THEY LANDED AT CRISSY Field after nightfall.
The atmosphere was tense, burdened with the weight of Zoë Nightshade's grievous wounds. They dismounted the silver chariot, Artemis carrying Zoë in her arms before setting her down on the dew-kissed grass.
Stella, Thalia, and Artemis huddled around the injured Huntress, their expressions a mix of concern and determination. The metallic tang of blood lingered in the air as they worked swiftly to bind Zoë's injuries.
The wounded Huntress was shivering, her pallor growing more pronounced, the glow that typically enveloped her fading quickly.
They had no ambrosia or nectar. Stella was starting to feel the desperation overcome her nerves, her hands anxiously aiding Artemis with the bandages. Each wrap echoed the ticking seconds, a reminder of the small amount of time they had to save Zoë.
"Annabeth, Percy," Thalia called the two demigods over urgently as they had split off into a conversation with Dr. Chase.
"I can fix this. I can save her," Stella whispered before meeting Zoe's eyes, "Let me save you."
Zoë's eyes flickered with uncertainty, glancing at Artemis, who was watching Stella stoically. A subtle nod from the Huntress granted Stella permission and a fleeting surge of hope stirred in her heart.
Stella knelt beside Zoë, the weight of helplessness settling over her. Her hands, trembling with a mixture of determination and fear, hovered over the Huntress's grievous wound. She braced herself, willing her healing abilities to surface.
The normally golden glow of her healing powers flickered hesitantly, as if unsure of its ability to confront the looming darkness. The air crackled with energy as Stella closed her eyes, drawing upon the divine gift bestowed upon her by her godly parent.
Thalia's eyes flickered with a glimmer of hope as Stella's powers took effect, weaving their ethereal tendrils into the fabric of the injured Huntress.
However, as she delved into her healing power, a surge of overwhelming energy cascaded through her, far more potent and unbridled than she anticipated. Stella's body tensed, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead as the unchecked force of her abilities threatened to consume her.
It was as if an invisible current surged through her veins, connecting her intimately with Zoë's pain. She winced, feeling not only the physical agony but the profound emotional anguish that accompanied it. It was a depth of connection she hadn't experienced before, and the intensity threatened to overwhelm her.
Artemis cast a concerned gaze at her. "Stella, be cautious. Your powers are potent, but healing such wounds goes beyond mortal understanding."
Thalia and Annabeth watched with concern, realizing that the healing attempt was extracting a toll beyond what they saw. Percy's eyes were full of worry, unable to shake the feeling that things were going seriously wrong.
Stella, caught in the throes of a power she couldn't fully comprehend, pressed on, determined to save Zoë. Her efforts, however, only intensified the pain coursing through her own being.
The boundary between healer and healed blurred, and Stella felt herself slipping into an abyss of shared suffering.
You cannot save everyone. Apollo's words haunted her, on repeat in her mind, yet, in her desperation, Stella persisted. The pain, both physical and emotional, became a torrent threatening to engulf her entirely.
Weakened from her earlier feat of holding the sky, Stella became especially vulnerable to the relentless pain she willingly took upon herself. An unbearable ache mirrored Zoë's fatal wound, radiating through Stella's body.
A gasp escaped Stella's lips as the pain reached its peak. The echo of Atlas's final blow against Zoë reverberated through her body, a haunting reminder of the inevitability she was trying to defy.
One shall perish by a parent's hand. Zoë was doomed from the start, even if Stella did not want to believe it.
Stella snapped her eyes open and saw the golden binds that had come out of her hands and wrapped themselves around Zoë's wounds. The golden glow intensified, a testament to the overwhelming healing energy she channeled.
Thalia placed a hand on her shoulder. "Stella, that's enough."
"I-I'm sorry," Stella cried out.
"Thank you, the pain is nearly gone. But thou must let go, it must be this way." Zoë said, hoping the daughter of Apollo would end her self-inflicted torment.
As Stella's vision blurred with tears of helplessness and pain, she attempted to pull her hands back but couldn't. It was as if she was stuck, inexplicably bound to Zoë's wound. The healing energy, once a source of solace, now commanded her, refusing to release its grip.
The pain doubled, an unbearable symphony of anguish. She heard agonizing screams, only to realize they came from her own tortured throat.
