After the fight where Daedalus and I had laid waste to at least two dozen monsters, I had staggered back through the Labyrinth and took the quickest route I could find to Mount Orthys, where the Titan palace lay. My senses led me there and this time, it felt like the Labyrinth wasn't fighting me or trying to throw me off. It seemed to actually want to help me, shifting its corridors so that I travelled in a matter of minutes on the inside to where I needed to be, translating to hours on the outside. Before I had left, Daedalus and I had fought one another in order to make sure I looked battered and wounded so that it looked believable and trust me, that guy could move. I had to use Amaryllis as a sword just to keep up because he kept on getting past my defences with the trident and it just wasn't quick enough to keep up with him. After fighting, Daedalus had promised to make amends before then disappearing himself into the Labyrinth, perhaps to return to his workshop and salvage what he could from the Greek fire that had burnt out during our fight. I ached all over, and when I stumbled into view of the guards to the palace, a cry had immediately risen up to announce my return.
Michael and the other half-bloods came running, catching me as I collapsed and with my arms around their necks, two of them helped carry me forwards so that I could get some treatment. For a two thousand year old guy, Daedalus was pretty sprightly. Luke hurried to me when the word came to him I was back, his eyes flashing with some kind of emotion when he saw me covered in cuts, bruises and bleeding from a slash wound to my side, he'd knelt down and taken over, giving me the nectar himself before wanting a report. I told him as much as the truth as I could without lacing it with lies, because I knew Kronos was listening and he could detect deceit like a human lie detector. I told him that Kelli and the laistrygonians were dead, that Percy, Annabeth and that strange girl had been at Daedalus's workshop and helped protect him as well as free Nico, that they'd flown away with bronze angel wings, and Daedalus had killed the second team before escaping with that giant hellhound. Luke's face tensed. "And why were you there? I thought you were going to stay with the vanguard?"
"Because I knew Kelli would mess up and I was right! I managed to get Daedalus pretty good though, but I don't know if it'll kill him. I guess we'll find out." There was silence around me for a while and I started to grow nervous that Luke didn't believe me, so I hissed and pretended to be in pain with my side which snapped him back from whatever road of suspicion he had started to walk down and softened towards me. He ordered me to rest and told me that I had done a good job. Not needing to be told twice, I was practically asleep halfway through his sentence. I couldn't sense Snowstorm anywhere around here, so I hoped that she'd escaped like I'd told her, visions of her being my last thoughts as I delved into a deep sleep. I was glad for the rest, immensely glad, because after that I didn't get much more. Kronos was now growing impatient with Luke, and he no longer had any excuses. The time had come for their meld, and it terrified the both of us. "You can't." I whispered to him secretly as everyone had vacated the mountain for this moment other than the telkhines and a few half-blood guards, including Ethan who suddenly seemed to be extremely important to Kronos's plans.
"There is no other way, Lily. It's over." Luke said to me looking so terrified that I wanted to take him into my arms and never let him go, but he was holding me so that I was apart from him and unable to close the distance. "You should find a way to escape before I'm gone for good. I don't know how this is going to work, whether I'll still be there or I'll just fade away…I won't be able to protect you any longer." This was Luke, the real Luke talking to me now. I was frustrated and angry beyond belief, both with Kronos and myself.
"I can kidnap you. I'll kidnap you right now!"
"We'd never make it out of here alive. I may be indestructible physically but there are other ways I can die, and Kronos will be sure to make me experience all of them and besides, you're still vulnerable."
"We can escape in the Labyrinth! I can navigate, we'll fight our way through!"
"Lily…"
"NO!" I raised my voice a little too loudly and Luke hurried to hush me, managing to force a smile but it only made him appear all the worse for it. "No Luke…you can't…I was meant to save you. I wanted to save you." In my mind I could only hear the sounds of my own heart breaking and I thought with misery that Snowstorm had been right. The road I had taken would have no happy ending for either of us. "I still want to save you. I don't care what you say. I'll find a way to keep you alive!" Now Luke's face softened. He didn't smile, but his fear had lessened and he once again looked handsome, our faces highlighted by the garish green glow of the braziers which were the only mar upon ourselves. "You have to fight him, Luke, harder than you've ever fought anything or anyone in your life. There is always a loophole with this kind of stuff, always a way to change things. I don't accept this is the end."
