spreads his hands."But enough of that. My offer still stands, Perseus Jackson. I'm aware that both your precious camps are well into mounting their war efforts. Their blood will undoubtedly be spilled, but I'll spare them all if you would only turn Olympus to dust."

Something in him made Percy hesitate. It was all an act, but having Nico watching him made shivers run down his back.

"Sounds easy enough," he managed to say.

Kronos chuckled."No need to be worried. You've been practicing on my forces, yes? I've heard reports of encampments that vanished without a trace. Everything in the vicinity destroyed all at once. I can think of no other being with power that effective."

Just when Percy couldn't feel worse, Kronos added,"It's rather admirable. You've made me almost jealous."

A tinny vibrating sound interrupted them. It sounded like a cheap phone going off. Percy zeroed in on the bracelet sitting on the desk. The scythe charm was glowing and vibrating. In one smooth motion, Kronos plucked the bracelet between two fingers and dropped it in his desk drawer.

"Ah, as you can imagine, I'm a very busy Titan. And I like to make my deals in person. Lines of communication such as these aren't secure, you know. Before we can go any further, I think it would be best for you to see me."

"See you?" Percy's mouth went dry as Kronos nodded.

"Pick a time, I'll arrange-"

"Tonight. I can see you tonight. Midnight."

Oh gods, what the fuck was Percy doing? In times like this, it would've paid to have Annabeth around. Even Kronos regarded him strangely.

"Nervous?"

"I mean, I'm kind of betraying all my friends and allies right now."

Kronos scoffed,"I'd hardly call it betraying. You're doing them a great service."

At least he seemed to buy it. Kronos stood and braced his hands on his desk."Have one of those hellhounds of yours bring you to me. I'll be expecting you, Perseus. I hope you do not disappoint."

The Iris message faded away. Water sloshed into the fountain as Percy let go of his influence over it. Some spilled over the edge and got his socks wet.

"Oh, my gods… Percywhat the fuck!"Nico shouted.

"I don't know, I panicked!"

"You're about to board a sinking ship, you know that, right? Withyou know who?"

"I can breathe underwater. But that's not the point." Percy pulled out Riptide. He said, "Get your sword. We're finding this traitor before they can warn Kronos."

Outside Cabin Three, Percy let out a long whistle. The hellhounds came bounding. Percy took Onyx and Mrs. O'Leary, Nico took the others. Trying to act like nothing was wrong, Percy walked alongside Onyx as he searched the camp. The Stolls were on their cabin porch playing cards. They tried to wave Percy over for a game but he ignored them. Although… Kronos referred to the spy asthey.Was that to hide their identity, or could it be a pair of sibling traitors? Travis and Connor were Luke's younger brothers, after all. So was Chris, but Percy was pretty sure if he was the traitor, Clarisse would've already had his head on pike.

For some reason, he couldn't imagine it was Clarisse, either. She didn't have the subtlety for it. And based on how much of her dad's brutish nature she got, Percy didn't think it was an act. (Or maybe out of everyone around, he just wanted it to be her the least.)

As they walked through camp, Mrs. O'Leary stopped to smell the air. She made an excited sound and started padding toward the woods.

"No, girl! Focus," Percy said. He and Onyx hurried after her but Mrs. O'Leary only moved faster and faster. She went from walking to trotting to almost running. Percy had no idea what she wanted, not until they were about a hundred feet into the woods. Camp was still pretty close behind them when Mrs. O'Leary stopped.

"Oh!" someone shouted.

"Silena?"

Lo and behold, Mrs. O'Leary was furiously wagging her tail as she sniffed and licked Silena.

"Hi, Mrs. O'Leary, nice to see you too," she said.

Percy massaged the stitch in his side. He made sure he had Riptide in his other hand. "What're you doing out here alone?"

Silena finally spotted him past his dog's massive body. Her eyes went wide, "Hi Percy. I just came here for a walk, that's all."

"Kinda cold, isn't it?"

Although he was kind of feeling warmer already. Maybe the running did him some good. Silena shrugged. "I guess. But I've got too much energy right now. It's just that taking care of the Titan's ship will be huge for us."

"Yeah, really." Percy grabbed a fistful of Mrs. O'Leary's fur and tried to pull her off of Silena.

She asked, "You taking these two for a walk as well?"

"I guess so. Mrs. O'Leary just ran off and I had to go get her."

Silena smiled. She really was a child of Aphrodite. Even though Percy wasn't interested in Silena, just her smile made something in him flutter. He smiled back.

