The afternoon of June twenty-fourth was finally upon us, and quite frankly, I couldn't be more relieved. I needed to get out of my head, and what better way of doing that than dancing through the dust of your enemies?
The five cohorts of Camp Jupiter stood in their perfect lines on the Fields of Mars, various weapons tightly gripped in their hands as they looked on past the horizon. Reyna circled above the legionnaires on Scipio's back, face grim, cape flowing behind her in the wind. I flew next to Reyna, Star talking Scipio's ears off while the two of us became the eyes in the sky, waiting for the first sign of the incoming army.
I could feel Reyna's eyes burning holes into the back of my head, a thousand silent questions lingering in the air, but she voiced none of them. There were more pressing concerns at the moment.
Ten minutes and twenty-seven seconds later, one of the sentries in the tallest watchtower shouted, "They're here!" at the top of their lungs, a war horn sounding moments later.
"Hold your lines!" Reyna shouted in Latin, tightening her grip on her sword. "Let them strike first!"
And strike they did.
Within seconds, fiery arrows came raining down from the sky, hellhounds the size of eighteen-wheelers coalesced out of the darkness right in the center of the Field of Mars, and countless Earthborn rose up out of the ground, yanking legionnaires down by their ankles, the dirt reaching up to envelope them.
Behind this first wave of attackers came some of the ugliest Cyclopes I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. Stheno and Euryale trailed behind in their full gorgon form, rooster feet and all. Worst of all was Polybotes, easily standing twenty feet tall with shocking green hair, and dragon legs only a few shades darker than his hair. In his hands, he held a ten-foot-long trident, though there was no power of the sea in the weapon – instead, I could feel the poison humming in the pronged tips, waiting to mercilessly murder anyone who got in his way.
"So, this is what Lupa has to offer?" Polybotes boomed, his voice loud enough to be heard clearly by everyone despite the battles going on below. "This camp will make a fine feast for us on this most fortunate day. Attack!"
A loud cry came from the rest of the army as they barreled towards the Field of Mars, weapons readied, teeth bared, murder gleaming in their eyes.
Reyna turned to me, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Go to where you are needed most," she ordered. "I'll handle the giant."
"Let's go, Star," I said, summoning Epithymia as my pegasus dove downwards, heading for the Earthborn encircling the Third Cohort.
Once I was back in battle, all other thoughts were shoved aside, focusing solely on not getting stabbed, allowing for my muscle memory to take full control of my actions. True to Reyna's command, I only stayed in one place long enough for the legionnaires to have a brief reprieve until they were able to hold their own. If I could see that they were fine, it was time for me to move on.
After Star nearly got one of her wings ripped off, I jumped off her back, coating Epithymia in a layer of fire before cutting down an Earthborn from his shoulder to his hip, stopping to sear the earth so that he couldn't claw his way back. Thanatos should've been freed by now, but I wasn't going to take any chances.
Mistress, what are you doing? Star asked, whining nervously as she flew out of a captured siege tower's line of fire, a cannonball streaking above her.
"Protecting the camp," I grunted, yanking Epithymia out of another Earthborn, raising my shield in time to catch a wild centaur's arrow before it could lodge itself in my shoulder. "Stay close but get out of the line of fire. I'll call you when I need you."
Sure thing, boss!
"You don't have to call me that." I drove Epithymia through a centaur's side, ducked a flying knife, and shoved a ton of Earthborn aside like dominoes, setting them all on fire.
Uh, yeah I do. It's kind of our thing!
"Yeah, it must be a sibling thing, because Blackjack won't call Percy by his name either."
Seriously, you're going to compare me to him?
"Is there something wrong with that?"
He's my brother! Yes, there's something wrong with that!
"Whatever you say, Star." I raised my hand, allowing for vines to shoot out of the ground in a makeshift net, catching three flaming cannonballs from the siege tower. I waited for a few seconds before flicking my wrist, the cannonballs coming back to their senders, taking huge chunks out of the foundation.
