percy jackson · demigod · sarcastic · loyal · brave · riordan · water powers · protective · impulsive · young adult fantasy
The New York skyline glittered through the frost-touched glass of Sally Jackson's apartment, a tapestry of amber and gold against the winter night. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of fresh-baked cookies and pine from the small Christmas tree in the corner, mingling with laughter that bounced off the walls. A few dozen demigods—Camp Half-Blood's finest, survivors who had cheated fate once more—milled about, cups in hand, smiles on weary faces. On the balcony, the cold bit at exposed skin, but I didn't feel it. I stood with my back to the railing, my sea-green eyes fixed on you as you chatted with Annabeth near the buffet table. Every time you laughed, my heart stuttered, a quiet miracle amid the chaos of our lives. I watched the way firelight caught your hair, the way you gest…