It was the night of the same day camp sent out Drew and Malcolm on their own respective missions. I had just been called to the Big house by Chiron for a meeting. A mixture of excitement and dread filled me as I made my way there. I find my mind coming up with all sorts of scenarios about what will be revealed when we begin discussing what went on with Drew's meeting with Piper.
I went straight to the rec room, our de facto council room. In there I found Drew, Lacy, and Sherman huddled together in one corner, talking in hushed whispers. About what? I don't know, but I hope they'll share it with all of us.
They stopped when Lacy saw me and gestured to the other two. Drew and Sherman turned to me with unreadable expressions on their faces. ' Are they talking about me? ' I thought.
I glanced around the room and saw Chiron by the other end of the ping pong table, having a heated talk with Nico, who is clearly not in a great mood. It must be about Will being sent out of camp with him not around,' I guessed. I wonder if he was asking the centaur where his boyfriend was sent.
I took my usual seat and waited for the rest of the councilors and senior campers to arrive. One by one, they all arrived and took a seat around the table. Once everyone was present, Chiron stomped his hoof down, signaling the start of the meeting.
"Can someone please tell me where Will was sent?" Nico demanded before anyone could say anything.
"As I said earlier, Nico, you will learn of where young William was sent during this meeting. As what Miss Tanaka and her fellows did today is connected to what Malcolm and his group are sent to do," Chiron explained in a soft voice.
"Patience, sit and join us in learning how Drew's day went," Chiron pleaded.
I watched as Nico frowned, clearly not happy but agreeing with Chiron for now.
Chiron smiled at Nico, then looked around the room. "I give thanks to the gods for the safe return of Drew, Lacy, and Sherman from their mission in the city. I also offer a prayer for the success of Malcolm in their journey. May they be blessed and watched over," Chiron started.
Chiron bowed for a minute, then lifted his head and turned to Drew. "I also give thanks to Drew for volunteering to go on this mission," Chiron said with a smile.
"For those not in the know, a few weeks ago, Leo saw Piper in an advertisement for a jewelry brand while in the city. He shared the news with us, and we came up with a plan to try to reach out to Piper," continued the centaur.
"That is how she went to the store last week, to gather information and to at least try to get a message to young Piper if possible. That is what brought us to today, to learn what has happened in that meeting," Chiron finished.
I nodded along with the others in the room. I saw Drew smile at the attention she was receiving. I saw her begin to open her mouth to start but was cut off when Nico suddenly spoke up.
"What has that got to do with where Will went?" Nico asked.
"Please have patience, Nico," I asked him.
Hearing my voice, I saw him turn to me, and his eyes met mine with undisguised fury and hatred. He was the only one who had not forgiven me.
"Don't talk to me!" he barked at me.
I shut my mouth and turned away, not wanting to add to his already horrible mood. Thankfully, Chiron was present, and he managed to calm Nico down and get him to wait a bit more for the information he wanted.
Nico turned his glare to the centaur but otherwise kept quiet.
"That brings us to today," Chiron started. "Earlier, Drew accompanied by Lacy and Sherman went to the city and met up with Piper," he paused. "I will let her tell all of us what happened in that meeting, but for now, I will explain to Nico why we think the two are connected."
Nico sat up, and I prepared myself for whatever reaction he might have. Chiron looked at Nico and started his explanation. "A couple of weeks ago, Malcolm was sent as reinforcement for a Satyr who contacted us for support. The satyr found 2 demigods and was being hunted by a group of monsters. We sent Malcolm together with Francis from cabin 11 to them post haste."
"Malcolm and Francis were able to get to the satyr and his charges easily enough. They were on their way back when they were ambushed by the same monsters hunting them and were led to a forest in an effort to avoid the monsters," Chiron added.
"It was in that forest where, unfortunately, Francis got wounded quite severely, leaving only Malcolm capable of defending against what I was told—a large group of monsters numbering close to 30," Chiron told me. I looked around the table and saw the surprised looks of those who had not heard the full story yet.