"Legion, hold your position!" Reyna shouted, Scipio taking a sharp dive alongside Polybotes' leg, falling back at the sight of basilisks leaping from Polybotes' hair, trying to bite the pegasus.
This was like the Battle of the Labyrinth on steroids: Cyclopes' siege towers shot glowing green cannonballs into the city, blasting craters into the forum, reducing houses to ruins; camp's scorpions shot venomous barbs at legions of Earthborn; the Lares took the brunt of the fire set by enemy centaurs, shouting vulgar insults in Latin as they dissolved into thin air.
"Yo, Polygon!" I shouted. "Down here!"
"Andy, what are you doing?" Reyna shouted, having taken point on Polybotes early in the fight.
"Getting him away from the city!" I struck down one of his fire-breathing basilisks, sprinting back towards the edges of Camp Jupiter, where the hill between the mortal world and the camp lay.
"You dare to take me on, girl?" Polybotes roared, throwing his head back in raucous laughter, shaking a few more basilisks to the ground to torment countless legionnaires. "Me, the anti-Neptune? You're a fool!"
"Then fight me." I brandished Epithymia, gesturing for him to make the first move. "I'm right here."
Polybotes took a step forward, the ground quaking underneath me as he charged, throwing his net with deadly accuracy. For a moment, I remembered the net Tartarus used to hold Nico down in his pool of poisonous water, throwing off my balance as I narrowly sidestepped the net, rushing forward and driving Epithymia into the top of the giant's ugly dragon foot.
He swore like a sailor, ironic for being the anti-Neptune, and stomped, sending me flying upwards. Instead of flailing, I lifted my hand, and a platform of dirt launched itself from the ground for me to use as a foothold for a split second as I leaped forward, landing in Polybotes' loincloth.
The loincloth needed some serious washing – seriously, how many millennia had he had to get the thing dry-cleaned? – but I fought the urge to vomit, scrambling up the tattered, rotting fabric, determined to cause Polybotes as much pain as possible.
No more Miss Nice Goddess.
That girl had died in Tartarus.
As Epithymia remained in Polybotes' foot, I summoned my hunting knives, and pushed off from Polybotes' crotch, allowing gravity to pull me downwards as I dragged the Stygian iron blades against his scaly legs, watching as ichor flowed in torrents, causing him to stumble.
"Who's the fool now?" I asked, sheathing my knives at my sides, retrieving Epithymia.
"You…you will suffer," Polybotes promised, wagging his trident around, smacking one of the legion's eagles out of the sky. "I will hold you in a cage next to that blasted son of Neptune. You will watch his suffering, and he shall watch yours!"
"Has anyone ever told you that you're a sadist?" I scowled at the damage I'd done to his legs, noting the speed with which he was healing. Even with Thanatos free, I couldn't kill this guy without a demigod's help, and Reyna's attacks hadn't done enough damage.
"Enough!" Polybotes roared, bending down and scooping me into his meaty hand with more speed and agility than I'd expected. He'd been angry enough to not flinch in pain despite the fact that Epithymia had clearly sliced his palm in some spot. "You and I are finished, girl."
I shook my head, scowling fiercely. "We're not done until I say we are. Your parents took everything from me. You will pay, Polyglot."
A loud scream tore itself from my throat as Greek fire pulsed from every pore of my body, eliciting a cry of pain from Polybotes as he threw me as hard as he could, sending me crashing through the aqueducts.
However, the water did nothing to quench my flames, and I got up, blinking the spots out of my eyes. During my few seconds on the ground, Polybotes had found the time to send a small battalion of basilisks my way. Their collar of white spikes flared as they hissed, their bright green skin and pale yellow eyes an utter eyesore on the Field of Mars.
A crazy thought filled my head, and I decided to indulge myself, ignoring Reyna's cries of, "Get out of there!"
The movements I made came naturally though I'd never done such a thing before, my hands twirling in midair, green light the same shade as the basilisks' skin filling the air. With one final flourish, I pushed outward, the green light enclosing the menacing basilisks.
