Another chapter is here! This one is a direct continuation of the last chapter. No timeskip. So go back and reread last chapter if you forgot what happened. Lots of new information to be discovered, so stop reading this and go read the actual chapter!
I don't own PJO/HoO.
I clapped a hand over my mouth and stepped away until my back hit the wall behind me. Jason peeked inside and saw my condition. He gently pulled me out of the room and sat me down in a chair.
"Percy," he called out to the man who had just appeared in the hallway. Percy walked towards us, taking in my appearance. "Can you take her home? I think she should get some sleep," Jason told him. Percy nodded and reached for me.
I let him help me up, only to have my legs buckle underneath me. Percy managed to catch me before I hit the ground. He wrapped an arm behind my knees and my back and lifted me up. Slowly, he carried me back to the guest house and lay me down in my bed.
Percy pulled the blankets up and tucked them under my chin. He turned to leave when I slid my arm out and latched onto his wrist. He stopped and looked at me out of the corner of his eye.
"Don't go," I whispered. "I don't want to be alone." Percy nodded and then lifted up the blankets so he could slide underneath. I turned so I lay on my right side, facing the large window, so we could both fit comfortably on the bed. Percy wrapped his arms around me, chest pressed against my back, and I quietly drifted off to sleep, comforted by the warmth of his body.
I opened my eyes to find myself sitting behind my desk, cheek resting against the cool wooden surface. The door slammed open and I jerked my head up. Piper stood in the doorway, panting.
"Captain, you've got to come see this! We're being followed by an entire fleet of the Royal Navy's best ships. I don't know how they found us. Must have been while we were ashore. But that doesn't matter. They're after us and they're closing in fast. Come quick!" Piper exclaimed before turning and running back out onto the main deck.
I stood and followed her out. There were indeed hundreds of Royal Ships speeding towards us. "Captain!" I heard a familiar voice call out from behind me. I turned slowly and found a smiling blonde man staring at me.
"Malcolm," I breathed out. He raised an eyebrow.
"That's me. What do you need me to do?" he asked. I gaped at him for a second before realizing how strange I looked with my mouth hanging open.
"Umm. Give me a second. I need to plan. Just release all the sails and try to give as much of a speed boost as possible," I ordered, my voice far more steady than I. Turning, I headed back into my office, giving all I had not to wrap him up in a hug then and there.
I sank down onto my bed. Had everything that had happened all been just a dream? Was it a premonition? A vision of the future? What might happen should I choose to enter the storm? I couldn't decide whether I wanted it to be a dream or not. I never wanted my crew to die, but life in that village was paradise. And Percy. To have everything between us all made up in my mind. A small, terrible part of me wanted to head into the storm. But at the same time. I couldn't sentence my crew to an execution. Not after all they'd done for me. Especially Piper.
I straightened my coat and stepped back outside. Sure enough, a storm was brewing in the distance. Malcolm ran up to me.
"Captain! I have a plan!" he shouted. "We should head into that storm. It looks like a small one, but the kingdom won't risk damaging their more precious ship. Athina is strong. She can take it," Malcolm explained, excited at having come up with such a brilliant plan.
"No," I ordered strictly. His face fell. I decided to let go of everything and scooped him up in a long hug. "Trust me, dear cousin. It's for the best," I whispered into his ear. He nodded into my shoulder. I gave him one last squeeze and then let go. "We'll head forward. Avoid the storm. I have a feeling we'll be okay," I said, remembering the singing I'd head from my 'dream'.
Malcolm looked at me confused and then saluted. He was about to head up to the wheel when I stopped him. "Malcolm." He turned and looked at me. "I love you," I said, realizing how little I'd said those three words in my whole life.
"Love you too, Captain," Malcolm saluted again and then ran back to the wheel. I scoured the ship until I found the man I was looking for.
"Beckendorf!" I called. The dark skinned man stopped what he was fixing and looked at me.
