The elevator dinged at the 600th floor, and the doors opened.

They were standing on a narrow stone walkway in the middle of the air. Below them was Manhattan, from the height of an airplane. In front, white marble steps wound up the spine of a cloud, into the sky. From the top of the clouds rose the decapitated peak of a mountain, its summit covered with snow. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multileveled palaces—a city of mansions—all with white-columned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires.

Roads wound crazily up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed against the snow. Precariously perched gardens bloomed with olive trees and rosebushes. Sophie could make out an open-air market filled with colorful tents, a stone amphitheater built on one side of the mountain, a hippodrome and a coliseum on the other. It was an Ancient Greek city, except it wasn't in ruins. It was new, and clean, and colorful, the way Athens must've looked twenty-five hundred years ago.

On the trip through Olympus, they passed some giggling wood nymphs who threw olives at Sophie from their garden. The nine muses were tuning their instruments for a concert in the park while a small crowd gathered—Nobody seemed worried about an impending civil war. In fact, everybody seemed in a festive mood. Several of them turned to watch as Sophie and Hecate passed, and whispered to themselves.

They climbed the main road, toward the big palace at the peak. It was a reverse copy of the palace in the Underworld.

There, everything had been black and bronze. But this place, everything glittered white and silver.

Sophie noticed the architectural design was very similar to Hades' place, and she could guess which was built first. She totally got why he would be bitter, being banned from a place like this.

Steps led up to a central courtyard. Past that, the throne room.

Room really isn't the right word. The place made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet. Massive columns rose to a dome ceiling, which was gilded with moving constellations.

Twelve thrones, built for beings the size of Hades, were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half-Blood. An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit. The thrones were empty except for two at the end: the head throne on the right, and the one to its immediate left.

Poseidon and Zeus.

And there was Percy, standing in front of the two Gods.

Sophie stood there next to Hecate, hiding behind a massive column, not wanting to interrupt. She listened as Percy relayed the end of his story, and handed Zeus his master bolt.

"You have done me a service, boy," Zeus was saying, "Few heroes could have accomplished as much."

"I had help, sir," Percy said, "Grover Underwood, Annabeth Chase, and Sophie Jones, she—"

"To show you my thanks, I shall spare your life Perseus Jackson. I do not trust you. I do not like what your arrival means for the future of Olympus. But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you live."

"Um...Thanks?" Percy said. "But sir, I need to ask something else. My friend, Sophie, we were in the Underworld and she—well—she fell. I don't know what happened to her and—"

"So she's dead," Zeus said.

Percy inhaled deeply, "No she's not. Or at least I don't think she is- she-"

"I cannot do anything about a dead child, demigod," Zeus said sternly.

"She's not dead!" Percy said, getting angry now. "And she helped me get the bolt here! I couldn't have done it without her. And she—she—"

Zeus just glared at him.

Hecate tapped Sophie lightly on the shoulder, offering her an almost gentle smile.

Sophie took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the column she'd been hiding behind. The second she moved, Athena, Apollo, and Hermes all turned to look at her.

She raised her hand awkwardly and gave a small, nervous wave. "Hi."

She noticed Percy jump as he turned around.

He whipped his head around, eyes wide in shock. "Sophie!? What—How!?" His voice cracked with a mix of confusion and disbelief.

Sophie gave him a warm smile as she walked forwards and stood next to him.

Percy turned back to the sky god, but he kept looking at Sophie out of the corner of his eye, almost not truly believing she was really there.

"Uh, sir," the son of Poseidon said hesitantly. "I have one more request."

Percy swallowed, and said, "My mom, sir, Sally Jackson. We had to leave her behind in the underworld. And I was wondering if you could—"

"She's fine." Sophie interrupted.

Percy blinked at her "She is?"

Sophie nodded, "Hade's sent her home?"

"He did?"

"Yeah, it was a part of the deal, he got his helm back and he let me and Sally go, I think he would have let us go eventually though because he seemed pretty annoyed at how much I was talking and-"

Percy suddenly yanked her arm forward and brought her into a tight hug. Wrapping his arms around her torso, trapping her arms at her sides.

"Thanks," Percy whispered in her ear his voice a little muffled with emotion.

Sophie couldn't really hug him back, because her arms were stuck, but she leaned her head forward, onto his shoulder and said, "You don't have to say thank—"

"You better accept my thank you!"

"Okay."

