ΉӨЦƧΣ ӨF ΉΛDΣƧ

LUCIA WAS TIRED OF TARTARUS. To be fair, she was over the place before she even fell inside, and had been complaining about it every step of the way, but still! At that moment, she was especially tired of it!

Percy, Lucia, and Bob stumbled along in the darkness, the air thick and cold, the ground alternating patches of pointy rocks and pools of muck. The terrain seemed to be designed so that Lucia could never let her guard down. Even walking ten feet was exhausting. At least it kept Lucia busy and away from her thoughts, but damn it was she sick and tired of no solid path.

Percy left the giant's hut feeling strong again, his head clear, his belly full of drakon jerky from their packs of provisions. But his muscles seemed to ache because he limped as he walked, his legs sore. He pulled a makeshift tunic of drakon leather over his shredded T-shirt, but Lucia still saw him shiver. She pressed herself against his side to be his heater, which caused him to grin in her direction and blow her a kiss.

His focus quickly narrowed back to the ground in front of him. He reached for her hand and squeezed. Whenever he felt like giving up, plopping himself down, and dying (which was, like, every ten minutes), he reached over and took her hand, just to remember there was warmth in the world.

Percy was worried about her, his eyebrows crinkled every time he looked at her face. Lucia guessed she was failing at hiding her despair. She wiped tears from her eyes, doing her best not to let Percy see. But he knew her too well...

She was convinced they needed Damasen's help and convinced that if they didn't get it. Fate would take another terrible path since it wouldn't be following the prophecy. Lucia felt half responsible in keeping things on track. She was afraid that if she didn't make the effort, anything could happen. But the giant had turned them down.

She wondered what had happened after they left Damasen's hut. She hadn't heard their pursuers in hours, but she could sense their hatred...especially Polybotes's. That giant was back there somewhere, following, pushing them deeper into Tartarus.

Lucia tried to think of good things to keep her spirits up— carpool singalongs with her mortal father, the colors of a sunset, the lake at Camp Half-Blood, the time she'd kissed Percy underwater. She tried to imagine the two of them in New Rome together, walking through the hills and holding hands.

But Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood both seemed like dreams. She felt as if only Tartarus existed and nothing beyond that. This was the real world death, darkness, cold, pain. She was naive for ever focusing on the rest...

She shivered. No. That was the pit speaking to her, sapping her resolve. Poisoning her head.

It was in her nature to believe in life, light, warmth, and healing...She would not give up on that. No matter how many times she was faced with the opposite.

She would hold on to these things because she knew they existed.

Percy's hand in hers was proof of that. Bob leading them with mini Bob cuddling up against him was proof of that. Lucia making it this far, was proof of that. So take that Tartarus! You miserable fuck!

The more she walked the more she wondered how Nico had survived down here alone without going insane. She also wondered how Nico was feeling after the incident with Cupid. The fact he was almost outed before he was ready boiled her blood every time she thought about it. She only hoped he felt anything but shame. That kid had more strength than anyone could imagine. She just wanted him to find happiness.

The deeper they traveled, the harder it became to stay focused.

"This place is worse than the River Cocytus," Percy muttered.

"Yes," Bob called back happily. "Much worse! It means we are close."

Small Bob the cat hid himself in Bob's coveralls again.

Lucia rubbed her thumb in circles on Percy's hand. In the light of his bronze sword, she shone. He stared at her in admiration.

"We're together," she reminded him. "We'll get through this. We win together."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Piece of cake."

"But next time," She teased, "I want to go somewhere different on a date. Somewhere less creepy."

"Paris was nice," he recalled.

She managed a smile. Months ago, before Percy got amnesia, they'd had dinner in Paris one night, compliments of Apollo. It was a 'belated birthday gift'. He emphasized that he had to give her another gift — one from her other father...

That seemed like another lifetime ago.

"I'd settle for New Rome," she offered. "As long as you're there with me."