"Gods, you are so stubborn." Finally he pulled me close and pressed his lips to my face, seemingly drinking my tears away as I naturally clung to him for all I was worth, which right now didn't feel like much. "Take care of yourself from now on, don't worry about me or anything else. If Kronos wins the war, do what you have to in order to survive, and the same if by any chance he fails, though I doubt he will. Our numbers are too great, and his power is beyond comprehension. He is the Master of Time, after all, and no one can escape from time. Not even the gods." I sniffed miserably, opening my eyes and wishing that I had been braver and stronger from the very beginning. Maybe then I could have prevented all this.
"You really suck at pep-talks." I muttered wretchedly and at my words he squeezed me a little tighter. A horn sounded to signal the time and I knew that our chance to run away was now gone. "If you want to run, I'll cover your back." Whispering into his ear, I knew that Luke would never agree to leave me fighting alone against an entire army. I felt something wet against my ear and I realised that he was shedding tears too so I whimpered morosely and practically squeezed the breath out of him as I was lifted off the ground in his great bear hug. Someone was coming towards us but thankfully it was Michael, so when he saw us embracing he said nothing, but silently turned his back and waited, not wanting to rush us but Kronos would only wait so long in patience.
"Remember what I said." Luke said to me urgently as he let me go and forcibly removed my arms from around his neck, looking at me desperately. "Protect yourself. You have to live, Lily. You have to." I just stared back at him.
"What's the point in living if I can't protect the people I love?" I hadn't meant to say it exactly like that, but even as I did Luke started slightly, as it sounded like I was trying to say that I loved him. "I mean…uh…I didn't…not like…um…" Blushing furiously it was almost ridiculous to be feeling embarrassed and stuttering like a simpleton now of all times, but it seemed that my clumsiness had washed away the last of Luke's outward fear. His thumb rubbed away the damp stains against my face, leaning in to rest our heads together in a strangely intimate way that I wasn't used to but wholly accepted. Were it any other situation, I'd be nuzzling the heck out of him. When he drew back, his eyes were vacant and dead.
"Don't watch." Was all he said to me before he marched away, drawing himself up and once more becoming the commander of Kronos's armies, stern and callous, confidently striding towards where the casket awaited him, where Kronos awaited him, to imbue his own spirit into Luke's body. I crumbled to the floor. I couldn't cry, I felt to hollow to cry anymore, like I had no more tears left to give as this putrid, twisting feeling overcame my body from my mind all the way to my gut. I felt like I was already grieving at Luke's grave. Michael did not follow Luke but rather, stayed with me, uncertain of what comfort to offer and somewhat understanding that there was none that he could give which would make any of this alright.
"You must love him a lot." He said to me as I used my sleeve to rub my face as I hardly even paid attention to his words, answering him almost reflexively.
"Yeah, I do." Realising what I said, I bit my lip and looked away as my entire body slumped over, like my back had been broken and I could never again stand upright. I couldn't even summon the energy to fiddle with my bracelet.
"Maybe it'll turn out alright." Michael offered weakly, and his ridiculous claim gave me enough motivation to raise my head and look him in the eye so that he could see how empty and defeated I felt.
"Kronos is about to rise by taking over someone else's body and wage war upon the world. Nothing is alright." We both knew it, but I had been the only one brave enough to say it. I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't accept just sitting and waiting. I had to take action somehow, even if it cost me my life and my soul was shattered into a thousand pieces as Kronos's had been. I had to find a way to make sure that he did not rise fully from Tartarus, that the prophecy that had been spoken would end with Olympus still standing, the gods still in power but thoroughly chastised, Kronos in an even deeper hell than he had risen from, and Luke…I just want Luke to be okay. Suddenly I surged to my feet with a roaring energy that seemed to power through me from some kind of unknown source within. Before I knew it I was running after Luke, racing through the palace of the Titans until I was at the throne room where the casket lay, where Luke was climbing in and beginning to lay down. "Luke!" Hearing my voice ringing clearly throughout the air, Luke snapped his attention to me as I ran forwards. I slowed down so that I did not appear threatening, passing the guards smoothly and climbing up the dais until I was stood before him once more, probably looking awful and shaking like a leaf, but I couldn't let the last image of me he'd remember be of me crying and despairing. I smiled to him. "Sleep tight, boss." Then I reached forwards and gripped his hand securely.
I wasn't going to leave him. Not now. I held his hand as he stared at me with this deep reflectiveness before finally he nodded and began to lay down. Taking his other hand I placed them both over his stomach, trying to make him as comfortable as possible though it was disconcerting that the coffin seemed to fit him perfectly, like he had been made to entomb him all along. My hands remained atop his until the last possible moment as the lid was lowered down, ducking my body little by little as I looked into Luke's eyes, and the last thing he saw was me gazing at him, still trying to smile as warmly and reassuringly as I could.