Then I looked at Annabeth again. I thought about my friends from camp: Charles

Beckendorf, Michael Yew, Silena Beauregard, so many others who were now dead. I

thought about Ethan Nakamura and Luke.

 

And I knew what to do.

 

"No," I said.

 

The Council was silent. The gods frowned at each other like they must have

misheard.

 

"No?" Zeus said. "You are . . . turning down our generous gift?"

 

There was a dangerous edge to his voice, like a thunderstorm about to erupt.

 

"I'm honored and everything," I said. "Don't get me wrong. It's just . . . I've

got a lot of life left to live.

 

I'd hate to peak in my sophomore year."

 

The gods were glaring at me, but Annabeth had her hands over her mouth. Her eyes

were shining.

 

And that kind of made up for it.