𝑨𝑪𝑻 𝑶𝑵𝑬 ━ 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹  𝑬𝑳𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑵

𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 to complain, she wasn't one to curse out the wrongs but right now, all she wanted to do was to curse out everyone especially Percy. She was tired, cold, her head was hurting, she hated it, and yes, Iris was a strong person in general but sometimes she just needed some time.

Iris had never truly thought about what would happen if they did find the golden fleece, would they save Thalia's tree, would the camp be saved? Maybe Chiron would be back again. Maybe everything would be alright, after.

Iris had woken up with a headache that could kill, in a weird rowboat with a makeshift sail stitched of grey uniform fabric. Annabeth sat next to her, her eyes heavy and dark circles showing, tacking into the wind. 

She looked around, they were in the Sea of Monsters, the water glittered a more brilliant green, like Hydra acid. The wind smelled fresh and salty, but it carried a strange metallic scent, too—as if a thunderstorm were coming. She grimaced at the sight.

Percy, who was next to Iris, woke up as well and tried to sit up but immediately looked pale. Iris frowned at him. 

   "Rest," Annabeth said to him. "You're going to need it."

   "Tyson...?"

Iris knew Annabeth did not want to tell him, so Iris smiled sadly taking the burden onto herself and shook her head. "Percy, I'm really sorry."

They were silent while the waves tossed us up and down, the ocean breeze sounding everywhere. "He may have survived," she said half-heartedly. Iris was a believer, she believed that everything would be alright. He would be alright.

   "I mean, fire can't kill him."

Percy nodded. 

Annabeth's estimated that they had less than twenty-four hours to find Grover, assuming Percy's dream was accurate, and assuming the Cyclops Polyphemus didn't change his mind and try to marry Grover earlier. But Iris wasn't sure if that would be the case.

   "Yeah," Percy said bitterly. "You can never trust a Cyclops."

Annabeth stared across the water. "I'm sorry, Percy. I was wrong about Tyson, okay? I wish I could tell him that."

   "Annabeth, what's Chiron's prophecy?" 

She pursed her lips, looking at Iris for help but she was staring at the ocean around them. "Percy, I shouldn't—"

   "I know Chiron promised the gods he wouldn't tell me. But you didn't promise, did you?" asked Percy this time looking at both Annabeth and Iris, who looked back at him.

   "Knowledge isn't always good for you." replied Iris, huffing out and scowling at him.

   "Annabeth's mom is the wisdom goddess!"

    "I know! But every time heroes learn the future, they try to change it, and it never works." replied Annabeth, a frown on her face.

    "The gods are worried about something I'll do when I get older," Percy guessed. "Something when I turn sixteen."

Annabeth twisted her Yankees cap in her hands and spoke. "Percy, I don't know the full prophecy, but it warns about a half-blood child of the Big Three—the next one who lives to the age of sixteen. That's the real reason Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades swore a pact after World War II not to have any more kids. The next child of the Big Three who reaches sixteen will be a dangerous weapon."

   "Why?"

   "Because that hero will decide the fate of Olympus. He or she will make a decision that either saves the Age of the Gods, or destroys it." continued Iris, she looked back at Annabeth as the two exchanged a look.

Percy looked like he tried to let that sink in, looking like he was sick all of a sudden "That's why Kronos didn't kill me last summer."

Iris nodded, scowling slightly at him. "You could be very useful to him. If he can get you on his side, the gods will be in serious trouble."

   "But if it's me in the prophecy—"

   "We'll only know that if you survive three more years. That can be a long time for a half-blood. When Chiron first learned about Thalia, he assumed she was the one in the prophecy. That's why he was so desperate to get her safely to camp. Then she went down fighting and got turned into a pine tree and none of us knew what to think. Until you came along." said Annabeth.

On the port side, a spiky green dorsal fin about fifteen feet long curled out of the water and disappeared, Iris grimaced at the quite ugly colour surrounding them, maybe if the ocean was teal green instead of a yucky acid green, Iris would have been more comfortable.

  "This kid in the prophecy...he or she couldn't be like, a Cyclops?" Percy asked. "The Big Three have lots of monster children."

Annabeth shook her head. "The Oracle said 'half-blood.' That always means half-human, half-god. "

   "There's really nobody else who's alive that it could be, except your dumbass." said Iris smirking at him.