"It was also in that forest where they were rescued by two unknown demigods," Chiron said, pausing for effect. He's been getting more theatrical lately. 'I blame Mr. D! ' I thought.
"The two demigods made short work of the monsters, then they led Malcolm and his fellows to their home where they had their injuries treated. They also spent the night there to rest," Chiron continued. I was only half-listening, focusing more on the others with me in the room. Studying their reactions to the story. Some were curious, some were serious. Others were impatient.
"The following day, Malcolm and the rest were driven by their rescuers to the airport. They were also given enough money for plane tickets for 5 people," Chiron ended.
"Okay, I still don't see why Will is gone," Nico asked, still confused and irritated.
I looked at Chiron to see if he was going to continue explaining; he looked back at me and nodded. 'Damn it! ' He wants me to take over now. I sighed and braced myself.
"The reason is because Malcolm was sent back to those demigods, but we were worried that the same might happen again. So aside from Malcolm, who knew the way, we also sent Clarisse as an additional fighter. Will was selected to join them as field medic and range support, just in case the worse happens." I explained our reasoning to Nico, whose glaring I ignored.
After a while, Nico turned away from me and spoke. "I understand that, but what connection does it have with Drew's mission in the city?" he asked.
"I will explain that part," Chiron offered.
"The connection between the 2 lies in the people they are meeting, Drew here," Chiron started again, nodding to Drew, "went to the city to meet up with Piper, who has been missing for 3 years."
I took a deep breath and kept my eyes on Nico, knowing what was to come. I was worried he might explode; his reaction to the upcoming news was causing me stress. I hope he'll take the news well.
"While Malcolm was sent back to meet and gather information about those 2 demigods," Chiron continued, unaware of my internal turmoil.
I noticed Nico was sitting so still, as if a statue. and given his complexion, he might as well be one. I also noticed how the temperature in the room was going down fast. I can now see my breath fogging as I exhaled. In the corner of my vision, I noticed how the shadows seemed to be moving, tendrils of darkness wriggling like snakes.
It's times like these that reminded me that Nico is currently the most powerful demigod residing in camp. Exceeded only by Percy, and Percy is not here to stop him.
"Who are they?" Nico asked. His voice was sounding like the sweet whispers of death. His tone was promising peace in the afterlife. Bringing memories of the underworld.
I wanted to answer him, just to get this over with. But I held back, knowing I was already on thin ice with him. So, I let Chiron be the one to tell him, At least I'm sure Nico won't lash out at the centaur.
After a lengthy pause, Chiron sighed and finally told Nico what he wanted to know.
"They were Percy and Hazel."
Immediately, everything in the room stilled, even the air. Everyone held their breaths, waiting for Nico's reaction. As the son of Hades stared at the centaur, I could see Chiron also staring back at him. I was expecting an outburst of emotion, perhaps anger or even denial. But what we got from him worried me more.
"What?"
Nico asked in a voice so devoid of emotion that I was worried he might have been overwhelmed. And an overwhelmed child of the Big 3 is a dangerous thing. Quickly, I repeated Chiron's words. Hoping I won't aggravate his already worse state.
"The demigods that rescued Malcolm and the rest were Percy and Hazel, your half-sister," I said. Taking advantage of Nico's silence, I continued. "That's the reason we said there was a connection between the 2 missions," I ended with. "They were both missions to meet with friends who have been missing for a long time now." I leaned back on my seat, having finished my explanation.
"And where did they meet them, Chiron? Where did you send them?" Nico asked, his voice dark and foreboding.
"They went to Washington State, Nico," Chiron revealed.
Nico, after hearing Chiron mention the place, stood up, as if going there immediately. Hurriedly, Chiron tried to stop Nico from leaving. "Wait, Nico! I know you want to go there immediately. I won't stop you, but please listen to me first!"