Zeus cleared his throat, interrupting him. "This is a throne room, godlings. Not a middle school dance."

Percy released the girl and stared at the floor. The tips of his ears burning. He looked up slightly and caught sight of Poseidon, who was smiling at him with a knowing glint in his eyes.

Even though there was nothing to know, thought Percy.

"Now, if we're done here," Zeus said, "Then I must be off to purify my master bolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal. Do not presume to fly again godling. And do not let me find you still here when I return. Otherwise, I will strike you both down with my bolt. And that will be your end."

Thunder shook the palace. With a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus was gone.

Poseidon sighed, "My brother, has always had a flair for the dramatics."

"Indeed." Hecate said wandering out from behind the pillar.

Poseidon looked at her with a little surprise, "Hecate, what brings you here."

Hecate looked towards Sophie her face stern "I just had to bring my daughter."

"Hold up-" Percy began.

"I better be going now." Hecate said, she didn't wait for a response, she just vanished.

Percy turned to Sophie "Hecate's your mom?" He asked.

Sophie nodded happily, "Yeah, she spoke to me after you pulled me down from the pit."

"But I didn't you fell-"

"I'll explain it later fish boy."

Poseidon said, "Percy, are you not going to introduce me to your little friend?"

"Oh, uh, this is Sophie. Soph, Poseidon."

"Hello," Sophie gave an awkward wave. The god looked similar to his son. Bigger and more crinkly, but similar tanned skin, and the same dark hair and sea-green eyes.

"Well, Sophie," Poseidon said, "I thank you for helping my son on his quest. And for clearing my name."

"No problem sir." Sophie said, she was starting to feel less awkward around the gods. She turned to Percy, "I'll leave you two to talk."

Percy nodded gratefully, but Sophie could tell he was hesitant. She patted his arm and walked out of the throne room.

She wandered over to check out one of the pillars, the way she had back in Hades' palace.

In the Underworld, the pillars were this deep, shadowy black, with shiny silver designs that almost seemed to glow in the dim light. Here, in Olympus, they were pristine white with intricate gold details. Fancy, sure, but honestly... kind of dull in comparison.

The designs in Hades' palace had real character. This pillar just showed a bunch of people bowing to the gods, specifically Zeus, as if he needed more ego boosts.

The one in Hades' palace had been much more personal. It showed Persephone in her garden, gently watering a pomegranate tree. The whole thing felt like it had a story behind it. Plus, since everything in the Underworld was built to the gods' massive scale, the details had more space to shine.

Even the floors in Hades' palace were cooler. The black stone had tiny, intricate engravings that reflected the light, making it look like a polished, marbled surface—but with a dark, mysterious vibe that fit the place perfectly.

Then, Percy came walking down the stairs.

"You okay?" Sophie asked.

"Yeah. Ready to go?"

"Yup. We should get you to your apartment first though. Your mom really wants to see you. We can take a taxi,"

Percy and Sophie walked through Olympus together, eyeing all of the scenery. Percy caught her up on what he and his father talked about. That Kronos, the king titan, was awakened in tartarus.

He also made sure to make himself sound really impressive when he told her about how he beat the snot out of Ares.

Sophie also caught Percy up on what happened when she was in the underworld.

"So what." Percy said "You're a kid of the underworld?"

Sophie nodded excitedly "Cool title I know."

"And you can manipulate the mist and summon fire?" Percy asked.

Sophie shook her head "Well not exactly, I can't summon fire but I can move it if it's around me, like with my lighter I could take the fire from that and move it. Like in Avatar. And I can't shadow travel yet, Hecate says it can take time to learn. And with the whole mist thing I'm not the best at it."

"Is that why the lotus flowers didn't work on you?" Percy asked "And why Cerberus was so friendly, because Hecate is the goddess of magic and her animal or what ever is a dog?"

Sophie nodded, "Yeah basically."

Percy and Sophie entered the elevator.

They stood in silence for the rest of the ride just enjoying eachothers company.

The elevator dinged signaling they were at the bottom floor and the two got out and took a taxi to the street where they lived.

Sophie and Percy had split up after they got out of the taxi, and Sophie was heading towards the bookstore when she spotted Elane finishing her shift.

Elane was this sweet older lady who worked at the shop part-time, mostly to get extra cash to spoil her grandkids. She was the type who always remembered Sophie's birthday, never missing a year.

