chapter eighty-nine

─── imagine having good mental health

          𝕴f there was a popularity vote in camp, I'd fail it. 

The moment I stepped onto the beach, Connor (my boyfriend's brother) spotted me, running over to greet me.

"Romy! What happened? Where's Beckendorf?"

"Where's Luke?" Is my reply, not wanting to tell him Beckendorf was dead. Connor's eyebrows furrowed, looking around for a moment, before turning back to me. His eyebrows furrowed, as he seemed to catch on.

"He's at dinner..." I turned, walking up towards the pavilion as I saw people streaming out of it, coming to meet me, to tell me congratulations for a job well done though someone was dead. There's not as many campers as before, some have gone on missions and never come back, some had gone home and some, though we tried to talk them out of it, had gone to Kronos. Those left were different, changed.

There wasn't as much laughter here either.

"Andromeda!" My name was called again, and I looked up at Chiron's form. "Thank the gods. But where..."

I looked up at him and maybe he saw something in my eyes, because he stopped for a moment as I saw Luke appear behind him. I knew he'd come to camp whilst I was on the mission, and I hadn't been wrong. 

"Hey, Andi, what-" He clocks on quickly, just wrapping me into a hug as I cling to him. "You did your best."

"He died, Luke." I shook my head. "My best wasn't good enough. They couldn't find his body."

Luke says nothing else, kissing my head as I take a deep breath. No one can see me upset, none of these people, because all of them are counting on me to be able to defeat Kronos. All of them. Silena's pushing through the crowd behind us and I pull away to speak to her.

"Where's Charlie?" The old centaur cleared his throat, directing Silena's attention to him.

"Silena, my dear, let's talk about this at the Big House-"

"No..." She mutters, cutting him off. "No, no."

Tears are welling in her eyes and I don't know what to do, or how to help. We'd lost so many people, but now Beckendorf? He'd been one of our good friends, everyone's good friends. You could never find a person who disliked him. Silena was crying now, tears welling in her eyes and falling down her cheeks as Clarisse appears to comfort her, shooting me a sympathetic look in the process.

"Come on, girl. Let's get to the Big House." Clarisse helps move the daughter of Aphrodite away as everyone else disappears back to their own cabin. I knew that some of them wanted to talk to me, Annabeth shooting me a look, but Luke had waved her off, knowing that I wouldn't want that. He knew me too well.

"I'm sure you did everything you could, Andromeda. Will you tell us what happens?" I don't want to relive it but do anyway for Chiron and Luke. Luke's hand was in mine the entire time, squeezing as I tried not to get overly emotional with everything going on. "We must call a war council immediately, to discuss this spy, and other matters."

"Poseidon mentioned another threat." I point out. "Something even bigger than the Princess Andromeda."

"We will discuss that also."

"One more thing." I took a deep breath. "Dad wants me to know the prophecy. He said to tell you that it's time."

Chiron's shoulders sagged, but he didn't look surprised.

"I've dreaded this day. Vey well, Luke, we'll show Andromeda the truth - all of it. Let's go to the attic."

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The attic wasn't a place I liked to visit. It always prophesised my death, so there wasn't a great rapport between us. Luke followed me up and I knew that his rapport was even worse, considering this is where his mother lost his mind.

I step over the curved blade, the Scimitar of Kampê, that was taken from the gold dust after the Battle of the Labyrinth.

"You remember Briares throwing those boulders?" Luke nodded. "And Grover causing a Panic?"

"I remember you almost starting an earthquake."

"Prophecy." I moved the conversation swiftly onwards. We'd told no one truly of my newly found powers, knowing that they were something looked down upon and I'd be feared even more so with the war coming up. I never liked to dwell on them much in the first place, knowing that I'd killed people at St Helen, innocent people, in an explosion that I'd created with an earthquake. Sometimes, it was better not to dwell on the deaths I'd caused. "O Orcale, I ask for the Great Prophecy."

Luke stepped forward and took off her necklace, before handing me a role of parchment no bigger than my pinky.

"You mean to tell me I could have found out my prophecy years ago?"

"Yes. But we guessed that you'd never actually bother to examine the mummy."

"You sly prick." I hiss at my boyfriend, who grins at the accusation. I go to open it and he grabs onto my hand, stopping me.

"Do it at the War Council meeting, not in front of her." He urges me out. If I had known at the time that it would be the last time that I ever visited the attic and saw the oracle, I'd have celebrated. But I didn't know and by the time I did, I would have given anything to go back and see them.

