PERCY GRABBED Will Solace by the elbow without explanation, the blonde-haired boy stumbling forward as Percy dragged him toward the nearest vehicle, which happened to be a Yamaha FZI. The only thing Percy said to the rest of the campers was to keep looking for Micheal, and then he was gone.

Percy had never driven a motorcycle, but the thought of Magdalena being in trouble made him learn pretty quick. He drove toward the Plaza Hotel at speeds that would've had his mom grounding him for the next month. Will and Percy weren't that close of friends, but the son of Apollo held onto Percy so tight his eyes were bulging out of his head. He heard Will muttering indistinct words underneath his breath, and Percy was pretty sure he was either praying, or cursing him out.

  Instead of it usually taking ten minutes to reach the Plaza Hotel, Percy made it in five. From a tactical standpoint, it wasn't the most secure place for their home base to be, considering it wasn't center to the city or very large. But, it was known for its famous demigod presence and old-fashioned look, so it would do.

  Percy gunned the motorcycle over the curb and veered to a sharp stop in front of the fountain in front of the hotel. Percy jumped off the bike before it was even fully parked, while Will Solace practically fell off it.

  "I'm never riding with you," he squeaked out, looking a little green as tried to keep the contents of his stomach from coming back up. "Ever again."

  Percy disregarded him, but before he could go into the hotel, the statue at the tip of the fountain yelled, "Oh, that's alright. I'll watch over your bike while I'm at it!"

  She was a full-sized bronze woman perched in the center of a marble bowl. She wore a sheet dress and was cradling a fruit basket. Percy'd never really noticed her, but, she'd also never made any effort to talk to him, either.

  "Are you a figment of Demeter?" Percy asked.

  A bronze pear shot over his head.

  "That's what everyone thinks!" She grumbled. "Nobody cares about Pompona, Roman goddess of Plenty! Nobody regards us minor gods, do they? If you cared, this war would've been won by now! Three cheers for Hecate and Morpheus, I say!"

  "Watch the bike," Percy said to her.

  Pompona yelled and threw more fruits as Will and Percy stormed inside.

  The Plaza was beautiful— with crystal chandeliers and rich people knocked out on barstools and couches, but Percy didn't regard any of them. All he needed to know was where the elevators were, and he immediately went up to the penthouse suit.

  Campers and Hunters had deemed the top floors as theirs. All around, people were sleeping on couches, showering in hotel rolls, using the drapes as dressings for their wounds. A few of the hunting wolves were using the toilet as a drinking station. Everybody looked tired and beat up, but it was a relief to see so many of them alive.

  "Percy!" Jake Mason grinned at him. "Glad you're here. We've just got a report— "

  "Not now," Percy said. "Where's Lena?"

  "The terrace. She's alive, but, man . . . "

  Percy stormed past him.

  He couldn't even appreciate how beautiful the view was from the terrace because of how stressed he was for Lena. It was a perfect morning, with the freshly risen sun peeking up the buildings.

  Magdalena was sprawled out on a lawn chair. Percy felt his stomach drop at how sick she looked. Her body shivered despite being layered with blankets. Annabeth and Silena were at her side while Connor Stoll paced the deck, unshed tears printing at his eyes. Melè was perched at the side of the chair, his head resting on Lena's shoulder. He whimpered softly, like he could feel the pain his owner was going through.

  Will and Percy pushed through the crowd of Hermes kids. Will removed the dressings from Lena's arm to see the wound, and Percy felt nauseous. The gash had penetrated deep into her skin, and despite it no longer bleeding, there was a sickly shade of green coating the skin around it.

  "Lena . . . " Percy choked up. How could he have let this happen? He did he let her sacrifice herself for him?

  "Not so bad," she mumbled. "Just a little poison."

  Will Solace's eyes glinted with worry, but he took a shaky breath of relief. "We're lucky we got you in time, Lena. The poison hadn't reached your heart. If it had only been a few minutes longer . . . " he shook his head. "Just stay still. I need some nectar."

  Percy snatched a canister from one of the children of Hermes, not bothering to apologize as he handed it to Will.

  "This might hurt a little," Will warned.

  Lena shook her head. "Look," she drawled, her eyelids fluttering drowsily. "It's . . . It's really not that bad— OW!"

  She clenched down on Percy's hand as Will dripped the nectar into her cut, her fingers gripping his so tight they turned white. Annabeth ran her hand through Lena's hair as Silena whispered encouraging words to her. Connor sat on the end of the chair, his hand braced on Lena's knee supportively as she held back cries of pain. Melè cried softly, nudging his nose into Lena's neck as she strained her body to remain still.

Magdalena watched Will dig into his pocket, pulling out a flask of translucent paste and smearing it onto his fingers. At the sight of it, Magdalena's eyes went wide, and she immediately started to shake her head.

"Please," Lena whimpered as she held Percy's hand tight. "No."

Will looked guilty as he made eye contact with her. "I have to," he said softly. "It's the only way to help it heal."

"What is it?" Connor asked.

"It's a healing solvent," Will said grimly. "It helps mend a wound at a faster rate than normal."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Silena asked as she dabbed Lena's forehead with a wet washcloth.

"Yes," Will responded faintly. "It's just . . . Painful. Really painful."

