Percy v Akhlys

Well.” She took a deep breath, grateful at least that her lungs didn’t hurt. “If we Stay close to the river, we’ll have a way to heal ourselves. If we go downstream—” It happened so fast, Annabeth would have been dead if she’d been on her own.
Percy’s eyes locked on something behind her. Annabeth spun as a massive dark shape hurtled down at her—a snarling, monstrous blob with spindly barbed legs and glinting eyes.
She had time to think: Arachne. But she was frozen in terror, her senses smothered by the sickly sweet smell.
Then she heard the familiar SHINK of Percy’s ballpoint pen transforming into a sword. His blade swept over her head in a glowing bronze arc. A horrible wail echoed through the canyon.
Annabeth stood there, stunned, as yellow dust—the remains of Arachne— rained around her like tree pollen.
“You okay?” Percy scanned the cliffs and boulders, alert for more monsters, but nothing else appeared. The golden dust of the spider settled on the obsidian rocks.
Annabeth stared at her boyfriend in amazement. Riptide’s Celestial bronze blade glowed even brighter in the gloom of Tartarus. As it passed through the thick hot air, it made a defiant hiss like a riled snake.
“She...she would’ve killed me,” Annabeth stammered.
Percy kicked the dust on the rocks, his expression grim and dissatisfied. “She died too easily, considering how much torture she put you through. She deserved worse.” Annabeth couldn’t argue with that, but the hard edge in Percy’s voice made her unsettled. She’d never seen someone get so angry or vengeful on her behalf. It almost made her glad Arachne had died quickly. “How did you move so fast?”
Percy shrugged. “Gotta watch each other’s backs, right?


Annabeth took the opening. “You’d all be better following Serephone. She’s older and wiser.”
“Yes!” Serephone shrieked. “Follow me!”
Kelli struck so fast, Percy didn’t have the chance to raise his sword. Fortunately, she didn’t attack him. Kelli lashed out at Serephone. For half a second, the two demons were a blur of slashing claws and fangs.
Then it was over. Kelli stood triumphant over a pile of dust. From her claws hung the tattered remains of Serephone’s dress….

Percy sprang, slashing Riptide in a huge arc. He cut one of the demons in half, but Kelli dodged and charged Annabeth. The other two empousai launched themselves at Percy. One grabbed his sword arm. Her friend jumped on his back.
Percy tried to ignore them and staggered toward Annabeth, determined to go down defending her if he had to; but Annabeth was doing pretty well. She tumbled to one side, evading Kelli’s claws, and came up with a rock in her hand, which she smacked into Kelli’s nose.
Kelli wailed. Annabeth scooped up gravel and flung it in the empousa’s eyes.
Meanwhile Percy thrashed from side to side, trying to throw off his empousa hitchhiker, but her claws sank deeper into his shoulders. The second empousa held his arm, preventing him from using Riptide.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kelli lunge, raking her talons across Annabeth’s arm.
Annabeth screamed and fell.

HoH ch.7, ch.15