CHAPTER 8

Annabeth

I stood in front of the large iron gothic expanse of a gateway, my duffel bag slung over a shoulder. The gateway led to the castle manor that stood high with it's pretentious statues of beautiful naked gods and goddesses and illustriously built in hallways, windows and columns. My family had always been on the far side of the dramatic in showing off their wealth and name— a name renown.

It was sunny here. The sun felt luxurious on my face. I'd ditched my New York, cold weather clothing on the jet ride here.

I let out a sigh, still staring at the front gate of the manor that was more of a suffocating jail cell to me than an illustrious demonstration of wealth and elite leisure. The sun was the extent of my homesickness.

My heart beat hadn't steadied ever since I left the club just yesterday—when I left Percy standing there with that confused, broken expression on his face.

The grief hit me over again and I wasn't getting any better at controlling the tears.

I pressed the heel of my palm against my eyes, to wipe away any hint of the emotions overtaking me.

That handkerchief. Why did it have to be with him? Percy of all people. I screwed fate to hell a hundred times over.

That beautiful, amazingly sweet guy. I didn't know when it happened. I'd fallen for him before I knew it.

The gates opened slowly. My father's personal bodyguard, Hercules, spoke up, startling me. I'd forgotten he was standing next to me, which was weird since the the guy was the size of a boulder, "Let's go in, Young Miss. The Master and Mistress are inside. They are eager to see you."

Miss, Master, Mistress.

I let out a relenting breath and walked on, letting Hercules lead the way. We came up to the front porch which could have held a house all on it's own with it's glass canopy, plants and stairs that led down left and right towards the roads leading to the gardens. I used to love the gardens, but they weren't looking so pleasing right now being as it may that they were a part of this monstrosity of a death trap that was unfortunately a part of my childhood.

Hercules retreated behind me just as Achilles, our butler, opened the front door. He had a bit more emotion to his face than Hercules upon seeing me.

"Miss Annabeth. How lovely of you to have come home again." He bowed low, taking my duffel bag from me.

"Where are they?" I asked him straight out.

"Ah, yes. The Master and Mistress have company and are shooting game out in the yard. Did you want to clean up first? You must be tired from the flight."

I knew he was asking since I was in a fitted tank and jeans with my hair messily up in a bun.

"I'm fine." I said tightlipped, "I need to see my father."

"Would you like to be announced?"

Yeah, to the king and queen.

"No, that's fine."

I made my way through the familiar hallways and to the huge expanse of a room we called the dining room. A maid opened the glass clear door for me that led to the gardens.

It was already getting hard to breathe in here. The back porch that was more like standing on the golden gate bridge than an actual porch led down to the lounge area where I knew my mother and her endless party of friends were going to be.

It had never simply been a few friends over for a cup of tea. It had always been a full on banquet of every pastry and sweet sugared thing that was invented and frilled up dresses and gossip and fake appearances.

I'd halfway made it down the stairs when I'd already caught the eyes of some of the pampered sons I'd grown up kissing and ignoring. God, it was like going back into the bubble I'd tried so hard to escape.

There was only one thing on my mind and that was to find my father.

I locked eyes with Michael Yew, his eyes sparkling seeing me there, a bemused smirk on his lips. It was too good of a thought to think that I could get by unnoticed. He parted from the clan of his other privileged friends towards me.

"Well, well. The Prodigal daughter returns." He said, stepping up one step to meet me—leaning forward on the railing with his glass in hand. His eyes scanned the length of me, undoubtedly unclothing me with his eyes.

Michael was nice to look at, sure. And I'd kissed him as well as the other pretty boys back when I was a clueless rich brat, who'd just survived a life threatening illness and who'd simply wanted more of her parent's attention by doing reckless, stupid things—... such as, hooking up with all the rich boys in my parent's monstrous circle of powerful friends.

I regretted those days viciously— acting like such an immature idiot when there were people like Percy out there— barely surviving with circumstances he'd been forced into…circumstances that were connected to me.

That brought me back to my whole reason for even being here.

I didn't spare Michael another look, "Where's my mother?"

"Oh come on, Annabeth. Tell me about it. Did you experience the great big world? Are you so changed now that you aren't going to give me a welcome kiss?"

That's when I looked at him full on with the eyes that I knew would get him to shut up. His eyes widened a bit and I knew I'd gotten to him, "Let's be honest about something, Michael. If I kissed you now, it'd be the best thing to ever happen to your full of shit face. Now, do you know where my mother is or not."

His friends snickered behind him as his face contorted in scornful embarrassment. One of them, Jake Atlas, came over to us, bringing his arm around Michael's shoulder.

"Rebellion suits you, prodigal princess," Atlas said with a grin, "I'll take Michael off your hands now." Michael still had a scowl on his face.

I resisted flipping them off. I didn't have time for this.

I simply left the pretty boy party and turned to the circles of ladies sitting and having tea—not much better of a scene change. Usually, it would be impossible to find someone in the sea of pleated skirts and plastic noses.

But, my mother was easy to spot— I just had to look for the older version of myself.