   "Then why do the gods even let me live? It would be safer to kill me." continued Percy, ignoring Iris's comment. He only glared at him.

   "You're right." said Iris shrugging her shoulders, her voice not so worried about her statement.

   "Thanks a lot, Princess. That's really helpful." scowled Percy turning fully towards Iris. They stared at each other, neither wanting to lose their staring contest which were getting more and more frequent.

 Annabeth cleared her throat, breaking their staring contest and continued, "Percy, I don't know. I guess some of the gods would like to kill you, but they're probably afraid of offending Poseidon. Other gods...maybe they're still watching you, trying to decide what kind of hero you're going be. You could be a weapon for their survival, after all. 

   "The real question is...what will you do in three years? What decision will you make?"

   "Did the prophecy give any hints?" Annabeth hesitated, looking at Iris who was now staring at the sky. Sensing Annabeth's stare, Iris looked back at her and frowned.

Just as Annabeth turned to Percy and opened her mouth, a seagull swooped down out of nowhere and landed on their makeshift mast. Annabeth looked startled as the bird dropped a small cluster of leaves into her lap. 

Iris chuckled and smiled for the first time in a while. Percy noticed how she was annoyed for the past days, she seemed lost. To be honest, Percy liked it better when she wasn't frowning all the time, not that he cared. Obviously.

   "Land," she said. "There's land nearby!" 

Percy sat up, looking straight ahead and trying to look closely. Sure enough, there was a line of blue and brown in the distance. 

A few minutes later and they could all make out an island with a small mountain in the centre, a dazzling white collection of buildings, a beach dotted with palm trees, and a harbour filled with a strange assortment of boats. The current was pulling their rowboat toward what looked like a tropical paradise. 

"𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄" 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 weird lady with the clipboard. She looked like a flight attendant—blue business suit, perfect makeup, hair pulled back in a ponytail. She shook our hands as we stepped onto the dock. Iris thought she would pass out of joy, never in her life was she happier to see a weird looking lady.

   "Is this your first time with us?" the weird clipboard lady inquired. Annabeth, Iris and Percy exchanged looks. Then Annabeth hesitated, "Umm..."

   "First—time—at—spa," the lady said as she wrote on her clipboard. "Let's see..." She looked us up and down almost critically. Iris scowled at the lady. She hated when people looked like they analysed her outfit.

   "Mmm. An herbal wrap to start for the young ladies. And of course, a complete makeover for the young gentleman."

Iris laughed out loud. Percy shot her a glare, as if sizing her up, almost challenging her to embarrass him more.

   "A what?" Percy asked, almost shouted really but the lady was too busy jotting down notes to answer. He turned back to the lady.

   "Right!" She said with a breezy smile. "Well, I'm sure C.C. will want to speak with you personally before the luau. Come, please."

   "Complete makeover, my ass. He wouldn't even know the difference between two shirt sizes." laughed Iris even more at the boy's confused face.

Iris was sort of wary of the woman, every time they encountered anybody, it would always backfire, and they'd try to kill her. She always thought something was bound to happen. 

   "I guess it couldn't hurt," Annabeth muttered.

Iris found place was amazing, as amazing as a spa could get at least. There was white marble and blue water everywhere and terraces climbed up the side of the mountain, with swimming pools on every level, connected by waterslides and waterfalls and underwater tubes. Fountains sprayed water into the air, forming impossible shapes, like flying eagles and galloping horses.

   "You, okay?" Annabeth asked Percy, which made Iris look back at the boy who looked quite pale now that Annabeth pointed it out. "You look pale."

   "I'm okay," he said. "Just...let's keep walking."

Iris rolled her eyes at the obvious lie. He clearly didn't look okay and if he wanted to fool her, he should try better next time.

As they headed up a staircase toward the main building, Iris could hear a woman singing. Her voice drifted through the air like a lullaby. Her words were in some language other than Ancient Greek, but just as old—Minoan, maybe, or something like that.

She sat at a loom the size of a big screen TV, her hands weaving coloured thread back and forth with amazing skill. The tapestry shimmered like it was three dimensional—a waterfall scene so real I could see the water moving and clouds drifting across a fabric sky.

Iris's breath was caught in her throat as she and Annabeth breathed out. "It's beautiful."

The woman turned. She was even prettier than her fabric. Her long dark hair was braided with threads of gold. She had piercing green eyes and she wore a silky black dress with shapes that seemed to move in the fabric.

