Dearest Readers,

I hope you enjoy this little chapter full of throwbacks and deep thoughts. Of course there's a little pizazz at the end, don't worry. I hope you all enjoy!

XOXO Ally Layne.

Bad Moon Rising

Chapter 23: I Function After A Nightmare

Blood trickled from the corner of Annabeth's mouth. She croaked, "Family, Luke. You promised."

Percy took a step forward, and looked as though that step had the weight of thousands. I used my hands to push me off the ground, gritting my teeth against the pain, and started to force myself forward, I had to help her- I had to help-

But before anyone could get close to Annabeth, Kronos staggered.

He stared at the knife in Annabeth's hand, the blood on her face. "Promise…"

Then he gasped like he couldn't get air. "Annabeth…" But it wasn't the Titan's voice. It was Luke's. He stumbled forward like he couldn't control his own body. "You're bleeding…"

"My knife," Annabeth tried to raise her dagger, but it clattered out of her hand. Her arm was bent at a funny angle. She looked at my brother, imploring, "Percy, please…"

In an instant, we could move again.

Percy surged forward, just steps before me, scooping up Annabeth's knife and knocking Backbiter out of Luke's hand.

Luke stepped toward Annabeth, but I stepped into his way. "Luke," I spoke, one hand in the air, just inches from his chest. "Stop."

Anger rippled across his face, and his eyes shifted as Kronos's voice growled, "Jackson…"

Was it my imagination, or was his whole body glowing gold?

He gasped again. Luke's voice came through. "Andie… He's changing. Help, please… he's almost ready. He won't need my body anymore. Please–"

"NO!" Kronos bellowed. He looked around for his sword, but it was in the hearth, glowing amongst the coals.

He stumbled toward it. I tried to stop him, but he pushed me out of the way, sending me flying next to Annabeth, where I cracked my head on the base of Athena's throne.

The world started to fade.

Warmth spread along my neck, and I heard Annabeth whimper just feet from me. "Andie…" She became determined. "The knife, Percy," she muttered. "Hero… cursed blade…"

"Please, Percy," Luke's voice gasped out.

My brother surged forward, Annabeth's knife in hand.

"You can't… can't do it yourself. He'll break my control. He'll defend himself. Only my hand. I know where. I can… can keep him controlled."

I moved my head to see Luke, standing there with wide, pained eyes, and felt tears start to fall from my own.

Grover had made his way over to us, and was helping Annabeth who murmured my name.

"My gods," he muttered, looking at my head. "Just… just hold on, Andie."

"Please," Luke groaned. "No time."

The intensity of the emotions funneling through my brother ripped through my body, and I sent waves of compassion and comfort through the bond.

I knew what he was thinking.

A hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap.

It wasn't Percy's soul nor my own.

He gave the knife to Luke.

Luke then unlatched the side straps of his armor, exposing a small bit of skin just under his left arm, a place that would be very hard to hit. With difficulty, he then stabbed himself.

More tears fell from my eyes.

It wasn't a deep cut, but Luke howled. His eyes glowed like lava. The throne room shook, throwing my brother off his feet, as large wave of energy surged from Luke, glowing brighter and brighter until it stopped altogether.

And then Luke was sprawled at the hearth.

"Good… blade," he croaked.

Percy knelt next to him as Grover helped me up, guiding both Annabeth and myself over to the hearth where Luke lay.

Luke gazed at Annabeth. "You knew. I almost killed you, but you knew…"

"Shh," her voice trembled. "You were a hero at the end, Luke. You'll go to the Elysium."

He shook his head weakly. "Think… rebirth. Try for three times. Isle of the Blest."

Annabeth sniffled. "You always pushed yourself too hard."

Then, his eyes met my own. "Nymph, there you are."

I felt my knees weaken as I slowly slumped to the ground next to him amongst the ashes. "Here I am."

He held up his charred hand, and I immediately raised my own to touch his fingertips with a watery smile.

"Did you…" Luke coughed, his lips glistened red. "Did you love me?"

More tears fell from my eyes, as I slowly moved forward to run my fingers down his cheek. "Yes. Yes, I did. And I think I still do."

He smiled, weak and bloody. "Me too."

Percy was on his other side, looking between the two of us with sad eyes. I knew he felt every ounce of pain I did, along with the guilt I could feel from his own actions.

Luke grabbed his sleeve, desperate and begging. "Ethan. Me. All the unclaimed. Don't let it… don't let it happen again."

His eyes were angry.

But they were pleading, too.

"I won't," Percy said. "I promise."

Luke nodded, and his hand went slack.

My hand never left his cheek as I watched the light fade from his eyes.

.

.

.

My eyes snapped open.

I was alone.

The memory of Luke's eyes becoming cold and unseeing was enough to make me want to barf, but I bit the bile back down as I took in my surroundings. Light was seeping into the room past the drawn shades.

It was morning, or sometime during the day. Who knows, I was exhausted enough to sleep for a year last night, so maybe that's what happened.

Jake and Paul were nowhere to be seen or heard. If it wasn't for the mug that sat on the table next to the chair off the side from my bed, I would've thought last night was a dream, too.

