A/N: This chapter goes to TheBlindHorse. Truthfully, I don't think you're still reading this, but I wanted to give you one last big thank you for all of your support on If Only and the first half of this book.

Also, a lot of you are probably wondering why I made Jack...well...cut himself. I did it because it's a real world problem. Jack was teased, chased away, and rejected, just like some people are today. I figured that, in it's own way, it was a good element to add to the story. Whether or not you agree with me is a different story, but seeing as I'm the author, I can do what I want.

•••

My stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch. Thalia stared at the limp figure in Echidna's hand, her face blank and expressionless. "Who is that?" She asked Tommy and I.

"Percy's son." I replied quietly.

That's when Thalia went all super-elite on us. She immediately dropped into a battle stance. She aimed her bow at Echidna, who gave a horrible laugh.

"Do you really want to shoot, child?" She whispered. "Why wouldn't I?" Thalia snapped back, though her bow lowered a little.

Echidna laughed again. "Go ahead then, Daughter of Zeus. Shoot!"

Thalia situated her bow and took aim again, but before she could shoot, something occurred to me.

"THALIA, DON'T!" I screamed right before she shot her arrow. Tommy and Thalia both stared at me, confused.

"She's going to use Jay as a human shield." I explained quietly. Echidna chuckled. "Oh, very good, little demigod. Maybe you're not as stupid as you look."

"She doesn't look stupid!" Tommy shouted. A moment later his cheeks turned bright red. I felt heat rush into my own face.

"Erm...it's just that I...er...I mean you're smart and all..." He mumbled, looking away.

Echidna let out another laugh, this one rather high-pitched. I plugged my ears, being careful not to stab myself in the head with my sword. The last thing I needed was to have my brain poked out the other side of my head with my own weapon.

"So, this girl is important to you?" She asked Tommy. I unplugged my ears and glared fiercely at the horrible monster, now gripping my sword tightly.

Echidna swept a giant hand down to grab me. I hopped out of her way. As the hand passed by me I felt like all of the energy was being sucked out of me. I stumbled for a few steps before regaining my balance and shaking off the horrible feeling.

Apparently, Echidna had noticed my feeling, or something, because she smiled at me.

"Did you feel it, little demigod?" She whispered.

Tommy ran over to me, and Thalia did too. We stood together in a huddle, utterly bewildered. Thalia and Tommy looked like they had just felt the draining sensation too.

"Yes, children," Echidna purred, "I, being the mother of monsters, have been harnessing the powers of demigods. My forces have been capturing you, showing up at your camps and snatching you away. Then they bring you to caves, where you are supposed to be weakened, therefore unable to fight as we suck the life out of you."

Um...

Okay...

What in the name of all things Greek made monsters decide to do that?

"Don't you guys have enough powers?" Tommy snapped.

Echidna grinned, showing off yellowing teeth. "Well of course we do! But that doesn't mean we don't want more!"

Thalia, Tommy, and I took a few steps back. "We need to get out of here." Thalia muttered, barely moving her lips.

"We can't leave without Jay!" I shouted, a little hysterically. "Bianca, your loyalty is going to get you killed." Thalia warned me.

I stared at her. "I don't care if my loyalty kills me! I DON'T CARE!" I yelled louder as Thalia opened her mouth to retort.

"Bianca, calm down." Tommy said, laying a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged him off, starting to feel reckless. "You guys can leave if you want to, but I'm not leaving anyone behind."

"BIANCA!" Thalia's voice was suddenly loud and commanding. I faced her, breathing heavily as if I had just run a mile. Thalia looked me right in the eye. "You are not doing this alone. No chance. We're going to help you."

I took a deep breath and nodded. I started to turn around, but then something happened.

Thalia screamed at me to get back. I was suddenly overcome by that draining feeling again, though this time it was much worse. I felt a clammy hand wrap around my waist and hoist me up into the air. I felt a sword point jab the hand and go right through to my side, leaving a cut that started to bleed.

"BIANCA!" Thalia's voice was frantic. I wanted to struggle out of the monsters hand, to punch and kick and fight, and my instincts were screaming at me to do it, but I couldn't.

I heard Echidna's laughing, growing rapidly fainter. My head dropped into my chest and I went limp. Everything was disappearing, abandoning me.

And then, suddenly, I felt like I was falling. Not like I was passing out, but I was falling through the air. My senses started to come back to me.

That is, until I hit the ground and heard a horrible cracking sound, accompanied by a sharp pain in my skull.

My hand fell against something warm. I could feel a slow heartbeat, growing slower, and slower, and slower...
And then it stopped.

I wasn't sure if it was my own, or someone else's, and I couldn't figure out. I couldn't breath, the pain in my head was sickening me.

"Bianca?" This was Tommy's voice. A pair of warm hands on my arms.

With a great effort, I opened my mouth and tried to form words. "Where's...Jay?"

Silence, at least from Tommy. I could hear something else, a distant screaming and the dull thunk of arrows finding their targets, but I could really register what was happening.

"Can you sit up?" Tommy asked me after a moment.

I tried, but suddenly a whooshing sound filled my ears and I passed out.

•••

Tommy's POV

Bianca dropped down on the concrete again. She was bleeding, badly, covering the ground in red.

Panicking, I ran over to Thalia, who was shooting arrows at the monster. "I need ambrosia and nectar." I panted. When she didn't even turn to acknowledge me, I raised my voice. "NOW!"

Thalia stopped shooting and slung her bow over her back. It turned into a pack, and she quickly opened it and scope out nectar and ambrosia. She handed them wordlessly to me, picked up her bag-which turned back into a bow-and started shooting, yet again, at Echidna.

As I raced back over to Bianca, I risked a glance at Echidna. She was being bombarded by a white blur, moving so quickly around her serpent tail that I couldn't even make out if it was a boy or a girl.

I knelt beside Bianca and gave her as much ambrosia and nectar as I dared. Then I scooted over to Jay, who hadn't moved since we had first seen him. I had no idea how to check for a pulse, so I crossed my fingers and gave him some nectar and ambrosia as well.

Just as a poured a last drop of nectar down his throat, there was a loud crash. I looked over in time to see Echidna turning into dust, along with her precious pet.

Thalia and another girl, whom I did not recognize, were walking over to me.

"Who's that?" I asked, jerking my head in the new girl's direction. She was actually very pretty, with dirty blonde hair and wide, hazel eyes. She was wearing the same clothes as Thalia.

"This is Leah." Thalia explained. "She's one of my Hunters." "I figured as much." I muttered, cocking an eyebrow as Leah looked me over with an expression of disgust plastered on her face.

"How are Bianca and Jay?" Thalia asked, sensing the tension. I shrugged. "I gave them as much as I could spare. All we can do is wait."

"Yeah, but not here." Leah growled. "Where exactly do you expect us to go then, sweetheart?" I snapped.

"To our camp, you idiot."