The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5)

by Rick Riordan

I’ll admit my heart did a little relay race in my chest when I saw her. It’s not that she tried to look good.

Most of the time we couldn’t get through a conversation without trying to strangle each other. Still, just seeing her made me feel fuzzy in the head.

there had been a few times when I thought maybe…well, we might get past the strangle-each-other phase.

Why do humans swing their arms as they walk? I dunno, boss. It just feels right.

“You’ve met Calypso.” My face felt hot. “That’s different.”

but for that moment nothing existed except our small circle and the fallen girl.

“Charlie…” Silena’s eyes were a million miles away. “See Charlie…”

“Family, Luke. You promised.”

Then he gasped like he couldn’t get air. “Annabeth…” But it wasn’t the Titan’s voice. It was Luke’s. He stumbled forward like he couldn’t control his own body. “You’re bleeding….”

“Don’t touch her,” I said.

I thought about May Castellan, alone in her kitchen, baking cookies and making sandwiches for a son who would never come home.

Luke had broken his promise

Fortunately he’d shrunk back to normal size, so his hug was like getting hit by a tractor, not the entire farm.