JAWBREAKER

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚

Back at the Plaza, Warren pulled Percy aside. "What did Prometheus show you?"

Reluctantly, he told her about the vision of May Castellan's house. Warren glanced at Thalia, who rubbed her thigh like she was remembering the old wound.

"That was a bad night," she admitted. "Annabeth was so little, I don't think she really understood what she saw. She just knew Luke was upset."

Warren looked out the hotel windows at Central Park. Small fires were still burning in the north, but otherwise the city seemed unnaturally peaceful.

"Do you know what happened to May Castellan?" Percy said. "I mean-"

"I know what you mean," Thalia said. "I never saw her have an, um, episode, but Luke told me about the glowing eyes, the strange things she would say. He made me promise never to tell. What caused it, I have no idea. If Luke knew, he never told me."

"Hermes knew," Percy said. "Something caused May to see parts of Luke's future, and Hermes understood what would happen- how Luke would turn into Kronos."

Thalia frowned. "You can't be sure of that. Remember Prometheus was manipulating what you saw, Percy, showing you what happened in the worst possible light. Hermes did love Luke. I could tell just by looking at his face. And Hermes was there that night because he was checking up on May, taking care of her. He wasn't all bad."

"It's still not right," Percy insisted. "Luke was just a little kid. Hermes never helped him, never stopped him from running away."

Thalia shouldered her bow. Again it struck Warren how much stronger she looked now that she'd stopped aging. She could almost see a silvery glow around her- the blessing of Artemis.

"Percy," Thalia said, "you can't start feeling sorry for Luke. We all have tough things to deal with. All demigods do."

Warren nodded grimly in agreement. "Luke made bad choices. Nobody forced him to do that. And-" She glanced down the hall to make sure they were alone. "I'm worried about Annabeth. If she has to face Luke in battle, I don't know if she can do it."

Percy frowned, like he didn't want to admit they were right. "She'll do fine."

"I don't know," Thalia said. "After that night, after we left his mom's house? Luke was never the same. He got reckless and moody, like he had something to prove. By the time Grover found us and tried to get us to camp...well, part of the reason we had so much trouble was because Luke wouldn't be careful. He wanted to pick a fight with every monster we crossed. Annabeth didn't see that as a problem. Luke was her hero. She only understood that his parents had made him sad, and she got very defensive of him. She still is defensive."

Warren put her hand on Percy's shoulder. "We can't afford to be soft on him. I wish things were different...but you know what's at stake."

Her dark eyes bore into his with such sincere intensity. Percy could see pain in them, and regret. He looked out at the fires in Harlem, wondering how many sleeping mortals were in danger right now because of Luke's bad choices.