(Some of this chapter is from "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan. Those lines belong to him.)

Thalia's POV

Its happening again. But this time, its too obvious. The lights going out at once, the silence that slowly becomes deafening. Then, the scream. The scream that is all to familiar.

Annabeth.

I remember hearing a scream like it before, but it was another girl. Another reason. It was after Jason was kidnapped. I came home and found Reyna screaming in my front yard. I was frightened, so I didn't approach her. I left after that.

I shake myself out of the memories. Annabeth is in danger. I wish that Luke were here, he would know what to do. Together, we would help Annabeth and hurt those who hurt her.

Her screams become muted. I hear whispers from every direction, the Selected who are frightened, the guards telling us everything is okay. The darkness surrounds me like a storm cloud, thick and still. Near to where the scream happened, I hear a creak and see a small sliver of light. A door.

Annabeth.

Where is she? I continue to move in the direction I last saw her. I run into a table and immediately, a pair of arms surround me.

"Who are you?" the voice asks in an even tone.

"One of the Selected. I would like it if you let me go, thank you."

"Which Selected? Why are you moving around? We told everyone to stay seated."

"My friend was just screaming and you're keeping me from saving her! So let me go," I elbow past him, but he grabs my hand before I can get too far.

"I apologize, miss, but your name is essential."

"Fine. Thalia Grace. Can I go now?" I try to get away again and I succeed this time.

"Thalia?"

"Yes, that's my name. Good job on saying it. Am I allowed to go, since I am one of the Selected?"

"I didn't know you were here."

A sick feeling enters my stomach. Is this person the one who hurt Annabeth? Why is he acting so weird?

"Um, well if you watched the Report for the last month, you would have known. The announcement of the Selected is everywhere."

"Why didn't anyone tell me? First Reyna, now you. How could I not have known both of you were here?"

Startled, my thoughts jump to a conclusion that I know to be impossible.

"Jason?"

I know it can't be him. He died years ago, and I've accepted that. This isn't Jason, it can't be Jason. Dead men don't talk.

"Yes."

"Jason Grace?" I ask again, to make sure.

"Yes," I feel his hand reach out to take mine again, and this time I don't fight it. Instead, I welcome his embrace.

"But you're dead. You died years ago, when I wasn't at home."

"I didn't die. They took me here to train and become a guard. I've been living here since.'

Jason isn't dead. My little brother is still alive. But my little sister may not be for long.

"I have to find Annabeth. She was the one who screamed, the one whoever is behind these attacks kidnapped this time. Everyone knows what happened to Piper. They may do worse to Annabeth."

Jason relaxes when I say Piper's name, but tenses up again.

"I'll come with you," he says in a voice far stronger than I would imagine him to be.

"I know," I say.

Together, we fight through the darkness and confusion to a door that leads out of the ballroom, the door that I saw open a little bit ago.

"Do you have any weapons?" I whisper to Jason.

 Wordlessly, he hands me a small knife. I see him clutching a baton. For the first time in ten years, I look at him. He still has the scar above his lip from trying to eat a stapler when he was two. He has blonde hair, so different than my black. But we have the same blue eyes.

"Let's go," I say before walking into the hallway.

There's no one in sight, but I hear people farther down the hall. Annabeth's voice slowly becomes audible. I speed up, almost running. My fake spear that is strapped to my back hits me every time I move.

I turn a corner just in time to see Annabeth go behind a tapestry, two figures following her in. One in a dress, one in a guard's uniform.

"She's behind the tapestry, just like what happened to Piper," I explain to Jason when he catches up to me. "But in a different room. Go get back up while I stay here to make sure no one leaves."

"Will you be okay? I don't want to leave you again," Jason says softly.

"I've been fine for ten years, I think I can last ten minutes. Now go and get help."

He nods his head before running back the way we came from. I'm left alone in front of a tapestry. I know Annabeth is on the other side. I wish Luke was here.I know that I'm going to go in after her. I wish Luke were here. I know at least two other people are in there, willing to fight me. I wish Luke was here.

Holding my dagger in front of me, I take my spear off. I'm about to set it down when I realize that it's made out of wood. If Annabeth needs a weapon, she could use this. I hold both of them in my hands as I creep to the door.

I hear talking on the other side. Annabeth's voice sounding reasonable. Sounding brave. My heart swells up with pride.