Percy smiled wide, his teeth on full display. There was a twinkle in his eye, and Lucia could hear the pounding of his heartbeat. "Man, You're awesome. Forever with you is heaven to me, I don't even care where we are."

Lucia's eyes widened and her cheeks tinted pink. She smiled, opening her mouth to speak.

Then the darkness dispersed with a massive sigh, like the last breath of a dying god.

In front of them was a clearing a barren field of dust and stones. In the center, about twenty yards away, knelt the gruesome figure of a woman, her clothes tattered, her limbs emaciated, her skin leathery green. Her head was bent as she sobbed quietly, and the sound shattered all Lucia's hopes.

It was so loud in her ears, the noise weighed her down, causing her to feel like an anchor.

She realized that life was pointless. Her struggles were for nothing. This woman cried as if mourning the death of the entire world.

"We're here," Bob announced. "Akhlys can help."

༄

"UH...THAT WOMAN IS GOING TO HELP US?" Lucia tilted her head inquisitively. She heard her sobs get louder. "I think she needs the help. Like, Maybe professional help. And that's coming from me."

"Akhlys!" Bob called.

Bob trudged forward. Percy and Lucia felt obliged to follow. If nothing else, this area was less dark not exactly light, but with more of a soupy white fog.

The creature raised her head, and Lucia yelped a little too loud.

Her body was bad enough. She looked like the victim of a famine- limbs like sticks, swollen knees and knobby elbows, rags for clothes, broken fingernails and toenails. Dust was caked on her skin and piled on her shoulders as if she'd taken a shower at the bottom of an hourglass.

Her face was utter desolation. Her eyes were sunken and rheumy, pouring out tears. Her nose dripped like a waterfall. Her stringy gray hair was matted to her skull in greasy tufts, and her cheeks were raked and bleeding as if she'd been clawing herself.

Lucia couldn't stand to meet her eyes, so she lowered her gaze. Across her knees lay an ancient shield a battered circle of wood and bronze, painted with the likeness of Akhlys herself holding a shield, so the image seemed to go on forever, smaller and smaller.

"It's like those memes," Percy muttered. Looking straight at where Lucia was looking.

Lucia looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Was that seriously your first thought."

"Well No, but I'm trying to avoid that first thought." He frowned

She mirrored his expression,

The old hag wailed. "The shield of Heracles. He painted me on its surface, so his enemies would see me in their final moments—the goddess of misery." She coughed so hard, it made Lucia's chest and ears hurt. "As if Heracles knew true misery. It's not even a good likeness!"

"Well." Lucia muttered, "I feel pretty miserable looking at it."

"What's his shield doing here?" Percy asked.

The goddess stared at them with her wet milky eyes. Her cheeks dripped blood, making red polka dots on her tattered dress. "He doesn't need it anymore, does he? It came here when his mortal body was burned. A reminder, I suppose, that no shield is sufficient. In the end, misery overtakes all of you. Even Heracles."

Lucia pressed herself closer to Percy. She tried to remember why they were here, but the sense of despair made it difficult to think. Hearing Akhlys speak, she no longer found it strange that she had clawed her own cheeks. The goddess radiated pure pain. Lucia hated facing pain.

"Bob," Percy said, "we shouldn't have come here."

From somewhere inside Bob's uniform, the skeleton kitten mewled in agreement.

The Titan shifted and winced as if Small Bob was clawing his armpit "Akhlys controls the Death Mist," he insisted. "She can hide you."

"Hide them?" Akhlys made a gurgling sound. She was either laughing or choking to death. "Why would I do that?"

"They must reach the Doors of Death," Bob said. "To return to the mortal world."

"Impossible!" Akhlys said. "The armies of Tartarus will find you. They will kill you."

Lucia spun a dagger. "So is your Death Mist useless, then," she taunted.

"Uh." Percy whispered to her, "What are you doing?"

The goddess bared her broken yellow teeth. "Useless? Who are you?"