"Captain," he said in his deep voice, saluting. I let out a sigh and then hugged him. He wasted no time in hugging me back. As tough as he looked, Beckendorf was a man of kindness and love.
"I love you, Beckendorf. You know that, right?" I told him, releasing him.
"Of course, but you know my heart lay with Silena," he joked. I smiled ruefully.
"Ah. I was hoping you'd changed your mind about her. Oh, well. I suppose one of the Stolls will have to to do," I joked. He laughed.
"Good luck with that," he teased. I chuckled and then left to continue my mission. I found Silena in the guest quarters, sobbing into a pillow.
"Hey there," I said quietly. She sat up immediately, hastily wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Captain. You're here. I thought you would be upstairs handling the… situation," she said.
"Silena. It's okay," I said. I walked over and sat down next to her on the bed. She looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "I forgive you. I understand. And I forgive you. I know you never intended for this to happen and I know you love Beckendorf with all your heart. You two have my blessing."
"You- you know?" she asked.
"Yes. I do. And I know you were forced into it. It's alright. You're forgiven. The situation is taken care of. Everyone is safe and no one else knows. You may tell them in your own time," I said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you, Captain," she whispered. I patted her on the back and left her alone. As I made my way up the stairs to the main deck, Piper ran down and bumped into my shoulder.
"Piper!" I called after her. She stopped and turned towards me.
"Captain?" she asked.
"I- I love you," I said.
"Love you, too," she said. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah… yeah. Everything's fine. Great. Just, stay alive, okay?" I asked.
"Of course, Annabeth. I, uh, I have to go now. Beckendorf needs my help. But after that, I want to talk with you. You seem off," Piper said.
"Okay, Pipes," I said.
"Annabeth," a voice called from above. I made my way up to the main deck to search for the source of the voice. "Annabeth," the voice called again, this time from behind me. I turned around to find empty space where the person should have been. "Annabeth," I heard once more. The ship started shaking and the sky clouded over. Rain fell in buckets and the wind howled so loud I thought I would go deaf.
"Malcolm? Malcolm! I told you not to go in the storm!" I yelled out. I ran up the stairs to the steering deck, pushing my wet hair out of my face. Fighting the wind, I climbed the steps to the deck. Malcolm stood behind the wheel, steering us straight into the heart of the storm.
"Malcolm!" I called out, screaming to be heard above the screeching wind. The blonde figure turned his head, wet locks swinging away from his forehead as a grin formed on his face. I stepped closer to him and then stood rooted to the floor as his face registered in my brain.
"Malcolm? Is he the other guy? In that case, Malcolm's dead. You're mine now, my sweet. All mine," he sneered, taking his hands off the wheel and approaching me in slow, agonizing steps. Each step he took made my heart beat faster and faster, until after what seemed like centuries, he reached me and placed his hand on my arms, just below the shoulder.
"Have you been a bad girl, Annabeth?" he asked, sliding his arms around until he had me in what looked like an embrace but felt like an entrapment.
"Let me go!" I yelled, finally finding my voice. I thrashed around in his arms, but everytime I moved his grip grew tighter.
"Let you go? Never, my sweet. I saved you, don't you remember? You owe me your life. I love you. I loved you when no one else did. You have no one, my sweet. No one but me. And I'm never leaving," he whispered in my ear, breath hot against my ear.
I struggled harder. The rain fell in sheets, masking my tears. His grip grew tighter until it felt as though I was suffocating. My breaths came in short gasps. Everything was so hot and sticky and closed in. I blinked and suddenly we were falling into the sea. His hold never loosened and try as I might, there was no way to reach the surface. I could feel the waters pulling us down deeper into the dark depths.
Suddenly a cool touch and everything was white.
Aaaaaaahhhhhhh. Who could that guy possible be? Find out soon! (Please keep reading. I'm so lonely.) Anyways, hope you enjoyed!. As always, please review with your thoughts (just whatever you're thinking as you're reading) and I love you all!