Chapter VIII: Flight and Flame
Hestia sat before the hearth, ever vigilant in her post. While her family had become accustomed to her constant upkeep of Olympus's eternal flame, most had noticed her consistent attention to the fiery image projected within. Luckily, few had questioned as to why she was so keen on watching over Artemis's punishment, and so Percy's heritage remained a secret.
Currently, both her son and Artemis were sleeping peacefully. Their aircraft had carried them quite some distance, and was well over the Atlantic by now. Hestia fought back a smile as she caught sight of Artemis's feet perched in Percy's lap.
"So much for being a man-hating goddess, hm Artemis?"
Clouds whizzed by, showing their true speed as the plane crossed over the ocean beneath. With a course set for Athens, they still had some time before the plane began to land. They'd be airborne for many, many more hours.
Approaching footsteps caught Hestia's attention. She turned, and met easy-going sea green eyes. Crow's feet wrinkled as the newcomer smiled gently, and Poseidon took a seat next to her. He kicked off his worn flip-flops and leaned back into a relaxed position.
"Sister. It's been quite some time," the god said, gaze turning to the hearth.
Hestia smiled. Poseidon and her had always had a strong relationship. From their younger years spent caring for their siblings in Kronos's stomach, to meeting occasionally throughout the millennia simply to catch up, their bond had always been consistent. In short, Poseidon was her favorite sibling.
"Indeed it has, brother. What brings you to Olympus? Our meeting is but a week from now."
It was true. The Olympian's held their meetings infrequently, typically once a month, and generally no god lingered unnecessarily, especially if they had their own domain like Poseidon had Atlantis.
Poseidon's eyes crinkled, a small smile forming on his lips. His face was tanned, and held a look of mischief. "Why, sister, am I not allowed to visit every once in a while? We've done so many times over the years. How have you been?"
Hestia blinked, but shrugged. "I have been well, Poseidon. Olympus has been calm," and yet, as she said so, Hestia shot a glance at the fiery projection within the hearth. "Well, as calm as it can be with one of our own living as a mortal. I'm sure you've heard?"
The sea god nodded, "Oh yes. I've kept an eye on Artemis from time to time, but not as much as you have. Quite the impressive enchantment you have here, sister. Through the familial connection you have with Artemis, no?"
She froze, turning a careful eye to Poseidon. He showed no emotion, merely gazing into the hearth steadily. Did he know? Surely not. "Yes, brother. Apollo has found it quite useful. He worries for her greatly."
"Ah. Yes. I'm sure he is," Poseidon replied, gaze still focused on the flames. "You wouldn't happen to have any personal interest in Artemis, would you? Or, perhaps, her companion?"
Hestia felt a heavy weight sink in her stomach. Poseidon knew. She didn't know how he knew, but he did. She tried to fight the creeping anxiety, but she could feel tremors start in her hands. Hestia clenched her fists, turning her gaze to the god.
"What do you know, brother?"
Sea-green eyes met her own. There was no malice in his gaze. He smiled, "I know he is your child, Hestia. Or rather, I suspected as such. Your reaction confirmed my guess, however. I must congratulate you. Your son is strong. Kind. He's taken after you."
The goddess frowned, "What will you do now that you know, Poseidon? His existence alone is dangerous for him. Zeus is a threat because of his reaction to my broken oath."
Poseidon nodded, rubbing a hand over his trimmed goatee. "Yes, you are right. And yet, would you not protect your own child? Surely you wouldn't let Zeus strike him down?"
A furious look crossed Hestia's face, and the god reeled at the unfamiliar sight. She snapped at him, "Of course not! I would rather fade than let Percy come to harm. And yet, if Zeus made his ruling as King of the Gods, I would have no choice but to obey if the council voted with him."
The god raised his hands placatingly, "Peace, sister. I meant no disrespect. I know you care for him deeply," his gaze returned to the fire, a look of consternation on his face. "You bring up a fair point. Zeus was never one to listen to reason, especially when his own power is undermined. The odds of him calling a vote for the execution of your son are high."
Hestia sighed, "I know this, brother. I've been through every possibility. Even if I were to offer myself up for punishment in his stead, nothing would stop Zeus from simply punishing us both. Percy has no easy way out of this."
