𝑳𝑶𝑵𝑮 𝑳𝑰𝑽𝑬 || 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒚 𝒋𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒙 𝒐𝒄

blame game

Percy held Maisie close, his brain spinning. "Mae?"

Maisie just lolled her head to the side and looked at her bleeding limb curiously. "Huh," she said, her eyes unfocused. She suddenly felt cold, even though her wound burned and sweat dripped from her forehead.

Percy put one of Maisie's arms around his neck and wrapped one of his own around her torso to help her walk. He felt sick. Sure, they'd had each others' backs in battle before, but never had Maisie been hurt due to direct correlation of his choices. If only he had followed her in the gym, instead of trying to go on his own, maybe things would have been different.

Percy didn't know what kind of monster Dr. Thorn was, but he was fast. Maybe he could defend himself if he could get his shield activated. All it would take would be a touch of his wrist-watch. But defending the di Angelo kids was another matter. And now that Maisie was hurt, it was clear that they needed help.

"My poison pains immensely, but it will not kill. Let go of her, Jackson," Mr. Thorn snarled.

Percy almost scoffed. Yeah, like that was going to happen.

Maisie tried to comply, not wishing to make things worse, but Percy wouldn't release her.

There was only one way Percy could think of to call for help. He closed his eyes as Thorn herded them outside, and tried to concentrate. He pictured Grover's face. He focused on his feelings of danger and fear, which wasn't hard as he watched blood drip from Maisie's arm and stain the white snow on the ground.

Last summer, Grover had created an empathy link. As far as Percy knew, the two were still linked, but he'd never tried to contact Grover before.

Hey, Grover! Percy thought. I fucked up real bad. Maisie's hurt! Thorn's kidnapping us! He's a poisonous spike-throwing maniac! Help!

Thorn inarched them into the woods. They took a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights.

Maisie's shoulder ached. The wind blowing through her ripped sweater was so cold that she felt like a Maesickle.

Percy rubbed Maisie's uninjured arm, not sure whether she was shivering from the cold or the poison. "I—I'm sorry," he stammered for probably the 5th time.

Part of him wanted to shake her and demand why she had jumped in front of him, especially when she answered, "S'okay, doesn't hurt that bad." But he was simply too scared and worried to be mad.

"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."

"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!"

"Don't talk to my sister that way.'" Nico said. His voice quivered, but Percy was impressed that he had the guts to say anything at all.