I sat huddled, in front of a dying fire. The stupid jar of Hope cradled in my arms. Hope seemed pretty useless to me right now. So many of my friends were dead. Rachel was acting weird. I watched s my dad was smacked out of the sky, Raph was still trying to fight for his life, I had lost so many of my Cabin 7 brothers. And my parents were asleep down in the streets somewhere while a monster army surrounded the building. Olympus was on the verge of failing, and I'd seen so many cruel things the gods had done: Zeus destroying Maria di Angelo, Hades cursing the last Oracle, Hermes turning his back on Luke even when he knew his son would become evil. Hera killing my mother.

Surrender, Prometheus's voice whispered in my ear. Otherwise your home will be destroyed. Your precious camp will burn.

Then I looked at Hestia. Her red eyes glowed warmly. I remembered the images I'd seen in her hearth—friends and family, everyone I cared about. I looked at Percy, I felt like crying. I could see the hopelessness in his eyes. I got up, holding the jar closer to my chest. My legs worked before my brain, I sat down beside Percy. He looped an arm around my shoulders. I laid my head on his shoulder. We sat quiet for a second before I sat up and looked at him. 

"Beckindorf...Selina, Lee, Michael, Castor...They didn't die for nothing. I wont let them die for nothing." 

 "Chris Rodriguez said something earlier...There's no point in defending camp if you guys die. All our friends are here." Percy signed.

I thought about Nico, standing up to his father, Hades: If Olympus falls, he said, your own palace's safety doesn't matter. I thought about how much Apollo loved my mother, and how much Hereme's did love May, how I loved Raph, and Percy and Will and Kayla and all my Camp Half blood family. I thought about how much Clarisse had loved Raph and Selina to become a beast in battle. There was good in the world, I felt the small ember of hope growing, it was tiny. But there was reason to fight. 

I felt vibrations of footsteps and glanced over my shoulder. Annabeth and Grover came back into the throne room and stopped when they saw us. I probably had a pretty strange look on my face.

"Percy?" Annabeth didn't sound angry anymore—just concerned. "Should we, um, leave again?"

Suddenly I felt like someone had injected me with steel. I understood what to do. Percy jumped like he had been electrocuted. 

He looked at Rachel. "You're not going to do anything stupid, are you?" He signed. "I mean... you talked to Chiron, right?"

She managed a faint smile. "You're worried about me doing something stupid?"

"But I mean...will you be okay?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "That kind of depends on whether you save the world, hero."

"Oh gross. Enough. Racheal, you know everything I told Chiron everything, you now know it all. The decision is now yours. And Percy was always off limits- I told you that many many times. You maybe blood family, but I'll fight you!"

I held Pandora's jar close and stood up. I looked hard at Percy, and raised my eyebrow. He understood exactly what I meant. He stood up and touched the jar. The spirit of Hope fluttered inside, trying to warm the cold container. We made eye contact again and we both nodded. Turning to Hestia. 

"Hestia," Percy signed, "We give this to you as an offering."

The goddess tilted her head. "I am the least of the gods. Why would you trust me with this?"

"You're the last Olympian," I signed. "And the most important."

"And why is that, Percy Jackson, Eleanora Blofis?"

"Because Hope survives best at the hearth," Percy added. "Guard it for us, and we won't be tempted to give up again." 

I held the jar out for her. The goddess smiled. She took the jar in her hands and it began to glow. The hearth fire burned a little brighter.

"Well done, Percy Jackson. And you Eleanora Blofis." she said. "May the gods bless you."

"We're about to find out." Percy looked at Annabeth and Grover and me. "Come on, guys."

Percy marched toward his father's throne.

The seat of Poseidon stood just to the right of Zeus's, but it wasn't nearly as grand. The molded black leather seat was attached to a swivel pedestal, with a couple of iron rings on the side for fastening a fishing pole (or a trident). Basically it looked like a chair on a deep-sea boat, that you would sit in if you wanted to hunt shark or marlin or sea monsters.

"Help me up," he signed.

"'Are you crazy?" Annabeth asked.

"Probably," I admitted.

"Percy," Grover said, "the gods really don't appreciate people sitting in their thrones. I mean like turn-you-into-a-pile-of-ashes don't appreciate it."

"I need to get his attention," he said. "It's the only way."

They exchanged uneasy looks.

"Well," Annabeth said, "this'll get his attention."

"I can get up there easy. It's not that high." I signed looking up at the chair and cocked my head. 

They linked their arms to make a step, then boosted Percy up. Just as I backed up and took a running start and leapt up. The extra high jumping was a wonderful perk of Apollo's. I reached down and yanked Percy up onto the seat beside me. 

I looked around at the other gloomy, empty thrones, and I could imagine what it would be like sitting on the Olympian Council- so much power but so much arguing, always eleven other gods trying to get their way. It would be easy to get paranoid, to look out only for my own interest, especially if I were Poseidon. Sitting in his throne, I felt like I had the entire sea at my command- vast cubic miles of ocean churning with power and mystery. Why should Poseidon listen to anyone? Why shouldn't he be the greatest of the twelve? I wondered what I would feel if I sat in my own father's throne.