She said, "I'm sure she didn't mean any harm. But I guess it'll be getting dark soon. Don't stay out too late!"

"I won't," Percy said. He felt a little floaty all of a sudden, which should've scared him. Didn't something like this mean his divine side was trying to come out?

Silena stepped around his hellhounds. As she did so, Percy heard the clink of metal. Silena had a charm bracelet on. It was decorated in things like silver hearts and gemstones. Maybe Beckendorf made it for her. How romantic.

Percy blinked. And spotted the sickle among Silena's other charms. It was the same scythe Kronos had.

He blinked again and it was like the air around him dropped ten degrees.

No. No way…

The world snapped back into focus.

"Silena?" Percy asked.

"Yeah?"

She turned around. Something in his expression must've spooked her. Silena followed Percy's gaze to her wrist and quickly drew her hand to her chest.

Silena began walking away. "Um, I think I should go. See you tomorrow, Percy!"

She smiled and waved but it didn't do anything to him this time. Percy followed after her.

"Silena?" he called, "Silena!"

Onyx was barking now. No doubt the other hellhounds would hear. He lowered himself to the ground and Percy climbed on his back. They chased after Silena, who was now out of the woods. But she wasn't heading for the cabins.

Silena was making a break for the stables. The pegasi.Percy whistled as loud as he could. Kampê, who was still eating her dinner consisting of an entire cow carcass a distance from the dining pavilion, looked up. She abandoned her meal and followed after Percy.

"It's her! It's Silena!" he shouted.

Kampê didn't need to be told any more. She spread her wings and took off.

A massive shadow chased after Silena. Kampê landed with a deafeningboomthat rattled Percy's teeth in his skull. She lowered herself almost to the ground and hissed.

Percy tapped Onyx's side to get him to slow down. He jumped from his hellhound's back and trapped Silena between him and Kampê.

"Percy? What are you doing? Stop it!" Silena asked. She sounded genuinely frightened. But there was something more in her voice. A sway that made him want to lower his guard. Children of Aphrodite weren't the strongest in a physical sense. But they had other tricks. Was this charmspeak? Percy only heard of it; he'd never had it done on him before.

The shadows next to him darkened. Out came Nico on top of Andrea. He took in Percy, Kampê, and Silena.

"What the hell's going on?" a distant voice called out. Clarisse.

Shit. All of camp was now aware something was happening.

Percy pocketed Riptide and marched up to Silena. She took a few steps backward before remembering the massive, looming threat at her back.

"Please," she whispered. Percy ignored her.

He grabbed Silena's wrist and examined the bracelet. His eyes weren't playing tricks on him. There really was a scythe charm on her wrist. He'd probably seen Silena wear this thing dozens of times before without ever noticing what was on it.

"It really is you," he said. Horror and disappointment bubbled in his gut. "You're the traitor."

As multiple sets of footsteps came closer and closer, Silena gave in. Her lower lip trembled as she began to cry.

"He promised no one would get hurt if I helped him."

It would've been past curfew on any other night. But the year-rounders, Argus, and Chiron were still furiously debating on what to do with Silena. Meanwhile, Kampê was fulfilling her old role as a jailer by keeping a close eye on Silena. As of now, she was under house arrest in a spare room on the Big House's second floor. Kampê could watch her from outside without having to bend down.

The first hurdle was trying to convince everyone that there really was a spy at camp. No one liked the idea that someone so close to them could be a rat, and no one was happy at all that Percy was accusing Silena. But he'd thrown down her charm bracelet on the rec room's ping pong table as proof.

Of course, Nico sided with Percy. Chiron was also aware of the spy. Surprisingly, Clarisse was the most vocal in defending Silena. Her boyfriend Beckendorf was fixated on the bracelet, maybe wondering how he could make sapphire charms and gilded hearts for a traitor.

Clarisse waved her arms as she spoke, "You're trying to accuse her based off a piece of jewelry!Her,Silena! You really think she'd betray us all?"

"She had to be manipulated by Kronos," Percy said, slamming a palm down on the table. "That's how he gets demigods to swear loyalty to him. That's probably how he got to Silena! He gave her some kind of empty promise."

"What makes you an expert on Titans all of a sudden?"

"Peace, both of you," Chiron said. "Silena fully admitted she was a spy. We have multiple witnesses to testify. That is not the issue. What should most concern us is rehabilitating her as we did with Chris."

