ｔｈｅ　ｔｉｔａｎｓ　ｃｕｒｓｅ

LUCIA DID NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS. By this, she meant dragging a very very very dead lady up a flight of stairs. You'd think the least the Oracle could've done was walk back to the attic by herself.

Instead, Lucia and Percy were elected to carry her. She figured this was punishment for leaving their post but as long as she got to keep her eyebrows she tried to keep the complaining to a minimum.

"Watch her head!" Lucia warned as they went up the stairs. But it was too late. Bonk! Percy whacked her mummified face against the trapdoor frame and dust flew.

Lucia shrieked waving away the dust from her face, while Percy set the oracle down in front of them

"Ah, man." He said. "Did I break anything?"

"I can't tell," Lucia admitted. "I'm not really sure what wasn't broken before the bonk I've tried to avoid looking at her"

"It's your dad's oracle you know" They hauled her up and set her on a tripod stool, both of them huffing and sweating. Who knew a mummy could weigh so much?

"And as much as I respect her" Lucia looked at the oracle who slumped over the stool "This is the first dead body I've had to manhandle give me a break."

"Fair enough" He nodded, Lucia was waiting for him to leave the attic but she watched as he hesitated. She felt only relief when they finally got out of there and slammed the attic door shut.

"That was gross" Lucia scrunched her nose

Percy held his pointer finger out and softly pressed her nose, Lucia was taken aback considering he hadn't done that since they were eight years old

"I missed you so much" he blurted out, there was silence before he continued "you have no idea how hard things are right now for me but having you around...getting you back, really does make it easier luz"

Lucia looked at him without saying anything. His sea-green eyes stared into her sunset brown ones. His gaze felt so heavy on her that Lucia wanted to run away then and there. Percy looked hopeful like he expected her to wrap her arms around him and tell him how happy she was to see him again, how happy she was to have him back.

And yes even if she tried not to, she wanted to let that happen, but she couldn't... she knew he had a really really good excuse. she knew he did, but knowing that didn't stop it from hurting her. While he was fighting monsters she was going through her own. unlike him, she had no one. She suffered so much and still looked for him in any way she could. It may be unfair of her to feel this way but shouldn't he have done the same? shouldn't he have done something? Done anything?

She didn't expect him to show up at her school in Maine and whisk her away like she was a damsel in distress (ironic she knows). she was no damsel in distress. She only wanted a sign that he didn't forget about her. that he didn't abandon her, like her mortal dad, like everyone in her mortal family. But she never got that, no matter what Percy went through. What she went through couldn't be ignored. She wasn't the same girl Percy knew from before and if he had a problem with that there was nothing to be done.

"What will Chiron do?" was all she said

She tried to ignore the way his face fell

"I wish I knew." He looked wistfully out the second-floor window at the rolling hills covered in snow. "I want to be out there."

"Searching for Annabeth?"

He had a little trouble focusing back on Lucia. Then he blushed. "Yes."

Lucia felt a big crater open in her chest. "She'll be found, Percy."

She wanted to encourage him more, but she didn't know-how. She used to know exactly what to say to Percy to make it better but her optimism had pretty much been trampled since she blew up that Volkswagen.

Before He could respond, Thalia tromped up the stairs. She was officially not talking to Percy now, but she looked at Lucia and said, "Tell Percy to get his butt downstairs."

"Why?" He asked.

"Did he say something?" Thalia asked Lucia.

Lucia raised an eyebrow but entertained the daughter of Zeus "Um, he asked why."

"Dionysus called a council of cabin leaders to discuss the prophecy," she said. "Unfortunately, that includes Percy."

"Thalia said—"

"Yeah. I got it, Luz."

☼

LUCIA DIDNT KNOW IF SHE WAS ALLOWED TO BE THERE but there she sat around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room with most of the camp counselors.

Dionysus waved his hand and supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Then Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of them were underage. Mr. D sighed. With a snap of his fingers, the wine turned to Diet Coke. Nobody drank that either.