   "You appreciate weaving, my dears?" the woman asked looking between the girls.

   "Oh, yes, ma'am!" Annabeth exclaimed. "My mother is—"

She stopped herself, as Iris shot her a look. The woman just smiled. "You have good taste, my dear. I'm so glad you've come. My name is C.C."

They all introduced themselves to C.C. She looked Percy over with a twinge of disapproval, and Iris, amused chuckled. 

   "Oh, dear," she sighed. "You do need my help."

   "Ma'am?" Percy asked. 

   "Hylla, take Annabeth and Iris on a tour, will you? Show them what we have available. Annabeth's clothing will need to change. And her hair, my goodness. Iris, she only really needs a change of clothes and a facial. We will do a full image consultation after I've spoken with this young gentleman."

   "But..." Annabeth's voice sounded hurt as she said in a small voice. "What's wrong with my hair?"

C.C. smiled benevolently. "My dear, you are lovely. Really! But you're not showing off yourself or your talents at all. So much wasted potential!"

   "Wasted?" asked Annabeth, her face turned into a frown just as Iris's did as well. She didn't like the way her demeanour seemed to change.

   "Well, surely you're not happy the way you are! My goodness, there's not a single person who is. But don't worry. We can improve anyone here at the spa. Hylla will show you what I mean. You, my dear, need to unlock your true self!"

Annabeth's eyes glowed with longing as she asked. "But...what about Percy?"

   "Oh, definitely," C.C. said, giving him a sad look. "Percy requires my personal attention. He needs much more work than you."

   "Well..." Iris started as she looked at Annabeth who hesitantly nodded her head. "I suppose..."

   "Right this way, my dears," Hylla said. And Annabeth and Iris allowed themself to be led away into the waterfall-laced gardens of the spa. Iris was more than happy to walk away, she really needed a bath, and a facial, and new clothes, and . . . she needed a lot. 

Iris had parted ways with Annabeth as they both went to different parts of the spa, they decided to meet back after they were done. The two were still wary of the spa and its workers, so as the two finished off their makeover, Iris and Annabeth looked at each other, they wore the same silk dress, Annabeth's was white while Iris's was a rose gold colour.

They both laughed and praised one another, joking about their ridiculous looks. They decided to go back to see Percy and C.C. and the two went towards C.C.'s room. 

𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇'𝐒 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒, her voice called, loud and clear as Iris stayed quiet, "Miss C.C.?" Iris and Annabeth came in, only to find Miss C.C. and what appeared to be . . . guinea pigs, Iris hadn't realised that there were animals here. 

Iris frowned at the sight of the animal but soon realised that Percy was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he went to get his makeover or something.

Walking into the room, Iris and Annabeth looked around— they were still laid back from their makeover, it looked eery, not how it used to look even though nothing had changed. Their faces turned into frowns as Iris said, "Where's Percy?"

One of the guinea pigs squealed up a storm. C.C. smiled. "He's having one of our treatments, my dear. Not to worry. You look wonderful! What did you think of your tour?"

Annabeth's eyes brightened, her smile widened, and she spoke. "Your library is amazing!"

"Yes, indeed," C.C. said. "The best knowledge of the past three millennia. Anything you want to study, anything you want to be, my dear."

   "An architect?"

   "An actor?"

"Pah!" C.C. said. "You, my dears, have the makings of sorceresses. Like me." Iris and Annabeth took a step back. "A sorceress?" asked Annabeth.

"Yes, my dear." C.C. held up her hand. A flame appeared in her palm and danced across her fingertips; Iris looked at her in awe. 

"My mother is Hecate, the goddess of magic. I know a daughter of Athena and a daughter of Aphrodite when I see them. We are not so different, you and I. We all seek knowledge. We all admire greatness. Neither of us needs to stand in the shadow of men."

   "I—I don't understand." said Annabeth. 

Iris only frowned, what was going on as she said, "Why are you saying this?"

   "Stay with me," C.C. told the girls. "Study with me. You can join our staff, become sorceresses, learn to bend others to your will. You two will become immortal!"

"But—" started Iris only for C.C. to interrupt her, "You are too intelligent, my dears, you know better than to trust that silly camp for heroes. How many great female half-blood heroes can you name?"

   "Um, Atalanta, Amelia Earhart—" said Annabeth. 

