CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

₊˚࿐࿔ 𖥧‧₊⚘ ❀༉. 𓏲｡

"E-Eurydice?"

Sylvie hadn't seen her older half-sister in around three weeks, so for a moment Sylvie could trick herself into cluelessness. Because three weeks ago, Eurydice's curls weren't losing their shape from lack of attention; her eyes weren't dark pools of exhaustion and hatred; her clothes weren't tattered and dreary; her presence wasn't here.

But there was no denying it. This was truly Eurydice.

The world fell out from under Sylvie's feet, leaving her suspended in the air. Free-falling, with no true end.

"No," she thought, or maybe said, or maybe screamed, "no, no, no, this wasn't how it's supposed to go—"

"Hi, Sylv," Eurydice said, her arm brushing up against Luke's.

Sylvie shook her head rapidly, in denial. "N-No, you wouldn't... He betrayed you, Eury. You wouldn't."

Something in Eurydice's eyes shifted. They did that thing when she looked at Sylvie for too long. It dawned on Sylvie now why it always made her feel-wrong footed. Seen. Scared.

"Luke never betrayed me," said Eurydice. "I knew."

"You knew."

Sylvie's mouth felt dry. Her throat was tight. Her hands were shaking.

Human hearts can only take so much hurt, Kronos had told Sylvie in that dream the night before the quest. A half-blood's heart isn't much different, especially if it's been foolishly given to the wrong people.

Was this it, then? Was this heartbreak?

And then Sylvie remembered the prophecy:

The child of grain will feel heartbreak's blow.

"I'm sorry, Sylvie," Luke winced. "I tried to keep you on the same side."

He had. He had. He had. He had.

"No," Sylvie rasped. "This isn't... No. No. No."

Idolatry shattered in what it takes to know.

Looking back, it all started to make sense now. There was no one Sylvie Duvall idolized more than Eurydice Arandel—in fact, Sylvie looked up to her big sister so much that she hadn't even considered Eurydice a culprit for the heartbreaking at hand. She believed in Eurydice more than anyone else. She believed in Eurydice more than the gods. Even despite all the odd behaviors and suspicious signs Eurydice displayed, Sylvie had held firm in her adoration.

Perhaps some part of Sylvie wanted to preserve her gilded image of her older sister—like a dead fossil crystallized in amber. Because older sisters were never wrong. Older sisters were never weak. Older sisters never led you astray. Older sisters were immortal. Sylvie held on to that belief until it was too late.

But she knew now.

The half-siblings of Demeter only existed as wretched mirrors of each other. Sylvie was all Eurydice could have been and Eurydice was all she might be.

"Say I'm your sister," Sylvie begged.

"You're my sister," Eurydice conceded. Somehow, Eurydice's tone had Sylvie's heart shattering further. "But you're not my responsibility. Not anymore."

She didn't mean that. She didn't mean that. She didn't mean that.

Sylvie took a desperate step forward to Eurydice—her sister, her big sister—but Percy and Thalia moved in scary unison. They stood in front of Sylvie protectively, furious glares being shot Eurydice's way.

She'd forgotten Percy and Thalia were here. She'd forgotten anyone besides Eurydice was here. Now that the real world was materializing around her, the truth of it all started to settle in. Sylvie wasn't her dad—she wasn't walking a living nightmare. The twisting of her chest, like a knife impaled, was real. The weakness of her legs was real. The shortness of her breathing was real. It was all real, real, real.

This was what betrayal felt like.

"No," Sylvie exhaled.

"Oh, yes, Silviana Duvall," Atlas smiled cruelly. "Treachery is unfortunately a very real and cruel fate. Ask my turncoat daughter, for instance."

The horrible thing was: Sylvie could see the family resemblance. Atlas had the same regal expression as Zoë, the same cold proud look in his eyes that Zoë sometimes got when she was mad, though on him it looked a thousand times more evil.

It was only made more horrible by the fact Sylvie felt so, so envious that Atlas and Zoë shared similarities. They had physical, concrete proof they were family—betrayal and opposite sides of the war aside. Sylvie and Eurydice looked nothing alike. They didn't even look like they'd associate with each other.

