ΉӨЦƧΣ ӨF ΉΛDΣƧ

AS THEY STARTED DOWN THE CLIFF, Lucia concentrated on keeping her footing, avoiding rockslides that would alert the empousai to their presence, and of course, making sure she and Percy didn't slip off and die.

About halfway down the precipice, Lucia begged, "Stop, okay? Please. Let's take a mini break."

Her legs wobbled badly, so bad she almost stumbled off. She crouched down to ease the ache in her muscles. Rubbing at her legs to try and feel them again.

Percy cursed himself for not calling a rest earlier. He sat beside her. "Princess, I'm sorry."

She shook her head, "I-I'm okay!" She tried smiling.

They sat together on a ledge next to a roaring fiery waterfall. Percy put his arm around her, and she leaned against him, shaking from exhaustion.

He wasn't much better. His stomach growled in her ears. If they came across any more monster carcasses, she was afraid starvation might make them devour it.

At least they had each other. They would find a way out of Tartarus. They had to.

Sure Lucia didn't live in a world of fates and prophecies for as long as he had, but no matter how much she believed in their power, she wanted to believe in the power of them more.

They were supposed to be together. They hadn't survived so much just to get killed now. And no matter who tried separating them, at the end of the world they'd find each other again. That had to be true.

"Things could be worse," Lucia ventured. Doing her best to be optimistic for both their sakes.

"Yeah?" Percy didn't see how, but he tried to sound upbeat.

She snuggled against him. He pressed his lips against her forehead, breathing in her scent. A gentle sigh fell from his lips.

"We could've fallen into the River Lethe," She tried. "Lost all our memories."

Percy's shuddered. "I've had enough trouble with amnesia for one lifetime."

Only last month, Hera erased his memories to put him among the Roman demigods. Percy stumbled into Camp Jupiter with no idea who he was or where he came from.

"And the Lethe," he muttered. "Not my favorite...."

"What is it?" Lucia asked him.

He focused his gaze on her, " A few years ago, when you were..." He cleared his throat, "Taken... Thalia, Nico, and I, fought a Titan on the banks of the Lethe, near Hades's palace. I blasted the Titan with water from that river and completely wiped his memory clean."

"What was the Titan's name?" Lucia asked.

"Uh.. Iapetus. He said it meant the Impaler or something."

"The Piercer." Lucia corrected, "He was Kronos' brother, they were in Tartarus together...When did this happen? Wh-Why were you three on the banks of the lethe?"

Percy's eyes got darker. He hesitated to speak, and his jaw clenched. "Ethan Nakamura, he came and stole the sword of Hades, Persephone asked us to bring it back before he could use it to resurrect the Titans from Tartarus."

Lucia felt herself fall back into a memory.

In the dimly lit corridor, Lucia tried catching her breath after an intense sparring session. It was one of many, now that Kronos had allowed her to wander freely, he wanted her to be as lethal as a weapon. That meant working day in and day out against monsters, demigods, and even some immortals to sharpen her up.

There were times when it took a little more out of her than she expected, both physically and emotionally. Hearing cries of pain instead of sighs of relief was apparently new to her. Pushing her body until she collapsed or took out her opponent was intense. The power in her that began to grow always felt nice, yet wrong at the same time, it made her question her actions, but her lord and the loyal Hecate made sure those moments never lasted too long.

He always reminded her that this was exactly where she belonged. Cursing the Gods. Cursing Percy Jackson and Camp Half-Blood. Being his dear Apollonione.

Kronos' enraged voice echoed through the dark chamber, "Ethan Nakamura, you pathetic fool! Your incompetence knows no bounds!"

Lucia's ears perked up. She followed her lord's angered voice. What had Ethan done now?

The truth was, she hadn't even seen the boy since....since she joined her lord's faithful cause. At first, she felt a lingering anger that told her she didn't want to be close to him. But why was she angry with him again? She was home.

Lucia peeked through the door, Ethan, battered and defeated, met Kronos' furious gaze with mild defiance. "I did my best, my lord. The sword of Hades was beyond my reach."

