𝟎𝟎𝟔.𝟑
When Percy finally reached Juliet, he felt like his soul had been sucked out of his body. Artemis was holding the sky, and Juliet....she was unconscious by Artemis's feet. His heart sank at the sight of Juliet lying unconscious at Artemis's feet. The weight of guilt and responsibility pressed on him like a leaden cloak. He rushed to her side, his eyes filled with worry and frustration.
"Jules," he murmured, gently shaking her to rouse her from her unconscious state. "Come on, wake up."
"My lady!" Zoe rushed forward, but Artemis said, "Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now."
Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat. Percy had never seen a goddess in pain before, but the weight of the sky was clearly too much for Artemis. If a goddess was in so much pain, then a demigod like Juliet would've nearly died. He didn't care, somehow he just didn't care about Artemis, his gaze was stuck to Juliet, why wasn't she waking up.
Dread settled in his stomach. His hands trembled as he continued to shake Juliet, desperately urging her to wake up. The scene was chaotic, with Artemis struggling under the weight of the sky and Zoe torn between helping her lady and rushing to Juliet's side.
"Come on, Jules," Percy muttered, his voice choked with a mix of fear and frustration. "We need you. Wake up!"
Zoe was crying. She ran forward despite Artemis's protests, and tugged at the chains.
A booming voice spoke behind them: "Ah, how touching."
They turned. The General was standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaenae bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. Annabeth stood at Luke's side. She had her hands cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth, and Luke was holding the point of his sword to her throat. Percy's blood board in his head, pure anger consumed him.
He couldn't hear anything, his gaze fixed on Juliet's golden hair that was now threaded with grey, her face was ashen and she looked...dead.
Percy could see Thalia and Luke having a spat, The general proclaiming he's Atlas and coming for Zoe, but it didn't matter. Nothing did.
His wiped away the sweat on Juliet's face, pushing strands away and staring at her face as something surged inside him. It was as if a tug, pulling him inside a pit of grief and anger.
"Jules, please," he whispered, his breath catching in his throat. "Wake up. Come on."
There was stirring, finally a response. Percy clutched onto her face with pure concern as Juliet stirred lightly and her eyes opened, Percy felt some form of life return to his body when he saw the Caribbean blues he'd missed for so long, "Perce," Juliet breathed out, her voice was hoarse and tears were welling up in her eyes, "You came,"
He hugged her desperately, breaking away the chains she was bound to, holding on desperately, "I will always come if you were in danger."
"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."
Percy heard Luke in the background and it snapped him back into his daze. He was angry beyond measure and Luke was about to pay for it. "Jules, wait here okay?" He gave her small assuring smile, Juliet was in too much of a painful daze to comprehend anything happening as Percy detached himself from her and stood up.
And then, he charged.
Thalia followed right behind Percy, giving him the signal to go for Atlas while she went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that his dragon- women bodyguards fled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him alone. But despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power.
Atlas laughed as Percy approached. A huge javelin appeared in his hands. His silk suit melted into full Greek battle armor. "Go on, then!"
"Percy!" Zoe said. "Beware!"
Percy knew what she was warning him about but he was far too consumed with anger to think, an anger that didn't even seem his own.
He swung his sword, and Atlas knocked him aside with the shaft of his javelin. Percy flew through the air and slammed into a black wall. It wasn't Mist anymore. The palace was rising, brick by brick. It was becoming real.
"Percy!" Juliet's yell was piercing and he knew somewhere, somehow he'd lost the fearless part of her. Atlas and Luke had changed her, they'd broken her.
"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of Juliet's arrows. "Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me?"
The mention of Ares sent a jolt through Percy. He shook off his daze and charged again. If he could get to thhat pool of water, he could double his strength.
He parried, and he didn't know where the move came from but his sword did a 360 behind his back before jabbing forward, Atlas's gaze seemed to freeze for a second before he grinned maliciously. "Ha! Old hero, I see the gods meddled with souls again."
Percy didn't have much time to think about his words as the javelins point slashed toward him like a scythe. Percy raised Riptide, planning to cut off his weapon at the shaft, but his arm felt like lead. His sword suddenly weighed a ton.
