The Forbidden Daughter | PJO Book One

fifteen

ARIANA GIVES HESTIA A GIFT

"What were you thinking?" Ariana cradled Silena's head in her lap.

Clarisse knelt down besides her.

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

"So you stole my armor." Clarisse said in disbelief. "You waited until Chris and I went out on patrol: you stole my armor 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?"

Ariana's heart broke even more.

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

"Stop it!" Ariana 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 her heart. "You were the spy." Ariana said, tears streaming.

She never expected it to Silena, it never even crossed her mind. Her sister, the one she looked up to was the spy.

Without Ariana even realising it, they were fighting on completely different sides.

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. Ariana, me.. me and Ethan.. we did it for you. We saw how upset you were and.. I thought I was protecting you."

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. "Forgive me."

"You're not dying." Clarisse insisted.

"Silena.. please don't..." Ariana's voice caught itself in her throat. Clarisse instantly reached out for her hand and squeezed it.

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

Ariana felt it happen. Her soul left her body, towards the underworld; she knew she had to reach Elysium with Charlie.

Ariana made a mental note to scream at her father if it meant it.

She didn't speak again.

Ariana held her and wept so did Clarisse. Chris put a hand on their shoulder.

"No!" Ariana wept. Her vision was blurred.

Her sister was dead. Her sister was the camp spy.

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."

Percy nodded. "Come on, Clarisse."

She picked up a sword from one of her fallen siblings. "Kronos is going to pay."