When Sun Meets the Sea ~ PJO 1

~25~

~Andie's POV

        Once Andie finally caught her breath, she forced herself to stand. Her chest, arms, everything hurt from fighting against the water. That didn't matter though as she reached her hand down to help Percy stand and he took it and heaved himself up. The two stood there breathing heavily for a minute before looking toward the golden chair. 

        "How are we supposed to get that thing down?" Percy asked. 

        "I don't know but I think the chair and the statue are connected somehow," Andie spoke, noticing how the statue was connected right above the chair. "It's a machine, of course. Hephaestus and his machines, but how do you start it?" 

        Andie rubbed her face as she thought, and she cursed herself for not having listened to Annebeth whenever she talked about the Gods' stories.

        "Wait, I know." Percy spoke up and Andie looked at him through her fingers. "It was a gift with a hidden purpose. Hephaestus offered it to Hera, but as soon as she sat in it, she couldn't get up." 

        "Ugh, right!" Andie exclaimed, the story finally coming to her. "Every god tried, but the machine was too smart for them. Hephaestus was too smart for them. It was too strong, too much, even for them. That's when they agreed to let Aphrodite be his wife if he freed Hera."

        "The chair is the bargain." Percy finished and Andie smiled with glee, having finally solved the puzzle. "One of us goes in, the other gets the shield." 

        Andie froze for a second, her glee being replaced with fear as she realized what he was implying. 

        "I'll-

        "No." Andie cut him off firmly. "You're not sitting."

        "Andie-

        "Percy, no-

        "Andie!" Percy shouted, causing her to go silent. "Whoever goes in, isn't coming out." 

        "I know. That's why I said no." Andie shot back. She felt her fear coursing through her veins, she couldn't let Percy sit in this chair. She wouldn't. "You saved me too many times to count already. I'm the most useless one on this trip. All I do is get hurt and in the way. Let me sit. You can finish this quest with Annabeth and Grover. You can get the shield, return it to Ares, go get that lightning bolt and your mom. You can win."

        Throughout her speech, Percy shook his head and as she finished, he put his hands onto her shoulders again, just as he had done in the boat. 

        "Do you trust me?" He asked and Andie didn't even realize it, but she felt a tear stream down her face. "Andie." 

         "No. Not with this." She replied. 

         "Please." Percy sighed. "Let me do this." 

        "Why?"

        "Because I don't want it to be you."

        There was a tense silent before Percy let his arms fall down to her elbows and soon, he pulled his hands away, heading towards the chair.

         "When this quest is done, can you maybe pop by and try and get me out of this thing?" Percy asked and Andie scoffed out a laugh as more tears fell. 

        "You think you had to ask?" She rolled her eyes, stepping forward but he quickly stepped toward the chair. 

        "Just making sure." Percy smiled. Andie stared at his sea green eyes as she sunk down into the golden chair, his hands on the arm rests. She didn't dare look away from him as he shifted slightly. "This is weird. It's...warm."