Aliana jolted awake, a cold sweat trailing down her spine. She took deep calming breaths. She'd managed to suppress a scream, but she'd jostled Annabeth as she'd woken up. Her and Annabeth were sleeping on the floor in the living room and Percy had taken the bedroom so he could have some privacy.

Annabeth sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Aliana didn't answer. She just stared at the wall with wide eyes.

"It was another nightmare, wasn't it." Annabeth deduced.

Aliana finally looked at her, her eyes glassy. She barely managed to nod, her mind still racing with the terrifying scenes.

A dark figure had blocked out the sun and overshadowed camp. It ushered in a splitting cold along with it. She'd felt it cut to the bone and sink into her chest, making it hard to breathe. She couldn't move as she'd watched a horde of monsters overrun the cabins, the dining hall, the Big House. Half-bloods fought for their lives, quickly losing ground against the endless onslaught of monsters. She'd tried to scream, to move, anything. All she'd managed to do was make her whole body shake.

Finally, when the damage was beyond repair, the chill had released her and she'd collapsed to her hands and knees. Someone stood before her. Looking up, she'd found Percy standing over her. Cuts had marred his face and blood stained his shirt. She'd pushed herself to her feet and met his gaze. His eyes had turned completely black as he glared at her.

"This is your fault." He'd gripped her wrist, his skin like ice. "This happened because of you."

She'd fought him, but he held her with a death grip, his clammy fingers digging into her arm. The pain had finally snapped her awake.

Now, she pulled her knees tight to her chest and hugged them.

Annabeth placed a hand on her shoulder.

Aliana flinched away from her cold fingers.

Annabeth pulled back. "This is worse than normal."

"Something is coming." Aliana finally mumbled. "I don't know what, but it's coming." She faced Annabeth. "We have to go to the ritual site tomorrow. We have to stop it once and for all."
                                   *   *   *
"So let me get this straight." Percy stood at the edge of the stone circle. "You want to destroy and ancient ritual site, that is probably the only one of its kind."

Aliana nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Okay." He replied lightheartedly.

Aliana shook her head and grinned. She unsheathed one of her swords and took a step towards the pillar, hesitating for a moment at the edge of the circle. She tightened her grip on the blade and raised it above her head.

A bolt of lighting blasted the ground just outside of the circle, whizzing just passed Aliana's face.

"Sorry to interrupt." A familiar voice sounded from the shadows.

Aliana lowered her blade and followed the sound to a figure standing in the shadows of the trees. He was illuminated only by the soft glow of the stone clutched in his left hand.

Annabeth brandished her knife and Percy uncapped Riptide.

Aliana moved to their side. "Mason."

He stepped into the light. "I figured I'd find you here." He had dark rings under his eyes like he hadn't slept in days. "I can't let you destroy this place. I still need it." He gripped a handgun in his right hand.

Aliana moved in front of Percy and Annabeth. She wouldn't let Mason hurt them. "Mason, is this really what you want?" She held out her hand like a stop sign towards him. "You can stop this. We can find a way to reverse the stone's affects." She took a step forward. "Just let me help you."

He raised the gun, a bullet clicking into place. "No! You don't understand." His hand shook. "This is the only way. I've tried everything else." His eyes turned glassy. "This is my last chance."

Aliana sheathed her sword to look less threatening and held out her other hand. "Let us help you. Maybe we can find something you missed." She flinched as he cocked the gun. "Please."

He blinked back his tears and glared at her. "I didn't miss anything. I have no other options."

Aliana dropped her hands and narrowed her eyes, the anger winning over. "Go ahead." She challenged. "But use your power."

He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Well," she held out her arms expectantly. "You have the stone, so use your powers and finish it!" She raised her voice. "Do it!"

He flinched, but lowered the gun.

She looked him up and down. "That's what I thought." She walked right up to him. "Mason, give me the stone."

He tightened his grip on the rock, a spark of electricity arcing around his fingers. He met her gaze, his eyes dark. "No."

A bolt of lightening collided with her chest and threw her backwards.

"Aliana!" Annabeth raced over to her crumpled body.

