“You could have told me,” Annabeth said as she gave Percy a few annoyed taps on the shoulder, while he held a thermos Hermes had given him, one that released a powerful stream of air, making the lifeboat move like a motorboat.

  Percy let her hit him, since she was not really doing it with any force, just venting her mild anger.

  “Well, I’m sorry about that. It’s just that I still couldn’t talk about it,” Percy said with a faint, innocent smile.

  “Still, what kind of lunatic comes up with a plan like that? If it had failed, we would have all blown up together,” she added, annoyed but also surprised that something so reckless had actually worked.

  “You need to have more faith in Tyson’s creations. They’re not as powerful as the master’s, but there’s a reason he’s one of his students,” Percy said, giving his brother a slightly proud smile.

  That made Tyson feel embarrassed and happy at the same time, as he scratched the back of his head.

  “We have to warn the camp. Luke is planning an attack,” Annabeth said, recalling Luke’s words, which clearly suggested the plan was already in motion, likely taking advantage of the fact that the camp’s defenses were close to breaking.

  “Are you sure? I mean, well… Tantalus is there, you know,” Percy said in a somewhat serious tone, since both of them had seen how Percy’s master had turned him into mush, even from far away.

  “But the gods will put someone else in charge right away, and especially in times like these, they won’t leave it unprotected,” Annabeth said quickly, with confidence.

  That confidence made Percy grimace slightly, as if he did not really expect that from them.

  “All we can do is try,” Annabeth said, understanding his expression. “And you’ll see that I’m right.”

  Percy nodded and handed her a pair of coins so she could call the Iris Message, using the water lifted by the boat’s movement. Annabeth prayed to reach whoever was currently in charge of the camp.

  And, fortunately, it seemed to be answered almost immediately.

  Although the person who appeared left both Percy and Annabeth completely stunned.

  And brought a happy smile to Tyson’s face.

  “Master,” he said as he recognized the face that appeared.

  Miraak was drinking a canned beer while sitting on the roof of Percy’s cabin, that is, Poseidon’s cabin, watching a group of campers training with their swords with clear disapproval.

  Miraak turned his head slightly when he saw them.

  “Mmm. Looks like you didn’t lose any limbs,” he said calmly as he looked at Percy and Tyson, nodding at them before taking another sip of his beer, which, as always, made him grimace slightly at the taste.

  “Master, what are you doing there?” Percy asked immediately, snapping out of his shock.

  “Mission,” Miraak said calmly, as if the question were stupid, and Percy as well for asking it.

  “No, yeah, I mean… well…” Percy genuinely did not know what to say, so he looked at Annabeth. She, of course, could not say much to Percy’s master, or rather, she did not dare to at all, her mouth so tightly shut that it was the first time Percy had ever seen her like that.

  “Is Master guarding the camp as a mission?” Tyson asked innocently, asking exactly the question they needed.

  “No. Making sure the trash doesn’t get in,” Miraak replied with a slightly irritated expression, as if he did not even enjoy being there.

  That was when Percy realized that even his master suffered from his own rule of accepting every mission, even the ones he imposed on himself. Something that, to be honest, made him feel a little happy.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “I guess we don’t need to worry that much then,” Percy said quietly.

  “Master, we’ll continue our mission then,” he said out loud, waving at Miraak, who nodded and casually lifted a hand.

  And the Iris Message ended.

  Annabeth looked at Percy with mild seriousness.

  “Why didn’t you tell him about Luke’s attack and about protecting the campers?” she asked.

  “Because you already heard him. His mission is to make sure the trash doesn’t get in, that’s what he calls monsters. He won’t deviate from that, especially not to protect the gods’ children or mortals. At least we can be sure that monsters won’t get through. The rest is up to them,” Percy said in a serious tone.

  “But…” Annabeth seemed like she wanted to say something.

  “They train their whole lives at the camp, right? For moments like this. They’re warriors, and warriors have to fight for their lives. At least we don’t have to worry about them facing things they couldn’t handle,” Percy said, his tone sounding cold, yet logical. Asking Miraak, something closer to a deity, to protect a bunch of kids from another bunch of kids would only annoy him and make him leave.

