Chapter 9

Shortly after Percy left, I heard Cain fighting with Percy. Cain must have lost because he flew pass my cell door. "I'll be back for you," That's what Percy said. Though, I doubted I was getting saved today. Percy's footsteps had raced down the hallway. Then Cain came into my cell and unlocked my foot. He gripped my arm and took me the opposite way that Percy went. We went through a door I'd never been through. It led to a staircase. As we climbed, Cain became more nervous. "We have to hurry," he muttered.

Finally, we came to a door. He kicked it open. It took us to the city. The night sky looked beautiful, though I didn't have time to look at it for more than a second. Cain dragged me down the street. We came to a blue van. Michael and Nick sat in the front. He opened the door and threw me inside. I sat in the backseat. Mark sat next to me, and Jason sat with Cain. Suddenly, the ground rumbled. Fire burst from every place that was connected to the sewer. A figure was flying through the air. Then they landed on the ground. It was Percy. "NO!" I screamed.

I tried to get out of the car, but Mark blocked me. We started to move. "NO! PERCY!" I yelled.

Mark kept a firm grip on me so I could barely move. "Let me go!" I screamed.

The van got farther and farther away from Percy. I couldn't tell if he was alive. What if his Achilles spot was hit? I pushed the question out of my mind. Mark held me still and Cain touched my forehead. He was taking my memories again. Cain took a deep breath and grinned. "The dream you had," he smiled.

"It doesn't concern you," I snapped.

"It was very smart of you to convince Percy to leave you," Cain said. "If you hadn't he would of surely died. However, Annabeth, you should know you can't stop the future. You can only postpone it. Percy will die."

The words sent chills through me. Cain thought for a moment and looked back at me. "Percy dying will not make the boss happy," he told me. "So in a way, I'm on your side."

"Percy would rather die then help you," I cried.

"Maybe so," Cain said. "He still led the daughter of Zeus to us. So now we have located all three children of the Big Three. Oh, and, Annabeth? Percy will be back for you. Though, I doubt he'll escape so easily next time."

"How do you know he's still alive?" I asked.

"Please," Cain laughed. "A son of Poseidon, with the Achilles spot? Ha! He's not going to die that easily!"

"He'll come looking for you, just like before," Mark grinned. "Only this time, he'll be captured. So will the daughter of Zeus and Hades."

"What are you planning?" I demanded.

"Revenge," Cain told me. "Against half-bloods."

"What?" I said. "You're going to use Percy, Thalia, and Nico to get revenge?"

Cain didn't answer. He turned away from me and starred out the car window. I had to face all my fears. Cain was right. Percy would die. It was only a matter of time.

PERCY'S POV

I opened my eyes to find I was in my cabin. My head ached from the night before. I tried flex my shoulder, but pain shot through it. Then I lifted up my shirt and found my shoulder wrapped. I put my shirt down and sat up. My cabin door opened. "Hey, Percy," Nico greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," I grunted.

"Yeah, I guess," Nico shrugged. "You took a beating. I mean, blowing up the Demigod Hunters's lair! I'm suprised you didn't hit your Achilles spot!"

"Whatever," I muttered. "How's your shoulder?"

"It's fine now," Nico said. "It hurt when they removed the bullet, though."

Nico studied me for a minute. "Uh, Percy? Where'd you get that scar?"

"That jerk, Tom, hit my face with one of those spears," I told him. "Why?"

"I was going to say it looks a lot like...Luke's scar," Nico bit his lip.

"I know," I growled.

"Percy, I've been talking to Thalia and she said you weren't acting like yourself thoughout the quest," he told me.

"So?" I demanded.

"Well," he started. "Do you think Luke could be trying to come back...through you?"

"That's stupid," I snapped.

"It's possible!" Nico protested.

I felt my temperature rising. "Nico, Luke IS NOT trying to come back through me! Got it?"

Nico didn't say anything. I pushed pass him. Luke wasn't coming back. There was no way. He was dead! Dead! Don't count me out just because I'm dead, Percy, a voice said in my head.

"What?" I said in my head.

Silence. No. It wasn't Luke. I was losing it. Travis and Connor came up behind me. Travis put his arm around my shoulders, "Hey, Percy! That was awesome! You blowing up the lair, I mean."

"Yeah," I muttered. "I'm not in the mood to talk now guys."

I pushed Travis's arm on my shoulders and walked away from them. My feet felt like lead. I'd failed to rescue Annabeth. Where had they taken her? I put my hands in my pockets. Backbiter was still in my pocket. I walked to the lake and put my feet in the water. My reflection starred back at me. Suddenly, it shifted to a different face. To Luke's face. My heart seemed to stop beating. Percy, a voice hissed.

"No," I said out loud. "It isn't possible. Luke is dead."

I'm very much alive, Percy, Luke's voice laughed bitterly.

"How?" I demanded. "If you're alive, why can't I see you?"

Because I live in you, Luke said. When you took Backbiter, my sword, as your weapon of choice, part of my soul was still living inside of it. So through Backbiter, I was able to enter your body.

"What do you plan to do?" I asked, my voice trembling.

You could say I'm going to do the same thing to you, that Kronos did to me, Luke sighed. The only diffrence is your body will slowly begin to look like mine did.

"You mean, like the scar?"

Yes. I had a scar just like that when I was alive. Your hair will change from black to blonde; your eyes will turn blue. Within weeks, your soul will be mine and I'll control your body.

My heart began to beat faster. "Why? I thought you were my friend in the end," I cried.

I wasn't ready to die, Percy. I will have my second chance and I don't care if it means taking your life, Luke told me coldly.

Then Luke's reflection faded and I knew he was gone...for now. My hands trembled. Backbiter felt heaver. What if I got rid of Backbiter? Would Luke's soul leave me? Probably not. Things for a demigod are never as simple. I threw a rock into the lake. I thought about the few moments I'd gotten to see Annabeth. Why did she want me to leave? She had looked worried about something, and I had no clue about what.