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chapter sixteen.
(  the titan's curse  )
❝ upon thy return! ❞

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     I don't need your sympathy. I don't need people to tell me sorry that Luke had died. I also don't need people to tell me they're sorry that he's alive. As soon as I heard about it from Annabeth, I wanted to be angry at Percy for not telling me, but we were far from that. I didn't care about him not telling me, all I care is that Luke survived that fall. He survived. How in the gods did he do that? That was what I was worried about. I don't care about your sympathy. I don't care about Percy not telling me. I don't care about anything but that, because that was what should be on everybody's mind. Not 'I'm so sorry you have to deal with him still being alive'. No, grow up. Ask me, 'what could this mean?' and I'll pay attention to you.

     Because that was all that was on my mind the trip back to Camp. He died. I saw him die. I saw his body break. How did he survive?

     We made our way to the Big House, and we were greeted by Chiron and Hannah with hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches. Hannah was angry, but she didn't say anything. I knew I was going to get a talking to, the: don't sneak onto a quest! but she was also a demigod, and she understood that if you know, you know; and if you think you should go, you go. Grover went off with the satyrs to discuss his finding son Pan and his 'Blessing from the Wild'. Annabeth, Percy and I followed Chiron and Hannah into the Big House and sat down at the pool table. Other campers were already there; Silena, Lee, the Stoll Brothers and even Clarisse, back from her 'secret scouting mission'.

     "I got news," she told us. "Bad news."

     "I'll fill you in later," Chiron said with forced cheerfulness. "The important thing is that you have prevailed! And you saved Annabeth!"

      Annabeth smiled.

     "Luke is alive," Percy then said. "Annabeth was right."

     He explained what his father told him about the Princess Andromeda, and I frowned. This was only the icing on the tip of the cake. Luke was indeed back, and I was scared and worried  as to how. "Well ..." I shifted in my seat awkwardly. "If the final battle does come when Percy is sixteen, we have some time to—like—figure things out, I guess..."

     Percy met my eyes. He didn't seem that happy, because he knew what I meant by figure things out. I looked away, unable to keep in his intense stare any longer.

     Chiron looked very grave from where he sat by the fire in his wheelchair. Hannah herself ran a hand through her hair. "Two years may seem like a long time," said Chiron. "But it is the blink of an eye. I still hope you are not the child of the prophecy, Percy. But, if you are, then the Second Titan War is almost upon us. Kronos's first strike will be here."

      "How do you know?" asked Percy. "Why would he care about camp?"

     "Because the gods use us heroes as their pawns," muttered Hannah. "Remove the pawns, and the king and queen are left unprotected."

      Chiron nodded, "Luke's forces will come here. Mortal, demigod, monstrous ... We must be prepared. Clarisse's news may give us a clue on how they will attack, but—"

      There was a knock on the door, and Nico di Angelo came hurrying in. His cheeks were red from the cold, and there was a bright look in his eyes. I felt my chest tighten. He was smiling, he looked around anxiously. "Hey! Where's ... where's my sister?"

      Cold silence. Percy and I exchanged looks. No one had told him; they had waited for us to tell him in person. Percy then pursed his lips and awkwardly got out of his chair. "Hey, Nico," he said. "Let's take a walk, okay? We need to talk."

      Nico frowned, but he followed him outside into the cold.

     I sighed, placing my head in my hands. It wasn't easy losing someone, I can't imagine what it would be like for Nico to lose his only sister.

° ° °

     Leaving the meeting, I passed the infirmary. Inside, I saw Cain. He had a bandage around his arm, lying in a bed with Will cross-legged beside him on a stool. I decided to walk in.

      As soon as I did, Will looked up. He grinned and ran over to me. I felt much better after hugging him.

      "You're back!" he said. "You saved Olympus again!"

     "Yep," my throat was hoarse. "That's what we did."

     He frowned. "I heard about Bianca ... is Nico okay?"

