Long time no read, peeps! Have a handy dandy chapter here for you all! Enjoy and please tell me what you think! Love you all! I don't own the series.
I jerked away from Percy, sitting up straight. The intruder cleared his throat.
"Frank, hi. Um, what is it?" I said awkwardly. Frank had his head turned to the side, avoiding eye contact with both me and Percy.
"Your, uh, front door was open. I knocked, but no one answered. So I just let myself in. I heard talking in here, so I just walked in. I'm, uh, sorry for interrupting your, um, whatever. Are you both, um, fully clothed?" Frank rambled, squeaking the last few words. His cheeks had turned pink and I realized what it must have looked like to him.
"Frank! Yes, of course we're dressed. Don't be gross!" I said, throwing a pillow at his face. Frank caught the pillow easily and lifted his head so he could see the both of us.
"What do you need, Frank?" Percy asked, clearly a little annoyed that the moment had been ruined.
"Oh! Right, I totally forgot. Your friend is alive. I can take you to see," Frank said to me. I scrambled off the bed and grabbed a shawl for the night chill. Tugging on my slippers, I followed Frank out to the infirmary. He led to one of the rooms in the long hallway and stood outside, allowing me to enter alone.
I took a breath. Shutting my eyes, I turned the doorknob and pushed open the wooden door. The room was sparsely furnished, with a small dresser in the corner, a window on the back wall, and a small table and chair by the bed. The bed was small, in the center of the room with its headboard against the wall, under the wall. And on the bed, the only person who mattered right then.
"Piper," I breathed.
She lay still, save for the soft rise and fall of her chest. Her hair was splayed over the pillow, tangled and matted with seawater. Her cheeks had sunken in and she was so frail it seemed as though at any moment she would turn to dust and fly away with the wind. Still, she was beautiful.
I pulled up the chair and sat next to her, gently holding her hand with my two. She fidgeted in the bed, and scrunched her eyebrows as she awoke from her slumber. Gradually, her eyelids opened, and her bleary eyes shifted around the room before they fixated on my face.
Her cracked lips parted as though she was trying to say something. I placed a finger over her mouth.
"Shh. Don't say anything. You're throat needs some time to heal. You're safe now. You're alive. I'm alive, too. The doctors here fixed you up. We did it, Piper. We made it to paradise. Like we always said we would. We're safe here. You should rest now. I'm going to stay right here," I whispered to her, remembering how painful loud sounds were after waking. Piper nodded and then closed her eyes. Within seconds, her breathing returned to a steady rhythm. I lay my head down on the bed and soon I was asleep as well.
Percy POV
Annabeth had rushed off to see her friend, leaving me alone in her room. Standing, I made my way back to my room. I pushed open the door and went over the small fountain on the bedside table. Sighing, I tossed a golden coin into the mist of the fountain. Stating the name of the person I was trying to reach, I sat down in a chair and waited for the call to connect.
"Percy," a deep voice spoke. Poseidon's face appeared through the mist, old and withered, but smooth as if the water had whittled away all the imperfections.
"Father," I acknowledged.
"It's so nice to see you, my boy," Poseidon began.
"Don't start that with me. It might have worked with your wife, but not me. Now why did you want me to call?" I demanded, annoyed at his attempt at small talk. I clearly hated him and he clearly wished I'd never been born.
"Straight to business it is then," his voice turned serious. "There's a newcomer. A girl."
"Yes. Annabeth's crew member. She arrived recently," I admitted.
"I meant Annabeth herself," Poseidon clarified.
"What do you want with her?" I asked, curious to know why he was asking.
"She's not who you think she is," Poseidon said.
"I know that. She's a pirate captain," I stated, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Not that. That's old news, son," he said.
"Don't call me son," I interrupted. I ran a hand through my hair, fiddling with the seashell necklace in my pocket with the other. "Get to the point," I said.
"Alright. Annabeth is wanted for a reason other than being a pirate. She's royalty," Poseidon said. "She's the missing princess. You know who I'm talking about."
"The Runaway Princess of Kyna. I've heard the stories. She escaped the kingdom with her handmaiden and was never seen again. Are you saying that's Annabeth?" I asked, incredulous.
"It may seem difficult to believe now, but how much of her past do you really know?" Poseidon countered.
"She just said that she was from the capital of Kyna and had a bad childhood. That could mean anything. The capital is a huge city and I'm sure there are many people named Annabeth there, after the princess. You can't possible believe it's her," I retorted, though internally I couldn't help but doubt the words I spoke.
"She fits the description and age. Her ship was named Athina, after her mother who she only heard stories of. She was escaping the Royal Navy of Kyna when she chose to enter a storm to avoid capture. That shows desperation. And of course, my sources are never wrong," Poseidon stated.
"Even if it is true, why are you telling me this?" I asked.
"Kyna pledges its allegiance to Athena, even with its status as a coastal country with major sea trade. Returning the lost princess would turn the favor in our direction, and truly help the kingdom," Poseidon said.
"You mean, your direction. I'm going to have nothing to do with this," I clarified.
"Not only will Kyna favor us, but there's another king who has put a price on her head. He wants her back in place desperately, though he won't say why, and he's willing to pay anything. This is why I'm telling you. I need you to be the one to capture her and take her home. She trusts you. Use that trust," he told me.
"Like you did with Mom?" I snarked, a cruel grin forming on my face. The determination in his eyes faltered for a second.
"That has nothing to do with this," he defended.
"It has everything to do with this! This is exactly what you did with Mom! Only you had the nerve to knock her up first," I snarled, my hand clutched tightly around the necklace in my pocket to point where my knuckles had gone white. "She trusted you! She loved you! She died for you! And the worst part is, you let it happen. All for your stupid reputation. The God of the Sea doesn't have affairs. Well here I am! I'm the proof that you're not perfect and you hate it! You couldn't get over yourself for one second to realize that you had a son who needed you, who had no one else but the father that denied his existence! To realize that you had a woman who really loved you for you and not your status! She died because of you! You used her!" I screamed at him, hot, salty tears rolling down my cheeks.
"Son-" he started.
"Don't you dare call me that," I growled, waving my hand through the mist to end the call. I sank down into my mattress. Trembling I gently pulled the seashell necklace out of my pocket. It was all I had left of my mother, all I ever had. I had always kept it with me, safe in my pocket. Holding it up by the string, I studied the shell in the dim light of the candle. Down the middle of the shell, a hairline crack had formed.
Soooooo, yeah. *English teacher voice* Okay, guys, so what does the shell symbolize? Hahahahaha. I haven't slept in 26 hours. Anyway, love you all and thanks for reading!