Chaos Rising |BOOK 2| Harry Potter x PJO |Alexandra Marine|

BONUS: THE DAY SHE ALMOST KILLED HIM

"Percy, strike his heels!" I ordered.

I have to admit, Clarisse was brave. She charged the Cyclops again and again. He pounded the ground, stomped at her, grabbed at her, but she was too quick. And as soon as she made an attack, I followed up by stabbing the monster in the toe or the ankle or the hand.

But we couldn't keep this up forever. Eventually we would tire or the monster would get in a lucky shot. It would only take one hit to kill us.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grover carrying Annabeth across the rope bridge. It wouldn't have been my first choice, given the man-eating sheep on the other side, but at the moment that looked better than this side of the chasm, and it gave me an idea.

"Fall back!" I told Clarisse.

She rolled away as the Cyclops's fist smashed the olive tree beside her.

She and Percy ran for the bridge, Polyphemus right behind them. He was cut up and hobbling from so many wounds, but all we'd done was slow him down and make him mad.

I stood my ground, breath shaking. "Hey!" I yelled. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Grind you into sheep chow!" he promised, turning to me and stamping the ground. "A thousand curses on Nobody!"

"I'm right here, bud," I said. I was determined. 

"Ariana!" Clarisse called. "Come on!"

"Be right there in a moment!" I yelled at her. "Come on, you ugly brute."

I ran forward, the cyclops behind my heels.

We tore down the hill. The bridge was our only chance. Grover had just made it to the other side and was setting Annabeth down. We had to make it across, too, before the giant caught us.

"Grover!" I yelled. "Get Annabeth's knife!"

His eyes widened when he saw the Cyclops behind us, but he nodded like he understood.

As Clarisse and I scrambled across the bridge, Grover began sawing at the ropes.

The first strand went snap!

Polyphemus bounded after us, making the bridge sway wildly.

"Hopefully he'll fall into the darkness," I said.

The ropes were now half cut. Clarisse and I dove for solid ground, landing beside Grover. I made a wild slash with my sword and cut the remaining ropes.

The bridge fell away into the chasm, and the Cyclops howled ... with delight, because he was standing right next to us.

"Failed!" he yelled gleefully. "Nobody failed!"

Clarisse and Grover tried to charge him, but the monster swatted them aside like flies.

"Hell," I cursed. I looked around for something... something that'd help me.

"POLYPHEMUS!" I yelled. "Come on, you're going after tiny fools instead of the Nobody you want revenge on?"

The monster stopped mid swipe. "Nobody."

I swallowed. "Yeah, come on." The Cyclops brought down his fist on me, and I held onto his finger and climbed up his arm.

"Where is Nobody?!" Polyphemus roared.

I dug my sword into the monster's arm and he howled in pain and kicked him on lower jaw like it was a football. "Percy, now!"

Percy blinked for a moment, and then jabbed the Cyclops in the belly. Polyphemus doubled over. I took out my sword which was now red with monster blood and pushed into the monster's ear. I switched sides, jumping from the left to his right shoulder and attacking him again with my sword. Clarisse and Percy were striking the monster from behind.