Disclaimer: All PJO characters belong to Rick Riordan.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Percy
"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."
(Galileo)
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Percy woke up shivering.
He couldn't see anything. For a second, he thought he had gone blind. But then his eyes adjusted and he hungrily took in everything around him.
He was in a prison cell. It was a small area, the size of his hideout in the woods, and the walls were made of cold, gray stone. The door was wood with iron hinges and a small, barred window at the top. The room stank of urine and vomit. He strained his ears, trying to hear something, anything to let him know he wasn't alone. The faint sound of a tortured scream filtered though the barred window and Percy almost wished that he was alone down here.
He spied a window on the back wall of the cell. It had bars covering it so there was no chance of escape, but Percy made his way to it, hoping to tell where in the prison he was. He knew the royal jails were underneath the palace, but which side was he on? He took three steps towards the window before cold metal bit into his skin, stopping him, and he fell to his knees.
He jerked his head down and found that shackles were locked on his wrists and ankles, keeping him from moving more than three feet in any direction. He stared at them, uncomprehendingly, trying desperately to remember what had happened and how he had gotten here. The last thing he remembered was kissing Annabeth in the basement of the little cabin in the woods. Why had he been kissing her? He strained to remember. There had been a noise upstairs and he...he was going to check it out. That's why he had kissed her, because he knew in his heart what was up there, that he was leaving her. And then...
Suddenly, it all came back in a rush that physically pushed Percy down. He remembered going back upstairs and seeing a big, large figure run out the door and towards the woods. He remembered running after him but not being quick enough and losing him to the protection of the trees. And when he came back after five minutes - five minutes - guards had surrounded the house and were dragging a limp, bloody, lifeless Annabeth out of the basement. And he had lost it, letting out a cry and moving forward before he knew what he was doing, and the next thing he knew, a guard had him in handcuffs and when he tried to fight back to get to Annabeth, he had been hit in the back of the head and passed out cold.
Had he really been passed out for the whole week it took to get back to Olympia? He had heard some crazy stories about people going into comas and such, but really? Had he been hit that hard?
Percy shook his head. He had to focus. He was now at the mercy of the king, an angry king who wanted him dead for taking away his daughter. The daughter who Percy had, against all rational thinking, fallen insanely in love with.
Gods, what had he gotten himself into?
An image of Annabeth's lifeless body flashed through his mind. His blood ran cold as he remembered how bloody she had been. Where was she now? Was she okay? Who had done that to her? Whoever it was, Percy would find out and once he did, he would kill him, long and painfully. More importantly though, was Annabeth even alive? Would she come for him? Or now that she was back in her home, had she realized how irrational and wrong it was to fall in love with him? Had she gone back to hating him?
He sure deserved her hate.
Another question popped into his mind, painful and insistent. Where was his family? Would they be killed for his actions? How was Macy doing? Was she even still alive or had everything he had done been for nothing?
So many questions and no way to get answers.
In a fit of anger, Percy stood and yanked as hard as he could on his chains, yelling defiantly. The chains clattered uselessly on the stone ground, as if to say, Sorry, buddy. You're on your own. Percy shut his eyes tight and ran his hands through his shaggy hair. He needed to calm down. He needed to focus. He had to believe his family and Macy were still alive. He had to believe Annabeth was still alive and still loved him. He wasn't sure he could continue living if she didn't.
He needed to get out of here. Soon. Kidnapping the princess was a crime punishable by death and his execution was probably soon. Too soon. He needed to contact Thalia and Jason and Leo. They would help him. He needed to contact Annabeth also. She was the first person he needed right now. He had to know that she was alright.
She would come, he told himself. She wouldn't just leave him.
He sat down on the cold, hard ground and curled up as tight as he could. It was freezing in this cell, despite it being the middle of the summer.
He remembered something Annabeth had told him, days ago.
I guess, whenever I'm on the ground, I'm the height of a kid and kid doesn't have to deal with war and taxes and marriage. A kid is just a kid, sweet and innocent and oblivious.