She was feeling all of the energy drain out of her as if she was bleeding out life onto the field. The mental and physical anguish was at a level she never knew existed.
"Stella, you're losing yourself. Let go," A voice cut through the dissonance.
The golden bonds finally released her, and she collapsed onto the unforgiving ground, but she remained mystically attached to Zoë, continuing to share her pain.
"Elle, sunshine, please, you have to listen to me," The voice urged.
Her screams became louder, and she felt like she was under the largest mental and physical toll to exist. She wasn't doing anything, yet she continued to feel all the energy draining out of her.
The voice kneeled at her side, gently cradling her in their arms as she lay on the cold earth. The person's face became clear, and through her half-closed eyes, she could see Percy looking at her.
As consciousness teetered on the brink of oblivion, Percy's features came into sharp focus. Stella glimpsed every nuance in his sea-green eyes and the faint grey streak in his tousled hair.
"You have to let go!" He pleaded.
"Stella, let go!"
The night bore witness to this quiet moment of surrender, where the daughter of Apollo relinquished consciousness, guided by the son of Poseidon's compassionate hands.
☀︎
Percy held Stella in his arms, her body limp and unresponsive. The ordeal she had just endured had taken a toll on her, and he felt a mixture of worry and guilt. Her usually vibrant and energetic presence was replaced by the pale stillness of unconsciousness.
"Stella," Percy whispered her name, a note of concern lacing his voice.
He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his fingers lingering on her forehead. He couldn't shake off the unease that gripped him, watching her so vulnerable and fragile.
Everybody was stunned into silence by the scene they had just witnessed.
Artemis approached, her eyes filled with understanding and sympathy. She knelt beside Percy, her regal demeanor softened by genuine concern.
"The power to heal is a formidable gift, but it comes with its own burdens," Artemis explained, her voice carrying a weight of wisdom. "Stella's attempt to save Zoë tapped into forces beyond mortal comprehension. She shared Zoë's pain, both physical and emotional, in an attempt to heal her. Such an act is not without consequences."
Percy's gaze flickered between Artemis and Stella, a knot tightening in his stomach. "Is she going to be okay?"
Artemis nodded. "Her body has undergone a significant strain. She will recover, but the toll on her spirit is another matter. The line between god and mortal is delicate, and your friend danced upon its edge. Her sacrifice, while valiant, has left scars not easily mended. Stella will need time to regain her strength and come to terms with the toll her powers exacted."
Percy's eyes never left Stella's unconscious form. "I didn't know it would be this dangerous. I should have stopped her."
Artemis placed a comforting hand on Percy's shoulder. "The love and determination she showed are commendable, Percy. She acted out of compassion and a desire to save a friend. But, as I said, such acts come with their own consequences. Stella has a resilient spirit, but she will need her friends' support."
Percy nodded, turning his attention back to Stella before shifting it to the wounded Huntress, who had been taking labored breaths.
"Have I...served thee well?" Zoë whispered to the goddess as she returned to her side.
"With great honor," Artemis said softly, her voice carrying a weight of sorrow and admiration. "The finest of my attendants."
Zoë's face relaxed. "Rest. At last."
Taking Thalia's hand, Zoë said with a heartfelt sincerity, "I am sorry we argued. We could have been sisters."
"It's my fault," Thalia said, blinking back tears that threatened to spill. "You were right about Luke, about heroes, men—everything."
"Perhaps not all men," Zoë murmured, her gaze shifting to Percy, smiling weakly at him.
"Do you still have the sword, Percy?"
He brought out Riptide and put the pen in her hand. She grasped it contentedly. "You spoke the truth, Percy Jackson. You are nothing like...like Hercules. I am honored that you carry this sword."
A shudder ran through the Huntress's body, a poignant acknowledgment of the approaching end.
"Zoë—" Percy started before she gently interrupted him.
"Tell Stella she is a brave maiden. Please tell her that I know she did everything she could, that she has the truest, most valiant spirit."
Percy nodded, his throat constricting with the weight of Zoë's words, struggling to come to terms with the impending farewell.
"Stars," she whispered. "I can see the stars again, my lady."
A tear trickled down Artemis's cheek. "Yes, my brave one. They are beautiful tonight."