All the attention in the room shifted to Chris Rodriguez, who hadn't said a word since the screaming started. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "It's true… the Titans will promise you anything in exchange for your loyalty. And if not them, it's another demigod tricking you."

Chiron nodded in agreement. "Thankfully, Silena is not suffering from madness. Right now, what she needs most is our patience."

Somehow, Clarisse cooled off a little. She threw her hands in the air. "Fine. Fine! She's the traitor. But we're not handing her over to Kampê or whatever. She's a demigod like us, we should be the ones to handle her."

"I agree," Chiron said.

The walkie talkie on the table crackled and let out the sound of a thousand hissing snakes.

"I would make her pay for her transgressions,"Kampê said. This was their best solution at keeping her in the loop. Percy wanted to find some humor in imagining someone as big as Kampê holding a tiny walkie talkie, but he just didn't have it in him. He was so tired already.

Percy reached for the walkie talkie. "Noted. Thanks for the input, Kampê."

Clarisse shot him a dirty look, even though it was obvious he was just humoring Kampê. He'd seen first hand how brutal the jailer of Tartarus was. No demigod deserved to be put in her hands. But what to do now? Lock Silena in the basement? Tie her to a chair for interrogations? Send someone to give the poor girl hot chocolate?

As the arguing picked back up, the walkie talkie beeped again. Kampê's voice came through, though it sounded like she was talking to someone else.

"No, you don't get to hold it- stop!"she said. Kampê grumbled swears in the extra ancient language of the primordials before switching back to ancient Greek."The prisoner has requested an audience once more."

"Her name is Silena!" Clarisse shouted.

"Hm. Well, I suppose it is only fair at this point," Chiron said. "Argus, bring Silena down. Someone else, please heat a cup of tea."

A few minutes later, Silena was sniffling in her folding chair as a cup of mint tea sat untouched in front of her. No one was willing to sit next to her; the Stolls, Chris, and Beckendorf all stood near the walls instead. Despite whatever disagreements happened before, every camper at the table instinctively looked to Chiron to lead… whatever this was. Percy didn't think people being interrogated got to have tea.

Chiron sat across from her. He leaned forward and asked, "Now, Silena. How about we begin with you. What did you want to tell us?"

Without looking up, she said, "He didn't ask me to hurt anyone."

"Who?"

She sniffled. "Luke."

Just like that, everyone was on edge. All three of Luke's younger brothers shifted nervously.

Silena continued, "I thought I was making a bargain, saving lives. But I think he was just using me."

Clarisse's jaw clenched. Next to Percy, Nico was scratching at his neck.

"Using you to do what?" Chiron asked.

She shook her head. "To keep tabs on camp at first. To give him information he wanted. But since last summer, it all changed. Kro-hewanted only one thing from me."

At last, Silena looked up. Her eyes were puffy and red, her mascara smudged. She said, "He wanted me to give him information on Percy."

Oh.Percy thought,Oh, no.

For about a week, Silena was kept under guard in the Big House. Argus and Kampê took shifts. They didn't keep her under lock and key (at least Argus didn't), but Silena was not allowed to leave the Big House without permission.

By the time New Years rolled around, no one was in the mood for sparkling cider or campfire songs. Tyson relayed that even though thePrincess Andromedawas successfully sunk, a few of their enemies escaped the ensuing searches. Most notably, Kronos was nowhere to be found among the wreckage. Percy tried not to think about whether or not there were demigods on the ship when it went down.

On January first, the camp came to a unanimous agreement on what to do with Silena. All things considered, she could've had it much worse.

Just like before, they gathered in the rec room as Argus delivered Silena to the group. This time, she was more nervous than defeated. She was combing her fingers through her hair and tapping one foot against the floor. Percy refused to be the one to do this, it felt too weird. Too personal. So instead, it was Clarisse. She sat at the other end of the table from Silena with one hand closed.

Clarisse raised her fist and opened it. The charm bracelet dropped, dangling from her thumb. Silena flinched at the sight of it.

"Here's the deal," Clarisse said. Her voice was so calm, so level that it gave Percy chills. "We'll fully forgive you for being a spy. Anything you did before? Doesn't matter now. But in exchange, you're going to keep spying for the Titans, understand?"

Silena went still. "What?"

"But you'll be on our side," Connor said.

"You'll work with us instead of going behind our backs," Pollux added.

Clarisse nodded. "It's either that, or you're our prisoner for real."