You don't, Sylvie reminded herself. Not anymore.

"Let Artemis go," Zoë demanded.

Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."

Zoë opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoë! I forbid you!"

Atlas smirked. He kneeled next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers.

"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

Sylvie didn't understand. She didn't understand how this scene was still playing out. She needed everything to stop. Didn't they know Eurydice was right there, standing on the opposite side? Didn't they know Sylvie felt like she was dying, though without any physical injury? This wound was stemming from somewhere much deeper and, every time she looked over at Eurydice, grew worse with the passing seconds. How time went on, Sylvie didn't know.

"Annabeth's hair," Percy suddenly muttered, and his voice pulled Sylvie from her mind. Her gaze snapped from Eurydice to Annabeth—there was now a streak of her braids that had turned gray.

"From holding the sky," Thalia said. "The weight should've killed her."

"I don't understand," Percy said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"

Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaea first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."

Were they sure the sky was still being held up? Because Sylvie was sure she felt like she was being crushed down at an excruciatingly slow pace. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.

Atlas approached them, studying Sylvie, Percy, and Thalia. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," Percy said. He'd been fuming since Eurydice showed up. "And let's see."

"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."

"So you're another coward," said Percy.

Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Thalia.

"As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. "Thalia, you can still join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"

Eurydice waved her hand, and next to them a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus. Eurydice did that. She did.

"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."

"Luke..." Her voice was full of pain. "What happened to you?"

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

"He's right," said Eurydice. Sylvie had to remind herself she wasn't imagining Eurydice say, "The gods are our enemies. Thalia, I don't know you, but you have to know that."

Had she really thought that? The whole time? And Sylvie hadn't realized?

Thalia's eyes flicked to Sylvie. Then she shook her head. "Free Annabeth. Let her go."

"If you join me," Luke promised, "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 faltered. "It's our last chance. He will use the other way if you don't agree. Please."

Luke's hand instinctively searched for Eurydice's, and Eurydice squeezed back tight. The looks on their faces, the fear in Luke's voice... Luke was in danger. Sylvie could even believe his life depended on Thalia joining him and Eurydice.

"Do not, Thalia," Zoë warned. "We must fight them."

Eurydice waved her hand again, and a fire appeared. A bronze brazier, just like the one at camp. A sacrificial flame.

"Thalia," Sylvie spoke firmly, shocking them all. "No."

But Sylvie's eyes weren't on Thalia. They were narrowed on Eurydice, and Eurydice's were narrowed on her. The older Demeter daughter had now become an idol lost, and the younger one suddenly didn't feel so young at all.

Behind Eurydice and Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, Sylvie saw images in the mist all around them: black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around them, made of fear and shadow.

"We will raise Mount Othrys right here," Luke promised in a strained voice. "Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Thalia. We are not weak."

He pointed toward the ocean, and Sylvie's heart fell further. Marching up the side of the mountain, from the beach where the Princess Andromeda was docked, was a great army. Dracaenae and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hell hounds, harpies, and other things Sylvie couldn't even name. The whole ship must've been emptied, because there were hundreds, many more than she'd seen on board last summer. And they were marching toward the group. In a few minutes, they would be here.

"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."

For a terrible moment, Thalia hesitated. She gazed at Luke, her eyes full of pain, as if the only thing she wanted in the world was to believe him. Then she looked between Sylvie and Eurydice. Then she leveled her spear.

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

"Yes, you do, Thalia," he pleaded. "Please. Don't make me... Don't make him destroy you."

There was no time. If that army got to the top of the hill, they would be overwhelmed.

Percy suddenly nudged Sylvie, who blinked back into reality. They shared a look and nodded. Then Sylvie turned her head and looked at Thalia and Zoë. She decided it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to die fighting with friends like this.

"Now," Percy said.

Together, they charged.

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Percy Jackson did the stupidest thing in his life (which was saying a lot) and attacked the Titan Lord Atlas.

Sylvie would've freaked out entirely and been hung up on that for the entire experience, except she was too caught up on what she was doing herself. Whilst Thalia went straight for Luke, Sylvie went straight for Eurydice.