Magdalena's eyes were shining with tears as she eyed the healing solvent. Her lips trembled from the pain she was in, and she didn't know if she could bear anything more than it. Her heart thumped against her chest in trepidation.

"It's okay, Lena," Will said after a few beats of silence. "You know you're strong enough to handle it. You have before."

Annabeth lightly combed through the knots in Lena's hair. "We're with you, Lena," she whispered thickly. Her eyes were rimmed red and her voice was shaky, giving away that she'd recently been crying. "We've got you."

"Yeah," Percy said. He brushed his thumb over her knuckles, putting his other hand overtop their linked ones. "We're right here, okay?"

This was practically Magdalena's worst nightmare— having all of her friends worried about her. She hated the fact she was so weak; so damaged. She felt like a wounded puppy with everybody surrounding her with teary eyes and worried faces. But . . . With how much pain she was in, and the thought of the pain that was to come from Will's healing solvent . . . She knew she was going to need their support. She had to swallow her down her stubbornness for her own sake.

So, Lena swallowed hardly, and nodded at Will, giving him the silent sign to proceed.

Will Solace gave her one last encouraging nod, and slowly began to apply the paste onto Lena's wound.

As soon as the solvent touched her skin, Magdalena's back arched off the chair, and she bit down on her tongue to stop herself from crying out loud. Will's face was filled with sorriness as Percy squeezed Lena's hand tightly, while Connor and Annabeth and Silena all watched with looks of agony at the sight of their friend in such pain.

Percy felt his stomach lurch with every concealed cry that Lena let out. Her face was streaked with tears as Annabeth continued to run her hand through her hair, fretting tears escaping her own eyes as she tried to console her best friend. Connor's eyes were squeezed shut as he tried to keep his own tears at bay, rubbing his hand comfortingly over Lena's knee. Silena watched the entire thing with mortified eyes, her breathing shaky and ragged as Magdalena writhed on the chair.

Melè cried, and nipped at Will's hand as he continued to apply the paste. The wolf didn't understand that he was helping Lena— all he saw was that Will was hurting her. Naturally, he would fend off anyone who dared try and injure his owner.

Will grimaced as the wolf drew a cut onto his hand, but he kept applying the paste until it was completely covering the wound. Blood trailed down the side of his hand as he muttered an Ancient Greek hymn to Apollo. Then, he wrapped fresh bandages over the wound and got to his feet. Magdalena continued to shiver and cry from the pain until finally, she slowly started to calm down, her screams dulling into quiet whimpers as the solvent's effects wore down.

The process must've sapped most of Will's strength, because he looked nearly as sickly as Lena. Blood dripped down onto the tile floor, Melè's bite marks shown clear on the side of his hand.

"That . . . That'll help the . . . Poison," Will said shakily. "But we need mortal supplies."

"Will . . . " Lena whispered. Her voice was crackly and raw from her cries. "Your hand."

Will immediately shook his head, grabbing a few bandages from his kit and quickly wrapping it up. "It's nothing," he said. "Just a scratch."

"I'm sorry," Magdalena mumbled. "He . . . He doesn't understand."

"I know, Lena," Will reassured with kinder eyes. He gave her a soft smile. "It's alright. I'm fine."

Before Lena could say anything more, Will went to grab a page of hotel stationery, writing down a list of notes and passing it to a son of Hermes. "Look, I don't condone stealing, but there's a Duane Reade on Fifth— "

"I condone it," Travis volunteered.

Will glared at him. "Leave money behind. Drachmas, cash, I don't care, but this is urgent. And, I've got a feeling there's going to be a lot more injuries to tend to."

There wasn't no disagreement from anyone. There wasn't anybody in this building who hadn't suffered a single injury . . . Except Percy.

"Alright, let's go," Travis said. "Magdalena needs to rest. And we've got a Duane Reed to raid . . . Uh, I mean, take a shopping trip at."

All the campers slowly mingled back into the building. Travis waited for Connor to join him, but when the son of Hermes stayed planted by Lena's side, Travis sighed.

Magdalena grunted as she tried to sit up, and Annabeth, Silena, and Percy all immediately started to protest.

"I'm fine," Magdalena grumbled, sending all of them annoyed looks as she got into a sitting position. "I hurt my arm— I didn't become paralyzed."

Annabeth sent her a look, but said nothing as Lena's eyes focused on Connor.

"I'll be fine, Connor," she said weakly. "Go help your siblings."

"I don't want to leave you," Connor said, sniffing harshly. There were dried tears on his face.

"It's not like I'm going anywhere," Lena said, trying her best to smile— but all that came off was a grimace. That didn't make anyone feel very reassured.

She sighed when Connor wasn't budging. "Please," she whispered. "Just . . . Go with them. And get me some sour skittles when you're there."

  That made Connor smile a little. Despite wanting nothing more than to stay rooted in place and help Lena, he knew he couldn't refuse her words. If she wanted him to go, then he would go.

He slowly stood up from his chair and walked around to the side where Percy was crouched beside her, their hands still interlinked. Connor placed his hand on Lena's shoulder, leaned down, and kissed her forehead softly.

"I'll get their entire supply," Connor whispered, smiling down at her. He kept his face close to her's. "Deal?"

Lena nodded. "Deal."

