Sequel to my other story, Living from Dream to Dream.
December 27
"Hey Annabeth! Annabeth Chase!" The girl spun around, blond princess curls (as they had once been called) flying wildly. She smiled in recognition of the raven-haired boy not far off and crossed her arms.
"Yes, Percy Jackson?" Annabeth called back as the boy approached. "I'm really busy, you know, so this better be important!"
The mock disapproval in her voice didn't go unnoticed. "Oh, well, if you're busy, then I'll just leave," he answered teasingly, his green eyes twinkling mischievously. "Though if you don't even have time for your own boyfriend—"
"Boyfriend? I don't remember any boyfriend of mine," Annabeth replied jokingly, only to be caught in Percy's arms. The boy planted a swift kiss on her cheek- in the past months, both demigods had grown more accustomed and more secure in their relationship. Now Percy was not as shy in his affection and she didn't mind who was watching when he showed it.
"That's me!" Percy exclaimed, clutching the protesting girl tighter. "You know, you're awfully silly for someone who's supposed to be so wise."
"And you're awfully stupid- even for a Seaweed Brain," Annabeth snorted, and slipped out of Percy's grasp and entwined her hand with his.
"Ah, well," the boy sighed, "At least I have you here to be smart for me."
"Yes, yes, what would you do without me?" Annabeth answered, though she seemed distracted, her eyes darting around to watch the borders of Camp Half Blood.
"What is it, Wisegirl?" Percy asked, noticing her agitation.
"Nothing. Well, it's just…. Nothing," she explained lamely, and Percy raised one eyebrow in disbelief.
"It's just getting to me, you know? I thought that the monsters would be gone by now, or at least have gone back to rarely attacking Camp. But it's all the time…. It doesn't seem like the war is over at all." Percy nodded in agreement. He knew the feeling all too well. After Sholeh defeated Kronos, the evil Titan Lord who plotted to overthrow Olympus and the gods, the Titan's army had run amok. And the soldiers in this army had been legendary Greek monsters who wanted nothing more than to eat demigods like Percy and Annabeth. Now, without a leader and already in large packs, the beasts attacked Camp maddeningly often, and now with many of them at a time. The demigods were already exhausted from the war and casualties were frequent.
"Right," Percy agreed, as the two walked slowly, though neither knew where they were going or even cared. "And with Chiron making us patrol practically all the time—" He trailed off.
"Yeah," Annabeth said quietly. They sat down against a tree, for it was the only time they had had together in days. The two half bloods were content to now spend it in companionable silence.
Finally, the son of Poseidon spoke. "Where's Sholeh?" he asked. Because of the inordinate amount of time he spent patrolling Camp's borders, Percy hadn't seen Sholeh at all for days. Though it might not be a good idea to find her, he thought. It was now over two months since he, Annabeth, and Sholeh had sat on the beach and the daughter of Hades and Hestia had said she would rescue Leo from the Underworld. Leo, a son of Apollo, had been her best friend and love who died in the war against Kronos. Ever since, Sholeh had been even more prone to fits of rage. Because of her parentage, these bad moods of Sholeh's often ended in an uncontrollable fire and, if you were very unlucky, her dagger pressing against your throat. Sholeh had not forgotten her decision to bring Leo back, but Chiron had forbidden her from leaving Camp until the monster attacks had subsided. Now it was almost January, and with every passing day the girl grew more prone to lashing out at innocent passerby.
"Sleeping," Annabeth mumbled, her face pressed against Percy's chest.
"What? Lucky!"
"She was on patrol constantly for the past day and a half."
"Me too! So have I!"
"Remember that daughter of Apollo, Kitty, who thought Sholeh killed…. You know?" Percy did in fact remember her. After Leo's death, rumors had circulated, especially among Kitty and her friends, that Sholeh had killed Leo. Naturally this was ridiculous, but Kitty had been the closest thing Leo had to a sister, and needed someone to blame.
"Yeah. What about her?"
"She's in the medical cabin, with second degree burns. Chiron thought that Sholeh should rest before she lost her temper again."
"Oh."
"And aren't you supposed to be on patrol, Percy?" Annabeth asked, leaning away from the boy and standing up. Grabbing his hands, she pulled the boy to his feet, though he didn't look too happy about it.
"Maybe," Percy answered evasively.