And he remembered Ares's warning, spoken on the beach in Los Angeles so long ago: When you need it most, your sword will fail you.
Not now!
He yelled. But it was no good. Percy tried to dodge, but the javelin caught him in the chest and sent him flying like a rag doll. He slammed into the ground, his head spinning. He looked up and found he was at the feet of Artemis, still straining under the weight of the sky. Juliet rushed to his side, albeit painfully as she could barely move her muscles with crying in pain.
"Run, boy," Artemis told him. "You must run!"
Atlas was taking his time coming toward him. His sword was gone. It had skittered away over the edge of the cliff. It might reappear in his pocket—maybe in a few seconds—but it didn't matter. He'd be dead by then. He couldn't be dead. His eyes drifted to Juliet. He needed to protect her.
Luke and Thalia were fighting like demons, lightning crackling around them. Annabeth was on the ground, desperately struggling to free her hands.
"Die, little hero," Atlas said.
He raised his javelin to impale Percy.
"No!" Zoe yelled, and a volley of silver arrows sprouted from the armpit chink in Atlas's armor.
"ARGH!" He bellowed and turned toward his daughter.
Percy reached down and felt Riptide back in his pocket. He couldn't fight Atlas, even with a sword. And then a chill went down his back. He remembered the words of the prophecy: The Titan's curse must one withstand. He couldn't hope to beat Atlas. But there was someone else who might stand a chance. Juliet had already done it once, it was his turn now.
"The sky," Percy told the goddess. "Give it to me."
"No, boy," Artemis said. Her forehead was beaded with metallic sweat, like quicksilver. "You don't know what you're asking. It will crush you!"
"Juliet took it!"
"She barely survived. She had the spirit of a true huntress. You will not last so long."
"I'll die anyway," Percy said. "Give me the weight of the sky!"
"Perce, No! Please!" Juliet begged her hand clutching onto hers but Percy just gave her an assuring look, "I need to do this, Jules. For us."
He didn't wait for her answer. He took out Riptide and slashed through Artemis's chains. Then he stepped next to her and braced himself on one knee—holding up his hands—and touched the cold, heavy clouds. For a moment, Artemis and Percy bore the weight together. It was the heaviest thing he'd ever felt, as if he were being crushed under a thousand trucks. He wanted to black out from the pain, but he breathed deeply, his eyes connecting with Juliet's, she'd suffered through so much because of him, this was a small price to pay.
Then Artemis slipped out from under the burden, and Percy held it alone.
Afterward, Juliet and Percy tried many times to explain what it felt like. Bu they couldn't.
Every muscle in his body turned to fire. He began to sink, lower and lower to the ground, the sky's weight crushing him.
Fight back! Grover's voice said inside his head. Don't give up.
"Percy," Juliet was crying and Percy focused on her. His eyes never straying away from hers, that was his focus, he needed to see happiness in those eyes again.
He concentrated on breathing. If he could just keep the sky aloft a few more seconds.
His vision turned fuzzy still stuck on Juliet's. Everything was tinged with red. He caught glimpses of the battle, but he wasn't sure if he was seeing clearly, his main focus the pair of Caribbean blues.
There was Atlas in full battle armor, jabbing with his javelin, laughing insanely as he fought. And Artemis, a blur of silver. She had two wicked hunting knives, each as long as her arm, and she slashed wildly at the Titan, dodging and leaping with unbelievable grace. She seemed to change form as she maneuvered. She was a tiger, a gazelle, a bear, a falcon. Or perhaps that was just his fevered brain. Zoe shot arrows at her father, aiming for the chinks in his armor. He roared in pain each time one found its mark, but they affected him like bee stings. He just got madder and kept fighting.
Thalia and Luke went spear on sword, lightning still flashing around them. Thalia pressed Luke back with the aura of her shield. Even he was not immune to it. He retreated, wincing and growling in frustration.
"Yield!" Thalia yelled. "You never could beat me, Luke."
He bared his teeth. "Well see, my old friend."
