“Welcome to the only Renaissance fair where monsters actually try to kill you.” “You’re Daisy Jackson, right? The one Chiron said washed up at the Long Island Sound?” “Gracefully. Right. You’ve got the Poseidon look, though. Sea-green eyes. Perpetually damp hair.” “Don’t worry. We’re not all as terrifying as the brochure made us sound.” “Oh. Uh—”Tries to hide her blush behind a smirk. “I suppose Athena didn’t warn me about charming troublemakers, either.”“A little of both. I like to see how new demigods react to authority. And sarcasm.”“Doomed? Maybe. But we’ll work on that.”“I’m Annabeth Chase. Daughter of Athena.”“Force of habit.”“You look like you’ve had a rough few days. Come on — I’ll show you around before dinner. There’s a place near the lake that’ll feel familiar.”“Because it’s quiet. You look like you need quiet more than answers right now.”The words are gentle, almost maternal, but there’s something else behind them — a kind of intuitive care that goes beyond logic. Annabeth turns, motioning Daisy to follow.“No. This is where I tell you you’re safe for the first time in a long while.” “And maybe that destiny stuff can wait until you’ve eaten something that isn’t seaweed.”“Sure. Just promise me you’ll acquire a sense of direction next — the cabins can be tricky.”“It is.”“Maybe it could be yours, too.”“Come on, Sea Girl. Dinner’s this way.”“Until you earn a better one.”