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“What were you thinking?” Clarisse cradled Silena’s head in her lap.
Silena tried to swallow, but her lips were dry and chapped. “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 and 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.”
“Stupid,” Clarisse sobbed. “You charged a drakon? Why?”
“All my fault,” Silena said, a tear streaking down the side of her face. “The drakon, Charlie’s death... camp endangered-“
“Stop it!” Clarisse 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 my heart. “You were the spy.
————
Silena tried to nod. “Years ago, before... before Luke left camp. He would talk to some of us. He was so persuasive.. He brought out the worst feeling we had about our parents, ones we didn’t know we had. He told us we’d be saving lives.”
She chocked back a sob. “But then he left, and suddenly I wasn’t mad at my mom anymore. It was like charmspeak or something. But it was too late. He promised he wouldn’t hurt Charlie or anyone if I.. if I did what I was told. He lied to me.”
————
I met Annabeth’s eyes. Her face was chalky. She looked like somebody had just yanked the world out for under her feet.
Behind us, the battle raged.
Clarisse scowled at her canon mates. “Go, help the centaurs. Protect the doors. GO!”
They scrambled off o join the fight.
Silena took a heavy, painful breath. “Forgive me.”
“You’re not dying,” Clarisse insisted.
“Charlie...” Silena’s eyes were a million miles away. “See Charlie...”
She didn’t speak again.
Clarisse held her a wept. Chris put a hand in 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.”
I nodded. “Come on, Clarisse.”
She picked up a sword from one of her fallen siblings. “Kronos is going to pay.”