Their eyes shifted from pale yellow to chestnut brown – the same color I saw every time I looked into a mirror.
"Attack!" I told the basilisks, pointing at the Earthborn and Cyclopes. Within seconds, the poisonous snakes had turned on their master, siding with us.
Huh, guess being the goddess of snakes had some uses after all.
Despite this sudden acquisition of allies, we were still severely outnumbered.
I whistled for Star and hopped onto her back, seeing where I needed to head next.
Scorpions continued to fire into the ranks of the Earthborn. Hannibal the elephant plowed down monsters left and right, his armor absorbing the majority of the blows, his rider nowhere to be seen.
Reyna had taken on Polybotes again, circling around his head on Scipio's back, bobbing and weaving out of his grasp, unable to deal a fatal blow. The Lares had formed shimmering purple lines against a mob of black, vaporous shades in ancient armor. Veteran demigods from the city had joined the battle and were pushing their shield wall against an onslaught of wild centaurs. Giant eagles circled the battlefield, doing aerial combat with two snake-haired ladies in green Bargain Mart vests – Stheno and Euryale.
The legion itself took the brunt of the attack, but their formation was breaking. Each cohort was an island in a sea of enemies. The Cyclopes' siege tower shot glowing green cannonballs into the city, and though I tried to stop them, I could feel the Fates interfering with my powers again, allowing the cannonballs to blast craters into the forum, further reducing houses to rubble. I bit back a wince as a cannonball hit the Senate House, the dome partially collapsing inward.
Hazel, Frank, and Percy would be here soon, I reminded myself, deciding to take out the shades. The tides would soon turn in our favor, I just needed to buy us some more time.
Time – that's it!
And no, I didn't forget about my ability to manipulate time, but now I finally had the energy to control it without consequences.
Right before I landed in front of the veteran demigods, I threw my hands up in the air, a golden glow spreading from the edge of my fingertips until the whole valley was under my control. It felt very déjà vu, considering I'd done this exact thing last December at the Wolf House, but this time, I knew I'd be stronger.
Because, unlike last time, vengeance coursed through my veins, fueling my powers.
Legionnaires sped up as enemies turned to molasses, giving us a much needed reprieve. I took part in the frenzy, switching out Epithymia in favor of my Stygian iron knives, dispelling the violent shades with deft strokes, my blades humming under my hands at their sudden energy intake.
Reinforcements came two minutes later.
I could hear Arion cursing about his aching hooves the entire time he ran downhill, Hazel sitting comfortably on his back. A bald eagle had joined the battle as well: Frank. Tyson ran down the hill, waving his club and yelling, "Bad-pony men! BOO!" while Ella fluttered around him, reciting facts from the Old Farmer's Almanac.
As for Percy, he rode Mrs. O'Leary into battle with a chariot of Imperial gold equipment in tow, the golden eagle standard of the Twelfth Legion raised high above him.
I dropped the spell here, stumbling slightly over my feet. Instinctively, I glanced down at my hands and gave a crazed laugh when I saw that they were still there, completely visible and not trembling in any way.
I could've sworn I saw my skull charm glow as if Hades was here watching over me, and I fought with renewed force, driving my knives into the few remaining shades.
While the Fifth Cohort restocked on weapons, I continued turning basilisks to our side, amassing a small legion of poisonous, fire-breathing snakes as I ran towards Polybotes again, hearing the screams of our enemies as they turned to ash and dust underfoot.
But I wasn't the only one with renewed vigor. The sight of the lost eagle standard did wonders for morale, and it did something few ever managed to accomplish – it made Reyna smile.
"Romans!" Her voice boomed across the fields. "Rally to the eagle!"
Demigods and monsters alike turned and gawked as Percy bounded forward on Mrs. O'Leary.
"What is this?" Polybotes demanded. Let me tell you, I wish I had a camera to record the look on his face. It could've been the basis of so many good memes. "What is this?"
Percy met the giant's gaze and raised the eagle, shouting, "Twelfth Legion Fulminata!"