"You might wanna get down...I don't know if this is-"

The throne rumbled. A wave of gale-force anger slammed into my mind:

WHO DARES—

The voice stopped abruptly. The anger retreated, which was a good thing, because just those two words had almost blasted my mind to shreds.

Percy. Eleanora! His voice was still angry but more controlled. What—exactly—are you doing on my throne?

"Sup' Uncle P. How's it going?" I spoke.

"I'm sorry, Father,"  Percy said. "I needed to get your attention."

"This was a very dangerous thing to do. Even for you. If I hadn't looked before I blasted, you would now be a puddle of seawater. Nora, what in Herra underpants are you doing on my chair, you're not even mine! It's a good thing I looked, and your sort of Percy's sister."

"I knew you liked me! And thanks for not vaporizing me. Don't think Apollo would have been happy about that. Sorry, I didn't fully mean to be here...my bad."

"I'm sorry," Percy said again. "Listen, things are rough up here."

 Percy told him what was happening. Then told him his plan. I added my own thoughts in, as soon as I understood what he was getting at. 

Poseidon's voice was silent for a long time.

"What you ask is impossible. My palace-"

"Dad, Kronos sent an army against you on purpose."

"He wants to divide you from the other gods because he knows you could tip the scales." I added. You're stronger then the others, he knows this. He has you and Hades devided on purpose." 

Be that as it may, he attacks my home.

"We're at your home," Percy corrected, "Olympus."

The floor shook. A wave of anger washed over my mind. I thought we'd gone too far, but then the trembling eased. In the background of my mental link, I heard underwater explosions and the sound of battle cries: Cyclopes bellowing, mermen shouting.

"Is Tyson okay?" Percy asked.

The question seemed to take my dad by surprise. He's fine. Doing much better than I expected. Though "peanut butter" is a strange battle cry.

"Nah, that's the best battle cry! I love my BFC! I miss him."

"You let him fight?" Percy asked, ignoring my comment. 

"Stop changing the subject!" He scolded, "You realize what you are asking me to do? My palace will be destroyed."

"And Olympus might be saved."

"You can rebuild a building. If Olympus falls- EVERYONE falls. We have Percy, me and a hand full of fighting campers, that won't hold 

Do you have any idea how long I've worked on remodeling this palace? The game room alone took six hundred years.

"Dad!"

"So glad you're putting a building over your son. Very parental of you. What would Sally say?" 

I felt a wave of anger hit me so hard I stumbled backwards. My head felt like exploding. "ELEANORA BLOFIS I WOULD SMIT YOU FOR THAT!" 

"Ha. Bring it!"

"DAD-" Percy cried, interrupting his fathers anger. "She has a point."

"Very well! It shall be as you say. But my son, pray this works."

"I am praying. We're talking to you, right?" Percy pointed out.

Oh . . . yes. Good point. Amphitrite—incoming!

The sound of a large explosion shattered our connection.

I slipped down from the throne. Percy right beside me. I stumbled slightly. Grover grabbed my arm until I had my feet under me and he studied us nervously. 

"Are you two okay? You turned pale and . . . you started smoking." he signed

"Did not!" 

Then I looked at Percy. Steam was curling off his shirtsleeves. The hair on his arms was singed. I guess I didn't look much better.

"If you'd sat there any longer," Annabeth signed, "you would've spontaneously combusted. I hope the conversation was worth it?"

"We'll find out soon," Percy said.

"I probably pissed off another god." 

"What else is new?"  Annabeth signed, though I noticed the venom wasn't there anymore. There was something else behind her dark stormy eyes. I didn't know what it was. 

"Point taken." I smirked, "But Uncle Poseidon loves me...deep down...I didn't die, that's a plus." 

Just then the doors of the throne room swung open. Thalia marched in. Her bow was snapped in half and her quiver was empty. She looked like she was ready to make a few heads roll. I saw the same angry look on her fathers face in my dreams. I involuntarily took a step back. Dang she was kinda scary.

"You've got to get down there," she told us. "The enemy is advancing. And Kronos is leading them."

"Of fucken course he is." I signed with a silent huff.

🔆

By the time we got to the street, it was too late.

Campers and Hunters lay wounded on the ground. Clarisse must've lost a fight with a Hyperborean giant, because she and her chariot were frozen in a block of ice. The centaurs were nowhere to be seen. Either they'd panicked and ran or they'd been disintegrated.

The Titan army ringed the building, standing maybe twenty feet from the doors. Kronos's vanguard was in the lead: Ethan Nakamura, the dracaena queen in her green armor, and two Hyperboreans. I didn't see Prometheus. The slimy weasel was probably hiding back at their headquarters. But Kronos himself stood right in front with his scythe in hand.

The only thing standing in his way was: 

"Chiron," Annabeth said. 

