My heart leapt into my throat, beating hard and fast. My stomach turned, as though I was going to heave. I felt like my skin was slowly being peeled from my face. My body started slipping from Pegasus's back, but I clamped my arms around his neck, my legs pressing against his sides as hard as humanly possible. The pavement was closing in on us fast, like we were in a race, only I wasn't so keen to reach the finishing line. Pegasus didn't seem bothered by that fact, or that there were around a hundred mortals to witness this. I held my breath, waiting for the impact.
Pegasus jerked into a parallel line with the road, spanning his wings impressively and beating them once. The second we were out of free fall, I was overcome with a sudden rush of adrenaline and a need to do it again. Making a mental note to sneak one of the pegasi at the Camp out, I set my attention back on the matter at hand.
It will not take long for us to get there, Pegasus assured me, beating his wings again and soaring through the sky with a graceful ease. You must prepare yourself though Lady Acacia. It will not be pretty.
"Thanks for the warning," I said, a little breathless from the fall.
Pegasus chuckled at me, swerving around the buildings that were inconveniently in his path. I didn't think heights would bother you, he said, amused.
"They don't," I protested. "I just didn't expect that."
He flew higher, gliding over New York faster than any other pegasi I had been on. But then, he was the Pegasus. I took a deep breath and prized my locket open as we flew. I had a feeling I'd need it and height was always good in battle, right? Aiming from up here, it wasn't like any hellhound could get me. That made me think. Was it hellhounds? Or had things really kicked off when everyone found out about the whole Zeus-is-about-to-go-to-war-with-Poseidon thing? I knew the gods had chosen their sides. Had Camp? As fast as Pegasus was, he wasn't fast enough.
I couldn't tell how long it actually took. It felt like hours, but I knew it couldn't have been. Pegasus was flying too fast and camp wasn't that far away from New York. But as we closed in on camp, I felt my chest tighten. Clouds of smoke rose into the dull sky. Overhead, thunder was rumbling. Apparently, Zeus didn't like his daughter jumping on a pegasus and flying off without so much as a 'Cheerio, Dad!'
Do you want me to land? Pegasus asked me cautiously, as though he'd rather keep flying.
"Not just yet," I muttered. "Try and keep hidden in the smoke. I want to know what's going on down there without them seeing us."
I'll try, he said uncertainly. But I stand out against black smoke I'm afraid.
Still, Pegasus flew straight into the smoke cloud and hovered so that I could just make out what was going on below. On one side of the creek, a large line of monsters were stood on the edge of the forest. Hellhounds bared their teeth, huge giants roared stupidly. On the other side, an outnumbered group of campers clenched their weapons, some eagerly, others nervously. None of this surprised me much.
Until I saw Luke.
"Land," I said through my teeth, my heart thumping angrily and my hands tightening in Pegasus's mane. If he noticed, he didn't complain.
Where? he asked.
"On the monster's side of the creek," I answered, my jaw locking stubbornly. It seemed Pegasus was about to complain, but he brayed nervously and swooped down gracefully. The second the monsters saw us, they snarled and roared angrily, barely managing to contain themselves. Luke blinked, as though this wasn't supposed to be happening and I was ruining things. My eyes narrowed. I hadn't even started yet.
The second Pegasus's hooves touched ground, I leapt of, hands reaching for my swords. Luke's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything. Behind me, I could almost hear the camper's worried whisperings over the sound of my furious, pounding heartbeat.
"You took your time Acacia," Luke smirked, pacing in front of me calmly.
"What in the name of Zeus do you think you are doing?" I snarled at him, eyes narrowed. Luke frowned at me, as if disappointed I hadn't caught on yet. In the distance, unable to do anything, I could see Dionysus and Apollo watching the commotion, the first with a bored expression and the latter rather anxiously.
"What does it look like Acacia?" Luke retorted calmly, with a small shrug.
"Why?" I gawped, chest tightening. Luke? Of all people... Luke? He snorted, shaking his head in disbelief.
"You really have to make me spell it out?" he scowled. "Look at yourself! Running around, proving yourself to the gods! Why? What have they ever done for us?" For a second, I straightened, stunned. My mind was working for overtime, so I guessed there really was a first time for everything. But, it was all making sense...
"Everything-" I cut off, taking a deep breath and shaking myself. Luke's eyes narrowed further. "Everything that's happened. It's all been you. You stole Zeus's Master Bolt."
He scoffed, shrugging. "You think Percy could have done it?" he smirked. "Zeus was stupid. Percy had no idea about his father when the bolt when missing. How could it have been him? And you admitted you were with him when he figured it out! Yet he still wanted to believe Poseidon and Percy stole it. Made my job easier mind." Behind me, I heard another pegasus drop from the sky and I knew Zeus and Poseidon had allowed Percy to leave.
"The shoes," I forced myself to say through gritted teeth. "You almost killed us."
"That was the point," he admitted with a sigh. "Almost managed to get you, ey? Saved Percy, who was the real target, but getting you would have taken half the problem. Yet you had the tenacity to survive."
"Well, I'm sorry if I offended you," I scowled sarcastically.
He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Don't look at me like that Acacia," he sighed exasperatedly. "You make it look like you're going to try and kill me."
"You're trying to kill everyone else," I snarled. "Those monsters, they're going to hurt someone." For a moment, Luke looked truly sorry. But only for a moment.
He shrugged. "Acceptable losses, I think. The gods need to be shown." My jaw locked in place and my swords were out the next second, hands so tight around my swords that my knuckles were white.
"Acceptable losses?" I repeated furiously. "When is someone dying ever an acceptable loss? When Thalia saved your life?" Luke's face fell and the sudden tension in the air was almost unbearable. His smirk had disappeared and didn't look like it was ever coming back. His eyes were sad and desperate, as though I should have understood that he never meant that.
"Thalia would've-"
"DON'T!" I screamed. Thunder rumbled; lightning crashed; the temperature dropped below freezing. Luke's face straightened as Percy cursed loudly behind me. I heard Grover bleat nervously and Annabeth whimper. Everyone else was stunned into silence. "DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME THALIA WOULD HAVE AGREED WITH THIS!"
"And you don't either?" Luke spat. "After everything you've been through? How can you defend what they have done?"
"How can you defend this?!" I exclaimed. "You're going to kill everyone and you don't care, so long as you make the gods squirm?"
Luke snorted. "Oh, I'll do more than make them squirm," he promised. "Half-bloods get caught in the middle of everything, and when does anyone ever care? Look at this summer! You and Percy are best friends and your fathers almost made you fight each other in war!"
"And look at what you're doing!" I snapped back. "You're taking your anger out on us! You're making it so that we get caught in the middle again!"
"Not if you help me," Luke persisted urgently. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't hate Zeus." An awkward silence descended over the creek. I knew what everyone expected to me say. They expected me to be able to do it. Look Luke in the eyes and tell him that I didn't hate my father. But honestly, I wasn't so sure.
"Sometimes," I admitted quietly. The onlookers shuffled nervously. "I'm not going to lie and say my life is perfect, or my life is easy and I love it. In all honestly, I don't. Sometimes I hate Zeus, sometimes I hate all the gods. Most of the time, I can't say I think about it. But no matter what, I'll go on any quest they give me. I'll do any test they set. Because I like it. I like knowing I helped stop the war this year, that I helped save hundreds of lives. I like knowing I can help, even if it's just one person. So no matter what happens, no matter what you say, I'm not changing my mind. You have a problem with your dad and it's going to get us all killed. I think I'd rather suffer in silence."
Luke stared at me, stunned. Maybe even he thought I'd lie and say I didn't hate my father. "So you're going to forget everything he has ever done to you?" he scowled. "Leaving you with your mum? Thalia?"
"He didn't kill Thalia," I snapped.
"He didn't save her either," Luke pointed out.
"What do you think you are going to achieve?" I sighed desperately, gulping. "You know they'll kill you, right?"
Luke smirked again. "You should have listened Acacia," he warned. My eyes widened and before I could reply, a wave slammed over my head, missing me by inches and racing toward Luke. Percy suddenly had my waist, hauling me back. The wave smacked Luke in the face, but he hardly moved. He staggered back slightly, before shaking it off and straightening out again. "Nice try Percy."
"You're stupid," I breathed, wriggling in Percy's hold.
"Are you completely insane?" Percy gawped. Luke scowled. He snapped his fingers and more monsters, around triple the amount already there, a mixture of hellhounds and some I had never even seen, crept out of the forest. They all avoided Luke and prowled toward us. Behind me, every able camper had assembled to fight.
"The gods will pay for everything they have done," Luke frowned.
"Thalia gave her life for you," I spat, unable to stop the angry tears as Percy restrained me, pulling me away from the advancing monsters. "This is how you repay her?"
"You don't have to do this," Luke said slowly, still frowning.
