I'll be here forever

chapter 8

Percy and I kept on walking along the side of the road, him standing right next to me even though he got honked at a couple of times for being too far into the road.

"I can't just let you walk all by yourself," he'd protested when I asked him why, but I knew the real answer. He didn't want me to think he was leaving me again; he couldn't leave if he was in my line of sight. I was grateful for it, although I'd never say. Honestly, I think he needed reassurance from me as well.

There was something about traveling at night that brought about silence. It almost felt solemn, even though the jingle of coins in the backpack interrupted that every so once in a while. I know my legs were killing me, and they begged for a rest, but Percy kept walking on almost tirelessly, so I couldn't bring myself to call for a break.

A while later, he looked me up and down subtly, then abruptly stopped walking. I stumbled forward, turning back to face him.

"I need a break. Let's stop for a second," he decided. I knew he didn't really need one; he hardly looked winded. He knew I was a bit too prideful to ask for a break. I liked that he'd realized that about me.

We'd probably walked about 12 or so miles, if my calculations were right. I sat down heavily in the grass on the side of the road, and Percy sat down next to me, silently pulling out the bottle of nectar and handing it to me. I took a small sip and immediately felt invigorated, like I could run a marathon. Well, maybe not a marathon, but you know what I mean.

"Woah," I said. Percy grinned and shoved the bottle back in the backpack as I handed it back to him. We got to our feet, preparing to start walking again.

That was when his face transformed into confusion.

"What-"

"Duck," he told me quietly. I did so without question, ducking down and rolling to the side. When I sprang back upward, something exactly where I used to be was exploding into gold dust. Riptide glimmered in the darkness. I unsheathed my dagger quietly, keeping low to the ground, hiding within the tall grasses.

I knew Percy knew where I was, but he didn't flinch, look, or move in any way that could betray my position. He kept Riptide still at his side, staring someone down.

I moved just slightly to get a better look, and sucked in a sharp breath. It was another empousa. And she looked mad.

"That is two of my sisters that you have sent back to Tartarus," she hissed, "do you know how long it took to crawl out?"

"Not my problem."

"We came here for you," she jeered.

"For me? You shouldn't have."

The empousa's fiery hair blazed brighter, and I winced. I didn't suppose it was the best idea to try and anger her further.

"You've caused us much trouble, Perseus. Too much."

"Sorry, I don't recall," he shrugged.

The empousa lunged forward, baring her teeth and swinging her sharp nails toward him. Percy batted them away and kicked her in her metal leg. I heard it ring from even this far away. I started to sneak around to the back of them.

She was really aggressive, slashing with her deadly-looking nails, but Percy kept her at bay. He looked so concentrated that his brows furrowed together, and their two fighting forms moved almost more quickly than my eyes could follow. She hobbled around on the metal leg he kicked in, but still she moved much faster than you'd think.

He kept on the defensive while I snuck behind her with my dagger. The empousa was so concentrated on her fight with Percy that she failed to hear me coming up behind her.

Percy lopped off one of her hands purely by luck, and she hissed in pain, but kept on coming at him with her good hand. That was until she made one wrong move, and suddenly found herself with a sword at her throat.

"Hold on, hold on, I have a question," he said. The empousa growled in annoyance.

"How did I kill you last time?" he tilted his head. It made my stomach tie itself up in knots for probably the four hundredth time that day.

"You didn't. That dumb blonde friend of yours stabbed me in the back," she snarled.

"Oh. Well, what a coincidence."

She realized too late. I plunged my dagger into the empousa's back, and she screeched, exploding into golden dust.

"I am not dumb," I muttered crossly, kicking her dust for good measure. Percy grinned.

"No, you're not," he agreed, capping his sword, which shrank back into a pen, "you're a wise ass, but you're not dumb."

I punched him on the arm, but I wasn't really mad. I was mostly giddy from excitement and shaking from adrenaline. Percy winced anyways.

"Ow," he complained. I rolled my eyes and scooped up the backpack that he'd dropped in the fight with the empousa. We kept walking on, almost as if nothing ever happened at all. What else was there to do? And thankfully my legs weren't sore anymore, thanks to the nectar I'd drank earlier.

"You know, maybe we maybe should've captured her instead. She knew us before," Percy reasoned, after a couple minutes of walking. I looked at him like was insane.

"Hell no. That bitch was dangerous," I shook my head.

"Yeah, but aren't you curious?"

"Not really. It's not who I am anymore, so why bother myself with wondering? I'll probably never know, anyways."

I lied. That wasn't the real reason. The real reason I didn't want to know what my life used to be like is that I was terrified it wouldn't have Percy in it. Even knowing him for two days now, I knew that whatever I was going to do with my future, I wanted him in it.

"That's... actually a good point."

"You know. I am a wise ass, after all."

Percy snorted, and I grinned. I knew there'd be more monsters to fight, but at least I had him.