     I sighed, "Nico won't be okay for a long while, Will."

     He nodded, understanding. I met Cain's eyes from the bed, he had a frown on his face. "What happened to the mystery boy, huh?"

      Will frowned, "He was stupid enough to challenge Connor Stoll on the Lava Wall. The idiot got burned from a fowl play from Connor."

      I couldn't stop myself. I laughed. Cain went pink.

      I grinned at him and hopped onto the end of the bed. "How was it without me?"

     Cain managed a small smile, "It ... it was okay."

     "Found some friends?"

      He shifted awkwardly. "S-some."

      "Me!" added Will. "And Nico! And he's friends with Charles Beckendorf!"

      I arched a brow, "You and Beckendorf?"

     Cain looked sheepish, "He isn't scared of much."

      "People are only scared of what they don't know," I told him. "As soon as they know what it is, it isn't that scary anymore."

       "You're also my friend," Cain said, a lot braver this time. He then backtracked, "A-at least ... if you want to be my friend, you don't have to if you don't want to—"

      I shoved my sneaker whole-heartedly in my face. "Of course I want to be your friend, doofus!"

      He gave me a grateful smile. Will seemed very happy. A thought suddenly crossed his mind. "Oh, Styx! I forgot to clean the shields in the attic! That's like ten shields and I have to go do archery!"

      "I-I can help, if you want," Cain offered.

      Will narrowed his eyes, "No. You have doctors orders to stay here."

     Cain gave me an exasperated look. I laughed. It was funny to see a thirteen-year-old (nearly fourteen) be bossed around by an eleven-year-old.

     "I'll help, Will, it's okay," I stood up. "Be glad, Cain, those shields haven't seen the light in two thousand years, and the Oracle is the creepiest thing ever."

      "Yeah," he pursed his lips. "I remember that hag. You know what ... I'm happy sitting here."

     I laughed again. "We'll be back, don't worry."

    He one finger saluted me, and so Will and I made the trek up to the attic with the cleaning supplies (conveniently stored in the infirmary) to clean the Styx out of these shields.

     I let Will go up first, flying dust in my face. I coughed. I always miss Camp-Half Blood whenever I go on quests, but the Big House attic is certainly a place I do not miss.

      Coming up into the attic, the first thing I saw was the Oracle. Seeing her brought back the memory of her coming to the creek during capture the flag. Back when Zoë and Bianca were still alive—Gods that seemed like so long ago.

      Will threw me a rag and we got scrubbing. Some of these shields were ancient, and I was scared of touching them. I wondered how Will actually enjoyed doing this, but then again. I was the type of demigod that always had to be moving with my legs and fighting, Will always had to be moving with his hands. He was a drawer, a medic; this was his jam.

      I got through two more shields when Will let out a sharp gasp. I jumped, immediately going into fight mode—I can't help it. I turned to Will, ready to protect him at all costs—against what? I'm not too sure. What would be so dangerous in an attic?—only to see him staring at the Oracle. It was then that I noticed that the green mist that belonged to the Oracle had started to circulate around my feet. I turned to the Oracle herself, and she was upright. The candles around her sparked to life. Will gaped. I don't think the Oracle had ever woken when he had been up here.

      Staring straight at me, the Oracle of Delphi spoke: Come forward, Seeker, and ask.

     My stomach jolted. I remembered what Hades told me. Upon your return, what return? Who knows.

     I had just returned from my quest. This was what he meant. Upon my return.

     I shared a glance with Will, before I stepped forward. "I ... I was told there's a prophecy about me?"

     The Light's Kin, said the Oracle. Yes.

     "Um ..." trust me to make this awkward. "What is it?"

