Chapter 60

"Now," Chiron said to Thalia and me, "perhaps you two should sit down and tell us the whole story."

When we were done, Chiron turned to Mr. D. "We should launch a search for Annabeth immediately."

"I'll go," Thalia and I said at the same time.

Mr. D sniffed. "Certainly not!"

Thalia and I both started complaining, but Mr. D held up his hand. He had that purplish angry fire in his eyes that usually meant something bad and godly was going to happen if we didn't shut up.

"From what you have told me," Mr. D said, "we have broken even on this escapade. We have, ah, regrettably lost Annie Bell—"

"Annabeth," I snapped. She'd gone to camp since she was seven, and still Mr. D pretended not to know her name. I was getting really sick of him, and it's not like we needed a wine god.

"Yes, yes," he said. "And you procured a small annoying boy and girl to replace her. So I see no point risking further half-bloods on a ridiculous rescue. The possibility is very great that this Annie girl is dead."

"No, Annabeth is alive," I responded. "As the son of hades I know when someone passes and Annabeth did not, instead I sensed her going through a portal. I assume Luke is behind it."

"That's right," Thalia said. "Luke would want her alive."

"In which case" said Mr. D, "I'm afraid she will have to be smart enough to escape on her own."

I got up from the table.

"Percy." Chiron's tone was full of warning.

"You're glad to lose another camper," I said. "You'd like it if we all disappeared!"

Mr. D stifled a yawn. "You have a point?"

"Yeah," I growled. "Just because you were sent here as a punishment doesn't mean you have to be a lazy jerk! This is your civilization, too. If you don't step up and do yopur damn job I will fuc-!"

Before I could finish, Nico burst into the room, followed by Grover and Bianica

"SO COOL!" Nico yelled, holding his hands out to Chiron. "You're… you're a centaur!"

Chiron managed a nervous smile. "Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for, ah, first encounters."

"And, whoa!" He looked at Mr. D. "You're the wine dude? No way!"

Mr. D turned his eyes away from me and gave Nico a look of loathing. "The wine dude?"

"Dionysus, right? Oh, wow! I've got your figurine."

"My figurine."

"In my game, Mythomagic. And a holofoil card, too! And even though you've only got like five hundred attack points and everybody thinks you're the lamest god card, I totally think your powers are sweet!"

"Ah." Mr. D seemed truly perplexed. "Well, that's… gratifying."

"Percy," Chiron said quickly, "you and Thalia go down to the cabins. Inform the campers we'll be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening."

"Capture the flag?" I asked. "But we don't have enough—"

"It is a tradition," Chiron said. "A friendly match, whenever the Hunters visit."

"Yeah," Thalia muttered. "I bet it's real friendly."

Chiron jerked his head toward Mr. D, who was still frowning as Nico talked about how many defense points all the gods had in his game. "Run along now," Chiron told us.

"Oh, right," Thalia said. "Come on, Percy."

She hauled me out of the Big House before Dionysus could remember that he wanted to kill me.

"You've already got Ares on your bad side," Thalia reminded me as we trudged toward the cabins. "You need another immortal enemy?"

"I already forgotten about that idiot. Besides I will have many enemies in my life, but you really think that Dionysus stands a chance against me?"

"Right." Thalia sighed. "Just be careful, Annabeth will be pissed if you do something stupid again."

"Again?" I said. "I have never done anything stupid before."

"Right, keep telling yourself that." She stopped by the armory and looked out across the valley, toward the top of Half-Blood Hill. Her pine tree was still there, the Golden Fleece glittering in its lowest branch. The tree's magic still protected the borders of camp, but it no longer used Thalia's spirit for power.

"Percy, everything is unfair," Thalia muttered. "Sometimes I wish…"

She didn't finish, but her tone was so sad I felt sorry for her. With her ragged black hair and her black punk clothes, an old wool overcoat wrapped around her, she looked like some kind of huge raven, completely out of place in the white landscape.

"I plan to leave and go rescue Annabeth," I responded. "And I know that nothing will stop you from coming with me."

"You, know that is right," she said straightened up. "I know I can trust you to keep your promise."

Over at the basketball court, a few of the Hunters were shooting hoops. One of them was arguing with a guy from the Ares cabin. The Ares kid had his hand on his sword and the Hunter girl looked like she was going to exchange her basketball for a bow and arrow any second.

"I'll break that up," Thalia said. "You circulate around the cabins. Tell everybody about capture the flag tomorrow."

"All right. You can be team captain."

"No, no," she said. "You've been at camp longer. You do it."

"How about we both be team captain." I replied grinning.

Thalia nodded as she trudged off toward the court, where the Ares camper and the Hunter were trying to kill each other with a sword and a basketball.

I made the rounds, telling everybody about capture the flag. I returned to the Hades... actually although I called it the Hades cabin everyone else just called it the my cabin even with all the hades like designs to it. I sat down on the couch and I took Annabeth's baseball cap out of my backpack and set it on my coffee table. I'd give it to her when I found her. And I would find her.

I took off my wristwatch and activated the shield. I hung the shield on its hook, next to the Minotaur horn, next I took out Morningstar looking at the shattered blade as I hung it on the wall. I looked at it disapointed, I had it for two years and had protected me all this time.

"Father I am so sorry, I was to careless and broke the sword you gifted me." I spoke.

I was staring at the sword when I noticed a strange sound—water gurgling—and I realized there was something new in the room. At the back of the cabin was a big basin of gray sea rock, with a spout like the head of a fish carved in stone. Out of its mouth burst a stream of water, a saltwater spring that trickled into the pool. The water must've been hot, because it sent mist into the cold winter air like a sauna. It made the room feel warm and summery, fresh with the smell of the sea.

I stepped up to the pool. There was no note attached or anything, but I knew it could only be a gift from Poseidon. He must have gotten Hades permission to place it here. 

I looked into the water and said, "Thanks, Dad."

The surface rippled. At the bottom of the pool, coins shimmered—a dozen or so golden drachma. I realized what the fountain was for. I opened the nearest window, and the wintry sunlight made a rainbow in the mist. Then I fished a coin out of the hot water.

"Iris, O Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering." I said, as I tossed a coin into the mist and it disappeared. Then I realized I didn't know who to contact first. "Show me Taylor, at the forge of Hephestus."

The mist shimmered, and the image of my half sister appeared. She was in what looked like the inside of a volcano, magma and fire bellowed around her, yet she was only wearing a leather apron over her crop top and jeans and boots. She was holding a hot metal over an anvil with one hand while pounding it with a hammer that looked to be almost at melting point. She had grown since I last saw her as I had to admit she looked like She-hulk, if she had red hair and worked in a forge.

"Taylor!" I yelled.

She didn't hear me at first because of the hammering and the roar of the flames.

"TAYLOR!"

She turned, and her eyes widened. Her face broke into a grin. "Percy!"