“You promised you would protect her Nico said. He might as well have stabbed me with a rusty dagger.It would've hurt less than reminding me of my promise.”

“Percy, let me go" she croaked. "You can't pull me up."His face was white with effort. She could see in his eyes that he knew it was hopeless."Never," he said. He looked up at Nico, fifteen feet above. "The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"Nico's eyes widened. "But-""Lead them!" Percy shouted. "Promise me!""I-I will."Below them, the voice laughed in the darkness. Sacrifices. Beautiful sacrifices to wake the goddess. Percy tightened his grip on Annabeth's wrist. His face was gaunt, scraped and bloody, his hair dusted with cobwebs, but when he locked eyes with her, she thought he had never looked more handsome."We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again."Only then did she understand what would happen. A one-way trip. A very hard fall."As long as we're together," she said.She heard Nico and Hazel still screaming for help. She saw sunlight far, far above- maybe the last sunlight she would ever see.Then Percy let go of his ledge, and together, holding hands, he and Annabeth fell into the endless darkness.”

“At first I was protecting you two because I promised. Now even if I hadn't promised, I would. You two are like kittens to me. I won't fail you again."I'll admit I got a lump in my throat. I'd never been called someone's kitten before.Sadie sniffled. She brushed something from under her eye. "You're not going to wash us, are you?”

“When Luke had descended into the River Styx, he would've had to focus on something important that would hold him to his mortal life. Otherwise he would've dissolved. I had seen Annabeth, and I had a feeling he had too. He had pictured that scene Hestia showed me—of himself in the good old days with Thalia and Annabeth, when he promised they would be a family. Hurting Annabeth in battle had shocked him into remembering that promise. It had allowed his mortal conscience to take over again, and defeat Kronos. His weak spot—his Achilles heel—had saved us all”

“Nico leaned over the edge o the chasm, thrusting out his hand, but he was much too far away to help. Hazel was yelling for the others, but even if they heard her over the chaos, they'd never make it in time.Annabeth's leg felt like it was pulling free of her body. Pain washed everything in red. The force of the Underworld tugged at her like dark gravity. She didn't have the strength to fight. She knew she was too far down to be saved."Percy, let me go," she croaked. "You can't pull me up."His face was white with effort. She could see in his eyes that he knew it was hopeless."Never," he said. He looked up at Nico, fifteen feet above. "The other side, Nico We'll see you there. Understand?" Nico's eyes widened. "But-""Lead them there!" Percy shouted. "Promise me!" "I- will."Below them, the voice laughed in the darkness. Sacrifices. Beautiful sacrifices to wake the goddess.Percy tightened his grip on Annabeth's wrist. His face was gaunt, scraped and bloody, his hair dusted with cobwebs, but when he locked eyes with her, she thought he had never been more handsome."We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again."Only then did she understand what would happen. A oneway trip. A very hard fall."As long as we're together," she said.She heard Nico and Hazel still screaming for help. She saw the sunlight far, far above- maybe the last sunlight she would ever see.Then Percy let go of his tiny ledge, and together, holding hands, he and Annabeth fell into the endless darkness.”

“Nico strode forward. The enemy army fell back before him like he radiated death, which of course he did.Through the face guard of his skull-shaped helmet, he smiled. "Got your message. Is it too late to join the party?""Son of Hades." Kronos spit on the ground. "Do you love death so much you wish to experience it?""Your death," Nico said, "would be great for me.""I'm immortal, you fool! I have escaped Tartarus. You have no business here, and no chance to live."Nico drew his sword-three feet of wicked sharp Stygian iron, black as a nightmare. "I don't agree.”

“For what it’s worth: trust your feelings. I can’t promise that you’ll never get hurt again, but I can promise you the risk is worth it.”