     In my ears, whistling like wind, came the Oracle's voice:

         Daughter of Apollo walks the path of light,
         And follows the sun in its descent to night;
        Just as its circulation, she returns,
        Yet not as she once was renown.
        But beware the traitor within the maze,
        for they're yet to have finished their ways
        Be careful, must the Light's Kin;
        For the dark side of the sun is just
        as perilous as its twin   

     The mist rose again, slowly whistling its way back into her mouth. As soon as it did, her jaw snapped close, and the candles blew out.

      Will and I stood there for a few seconds, just staring at the Oracle. What did she mean? Beware the traitor within the maze? Did she mean Luke? But what maze? And then the dark side of the sun is just as perilous as its twin.

       What was I getting into?

      We made our way back down to the infirmary, both extremely silent. I knew I had to go and tell Chiron, but he had other stuff to worry about. Percy stuff. And Clarisse stuff—whatever that was. I will tell him, but I will have to wait. So, I confined in the next best person at this moment in time: Cain.

      Together, the three of us sat there and discussed this prophecy. Cain—who was still rather fresh and new to all of this, was as clueless as those stereotypical blondes that I hate.

      "Are prophecy's always this cryptic?" he asked.

      Will and I nodded.

      "Usually a prophecy means a quest," I said. "But ... this doesn't sound like a quest prophecy. It sounds like my whole life."

      "That's scary," Will admitted. "The whole 'the dark side of the sun is just as perilous as its twin'. Like, what's that supposed to mean? Are you like going to the dark side? Will you join Luke and Jay?"

       "No," I shook my head strongly. "Never. But ... maybe ..." I sighed. "I dunno. It's unwise to try and predict a prophecy before it happens, then you try and control it—"

      "—And that's dangerous," said Will. "Yeah, I know. The line Dad always ends up saying in someones dream: it's unwise to know your future. It's like his own bedtime nursery rhyme."

      I kissed my teeth, "Just wait until you get the haikus."

     "Oh, gods."

     "Are you going to tell Chiron about this?" asked Cain. "Or like Percy or Annabeth? Or Hannah?"

     I nodded, "Well, yeah. But ... everyone's got their own stuff to deal with. Annabeth has just come back from being kidnapped. Percy's got Nico and Bianca to worry about—and I know that isn't going to end up well for him. Not only that, but I have a feeling he's accepted that he will be the child of the prophecy. I don't want to worry Hannah, and Chiron ... well, he always has too much on his mind."

      Cain frowned at me. "You're saying that—about Percy being the child of the prophecy—as if he isn't."

     I pursed my lips. How can Cain see through people that easily? "It's ... it's complicated. I can't really talk about it."

     He sighed. Cain glanced down at his arm, frowning. Will's eyes widened. "I just realised something," he said.

      I arched a brow, "What?"

     Will looked up at me. "What the prophecy said. Just as its circulation, she returns, yet not as she once was renown ... and that thing about the dark side of the sun, it being just as dangerous as the other side. The sun is the same star. Both sides—they work together in harmony. One's cold, the other's hot. What if ... what if it's saying—I mean, I could be wrong, but ... I think it's saying that there's a way you can get your powers back."

° ° °

     In the end, I decided I should at least tell Percy and Annabeth. So, I went searching. I left Will with Cain, keeping him company as his arm healed before dinner (or more like guarding him so he didn't leave the infirmary). I found them chatting with Grover by the dining pavilion. They were surrounding something that I couldn't see. I frowned, but I came over anyway.

     "Hey! Guys!" I ran over. "Look, I really got to talk to you—"

    I trailed off, seeing the great scar across the floor of the pavilion. At the look on my friends faces, I knew something happened. "What?"

     Percy pursed his lips. "I ... I tried to talk to Nico about Bianca, and he ... he ran off into the forest."

     My eyes bulged, "What?"

     "He swallowed the skeletons into the ground!" said Percy. "Just ... just like that!" he snapped his fingers, and I knew he knew. He knew Nico's parentage.

     We searched for Nico for hours. We dared not tell anyone, scouring the woods and the outer-rim of camp. I thought—a ten-year-old in this weather couldn't have gone far, but we had no luck. Nico was nowhere.