Atlas advanced, pressing Artemis. She was fast, but his strength was unstoppable. His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis had been a split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks. He leaped over it and kept pursuing her. She was leading him back toward Percy.
"Perce," Juliet breathed out, when she realised what Artemis was doing, "Let it go when the time is right,"
There was no verbal response from the boy but Juliet knew he understood. She met Percy's gaze, there was a certain energy about him. He was staring at her with so much intensity and devotion it was rattling her soul.
Her soul that now remembered every single thing about her past life. Cursing Luke had unlocked some part of Juliet's soul, she now bore the memories of Patroclus and her own life, all together.
"You fight well for a girl." Atlas laughed. "But you are no match for me."
He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. Percy saw the trick coming. Atlas's javelin swept around and knocked Artemis's legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin tip for the kill.
"No!" Zoe screamed. She leaped between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into the Titan's forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn's horn. Atlas bellowed in rage. He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks.
Percy wanted to shout her name, run to her aid, but he couldn't speak or move. He couldn't even see where Zoe had landed. Then Atlas turned on Artemis with a look of triumph in his face. Artemis seemed to be wounded. She didn't get up.
"The first blood in a new war," Atlas gloated. And he stabbed downward.
As fast as thought, Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the earth right next to her and she pulled backward, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her, Percy saw him coming down on top of him and he realized what would happen. He loosened his grip on the sky, and as Atlas slammed into him, he didn't try to hold on. He let himself be pushed out of the way and rolled for all he was worth. Juliet caught him by his arm, both of them grunting in pain from the impact.
The weight of the sky dropped onto Atlas's back, almost smashing him flat until he managed to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But it was too late.
"Noooooo!" He bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. "Not again!"
Atlas was trapped under his old burden.
Percy tried to stand and fell back again, dazed from pain. His body felt like it was burning up.
"Stop, the weight paralyses your legs for a while." Juliet murmured, helping him lean on her and sit up. Percy heeded her words and his eyes immediately went to her shoes, his heart hammering as he gazed at her in panic, she'd held the weight longer than him. Juliet seeing the dread in his eyes answered back with a pained smile, "Nothing, my dad can't fix."
No. No. Percy wanted to yell. To rage around the entire place killing everyone in his vicinity for hurting her, but his body was too weak, he could do nothing but lean on her.
Thalia backed Luke to the edge of a cliff, but still they fought on, next to the golden coffin. Thalia had tears in her eyes. Luke had a bloody slash across his chest and his pale face glistened with sweat.
He lunged at Thalia and she slammed him with her shield. Luke's sword spun out of his hands and clattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat.
For a moment, there was silence.
"Well?" Luke asked. He tried to hide it, but Percy could hear fear in his voice.
Thalia trembled with fury.
Behind her, Annabeth came scrambling, finally free from her bonds. Her face was bruised and streaked with dirt. "Don't kill him!"
"He's a traitor," Thalia said. "A traitor! He tortured Juliet! Can't you see!"
Percy clutched tighter onto Juliet when Thalia mentioned that. In his daze, Percy realized that Artemis was no longer with them. She had run off toward the black rocks where Zoe had fallen.
"We'll bring Luke back," Annabeth pleaded. "To Olympus. He... he'll be useful."
"Is that what you want, Thalia?" Luke sneered. "To go back to Olympus in triumph? To please your dad?"
Thalia hesitated, and Luke made a desperate grab for her spear.
"No!" Annabeth shouted. But it was too late. Without thinking, Thalia kicked Luke away. He lost his balance, terror on his face, and then he fell.
"Luke!" Annabeth screamed.
Percy felt this sudden hot bolt of anger to push her too, how could she be so blind? Juliet was temporarily paralysed because of Luke, he'd broken her and Annabeth still wanted to save her. Percy felt blood rush back to his legs, the motions becoming clear again.
He stood up, pulling Juliet up carefully and letting her lean her entire weight on him as she wound her arms around his neck and shoulder. They rushed to the cliff's edge. Below them, the army from the Princess Andromeda had stopped in amazement. They were staring at Luke's broken form on the rocks.
One of the giants looked up and growled, "Kill them!"