Connor nodded back, then he turned and walked over toward his brother, and the two of them slowly retreated back into the hotel, leaving Annabeth, Silena, Percy, and Lena alone on the terrace.

Percy tried to keep his irritation down for the sake of Magdalena, but it was pretty hard when the sight of Connor kissing Lena's forehead was burned in his brain. It kept replaying in his head like an old movie tape, each time making him angrier and angrier.

Despite Percy attempting to keep his annoyance to a minimum, he must've looked pretty pissed, because when he looked up, he saw Annabeth sending him a jarring look, like she was saying, Save your jealously for later, asshat.

Silena continued to dab Lena's head with a cold compress. "This is all my fault."

"Silena, no," Lena replied weakly. "How could it be?"

  "I've never been strong," Silena mumbled. "Not you, Annabeth, or Percy. If I'd been a better fighter at camp . . . "

  Silena looked like she was about to break. With each day that passed since Beckendorf's death, she'd only gotten worse. And every time Percy saw the look on her face— that glass mirage that made her look like she was going to crumble— it only made him angrier about Beckendorf's death. Percy made a silent vow that once he found out who the spy was, the one that caused her boyfriend's death, he'd give them to Mrs. O'Leary as a dog bone.

  "You are strong, Silena," Percy told her. "And you're great at camp. Nobody can fly a Pegasus like you can. You have a gift of bringing people together that not many people have. And, you know I'm right, because anybody who can make a friend out of Clarisse has something special."

  Silena's face morphed, like she'd suddenly gotten an idea. "That's it! I'm the only one who can get through to Clarisse. I need to find her and convince her to have her cabin help us. I know I can do it!"

  "Wait, Silena," Annabeth said warily. "Even if you manage to get out of Manhattan . . . You know how Clarisse is. She's as hardheaded as it gets. When she's angry— "

  Silena rolled her eyes. "Give me a break. I'll take a Pegasus. I can get back to camp. I know it. Just let me try."

  Annabeth and Percy looked at each other, and then to Lena, who gave a small nod.

  Percy hated the idea. He knew how Clarisse was, and even if Silena was her closest friend, he knew that nothing could make Clarisse changed her mind. But, also, Silena was so out of it, Percy knew she'd get herself into trouble if she tried to fight. Letting her try and get Clarisse to help would give her a new topic to focus on.

  "Okay," Percy said reluctantly. "I . . . I really can't think of anyone better to try."

  Silena threw herself into Percy. Then she lurched back, sparing an awkward glance at Lena. "Sorry! Heat of the moment thing. Thank you, Percy! I've got this. I know it!"

  Once she was gone, Annabeth let out a long breath, looking down at Lena with a worrying expression.

  "Is there anything you need?" She asked. "Water? Food?"

  "A swift kick to the head?" Lena suggested.

  Annabeth glared at her, but it was harmless. "How about a cup of tea instead?"

  Lena shrugged, but that only made her arm hurt. She winced, and Percy squeezed her hand softly.

  "What kind?" Lena asked.

  "Green tea?" Annabeth offered. "I saw some in the cafe in the lobby. That's your favorite, isn't it?"

  Lena nodded slowly. "You know me well," she said with a faint smile, to which Annabeth smiled back, but it was filled with pain. She ran her hand through Lena's hair again. It was combed to perfection with how long Annabeth had been playing with it for.

  "I'll bring you a mug," Annabeth said softly. "I'll take Melè too. He must be hungry."

  Lena nodded, turning her head to the side of the chair, where her wolf was staring back at her with his big brown eyes. She found it incredible how much emotion Melè could give off— noticing the blatant worry shining in his eyes, and the way his ears were pulled back behind his head.

  "Poor Will," Lena whispered. "Melè was only trying to protect me."

  "He understands," Percy said. "And it's just a scratch. He'll be alright."

  "Yeah," Lena whispered, though she still didn't look convinced. She turned back to Annabeth. "You don't mind feeding him?"

  Annabeth smiled at her. "All he needs is some Wagyu beef, right?" Her tone had a hint of sarcasm in it, making Lena smile.

"Only the best," she whispered back.

Annabeth nodded. "I'll be back soon," she promised. "Just . . . Just hang in there, okay?"

  Magdalena nodded, and then Annabeth walked off with Melè at her heels. Percy waited until Annabeth was gone before he knelt beside Lena, pressing the back of his hand against her forehead. She was burning up.

  "You're cute when you're worried," Lena mumbled. "Your eyebrows get all scrunched together."

  "You're not dying on me while I owe you a favor," Percy said. "Why'd you step in front of the knife?"

  "You would've done the same for me."

  She was right. Percy guessed that both knew that. But, even then, Percy still felt like someone was burning into his heart with a hot metal rod. "How did you know?"

  "Know what?"

  Percy glanced around, making sure nobody else was around. Then he got close to her and whispered. "My mortal point. If that knife had hit me, I'd be dead."

  Lena's eyes glazed over. The smell of citrus radiated from her hair; her shampoo. "I don't know. I . . . I just got a feeling. I knew you something was about to happen to you." Her eyes met his. "Where is your Achilles spot?"

  Percy knew he shouldn't tell a soul. Just having one person know would put him at a greater risk. But . . . It was Magdalena. If she couldn't be trusted, nobody could.

  "The small of my back."