Mr. D and Chiron (in wheelchair form) sat at one end of the table. Zoe and Bianca (who had kind of become Zoe's personal assistant) took the other end. Percy, Lucia, Thalia, and Grover sat along the right, and the other head councilors—Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, Lee Fletcher, and the Stoll brothers—sat on the left. The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative, too, but all of them had gotten broken limbs (accidentally) during capture the flag, courtesy of the Hunters. They were resting up in the infirmary.

"Lulu, they may need you in the infirmary," Lee told his sister, who seemed lost and stuck now that she was caught in the middle of an important meeting

She went to leave when Percy held a hand out to block her "No, we need her"

"Do we really?" One of the Stoll brothers asked sarcastically

"Well do we really need both of you?" he sassed

"Percy." Chiron spoke calmly but Lucia could tell it was a warning "Lucia may stay, she seems to have the gift of foresight which could be useful in deciding an outcome. "

Lucia had a feeling it had to do more with sympathy for Percy and his fragile state right now rather than her actual abilities

Percy, blind to that, smiled at Chiron's decision before putting his hand back onto his lap. Lucia who was now embarrassed at the unnecessary attention she received sank back into her chair.

Zoe started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless."

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

"There is no time for talk," Zoe continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said. Lucia was amazed at how different she looked after just a few days with the Hunters. Her dark hair was braided like Zoe's now, so you could actually see her face. She looked like she'd been working out, and her skin glowed faintly, like the other Hunters, as if she'd been taking showers in liquid moonlight. Lucia wondered if she looked like she was taking showers in liquid sunlight but decided against asking. "You heard the prophecy. Six shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get six hunters and go."

"Yes," Zoe agreed. "Artemis is being held, hostage! We must find her and free her."

"My father's oracle said Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together." Lucia spoke up, for someone who hated unnecessary attention she sure wasn't doing herself any favors, but she wasn't going to let someone not follow the prophecy correctly. she knew the story of Oedipus and she watched the movie Final Destination, you try to change fate and it will come back to bite you in the ass eventually.

Some campers seemed to not appreciate her butting in and glared at her. which really caused the people-pleaser in her to scream. Her brother however looked at her with a proud smile and Percy squeezed her knee in reassurance which caused her to calm down, she figured she didn't mess up as bad as she thought she did.

"No!" Zoe said. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your" Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoe. Get with the times."

Zoe hesitated, like she was trying to form the word correctly. " Yerrr. We do not need yerrr help."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

"Lucia is right, I fear the prophecy says you do need our help," Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

"Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it had a fine bouquet "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?"

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?"

Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful."

"We're supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Lucia nodded agreeing with Thalia, Zoe grimaced, but Lucia could tell Thalia had scored a point.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice."

"Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting."

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoe said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

Mr. D nodded. "Just checking. You're right, of course. Carry on."

"I must agree with Zoe," said Chiron. "Artemis's presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a week to find her. And possibly even more important: to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."

"Three and Three," Percy said.

Everybody looked at Him. Thalia and Lucia even forgot to ignore him.

"We're supposed to have Six," He said, he looked self-conscious. Lucia, even though she yelled at herself not to, gave his own arm a subtle squeeze in reassurance. which seemed to push him to continue "Three Hunters, Three from Camp Half-Blood. That's fair."

Thalia and Zoe exchanged looks.

Percy found Lucia's hand on his arm and before she could pull away his fingers intertwined with her own. Lucia tried to act normal but she felt so hot she swore it was 90 degrees outside. She caught a glimpse of Silena Beauregard who gave her a knowing smile.

oh my gods this is so embarrassing

"Well," Thalia said. "It does make sense."
Zoe grunted. "I would prefer to take all the Hunters. We will need strength of numbers."

"You'll be retracing the goddess's path," Chiron reminded her. "Moving quickly. No doubt Artemis tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. You will have to do the same. The prophecy was clear: The bane of Olympus shows the trail. What would your mistress say? 'Too many Hunters spoil the scent.' A small group is best."

Zoe picked up a Ping-Pong paddle and studied it like she was deciding who she wanted to whack first. "This monster—the bane of Olympus. I have hunted at Lady Artemis's side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast might be."

