Chapter 107 - 107. Percy Jackson and the curse of lust part 1.

The morning it all started I woke up feeling like the luckiest guy alive, which really goes to show how awful my intuition can be.

That morning it really seemed true, though. Drifting awake to find your beautiful girlfriend with her lips wrapped around your cock can have that effect on you.

"Morning, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, popping her lips off my stiff lower head.

I tried to say it back, but what came out was mostly a moan. With a soft giggle, Annabeth plunged her head back down.

The Poseidon cabin was bright in the morning with soft green light that seemed to come from everywhere. The fountain in the corner sloshed with the ebb and flow of water— sort of like the moist suction pulling up and down on my shaft. Without thinking, my hands drifted to the back of Annabeth's head. My fingers mixed into the soft blond curls, pushing down.

A gulping noise sounded from the back of Annabeth's throat, but she didn't protest. Nose squished flat against my abs, she looked up, holding eye contact. My cock sat up straight, crammed against her throat. Every few seconds she would wiggle slightly, rubbing the folds of her mouth wrapped around me. If there was blood left anywhere else in my body, it was all rushing down now.

After so long I was sure she'd run out of air, Annabeth jerked her head straight up to my tip. Then she slammed it down. Up, down. Up, down. By the fourth time I couldn't hold it in. She pulled up—

Wads of semen shot out. Half went straight into her mouth, the other half across her neck and chest. Shiny trails dripped down her perky breasts. She wiped a stiff nipple with her index finger, then popped it in her mouth, licking it clean.

"You're amazing," I said dreamily.

"Save that for once we've really started," she said.

"Why?" I asked. "I'll just say it again. As many times as I want. And it'll always be true."

She shook her head, but I saw her smile as she climbed on top of me.

Her body wasn't cushiony like a daughter of Aphrodite's, but it was soft in all the right places. Her stomach, tight with muscles, made her small shapely breasts stand out. Her waist curved way in above the hips. Even a year after fighting monsters left our daily routine, her body still had no extra fat, not even in her butt. That didn't mean she was flat, though. As if reminding myself, my hands drifted up, taking a muscular cheek in each palm and squeezing as she perched above me on her knees.

Smiling, she reached down, warm fingers wrapping around my cock. They lined my tip up with her slit. The entrance was soaked. Leaning in until our noses were brushing, she suddenly jerked down. In one motion our lips met, while at the same time my entire shaft entered her body.

She moaned, and with our lips together I felt the rumble in my teeth. Our tongues cuddled against each other. Her hips started to buck as if they had a life of their own. Up and down, fast and firm, she never went too far so that I slipped out. She was used to my size. She was used to my cock.

Our mouths only separated when we were forced to take a breath, and every time they came together again it was with even more energy. I gripped her firm ass, pushing her hips along faster.

At some point I shut my eyes. I focused on her until she was my world, just her. I felt her warmth. I felt her affection. I felt her lust.

I don't know how much time passed like that. It seemed like an eternity, and that still felt too short. We moaned into each other. Sweat beaded on my back, and more of it dripped off her body.

I surged up. Without my tongue leaving hers I rolled us over, relishing her squeak. Now her head was against the pillow. Her back was against the bed. The sheets that had been thrown off us were twisted up between our feet, and her insatiable hips were trapped underneath mine.

I pulled back and thrust.

The springs in the bed pulled their best Stymphalian bird impression as I felt my balls slap against her. Every millimeter of me was inside of her. My core flexed as I pulled back. Seven-and-a-half slick inches slid out. I thrust again and kept thrusting.

Annabeth's moans were different now. Higher pitched. Her curls splayed out in a triangle behind her head, as golden as jewelry in the soft light. Her fingers wrapped around me and gripped my lats as if they were the handlebars on this ride.

I've always liked missionary. The motion of it reminds me of butterfly stroke. And, as you might guess given the whole Son of the Sea God thing, I am a very strong swimmer.

I went hard and fast— faster than any mortal could manage. The rhythmic smack of my flesh against hers sounded as loud and frequent as the shrieking bed. I only sped up.

In a flash her grip on my member went from firm-handshake levels to a vice grip. She moaned what I think was my name into my throat. A shudder passed through her lower body that pushed my constricted cock over the edge.

We came together, and I felt my second orgasm spurt out deep inside her. Rolling off, I landed next to her on my back. She curled into me, moving her head from the pillow to lay it on my chest.

There was more to do — towel off, get clean, start the day — but we stayed for as long as we could get away with. Pressed together, just the two of us, it was moments like this that made saving the world twice so worth it.

"I love you," I said.

Rather than answer, she bit my nipple once, very softly. Which I really liked, although I can't explain why.

It was at least 10:00 A.M. by the time we'd pulled ourselves apart and prepped enough to start the day. At least nobody would notice much. There were perks to Annabeth having passed on the councilor position after the war and my cabin sitting empty three-quarters of the year.

The weather outside was perfect, like always in Camp Half-Blood. Annabeth went to check on her cabin, and I headed toward the Canoe Lake after kissing her goodbye. We were only back from New Rome on vacation for the summer, and I planed to get as much time in the water as I could get away with.

You would never guess that was the start to one awful day, even by my wild standards. And yet, here we are. Welcome, ladies and gentleman, to the life of Percy Jackson. If you ever feel like betting that it can't get any crazier, don't. You'll only lose your money.

When I first saw Camp, it never felt crowded. That was a thing of the past now, but it was a change I'd always welcome.

With cabins for the minor gods and the Olympians (mostly) looking out for the children they left scattered across the country, the amount of campers had tripled. As I strolled to the lake a girl with the tell-tale sharp features of Hermes led a group of friends between campers, trying to pawn off trinkets made in metal shop in exchange for better chore slots. The baubles looked pretty worthless, but the girl was a good enough salesman that they weren't getting chased off. Her friends weren't kids of any major god, maybe from Hebe or Tyche's cabins. The fact that I couldn't tell for sure was kind of awesome.

In fact, I barely saw anyone I recognized on my way to the lake. Connor Stoll was skulking suspiciously close to the camp store, and much closer to the dock Clarisse was chewing out a younger camper. She must've really been angry, because I could see pink on her cheeks. Her eyes locked onto me as I passed. I didn't like how long they stayed.

But that didn't dim my mood. The day was sunny. I'd reached the water, and walked straight off the dock, dropping in feet first. Most importantly, the sensation of Annabeth was still fresh in my mind. I was smiling. It was probably a dopey one.

I played around for a while, propelling myself under the water. I tried to correct a son of Hephaestus's kayak paddling form, but I guess I didn't think it through. The sight of me bursting out of the water spouting advice shocked him so bad that he capsized. I dried him off as an apology, then left him to his business.

One game of tag with Naiads later, I was getting hungry. Lunch time was soon. But as I pulled myself out of the water, someone was waiting for me.

"Jackson," Clarisse said, standing on the doc above me.

I gripped the wood and hauled myself up. I cheated a little and used the water to boost me, landing in a crouch.

"Clarisse," I said. "Can I help you with something?"

Like Annabeth and I, the former Ares councilor had moved on. She was taking college classes down in Arizona, only back on Long Island for a vacation. We go way back, but 'friends' isn't the world I'd use. Usually the only time she sought me out was when she was looking for a fight— a spar with someone that could last longer than thirty seconds against her, or the nastier get-your-anger-out type.

Her cheeks were still flushed. There was something in her eyes that I wasn't used to seeing there, but I couldn't place what it was. That made me uneasy.

"All day," she half-growled, "you've been popping up in my head. Making my blood boil."

"Why?"

"I don't know," she said.

There was a moment of awkward silence. What do you say to that? You really pissed me off, but you don't know what you did and neither do I. There was still something about the flush in her face that was unnatural, too. Enough to make me want to turn tail and dive back underwater.

Finally, she crossed her arms. They were some sizable arms, and the way they pushed up her sizable chest wasn't enough to distract me from the thought of getting pulverized by them.

"What did you do?" she demanded.

"What did I do?" I asked incredulously. "I just woke up. How do you know I did anything?"

She glowered. "You must've. You're always doing something."

"That's offensive, because it's kind of true," I said. "But you can't pick a fight just because you woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

"Fight?" Her eyes unfocused, like she was mulling over a question in her head. Then they zeroed in on me: focused, alert, and maybe a little predatory. "I don't want to fight you. I want to pound you."

An image of those big calloused first slamming into me flashed through my head— or worse yet, her spear. I almost always won our spars, but that didn't make getting there any less painful.

"That counts as fighting," I pointed out, standing up slowly. "Or beating, or assault. None of which are good."

She smiled wickedly and took a step closer. That was as far as I let things get.

The lake surged up, everywhere but where I stood. It rushed around me, grabbed Clarisse and dragged her underwater before her eyes had time to widen. Before she broke the surface, I was gone.

