Celestial Flames (Percy Jackson Universe)

The List

I don't remember much between the battle and the funeral.

I remember looking for Kelsea. I remember finding her with Shane. I remember screaming. It felt wrong.

I remember Will trying to talk to me but I couldn't register the words he was saying.

I think I saw Annabeth at one point, I don't exactly remember.

I remember my hands shaking. I couldn't get them to stop.

"Elizabeth?"

I looked up and Chiron was there in his centaur form. His eyes were kind, sad, and understanding. "Are you sure you can do this child?" he asked.

I looked out at the pyres spread out in the amphitheatre. Too many. I nodded. "I can."

It was the crowd that scared me more than the speech anyway. I don't remember memorising it, but the words were in my mind, there in a perfect order for each person.

When I was in fourth grade, I had to do a presentation on Ancient Egyptian mythology as part of a group project. Jordan had to give me several pep talks the day of the presentation so I could do it. But I still stuttered through half of it. Now, I couldn't tell you the name of any god on that presentation, but I still remember the way the kids looked at me.

I took a breath and gripped the dog tags around my neck. I walked up and stood beside the son of Hades. He gave me a nod of acknowledgement before I turned to the crowd. Romans and Greeks... so many eyes.

Deep breath Lizzie. It's okay, just take a breath, then start.

I took a breath.

"I didn't prepare any words to say for the Romans that fell today," I began. "All the Greeks that fell, I knew them. I knew them down to my heart. But I didn't know a thing about the Romans, not even their names. They don't deserve to have that disrespect so I asked Michael Kahale, Centurion of the First Cohort to speak for those I did not know."

I don't remember meeting Michael, but the son of Venus sent me a nod of recognition. I nodded back.

I took another breath as I felt the tears begin to form. "But those I did know... the Greeks, they were good people. I could tell you about each of them. Down to their favourite food.

"I could tell you about Kelsea. She was a daughter of Harmonia, the first one in a long time. She was from Vermont and grew up skiing. She was kind, gentle. She believed violence was a last resort. That things could be talked out, that a way can be made that didn't involve fighting. Despite this, she had a pair of matching pistols that shot Celestial bronze bullets. I asked her why once. She said because I understand that some people can not be negotiated with. For a daughter of the goddess of peace, this was a lot for her to accept. She was a calming presence, a warm hug, an eye in the middle of a storm.

"I could tell you about Shane. He was a son of Hephaestus. He was from Minnesota. He was my first friend at Camp, the first person I felt like I could joke around with and tease. He only ever made axes when he was in the forge. I asked him why. He said that anyone could pick up a sword, twirl a knife. But only the strongest and the most determined demigods learn to swing and life an axe. That's why he only made axes. Because he wanted only the strongest, the most determined, the best demigods to ever use them. That's why he carried one himself."

Cabin Nine let out weak chuckles, heads ducked. Tears shone in all of their cheeks, from Harley to Jake. Where I lost a friend, they had lost a brother.

This next part was the hardest. I didn't want to look at Cabin Six, didn't want to see the faces of my siblings. But my eyes went there anyway. Patrick had his face down. Insley was fixated on the pyre where her body was wrapped in grey silk. Justin was looking anywhere but the pyre. Malcolm was constantly removing his glasses to wipe his tears away. Ashley kept fiddling with her bead necklace, three more than mine. Annabeth met my eyes. Percy was beside her, holding her hand. She nodded her head giving me a silent okay.