Everybody looked at Dionysus, Lucia guessed because he was the only god present, and gods were supposed to know things. He was flipping through a wine magazine, but when everyone got silent he glanced up, "Well, don't look at me. I'm a young god, remember? I don't keep track of all those ancient monsters and dusty titans. They make for terrible party conversation."

"Chiron," Percy said, still holding on to Lucia's hand. "you don't have any ideas about the monster?"

Chiron pursed his lips. "I have several ideas, none of them good. And none of them quite make sense. Typhon, for instance, could fit this description. He was truly a bane of Olympus. Or the sea monster Keto. But if either of these were stirring, we would know it. They are ocean monsters the size of skyscrapers. Your father, Poseidon, would already have sounded the alarm. I fear this monster may be more elusive. Perhaps even more powerful."

"That's some serious danger you're facing," Connor Stoll said. (Lucia liked how he said you and not we.) "It sounds like at least two of the six are going to die."

She suddenly squeezed Percy's hand as if it were going to slip away from her, he squeezed back

"One shall be lost in the land without rain," Beckendorf said. "If I were you, I'd stay out of the desert."

There was a muttering of agreement.

"And the Titan's curse must one withstand," Silena said. "What could that mean?"

Chiron and Zoe exchanged a nervous look, but whatever they were thinking, they didn't share it. It was clear they were hiding something.

"One shall perish by a parent's hand," Grover said in between bites of Cheez Whiz and Ping-Pong balls. "How is that possible? Whose parent would kill them?"

There was heavy silence around the table.

Lucia was confused she looked at Percy for an answer but he looked past her and glanced at Thalia.

"What is it?" Lucia asked letting go of his hand and pulling at his sleeve, she had a feeling in her chest she couldn't shake and she didn't like it at all. She needed to know. "What's wrong? I know something is wrong I feel it, Percy."

Everyone seemed to notice that there was a reason the Daughter of Apollo was reacting so strongly and a heaviness fell over them all.

"There's a prophecy... a big one" Was all he said "I promise I'll tell you after"

"There will be deaths," Chiron decided to stay on track "That much we know."

"Oh, goody!" Dionysus said.

Everyone looked at him. He glanced up innocently from the pages of Wine Connoisseur magazine. "Ah, pinot noir is making a comeback. Don't mind me."

"Percy is right," Silena Beauregard said. "Three campers should go."

"Oh, I see," Zoe said sarcastically. "And I suppose you wish to volunteer?"

Silena blushed. "I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters. Don't look at me!"

"A daughter of Aphrodite does not wish to be looked at," Zoe scoffed. "What would thy mother say?"

Silena started to get out of her chair, but the Stoll brothers pulled her back.

"Stop it," Beckendorf said. He was a big guy with a bigger voice. He didn't talk much, but when he did, people tended to listen. "Let's start with the Hunters. Which three of you will go?"

Zoe stood. "I shall go, of course, and I will take Phoebe. She is our best tracker." "The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" Travis Stoll asked cautiously.

Zoe nodded.

"The one who put the arrows in my helmet?" Connor added.

"Yes," Zoe snapped. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Travis said. "Just that we have a T-shirt for her from the camp store." He held up a big silver T-shirt that said ARTEMIS THE MOON GODDESS, FALL HUNTING TOUR 2002, with a huge list of national parks and stuff underneath. "It's a collector's item. She was admiring it. You want to give it to her?"

Lucia felt uneasy about his offer. Part of her wanted to tell Zoe not to receive the shirt but the other half decided it was best to stay silent. Zoe just sighed and took the T-shirt. "As I was saying, I will take Phoebe. And I wish Bianca to go."

Bianca looked stunned. "Me? But... I'm so new. I wouldn't be any good."

"You will do fine," Zoe insisted. "There is no better way to prove thyself."

Bianca closed her mouth.

"And for campers?" Chiron asked.

"Me!" Grover stood up so fast he bumped the Ping-Pong table. He brushed cracker crumbs and Ping-Pong ball scraps off his lap. "Anything to help Artemis!"