Kronos sneered, "Your best wasn't enough. I should obliterate you for your failure."

Just as Kronos raised a hand to unleash his wrath, Lucia, felt an ache in her chest. Something pulled at her and caused her to gasp. Memories of shared moments with Ethan flooded her mind. The genuine care she felt for him stirred within.

Except she wasn't able to see that not all of those moments were as genuine as her feelings. Not when all her other ones had been manipulated and tainted.

She pushed through the doors.

Kronos met her eyes with a sinister look on his face.

Lucia almost regretted everything.

"You dare interrupt me—"

Her eyes were ablaze with an unnatural fervor. "My lord, You must spare him."

Kronos hissed, "And why would I do that?"

"His potential can be harnessed. He can still serve your purpose." She tried, "Kronos, please," she pleaded, her voice laced with sincerity. "Give him another chance, I will work with him if you need..."

Kronos, sensing the genuine emotion in Lucia's plea, regarded her with a mix of suspicion and calculation. The room hung in a delicate balance, "You are, protecting Ethan?"

She nodded, "Yes my Lord, He is the reason I am here after all. I owe him my life...."

Kronos reluctantly lowered his hand. A wicked grin fell on his lips at every word that left her own. He looked to Ethan, "Seems as if you do serve me a purpose, Nakamura."

He glanced back at Lucia and trailed over to her. Lucia felt his hand cup her chin. "I shall leave you two for now, but remember." He squeezed her jaw tighter, Lucia flinched, her face hurt. He made sure to make it feel as if he was about to crush her jaw into pieces. "To silent that big mouth of yours Apollonione."

"Yes sir." Her voice was small. "My lord, I apologize..."

Once the Titan left, Lucia felt herself exhale. Her entire body relaxed.

"Lucia?" That was all he said at first. "...You saved me"

Lucia looked up with glossy eyes, a grin fell on her lips when she saw him. "You really have to get it together E."

"E—?" His face lit up. He walked closer, "So, You—You don't hate me?"

Her eyebrows furrowed together, "Why would I hate you? You're my friend. The first one I ever had in this strange and confusing demigod world...You helped me find where I belong. I'm grateful to you E."

He didn't seem to mirror the smile that formed on her lips.

Lucia was blind to his internal struggle, she gazed at him softly and looked him over. The dark hue of his eye, the structured jaw, and the upturned nose, his mess of dark hair. He was super attractive...

She decided at that moment that she had a type for dark hair because all she wanted was to run her hand through his.

He made her feel things. It felt real somehow, not completely, but it was the closest thing she could get. Ethan standing there in front of her. He was the one thing on this ship that reminded her she wasn't just a weapon. That she was human. That she was still, Lucia. And he wanted her.....

Lucia walked closer to him, "Do you remember, when you asked me....about that little crush I had on the idiotic son of Poseidon."

Ethan gulped, "That was so long ago..."

"Long enough for you to have moved on?" She raised an eyebrow.

"From you?" Ethan laughed breathlessly, "Lucia, Nothing can take away what I feel for you. If the devil himself promised you'd be mine I'd give him anything in exchange..."

Lucia stopped in her tracks. She had a moment of hesitation before she met Ethan's eye again.

She felt a subtle hint of butterflies in her stomach at just looking at him, she was able to feel...more than anger...more than pain...

She wanted more of that.

So Lucia stepped forward, "I'm over it. I don't have a stupid crush anymore. Ethan...."

Ethan looked away, he tried taking a deep breath in. He looked at her, his eye filled with admiration but he seemed to be conflicted.

"Fuck it." He mumbled under his breath, he leaned forward. His lips met hers...

When Lucia came out of the memory, she was crying.

"Hey—what is—." Percy tried cupping her face. She flinched, and he immediately pulled away.

"Lucia?" He asked, his face fell. "I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?"

She shook her head, when she looked up and saw it was Percy before her, she threw herself into his arms. He squeezed her close, she clung to him.