Nico stayed standing and just waited for Chiron to continue. Chiron sighed, "First, you have no idea where exactly you need to go, nor do we. Malcolm is the only one who knows. Peter the satyr is out of camp and Francis went home to his family." He began listing the reasons he had for stopping Nico.
"Second, from what Malcolm had told us, Percy's land is protected by a barrier like the one we have around camp, protecting the place from monsters or mortals. It's safe to assume the barrier does more than just hide the place being seen and discovered. We simply don't know more about it. So, I'd advise caution," Chiron added.
"And lastly, we don't know how young Percy will react to you or anyone else suddenly going there. We sent Malcolm back to gauge how accepting he will be to others visiting him, unannounced." Chiron finished his list.
Seeing as Nico was somewhat calmed down with that, I added something I think needed to be said.
"It's been 7 years since he left Nico. We don't know how much he's changed, or Hazel for that matter," I said gently. Hoping I won't trigger him. I failed.
Nico turned to me and glared. "And whose fault was that!?" he asked me in a steely voice filled with anger. I met his glare and replied, "Mine!" I admitted. "But Hazel's reason for disappearing? Does anyone know that? I don't," I shot back.
I saw how his eyes narrowed at me. I thought he was going to attack. My heart was beating hard in my chest as I counted down the seconds, waiting for his next move. I have long since accepted that it was my fault that Percy left. And I have lived every day in constant guilt and agony because of what I've done. But I won't allow myself to be blamed for things I had no part in.
We were locked in a standoff; fortunately, Chiron was present to once again calm things down. Chiron cleared his throat, getting both of our attention before he spoke.
"What we are saying, Nico, is that you have to be mindful of the actions you plan to take," Chiron said.
"Like I mentioned earlier, I won't stop you. But I implore for you to at least do it the right way. Malcolm was allowed by Percy to return there. At least he was invited back as Percy knew that he would be reporting back to us about their meeting and that we would be having questions for him. So, in a way, Malcolm is expected," Chiron explained.
"You, on the other hand, are not," he added diplomatically.
"I can't just do nothing, Chiron," Nico said, defeated as he slumped back down on his seat. His head dropping on his hands.
I felt bad for him, despite his anger toward me. I still see him as a friend and ally. So, I decided to help him out. And maybe earn some brownie points from him.
"There is something Malcolm told me and only me the night they returned." I began, immediately all eyes turned to me, ignoring them all I continued. "He told me that Percy's place was given to him as a reward. Safety and freedom, that was his wish."
I looked around and saw everyone listening attentively.
"What I mean is that even if you know where to go, you won't be able to enter the place, at least without Percy's permission. Even with shadow travel," I said, looking carefully at Nico.
"Then what do I do?" Nico asked. For the first time in a while, his voice was not carrying anger toward me. I smiled, happy my plan worked. Carrying on, I followed with what I thought would be a viable plan.
"The way things are, you only have 2 options available," I said to him. "The first would be for you to stay here at camp and to wait until Malcolm and the rest come back or they contact us. That way we can either know how Percy feels about any of us visiting or we can have Malcolm ask Percy about you going there while on the call." Like always, I started with the most logical option, not that anyone here would ever pick that one, including me.
"The second option would be for you to go to your father, Lord Hades, and ask him to somehow get you to where Percy and Hazel are." I finished with a shrug.
By the time I finished, Nico was frowning at me. So, I explained further.
"As an Olympian god, I believe that Lord Hades had a hand in granting Percy's reward. And as his son, you may be able to either get him to give you more information about Percy and Hazel. Or, like I said, send you there directly," I told him. "Those I'm afraid are the only options I could think of."
Silence descended in the room as everyone thought about the options I presented. Even I thought about them, thinking about following through with it and going to my mother and somehow see if I could convince her to help me out. I doubt mom had any involvement in whatever happened to Percy back then or even what's happening now. Malcolm did say that our mom was there when Percy presented his wish to the gods.
