❝ Does being a Child of Hermes automatically make you good at flirting? Or was that just a skill you picked up? ❞
Andromeda Jackson knew she was not cut out for the demigod life, and that was before she heard about her death from the creepy oracle i...
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𝕻erhaps, cardio should be a little higher up on my priority list, because I was so out of breath. Briares slumped against the wall the moment we fi. He scooped up water in a dozen hands and washed his face. "This pit goes straight to Tartarus ," he murmured. "I should jump in and save you trouble."
"Don't talk that way," Annabeth told him. "You can come back to camp with us. You can help us prepare. You know more about fighting Titans than anybody."
"I have nothing to offer," Briares said. "I have lost everything."
"What about your brothers?" Tyson asked. "The other two must stand tall as mountains! We can take you to them."
Briares's expression morphed to something even sadder: his grieving face. "They are no more. They faded."
The waterfalls thundered. Tyson stared into the pit and blinked tears out of his eye. I squeezed his shoulder as the room feel silent.
"I must go," Briares said.
"Kronos's army will invade camp," Tyson said. "We need help."
Briares hung his head. "I cannot, Cyclops."
"You are strong."
"Not anymore." Briares rose.
"Hey," I grabbed one of his arms and pulled him aside, where the roar of the water would hide our words. "Briares, we need you. In case you haven't noticed, Tyson believes in you. He risked his life for you."
I told him about everything—Puck's invasion plan, the Labyrinth entrance at camp, Daedalus's workshop, Kronos's golden coffin.
Briares just shook his head. "I cannot, demigod. I do not have a finger gun to win this game." To prove his point, he made one hundred finger guns.
"Maybe that's why monsters fade," I said. "Maybe it's not about what the mortals believe. Maybe it's because you give up on yourself."
His pure brown eyes regarded me. His face morphed into an expression I recognized—shame. Then he turned and trudged off down the corridor until he was lost in the shadows.
Tyson sobbed.
"It's okay," Grover hesitantly patted his shoulder, which must've taken all his courage.
Tyson sneezed. "It's not okay, goat boy. He was my hero."
I wanted to make him feel better, but I wasn't sure what to say. Finally Annabeth stood and shouldered her backpack. "Come on, guys. This pit is making me nervous. Let's find a better place to camp for the night."