A moment passed between the two. The crackling of the hearth echoed in the throne room as the two gods peered in on Artemis and Percy. The pair were still asleep peacefully, rustled only slightly by the infrequent turbulence. Hestia's heart ached at the peaceful scene, and at the potential fate of her son.
She spoke quietly, barely breaking the silence in her hushed voice, "Hephaestus and I have spoken on this many times now. Each and every time, we agree that he only has one chance. He will have to make Artemis fall for him. Zeus would be unwilling to punish his own daughter if she offered herself to save Percy from his own fate."
Poseidon's face blurred through a variety of emotions. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, a stunned look eventually taking hold in the sea god's features. He turned to Hestia, an eyebrow raised, "And you truly believe this could work? That he could make Artemis love him?"
Hestia pursed her lips. Love was a strong word, and yet Aphrodite held interest in the two for a reason. There was a possibility, yes, but nothing was set in stone. "I have to believe in it. If I don't, who will?"
Another moment passed between the two gods. Poseidon sighed deeply, rubbing a hand across his face wearily. The god didn't look nearly as relaxed and peaceful as he had when he had entered the throne room.
"Your son has quite the journey ahead of him, doesn't he?"
Hestia, in spite of herself, smiled. It was small, but it was there nonetheless. "It is as you said. Percy is strong. I have absolute faith in him. He has the tendency to do the unthinkable."
Poseidon's thoughtful gaze turned to the demigod in the hearth. He looked for several moments before frowning. "I don't disagree with you, sister, but the odds of his survival are borderline impossible. Surely you realize the magnitude of the danger?"
A conflicted look crossed Hestia's face. She had long-since come to terms over her son's life, and what his existence meant. It was why she had given herself time with him as a child, raising the boy as best she could and enjoying the time they had together. Percy deserved a happy childhood. It was the least she could do, after all.
"Yes, brother. I know. And yet I can't find it in myself to regret birthing him. He is everything to me. I would raze the world to ensure his safety, and so I will believe with my entire heart that he can do the impossible. That's all I can do for him now. The rest is in his hands."
Poseidon nodded sagely. He rested a comforting hand on her shoulder, to which she nodded gratefully. Silence reigned in the throne room, broken only by the crackling of the hearth.
Percy was awakened suddenly - rather rudely, he thought - by the feeling of something hard slamming into his head. He groaned in pain, rubbing the back of his head as his eyes slowly opened. The demigod blinked rapidly, eyes still dreary from sleep.
The first thing he noticed was that he was still buckled into his seat. That was good. At least he hadn't fallen to the floor. That would've been embarrassing. Percy rubbed his head, still wincing from the ache that now throbbed in his skull. Another sudden jerk shook the plane wildly, and Percy was lucky enough to not slam his head into the wall.
Hm. Okay, turbulence was a bit of a problem right now. That explained his rude awakening. Percy shook his head, fighting off the last remnants of sleep. Artemis was rousing from her own slumber across from him, though she looked rather upset at her own forceful alarm. Her hair was messy and half-pulled from its typical ponytail, and drool ran from her mouth in a trail.
"Ha! I knew I wasn't the only one who drooled. I'll have my revenge soon, that's for sure."
Percy smirked at his companion, noting absently that despite the drool, she was still as stunning as ever. He blinked. Not the time, Percy. C'mon. Focus.
The demigod sat up, leaning forward to peer into the cockpit from his view between the two front seats. "Hey! Dallis! Everything alright up there?" Percy nearly shouted, fighting to be heard over the rumbling and clattering from the plane.
Resting a hand on the driver's side chair, Percy pulled himself around to get a better look. To his utter surprise, Dallis was not in his seat. No, Dallis looked much shorter and was sporting a rather antique set of pilot's goggles.
One quick glance to Percy's right. One more back to the driver's seat. Oh.
Isaac was flying the plane. Dallis was fast asleep.
"Isaac! What the hel- uh, heck is going on? Why are you flying the plane?" Percy screamed. He tried not to sound panicked, because the last thing he wanted to do was make the kid crash the plane.
Isaac turned his head, a bright grin on his lips, "Gramps said he needed to rest! Normally we take smaller flights because he gets tired so easily, so I offered to fly and let him nap! See?" To make his point, Isaac pointed rather happily to the joystick in his hand, giving it a haphazard pull to the side.
Percy flew sideways, huffing as he felt the breath leave him as the seatbelt caught forcefully on his waist and chest. The plane stabilized (it was not, in fact, stable) and Percy returned to his seat, gripping the armrest rather tightly.
