𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐗𝐈𝐑, 𝐏𝐉

𝟎𝟏𝟏.𝟓

Behind them, the battle raged.

Clarisse scowled at her cabinmates. "Go, help the centaurs. Protect the doors. GO!"

They scrambled off to join the fight.

Silena took a heavy, painful breath. "Forgive me."

"You're not dying," Juliet insisted.

"Charlie . . ." Silena's eyes were a million miles away. "See Charlie . . ."

She didn't speak again.

Clarisse held her and wept. Chris put a hand on her shoulder. Percy had returned though he still looked a little green he tried to pull a frantic Juliet from Silena's side still working on healing the girl.

"Stop it, Jules," Percy tried to pull her, she was trembling all over and the healing was taking too much power out of her already broken body, her face was pale and she was breathing in shallow breaths, "Juliet, Stop it!"

Her body went limp then, Percy pulled her aside a little, with a shaking hand Juliet reached forward and closed Silena's eyes. "Give her the ancient rites, We will give her the rites."

Percy understood what she meant, a lump formed in his throat at that, Achilles hadn't given Patroclus the ancient rites, leaving his soul to wander the underworld because he had been too clouded by the pain.

"We have to fight." Annabeth's voice was brittle. "She gave her life to help us. We have to honor her."

Clarisse sniffled and wiped her nose. "She was a hero, understand? A hero."

Augustus nodded. "Come on, Clarisse."

She picked up a sword from one of her fallen siblings. "Kronos is going to pay."

Clarisse was killing machine after that. Even without her armor or spear, she was a demon. She rode her chariot straight into the Titan's army and crushed everything in her path.

She was so inspiring, even the panicked centaurs started to rally. The Hunters scrounged arrows from the fallen and launched volley after volley into the enemy. The Ares cabin slashed and hacked, which was their favorite thing. The monsters retreated toward 35th Street.

Clarisse drove to the drakon's carcass and looped a grappling line through its eye sockets. She lashed her horses and took off, dragging the drakon behind the chariot like a Chinese New Year dragon. She charged after the enemy, yelling insults and daring them to cross her. As she rode, Percy realized she was literally glowing. An aura of red fire flickered around her.

"The blessing of Ares," Thalia said. "I've never seen it in person before."

For the moment, Clarisse was as invincible as Percy was. The enemy threw spears and arrows, but nothing hit her.

"I AM CLARISSE, DRAKON-SLAYER!" she yelled. "I will kill you ALL! Where is Kronos? Bring him out! Is he a coward?"

Percy turned around searching for Juliet, finding her launching an arrow with a trembling hand, she was sweating bullets, her face pale and everything about her seemed tired, as soon as the arrow was launched she let the bow hand limply by her side as if it weighed a hundred pounds, her lips were unusually red and she kept wiping them.