GOLDEN | annabeth chase

ii

WORD OF THE BATHROOM INCIDENT SPREAD IMMEDIATELY. wherever percy went, campers pointed at him and murmured something about toilet water. or maybe they were just staring at eve and annabeth, who were still pretty much dripping wet.

they showed percy a few more places: the metal shop (where kids were forging their own swords), the arts-and-crafts room (where satyrs were sandblasting a giant marble statue of a goat-man), and the climbing wall, which actually consisted of two facing walls that shook violently, dropped boulders, sprayed lava and clashed together if you didn't get to the top fast enough.

finally they returned to the canoeing lake, where the trail led back to the cabins.

"i've got training to do," annabeth said flatly. "and eve's got to get back to the healer tent. dinner's at seven thirty. just follow your cabin to the mess hall."

"annabeth, i'm sorry about the toilets."

"whatever."

"annie!"

"it wasn't my fault."

she looked at percy sceptically, and eve saw him realise that it was his fault. he did make water shoot out of the bathroom fixtures. eve didn't understand how. but the toilets had responded to him. it was like he had become one with the plumbing.

"you need to talk to the oracle," annabeth said.

"is it time?" eve wondered.

"who?"

"not who. what. the oracle. i'll ask chiron."

percy stared longingly into the lake, wishing somebody would give him a straight answer for once.

he wasn't expecting anybody to be looking back at him from the bottom, so his heart skipped a beat when he noticed two teenage girls sitting cross-legged at the base of the pier, about five metres below. they wore blue jeans and shimmering green t-shirts, and their brown hair floated loose around their shoulders as minnows darted in and out. they smiled and waved as if he were a long-lost friend.

they perked up when they saw eve too- and smiled brightly at her

percy didn't know what else to do. so he waved back.

eve also waved back enthusiastically as if they were best friends.

"don't encourage them," annabeth said as she immediately lowered eve's arm. "naiads are terrible flirts."

while eve wasn't looking, annabeth gave the naiads a look which immediately made them drop their smiles.

"naiads," percy repeated. "that's it. i want to go home now."

annabeth frowned. "don't you get it, percy? you are home. this is the only safe place on earth for kids like us."

"you mean, mentally disturbed kids?"

"i mean not human. not totally human, anyway. half- human."

"half-human and half-what?"
"i think you know."
percy didn't want to admit it, but he was afraid he did. he felt tingling in his limbs, a sensation he sometimes felt when his mom talked about his dad.