Thunder shook the valley. The eagle let loose a blinding flash, and a thousand tendrils of lightning exploded from its golden wings – arcing in front of Percy like the branches of an enormous deadly tree, connecting with the nearest monsters, leaping from one to another, completely ignoring the Roman forces.
When the lightning stopped, the First and Second Cohorts were facing one surprised-looking giant and several hundred smoking piles of ash. The enemy's center line had been charred to oblivion.
The look on Octavian's face was priceless. The centurion stared at Percy with shock, then outrage. Again, I needed a camera, but alas, no camera was to be found. In any case, Octavian had no choice but to join in the chanting when his troops started to cheer, the shouts loud and clear: "Rome! Rome!"
Polybotes backed up uncertainly, and I sent his own basilisks after him, smugly smiling the whole time. But the battle wasn't over yet.
The Fourth Cohort was still surrounded by Cyclopes. Even Hannibal the elephant was having a hard time wading through so many monsters. His black Kevlar armor was ripped so that his label just said ANT.
A new wave of shades rose up from the shadows, pushing back the veterans and Lares on the eastern flank back towards the city. The monsters' siege tower continued hurling explosive green fireballs into the streets. The gorgons had disabled the giant eagles and now gunned for Star, my pegasus snorting with laughter as she outflew the dumpy chicken-footed ladies. But that didn't stop them from trying to rally the remaining centaurs and Earthborn.
"Stand your ground!" Stheno yelled. "I've got free samples!"
Polybotes bellowed. A dozen fresh basilisks fell out of his hair, turning the grass to poison yellow. They engaged in combat with their turned brethren, fire and poison spewing into the air. He glared at the skirmish going on between the groups of basilisks. "You think this changes anything, Percy Jackson and Andromeda Collins? I cannot be destroyed! Come forward son of Neptune and daughter of Saturn. I will break you!"
I laughed loudly, probably sounding a bit hysterical if I was honest with myself, hundreds of eyes landing on my face. "You can't break what's already broken! Let's dance, fish-for-brains!"
In the distance, I could see Percy raising Riptide, the both of us locking gazes in silent agreement. Before we could advance, horns blew in the northern hills. Another army appeared on the ridge – hundreds of warriors in black-and-gray camouflage, armed with spears and shields. Interspersed among their ranks were a dozen battle forklifts, their sharpened tines gleaning in the sunset and flaming bolts nocked in their crossbows.
The Amazons, wow. They were much more intimidating in person.
Polybotes laughed. "You, see? Our reinforcements have arrived! Rome will fall today!"
The Amazons lowered their spears and charged down the hill. Their forklifts barreled into battle. The giant's army charged – until the Amazons changed course and headed straight for the monsters' intact eastern flank.
"Amazons, forward!" On the largest forklift stood a girl who looked like an older version of Reyna, in black combat armor with a glittering gold belt around her waist.
"Queen Hylla!" said Hazel. "She survived!"
The Amazon queen shouted: "To my sister's aid! Destroy the monsters!"
"Destroy!" Her troops' cry echoed through the valley.
The battlefield descended into absolute chaos. Amazon and Roman lines swung toward the enemy like the Doors of Death themselves.
But Percy and I only had one goal. He pointed at the giant. "You. Us. To the finish."
We met up by the semi-ruined aqueduct, which was still standing even after I'd been thrown into it. Polybotes fixed that. He swiped his trident and smashed the nearest brick arch, unleashing a waterfall.
"Go on, then, son of Neptune!" Polybotes taunted. "Let me see your power! Does water do your bidding? Does it heal you? But I am born to oppose Neptune."
The giant thrust his hand under the water. As the torrent passed through his fingers it turned dark green. He flung some at Percy, who instinctively deflected it with his will. The liquid splattered on the ground in front of him. With a nasty hiss, the grass withered and smoked.
"My touch turns water to poison," Polybotes said. "Let's see what it does to your blood! As for you, Saturn spawn," he continued, "a different gift befalls you!"