Iris couldn't understand why she was saying that camp was only giving the glory to men. Iris and Annabeth were literally one of the best fighters. Clarisse and Cloé were amazing, kind of scary, one of the strongest as well. 

There were girls there that would and could beat almost every guy at camp, they didn't need anyone to help them, they didn't magic, they had everything in them.

   "Bah! Men get all the glory." C.C. closed her fist and extinguished the magic flame. 

   "The only way to power for women is sorcery. Medea, Calypso, now there were powerful women! And me, of course. The greatest of all."

"You...C.C....Circe!" exclaimed Annabeth, Iris's eyes widened, this was Circe. The sorceress that had vast knowledge of potions and herbs, she was known for it. 

"Yes, my dear." The girls backed up, and Circe laughed. 

"You need not worry. I mean you no harm."

"What have you done to Percy?" asked Annabeth.

Iris nodded, connecting the dots, and looked around the room. Finally, she saw the cage, and guinea pig scratching at the bars, all the other guinea pigs crowding around it. Her eyes went wide.

"Only helped him realize his true form." stated Circe. Her eyes were piercing.

   "Forget him," Circe said. "Join me and learn the ways of sorcery."

   "Annie—," mumbled Iris, she hoped Circe hadn't heard that. Annabeth turned to her, her eyes were pouring of emotions.

   "Your friend will be well cared for. He'll be shipped to a wonderful new home on the mainland. The kindergartners will adore him. Meanwhile, you two will be wise and powerful. You will have all you ever wanted."

Annabeth was still staring at her, but she had a dreamy expression on her face. Iris turned to her, they both looked desperate. 

"Let us think about it," Annabeth murmured, nodding to Iris who quickly understood her.

 "Just...give us a minute alone. To say good-bye." said Iris, she scowled at her words, she knew she'd never say that, directly to Percy at least. But did she need to know that he was listening right now.

"Of course, my dear," Circe cooed. "One minute. Oh...and so you have absolute privacy..."

She waved her hand and iron bars slammed down over the windows. She swept out of the room, and they heard the locks on the door click shut behind her.

The dreamy look melted off Annabeth's face. She rushed over to the cage. Iris was still stuck in her place.  

"All right, which one of you is it?" asked Annabeth.

One squealed, but so did all the other guinea pigs. Annabeth looked desperate. She scanned the room and spotted the cuff of his jeans sticking out from under the loom. Iris came towards the cage. 

She nodded to Annabeth who quickly went over to the jeans. Iris looked around the cage, desperately trying to figure out who was Percy. 

On the other hand, Annabeth grabbed two lemons chewable, ran towards Iris giving her one and popped a lemon chewable in her mouth just as the door flew open and Circe came back in, flanked by two of her business-suited attendants. 

   "Well," Circe sighed, "how fast a minute passes. What is your answer, my dear?"

   "No fucking way," said Iris, and they both drew their bronze knives.

The sorceress stepped back, but her surprise quickly passed. She sneered. "Really, little girls, knives against my magic? Is that wise?"

Circe looked back at her attendants, who smiled. They raised their hands as if preparing to cast a spell.

"What will their makeover be?" Circe mused. "Something small and ill-tempered. I know... shrews!"

Blue fire coiled from her fingers curling like serpents around both the girls. But they had other plans, as Iris leaped on the right and Annabeth leaped to the left, they both leaped forward. 

Annabeth swung her leg down and under Circe making her fall as Iris sprang into action and stuck the point of her knife against Circe's neck. 

   "How about blood thirsty panthers instead? The ones that have their claws at your throat!"

   "How!" Circe yelped. 

Annabeth held up Percy's bottle of vitamins for the sorceress to see. Circe howled in frustration, Iris cringed at the sound, she sounded like a dying cat. 

   "Curse Hermes and his multivitamins! Those are such a fad! They do nothing for you."

   "Turn Percy back to a human or else!" Annabeth said. 

Iris only leaned forwards, the knife still close to her neck, she titled the blade for only a drop of blood to fall. Circe's eyes widened, she tried to back away from Iris, but was met with the floor. 

   "I can't!" bellowed Circe. 

   "Then you asked for it." said Iris as she leaned closer.

Circe's attendants stepped forward, but their mistress said, "Get back! They're immune to magic until that cursed vitamin wears off."