The power of Thalia's shield was so great that their dragon-women bodyguards fled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving the couple alone. But Luke was still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power.

On Sylvie and Eurydice's end, well, Sylvie had never been more unstable. It wasn't power that fueled her. It wasn't strength that fueled her. It wasn't even anger. Because Eurydice was much more powerful than Sylvie; she was stronger and angrier, too.

This was just pure instability. The only reason Sylvie managed the upper-hand was because of shock. Sylvie wasn't supposed to do this—she wasn't supposed to charge at Eurydice with such force. She wasn't supposed to tackle Eurydice straight to ground. She wouldn't have been able to if Eurydice had seen it coming.

Looked like both of the Demeter sisters were catching the other by surprise tonight.

Sylvie and Eurydice rolled, their tussle barely a blur in Sylvie's mind. She barely registered she was doing it. She blinked, and suddenly she was hovering over Eurydice. Her dagger was across Eurydice's throat.

"How could you?" Sylvie cried angrily. "You—You were my everything!"

"Luke is my everything," Eurydice's spat under the threat of Sylvie's blade. "And you're just pathetic, Sylvie! Did you ever find out I wasn't on a secret mission for Chiron? Or did you just trust me blindly like a little kid?!"

Sylvie faltered.

"What?"

The sudden news had Sylvie going slack, which finally gave Eurydice the opportunity to throw her little sister off. The corner of Sylvie's head hit a rock, and the crimson blood dripping down her face snapped her back into reality.

You're my sister. But you're not my responsibility. Not anymore.

"Why would you do this?" Sylvie's voice cracked. "Why would you... Why'd you try training me up like this? Why'd you have faith in me?"

Why'd you let me have faith in you?

"My whole life at that camp I've done everything for everyone else!" Eurydice snapped. She didn't even bother getting out her sword—she knew Sylvie too well. Eurydice might be able to hurt her, but the roles couldn't be switched the other way around. Because Eurydice was her sister. Always her big sister. "And I never got anything in return! Luke was the only one who—" her voice broke off, and she breathed. "If the gods wanted to help me, wanted to show me gratitude, they would have. Mom would have, Sylvie! I think I deserve a fucking thank you for raising all her kids!"

"I thanked you," Sylvie pointed to herself childishly, struggling to stand up. "Florian, Miranda, and Katie thanked you. We all thanked you! We did!"

"You're not a god, Sylvie," Eurydice glared.

"But I'm your sister," she pleaded. "We're your family."

"I'm more than just an older sibling with Luke. I can be great, just like I've always wanted to be."

Sylvie accidentally dropped her daggers. Halcyon and Cereal clattered to the floor, sounds drowned out in Sylvie's ears. She was utterly defenseless against Eurydice, just like she'd always been.

Suddenly she was just a timid little demigod in the strawberry fields, being knocked over time and time again by Eurydice for the sake of becoming great. But also, she was just a timid little demigod shaking from a nightmare, being comforted time and time again by Eurydice for the sake of Eurydice's own sleep schedule. Sylvie didn't see how this Eurydice could co-exist with the one she stared at now.

"I don't even know who you are anymore," Sylvie choked out.

"Maybe you never did," Eurydice whispered. Yet it was so loud in Sylvie's ears.

Without Sylvie even realizing it, Eurydice had made it right in front of her. She was staring down at Sylvie. It made her feel small. Like a kid who didn't know anything and couldn't save herself. Then, Sylvie realized she was a kid. She didn't know anything. She couldn't save herself. Maybe those were the only three titles she'd ever be able to hold.

"I feel sorry for you. Because you're weak, and you know it," Eurydice said. It hurt more that she genuinely did look sorry to say it. "And I feel sorry for everyone at camp, too, because they'll never know how tragic and boring and insecure you really are. Or how going on this quest is the best your life is ever going to get."

"Fuck you," Sylvie whimpered, voice broken and cracking.

And then Eurydice got knocked out.

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Let's rewind:

Back to Percy Jackson idiotically attacking the Titan Lord Atlas.

He laughed as Percy approached. A huge javelin appeared in his hands. His silk suit melted into full Greek battle armor. "Go on, then!"