  Lena's hand drifted toward him. "Here?"

  She gently traced her hand underneath his shirt, feeling the skin beneath its end. Percy felt a shiver run up his spine. He took her hand and moved it to the single spot that kept him grounded to his mortal soul. A thousand volts of electricity felt like they were arching through every nerve in his body.

  "You saved me life," Percy said. "Thanks."

  Magdalena took her hand off his back, but Percy held it.

  "You owe me one," Lena said faintly. "Nothing's changed much."

The sun began to rise across the skyline. Normally, traffic would've been busier than ever, but there wasn't a single car in sight. Nobody was rushing to their job. No car horns were ringing.

Off in the distance, there was a car alarm, and then a trail of smoke arose from a burrow in Harlem. Percy wondered how many fireplaces hadn't been turned off, how many stoves had been left. Everybody fell asleep at once— leaving everything else behind. It wouldn't be long before more fires broke out, and everyone in New York would be in trouble.

"You wanted to know why Hermes was mad at Annabeth and I," Lena whispered.

Percy shook his head. "It's alright. You don't need to— "

"I want you to know. It . . . It's been on my mind for a while." Lena sat up straighter, which made her groan a little in pain. Percy helped her ease into a sitting position. "Back in the Labyrinth, when I was with Luke . . . He always seemed a little off. For the two weeks I was with him, he . . . Did a lot of things to me."

Percy nodded. His stomach twisted a little at the reminder of what Lena had gone through last summer. And every time it was brought it, he just got angry all over again. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but he could tell that his face was plastered with rage toward the guy.

"But, there was one night he came into my room," Lena continued slowly. "And all he wanted to do was talk. He . . . He was terrified, Percy. He told me how it wasn't long before Kronos was going to take over his body. He wanted me to escape with him. Run away from the world, with Annabeth."

"But you didn't trust him."

"No. After everything he'd done . . . I couldn't trust anyone. I thought he was tricking me again. When I refused, he got mad. He . . . He told me this would be the last chance I got with him. It was my only chance to escape."

Magdalena's breathing was getting labored, and her cheeks were pink with exertion. Talking about her time with Luke was taking too much out of her.

"Hey," Percy said softly. He pushed a few strands of her hair away from her face. "It's okay. You don't have say anything else."

"No, Percy," Lena said weakly. "Hermes was right. If I'd trusted him, I— I could've helped him. I was weak, but . . . I had my knife. Luke was defenseless. I could've— "

"Killed him?" Percy said. "You would've never been able to live with yourself, Lena. That would've destroyed you."

Magdalena's lips trembled. "Luke only said Kronos was going to take over his body. But . . . But last year, he visited Annabeth."

Percy's body went rigid. "What? Like . . . At her house?"

Lena nodded. "He said the same thing to her, but she didn't trust him, just as I didn't. He . . . He told her that Kronos was going to use him as a stepping stone. Luke would be only a part of his plan to be even more powerful."

Percy was still trying to process the fact that Luke had visited both Annabeth and Lena, and he'd had no idea. He tried not to get too upset, knowing that both of them were wracked with guilt over it, but it still made him wonder if why they never confided into him about this.

"He did use Luke," Percy said. "He took over his body."

"Yes, but, what if that was only the first step? What if Kronos's plan is to transform from Luke's form and grow even more powerful? I— I could've helped him, Percy. This war . . . It's all my fault."

Hearing Lena tell this story made Percy feel like how he did in the River Styx— powerless, and dissolving. He wanted to help her, but he didn't know how. He remembered what Hestia had shown him in the vision— Annabeth, Thalia, and Luke's early days, along with Magnus and Magdalena alongside them. He knew that those scenes were tied into his prophecy, but he had no idea what it was.

"There was nothing you could've done to change Luke's mind," Percy said. "None of this is your fault. Or Annabeth's."

Magdalena's face was scrunched together, a mix of the pain from her wound, but also at the reminder of everything she'd been wracked with guilt over. Talking about this should've been the last thing she needed to do. It just made her even weaker than she already was.

They didn't talk for a while, the two of them watching as the sky changed from orange and red to a hazy blue. The air was cool and dry, the temperature lower as the sun hadn't fully risen into the sky. It would've been a nice day to go on a walk through Central park, or have a picnic. Not fight a Titan army.

"Percy," Lena finally said after a long period of silence. Her head turned toward him, finding that he was already looking at her. "I . . . I'm sorry."

  Percy looked at her with concern. "For what?"

  Lena stared at him. "For everything."

  That could've meant a hundred different things, and Percy wanted to know if this referred to all of them. He'd been angry for a long time— angry that Lena had distanced herself from him. Angry that he couldn't help her. Angry that he'd let himself grow attached to a girl who couldn't help herself. He'd had a lot of turmoil within himself for this past year. But, as he knelt at the bedside of a girl who'd sacrificed her life for him . . . He didn't feel an ounce of anger in his body.

  "You were right," Lena continued. Her voice was filled with regret and sadness. "I do run away from things when I'm scared. I . . . I pushed you away because I was terrified of what Lu— Kronos had done to me. I . . . I couldn't get out of that arena. Everything I did to you . . . I didn't want to hurt you again. I— I couldn't take it."