"Well don't let me stop you. Go!" she shooed him away with a motion of her hand, though Percy stole another kiss before jogging away. A quiet smile on her lips, Annabeth believed that she could still feel the warmth of his skin. Why am I so happy? She asked herself. This isn't logical at all. He's just Percy, but he makes me so…. Happy! Annabeth shrugged. Who needed reasonable explanations when you just couldn't stop smiling?
A hideous face leered at her suddenly from the darkness. It was the Titan Kronos' true face, not Luke's. He had discarded the demigod's frail body long ago, for his skin of old. Sholeh spun wildly in the fire, her heart twisted tightly by fear, clutching desperately to her dagger. A ripping pain began in her shoulder to ribs, and it burst into agony. Black spots clouded Sholeh's vision as she looked down to see scarlet blood pouring from her body, all too real, and a wickedly glinting scythe retreating once more into the inferno of flame. The girl fell to her knees, a scream torn from her lips, the indescribable pain ending all thought but for one: Make it stop.
She heard the terrible laughter, like metal grating across stone, an unnatural and profoundly disturbing sound. All was lost. She would die, and Kronos would triumph. Here, abandoned, at the end of the world, she was dying. Her will to live extinguished, all passion forgotten, Sholeh's eyes closed in surrender. Memories flashed before her eyes, of her foster parents, her childhood, the first time she met Percy and Annabeth. Sholeh heard the Titan Lord creeping closer, his ragged breathing echoing as if from all directions. Her head unconsciously lowered in shame of how she was about to meet her end and leave the demigods stranded without hope. But Sholeh was just too tired and tortured by pain to move.
This is a coward's death, she thought, and now I'll never go to Elysium. I'll never, ever see him again… Suddenly a memory was imprinted for a brief moment before her eyes: it was Leo lying lifeless, pale, and broken upon the ground. The all too familiar rage and pain swept through her, but it was now stronger than ever before. Never before had Sholeh felt such pure and blinding bloodlust, the desire to kill whoever brought about Leo's death. And it was inexplicably not Aphrodite, but Kronos who Sholeh wanted to destroy.
The girl's eyes snapped open. Involuntarily, she drove her dagger upwards into the Titan's body, and he screamed terribly. Sholeh slammed Kronos against a boulder that had been hidden by the inferno, and twisted the blade deeper into his flesh.
With her free hand, the demigod reached a hand to her wound. Unable to feel the pain, Sholeh wiped the blindingly red blood on the Titan's horrible, contorted face. "This is what you've caused," she snarled, teeth bared like a feral animal, "And this blood belongs here. My blood, and the blood of countless other lives…. And Leo's blood."
Sholeh was blinded suddenly by darkness, and knew that her body was moving without her mind's control. When her vision cleared once more, the Titan lay dead and his scythe was in Sholeh's hands. She instantly vomited at the sight of his mangled body, and dropped the scythe upon the ground. It was consumed in black fire and disappeared.
Sholeh knew what was going to happen now. She had had this nightmare countless times before. The memory of Kronos' murder at her hand haunted Sholeh every night since she had committed it. In the dream, the girl collapsed, body broken and bleeding, her arms twisted beneath her. Sholeh waited for the pain she knew would come; it always came.
Three, she counted down, Two…. One. The girl grimaced in anticipation, but felt nothing. No, I feel something. Just no pain. A cool breeze. The smell of rosin and raspberries. A warm hand upon her shoulder, like the caressing tropical sun.
Sholeh's eyes opened slowly, blinking twice disbelievingly. For right before her was a face with expressive hazel eyes, messy blond hair, and softly smiling lips. The most beautiful person in the world to Sholeh; not for his attractive appearance, but for the warmth and light she found in those eyes, that frame, his words.
"Leo," she whispered, and the boy's arms snaked around her waist, as he clutched Sholeh closer to him. She stared into his eyes, wondering by what miracle or illusion she saw him now.
"Sholeh," he murmured back, the use of her real name sounding intimate. His voice sent shivers down her spine, though she felt as if she had been basking in the sun all day.
"How…?" Sholeh asked, eyes widened in bewilderment. "Why?"
"Never mind. Just…. Quiet. For a moment." Sholeh obliged him, slowly breathing in and out. She kept her eyes wide open, however, fearing that even a blink or sudden movement would end these few moments of perfection. If it were anyone else, the girl would have recoiled from such close contact. But Leo was not just anyone else; with him, her temper, cynicism, and darkness disappeared.
