Aurora—almost. Backbiter slashed through her shirt and almost grazed my ribs, but narrowly missed her skin by half a centimeter. Aurora jumped back, counter attacking with Oleander, managing to slit his bicep. "Wow, Luke, you're out of practice," Aurora chided mockingly, her top lip quivering upwards. "You're about to lose more blood than me, and we're not even a minute into this fight."

Luke spat on the ground, newfound fury filling his gaze as he ran towards Aurora, swiping at her head. The strawberry blonde girl sidestepped easily, parrying and returning with a thrust to his side, cutting him in the exact spot where he had stabbed her last summer. "Familiar to you?" She sneered, walking toward him with solid, determined steps.

But the blood loss was getting to her head, and Aurora's feet started to trip over themselves, the worn toe of her sneaker dragging against the uneven surface of Princess Andromeda. She started to stumble, her vision blotting with clouds of white, and Luke seized his opportunity: he jabbed at her legs, his blade slicing straight above her knee.

Aurora cried out in pain, her thigh was feeling as if it was thrown in a bonfire and pierced with a skewer. She struggled to sit, but Luke was advancing on her fire, the edge of his sword tinged with vermillion, a blaring claret. He raised his sword, his eyes glowing with power and a little something else: vengeance. 

But before he drove it straight into her gut with a potent plunge, Luke faltered for the slightest second, and then loosened his grip. "I can't kill you," he hushed under his breath, as if he was realizing something revolutionary. His eyebrows furrowed together, his sword falling to his side. "The plan—" he choked out, taking a step back, fumbling as if someone had smacked him in the back of his head—and then that was when she saw it.

Percy was standing behind Luke, Riptide in his right hand and the swimming pool's water swirling above their heads. He had hit the older Hermes boy with the butt of his sword, and it only took one stride for him to scoop Aurora up into his arms and send the downpour of chlorine pool water onto Luke's head.

Using the distraction, a red-feathered arrow sprouted from Oreius's mouth. With a surprised look on his hairy face, the bear-giant crumpled to the deck.

"Brother!" Agrius wailed. He let the pegasus's reins go slack just long enough for the black steed to kick him in the head and fly away free over Miami Bay. For a split second, Luke's guards were too stunned to do anything except watch the bear twins' bodies dissolve into smoke. Then there was a wild chorus of war cries and hooves thundering against metal. A dozen centaurs charged out of the main stairwell.

"Ponies!" Tyson cried with delight.

Aurora couldn't process everything, it all happened so fast. She thought she saw Chiron among the crowd, and a million other centaurs who looked nothing like him. But luckily for her, everything faded to black before she could even give it a second thought, leaving her with the conclusion that she couldn't have understood it even if she had tried. So with that peace, she slipped into oblivion, feeling guarded by the protection of Percy's arms holding her close.

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The arrival back to camp was a blur. Aurora woke up on Chiron's back somehow, her eyes slowly fluttering open. The air was crisp and the sky was blue, and Percy had fallen into a deep, restful silence with his chin resting on her shoulder. But as soon as she shifted, proving her being awake, the serene tranquility vanished with the snap of a finger.

"Ro, oh my gods," Percy breathed, a sudden rush of relief making Aurora fill with goosebumps as his words tickled the back of her neck. He wrapped his arms around her from the back for a brief hug, the sudden rush of physical touch warming Aurora's previously numbed nerves. His voice was throaty and raw, as if he'd just woken up, but gratefulness embodied every single of his words. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I think?" Aurora murmured slowly and groggily, rubbing her eyes as she squinted towards the setting sun.

"Pretty, isn't it?" The son of Poseidon whispered gingerly, his fingers curling around her shoulder as she attempted to sit up. "I know you love them."

"I do," Aurora agreed, smiling softly. Percy was displaying nature's masterpiece as if he'd painted it himself, hand selecting the colors and using the finest brushes to softly dab in the wisps of white clouds along the landscape. But the intention was sweet, and she appreciated his attempt at cheering her up. She tried to shift, but grunted from a sharp shoot of pain up her leg. "Fuck, what happened? How did this even—"

"Chiron stitched you up after his cousins attacked everyone. You know, the party ponies." Percy explained patiently, as if it was perfectly normal. He pointed to their mentor, who was wearing headphones to drown out their conversation, and probably Percy's snoring. "And his dad is Kronos."

