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a feeling of panic seized him as artemis spoke to zeus about who she would choose as her new lieutenant. "annabeth," percy said under his breath. "don't."
annabeth looked at him, frowning. "what?"
"look, i need to tell you something," he continued. the words stumbled out of his mouth. "i couldn't stand it if... i don't want you to-" he couldn't form a sentence.
"percy?" she said, taking a small side step closer to him. "you look like you're going to be sick."
that's how he felt. before percy could say anything else, artemis turned back towards them.
"i shall have a new lieutenant," she announced. "if she will accept."
"no," he muttered weakly.
"annabeth chase," artemis said. percy's breath hitched. "daughter of athena. will you join the hunt?"
annabeth was silent. from the corner of his eye, percy saw her look down. he turned his head towards her. "annabeth," he whispered helplessly.
she looked up at him and for a second, percy was very aware of the entire room watching them, awaiting her answer. annabeth looked away and cleared her throat. she looked at artemis.
"lady artemis, i'm incredibly honored. thank you for this opportunity," she said. percy's heart dropped to his stomach. "but... respectfully, i decline the offer. i have no desire to join the hunt. i'm sorry."
artemis raised her chin a bit, before her eyes drifted to percy for a moment, then back to annabeth and gave her a small smile. "very well, it's alright. if i am being honest, that is the answer i expected." she turned towards thalia. "thalia grace, daughter of zeus. will you join the hunt?"
thalia accepted artemis's offer, pledging herself to the goddess. the gods then decided on what to do with bessie, the ophiotauras, concluding they would keep her here on olympus. the gods also then voted on what to do with the demigods. thankfully, they opted to let them live.
afterwards, the gods threw a party in celebration. while looking for annabeth, percy found his father.
"you won't let me down, i hope," he said.
"dad... hi." it wasn't an intelligent response, but percy's brain was hardly functioning. it had been a long day.
"hello, percy. you've done well." the compliment made percy feel uneasy. his father was really putting himself on the line to vouch for him. he wondered how much faith poseidon really had in him.
"i won't let you down," percy told him. they spoke more and he confirmed what annabeth had told percy about luke. somehow, he was still alive. in the midst of their conversation, they heard mooing from across the courtyard. some demigods were pushing around the water sphere bessie was kept in.
"i better go take care of that," poseidon said. he started to turn away before stopping, looking at his son. "percy, i do not mind your friendship with annabeth, but i will warn you. athena will mind. so just... be cautious," he told him. percy simply nodded, not knowing what else to say. his father turned and strolled off in the direction of the ophiotaurus. percy was about to continue searching the crowd when another voice came from behind him.
"your father takes a great risk, you know." percy turned and found himself face-to-face with a woman resembling annabeth so much that he almost called her that.
"athena," he said, trying not to sound too resentful. percy could tell he failed when she smiled dryly at him.
"do not judge me too harshly, half-blood. the wise council is often not the popular one. i spoke the truth. you are dangerous." she simply shrugged.
"you never take risks?"
she nodded. "i concede your point. you may be useful. but until you prove to be so, you are also dangerous."
percy wanted to argue but he couldn't. he knew she was right in a way. to them, there was no guarantee that percy would hold his word and fight for olympus rather than against it.
"i hope the council's decision proves wise," athena said. "but i will be watching, percy jackson. i do not approve of your friendship with my daughter." percy's stomach flipped as she confirmed what his father had said moments ago. her gray eyes looked like stone as she looked at him. percy realized then what a dangerous and terrifying enemy athena would make. if she made a plan to destroy someone, it would not fail.
"percy!" annabeth exclaimed, spotting him in the crowd. she stopped short when she saw who he was talking to. "oh... mom."
"i will leave you," athena said, "for now." she turned and the crowd parted for her as she walked away.
"was she giving you a hard time?" annabeth asked.
"no, not really," percy replied, looking at her. she studied him for a second, her hand coming up to touch the gray streak in his hair that matched hers. their painful reminder of holding the sky.
"so... what did you want to say earlier?" she said. there was so much he wanted to say but athena had knocked the confidence right out of him.
"oh, uh... nothing. it's okay," percy said. he looked at the crowd. music was playing and people were dancing in the streets. "i was thinking though... our dance at westover hall got interrupted. so... i think i owe you one?"
she smiled slowly. "alright, seaweed brain." percy took her hand and led her through the crowd. "where are you taking me?" she asked when he led her further away from people. truly, he had no idea. but he wanted to be away from others
"somewhere quieter," he told her. annabeth stopped and tugged on his hand.
"wait, i know a place."
she then led him down a stone path than led to a small secluded garden area. they could still hear the music.
"woah, how did you know this was here?" he asked.
"we took a little field trip to olympus when i was 10 and i found it then. i was hoping it would still be here," annabeth said. before percy could say anything else, she put her arms on his shoulders, clasping her hands together behind his neck. "and i figured it would be a good spot to dance," she said quietly.
percy blushed as he put his hands on her waist and they kind of swayed silently for a moment.
"you turned down artemis's offer," he said. "why?"
"like i told her, i have no interest in joining the hunters. i'm sure they're great and all, but... it's not for me. thalia will do great though," she said with a smile.
"oh, i'm sure," percy agreed. they fell silent again and he hesitated before speaking again. "is that the only reason you turned it down?" he whispered. she averted her eyes, blushing.
"no," she said. "it's not. i..." she trailed off, avoiding percy's gaze. "i don't think i want to... swear off boys forever... you know?"
percy tried and failed to bite back a smile. "oh? is there... any particular reason why? any boy in particular?"
annabeth punched his arm with a smile before returning it to where it was. "idiot," she muttered. her cheeks were pink and it made percy's heart beat a little faster. "but yeah. i guess you could say there's someone i have my eye on. not sure if he likes me though." she shrugged nonchalantly. she tried to make it all lighthearted but she was looking at percy's chest to avoid eye contact, indicating how nervous she actually was.
"he'd be stupid not to," percy told her. she smiled.
"well, he is kinda stupid."
"oh, well at first i thought it was maybe me or something. but if he's stupid, then obviously it can't be me," he said which made her roll her eyes, finally looking at him with a grin.
"you're an idiot," annabeth told him again. it got quiet and it took percy a minute to speak again.
"that's, um, what i was talking about though. right before artemis asked you to join the hunt." annabeth looked at him with her eyebrows scrunched together a little, her head tilted to the side. so he continued. "i thought she was going to ask you to join and then she did and i... i don't know. i got scared that you were going to accept her offer." the sick feeling percy had felt earlier returned in the pit of his stomach.
annabeth smiled softly, tightening her arms around his neck slightly. "why were you scared?" she whispered. her gray eyes were glittering.
"it might sound selfish," percy said quietly, sure that his face was bright red. "but i didn't... i just-" he took a small breath trying to gather his thoughts. annabeth's fingers began playing with the hair at the nape of his neck which did not help him focus. "i didn't want you to swear off boys either," he finally said.
"and why's that?" she asked.
"you're not making this easy," percy muttered, making her laugh. "i just... you know."
"you really are an idiot, seaweed brain," she said. before percy could respond, annabeth stepped closer and kissed him. his arms instinctively wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. percy could've stayed that way forever but after a minute or so, she pulled back and hugged him tightly.
"so... i am that guy you like, right? because if not, it would be pretty awkward for him right about now..."
annabeth laughed, pulling back to punch his arm again. "idiot."