A/N: Hello, it's TripleHomicide here. As I said, I might be going on a hiatus but I will try to complete the Titan's Curse section of this story before I do. Do tell me what you think about this chapter. As usual, don't forget to point out any mistake I might have made and please leave a comment or review to tell me what you think, and a vote or kudos if you liked the chapter.

And also, if you haven't, check out my new story, Perseus: Excidium Troiae.

Enjoy the story!

PERSEUS pursed his lips as they walked on. It was morning already and the others seemed rejuvenated from the rest they had had. He hadn't been able to sleep the night before, afraid that he might end up back on Ogygia if he dared to shut his eyes. He was feeling okay though. Immortals didn't need sleep. He could run on his reserved energy for several weeks before he would need to rest. He wanted to spend every moment in the mortal world now. He didn't miss his Island. Not one bit.

His mind drifted to the girl he had seen when he had been transported away from the questers. He still couldn't believe it. He wondered how the others would feel when they found out. But it made sense. Her mother worked for his family, The Titans. She definitely had a hand in her daughter working for them too. Perseus looked down, eyes on the snow as they walked. The others were oddly quiet. Thalia hadn't killed Zoë yet, which he assumed was good, Luke seemed a bit sobered up, Grover was on edge, nibbling on a piece of wax paper, and the two hunters kept on exchanging furtive glances, as if worried that something bad was about to happen.

He knew they were nervous. They were getting closer to their destination. And the time for him to separate Thalia and Luke from the others was drawing nearer. Once they were separated, his pet would come for the daughter of Zeus. Atlas had explained it all in detail. Her fatal flaw was lust for power and they would play on that. They would use the cow-serpent hybrid to turn the prophecy child against the Olympian gods. And Luke…they would make Luke pull out his sword, finally freeing him and setting into motion the chain of events which would lead to the Fall of Olympus.

Perseus ran a hand through his hair, pushing his wild black hair out of his eyes. He looked up and examined the mortal settlement they had walked into. His eyes picked up a sort of sign but he couldn't tell what it said. Next to him, the satyr spoke, reading from the metal signpost. "Welcome to Cloudcroft, New Mexico."

So that's what it said.

Cloudcroft was the smallest place he had been to so far. He found that oddly amusing since he had only been on Ogygia after the war and Othrys before his punishment, and then Camp Half-Blood and the museum since the dream-transportation had begun. He could see a few mortal buildings around. There was snow everywhere and he stared, a bit fascinated. It never snowed on Ogygia. He was getting sick and tired of the summer. It was extremely cold in this tiny place but he didn't mind. It didn't bother him. As long as he had golden ichor flowing through him, he would be okay. He had a natural resistance to extreme temperatures.

He spotted Thalia slowing down so she was level with Luke, who was a few feet behind the hunters. Perseus moved forward, knowing they were about to discuss something of importance. He came up next to the son of Hermes, who turned to glance at him. Although Luke couldn't see him, Perseus knew he could feel his presence. Luke's eyes narrowed, but then he turned so he was facing Thalia. Grover made his way to Thalia's other side and Perseus observed as the three friends talked in low voices.

"I spoke with Hermes last night," Luke began. "He got us here."

His expression was blank but his eyes were hard. Perseus continued to stare at him, confused. Then a memory resurfaced and he remembered a discussion he'd had with the god of the forge a few years back. Most of the demigods were ignored by their godly parents and thought they didn't care for them. They did but as the ancient laws forbade direct interference in the lives of the demigods and mortals, they were left to fend for themselves. The gods could only watch and sometimes helped out a bit when they were sure Zeus wouldn't get to know about it. But help from the gods was rare and the demigods' lives were horrible. Get to Camp Half-Blood, or die. It took him a few seconds but he guessed that Luke and Hermes were probably going through a bump in their father-son relationship.

"That's good," Thalia said slowly. Perseus could see the unease in her eyes. Both Grover and Thalia were tense, probably because Hermes was a touchy subject for Luke. "What else did he say?"

"He said I was right," Luke was also a bit nervous, but he was trying not to show it and Perseus instantly guessed he was about to say something about him. Luke was wary of how Thalia would react. "Perseus is one of the banes of Olympus the prophecy spoke about. But the gods think he's still on Ogygia."

"They're dumb, then," Thalia rolled her eyes. "He—"

She was cut off by Grover holding up a hand. "Hold up, what? The Titan isn't on his island? How—"

"You didn't tell him?" Luke cocked an eyebrow.

"Tell me what?" Grover looked bewildered and if he was being true to himself, Perseus didn't blame him. He would also be dumbfounded if he discovered that the one immortal who could destroy the gods and end western civilization was free from his prison. The Titan of the Earth realized that Grover also knew about him. Not many people did, because the gods had tried to blot his name from the history books. They couldn't face such a disgrace to their name. It would negatively impact their rule if people knew a single Titan had been able to bring them to their knees once before.