Elane was locking up for the night, which threw Sophie off. Normally, if the shop was being locked up, Sophie was already inside. If she had been out late (which wasn't often), her uncle would give her a key to let herself in and close up. Sophie glanced both ways for cars, then jogged across the street, calling out, "Elane!"

Elane turned around, startled, almost dropping her purse. "Sophie!" she began.

Sophie skidded to a stop in front of her. "Hey, Elane, can I have the key? I need to get in."

Elane, ever the concerned mom-type, straightened up—or tried to, given her age. "Where have you been? Rodger said you wouldn't be back for a few more days. He also said he'd be picking you up."

Sophie shifted on her feet, practically bouncing. "I'll explain later, I swear. It's really important."

Elane eyed her with that stern, motherly look for a second before softening. "Alright," she sighed, fishing out the key. "But remember to lock up."

"Thanks!" Sophie gave her a quick hug before dashing inside.

After locking the door behind her, Sophie sprinted up the metal spiral staircase. She was about to burst through the red door at the top, but then her hand froze on the handle.

Why was she hesitating? She wasn't sure. It wasn't like she had anything to be worried about, right? Still, how was she supposed to explain everything that had just happened?

With a deep breath, Sophie pushed away her doubt, turned the handle, and threw open the door.

The house was quiet. Too quiet. The room was empty, except for the small cage in the corner with blankets and what looked like a teddy bear inside. The usual mess of shoes was neatly arranged on the shelves, and the coats that were always left in a heap were actually hung up. The books in the living room shelf were all lined up straight, their spines perfectly aligned. The couch cushions were plump and in order, and for once, there weren't any dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.

On the table sat a little plant pot with bluebells in it, their petals glowing softly in the golden light of the sunset. The whole place looked... peaceful.

But the one thing she couldn't see was her uncle.

"Uncle Rodger?" Sophie called, looking around.

A voice responded from the bedroom. "Sophie?" The door swung open, and her uncle rushed out into the kitchen.

For a moment, he just stared at her. Then, without warning, he rushed forward and pulled her into a tight hug.

Sophie froze briefly but quickly returned the hug, holding onto him. She was home.

"I'm so glad you're safe," her uncle said quietly, pulling back to look at her. His expression grew serious. "What happened?"

"Too much," Sophie replied with a weak laugh.

Her uncle let out a small chuckle, but before he could say more, Sophie felt something brush against her ankle.

Looking down, she saw a small dog sitting at her feet. It looked like a golden retriever with big brown eyes, and its tail was wagging happily. Its expression was almost like... Cerberus, but miniaturized.

"Oh my gosh," Sophie said, grinning as she crouched down to pet it. "You got a dog?"

Her uncle smiled. "Your mom told me about your time with Cerberus."

Sophie blinked in surprise. "Mom spoke to you?"

Her uncle nodded.

Sophie scratched the dog behind the ears, its tail wagging faster. "What's its name?"

Her uncle shrugged. "I thought you could name it."

Sophie tilted her head, trying to think of a name. She was terrible at coming up with names—she once named a ladybug "Spots" at Yancy Academy. Then it clicked.

"Aurum," she decided, stroking the dog's golden fur. "It means gold in Latin."

She smiled at the dog, but she was getting distracted. Standing up, she brushed herself off, although Aurum tugged at her jeans, begging for more attention.

"I have to get back to camp," she said, her tone more serious. "I just need to grab some stuff."

"Why?" her uncle asked, frowning. "You're not staying long?"

Sophie blinked, confused. "I thought... you'd want me to stay there, since, y'know, I'm dangerous."

Her uncle's face softened. "Sophie, I've known that since the day you came here. You finding out doesn't change anything. You can spend the rest of camp, decide if you want to say or come home. You're always welcome here, no matter what."

Sophie's eyes filled with tears as she smiled, feeling a wave of warmth wash over her. "Thank you, but I really do have to get back now."

Her uncle looked like he wanted to argue but sighed instead. "You need me to drive you?"

Sophie nodded.

"Alright," he said, grabbing his keys. "Let's go."

When Sophie arrived back at camp, the first person she saw was Annabeth. She disregarded Percy (who she was having a conversation with) and ran past him to give Sophie a hug, something that shocked both the boy and girl.

Annabeth was asking Sophie questions a mile a minute and Sophie fought the keep up, but a certain satyr interrupted her answers with a surprise tackle hug, bleating happily.

