A web of fates | Percy Jackson and the Olympians

XIX| another two bites the dust

The next hour or so was hard to remember for Theo. All of it came and went in a blur as he tried to put his grief aside.

They needed him, he kept reminding himself. There would be time to grieve later.

The doors of the palace were big enough to steer a cruise ship through, but they'd been ripped off their hinges and smashed like they weighed nothing. They had to climb over a huge pile of broken stone and twisted metal to get inside.

Kronos stood in the middle of the throne room, his arms wide, staring at the starry ceiling as if taking it all in.

His laughter echoed even louder than it had from the pit of Tartarus.

"Finally!" he bellowed. "The Olympian Council—so proud and mighty. Which seat of power shall I destroy first?"

Ethan Nakamura stood to one side, trying to stay out of the way of his master's scythe along with the other demigod girl. The hearth was almost dead, just a few coals glowing deep in the ashes. Hestia was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Rachel.

The Ophiotaurus swam in his water sphere in the far corner of the room, wisely not making a sound, but it wouldn't be long before Kronos noticed him. The group stepped forward into the torchlight.

Ethan saw them first. "My lord," he warned

Kronos turned and smiled through Luke's face. Except for the golden eyes, he looked just the same as he had four years ago when he'd welcomed Percy into the Hermes cabin. Annabeth made a painful sound in the back of her throat, like someone had just sucker punched her.

"Shall I destroy you first, Jackson?" Kronos asked. "Is that the choice you will make—to fight me and die instead of bowing down? Prophecies never end well, you know."

"Luke would fight with a sword," Percy said. "But I suppose you don't have his skill."

Kronos sneered. His scythe began to change, until he held Luke's old weapon, Backbiter, with its half-steel, half-Celestial bronze blade.

Next to him, Annabeth gasped like she'd suddenly had an idea.

"Percy, the blade!" She unsheathed her knife. "The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."

Before Theo could say anything, Kronos raised his sword.

"Wait!" Annabeth yelled.

Kronos came at Percy like a whirlwind. Percy's instincts took over. He dodged and slashed and rolled. The girl with black hair and Ethan ducked to one side, trying to get behind Percy until Annabeth and Theo intercepted them.

"Where's Daphne?" Sneered the girl, fighting one-on-one with Theo. The son of Athena felt her anger radiating onto him and it made him wonder how teenagers could harbour such hatred.

Annabeth, seeing her brother in need of help, pushed Ethan into the girl. "She killed herself."

Both enemy demigods, froze - giving Theo and Annabeth the perfect opportunity to disarm them fully.

Kronos slashed, and Percy managed to jump straight up onto the seat. Percy jumped straight over Kronos's head as the throne shot tendrils of electricity in all directions. One hit Kronos in the face, arcing down his body and up his sword.

"ARG!" He crumpled to his knees and dropped Backbiter.

Annabeth saw her chance. She kicked Ethan, who did not even try to get up, out of the way and charged Kronos. "Luke, listen!" 

Theo wanted to shout at her, to tell her she was crazy for trying to reason with Kronos, but there was no time. Kronos flicked his hand. Annabeth flew backward, slamming into the throne of her mother and crumpling to the floor.