A web of fates | Percy Jackson and the Olympians

XX| Percy declines immortality

The three fates themselves took Luke's body.

They gathered up Luke's body, now wrapped in a white-and-green shroud. Two demigods in orange shirts carried Daphne's (who was also wrapped in a shroud). They began carrying the two siblings out of the throne room.

"Wait," Hermes said. The messenger god was dressed in his classic outfit of white Greek robes, sandals, and helmet. The wings of his helm fluttered as he walked. The snakes George and Martha curled around his caduceus, murmuring, Luke and Daphne, poor Luke and Daphne.

Theo thought about May Castellan, alone in her kitchen, baking cookies and making sandwiches for a son who would never come home. Hermes unwrapped Luke's face and kissed his forehead. He murmured some words in Ancient Greek—a final blessing.

He repeated the actions for Daphne, though Theo could have sworn he looked even more pained when he looked at his daughters peaceful expression.

"Farewell," he whispered.

Then he nodded and allowed the Fates to carry away his son's body and the demigods to carry his daughter.

Next to Percy, Annabeth's knees buckled. Percy caught her, but she cried out in pain, and Theo realized he had grabbed her broken arm.

"Fucking hell Percy!" Exclaimed Theo.

"Oh gods," Percy said. "Annabeth, I'm sorry."

"It's all right," she said as she passed out in his arms.

"She needs help!" Percy yelled.

"I've got this." Apollo stepped forward.

His fiery armour was so bright it was hard to look at, and his matching Ray-Bans and perfect smile made him look like a male model for battle gear. "God of medicine, at your service." He passed his hand over Annabeth's face and spoke an incantation. Immediately the bruises faded. Her cuts and scars disappeared. Her arm straightened, and she sighed in her sleep. Apollo grinned. "She'll be fine in a few minutes. Just enough time for me to compose a poem about our victory: 'Apollo and his friends save Olympus.' Good, eh?"

"Thanks, Apollo," Percy said. "I'll, um, let you handle the poetry."

The next few hours were a blur though Theo knew one thing that he did: spoke to the unnamed girl with black hair that had purple highlights. She was sat in a corner, deep in thought. She looked tired.

The son of Athena sat next to her, noting her expression. "You okay?"

The girl with the black hair with purple highlights snapped out of her thoughts, turning her head to look at Theo. She blinked as if just noticing his presence. "Oh, uh.. yeah, I'm okay," she replied, her voice weary. "I'm sorry about everything.."

Looking at the floor Theo felt his eyes prickle with more tears as his mind wandered to Daphne. "I'm sorry, too. I take it you and Ethan were close?" He had made the inference based on the little he had seen them interact.

Whilst they both fought Annabeth and him they looked more concerned about protecting the other and not their own safety.

The girl let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Ethan..." Her voice trailed off as she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Yeah, he was my brother.." She fidgeted with her fingers, her gaze flickering to the ground. "I don't know what I'm going to do without him..."

"There will always be a place for you at Camp." Theo assured her, they couldn't make things better for future demigods if they didn't give second chances.

The girl looked at him, a flicker of hope in her tired eyes. "Daphne spoke about Camp a lot, and you guys." A lonely tear dropped onto the floor from her eyes. "I'm so sorry about Daph. She talked about you all so much, I can tell you meant a great deal to her. I wished the war hadn't costed her, Silena, Ethan, Luke and all the other fallen demigods."