Flowergirl, Percy Jackson

012. When Pigs Fly

The next time Lila sees Percy and Annabeth, it's twilight, the summer day coming to an end. 

After Prometheus's revelations, she decides to try and forget about them as well as she can. They're in real danger now; she doesn't have the time or the energy to stress about her parentage or however she was born. Instead, she prepares with the other Head Counsellors. Some of the Hermes cabin go out and raid some shops, and with the Demeter cabin, Lila helps to cook as much food as they can for people to eat. They restock on herbs, ambrosia, nectar, as much of it as they can find. 

By nightfall, everyone meets at the Reservoir. Percy smiles when he sees Lila, pulling her into a hug. "You okay?"

She smiles shakily toward him. "Sure." 

Annabeth's with him - she looks pale, and she's shielding her wounded arm like it hurts to hold the shield, but from the resigned expression on Percy's face, he's given up trying to stop her from fighting. "Don't say it," Annabeth says immediately, before Lila can even open her mouth. 

"I wasn't going to say anything," she protests weakly. 

"They're coming," Thalia interrupts, pointing northward with a silver arrow. "One of my scouts just reported they've crossed the Harlem River. There was no way to hold them back. The army . . ." She shrugs casually. "It's huge."

Lila adjusts her armour. They're all more well-equipped for this fight than they were yesterday - they've slept, eaten, planned what they're going to do. They have at least some idea of what they're facing, and what they have to work with. Her spear is out, a shield at her side, but she's also concealed a knife in her combat boot, and a dagger is strapped to her waist, for emergencies. 

"We'll hold them at the park," Percy says, squeezing Lila's hand. "Grover, you ready?"

He nods. "As ready as we'll ever be. If my nature spirits can stop them anywhere, this is the place."

"Yes, we will!" another voice interrupts. A satyr pushes through the crowd, stumbling over his own spear. He's dressed in wood bark armour similar to Grover's, though on him it looks aged and uncomfortable.

"Leneus?" Percy frowns.

"Don't act so surprised," he huffs. "I am a leader of the Council, and you did tell me to find Grover. Well, I found him, and I'm not going to let a mere outcast lead the satyrs without my help!" Behind Leneus's back, Grover makes gagging motions. "Never fear! We'll show those Titans!"

Lila turns away to cover her laughter from the angry satyr, her shoulders shaking with the effort of not laughing. 

Somehow, Percy keeps his composure. "Um . . . yeah. Well, Grover, you won't be alone. Lila, Annabeth and the Athena cabin will make their stand here. And me, and . . . Thalia?"

She pats him on the shoulder. "Say no more. The Hunters are ready."

Percy turns to the other counsellors - Jake Mason, Pollux, Katie, the Stoll Brothers, Will Solace -since Michael Yew is missing, presumed dead. "That leaves the rest of you with a job just as important. You have to guard the other entrances to Manhattan. You know how tricky Kronos is. He'll hope to distract us with this big army and sneak another force in somewhere else. It's up to you to make sure that doesn't happen. Has each cabin chosen a bridge or tunnel?"

They all nod.

"Then let's do it," he encourages. "Good hunting, everybody!"

They disperse, and they continue their preparations. Lila goes to join Grover and the nature spirits - they're making as many traps as they can and laying them in certain parts of the wood, in an attempt to corral the army over to where Annabeth wants them. Lila's actually more useful than many dryads, as she can influence many different plants, while many of the spirits only have power over one species.