"I-I love you." She whispered,

He rubbed her back, "Hey, Hey I love you too..." He cupped her cheeks, wiping away her tears. He kissed her softly, and she responded without an ounce of doubt. When he pulled away he looked at her with his eyebrows knitted together. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, "I don't have words... Just feelings right now."

He nodded, "I get that..."

"During Aurora's mom's funeral." Lucia began, "Do you remember how I came home and didn't want to speak?"

Percy nodded,

"It was Eunice." She looked up at him, "She told me some things. So basically, You know how she's Ethan's cousin—"

Percy raised an eyebrow, "Actually, about that—How? Aren't they both children of Nemesis?"

"Gods like to make strange families." Lucia shrugged, "Nemesis, got with Ethan's father as revenge for Eunice's father stopping his worshipping of her. At least, that's what the scroll told me after I checked that day."

"Wait—So their siblings and cousins." His eyes widened, and he wrinkled his nose. A bewildered look took over his features.

Lucia grumbled, "Yes but that's not exactly the point love."

"Sorry, crazy ass family line aside. What did she tell you?"

"Well, she told me that, I was bad for Aurora." She frowned, "That my sister was better off without me..."

Percy opened his mouth,

"No, that wasn't the worst part. She said that I killed Ethan. That his death was on me, That I could have saved him...And that she would hate me until the end of my days for making him weak. For hurting him....but he hurt me too..."

She frowned deeper, "She said that I played with him...And well Y-You already heard what she called me during the iris message...But Percy, I didn't even know who I was?—How could I have...I just wanted to live. I just wanted to feel like Lucia again... I had no idea what I was doing...Until, Until Lee..." Her voice broke.

She hadn't thought of him in a while. Lee Fletcher, Her brother, the initial catalyst in breaking the mental chains that held her captive.. But oh, how she missed him. And Michael, and all her fallen siblings.

There seemed to be something about the children of Apollo, that attracted death and pain.

Or maybe, Maybe it was exclusive to the children of Apollo and Hyacinthus, attracting tragedy into the lives of her and her loved ones...

I need to get out of this place. She thought, I need to have a clear head.

"Luz." Percy's frown deepened. "She's wrong,"

She nodded, tears falling down her cheeks. A part of her already understood that she wasn't to blame at all. A part of her already believed that Eunice and Nemesis were wholeheartedly wrong.

They both felt love for each other. In their unique way. But their relationship did not begin or end well. It was not the love she had with Percy. Lucia was never one hundred percent sure with Ethan like she was with him.

Lucia knew she hurt Ethan, but the pain she inflicted on him because she decided to trust her heart, didn't compare to what he did. The incisions were not equal. If Lucia could take back dating Ethan, she thinks she might...

It was this place, it was the people haunting her. It was everything making her doubt herself. Lucia tried to remain resilient, but she felt so weak.

"Do you think...Do you think it was her? The other spy?" Lucia asked.

Percy furrowed his eyebrows, "The bracelet Annabeth found?"

Lucia frowned and nodded. "Think about it, she was in Camp for a while. In the Hermes cabin, and I know for a fact she didn't come with Ethan when I was with Kronos, because I hardly know her. I guess you didn't notice her a lot but..."

"But Luz, We would have had to notice her, no?" He asked with a frown, " It would have to be someone who could gain information, Like Silena...."

Lucia hated thinking about Silena. Which made her feel guilty. The betrayal stung, even if she forgave the girl a while ago. She was just another victim of manipulation after all, but still...Lucia felt a bitter taste in her mouth when she heard her be called a Hero...Was that wrong of her, she didn't know.

Lucia hummed, "Maybe, but we can't count her out. When we get the chance. I'll look in my scroll, try and come up with answers..."

"But that's from the war with Kronos, what does that have to do with this war?"

Lucia hummed, "For some reason, I think it has everything to do with it...Zeus said, That Rachel becoming oracle brought the events of Gaea rising faster. That's why my father was banished. Who knows what else lingers from then."

Percy watched her. He frowned and wiped away the tears that fell once more. He plastered on a grin, and her heart fluttered. "Y'know, I gave the Titan a new name when his memories disappeared. Bob."

