Hey, guys! I'd like to thank those who are still sticking with me! I had a really bad case of writer's block, but now I'm back! Please review and tell me what you think!
Slowly, we inched our way forward, our arms out for balance. I stumbled, blindly flailing my arms to catch my balance. A strong arm reached out, grabbing my waist and pulling me back, where I leaned against the wall, clutching my chest. My heart was beating so fast that I thought it was going to jump right out of my chest.
" You okay, Christian? That was a close one." Percy asked, still holding my waist. I nodded, swallowing thickly. Nico cried out. I turned, just in time to see one of the spikes go straight through him, blood gushing out of the hole. Percy and I hurried over, kneeling down by him, careful not to fall.
Nico ran his hands over the spike, breathing hard and laboriously as blood ran down his chest and arms. Percy reached out to him, slowly pulling him off the rock, the spike sliding out of his chest with a slick sound. I gagged, turning away. Percy shook.
"No...Nico...No...No..." He whispered, his voice cracking. Nico took in a wet, raspy breath and Percy leaned him against the wall, grabbing my arm roughly. "Heal him! Please! I'll do anything! You have to help him! Please, Christian!" Percy cried, his voice breaking at the end. A tear slid down his cheek and onto the stained floor. I bit my lip.
"I don't know if I can. I'll try." I said, reaching towards Nico's chest, placing my hand on the slick hole in his chest, his warm blood flowing freely over me hand. Then, I closed my eyes, focusing all of my energy on Nico, warmth flowing from my hand and into his limp body, the gaping hole in his chest slowly closing. I must have lost track of the flow at some point, because the next thing I knew, I was surrounded in darkness.
I woke up, a bright light blinding me, intense heat making my skin burn. My limbs felt like lead and my eyelids were heavy, but I managed to twitch my fingers. Someone to my right gasped.
"Christian?" Percy's voice said. I twitched my fingers again. "Oh my Gods, Christian! You scared me! I thought you were dead! Nico's here. He's fine, just a little woozy. You overdid it. You almost killed yourself!" I twitched my fingers again, the feeling returning in my arms and legs. I stuck my tongue out, moving around, then opening my mouth and clenching my teeth. I wiggled my nose, opening my eyes.
"Everything works." I croaked, my voice gravely. Percy kissed me on the cheek, blushing madly.
"Sorry." He apologized. I gave him a thumbs up, starting to cough violently, and he sat me up so I could breath. Blood splattered the ground as I gagged, and Percy handed me some Ambrosia.
"Your aura is fading. I can barely see it." Nico commented, and I looked at him. His eyes were glazed over, just as they had been in the forest. I coughed again. "It's flickering. Every time you cough, you're getting fainter and fainter, like you're dying."
"I will not die." I rasped, a tear trickling down my cheek. I couldn't leave Damon without him seeing me one last time. I just couldn't! Still coughing, I forced my self to stand, gripping Percy's arm tightly for support. "I will not die." I repeated, clearer this time, spiting out a gob of blood. Warmth radiated from me, and I could see the beads of sweat form on the boys' faces. They shielded their eyes, light coming off of me in waves of gold. I felt stronger, more alive. When finally, the light faded, I sunk to the ground, the boys uncovering their eyes.
"What was that?" Percy looked at me, his eyes wide. He looked at me, scanning my body for any trace of pain or injury. I looked at myself. There weren't any scars or blood splatters, or even a fleck of dirt on me. My eyes scanned down my body again, and I realized that something had changed. I was wearing a golden dress, with yellow designs. Tracing the patterns with my smooth fingers, I found a few music notes and a sun imprinted on the silky material.
"Dad." I whispered, smiling to myself. Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I looked up to see Percy and Nico looking at me, concern in their eyes. I smiled, and they relaxed a little. Standing up slowly, I shook my head, my blond hair falling in waves down my back and shoulders. My skin let off a light, golden glow. I wiggled my toes, looking down to see golden sandals on my perfectly smooth feet. I laughed. Just when everything seemed dark and gloomy, I was showered in light. Literally.
"Christian?" I heard Nico say quietly. I turned, smiling at him, cocking my head to one side. "You look amazing." He grinned, and I hugged him.
"What happened?" Percy asked again. I shrugged.
"My Dad, I think. I found how to control my power." I stepped closer to him. He put his hand on my waist, and my skin tingled. A dry breeze wafted through the cavern, my dress flowing freely behind me. Percy took a step closer, and I leaned in, brushing my lips lightly against his. Nico coughed.
"Um... guys?" He cleared his throat. We stepped back, both of us blushing.
"Sorry." I said, though I didn't mean it. Percy's lips twitched, curving upward into a quirky smile. I laughed and Nico cleared his throat again.
"We better start walking, unless you wan't to just forget Damon and Annabeth, and you guys can just go back and live happily ever after." I could feel the glow around me darken, and Nico's eyes go wide.
"Don't you dare think I'd give up on Damon. He is the only one who understands me, and I don't give a shit about what you think." I growled, grabbing his shirt.
"Whoah, whoah, whoah. Calm down, Christian. He didn't mean it." Percy said, separating us. There was fear in Nico's eyes, and I could see Percy was a little scared too.
"I will not calm down!" I snarled, turning on Percy, a dark mist swirling around me. He drew his sword, putting it out in front of him. My reflection appeared in the celestial bronze blade, and I stopped advancing towards him. My eyes were a stormy gray, unlike their characteristic blue, and a dark gray mist radiated off me, illuminating the cavern in a depressing, dark light. I froze. Was this really me? What was I doing? The light started to fade, replaced with a weak glow. A single tear fell, sliding down my cheek.
"Christian?" Percy said quietly, sheathing his sword and walking towards me. He wiped the tears away with his thumb, tilting my chin upward to look into his eyes. I sniffled. "What happened?" I started to sob, and he held me close until I finished.
"I'm so sorry." I said, running my hands through my hair. What happened to me? "I'll learn to control it! I promise!" I exclaimed, looking at both boys in turn. Percy squeezed my arm.
"No, you wont." He said, and I looked at him, shocked. "We all will." I hugged him, sighing deeply.
"Thank you. Thank you so much." I breathed into his ear. That's when Percy Jackson and I kissed for real.