"Isaac! You're like seven! Why are you flying the plane? Can't we just land somewhere and let your grandpa rest for a few hours?" Percy replied, absently tightening his seatbelt as he did so.
The kid whirled his head around, "Hey! I'm nine! And we can't stop, silly. Look down!"
Percy frowned, peering out the window. He nudged Artemis, who was rubbing her eyes. She let out a yawn, "What, Percy? I was asleep, mind you. This better be important." He pointed to the window. Blue filled the glass, as far as the eye could see. They were well above the ocean, with no rest stop in sight.
Artemis's eyes narrowed. "Yes? Of course we're over the ocean, how else do you think we can get to Greece? Seriously, I thought you'd have learned a little geography from somewhere," she grumbled.
The demigod pointed to the cockpit. Artemis's eyebrows furrowed at Percy's silence, but her eyes shot wide open after a moment.
"Isaac! Why are you flying the plane!?" Artemis screamed. She shot into a sitting position, immediately latching one hand onto the armrest and the other onto Percy's own hand.
Percy felt a rush of heat surge to his stomach. He fought back a smile, and then quickly turned his head to the nine-year-old pilot. Now was not the time to get distracted.
Isaac sighed, "I already told ya! Gramps needed to rest, and so I took over a while ago! He's not used to these long flights, and he told me to be really careful. And I am!" He adjusted his goggles, letting go of the joystick in the process. The plane lurched sideways in the rushing wind, and Isaac yelped as he grabbed control and straightened out the plane.
Eye twitching slightly, Artemis turned to Percy, "Right. This is totally normal, hm? Children flying planes?" Her grip on his hand was so strong her knuckles had turned white. Percy winced at the pressure but didn't release.
The demigod shrugged, "I can't say I've seen weirder, but he's probably more qualified than either of us. Why don't you wake up Dallis? He can get back in the pilot's seat and we can rest easy for the flight."
Artemis sagged slightly in relief, giving him a grateful smile. She released his hand and tapped Dallis on the shoulder. A moment passed. She tapped him once more, this time rather forcefully. Percy frowned. The old man couldn't be that tired, right?
She frowned, grabbing Dallis's shoulder and giving the man a rough shake. To her surprise, he moved easily and his head fell limply against the window with a hard thud. Artemis's eyes widened in shock.
"Dallis?" she called out, extending a hand to turn the man's head. Just as her hand reached his temple, a cold voice interrupted her.
"Like I said. He's tired," Isaac spat. His voice was different; laced with hatred and definitely not the normal voice of a nine-year-old.
Percy felt a cold weight settle in his stomach. Something wasn't right here, and Isaac was only half of it. What was going on?
Artemis let out a shriek. Percy's head snapped to Dallis, who's head had been turned to face the rest of the cabin. The weight in the demigod's stomach doubled. Dallis's eyes were glassy; his nose had a long blood.
Dallis was dead.
"He's resting. Let him be. I can fly the plane, so don't worry," Isaac said. His voice remained the same cold, harsh tone. His eyes remained glued to the front windshield, pilot's goggles now strapped to his forehead.
Percy rest a calming hand on Artemis's knee. He gave her a reassuring glance. "Isaac, what happened to Dallis? He's… not sleeping."
Surprisingly, the boy let out a grim laugh. "I know that. I'm not stupid. He's had it coming for millennia, now. Payback's a bitch."
Artemis gave Percy a shocked look. The demigod's mind was whirling in confusion. Millennia? What the hell was going on? Percy carefully unlatched his seatbelt, adjusting in his seat to face the back of the pilot's chair. He shot Artemis a glance out of the corner of his eye.
She looked back with wide eyes. Her gaze looked rather pointedly at the window and the vast ocean beneath them. Percy winced, but didn't turn his attention from Isaac's chair.
"Isaac? What do you mean by that? What's going on here?" Percy called out again. They needed to stall. Gods, they weren't even over land yet.
As Percy distracted their too-young pilot, Artemis slowly reached for their bags which had been stowed under their seats. She wasn't sure if they'd need their weapons, but it sure wouldn't hurt. Especially because this was beginning to feel like a Tantalus situation all over again.
"I guess the ruse won't fool you anymore," was all Isaac said. Percy's brow furrowed. Ruse?