He threw his net at Percy, but Percy rolled out of the way. Percy went to divert the waterfall, but Polybotes had other plans.
Rather than turning the water to poison, he shot a stream of the water directly at Percy. I ignored the basilisks surrounding my feet, flinging the water back towards Polybotes, turning it into water vapor with a mere thought.
Don't you dare touch the water from the aqueduct! I warned Percy, watching as he charged the now blinded giant. He plunged Riptide into Polybotes' belly then withdrew it and vaulted away, leaving the giant roaring in pain.
I took the opening, launching off the ground and purposefully slamming my foot into the still healing gut wound. Lashes of fire, tendrils of shadows, and ropes of vines followed my lead, threatening to encase the giant whole.
But before I could so much as leave a scratch on Polybotes, the world shifted under my feet, and I landed like a cannonball in the middle of the Field of Mars, a fissure opening under my feet, my elemental weapons destroying anything that wasn't an ally.
Percy's eyes flew wide, and he hightailed it away from the aqueduct and toward the city.
"What?" the giant yelled incredulously. "You run, coward? Stand still and die!"
"I'm fine!" Percy yelled, running past Mrs. O'Leary, followed by a giant screaming bloody murder.
I tried to transport myself toward Polybotes again, scowling fiercely when I sensed those gods' awful restraint on my powers. If I haven't said it within the hour yet, let me say it now: Damn the Fates.
The battle on the Field of Mars began winding down, the monsters falling one by one. From out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Frank morphed into a weasel, and the basilisks that weren't under my control lost their minds, trying to flee as fast as they could slither away.
As for the basilisks under my control, well, I didn't know what to do with them to be completely honest. It's not like they were suddenly cute and cuddly puppies – their skin still turned the grass to smoke, and they could still breathe fire.
The problem fixed itself as the basilisks snapped out of their hijacked states one by one, and they too fled, Frank hot on their heels…err, tails.
I saw Percy smash Terminus' head into the giant's nose. Polybotes dissolved, crumbling into a steaming heap of seaweed, reptile skin, and poisonous muck.
Percy staggered away, completely exhausted.
Good job, squirt, I said, allowing myself to relax for the first time for the greater part of two hours. I knew you could do it.
Despite being dazed and mounted onto a shield, the deafening cheers of, "Praetor! Praetor!" echoing around the valley, I heard Percy loud and clear in my mind.
Meet me at the Temple of Neptune after dinner.
Dinner had been a festive affair, laughs, competitions, food, and friends plentiful. Percy had formally been instated as praetor, earning his eagle medal, purple cloak, and SPQR tattoo.
And though people kept bouncing around from seat to seat, food flying around the dining hall, and conversations flooded the air, I stayed still, standing as close to the door as I dared. I knew Percy, Hazel, Frank, and Reyna had picked up on the fact that I wasn't celebrating, but none of them approached me.
I didn't blame them.
Some of the legionnaires gave me the stink eye, showing off their new sunburns, whining like a bunch of babies. My fire hadn't touched a hair on their heads, but then again, I wasn't super popular to begin with. Not that I cared, but Lupa's children should know better than to complain about a stupid sunburn after such a huge battle.
They were lucky to be alive.
True to my word, I waited for Percy at the Temple of Neptune, passing the time by watching the sunset. The sky turned gorgeous shades of orange, blue, pink, and purple, the sun a brilliant orange orb peeking over the horizon. I thanked Apollo and the Hesperides for the sunset, knowing that such a little thing could do wonders in terms of morale for my friends and the legionnaires that were still in the dining hall. And while we may not have parted on good terms, I could suck up my pride enough to give credit where credit is due.
Percy arrived five minutes later, his right hand running over the new tattoo on his left forearm. Speaking from experience, I knew the tattoo was irritating and itchy for the first few days, but eventually, you forget about it.
He hopped up onto the bench encircling the offering platter, staring off into the distance. "Why?" he asked, his voice absolutely wrecked. "Eight months of my life for a weeklong quest?"