Thalia pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. "Perseus has been with us since the quest began. Scratch that, he's been around since we got to Westover Hall. He helped me fight Thorn. I'm the only one who can see him, though I can't figure know why. He reappears around me when he falls asleep on his Island so it's like—"

"His spirit is transported here, but his body is chained on the prison," Grover said.

Thalia nodded, continuing. "We told Chiron about it. He went to see the Olympians and he asked us not to tell anyone, sorry."

"It's okay," Grover was blinking rapidly, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "And let me guess, he's standing next to us right now?'

Thalia's eyes flickered over to Perseus and he waved, sending her a small smile. The corner of her lips pulled up in a lopsided grin and she nodded in answer to Grover's question.

"And you have no problem with it?' Grover was getting loud and Thalia shushed him, placing a hand on his mouth.

"She doesn't." The bitterness leaking out of Luke's voice made Perseus lick his lips and look away. Luke clearly still didn't trust him. He had tried to make the boy feel more at ease by saving his life in the mortal train during the cynocephali attack. But it seemed as though that hadn't worked. "She's certain he's on our side."

Perseus looked down, his deal with Atlas barging into his head. He didn't like the indecision and turmoil he was facing. It would be even worse if he failed in his mission and had to fight them. But if he succeeded, Thalia would be by his side, with The Titans. And Luke…they could convince him to join them too.

"Luke," Thalia's eyes were narrowed and her voice had a warning tone to it.

"Never mind," He waved it aside. "Hermes said we'll figure out what the second bane of Olympus is. We have to get to San Francisco and find some dude called Nereus. He'll be able to tell us what it is."

Grover nodded numbly, nose twitching. Thalia fiddled with her silver bracelet and Perseus found himself gazing at the son of Hermes. He still couldn't understand what was making him act that way no matter how he tried. He tried to pry into the demigod's mind; tried to see what he was thinking. Blinking in surprise when he was met with a mental wall, he moved from his place beside Luke. The son of Hermes had enough willpower and resolution to stop an immortal from accessing his thoughts.

Perseus felt oddly proud of the fact. Sure, Luke hated that he was destined to free him. But this only proved the fact—He was the worthiest hero alive.

"There is a coffee shop up ahead." His head snapped to his left at the voice. The hunters had slowed down so the demigods could catch up with them and it was Zoë who had spoken. "Thalia, Castellan and I shall get breakfast. Grover and Phoebe try to find a way out of town."

None of them argued. As they made their way to into the coffee shop, Perseus lagged behind the two demigods and hunter, keeping his distance.

-X-

LUKE poked his inner cheek with his tongue as he walked into the coffee shop. He glanced around, eyes narrowed. Thalia was walking alongside him and he knew she was pissed off.

Damn it, Castellan, can't you do anything right?

Ever since the Titan had shown up, she was always getting mad at him for not trusting that Perseus had changed. He exhaled, rubbing his temples. If Thalia was right, then it meant Perseus was right behind them. His eyes flickering over to the lieutenant of the hunt marching alongside him. He was a bit surprised she had asked him to come along. He would have thought she wouldn't want him to be around her because he was a male. Thalia had walked on ahead of them, already moving to order some coffee. The huntress was examining the store, her form tense.

Luke could tell she also felt what he did. His skin was tingling with apprehension and a voice seemed to be screaming at him to get out while he could. He groaned internally. Maybe he was going crazy. There was no voice and there was nothing wrong with the coffee shop. The girl at the counter was just a normal mortal with…shining brown eyes? Or were they green?

His hands moved to draw his sword. She might be a monster.

He let his hands fall back to his side. Now he was seeing things. Her eyes weren't green. She wasn't a monster. A different voice seemed to be whispering into his ear, reassuring him.

Luke stepped back in surprise when the girl's (definitely brown) eyes met his. She seemed to be his age, with dark hair falling to her back. She sent him a small wink, licking her bright red lips seductively. He felt heat explode over his face when she kept on staring. Her eyes were glittering and her attention was on him. The demigod forced himself to look away, shoving his hands in his pockets. The tingling feeling came back. Luke clenched his jaw, trying to calm himself down. It was probably nothing.

Before he knew it, he was standing next to the others, who were placing their orders. He remained quiet, not trusting himself to speak when he felt the girl's gaze on him once more. He was faintly aware of Thalia sliding some cash over to the woman as she handed them the bags of pastries and drinks.

Soon, they were leaving the coffee shop. Luke tried to move as the others began making their way to the door. But His legs were rooted in place and he struggled to lift his foot. Nothing. Panic began setting in and he looked up to see the girl smirking in victory.

"Luke?" He heard Thalia's voice from the door. "We're leaving." All her anger seemed to have disappeared and her voice was leaking with barely concealed concern at him standing as still as a statue.

"Just a second," The words tumbled out of his lips against his will. He felt a force compelling him to speak. "I'll join you guys soon."

"Okay," Thalia seemed to accept his explanation.

No, it is not okay!

Luke tried to yell out. But no matter how much he attempted to, he couldn't speak anymore. He heard the door opening and shutting as the two girls walked out. And then the brown-eyed girl was in front of him. He blinked furiously, trying to tell when and how she had gotten there.

