Lassa

Using what energy I have left, I calm the quake. Monster dust is all around us, covering everything. By nothing other than the grace of God none of us were hurt by the debris of the earthquake bringing the cavern down.

"It's done. It's over." I say, hardly being able to find my voice. Jesse's run over to me and is holding me close.

"You made it." He whispers. "We both did."

Looking up, I see my brother holding his wife. I've never in my life seen anything as powerful as the quake Percy just caused. It's beyond anything I could hope to ever do. Not for the first time, I realize Percy is a terrifying and dangerous force of Nature. Thank the Lord he fights for good. But looking closer, the excitement of victory vanishes.

"Oh no." I say and realize what the prophecy meant. The lower half of Annabeth's body is soaked in blood, but she doesn't seem to have a stab wound anywhere. It's thickest in her shorts and is running down both legs.

Life is lost to save the rest, Monsters perish at the nest

It wasn't my life, Percy's Jesse's or Annabeth's. It was their baby's. And when Percy saw it, he created an earthquake powerful enough that every one of the hundreds of monsters chasing us into these caves just died.

"Annabeth." I breathe. She clings to Percy.

"Oh no." Jesse says, and holds me tighter.

"It's okay. We're together." She says, her face still buried in Percy's shirt. "Let's-" She pauses to stifle a moan of pain. "Let's get back to the boat." Percy just holds her tighter, and I can tell by the shaking in his shoulders he's holding in sobs. "Percy let me go." She whispers. "We've got to climb out of here."

"Do you think you can?" I ask as I struggle to get up and walk over to them.

"I've climbed worse." She says, grimacing. She's obviously in pain and trying not to show it.

"No." Percy says firmly. "You're not strong enough. I hate to do it in the ancient lands, but We'll summon our Pegasi."

"Percy, you can't put them in danger like that."

"Better them than you, and They'll agree." Percy says, an edge in his voice that normally isn't there.

"What's wrong?" Annabeth demands. "We've done way worse than climbing out of a cavern before. Why are you being so weird?

"Annabeth." I whisper, choking back tears of my own. "Look down." She knits her eyebrows and does as I tell her, her face falling and filling with grief.

"No. No no no no no." She mutters.

"Life is Lost to save the rest" I quote, brushing away tears. "It wasn't any of us. It was the baby. I'm so so sorry, Annabeth."

"Percy, I-" She starts but Percy cuts her off by looking up. For the first time in the two years I've known him, Tears are streaming down his face. Above us, I see Blackjack, Sunburn and Skyfall making their landing.

"Let's get back to the boat." Percy says, him carrying Annabeth as Blackjack kneels to let Percy mount.

Annabeth just lost her baby. I transmit to the Pegasi. Be extra gentle. And He doesn't want to talk about it, Blackjack. Not yet.

One gentle ride, coming up Lady Lass. Blackjack says softly in my head.

Thank you for calling us, My Lady. I've been worried sick. Skyfall tells me. I stroke her mane and hop on, Then Jesse on Sunburn, all the horses taking off to the Wavecrest.

…

Percy

It's a short ride back to the boat. None of us speak until we land. Sliding off our Pegasi's backs, I keep hold of Annabeth and Lassa strokes her mare's velvet nose. Jesse doesn't say anything.

"Thank you, Skyfall. We'll be safe at sea. Go back to the States." She tells her. Skyfall nickers.

As you wish, Lady Lassa. But if you need me, I'm only a thought away.

"You too, Blackjack." I tell my stallion.

You sure, Boss?

"I'm sure. Don't even think about arguing. Go home to Sahara. You too, Sunburn"

Yeah. Okay Boss. But same as Skyfall, if you need anything just reach out. Blackjack says. I nod.

"Percy Set me down." Annabeth says in a quiet voice. After looking around and seeing no danger, I do as she asks. "I'm-" She sniffs and wipes her cheeks. "I'm going to take a shower and get cleaned up."

"I'll be here when you get out." I say. She nods and heads downstairs. I turn to my little sister, who's curled up in a ball by the deck railing, Jesse sitting beside her, quiet tears streaming down her face. "Lassa." I say. She jerks her head towards me and scrambles to her feet.

"Just tell me what Y'all need, Percy. If you want me here I'll stay close. If you need distance I'll swim back to Long Island."

"Same." Jesse says. I purse my lips into a small smile and shake my head, then walk over and Lassa into a hug.

"Right now, I need to dive. Deep. Start heading for Long Island as fast as the Wavecrest can go. I'll catch up. We'll take it back to Tybee after. "

"I will." She says. I rustle her braids, and she goes to pull the anchor up.

"Jesse, make sure she's really okay." I ask him.

"I will, Percy." He says. I nod at him and hop over the rail. I let myself get wet, needing to feel the cold, then I swim. I swim as fast as I can. I swim until I'm so far off the coast I'm past the continental shelf, and then I swim down until I hit the Ocean floor. And then I scream. I scream so loud my throat hurts, and The ocean floor below me begins to violently shake. I keep screaming until I collapse, sobbing on the sand.

"Why?!" I shout at God. "Why our son? Why not me? Have I not suffered enough, Sacrificed enough, Lost enough? Has Annabeth not? Why our son before we even gave him his name, before he even took a breath or opened his eyes? You're supposed to be all good! You're supposed to never let me down! Isn't that what you promised? After all the empty promises and failures in my life, the gods included, you were supposed to be better! I put my faith and trust in you, and you let my son Die!" I feel a surge of power go out of me and through the ocean, exhausting me and almost making me lose consciousness. But I fight to keep it. "Why didn't you just take me instead?" I cry. I don't know how long I lay there, too long, probably since I told Annabeth I'd be there when she got out of the shower. But I don't get up until through the pain, through the guilt, and through the grief, I remember what Jake told me years ago in High School when I asked him how he was okay when his girlfriend lost her baby.

I'm not okay, Percy. I'm hurting and grieving. But I know I'll be okay, and I know God doesn't do anything without a reason that is for good. The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

And I remember when I was back in first century Israel, when Peter and his wife Eden lost their child. And how angry he was at Jesus. But that God was using that to strengthen him and his wife. And was with him even still.

"Okay, Lord." I cry. "Okay. You Give and you take away. But blessed is your name no matter what. I don't know why you did this. I'm hurting, and I'm angry. But I trust you, and I'll love you even so." I pick myself up off the floor and let the seawater fill me with energy and give me strength. Then I will myself dry, and shoot through the water to where I feel the Wavecrest.