The Last Olympian: Apollo's Daughter

Final Stand

The armies of the dead clashed with the Titan's monsters. Fifth Avenue exploded into absolute chaos. Mortals screamed and ran for cover. Demeter waved her hand and an entire column of giants turned into a wheat field. Persephone changed the dracaenae's spears into sunflowers. Nico slashed and hacked his way through the enemy, trying to protect the pedestrians as best he could.

"You two," Kronos said, nodding to Ethan and me. "Attend me. Lea lead the Giants...deal with them."

He pointed at my friends. Then he ducked into the lobby.

The first Hyperborean giant smashed at Percy with his club. He rolled between his legs and stabbed Riptide into his backside. The giant shattered into a pile of ice shards. I wanted more than anything to help them but Ethan grabbed my upper arm and dragged me towards the elevator. 

...

Kronos left mansions burning. Statues hacked down and headless. Trees in the parks blasted to splinters. It looked like someone had attacked the city with a giant Weedwacker.

A few minor gods and nature spirits had tried to stop us. What remained of them was now strewn about the road: shattered armor, ripped clothing, swords, and spears broken in half.

Temple by temple we tore through Olympus. "Brick by brick! That was my promise. Tear it down BRICK BY BRICK!"

The white marble temple's gold dome exploded. The dome shot up like the lid of a teapot and shattered into a billion pieces, raining rubble over the city. Ethan and I slunk behind the Titan lord like dogs waiting for orders.

We moved from temple to temple until we reached the hall of the gods.

The doors of the palace were big enough to steer a cruise ship through, but the Titan lord ripped them off their hinges and crushed them like they weighed nothing.

Kronos stood in the middle of the throne room, his arms wide, staring at the starry ceiling as if taking it all in. His laughter echoed even louder than it had from the pit of Tartarus.

"Finally!" he bellowed. "The Olympian Council. So proud and mighty. Which seat of power shall I destroy first? Perhaps your fathers? Or Zeus himself?" He turned to me, his smile chaotic.

I downcast my eyes to the white marble floor.

Ethan stood next to me as we tried to stay out of the way of the Titan's scythe. The hearth was almost dead, just a few coals glowing deep in the ashes. Bessie, the Ophiotaurus swam in his water sphere in the far corner of the room, wisely not making a sound, but it wouldn't be long before Kronos noticed him.

The sound of rushing feet drew my attention from the destruction of Hermes' throne.

Percy was the first to step forward into the torchlight. Ethan cleared his throat from beside me.

"My lord," he warned.

Kronos turned and smiled through Luke's face. Except for the golden eyes, he looked just the same as he always had. Annabeth made a painful sound in the back of her throat like someone had just sucker-punched her.

I knew how she felt.

"Shall I destroy you first, Jackson?" Kronos asked. "Is that the choice you will make? To fight me and die instead of bowing down? Prophecies never end well, you know."

"Luke would fight with a sword," Percy said, stepping up. "But I suppose you don't have his skill."

Kronos sneered. His scythe began to change until he held Luke's old weapon, Backbiter, with its half-steel, half-Celestial bronze blade.

Annabeth gasped like she'd suddenly had an idea. "The blade!" She unsheathed her knife. "The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."

I didn't understand why she was reminding us of that prophecy line right now. It wasn't exactly a morale booster, but before anyone could say anything, Kronos raised his sword.

"Wait!" Annabeth yelled.

Kronos stepped towards my friends with a smirk.