Heir of a Titan - Book 2 PJO

Chapter 48: I Die. But... I Lived!

Kronos came at Percy like a whirlwind.

His instincts took over. He dodged and slashed and rolled, it looked like he was fighting a hundred swordsmen. Ethan ducked to one side, trying to get behind him until Annabeth intercepted him.

I however sat staring at the devistation I had done. My eyes wide and blank. I could still hear Apollo sobbing, the many children crying for help...

Someone clattered to a stop in front of me. Warm callused hands grabbed my face and forced it up, made me look up into dark brown worried eyes. They were surrounded by scraps, bruises and blood, but Raph was still breathing.

"What...what have I done?" I whispered. I felt a weakening in my limbs, a painful tingling. I slumped forward.

"Nothing you can't undo, Sunshine. He messed with your head."

"How...how do you know?" I spat bitterly, the weakening turned to a shiver. I felt cold, for the first time. "For all you know I'm angry enough to do this!"

A fresh set of tears slid down my cheeks. A pain so bad I cried out and grabbed my chest, sliced through me. I crumpled forward, into Raph's chest. He caught me and held we cradled. The shivering got worse. The pain in my chest was worse, like my heart was breaking. Tears continued to leak down my face.

"I know what it's like to have a god mess with your head. Don't give into it. Fight it Nora. Don't give into Kronos's thinking!"

"What's....what's the point in fighting anymore...?" I whispered. My eyes fluttered.

Percy and Kronos fought like demons around us while Annabeth fendered off Ethan.  I could feel myself loosing the fight. Loosing the will. It burned, slowly pieces of me burning away. I wasn't giving my aligance to Kronos, but I sure as Hades was losing the will to fight it. I felt Raph's strong arms shake me slightly.

"Because," Raph whispered urgently. He was leaning forward, cradling my head and shoulders to his chest, "there's still good in the world. Because I love you, Sunshine, and I can't lose you. You brought me back from battle lust. You brought me back from Lovesickness. You helped convince Selina that good and love and friendship is better to fight for than power. Your friendship with Nico helped convince Hades to leave the underworld and fight. Your kindness with Clarisse helped unite all the cabins."

He paused to shield me from some exploding debris. He straightened up and I saw that Kronos backed Percy up against the throne of Hephaestus - a huge mechanical La-Z-Boy type thing covered with bronze and silver gears. Kronos slashed, and Percy managed to jump straight up onto the seat. The throne whirred and hummed with secret mechanisms. Defense mode, it warned. Defense mode.

"Nora Listen to me! There is good. There is love. There is a lot of fixing...but that's why we fight. You and me and Percy... Nico, Annabeth, Selina, Benckindorf, Lee...we all fought for change, to defend the weak, right the wrong!"

Percy jumped straight over Kronos's head as the throne shot tendrils of electricity in all directions. Raph twisted our bodies so we weren't hit by the electricity. 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 out of the way and charged Kronos. "Luke, listen!"

I wanted to shout at her, to tell her she was crazy for trying to reason with Kronos, but I couldn't open my mouth fast enough. Kronos flicked his hand. Annabeth flew backward, slamming into the throne of her mother and crumpling to the floor. My head flopped back and my eyes fluttered. The pain in my chest grew, I whimpered.