𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲.

She died a hero

"How could you do this Lena?" Lilia cried cradling her older sister.

Silena tried to swallow, but her lips were dry and cracked. "Wouldn't ... listen. Cabin would ... only follow Clarisse."

"So you stole my armour." Clarisse said in disbelief. "You waited until me and Chris went on patrol; you stole my armour and pretended to be me." She glared at her siblings. "And NONE of you noticed?"

The Ares campers developed a sudden interest in their combat boots.

"Don't blame them," Silena said. "They wanted to ... to believe I was you."

"You stupid Aphrodite girl," Clarisse sobbed. "You charged a Drakon. Why?"

"All my fault," Silena said, a tear streaking the side of her face. "The drakon, Charlie's death ... camp endangered—"

"Stop it!" Lilia said. "That's not true."

Silena opened her hand. In her palm was a silver bracelet with a scythe charm, the mark of Kronos.

A cold fist closed around Lilia's heart. "You were the spy."

Silena tried to nod. "Before ... before I liked Charlie, Luke was nice to me. He was so... charming.
Handsome. Later, I wanted to stop helping him, but he threatened to tell. He promised ... he promised I was saving lives. Fewer people would get hurt. He told me he wouldn't hurt... Charlie. He lied to me."

Lilia's face paled. She looked like somebody had just yanked the world out from under her feet.

Behind them, the battle raged.

Clarisse scowled at her cabinmates. "Go, help the centaurs. Protect the doors. GO!"

They scrambled off to join the fight.

Silena took a heavy, painful breath, her eyes met Lilia's. "Forgive me."

"You're not dying," Lilia insisted.

"Charlie.." Silena's eyes were a million miles away. "See Charlie.."

She didn't speak again.

"Lena... LENA! Wake up!" Lilia's breaths became frantic as she shook her older sister, "stop it, you aren't dead, you aren't dead, you aren't—"

She was gone, Lilia's breath hitched in her throat and suddenly she couldn't breathe. Her sobs turned to chokes as she felt her throat closing, the world blurred around her. She closed her eyes clinging to Silena's limp body, and for a moment she felt like the little girl Silena had taken in and loved with no second thoughts, all those years ago.

"Lili..." Percy knelt behind the girl, his hand resting gently on her back. His chest tightened as she looked up at him, completely broken. She rested Silena's body down on the ground and fell against Percy, her back resting against his chest and his arms wrapped around her shoulders.

No one moved for a few moments, Clarisse wept. Chris put a hand on her shoulder. Finally Annabeth closed Silena's eyes.

"We have to fight." Annabeth's voice was brittle. "She gave her life to help us. We have to honor her."

Clarisse sniffled and wiped her nose. "She was a hero, understand? A hero." She picked up a sword from one of her fallen siblings. "Kronos is going to pay."

➳

Lilia was slouched against Percy's side, his arms wrapped tightly round her as they walked. She could barely keep herself up, the death of her sister had put a weight on her shoulders, a pain worse than holding up the sky.