Zoe wrinkled her nose. "I think not, satyr. You are not even a half-blood."

"But he is a camper," Thalia said. "And he's got a satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet, Grover?"

"Absolutely!"

Zoe wavered. Lucia didn't know what a tracker's song was, but apparently, Zoe thought it was a good thing.

"Very well," Zoe said. "And the second camper?"

"I'll go." Thalia stood and looked around, daring anyone to question her before she finished. "And Lucia will come with us"

"What!" three voices overlapped each other. Lee, Percy, and Lucia stared at Thalia like she had grown three hydra heads.

"You have the gift of foresight" Thalia pointed out "And we all saw you during capture the flag. you dodged every hunter's arrow like it was nothing. You're coming with."

"That doesn't mean anything" Lucia shook her head "I just heard when they were coming! I didn't even shoot once! I just ran!"

"You heard them?" Lee asked in surprise

"Audiokinesis" Chiron came to the conclusion "The ability to manipulate sound... Many apollo kids have something to a degree but I've never heard of it like this. It's possible you may have been blessed by your father"

blessed yeah right

Before Lucia could blink she felt the air in the room change, a whoosh sound got closer and before she knew it she had a grapevine in her hand holding it inches away from her chest. The end of the vine was needle-sharp ready to stab through Lucia's heart if she didn't hear it.

"What the fuck!" Percy yelled pushing the vine away from her. Thalia who was on the other side of Lucia asked if she was okay, Lucia let out a small uhuh.

Mr. D spoke calmly, "Yup she's got it... Looks like shes in"

"Mr. D!" Chiron scolded "Please refrain from using your powers against our campers... especially the new ones"

"Lucia. You should do it." Lee encouraged her immediately "You're not as bad with a bow as you think you are."

"It is true..." Chiron nodded "And If you are blessed by your father I believe it may be for a reason"

Lucia hesitated, "I'm not experienced"

"Neither am I!" Bianca reminded her "You should do it.!"

"I believe that I agree" Zoe approved "shall thy accept?"

Lucia thought of Annabeth, the pain she was feeling and the crushing weight she was currently enduring right now "Yes I'll do it"

"Whoa, wait a sec," Percy said realizing all the spots were taken "I want to go too."

Thalia said nothing. Chiron was studying Percy, his eyes sad.

"Oh," Grover said, suddenly aware of the problem. "Whoa, yeah, I forgot! Percy has to go. I didn't mean... I'll stay. Percy should go in my place."

"He cannot," Zoe said. "He is a boy. I won't have Hunters traveling with a boy."

"You traveled here with me," Percy reminded her.

"That was a short-term emergency, and it was ordered by the goddess. I will not go across country and fight many dangers in the company of a boy."

"What about Grover?" Lucia asked

Zoe shook her head. "He does not count. He's a satyr. He is not technically a boy."

"Hey!" Grover protested.

"I have to go," Percy stood. "I need to be on this quest."

"Why?" Zoe asked. "Because of thy friend Annabeth?"

Percy began to blush. everyone was looking at him."No! I mean, partly. I just feel like I'm supposed to go!"

Nobody rose to his defense. Mr. D looked bored, he continued reading his magazine. Silena, the Stoll brothers, Lee and Beckendorf were staring at the table. Bianca gave him a look of pity.

"No," Zoe said flatly. "I insist upon this. I will take a satyr if I must, but not a male hero."

Chiron sighed. "The quest is for Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions."

Lucia didn't have to be a prophet to know Percy didn't like that answer as he sat back down. Lucia looked at him sympathetically, but he didn't look at anyone. He just sat there as Chiron concluded the council.

"So be it," he said. "Thalia, Lucia, and Grover will accompany Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods"—he glanced at Dionysus—"present company included, we hope—be with you."

☼

WHEN LUCIA GOT TO THE DINING PAVILLION that night she couldn't help her nerves, She'd spent half of the rest of the day in the archery field and half of it in the infirmary helping Will. At some point, once her siblings heard from Lee that she had some kind of 'sound power' they kept coming over to her asking if they could throw things at her to deflect. She said yes until one of them picked up an entire Cello.