I would pay for that later. I knew I would. But I was in too good a mood to let a petty fight ruin it— not until I had a full stomach, at least. This was a problem future Percy could deal with.

In a few hours, I'd come to regret that decision.

"Percy?" Juniper asked, staring up at me from the forest floor.

Grover's girlfriend looked the same as ever. Her bright red hair and greenish pale skin stood out even twenty feet below me, and her pretty elfish features were screwed up in a politely confused expression.

"Hey, Juniper," I said, kicking my feet off the branch I was perched on.

She smiled uncertainly. "Can I ask what you're doing here?"

"You mean up a tree in the forest?" I said. "Sure."

"…What are you doing here?"

"Hiding," I said.

"From what?" she asked, red eyebrows furrowing together.

I opened my mouth, but a female voice beat me to it.

"Jaaaaaacksoooooon," echoed from somewhere in the woods, not too close but not as far as I would've liked. Grimacing, I pushed off the branch.

Juniper squeaked as I thudded down beside her, but I flashed a thumbs up to show that such a short fall was fine.

"Gotta run," I said. "If she finds you, tell her I went that way."

I pointed off, deeper into the woods. Then I turned and ran the opposite direction, leaving one befuddled nymph in the dust. Less than a minute later I heard the voice behind me.

"Which way did he go?!"

I hoped Juniper listened.

Now, you may be wondering. How did things escalate this badly? Because yeah, that was Clarisse on my trail, chasing me through monster infested woods. And how it came to this is a great question— so good, actually, that I would've loved the answer myself.

When I ran to lunch, I swiped food and didn't stick around. Once I'd eaten, I headed to the arena. Better to face my fate head on. If she wanted a spar, we'd get it over with and I could get on with my day.

That didn't last a second after she came into view. Her face had been completely red. She wasn't sweating, but every breath was as deep as a pant. She looked angrier than I'd ever seen, more like one of the metal bulls we tag-teamed years ago than the college girl that she was supposed to be. She didn't waste any time, going straight for trying to pin me against a wall.

Once you've survived as much as I have, you start to learn which fights are worth taking. So I put my head down and ran.

I was hoping she'd run out of steam, but it hadn't happened yet. So I was onto my final plan. Far off, a conch horn sounded.

Even like this, Clarisse wouldn't start something at the Pavillion. Not with Chiron right there. If anyone could calm her down, it was him.

I just had to get there first.

"You look red," Annabeth said. "Were you working out?"

"Don't worry about it," I said. "It's all over now."

"Ominous," she said, scraping half of her mac and cheese into a wall of flames.

One of the perks of coming back to visit is that the rules aren't as strict. I joined the Athena cabin to make my sacrifices, and if I'd wanted I probably could've snagged a seat at a friend's table. The Poseidon table was good enough, though.

"Have you talked to Clarisse at all today?" I asked.

"No, but that isn't unusual." Annabeth studied her plate, then pushed one extra bite into the brazier before turning away. "Is there a reason you care?"

"She's been chasing me," I said.

Annabeth blinked. "Why?"

"I'd love to know," I said, "but I'm worried about my health if I stop to ask."

That wasn't completely true. But even leaving out the lake dunking incident, it wasn't like she hadn't been acting completely crazy.

Annabeth glanced around while I made my sacrifice.

"You're hoping Chiron will stop her," she decided. "Not a terrible plan."

"Think it'll work?"

"It might," she said.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

She shrugged, which I took to mean good luck. Then she headed for her table and I went to mine.

I got three bites into my food before it happened, which was just enough to give me hope that she wouldn't show.

A heavy boot thudded onto the bench beside me. I don't know how I didn't hear her coming. Her breath was coming in long, loud pants.

"Found you," Clarisse said.

She was wearing camo cargo pants, a staple of hers, but she'd shed her shirt at some point in the chase to cool off — from the looks of her it hadn't been enough — leaving her in a modest sports bra that her not-so-modest chest strained against.

The scene was enough to pull Chiron's attention away from his salad at the table he shared with Mr. D. For his part, Dionysus only had eyes for his grape juice.

"Clarisse," said the centaur. "I understand you've been away and things may work differently at college, but I would appreciate it if you didn't emulate my relatives by arriving at dinner semi-clothed."

She didn't answer him. She loomed over me, staring down. The blush had spread to cover her entire face, bright and rosy. A sheen of sweat ran over every inch of her skin.

"Clarisse?" Chiron repeated.

More people were looking now. I was torn between bolting, standing my ground, and staying totally still to keep her from moving. She was right above me.

"I want…" Clarisse said. The second half was too much of a mumble to make out, cut off by her panting.

"Look, Clarisse," I said, "I'm sorry I dumped you in the lake. But you've been weird all day. Even weirder than usual. So I guess what I'm saying is, this isn't my fault."

"I want Percy…"

To die? To get beaten into a pulp? There were a ton of ways that sentence could end, and you can't hold it against me for being invested in which one she was going for, given the context. By now, everybody was watching. Even Mr. D.

"Nobody told me this meal would come with free entertainment," the god said.

"Clarisse!" Chiron barked, not unkindly but louder. "Are you feeling alright, my girl?"

"I want… I want…" Clarisse took a few deep, steadying breaths. People leaned forward. I leaned away. Mr. D. took a sip of his juice. Clarisse took one last breath, bent down, and bellowed:

"I WANT PERCY JACKSON'S THICK COCK TO FILL ME UP!"

Then she collapsed.

So many things happened next that I barely know where to start.

Hands were clapped over the ears of the younger campers. Chiron dropped his fork into his salad. About fifty different voices were shouting. Travis Stoll gave me a thumbs up.

Chiron looked at Mr. D. and said something. The god laughed. I could read his lips for what he said back: What do you want me to do? But the disappointed look Chiron gave him lasted so long that the god finally sighed.

One snap of his pudgy fingers later, the entire pavilion went silent. Mouths were still moving, but the sound was gone. Grape vines grew over everyone's laps like seatbelts.

"As entertaining as all this has been," Mr. D. said, "I suppose Chiron is right that it was getting a bit loud. Since I am well aware how bad children can be at shutting up, I've graciously decided to do it for you."

Chiron nudged his shoulder, and the god gave another, longer sigh. "Very well. Could the relevant parties please report to the Big House?"

The vine on my lap slithered off like a snake. The same thing happened with Annabeth and a few of the councilors. All of us stood up uncertainly.

"And, for the love of Olympus, could someone bring Claire with them," Mr. D. said. He leaned back in his seat, glancing at Chiron. "Is that quite everything?"

When Chiron said nothing, he grinned.

"As far as interruptions go, that one was at least entertaining," he said. "I have the strangest suspicion that it isn't over yet, either."

Ten minutes later Annabeth, Chiron, Mr. D and I stood in the Big House. Clarisse lay across the ping pong table, out cold and not looking any less sick. Nyssa Barrera, the Hephaestus counselor, had carried the Ares girl there, before quickly excusing herself. If I could've left I would've followed her. Something really strange was going on.

"Did anything happen, Percy?" Chiron asked. "Anything at all?"

"She's been weird all day," I said. "She cornered me by the lake. Said she wanted to pound me. I thought that meant hit me, but… I mean…"

"It could have had a different meaning," Chiron summarized.

The door opened and two more counselors stepped in. One was Will Solace. The Apollo counselor was the closest thing the camp had to a doctor. The other was more unusual. The pale dark-haired girl was named Lou Ellen, I thought. Counselor of the Hecate Cabin.

While Lou Ellen hung back, Will marched straight to Clarisse's side.

He muttered hymns under his breath as he felt her pulse and checked the warmth of her skin. After a while it looked like he was prodding her just for the sake of it. But when he turned to us, his face was grim.

"She's not healthy," he said. "Really far from it. Her pulse is faint. It's like something's eating her from the inside out."

"Poison?" I asked.

"Not any I've ever seen," Will said. "Unless there are poison's out there with Nymphomania as a side effect while they kill you."

Clarisse moaned. She moved slightly, but it looked more like writhing in pain than coming-to. I leaned closer, trying to get a better look at her skin.

Her eyes snapped open. A thick hand snatched my collar, yanking me in. Her tongue was in my mouth before I understood what was happening.

My fist buried in her stomach. Gasping, Clarisse lost her grip. I pulled away. The second I was gone, she was comatose again.

"Percy," Annabeth said disapprovingly. Her face said she was as shocked as I was, though.

"Sorry!" I said. "I didn't mean to punch the patient, I swear. It was just a reflex. What in Hades was that?"

Will leaned in the exact way I had. Nothing. Clarisse didn't twitch.

"Strange," Will said.

"Were you hoping she'd give you the same treatment?" Mr. D asked.

"Of course not," Will said, not even pausing his investigation. "Why would I?"

