Camp Half Blood shirt and pulled him closer to her. In the split moment he'd been looking away, Aurora gently grabbed his chin and tilted it away from her. She placed her lips quickly to his cheek, a motion so fast that he barely felt her mouth against his skin. He had been smiling, beaming like a moron, and her kiss landed right on the side of his cheek, right where his dimple was. Whether she did that knowingly or not was a mystery to him.

Whether it was impulse or Aphrodite, Aurora was stunned by her own actions. She wasn't expecting herself to do it right then. She knew she would do it, but maybe at dinner, where only Gracie could see and approve of her reward from their bet. But she didn't regret it, not one bit as Percy's lips stretched into a smile that lit up his entire already overjoyed face.

"Did you just—"

"Shut up, don't speak." Aurora's words were rushed and mushed together as she quickly dug around for her excuse, the one that had flown out of her mind as she kissed Percy's cheek. "Gracie told me if I do this, she will let me stay in France with her during spring break. It was a bet, dumbfuck."

"Wait, let me repay the favor!" Percy smiled, grabbing her chin and tilting her face towards him.

"Fuck you," Aurora grumbled, smacking his hand away. "You weirdo."

But the crowd's cheering became louder, and Aurora relished in the perfection of that moment. In the perfection of Percy Jackson.

ೀ⋆｡🌷

Percy awoke with a start.

There was a banging on the door, and less than two seconds later, Grover flew inside without waiting for permission. The son of Poseidon wiped at his mouth, hoping he wasn't drooling too much as he cocked his head to the side, waiting for an entourage to follow. But it was just Grover.

Just Grover? You're empathy linked to him. He's your best friend. What's wrong with you? Lmfao.

"Percy!" he stammered. "Aurora... on the hill... Annabeth too... they..."

The look in his eyes told Percy something was terribly wrong. Aurora had been on guard duty that night, protecting the Fleece, and Annabeth volunteered to keep her friend company. If something had happened—Percy ripped off the covers, his blood feeling like ice water in his veins. He didn't bother changing, though the thin white T-shirt and plaid blue pajama pants weren't exactly a look, because it didn't matter. If Aurora was hurt...

Percy ran outside and raced across the central yard, Grover right behind him. Dawn was just breaking, but the whole camp seemed to be stirring. Word was spreading. Something huge had happened. A few campers were already making their way toward the hill, satyrs and nymphs and heroes in a weird mix of armor and pajamas.

Percy heard the clop of horse hooves, and Chiron galloped up behind them, looking grim. "Is it true?" he asked Grover. Grover could only nod, his expression dazed. Percy tried to ask what was going on, but fear had shaken him to his core, and he could only make a strangled noise towards Chiron that he hoped sounded like "Aurora!" before the centaur grabbed his arm and effortlessly lifted him on his back.

Percy barely glanced at the Fleece, which he'd been expecting to see missing from the pine tree, but it glittered in the first light of dawn. The storm had broken and the sky was bloodred.

"Curse the titan lord," Chiron muttered beneath his breath. "He's tricked us again, given himself another chance to control the prophecy."

Percy didn't even ask what Chiron meant. His gaze was solely on Aurora Miller, and the dozens of Asphodel and Narcissus circling her feet in the plush green grass.

"Ro? You okay? What... what happ—" But Percy's voice trailed off as he saw who they were talking about. Aurora was fine. She was safe.

But laying on the ground was a girl. She had short black hair and freck-les across her nose. She was built like a long-distance runner, lithe and strong, and she wore clothes that were somewhere between punk and Goth—a black T-shirt, black tattered jeans, and a leather jacket with buttons from a bunch of bands I'd never heard of. She wasn't a camper; he didn't recognize her from any of the cabins. And yet he had the strangest feeling he'd seen her before...

"It's true," Grover said, panting from his run up the hill. "I can't believe ..."

"She needs help," Annabeth managed through a stream of tears that flowed down her face, her voice hiccuping and weak.

"Nectar and ambrosia! Come on!" Instructed Percy, who was quick to follow Annabeth's orders, especially through her sobs. But it seemed like Percy was the only one who was completely and utterly lost. "What's wrong with you people? Let's get her to the Big House."

No one moved, not even Chiron. They were all too stunned. Then the girl took a shaky breath. She coughed and opened her eyes. Percy rushed to her side, Aurora's soft "Perce..." being the only thing keeping his head level. Her irises were startlingly blue—electric blue. The girl stared at him in bewilderment, shivering and wild-eyed.

"Who—"

"I'm Percy," He said gently. Aurora touched him tenderly on the back, and he gestured to her with his head, feeling a surge of comfort at her warmth and the fact that she'd followed him closer to a possible danger. "This is Aurora. You're safe now."

"Strangest dream..."

"It's okay."

"Dying."

"No," Percy assured her. Annabeth made a strangled noise, and Aurora's breathing became more fragile. "You're okay. What's your name?"

That's when Percy knew. Even before she said it. The girl's blue eyes stared into his, and Percy understood what the Golden Fleece quest had been about. The poisoning of the tree. Everything. Kronos had done it to bring another chess piece into play—another chance to control the prophecy. Even Chiron, Aurora, Annabeth, and Grover, who should've been celebrating this moment, were too shocked, thinking about what it might mean for the future. And Percy was holding someone who was destined to be his best friend, or possibly his worst enemy.

"I am Thalia," the girl said. "Daughter of Zeus." 

ೀ⋆｡🌷 the mother of perora speaks ...

word count: 7970

date published: august 30, 2024

thoughts: i take back all the hate i've given sea of monsters, i love it, and i can't believe we're done with it. just wow. wow. this is such a surreal experience to me, it seems like just yesterday that we started haven. god, i can't believe we made it all the way to act three! i would like to sincerely thank everyone, from the bottom of my heart, for reading this hell of a long chapter, as well as supporting haven and reading from the very beginning <3 ending book two of the pjo series with over 150 thousand reads and almost 6 thousand engaged readers is genuinely insane and i can't wrap my head around the fact that you guys actually enjoy reading my fics. that's, like... 6 thousand people (peep the reference). i adore every single one of you down to each of your cores, from ghost readers to my favorite friends, and everyone in between. a thousand kisses to each of you for infinity 🤍 

since i'm starting a biweekly publishing schedule, the next update will be september 13 at 5 pm eastern time (probably. that seems so far away, i don't know if i like this schedule anymore lol. if the publishing schedule changes, i will update it in my bio and make an announcement, so make sure to check my page and check your notifications for my announcements if you follow me). 

this was the last official chapter of sea of monsters, but there will be another chapter in act two. the next and actual final chapter will be an interlude, as well as a double update with the act three divider page!! i can't wait to get into the titans curse, it's one of my favorite books and i have such amazing ideas for it. thank you so so soo much, i love you all so astronomically much!! xx 

(lastly, please go follow @annabethchasefanclub, which consists of me and all my friends writing poetry in a combined work! you would all love it so much, as they are much better poets than i am)