"Sophie!" Grover said, as he spun her around. "We were afraid you became a permanent resident of the Underworld."

He set her down and Sophie wobbled, feeling a little dizzy. "I'm sorry I let Percy let go of you," Grover said looking at the ground.

"Wait what-" Percy began.

Annabeth still had about 30 more questions that Sophie had to answer.

The four of them were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated them as if they'd won some reality-TV contest. According to camp tradition, they wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in their honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where they got to burn the burial shrouds their cabins had made for them in their absence.

Annabeth's shroud was beautiful, gray silk with embroidered owls.

Percy didn't have any cabin mates, so the Ares cabin had volunteered to make his shroud. They'd taken an old bedsheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle.

Sophie thought that was the best one.

Travis and Connor had taken the liberty of making hers. They had stolen the Hermes cabin curtain and stuck flowers and candy wrappers to it.

As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, Maisie was surrounded by Percy and her Hermes cabinmates, Annabeth's friends from Athena, and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders. The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past."

Sophie had spent a long time that evening talking with Will and Ethan.

She even enjoyed Dionysius' welcome home speech. "Yes, yes, so the little brats didn't get themselves killed and now they'll have even bigger heads. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday, and all that."

Nothing much exiting happened after that. Just singing laughing and Percy tripping over a Log.

Percy showed Sophie the letter his mom had sent to him. That Gabe had mysteriously disappeared off the face of the planet. She'd reported him missing to the police, but she had a funny feeling they would never find him.

On a completely unrelated subject, she'd sold her first life-size concrete sculpture, entitled The Poker Generated Player, to a collector, through an art gallery in Soho.

On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus's kids, they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions.

They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles. According to Annabeth, who'd seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of hundred-foot-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colors.

As Annabeth, Percy, and Sophie were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell them goodbye. He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. And because his horns had grown at least an inch, he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human.

"I'm off," he said. "I just came to say...well, you know."

Annabeth gave him a hug. She told him to keep his fake feet on.

Sophie asked him where he was going.

"Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan..."

"We understand," Annabeth said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"

"Yeah."

"Didn't let Percy give you any shoes?"

"Hey!"

"Jeez, you two," he grumbled. "You guys sound like old mama goats."

Sophie hugged him tightly.

He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder.

"Well," he said, "wish me luck."

He gave Percy a hug and clapped him on the shoulder, then headed back through the dunes.

Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware.

"Hey, Grover," Percy called.

He turned at the edge of the woods.

"Wherever you're going—I hope they make good enchiladas."

Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.

"We'll see him again," Annabeth said.

Sophie believed her, but the fact that no searcher had ever come back in two thousand years was still an uneasy thought. But Grover would just be the first then. He had to be.

July passed.

Sophie got an iris message from her dad.

"Sophie?" He asked her as the message blurred in. Sophie who had been talking to Will in the infirmary since she got a cut from capture the flag, turned to him in shock.

"Dad?"

From the shock in her voice Will took that as a Sign to go see Clarisse who was sitting down with a cast on her arm looking not at all bothered.

Her dad smiled at her through the I-M, she recognized the room he was in. It was the Livingroom. She could tell from the large beachside painting in the back wall, just above the brown couch.

"Sophie, how are you?" He asked gently.

She just stared at him unsure what to say. She hated how with Iris messages you didn't get the option to decline.

"I'm..." She began, "I'm all right..." She sounded uneasy and she could tell her Dad knew by the way he looked at her.

He just nodded in response, "How's camp? And the boy, Peter Jackson? How's he?"

"Wait how do you know about Percy-?" She asked.

Her Dad gave her an amused smile "The two of you were on the news. Remember."

Oh yeah. She'd forgotten about that, she was on the news for being a terrorist or being associated with terrorists.

"Erm..." She said slowly "Percy's fine, camps nice." She wasn't trying to give short answers but that just kinda happened.

Her dad nodded awkwardly, and continued. "I heard Rodger got you a dog. What's it called?"

Sophie anxiously whipped her hands on her legs before speaking, "Erm, I called him Aurum. Gold in Latin."

The two sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, Sophie was praying to the gods that her Dad would need to go. And they answered her prayers.

Percy showed up at the door a grin on his face and called across the room. "Sophie? Come on Annabeth's waiting, we were going to do Manhunt with her, Ethan, Connor and Travis."