"So, you're the famous Luke Castellan." Her voice was soft and silky and Luke could feel her breath on his neck. She was so close and he was starting to feel uncomfortable. "I've heard so much about you."

"Who- who the Hades are you? How do you know my name?" He struggled to let the words out. Whoever this girl was, she wasn't just a simple mortal. She had done something to him; placed him under some sort of spell.

"You don't know me?" Her finger was stroking his cheek softly as she spoke and Luke shuddered as she purred, "That's a pity." He could feel the magic surrounding her now. He felt himself relaxing. Luke's eyelids suddenly felt heavy and he cursed internally when they started drooping. It was like a blanket of calm was settling over him, forcing him to feel at ease. His mind was becoming hazy and all he could see was her bright green eyes now. He couldn't speak anymore and he felt her power over him increasing.

Luke couldn't form any coherent thought. His gaze rested on the girl and he licked his lips. Damn, she was hot. His eyes drifted over to her mouth as the girl spoke again. "You don't need to be shy, Luke. Everything is fine. You aren't in danger."

He found himself nodding, although his eyes never left hers. And then he was leaning in. At the back of his mind, he knew what he was doing was abnormal. He knew something was definitely wrong. But he ignored it, connecting his lips with hers.

-X-

THALIA was starting to get worried for her friend. She pursed her lips as they waited and took a sip from the coffee she had gotten, trying to look calm. Grover and Phoebe had returned a few minutes ago and they were waiting for Luke to reappear. Beside her, Perseus was tense, his brow furrowed as if he was bothered by something.

"Something isn't right," he murmured. Percy turned to her and stated, "Luke is in trouble."

That was all it took. Thalia was alert, her hand moving to her pockets to take out her canister of mace. She turned to face Zoë who arched an eyebrow when she spoke.

"I'm going to see what's taking him so long," She motioned towards the shop. "If I'm not out in five, come in after me."

The lieutenant of the hunt nodded in response. Thalia sent her a grateful smile, before jogging over to the coffee shop. She could see Percy beside her, looking perplexed. She smiled to herself. Thanks to his encouragement, she and Zoë didn't quarrel any more. They were on friendly terms now, although she wouldn't say they were close. They understood each other and Thalia had a feeling they would be unstoppable in battle if they worked together.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when Percy cursed from beside her. They had come to stop in front of the coffee shop and he was peering through the glass.

"What's wrong?" She inquired, feeling a sense of dread overtake her.

"It's Lamia," He muttered under his breath, drawing a dagger from his boot. Thalia didn't know where the hell he kept on getting weapons from. "She's in the form of a mortal girl. She has him under her spell and she's going to kill him if we don't stop her."

She was stunned into silence. She'd heard of the monster from one of Chiron's classes at Camp. A former daughter of Hecate who used her magic to prey on men and seduced them, before drinking their blood and feeding on them.

"She's like an empousa," Perseus explained. "They have the same abilities and they both serve Hecate but she's far stronger than those she-demons. Luke's life force is already dwindling…"

Thalia didn't know what an empousa was but she didn't care. She felt red hot anger consume her at the thought of Luke sucking someone's face and then getting himself killed. No one killed her best friend. Not even if he was being an annoying prick. She pushed open the door, rushing in with a roar.

Thalia realized that Lamia was the girl who had given them the coffee and pastries. She saw her eyes flicker from brown to green, then back to brown. She had the daughter of Zeus' best friend pushed against the wall and the monster had been about to take off his jacket. She cringed internally, noticing Luke blink once before his eyes widened. He pushed the girl off him, scrambling away quickly, falling onto his rear end.

Thalia snarled as she got closer, her spear shooting forward, but missed as the girl sidestepped her thrust. All she saw was red as she stabbed forward with her spear again, catching Lamia in the shoulder. She didn't give the monster a time to retaliate. She pulled out her spear, then slammed the nonbusiness end of the weapon into the she-demon's head, then spun it around, before ramming the bronze tip into Lamia's chest.

The monster looked surprised as she burst into golden dust and sulphur without a sound.

Thalia tried to get her breathing under control as her spear transformed back into her canister of mace. Eyes widening, she turned, rushing towards Luke. He was rubbing his temples, groaning. Percy was kneeling next to him, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Is he okay?"

The Titan nodded, not taking his eyes of the son of Hermes. "He's just a bit dazed. It's a good thing we got here in time."

She huffed in relief. "We'd better get out. I don't want to be here when she reforms."

"Don't worry, you won't," Percy reached out, hauling Luke up by the arm. She moved to his other side, grabbing the blue-eyed boy by the hand.

"Let's go."

Together, they made their way to the doors, and she kicked it open with her leg. She spotted Grover, Zoë and Phoebe exactly where she had left them. But something was happening. Thalia's eyes widened as a warm wind blew past. She could smell…wildflowers and sunshine. But that was impossible. It was winter. Then she heard Zoë gasp in surprise.

