A/N Hello. Hi. Hola. Bonjour. Greetings.
I'm so sorry! I haven't been on here for so long, it feels like years. I know you guys don't want to hear my excuses, but I had so many exams, and then I had an unbelievable amount of homework, and then I couldn't think of one single thing to write. NOTHING. Completely, and utterly blocked. So I decided I'd wait till Christmas break started, and here I am.
I've realised that I'm making a habit of this - I apologise! I keep doing the whole not-updating-for-ages-and-then-expecting-forgiveness thing. You may not even care, so if that's true, please don't bother to read this grovelling authors note.
Now, regarding future updates, I WILL TRY TO KEEP THIS ALMOST PROMISE: I'm going to try and update as much as I can during this two-week holiday. But after that, I honestly don't know. I am definitely going to continue with this story but if I don't update for ages, do not think I've just ditched you all! I will definitely update, just probably not regularly. I'm preparing myself for a loss of favourites/follows, because I know some people on here really hate it when people don't update, but I'm not going to keep promises I can't make. I'm just going to give myself one goal, and I'll try to fulfil it: Update once a month. Should be okay, right?
So, please enjoy this chapter! (It's a bit weird, as are all the rest. Thanks to everyone who reviewed etc. and I'll make sure Annabeth is in character from now on. Well, I hope she is in this chapter. In my story, she's supposed to be kind of lost and confused and sort of being used by Nick. It's slightly confusing, but ah, well.) Let the reading commence!
Percy POV
Cold wetness drips onto my face, trickling through the slits in my mask. It's a peculiar sensation and oddly satisfying; I relish the feel of the cool liquid on my burning skin. I'm warm – so, so warm. This armour stuff does nothing to cool me down, and I'm desperate to just yank it all off and announce to the whole world who I am. Obviously, that isn't going to happen, but a guy can dream, right? Everything that happened with Nick comes rushing back to me and I clench my fists at my side. No. I won't think about that. Not yet.
I slowly open my eyes, feeling disorientated. There's a table beside me, and a candle sits on the little tartan placemat. The flickering orange flame dances and sways in the slight breeze that wafts through the open window above my head, and I'm mesmerised by the way it flashes and flares.
I blink to get rid of the remaining winks of light etched onto the inside of my eyelids. And blink again.
Two dark orbs are floating right in front of my face.
I scramble backwards, trying to get up and away all at once – which results in a rather unpleasant tangle of sheets and limbs. I pull them off and sit up properly; dimly registering the fact that someone with jet black hair is crouched on the floor beside my bed.
"Who's there?" I say, confused. At least, I think that's what I say. It comes out as more of an indistinct mumble as a searing pain darts through my head. I fight to keep my eyes open; pain lances across my vision and fiery tendrils of agony probe the inside of my very brain. I collapse backwards onto the pillows, my head sinking into the downy softness, and I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the pain to slowly ebb away. It dims to a steady throb in my temples and I deem it safe enough to open my eyes again.
Turns out those 'two dark orbs' were actually Nico Di Angelo's eyes. He's still crouched low, staring at me relentlessly and picking at the wooden floorboards. One of his hands clutches a damp towel and as he raises his head, I see his face properly for the first time in months. He's tired: he has deep purple circles under his eyes which look like bruises in the candle light, and his face has a gaunt look to it, his skin pale and translucent. But he's smiling – however slight his smile may be, it's still there. He faces me fully, seemingly concentrating on a small spot right above me, nodding his head slowly with his eyes narrowed. He's thinking something over. Carefully leaning in – to anyone passing by, it would look like he was just bending down to look in one of the drawers in the side table – he bends towards me. He looks around discreetly and then, under the pretence of taking something out of the drawer, whispers in my ear.
"Nice to see you, Percy."
My eyes widen behind my mask, and I can see the smug smile stretch across his face as the seconds stretch into minutes, and I don't reply. How did he know? Am I that easy to figure out? Nick knew too… How did Nick know?
I clear my throat.
"N-Nice to see you too, Nico."
There wouldn't have been any point in denying it – if I'm really so easy to figure out, he would have known I was lying. And I guess that explains earlier, too. He knew who I was the moment I entered camp – the question is, how?
"H-How did you…?" Damn it, what's happened to me? I can't even speak properly.
"How did I know?" he finishes off for me. I nod, opening my mouth to reply. But his eyes suddenly widen in warning and he shoots up off the floor. He moves his head left and right, so quickly, with such tiny movements, I'm sure I must have imagined it. He presses one finger against his lips and then grabs the candle off the table.