"I know," Aurora replied solemnly. Percy did a double take, as if she was supposed to be surprised. She raised her eyebrows in return with skepticism. "It's in the books, Jackson. Greek fucking Mythology. Don't you read?"

"Whatever," Percy chuckled drily. "Glad you're back, Flower Face."

"And better than ever, Shark Boy." Aurora turned around, her lips stretching into a delicate beam, a smile so fragile that it could break at any moment. "Hey Perce?"

"Mhm?" Percy hummed, blinking quickly as their eyes met.

"I'm proud of you." She confessed tenderly, averting her gaze as a sudden gush of shyness overtook her usual confidence. It was Percy's utter shock that made her bashful, his agape mouth and the way his eyes turned from sea green to a murky turquoise.

"What?" His voice was airy as the word rushed out of him, but his heavy swallow and the way his grip tightened around her shoulders hid nothing.

"I'm proud of you." She repeated, and Percy couldn't help but gawk.

He didn't think he'd ever heard anyone say those words directed towards him in his entire life—besides his mom. So it wasn't his fault when he asked in an almost recoiling and aggressive tone, "Why?"

"For helping Clarisse," She elucidated with a slight shrug, gently enough for Percy's tenseness to alleviate. For some reason, the words had put him on edge, as if the compliment was a piece of candy dangled in front of him, and she could take it away instantly, or she was using it to lure him into some sort of trap. "For what you did to Luke, for everything. I know you helped with my stitches, no one else would tie a pretty bow with the suture. You didn't have to do that. Thank you."

Percy matched her aloof casualty, but he cracked a smile—a proud one. One he deserved to have. "It was easy. You eat ambrosia really quickly when you're knocked out."

"Good to know."

They arrived in Long Island just after Clarisse, thanks to the centaurs' travel powers. The camp had been through a hard two weeks. The arts and crafts cabin had burned to the ground from an attack by a Draco Aionius. The Big House's rooms were overflowing with wounded. The kids in the Apollo cabin, who were the best healers, had been working overtime performing first aid. Everybody looked weary and battered as they crowded around Thalia's tree.

The moment Clarisse draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest bough, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from gray to liquid silver. A cool breeze rustled in the branches and rippled through the grass, all the way into the valley. Everything came into sharper focus—the glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the straw-berry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach. Gradually, the needles on the pine tree started turning from brown to green. Everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but there could be no doubt—the Fleece's magic was seeping into the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison. Chiron ordered a twenty-four/seven guard duty on the hilltop, at least until he could find an appropriate monster to protect the Fleece. He said he'd place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away. In the meantime, Clarisse was carried on her cabin mates' shoulders down to the amphitheater, where she was honored with a laurel wreath and a lot of celebrating around the campfire.

Chiron made a surprise announcement: the chariot races would continue as scheduled. They'd all figured they were history now that Tantalus was gone, but completing them did feel like the right thing to do, especially now that Chiron was back and the camp was safe.

Aurora was met with an overabundance of hugs from the Demeter Cabin, all to whom she brushed off, besides Gracie. She wrapped her arms around her sister, breathing in her familiar scent of mint and the amicable presence of her long blonde hair and kind smile. Gracie kissed her on the forehead, linking arms with the strawberry blonde as Connor Stoll ran over.

Percy watched as Gracie begrudgingly let go of Aurora's elbow and rolled her eyes as Connor picked up the daughter of Persephone, spinning her around giddily. Aurora let out a shrill giggle, squeezing her friend back until he let her down. His stomach curdled, feeling as though a million tiny needles were stabbed into his lower stomach. Before he knew it, his feet were walking down to where Aurora, Connor, and Gracie stood huddled in a circle, leaving Annabeth and Tyson to watch him with hilarity.

"I hate you both," Aurora laughed, shaking her head as Connor tried to rest his elbow on Gracie's shoulder, which she shoved away with unusual and deviant belligerence.

"We love you, Ror," Connor grinned, holding up his hand in a C-shape, what looked like half a heart. Gracie stared at it dubiously with disgust and apprehension. "What, you're not gonna finish it? You're no fun."