A bright golden light began to fill the cabin. Emitting from Isaac's chest, the glow surged to encompass his entire body. The aura was so bright that Percy and Artemis had to shield their eyes, and Percy felt a new heat blast from the pilot's chair.
As the glow subsided, Percy blinked rapidly and lowered his hand. The nine-year old was no longer in the chair. A young man sat there instead. He was deeply tanned and had strangely gray hair, extremely similar to Dallis's. The pilot's goggles had morphed into a set of laurels, and they rest on his head like a crown.
His previous clothes had changed as well, instead becoming a tattered and burned cotton shirt. Percy could see through the rips in the shirt that Isaac was covered in burns, varying from singed scabs to open wounds.
The young man turned his head, bright blue eyes meeting Percy's with a menacing gleam. "The name's Icarus. Sorry you missed Daedalus, but like I said, he had it coming."
Percy's mind spun. Icarus, Daedalus, The Silverwing. Gods, how had he not seen it? Suddenly, his thought process was interrupted by a war-cry from Artemis. She lunged from his side, dagger extended in an icepick grip as she swung for Icarus's neck and shoulder.
Time seemed to slow as Artemis swung. Percy watched as the knife grew closer and closer to Icarus, but then suddenly the world shifted. A loud creakkk of metal pierced the air as the cabin morphed. Suddenly, Icarus's chair moved forward by ten feet, and Artemis's swing went wide and she fell to the floor.
"What the…" Percy muttered, watching in fascination as the plane's cabin shifted around them. Suddenly, the once cramped cabin widened into a twenty foot square, all tiled with metal plating. Pulling Artemis to her feet, the demigod watched as Icarus removed himself from the pilot's seat, turning to face his passengers.
Icarus snarled, "That's enough! I'm tired of you screwing with my flight. Nothing will stop me from taking to the skies as I deserve. Nothing! Especially not you two." He stiffened, flexing muscles all over his body. Veins popped and his face grew red, but it all paled in comparison to the noise.
KKKRRSSSHSHHHTTT
The horrible, meaty ripping nearly made Percy sick to his stomach. Icarus screamed as blood spurted from his back, a pair of bloody wings sprouting in its place. They were easily ten feet across and made of metal, each individual steel feather dripping a deep crimson.
Icarus fell to his knees in pain, panting heavily. Sweat soaked his gray hair. Peering up through his brow, the man grinned with malice. Standing on shaky legs, he spat blood onto the floor and glared at his opponents.
"Nothing will stop me from claiming the skies," he growled.
There was a blur of motion. Percy barely had time to throw himself at Artemis as he caught the faint shhhing in the air. Tumbling to the ground, the two hurriedly rolled as several thuds impacted the metal floor.
Icarus growled, flexing his long wings once more and launching another volley of feathers. They flew in a blur, blitzing towards Percy as he knelt over Artemis's body. Two struck the demigod, slicing deeply into his left arm.
Percy cried out in pain. Gods those hurt. He grabbed his arm, wincing at how quickly blood began to soak his shirt. Artemis snarled at the wound, throwing herself to her feet and lunging forward, charging towards the winged man.
She cut the distance quickly. Another volley of feathers threatened to stop her assault, but Artemis leapt elegantly into the air, letting the feathers slam into the floor harmlessly. Percy watched in fascination as she twisted, spinning in a tight circle midair and launching her dagger with an intense force.
Icarus froze, seeing the dagger leave her hand with a path directly towards his chest. Another flash of movement later and his metal wings cocooned his body, blocking the dagger with a loud CLANG.
Artemis wasted no time. She caught herself quickly, rolling into a crouch and snatching her dagger from the ground. As Icarus withdrew his wings, she let out a quick slash through the gap. It struck a direct hit, lashing a long crimson line from Icarus's shoulder to chest.
"AGH! Dammit, you bitch! Back off!" Icarus screamed. He whirled his body, shielding his torso from further blows with one wing and sending the other directly into Artemis. With a sick crunch, the fully metal wing slammed into her side, launching the girl several feet into a heap on the floor.
Percy froze, watching her body fall to the ground. A heavy weight formed in his stomach, twisting and tumbling as seconds passed without movement from Artemis. Time seemed to stop, his entire focus on her limp body lying on the ground.