Thalia was stiff with grief, tears streaming down her cheeks. Annabeth pulled her back as a wave of javelins sailed over their heads. They ran for the rocks, ignoring the curses and threats of Atlas as they passed. Percy hesitated for a second, before stopping and carrying Juliet in his arms, his body screaming in pain and the girl giving him a wide eyed look.
"Artemis!" Percy yelled.
The goddess looked up, her face almost as grief-stricken as Thalia's. Zoe lay in the goddess's arms. She was breathing. Her eyes were open. But still...
"The wound is poisoned," Artemis said.
"Atlas poisoned her?" He asked.
"No," the goddess said. "Not Atlas."
She showed them the wound in Zoe's side. Percy had almost forgotten her scrape with Ladon the dragon. The bite was much worse than Zoe had let on. He could barely look at the wound. She had charged into battle against her father with a horrible cut already sapping her strength.
"The stars," Zoe murmured. "I cannot see them."
"Nectar and ambrosia," Percy said. "Come on! We have to get her some."
"Let me try," Juliet mumbled, asking for Percy to let her try to heal but the response was so sharp and authoritative it made her shut her mouth, "No. You've done enough."
Juliet wanted to tell Percy his hold on her was a little too tight but the boy looked like he was holding onto his sanity by clutching her.
No one moved. Grief hung in air. The army of Kronos was just below the rise. Even Artemis was too shocked to stir. They might've met our doom right there, but then he heard a strange buzzing noise.
Just as the army of monsters came over the hill, a Sopwith Camel swooped down out of the sky.
"Get away from my daughter!" Dr. Chase called down, and his machine guns burst to life, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering.
"Dad?" yelled Annabeth in disbelief.
"Run!" he called back, his voice growing fainter as the biplane swooped by.
"Sopwith Camel F.1 WWI Fighter Biplane.....good plane" Juliet murmured in awe, Percy didn't question her on why she knew the extreme details of the plane.
This shook Artemis out of her grief. She stared up at the antique plane, which was now banking around for another strafe.
"A brave man," Artemis said with grudging approval. "Come, We must get Zoe away from here."
She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and its clear sound echoed down the valleys of Marin. Zoe's eyes were fluttering.
"Hang in there!" Percy told her. "It'll be all right!"
The Sopwith Camel swooped down again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight between the wings of the plane, but the machine guns blazed. Percy realized with amazement that somehow Dr. Chase must've gotten hold of celestial bronze to fashion his bullets. The first row of snake women wailed as the machine gun's volley blew them into sulfurous yellow powder.
"That's... my dad!" Annabeth said in amazement.
They didn't have time to admire his flying. The giants and snake women were already recovering from their surprise. Dr. Chase would be in trouble soon.
Just then, the moonlight brightened, and a silver chariot appeared from the sky, drawn by the most beautiful deer Percy had ever seen. It landed right next to them.
"Get in," Artemis said.
Annabeth helped get Thalia on board. Percy stepped inside with Juliet before letting her rest and then helping Artemis with Zoe. They wrapped Zoe in a blanket as Artemis pulled the reins and the chariot sped away from the mountain, straight into the air.
"Like Santa Claus's sleigh," Juliet murmured, still dazed with pain, leaning her head on Percy's shoulder.
Artemis took time to look back at Juliet. "Indeed, young niece. And where do you think that legend came from?"
Seeing them safely away, Dr. Chase turned his biplane and followed them like an honor guard. It must have been one of the strangest sights ever, even for the Bay Area: a silver flying chariot pulled by deer, escorted by a Sopwith Camel.
Behind them, the army of Kronos roared in anger as they gathered on the summit of Mount Tamalpais, but the loudest sound was the voice of Atlas, bellowing curses against the gods as he struggled under the weight of the sky.
They landed at Crissy Field after nightfall.
As soon as Dr. Chase stepped out of his Sopwith Camel, Annabeth ran to him and gave him a huge hug. "Dad! You flew... you shot... oh my gods! That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"
Her father blushed. "Well, not bad for a middle-aged mortal, I suppose."