Chiron stood in front of- 

"Raph?" 

Raph, was struggling to get up. What in the Hades was he doing here. I broke from our group and dropped to my knees. I could see the pain he was in, but he was still struggling to his feet. 

"Stop you idiot! Stop." I signed franticly, "Please stop!" I signed, tears burning my eyes. 

"Sunshine..." He signed. His eyes were cloudy with pain, he struggled to keep his head up. 

"Why? Why didn't you stay in the infirmary! You nearly died!" 

"We're all dead soon, and I'm going down fighting on my feet." 

If Chiron heard us behind him, he didn't answer. He had an arrow notched, aimed straight at Kronos's face. As soon as Kronos saw Percy, his gold eyes flared. His gold eyes slid to me and a sick twisted smile formed on his face. Every muscle in my body froze. Then the Titan lord snapped his fingers, and a pressure in my head so bad I yelped, and then there was a pop and I could hear. 

"STOP DOING THAT!" I screamed. He snapped his fingers again, and I froze, every muscle tensed. He turned his attention back to Chiron. "Step aside, little son."

Hearing Luke call Chiron his son was weird enough, but Kronos put contempt in his voice, like son was the worst word he could think of.

"I'm afraid not." Chiron's tone was steely calm, the way he gets when he's really angry.

I tried to move, but my feet felt like concrete. Annabeth, Grover, Thalia and Raph were straining too, like they were just as stuck.

"Chiron!" Annabeth said. "Look out!"

The dracaena queen became impatient and charged. Chiron's arrow flew straight between her eyes and she vaporized on the spot, her empty armor clattering to the asphalt.

Chiron reached for another arrow, but his quiver was empty. He dropped the bow and drew his sword. I knew he hated fighting with a sword. It was never his favorite weapon. Kronos chuckled. He advanced a step, and Chiron's horse-half skittered nervously. His tail flicked back and forth. If I could get my hands onto my bow charm, I could toss it to Chiron...

"You're a teacher," Kronos sneered. "Not a hero."

"Luke was a hero," Chiron said. "He was a good one, until you corrupted him."

"FOOL!" Kronos's voice shook the city. "You filled his head with empty promises. You said the gods cared about me!"

"Me," Chiron noticed. "You said me."

Kronos looked confused, and in that moment, Chiron struck. It was a good maneuver- a feint followed by a strike to the face. I couldn't have done better myself, but Kronos was quick. He had all of Luke's fighting skill, which was a lot. He knocked aside Chiron's blade and yelled, "BACK!"

A blinding white light exploded between the Titan and the centaur. Chiron flew into the side of the building with such force the wall crumbled and collapsed on top of him.

"No!" Annabeth wailed. The freezing spell broke. Percy and Annabeth and Thalia ran toward our teacher, but there was no sign of him. Thalia and Percy pulled helplessly at the bricks while a ripple of ugly laughter ran through the Titan's army.

Kronos took a step towards me, a twisted smile on his once handsome face. I leapt to my feet. I threw up a shield of heat. 

"I wont let you destroy Olympus!" 

"Oh...it wont be me, my dear."

"You wont use me either! I'd rather die then be used like a puppet. Like Kronos is using you, Luke." I snarled back. It was nice having a voice again. I could hear what was going on around me, and I could hear the voices of my loved ones, one last time before I died. 

"YOU!" Annabeth turned on Luke. "To think that I . . . that I thought—"

She drew her knife. I saw out of the corner of my eye Percy trying to stop her.

"Annabeth, don't." Percy tried to take her arm, but she shook him off. I had all my focus on trying to keep the shield up, to keep the time spell from hitting us again. Raph had clawed his way to stand. 

Annabeth attacked Kronos, and his smug smile faded. Perhaps some part of Luke remembered that he used to like this girl, used to take care of her when she was little. She plunged her knife between the straps of his armor, right at his collar bone. The blade should've sunk into his chest. Instead it bounced off. Annabeth doubled over, clutching her arm to her stomach. The jolt might've been enough to dislocate her bad shoulder. I broke the shield and lunged for her. 

I grabbed her chest armor straps and yanked her back as Kronos swung his scythe, slicing the air where she'd been standing. Percy appeared beside me and helped her up. 

She fought us and screamed, "I HATE you!" I wasn't sure who she was talking to- me or Percy or Luke or Kronos. Tears streaked the dust on her face.

"Percy and I have to fight him," I told her.

"It's my fight too, Percy!" 

Kronos laughed. "So much spirit. I can see why Luke wanted to spare you. Unfortunately, that won't be possible." 

He raised his scythe. Percy got ready to defend, And I threw another shield up, but before Kronos could strike, a dog's howl pierced the air somewhere behind the Titan's army. "Arroooooooo!"

It was too much to hope, but Percy called, "Mrs. O'Leary?"

"Miss me, Piccolo Demone del fuoco?" 

"EMO GRANDPA! IS THAT YOU?"