"Percy!" Zoë said. "Beware!"

Percy knew what she was warning him about. Chiron had told Percy long ago: Immortals are constrained by ancient rules. But a hero can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as he has the nerve. Once Percy attacked, however, Atlas was free to attack back directly, with all his might.

Percy swung his sword, and Atlas knocked Percy aside with the shaft of his javelin. He flew through the air and slammed into a black wall. It wasn't Mist anymore. The palace was rising, brick by brick. It was becoming real.

"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of Zoë's arrows. "Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me?"

The mention of Ares sent a jolt through Percy. He shook off his daze and charged again. If Percy could get to that pool of water, he could double his strength.

The javelin's point slashed toward Percy like a scythe. Percy raised Riptide, planning to cut off his weapon at the shaft, but his arm felt like lead. His sword suddenly weighed a ton.

And Percy remembered Ares's warning, spoken on the beach in Los Angeles so long ago: When you need it most, your sword will fail you.

Not now! he pleaded. But it was no good. Percy tried to dodge, but the javelin caught him in the chest and sent him flying like a rag doll. Percy slammed into the ground, his head spinning. He looked up and found he was at the feet of Artemis, still straining under the weight of the sky.

"Run, boy," she told me. "You must run!"

Atlas was taking his time coming toward Percy. Percy's sword was gone. It had skittered away over the edge of the cliff. It might reappear in his pocket—maybe in a few seconds—but it didn't matter. He'd be dead by then. Luke and Thalia were fighting like demons, lightning crackling around them. Sylvie and Eurydice were arguing tragically, a heartbreaking sight without even hearing a word. Annabeth was on the ground, desperately struggling to free her hands.

"Die, little hero," Atlas said.

He raised his javelin to impale Percy.

"No!" Zoë yelled, and a volley of silver arrows sprouted from the armpit fissure in Atlas's armor.

"ARGH!" He bellowed and turned toward his daughter.

Percy reached down and felt Riptide back in his pocket. He couldn't fight Atlas, even with a sword. And then a chill went down Percy's back. He remembered the words of the prophecy: The Titan's curse must one withstand. Percy couldn't hope to beat Atlas. But there was someone else who might stand a chance.

"The sky," Percy told the goddess. "Give it to me."

"No, boy," Artemis said. Her forehead was beaded with metallic sweat, like quicksilver. "You don't know what you're asking. It will crush you!"

"Annabeth took it!"

"She barely survived. She had the spirit of a true huntress. You will not last so long."

"I'll die anyway," he said. "Give me the weight of the sky!"

Percy didn't wait for her answer. He took out Riptide and slashed through her chains. Then he stepped next to her and braced himself on one knee—holding up his hands—and touched the cold, heavy clouds. For a moment, Percy and Artemis bore the weight together. It was the heaviest thing he'd ever felt, as if he were being crushed under a thousand trucks. Percy wanted to black out from the pain, but he breathed deeply. I can do this.

Then Artemis slipped out from under the burden, and Percy held it alone.

Afterward, he tried many times to explain what it felt like. He couldn't.

Every muscle in Percy's body turned to fire. His bones felt like they were melting. He wanted to scream, but he didn't have the strength to open his mouth. He began to sink, lower and lower to the ground, the sky's weight crushing him.

"Why would you do this?" he heard Sylvie's broken voice ask Eurydice.

Percy concentrated on breathing. If he could just keep the sky aloft a few more seconds. He thought about Bianca, who had given her life so they could get here. If she could do that, Percy could hold the sky.

Percy's vision turned fuzzy. Everything was tinged with red. He caught glimpses of the battle, but he wasn't sure if he was seeing clearly. There was Atlas in full battle armor, jabbing with his javelin, laughing insanely as he fought. And Artemis, a blur of silver. She had two wicked hunting knives, each as long as her arm, and she slashed wildly at the Titan, dodging and leaping with unbelievable grace. She seemed to change form as she maneuvered. She was a tiger, a gazelle, a bear, a falcon. Or perhaps that was just Percy's fevered brain. Zoë shot arrows at her father, aiming for the crevices in his armor. He roared in pain each time one found its mark, but they affected him like bee stings. He just got madder and kept fighting.

