Unclaimed [Percy Jackson]

xiii. i plummeted to my death because of a turtle brain

AMELIA AND PERCY stood in front of the Chimera that wanted them dead.

Now that the shock left their systems, Percy uncapped his ballpoint, Riptide now shinning bronze in his hands while Amelia held tightly her shimmering bow.

As the Chimera turned, Percy slashed at its neck.

That was his fatal mistake. The blade sparked harmlessly off the dog collar. Percy tried to regain his balance but he was so worried about defending himself against the fiery lion's mouth, he completely forgot about the serpent tail until it whipped around, sinking its fangs into his calf.

Percy's whole leg was on fire. An arrow landed on the Chimera's eye then another to the snake wrapped around his ankle, forcing the thing to let him go but not without pulling back, making him lose balance, getting his blade to flow out of his hand, spinning out of the hole in the Arch and down toward the Mississippi River.

Percy managed to get to his feet, Amelia grabbing his arm and pulling his stumbling form behind her, holding her notched bow in front of them protectively.

Percy could feel the deadly poison racing up to his chest.

"Stay back" Amelia warned, pulling back the string, her deadly accuracy coming in handy. But Percy had seen the Chimera receive already three arrows from her and none had actually harmed the monster.

He knew that if she shot again, the Chimera was going to shot fire again in retaliation and it would be their end.

"Don't" Percy slurred, placing a hand above hers in her bow, stumbling against her back, causing her to lose briefly her balance enough for the snake tail to snap forward to bite her hand making her cry out in pain, letting her bow drop to the floor.

Percy grimaced, knowing Amelia would be angry at him but he had the little kid and his parents and the park ranger to worry about. They couldn't put them at risk anymore.

Now they both were weaponless which he had to admit was now his fault but give him a break, he could feel the poison making his mind fuzzy and slow.

Amelia was gripping tightly her bitten wrist and a flare of guilt washed him over. He got her hurt.

Still, that guilt didn't stop him from pulling her back against his chest so they could back away into the hole in the wall.

The Chimera advanced growling, smoke curling from its lips.

The snake lady, Echidna, cackled. "They don't make heroes like they used to, eh, son?"

The monster growled. It seemed in no hurry to finish either of them off now that they were beaten.

Amelia's lips were pursed as she felt the poison run through her veins and up to her chest and a flare of anger against Percy hit her. Why would he... She couldn't even think why he would make her an easy target. She'd never forgive him for that.

"If you are the son of Poseidon, you would not fear water" Echidna hissed, Amelia blinking through the fuzzy and dizzy warmth over her body. Did she miss something? "Jump, Percy Jackson. Show me that water will not harm you. Jump and retrieve your sword. Prove your bloodline"

Yeah, right, Percy thought. He'd read somewhere that jumping into water from a couple of stories up was like jumping onto solid asphalt. From here, he'd splatter on impact. Not to mention he couldn't leave Amelia behind. Amelia who feared heights and someone he just practically murdered.

Amelia's heart raced and if she knew anything about poison was that the faster the heart beat, the faster the poison would spread. She was screwed.

The Chimera's mouth glowed red, heating up for another blast.