I ran my hands down my face, doing my best to get myself back under control. My hands were shaking, and I glared at the obvious weakness they were showing. I took a few more deep breaths.

In, then out.

In, then out.

There.

I hated that dream. I hated seeing Luke that way. I wish I would dream more about the time that we did spend together, when things were good. Even though he was still actively trying to stop me from stopping him bringing back the Titan lord Kronos, we figured it out.

I ran my hands through my hair. Gods, my love life was horrible.

And I blame Aphrodite entirely for it.

I quickly went to the bathroom to take care of my bladder that was threatening to explode and brushed my hair, watching with a wince as my waves turned into a frizzy mess. But I'd rather have that at the moment than knotted hair.

Using the sink to splash some water on my face, instantly waking me up and bringing a warm feeling in my soul, I looked back up at the mirror, then frowned. There was still a scar across my neck from that vamp bitch, and it didn't look like it would go anywhere anytime soon.

One of my hands went to where I had cracked my head on Athena's throne, and felt the slight dent in my skull.

Apollo wasn't able to heal it completely, but he healed it far better than any human doctor could have. Apparently, I was bleeding out with a cracked skull and hadn't realized it.

I suppose I was busy watching the man I had loved stab himself, so I think that took the cake.

Quickly, I finished up in the bathroom and changed into some jeans and an old t-shirt before going downstairs and heading to the kitchen. If either Jake or Paul were still lurking around, that would be the most likely spot to find them.

However, it became clear that I was the only one home, when I saw a plate of blue pop tarts and a bottle of water laying on the kitchen table. A piece of paper with an odd scrawl was next to it, and it took me a few moments to decipher the writing, but I quickly understood.

Guppy,

Jake and I had to go to a pack meeting, so we're obviously not here. There are some new members that need some proper initiation. Make sure you eat the pop tarts and maybe something else. You need food. And drink the water, too. But you love water so I think that's not a problem.

Ta ta for now,

Paul.

Dear gods, that child was going to kill me one day with his smothering.

Rolling my eyes, I put the pop tarts into the toaster before sitting down and taking a swig of the water. Paul really was a mother hen, even though he was trying to hide it behind the sarcastic tough guy exterior.

Once I finished scarfing down the pop tarts, I figured after last night I should do something half useful, and grabbed a coat and put on some boots, then started a hike from my home to the coast.

It was a nice, brisk walk, but it was still relatively cold, so I kept my hands in the coat pockets and scurried through the woods on the familiar path until I made it to the shore.

I could smell the sea breeze before I could see the ocean, and let the salty air guide me to where I needed to go.

After the nightmare I knew that there would be nothing better than getting into the ocean to clear my thoughts, and I was right.

I left my coat and shoes on the beach and waded into the water, which never touched my clothes. But I always felt weird when I was wearing a coat and shoes underwater even though they wouldn't get wet, so it was more of a personal thing than necessity to take them off.

After a few minutes, I found a nice spot on the ocean floor, approximately twenty feet before a massive drop off, where it was still light enough to see my surroundings. I estimated I must have been around forty feet deep, which was perfect to avoid detection from any wayward humans.

The ocean felt like home in ways my home never would.

Ever since I was a baby, my mother would always use water or bring me to the ocean when I would get into my grumpy moods. While Percy was regularly happy as a clam as a child, I had been a moody nightmare.

As swift as the tide changes, my mood would swing.

My mother is an absolute saint for what she had to put up with, and I was thankful for her every day.

Letting out a long sigh, I realized a part of me wished I could talk to my father. He always had a way of helping me through difficult thoughts, seeing things that I couldn't see before, and giving me more clarity as to why I sometimes do things the way I do.

He once told me I was the child that was most like him in every way, which was a bit frightening.

My father, Poseidon, was frightening.

It made me wonder what I was truly capable of, if I was indeed so much like him.

Because Percy… he had my mother's sense of loyalty.

It was his fatal flaw. The way he was so invested in his loyalty to his friends and family, those who he deemed worthy of it- that in itself, was frightening. He would see the world burn to protect his friends and family.

I, perhaps, would see a necessary evil.

Or, I would let the world burn.

My mind shifted as much as my mood. My loyalty to my friends and family was dependent on their actions and what they did. I believed people deserved loyalty for being loyal, not just because we had a connection.

Percy… he could be manipulative and calculating. Annabeth had even asked me about it, once. He looked like some sort of tanned California skater kid, but he was far sharper than what he let everyone in on.

But so was I.

Percy, however, out of the two of us, was the one who was more welcoming and open to outsiders. Being here, alone, had taught me some of those skills… but the truth is, I usually would let my brother vet out a person before bothering to get to know them.

I trusted his ability to discern whether or not someone was good. On my own, I usually sucked pretty terribly at that.

It's likely why I dated a traitor even after knowing he was a traitor, but that's a whole other problem.

Percy's weaknesses were palpable, so obvious I was able to pick up on it from when we were young children. If I were to coin my own personal fatal flaw, I would claim either ambition or having a low self-esteem. Perhaps both.

