control."

 

Annabeth tried to hide it, but I could almost see her mind working on the

possibilities, maybe starting to hope.

 

"I didn't want to tell you," I admitted.

 

She looked up at the Empire State Building. "Percy, for so much of my life, I

felt like everything was changing, all the time. I didn't have anyone I could

rely on."

 

I nodded. That was something most demigods could understand.

 

"I ran away when I was seven," she said. "Then with Luke and Thalia, I thought

I'd found a family, but it fell apart almost immediately. What I'm saying ... I

hate it when people let me down, when things are temporary. I think that's why I

want to be an architect."

 

"To build something permanent," I said. "A monument to last a thousand years."

 

She held my eyes. "I guess that sounds like my fatal flaw again."

 

Years ago in the Sea of Monsters, Annabeth had told me her biggest flaw was

pride — thinking she could fix anything. I'd even seen a glimpse of her deepest

desire, shown to her by the Sirens' magic.