"Oh, right. It's you." Apparently annoyed that his attempt to stir chaos had failed, Mr D. returned to paying the rest of us no attention. A wine tasting catalog had been in his hands since he entered the room. From the look on his face, you'd think it was a Playboy issue.

"I can see the problem," a voice said.

All eyes turned to Lou Ellen. The daughter of Hecate hadn't left her spot by the door, but her eyes were fixed on Clarisse.

"She's been cursed," the counselor said.

"Cursed?" I said.

"Yes." She paused, then seemed to realize the rest of us were waiting for more. "Oh! I don't mean it was something specific to her. I just mean there's magic on her. She reeks of it." She looked up, meeting my eyes. "And you do, too."

"Me?" I pointed at my chest.

Lou Ellen nodded. "It's the same magic, too. Or at least related. Something is connecting the two of you, and the weaker the connection gets, the weaker Clarisse does."

"You can tell all that just from looking?" Annabeth asked.

"Whoever did this doesn't care who notices, so yeah," Lou Ellen said. "In fact, it's almost like they wanted people to notice. More than anything."

"Can you fix it?" Chiron asked.

"Oh, gods no. I think even Mom would struggle to do that. But… I might know a way to keep her from getting worse."

"What is it?" Chiron asked urgently.

Lou Ellen blushed. She looked away from Clarisse, fixing her eyes on the floor.

"For a spell like this," she said, "it's like it's screaming 'Look at me!' The only reason someone does that is if they want people to notice, meaning they want them to do something specific. The curse is just a way of forcing people into whatever that is. So, in these sorts of situations, it's common for the magic itself to give clues. Either in the effects, or the behavior, or—"

"You're babbling," Annabeth said gently. "Focus, Lou."

"Right." Lou Ellen blushed harder. "It's just, well…"

"What the girl is stumbling prepubescently to say, is that Clarissa here already told us the key to healing her," Mr. D said.

"And what would that be?" Chiron asked cautiously.

Mr. D looked up from his magazine with a positively sinister smirk.

"Why," he said, "none other than Peter Johnson here's Johnson."

Chiron ushered out Lou and Will not long later, after getting them to promise to keep quiet. I thought he might be wasting his time, because Mr. D seemed ready to blab to anyone who asked. He saw the whole situation as one really funny joke.

I didn't say anything. I was still pretty much in shock. I'd known Clarisse for years. I thought life had finally calmed down. And then suddenly she was cursed, and the only way of saving her life was to sleep with her.

We moved the conversation to the front porch, just Annabeth Chiron and I.

"What do you think?" Annabeth asked our mentor.

"I'm not very well-learned in magic," Chiron said. "Certainly not as much as Lou Ellen, or even our director. But I must confess, the signs I see do not fill me with hope that Mr. D is incorrect."

"I agree," Annabeth said. "That's what bothers me."

"But… why?" I said. "I mean, what could anybody get out of this? Why would they want me to sleep with Clarisse?"

Chiron frowned. He was in full horse form, tail swishing nervously.

"Unfortunately, it could be many things," he said. "Perhaps someone bears you ill-will. Forcing you to sleep with someone could be a way of harassing you. Or it could be much simpler. Like our dear director, they may simply find this funny."

"Bastards," I growled. My balled fist drifted toward the pocket that held Anaklusmos. But this time, there was no one to stab.

"Bastards indeed," Chiron agreed.

We went silent. It was a pretty evening, the sun setting on the waves way off on the horizon. That didn't improve my mood.

"Do it."

We both turned to Annabeth.

"You sure?" I asked.

She scowled, but even as we watched it morphed into a reluctant smile.

"I'm not happy about this," she said. "Of course not. But you aren't either, and we owe Clarisse too much to risk her life over something like this. We need to try. It's worth it."

I opened my mouth, but words didn't come. So I gave her a nod. That was enough between the two of us.

As I turned back toward the door, Chiron said, "Good luck."

I gave him a forced smile. "C'mon, it's not like I'm going to war here."

I gripped the handle and pulled it open, stepping into the foyer.

"Not going to war," I repeated to myself. "But I almost wish I was."

When I got back to the meeting room, I barely recognized it.

Clarisse was still in the middle, but instead of being laid across a pingpong table she was in the middle of a queen-sized bed. Purple curtains and drapes covered the walls, and lush cushions shaped like grapes sat scattered over the ground. Grape vines hung from the ceiling in the shape of letters.

TUCK IN

"I swear, one day I'm going to stab him," I said. "The last time I stabbed an Olympian it worked out. I could pull it off again."

Clarisse whimpered and shifted on the bed. Her perch had been upgraded, but she was only getting worse. I couldn't keep stalling.

I'd seen Clarisse so many times, but approaching her then felt like the first time I'd looked at her. Since my eighteenth birthday I'd hit six-three. Clarisse was only an inch shorter than me. Everything about her was big— broad arms, wide muscular thighs, and, most notably now, her chest. Her breasts completely filled her sports bra, big enough I'd struggle to grip one in a single hand. Her jaw was sharp and wide. She wouldn't be beating any Aphrodite kids in a beauty pageant, but nobody would call her ugly.

I put my knees on the bed, leaning over her.

"Uh… Clarisse?" I asked.

No response. I reached out and poked her arm.

"Clarisse? Clar—"

She moved quicker than the Minotaur spotting a red cape. There wasn't any warning. There was no time to react. And this time, she didn't just kiss me.

Wrapping her arms around me, she barrel-rolled us straight off the bed. We landed on the floor, her on top.

"No getting away this time," she growled. "Absolutely, definitely, no more running for you."

Just like when she kissed me, it was as if proximity burned away all the symptoms keeping her sick. She looked manic and perfectly healthy— I'd know, because her face was less than an inch from mine. She had surprisingly sweet breath. Like cinnamon.

"I'm not trying to get away," I told her.

She smashed her mouth onto mine.

I guess it was a kiss, but I've never felt one like this. Her tongue invaded my mouth, claiming every nook and cranny. It dueled mine, pushing it back and forth. One of her hands barged under me, squeezing my ass and sliding up and down my back.

After a few rounds of tongue wars, she jerked back. She pulled my shirt off over my head, and I let it happen. Then she reached back and unclasped her bra.

The fabric fell away, revealing breasts three times the size of Annabeth's. They bounced as gravity reasserted its hold, her dark nipples hanging low.

"Suck," she commanded.

I'm not one for taking orders, but some offers are too good to refuse.

She grunted as I bit first the right one, then the left. She'd shown how she wanted this to go. I bit hard, leaving deep purple marks. She rocked slightly, sitting above my crotch, and I felt my pants tighten.

"That's— ahn! That's it," she growled out as I worked. "Finally a — ah! — good use for that mouth of yours!"

I bit harder.

I could feel her nipples stiffening. Then she pulled off of me, crawling back.

In two deft movements she unbuttoned my pants and yanked them down, underwear and all. My erect cock bobbed up with the motion. She stepped out of her own pants, leaving only her panties. Her breasts bounced with every movement— doubly so when she pounced on me, starting another round of tongue wars.

This time, though, nothing was holding back my cock. Standing up straight, it was trapped between her muscular thighs. I could feel the tip rubbing against the coarse fabric of her panties as her muscular legs crushed together, like a fleshlight crossed with a trash compactor. Every movement, down to the slightest twitch, made my stiff length shudder.

The more aroused she got, the more force she applied. Her breasts were smashed flat, engulfing my chest, and I felt her stiff nipples dragging against my pecs. I broke the kiss first, jerking away as the pressure on my cock became too much to take.

Clarisse didn't stop. She attacked my neck like she'd forgotten she wasn't an Empousa. Her teeth dug in in a way I knew would leave a mark. I was sure she'd drawn blood.

"Yes!" she shouted, pulling back. A trail of saliva ran off her lower lip, stretching down to my neck. "More. More!"

She didn't even take off her panties, just slid them to the side of her slit and slammed down.

I groaned. Her thighs had already pushed me, and I worried for a second that I would cum straight away. I just managed to force the urge down. Not with Clarisse. She'd never let me live it down.

Her ass slapped down like artillery. Somehow, even her pussy was strong. It was like she was gripping and letting go on command, trying to wring me dry.

"You like this?" she asked, a flushed smile on her face. "You like being ridden like a pegasus? Like a barnyard animal?"

"What are you getting up to at the stables?" I gasped out.

Her hand slammed down over my mouth.

"No," she said. "No more wisecracks. I don't need your mouth, I finally found a good use for you. A dildo! My own durable, massive dildo!"

I frowned, but she couldn't see it under her hand. She got even tighter.

"Yes!" she shouted. "Yes! Lie there and take it, Jackson!"

Her other hand, came down, wrapping around my throat. Her movements got wilder. She slammed down, and I felt a rush of fluid and caught the moan of her first orgasm.