When Percy didn't show up for dinner that night, Lucia couldn't stop herself from going to check on him.

She knocked the melody of his favorite song; Riptide by Vance Joy, subconsciously hoping he would remember all the times she would do the same on his bedroom door

"Luz?" He called "Come in"

"Hey," She said awkwardly stepping in, She looked around at his drastically different cabin. Where her's was filled with noise and people, his only had him.

The cabin was low, long, and solid, with all the windows facing the sea. The outer walls were rough gray stone with pieces of seashell and coral and looked like the bottom of the ocean floor. On the inside though, it had six empty bunk beds and the walls glowed like abalone.  There were a few bronze hippocampi on the ceiling as decorations, along with unknown underwater plants and corals, sitting on the window sill. A fountain made out of gray sea rock was in the middle with a fish that spouted water from its mouth and coral decorations. Lucia noticed the Yankees cap on his nightstand, as well as the minotaur horn that was hung up near his bed.

"Wow" She looked around before looking at him with a cheesy grin "I always knew you loved Finding Nemo a little too much"

"That fish loved his son!" Percy defended himself

Lucia giggled before sitting in front of him on one of the bottom bunks, she figured this is where he chose to sleep

"You know you're not allowed to be in here right." Percy said "Did you ever get to watch that orientation film"

"No" She admitted, "It doesn't look like you're kicking me out though."

"And I'm not going to,"

"Tell me about the prophecy" She changed the subject "The big one.."

Percy looked down, the bags under his eye darker than Lucia had ever seen them. He slumped over almost defeated.

"Years ago...Chiron had a prophecy about the next child of the Big Three—Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades—who turned sixteen. Supposedly, that kid would make a decision that would save or destroy the gods forever. Because of that, the Big Three had taken an oath after World War II not to have any more kids. But Thalia and I were been born anyway, and now we are both getting close to sixteen." He explained, "Many people want me dead Luz... the only reason some gods haven't tried is to not offend my father."

'it's not you' she wanted to say 'it can't be you' but she couldn't say anything. not when her gut told her it was a lie.

Instead, she did the one thing she knew how to do and flew forward. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she clung to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist. He let himself cry and buried his face in her neck, in her arms he let out what he had been holding in for so long.

"You Kelp Head!" She cried in frustration but that's all she was able to say

She was then glad he wasn't going on the quest. she knew two people were going to die and she was glad that Percy wasn't going to be anywhere near that risk, even if it meant that she was.

"I'll bring her back" Lucia mumbled against his shoulder

"What?"

"Annabeth." Lucia brought up as she broke the hug and wiped his tears away with her warm hands "I know you care about her so I promise I'll bring her back"

He smiled down at her before his face twisted in realization "Bring yourself back for me too, okay? This is your first quest so please...be careful"

"You think I'm going to make it?" Lucia teased, "I think I'm going to die the second I ste-"

"Dont say that" He snapped "Dont."

"Per-"

"It's not funny Luz," He said seriously

"Percy, I'm so sorry!" Grover interrupted, storming into the room which caused Lucia to jump at the heightened noise of the door slamming against the wall. "I didn't know they'd—that you'd—Honest!"

He started to sniffle, and he sat on the bed next to the two. He rested his head on Lucia's shoulder and she ran a finger through his curls out of habit. Lucia thought if he didn't cheer up soon he'd either start bawling or chewing up Percy's mattress. In her time knowing him as a satyr he tends to eat household objects whenever he gets upset.

"It's okay," Percy lied. "Really. It's fine."

Grover's lower lip trembled. "I wasn't even thinking... I was so focused on helping Artemis. But I promise, I'll look everywhere for Annabeth. If I can find her, I will. "

Percy nodded but Lucia knew deep down he didn't feel satisfied with either of their promises.

"Grover," Chiron said, Lucia's eyes widened seeing the centaur was at the door "perhaps you'd let me have a word with Percy?"

"Sure," he sniffled. Chiron waited,

"Oh," Grover said. "You mean alone. Sure, Chiron." He looked at Percy miserably. "See? Nobody needs a goat."