And when paired together, those could be quite deadly.

I missed my brother.

I missed Annabeth.

Perhaps I should give her a call about everything that had happened, she would be able to shed some light on the things I was blind to. After all, she had been through everything with Percy and I since the beginning.

She knew me better than myself, so when she once told me to keep my personal ambition in check, I knew that she was onto something.

However, I doubted she knew just how poorly I often felt about myself. After all, it was in direct opposition to ambition, and the confidence someone who is truly ambitious must possess.

That must be why false confidence exists. To aid people like me to seek our selfish desires if only to be alone as we hate ourselves so much.

Dear gods, I was going down a rabbit hole.

I shook my head from those thoughts and opened my eyes to see there was a massive killer whale peering at me curiously.

"Uh… hi?"

Princess, you are alright. We were worried that you had been wounded even worse after you left.

I blinked, letting a hand trace the scar on my throat before I got a hold of myself. "Do you have any news?"

The floorwalkers who injured you are now back where they have come from.

So they're in Seattle. Which means they're probably working on expanding their armies. Friggin great.

"Thank you for your help," I said. "You have all been invaluable."

You are invaluable to us, Princess.

I felt myself stiffen slightly at those words. "Thank you."

And your father has spoken to us. He has requested we tell you to remember that you are as strong as the sea and to never doubt your true worth. I agree with that, as you are indeed strong, Milady, and you are one of the greatest princesses this sea has ever known.

I shook my head. Of course, my father would always know when I needed to hear from him.

"Thank you," I repeated. This time, it wasn't just for the killer whale, who nodded once, then swam off into the deep.

It was also for my father, who I know has been listening this whole time.

"Thanks, dad."

An invisible hand caressed my cheek in a loving gesture before disappearing amongst the sea.

.

.

.

Once I made it back to shore, I felt brand new in a way that only time under the water would allow me to feel.

It was nice to hear from my father, albeit it was second-handedly, but it was still nice. Hearing his words from a killer whale was better than nothing and still a remarkable experience to see one of his creatures in their full glory.

If I could live my entire life among the sea, I think I would be happy.

But looking around, I knew a part of me would miss the world above, too, so I suppose once I'm ready to settle down, I'd take a house on the ocean and call it even.

Once we got Percy back, I made a mental note to remember to ask him if he wanted to split the cost and share a house on the ocean, or maybe see if Annabeth would design a cool duplex or something for us all to live in.

Maybe we could even add in extra places for mom to stay when she visited.

It would be the dream.

I quickly stuffed those thoughts back into a mental filing-folder that I would revisit later, and threw on my shoes and jacket before starting to head to Sam and Emily's, where I knew the pack would be hanging out after their meeting.

Honestly, I had no clue as to how long I was under there for, so for all I know Paul and Jake were running around like little pups trying to figure out where I went, so I might as well go keep them from their misery.

And maybe see if Emily has some extra goodies that she baked. Because after a pack meeting, I just know that the woman baked some good stuff that I definitely want to stuff my face with.

I shoved my hands in my pockets again, and started to trudge to their house.

I only stopped once I heard an odd type of howling that I wasn't completely prepared for. It wasn't a wolf howl that I had ever heard from the pack, that was for sure. It was more… like some sort of tornado or hurricane whipping through the trees.

My fingers twisted my ring, and a sword in a sheath immediately appeared in my hands. I threw off my coat and replaced it with the sheath being strapped to my back as I prepared myself for whatever was to come.

It was about time I got to see a monster that wasn't some vamp bitch or the bitch of a vamp bitch, and I was itching for battle.

The howling became roaring, and it was coming directly for me.

I titled my head as three human forms appeared in front of me, all seeming to be swarmed together from the air itself. They had dark smokey wings, and their eerie looking eyes were swelling with electricity.

These guys certainly look like fun.

They were storm spirits, a type of monster I had only ever heard and read about before. They were powerful, but minions of more powerful masters. Obviously, whoever was controlling these ones had sent them to do their bidding.

"Demigod," one of them said. "We have come to take your and your friends to our mistresss."

I raised a brow. "Me and what friends? I don't see anyone else here," I told them, gesturing to the empty space at my sides. "Maybe you've got the wrong demigod."

"We have come for you," another one added. "To stop the threat you have brought upon us."

"Threat? I've literally just been here this whole time." I placed my non-sword hand on my hip. "Are you looking for someone else? I think you're looking for someone else."

The last one looked at her curiously. "This is no son of Jupiter. Nor of Neptune."

"Did you actually think I was a boy?" I was lowkey pissed off, now. "Do I look like a boy to you?"

"It doesn't matter if she's a boy or girl, you idiot," the first one who spoke hissed. "We shall capture her all the same."

"And bring her to our mistress," the second one concluded.

"She will be pleased with this one, indeed," the third one added, its eyes becoming even more volatile.

I raised a brow. "You can try."

A wolf howl sounded in the distance, echoed by more.

Just as a large, russet wolf jumped into my line of sight, the storm spirits attacked.