  Percy felt like someone was taking a cold hand and squeezing it around his heart. He shuffled closer to Lena, if that was even possible, and took her hand in his.

  "There is not a single thing you could do to hurt me," Percy said honestly. "In the three years I've known you, the only thing that managed to hurt me was the fact I couldn't help you. Watching you go through this . . . " Percy shook his head. "It killed me, Lena."

  Magdalena took her hand out of Percy's, and brushed it across the gray streak of hair that was mixed into the rest of his dark strands. Her thumb brushed across his cheekbone, and her eyes studied the outline of his face, taking in every single detail of him. Percy watched her, feeling his heart thump against his ribcage.

  "It killed me, too," she admitted quietly. "Not having you around. I . . . I kept trying to convince myself that you were better off without me. That what I'd done was right. But . . . " She swallowed down her tears. "I only ended up hurting you even more."

Percy shook his head. "You were doing what you thought was right," he said. "Kronos, he . . . He made you think that you were a monster. That all you do is hurt the people around you. But he's wrong. All of the thoughts he's put in your head. Everything that he manipulated you to do . . . None of it is real."

  Magdalena's eyes were glassy as she looked at him. Her fingers danced over the loose strands of hair that fell across Percy's face.

  "You're the only person that can say that . . . " Lena said slowly. ". . . And I'll believe it."

  Percy took her words in silently.

"It took me a long time to realize it," Lena continued quietly. "And I didn't want to believe it at first. But . . . Percy . . . I can't do this without you. This entire year, I felt so alone. And I thought it was because of not being around camp. But, it's not." Her eyes stared hardly into Percy's. "It's because . . . I need you, Percy."

  Percy's stomach lurched. His breathing was slow as he softly trailed his hand up her arm, rubbing his thumb over her skin.

  He swallowed hardly, ignoring the fluttering pit in his stomach. "I need you too, Lena," he murmured. "I think I always have."

  A heavy silence fell over them as they sat there. Percy's face was only inches from her's, and all Lena would have to do is tilt her head forward, and their noses would touch.

Time seemed to slow around them, just as it had that night in Lena's penthouse. But, before Percy could get up his nerve, the sliding door to the terrace screeched open, and Connor Stoll appeared.

Connor hesitated when he saw the scene in front of him. He was holding five packs of sour skittles in his hand, but as soon as he saw how close Percy's face was to Lena's, Percy saw his face fall.

Percy wanted to care— really, he did. But he was a little annoyed at the fact that Connor happened to interrupt a moment that Percy had wanted nothing more of for the last ten months.

"Am I interrupting?" Connor asked, an undertone of disappointment in his voice.

Percy cleared his throat, leaning away from Magdalena to look at him. "No," he said, trying to keep a regular tone. "What's up?"

Connor glanced over at Lena, like he didn't want to say what he was planning to in front of her. But, Percy knew that Connor had bad news. "Mrs. O'Leary found Grover. And, um, I think you need to talk with him."

  Percy glanced at Magdalena, who gave him a small nod.

  "Go," she said. "I'll be fine."

  Percy pursed his lips. He didn't want to go anywhere— right by Lena's side is exactly where he needed to be. But, he was the camp's leader. Everybody was looking at him to keep them together. He had to abide to that if they wanted to win this war.

  "I'll make sure Annabeth comes back up," Percy assured, squeezing Lena's hand, then stood up. But then, he slowly leaned down, and pressed his lips against her cheekbone, gently holding the slope of her jaw with his hand.

  Magdalena blushed, and Percy said nothing more as he turned and walked back over to Connor, who watched the entire thing with angry, but defeated eyes.

  THE NEXT time Magdalena found Percy, he was passed out in one of the top floor hotel rooms.

  She'd sat up on the terrace with Annabeth for a while, talking about anything other than the war to keep her mind off of it. It didn't help much, because it seemed with every conversation that arose, the topic of Kronos and his army always seemed to nudge its way into focus. Regardless, it felt nice to have some down time— sitting with her best friend as they breathed in the fresh afternoon air. But, after a while, Annabeth and Lena both realized that they hadn't slept since the following day— over twenty-four hours of non-stop fighting— and they both were extremely exhausted.

  Annabeth tried to coax Lena to sleep with her in order to make sure she was close by in case she needed anything, but Lena declined. Honestly, all the girl wanted was to be alone for a while. For hours, she'd had constant surveillance from dozens of campers— all of which coddling her and making sure she was fed, hydrated, and comfortable. She appreciated it, of course, but she absolutely hated it. She wanted people to know that she could handle herself with an injury. She needed people to know that she was strong.

  It took a lot of convincing, but eventually, Annabeth gave in. Mostly due to the exhaustion she felt herself, and also because she knew Magdalena like the back of her hand, and knew that she needed her space.

  "I'll be in one of the rooms down the hall," Annabeth said. She gave Lena a stern look. "If you need anything— And I mean anything— you come and get me, okay?"

  Lena nodded, smiling amusedly. "Okay, mom."

  "Promise?"

  Lena held out her pinky. Annabeth linked her's through it, and nodded.

  "Get some rest," Annabeth advised, before turning and dragging her tired body back into the main hotel, finding the nearest vacant room and crashing.

  Magdalena tried to— really, she did— but she was restless. Her arm was aching, and her mind was racing. And, this lounge chair was exactly what she'd call comfortable.

