This chapter has some romance, but you know how terrible I am at it. Not really much to say here, just enjoy!
I stood completely stunned.
First Percy had fallen down on his hands and knees for no distinguishable reason, and then he was asking me to kill him? "Why?" I asked.
He groaned. "I can't resist…his…power forever."
His power. He must have been talking about Kronos. Kronos must have enchanted him to stay on his side no matter what. But I just couldn't kill him. "I can't," I said. "There has to be another way."
He was breathing hard. "I sacrificed the Ophiotaurus," he said, his voice haggard. "Kronos will make me destroy Olympus if you don't. You have to!" He sounded desperate.
"I can't." I said, sounding like a broken record. "I can't!"
"You have to!" he said, grabbing my wrist. "Please."
His voice softened my heart. But I couldn't kill him, under no circumstances whatsoever. "There has to be another way!" I told him.
"No," he said. "This is the only way. Please."
If anyone else was watching this conversation winks at readers they would be forced to assume that I cared about Percy more than I did Olympus. If they ran that theory by me, I would have to say that they were right. I did care about him, a lot. "Percy, I…" I began.
He got up, interrupting my thoughts. He also picked up the sword and held it like he was going to run me through with it. He walked forward, pointing the sword at me. I backed away. He kept walking towards me, and I kept backing away. Something seemed to hold him back from killing me. Probably himself.
I just kept going backward. That is, until I ran into a tree. We were in the forest of the camp, and the army that was right in front of us a minute ago was nowhere to be seen. I fell to the ground. A grotesque expression crossed Percy's face, and his eyes glowed an acidic green. He brought his sword down.
I rolled out of the way, but the blade nicked my arm. It felt like it was on fire. Blood streamed from the cut. I screamed, and the sword dropped to the ground. Percy leaned on a tree to support him, and looked truly sorry.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "It's just that-" He groaned, and fell to the ground. "Kronos won't let me go."
I reached for the small canteen of nectar I kept in my pocket, and took a short draught from it. My arm almost instantly felt better. I hoisted Percy up by the wrists and leaned him on the tree. He was still breathing hard.
"Please," he said, his voice hoarse. "Kill me."
I couldn't do it. He was causing me even more pain. He was pleading, not for his life, but for his death to save Olympus. That took a lot of bravery. I didn't answer, but I hoped he would get the message.
He didn't. He put more pleading into his voice, and I was sure that he was trying to get to me. "Annabeth," he said. "If you meant what you said before, then kill me." If he was trying to get to me, he was pretty good at it. My eyes filled with tears.
"I…I…" I couldn't finish my sentence. I steadied Percy as he almost fell over.
"Please," he said again. I never knew one word could cause so much pain.
I didn't even consider it. He probably knew that, too. His voice interrupted my thoughts, "You don't, then. If you did, you would listen to me. You lied, the night you fell." If someone who knew nothing about us were watching us, they would have no idea what he was talking about. I knew exactly.
The tears fell now, cool on my cheeks. Percy wiped them away with a strange expression on his face. He looked really, really sad. "If you won't," he started. "I will have no choice but to-"
"No!" I cried. He hadn't even finished his sentence, but I knew what he was talking about. He would kill himself if I wouldn't do it for him. "Don't!" I collapsed onto him, sobbing. He looked really uncomfortable between the tree and me.
He patted my back awkwardly. But I was inconsolable. I just kept crying. He calmed me down enough to ask, "What's wrong?"
"Don't kill yourself," I sobbed, aware of how awkward that sounded. "I love you!"
I don't know what made me say that, it just came out. Percy just looked mildly surprised. "I wasn't going to kill myself. If you mean what you said, why don't you listen to me?" he asked. Such a simple question. I wish the answer were likewise.
I was relieved to hear him say that he wouldn't kill himself. A feeling of panic seized me. If he weren't going to kill himself, what would he do?
"Well?" he pressed. "Do you mean it?"
I did mean it. With all of my heart. But as far as I could see, words wouldn't persuade him. I did the unthinkable.
I kissed him tenderly on the lips. His eyes widened with surprise. Once he seemed to reassure himself that this was real, he returned the kiss feebly. I broke away after what seemed hours.
The sounds of battle were still in the forest, so apparently not. "Well, that was…refreshing." He commented, the signs of fighting Kronos almost gone. "You do mean it, then."
I was too tired to say anything. "Back to the present," Percy said. "Kill me."
"I can't."
This time, he seemed to take no as an answer. He moved his lips in what seemed to be silent prayer. I stood still, waiting.
A sword appeared out of the air. Percy smiled, as if he had asked for it. The sword then did something that would make me hate it for the rest of my life. I know that sounds weird, hating a disembodied sword.
It decapitated Percy.
"No!" I cried. Too late. The sword fell to the ground, bloodstained. I couldn't stand to look at it. Tears fell once again from my eyes, unfailingly.
I saw something that made me even sadder, with a sliver of anger. There was an owl emblazoned on the sword.
If you readers have some sense, you should be able to realize what is about the sword that I didn't directly point out. Reviews, and the next chapter will be posted. Relax, there will be a happy ending.