But I quickly discarded that line of thought as fast as it came. I knew my mother would not be helping me in any way. She already made her disapproval and disappointment for my actions and decisions back then known when I first came to her for help in finding Percy 7 years ago.
It was only my role as part of the prophesied 7, my accomplishments as architect of Olympus, and our relations that stayed her hand from punishing me for what she calls 'foolish actions that lacked wisdom'.
Those are also the reasons why she shielded me from Poseidon's wrath and what led her to advise me to stay away from any body of water deep enough to drown me. "Never ever fully submerge yourself, daughter, because if you do, you may never come up again," she told me.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard Nico stand abruptly. "I will follow your advise, Annabeth; I will go to my father," he declared, his tone flat. He turned and started to walk out of the room. We watched him, unmoving until Chiron called out. "You're leaving now? We still need to discuss Drew's mission!" Chiron reminded him.
"Percy and Hazel are my priority, Chiron," Nico said, not looking back as he stood just before the doors. "And it will take a lot of time and effort to convince my father to help me, so it's better for me to start now. Just let me know about Piper when I return," he added, then he stepped through the open door and walked out of the room.
We all started and gawked at the door for a minute before we turned to Chiron, waiting to see how we would proceed. Drew broke the spell by speaking in her usual snarky way.
"So do you still want to hear about how our meeting went, or can I leave?" she said while checking her nails. We turned to her, and she gave us an unbothered look.
"Forgive us, Drew. Please, you may begin anytime," Chiron told her with a smile.
I noticed Leo, who was seated across me, perk up. He stopped whatever he was doing with his hands and paid attention to what Drew was going to be saying. Understandable, since Piper was his best friend.
After a while, Drew finally started. "Okay, so like Chiron said, we left camp earlier with Malcolm. They dropped us off at the Empire State building, and from there we walked to the Starbucks, and we agreed to meet in."
"We waited for a bit until Piper arrived with her manager; I forgot her name though," Drew said with a frown.
"A manager?" Katie asked. "She's a model now; of course she has a manager!" Drew answered, matter-of-factly.
I saw Chiron nod at Drew, urging her to continue.
"So, like I said, Piper arrived with her manager, and we started to talk," Drew went on.
"I'm going to skip all the small talk and the gossip and just tell you the important stuff, okay? Otherwise, it'll take all night to get through all of it!" Drew said with a raised finger as she looked at all of us.
I nodded at that, agreeing that we need to get to the important details first. We can talk about the gossip later.
"Of course, Drew." Chiron voiced his agreement, and Drew continued again.
"The first important question was asked by Lacy," Drew said, tuning around to look at her sister standing behind her. Lacy is now the center of attention. blushed as she stared down at the floor. "Kid's a menace!" Drew said with a smile on her face.
Drew shook her head and turned back to us and went on. "Anyway, Lacy asked Piper why she left, which, if I think about it, really is the most important question to ask her!" I agree with that 100%.
"Piper answered though; I thought she wouldn't," Drew blabbered.
"So, what did she say?" Leo asked, speaking for the first time.
Drew paused before answering. "Piper said that after she broke up with that clear-sighted mortal girlfriend of hers, and she came back here. It all became too much for her. Camp reminded her of all that happened to her, all that she lost," Drew said in a somber tone.
Her words brought back memories for me, and I'm sure they for the others too.
"Ahem," Chiron cleared his throat, bringing all of us back to the present. I found the centaur now standing behind Drew, his hand on her shoulder. Drew shook her head and continued.
"So, according to her, after a while of staying at camp, she couldn't take it anymore. She went to mom, who then told her of a way she could heal her heart from all the hurt she was suffering from. And a chance for her to fall in love again," Drew stated. her tone getting that familiar high pitch whenever an Aphrodite camper talks about love.
