I just stared at the daughter of Ares for a moment. "You want me to do what now?"

Clarisse sighed. "You fucking heard me."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I told her. "But why me of all people? And why me specifically? Don't you hate me?"

Clarisse leaned back on one of the railings. "I don't want my siblings to get hurt or killed going to the sea of monsters," she told me. "And yes I still hate you, but you've become...tolerable."

I sighed. "Have you gone to the oracle yet?"

Clarisse shook her head. "Not yet, but I guess I should go."

I nodded. "Yeah you should."

Clarisse glared at me before standing up straighter and walking away. I watched her head to the big house to talk to the Oracle. While she was there, I noticed something–or someone.

It was a man in a Hawaiian shirt. He had brown hair and pale skin. It didn't take a genius to figure out who he was by the way he was fiddling with keys I knew weren't his.

I walked to him and stood behind him, keeping my distance.

"May I ask why you're here, Lord Hermes?" I asked.

Hermes didn't look at me, but he laughed. "Heather Agulera," he said, turning towards me with a satisfied smile. "Just the girl I've been looking for."

I scoffed. "Highly unlikely," I said. "What are you doing here?"

Hermes gave me a small smile which made him look a lot like Luke, which disturbed me.

"Artemis gave me a little call," he said. "You aren't going with Clarisse."

I groaned. "If Artemis wanted me not to go with her then she would've come and told me herself," I told him. "Not get someone like you to inform me."

Hermes put his hand on his chest while his face turned offended. "That's a harsh, death conditioner," he said. "But fair. Though she didn't say it to me, she did mention it."

"Then why are you coming to tell me if she didn't tell you to tell me specifically?"

Hermes paused for a moment. "Because I like drama of course."

I rolled my eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" I muttered. "So, again, why are you here?"

Hermes leaned against a tree. "I was just talking to Percy Jackson. You know, telling him about the ship that's close to the camp and-"

"Wait, a ship is close to the shores?" I asked. "It has to be Luke's. And you asked Percy to go and see what it is?"

Hermes nodded. "Percy is already gathering that Athena kid and the cyclops. They're just looking for you."

I sighed. "Just tell them I'm going with Clarisse," I said. "Simple."

Hermes just kept his shit-eating grin on his face. "I'm afraid it's not that simple," he told me. "Artemis said that traveling with Clarisse would only drag you behind."

I looked behind him at the water. I haven't seen Logan at all today, but I know he's going to be with them. Do I really want to leave with them?

My thoughts were interrupted when Clarisse walked up behind me. She walked beside me and finally noticed Hermes staring at her.

"Lord Hermes," she greeted.

Hermes nodded. "Clarisse," he smirked. "Ares told me things about you."

I groaned before turning to Clarisse. "What did the Oracle say?"

Clarisse sighed. "It's best if we don't explain it here," she said. "But long story short, we have to get going, quickly."

I nodded before looking at Hermes. "Are you still gonna try to stop me?" I asked. "Artemis gave me a quest and I'm completing it one way or another."

Hermes sighed as Clarisse walked past him and stared at the water for a minute. I walked next to her and she just had her eyes closed like she was praying, which she probably was.

After like a minute of praying, she opened her eyes. I was confused for a second until the water started bubbling. Clarisse pulled me back as something started coming up from the waves and started getting bigger and bigger until it blocked the sun, engulfing us in shadows. It was a giant, torn up ship that looked like it was under the water for years. A man stepped into view. He was a skeleton with a blue glow surrounding him. I looked back and forth at Clarisse, trying to see if she was seeing the same things she was.

Clarisse noticed my face and gave me a mischievous grin. "You think your dad's the only one who controls the dead?" she said before looking at the ship. "I asked my father for help and I guess he gave me this."

I nodded, trying to make sense of everything. "So...should we go now?'

Clarisse looked down for a second before nodding. "Yeah, let's get everything packed, then we can go."

I nodded before shadow traveling to the Artemis cabin to grab my things, which was maybe some clothes and a bit of food the Stolls gave to me. Once I was done I traveled back in front of the ship and waited for Clarisse. Once she came into view, we made it onto the ship. Once I made it there I noticed a ton of skeletons walking on the ship. I looked at Clarisse and she walked to one of the soldiers, it was one we met first.