Her hips slowed and started to stop. She was panting with an exhilarated, flushed expression on her face. But her hands were still around my throat and over my mouth, and their grip wasn't weakening.

"You look good this way," she said. "Stay like that, and we'll start round two in a second."

I reached up, grabbing her wrists. She didn't seem to think much of it until I pulled both her hands up. Her eyes widened, and she struggled to push them down, but it was no use. She couldn't make me budge.

I sat up, and she fell back as I did, her head landing against one of the grape cushions. Kneeling above her still holding her wrists, her tree-trunk legs were suddenly pointed straight up in the air.

"If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right," I said. "Round two starts now."

"You think you can overpower me?" Clarisse asked underneath me.

"I already did," I said. She was fighting my grip, but her wrists wouldn't budge. "I'm not the one that's pinned."

"Go fuck yourself, Jackson," she spat.

"Nah, I'm fucking you. Try not to cum too fast."

I leaned forward, pinning her hands above her head. My cock was still inside her. I slid it back slowly before thrusting in.

Still sensitive from her orgasm, she squeaked with the motion.

"What was that?" I asked.

She glared.

"You said you were going to pound me earlier. But if you ask me, it looks like you prefer being pounded."

She opened her mouth, but all that came out were moans. I brought her wrists together in an X shape to hold them down with just one hand, freeing my other arm. My unburdened hand immediately found her breasts, gripping till veins popped out along my forearm. Her flesh squeezed between my fingers, warm and soft as satin.

I hammered away at her, drawing out every squeak I could, switching between her breasts until both were scarlet with grip marks. A second orgasm wracked her lower body. I was close to cumming. But I wasn't there yet.

I flipped her over.

She yelped, but managed to get her knees underneath her. I put a hand on her upper back, forcing her face into the pillow with her ass raised.

Like Annabeth's, Clarisse's ass was all muscle. But she was taller and broader than my girlfriend, and it showed in her backside. It was massive, firm, and mine to do as I pleased with.

The first slap cracked like a whip, leaving a hand-shaped crater on her left cheek.

"Uhhhhhnng," Clarisse moaned into the pillow. Her pussy constricted.

I wanted to taunt her, but when I tried I found I couldn't speak either. All that came out were grunts. I could feel my dick deep inside her, thumping against her cervix.

I thought of anything I could— anything but the pussy I was plunging into. Anything but the ass my palm kept smacking, the way it rippled and bounced. Anything but the tits pressed against the floor, squishing into view on either side of her abdomen.

She was straining against me still. I could feel her trying to fighter her way up and regain control. She couldn't do it. I had her where I wanted her; I'd won.

For the second time, I grabbed her wrists. I pulled, and her head came up off the pillow. She gasped. Only her knees were touching the ground. I thrust deep into her and felt her squawk with each push, relishing her soaked pussy clawing at my shaft. Her massive tits swung wildly. I couldn't hold it.

I erupted inside her. For five straight seconds my dick poured semen into her pussy. I lost my grip on her hands. She slumped bonelessly onto the floor, face-first. A trail of my cum dribbled out of her, staining the panties she'd never taken off.

I collapsed too, still on top of her to the end.

"Fuuuuck," she moaned.

I thought that summed it up pretty well.

"Have a nice night?" Mr. D asked the second we stepped onto the porch.

It was morning. Clarisse and I had gone at it until our bodies failed, then fallen asleep right there on the floor. When we woke up, the room had returned to normal. Everyone present the night before was waiting out front of the Big House, including a god that was entirely too smug.

"How do we know that you didn't cause all this?" I asked. "You're having way too much fun."

"If I was capable of something this funny, I would have done it decades ago," Mr D said. "Sadly, I cannot lay claim to this particular trick."

"Did it work?" Annabeth asked, cutting in before I could argue any more.

Clarisse paused, flexing a bicep. "Healthy as ever," she reported.

Mr. D was lounging in a lawn chair by the railing. You could tell how funny he found this, because for once he was actually giving campers his full attention. Will and Lou Ellen were sitting on the lowest step, turned around to study us. Lou Ellen was really staring, probably looking for changes in the magic that was draped all over us.

Chiron stood next to Annabeth down on the grass. He was staring too, but mostly with relief.

"I'm very glad you're alright," he said. "Both of you. Of course, we will have to discover how this happened and—"

"It's not over yet," Lou Ellen said.

"What do you see?" Chiron asked.

The daughter of Hecate frowned. Her thin lips pursed. "I'm not sure yet. Not exactly. I'd like to check them more closely. Later, once the magic has settled a bit."

"That can be arranged," Chiron said. "In the meantime…" He paused, staring at Clarisse and I. It seemed like he wanted to say one thing, then thought of better of it. "Rest, you two. You had a long day."

"I hazard they had a longer night."

"You are not helping, Mr D," Chiron chided.

The god chuckled.

In minutes the group broke apart. Will took Clarisse back inside to do one last physical check-up and make sure she wasn't about to collapse again. Lou Ellen scurried off to do whatever it was the counselor spent her days up to, shooting a few last glances my way as she did. Annabeth and I wandered in the direction of the strawberry fields.

We didn't say where we were going. I don't think either of us had a real destination in mind. As we walked, I slipped my hand into hers. I felt her fingers squeeze mine back.

"I hate this," she said.

I opened my mouth, but she kept going before I got a single word out.

"I'm not mad you slept with Clarisse. It was my idea. What bothers me is that we don't understand the first thing about how this happened. We don't know who did it. We don't know why. And we don't know, not even slightly, what would've happened if you didn't follow through."

"Clarisse is tough," I said. "She would've held out."

Annabeth looked me in the eye. "You know that we don't know that. And Clarisse isn't the only one. This curse is affecting you, too."

"I felt fine though!" I said.

"Sure. For now."

We passed beside the strawberry fields. Campers from the Demeter cabin were already up, weeding and pruning away. Other campers walked past us heading to chores or to start up a volleyball match. A lot of eyes followed me as we passed by, but I couldn't tell if it was because of yesterday's dinner show or just because it was me. Saving Olympus has a way of turning you into a minor celebrity.

"What if it doesn't stop at Clarisse?" Annabeth said suddenly.

"If it affects other women?"

"It could." Annabeth squeezed my hand tighter, digger her fingers in. "If others start falling sick, do what you have to. Don't let anybody die."

"You know me," I said.

It was the best assurance I could think of. Because it was true.

She leaned her head on my shoulder, satisfied with the answer. We walked for the rest of the morning.

My afternoon was so ordinary that I almost managed to convince myself everything was back to normal. No female campers confronted me with raging blushes. Nobody cornered me screaming for my dick. I sparred with some of Annabeth's siblings, then spent a while napping in the shade of the coliseum wall.

But my escape couldn't last forever. Six O'clock rolled around, and an Iris message came summoning me to the Hecate Cabin. It was check-up time.

I'd never been inside the Hecate Cabin. It was after my time. But I knew it would be something just from the exterior — stone pillars inscribed with lines of minuscule writing, four separate entrances, and a hum of magic so strong you could feel it prick the hairs on your arm just by getting close.

"There you are!" Lou Ellen was waiting by one of the doors in a black sundress, waving me closer. Her eyes were fixed on an open book in her other hand, even as she led me inside.

"Whoa," I said as I passed the threshold.

I love my cabin. But seeing the inside of Hecate's had me feeling like renovations were overdue.

We were in a generous entry room with two benches that could double as beds, a table, and stairs leading up to a cozy loft. Posters for Indie bands decorated the walls, mixed with almost as many bookshelves as the Athena cabin. The whole place was lit with torches that shed more light than any bulb. Most noticeably, it was just one room, with doors on either side leading to others.

"You have your own room!" I said.

Lou Ellen blinked like my reaction surprised her. "And you have your own cabin. I don't think this is weird. Privacy matters."

There was a snort from across the room.

"You just don't realize how lucky you have it," Clarisse said.

She'd gotten here before me and commandeered one couch-bed. Her clothes were swapped out for a white tank top and a pair of beige pants. She sat with hands braced against her knees, smirking.

"You could charge rent for something like this, Princess," she said. "The rest of us? We're crammed in like soldiers to a barracks all summer long."

Lou Ellen paused. "Well… thank you?" she said. After a moment of silence, she perked up. "Anyway! check up time! This way, Percy."

She put a hand on my shoulder, steering me toward the couch-bed opposite where Clarisse sat. Halfway there she pulled her hand off my shoulder as if burnt, turning back to her book with even more intensity.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Perfectly fine." She was blushing as she flipped a page. "Take a seat."

I did as asked. Clarisse and I sat, waiting. When a minute passed, we traded a look, but Lou Ellen just went on reading.