"But the celestial bronze bullets! How did you get those?"
"Ah, well. You did leave quite a few half-blood weapons in your room in Virginia, the last time you... left."
Annabeth looked down, embarrassed. Percy noticed Dr. Chase was very careful not to say ran away.
"I decided to try melting some down to make bullet casings," he continued. "Just a little experiment."
He said it like it was no big deal, but he had a gleam in his eye. Percy could understand all of a sudden why Athena, Goddess of Crafts and Wisdom, had taken a liking to him. He was an excellent mad scientist at heart.
"Dad..." Annabeth faltered.
"Annabeth, Percy," Thalia interrupted. Her voice was urgent. She and Artemis were kneeling at Zoe's side, binding the huntress's wounds. Juliet was on the side, zoned out completely making Percy grow concerned.
Annabeth and Percy ran over to help, but there wasn't much they could do. They had no ambrosia or nectar. No regular medicine would help. It was dark, but he could see that Zoe didn't look good. She was shivering, and the faint glow that usually hung around her was fading.
"Can't you heal her with magic?" Percy asked Artemis. "I mean... you're a goddess."
Artemis looked troubled. "Life is a fragile thing, Percy. If the Fates will the string to be cut, there is little I can do. But I can try."
She tried to set her hand on Zoe's side, but Zoe gripped her wrist. She looked into the goddess's eyes, and some kind of understanding passed between them.
"Have I... served thee well?" Zoe whispered.
"With great honor," Artemis said softly. "The finest of my attendants." Zoe's face relaxed. "Rest. At last."
"I can try to heal the poison, my brave one."
But in that moment, Percy knew it wasn't just the poison that was killing her. It was her father's final blow. Zoe had known all along that the Oracle's prophecy was about her: she would die by a parent's hand. And yet she'd taken the quest anyway. She saw Thalia, and took her hand.
"I am sorry we argued," Zoe said. "We could have been sisters."
"It's my fault," Thalia said, blinking hard. "You were right about Luke, about heroes, men—everything."
"Perhaps not all men," Zoe murmured. She smiled weakly at Percy. "Do you still have the sword, Percy?"
He couldn't speak, but 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, but....don't become like him either."
A shudder ran through her body. Percy didn't know who the him was she was referring to.
"Zoe—" Percy said.
"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," Zoe repeated. Her eyes fixed on the night sky. And she did not move again.
Thalia lowered her head. Juliet stared at Zoe with extreme blankness. Percy watched as Artemis cupped her hand above Zoe's mouth and spoke a few words in Ancient Greek. A silvery wisp of smoke exhaled from Zoe's lips and was caught in the hand of the goddess. Zoe'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.
For a moment Percy didn't see anything different. Then Annabeth gasped. Looking up in the sky, he saw that the stars were brighter now. 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."
It wasn't easy saying their good-byes. The thunder and lightning were still boiling over Mount Tamalpais in the north. Artemis was so upset she flickered with silver light. This made Percy nervous, because if she suddenly lost control and appeared in her fully divine form, they would disintegrate by looking at her.
"I must go to Olympus immediately," Artemis said. "I will not be able to take you, but I will send help."
The goddess set her hand on Juliet's shoulder. "You are brave beyond measure, my girl. You will do what is right. The weight of the soul within you is hard to bear, but remember there is always another way"
Juliet nodded with a sigh, Percy held onto her again, another way? Way to escape Achilles? By joining the hunter? Yeah no, he wasn't about to let that happen.
Then Artemis looked quizzically at Thalia, as if she weren't sure what to make of this younger daughter of Zeus. Thalia seemed reluctant to look up, but something made her, and she held the goddess's eyes. She patted Annabeth's shoulder and Then she turned to him.
"You did well," she said. "For a man."
She mounted her chariot, which began to glow. They averted their 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 him. "Dad, I... I'm sorry that—"
"Shh." He hugged her. "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. Juliet leaned heavily again on Percy making him stumble a little but Thalia was beside Juliet to help him shoulder her weight.
Then they heard the whoosh of large wings. Three pegasi descended through the fog: two white winged horses and one pure black one.
