Ivy Pittaluga had always made a solemn vow to keep her distance from Percy Jackson, determined to keep her world separate from the camp hero.
However, she realizes that fate has a mischievous plan in store for her. Suddenly thrown together as unlik...
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Twelve minutes felt like an eternity. It felt longer than the fall down into Tartarus. My arms were shaky and weak. Sweat dotted my forehead. Some sweat had gotten into my eyes, making them sting and all I could do was wipe my face against my shoulder to try and get it out. Then the elevator dinged and we stopped moving.
We made it.
Everything hit me at once. All the exhaustion, sleep deprivation, grief, and relief. My jello arms trembled as I stopped forcing the panel shut. Then, the panels slid open and I fell face first onto the floor. My eyes fluttered shut as all of the energy left me.
I could feel a damp mist cover my body and I tried to force my eyes open. With heavy eye lids, I slightly opened my eyes to see a dark fog sweeping its way towards Percy and I. Before I could process anything else, I felt like something had electrocuted me and I blacked out.
I started to regain consciousness and groaned. Pain enveloped my body, but nothing compared to the pain I've experienced in Tartarus. I was trying to force my eyes to open, but they felt too heavy. I could hear talking around me. Some of the voices sounded familiar, but I couldn't keep up with what they were saying. With much effort, my eyes finally opened.
Percy laid beside me on the floor. He was muttering something under his breath, his eyes still closed. We were about twenty feet from the elevator and in a white fog. Hazel stood in front of us with a goddess that looked like Hecate. There was a weasel near Hazel and Hecate. Near the elevator was a giant. He was too far away with my blurry vision to see exactly how he looked like. Leo struggled to his feet, coughing like an asthmatic beside Percy and I.
"I'm loving this guy. Seriously, we should keep him around for inspirational seminars." Leo wheezed out. His hands ignited like blow torches. "Or I could just light him up."
The Doors were still open, shuddering against the chains that held them in place. I had to tell Leo and Hazel to cut the chains so that the Doors could disappear and finally relocate. I had to do my end to help out Damasen and Bob, so their sacrifice wasn't in vain.
"Leo, no." Hazel told him. "My father's temple. My call."
"Yeah, okay. But-"
"Hazel..." I wheezed. It hurt to breathe. "The chains..."
You can't seriously believe you have the strength, the giant chided. What will you do, Hazel Levesque-pelt me with more rubies? Shower me with sapphires?
Hazel raised her spatha and charged. The giant slowly raised his sword. By the time he slashed, Hazel had ducked between his legs and jabbed her gold blade into his gluteus maximus. The giant roared and arched his back, waddling away from Hazel. Mist swirled around Hazel, hissing as it met the giant's black smoke.
Hecate was helping Hazel, shrouding her in a protective mist. It looked a lot more friendly than the Death Mist Percy and I had encountered. Hazel sprinted towards the Doors. Her blade shattered the chains on the left side. She lunged to the right and the giant yelled.