The sound of twisting metal broke his stupor. Ducking into a crouch, Percy flinched as he felt the rush of air above his head. The tell-tale clang, clang, clang of feathers behind him reached his ears. Percy rolled to the side, dodging another volley from Icarus, as he shot a glance to Artemis.
She was unmoving. The demigod's stomach flipped, and he felt rage burn. The heat was intense. Gone was the familiar tug of power when he channeled flame, instead replaced by something deeper. Something darker. Percy grunted, feeling the new power pull at his stomach harder than ever before.
He raised a palm, locking eyes with Icarus from a dozen feet away. The winged man grinned and launched another volley at the demigod. Percy shifted slightly, letting most of the feathers fly past him while remaining stoic as he was impaled directly by a lone feather. He didn't show any sign of feeling the wound despite it being lodged in his stomach.
Percy grimaced, ignoring the sharp pain from the blow and instead focusing on the heat. His stomach swirled with power, unfamiliar and yet intoxicating all the same. He hadn't wielded this before. It was strong. Almost too strong.
Another glance at Artemis, who remained unmoving and limp.
He didn't hesitate. With a roar, Percy shot out a blast of fire with all his might. His eyes teared up instantly from the degree of heat now present in the cabin. A column of pure, green fire launched towards Icarus, followed by a scream of rage and pain from Percy.
Icarus's face was a look of horror. The man's wings wrapped around his body in a blur, but the Greek fire encompassed his entire form. Haunting, echoing screams of pain split the air as the green flame spread. Icarus fell to the ground, writhing as his world became green.
Percy fell to his knees, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. Dark spots fluttered in his vision, but the demigod blinked rapidly. There was screaming. Someone was hurt. Who?
His head swam, but he blearily looked around. Artemis lay half a dozen feet away, but his attention was caught by the burning green fire in front of him.
The screams. Oh gods, what did I do?
Percy fought the rising nausea, trying to ignore how quiet the cabin had grown. He crawled towards Artemis, suddenly feeling the sharp pain in his stomach. A deep red trail was left behind, and the pulsing from the wound became almost unbearable as Percy dragged himself to Artemis.
"Hey…Artemis, you- agh. You okay?" Percy asked, coughing up a splatter of red. A limp hand twisted her body, pulling her into a prone position on her back. Her eyes were open and unmoving.
"No…c'mon now, princess. Not like- ugh. Not like this…" Percy muttered, trying to fight the growing darkness in the corners of his vision. He laid a shaky hand on her forehead, channeling that warm power he had only done once before.
A glow burst from his palm, this time coming easier as the demigod traced her entire body with the glow. His head pounded and the piercing pain in his stomach nearly caused the demigod to pass out, but Percy pushed through. The orange glow intensified, and suddenly Artemis's eyes shot open.
"Wh- what? Percy?" Artemis gasped, eyes blinking rapidly as she sat up. Her silver eyes locked onto Percy's orange ones, worry immediately crossing her face. As Percy's eyes drooped and he slipped, she caught the boy and laid him on his back.
"Oh gods, no Percy. Why? What happened?" She muttered frantically. Her hands went to the massive stain of crimson on his stomach, centered around the metal feather. Fighting the encroaching anxiety, Artemis rummaged through her bag hurriedly, yanking out a small plastic bag quickly.
She tore it open, seizing several cubes of Ambrosia in a hurry and shoving them into Percy's open mouth. His eyes were closed. "Come on! Eat, you stupid boy. You know how to do that, right? Come on!" Artemis half-screamed, fruitlessly moving the demigod's jaw with her hand.
Percy let out a weak mumble, coughing lightly as he choked down the magical food. His eyes blinked slowly, and they still weren't focusing on Artemis despite her face hanging directly over the demigod.
"Art…temis?" he murmured, blinking dazedly.
She let out a sob, hands grabbing the boy by the face. "I'm here, Percy. I'm right here. Listen, you're gonna be okay. Just fine. Let me- let me fix you, okay?" Artemis tried to ignore the shakiness in her voice, but she had been in similar situations before. She could do this.
In a flash of motion, Artemis cut several strips of cloth from her clean shirt, tearing Percy's bloodstained one apart quickly. She flinched at the gruesome sight. The steel feather was half-impaled through his stomach, and blood covered absolutely everything.
