𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒// 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐔

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟗// 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬

The crowd exploded into chaos. Will turned to see servants draw weapons from the folds of their uniforms and charge the Shade guards at the wall. Screams and clash of metal echoed through the throne room as the two forces collided.

With the grace of a deer, Nico leaped onto the platform, slicing through their bonds as though they were twine. Will bounded to his feet, stumbling as the blood rushed back to his limbs, then jumped to the floor, grabbing a sword from a fallen Shade.

Nico and Michael appeared next to him in an instant. "Go!" Nico bellowed, rushing for a near exit. The Aureoles followed him. Will shouldered his way past screaming nobility, clashing with Shade guards. He was no good with swords, but adrenaline gave him deadly precision, enough that he was able to dodge past the last guard in his way and join the flow of people rushing out the door.

He fell to his knees in the hall. A lord tripped over him, then got up and ran, not recognizing him. He scanned the hall, but Nico and Michael weren't in sight. "Nico?" he yelled, his voice rising with panic. "Nico?"

A hand seized his wrist. Will whipped around, sword raised, only to find Nico pulling him along. "We have to go!" Nico said.

"Where's Michael?" Will breathed.

"We have to go!"

"Where's Michael?"

"He must have gotten out on his own. He'll be fine. We have no time to look! Our diversion is over, Prince. We can't stay here much longer."

One of the servants who had attacked the Shade guards rushed up to Nico. He was green-eyed and familiar. "Percy Jackson," Will said in greeting.

The man only said, "We have no more time. Where's General Yew?"

A break in the crowd, enough to peer into the throne room. And what Will saw made his heart stop.

Michael was dueling Octavian.

The two collided with shouts of rage, swords sparking. Michael deflected Octavian's blade and lunged, slashing a cut along Octavian's face, then another on the opposite cheek.

"That's for the scars you marred my prince with!" Yew snarled, his voice echoing through the vast space.

"Your prince will have worse than scars when I get my hands on him!" Octavian stabbed at Michael's chest, but his sword was deflected yet again. The two leaped away, then reengaged, a dance of death and clashing swords.

It looked as though Michael would win--- until he made a mistake.

He feigned right, then veered left. Catching on, Octavian intercepted his sword, deflected it---and stabbed Michael in the chest.

Will's scream echoed.

Octavian yanked back his blade. Yew fell to his knees, hands pressed to the wound, hair shielding his face.

Shoving past Jackson and di Angelo, Will sprinted forward, dodging their hands as they tried to hold him back. "The hell are you doing?" Jackson roared. Will didn't respond as he threw himself over the threshold of the throne room, racing toward Octavian and Michael, Jackson and di Angelo on his heels.

King Abaddon, who was standing in front of his throne trying to regain order, spotted Will, and tensed as though to run after him. Austin Lake bounded from the shadows, tackled the king to the floor, and thrusted a dagger through his neck, hissing, "This is for every Aureole village you burned to the ground, bastard." Will only heard it commence in the background; every sense was honed in on Octavian with lethal rage.

Will was no longer prey; he was the predator. And Octavian had become the animal.

Octavian had turned away from the exit, and wasn't aware of the prince until he was crashing into him, sending them tumbling to the floor. Will seized Octavian's wrist and snapped it, unfazed by his shout of pain, then seized the Shade's neck between his hands and broke it.

Octavian moved no more.

For a moment, Will stared at the body beneath him, blinking stupidly, wondering what the hell was happening. Then hands were snatching at his body, pulling him off. Nico's voice reached his ears. "Will! We have to get out! It's too late!"

Will found his voice. "Michael--"

"He's dead, Will. Get to the door."

"Mi--"

"Now!"

Instinct kicked in. Will stood to his feet--and the world spun. His strength drained away. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. He faintly heard Nico scream before darkness crashed over his vision.