We join the other councillors at the ping pong table. When Luke and I join them, Chiron is trying to split up a shouting match. Clarisse looks moment from lunging at Michael Yew, the new head councillor for Apollo. Both were stubborn in their own right, and now, in a screaming match about something that seemed a little unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Luke and I aren't councillors anymore, both too old, but we're honorary members considering our status and skills, and the fact I'm supposed to kill everyone in the prophecy apparently.

"Oi!" I finally grow tired, thundering over the others as they all sit down. Silena's made to be there, which I think is unfair, and Annabeth is sitting beside her, hand in hand. Connor and Travis, who are unable to be separated, sit opposite them along with a few others, and then there's us. "Enough! Now isn't the time."

Clarisse turns, before sitting back down, her eyes narrowed and glare dark. I know what her tempers like and the only reason she's not cussing anyone off or storming out is because I hold some of her respect. We'd been friends for a while, and because of that, she would stay for me. Clarisse was nothing if not loyal to her friends.

"Whatever this is, deal with afterwards." Luke finishes the statement off, taking a seat at the head of the table. Everyone shuts up at his quiet words, respecting him far more than they'd ever respect me. Luke was, to most of them, their older brother figure who'd raised and protected them for most of their life. He was, if there was ever to be a demigod in the job, the camp leader in all senses of the word. "Andi's got something that we should hear. Andi...?"

"Thanks babe." I mutter, squeezing his shoulder, before opening the parchment. It's in Ancient Greek and I translate as I read. "A half-blood of the eldest gods shall reach twenty one against all odds, and see the world in endless sleep, the hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap..."

I trail off, Riptide heavy in my pocket. For a moment, I wish I couldn't read Ancient Greek. Would I die by my own sword? Riptide had a bad past, would it be a stretch to think that I would die by the blade to make it more tragic.

"Andromeda, the rest." I look up at Chiron, finding the other councillors have gone ashen, looking at their hands.

"A single choice shall end their days. Olympus to preserve or raze." I look at it, taking a deep breath. "That's raze with a z not an i before anyone gets hopeful."

Connor closes his mouth as I slump down beside Luke. Neither of us talk, both knowing that this prophesised my death. Maybe that was Luke's fatal flaws, dating people destined to die. I knew if I made that joke at Luke though he wouldn't find it very funny, but that sort of humour was the only thing keeping me going. 

Everyone was looking at me, with concern or pity, or maybe fear at what my choice would be. Chiron had his head bowed, as if saying a prayer, before looking up to meet my eyes.

"You see now, Andromeda, why we thought it best not to tell you the whole prophecy. You've had enough on your shoulders-"

"Without adding the feeling of a pig going to slaughter on top of it. I love being born to die." I mutter. "I've come to terms with my death, what can we get from the prophecy to help us."

Luke flinches as I mention my death, but I meet Chiron's eyes steadfastly. I would rather it be me than any of the others, Nico or Thalia. They were still kids. This was my choice in the end and I chose to die instead of them. Then, I could purge the blood of all the other children from my hands.

"Cursed blade?" Jake Mason had stepped in for Beckendorf, being the next oldest of his cabin. He had big shoes to fill, literally and figuratively. "Sounds like Kronos' scythe. Maybe we find it and we destroy it."

It's nice of him to suggest, but I doubt that we can stop the prophecy.

"Perhaps we should let Andromeda think about these lines." Chiron offered. "She needs time-"

"No I don't." I cut him off with a shrug. "If I die, I die. I can't worry about that, we have other problems to discuss. Bigger problems that my death."

"Don't say that." Luke muttered, hand finding mine. I knew that my death was going to affect him but better me than Annabeth or Grover or Tyson. Better me than anyone of the kids at the table. Better me than Luke. 

"We've got a spy." I squeeze his hand in acknowledgement but otherwise carry on. They all looked shocked, appalled and annoyed. I go on to explain what happened on the Princess Andromeda. Silena's crying again and Annabeth puts her arm around her.

"Well, we've suspected there might be a spy for years, right? Somebody kept passing information to Puck - like the location of the Golden Fleece. It must be someone who knew him well." There's that uncomfortable silence where we think of Puck's only known relative, Brooke, but Annabeth shuts it down.

"Brooke hasn't been here. She wouldn't know the plans. We haven't seen her in a year at least." Annabeth points out. "It could have been anyone. Puck was a friend to most of us here, he was nearly all of our ages."

