Chapter One

I woke to a pounding in my head. My hand reached automatically upwards, probing a large, throbbing lump that was beginning to form near the back of my skull. Dr. Thorn was nowhere to be seen. I picked myself up off the rocky ground. Mountain, I corrected myself. I was definitely near the top of a mountain, though it was so foggy, I could barely tell. I began to climb.

Littered about on the iron-gray rock, were what appeared to old, Grecian columns made of what probably once was white marble. They looked as if they'd been blasted out from whatever building they'd once been a part of. It was a shame; you could almost see what beautiful architecture it was. I kept climbing.

From very nearby, I heard a noise like a growl. I shrank into the shadows, reaching instinctively to my back pocket. My Yankees cap wasn't there. Cursing under my breath, I realized I must have left it back at Westover Hall with Percy and Thalia. I wondered vaguely if they'd made it back to camp safely with the di Angelos.

"Thorn!" I cried desperately, searching the curling fog for any sign of his hideous figure, "Where are you? Why did you bring me here?" Silence, except for the faint growling noise.

As I neared the peak of the mountain, I could hear the growling noise more clearly. I noticed that it wasn't a growl at all, it was breathing. Labored and shallow breathing. Oddly familiar breathing.

I heaved myself over the jagged stone remains of a wall and gasped. Through the swirling mist, I saw a dark figure, its frame shaking violently, nearly crushed by the weight of what seemed to be the sky itself. Atlas, I told myself, but I knew deep down that it wasn't. I knew that figure. The stocky build, the way the legs were braced. It was Luke.

It's a trick. These words raced through my mind the second I recognized him. I knew Luke was on Kronos' side. He'd tried to kill me countless times before, but somehow I knew that he was still Luke inside, and if I could just make him see how wrong he was... Another shudder racked his broken figure. He was shaking with exertion.

I had to slap my hands over my mouth to stop myself from calling his name. Stupid, I thought, it could be a trap. But still, he looked so tortured and helpless. He was alert now, he looked around frantically.

"Annabeth!" he choked, meeting my eyes, "Help me! Please!" I ran to him. His face was bloody, drenched in sweat, and contorted with agony. I reached out my hand to touch his face, but hesitated. I could have sworn I'd just heard Percy's voice in my head, reminding me Luke was a traitor.

"What happened?" I asked, tears streaming down my face. I could barely keep my voice from trembling.

"They left me here," Luke groaned, beginning to hyperventilate. "Please. It's killing me." I remembered Percy's warning.

"Why should I trust you?" I asked, skeptically, my eyes narrowing with mistrust. I wanted so desperately to have him back, but I knew what he'd turned to.

"You shouldn't," Luke said, gasping, another shudder seizing his body. "I've been terrible to you. But if you don't help me, I'll die." He began to wheeze, his breath transforming into curling, ghostly white fingers of vapor that snaked towards the moon before vanishing onto the night. I didn't know what to do. Luke's body was slowly crumpling to the ground. There was only so much more time he could stand it before he was crushed to death under the velvety darkness. Luke was doubled over now, struggling as hard as he could, but I knew he was at the limits of his strength. At the last minute, I scrambled forward, forcing the weight away from Luke and into my own hands.

The pain was instant and the weight was crushing. Every muscle in my body was screaming in agony. My vision blurred and turned red at the corners. I cried out, struggling fiercely. Luke rolled out from under it, gasping and panting like a dog, on his hands and knees.

"Thanks," he managed between breaths of the cold, mountain air.

"Help me hold it," I rasped, my voice sounding pinched inside me, like it too was being crushed by the weight. I was being pressed against the rocky summit. My arms shook violently. I couldn't breathe properly, my knees threatened to buckle any second.

"I knew I could count on you." he said, ignoring my plea. I couldn't help but notice how he didn't quite meet my eyes as he said that, like he still had an ounce of humanity somewhere inside of him. Luke turned his back on me and began to walk away.

"HELP ME!" I screamed at him, I heard the pleading in my own voice as the blackness above threatened to crush me. Tears of anger and pain streamed down my face.

"Oh, don't worry," Luke said. "Your help is on the way. It's all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not to die." He grinned wickedly and stalked off, leaving me alone in the darkness, my stomach twisting in anger and betrayal, trying to support the weight if the sky on my shoulders.