"And her answer did nothing but irritate me! because it answered nothing! So, I pushed and pushed until she finally gave me a real answer!" Drew was getting very animated now, hands moving all over, her facial expression mirroring her feelings.
"She said that mom explained to her that there is currently a place that exists where she can be safe from monsters, a place she can stay in where she can rest and heal away from all that has to do with demigod stuff, but that staying there would have a price. A price that she had to pay herself." At that point, Drew's voice was almost a whisper.
"A price?" I asked, just to confirm.
"Yes, a price. Don't ask me what it is! Piper never told us, said only the person you pay to can share what it is!" she said with a hand raised, cutting me off before I could question her.
"She said that paying the price, willingly! let her live a life safe from monsters and away or the gods meddling. That's how she became a model. She said that the last time she was attacked by a monster was 3 years ago, before she came back to camp last time she was here." Drew's reveal shocked all of us.
A way to be safe from monster attacks, something every single person in this camp would want. And a way to be free from the god's influence. Something I wanted since I turned 13 after, I almost choked up. The memories of all those years ago are taking me by surprise. Memories of my first time going on a quest with Percy.
We both wanted that, and now it seems Percy, Hazel, and Piper are enjoying those perks. Piper by paying a price, and Percy being rewarded for it. Something he deserved.
I frowned. The similarities between the two were glaring. The only difference was the way they both acquired that safe. I wonder if I could figure out what the price Piper paid was. And if I could pay it as well.
"So, Piper agreed to pay, whatever that may be, when she met Aphrodite?" Leo asked, breaking me out of my musings.
"Not at first," Drew answered, shaking her head. "She said mom took her to the place and she was introduced to the person who can explain the price to her. After that person explained to her what she will be paying for, what the price is, what is expected of her, and what she can expect after paying the price. She was also told of the rules of the place," Drew explained as she used her fingers to count the points off.
"And then she lived at that place for a while, so she could try and see if she liked that way of life. Piper said she stayed there for a year before she decided to pay the price. And that she never regretted that decision. She said that it was the best decision she made for herself." Drew paused, allowing us time to think.
And I was thankful for that; my head was starting to hurt. There was so much to think about—too much information to sift through. And it didn't help that the information we got was still incomplete.
A safe place, a price to pay.
All these variables jumble in my mind, creating a mess of my thoughts. I know they all fit together, but I was missing one crucial piece, a center piece that will allow everything to make sense.
"And that's what happened to her after meeting with mom!" Drew declared with a wave of her hand.
"So, she's living a somewhat mortal life now. Good for her!" Katie said, then followed up with, "Is that how she became a model? I remember her saying that she didn't want to be famous like her dad when she was here first time."
That got my attention. I remember asking Piper about that before, when I learned about her father's being an actor. And a famous one at that.
"Ah! that! Piper explained that! She said that after she paid the price. She got introduced to the owners of Celestial Creations by mom. She was then convinced by them to model for their products. At first, she only showed her hands and parts of her face and neck, like I showed you guys before. It was only a month ago when she started to show her face as well," Drew answered Katie animatedly.
"I am very happy for her," I said with a smile. "It seems luck is finally on her side."
"You have no idea," Drew said, then her eyes widen, and I understood she wasn't supposed to say that aloud.
"I feel like there's a deeper meaning behind that slip of yours, Drew?" I told her, narrowing my eyes at her.
before she could say or do anything, Sherman reacted, further confirming my suspicion.
"You don't say," Sherman said under his breath, but still loud enough to be heard. His words made Drew turn to him sharply as she gave him an impressive glare.
"Sherman! We agreed!" Drew shouted as Sherman just shrugged, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Yes, we agreed to not share the names of people. But not how they are connected to Piper," he countered. "And you slipped up first!"
Again, I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the two of them. 'So, they had an agreement beforehand to keep somethings from us,' I thought. I had a bad feeling about this. But I also know that they must have a good reason for doing this. No matter their personality, even Drew. None of them would ever withhold information that could endanger the camp or anyone living within it.
