Chapter Nine

Nico's POV

"What is it?" whispered Annabeth. Thalia didn't move. Didn't blink.

"Forget it," I muttered. I stooped down and put a hand to the girl's neck, checking for a pulse. There it was, dudump, dudump, dudump. I looked to her eyes, they were moving under the lids.

Then, suddenly, without warning, her eyes snapped open, and she was screaming. Screaming like Kronos himself was carving her heart out with his scythe.

Thalia snapped out of it, and quickly drew a knife. Annabeth followed suit, unnerved.

I stepped back, sword at the ready. To bad no one was looking behind us. Because as we stood, almost hypnotized by the girl screaming in pain, the Hellhounds were struggling to reform behind us, and they were not pleased.