  “But since he’s already there, maybe he could…” she murmured, not finishing the sentence before Percy interrupted her.

  “Then why don’t you ask your mother to protect them?” Percy said immediately.

  That made Annabeth close her mouth, a faint pain showing on her face. Percy realized he might have gone too far.

  “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that,” Percy said softly.

  “No… you’re right. Your master isn’t even part of Olympus, and he’s doing far more than they are,” Annabeth said, as if it hurt to admit it, but she finally let it out. Even so, that did not stop her from feeling even more saddened, because it meant Luke was right.

  The silence seemed to take over for a moment, while Tyson focused on holding the thermos that kept them moving forward, his expression calm, a soft smile directed at the surface of the sea, as if he were watching something that made him happy.

  “Uh… well… even if my master can seem harsh and kind of evil, and, well, very much my master… he’s actually pretty… well, I don’t think he would let someone die right in front of him if he could avoid it… I think,” Percy said, not entirely sure, trying to reassure Annabeth so she would not worry so much.

  “Mmm. The master is gentle and kind,” Tyson said with a smile, before turning his attention back to the sea, as if that was all that needed to be said.

  Annabeth looked at both of them. Sometimes she could not help the faint jealousy she felt toward them for having a master like Miraak, a being clearly superior, someone who trained them and protected them. Something she had always wanted from her mother, to be honest, but never received, and perhaps never would.

  She remained silent for a moment.

  “Percy,” Annabeth said, lifting her head to look at him. “Do you really hate Olympus? Do you hate the gods? Do you hate… your father?” she asked, her voice growing softer with each word, as if she feared the answer.

  Percy held her gaze for a moment, his expression serious.

  “This is about the prophecy, right?” Percy asked calmly. “That’s what’s worrying you.”

  Annabeth opened her mouth as if she were about to say something, then closed it again and gave a small nod.

  “What if Luke is right? What if the gods don’t care about us? They just manipulate us. Even what I know about the prophecy is only a summary Chiron told me, and probably his own interpretation of it,” she said, looking at Percy, afraid of losing everything she believed in.

  Percy fell completely silent. He had many things he could say, but he said nothing, simply watching her.

  “The prophecy speaks of a child of the Big Three, who will become a powerful weapon upon turning sixteen. And he will also decide the fate of Olympus. His destiny is to destroy it… or save it,” Annabeth said in a heavy tone, as storm clouds began to flash with lightning above them.

  As if the sky itself were angry that Annabeth had told Percy the truth.

  Percy lifted his gaze briefly toward the sky, then looked back at Annabeth, as if that moment mattered more to him than paying attention to the heavens themselves.

  “So your fear is that I’ll be the one who destroys Olympus?” Percy asked, his tone dry.

  Annabeth looked as though she wanted to say no with everything she had, but her head refused to move, while her lips trembled slightly, trying to form words that never came.

  The silence that followed lasted until the boat drew close to the shore, where a fisherman glanced at them several times in confusion, watching them move at such speed without any visible engine.

  “It’s Virginia Beach,” Annabeth said, speaking for the first time after so much silence. “The Princess Andromeda really covered a lot of distance,” she added. “That means it must have been…”

  “Five thousand and thirty nautical miles,” Percy said calmly, as he grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

  “How do you kno—?” Annabeth stopped herself and closed her mouth again. The atmosphere was still heavy, so she simply picked up her own backpack, while Tyson carefully put the thermos away, now that they were close to shore.

  He, as if he did not understand the reason for the silence, only glanced at them briefly before turning his attention back to the sea, giving it a small wave without either of them noticing.

  “I… I know a place where we can rest for a bit,” Annabeth said as the three of them stepped out of the boat, dragging it slightly onto the sand so the water would not carry it away. Then Tyson and Percy followed Annabeth, who walked with quiet confidence, as if she knew the area well.