"I know, but we still have to be careful," Drew said sad in a low voice.
"I understand. That's why I'll leave things to you; I'll just shut up and not talk unless asked," Sherman said, then he turned to us and added. "Please understand that the privacy of other people is at stake here."
I nodded, accepting their reason. I was still curious, though.
Once Sherman finished speaking, he leaned back on his seat and crossed his arms. Taking that as her queue, Drew started again. "Since I've already said too much, I'll just carry on with that topic. But, do please understand that I will still be keeping the identity of those people a secret?" she followed up.
Drew took a deep breath. "The reason I reacted like that is because, in my opinion, as a daughter of Aphrodite, she really did get lucky, in all aspects a woman can get lucky in!"
"I say that because when we were at Starbucks, Lacy mentioned to Piper that she has been keeping an eye on a necklace from Celestial Creations that she saw in a magazine." Drew said. I noticed Lacy nodding behind her, her hand going to her neck with a small smile on her face.
"Remember when I mentioned weeks ago how my dad got a gift from them, and I said how expensive that set was even after it was sold at a discount?" she asked us. I remembered that meeting, so I nodded to her, and she went on. "Well, after hearing about Lacy's dream necklace, Piper dragged us all towards the store, the same store I went to."
"When we arrived at the store, Piper talked with the manager while Lacy and I just browsed around." Drew shrugged. I was getting confused. What was the relevance of this story? I wanted to ask but held back. I decided to wait until the end.
"After a while, Piper handed Lacy the necklace she described earlier and told her to try it on. She also made me try on a pair of earrings I was checking out. Those were pieces worth tens of thousands of dollars, so Lacy and I really enjoyed trying them on!" Drew had a wide smile on her face as she recalled that scene, her hands touching her ears as if remembering the feeling of wearing those earrings.
"But after a while, I reminded Lacy that we had to return them to the store, so we took them off and gave them back to Piper." Drew continued, the smile on her face falling and turning to a serious expression. I focused on her now. Knowing what's coming next would-be vital information.
"What happened next was the reason, or at least one of the reasons why I said she got so lucky," Drew explained. 'I was right, I thought, though I still have no idea of the relevance of it. "As we handed them back, Piper actually pushed them back to us and told us to keep them!" Drew said, with her hand up. A finger pointed up.
Now, as a child of Athena, I don't really get the appeal of jewelry. But I do know that giving away tens of thousands worth of jewelry is not normal.
"She just bought them for you guys?" Katie asked, eyes wide with surprise. I looked around the room and noticed that almost all present were wearing looks of shock and disbelief.
"Not just me and Lacy; Sherman was also given something!" she added, nodding to Sherman. I looked at the son of Ares, and he nodded as confirmation. "Piper noticed me looking at a pair of diamond earrings," he explained.
"And no, she didn't buy those for us; she gave them to us." Drew answered Katie's question, whose mouths were open in shock.
"Did she use her Charmspeak on the store personnel?" I asked, worried for Piper. Remembering her stories from before she found out what she was.
"You'd think that, but she didn't; there was no need to. She had something more effective than Charmspeak now," Drew declared with a smug look, confusing me further. What did Piper have now? And did it have to do with the price she paid?
"That's worrying," Chiron spoke out for the first time, mirroring my concerns.
"It's nothing bad, Chiron," Drew pleaded to Chiron with a smile. "It's actually a good thing for Piper. It was just shocking and unexpected when we learned of it," she explained, Lacy and Sherman nodding to her words.
"So, what does she have now that's better than Charmspeak?" Leo asked, his attention fixed on Drew. Whatever he was working on earlier was forgotten on the table.
"Before I tell you all, I need to give some context," she started. "When I first went to the store a week ago, I tried to get information from the people working at the store through gossip." I nodded, an effective tactic. "One of the store staff there let something slip. A rumor about Piper that was confirmed by her today."
'A rumor? ' I wondered.