Silena stared at the bracelet. "You want me to be a double agent?"

"Indeed," Chiron said. "Having insight into our enemy's wants and actions may prove invaluable. But the choice is yours, Silena."

"I'll do it," she said. She didn't even hesitate. "Please, I'll do it. I never should've agreed to be Luke's spy."

Clarisse handed the bracelet to Chiron. He said, "Thank you for your cooperation. Please forgive us, but until you have need of it, I think it would be best if this stayed someplace safe."

Silena almost looked disappointed. She said, "I understand."

That seemed to be enough for a few people in the room.

Clarisse walked around the table and put a hand on Silena's shoulder. She leaned down and said, "Welcome back."

She was the first to leave. The rest of the campers filed out of the Big House, including Percy.

"Nico? Come on," he said.

Nico was still standing by Chiron, lost in thought. He snapped out of it and followed Percy out.

It was the first night in over a week that Silena got to sleep in her own cabin. And Nico couldn't believe it. She handed over information on them, onPercy,to Kronos and was barely punished. Nothing about this sat right with Nico. He could blame his fatal flaw, but he wasn't fully convinced Silena was on their side again.

It was too easy for her. Forgiveness was not what changed people, pain was.

So he waited until he could hear Percy snoring before he slipped out of his bunk. Nico put on his aviator jacket and slowly zipped it up. He neglected to take his sword. He wouldn't need it for this.

Nico summoned the shadows to do his bidding. He stepped into one and reappeared within the Aphrodite cabin. The air reeked of flowers and perfume. Silena was asleep in her bunk, curled up under her covers. A floorboard creaked under Nico's weight.

Thankfully, Silena was a light sleeper. Nico saw her eyes flicker open but she didn't see him. Not yet.

He stepped halfway out of the shadows to reveal his upper body. Silena threw herself backward and let out a startled cry.

"Silena," he said.

She squinted in the dark. "N-Nico? Is that you?"

"Don't worry, I'll make this quick."

Nico scowled at her and wondered how well she could see his expression. There was a hint of moonlight drifting through the windows.

Nico spoke calmly, quietly. "I don't care what anyone else thinks. If you try to betray us again, especially Percy… I will kill you, Silena."

Her whole body went rigid. Good.

Nico went on, "I will drag your soul to Hades myself and I will make sure the judges of the dead know exactly what you've done. I'm stronger than you, and I won't regret it."

He willed the shadows in her cabin to solidify, to plunge her into complete darkness. The air dropped in temperature and stung his throat.

"You will not get another warning. Hurt Percy, and I will end you," he said. Nico took a step back, sinking into the shadows. "Keep quiet about this."

And he was gone.

If the war wasn't going to kill Percy, he was pretty sure Clarisse was. Silena being found out made something in her snap. Already, Clarisse was one of their best fighters and a terrifying enemy when she was pissed off. And she was always a little pissed off.

But for a few weeks already, she started getting up at dawn to either scale the climbing wall at maximum difficulty or hack away at training dummies. Percy figured these were just to kill time. By breakfast, Clarisse was already dripping with sweat and ready to move onto living sparring partners. No excuses, no whining. She made everyone join in on camp-wide training drills as often as possible. So if campers weren't getting their asses kicked in the field by monsters, they were at home having Clarisse doing the exact same thing.

Percy complained a little less than some others. He was glad for the distraction in between missions and Nico needed the extra practice. Besides, Clarisse was the most skilled camper with a spear, but Percy was their best swordsman. Constant training came a little easier to him than a few others.

"Come on, Nico," he said, sweat beading his brow, "Keep that shield up."

Nico took after Percy in that he trained to fight with just a sword. Fighting two-handed was helpful when you were on the offensive. Nico wasn't yet used to weidling both a sword and shield. He'd long since abandoned his jacket, wearing just his armor and a black t-shirt beneath despite the wind.

All around them, the clanging of metal against metal rang out. People were off in their own little groups with Chiron moving among them. Kampê even watched with idle amusement from the entrance to the arena. Or maybe she was there to keep an eye on Silena, who was firing arrows at a target hung ten feet off the ground.

Percy lunged, spun on his heel to dodge Nico's slash, and brought Riptide down in a diagonal arch. Nico raised his shield just in time to block it, sparks flying as metal met metal. Percy jumped backward to avoid being stabbed himself.

They went back and forth, chasing after each other like the tide on a beach. Nico pulled off a great move when he feigned a blow, only to slam into Percy's chest with his shield.

