Annabeth felt a sickening swooping sensation as she sailed down the side of

the cliff. She slipped from the manicore's fur and fell, her legs seethed with pain

on impact and she staggered backwards, her vision fuzzed over as she toppled

sideways. She felt cold rocks underneath her hands and slumped to the floor.

"Annabeth?" The voice sounded distant but familiar. "Annabeth, help me..." The

outline of Luke swam in and out of Annabeth's view.

"Luke? Where are you?" She struggled up to her feet. "Luke?" Her vision

cleared. Luke's face was controted in pain, beads of sweat ran down his face

and his knees were trembling. Luke was holding the weight of the sky.

"Annabeth, please, I need your help, please, help me!" Luke's voice cracked.

Annabeth hesitated. This was the same Luke that had betrayed her and the

camp, this was the same Luke that had tried to kill Percy many many times, this

was the same Luke that poisened Thalia's tree, but he sounded so desperate.

"It's okay!" She ran to his side "I'm here" She took the weight of the sky. The

strain almost knocked her flat. Annabeth's arms locked, she was hunced over,

even though it had practically been five seconds, it felt like an eternity.

Luke laughed. "Hey, thanks, I was just about to turn on the tears. Oh, hey

Annabeth? Try not to die for me okay?"

Annabeth struggled to keep the tears. She knew why she was crying, holding

up the sky and evrything was probably a huge factor but the way Luke had

been so cold. She didn't even see any of the old Luke she used to know and

love- no not love, like very much, definatly, not love.

"If you do not take the sky from thus mere mortal, she will be crushed by the

weight."

Annabeth felt a rush of relief, every muscle was screaming, she turned to see

who took the sky from her but passed out.

When Annabeth woke up,she was bound to a column, Luke was staring into

her face. If she wasn't mistaken, his eyes seemed relieved. "Annabeth, good."

He whispered. "The bait is awake!" Luke shouted to someone who boomed in

the distance.

"Bait?" Annabeth croaked. Luke bent down to her and held her face up

towards his own. "For the others!" He gloated.

She felt tears roll down her face. The worst part was she couldn't even wipe

them away. "Luke, what happened to you? Please, don't you even remeber

anything that happened over the last like seven years?"

Luke turned away and she slumped her head back against the pillar, suddenly

feeling exhausted, she dropped off to sleep.

"Wakey, wakey wise girl" Luke was gently shaking her shoulder. "Morning!

Hold still..." He realesed Annabeth's chains, she suddenly tried to contain the

urge to hug him, until she felt the cold steel of a dagger in her back, she heard

to click of handcuffs around her wrists ,she tasted the flithy rag stuffed in her

mouth. Luke's hand around her forearm as she was lead to the edge of the

mountainside, she saw Percy, Thalia, Zoe and Artemis struggling under the

weight of the sky, naturally. She couldn't help but watch Percy and feel useless.

He stopped suddenly, as if he had a sudden thought, he changed his path and

headed for Artemis, Annabeth wanted to scream out to him but she gag was

tight. He took the sky from the goddess. Watching his face controt, his muscles

strain and his skin bead with sweat made her heart ache.

Annabeth felt a sudden realise from her arm. Thalia and Luke were locked in

battle, she took the oppertunity to run, but only got as far as four steps when

Luke fell over the side. She tried to scream his name, she tried to see were he

was, to see if he was dead or alive but the fog was thick and the air was

screaming, Atlas had been tricked into taking back the sky, Percy ran to her

and untied her. Annabeth hugged him but quickly ran to Zoe who had been

thrown into the rocks by her father, Atlas, she took her hand but it was too

late, the beautiful girl's eyes fluttered shut.