"Ro!" Percy exclaimed, the face that Aurora hadn't been to get away from appearing as he approached her childhood friends with a seemingly friendly posture. However, his eyes were clouded over, the color of the Sea of Monsters, the murky teal that betrayed his sentiment of suppressing his emotions, and Aurora tilted her head to the side.

"Perce...?"

"Be my partner?" He asked confidently, but there was an underlying beseechment plausible. "For the chariot race, I mean."

So of course, Aurora said yes.

"Sure," she answered nearly immediately, wishing she could bite back her words as Percy's face lit up. She didn't want to make him happy. What was wrong with her? "I mean, I guess. Why, is Tyson not a fan of them anymore?"

Percy nodded, snorting. "Pretty sure he's traumatized."

And so Aurora agreed to be his partner. For Tyson, obviously.

Therefore, the pair spent the next two days training like crazy. Aurora didn't actually want the prize, whatever they would decide it was, she just wanted to win. She needed the feeling of being perfect again, something she seemed to lose every single time she went on a quest. She longed for the normality the need to be the best before the need to rest brought her, which suffocated her like a weighted blanket but warmed her with the comfort of familiarity.

As Aurora walked down to the track, Gracie caught up to her. "Thank god you're doing it for the Demeter cabin," she said, lacing her fingers through Aurora's as she giggled with her friend. "I don't think I can do that again."

"Yeah, no, I know." Aurora shook her head.

"Ror," Gracie's grip was firm around her hand, and the blonde girl stopped, cocking her head ever so slightly. "Are you okay? Being in this cabin again?"

"You didn't miss me?" Aurora tried to joke, but she could never put on a front with Gracie. Ever. Her shoulders deflated, and she could see Tyson hand something to Percy out of her peripheral vision.

"Ror."

"I mean, it's fine, you know? I'm supposed to be there. You guys are my family. And they like me again, right?" Aurora couldn't help but feel small as her words left her lips without a second thought, loathing the desperation that could be so clearly picked out in her last sentence, the coveted desire to please the very people who turned their backs on her and kicked her out of her home.

"We love you," Gracie squeezed her hand imploringly. "But you don't have to go on a quest for that."

"Let's not be depressed?" Aurora shook her head, clearing her throat and looking up, walking forward. She tugged Gracie's arm, dragging her sister closer to the race track, and Gracie rolled her eyes at Aurora's truculence.

"'Kay, fine. How about a bet?"

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Aurora had never been more grateful for Percy's lineage, because the chariot was gorgeous, and the horse's inclination toward them was even more stunning. She didn't necessarily like meeting Poseidon, but she did appreciate his powers. Especially when they were of use to her.

The horses knew what to do. They shot down the track so fast Aurora would've fallen out if hands hadn't been tight to the rail, Percy's arms wrapped in the leather reins. The wheels glided beautifully. They took the first turn a full chariot-length ahead of Clarisse, who was busy trying to fight off a javelin attack from Apollo cabin.

"We've got 'em!" Percy yelled.

"Shut up, idiot!" Aurora screamed back, rolling her eyes furiously as the black haired boy jinxed them. She threw her first javelin in grappling hook mode, knocking away a lead-weighted net that would have entangled them both.

Hermes' chariot had come up on their flank. Before Aurora could rearm herself, Travis Stoll threw a javelin into their right wheel. The javelin shattered, but not before snapping some of their spokes. Their chariot lurched and wobbled. Aurora was sure the wheel would collapse altogether, but they somehow kept going. Percy urged the horses to keep up the speed.

"That's so fucked, Stoll!" Aurora shouted, throwing up her middle finger before turning Oleander into a bow, drawing an arrow and releasing it straight into the Stolls' wheels. It broke in half, but not before tearing open one of the chariot's wheels.

"You're mine!" Connor whooped.

"Nope," Percy yelled back, and he picked up his javelin and threw it at the son of Hermes. His aim was perfect. The javelin grew a heavy spear point just as it caught Connor in the chest, knocking him against his brother and sending them both toppling out of their chariot in a backward somersault. The horses felt the reins go slack and went crazy, riding straight for the crowd. Campers scrambled for cover as the horses leaped the corner of the bleachers and the golden chariot flipped over. The horses galloped back toward their stable, dragging the upside-down chariot behind them.