And so, after around an hour of her twisting and turning, Magdalena took matters into her own hands, and found herself wandering into the top floor of the hotel— where she found dozens of campers passed out on couches, eating lunch, and talking amongst themselves. Many of the Apollo campers were tending to people's injuries— using whatever means necessary to help them. Nobody had paid her much attention, until Will Solace came marching up to her.

  "What are you doing?" He asked. "You're supposed to be resting."

  Lena rolled her eyes. "I've been resting for hours," she said, to which Will gave her a scolding look, like a mother would give her misbehaving child.

  "I didn't get bitten by a wolf for nothing," he said, crossing his arms. But he regretted it when he saw Lena's face twist in guilt, glancing down at his wrapped up hand.

  Will sighed, putting his hand behind his back. "Lena, come on," he said defeatedly. "Can you at least try to let yourself heal before the battle starts again? Just a little bit?"

  Magdalena gave Will a smile. "Sure, Doc," she obliged. "Do you know where Percy is?"

  "I think he's sleeping in there." Will pointed toward the far room down the hall.

  Magdalena smiled wider. "Thanks."

  Will furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait, Lena— "

  Magdalena walked away from him before he could say anything more, choosing not to look back at the weird look the son of Apollo was giving her.

  She quietly knocked on the door Will had pointed toward, but when nobody answered, she slowly cracked the door open, her eyes trying to adjust to dark room.

  Inside, she saw Percy Jackson sprawled out across a king sized bed, his hair strewn across the pillow he was laying on. Magdalena couldn't help but smile at how peaceful he looked when he was asleep. His face was relaxed, and his breathing was slow and steady as his arms curled around one of the hotels' throw pillows. She figured he must've showered before crashing, because she could smell the faint aroma of lemon radiating from the bathroom and his hair. The other thing that gave it away was the fact that all he was wearing was a pair of blue sweatpants— his bare abdomen exposed.

  Now, granted, Lena had seen Percy shirtless before. One time, down in the Labyrinth. But . . . The circumstances had been slightly different compared to now. She hadn't really gotten a chance to fully take in how . . . Well, toned he was. She wasn't sure if it was the mark of Achilles that had given him such a nice physique, but her eyes trailed down the defined lining of abs that he adorned, tracing down the lining of his sweatpants. Against her better judgement, Lena felt her face grow hot.

  But, when she realized that she was staring, she quickly turned away, feeling like a total creep for admiring Percy while he was sound asleep. She tried to settle the flutter that had risen in her stomach, and moved to walk out of the room, knowing that it was better if she just let Percy rest. He needed it more than anyone else, after everything he'd done.

  But, just as she was about to slip out of the cracked door, she heard a drowsy voice mumble from behind her.

  "Lena?"

  Magdalena stopped, hoping she wasn't blushing too hard. She slowly closed the door behind her, turning back toward where Percy was now perched up on his elbows, looking across the room at her with hooded eyes.

  "Hey," she said softly, walking back toward the side of the bed, watching as Percy rubbed the sleep from his eyes, running a lousy hand through his hair. It only seemed to make it even more messier, but Lena thought he looked cute.

  "What are you doing up?" He asked, his voice raspy and thick with sleep. Magdalena had never thought that could be attractive in someone, but she was certainly mistaken when her heard Percy's voice. "You should be resting."

  Lena shrugged. "Couldn't sleep," she answered. She looked down at Percy again, noticing how he still looked exhausted, and suddenly she felt guilty. "I'm sorry for waking you. I'll let you sleep."

  Magdalena moved to walk away, but Percy grabbed her hand before she could.

   "Wait," he said, his voice still groggy. "Stay."

  Lena glanced down at their hands, then back at him. "Why?"

  Percy shrugged awkwardly. In the dim lighting of the room, Lena saw him blush. "I don't know," he said. "You— you don't have to, I guess— "

  "No." Lena smiled softly. She could feel her heart beat faster. "That's fine."

  Percy smiled back, then moved to sit against the headboard, the sheets he was covered by falling across his legs. It was then when he finally seemed to notice that he was partially exposed in front of Lena, and quickly tried to cover up what he could with the thin sheets. He desperately failed, as the sheets just kept sliding back down to his lap, and Lena tried to hold back a laugh when she saw how embarrassed he was.

  "Sorry," Percy said, looking bashful. "I— I wasn't expecting anybody to come in."

  Magdalena shrugged it off, even though her stomach was twisting in circles like a Ferris wheel. "I don't mind."

  If possible, Percy blushed even more. "Oh," he squeaked. Then he cleared his throat. "Okay, yeah. Thanks."

Lena smirked a little in amusement. "You know, I've seen you shirtless before, Shark Boy."

Percy rolled his eyes. "That was a little different," he claimed glancing down at the faded scar that arced across his chest. Lena still felt a hint of guilt at the sight of it, but not as much as before. Now, the angry-red lines had faded into pale white scars that extended from the initial impact in the center of his chest, extending outwards like a lightning strike.

Without realizing, Lena reached forward and traced her fingers along the scar. Percy felt goosebumps rise over his entire body.

"It looks better," she said quietly. Percy's eyes watched her every move, and he hoped she couldn't feel how fast his heart was beating.