Everyone breaks into discourse.

"Stop!" Silena slammed her hand down on the table. "Charlie's dead and...and you're all arguing like little kids!"

Everyone goes silent as she begins to sob, her head going into her hand.

"She's right." Pollux is the one who breaks it. "Accusing each other doesn't help, just sows discourse which is what he wants. We need to keep our eyes open for a silver necklace with a scythe charm. If Kronos has one, then the spy will too."

"We need to find them before we plan our next operation. Blowing up the ship won't stop Kronos forever." Michael adds onto Pollux's point. Clarisse has been strangely silent for most of this, and I catch her eye, but I don't get the gist of what she's thinking.

"No, indeed. In fact his next assault is already on the way." I scowl. Chiron's been keeping things from me again like I'm a little kid and I hate it. "Andromeda, we didn't want to tell you until you had finished school."

"Tell me what's happened." I question and Chiron goes to show us something but Luke stops him.

"Don't." He shakes his head. "Andi, Typhon's risen."

Guilt rushes through me. Mount St. Helens. I blew it up and now, I'd released Typhon. I was so thankful that Luke didn't let Chiron show me it, so glad I didn't have to watch the horror that I'd inflicted on others. I'd released the single biggest threat the gods ever faced.

"He's moving across the states, the gods are all dispersed, trying to fight him." Chiron puts his cup down as my head falls into my hands, trying not to show just how doomed I think we are to the younger ones. I'm supposed to be the one in the prophecy, saving them, and maybe I'd just doomed everyone. "They've been fighting him for days now, trying to slow him down but Typhon is marching forward to the closest base of the gods he can. New York."

"How long until he gets there?" Annabeth asks, all of the others deathly pale.

"Unless the gods can stop him? Perhaps five days. Most of the Olympians are there apart from Poseidon, who has his own war to fight."

"But then who's guarding New York?" Clarisse questioned. "Or does that not even matter anymore?"

Something Kronos had said to me on the ship came back to me; I would love to see the terror in your eyes when you realize how I will destroy Olympus. But this attack by Typhon seemed obvious, predictable.

"It's a trick." I realise, stopping the others talking about how they could help. "We have to warn the gods. Something else is going to happen."

"Something worse than Typhon? I hope not." Chiron looks weary now, his face finally reflecting his 3000 year old soul, and that makes me worry.

"We have to defend New York. There's another attack planned. Kronos has another attack planned."

"He did." Travis reminds me. "But you sunk his ship."

Everyone's looking at me. They wanted me to give them good news, or a little bit of hope, but I didn't think that was right. What if all of this was a bluff designed to get us to lower our guard? What if Kronos only let us blow up the ship so that we would move onto other thing. Luke taps my wrist, a silent nod to shut up.

"Maybe you're right." I don't believe the words that come out of my mouth, but I try and sell it all the same anyway. "I'm just being pessimistic."

"Well, I think that's enough for one night." Chiron ends the meeting as the councillors head to bed. Luke and I watch them go.

"Anyone of them could be the spy." I point out, before turning to look at him. "You could be the spy."

"I've dealt with Kronos once and that was enough for me." Luke takes a deep breath. "I think you'd know if I was the spy."

"Yeah, Kronos would know a bit too much about me. Annabeth complains about your rambling, he would too." Luke snorts quietly at that, pulling me a little closer as I lean into him. "I know it ain't you, idiot. But I think this is gonna make everyone mistrustful."

"Thought I should clear it up, I know my track record isn't great."

"It's a little iffy." I smile, before looking up at him. "But I love all of you including the iffy track record and if you do end up backstabbing me, I will haunt you."

He rolls his eyes before kissing me.

"If I was gonna backstab you, would've done it ages ago in the Sea of Monsters where it was just you and I alone on a ship."

"You've been planning. I knew it." He laughs again, both of us trying to ignore my impending doom.

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Chiron puts me and Luke on reports. 

I think he wants to make me have depression.

Between the two of us, Luke and I manage to deduce that no one is having a good time, our recruitment is at a big fat 0 and there's battles going on everywhere. It's a cheery way to start our morning. In that time we spent in the Big House, apparently we also managed to miss the fight breaking out between Ares and Apollo, tensions rising high after the whole spy thing and there was something else about stolen loot? I didn't really pay attention, too busy writing my will.