At the time, all he could think about was how adorable Annabeth looked when she was flustered and embarrassed. Her words had passed over his head while he focused on her flaming cheeks and, yes, he was ashamed to say, her lips. But now that he was alone down here in this dank, dark, freezing cold cell, her words came back to him. Percy found himself following her example. He sat down against the wall and ducked his head. He imagined all of his problems up in the air above his head; there, but not affecting him. He smiled a bit and closed his eyes.
He would wait for her. He would wait right here for Annabeth, where laws and death and punishment were above him. He'd wait for Annabeth because she would come.
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Percy woke up to the sound of a key entering a lock.
He sat up, blinking sleep from his eyes, and yawned. The shackles were still around his wrists and ankles. Huh. So it hadn't been a nightmare. He really was a prisoner in the palace cells.
The door swung open and for a second, fear ripped through Percy. What if it was time for his execution? What if they were taking him to the gallows right now? Another thought hit him. What if they were taking him to the torture chambers? What if that was his punishment? To be tortured everyday until he eventually gave up and died?
Those thoughts, however, were erased from his mind when he saw Annabeth enter the small cell, escorted by three guards.
She looked beautiful and not at all dead like she had the last time he saw her. Relief closed his throat up. She was wearing one of her fancy dresses, a gold one made of very rough material and with sleeves that ended an inch below her elbows. A black velvet cloak covered most of the skin that the dress revealed, though, which confused Percy. It was in the middle of the summer and now that it was daytime, his cell was sweltering hot, not at all like it was last night. Her hair was washed and falling down her back in her natural curls. The only sign that hinted at her unstable health was the color of her skin. Instead of it's usual golden color, it was a sickly pale, and every step she took was wobbly.
Percy clenched his hands into fists, trying to keep himself under control. He couldn't let these guards know about his and Annabeth's relationship. He couldn't let anyone know. He would for sure be a dead man if the kingdom knew.
If he wasn't a dead man already.
Annabeth's eyes found his. He had to keep himself from grinning when he saw the sparkle in her eye and knew that his Annabeth was still there, that she still loved him and didn't hate him. He also saw an uneasiness in her eyes that set Percy on edge. He didn't think this conversation would end well.
"Thank you," Annabeth told the guards in a surprisingly calm, authoritative voice. "Now, please leave if you will. I wish to talk to the prisoner alone."
The guards pause and look at each other uncertainly. One guard, a middle-aged man with gray beginning to take over his hair, spoke up. "Uh, Your Highness," he began, "let me remind you that this man is a dangerous criminal. He kinap-"
"I'm well aware of what he did," Annabeth snapped. She narrowed his eyes at the guard who had spoken up. "And I still wish to speak to him. Alone, without anyone listening in. So, please leave. And that's an order."
She glared at the three guards until they withered under her stare and quickly left the room. Neither Percy nor Annabeth moved until the sound of their heavy boots and whispers were out of reach. When they were sure they were alone, Annabeth ran over to Percy and knelt down next to him, a bit more slowly than it would usually take. Her hands slipped slowly out of her cloak and he felt her palms on his face, moving it up to face her.
"Percy," she breathed. Percy moved a hand up to grasp her wrist, moving her palm to his lips. "Are you alright?"
He nodded. "I'm fine," he said. "How are you?"
She closed her eyes and breathed in Percy's scent. "I'm...I'm okay," she sputtered out. Her eyes opened again and he was startled to see that the uneasiness was still there. She stared at him like she was trying to convince herself of something. And Percy noticed that she wasn't leaning into his touches like usual. "I brought you food," she continued in a small voice, picking up a small basket of fruit and bread that she had set there.
Percy stared at it, his stomach growling at the sight of all that fresh fruit, but he ignored it and turned back to Annabeth. "What's wrong, Wise Girl?"