Sylvie's daggers were somehow on the floor from fighting with Eurydice, but Percy barely believed it, because he didn't understand how. Eurydice didn't have her sword out. Both girls held no weapon against the other, and yet, the cuts pierced a million times deeper.

Thalia and Luke went spear on sword, lightning still flashing around them. Thalia pressed Luke back with the aura of her shield. Even he was not immune to it. He retreated, wincing and growling in frustration.

"Yield!" Thalia yelled. "You never could beat me, Luke."

He bared his teeth. "We'll see, my old friend."

Sweat poured down Percy's face. His hands were slippery. His shoulders would've screamed with agony if they could. He felt like the vertebrae in his spine were being welded together by a blowtorch.

Atlas advanced, pressing Artemis. She was fast, but his strength was unstoppable. His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis had been a split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks. He leaped over it and kept pursuing her. She was leading him back toward Percy.

Get ready, she spoke in Percy's mind.

Percy was losing the ability to think through the pain. His response was something like Agggghh-owwwwwwww.

"You fight well for a girl." Atlas laughed. "But you are no match for me."

He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. Percy saw the trick coming. Atlas's javelin swept around and knocked Artemis's legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin tip for the kill.

"No!" Zoë screamed. She leaped between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into the Titan's forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn's horn. Atlas bellowed in rage. He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks.

Percy wanted to shout her name, run to her aid, but he couldn't speak or move. He couldn't even see where Zoë had landed. Then Atlas turned on Artemis with a look of triumph in his face. Artemis seemed to be wounded. She didn't get up.

"The first blood in a new war," Atlas gloated. And he stabbed downward.

As fast as thought, Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the earth right next to her and she pulled backward, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her. Percy saw Atlas coming down on top of him and realized what would happen. Percy loosened his grip on the sky, and as Atlas slammed into him, Percy didn't try to hold on. He let himself be pushed out of the way and rolled for all he was worth.

The weight of the sky dropped onto Atlas's back, almost smashing him flat until he managed to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But it was too late.

"Noooooo!" he bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. "Not again!"

Atlas was trapped under his old burden.

Percy used the very last of his strength to make it to Sylvie. Dazed from the pain, he let his desperation to comfort her overwhelm the feeling of his body burning. He somehow managed to pick up one of Sylvie's fallen daggers from the ground, stumble over to the Demeter sisters, and slam the side of Eurydice's head with the hilt of Halcyon.

And Eurydice was knocked out.

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Sylvie wasn't the one who was attacked, but somehow, her knees hit the floor. Her legs had finally given out, weak from a pain worse than anything physical. Tears welled in her eyes, but the fights going on around her weren't done.

Sylvie tried saying something to Percy—anything—but he just fell to the ground. There was a new gray streak in his hair that had Sylvie realizing the curse he just bore. Atlas was back to holding the weight of the world, and Percy and Artemis had somehow tricked him into doing so.

Thalia backed Luke to the edge of a cliff, but still they fought on, next to the golden coffin. Thalia had tears in her eyes. Luke had a bloody slash across his chest and his pale face glistened with sweat.

He lunged at Thalia and she slammed him with her shield. Luke's sword spun out of his hands and clattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat.

For a moment, there was silence.

"Well?" Luke asked. He tried to hide it, but Sylvie could hear fear in his voice.

Thalia trembled with fury.

Behind her, Annabeth came scrambling, finally free from her bonds. Her face was bruised and streaked with dirt. "Don't kill him!"

"He's a traitor," Thalia said. "A traitor!"

"We'll bring Luke back," Annabeth begged. "To Olympus. He... he'll be useful."

"Is that what you want, Thalia?" Luke sneered. "To go back to Olympus in triumph? To please your dad?"

Thalia hesitated, and Luke made a desperate grab for her spear.

"No!" Annabeth shouted. But it was too late. Without thinking, Thalia kicked Luke away. He lost his balance, terror on his face, and then he fell.

"Luke!" Annabeth screamed.

