"In Latin my name, Aurelia, basically means 'the golden one.' My mother literally named me her golden light through the storm that was her life. That is my job. To be everyone's light at the end of the tunnel. And I got stuck worrying so much about...
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Aurelia hated falling asleep.
So she was fighting off her drowsiness as Percy guided their boat through the strong currents off the northern California coast. It was cold and she was holding back a shiver—although the cold was keeping her from falling asleep.
Hazel and Frank were exchanging stories about the events at Rainbow Organic Foods. Frank explained about the blind seer Phineas in Portland, and how Iris had said that he might be able to tell them where to find Thanatos. Frank wouldn't say how he managed to kill the basilisks, but Aurelia just stared at his spear with the knowledge of what happened.
When he was done, Hazel told Frank about their time with Fleecy.
"So the Iris-message worked?" Frank asked.
Hazel gave Percy a sympathetic look, choosing not to mention his failure with Annabeth. "Aurelia was able to get in touch with Reyna. You're supposed to throw a coin into a rainbow and say this incantation, like O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Except Fleecy kind of changed it. She gave us her—what did she call it—her direct number? O Fleecy, do us a solid. Show Reyna at Camp Jupiter. It looked stupid, but it worked. Reyna's image appeared in the rainbow, like in a two-way video call. She was in the baths. Scared her out of her mind."
"That I would've paid to see," Frank said. "I mean—her expression. Not, you know, the baths."
Aurelia's lips twitched in amusement at Frank's now embarrassed feelings, Percy's mirth and Hazel's shock.
"Frank!" Hazel fanned her face like she needed air—an old fashioned gesture. "Anyway, we told Reyna about the army, but like Percy's said, she pretty much already knew. It doesn't change anything. She's doing what she can to shore up the defenses. Unless we unleash Death, and get back with the eagle—"
"That camp can't stand against the army," Frank finished. "Not without help."
After that, they sailed in silence.
Aurelia fought her drowsiness. She was up long enough to see Percy have a conversation with a giant whale. Now she knew it was time for her to go to sleep. And Percy's emotional exhaustion was just feeding her tired.
"Is it okay if I sleep?" Aurelia murmured.
"Yeah, of course, go ahead," Hazel assured her and Aurelia settled back into her bench.
She closed her eyes, and despite her aversion to sleep, she tried to drift off into slumber. Yeah, it was safe to say that as much as she needed it she hated sleeping.
Well, more accurately, she hated the dreams that accompanied her sleep. Her nightmares were filled with some of her worst fears—her most recurring for the entirety of her life had been the death of her mother.