"Grover, thy cup!'

Thalia heard a squeak and her head snapped over to her left, where a rat was scuttling past. She looked to the others once again, starting in shock when she spotted three doves flying into the sky. Where had they had come from?

They got to the others just as Grover collapsed in a heap onto the ground.

"What's happening?' Thalia asked. "What's wrong with Grover?'

"The satyr collapsed," Phoebe stated.

"No shit, sherlock." Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Ladies, ladies," Luke drawled. Thalia noticed Percy had let go of him but he was still clutching to her like she was his lifeline. "We have to move. We need to leave this place."

"I agree with thee," Zoë said. "It is not safe. Come. Let us go."

-X-

PERSEUS grimaced as the huntress Phoebe cursed. They had gotten to the edge of the town and The Titan of the Earth watched as they were surrounded. He did not move to draw a weapon and stood, motionless as the Spartoi aimed their mortal weapons at the questers. From beside him Thalia tapped her bracelet and her shield sprang to life. Her spear was ready to pierce a hole through the undead. Luke groaned a bit. Perseus could see he was exhausted and still dazed from his experience with Lamia. Nonetheless, he drew his sword from his side, slipping into a defensive stance. Grover was still knocked out cold. He was leaning on the daughter of Apollo, who had been dragging him along with Zoë's help. The two huntresses attempted to arm themselves with their bows.

He counted the skeleton warriors. There were five of them. The demigods had no chance—they would be overrun before they had an opportunity to strike back. And if what he remembered about the undead warriors was true, they wouldn't even be killable. He looked around him, green eyes observing the warriors. He had a feeling they could see him just fine. And he knew it was time for him to begin his work. This was the perfect chance to separate Thalia and Luke from the others.

Perseus watched as Thalia sprang forward, spinning her spear in her hand. She reared back, slamming the butt of her spear into the head of the nearest Spartoi. The force behind the hit sent the undead warrior into the snow, its bones and rotten parts separating as it fell to the ground. Almost instantaneously, the parts moved and the skeleton began reconstructing itself.

Luke leapt from his spot beside, charging the second skeleton warrior with a roar. He slashed upwards at his adversary, his sword slicing through the black rod thing the Spartoi was holding. He ducked low as the skeleton raised its other arm which carried another weapon. Perseus spotted its bony finger pulling at something, before a loud bang was heard. Luke hacked at the zombie's legs, cutting through the bones. The skeleton fell onto the ground.

The son of Hermes exhaled in relief. And then he swore in greek when a clattering sound came from the heap of bones and skin beneath him. Like the skeleton Thalia was currently battling had done, its parts were reassembling. Luke stomped down on the zombie to separate its pieces but then yelled when a skeleton arm shot up, grabbing his foot.

Perseus' eyes widened. It was time to do something. He raced forward, fingers curling around the hilt of the dagger he had pulled from his boots. He skidded to a stop when he got to Luke, raising his foot. The Titan of The Earth slammed his foot into the skull of the grey warrior, smashing it to pieces.

The arm holding Luke went limp and the demigod jumped away. Perseus moved forward again, his hand reaching out. His fingers curled around Luke's wrist and he tugged him along, running for Thalia.

That was one down, another one to go.

"Thalia!' He yelled when he got to her. Her eyes flickered over to him as she ducked low, avoiding a spray of tiny things from the weapon which made loud noises. Her foot shot out and she kicked he Spartoi in the chest, sending it flying through the air. "Come on."

"What's wrong?" She arched an eyebrow at him, dodging another spartoi's huge black rod as it came at her.

Perseus motioned with his head to the trees. "We have to get out of here." From behind him came a stream of silver arrows, but he knew the hunters were doing little damage.

"We're—"

'Just come with me," He yelled. "We need to leave."

"But the sp—"

"Only Hades and his children can permanently kill them," Perseus deadpanned. "Do you want to get dismembered?"

She was silent for a few second, then nodded. Perseus exhaled in relief. This was a lot easier than he had expected. He signalled with his head to the trees again and was about to take off when he heard the loud bang and then a yell of pain.

"Phoebe!' Zoë Nightshade dropped down next to her fellow huntress. Luke wrenched his arm away from Perseus, shouting for Artemis' maidens and their satyr friend, before rushing forward. Thalia's eyes were wide as she fell in step with him. The satyr was standing on his own two feet now, wide awake, with one of the huntresses, Phoebe, down on the ground. She had been hit by one of the things from the weapons the Spartoi held. Blood was leaking out of her shoulder, tainting the snow bright red.

Perseus inhaled when he felt a second rush of air. It smelled weird, exactly like the one he'd felt after they had saved Luke. He hadn't been in the lost god's presence since the Titan war. His eyes widened when Grover played a tune on his reed pipes. The satyr was complicating things.

