¹𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀. percy jackson

XLIX.

ｔｈｅ ｌａｓｔ ｏｌｙｍｐｉａｎ

LUCIA WOKE UP WITH AN EERIE CALMNESS. She didn't cry, she didn't scream, she didn't feel anything. She just stared off into space, trembling.

Even if she could, she had no time to wallow. An angry roar shook the city and the ground under feet. Aurora immediately called for her. "Drakon! Lucia! Come on!"

The Hephaestus cabin was out of Greek fire. Lucia's siblings and the Hunters were scrounging for arrows. Most of them had already ingested so much ambrosia and nectar they didn't dare take any more.

They had seventeen campers, fifteen Hunters, and half a dozen satyrs left in fighting shape. The rest had taken refuge on Olympus. The Party Ponies tried to form ranks, but they staggered and giggled and they all smelled like root beer. The Texans were head-butting the Coloradoans. The Missouri branch was arguing with Illinois. The probability of the whole army fighting each other rather than the enemy was pretty likely.

Camp Half-Blood is the enemy.

Lucia was to the point of pure exhaustion. She felt dizzier with every step, and her arm was a heavy weight against her. There was a crippling pain in her chest, but in a way, she felt disconnected from it.

When she found Percy, Thalia, and Annabeth standing with Rachel and Chiron she stumbled her way over, hoping they'd help her as they had before.

"Your friend here has some useful insights, Percy," Chiron said.

Rachel blushed. "Just some things I saw in my head."

"A drakon," Chiron said. "A Lydian drakon, to be exact. The oldest and most dangerous kind."

Percy stared at her. "How did you know that?"

"I'm not sure," Rachel admitted. "But this drakon has a particular fate. It will be killed by a child of Ares."

Annabeth crossed her arms. "How can you possibly know that?"

"I just saw it. I can't explain."

"Well, let's hope you're wrong," Percy said. "Because we're a little short on children of Ares. . . ."

Percy cursed in Ancient Greek.

"What is it?" Lucia asked. His gaze fell on her, there were deep bags under her violet eyes, and they held no indicator of how she was feeling behind them. Her face was pinched and sallow, her brown skin subtle shades lighter.

"The spy," His eyebrows crinkled together. "Kronos said, We know they cannot beat this drakon. The spy has been keeping him updated. Kronos knows the Ares cabin isn't with us. He intentionally picked a monster we can't kill."

"It's my fault..." Lucia murmured, too weak to speak any louder.

All eyes fell on her in an instant, Percy frowned. "How?"

"...Ethan came to talk to me." She admitted,

He inched closer. His voice dropped an octave. "Did he hurt you?"

"No." She shook her head "He didn't"

forget it. he won't ever like you, no one will look at you. you're a disgusting little girl.

she looked ahead glancing at Rachel and avoiding Percy's gaze. he deserves better... "He wanted me back.."

"How does that make the Drakon your fault?" Annabeth questioned

Make them Pay

She groaned in pain, she knew there was no hiding that something was wrong anymore.