"It doesn't hurt," Percy managed to say, swallowing hardly. "It hasn't hurt in months."

Lena released a breath, lowering her hand. Percy wasn't sure if he was glad or not, considering he felt like his brain was going short circuit every second he felt Lena's fingers graze his chest.

"Good," she said. Her eyes lifted up to his. "That's good."

Percy smiled softly at her. "How's your arm feeling?"

Magdalena shrugged. "Not bad," she said, and Percy immediately knew she was lying.

Lena knew he knew it too by the way he raised a skeptical eyebrow at her. She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"It hurts," she admitted stubbornly. "Whatever."

Percy smiled amusedly at her. "Yeah, whatever," he mocked. "It's not like you took a poisoned knife for me, or anything crazy like that."

That made Lena smile, which was nice to see. "Now you're in debt to me," she said, a little smug. "Sounds like a fair trade."

Percy shook his head. "More than in debt," he said. "I'm pretty much at your beck-and-call for anything, now."

Lena smiled wider. "I mean, I wasn't going to say it, but . . . " she shrugged. "If you say so."

  "Is it too late to retract that?" Percy asked.

  "Way too late."

  "Damn it."

  Magdalena laughed, which made Percy laugh too. Maybe it was because they were both so delirious that everything was funny, but soon enough, they were both busting up, the only sound within the dark room being their obnoxious laughter.

  When they finally settled down, Percy took a good look at the girl sitting in front of him, noticing how tired she looked. Her face was still on the paler side, but that only made the dark circles underneath her eyes look more apparent. Her posture was slack, and her eyes were drooping. He wondered when the last time she'd truly slept was. It had to have been a couple days, at least.

  "You need to sleep," Percy stated, to which Magdalena just shook her head.

  "I'll sleep when I'm dead," she replied.

  Percy's stare flattened. "Lena."

  Lena smirked, but this time, Percy didn't give one back.

  "I'm serious, Sunshine," Percy said, his voice lower than usual. "You need to try and rest. I'm not sure when you're going to have another chance to."

  Lena sighed when she realized he was right. She'd been trying to ignore her exhaustion for as long as she could, but it was pretty hard to when she was sitting on a soft bed, and warm sheets inside of a quiet, dark room. And, you know, Percy was also there. With no shirt on. Laying in the same bed as her. Taking a nap in here didn't seem like the worst thing in the world.

  "Okay," she said reluctantly.

  Percy smiled in triumph, and then started to move his feet off the bed, pulling the covers off himself.

  Lena's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you doing?"

  Percy blinked. "Uh . . . Leaving?"

  "Why?"

  Percy stared at her for a moment, not understanding the confusion. "I'm letting you sleep."

  "Yeah," Lena agreed. "But why are you leaving?"

  Percy's face felt hot again, and he was starting to get used to the feeling by now. It happened probably every time he was around Lena. "I just . . . I figured you'd want some privacy— you know, so you can have the entire bed and not worry about me. I— I mean, I can sleep on the floor, too, if you want some— "

  "Percy, just get in the damn bed."

  Enough said. "Okay."

  Magdalena smiled timidly, moving slowly to try and get comfortable underneath the sheets without moving her right arm. Percy hesitantly got in beside her, keeping a respectable distance between them in order to not make her feel uncomfortable. Once they were both settled, an awkward silence fell over them. They both were laying on the bed like sardines, eyes wide open.

  "Percy?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Come here."

  Percy head turned toward Lena, finding her already looking at him. To be honest, Percy thought he might have an aneurism. But, he wasn't one to say no to Magdalena, ever, so, he slowly scooted toward her, letting her do most of the work. She slotted herself around his arm as he moved it behind her, her head resting over his bare chest. He felt her arm slide across his stomach, her hand resting overtop it, and then she went still, relaxing in his embrace.

  It took Percy a moment to regain his bearings, realizing how stiff he was. He immediately relaxed his body, feeling Magdalena shift further into him. He did the same, scooting further down the bed to lay flat, wrapping his arm tighter around Lena's body, careful to avoid her bad arm as he let his hand rest on her waist. He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

  "Thanks, Percy," Lena whispered against his skin. He felt her lips brush over his chest.

  Percy squeezed her waist softly. "No problem."

  And then, they both fell asleep, and for the first time, Magdalena didn't have a single dream.

  MAGNUS KNEW something was wrong when his sword arm went slack.

  It was just as he was slicing through a dracaenae— the last of the fleet that had made its way across Camp Jupiter's borders. The fight had been successful, but there was turmoil rising all across camp. Plumes of smoke rose from the praetoria, and small fires were broke along the battle grounds. There were wounded demigods all around— legacies and children of Apollo scrambling to give everyone who needed it medical help.

  It was a silent war zone, but Magnus felt as if he'd just lost the entire world in the span of one second.

  It was a strange feeling— Like a cold needle tracing up his spine. And as soon as he felt that, a sharp pain exploded from his forearm— his sword clattering to the ground just as it evaporated the monster. Jason wasn't far from him when it happened, and he turned to Magnus as soon as he daw his sword fall.

  "Are you okay?" Jason asked. There was blood and dirt streaked across his face, and his blonde hair was partially grey from all the ash and smoke. His shirt was ripped, and his arms were scratched, but he looked more fearless than ever wielding his golden sword. Reyna was nearby as well, helping a wounded son of Mars get carted off to the medical wing of camp.