He cursed again when the trees moved behind him. Vines and leaves and branches swirled towards them as Grover kept on playing his reed pipes. Perseus watched in amazement as the vines wrapped around the Spartoi, ripping them to shreds and scattering their bones in the wind. It would take them a few minutes to reconstruct. This was the same way Pan had fought off the undead warriors eons ago. He sighed. His plan to take Thalia and Luke away while the others were distracted had been foiled.

Thalia reached Grover just as he fell sideways. She grabbed him before he could collapse in the snow. "We need to leave. Now. The Spartoi will be back."

Zoë nodded numbly, still bent over Phoebe. From beside Thalia and Grover, Luke placed two fingers to his lips, releasing a shrill whistle. The Titan of the Earth clenched his fist when he spotted the three pegasi sailing towards them. They were led by a pure black pegasus, who nickered when his feet touched the snow. Perseus could understand him just fine, although he could tell the others could not.

Ayy, you called for me, Boss?

Luke patted the horse on the muzzle "Hey, Blackjack. We need help. Think you can get us away from here?'

The horse nickered in response. Luke turned back to the others as Thalia spoke. "Luke, help Grover on."

The son of Hermes nodded, moving forward to grab the satyr from the blue-eyed demigoddess. Thalia raced over to Zoë and Phoebe, falling next to them in the snow on her knees. "Is she okay?"

"She is losing a lot of blood," Zoë was trying not to let her fear show. "She shall die if not healed immediately."

"We'll work on her soon," Thalia promised. "Let's get out of here first."

Zoë nodded numbly. "Help me lift her."

The youngest son of Gaea observed as Thalia and Zoë Nightshade lifted Phoebe out of the snow. They placed the daughter of Apollo onto one of the pegasi and Zoë got on behind her. Luke propped Grover up properly. The satyr had passed out again from overexerting himself.

Thalia mounted the last of the steeds. He could see the hesitation in her eyes as she climbed on but he shrugged it off. She called out to Perseus when she was seated. "You coming?"

He bobbed his head in a nod of agreement, making his way to her. He hoped the pegasus wouldn't be wary of him. The Titan jumped onto the flying horse, taking a seat behind the blue-eyed daughter of Zeus.

He would have to try to separate them again.

And this time, he wouldn't fail.

-X-

LUKE flicked Grover's ears to wake him. They had stopped so they could heal Phoebe and the son of Hermes could tell that Zoë was freaking out. Phoebe had lost a lot of blood and although Artemis' lieutenant had managed to staunch the flow, the daughter of Apollo was still as pale as a sheet.

Grover groaned as his eyes fluttered open. He looked around him in surprise. The blue-eyed demigod jumped off Blackjack and Luke moved so he could pet his companion. He couldn't understand the pegasus but it was great having him around. He'd saved Luke's life on about three occasions. It was a good thing they had rescued him from Kronos' monster cruise ship.

From the corner of his eye he could see Thalia stumbling off the winged horse she was flying. She looked extremely pale and if Luke hadn't known about her fear of heights he would have thought she was the one who had been hit by the Spartoi's bullet. His mind drifted off to the coffee shop and he couldn't help but shudder as he remembered everything that had happened. He wouldn't say it out loud but he was grateful to Perseus. He knew it was him who had sensed that something was wrong.

The demigod sighed. He couldn't understand how he had allowed whoever that monster-witch had been to overpower him. In a way, she reminded him of an empousa. He had fought those monsters once before, when he had been fourteen, a few months before meeting Thalia and then Annabeth. The monster-girl from the coffee shop had used a spell on him to make him lower his defences and she had kissed him. He shuddered again, his hand moving to his lips, attempting to rub away any traces of her cherry lipgloss.

Luke turned to Phoebe, who was slumped on the back of the white pegasus. Zoë had feared that she would start bleeding again if she was moved. The lieutenant of the hunt looked agitated and anguished. He knew why. Phoebe was her closest friend and was one of the best hunters. The lines of the prophecy floated into his head. Specifically, the two lines that indicated death.

One shall be lost in the land without rain.

He didn't know where they had landed but it certainly wasn't a desert.

He reflected over the second line: And one shall die by a parent's hand.

Luke huffed in relief. There was no 'parent' around for that to happen.

"Can you heal her?" He heard Thalia's voice and turned to see her speaking to the air.

Her shoulders slumped in obvious defeat, showing that the Titan had replied in the negative.

Luke sighed. Of course he wouldn't be able to heal her. He was the Titan of The Earth. His domain was the ground. And right now, the earth was buried under mounds of snow. Even if he had some level of control over healing, it would only be to treat his injuries. The gods and titans he'd met so far healed way faster than the mortals did.

Luke glanced away from Thalia, just in time to see Grover jumping off Blackjack and moving forward. He made his way to Phoebe and Zoë and Luke muttered a silent prayer of thanks to the gods at his words. "I can heal her. Or at least, try."

"Anything is welcome," Zoë spoke, voice cracking. "Just make sure she does not die."

Grover nodded and Luke observed as he did his work, playing a tune on his reed pipes.