Sophie tried to hide the relief on her face and called back "Coming in a minute." She turned to her dad and tried to give him a smile. "I have to go."

Her dad nodded smiling back although he didn't look to happy. "I'll see you soon, speak another to you another time?"

Sophie gave a tight nod and waved the mist causing the call to end. And rushed out too meet Percy and the others.

Man hunt was awesome. They played in the forest where capture the flag normally happened. Percy was it first, they did foot in and Percy was the last one (It totally wasn't rigged.)

Sophie had wanted to team with Annabeth but she said she was going on her own. So she teamed with Ethan instead. And as soon as Percy found the two hiding behind Zeus's fist she totally abandoned him.

In the end no one was surprised when Annabeth won. Connor and Travis lasted a while but in the end they were found by Ethan and her, but Annabeth refused to reveal her hiding place.

As they were walking back to camp Percy started walking into her pushing her towards his cabin. By the anxious look on his face she knew he wanted to talk.

She waved to bye to Annabeth, Ethan, Travis and Connor and followed Percy to his cabin.

Percy opened the door and took a seat on his bed (where her broken shoes still lay)

He took a deep breath rubbing his hands on his legs. "Can I ask your opinion on something?"

Sophie nodded supportively and sat down next to him fiddling with the edge of the blanket on his bed.

"It's about what the Oracle said."

"You're still thinking about that?" Sophie asked, tilting her head slightly. "We all made it back okay Perce. I think we're in the clear."

"I never told you the whole thing," Percy explained. "'You shall go west and face the god who has turned—"

"Ares."

"Right," Percy said, "And then, 'You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.'"

"Master bolt, we returned that."

"Mhm. And then, 'You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.'"

"I don't remember that." Sophie said tilting her head.

"I know," Percy said, "I didn't tell you."

"Why not?" she asked. "What, did you think I would betray you?" she questioned, jokingly.

When Percy took two-seconds-too-long to answer, her eyes widened and she gasped.

"What?" She asked "You thought-"

"No, no, no, no!" Percy said quickly, "I know you'd never, Soph."

"So you didn't doubt me?" She asked just to be sure.

"No." Percy said, "Never."

"Good," she smiled before her mind began ticking. "Oh. I see. You're trying to figure out who that was or..."

Percy sighed putting his head in his hands. "I don't know, I thought it could be Annabeth, but it wasn't."

"I don't know," he repeated.

Sophie placed a hand on his back and rubbed it gently trying to make him feel better. "Don't worry Perce, We'll figure it out." She said gently.

Percy gave a little nod leaning his head slightly on her shoulder.

Sophie lay her head against his gently just enjoying his comfort.

The last night of the summer session came all too quickly. The campers had one last meal together. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded everyone with the end-of-summer beads.

Percy and Sophie got their own leather necklaces. Sophie looked at the new bead that was given out before looking at her friend. It was hard to see in the firelight, but Percy was definitely blushing.

The bead's design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.

"The choice was unanimous," Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first Son of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"

The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares's cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena's cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share in the applause, while Percy pulled Sophie up out of her seat.

The next morning, Sophie packed up her small amount of belongings and rolled up her sleeping bag. "Where do I put this?" she asked the Stoll brothers.

"Dunno," Connor said, "Not sure where Luke stores them."

"Where is he?" She asked them grabbing a duffle bag Percy leant her.

"Said he went to say goodbye to Percy," Travis said.

Sophie got an uneasy feeling in her gut. She tried to ignore it, but after a few minutes, she couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm going to go ask him." Sophie said.

Tavis spoke "Honestly, its fine-"

"I want to say goodbye to him too." She interrupted.

The campgrounds were mostly deserted, shimmering in the August heat. All the campers were in their cabins packing up, or running around with brooms and mops, getting ready for final inspection. Argus was helping some of the Aphrodite kids haul their Gucci suitcases and makeup kits over the hill, where the camp shuttle bus would be waiting to take them to the airport.

She didn't see Percy or Luke in the clearing, so she made her way to the edge of the tree line, peering through the woods. She didn't see anything but she thought she heard someone.

She quickened her face when she determined that the voice sounded distressed. A croaked, "Help..."

"Percy?" Sophie called out, "Percy!?"

"Help..."

But all she saw was greenery. She follow the sound of his voice, and eventually, thanks to the obnoxious orange camp shirt he was wearing, she spotted him through the trees.

