Prologue
I gasped in relief, panting. Sweat glued strands of blond hair to my forehead. We, the seven of the prophecy, Coach Hedge, and Nico, had destroyed every monster here, but as we looked around, the piles of monster dust were slowly reforming. "Hurry!" I yelled. "Close the Doors! But who stays behind?!"
Percy put his hand on my shoulder. "Annabeth, remember how I promised you, a long time ago, how I would protect you with my life?"
"No. No! NO!"
But before anyone could stop him, he leaped back into Tartarus and said, "I'll meet you in Elysium." The monsters were reforming. Demonic horns and tentacles crawled towards each other, joining together. "Hurry!" Percy yelled. I collapsed to the ground, sobbing. The others pushed the doors shut. But right as they closed, I heard Percy scream in pain and then a horribly, terribly, awfully loud silence.
"NO!" I screamed, crumpling like a paper doll. Through a haze, I watched the others kill the rest of the now-reformed monsters, tears dripping down their faces. Piper hugged me for a moment, then picked me up and carried me, sobbing, into my room on the Argo II. She set me down on the bed, where I collapsed and cried myself to sleep.
Chapter One
I woke up screaming and crying. Again. Why do I have to dream every night about the day my life fell apart? I hugged myself, sobbing. It's been a week since Percy...I can't say it. Since he...since he... Ever since, I've been in my room. Piper and Hazel bring me meals. I tried to get it myself once, but I collapsed before I could even get to my door.
I heard a knock. "Who is it?" I called, and I began crying again.
"It's us." Hazel's voice came from outside in the hall. Gods, sometimes I forgot she was only thirteen. She was so young, too young to lose this much. "Hazel and Piper. Can we come in?" The door opened. Hazel and Piper sat down on either side of me.
"Shhh, honey. We brought strawberry smoothies. Your favorite." For once, Piper's charmspeak did nothing to calm me. Piper put her arm around me. She gave me a smoothie. I sipped slowly, remembering when I'd have smoothies with Percy on the beach. I closed my eyes.
*Flashback*
I sat, laughing, with Percy. The warm sand tickled my toes. Percy put his arm around me. "I love you, Annabeth. I promise I'll protect you, even if it costs me my life. Always." I snuggled closer to him. "I'd do the same, a million times." I whispered. We lay back on the sand. We would always be together. Always.
*End of flashback*
Hazel put her arm around me too. I burst into tears. I never used to let anyone see me cry, and nobody ever saw. But ever since last week, things have been different. Even those who haven't seen my cry in person have heard my nightly wails. Hazel whispered in my ear, "Annabeth. You'll be okay. Percy wouldn't want you this way. You need to get out of this room."
She was right, as always. Slowly, trembling, I stood up. I needed to make Percy know I loved him. I walked over to the window, carefully slipping off my bracelet from Mom. Sticking my arm out of the window, I dropped it into the sea. As it fell, I whispered, "I love you, Percy." The bracelet splashed into the water. The ripples moved. I closed my eyes, and I heard a soft whisper, barely audible. I love you too, Annabeth.
I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I whispered back, "I'll meet you in Elysium, Percy Jackson."