"We're here," I announce, somewhat darkly but with a sliver of hope in my voice I can bearely detect.
"Jason," Miranda, a daughter of Demeter, says quietly. "You're sure?"
"Positive," I confirm. I have a really good feeling seeing Camp Demigod again, like I've returned home after years in a place where no one speaks my language.
The Argo II slips through the magical borders around the camp and its shadow falls on a large rocky cave- the home of Lupa.
Many campers turn from battle and draw swords or grasp spears or aim arrows on bows, but some, closer to the back, don't turn.
"There's Percy!" Annabeth cries out. She runs to the front of the ship and jumps, collapsing once she hits the ground but gets up and keeps running.
"Stop the ship," I call to Leo. He obeys, and I leap off after Annabeth.
She reaches a line of demigods, shields locked to keep out this strange girl arriving on a warship. "You have to let me through!" she yells at them, pounding the shields with her fists. "Let-me-through!"
"Let her," I command.
The demigods look at me and realize Jason Grace has returned. Most are so stupefied they stand completely still, but a girl named Katara opens her shield and lets the nearly hysterical Annabeth pass. I follow her, and she dashes over to a guy with black hair- Percy. "Percy! Percy!" she yells as she runs, and he turns to see
her just before she almost tackles him with a gigantic hug. Annabeth simply clutches him to her for a second, and then he pulls her back, his hands on her shoulders, brow furrowed, deep in thought. Annabeth's face looks hopeful and I can tell she's praying he'll remember her.
"You look...familiar," he says. "But that can't be possible...I don't know you."
Her face falls. If Annabeth looked sad before, she looks fifty times worse now. She's crestfallen, and all her hopes fell through. "I-I'm sorry," Percy says, then pulls back his hands and walks away. Annabeth just stands rooted to the spot, rubbing her arms. I'm about to go comfort her when Percy stops walking. He presses his hands to his temples, thinking. Turning, his hands fall back down and the look of emptiness on his face is gone, replaced by the shock of knowledge. "Annabeth?"
She gasps and nods, biting her lip to contain her excitement.
Percy is ecstatic. "Oh gods, Annabeth!" He runs toward her, spins her around and kisses her. Her arms go up around his neck, and they stay there, together, at last.
"Jason," Miranda, a daughter of Demeter, says quietly. "You're sure?"
"Positive," I confirm. I have a really good feeling seeing Camp Demigod again, like I've returned home after years in a place where no one speaks my language.
The Argo II slips through the magical borders around the camp and its shadow falls on a large rocky cave- the home of Lupa.
Many campers turn from battle and draw swords or grasp spears or aim arrows on bows, but some, closer to the back, don't turn.
"There's Percy!" Annabeth cries out. She runs to the front of the ship and jumps, collapsing once she hits the ground but gets up and keeps running.
"Stop the ship," I call to Leo. He obeys, and I leap off after Annabeth.
She reaches a line of demigods, shields locked to keep out this strange girl arriving on a warship. "You have to let me through!" she yells at them, pounding the shields with her fists. "Let-me-through!"
"Let her," I command.
The demigods look at me and realize Jason Grace has returned. Most are so stupefied they stand completely still, but a girl named Katara opens her shield and lets the nearly hysterical Annabeth pass. I follow her, and she dashes over to a guy with black hair- Percy. "Percy! Percy!" she yells as she runs, and he turns to see
her just before she almost tackles him with a gigantic hug. Annabeth simply clutches him to her for a second, and then he pulls her back, his hands on her shoulders, brow furrowed, deep in thought. Annabeth's face looks hopeful and I can tell she's praying he'll remember her.
"You look...familiar," he says. "But that can't be possible...I don't know you."
Her face falls. If Annabeth looked sad before, she looks fifty times worse now. She's crestfallen, and all her hopes fell through. "I-I'm sorry," Percy says, then pulls back his hands and walks away. Annabeth just stands rooted to the spot, rubbing her arms. I'm about to go comfort her when Percy stops walking. He presses his hands to his temples, thinking. Turning, his hands fall back down and the look of emptiness on his face is gone, replaced by the shock of knowledge. "Annabeth?"
She gasps and nods, biting her lip to contain her excitement.
Percy is ecstatic. "Oh gods, Annabeth!" He runs toward her, spins her around and kisses her. Her arms go up around his neck, and they stay there, together, at last.
