✔ | [1] 𝒞𝒶𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒾𝒸 | ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ

𝓁𝓋𝒾𝒾𝒾. The Daughters of Ares

⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆

I'd let the world burn.

Let the world burn for you.

This is how it always had to end

If I can't have you, then no one can

⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆

⚔ Percy holds Helena as she gazes at Silena.

"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 armour," Clarisse said in disbelief. "You waited until Mark, Chris, and I went out on patrol; you stole my armour 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. Annabeth ran up to the group and gasped.

"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 down the side of her face. "The drakon, Charlie's death ... camp endangered -"

"Stop it!" Clarisse said. "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 Percy's 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."

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

Behind them, the battle raged.

Clarisse scowled at her cabin mates. "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.

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

She didn't speak again.

Clarisse held her and wept. Chris put a hand on her shoulder. Percy pulled Helena into him and hugged her as he saw the silent tears fall from her eyes. Finally, Annabeth closed Silena's eyes.

"We have to fight." Annabeth's voice was brittle. "She gave her life to help us. We have to honour her."

Clarisse sniffled and wiped her nose. "She was a hero, understand? A hero."

Percy nodded. "Come on, Clarisse."

"Kronos is going to pay."

Clarisse looked at her fallen siblings and her injured sister. Stupid, she was stupid. She should have caved and followed Helena the moment she had told her she was going to join the fight. She picked up a sword from one of her fallen siblings.