A few minutes later, Luke could see the colour returning to Phoebe's skin. Her eyes flew open and she looked around her in astonishment, gaze shifting to the bandage on her shoulder. Zoë shoved a bottle of silver liquid towards her, looking relieved that she had awoken.

"What's that?" Grover questioned.

"Moon water," Phoebe replied woozily, taking the bottle from Zoë. "Special nectar for the Hunters of Artemis."

"Phoebe, it's a good thing you're awake," Luke sent a forced smile in her direction. "But we have to keep moving. The Spartoi aren't defeated and they'll catch up if we slow down."

"I hate to say it but the boy is right," Zoë nodded. "You can rest more when we decide to stop for the night. But for now, we move."

Luke nodded, climbing back onto Blackjack, who neighed. Grover jogged over to him and the son of Hermes hauled him up behind him. Zoë launched herself off the ground, landing behind the pegasus she was sharing with Phoebe. His gaze shifted to Thalia, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but on a flying horse.

"It's going to be okay, Thals," He called. "Guido won't drop you."

She nodded, sending him a small smile of gratitude, before hauling herself onto the horse. At the back of his mind, Luke knew Perseus was also on the pegasus and he forced himself not to glare. Looking down, he rubbed Blackjack's neck.

"Let's go."

-X-

THALIA tried to not to scream as they flew on, suddenly feeling the urge to puke her coffee and muffins. The wind was whipping her hair into her eyes, making them water and she gritted her teeth, squinting to prevent them from watering. The brown pegasus she was seated on kept flying and she sat, tense and stiff, trying not to look down.

She caught a whiff of wet earth after rain and tried to relax, knowing Percy was seated behind her.

"What's wrong, Thalia?" Although his voice was low, she could hear him over the rush of the wind.

"N-nothing," She managed. She kept looking straight on, trying to keep Luke, Grover and the two hunters within sight. Already they were lagging behind.

"Are you sure?' He sounded concerned and Thalia tightened her hold on the pegasus' mane.

"Yes, I'm sure." She tried to keep her voice from cracking.

"I can sense your fear, you know."

Thalia cursed. Stupid immortality and its stupid perks.

"And I can read your thoughts too," He chuckled. Thalia released a string of curses in greek.

"You're afraid of heights," Percy stated, matter-of-factly.

"What? No I'm not," She shook her head, trying to deny it and forced out a laugh. "I'm a daughter of the sky god, how can I be afraid of heights? Don't be stupid, Percy."

"There's no need to put up a brave face while with me," He said, voice soft. 'It's okay to be scared of heights. It's natural."

Thalia took in a shaky breath, turning her head so she could see him. His eyes were as soft as his voice and he was smiling reassuringly. She turned back to look forward, starting a bit when she felt arms wrap around her waist from behind. Thalia felt her face heat up and she tried not to stammer as Perseus leaned in. "What the Hades are you doing?"

"What does it look like?' She could tell he had rolled his eyes. 'You're afraid of heights, right? Well, I'm going to make sure you don't fall."

She felt a foreign warmth fill her and took in steady breaths, calming herself. Thalia smiled at the wind as it rushed past.

-X-

PERSEUS grinned slightly as he hopped off the pegasus. The horse neighed and he rolled his eyes at its comment, turning to look at Thalia. She sent him a small smile of appreciation, although her face was bright red and he nodded to her, before examining his surroundings.

The sun was setting in the horizon and his eyes narrowed as he took in the mounds of metal rising in front of them. He felt the electricity in the air and he immediately knew that they were bad news. He tried to recollect where he'd heard about hills of weapons and metals and stuff before but Perseus simply couldn't remember, no matter how much effort he put into it. Maybe losing ancient memories were normal for the oldest immortal deities.

But he could have sworn he'd heard something about pieces of weapons and mortal stuff before. If he could just remember when…

"It's a junkyard," Thalia said.

"We shall stay for a few minutes," Zoë spoke. "And then try the junkyard soon. Phoebe needs to redress her bandages and I am sure the rest of you need rest. Riding on the pegasi for that long was…uncomfortable."

Perseus cracked a smile. Zoë was still the same. Even after all these eons. Grover plopped down onto the ground. Thalia found a seat on the earth next to him. Perseus watched as Luke spoke to the pegasi. The pure black one neighed at something the son of Hermes said and the Titan guessed they were leaving. His eyes drifted over to the junkyard and then narrowed into slits when he spotted the sleek black car disappearing down the road.

He found himself moving before he could think about it, racing down the road and after the black mortal vehicle.

XMX

The goddess from the museum stepped out of the car when he reached it. Perseus' expression shifted into one of annoyance and anger when he spotted her.

"Aphrodite," His voice was cold when he spoke. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, loosen up, Perseus," The goddess of love rolled her eyes, leaning on the black car. "I'm not here to seduce you if that's what you're thinking. Neither am I here to threaten you."

"Threaten me?" He scoffed. "Where, in your dreams?"

The goddess licked her lips, her eyes boring holes through his body. "I know you hate me, Perseus. But we're going to have to put our differences aside. We're on the same team now, remember?"

