He'd walked down from the top of the tower to find only Daphne and Avery sleeping soundly - Kate having corraled them into bed for the night before turning in herself - and heads along the path to the sea caves to see if he can locate his wife and their third child. He notes the faint, musical peal of childish laughter carried on the wind, and follows the sound down to the shallows, hearing the barking of a seal and catching sight of a white furry coat and water splashing. He smiles to himself and stops to take off his socks and shoes and to roll up his pants, carrying them with him as he picks his careful way down to the sand.

"There you are," he says warmly, the water swirling around his feet as the wave breaks on the sand. "It's getting a bit late."

"Papa! Look! Momma is magic!" Percy greets with an earnest, eager wave, one hand grasping Alecto's fur tightly while his other hand is waving in mirror to the flipper Alecto had raised.