They attacked him from every direction – Leo shooting fire at his legs, Frank and Piper jabbing at his chest, Jason flying into the air and kicking him in the face, Leon swirling the white Mist around him, and Cary slicing away at his smoke. Cary was proud to see how well Piper remembered her sword-fighting lessons.
Each time the giant's smoky veil started creeping around one of them, Nico or Cary was there, slashing through it, drinking in the darkness with their Stygian blades.
Percy and Annabeth were on their feet, looking weak and dazed, but their swords were drawn. When did Annabeth get a sword? And what was it made of – ivory? They looked like they wanted to help, but there was no need. The giant was surrounded.
Clytius snarled, turning back and forth as if he couldn't decide which of them to kill first. Wait! Hold still! No! Ouch!
The darkness around him dispelled completely, leaving nothing to protect him except his battered armour. Ichor oozed from a dozen wounds. The damage healed almost as fast as it was inflicted, but Cary could tell the giant was tiring.
One last time Jason flew at him, kicking him in the chest, and the giant's breastplate shattered. Clytius staggered backwards. His sword dropped to the floor. He fell to his knees, and the demigods encircled him. Cary had her hand resting on his ankle, draining away his life force.
Only then did Hecate step forward, her torches raised. Mist curled around the giant, hissing and bubbling as it touched his skin.
"And so it ends," Hecate said.
It does not end. Clytius's voice echoed from somewhere above, muffled and slurred. My brethren have risen. Gaia waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes?
Hecate turned her torches upside down. She thrust them like daggers at Clytius's head. The giant's hair went up faster than dry tinder, spreading down his head and across his body until the heat of the bonfire made Hazel wince. Clytius fell without a sound, face-first into the rubble of Hades's altar. His body crumbled to ashes.
For a moment, no one spoke. Cary heard a ragged, painful noise and realized it was Hazel's breathing.
Hecate faced her. "You should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place."
Hazel gritted her teeth, trying to hold in her anger. "Just like that? No 'thank you'? No 'good work'?"
The goddess tilted her head. Gale the weasel chittered – maybe a goodbye, maybe a warning – and disappeared in the folds of her mistress's skirts.
"You look in the wrong place for gratitude," Hecate said. "As for 'good work', that remains to be seen. Speed your way to Athens. Clytius was not wrong. The giants have risen – all of them, stronger than ever. Gaia is on the very edge of waking. The Feast of Hope will be poorly named unless you arrive to stop her."
The chamber rumbled. Another stela crashed to the floor and shattered.
"The House of Hades is unstable," Hecate said. "Leave now. We shall meet again." The goddess dissolved. The Mist evaporated.
"She's friendly," Percy grumbled.
The others turned towards him and Annabeth, as if just realizing they were there. "Dude." Jason gave Percy a bear hug.
"Back from Tartarus!" Leo whooped. "That's my peeps!"
Piper and Cary threw their arms around Annabeth and cried.
The ceiling shuddered. Cracks appeared in the remaining tiles. Columns of dust spilled down.
"We've got to get out of here," Jason said. "Uh, Frank...?"
YOU ARE READING
Death's Touch | Jason Grace
Fanfic[ON HOLD] Cary meant pure. Was that what she was? It didn't seem like it. Her own father said to always wear her bracelet unless she wanted to kill something. Well, she supposed that he just wanted to protect her. She didn't think she was pure...