"Child of Apollo and Hyacinthus." She muttered, "I'm pretty well known by my name Apollonione. I wouldn't expect a minor goddess like you to recognize me though. What was your name again?"

The dust quivered at their feet. Fog swirled around them with a sound like agonized wailing.

"Minor goddess?" Akhlys's gnarled fingernails dug into Hercules's shield, gouging the metal. "I was old before the Titans were born, you ignorant girl. I was old when Gaea first woke. Misery is eternal. Existence is misery. I was born of the eldest ones of Chaos and Night. I was—"

"Gods, You're worse than a boring flat pop ballad." Lucia rolled her eyes. "Sadness and misery, blah blah blah. But you still don't have enough power to hide two demigods with your Death Mist. Like I said: Useless."

Percy cleared his throat. "Uh, Luz, Baby, Maybe don't—"

She flashed him a warning look: Work with me. His face softened, he recognized how terrified she was, but she had no choice. This was their best shot at stirring the goddess into action.

"I mean... Lucia is right!" Percy volunteered. "Bob brought us all this way because he thought you could help. But I guess you're too busy staring at that shield and crying. I can't blame you. It looks just like you."

Akhlys wailed and glared at the Titan. "Why did you inflict these annoying demigods on me?"

Bob made a sound somewhere between a rumble and a whimper. "I thought—I thought—"

"The Death Mist is not for helping!" Akhlys shrieked. "It shrouds mortals in misery as their souls pass into the Underworld. It is the very breath of Tartarus, of death, of despair!"

"Awesome," Percy nodded. "Could we get two orders of that to go?"

Lucia snorted and shook her head.

Akhlys hissed. "Ask me for a more sensible gift. I am also the goddess of poisons. I could give you death thousands of ways to die less painful than the one you have chosen by marching into the heart of the pit."

Around the goddess, flowers bloomed in the dust dark purple, orange, and red blossoms that smelled sickly sweet. Lucia's head swam.

"Nightshade," Akhlys offered. "Hemlock. Belladonna, henbane, or strychnine. I can dissolve your innards, boil your blood."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Lucia shrugged "But I've had enough of poison to last me a lifetime. Now, could you hide us in your Death Mist, or not?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun." Percy grinned.

The goddess's eyes narrowed. "Fun?"

"Sure," Percy promised. "If we fail, think how great it will be for you. gloating over our spirits after we die in agony. You get to say I told you so for eternity."

"Or, if we succeed," Lucia added, "think of all the suffering you'll bring to the monsters down here. We intend to seal the Doors of Death. That's going to cause a lot of wailing and moaning."

Akhlys considered. "I enjoy suffering. Wailing is also good."

"Then it's settled," Percy demanded. "Make us invisible."

Akhlys struggled to her feet. The shield of Hercules rolled away and wobbled to a stop in a patch of poison flowers. "It is not so simple," the goddess said. "The Death Mist comes at the moment you are closest to your end. Your eyes will be clouded only then. The world will fade."

Percy swallowed harshly. "Okay. But we'll be shrouded from the monsters?"

"Oh, yes," Akhlys said. "If you survive the process, you will be able to pass unnoticed among the armies of Tartarus. It is hopeless, of course, but if you are determined, then come. I will show you the way."

"The way to where exactly?" Lucia asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

The goddess was already shuffling into the gloom.

Percy turned to look at Bob, but the Titan was gone. How does a ten-foot-tall silver dude with a very loud kitten disappear?

"Hey!" Percy yelled to Akhlys. "Where's our friend?"

"He cannot take this path," the goddess called back. "He is not mortal. Come, little fools. Come experience the Death Mist."

Lucia exhaled and grabbed his hand. "Once I look like a zombie will you still love me?"

The question was so ridiculous Percy laughed, even though it hurt his lungs. He kissed her knuckles. "Duh."

They followed the goddess's dusty footprints through the poison flowers, deeper into the fog.