Her grey, stern eyes only widened slightly seeing me. There was hesitation and a sadness in her face, but that was quickly replaced with her I have guests face. She stood and came over to me, an attendant moving close behind her, holding up a parasol to shade her from the sun.

"Annabeth. Well, isn't this a surprise."

"Please, you knew I was coming. Where's Dad?" God, I was on a bloody scavenger hunt.

Her eyes looked over my clothes and to my dyed hair— there was disapproval in her eyes, "Now, Annabeth, don't be rude. I have guests."

"Yes, as you always do." I said with a heartless smile. There were guests everywhere but the ladies sitting close with my mother in her circle were the most coveted positions in this lady society. Being up and chummy with Athena Chase was like being noticed by a queen. That meant I was the queen's daughter. And I had to act as such.

There was a time when I had been close to my mother. But- things changed.

I turned my attention to my mother's circle and put on that same, lady smile I'd perfected ever since I was young, "Good evening." I addressed them.

"Oh Athena, you're daughter's absolutely stunning." A lady said—a new member of the circle I was guessing.

"Yes, well. I'm very proud of her." Athena said with a smile—as if I hadn't just come back home after being estranged for months.

"She looks just like Athena, I'm telling you. A spitting image."

"Oh yes, she and that Logan boy would make a handsome couple, don't you think, Marissa?"

"Yes, well she'd have to get rid of those clothes."

"How lovely, if she could meet my dear Kyle. Will you make it happen, Athena?"

Their eyes were trained on me like I was some bejeweled prize.

I looked over at my mother, eyes saying a million things at once. My mother let out a sigh, "Your father's with the other gentlemen up on the hills."

"Thank you." I said as I left the dreadful circle and my mother and her disapproving gaze. I was about to walk off down the stairs when a hand caught me by the elbow. I turned to see the blue eyes of Silena Beauregard.

"You weren't going to leave without saying a word to your best friend were you?"

Alright, there was one other thing I'd missed besides the sun.

I let out a sigh and brought my best friend into a hug. Things had been weird between us before I'd left, but I'd missed her.

"Annabeth, while you're at it, you can also crush my lungs too."

I let go, "Sorry. I just missed you."

"Me too." She said with a smile. Silena Beauregard was all sunshine blonde hair and blue eyes—the perfect poster child for a lady of society. She was the girl my mother would have loved to have in place of me. I thought I'd hate her for it when I first met her. But that all changed when she put laxatives in the tea at one of my mother's gatherings.

Things had been more than bearable with her around after that.

We'd been there for each other through it all. She'd been there when I was sick. I'd been there when she came out of the closet and was punished by her parents for it.

"Where were you off to so quickly?"

"The fields. I need to see my dad."

"We'll talk later? And you'll tell me everything?"

"I promise." I said with a smile.

She smiled back then retreated back to her seat beside her mother, turning to give me a wink before sitting properly in her seat again. Silena was the only friendly face among the other daughters sitting with their mothers—they eyed me with scorn and I'm guessing jealousy also that I was stealing the undivided attention of the pretty boy clan on the other side of the party.

I made my way down the steps away from the frilly banquet party and over to the hilled lawns.

My father, my brother and a group of other men were standing around with their pipes and guns slung over their shoulders, probably taking a break from pretending to be able to shoot geese in the sky.

My father, Frederick Chase, was easy to distinguish among the men as my mother was. As was Malcolm. Malcolm ignored me as usual, continuing to talk boring business stuff with the other men.

I addressed Frederick alone.

"Dad."

My father looked up to me, his polite company smile waning at the sight of me. He put up that strained smile of his, "Annabeth. Well, isn't it lovely you blessed us with your presence today."

All his decorative friends turned their perverted uncle gazes on me as I kept my eyes on Frederick Chase. I didn't have the patience to keeping up any more appearances in front of my parent's guests. Malcolm only looked indifferently at me.

"Hercules didn't mention you were going to have so many guests."

"Well, what did you expect, sweetheart. That I would stop a party from happening just because you decided to come back home again—me and your mother's lives didn't stop just because you left, you know."

I pursed my lips, "I very well know that."

Frederick took a puff of his cigar, "It seems like you won't be staying long anyway. You come and go as you wish."

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh and is that why you decided to come back home— to talk. What is it? Money? Pregnant?"

I tried to calm myself from erupting even though I was at the edge, "No." I glared at this man with every fiber of my being. He stared back, neither of us wanting to back down.

After a long silence, he let out a huff and turned to the other men and my brother, "If you'll excuse me. I'm going to talk to my daughter for a moment. Malcolm, lead these gentlemen to the next shooting spot. Go on."

Men didn't gossip out loud. They gossiped with their eyes, eyeing me up and down and then to my father and then back to me. Some were disapproving, others were lingering. Malcolm smiled his polite smile to the men and started forward.

I simply looked at my father, waiting until we were alone before telling him the reason for my return.

"Well, spit it out, girl. What is it?"

"I found him."

"Can you be any vaguer?"

I tried to shut out images of soft, sweet goodnatured sea green eyes and a dashing boyish smile,

"The boy from the hospital." I said through gritted teeth, "The boy whose mother you killed."