"...but I don't believe that this will actually work," she says.

"It will," says another voice. Willow. It's Willow who's behind these attacks, the one who hurt Piper. The one who may hurt Annabeth.

"What is going to keep me from escaping? I can easily take you, Willow."

That's my girl. But if Willow attacks, she's defenseless. I have to get in there now.

I take out a bobby pin from my hair, something that I've seen in movies before. Surprisingly, it works. The rest of the conversation gets drowned by the sound of scratching and clicking. I swing open the door, knife in hand.

I see Annabeth standing with her arms tied, her mouth opened in surprise. But the surprise isn't directed at me, it's to someone behind me. I throw my knife at the ground near here. Now she has a weapon. Willow is sitting in a throne, Drew standing by her side. I should have known it was the two shallow ones behind everything.

I look behind me and see the face I needed to see the most. But not standing here, not helping me rescue Annabeth. The all too familiar scarred face of Luke stares back at me. 

Without a second thought, I slap Luke across the face, as hard as I can. His head snaps back and I can see my handprint on his face. Willow laughs and claps her hands.

"And this is the one you believed loved you, brother! You thought she would join us! I told you she wouldn't, but you didn't listen to me."

I throw myself at him, my fingernails tearing into his skin.

"You. Worthless. Son. Of. A-"

"Now, now, Thalia. You wouldn't like to curse in front of Annabeth, would you?" Willow asks laughing.

I look at Luke again and see that he's not fighting back.

"Luke....what happened to you?" I ask him, the pain clear in my voice.

"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the royal family? Our country has done nothing for us. They have no right to rule us!"

I shake my head at him. "Free Annabeth. Let her go."

"If you join me," Luke promises, "it can be like old times. The three of us together. Fighting for a better world. Please, Thalia, if you don't agree..." His voice falters. "It's my last chance. She will use the other way if you don't agree. Please."

"We will overthrow them right here," Luke's voice is so strained, it's hardly his. "We will be stronger than Illea. Look, Thalia. We are not weak." He points to a monitor that shows hundreds of people with guns in hands, marching to the palace. "This is only a taste of what is to come. Soon we will be ready to storm the place. All we need is your help."

I hesitate. I feel tears gathering in my eyes, making the entire world look blurry. The only thing I want in the world is to believe him. The I level my spear.

"You aren't Luke. I don't know you anymore."

"Yes you do, Thalia," he pleads. "Please. Don't make me...don't make her destroy you."

I didn't notice, but Jason had walked into the room, Percy leading the way.

"Now," I say.

And we charge.

I go straight for Luke. Despite his sickly appearance, Luke swings his sword fast. He snarls like a wild animal and counterattacks. When our weapons meet, a loud crack fills the air.

I back Luke up out another door, one that leads outside. A giant cliff looms behind him. We still fight. I have tears in my eyes and Luke has a bloody slash across his chest.

He lunges at me and I slam down a large rock. His sword spins out of his hands and I point my spear to his throat. For a moment, there is silence.

"Well?" Luke asks. He tries to hide it, but I can hear the fear in his voice.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Annabeth scrambling, finally free from her bonds. Her face is bruised and streaked with dirt. "Don't kill him!"

"He's a traitor," I say. "A traitor!"

"We'll bring Luke back. He...he'll be useful."

"Is that what you want, Thalia?" Luke sneers. "To go back to the palace in triumph? To please the prince?"

I hesitate and Luke makes a desperate grab for my spear.

"No!" Annabeth shouts, but it was too late. Without thinking, I kick Luke away. He looses his balance, terror on his face. For a moment, his blue eyes lock with mine and thousands of childhood memories fill my mind. Him finding me in an alley after I ran away, me kissing him after a dare from Annabeth, us holding hands when no one was watching, me throwing a water balloon at him and dousing him, us kissing in the garden. Then he falls.

"Luke!" Annabeth screams.

We rush to the cliffs edge. Below us, Willow's army stops in amazement. They are staring at Luke's broken form on the rocks. One of the rebels looks up at us and shouts, "Kill them!"

I'm stiff with grief. I just killed Luke. Tears stream down my face. I just killed Luke. I feel someone pull me back as bullets fly over our heads. We run back to the palace, leaving Luke's body there.

I just killed Luke.