𝓟𝓻𝓪𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓪 - (𝓟.𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼𝓸𝓷)

15.

vol ii
➵ chapter fifteen ➵

They had reached the summit. A few yards ahead, gray clouds swirl in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touches the mountaintop but instead rests on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains.

Percy and Helia freeze, recognising the landscape.
It hadn't been a cavern roof that Artemis was forced to hold. It was the roof of the world.

"My lady!" Zoe rushes forward, but Artemis says, "Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now."
Her voice is strained. She's drenched in sweat; the weight of the sky is clearly too much for the goddess.
Zoe is crying. She runs forward despite Artemis's protests and tugs at the chains; Helia joins her, the two desperately pulling to no avail.

A booming voice rises from behind: "Ah, how touching."
They turn. The General is standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side are Luke and half a dozen dracaenae bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos.

Annabeth stands at Luke's side. She has her hands cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth, and Luke is holding the point of his sword to her throat.
Helia immediately goes to rush towards her, but Percy catches her around the waist, meeting the grey eyes of the daughter of Athena, whose one  devastating message is run.

"Luke," Thalia snarls. "Let her go."
Luke's smile is weak and pale. He looks even worse than he did three days ago in D.C. "That is the General's decision, Thalia. But it's good to see you again."
Thalia spits at him.

The General chuckles. "So much for old friends. And you, Zoe. It's been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."
"Do not respond," Artemis groans. "Do not challenge him."

"Wait a second," Percy says. "You're Atlas?"
The General glances at him. "So, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out. Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods. Congratulations. I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."

"You're not going to hurt Zoe," Percy declares. "I won't let you."
The General sneers. "You have no right to interfere, little hero. This is a family matter."
Percy frowns. "A family matter?"
"Yes," Zoe says bleakly. "Atlas is my father."

Horrifyingly, the son of Poseidon can see the
family resemblance. Atlas has the same regal expression as Zoe—the same cold, proud look in his eyes that Zoe sometimes got when she was mad, though on him it looked a thousand times more evil.
He was all the things he'd originally disliked about Zoe, with none of the good he'd come to appreciate.

"Let Artemis go," Zoe demands.
Atlas walks closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."
Zoe opens her mouth to speak, but Artemis says, "No! Do not offer, Zoe! I forbid you."

Atlas smirks. He kneels next to Artemis and tries to touch her face, but the goddess bites at him, almost taking off his fingers.
"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckles. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

Helia stares at Annabeth longingly; the girl is desperately trying to convey something, motioning her head towards Luke.
The daughter of Apollo feels her blood begin to boil as she catches a streak of grey in her best friend's hair. No, she can't have.
"From holding the sky," Percy mutters.
"The weight should've killed her." Thalia blanches.