Percy stood his ground, Riptide held ready.

"Get the stone!" Aliana called in a strained voice from her place on the ground.

Mason lunged forward, his gun now holstered at his waist. His hands sparked and crackled.

"Help him." Aliana managed as Annabeth helped her to her feet.

Annabeth nodded and rushed to help Percy. She tackled Mason to the ground.

The two rolled across the stones of the ritual site. Annabeth struggled to restrain his arm while Percy dashed over to aid her efforts. Mason twisted and convulsed, keeping them from getting a solid grip on him.

Aliana flopped against the nearest tree as a shock of pain engulfed her. She could barely stand let alone walk.

Mason elbowed Annabeth in the face and squirmed out of her grasp, rolling to his feet.

Percy appeared out of nowhere and plowed into his stomach with full force heedless of any injury to himself. The two slammed hard into a tree.

The stone slipped from Mason's grip as Percy threw him across the ground and forced him to the other side of the stone circle.

Aliana forced herself to walk towards the stone. She was almost there when she heard a gun cock. She turned to find a bloodied Mason aiming his handgun at Percy's chest.

He backed away, inching towards the stone. "From my understanding the stone still works on a corpse." His hand trembled, his finger hovering over the trigger.

Annabeth gasped when she saw the scene. She took a step forward.

"One more step and I shoot." Mason warned.

"Mason." Percy held his hands up defensively. "I know you don't want to do this. Just put the gun away."

Mason shook his head. "I can't. It's the only way."

Annabeth took another cautious step forward. "That can't be true. There's always another way."

Mason shook harder as his finger inched closer to the trigger.

"No!" Aliana darted towards Percy, lunging in front of him as the bullet blasted free of the gun.

A sharp pain blossomed in her abdomen. She touched the tender spot and pulled back crimson stained fingers. She stumbled backwards and collapsed into Percy's arms.

He lowered her to the cold stone ground. "Aliana?"

Mason dropped the gun, his eyes wide. "What have I done."

Annabeth rushed over and knelt beside Percy examining the bloody wound. She used her knife to cut a portion of her t-shirt loose and placed it over the entrance wound, applying pressure. "Hold on Aliana."

Percy cradled Aliana on his lap, trying to keep her conscious. He looked at Annabeth. "Do you have any ambrosia?"

She met his desperate gaze, her eyes glassy. "She's not a half-blood anymore. It won't work." Her voice cracked.

Mason backed up, his whole body shaking worse than it had before. "No... no, no."

Annabeth faced him, desperate angry tears streaming down her face. "You did this." The words cut like a knife.

Mason stumbled backwards. He kicked something, which skidded across the stones with a soft grinding sound. He looked back and saw Zeus' Stone. He bent down and picked it up, turning it over in his hands. He knew what he had to do.

Annabeth and Percy rummaged through their backpacks trying to find something, anything to help Aliana.

Mason squeezed the stone, tiny bolts of lightening sparking around his fingers. Feeling the power within the stone, he raised it above his head. "I'm sorry, Ali." The whispered words drew the other's attention.

Aliana's vision was blurring, but she watched as Mason hurled the stone with all his strength straight down into the rocky ground. The artifact shattered like glass and arcs of lightening spread from the scattered remains. A rush of static buzzed through her body.

Two people spoke frantically above her, but she couldn't understand them through her ringing ears. Then, she felt a sweet savory food in her mouth.

Gentle fingers forced her to swallow and immediately the pain in her abdomen faded if only a little. The ringing in her ears stopped and her vision cleared slightly.

Mason collapsed onto the hard stone unconscious.

After some debate, Annabeth picked up Aliana and Percy lifted Mason's limp body into his arms.

The last thing Aliana felt was a surge of pain through her body and the sway of her arm as Annabeth carried her through the trees. Then the world went black.

A/N
I'm sorry this is so late in the day. But... it is longer, so hopefully that makes up for it. 😅 Anyway, hope you enjoyed. We're almost to the end of this story.
Also, we've reached 2k reads. Thank you all!!!
-Cheshire