𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐈𝐗.
i hope i never lose you

ᯓᡣ𐭩

𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐄'𝐒 𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 with her mother, the girl couldn't bring herself to look Luke in the eye. She did her best to avoid him throughout their journey, making excuses about being tired or seasick.

But she couldn't keep at it for long. Luke caught on and realized something was wrong.

"Are you avoiding me?" he asked her, after he'd stormed in the room she stayed at, where she was currently sat, a blanket curled around her frame.

"What are you talking about?" she answered his question with a question, trying to sound clueless.

"Come on, Maise. I know you. Something's wrong." He sat next to her on the bed, maintaining some space between them to reassure her. He'd hate to have her retreating so early into the conversation.

Maisie shook her head. "Nothing's wrong," she pressed, though she couldn't bring herself to lie further.

Luke regarded her for a moment, searching her face for something, something that would reveal to him what was going on in her head.

"Please," he pleaded, his eyes stuck on hers, his gaze soft.

Maisie took a shaky breath. This was it. "Okay," she caved. "Um. I saw my mother," she admitted.

Luke raised his eyebrows, but waited for her to continue.

"She, um. She doesn't want me to see you anymore," she explained, not bothering to give him the worse details of her talk with Athena.

Luke had the audacity to smirk. "That makes this even more fun."

Maisie turned to glare at him. "You're insane. She could blast you to pieces. This isn't the typical mortal teenage romance where our parents disagree."

"I haven't been blasted yet. I think I'm safe."

"You tell yourself that. I don't want to live to see you die from my mother's wrath."

"Okay. So, no angering Athena."

Maisie groaned in exasperation. "You don't get it. We've already angered her. She doesn't want me here because it's like... enemy territory. You're the enemy."

Luke's face fell a little. "Yeah, but... You're still fighting for their side. Right?"

"Yes." She let her head rest on her knees.

"Maise. It's alright," Luke reassured her, placing his palm on her back. "We're almost at our destination, anyway. You can pretend you're not seeing me anymore."

Maisie raised her head to look at him again. "Pretend? Why, do you have plans for us after this?"

"I mean... we don't have to stop. If you want. I don't want to lose you." He spoke his last sentence almost as a whisper.

Something clicked then for Maisie. She realized she couldn't stay away from him even if she wanted to. No matter how far away they were, or how wrong it was, she didn't want to lose him either.

I... love him. That's what she had told her mother in an attempt to convince her about her relationship with Luke. And now, she believed it more than ever.

She stared at his face, as if trying to memorize it, as if it would fade away and she'd forget it when she got older. She looked at his scar, at his eyes, at his genuine expression.

She couldn't lose him.

Maisie leaned in, pressing her lips against his, and it was a promise. An oath.

I'll never lose you.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

They finally made it to their destination, where Maisie knew Annabeth was. She wasn't sure what she'd encounter there, but she was prepared for anything. She was going to save her sister.

"So, what is this place?" Maisie asked Luke as they made their way to the top of the cliff.

"Mount Othrys," he responded, and that's when Maisie noticed it.

A girl, about twelve years old, was holding up a weight, presumably the sky, only with her hands. She was struggling, as her hands looked ready to give out.

"Oh my gods," Maisie muttered and forced herself to look away, knowing she'd have to wait for her friends to save everyone.

"Where's Annabeth?" she asked, urgently.

Luke pursed his lips, but pointed to a corner. Far into it, was Annabeth, her limbs bound and her mouth gagged, as if she was a prisoner.

When the younger girl noticed her sister, her eyes lit up, but her face was quickly pulled into a confused expression, when she noticed Luke not far behind. She looked back at Maisie, a question etched on her face.

"It's okay," was all Maisie could say to explain, once she was close enough, kneeling in front of Annabeth. "Percy and the others are on their way. We'll get you out and deal with the sky."

Annabeth's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head, mumbling something that couldn't be heard through the gag. Maisie brought a finger to her lips, signaling to Annabeth to be quiet. Then, she proceeded to remove her gag to let her speak. Annabeth caught on and spoke in hushed tones.

"It's a trap," she said. "The others can't come. We'll have to find a way out for ourselves."

Maisie's face fell. "Annabeth. They're already on their way."

As if right on cue, Percy showed up from the other side of the cliff, his sword, Riptide, gripped tightly in his hand. Zoë Nightshade followed close behind, her eyes widening once they landed on the girl holding the sky.

"My lady!" she exclaimed, running towards her.

Artemis, Maisie realized.

Meanwhile, Percy ran to the girls, Ronan right on his tail.

"Percy, you need to leave, now," Annabeth said, her tone firm.

"No way. We're getting out of here together," he insisted and started undoing her binds.

Ronan put his hands on Maisie's shoulders, slightly shaking her. "Maise, oh my gods. You're okay," he said, before pulling her in for a hug. Maisie guiltily hugged him back, while she sensed Luke's eyes burning holes in them.

"Alright, reunion's over," Luke said, clapping his hands together. That was when Atlas appeared on the mountain, after having climbed the cliff.

To everyone's surprise, Zoë spoke. "Father."

Percy turned to look at her. "What?"

"Yes," she confirmed, her voice firm and her jaw clenched. "Atlas is my father."

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

Everything else happened too fast for Maisie to register. One second she was watching a family reunion happening, and the next everyone was fighting.

Percy, being Percy, was fighting the titan Atlas. Thalia was fighting Luke, their fight going all the way to the edge of the cliff. Artemis was still struggling with the sky as Zoë tried to take it from her, but the goddess forbade her.

But, she didn't have to, because Percy took it from her. Annabeth had tried to run to him, but, before she knew it, Atlas was holding the sky again, baring his old curse. Percy and Artemis had tricked him.

Now, the only spectacle was Thalia and Luke's fight. They were dangerously close to the edge, as one shove from Thalia would send him flying to the bottom. Maisie tried to stop her brain from imagining that, while she held her breath, awaiting Thalia's next move.

"Don't kill him!" Annabeth shouted. "We can bring him to Olympus. He could be useful."

Thalia hesitated. Annabeth kept trying to reason with her, in vain. Finally, in a frightful moment, Thalia kicked him.

Luke fell, his face afraid. Luke, the one who had shamelessly betrayed them all, was afraid.

Maisie tried to conceal her gasp, only partly succeeding. Ronan caught it, and he glanced at her. He didn't say anything.

Luke had fallen. There was no way he could have survived that fall.

I don't want to lose you.

His words echoed in her head, threatening to send her running to the cliff, to reach out, to see what happened to him, to foolishly try to pull him out, even though she knew that was impossible.

Maisie's lip trembled, her eyes threatening to water.

Still, she maintained herself, not risking showing her true emotions at this time. She bit the inside of her cheek, hard, fighting to keep her face neutral.

Suddenly, there was commotion at some rocks on the side, where all her friends were starting to gather. She ran to join them, quickly noticing Zoë laying there, her eyes threatening to close.

Maisie sighed, looking down. Percy tried to urge everyone to get her nectar and ambrosia, but it was too late, and everyone knew that.

Maisie's mind blanked for most of the rest of the day, only remembering they all made their way back to camp in a flying chariot.

Only when she was safely back at camp, did she bury herself in her bed, while everyone was at dinner, and let her tears fall.

───────

dear reader!

i survived writer's blockkkk

anyway. how's everyone