Before Drew continued, she turned to Leo and asked him something.
"Leo, remember when you saw that advertisement with Piper?" Leo nodded. "Do you still have the video?" another nod. "Show it," she ordered. I watched as Leo pulled out his phone and played the same video he showed us weeks ago. Drew grabbed the phone and passed it around the room.
After everyone had a look, Drew continued after she placed Leo's phone in the center of the table. With the video of Piper still playing. "Well, I saw that too, and I used that as a subject to gossip on. And it worked!"
"I asked her about that advertisement, about the pieces shown there. I asked if it was possible to see any of those."
"It was at that moment I learned the most shocking news about Piper, well, the most shocking at the time." Drew paused, then she shook herself and went on.
"After I asked, the store staff said that none of those pieces on the advertisement were available anymore!" Drew was in story-telling mode now. Her voice took a deliberate tone. "She said they are no longer available because they were all given to Piper! As gifts! From the Owner!" Drew declared; each point being said in a louder voice as the last.
"Those were a lot of jewelry! That must have cost a lot!" Leo exclaimed, looking at his phone again. Watching the video of Piper with all those pieces that were apparently given to her as gifts.
"Millions!" Crew clarified.
"How?" I asked at the same time Leo asked, "Why?"
I wondered how Piper got the owner to do that. And a quick glance around the room told me that all of us shared the same question. With the exemption, Drew, Lacy, and Sherman.
With a wide smile, Drew answered us. "That's because, according to that store staff, Piper was actually dating the owner!"
With a wide smile, Drew dropped a bomb on us.
Piper was dating again.
Piper was moving on, and based on how Drew was telling the story, Piper was happy again.
And I was happy for her; truly, I am. But I was also envious. There she was, making moves for a happier future. While here I am, stuck and stagnant. Full of regret and hurt, clinging to memories of the past I wish I could take back.
I turned to Leo and saw him staring at Drew, mouth open in shock.
"I can see why you said Piper has been really lucky now," Katie said, breaking all of us out of our stunned silence.
"That's not even the best part!" Drew replied giddily, just as she always was when talking about love. Her mother's domain. "Earlier today, I asked Piper if the rumors about her dating the owner of celestial creations were true, and she corrected me!"
I frowned. Why would Piper correct Drew? unless there was no truth to those rumors. But that was even more unlikely, given how Drew was acting at the moment. Thankfully Drew carried on with her story, saving me from asking.
"They weren't dating!" Drew started; her energy was very palpable now.
"They were engaged!"
And there it was. A reveal so massive it dwarfed her earlier bombshell.
'Engaged'
Piper has moved on so far away from where I am, from where I was. That was a territory I was completely ignorant about. A status that I, a daughter of Athena, hero of Olympus, has never achieved.
Something I fear I never will become.
But one I wish to be someday, but only if it's with HIM.
Wishful thinking, I confess. But we can all dream. Even the impossible is within reach in our dreams. I forced a smile on my lips and turned to Drew.
"So, Piper is going to be married soon. We need to send our congratulations to her and her fiancé," I said.
"We will, once we have established a way to contact her," Chiron said. He has been so quiet I forgot her was here.
"That's why I said Piper has been so lucky. A fiancé that's rich enough to be giving away jewelry worth millions just because Piper asked. A life safe from monsters and gods." She began to list out the points, and I had to agree with her. Piper really lucked out.
I would kill for even just the safety from monsters' part of her luck, or pay what she paid.
"But most of all. Love. Piper really has fallen in love. And as a child of love, I can guarantee the love she feels is real. And according to Piper, her fiancé feels the same love for her as she does for him." Drew went on, droning on about love, the way most of her sibling gets. when talking about love.
"But if you ask her, she'll say she was the lucky one. And I know for a fact that she is doing the best she could to make her fiancé 'Happy', if you know what I mean," she said, making air quotations with her fingers at the word happy. "But she insisted that her fiancé has her beat in that regard. She really told us that her fiancé was an expert at making her 'Happy.'" Again, she emphasized the word Happy.