Lucia frowned she reached out to pat Grover's head, she didn't know how but it seemed to have worked in lifting his spirits

"Thanks, Lulu," He said before trotting out the door, blowing his nose on his sleeve.

Lucia figured that was her cue to leave, instead, Chiron told her to stay where she was

Chiron sighed and knelt on his horse legs. "Percy, I don't pretend to understand prophecies."

"Yeah," Percy said. "Well, maybe that's because they don't make any sense."

"That's our bad" Lucia joked

Chiron gazed at the saltwater spring gurgling in the corner of the room. "Thalia would not have been my first choice to go on this quest. She's too impetuous. She acts without thinking. She is too sure of herself"

"Would you have chosen me?"

"Frankly, no," he said. "You and Thalia are much alike."

"Thanks a lot."

He smiled. "The difference is that you are less sure of yourself than Thalia. That could be good or bad. But one thing I can say: both of you together would be a dangerous thing."

"We could handle it."
"The way you handled it at the creek tonight?"

Percy didn't answer. Chiron nailed him and they all knew it.

"Perhaps it is for the best," Chiron mused. "You can go home to your mother for the holidays. If we need you, we can call."

"Yeah," Percy said. "Maybe."

Percy pulled a pen out of his pocket and set it on his nightstand. Lucia remembered that it was really a sword when uncapped and ironically it had the same name as his favorite song. Percy set it down like he was disappointed he wouldn't be able to use it for more than writing Christmas cards.

When he saw the pen, Chiron grimaced. "It's no wonder Zoe doesn't want you along, I suppose. Not while you're carrying that particular weapon."

Lucia didn't understand what he meant but she figured she'd involved herself enough for a day

Chiron pulled a golden drachma from his saddlebag and tossed it to him. "Call your mother, Percy. Let her know you're coming home in the morning. And, ah, for what it's worth... I almost volunteered for this quest myself. I would have gone, if not for the last line."

"One shall perish by a parent's hand. Yeah."

Lucia didn't need to ask. She knew Chiron's dad was Kronos, the evil Titan Lord himself. The line would make perfect sense if Chiron went on the quest. She figured if Kronos could eat his kids once he would have no problem killing them. Kronos didn't seem like the type to care for anyone, including his own children.

"Chiron," Percy said. "You know what this Titan's curse is, don't you?"

His face darkened. He made a claw over his heart and pushed outward—an ancient gesture for warding off evil. "Let us hope the prophecy does not mean what I think. Now, good night, Percy. And your time will come. I'm convinced of that. There's no need to rush."

"Lucia" Chiron finally addressed "Say your goodbyes and then I want you right back inside your cabin. For future reference, I want this door open if you two will be in here alone."

"Yes sir" she shyly responded, he stepped out of the cabin leaving the door slightly ajar probably to signal she had to leave soon

Lucia turned towards Percy who didn't seem to be able to look her in the eye.

"Why are you mad at me," He asked "You weren't happy to see me. Sometimes I feel like you still aren't"

"Percy I only came here to check on you" Lucia started "Chiron wants me back in my cabin so let's not do this right now. Goodnight"

"No." He stopped her, he walked towards his door opened it wide then stepped back in front of Lucia "Door open, you can stay as long as you want."

"I have a quest tomorrow. I'm tired and I didn't watch the video but I still know we have a curfew." Lucia went to leave but he wasn't going to let her go that easily this time

"Luz Please" his voice broke, and Lucia stopped. She couldn't ignore him like that, not when he sounded so hurt. Tears fell down his cheeks and she slowly found herself crying with him. It hit her all at once. She shoved him away from her as a sob fell from her lips.

"You want to know?" Lucia cried "I didn't hear from you for a year, eight months, and five days. I sent letters, I called your mom, gods I even tried calling smelly Gabe, I tried everything. I cried so much I didn't understand why. I wanted to hear from you.. just once... I wanted my best friend. But you threw me away like I was nothing. like I was nothing to you... "

Percy went to protest

"I know Percy." Lucia cried "I know you were busy I know you were going through the unimaginable. I know. I'm not allowed to be mad at you but I am. When you came back did you ask your mom what happened to me? that I had to go to court? did you even know my stepmom sent me away? When you came back did you wonder at all about me? Did I matter at all?"