The Hecate Counselor was my age, but she was short for a demigod, standing at five foot four. Her skin was pale. Which made sense, because from what I heard she only stepped outside when she had to. Her dark hair hung halfway down her back, not braided or treated but somehow still looking perfect. Almost like magic.

"So… check up?" Clarisse prompted.

With a deep breath, Lou shut her book. "Yes! Right. Let me just…"

The book she'd been reading shimmered. A second later it reappeared on one of the bookshelves, slotting into an empty gap, and a magnifying glass materialized in her hand. She walked over to Clarisse, bending over to study the daughter of Ares. It took a lot of effort to watch and not get distracted by the way her sundress rode up all the way to her upper thighs.

She checked over Clarisse's entire body part by part. The inspection lasted at least three minutes. The last part especially, at the chest region, she lingered over.

"I know my rack is good," Clarisse said, "but usually, I'd charge someone for a view like that."

Lou Ellen squeaked and turned on her heels.

She repeated the inspection with me, following the exact same protocol, but this time like she was in a hurry. Twenty seconds later she straightened and stepped back blushing.

"You can do it properly," I said. "You don't have to be embarrassed. Clarisse won't make more jokes."

"Oh, no, that's alright!" she said hastily. "I did it properly. I swear."

Clarisse hadn't even made a fuss about me speaking for her. She was staring at Lou Ellen with a curious expression.

"So is the curse fixed?" I asked.

I was hoping for a big thumbs up and a pat on the back. Instead, Lou winced.

"It's… better," she said. "Charisse's life isn't in danger. But rather than being gone, it's as if the effects are in remission. On the bright side, it's clear the treatment had some effect. Was it really as simple as we thought?"

"We did what you suggested," I said, mostly managing to keep down my blush. "Nothing else."

"No extra tricks?" she asked. She almost sounded urgent, leaning forward with interest. "You didn't have to pull anything extra, or add any twists?"

Clarisse snorted. "Want a live demonstration if you don't believe us?"

"Clarisse!" I said.

I knew she could be brash, but going out of her way to prod the only person that sort of understood what was happening to us seemed like a new extreme.

Lou Ellen smiled uncertainly, pink dusting her cheeks. "What do you mean?"

"You need me to spell it out for you? I'm asking if you want Percy to fuck my brains out right here on your cabin floor."

I didn't even manage to rebuke her this time, I just gaped. Lou squeaked. She hesitated for a second, then quickly said, "That won't be necessary!"

"There was a pause there," Clarisse said. "Tell me you're sure. Tell me you're absolutely, completely sure."

I facepalmed. Everything about this was awkward. We didn't need Clarisse ramping it up to unbearable levels. I tried to put together an apology in my head, something that would calm Lou down and get us out of this quickly.

Then I realized Lou Ellen hadn't answered.

When I looked up, her magnifying glass had slipped from her fingers to the floor. Speaking of the floor, she was staring at it like the most interesting thing in the world. Her fingers fiddled with the edges of her dress in silence.

"Go on," Clarisse said. "Tell me."

Lou opened her mouth. No sound came out.

"You can't do it." Clarisse stood up, towering over the smaller girl. "I knew it. You've got the same shit I do. You're cursed."

"I… might be," Lou Ellen said, very quietly.

I gaped. "You mean this whole time…?"

"I wasn't like this yesterday!" she said, hurling up her hands. "But this morning, I started to feel strange. And I recognized it, and tried to hold it off, but all I managed was to get rid of the symptoms! I was hoping inspecting you would give a solution, or you would've figured one out…"

"But we did find a solution," Clarisse said.

Lou Ellen's eyes widened. "You can't mean— Eeep!"

She cut off as Clarisse scooped her up effortlessly. Carrying the counselor like a toy, Clarisse walked toward the stairs to the loft… and the lush bed that lay at the top of them.

"C'mon, Percy," she said. "This doctor needs her treatment."

Lou Ellen's bed was a book nerd bat's paradise.

Walls surrounded the mattress on three sides, but there was enough room to fit ten demigods if they didn't mind squishing in. Thin windows ran all the way around with black drapes blocking the light, keeping it dark. A reading lamp was built into the wall, and at least five different thick books were scattered across the sheets, open to random pages. Clarisse tossed the owner onto the bed with enough force to make her yelp, then wasted no time in hucking every book down to the floor below.

"Nothing to get in our way," she said proudly.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked Lou Ellen.

I'd followed Clarisse, but that was as much to keep things from spiraling out of control as anything. Not everyone was as carefree about this stuff as the daughter of Ares.

"I don't know," Lou said. Her eyes were wide and nervous. "This is just… It's very fast."

"What is there to think about?" Clarisse asked. "You die if you don't bang, right? Just get it done with!"

"Still…"

"Fine." She turned to me. "If that's how she wants it, let's give her a show."

She tore off her shirt, and a second later her bra was loose in her hands. She tossed it at Lou Ellen. The size was so big, one cup covered Lou Ellen's head like a beanie.

The daughter of Hecate quickly yanked it off, then gasped. Her jaw fell open.

"Oh, wow…" she said, staring at the bruises coating Clarisse's breasts. Marks left by my fingers and teeth.

"Told you he fucked the shit out of me," Clarisse said. Her eyes were locked on my crotch, not straying. "Now. Clothes off, Lover Boy."

Was this right? Last time I was forced into it, but this was different. Clarisse wasn't about to drop dead, and Lou Ellen seemed like she was still deciding if she even wanted to be here. I came to the cabin for a checkup. The rest of this hadn't even been on my mind.

But… the curse wasn't gone. If my dick was the only thing keeping Clarisse alive, I was going to have to sleep with her again at some point. And Lou Ellen had already admitted she was a victim. She was holding it together, but what if things got worse fast? What if this was our only chance?

What would happen if we missed it?

Annabeth's face swam into focus in my mind. Her grim look. Do what you have to.

I pulled my shirt over my head, ignoring (for now) the way Lou Ellen audibly gulped at the sight. The rest of my clothes came next. Mental reservations didn't change a biological reactions. My cock made its debut erect and throbbing.

Like she was worried I'd get cold feet, Clarisse grabbed my clothes as soon as they were off and tossed them off the stairs to the cabin floor. Then she pushed me back so that I was sitting against the wall.

"What'd we learn last time about trying to take control?" I asked her.

"Quiet," she said. "You'll like this."

It took me all of three seconds to realize she wasn't lying.

Laying on her stomach, she positioned herself so that her head was even with my abs. Her hands came up, pressing her bulbous bruised breasts together— molding them around my cock. Only the tip peaked out, every thick inch encased completely.

She rocked up and down, her upper body undulating against my length. At the same time, her hands continued pressing on her breasts, jerking them at a different tempo. I groaned, my head lolling back. It felt like a warm ocean current was tugging me off.

Clarisse let a fat glob of saliva drip from her lips onto my swollen head, cool and moist. Her face dipped down. Her tongue stretched out, slipping in circles around my lower head.

Through the pleasure I cracked my eyes open for a look at Lou Ellen. What I saw almost made me choke.

She was backed up against the wall across the bed, biting down on her lower lip. Her legs were spread. All the way down around one ankle were her panties. The tantalizingly-short sundress was hiked up to above her knees. If it weren't so dark I could've seen everything— including the hand that had snaked its way down to her crotch.

Without a conscious thought my hands found the back of Clarisse's head at the sight, shoving down. Her lips engulfed my swollen tip, even as her hands continued to speed up, jerking her tits faster. Her tongue scraped the slit of my cock. I felt her teeth nick me. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to feel.

"Gods!" Lou Ellen was biting her lip so hard, I was sure she was going to break the skin. Her fingers worked away under her dress fast enough to make the bed creak beneath her.

I came, painting the inside of Clarisse's mouth with my seed— when she jerked up, more cum decorated those wonderful tits.

Clarisse didn't stop to clean up. Instead, she twisted and surged across the bed.

"Eeep!" Lou Ellen squeaked.

From the way she tensed, the sight of my cum all over Clarisse was enough to send Lou into her own climax. She didn't have time to relax. Clarisse grabbed her— one hand under her chin, another gripping her dark hair.

Clarisse pulled until Lou's head was tilted up. When the daughter of Hecate opened her mouth, Clarisse let globs of my semen leak out of her mouth into the smaller girl's.

Lou's eyes widened. Her mouth shut. I could see her coming to terms with what just happened.

To my surprise, she didn't freak out. She swished my cum left and right in her mouth. Then, very slowly, she swallowed.

"Good girl," Clarisse said. "You understand what you want now?"

Lou was breathing hard. She looked up at Clarisse, her face red. Very slowly, she nodded.

Clarisse tore her dress off.

The fabric was thin, but it was still impressive. The daughter of Ares got a grip on the collar and literally tore it down the middle, right off of the girl's body. Lou was left in nothing but a bra, and a second later not even that. Clarisse unclasped it, pulled it off, and threw it over her shoulder to join my clothes on the cabin floor.