Riptide skittered out of his hand as Percy fell on his butt. He collapsed on the ground, admitting defeat.

"Holy shit,"he said. Percy massaged his ribs. His chestplate protected him, but he'd be surprised if he didn't walk away without a nasty set of bruises under his shirt. "That's why you should learn to use a shield."

He sat up slowly, testing himself. It didn't hurt that badly, thankfully.

"Hey! Jackson!" Clarisse stalked over to them. By the looks of it, she won her one-v-two against the Stolls. She pulled off her helmet to push back her sweat-soaked hair. "Fight me!"

Nico offered a hand and Percy got to his feet.

"I'm good, I've gotta rematch with this one," he said, clapping a hand on Nico's shoulder. Clarisse shook her head.

"You think I can't keep up just cause you're a kid of the Big Three? Get over here!"

Percy bit the inside of his cheek. He really didn't want to spar with anyone other than Nico because he was scared of losing control of himself. Nico knew when to stop and he also knew what Percy was capable of. Clarisse didn't.

But with more than one set of eyes on him, he thought it'd only be weirder to refuse for some bullshit reason than to just accept a quick match.

Percy said, "Nico, take five."

He picked Riptide off the ground and met Clarisse at the center of the arena. She had her helmet back on and her electric spear crackled at her side. Clarisse rolled her shoulders.

"I missed being able to beat you up."

Percy tried to grin back as he raised Riptide. "Same."

She wasted no time charging him. Percy sidestepped her, feigning an attack before trying to get behind her. Clarisse ducked under his swing and almost jabbed Percy in the side with the butt of her spear. He backed away before attacking again, dropping to avoid being hit in the shoulder. Percy spun and swept Clarisse's feet out from under her.

She fell, rolled, and was back on her feet in seconds. She seemed to be going for the weaknesses in his armor. The gaps, the exposed skin. With a lightweight spear, it was easier to get in a sneaky hit than with most other weapons.

The two of them went back and forth until Percy's energy began to flag and Riptide started to feel heavy in his hands. This wasn't like training drills where they were both pulling their punches. Clarisse was really acting like she wanted to skewer him.

But the thing about real fights was that they didn't go on and on, not like in movies. Even for experienced warriors, fighting was a really taxing endeavor. Both Clarisse and Percy already went through previous sparring matches, which usually meant one thing. Mistakes would be made.

For Percy, it was thinking he could take one more hit. He risked charging and fell for Clarisse's sidestep. It was a feint. She grinned from underneath her helmet and jabbed Percy dead center in his chest, where Nico already landed a hit on him. Jolts of electricity made his whole abdomen spasm. Percy gasped, unable to get any air in his lungs.

He watched that spear spin through the air in a mesmerizing arc. Clarisse sidestepped for real and drove her spear forward. She nailed Percy just below his ribs. In between two of the leather straps holding his armor together. A perfect blow to one of his weak points.

Percy's whole body shook.

The wind rippled around him, so fierce it muffled everything else for just a second.

No, no, no…

Through watering eyes, he saw the surprise and even horror in Clarisse's face. Maybe she didn't think he'd actually let her hit him. He wouldn't have in any other circumstances.

He used all his remaining strength to keep any of his powers from spilling. The ground cracked beneath him but it didn't spread farther than a few feet in every direction.

Percy finally got some air in his lungs as he heard the clatter of wood and metal. The sounds of fighting stopped. He staggered to the side, one hand pressed to the wound in his torso.

"I'm fine," he said. Why was Clarisse staring at him like that?

Someone called his name. He turned, head spinning as he did so. Nico was staring at him, aghast. With a growing sense of dread, Percy looked down.

Clarisse's spear was at his feet. Its celestial bronze spearhead was corroded away. Droplets of gold decorated the ground.

All at once, Percy realized everyone was staring at him.

"You…" Clarisse said. She trailed off, unable to say anything else. Percy winced and looked closer at himself.

There was gold blood seeping between his fingers.

Not pure ichor, not yet, but gold enough. And he was bleeding in front of everyone. The campers, Chiron.

Kampê looked the most pleased at that moment, a gleam in her eyes and a growing smile on her face. She took flight and landed within the arena, taking up half the space.

"My liege,"she said. And then she bowed.

Percy felt sick.

From somewhere far away, he swore he heard Ananke laughing.

Notes:

chaos when they find out percy finally revealed he's an almost-god but in the least theatric way possible and also by accident:

/