He shook his head, pinching the bridge his nose. "What do you want here? Start talking before I turn you into an earthen statue."

"You promised to separate them when the Spartoi attacked. You failed," Aphrodite smiled coldly. "And Lord Kronos isn't too happy with you."

'The satyr ruined things," He snarled. "If you were watching like I think you were, you would know this."

"Pointing fingers now, are we?' Aphrodite smirked.

"You're testing my patience, goddess," He hissed. "Do you want a repeat of the museum?" He was faintly aware of the laugh of amusement coming from the front seat of the car. The driver turned, sending a wink to Perseus, who frowned in distaste. He scowled at the driver. Another minor god had joined the Titans. But what would Eros hope to gain by doing so?

He turned to back to the insufferable goddess. "You forget, Aphrodite, I am one of the people you say you serve. I am a Titan."

"And you forget, Perseus, I am the personification of love. I am the one who cursed you. And I can do it again. I can make your life very, very miserable." She sneered at him and Perseus rolled his eyes.

"All you say are empty threats," He crossed his arms. "I have no connection to your domain anymore. There's nothing you can do."

"That's what you think," She smirked again, before checking her nails. "I have seen some things. I know what will come to be." She paused. "I'll see you again sometime, Perseus. For now, I have to go. Lord Kronos shall not tolerate another failure from you. Remember that."

He snorted. There was nothing Kronos could do. He was trapped inside the pit as they spoke.

"Watch your back, Aphrodite," He said contemptuously. "There's a lot of things that could happen to you as long as you walk my domain."

He could see the fear flash in her eyes as she took her seat at the back of the car but the goddess of love composed herself quickly. "You'd better run along now, Percy. I believe your new friends are in a bit of trouble."

"What do you mean—" He was cut short by a loud explosion and then a yell of panic filling the air.

-X-

LUKE dropped the ballpoint pen he was holding in shock, backpedalling when the metal giant appeared out of the scrap metal.

"What did you do?" Phoebe's voice was accusing and her eyes were narrowed at him. "Zoë said not to touch anything!"

He couldn't answer. His attention was fixed on the giant bronze piece of metal rising from the hills of junk. It was clothed in full Greek battle armour, complete with a sword and a spear strapped across its back. The giant statue was tall. Taller than any skyscraper Luke had ever seen. It seemed to glint in the moonlight, which defined its figures and made the sword look extra sharp. Luke found his hands moving to his side and before he knew it he had drawn his weapon.

"It's Talos!" Grover yelped from beside him. "Everyone get back!"

Luke's eyes grew impossibly wide. It couldn't be. Talos was from ancient times. He couldn't be in the junkyard.

"No," Zoë's voice came to him. "It is a prototype. A defective model, but it is still extremely dangerous. Fall back!"

He didn't need to be told twice. The son of Hermes moved another step back as the giant took a step forward.

"Someone took something," Thalia hissed. "Who took something?"

Luke glanced around, eyes wild as the giant advanced on them. His gaze fell on the pen which he had dropped, a few feet away from where he was standing now.

"Luke?" Grover's voice was impossibly small. "What's wrong?"

He looked down, his hands curling into fists. "I'm sorry. I just saw this pen and I—"

"Pen?" Zoë's voice was sharp. "Which pen?"

He pointed at the ballpoint pen on the ground. "That one." Luke turned to see the other's expressions. Thalia's eyes were fixed on the giant statue. Grover was backing away slowly. He caught Phoebe and Zoë exchange a glance. The lieutenant of the hunt looked extremely pale and her eyes were wide and filled with panic.

"Impossible," she muttered. "It cannot be here—"

"There's no time for talking about random pens now!" Thalia yelled. "Run!"

Luke dove out of the way as a huge bronze sword slammed into the earth. He rolled, jumping up at the last second, to find himself next to Thalia. Her bronze spear and her shield were ready. Luke's eyes picked up a volley of silver arrows, hurtling through the sky. The hunter's projectiles slammed into the giant statue but shattered harmlessly against the metal. Luke could see Grover at the other side of the junkyard, playing with his reed pipes. But it was hopeless. They were in the desert. There was no greenery around.

Then he paused. The desert. Luke cursed loudly as the line from the prophecy barged into his head.

One shall be lost in the land without rain.

"Why the hell did you touch that, Luke?" Thalia hissed from next to him. Above them, Talos swung his sword, slashing through a row of power lines. The lines exploded in a shower of sparks and Luke found himself being shielded by a giant shield.

He smiled guilty, replying to her, "I don't know. Sorry."

Next thing he knew they were racing away from the giant, who had raised his sword once again, to smash them to pieces. A stream of silver arrows sailed towards it, but they were doing no good. Luke risked a glance behind him. He swore once, jumping to the side and grabbing Thalia by the waist. Both of them tumbled out of the way of the gigantic sword, slamming into a heap of junk.

"Thanks," Thalia breathed out, jumping to her feet. Luke nodded, moving to stand.

"Talos!' Grover yelled. The monster's head turned and it took a step towards the satyr.