"Stars," Zoë repeated. Her eyes fixed on the night sky. And she did not move again.
As Percy looked between the lifeless form of Zoë and the unconscious Stella, a deep sense of loss settled over him. The stars above seemed to shimmer with an added brilliance as if the heavens themselves acknowledged the passing of a courageous Huntress.
Thalia lowered her head, a curtain of dark hair concealing the grief etched on her face. Annabeth fought back a sob, her father offering a comforting presence with hands resting on her shoulders.
Percy watched as Artemis cupped her hand above Zoë's mouth and spoke a few words in Ancient Greek. A silvery wisp of smoke exhaled from Zoë's lips, caught in the goddess's palm. Zoë's body shimmered and disappeared.
Artemis stood, said a kind of blessing, breathed into her cupped hand, and released the silver dust to the sky. It flew up, sparkling, and vanished.
Artemis rose and uttered a blessing that echoed like a hymn to the night. She breathed into her cupped hand and released the silver dust to the sky. It ascended, sparkling, and then faded into the sky.
For a moment, nothing seemed different. Then, Annabeth gasped. Percy's gaze lifted to the sky, where the stars now burned with an intensified luminosity. They made a pattern he had never noticed before—a gleaming constellation that looked a lot like a girl's figure—a girl with a bow, running across the sky.
"Let the world honor you, my Huntress," Artemis said. "Live forever in the stars."
☀︎
The farewells hung heavy in the charged air, the reverberations of thunder and flashes of lightning still echoing over Mount Tamalpais in the north.
Artemis was visibly distressed, the silver aura that surrounded her flickering. Percy felt uneasy by her energy, worried that if she lost control and appeared in her fully divine form, they would disintegrate by looking at her.
"I must go to Olympus immediately," She said. "I will not be able to take you, but I will send help."
The goddess set her hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "You are brave beyond measure, my girl. You will do what is right."
Then, Artemis's eyes lingered on Thalia, a quizzical arch to her brow. There was a momentary pause as if she weren't sure what to make of this younger daughter of Zeus. Thalia, in turn, seemed reluctant to meet her gaze, but something made her, and she held the goddess's eyes.
Percy wasn't sure what passed between them, but there seemed to be a silent exchange of understanding that transcended words. The goddesses's gaze softened with sympathy. Then she turned to him.
"You did well," she said. "For a man."
An impulse to protest tugged at Percy, but in that moment, he recognized the significance—it was the first time she hadn't referred to him as a boy.
Artemis mounted her chariot. The celestial vehicle began to emanate a glow, and instinctively, they all averted their mortal eyes. There was a flash of silver, and the goddess was gone.
"Well," Dr. Chase sighed. "She was impressive, though I must say, I still prefer Athena."
Annabeth turned toward her father, a sentiment of apology etched in her features. "Dad, I...I'm sorry that—"
"Shh." He enveloped her in a comforting embrace. "Do what you must, my dear. I know this isn't easy for you."
His voice was a little shaky, but he gave Annabeth a brave smile.
In the midst of this familial exchange, a distinct woosh sliced through the air. Three pegasi descended through the fog, their majestic wings beating in harmony. Two white-winged horses and one sleek, obsidian-black one descended gracefully, marking their arrival.
"Blackjack!" Percy called, relieved to see his favorite pegasus.
Yo, boss! The familiar voice echoed in Percy's mind. You manage to stay alive okay without me?
"It was rough," Percy admitted, glancing over to a still-unconscious Stella. Her arms were placed around Percy and Thalia's shoulders so they could support her.
I brought Guido and Porkpie with me.
How ya doin? The other two pegasi spoke in his mind.
Blackjack looked Percy over with concern, then checked out Dr. Chase, Thalia, Stella, and Annabeth. Any of these goons you want us to stampede?
"Nah," He said aloud, a weary smile playing on his lips. "These are my friends. We need to get to Olympus pretty fast."
No problem, Blackjack said. Except for the mortal over there. Hope he's not going.
Percy assured him Dr. Chase was not part of their adventure to Olympus. Meanwhile, the professor was staring at the pegasi, his mouth agape and eyes wide.
"Fascinating," Dr. Chase mused. "Such maneuverability! How does the wingspan compensate for the weight of the horse's body, I wonder?"