Lucia only cried harder and Percy stepped forward to hold her but she pushed him away "No. Dont touch me."

"Luz, I thought-"

"Goodnight Percy" Lucia cut him off, she sniffled, angry at herself for opening her big mouth. "I'll see you after my quest"

"Lu-"

Before he could even finish his sentence she was gone, the gold hue that enveloped the walls in Percy's room disappearing with her.

☼

LUCIA DIDN'T REMEMBER FALLING ASLEEP, BUT SHE REMEMBERED THE DREAM

She was back in that barren cave, the ceiling heavy and low above Her. Annabeth was kneeling under the weight of a dark mass that looked like a pile of boulders. She was too tired even to cry out. Her legs trembled. Any second, She knew she would run out of strength, and the cavern ceiling would collapse on top of her.

"How is our mortal guest?" a male voice boomed. The voice was deeper and lower, like a bass guitar. Its force made the ground vibrate.

Luke emerged from the shadows. He ran to Annabeth, knelt beside her, then looked back at the unseen man. "She's fading. We must hurry."

don't touch her! Lucia found herself yelling, she only felt anger looking at the blonde boy.

The deep voice chuckled. It belonged to someone in the shadows, at the edge of her dream. Then a meaty hand thrust someone forward into the light—Artemis—her hands and feet bound in celestial bronze chains.

Lucia gasped. Her aunt's silvery dress was torn and tattered. Her face and arms were cut in several places, and she was bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods.

"You heard the boy," said the man in the shadows. "Decide!"

Artemis's eyes flashed with anger. Lucia didn't know why she just didn't will the chains to burst, or make herself disappear, but she didn't seem able to. Maybe the chains prevented her, or some magic about this dark, horrible place.

The goddess looked at Annabeth and her expression changed to concern and outrage. "How dare you torture a maiden like this!"

"She will die soon," Luke said. "You can save her."

Annabeth made a weak sound of protest. Lucia's heart felt like it was being twisted into a knot. She wanted to run to her, but she couldn't move.

Annabeth I'm coming, I'm coming I promise... Lucia put emphasis on her voice

Annabeth let out a breath of relief

"Free my hands," Artemis said.

Luke brought out a sword, a double-edged sword made of two metals: steel and what she assumed was Celestial Bronze. With one expert strike, he broke the goddess's handcuffs.

Artemis ran to Annabeth and took the burden from her shoulders. Annabeth collapsed on the ground and lay there shivering. Artemis staggered, trying to support the weight of the black rocks.

The man in the shadows chuckled. "You are as predictable as you were easy to beat, Artemis."

"You surprised me," the goddess said, straining under her burden. "It will not happen again."

"Indeed it will not," the man said. "Now you are out of the way for good! I knew you could not resist helping a young maiden. That is, after all, your specialty, my dear."

Artemis groaned "You know nothing of mercy, you swine."
"On that," the man said, "we can agree. Luke, you may kill the girl now."

No!

"No!'" Artemis shouted.

Luke hesitated. "She—she may yet be useful, sir.. Further bait."
"Bah! You truly believe that?"
"Yes, General. They will come for her. I'm sure."

The man considered. "Then the dracaenae can guard her here. Assuming she does not die from her injuries, you may keep her alive until winter solstice. After that, if our sacrifice goes as planned, her life will be meaningless. The lives of all mortals will be meaningless."

Luke gathered up Annabeth's listless body and carried her away from the goddess.

"You will never find the monster you seek," Artemis said. "Your plan will fail."

"How little you know, my young goddess," the man in the shadows said. "Even now, your darling attendants begin their quest to find you. They shall play directly into my hands. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a long journey to make. We must greet your Hunters and make sure their quest is... challenging."

The man's laughter echoed in the darkness, shaking the ground until it seemed the whole cavern ceiling would collapse.