I wish I was joking but I actually did have to sit down with a lawyer and my mom and think about it. I told the lawyer that I had an incurable illness and was due to possibly die in a week and that made them reduce the cost, so maybe that was a good thing?

When I found Annabeth, I asked her what they were fighting about. The loot thing. She ignored me for a moment, before sighing.

"There's a flying chariot." She explained. "They captured it in a raid in Philadelphia last week, some of Puck's demigods were there with it. Seven captured it during the battle but Five led the raid, so they've been fighting about it ever since. This is the first time they've  actually fought."

"So mature and whilst we're at war as well." I hummed, before shaking my head. "They'll get over it."

"I'm not sure. Clarisse is pretty stuck on that hill, the only reason they didn't fight last night is because you were there." I sighg.

"Good to know it took my impending death to get their respect."

"Can you stop saying that?" Annabeth turns, looking up at me with dark eyes. "Please. I know that your trying to cope with humour, but I don't want to think about you dying."

"I'm sorry, Annie." I hug her softly. "I know, I'm trying not to but I'll do better for you, yeah?"

"Thanks..." She whispered, as I kissed her head. "Have you heard from Grover at all?"

"Not yet." I sighed. He was busy, travelling all around the US to spread the word about Pan but the empathy link was still in place so he wasn't dead. "He's alive though, so he'll be alright. Grover's survived this long and I know he'll be alright. We'll find him soon."

"If you think so."

"I know so. Come on, kid, give me some credit." I grin. She rolls her eyes.

"I'm not a kid anymore. I'm sixteen."

"And I'm twenty, glad we can count." I smirk as she smacks my shoulder and rolls her eyes. I'm pretty sure she calls me an idiot as she walks away, but it's better her smiling and rolling her eyes than thinking of me dead.

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I wish my day got better, but my prayers were never answered, so no. 

We had an assembly to burn Beckendorf's burial shroud, all fighting coming to a temporary stop whilst we mourned our friend. His shroud was a silver colour, and looked as if it were made out of metal links, though I knew it wasn't. It melted in the fire, drops of metal coming off from the embellishments that his siblings had created, before turning the smoke gold.

I hoped his spirit would end up in Elysium. If anyone deserved it, Beckendorf did. Most left soon after, heading for their afternoon activities. Luke was called away to help with sword fighting, with his cabin. I stayed. Silena joined my side whilst Clarisse hovered further back.

"I'm sorry." I mutter to her. "I know it doesn't count for much, but I am sorry."

She doesn't say anything.

"He carried your picture. Looked at it right before we went into battle, you meant a lot to him, so much." I tell her, turning to look at her crying form. She's trying not to be loud, silent tears forming as her hands scrunch into fists. "You made the last year the best of his life."

Her breath turns choked and I hesitate, wanting to reach out but not knowing if it was appropriate. 

"Thank you, Romy..." She manages to get out, squeezing my hand. "I should go."

She brushes past me as Clarisse joins my side instead. The girl sighs, before turning to me.

"She's stronger than she looks."

"I know." I nod my head. "All of them are, they have to be."

"Yeah..."

"Speaking of, maybe it's not my place, but fighting with Seven?" I question, cocking an eyebrow as she scowls. "We're at war. Is now the time or the place."

"My cabin doesn't get honour, so maybe, we just won't fight at all." I look at her, seeing her scowl. For a moment, her being the spy crosses my mind but it goes just as quickly. Clarisse is stubborn but she's loyal to a fault.

"You do, kind of, slightly owe me one for the whole rotting in a cave in the Sea of Monsters." I point out with a shrug.

"Any other favour, Romy, but not this." Clarisse shakes her head. "Five has been dissed too many times and don't think I don't know what people say about me behind my back."

"I understand-"

"Do you?" Clarisse shrugs. "You're the Daughter of Poseidon, when has it ever been hard for you? When has your parentage ever been dissed?"

"When I first showed up?" I point out. "Look, I get that you want recognition for your family and your siblings, I understand. But don't do it whilst we're at war, that's not fair on us."

"If you and all the others need my help so badly, tell Seven to give us the chariot." She disappears as I'm left with Beckendorf's bonfire, thinking over what's to come. Huffing, I turn and head for the sword fighting arena. I need to blow off some steam.

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Hiya,

So, Andi's narration is gonna kind of change in this book. So, whilst there'll still be elements of fun, it's also gonna become darker and more blunt and stuff because she thinks she's gonna die and has just kind of accepted it. Also, who do you think is the spy?

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx