Author's Note: Hey, guys! I'm sorry again for the wait on the update, but I've officially diagnosed myself with writing ADD. It's been really hard for me to focus on one story at a time, simply because I have so many ideas in my mind. I've been developing a new story that's completely original, and it's been at the forefront of my mind. But this one is very important to me, and I'm trying my best to finish it.

I'd like to thank TheChronicler137 for beta-ing this chapter and retroactively beta-ing the previous chapters of this story. He's an awesome dude. People, go check out his stories, especially The Demigod Tales and Ship Weeks. They're awesome and deserve a lot more attention than they're getting.

DISCLAIMER: No, I'm not Riordan. I'm just a FanFiction writer.

Enjoy!

Chapter 13: Jessica Falls Off a Cliff

It was the worst nightmare of my life.

I found myself in the canoe lake, holding onto Annabeth's arm. She was trying to pull me out of the water, like I'd fallen in. It was almost the same vision I'd seen when I was bathing in the River Styx last summer.

Almost.

Because in that vision, Annabeth had been laughing at how stupid I was for falling in. Now, the expression on her face was pure panic. "Percy, hold on!" she shouted at me. "Your lifeline's about to break! Hold on!"

My lifeline? She must've been talking about what felt like a cable in my back, right at the base of my spine. My anchor to the mortal world. It did feel weaker than it should have…

"Percy, your hand's slipping!" she screamed, trying to get a good grip on my arm. I tried to get a better grip on hers, too, but I couldn't. Her hand was too slippery. Why was it so slippery? I glanced up and my stomach turned. Our hands were covered in red, and I caught the smell of iron.

"Annabeth!" I yelled,

"Percy!" she yelled at the same time.

We lost each other's grip on our hands, and I plunged deeper into the water. But now, the water wasn't just water. I could feel myself drowning, my lungs filling up and burning with acid. I was back in the Styx. I couldn't breathe. I was dying. I'd lost my lifeline.

Grover's voice brought me around: "Percy! Percy, wake up!"

I did. It was dark, and my lungs still felt like they were full of acid. I coughed hard. My mouth tasted like metal. "What's wrong?" I croaked. My friend's expression was…horrified.

"Dude, you were going to die," he whispered. His eyes were wide, and his pupils were slits. Grover made me sit up, and my cough worsened. I wheezed between coughs, choking again. I felt like my lungs were being shredded. The taste of iron filled my mouth.

Grover's expression was seriously freaking me out. When I could breathe again, I asked him, "What do you mean, I was going to die?"

He frowned. "Percy…look at yourself."

I frowned this time, feeling something wet on my chin. I was worried that I'd been drooling in my sleep again, so I went to wipe my face, but my hand came away sticky. I looked down, and it was stained red. I froze. "Holy Poseidon," I whispered. That was…that was blood on my hand. On my shirt. In my mouth. "How?" I croaked, looking up at Grover in fear and panic.

Grover just kept staring at me like he was watching someone getting murdered by Freddie Kruger. "You…you would've choked to death if I hadn't woken you up," he whispered back.

I felt cold air blow in from outside as Nico rushed in, followed closely by Jessica. Nico turned white when he saw me, and my sister turned a shade of pale green. "Oh my gods," she whispered, covering her mouth.

"Your life aura's getting dimmer." Nico looked at me grimly. "We need to get moving."

I nodded, still dazed and shaken. Grover grasped my arms and pulled me to my feet, but I was so off-balance that I almost toppled onto him. He steadied me. "Alright," he muttered. "Time to hit the road again."

We hitchhiked a few miles before we managed to catch a ride on a pickup truck heading west to Montana. The guy seemed a little suspicious of a bunch of teenagers trying to hitch a ride with him, but he didn't call the cops or anything, so the four of us climbed into his truck, a little more at ease. Except for Grover, who kept sniffing around like he could smell monsters. That was to make us a little uneasy.

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't sleep at all. I was afraid of having another nightmare. And I could not stop coughing to save my life. It was horribly painful and nauseating with all of the blood coming up. I wasn't a doctor, but I was positive that coughing up blood was never, ever a good sign of anything. As much as I kept telling myself that I would be okay, it was pretty difficult to believe every time my mouth filled with the taste of iron.

And then…there was Annabeth. Every time my mind would drift to her, I could only think about her dying in my arms, and a sharp pang of emptiness would spread through my body. The scary part was that when I touched my Achilles spot, that feeling of lightning arcing through the small of my back was weaker. I could feel the curse fading. Somehow they'd found the connection between Annabeth and my weak spot. I couldn't imagine how they'd done it, but they did.

After a few miles on the highway, our truck driver asked us, "Where are you kids headed, anyway?" His voice was deep and rough.

Jessica shrugged. "Just…going to Alaska," she answered, a little too casually. I mentally face-palmed. Oh, just four teenagers headed to Alaska for no reason.

Grover sniffed, wrinkling his nose.

I frowned. "You don't smell monsters, do you?" I asked in a whisper.

"Why Alaska?" the driver asked.

Jessica glanced at me for help. I shrugged, trying to think of some excuse, but I began to cough again, pulling my shirt over my mouth. It seriously hurt, and I grimaced as my chest and throat throbbed.

"Uh, my brother's really sick," Jessica answered quickly. "And…the only doctor who can save him in in Alaska."

That was…sort of true, I guess. I didn't say anything, just leaned against my window. The cold glass made me shiver.

The driver nodded, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. "That cough sounds pretty nasty, kid," he grunted.

With difficulty, I took a deep breath. "Yeah," I croaked.

"You're not contagious, are you?" he muttered.

I shook my head. "No," I muttered back to him.

The truck driver raised one of his bushy eyebrows. "Well, I have to make a stop in a few miles to fill up on gasoline. Maybe we can get you something for that…cough."

I glanced at him in the rearview mirror again, and there was something I didn't like in his expression. It seemed a little sinister. Grover frowned. "Are you sure we can't just, you know…get to Alaska as soon as possible?" he asked uneasily. "I mean, our friend really needs medical attention."

I involuntarily coughed on cue, my throat burning.

He glanced back at us in the mirror. "Then why haven't you called an ambulance or something?" he asked us gruffly. "Why aren't your parents taking you to this so-called 'doctor'?" He made air-quotes with one hand.

Uh-oh. He was definitely on to us, and I was on guard. I moved my hand closer to my pocket. Nico tensed next to Jessica, who twisted her bracelet around her wrist. Grover and I shared a glance, and we silently agreed that as soon as he stepped out of the car, we'd make a run for it.

Jessica frowned. Even in the dark, she looked pretty pale. I could tell she was still shaken from everything that had been going on with this quest. She hadn't been her usual, talkative, obnoxious self since we left St. Paul. She looked warily at the driver. "You're not going to like, kidnap us, lock us in a closet, and hack our bodies to pieces or anything like that, are you?" she asked. Her voice shook.

I wanted to glare at her. Now that the possibility was spoken out loud, I was afraid that was exactly what he planned on doing to us. I was sure he was a monster. Rule number one for fighting monsters: don't give them ideas.

That evil glint in the truck driver's eyes didn't fade away. In fact, it seemed to grow more malicious. He frowned at Jessica in the mirror. "Where'd you come up with a crazy idea like that, kid?" he asked her.

Jessica swallowed. She shook her head, but kept silent.

"Nah, nothing like that," the driver reassured us. "I'm just going to get some gasoline, and then it's an easy trip down the mountain. So you can calm your nerves, little girl."

I really didn't like how he said that. An easy trip down the mountain. Like it would be easier for him that for us. The four of us stayed silent for the rest of the ride. Eventually the guy pulled into the parking lot of a Best Western. Nico unbuckled his seatbelt before the car even came to a stop. "I thought you said you were getting gas," he said.

"I am," the guy grunted. "But there's a little favor I need of two of you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Something that has to be done at Best Western?" I croaked, immediately falling into another fit of coughing. I could barely catch my breath. I covered my mouth with my hand, and it came away red. My stomach turned; I was never getting over that.

The driver got out of his truck, and it wasn't until I turned to see where he was going that I realized we were at the top of a large hill. I wasn't normally afraid of heights, but there was a story nagging at the back of my mind…something about a guy at the top of a mountain. An easy trip down the mountain. Which probably meant a hard fall for us. Why did that sound so familiar? "Grover…" I murmured. "Who's the guy on the mountain in the old stories? The guy who pushed his victims off a mountain, or something like that?"

Jessica's eyes went wide, and she stared at me in horror. "We're getting pushed off a mountain?"

I was trying to think fast about how the myth went when I heard the guy knock on my window. He made a get-out motion, and I reluctantly opened the door, glancing back at my friends. Then I looked back at the truck driver. "What do you need me for?" I asked cautiously.

Instead of answering my question, he pointed at Jessica and beckoned for her to come out, as well. Her eyes widened in panic, but she came with me, gripping my arm.

As soon I as was standing upright, the dizziness caught up to me, and I almost fell over. I glanced back at the truck, where Grover and Nico where trying to get out, but Jessica and I panicked as we heard the driver lock the doors with a click. Nico and Grover tugged on the doors from the inside, and I could see Nico fiddling with the lock, but to no avail. How could this guy lock the car from the inside?

Before we even had time to question it, the dude dragged Jessica and me to a dangerous precipice. I felt dizzy just looking down. As a son of Poseidon I had a natural fear of heights, and as much as I tried to fight it down, it kept creeping back up. I thought hard about that story. What was that monster's name?

My sister's face had gone grayish-white, her eyes as wide as saucers. "Percy, what's he going to do to us?" she whispered, barely keeping herself together.

"Nothing, if I can help it," I muttered to reassure her. "How well do you know the Theseus story?"

She just shrugged in exasperation. "Why?"

"Because this guy…I think he's in the Theseus story," I explained.

As if to prove my point, Mr. Truck Driver made the two of us turn around to face him. "You see, kids," he started, "I have a little, ah, grudge against your kind."

Jessica's brow furrowed. "Demigods, you mean?"

The guy shook his head. "Nah, not just any demigods," he corrected. "Your kind of demigod." He pointed at me. "You remind me of a young man, who was about your age when I met him. Same dark shade of hair, and those same bright green eyes…green as the sea."

Under her breath, Jessica muttered, "Did you agitate all the monsters in America once, dude?"

I ignored her, still trying to make my mind think faster. My heart ached from missing Annabeth so much at that moment. She would know who this creep was, and she'd know what to do with him. My eyes stung a little bit in spite of myself, but I concentrated. He meant Theseus; I knew that. Okay…who was this guy in the old stories? I made a mental note to brush up on my mythology, if I ever made it out of here alive.

Jessica was fighting hard to keep her composure. I could tell she was like, three seconds away from totally freaking out. "Who are you?" she demanded. "I think I've heard of you before, but I just want to make sure I'm right."

Mr. Truck Driver raised an eyebrow. "Have you checked out my license plate?" he asked us. "Figured it would be original."

Honestly, I hadn't seen the license plate before getting into the car, but if I had, it would've solved the name problem pretty quickly. My dyslexia scrambled the letters for a few seconds, but I read: SC*IRON.

Sciron. Of course. I leaned over to Jessica. "That's his name. Sciron. I knew he was familiar."

Jessica smirked, trying to put on a brave façade. "Wow, putting your name on your license plate is really original," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You think of that yourself?"

"Watch yourself, little girl," the man growled. "Or else you'll be first." He began to morph before our eyes, growing two or three feet, muscles bulging, and veins popping up all over his arms. In the back of my mind I made Note-To-Self Number Two—don't ever watch The Incredible Hulk or The Avengers ever again.

I drew Riptide, but Sciron grabbed my arm painfully hard. "I'd put that away if I were you, Perseus." His voice was dangerously quiet. "Falling on a sword is a pretty uncomfortable way to go. Now I'd just follow simple directions—get down on your knees and polish my shoes for me, would you?"

Jessica opened her mouth to protest, but I put a hand on her shoulder. "Fine," I told the monster.

My sister stared at me. "What the heck are you doing?" she whispered.

"Buying time," I whispered back. It was a lot harder to carry out a plan without Annabeth there. But I was going to have to wing it. Theseus beat this guy by grabbing him by the foot and pulling him over the edge of the cliff. I knew I wouldn't be strong enough for that, especially with this illness draining the life out of me. I gave Jessica a look that said, Distract him. Riptide was on the floor next to me. If I could reach it without him looking…

Thankfully, Jessica seemed to understand. "Hey!" she called over Sciron's shoulder. "Nico, Grover, stay in the car!"

The monster gave us the exact reaction we were looking for. They were usually pretty easy to outsmart. Sciron growled. "How did they get out of the car?" he demanded. "That thing is locked up tight!"

To make it more convincing, Jessica got to her feet. "No, you guys! Don't!" She held her hand up in a Stop gesture. "We got this!"

See, if Sciron had been smart, he probably would've noticed that no one could even be heard arguing with Jessica, but she made it convincing enough. While Sciron was turned around muttering to himself about how Hephaestus had given him faulty locks, I gripped Riptide and plunged it into the monster's back.

He screamed in pain, whipping around, lashing out with his arms. I managed to dive out of the way, but Jessica wasn't so lucky. The back of Sciron's hand caught her across the chest, and with a painful grunt she went flying over the edge.

"Jessica!" I didn't stay to watch our truck driver dissolve into dust. Instead I lurched forward and caught her arm before she could tumble to her death. Jessica screamed as her body slammed against the side of the cliff. Her weight nearly dragged me over the edge with her, but my other hand still had my sword in it, and I dug it deep into the ground, holding onto the handle for dear life.

My sister looked up at me with eye filled with fear and tears. "Percy, please don't drop me," she sobbed.

"I'd never do that," I assured her. "Now grip my arm with both of yours, and I'll pull you up."

She obeyed, and I tried to pull her up, but my arm was seriously starting to hurt. I'd need both hands, but my other hand was keeping me from falling. All I could do at the moment was pray that my sword wouldn't loosen from the ground. Then we'd both be dead.

I heard footsteps behind me, and Nico's voice called, "Percy! Where's Jessica?"

Jessica screamed, "Nico!"

"How'd you escape?" I grunted.

Grover's voice answered, "Once the monster died, the locks opened up."

"Great timing. Now, hold onto my legs so I can pull Jessica back up."

They did so, and with as much strength as I could muster, I used both arms to pull my little sister back up. She was shaking, but she threw her arms around me in gratitude. "Percy, you saved my life," she cried.

"I wasn't going to let you fall," I told her.

Suddenly pain flared up in my chest, and I started to cough hard. I doubled over, covering my mouth and tasting blood. Grover put a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, man, you should probably rest," he told me. The look in his eyes was beyond worried. It was the horror-movie expression he'd been wearing earlier.

I shook my head. "We can't waste any more time," I protested. "Rest won't help me at this point."

Nico threw an arm around Jessica and looked at me. "I think we could all use a little nap, at the very least," he said. "If we meet any more monsters, which is pretty likely, it won't help to be bone-tired."

Grover frowned. "Considering that we've been traveling with Big Three kids, we haven't met a lot of monsters at all," he pointed out.

"The temperature's changing pretty drastically, getting lower and lower every day," Nico said. "Maybe they're hiding from the cold or something." He glanced up at the Best Western. "That nap's sounding pretty good right now. We'll sleep for an hour or two and head back out."

Together we managed to scrape together enough money to get a room for the rest of the night. The people at the front desk seemed a little wary about letting a bunch of teenagers get a room, but I left a couple of drachmas on the counter and they didn't question it.

I passed out in one of the beds until Jessica shook me awake. Before my eyes could focus, I was hit with the breakfasty smell of warm bread topped with butter. Usually that would have been a good thing, but my stomach turned and I had to fight down the nausea. "What time is it?" I croaked.

Jessica was sitting on the bed holding two buttered croissants, one half-eaten and the other untouched. "About six-thirty in the morning," she answered quietly, glancing down at the croissants in her hand. "Want one?" she asked, offering me the uneaten one. "Saved it for you."

I shook my head, sitting up too quickly and paying for it with a debilitating headache and another surge of nausea. I held my head in my hand and fell into a coughing fit. It felt like my throat was being sliced up. I covered my mouth with my hand. The warmth of my blood mixed sickeningly with a cold sensation. I grimaced, partly in pain, partly in confusion.

Jessica averted her gaze for a few seconds. "That's so disturbing," she muttered, shivering.

I glared at her. "Like I can help this," I answered, ripping away the blankets and stumbling to the bathroom. Leaning heavily against the sink, I rinsed my hand gently, feeling something hard and cold, like glass shards. My palm was freezing. A few seconds passed before the realization hit me. Those weren't glass shards.

I made my way back to the bedroom, trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I was coughing up shards of ice. It only took Jessica one glance at my expression for hers to crumble into the fearful look she'd been wearing for the past couple of days. "What?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

I showed her the pieces of ice. "This might explain the blood," I told her. "Every time I cough, this keeps tearing up my lungs and throat."

Jessica flinched at the thought. "That's…horrible," she decided.

A few minutes later, Grover had me open wide and say "Ah," like I was at the doctor. My throat felt raw, and I couldn't stop coughing, but Grover nodded grimly. "The whole back of you mouth looks like you swallowed a bunch of nails," he confirmed.

"Can't imagine what your lungs look like," Jessica muttered.

"We need to get going," I said. I didn't say that my clock was ticking faster and faster, but that's what it felt like.

One of the employees going off duty was nice and offered to drive us to the nearest Amtrak station a couple of hours away in Shelby. She seemed pretty young, maybe in her early twenties. All four of us were cautious about getting into another stranger's car, considering the previous experience hadn't been very pleasant, but Grover assured us that she was one hundred percent mortal. She even gave us a couple hundred bucks, more than enough for the train ride. "Figured you'd need more for like, food or something," she told us. "I hope you get where you're going safely."

I almost wanted to laugh and say, "Not very likely," but I held my tongue and nodded my thanks. "That's really cool of you," I told her.

It was a long train ride, and it gave me a while to try to sleep. Luckily it was dreamless, but when I woke up, I couldn't stop thinking about Annabeth and Thalia. I couldn't help but think the worst—Annabeth was dead, Thalia along with her. It took all of my willpower to push away the images of her bleeding out in my arms.

We managed to get into Vancouver in one piece. As we got off the train and walked to the station, Jessica asked, "What about passports?"

I tried to think of answer for that, but at the door we were stopped by a young woman, with soft dirty-blonde curls, reddish-brown eyes, and a wicked grin. "Well, well, well," she drawled in a British accent. "Looks like I have some naughty children to punish."

Yep. Cliffhanger. But my good ol' friend JP Lacey gave me the idea for the next chapter, so hopefully I can get to work on that as soon as possible. But I've got a busy school year ahead of me, so I'm not sure how long that will take. You guys are awesome for having so much patience with me. I'm not that person who updates every day, and I hope that doesn't turn you off to my stories.

What did you think? I always want to know what you're thinking, how I can improve. It's seriously helpful to me. Leave a review! (By the way, if you didn't notice, I drew inspiration from that wonderful ending of Mark of Athena. #Sarcasm. *sob sob*)

Thanks so much, you guys!

~Mandi2341