Two wood nymphs were pulling the boy along. He was barely conscious, practically green, and his lips were turning blue. He was dying.

Sophie gasped in horror sprinting towards him. She grabbed him from the woodnymphs and hauled him over her shoulders dragging him towards camp.

"Percy! What happened!? What's wrong!?"

"Thirty-two," Percy breathed out, his eyes closed.

"Thirty-two?" She asked anxiously, "What does that mean?!"

She tried to wrack her brain for any codes or meaning of thirty-five.

"...Thirty," he said now, weakly holding out his hand that had a huge red welt from some sort of stinger.

Sophie didn't know what had stung him, but it was clear whatever it was had been severely poisonous.

And he was counting down...

How long He had left.

She pushed herself farther trying to get move as quickly as possible, the boy on her back slowing her down a bit.

The wood nymphs suddenly couldn't keep up with Sophie, and eventually, she was dragging the boy alone, towards the Big House; stumbling and screaming out for help.

Chiron was on the deck. As soon as he heard Sophie, he got up and galloped over towards them.

Percy let out a groan, his head throbbing as he slowly sat up. "My head," he mumbled taking his hand to massage his temples.

"You dumbass," Sophie said, which is how Percy could tell she was overjoyed to see him.

She sat at his bedside, holding a glass of nectar with a straw toward him, and dabbed a washcloth on his head.

"You're lucky Sophie found you," Annabeth told him. He hadn't even realized she was standing in the room. "You were green and turning gray. If it weren't for Chiron's healing..."

"You looked like shrek," Sophie said although she looked really happy.

"Now, now," Chiron said. "Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit."

He was sitting near the foot of Percy's bed in human form. His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he'd been up all night chasing Hermes kids away from the camp store.

"How are you feeling?" Sophie asked.

"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved."

"Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom," said Chiron. "Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened."

Between sips of nectar, Percy told them the story.

The room was quiet for a long time.

"I can't believe that Luke..." Annabeth's voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and sad. "Yes. Yes, I can believe it. May the gods curse him.... He was never the same after his quest."

"This must be reported to Olympus," Chiron murmured. "I will go at once."

"Luke is out there right now," Percy said. "I have to go after him."

Chiron shook his head. "No, Percy. The gods—"

"Won't even talk about Kronos," Percy snapped. "Zeus declared the matter closed!"

Percy started to protest but Sophie lifted up his heavily bandaged hand, indicating it had nothing to do with skill, and that it had everything to do with the fact that he was incapable of holding a sword at the moment.

"Percy, I know you want to get out there and stop him." Sophie said pushing him down a bit as he tried to get up, "We all do, but you almost died, I don't think now's the best time."

"Chiron..." Percy said, "Your prophecy from the Oracle...it was about Kronos, wasn't it? Was I in it? And Sophie? Annabeth?"

Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Percy, it isn't my place—"

"You've been ordered not to talk to me about it, haven't you?"

His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You will be a great hero, child. I will do my best to prepare you. Both of you. But if I'm right about the path ahead..."

Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows.

"All right!" Chiron shouted. "Fine!" He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing."

"We can't just sit back and do nothing." Sophie said, when she'd said that they had to wait she was only implying Percy. Since he was currently as pale as frosty the snow man.

"We will not sit back," Chiron promised. "But you must be careful. Kronos wants you two to come unraveled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come."

"Assuming we live that long," Percy mumbled.

Chiron put his hand on the boy's ankle. "You'll have to trust me. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice..."

Sophie could tell the decision Chiron was rooting for. He had the same hesitant tone when he spoke to her about staying year-round or not.

"But you must decide whether to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, or return to the mortal world for seventh grade and be a summer camper. Think on that. When I get back from Olympus, you must tell me your decision."

Percy wanted to protest. He wanted to ask him more questions. But his expression told there could be no more discussion; he had said as much as he could.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Chiron promised. "Argus will watch over you."

He glanced at Annabeth. "Oh, and, my dear... whenever you're ready, they're here."

Chiron rolled himself out of the room. The three demigods heard the wheels of his chair clunk carefully down the front steps, two at a time.

Annabeth studied the floorboard.

"You okay?" Sophie asked her.

"Yeah."

Percy looked back and forth between them. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Annabeth said, "I...just took you advice about something. Need anything?"

"Yeah," he said, turning to look up at Sophie. "Help me up. I want to go outside."

"Percy, that isn't a good idea."