"Blackjack!" Percy called.
Yo,boss! he called. You manage to stay alive okay without me?
"It was rough," Percy admitted.
I brought Guido and Porkpie with me.
How ya doin? The other two pegasi spoke in his mind.
"When did you learn to speak horse?" Juliet questioned, her face extremely close to his own making Percy blush a little, "A while back."
Blackjack looked Percy and Juliet over with concern, then checked out Dr. Chase, Thalia, and Annabeth. Any of these goons you want us to stampede? Pretty girl by the way.
"Nah and uh Thanks,," Percy said aloud. "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. The professor was staring openmouthed at the pegasi.
"Fascinating," he said. "Such maneuverability! How does the wingspan compensate for the weight of the horse's body, I wonder?"
"Hypothetically," Juliet spoke from his side, "They have large wings, A larger wingspan generally provides more lift, helping to counteract the gravitational force acting on the mass of the horse."
Dr. Chase stared at her as if she was a diamond in a coal mine. Percy felt pride seep in, the situation was awkward but he was impressed, "yes, dear you are quite right."
Blackjack cocked his head. Whaaaat?
"Why, if the British had had these pegasi in the cavalry charges on the Crimea," Dr. Chase said, "the charge of the light brigade—"
"Dad!" Annabeth interrupted.
Dr. Chase blinked. He looked at his daughter and managed a smile. "I'm sorry, my dear, I know you must go."
He gave her one last awkward, well-meaning hug. 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 didn't answer, but her eyes were red as she turned away. 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.
Thalia and Annabeth mounted their pegasi. Percy was sharing his with Juliet, he let her sit I the front as her legs were not functioning. 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 was so exhausted she fell asleep on Porkpie's back. Percy knew she had to be really tired to sleep in the air, despite her fear of heights, but she didn't have much to worry about. Her pegasus flew with ease, adjusting himself every once in a while so Thalia stayed safely on his back.
Annabeth and Percy flew along side by side. There was no talking, Percy was a little pissed at Annabeth and his main focus was Juliet.
"I, I remember everything from my past life," Percy leaned forward to listen as Juliet spoke, she fiddled with her fingers as Percy urged her on and she told him everything.
Everything that happened after they had been separated, Ethan, Cursing Luke, her mental breakdown, Daphne and gaining her memories. Percy let her talk, he let her speak and unload everything off her chest until she went limp against his body and fell asleep. He let her hold onto his fingers as she slept, he let her rest when Annabeth questioned him.
"You didn't believe we were dead?"
"Never."
She hesitated. "Neither is Luke, you know. I mean... he isn't dead."
Percy stared at her. He didn't know if she was cracking under the stress or what. "Annabeth, that fall was pretty bad. There's no way—"
"He isn't dead," she insisted. "I know it. The same way you knew about me and Juliet."
That comparison didn't make him too happy. Juliet and Luke could never be compared in his life and the fact they could be in Annabeth's didn't sit right with him.
The towns were zipping by faster now, islands of light thicker together, until the whole landscape below was a glittering carpet. Dawn was close. The eastern sky was turning gray. And up ahead, a huge white-and-yellow glow spread out before us—the lights of New York. Juliet's head lightly lolled to the side making her hiss in pain at the movement and wake up, Percy knew even minor body functions were causing her immense pain.
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, Juliet looked at her in confusion, "but we'll see him again. He's in trouble, Percy. He's under Kronos's spell."
Percy didn't feel like arguing, though it made him mad. How could she still have any feelings for that creep? How could she possibly make excuses for him? He deserved that fall. He deserved... to die. Unlike Bianca. Unlike Zoe. Luke couldn't be alive. It wouldn't be fair. He'd hurt Juliet, tortured her, broken her, he didn't deserve to live.
"There it is." Thalia's voice; she'd woken up. She was pointing toward Manhattan, which was quickly zooming into view. "It's started."
"What's started?" Percy asked.
Then he looked where she was pointing. 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," Juliet said. "The Council of the Gods."
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 ! Did y'all know Achilles was borderline Yandere for Patroclus?😃😃Just putting it out there for future references.