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She smiled "Come on"

They worked their way past the supply rooms and the armory Toward the stern of the ship, they reached a set of wooden double doors that opened into a large stable The roo the left ere three easi back at cae zoo animals

In the center of the floor was a twenty-foot-square see-through panel Far below, the night landscape whisked by--hways like the strands of a web

"A glass-bottorabbed a blanket frolass floor "Sit with me"

They relaxed on the blanket as if they were having a picnic, and watched the world go by below

"Leo built the stables so pegasi could coo easily," Annabeth said "Only he didn’t realize that pegasi prefer to roam free, so the stables are always e the skies soress Percy’s head still throbbed fro whopped by Blackjack’s hoof, but he didn’t hold that against the horse

"What do you asus have to hts of stairs?"

Annabeth rapped her knuckles on the glass "These are bay doors, like on a bo on doors? What if they opened?"

"I suppose we’d fall to our deaths But they won’t open Most likely"

"Great"

Annabeth laughed "You knohy I like it here? It’s not just the view What does this place rees and stables, the Celestial bronze la fro close to hiht

"That zoo truck," Percy decided "The one we took to Las Vegas"

Her sht

"That was so long ago," Percy said "We were in bad shape, struggling to get across the country to find that stupid lightning bolt, trapped in a truck with a bunch of ic for that?"

"Because, Seaweed Brain, it’s the first time we really talked, you and me I told you aboutwith her dad’s college ring and a colorful clay bead for each year at Ca else on the leather cord: a red coral pendant Percy had given her when they had started dating He’d brought it from his father’s palace at the bottom of the sea

"And," Annabeth continued, "it re we’ve known each other We were twelve, Percy Can you believe that?"

"No," he admitted "So…you knew you liked me from that moment?"

She smirked "I hated you at first You annoyed me Then I tolerated you for a few years Then--"

"Okay, fine"

She leaned over and kissed hi--no Ro satyr chaperones

She pulled away "I missed you, Percy"

Percy wanted to tell her the sa, but it seemed too small a comment While he had been on the Ro of Annabeth I missed you didn’t really cover that

He reht, when Piper had forced the eidolon to leave his mind Percy hadn’t been aware of its presence until she had used her charone, he felt as if a hot spike had been removed from his forehead He hadn’t realized how hts became clearer His soul settled co here with Annabeth made him feel the sae dreams The events at Caht with Jason, when they had both been controlled by the eidolons

Yet he didn’t regret the time he’d spent at Camp Jupiter It had opened his eyes in a lot of ways

"Annabeth," he said hesitantly, "in New Roods can live their whole lives in peace"

Her expression turned guarded "Reyna explained it toat Camp Half-Blood That other life--"

"I know," Percy said "But while I was there, I saw so e, couples gettinglike that at Ca about you and iants is over…"

It was hard to tell in the golden light, but he thought Annabeth was blushing "Oh," she said