Working With The Thief (Percy Jackson)

Part III, Chapter Thirty Four: All Things Must Die (Which Is Stupid)

Zoë Nightshade

After more than 3000 years of living, I somehow didn't expect the emotions that hit me on what I knew to be my last day of living.

Phoebe had taken the reins coming here, so I was able to take the time that it took to get from the Chase household to my old home (sort of) to try and keep my emotions in check.

It's not as if I haven't lived a good life, it's been wonderful and I wouldn't trade it for the world, but...

"Zoë?" Phoebe's voice cut through my thoughts as we made our way towards Mt. Othrys, and I realized that I must've stopped or slowed down based on how far ahead the other three were.

I've spent hundreds, if not thousands of years wondering what I would do if I ever had to return to this place again. How angry I'd get and how many things I'd want to say to my dad and my sisters about how wrong they were about me and about how much I'd changed.

And yet, I couldn't summon the anger that I've held onto for so long.

Looking at Phoebe, a girl who managed to worm her way into my life what felt like so long ago but, in my reality, wasn't that long ago, I just wanted to run.

Because I knew the alternative, and I knew she wouldn't want to live through that.

But she'll have to.

She'll have to because the alternative just kills another person and I'm not sure if I could live with myself if I let another person die, especially for my own, selfish reasons.

There is no winning here. If I leave, if I run away from the home I was never meant to return to, I'm selfish for wanting to stay alive. For wanting to spend the rest of my life with another person.

If I continue, and I die, I'm selfish because how could I not consider Phoebe's or even Lady Artemis' or any of the other Hunter's feelings?

I knew this would happen. I was prepared to sacrifice myself for the greater good.

So why then am I paralyzed?

The goddess I devoted almost my entire life to is at the top of the mountain, in chains, and I'm stuck at the base.

Looking beyond Phoebe, I could see the trio from Camp- they'd noticed that we hadn't caught up to them, but I guess thanks to what I told Grover in the car last night, they also weren't running back to us.

"Zoë?" Phoebe repeated herself, her tone softer now as she took a step towards me and offered me a hand- a token of affection and support that I wish had been more common between us-a gesture that really only took place in private until now. "Hey, what's-?"

For a moment, my hands hovered over hers, and then I did the most impulsive, possibly idiotic thing I could've ever done in my entire existence.

Well, besides giving my sword away.

The most impulsive thing I've done since then, I guess.

Looking at our hands, I glanced up at Phoebe, who is a little taller than I am, and I cupped her face because that was the only way I could think to pull her down just enough to kiss her.

It was everything I thought it would be and maybe even a little more- evidently, I'm more emotional than usual, so that could be why. Or maybe it's just because Phoebe is that amazing and so kissing her is that much more wonderful. I don't know, but I do know that I finally got confirmation that her chapstick was cherry chapstick and not strawberry or pomegranate.

Through the kiss, I felt Phoebe smile, and as she rested her forehead against me, I wondered if it were possible for time to stop right here. For us to just... Stay here. Forever.