"I warned Hera to not do this," I began, fiddling with my bracelet, my gaze set firmly in my lap. "I told her to use me instead, to use the fact that I already knew about both camps. I fought her until I was blue in the face, but she wouldn't listen. She wanted you and Jason."
Percy scowled. "You just let her take me away? You let her steal my memories?"
"By the time the plan was in motion, there wasn't anything else I could do. The Fates ordered me to do whatever was asked of me to make this exchange as seamless as possible." The excuse sound weak, even to me, but it was the truth, nonetheless.
"Exchange?!" Percy demanded. "Do you have any idea how cold and clinical you sound, how heartless?"
"Percy, I didn't want this for you," I said, biting my lip, my eyes stinging. I knew this would happen. I was a fool to think otherwise. "No one regrets this decision more than I do. I should have fought harder for you and Jason. I hope that in time you can forgive me, but I understand if you never want to talk to me again."
We sat in silence until the sun fully sank beneath the horizon, stars slowly dotting the sky. I could make out the constellation of Atalanta, instinctively reaching up for my fading gray streak of hair. Percy had done the same thing.
He sighed deeply. "You've never done me wrong, Andy, and though I wish you hadn't been involved in this…I don't blame you."
"What?" I squeaked.
"I don't blame you. You were only following orders."
"Oh, gods, Percy," I choked out, unable to stop the tears falling from my eyes. The guilt of my actions had been destroying me for the past eight months, and now the dam of emotions I'd sealed off had ruptured, mercilessly flooding my mind. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
I felt his arms wrap around my shoulders, pulling me in close. Percy smelt of the sea, which had always soothed me before. He drew circles on my shoulder blades with his thumbs, softly shushing me.
I gave one final sniffle, berating myself for being such a wuss. I really needed to get a better grip on my emotions.
"Hey, stop that," Percy said, tapping me on the arm. "Stop doubting yourself. You're the strongest person I've ever met, and I mean that in every way possible."
I gave a watery laugh. "Never let Annabeth hear you say that."
Percy blanched. "Umm, would it hurt your feelings if I demoted you to second place?"
The two of us laughed, the tension dispersing into thin air. We slowly eased back into our previous sibling-like relationship, and Percy began filling me in on what happened on his quest with Frank and Hazel. I told him about some stuff about what's been going on the past few months, watching as he hung onto my every word about Annabeth.
"Speaking of," he said, and I braced myself for the question I knew that was coming, "how are you and Luke doing?"
God, it still hurt to think about it. How has it already been three days since I said goodbye? It felt like an eternity and a millisecond at the same time, a deep-seated pain buried deep within my chest, a dull, constant ache that had no relief.
"He's…he's dead," I said, my voice barely louder than a whisper.
Percy's face turned stone cold. "What have I missed since I disappeared?"
"A lot."
"Tell me everything."
And I did.
I recounted every painstaking detail until Percy asked me to stop, eyes glittering in the moonlight. He pressed a chaste kiss to my forehead, the way I'd always done it ever since he was a pipsqueak of seven years old.
"Things are going to get better," he said, fighting off a yawn. "We'll make it better."
"Things will be better when my sword goes through Mother Earth's face," I grumbled.
Percy laughed, yawning again shortly afterward.
"Go to bed, squirt," I said, ruffling his hair. "You need to sleep."
"Yes, mother." Despite his teasing, Percy hopped down and offered me a hand, ever a gentleman. I accepted and hopped down as well, the two of us ambling toward the Fifth Cohort barracks. "Will you be at the Senate meeting tomorrow?"
"Yup. So I suggest you learn how to properly wear your praetor regalia before then. You'll never hear the end of it from Vitellus and Terminus otherwise."
"Togas are stupid anyways," Percy pouted. I laughed. "Well, good night, Andy. I'll see you in the morning."
"Night," I said. "Oh, and Percy?"
"Hmm?"
"Strangle Juno in your dreams for me, will you?"
Percy flashed his infamous troublemaker smile. "With pleasure."