"I am Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares," she introduced. "Did my father send you?"

The captain nodded in salute to her. "All fallen soldiers from a losing battle pay tribute to Ares. Because of such, we are forever in debt to him, as we are now to you."

Clarisse and I exchanged glances. Hers was more smug while mine was uncertain. I looked at the skeleton soldier.

"So you can take us to the Sea of Monsters?" I asked. The soldier nodded. "Okay, I'm not going to question it, so let's go!"

The two of us were taken to one of the cabins below. I offered to go into another room so we could have privacy, but since there weren't any rooms unoccupied and since Clarisse herself refused to let me leave for some reason, I stayed. We were just going over the plan we had in mind, bringing up different possibilities. We were now on what to do once we entered the Sea of Monsters. Right now the sun was beginning to rise and we were running on possibly three hours of sleep between the two of us so we weren't properly functioning all that much.

"To enter the Sea of Monsters, we'd have to go past Charybdis and Scylla," I muttered to myself. Clarisse was pacing around. "So our best choices are to either go around Charybdis, lighting six torches as we pass Scylla, or go through Charybdis and try our luck and timing to see if she'll spit us out by the time we get there."

Clarisse continued pacing. She's been doing that for hours now and I was starting to get a bit worried, so I wanted to change the subject.

"Why didn't you want your siblings to come with you?"

That made her stop for a moment before turning to me. "That is none of your concern," she said before turning away from me.

I shrugged. "I know, but I find it weird that you asked me and not any of your siblings. You seem to be closer to them than any of us."

Clarisse was silent for a moment before groaning. "You wanna know the truth?" she asked. I nodded. "I didn't want them to get hurt. I knew what I was getting into when going on this quest and I didn't want to put them through that."

I gave her a sympathetic look. She continued.

"And I picked you because...well, because you're the only one in this entire camp other than my siblings that I don't want to completely tear to pieces."

I look turned into confusion. "Uh...thanks I guess."

Clarisse turned away from me and sat down on the bed. I walked to stand beside her.

"I know you won't believe me when I say this because you're hella stubborn," Clarisse gave me a look but let me continue. "But you don't have to be this 'big strong woman' all the time. Yes it's helpful to be strong, but it's also good to let people in. I know under all that muscle is a person who just wants to do good and help the people she loves."

I looked towards the window. The sun was almost up, just touching the sea.

"And you can go back to hating me when this is all over, but let me tell you that what I'm telling you is the honest truth. Believe me."

I walked towards the window as we came across a few islands, just floating past them. I then noticed some land in front of us. I tried to look closer and saw two-three-no seven heads ripping apart some trees. I then saw some people trying to back away from the monster. I turned to Clarisse.

"We got a problem," I said before motioning her to the window where she saw the same thing I was.

She smirked. "Well, looks like we got a hydra on our hands. I'll tell the captain to turn around so we can get a good hit at it."

Clarisse tried to walk away but I grabbed her hand. "No need, I'll shadow travel the ship, hopefully we can get it close enough not to startle the hydra."

Clarisse gave me an 'are you crazy' look, but I didn't look back. I just placed my hands on the side of the ship and closed my eyes.

"Tell the others to get ready," I told her. "And hold on to something tied to the boat. I don't want anyone getting sent to Africa or something."

Clarisse looked at me for a moment before nodding and running to tell the other soldiers. I took a deep breath before engulfing myself and then the entire boat in shadows. I felt a wave of cold air hit me for a second, like always, until it immediately disappeared. I heard footsteps coming behind me a few minutes later. I turned around to see Clarisse coming back inside the room.

"Don't worry, grave popper, everyone's safe and accounted for," she told me. I sighed before lying down on the bed. Clarisse smirked. "I'll deal with the hydra. You stay here."

With that she left the room, leaving me alone once again. A few minutes later, I heard screaming coming from above me.

"There! Prepare the thirty-two pounder!" Clarisse yelled out.

"They're too close m'lady!" the captain yelled out after her.

"Forget them! Fire at will!"

"Aye, captain!"

After that I heard a loud BOOM and after that I heard Clarisse's voice again.

"Losers," she said. "But I guess I have to save you. Come aboard."