"Later," he mouths. I hear a creak behind me – the opening of a door. A gust of cool autumn air rushes in. One look from Nico tells me not to move, and I watch as he looks up, feigning surprise.
"Annabeth! How are you?"
I freeze. Time stops. The one person who could jeopardize my whole task stands metres from where I lay, and I can't do anything about it. I never could.
She speaks.
"Hi, Nico. I was wondering – have you seen Nick anywhere?"
I'm still facing Nico. He's looking at me, mouth tight and eyebrows lowered, gauging my reaction.
"No," he says shortly. "Sorry."
"Oh, that's alright." She pauses, and I can feel her eyes settle on my back.
"Who -?" she begins.
And of course I had to choose that moment to turn.
Our eyes meet. Crystal grey meets green, and something flashes in her eyes – recognition? Understanding? Fear? I lower my head, shutting my eyes. What did I do?
There is a heavy silence. I feel my muscles tense, and my heartbeat rises to a thousand beats a minute.
She doesn't say anything. I just hear the pop of her mouth as it falls open, and then the rustle of clothes and the click of her shoes against the floor as she leaves. The candle flame flickers, almost disappearing completely in the wake of the door slamming shut.
Nico looks at me in confusion and annoyance, eyebrows furrowed. I breathe a sigh of relief.
Annabeth POV
I lean against the side of the cabin, hidden in the shadows cast by the tall trees looming overhead.
Breathe, Annabeth. Breathe.
It wasn't him. You don't know if it was him. But it was.
I close my eyes and try to ignore my increasingly jumbled thoughts. My head aches, the bandage still wrapped around my forehead, and now my heart aches as well.
I think about what happened earlier, trying to understand what I have to do next.
Flashback
I walk away from the scene unfolding before me and make my way to the Big House, away from the chaos of fight. I have to remember what happened. I must find Chiron.
Why do I keep thinking of that flower? There's something haunting about it. That pure, snow white flower with its blood-red leaves, bathed in the dappled moonlight, my pale hand reaching out to take it from its nest of leaves. Beautiful.
No, not beautiful. Confusing.
I'm struggling to take control of this situation. But I always take control of the situation. I always have a solution. What is happening to me?
You just need to remember.
Yes. I just need to remember. I close my eyes.
I was walking in the dark, hand in hand with Nick, giddy with happiness. Something nagged at that happiness, but I chose to ignore it. What could possibly be wrong with walking through the forest with my boyfriend?
Everything.
He whispered in my ear, sweet nothings which really were nothing. A kiss here, a lingering look there… He played the part so well. But where were we going? I asked him. He kept telling me we were nearly there. I was so excited.
I'm never that excited.
"Here!" he announced. He let go of my hand and covered my eyes. "I have a surprise for you Annabeth." We walked forwards a few feet, and then came to an abrupt stop. He whispered into my neck.
"Look, Annabeth. Look. Isn't it just so beautiful?"
A delicate white flower with ruby leaves, sat in a bed of deep green grass.
"Beautiful," I whispered, entranced.
"I want you to pick it for me, Annabeth." He continued nuzzling my neck. I was confused. I moved my neck away.
"Why? Why don't you pick it?"
"I can't. You have to pick it Annabeth." He looked so calm. Too calm.
"I-I don't want to." My voice broke. Why was I so scared? Why was I so scared?
"Of course you do, darling. We need it." His irises gleamed.
"We need it," I repeated.
I reached my hand out, my fingertips grazing the scarlet stem. They burned, and I cried out. I… I saw things. Confusing flashes – a pair of sea green eyes, and a black shadow, glowing gold. A crumpled outline of something with four legs and a… wheelchair? Clangs of metal on metal, screaming and splatters of crimson.
It stopped. My fingers burned, and so did my eyes. I pulled the flower out of its roots and threw it at Nick. And then I ran.
Flashback Over
I slide to the ground.
I'm not any closer to finding out what happened to Chiron, but I know it has something to do with that flower. And something to do with Nick. I'm confused and tired, but I know one thing – Nick compelled me to pick that flower. There is nothing else to explain it. Who else do I know whose eyes gleam gold, and then whoever they're with does anything they want them to? I shake my head. So many lies. So much confusion.
I realise that this flower is far more dangerous than I could have imagined.
I need to find it.
A/N I'll keep this short! I hope you liked it, and please review, favourite and follow. You know I love it when you do! Thanks to everyone who stayed with this story during the almost two month gap. You're all amazing!
QOTD: WHO SAW MOCKINGJAY?!
I did! I did! OMG IT WAS AMAZHANG. SO SAD AND AWESOME. LOVED IT AND I CANNOT WAIT TILL THE NEXT ONE.
Okay. Au revoir.