When Aurora turned around in awe of Percy, he was smirking already, before catching her eye and stretching that stupidly smug smile into a full blown grin.

He held their chariot together through the second turn, despite the groaning of the right wheel, as they passed the startling line and thundered into their final lap.

The axle creaked. The wobbling wheel was making them lose speed, even though the horses were responding to Percy's every command, running like a well oiled machine. The Hephaestus team was still gaining. Beckendorf grinned as he pressed a button on his command console. Steel cables shot out of the front of his mechanical horses, wrapping around their back rail. Their chariot shuddered as Beckendorf's winch system started working—pulling them backward while Beckendorf pulled himself forward.

Aurora drew Oleander and slashed down, the cables snapping like a kite string. "We are not losing." Aurora grumbled through gritted teeth, her gaze ablaze.

"No, pretty girl, we're not." Percy agreed, his smile never fading as his cerulean irises sparkled in the sunlight, that look of pure idiocy and genius mixing through his trouble-making expression. "Switch with me."

Aurora's mouth quirked to the side, knowing that Percy had a plan that was probably dense and brainless, but was also going to work. She pulled herself to the front and grabbed the reins from Percy, as Percy uncapped Riptide.

They lurched forward, but Beckendorf's driver just swung his chariot to our left and pulled up next to them. Beckendorf drew his sword. He slashed at Aurora, but Percy luckily parried the blade away.

"Do something! I don't need saving, Jackson." Aurora hissed, pulling the reins tighter as Clarisse gained on them, making up for lost time.

"Bye, Percy!" Beckendorf yelled. "Here's a little parting gift!" He threw a leather pouch into our chariot. It stuck to the floor immediately and began billowing green smoke.

"This is so illegal!" Aurora yelled, Percy letting out the longest string of "fuck, fuck, fuck" she'd ever heard. They had about ten seconds before it exploded—trust her, Aurora was friends with the Stolls. They loved that shit. But Percy was hesitating, and there was only one reason as to why: not fear, not foolishness. Her. He wouldn't leave her, as infuriating as it was. "Percy, get him. I'm not gonna die."

Percy glanced down at his watch, the object Aurora had thought she'd seen Tyson give him earlier. It expanded, the metal rim spiraling outward like an old-fashioned camera shutter, a leather strap wrapping around Percy's forearm until he was holding a round war shield four feet wide. "I love Tyson," Aurora shrieked with excitement, wonderstruck by the contraption.

Percy raised the shield, and Beckendorf's sword clanged against it. His blade shattered. "What?" he shouted. "How—"

He didn't have time to say more because Percy knocked him in the chest with his new shield and sent him flying out of his chariot, tumbling in the dirt. Aurora managed to let go of one of the reins, sending a quick prayer to Poseidon to keep his animals in check, and dug her sword underneath the firebomb, dislodging it as it flipped like a pancake on a spatula. It flew into the Hephaestus chariot at the driver's feet. He yelped. In a split second the driver made the right choice: he dove out of the chariot, which careened away and exploded in green flames. The metal horses seemed to short-circuit. They turned and dragged the burning wreckage back toward Clarisse and the Apollo cabin brothers, who had to swerve to avoid it.

Luckily, that prayer seemed to work, because Aurora pulled the singular rein she was holding for the last turn, squeezing her eyes shut. I'm going to fail. This stupid thing, I'm gonna fail, and—

The crowd's roaring cut off Aurora's thoughts. Her heart jumped to her throat, and she grinned widely. Percy jumped out of the chariot, grabbing Aurora's hand to help her out. She leapt onto the ground, bouncing giddily.

"Oh my gods, we did it!" Aurora whispered over the cheering crowd. "I can't believe we did it." She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling Percy into a tight hug of celebration.

Percy couldn't hide his obnoxiously big smile after that. "We did, Miller."

In a single blur of a second, Percy felt a light touch. He had been surveying his friends and fellow campers jumping around them, taking in the warmth victory brought him, the cheers becoming a deafening hollering, which eventually just faded into a nonsensical buzzing as Aurora grabbed the collar of Percy's orange