"Oh gods, Percy…" Artemis muttered, balling up a large swathe of cloth and prepping the bandages. In one clean motion, she yanked the feather out and slapped down with the cloth, applying heavy pressure. Her hands moved in a repeated motion, wrapping the wound with care and yet with haste.
The shakiness in her hands faded as she bandaged the wound. Red still seeped through the bandages, but her stomach settled as she changed to fresh ones and saw the wound stitching itself back together. Ambrosia had done its work, now the rest was up to him.
Artemis finished wrapping the makeshift bandages around Percy's stomach, applying smaller ones to the relatively unimportant cuts elsewhere on his body. She let out a sigh of relief as Percy's breathing became stable, and the demigod drifted into unconsciousness.
Her eyes flashed to the plastic bag filled with Ambrosia. Two meager cubes remained. She had used much of their supply to ensure Percy's survival, but they would have to be extremely careful from now on.
It was worth it. I don't know what I'd do if you died, Percy.
The woman stood up, eyes immediately focusing on the fading green pyre some distance away. Her mind whirled, and Artemis gave the unconscious demigod an intense look. Greek fire? From a demigod? She hadn't heard of such a thing.
She shook her head, marching towards the distant pilot's chair. Ignoring the strange shape-shifting capabilities of the plane, Artemis sat down in the chair and grabbed a hold of the joystick.
"Okay, trajectory for Athens. Good. Plenty of fuel, also good. No living pilots, not so good," Artemis mumbled to herself, eyes roaming the dashboard for any assistance. The plane seemed to be in auto-pilot, but she wasn't sure if she trusted it after their previous pilot turned out to be a psycho-winged-murderer.
A deep sigh left the goddess. Several minutes later, she had dragged Percy's body closer to the pilot's chair and fashioned him the comfiest pillow she could. Daedalus's body had been placed next to the singed mark where Icarus's had once been, and Artemis rubbed her face tiredly.
Is this life as a demigod? Living on the run, greeted by deadly monsters and myths at every turn?
She sat on the metal floor, a hand laid on Percy's chest. It rose and fell methodically, and Artemis tried to ignore how reassuring it was to know that he was still breathing. The demigod's wounds had been so serious that she had changed the bandages once more, and Artemis expected to change them again soon.
Despite it all, Artemis felt a small smile grow on her lips. Her eyes roamed Percy's face, and she took comfort in the sense of peace on the demigod's features. He snored lightly, and the small trail of drool down his cheek made her laugh.
Even asleep, he never fails to make me laugh.
Artemis shook her head. Percy was unlike any other male she had ever met. In a strange and disturbing way, he reminded her of Orion. Of course, when she had first met the son of Poseidon, he had been exceptionally sweet to her. Charming, humorous, witty, and best of all a fellow hunter.
But it hadn't been the whole story. She had mourned his death for some time, before learning of his misgivings. Women abused, both physically and sexually. It had made her sick to her stomach, and she had regretted ever placing him amongst the stars. She was reminded of her mistake every night, as his constellation looked down upon her.
She hadn't trusted another man since. Her sisters had agreed, and their oaths to renounce romantic relationships were taken rather seriously, with a growing stigma of Artemis being a man-hating goddess becoming the result.
Artemis sighed, brushing hair from Percy's forehead. He mumbled faintly in his sleep, and another smile graced her lips. Percy was…different, she supposed. He had never shown any of the warning signs like Orion had - signs that she had been too dumb to see, blinded by her emotions.
Percy is different.
She frowned thoughtfully to herself. Yes, that truly was the simplest way to put it. He hadn't treated her poorly, was rather funny, and the boy was, above all, kind. She found it hard to find fault in her companion.
Her friend.
Percy's body shifted next to her. He mumbled loudly, head rolling to the side and coming to a rest against her thigh. A surge of warmth surged through her, and she impulsively lifted the boy's head. Placing his head gently in her lap, she let out a laugh at the happy sigh from the sleeping demigod.
Artemis sat, hands brushing through Percy's dark hair as she stared out the window. Blue passed beneath them, and the goddess let out a long breath. She was prepared for a long journey ahead, even more dangerous now that their Ambrosia supply was running low.
Time passed, and Artemis tried to ignore the fluttering in her stomach as a result of the close proximity to Percy. She tried to ignore how heat rushed through her body every time he shifted. She tried to ignore that this wasn't the first time he had saved her life, and that Percy had done so at the expense of his own.
She failed.