  "No . . . " Magnus muttered, his hand cradling his arm. His face was plastered with fear as he stared off into the distance. "No . . . No . . . No . . . "

  "Magnus?" Jason asked hesitantly. He quickly walked over to the son of Astraeus, eyes lit with concern. "What is it? Are you hurt?"

  Magnus shook his head. He felt like he was going to throw up. Something was wrong. Something had happened to Lena. His legs felt shaky and his head was pounding as he stood in the center of the war zone, looking like he'd just seen a ghost.

  "Magnus, talk to me," Jason said hardly. He put a firm hand on Magnus's arm. "What happened?"

  "Maggie's in trouble," Magnus said. Jason saw the wild look in his eyes. The fear plastered on his face. He'd never seen Magnus look so terrified before.

  Jason's stomach lurched. "What?"

  "She's hurt," Magnus said, almost manically. His heart was thumping so fast he could hear it in his ears. His body numb, but ached all over. There was a dull throb in his forearm. He felt like he couldn't stand straight. "Something's wrong."

  "How— how do you know?" Jason asked.

  "I just do!" Magnus's voice was definitely manic now. "I— I have this feeling. A cold feeling."

  "What's wrong?"

  Reyna quickly approached the two demigods, noticing Magnus's distress. Her silky black hair was braided behind her head, and there was a deep gash tracing down her cheekbone, but she looked just as fearless as Jason did. Her obsidian eyes were glittering with concern as she examined Magnus's current state.

  "Something happened to Maggie," Jason said, staring at Magnus worriedly. The boy looked like he was about to send a crater into the Earth was how inconsolable he was. "I— I don't know how he knows, but Magnus said she was."

  "How bad?" Reyna asked, her heart dropping. "Is she . . . She's alive, right?"

  "Yes," Magnus quickly confirmed, but then he shook his head. "Maybe. Yes. Fuck! I don't know!"

  Magnus took a shaky breath, running his fingers through his hair as he paced the area. He wanted to cry. He didn't ask to be stuck at Camp Jupiter while Magdalena fought with his friends at Camp Half-Blood. He wanted to smite his father into the ground for forcing him to stay there. Magdalena was hurt, and there was nothing he could do to help her. He was useless.

  "Magnus," Reyna said sternly. She had that tone in her voice that she used when she was ordering people around. It was perfect for a praetor. "Magnus stop."

  "What?!" Magnus cried out, trying to Reyna with a wild expression on his face.

"You need to calm down," Reyna ordered, noticing how badly Magnus's hands were shaking. "You're going to hurt someone, or yourself."

  Magnus didn't know what she meant until he looked down at his hands, and realized that they'd started to glow. Well, glow wasn't exactly the best term to use. It was almost like his hands were radiating heat— like how asphalt radiated the sun's rays on a hot summer day. He could feel his entire body burning up— feeling the urge to release something. Something deep inside of him. He'd never felt that way before.

  Magnus turned his palms up, staring down at them quizzically. He took a few shaky breaths, trying to calm himself down. Jason and Reyna watched him in concern, their eyes narrowed and faces twisted in trepidation as Magnus tried to keep himself from exploding.

  It took a while, but eventually, Magnus's hands stopped radiating. They still trembled, and his entire body felt like it was trapped within a second skin, itching to free itself, but Magnus resisted. He couldn't afford to hurt the others around him just because of the helplessness he felt over his sister. He would never forgive himself for hurting them.

  "I— I'm okay," Magnus muttered, mostly to himself. Jason and Reyna gave each other wary looks, before turning toward the son of Astreaus in pity.

  "Look, Magnus," Reyna slowly said. "You and Maggie have a bond unlike anything I've ever seen. It's . . . It's something unexplainable. But, Maggie's strong. She's one of our toughest fighters. If anything happened— " Reyna's voice cracked a little, but she swallowed it. "If anything happened to her . . . She's going to get through it."

  Jason nodded, though he felt just as terrified as Magnus felt. "She's the strongest girl I've ever met," he admitted. He spared an awkward glance at Reyna. "Alongside you, of course."

  Reyna shrugged, taking the backhanded compliment as it was. Then she looked back at Magnus. "Your sister's going to be fine," she reassured. "I know she will."

  Magnus sighed, swallowing. He knew they were right, and he believed it, but it was just her being hurt that bothered him. It was the fact that he couldn't do anything to help her. He couldn't abandon Camp Jupiter in the middle of the war, and he couldn't defy his father and the prophecy. He didn't know what the consequences would be, and he certainly didn't want to find out. He . . . He just felt useless. And he hated it.

  "I know," he said, giving in. He took a deep breath, scanning the damage and destruction that surrounded them. Then he turned back to the faces of Jason and Reyna, and he felt a small flicker of hope in his heart. At the end of the day, he knew he'd have the two of them at his back, supporting him. And right now, that was the biggest thing he needed.

  "Come on," Magnus said, putting an arm around each of their shoulders. "We've got work to do."

ANNA'S NOTES!
Who stood up and applauded this entire chapter

Percalena is rising but at what cost... Magnabeth army we are holding so strong rn HANG IN THERE!!