They all rushed to the cliff's edge. Below them, the army from the Princess Andromeda had stopped in amazement. They were staring at Luke's broken form on the rocks. The fall was fifty feet at least, and he wasn't moving.

One of the giants looked up and growled, "Kill them!"

A wave of javelins sailed over their heads, and they pulled back. They ran for the rocks, ignoring the curses and threats of Atlas as we passed.

"Artemis!" Percy suddenly yelled.

The goddess looked up, her face almost as grief-stricken as Sylvie's. Zoë lay in the goddess's arms. She was breathing. Her eyes were open. But still...

"The wound is poisoned," Artemis said.

Oh, gods, Sylvie gasped. What had happened?

"Atlas poisoned her?" asked Percy.

"No," the goddess said. "Not Atlas."

She showed them the wound in Zoë's side. Sylvie had almost forgotten her scrape with Ladon the dragon. The bite was much worse than Zoë had let on. Sylvie could barely look at the wound. Zoë had charged into battle against her father with a horrible cut already sapping her strength.

"The stars," Zoë murmured. "I cannot see them."

"Nectar and ambrosia," Sylvie's voice cracked. "Come on! We have to get her some."

No one moved. Grief hung in air. The army of Kronos was just below the rise. Even Artemis was too shocked to stir. They might've met their doom right there, but then Sylvie heard a strange buzzing noise.

Just as the army of monsters came over the hill, a Sopwith Camel swooped down out of the sky.

"Get away from my daughter!" Dr. Chase called down, and his machine guns burst to life, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering.

"Dad?" yelled Annabeth in disbelief.

"Run!" he called back, his voice growing fainter as the biplane swooped by.

This shook Artemis out of her grief. She stared up at the antique plane, which was now banking around for another strafe.

"A brave man," Artemis said with grudging approval. "Come. We must get Zoë away from here."

She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and its clear sound echoed down the valleys of Marin. Zoë's eyes were fluttering.

"Hang in there!" Percy told her. "It'll be all right!"

The Sopwith Camel swooped down again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight between the wings of the plane, but the machine guns blazed. Sylvie realized that somehow Dr. Chase must've gotten hold of celestial bronze to fashion his bullets. The first row of snake women wailed as the machine gun's volley blew them into sulfurous yellow powder.

"That's... my dad!" Annabeth said in amazement.

They didn't have time to admire his flying. The giants and snake women were already recovering from their surprise. Dr. Chase would be in trouble soon.

Just then, the moonlight brightened, and a silver chariot appeared from the sky, drawn by the most beautiful deer Sylvie had ever seen. It landed right next to them.

"Get in," Artemis said.

Percy helped Sylvie get on board, still so fragile from what had gone on with Eurydice. Then he helped Artemis with Zoë. They wrapped Zoë in a blanket as Artemis pulled the reins and the chariot sped away from the mountain, straight into the air.

"Like Santa Claus's sleigh," Percy murmured.

Artemis took time to look back at him. "Indeed, young half-blood. And where do you think that legend came from?"

Seeing them safely away, Dr. Chase turned his biplane and followed them like an honor guard. It must have been one of the strangest sights ever, even for the Bay Area: a silver flying chariot pulled by deer, escorted by a Sopwith Camel.

Behind the group, the army of Kronos roared in anger as they gathered on the summit of Mount Tamalpais, but the loudest sound was the voice of Atlas, bellowing curses against the gods as he struggled under the weight of the sky.

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BAILEY YAPS...

A Choices reference in the title for those who can see it...

A Yellowjackets reference in the dialogue for those who can see it...

Ummmm

Hi guys

How are we doing!!!!

Sylvie is NOT doing good. By the way.

Anyways her entire life is a lie and she looked up to Eurydice so much that she never documented the red flags Bro really said the flags aren't red if i have rose-colored glasses on!!

Sorry I shouldn't be joking I did a mean thing

Um did I make up for it by 1) Percy not being the one to break her heart 2) Sylvie's voice giving Percy the strength to hold up the sky and 3) Percy giving up the weight of the world to try and help Sylvie despite being in immense pain ??????

Focus on the positives guys!!!