Percy slid his legs out bed and Sophie had to catch him before he could crumple to the floor.

"Told you."

"I'm fine," Percy insisted. He didn't want to lie in bed like an invalid while Luke was out there planning to destroy the Western world.

He managed a step forward. Then another, still leaning heavily on Sophie, who had a much harder time holding him up now that she wasn't running on adrenaline. Argus followed them outside, but he kept his distance.

By the time they reached the porch, Percy's face was beaded with sweat. His stomach had twisted into knots. But he had managed to make it all the way to the railing.

It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun.

"What are you going to do?" Annabeth asked him.

"I think I know."

"I'm going home for the year too," Annabeth said.

"You mean, to your dad's?"

She pointed toward the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Next to Thalia's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted—two little children, a woman, and a tall man with blond hair. They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one Annabeth had gotten from Waterland in Denver.

"I wrote him a letter when we got back," Annabeth said. "I told him...I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided...we'd give it another try."

She pursed her lips at her friends. "You two won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least...not without sending me an Iris-message?"

"Of course." Sophie grinned throwing her arms around Percy and Annabeths shoulders.

"Next summer," Annabeth said, "We'll hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?"

"Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena."

Annabeth patted Percy on the shoulder and hugged Sophie goodbye.

The two watched her walk up the hill and join her family. She gave her father an awkward hug and looked back at the valley one last time. She touched Thalia's pine tree, then allowed herself to be lead over the crest and into the mortal world.

"When do you leave?" Percy asked Sophie.

"My Uncles coming to get me later tonight." She replied.

"Can I hitch a ride with you?" Percy asked as he slowly turned around and grabbed onto her shoulder again.

"Sure," Sophie smiled, "But let's get you back to bed for now."

Percy wrapped his arms around Sophie's shoulders as she hoisted him up and gave him a piggy back, back into the infirmary.

Sophie was sitting in the Hermes cabin packing away her things (Which wasn't much) Her hockey gear minus her hockey stick which had been destroyed in the bus explosion. Her clothes from the lotus casino and waterland (She wasn't going to say no to free clothes) something she made in arts and crafts and Percy's hoodie which she had claimed.

After that she went and sat next to Ethan who was sitting on the stairs to the entrance of the Hermes cabin. Placing her bag on the floor.

"You going home now?" He asked her pulling his knees up to his chest.

Sophie nodded, she knew that Ethan was a year rounder. "Yeah, I'll see you next summer."

Ethan nodded but stayed silent, staring at the ground. After a few moments he spoke, "... Do you... do you think Luke had a point?"

She looked towards him in confusion, "Ethan, he tried to kill Percy."

Ethan shook his head frantically, "No, not about that. I meant about the gods." He said, "They ignore us, they reject us. Think about it, like half the Hermes cabin aren't even Hermes own Kids."

He did have a point.

"And me and you, we don't even know who our own parents are."

Well Sophie did know, she just hadn't told anyone but Chiron and Percy, not even Annabeth or Grover. She honestly didn't know why.

Ethan looked up at her looking really confused, "Like, I think he has a point. Maybe ... He ... can be better to us than the gods."

Sophie shook her head, "Although there not the best, there still our parents, and sure they could be better. But.. He won't fix anything."

Sophie hadn't even stopped to think about how Ethan knew that Luke was trying to bring back Kronos.

She placed a hand on his head ruffling his hair, "Well, I have to go now, I'll see you next summer."

"Bye," Ethan smiled softly as he passes Sophie her bag.

"Bye."

Sophie and Percy stood at the top of half-blood hill as her Uncle got out the car, Percy was still leaning on her to help him walk.

Her Uncle met them just outside the border and took both their bags.

She'd I-M'd him earlier on to tell him all about the Percy situation, so he knew why Percy was like this.

"You kids ready to go?" He asked them.

The two of them nodded as they got in the car sophie having to help Percy in. But before she slid into her seat she turned around and looked towards Thalia's tree. She felt a sort of homesickness leaving this place.

She'd be back next summer though.

And they'd be ready to take on Luke, and save the world... again. 

🥺

That's it, THE LIGHTNING THIEF is done,  ⚡ I can't belive it. Thank you so much for all the support and comments, I love you guys.

SOM will be started in a week or three, I also just wanted to say thank you to. Sigmareads Slay_Gueen123 I love you guys comments <3

Thank you to all my readers.

Blake  🫡