"Gods Luke, I swear, I don't care how strong you get," I snarled, trying to ignoring the tears still racing down my cheeks. "I don't care how weak I am in comparison. I don't even care if it gets me killed. I'll fight you every step of the way." His eyes flashed angrily and, calm as anything, he turned and strode into the forest, leaving the monsters to attack.
"PERCY! ACACIA!" Annabeth screamed. Neither of us turned.
"I have an idea," Percy muttered. "But you might not like it." We backed up slowly, inching closer to the creek.
"Just spit it out Percy," I gulped, wiping the tears away.
"Does water, wind and lightning sound like a good combination to you?" he questioned.
"Absolutely not," I scoffed.
"Good. Ready?" I shook my head, but took a deep breath as Percy let go of me and hurried back into the creek. I heard his feet splash into the water and Annabeth's gasp.
"NO! PERCY, THIS IS A BAD IDEA!" she yelled. "IF YOU GET ACACIA-" She broke off as another wave almost leapt out of the creek and curved over me. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I concentrated on the wind and wrapped it around the wave. In a matter of seconds, the mini tornado, made of wind and water, was veering straight toward the line of monsters.
"Oh gods," I heard Lee Fletcher breath. Taking another breath and concentrating with everything I had, I pushed the wind toward the monster and, with Percy's help, it made contact with the first row. The same second there was a harsh tug at my gut and lightning cracked with a tremendous bang.
I staggered back, stumbling to the ground. Instantly, campers raced through the creek, charging at the monsters who had been affected by the tornado. There were still far too many. Some had drowned, some had been fried. Percy and I had maybe taken out half. But it had been half of a very large number.
"Acacia, get up!" Annabeth urged, taking my arm gently and pulling me to my feet. My knees threatened to give way, but I managed to position myself and wrapped my hands around my swords.
"I'm good," I gulped, shaking myself. She didn't look very reassured, but we didn't have the time. Taking yet another deep breath, I gripped my swords and moved to help the campers, somewhat weakly. Gritting my teeth, the temperature dropped again and I felt myself strengthen.
I don't know how long we fought. I ducked, stabbed, jabbed, sliced and who knows what else until I couldn't feel my limbs. Hellhound after hellhound leapt for my throat, but the ADHD part of me was taking over. Every one of my senses was heightened, allowing me to keep going and going with barely a scratch on me. I was beginning to see what Chiron had said earlier. As tired as I was from the travel with the Master Bolt, or the water tornado Percy and I had just created, I almost couldn't stop. All the other campers were getting tired and worn, while Percy and I kept going.
"Erm, Acacia?" Percy called.
"What Percy?" I groaned, dropping to one knee and stabbing the hellhound that leapt over my head. "Percy, what?" I turned, but the boy was stood perfectly still by the creek edge, as if he'd been frozen. "Clarisse, Annabeth!" The two campers were by my side instantly, still fighting none stop. Annabeth was pale and her breathing was ragged. Clarisse's eyes kept closing and the way she flung that spear around, I really didn't want to be stood next to her. "Cover Percy."
"What?" Clarisse snarled.
"He's not moving," Annabeth gawped, rushing to his side. Groaning, Clarisse followed her. Jaw set, I bolted to stand in front of him. Cutting of his line of sight, he jumped out of his skin, as though just realising that we were still fighting. The monster-girl thing cackled in front of me.
"Aww, you're ruining my fun!" she complained loudly. Her skin was as white as a sheet of paper, her eyes a blood red. One of her legs was brown and shaggy, with a donkey's hoof, while her other leg was like a human's, only bronze. As she cackled, she showed off her fangs.
"An empousa!" Annabeth breathed.
The empousa frowned, tilting her head to the side. "You know, you're not supposed to get in my way," she warned. "If you don't move, I'll have to kill you too."
I swung the sword in my hands expertly. "Feel free," I shrugged. The empousa smiled wickedly, taking my advice and launching herself at me.
And straight into my sword.
I snorted, smirking slightly as her eyes wide and she choked. I staggered back, hauling the sword out of her stomach. The empousa stared down at the large, gaping hole in her stomach. Nothing happened for a second, but soon, she shrieked out and exploded in a cloud of dust.
"ACACIA!" Michael Yew yelled. I frowned, turning to face him. But I moved too fast, stumbling to the side and crashing to my knees. My eyesight went blurry and something was trickling down my neck. Head throbbing, I raised a shaky hand to my throat. There was a massive cut, running in a diagonal line from my ear to my collar bone.
My first thought; it wasn't as deadly as my first life. My second thought; it might be if I didn't get the cut seen to immediately. My third thought; well, that was cut off when I fell unconscious.