Walk With the Shadows [ Percy Jackson OC ]

NINE | Kitty

FIGHTING THE ARMIES OF KRONOS sucked, but honestly, dealing with Alex when he was frustrated with Ophelia was almost worse. Kitty propped herself up in the crook of an olive tree and watched as he organized their defenses with a fury. At the foot of her tree, about seven feet down, Will and a few of his cabin mates huddled in a whisper.

Kitty tightened her grip on her golden coin. The colors of Olympus faded. Instead of greens and blues and purples she saw the world in greyscale. Most of the auras around the half blood campers hovered between a light grey to a light gold. Fairly normal.

Except Alex. He stood about thirty paces away, sword at his side even despite the lull. Kitty's eyes widened. If she hadn't known it was Alex Griffith, prodigal son of Hermes, she might have mistaken him for Percy. His aura swirled a rapidly changing, tangled mess of black like the void and gold like the sun.

The air shifted. Kitty looked beyond Alex through the rustling green branches of her olive tree perch. She released the coin and strengthened her grip on her celestial bronze knife. Where once warm breezes and gentle nature spirits had comforted even a mostly-abandoned Olympus, a cold wind now ripped through the streets.

The world quieted. Kitty felt the hair on her arms stand. She watched as Alex moved back a few half-steps, patting the shoulder of Mr. D's kid, Pollux, on his left. She couldn't hear the words exchanged. But Pollux nodded and went running off down the line.

They weren't many defenders. Alex had gathered about ten mostly-recovered demigods to his side. Half of them guarded the severely wounded. He and the other five stood their ground a bit closer to the street.

Kitty had managed to find a handful of very minor gods and nature spirits after raiding Intensive Flare for supplies. Olympus wasn't made up entirely of cowards and arrogant pricks. Apparently. The few immortals she'd managed to find had agreed to stand with them. Alex placed them along the road, further up, in defense of their homes and shrines.

None of the defenders stood a chance. Kitty took a deep breath. The sudden cold air sent her into a coughing fit. Will glanced up at her. She waved him off. No use worrying the already exhausted medic.

They heard the crash first. A sound like the splitting of bones and rock reverberated through Olympus. The sky darkened. Stars faded. Kitty's chest tightened.

She dropped down from the tree without a sound. Straightening her armor, she moved up to stand side by side with Alex. He didn't even look at her. He didn't dare turn from the arched entrance to the park.

"Sure you want to be down here?" he said.

No. Kitty snorted. "Of course. Fortune favors the bold."

Alex smirked. He shook his head a little. Twisting his sword around, he flinched as another crash, closer, filled the air around them. The darkness thickened. Kitty almost couldn't breathe, her throat thick with fear.