Blackjack cocked his head. Whaaaat?
"Why, if the British had had these pegasi in the cavalry charges on the Crimea," Dr. Chase continued, "the charge of the light brigade—"
"Dad!" Annabeth interrupted.
Dr. Chase blinked. He shifted his gaze to his daughter and managed a smile. "I'm sorry, my dear. I know you must go."
In one last, awkward but well-meaning hug, Dr. Chase bid farewell to Annabeth.
As she turned to climb aboard the pegasus Guido, Dr. Chase called, "Annabeth. I know...I know San Francisco is a dangerous place for you. But please remember, you always have a home with us. We will keep you safe."
Annabeth, her emotions betrayed by reddened eyes, didn't answer. Dr. Chase started to say more, then apparently thought better of it. He raised his hand in a sad farewell and trudged away across the dark field.
"Hey, Blackjack. Do you think Stella can join me?" Percy asked the pegasus.
You got it, boss! Is this the missus?
Percy's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he mumbled in response, "We'll talk about that later."
He swung himself onto Blackjack first, Thalia then assisting him in mounting Stella onto the back of the pegasus. They ensured Stella's limp form was slumped strategically onto Percy's back. He wrapped her arms around him, encircling them around his waist so that she remained firmly secured behind him.
Percy tightened his grip on Stella as he watched Thalia and Annabeth mount their own pegasus, knowing they were bound to take off soon.
With a powerful beat of their wings, the pegasi lifted off the ground, leaving the city behind. Together, they soared over the bay and flew toward the eastern hills. Soon, San Francisco was only a glittering crescent behind them, with an occasional flicker of lightning in the north.
Thalia fell asleep on Porkpie's back; exhaustion had taken her out. Despite her longstanding fear of heights, Percy knew she had to be really tired to sleep in the air. Her pegasus flew with ease, adjusting himself every once in a while so Thalia stayed safely on his back.
Annabeth and Percy flew side by side.
"Your dad seems cool," Percy told her.
It was too dark for him to see her expression. Annabeth looked back, even though the lights of California were now a distant memory.
"I guess so," she responded. "We've been arguing for so many years."
"Yeah, you said."
The words hung between them. Annabeth's next question held a challenge, but a pretty halfhearted one, like she was asking it of herself. "You think I was lying about that?"
"I didn't say you were lying. It's just...he seems okay. Your stepmom, too. Maybe they've, uh, gotten cooler since you saw them last."
The hesitation in Annabeth's response spoke volumes. "They're still in San Francisco, Percy. I can't live so far from camp."
Percy didn't want to ask his next question, scared to know her answer. But he asked it anyway. "So what are you going to do now?"
Their path traversed over a town, an island of glittering lights suspended in the vast sea of darkness below. The landscape whisked by in a blur as if they had been in an airplane.
"I don't know," Annabeth confessed, "but thank you for rescuing me."
"Hey, no big deal. We're friends. Plus, if I didn't, Stella and Thalia sure would have."
"You guys didn't believe I was dead?"
"Never," Percy affirmed.
Annabeth hesitated, a revelation slipping from her lips, one Percy wasn't expecting. "Neither is Luke, you know. I mean...he isn't dead."
He stared at her in disbelief over her statement. "Annabeth, that fall was pretty bad. There's no way—"
"He isn't dead," she insisted, her voice carrying a conviction that defied the logic of what they had seen back on Mount Tamalpais. "I know it. The same way you knew about me."
Percy frowned at her persistence that Luke was still out there somewhere, alive. As he grappled with her revelation, Annabeth, always perceptive, shifted the focus.
"You take good care of my girl?" Her voice broke through the quiet, nodding toward Stella.
Percy glanced behind his shoulder, seeing that some color had returned to Stella's face but she was still out cold. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, marked by the slow, steady breaths, offered a soothing backdrop that tempered his concern.
"I tried," Percy replied wearily. There was a brief pause, a moment suspended in the gravity of shared experiences. "She's been through a lot on this quest."
The weight of his concern for Stella hung between them, unspoken but acknowledged.
He continued, "This summer was all jokes and fun, but this quest—it was so hard on her, on all of us. Everything that has happened, she seems to feel so guilty over."
