Piper's POV

"Piper! Wake up!" Annabeth exclaimed.

I groaned, burying myself under my covers. I heard an audible sigh before the blankets were suddenly seized the blankets from my grasp. The icy cold air of the air conditioning made shivers run down my spine and goosebumps ran along my arms. I curled up into a ball, trying to stay warm without the blanket. "Wake up, Piper. We have a visitor," said Annabeth. I grudgingly opened my eyes, staring at her curiously. "Who?" I asked. "Get ready first, and then I'll show you," She promised.

I sighed in defeat, hauling myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I changed into a simple outfit: A lime green tank-top with jean shorts. I quickly combed out my hair, brushed my teeth, and applied some mascara. I turned off the bathroom light as I rushed out the door, curious to figure out who our 'visitor' was.

Nico, Leo, and Grover were already dressed as well, eating a few muffins and some toast. There were jars of jam and butter on the coffee table in front of us, as well as bottles of water. I walked over and grabbed a blueberry muffin, sitting down in a chair between Annabeth and Leo.

I took a bite of my muffin, letting the taste spread across my tongue. I hadn't realized how hungry I was. I inhaled the muffin in my hand quickly, before I grabbed some toast and a butter knife to spread some jam over my toast. As I scooped some strawberry jam, I surveyed the room, which was already cleaned and organized by the hotel servants.

In the corner, I saw a woman leaning against the far end of the wall, watching us eat. She seemed to be concealed by the mist, almost transparent against the wall. Her presence seemed powerful, like a goddess, yet it also seemed eerie and shadowy. At her side, a black dog and a polecat stood there obediently, rarely moving.

Hecate.

With my past experiences, whenever a goddess visited us during a quest, it meant that they needed us to do their stupid errands. Whatever Hecate is here for, it certainly won't help us find Percy. I took my last scoop of jam and spread it across the side of my toast, before closing the jar. Nobody seemed to like the fact that Hecate was here.

Hecate seemed to notice the mood, because her face turned sour and bitter, frowning disappointedly. "Zeus doesn't normally allow us to interfere with mortal problems. But I'm certain that your situation is very crucial to the upcoming war." She explained. "I am here with advice to help you on your search."

My eyes widened in shock at her offer to help us find Percy. It was very rare of the gods to help, unless it concerned them in any way. "And the advice?" Nico urged. His expression was guarded, unreadable, but his posture seemed tensed and prepared, as if he was ready to fight anyone who blocked his way.

"My advice is to seek out Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto. She will help you with your search," Hecate advised. "Percy Jackson is hidden by very powerful mist, and Hazel should be able to detect your friend's location."

"Anything else?" I asked. Hecate smiled sadly, turning her attention towards me. "That, Piper McLean, is something you and your friends have to figure out for yourselves. I am forbidden to speak about this matter," She replied. With a gush of wind, she was swept away, her image fading along with the breeze.

~•~

Annabeth's POV

I listened intently, focusing on Leo's details about his dream concerning our Roman friends. Different emotions welled up inside of my chest, but my face revealed nothing about my opinions.

I admit that I felt a little hurt and angry when our friends didn't want to tell us about something as important as this. But another part of me knew that if it were me, I would also be cautious about who I could trust with the information. Something about an alliance, possibly our alliance between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter.

Another civil war between the Greeks and the Romans would be disastrous. The gods would be preoccupied with their split personalities, either Greek or Roman. The two demigod group would never trust each other again. The gods would be trying to separate the two demigod groups once again.

It took a long moment for me to realize that everyone was silent as they watched me ponder our difficult situation. "Leo, did you hear the actual prophecy? That could be pretty useful," I asked. Leo shook his head helplessly.

"We shouldn't dwell on this too much. We have to find Percy," Piper exclaimed, pouring a little charmspeak into her words. "We know what we have to do know."

I nodded in agreement, trying to clear my mind of thoughts about the prophecy. "Piper's right. First things first, we have to find Hazel and convince her to help us find Percy." I instructed. "Should we take a plane?" Grover asked. Nico and I shook our heads. "No. That's going to take too much time. The more time it takes to find Percy, the bigger the possibility that he's-," I cut off, my voice cracking at the end.

Piper narrowed her eyes, her fists clenched. "Don't worry, Annabeth. We will find Percy," She stated boldly. I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself together. I couldn't afford to grieve over him now. "Nico, do you think you're strong enough to shadow travel to Camp Jupiter?"

Thanks for reading, my wonderful supporters! If you're still reading this story up to this chapter, I congratulate your perseverance and your strength. Myself, I would never have put up with my agonizingly slow updates, my crappy chapters, or my many, many mistakes. Anyways, peace out! x3