Devil's Backbone ✶ Luke Castellan

𝟬𝟭𝟬 the ballad of a teenage tragedy

Annabeth turned to Delia, a concerned look plastered her face. "Didn't you bring nectar and ambrosia? Surely that would work," She asked the girl, her voice beginning to shake. Delia was still looking down at Percy, another shallow breath leaving her lips before she diverted her gaze back to the girl.

"Yeah. But it was in my bag that I left on the train. I would've grabbed it if I wasn't being chased by a demigod-eating Chimera," Delia replied harshly. Annabeth was surprised by the girl's sharp tone at first, but disregarded it as nothing, knowing she must be stressed trying to think of a solution that could save Percy's life. That was when Delia frowned. "Maybe this kind of water isn't enough. Maybe we need to get him to a river where there's running water so Poseidon can heal him. It worked that way before, so maybe it will again," She explained, sounding more hopeful this time around.

     Suddenly, a series of violent sounds echoed loudly in the distance. The sound of screaming, glass shattering, metal grinding against metal, ruptured through Delia's eardrums. The girl turned around to stare into the direction of where the loud commotion was coming from only to see a car being flipped completely over. Delia flinched at the sight. Despite it happening so far away into the distance, the sight was enough to frighten the girl to her core. Especially when she noticed Echidna walking into the distance, heading towards the Arch, where they all currently stood on the outside of. Delia was sure her new monster was the one causing all the destruction from behind her.

     "We need to get back inside," Annabeth was the first to speak up, saying the words they were all thinking in that very moment. "What we're doing isn't working. And she's coming. We'll take Percy inside, and we'll go to the temple's altar," She elaborated further.

     "And how is that going to help us?" Grover asked from where he was crouched down beside Percy. He sounded just as worried and afraid as the rest of them. Maybe even more, or both Delia and Annabeth were just better at masking their indescribable fear.

     Annabeth inhaled sharply for a swift moment before she released a breath past her lips, parting them to speak shortly afterwards. "We're gonna get to the altar and we're going to ask my mom for help," She informed. Her words were enough to catch Percy's attention, lifting his gaze from where he was sitting on the ground to look back up at the girl.

     "I thought we didn't ask for help," Percy assumed, his voice low and quiet, almost strangled too, like he was struggling to speak.

     Delia looked back to Echidna was getting closer. She didn't hesitate to turn back around and help Grover get Percy back onto his feet. "Well, today we're making an exception, Sea Boy," Delia responded, and once Percy was back onto his feet, leaning half his weight onto his two friends as they began to guide him towards the entrance back into the Arch.

     However, Delia quickly got this strange that feeling they were leaving someone behind. This caused for the girl to stop in her tracks along with Percy and Grover. She then turned back around to see Annabeth had stopped, facing Echidna who was only getting closer to their exact location. "Grover, take Percy inside. We'll be right behind you," Delia instructed. Grover was hesitant to leave the two girls behind, but hurried inside with Percy. Delia then marched back over to Annabeth, grabbing the girl's hand with her own. "Annabeth, come on. Let's go," She encouraged before dragging the girl back inside.

     Once Delia and Annabeth got inside the building, they saw Grover helping Percy into one of the trams that would take them to the highest point of the Arch. Delia held onto Annabeth's hand tightly and didn't let go until they quickly slid into the tram after the boys. Once they were settled, she turned to Annabeth. "Echidna said something to you. I know because it happened to me once before. What did she say, Annabeth?" She asked the girl, urgency laced in her shaky voice, but Annabeth was silent.