Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Caught

I was tied to a chair.

Nick and Selina were tied to chairs, too.

Neraudris circled us with her feather duster, viciously questioning us. I answered each one calmly.

How did we get tied up in chairs? Because of Nick. When we were sneaking down the stairs he tripped and fell, yelling and hollering the whole way.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"For advice," I answered simply.

"What advice?"

"About love."

"Love? What do you mean?"

"My friend was shot with Cupid's arrow, and now he's fallen in love with me." I had decided it was best to stay as close to the truth as possible.

"Did Aphrodite shoot it?"

I nod. Neraudris whips away from us, and I can hear her muttering. Selina looked at me questioningly. I didn't supply an answer.

Neraudris turned back around.

"Leave him. Never talk to him again. It'll only bring you heartache."

"Thank you, ma'am. But, what if he already broke my heart?" I asked, trying to muster up a devastated but curious look.

Her face softened. "Oh, sweetie. Did he dump you?"

I nodded, and tried to look broken hearted. Dead puppies, dead puppies, dead puppies.

"When I was dumped," Neraudris sniffed, "my heart was broken. I thought I would never get over him. I keep my house in tip-top shape in case he returns for me... But then someone offered me a deal… it helped me." She cocked her head and studied me. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"You may be young, but I'm sure he won't mind. He needs all the help he can get," she whispered mischievously.

"Really! Oh, do tell me!"

Nick snorted in the seat beside me, and I kicked him.

Neraudris ignored him, and looked around suspiciously. When she was satisfied that no one can hear her, she leaned close to me. "Kronos."

The name sent shivers through my body, but I plastered a hopeful look on my face. "Kronos! That's wonderful! But what do I have to do? Should I give him anything?"

"Well, when I was accepted," Neraudris said, straightening. "I showed him a gift that a friend gave me. He was thrilled! He told me that he would take me in, and no one would ever leave me."

"What was the gift? You know, so I have an idea," I added quickly.

"The pearls of Delphi," she saaid smugly.

"The pearls of Delphi…?" I racked my memory for any mention of them, but nothing came up.

"Yes."

"What are they?"

"They allow you to see into the future," she whispered.

I sit stunned. My plan had worked, but I never knew that there was something that allowed anyone other than the Oracle to see the future.

"I don't believe you," Nick said bravely. Selina and I shushed him furiously, but the damage was done.

Neraudris's face twisted with rage. "What?" she screeched.

"I... I don't… uh, um- believe you?"

"What he means is, that, uh, he can't believe that there is something so powerful," Selina offered, trying to attempt damage control.

Neraudris's face calmed slightly. "Yes, there is. And I have it. Hah! If Perseus knew how powerful I have become, I bet he never would've left me" It seems like she forgot that we were there.

"Can we see them?" I inquired, trying to pull the attention back to us.

"Well… I don't know…"

"But, we're going to be joining you anyways, so what does it matter?"

"Yes, you're right. I'll be right back. Don't go away!"

"Like we can," Nick muttered.

Neraudris clicked past us, and as soon as she was out of the room, I started to wrestle with my bindings.

I needed to get them off by the time she gets back.

One hand slipped out of the ropes, and I pull the ropes of the other. Luckily, Nick and Selina caught on, and also pulled their hands out of the loosely tied bindings.

"Don't move hands from behind your back. Follow my lead," I hiss as Neraudris's clicking and a faint buzzing sound announced her arrival.

"Okay! I have them! Don't touch them, though. They can be dangerous to mortals."

She positions herself in front of me. In her hands she held one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

The pearls were strung on a simple strand, meant to be a loose necklace. They were gold and silver, the colors constantly swirling together. A faint multicolored glow surrounded each separate pearl, like the Northern lights. There was an almost electric charge radiating off of them, which was the source of the buzzing.

"They're beautiful," Selina whispers.

I shake myself out of the trance I was being held in. I whisper under my breath, "Ready…"

Tensing my body, I wait for the right moment. As she was chattering away about how great Kronos is, I attacked.

"GO!"

I launched myself out of my chair and onto Neraudris, knocking me and her to the ground.