Iris got up from her position as Annabeth dragged Circe over to the guinea pig cage, knocked the top off, and poured the rest of the vitamins inside.

"No!" Circe screamed.

Iris jumped as there was a sudden, bang! The cage exploded. Percy was now sitting on the floor, with six other guys who all looked disoriented, blinking and shaking wood shavings out of their hair.

"No!" Circe screamed. "You don't understand! Those are the worst!" One of the men stood up—a huge guy with a long tangled and quite disgusting pitch-black beard and teeth the same colour.

He wore mismatched clothes of wool and leather, knee-length boots, and a floppy felt hat. The other men were dressed more simply—in breeches and stained white shirts. All of them were barefoot.

"Argggh!" bellowed the big man. "What's the witch done t'me!" 

"No!" Circe groaned. Annabeth gasped. "I recognize you! Edward Teach, son of Ares?"

"Aye, lass," the big man growled. "Though most call me Blackbeard! And there's the sorceress what captured us, lads. Run her through, and then I mean to find me a big bowl of celery! Arggggh!"

The pirate ran towards Circe, and Iris jumped out of the way and walked closer to Annabeth and Percy.

Circe screamed. She and her attendants ran from the room, chased by the pirates. Iris sheathed her knife and glared at Percy. "Thanks..." he faltered as he turned to Annabeth, trying to look away from Iris. "I'm really sorry—"

Annabeth tackled him with a hug, then pulled away just as quickly. "I'm glad you're not a guinea pig anymore."

Iris stood still, she wasn't going to hug him, no way in hell. But she did smile at Annabeth's words. Percy turned to her, almost giving her a hug too but stopped himself. 

He just smiled and nodded towards her, Iris walked closer to him, and his breath hitched, was she going to hug him? Iris only smiled at him and said in a low voice, "I am glad you're not a guinea pig."

"Me, too." replied Percy, his cheeks tinted with red, he didn't except that answer from her. Iris then started to giggle and said, "But you would make an amazing pet, let me tell you that, Kelphead."

Percy's smile left his face as he glared at her, and clenched his jaw, rolling his tongue on the inside of his mouth.

   "Come on, guys," Annabeth said. "We have to get away while Circe's distracted."

They ran down the hillside through the terraces, past screaming spa workers and pirates ransacking the resort. Iris could see the docks.

   "Which ship?" Annabeth said as they reached the docks. They all started to look for one.

   "There," said Percy, looking at a specific ship. 

Iris blinked and scowled. "How are you going to—"

   "I can make it work." said Percy with strange confidence. 

Iris frowned, and huffed, "And how in the world are you going to do that?"

He grabbed Annabeth and Iris's hands and pulled them toward the three-mast ship. Painted on its prow was the name: Queen Anne's Revenge.

"Argggh!" Blackbeard yelled somewhere behind the trio, as they ran towards the ship. "Those scalawags are a-boarding me vessel! Get 'em, lads!"

   "We'll never get going in time!" Annabeth yelled as they climbed aboard. Percy hadn't realised but he had let go of Annabeth's hands, unlike Iris's whose hand was still attached to his.

The ship was in great condition for a three-hundred-year-old vessel, but it would still take a crew of fifty, several hours to get underway. They didn't have several hours. Iris could see the pirates running down the stairs, waving tiki torches and sticks of celery.

 "Mizzenmast!" yelled Percy out of nowhere. Iris narrowed her eyes. 

Annabeth and Iris looked at him like he was crazy, but in the next second, the air was filled with whistling sounds of ropes being snapped taut, canvases unfurling, and wooden pulleys creaking.

Annabeth ducked as a cable flew over her head and wrapped itself around the bowsprit. "Percy, how..."

The Queen Anne's Revenge lurched away from the dock, and by the time the pirates arrived at the water's edge, they were already underway, sailing into the Sea of Monsters. . .

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❪ ៸ 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ━━━━━ ! ﹆◞ ❫
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❪ . . . this is chapter 11 for LOVE STORY everyone, i know its been a while since my last update, and i am so sorry but my favourite couple is backkkk ❫
❪ . . . THIS IS 4.1k which isn't as much as i wanted to write but i think the next chapter will be better ❫
❪ . . . PLEASE tell me how you guys feel about it ??❫
❪ . . .PLEASE don't be a ghost reader, comment and vote, I love to reply to everyone and interact with my readers, love all of you darlings <33 ❫

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