This Dark Night ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase¹

―xvii. the hearth still fights

NAOMI FOUGHT NUMBLY. It didn't matter—Clarisse was a demon on the battlefield, cutting through the Titans' army and crushing everything in her path. Her rage flooded the fight, destroying the enemy. An aura of red fire flickered around her—the blessing of her father, Ares.

Naomi was numb as they withdrew, too. The campers and Hunters and satyrs tended to the wounded, bringing them inside the lobby. Long after the enemy had retreated from sight, Clarisse kept riding up and down the avenue with the drakon's carcass still tied to her chariot, demanding that Kronos meet her in battle.

"I'll watch her," Chris said. "She'll get tired eventually. I'll make sure she comes inside."

"What about camp?" Percy asked. "Is anybody left there?"

Chris shook his head. "Just the little ones, Argus, and the nature spirits. Peleus the dragon is still guarding the tree."

"That won't last long," Percy said. "But I'm glad you came."

Chris nodded sadly. "I'm sorry it took so long. I tried to reason with Clarisse. I said there's no point in defending camp if you guys die. All our friends are here. I'm sorry it took Silena..."

"My Hunters will help you stand guard," Thalia said. "Annabeth, Naomi, Percy—you should go to Olympus. I have a feeling they'll need you up there—to set up the final defense."

❊

The doorman had disappeared from the lobby. His book was facedown on the desk and his chair was empty. The rest of the lobby, however, was jam-packed with wounded campers, Hunters, and satyrs.

Connor and Travis Stoll met the trio by the elevators.

"Is it true?" Connor asked. "About Silena?"

Percy nodded. "She died a hero."

Travis shifted uncomfortably. "Um, I also heard—"

"That's it," Naomi said. "End of story."

"Right," Travis mumbled. "Listen, we figure the Titan's army will have trouble getting up the elevator. They'll have to go up a few at a time. And the giants won't be able to fit at all."

"That's our biggest advantage," Percy said. "Any way to disable the elevator?"

"It's magic," Travis said. "Usually you need a key card, but the doorman vanished. That means the defenses are crumbling. Anyone can walk into the elevator now and head straight up."

"Then we have to keep them away from the doors," Percy said. "We'll bottle them up in the lobby."

"We need reinforcements," Travis said. "They'll just keep coming. Eventually they'll overwhelm us."

"There are no reinforcements," Connor complained.

Naomi's throat tightened. She looked outside at Mrs. O'Leary and Skia, breathing against the glass doors and smearing them with hellhound drool.

Silena was dead. She wasn't the first, and she wouldn't be the last.

But we're still fighting.

Naomi curled her hands into fists. She'd been ready to give up on getting her mother and her stepfather to join the fight, but after Silena...

One more chance. That was all she could give them.

She went outside and put her hands on the hellhounds' muzzles. Chiron had bandaged Mrs. O'Leary's injured paw, but she was still limping. Her fur was matted with mud, leaves, pizza slices, and dried monster blood. Skia only looked slightly better off.