These Lifeless Things || p. jackson

X. Xiao Pulls an Anakin

XIAO COULD SEE THE FAMILY RESEMBLANCE. Atlas and the other girl had the same regal expression as Zoë, the same cold proud look in their eyes that Zoë sometimes got when she was mad, though on Atlas it looked a thousand times more evil. They were all the things Xiao had originally disliked about Zoë, with none of the good she'd come to appreciate.

"Let Artemis go," Zoë demanded.

Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."

Zoë opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoë! I forbid you."

Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers.

"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

Xiao looked at Annabeth. She was desperately trying to tell her something. She motioned her head toward Luke, but Xiao didn't understand. She hadn't noticed before, but something about her had changed. Her blond hair was now streaked with gray.

"From holding the sky," Thalia muttered, as if she'd read her mind. "The weight should've killed her."

"I don't understand," Percy said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"

Zoë's sister glared at him. "How little you understand. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Her expression was grim. "Unless someone else takes it from you."

Atlas approached them, studying Thalia and Percy. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," Percy said. "And let's see."

"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke and Katniss crush you instead."

"So you're another coward," Percy said.

Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Xiao. "Ah, the new psyche. As I hear it, Aphrodite never shuts up about her darling daughter. She worries, you know."

He was sliming cruelly, like he knew the punchline to some secret joke of the cosmos.

"She needn't fret," Xiao promised. "I'll tear you all to bits and be back in time for tea."

He laughed as he turned his attention to Thalia. "As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful. "Thalia, you still can join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"

He waved his hand, and next to them a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus.

"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."

"Luke..." Her voice was full of pain. "What happened to you?"

"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"