Lou's pale face was so red now, she could've given a tomato a run for its money. One hand covered her palm-sized breasts while the one that had been fingering her pussy became a cup, blocking her modesty.

Clarisse slithered around, positioning herself between the girl and the wall. She stuck her legs out straight and positioned Lou in her lap. Lou was so much smaller that the petite girl's head nestled between Clarisse's breasts. For her finishing move, Clarisse grabbed Lou's ankles and pulled straight up.

As Lou's butt was hoisted into the air, her arms stretched out instinctively to steady herself. As a side effect, I got a fantastic view of every inch of what she'd been shielding.

Her breasts couldn't have been more different from Clarisse's. Firm and bite-sized, they begged me to sink my teeth into them. Her entire body was smooth. She wasn't a fighter with heavy muscles. Her skin was unblemished, no hair anywhere, even around the crotch. With Clarisse spreading her legs I could see everything, the bulbous lips of her vagina spread invitingly.

"Get over here and take her," Clarisse said.

Lou shut her eyes. But she didn't say no.

I crawled over. Spreading all my fingers except the index and ring fingers, I gently rubbed them up and down her slit, feeling the smooth surface.

My fingers came away slick. Up close I could see residue running halfway down her thighs. When she came earlier, she came hard.

There was no need for foreplay. I rubbed my cock against her entrance, then pushed my way in.

She groaned. I entered her slowly. There were ten seconds before all of me was inside her. I pulled back and repeated the process, speeding up but staying pretty slow.

It wasn't her first time, I could feel that much, but that didn't mean she was used to my size. I moved against her gently, easing myself in and out.

"What is that?" Clarisse complained. "Give it to her!"

I sped up, but only a little. I put my hands on Lou's soft hips. Every time I thrust, I pulled her into the motion.

Clarisse wasn't satisfied.

"C'mon, Jackson, ruin her! Make her your bitch."

"Not helping, Clarisse," I grunted.

"Tell him, Lou!" she said. "Tell him what you want."

Lou Ellen gasped.

"Faster! Please?"

Who was I to tell a polite girl no?

I tightened my grip on her hips. The walls of her pussy spread around me, opening and closing as my throbbing cock reshaped her.

Lou's hands lurched up, linking behind my neck and pulling me down until our faces were inches apart. Semen from Clarisse's tits had mixed into her hair. It didn't look like she minded. Her face was twisted up as if she was being stabbed— which, in a way, I guess she was.

"Make me your bitch," Lou cried. Her face was so red, I couldn't tell where the blush started or ended. "I want to be the hero of Olympus's bitch!"

I stopped holding back. Each thrust made her whole body recoil, jiggling Clarisse's tits as she was shoved deeper between them. Lou's mouth dropped open. Her eyes rolled up. Clarisse pulled her legs even further apart.

"I'm cumming," I grunted.

"Inside!" Lou gasped with the last of her energy. "For the curse— that's the treatment!"

I couldn't have pulled out if I wanted to.

Lou moaned as I came deep in her tight pussy. Clarisse released her legs, and her cute butt dropped bonelessly on the bed, my cock sliding out of her.

It was the second time I'd cum that afternoon, even ignoring the long night before. But the way Lou Ellen was looking up at me, gasping and trembling from what I'd done to her, kept me rock-hard.

Clarisse was already shimmying out of her pants.

Lou slid down flat on her back as Clarisse rolled out from behind her. The daughter of Ares held eye-contact with me, before turning and going on all-fours… directly above Lou.

"Get over here and stuff me," she said, reaching down and spreading her hairy pussy with two fingers.

My cock was still soaked in a combination of Clarisse's spit and Lou's juices. It buried into Clarisse as easily as a Hippocampus diving beneath the waves.

This was different from with Lou. I wasn't scared of hurting her. I knew Clarisse could take it. I fucked her so hard, the entire loft bounced each time we collided.

"Yes!" Clarisse roared. "Spear me with that cock!"

She rocked herself back like a reverse battering ram, slamming onto me as hard as I was slamming into her. The cool, shady cabin was slowly turning humid around us. My hand found Clarisse's long brown hair and yanked.

"Uhrng!" she groaned. I held her head at ninety-degrees to her torso. I don't think I was imagining the way she tightened as I pulled.

Her ass was already red and raw, but I left a few fresh handprints for the sake of it.

I'm not going to lie. For a second I forgot Lou Ellen was there, until her hands reached up and grasped my ass.

Because of Clarisse's chosen position Lou was lying under us. My knees were on either side of her neck, while her body ran through my legs. Her head was directly underneath where I was plunging into Clarisse. I could see her legs were too shaky to stand, but that didn't stop her from pulling herself up with her grip on my backside.

Each time I thrust into Clarisse more liquid coated my balls. Some of it trickled down my shaft, while the rest came out more explosively. Clarisse was at least one orgasm deep already, and her hips weren't stopping.

I gasped as I felt the cool sensation of a tongue against on my balls. I'd resigned myself to getting them drenched, but Lou seemed to have made it her personal mission to keep them clean, lick by careful lick.

I wasn't going to last long like this, and I knew it. I poured all my energy into finishing with style.

My hands left Clarisse's hair and ass in favor of finding her hips. With a deep breath, I pushed my way to my feet.

Somehow I managed to keep my hips going the whole time. Clarisse came too as I lifted her off of all fours, a hundred-and-eighty pounds of hot and sweaty demigod. And, of course, Lou was there, adjusting her grip to my lower back and hanging on for dear life. I could feel her tongue still stroking me, driving me closer to my limit.

Clarisse's whole body was at a forty-five degree angle to the bed. Only her face was touching the mattress. Every time I thrust the cushiony surface cratered around her cheek.

I couldn't keep it up long— both holding back my orgasm and lifting Clarisse like a slutty wheelbarrow. I came in her for… the third time in the last twenty four hours? The fourth? The night before had blurred together, and I wasn't sure I was going to remember this afternoon any better. All I know is the way the creampie leaked out in globs, spattering across Lou Ellen's face.

She finally let go, dropping to the bed with her new face paint. When I dropped Clarisse she collapsed next to her, leaving me the only one standing… for about five seconds before I dropped to the bed myself.

"Next time," Lou said quietly, "can you do me like that?"

It wasn't until then that it really sunk in. There was going to be a next time. There would have to be. An image of myself flashed through my head, all thin and tried up like dear old Tantalus.

Maybe this curse was even more dangerous than we had thought.

I guess Chiron really cared about the results of this checkup. We found him waiting right outside the Hecate Cabin beside a reading Mr. D as soon as we walked out. I wished he would've waited at the Big House. I'd planned on using the walk over to think of a way of explaining things without feeling so awkward.

"It spread?" Chiron asked when we'd finished explaining (minus a whole lot of the visceral details) what had happened.

Mr. D. glanced up from his magazine. "I confess, I haven't been listening. But by 'it' I presume we mean this girl's legs?"

Lou blushed and stepped a little bit behind me, which only amused the god more.

"This is serious." Chiron was in what I call his thinking mode: when he started rubbing circles in his temples, you always knew something was going down.

"It wasn't serious when I nearly croaked it?" Clarisse asked.

She seemed like the only relaxed one there. Unless you counted Mr. D, but he rarely cared about anything.

"Of course I was worried," Chiron said. "But I had hope. I thought perhaps that it would only be once. If it is continuous, and it can affect multiple women…"

"Then a ton of camp is in danger," I finished.

"We need to know more," Chiron said. "The Oracle should be consulted. Rachel—"

"Isn't here," Clarisse reminded him. "Family vacation, remember?"

As the oracle, my friend Rachel was the one responsible for doling out prophecies, which were kind of a must whenever things got cooky, dangerous, or unexplainable. Since this checked all of the above, that made talking to her pretty important.

Unfortunately, she had a life outside of being Oracle. She painted, attended college, and (when she couldn't wriggle out of it) went on family vacations.

Her family went anywhere. One year it was the Caribbean, the next it was Tokyo. Being uber rich helps with that. I tended to lose track, but I felt like I remembered this year being Hawaii.

"I will call her," Chiron promised. "If she can return early, perhaps the wait will not be too long."

"Good luck," I said. "The last time she convinced her dad to let her leave, she sold her future to do it."

Chiron's tail swished nervously. "We will just have to hope it won't come to that." He pawed at the ground with a front hoof. "Is there any good news that has come from this? Any at all?"

"…no babies," Lou mumbled softly.

"What was that, Ms. Blackstone?"

Lou Ellen squeaked. She inched further behind me, like I was a shield for her embarrassment.

"What stops the curse is… male ejaculation," she whispered. "And it must be, erm, inside. Very dangerous. But the curse sucks the energy out of it, using it like fuel. So as many times as it happens, nothing will can be created. If you understand."

