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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It was as if I was back in the pits of Tartarus. Waves of fear crashed over me. My legs felt like jelly. I felt like I was breathing the sulfuric air again. My worst memories came to mind - seeing Percy slowly dying from gorgon's blood; Piper, Jason, Percy, and I drowning in the nymphaeum; seeing Tartarus; fighting Akhlys with Percy; seeing Castor die all over again.
I was so caught up in reliving those horrific memories, that I didn't see the giant raise his sledgehammer. Piper reacted first. She leaped to the side and tackled me. The hammer cracked the floor, peppering Piper's back with stone shrapnel.
"Oh, that wasn't fair!" The giant chuckled as he hefted his sledgehammer again.
"Ivy, get up!" Piper helped me to my feet.
My feet felt heavy and weak as I was pulled toward the end of the room. I felt dazed as if my mind wasn't registering what was happening around me. More memories shuffled through my mind. My mom leaving me at Camp Half-Blood. Seeing my mom after years to see that she moved on with a new family and that I was erased from her past. Percy controlling the poision.
"I'm here." Piper promised. "We will get out of this."
"A child of Aphrodite leading a child of Dionysus!" The giant laughed. "Now I've seen everything. How would you defeat me, girl? With makeup and fashion tips?"
"Ivy, trust me." Piper said as the giant lumbered slowly toward us.
"O-okay. What's the plan?" I spoke with a shaky breath, forcing myself to focus on the fight instead of my fear.
"No plan."
"I-what?" I blinked at her.
"No plans. Just follow me!"
The giant swung his hammer, but we easily dodged it. Piper leaped forward and slashed her sword across the back of the giant's knee. As the giant bellowed in outrage Piper pulled me into the nearest tunnel. Immediately we were engulfed in total darkness. My mind focused back to walking through the pit of Tartarus.
"Fools!" The giant roared somewhere behind us. "That is the wrong way!"
"Keep moving." Piper gripped my hand tightly. "It's fine. Come on."
I wouldn't see anything. Even the glow of my sword and Piper's blade was snuffed out. From the echo of our footfalls, the space around us must have been a vast cavern. Fear surged in me again and I would've stopped in my tracks if it weren't for Piper pulling me after her. It felt like I was in Nyx's Mansion again. The strong urge to close my eyes overwhelmed me.
"Piper, it's like the House of Night." I spoke, my hands shaking. "Maybe we should close our eyes."
"No!" Piper said. "Keep them open. We can't try to hide."
"Lost forever." The giant's voice came from somewhere in front of us. "Swallowed by darkness."
More fear rushed over me. It was so strong, I froze. It forced Piper to stop.