Drew was unstoppable now, sharing things that were intimate in nature. Her emphasizing the word happy, making sure we get her meaning. I glanced around the room again and saw that all of us got what she was insinuating.
Fortunately, we have Chiron with us. "Ahem! That's quite enough, Drew," said the centaur.
Drew pouted in response but stopped as he requested.
"It's late, so let us summarize what we learned from Drew's mission," Chiron announced.
"We learned that Piper is engaged now," Katie started, choosing the most recent of revelations about Piper. "We also learned that she was sent to a place that is safe from monsters," Leo added.
"And most importantly, we learned that she paid a price for the freedom from the gods." I finished.
Chiron nodded. "Very good, we will have another meeting when we get news from Malcolm either tomorrow or the next day," he declared.
At that, I noticed Drew and Sherman exchange a worried glance, making me wonder what that was about. I stood up with the others and was about to join them in going out of the rec room when Drew called out to me.
"Annabeth, Leo, stay for a bit. We still have a few things we need to tell you guys," Drew said as I turned back. She was standing beside Chiron, Sherman still in his seat. I went back to the table and was joined by Leo. We both sat back down and waited for Drew. But she had her eyes at Chiron, who was looking towards the door out of the rec room.
After a few minutes, Chiron turned and nodded to Drew, weird. Why did they need to make sure the coast was clear? What was so secret it couldn't be overheard?
Drew smiled at the centaur before she turned to us. "The reason I called you two back is because I still have two things I need to tell you two," she began.
"Okay," I replied, worry and apprehension clear in my voice. Leo just nodded, oddly quiet.
"First, Leo. I asked Piper about you getting in touch with her." That took me by surprise, Drew taking the initiative for another person. "She said that she was going to be busy for the next 2 days with her commitments. After those, she will be going back home to her fiancé." I watched as Drew reach into her pocket and pull out a card. A calling card?
"She said to call on that number, so you can at the very least talk with each other. Maybe plan a day to meet up?" She finished as she passed the card to Leo, who took it gingerly in his hands.
Leo stared at the card in his hands for a minute, then stuffed it in his toolbelt. He looked to Drew with a thankful expression. "Thanks a lot, Drew! It means a lot to me," he said, his voice trembling with emotions.
"I did it for her too," she replied. Then she turned to me and paused, a troubled look on her face. Immediately I was on guard; why was she so nervous? What was she going to tell me? I braced myself for whatever was coming my way.
"I really don't know how else to tell you this, so I'll just give it to you straight." Drew started after a bit. Her word did nothing to calm my mind and heart. "I actually got to speak with Piper's fiancé. And I was surprised when I heard HIS voice." Drew paused again, looking at me as if she was gauging how I would react to her news, whatever that is.
But why was she acting this way? What has Piper's fiancé got to do with me?
"It was a voice I recognize," she went on, trepidation in her voice.
"A voice anyone who has been in this camp for at least 7 years would recognize," she added.
"No!" I whispered. shaking my head. I tried to deny what she was implying.
I stood up, my chair skidding back as I tried to get away, shaking my head to drive away what I knew she was going to say next. Of all the things I learned this past month, I never imagined this.
This was it! I thought. The connection between the two I was missing. The one puzzle piece that would make sense of it all. I stared at Drew, my vision blurring from the tears filling my eyes.
Chiron moved beside me but kept his distance.
"Piper's fiancé," Drew continued.
And I found myself praying to all the gods that existed. for her to say a different name. But as usual, the gods failed me.
"It was Percy."
I heard his name, and it was like everything clicked into place.
'Safety and Freedom' I thought. It was right in front of me.
Some daughter of wisdom I was, missing the obvious.
I only managed to look at Drew, seeing the absolute truth on her face.
Then darkness engulfed me.