Finally, he spoke again. "Do you know firegirl, it's not that great in Elysium?" said Leo, a smile creeping onto his lips.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it's supposed to be perfect. And it's not." Leo took a deep, shuddering breath, and Sholeh felt the reverberations through her own body. "You aren't there."
"I've missed you so, so much. More than…. Anything." Sholeh spoke quickly and her eyes were locked with his. "I've been so lost without you, Casanova." The seriousness of her words was sharply contrasted by the playful nickname. Leo kissed her, his tongue drifting across her bottom lip, but he pulled back swiftly.
"Not that again," he complained, though his grin betrayed the joy in his heart. To be with Sholeh was worth anything. "But now you have a purpose," Leo continued.
"Yes. But Chiron isn't letting me leave." Both demigods knew exactly what the other was talking about.
"You'll find a way. I know you will," Leo returned, pushing golden hair out of his face. Sholeh closed her eyes in contentment, sighed, and leaned forward to nestle herself tighter within the boy's arms; but her body rolled onto a cold, hard stone floor. Her hands flailed wildly trying to find Leo once more, to grasp his shirt, though she was too afraid to look for what she knew was missing. Finally, Sholeh opened her eyes, only to be wounded by the painful absence around her. Leo was gone.
"I'll be waiting for you, firegirl," his voice echoed within her mind, but Sholeh only lay back upon the floor, a single tear on her face, and awaited consuming darkness her once more.
"Sholeh… Sholeh… SHOLEH!" The voice came to her as though underwater; it was garbled, and the girl barely recognized her own name. Instinctively though, she swung angrily at the person who dared to disturb her sleep, and smiled crookedly when she heard a loud thump followed by, "OW!"
"What the Hades, Sholeh? You need to get up. There's a band of skeletons attacking just outside the North Woods and…?" Percy was interrupted as the girl sat bolt upright in bed.
"Gods damn it," she muttered furiously, before throwing off the covers to pull herself out of bed. Sholeh hadn't had the time to change before falling asleep, dead tired as she was, and out of paranoia, she always slept with her dagger at her side. Without a second look, the girl strode to the door and turned to look at Percy, who was staring at her with a look of concern.
"What?" Sholeh asked irritably. "Don't just stand there like a useless lump. Let's go." Percy followed the girl obediently as she sprinted toward the site of the attack.
Annabeth watched the battle raging from a few hundred feet away. It was killing her not to join in and help her friends, but Chiron had ordered her to hang back and watch invisibly. The centaur had a suspicion that the monsters might just be creating a diversion.
Suddenly, a girl and a boy sprinted into the clearing. Annabeth blinked once. That was Percy, but who was the girl? Then she nodded her head in recognition. Of course that was Sholeh. Even after weeks, the girl was often taken off guard by her friend's appearance. Annabeth had met Sholeh when the daughter of Hades and Hestia had golden hair, grinned often, and wore the Camp Half Blood clothing. Now, a pointed face was almost engulfed by a nimbus of impossibly black hair, and since Leo had been killed, she smiled rarely. Sholeh's resemblance to her half brother, Nico, was much more pronounced because of the lines spreading under her eyes and the darkness that emanated from within them. The demigod wore a black jacket with tiny red buttons that framed a small waist and bright scarlet jeans. On her feet were a pair of mismatched, knee high, black converse. Annabeth didn't mind this new appearance, but it did take some getting used to. Well actually, Annabeth pondered, I do mind how sad she is all the time. Chiron should just let her go try save Leo. She'll never rest until then. A memory sprang to Annabeth's mind of how Nico's appearance had also changed drastically after his sister Bianca's death. Why are the children of Hades, lord of the dead, so profoundly affected by death? Annabeth didn't know.
The daughter of Athena continued to watch from afar as the demigods fought ferociously. When Sholeh joined in the battle, Annabeth could easily see the relief on the others' faces. Sholeh may be a loose cannon, but she is priceless in battle, the girl admitted. One by one, the skeletons were driven back or destroyed by Sholeh's fire. Then suddenly, all the half bloods but Percy and Annabeth backed away in terror. Annabeth's heart sunk in pain and fear as she watched a horribly familiar figure emerge from the dark trees.
Cliffhanger! Sorry 'bout that. Can you guess who the 'horribly familiar figure' is? I'll give a cookie to anyone who can guess it!