Annabeth recognized the subtle shift in Percy's tone, the undercurrent of protectiveness and concern for Stella. She nodded with sincerity, "She has a heart of gold, but she dwells too much on things."
Sensing the need to redirect the conversation from the somber undertones of Stella's desperate attempt to heal Zoë, she gently shifted the conversation's trajectory.
"Holding the sky together, traveling across the country, running from monsters, trying to protect each other... it had to have changed things?" Annabeth inquired, her voice laced with the hint of a knowing smile.
"Changed things?" Percy fixed his eyes on the dark sky, contemplating her question. "Yeah, it has. I've never felt this responsible for someone, you know? Like, I've always protected my friends, but with Stella, it's different."
He hesitated, the unspoken emotions simmering beneath the surface. He found himself navigating the uncharted territory of articulating feelings that had taken root during their quest.
"I care about her. More than I thought I would."
Annabeth's eyes met Percy's, her expression a blend of understanding and curiosity. "More than you thought?"
"Yeah, Annabeth. More than I thought," Percy confessed.
Annabeth's gaze held a glimmer of acknowledgment, and in that shared understanding, the unspoken complexities of their journey resonated.
The towns below were now streaking by with increasing speed, clusters of lights forming a luminous mosaic that painted the landscape beneath them. Dawn lingered on the horizon, casting a soft gray hue in the eastern sky. And up ahead, a huge white-and-yellow glow spread out before them—the lights of New York.
How's that for speedy, boss? Blackjack bragged. We get extra hay for breakfast or what?
"You're the man, Blackjack," Percy told him. "Er, the horse, I mean."
"You don't believe me about Luke," Annabeth said, revisiting their past conversation, "but we'll see him again. He's in trouble, Percy. He's under Kronos's spell."
Percy thought the idea of Luke's survival was crazy. Deep down, he grappled with conflicting emotions. How was it fair that Bianca and Zoë had met the same fate as him?
"There it is." Thalia's voice broke through; she had woken up. She was pointing toward Manhattan, which was quickly rushing into view. "It's started."
"What's started?" Percy questioned.
Then, he followed Thalia's pointed finger. High above the Empire State Building, Olympus was its own island of light— a floating mountain ablaze with torches and braziers, white marble palaces gleaming in the early morning air.
"The winter solstice," Thalia said. "The Council of the Gods."
As they ascended, the dread intensified. Flying toward Zeus's palace, surrounded by swirling thunder and lightning, Percy felt a knot of unease tighten in his stomach.
Circling over midtown Manhattan, they completed an orbit around Olympus. Percy had only been there once before, traveling by elevator up to the secret six-hundredth floor of the Empire State Building. This time, if it was possible, Olympus amazed him even more.
In the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colors, from bloodred to indigo. Apparently, no one ever slept on Olympus. The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or sedan chairs carried by Cyclopes. Winter didn't seem to exist here. Percy caught the scent of the gardens in full bloom, jasmine and roses, and even sweeter things he couldn't name. The soft strains of music, the gentle melodies of lyres and reed pipes, drifted through the atmosphere.
Towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods.
Percy felt Stella start to stir behind him. Disoriented, she picked up her head, looking around dazed.
"Where are we?" She mumbled, her voice groggy and still tethered to the remnants of her slumber as if the reality of Olympus eluded her grasp.
Concern etched Percy's features as he looked back at her, "Olympus. Hey, how are you feeling?"
With a slow and deliberate movement, Stella unwound her arms from Percy's waist, rubbing her eyes with small, clenched fists. "I-I'm fine. Later."
The pegasi set them down in the outer courtyard, in front of large silver gates. Before Percy could even think to knock, the gates opened by themselves.
Good luck, boss, Blackjack said.
"Yeah." Percy didn't know why, but he had a sense of doom. He had never seen all the gods together. Any one of them could blast him to dust, and he was sure that a few of them would like to.
Hey, if ya don't come back, can I have your cabin for my stable?
Percy stared at the pegasus.
Just a thought, he said. Sorry.
With that, Blackjack and his companions soared into the horizon, leaving Percy, Stella, Thalia, and Annabeth standing alone. For a minute, they stood there regarding the palace, reminiscent of when they had stood together in front of Westover Hall in what seemed like a million years ago.
And then, side by side, they walked into the throne room.