For a lot of campers, Chiron was like an adoptive parent. I imagined trying to explain the mechanical details of magical (not-)babymaking to Paul, before immediately wishing I hadn't.

Chiron cleared his throat. "That… is good. Thank you, Ms. Blackstone."

Mr. D sighed as he turned a page.

"This place would have looked hilarious with a dozen swollen stomachs waddling around," he said forlornly.

"And after, once the children were born?" Chiron asked. "Even you might have had to change a diaper."

Mr. D froze with his fingers on the next page.

"A thousand praises to the curse's author," he said.

His voice was completely serious.

Our impromptu meeting broke apart a few minutes later. It wasn't exactly a private setting, and some campers were curious enough to stop and try to listen. There was a pair of Hermes kids lurking, who were about the last demigods I trusted not to eavesdrop. I also spotted a gaggle of Aphrodite girls. That was a match made in the Underworld if I ever saw one. With Aphrodite girls to gossip about it, the second the Hermes kids knew our secret, so would the whole camp.

One in the middle, a gorgeous girl with dark skin and darker hair, was sniffing the air. She caught me looking. I could only see one of her eyes from where I was standing, so I hoped the way it closed when she saw me staring was just a blink, and not a wink.

It was late in the day, and I felt as tired as the guy who ran the first marathon. I trudged straight to my cabin and shut myself inside. I didn't even show up to dinner. Chiron must've thought that was a smart decision, because a plate of ribs and veggies mysteriously appeared on my doorstep, and he never came to check in.

Or he did, and I was too comatose to know it. As soon as I'd eaten I collapsed into bed. Falling asleep never felt easier.

I don't know exactly how long I slept, but it was long enough to make my head feel stuffed with cotton in a good way.

It was still totally dark out when I opened my eyes. At first I wasn't sure what woke me. Then I felt the bed shift under someone else's weight.

I felt deja vu to waking up with Annabeth in my bed. Somehow that morning was only two days ago. After everything, it felt like a lot more.

"Welcome back," I said sleepily. "You missed me that much?"

It wasn't unusual for her to sneak over in the middle of the night. I didn't think much of it.

"Yesss," she said. "Missssed you."

I blinked groggily. "What's wrong with your voice?"

It was deeper than usual, and she spent a little bit too long pronouncing each 's'.

I felt her moving on the bed, pulling the blanket off to get it out of the way.

"I am… sick! Yes, very sssick."

"Oh. Okay."

My brain was coming online slowly. She pulled down my shorts. Her nails were really getting long; I felt them scrape my skin in a way I was sure would leave marks. I reached down and massaged her shoulders, making her sigh.

"You're so soft," I said. "Like… feathers?"

Two things happened in that moment.

First: the fountain in the Poseidon Cabin always tosses up mist in just the right way to support an Iris Message. Bianca used it once from beyond the grave, and since then it had happened a few more times. This was one of those. An image formed in the air of a girl sitting on a sunny sandy beach.

Second: in the fresh light, I could see the room. I could see the blanket tossed off on the floor, edges sliced through where it had been grabbed. I could see the face of the woman in the bed, a woman who wasn't Annabeth. I could see the shoulders I was holding, and the long red wings sprouting from them. Worst of all, I could see the face hovering above my crotch. She wasn't Annabeth. She wasn't even human. Her mouth opened, revealing ridges of wicked sharp teeth that hadn't been brushed in at least a century.

"Thanksss for the meal!" The harpy exclaimed, preparing to bite.

I've never thrown a harder punch in my life, and I don't think I ever will.

The harpy tumbled backwards off the bed with a crack and a squawk. She surged up, but I was faster. Snatching Riptide from my bedside table, I uncapped the sword and leapt forward, plunging it into her. She exploded into dust.

"Sssister?" a voice asked from the door. "Are you finished?"

"I'm sick of waiting!" cried another. "I'm taking my taste now!"

Three more harpies burst into the room, each with a different colored plumage. They were technically Camp staff. They enforced curfew, snatching any young demigod foolish enough to break the rules. But they were absolutely forbidden from entering cabins. I'd never heard of them acting like this.

When they saw me kneeling naked over what used to be their sister, all three of them froze. Righteous fury over their possible plans for my penis coursed through me.

"Who exactly was getting tasted?" I growled.

Which is all a long way of explaining how Rachel Elizabeth Dare, oracle of Apollo and my almost-ex, watched me chase three bird women around a room with a sword while wearing nothing but my birthday suit.

"Thanks," I said. "I really owe you one."

There were still a few feathers in my hair. My boxers were back on, but I hadn't bothered with the rest of my clothes. After all that, it was nothing Rachel hadn't seen.

Speaking of Rachel, she was really leaning into the whole Hawaii thing. She had a tie dyed beach towel under her, probably homemade. She wasn't wearing a whole lot more than I was, just a t-shirt that stopped above the belly button and a bright red bikini bottom which showed off her milky legs. Big dark sunglasses covered her eyes, but the blush behind her freckles said they hadn't blotted out any of the show.

"When Chiron called and said you were in trouble, I didn't expect it to look quite like that," she said.

"Neither did I," I admitted. "But I think you just saved my penis."

Even the thought of those jagged teeth snapping down was enough to make me cringe.

"You're welcome," Rachel said. "But listen, as glad as I am that this all worked out, that's not why I called. Chiron explained the gist of this curse. The way it attracts women—"

"And monsters, apparently."

"—and puts their lives in danger. But what you don't know is this is bigger than that. Two days ago, I lost my connection to Apollo."

"You just lost it? Like you put it down somewhere and don't remember where?"

"He's always in my head," Rachel said seriously. "It isn't like he's speaking to me, but I can feel the presence. When a prophecy comes out, it starts through that connection. But I can't feel it anymore! It's like it's been cut. Or, more likely, something is blocking it."

That sounded serious. Luckily, I was still too distracted by my lower body's close call to panic over something like this.

"Who could be strong enough to bully Apollo out of your brain?" I asked.

Rachel tilted her head forward, letting her sunglasses slide to the tip of her nose.

"Something as powerful as him, at least. But I don't think it was easy for them. When I focus really hard, I can almost feel a flicker of the connection. If a prophecy is ready to come out, I think I may be able to batter past the blockage."

What went unsaid was that prophecies were very much face-to-face business. They didn't function all that well over video call, especially not if you were trying to force one out.

"So you're coming back?" I asked hopefully.

Rachel winced. "I would, but—"

"Rachel?" A man's voice called from out of shot. "Rachel, dear, Thomas is looking for you! One of his stocks rose by eight percent this morning, and he'd love to celebrate by buying you a drink."

I didn't know who Thomas was, but Rachel's nose crinkled in disgust.

"Dad's trying to set me up with a friend's son," Rachel explained quickly. "He's really excited about it, which makes one of us. I could threaten him at gunpoint and I think he still wouldn't let me fly back early from this one."

With a sinking feeling in my chest, I asked, "How long are you supposed to stay?"

"Two more weeks," Rachel said. "Unless Dad gets distracted and takes us on a detour. Last time, we ended up in Southern France on our way back from Japan. It wasn't even on the way!"

Two weeks. At least. Could we wait that long?

The answer was, I didn't know. Even if I locked myself in my cabin, we still weren't sure what made the curse pass on. How many people would it work through by then?

I thought of the harpies, now piles of dust and feathers on my cabin floor. Until fifteen minutes ago we had no idea the magic would attract them. How much else didn't we know? There was so much that could go wrong.

Rachel leaned into the Iris message. "If you can't wait that long, there's another option. Get to me. If you find us in Hawaii, I can give you the prophecy. From there, you can actually work on fixing this."

"Rachel!" Another, younger voice shouted. "There you are!"

She muttered something unfit for polite company. "I have to go. Listen: we're staying in the Dewdrop Hotel, on Maui. If you spot an obnoxious blond bragging about his portfolio, you're in the right place. I know it's a lot, but you're you. If anyone can manage it…"

Rachel flashed me a final smile. She swiped her hand through the image and ended the call just as a guy around our age with sandy hair and pearly teeth was stepping into shot, a whole tray of drinks in his hands.

Back in the dark, the Poseidon Cabin felt deafeningly quiet. Out the window dawn was just starting. It would be a few hours before everyone else was up and starting the day.

With a sigh, I looked for a broom to sweep up the harpy bits all over my floor. Packing could wait until daylight.

I'd always wanted to visit Hawaii. For some reason, I imagined the circumstances being a little bit different to this. I ducked under a mandible bigger than a mailbox before driving my sword up. Riptide sliced cleanly through thick carapace. I rolled back to keep from being buried under a rain of dust as the Myrmeke — think ordinary ant but a couple thousand times too big — wailed and started its return trip to Tartarus.