Lucia snorted, she managed a weak laugh. "Bob the Titan."

Percy's lips were so dry, when he smiled Lucia could tell it hurt, but he still managed.

Lucia gazed across the ashen plains. The other Titans were supposed to be here in Tartarus maybe bound in chains, or roaming aimlessly, or hiding in some of those dark crevices.

Lucia, Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and their allies had destroyed the worst Titan, Kronos, but even his remains might be down there somewhere. A billion angry Titan particles floating through the blood-colored clouds or lurking in that dark fog.

Lucia prayed that he would keep swirling around like shit in a toilet and stay the fuck away from her.

She decided not to dwell too much on that, she kissed Percy,  "We should keep moving. You want some more fire to drink?"

"Ugh. I'll pass."

They struggled to their feet. The rest of the cliff looked impossible to descend nothing more than a crosshatching of tiny ledges but they kept climbing down.

Percy's body was on autopilot. His fingers were cramped. Blisters popping up on his ankles. He got shaky from hunger.

Lucia gazed at him in worry, She also felt hunger, but Percy was starved.

A long while later, with a dozen new blisters on their feet, Percy reached the bottom. He helped Lucia, and they collapsed on the ground.

"Can we just lay here?" Percy grumbled, already knowing the answer.

She frowned, Ahead of them stretched miles of wasteland, bubbling with monstrous larvae and big black bristled trees.

To their right, the Phlegethon split into branches that etched the plain, widening into a delta of smoke and fire.

To the north, along the main route of the river, the ground was riddled with cave entrances. Here and there, spires of rock jutted up.

Under Lucia's hand, the soil felt alarmingly warm and smooth. She tried to grab a handful, then realized that under a thin layer of dirt and debris, the ground was a single vast membrane...like skin.

She fought the urge to vomit, suppressing the rising bile. There was nothing in her stomach but fire.

She didn't mention it to Percy, she didn't want to freak him out more, but she had the sensation that an expansive and malignant presence was watching them. It eluded definition.

"Watching" was an inadequate way to phrase it too: that implied eyes. Whatever this was, was just aware of them.

The ridges above them now looked less like steps and more like rows of massive teeth. The spires of rock looked like broken ribs. And if the ground was skin...

Lucia forced those thoughts aside. This place was just freaking her out.

That was all.

Percy stood, wiping soot from his face. He gazed toward the darkness on the horizon. "There's nowhere to take cover on this plain."

About a hundred yards ahead of them, a blister burst on the ground.

A monster clawed its way out...a glistening Telkhine with slick fur, a seal-like body, and stunted human limbs. It managed to crawl a few yards before something shot out of the nearest cave, so fast that Lucia could only register a dark green reptilian head.

The monster snatched the squealing Telkhine in its jaws and dragged it into the darkness.

Lucia wondered if that Telkhine would pop up some other place in Tartarus, and how long it would take for it to reform.

Percy swallowed. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."

Lucia rose to her feet. She took one last look at the cliffs, but there was no going back.

They started walking, trying to avoid the cave entrances, sticking close to the bank of the river.

They were just skirting one of the spires when a glint of movement caught Lucia's eye— a figure darting between the rocks to their right.

She remembered why they'd started following this route, and Percy seemed to have the same thought as he froze in his tracks.

"The empousai." Percy grabbed Lucia's arm. "Where are they?"

Lucia scanned a three-sixty, her purple eyes bright with alarm.
Maybe the demon ladies had been snapped up by that reptile in the cave. If the empousai were still ahead of them, they should've been visible somewhere on the plains.

Unless they were hiding...

They both drew their weapons. Lucia notched her arrow too late.

The empousai emerged from the rocks all around them—five of them forming a ring. A perfect trap.

Kelli limped forward on her mismatched legs. Her fiery hair burned across her shoulders like a miniature Phlegethon waterfall. Her tattered cheerleader outfit was splattered with rusty-brown stains of blood. She fixed Percy with her glowing red eyes and bared her fangs.

"Percy Jackson," she cooed. "How awesome! I don't even have to return to the mortal world to destroy you!"