{1} Princess - P. Jackson 🔱

"My father almost blew me up. Don't blame him."

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"What were you thinking?" Clarisse cradled Silena's head in her lap.

Silena tried to swallow, but her lips were dry and cracked. "Wouldn't... listen. Cabin would... only follow you."

"So you stole my armor," Clarisse said in disbelief. "You waited until Chris and I went out on patrol; you stole my armor and pretended to be me." She glared at her siblings. "And NONE of you noticed?"

The Ares campers developed a sudden interest in their combat boots.

"Don't blame them," Silena said. "They wanted to... to believe I was you."

"You stupid Aphrodite girl," Clarisse sobbed. "You charged a drakon? Why?"

"All my fault," Silena said, a tear streaking the side of her face. "The drakon, Charlie's death... camp endangered—"

"Stop it!" Maria cried. "That's not true."

Silena opened her hand. In her palm was a silver bracelet with a scythe charm, the mark of Kronos.

A cold fist closed around my heart. "You were the spy."

Silena tried to nod. "Before... before I liked Charlie, Luke was nice to me. He was so... charming. Handsome. Later, I wanted to stop helping him, but he threatened to tell. He promised... he promised I was saving lives. Fewer people would get hurt. He told me he wouldn't hurt... Charlie. He lied to me."

"Lena, how—" Maria cut herself off. Her eyes were glowing with tears and she was shaking, it was too much to take. Her own sister, the one she trusted with her heart.

I met Annabeth's eyes. Her face was chalky. She looked like somebody had just yanked the world out from under her feet.

Behind us, the battle raged.

Clarisse scowled at her cabinmates. "Go, help the centaurs. Protect the doors. GO!"

They scrambled off to join the fight.

Silena took a heavy, painful breath. "Forgive me."

"You're not dying," Clarisse insisted.

"We're going to treat you, Lena. It'll be fine, it'll—" Maria choked up on words.

"I... I tried to follow your," Her shaky breath faltered for a second. "To follow your way, Maria. I wanted to be brave like you... Aphrodite kids can fight... take good care of them." She whispered the last phrase. Maria held her hand and shook her head, tears now falling down her face. "Don't— don't say that Silena. You are brave, how do you want to be something that you already are? And— and you're going to keep taking care of them! Don't leave us, please. Don't leave me. " She pleaded.

"Charlie..." Silena's eyes were a million miles away. "See my love, Charlie..."

She didn't speak again.

Clarisse held her and wept. Chris put a hand on her shoulder. Maria hid her face on Silena's torso and cried, sobbing and repeating no's. I didn't know what to do, it was too much information. It was too much pain. Maria sat up again and started to look frantically to the sides, patting the pockets of her jeans. "We have to treat her! She can't— she can't die!"

"Maria—" Clarisse tried to say, her voice weak.  "Não! My sister! I— get ambrosia and, and nectar! It has to work—"

"Maria!" Clarisse said louder. "I'm sorry, but..."

Maria's lips trembled with sobs coming out deep from her throat. "Lena..." She mumbled and I pulled her to a hug. I held her tightly in my arms, feeling her closed fists on my back, with her face hidden on the curve of my neck.