I flicked my sword, cleaning off any residue stuck to it. Looking around, the forest was quiet. I sighed and capped Anaklusmos.

The first thing I did when I was done packing was book it deep into the woods. Camp always kept them stocked with monsters, and I just had to check.

If monsters swarmed to me like the harpies from last night, then taking ten steps over the Camp's magical border could be deadly, let alone traveling all the way to Hawaii. What I found out was good. Monsters weren't acting any differently; they'd fight if they spotted me, but they weren't swarming toward my position, and they didn't care about eating me any more than usual.

"Then why did the harpies react that way?" I mumbled.

I had stopped by the Big House on my way. I told Chiron everything, from the attack in the night to the need for the trip. He agreed. For once I didn't even feel bad about leaving all the organizing to him. Clarisse and Lou Ellen would have to come, at least, and there was no way I was facing this without Annabeth. If any more campers ended up infected, I was scared how big this group would get.

So here I was, deep in the dangerous woods, quarantining.

"I knew I'd find you here."

I spun around before relaxing just as fast. Annabeth stared at me, leaning against a tree in a tight white t-shirt and jeans. Her eyes found the disintegrated monster in front of me.

"Good thinking," she said. "No people, and monsters. Coming here gets two harpies with one stone."

I wasn't even surprised she figured out my plan already. "Technically, it was three harpies and a sword."

"I heard from Chiron." She pushed off the tree, walking over. "Are you alright?"

"Just about." I rubbed my pants absently. "It was close, though."

"I think we're both very glad it didn't come to that," she said dryly.

I'd say she looked beautiful, but you don't stand around pointing out the ocean is blue. Her shirt, which read San Francisco Trivia Night Champions, was a size or two smaller than she usually wore. When she crossed her arms, it rode up above her belly button.

"You're going to track down Rachel," she said.

"Out of the options we have… It seems like the best one," I said.

She nodded. "I agree. And I want in."

Honestly, I was surprised she felt the need to say it.

"Of course you're coming," I said. "I wouldn't want to do this without you."

She scanned the clearing. I wasn't sure what she was looking for, but after a second she seemed to finish.

"Good," she said finally. "And since we have some time before we go…"

Before I caught up with what was happening she'd dropped to her knees.

Her hands found my shorts. She yanked them down— and unlike the night before, this time it really was my girlfriend doing it.

"Not that I'm not fully on board with what I think is happening," I said, "but… Why is it happening."

Annabeth dragged my boxers down to join my shorts. "Do I need a reason to give my boyfriend a blowjob?"

"When you put it that way…"

It was all happening so fast, I was still mostly soft. She took my head in her mouth, popping her lips off of it. After planting her few more kisses, she reached down and pulled her shirt over her head.

There was no bra underneath. Her perky tits were on full display. My cock rose in real time.

Annabeth decided to help it along. As more blood rushed down she lavished kisses all over my shaft. Then she opened her mouth wide and engulfed me, staring up the entire time. I could feel myself expanding in her mouth, filling the gaps and pushing against her throat.

"Gods," I moaned. "That's a new one."

Apparently, Annabeth was only getting started.

The instant I was erect she pulled her head off. I thought she was going to take things slow, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. She slammed all seven inches of me down her throat before I could react.

She kept going. Her head bobbed violently. Her hands found my ass and held on as she pushed herself even faster.

Wet choking noises filled the clearing. I was sweaty and stinky from a long morning of monster fighting. I wouldn't have wanted to even touch myself down there, but Annabeth seemed determined to batter my cock into submission using nothing but her esophagus.

The whole time she didn't break eye contact.

By now tears were streaming from her eyes. They joined the saliva splattering out of her mouth, mixing together and dripping from her chin onto her exposed breast. Her fingers gripped my backside so tightly, the nails dug into my skin.

It hadn't been long at all, but the blowjob was so intense, so brutal and visceral, that I was about to erupt. Annabeth knew it too. Her fingers tensed. She was gagging, but if anything, she moved her head faster.

"Stop!" I yelled, grabbing her shoulders and shoving her off.

For a moment Annabeth was frozen, stunned where she knelt. Her eyeshadow had been ruined by the tears, and at least half the minimalist lipstick she always wore was smeared across my cock.

"But I almost had it!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah," I said. "That was… unbelievable."

"Then why—!"

"Something's wrong. You have to tell me what it is."

Annabeth was an amazing lover— the best I could've ever asked for. But we'd been together for so long, and been together so many times, I knew when something wasn't like her. There were other signs, too. The missing bra. The too-small shirt. The way she hadn't been sure she was coming, like I'd leave her behind while heading to face down a deadly curse.

"I'm not smart like you," I said. "I can't figure everything out just with my brain. So when there's a problem, I need someone to tell me what it is, or I can't fix it."

Annabeth gaped at me. Which looked kind of hot since she was still on her knees, but this wasn't the time for that.

"You are smart," she said finally.

"Really? That's the part you cared about from all that?"

"It's just, you've already slept with Clarisse and Lou Ellen. It's only been two days, and you've been with two beautiful girls. You don't have a choice, but… How many will it be by the time we fix this? What if it's ten, or twenty, or even more? What if—"

She cut off suddenly, looking at the dirt, but I had a crazy idea of what she'd been about to say.

"You're worried I'll get bored of you," I said.

"It's only logical," she mumbled. "After something like that… Who'd want to go back to just me?"

Her voice sounded small. It was so unlike the girl I knew, the one whose fatal flaw was knowing too well how amazing she was.

I didn't answer— not with words. There was only one way to respond to that.

I pulled Annabeth gently to her feet. She wouldn't meet my eyes, which was fine. I didn't need eye contact for this.

In one smooth motion I lifted her off the ground. She struggled slightly, not used to being carried, but that didn't bother me. I placed her with her back against the broad trunk of a towering pine tree. Kneeling in front of her, I undid her jeans and carefully brought them down off her ankles. Her panties followed a second later. She didn't fight it, lifting her feet when needed.

"Percy, what are you— Eep!"

She yelped as I hooked my arms under her thighs and rose to my full height.

By the end she was suspended six feet off the ground, her back against the smooth bark. Her calves rand down my back, while her thighs pressed around my ears like headphones. I got to work.

Her pussy was right in my face, and my tongue took the open invitation. I ran it over her skin. Blond muff tickled my nose, but I didn't pay it any mind. My tongue peeled back the folds, teasing her.

Annabeth moaned. I must've been doing something right, because her legs tightened their grip on my head.

I did my job fast and relentlessly, and the work was only getting wetter. I couldn't tell if the dampness was coming from my tongue, or Annabeth's arousal— Probably a combination of both.

Her fingers dragged chasms through my wild hair. She was moaning now. I felt her buck against my mouth, hips grinding unconsciously.

My tongue was on a mission. It forced its way around, searching. When it found her clit, I didn't focus on anything else. My tongue moved like a brush, painting the sides. I attacked it relentlessly, pushing and scraping.

Annabeth's hands tightened around fistfuls of my hair. She came, juices flooding into my mouth. I didn't give her a single second. I pulled her away from the tree and let her slide down my body until our hips were connected.

She was draped over me, completely suspended off the ground. I guided her onto my dick, holding her up with two hands on her ass. Without any time to catch her breath from the orgasm, I pushed my way inside her.

"I don't care how many women I sleep with." Annabeth was gasping. She flung her hands around my back, face pressed into my nape while I moved her body manually. "It could be every woman in the world. Any goddess on Olympus. It wouldn't change anything." I kept going, burying myself in her depths. "You want to know why?"

She pulled away from my neck, staring into my eyes as I bounced her up and down. "Why?" she asked.

"Because, I love you—!"

Before I could finish her lips were on mine, smothering the words. She started moving her hips with my motions, and together we crashed to the ground, landing in the grass.

She ended up on top, undulating her body in just the right way to convince me I'd reached Elysium. Our lips were glued together. We didn't need air, we just needed each other. When we reached our climax, it was at the exact same time.

If I was dirty before, I was filthy now. Sweaty, laying in the dirt, Annabeth relaxed against my chest, tucking her head up under my chin.

"That was amazing," she said. "Let's never do it again. I think I have a splinter in my ass."

I might've drifted off into a relaxed, peaceful sleep right there if someone didn't start clapping.

Annabeth and I scrambled up, reaching for our weapons before realizing they were with our clothes, half a clearing away. Luckily, it wasn't monsters. It was the next worst thing.

"Look at the lovebirds!" Clarisse said. She had a packed bag slung over her shoulder, while Lou Ellen peered out from behind her back. "I love you," she mimicked. "Now come here, my love, and let us frolic!"

"I hate you," I said as Annabeth embarrassedly gathered our clothes.

Clarisse didn't look bothered.

"C'mon," she said. "Chiron's got the car ready. If you two are done fucking, that makes it time to go."