      I was worried. I promised I'd protect him. After Bianca, I can't risk losing him too. I can't deal with that. In this weather, at his age, he could die out here.

      In the end, we met up by Zeus's Fist, tired and exhausted, and with no Nico.

     "We have to tell Chiron," Annabeth said.

     At the same time, Percy and I shook our heads. "No."

     Annabeth and Grover frowned.

    "Um ..." Grover began nervously, "what do you guys mean, no?"

    "No one can know he's a son of Hades," I said. "Not even Chiron."

     "Claire," Annabeth said. "Don't you know how serious this is?! Even Hades broke the oath! This is horrible!"

     "I don't think so," said Percy. "I don't think Hades broke the oath."

     "What?"

     "He's their dad, but Nico and Bianca have been out of commission for a long time," I said. "Before World War Two."

     "The Lotus Casino!" Grover explained to Annabeth the conversations we had with Bianca on the quest. "She and Nico were stuck there for decades. They were born before the oath was made."

      "But..." Annabeth frowned. "How did they get out?"

      "I don't know," Percy admitted. "Bianca said a lawyer came and got them and drove them to Westover Hall. I don't know who that could've been, or why. Maybe it's part of the Great Stirring thing. I don't think Nico understands who he is. But we can't go telling anyone. Not even Chiron. If the Olympians find out—"

     "It might start them fighting among each other again," Annabeth realised. "That's the last thing we need."

      Grover looked worried. "But you can't hide things from the gods. Not forever."

     "I don't need forever," said Percy. "Just two years. Until I'm sixteen."

     I remembered what my father said. About how the prophecy wasn't about Percy, either. "But ... Percy ... don't you know what this means? This means the prophecy might not be about you. It might be about Nico. We have to—"

      "No," he said. "I choose the prophecy. It will be about me."

      "Why are you saying that?" I shook my head. "You want to be responsible for the whole world?"

      "I can't let Nico be in any more danger," said Percy. "I owe that much to his sister. You know that, Claire. I ... I let them both down. I'm not going to let that poor kid suffer anymore."

      I knew that better than anyone, and so I nodded. Either way, I was with Percy, one hundred percent.

      "The poor kid who hates you and wants to see you dead," Grover reminded him.

     "Maybe we can find him," said Percy. "We can convince him it's okay, hide him somewhere safe."

     Annabeth shivered. "If Luke gets hold of him—"

    "Luke won't," Percy said. "I'll make sure he's got other things to worry about. Namely, me."

    I thought about it. It was then that I came up with an idea. "He hates you, doesn't he?" I asked. Percy gave me a look like, I know, I don't need a reminder, but he nodded. "Well ... he has friends here at Camp. People that he might listen to."

     Annabeth frowned. "Claire, what are you thinking?"

     I pursed my lips. "Hannah thinks I'm going back to school after this. But ... Cain and Will, they're good friends with Nico. What if ... what if I take them with me and we go looking for Nico? Try and find him and bring him back, and ... on the way ..." I didn't know whether I should tell them, but if Will was right. I need to know whether I can get my powers back. I took a deep breath. "I got some things I have to figure out."

     "We'll come with you, then," said Percy.

     "No," I shook my head. "Six demigods—that's a lot, and especially with everything happening right now, and not to mention Nico hates you. I think ... I think it should just be me, Cain and Will. I have a feeling."

     I have a prophecy, is what I meant, but I didn't say that.

    Percy pursed his lips. "Well ... be careful."

    I gave him a small grin, "Aren't I always?"

    Annabeth gave me a hug, "Good luck," she told me.

   "Thanks," I smiled. "We'll bring him home."

    "We hope," added Percy.

    I nodded. "We hope."

END OF PART ONE.

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    OMG Titan's Curse is done!!! Ahhhhh!! And the prophecy—oh my gosh I have so much planned hehehehe.