"We have to do something," Luke spoke. He stood, watching transfixed as the giant raised his sword over his head. He stabbed downwards and the son of Hermes spotted Grover scrambling away. The monster's sword struck the earth, throwing Grover off his feet.

"No!" From beside him, Thalia yelled out. Thunder boomed and an arc of lightning shot down from the sky, slamming into the giant and causing an explosion so loud Luke's ears stopped working for a few seconds.

The giant toppled over, falling onto his back and letting out a creaking sound which Luke guessed was machine groaning. He saw the two hunters, crouching behind a hill of machinery and firing silver arrows. Then his eyes spotted the gaping hole in the giant's heel as it struggled to rise. He could make out the red words painted around it, and an idea formed in his head. He knew exactly what he had to do.

"Come on!" He yelled over to Thalia, grabbing her wrist. Luke pulled her along, racing towards the two hunters. He skidded to a stop when he got next to them.

"I have an idea, guys," He panted out. 'Zoë, Thalia, I need you to distract Talos. Phoebe, you go get Grover."

"Luke, what—"

"There's no time to explain," he cut Thalia off. Luke offered her a sad smile. "If anything happens—"

"Nothing shall happen to you, Castellan," Zoë spoke before Thalia could. "We shall make sure of it." Luke blinked when she uncapped a pen. It was the same pen he had taken before. The one which had caused Talos to wake. The pen grew into a three-foot sword, made of celestial bronze.

He didn't have time to admire it though, because Zoë was nodding over to him and racing towards the giant metal statue a few seconds later. He could see something shining in her eyes. Respect. Thalia smiled over at him, mouthing two words. Be safe. Then she was also running after Zoë.

Luke sent a curt nod to Phoebe, who nodded back. He sprang forward, his jaw clenched. What he was going to do would probably get him killed. But he was willing to sacrifice himself. If it meant the survival of his friends, he would do anything. He just regretted not being able to tell Thalia that he held a level of feelings for her. He would always be sorry about that.

But that was okay. She would be safe. Perseus would never be freed. His home would be protected. That was all that mattered.

He heard the boom of thunder and then another arc of lightning struck the now standing giant. Luke heard Zoë yell and he knew she was attacking the giant. He grimaced when Talos raised his left foot to stomp Zoë and Thalia. And then he jumped.

-X-

THALIA watched with sick fascination as the bronze giant punched itself in the face. She looked around her, eyes wild, trying desperately to see where her best friend was. But all she saw was Phoebe, hauling Grover up to his feet. Grover steadied himself, then played a tune on his reed pipes and one of the broken power lines from before rose, still sparking with electricity. It rushed towards the giant, then reared back, smacking it in the butt.

The giant slapped itself once, then twice. Thalia stared on in confusion. What was it doing? What was going on? The bronze sword dropped from Talos' hands, crashing onto the ground.

"We have to leave!" Phoebe shouted over.

"Where's Luke?" Thalia asked.

"He's inside Talos!" Grover sounded worried and Thalia was about to move towards the giant (who was staggering towards the power lines) when a hand grabbed hers. Zoë pulled her out of Talos' path, and the daughter of Zeus began yelling in rage.

"How will he get out?! Let me go, Zoë! I have to help!"

The huntress ignored her. She felt a sense of dread overcome her and Thalia's brow furrowed in worry. They kept on running, making their way out of the junkyard. Thalia risked a glance behind her as they got to the highway. She stopped, freezing in her tracks as Talos fell onto the power lines. Arcs and flickers of blue electricity raced up and down the giant.

And then it exploded into pieces of metal, with Luke still inside.

-X-

PERSEUS stopped when he got to the junkyard. His eyes widened when he spotted Thalia, standing as still as a statue. Her face was pale, eyes blank and holding no emotion.

He felt apprehension flood through him, and he glanced around the junkyard. There were flaming pieces of metal everywhere. What in the name of Kronos' scythe had happened? He counted the questers. Grover was there, sniffling, Phoebe looked uncomfortable and gloomy at the same time. Zoë was standing next to Thalia, eyes trained on the pieces of metal strewn around them.

They were only four of them. Where was Luke?

And then it dawned on him. That explosion he had heard.

It had happened exactly as the prophecy had foretold.

One was lost in the land without rain.

A/N: So, I'm done. I wasn't satisfied with this chapter. My mind's been foggy the whole day. A lot of things went down in this chappie though. We had Perseus still feeling even more uncertain, Luke getting seduced by the most powerful daughter of Hecate, a bit of Perlia and…dun, dun, dun….Luke's unfortunate demise.

Please don't scream at me. Don't cry. I have a lot of things planned for this story. *wink wonk*

Also, one of the spies was revealed. Most of you had already guessed Aphrodite was a traitor so there was no need hiding it anymore. Now there are three more goddesses left. Which one do you think betrayed Olympus? Hera, Athena or Demeter.

Don't forget to tell me what you think about this chapter.

Thank you,

TripleHomicide.