Celestial Flames (Percy Jackson Universe)

The Closing

"Hold still," Will advised. He started unwrapping the bandages on my hands.

My hands weren't too bad. Just a little red now. They were better than they had been a month ago. Will grabbed a container with silver paste in it.

"What's that?" I asked.

"It's a burn salve," he told me. "Hold still. This might be a little cold."

I licked my lips and bit my cheek when Will applied the salve. The salve was cold and Will rubbed it in. It almost disappeared into my skin.

"Thanks," I said. I paused before I asked, "How's Keith doing?"

Will froze before he sighed. "Still hasn't woken up yet."

"He will," I said.

The son of Apollo looked at me with his sky blue eyes. "How do you know?"

"I don't," I admitted. "But I know you. And I know that you won't stop until he wakes up. Even if it kills you like the idiot you are."

Will chuckled, despite the tears in his eyes "You know, running back into that forest, into the middle of a giant fire, that was pretty heroic."

Terrorem had never felt heavier on my hip.

"I'm not a hero, Will," I denied. My voice was low, quiet. But I knew he heard. "I'm a soldier. There's a difference."

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I walked into Cabin Nine and the first thing I saw was the boy in the bunk.

"Jake?" I asked.

He groaned. "Morning."

"What happened?" I asked. He had a cast on his arm and a giant bandage around his head. There were bruises on his face that turned it blue and purple.

"Weapons malfunction," he said. "Shane's in the forge. You know the way."

I didn't give him a pitying smile, though I almost did. I just nodded and made my way to the spiral staircase.

The forge was the same as always. The same encompassing heat that made sweat appear in half a second. The forges were all burning and the sound of hammering filled the air. I found Shane easily. He was near a blade sharpener, hammering out an axe blade.

I walked through the forge to my friend. I saw Nyssa, cooling down a sword blade in a tub of water. She pulled it out and frowned at the blade. She threw it to the side. And gripped the worktable.

Little nine year old Harley was wiring what looked like a six inch tall centaur. He kept muttering something about a curse.

I reached Shane as he was sharpening the axe blade. "Shane!" I yelled. I knew he heard me because his shoulders tensed. But he just kept sharpening the blade. I walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

He shrugged my hand off. "Fine. I'm working."

I knew he was serious about his work. About his projects, but he had never used that tone before. "Shane-"

"I said I'm fine," he repeated. He took the axe off the wheel and walked to a slab of concrete.

"Shane-"

He sliced through the concrete like it was butter. His shoulders heaved as he panted. He stared at the axe in his hands. I heard a small sob break through his body.

I hugged his middle, my head rested at the bottom of his neck. He continued to shake and cry.

"I'm here," I whispered to his skin. "I'm here."