She bit her lip and stood, walking a couple steps away from Percy. On instinct, Percy stood and followed her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She froze at his touch and hissed in a breath. "Annabeth," he said in a low voice, slowly turning her around, "what happened? Why aren't you talking to me?"
Annabeth gazed up at him with her big gray eyes. He offered her a small smile and she sighed. "You really don't know?" she asked. Then she paused and set him up with a different question: "What happened after you left the basement?"
Percy frowned but told her. Annabeth watched him as he explained, watched as she latched on to every word he spoke. "Why?" he said when he finished.
She exhaled. "Um, after you left, someone jumped through the tunnel. I thought it was you. Well, it was you, but now...I don't know."
A sickening feeling bloomed in Percy's stomach. "Did he...?"
Annabeth understood what he was asking and nodded. Percy suddenly felt like vomiting. "Yes," she said. "He did this." And then she pushed back the cloak to reveal her arms and Percy then understood why she was wearing it on this hot day in the first place.
Bruises spread up and down her arms, blue and purple. Some were healing, but others were still bright and menacing, like they were fresh, though Percy knew they weren't. He couldn't believe that days after being beat up, the bruises were still there. His heart ached for her.
"I have them all over my shoulders and torso too," she continued, her voice quiet. "There are some on my jaw also but Piper covered them with powder this morning."
Percy's arms were shaking with anger. "I will kill him," he promised. "I will kill whoever did this to you."
Annabeth gazed up at him curiously. "So it really wasn't you then?" she asked. Her tone was so fragile and delicate, Percy wanted to break through his chains and hold her, kiss her, tell her everything would be okay and he would protect her. He couldn't believe that anybody would ever hurt a girl like Annabeth this way. A girl who had done nothing wrong her entire life.
"I swear, Annabeth, I would never hurt you," Percy said, putting as much passion and truth into his voice as possible. He reached out and brushed her hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger a second longer than necessary. Annabeth reached out and grabbed his hand, sliding her fingers through his. With her eyes closed, she replied with so much conviction it made Percy ache, "I know."
Percy grinned. He tilted his head to the side and said, "Come here." Annabeth smiled and did as told, moving forward until his hands were gripping her hips and she was pressed up against his body. Her arms snaked around his neck and she leaned forward, resting her forehead on his shoulder. Percy sighed, happy to have her back in his arms, right where she should be.
"Percy," Annabeth started, "yesterday my parents told me that-"
"Shh," Percy interrupted, placing a light kiss on her hair. "Don't talk. I don't want to talk right now."
Annabeth pulled away to look up at Percy. A suspecting grin took over her lips. "Oh, really? And what do you have in mind?"
Percy smirked and leaned down, capturing her lips with his own. Annabeth responded back immediately, kissing him back hungrily, her arms tightening around his neck. She rose up on her tiptoes to get to his height and he grinned against her lips. Even though it hadn't been that long since their last kiss, Percy had grown accustomed to being able to kiss her any time he wanted everyday. He had loved being able to hold her and kiss her to sleep every night. Not being able to do that for over a week was torture, even if he had spent that week mostly unconscious.
Annabeth pressed herself against Percy and deepened the kiss, and Percy helped her. He tightened his grip on her waist and squeezed, hoping to fold her into him so that they could be one being, but Annabeth stopped him by breaking the kiss and arching away from him with a pained cry. Percy jerked away and loosened his grip on her waist, staring at her in bewilderment.
"Your Highness?" one of the guards called from down the hall. Percy and Annabeth both froze. "Are you alright?"
"Yes!" Annabeth called, her voice wavering only slightly. "I'm fine! Thank you!"
The guard didn't reply, but Percy heard heavy footsteps that got quieter with every second that passed. Percy didn't breathe until he couldn't hear the guard anymore. Annabeth didn't either and once he was gone, she exhaled and grasped his upper arms, letting her forehead fall forward into his chest. "That was close," she muttered.
"What happened?" Percy asked, completely ignoring the fact that they'd almost been caught and instead focusing on the way that Annabeth had cried out in pain while he was kissing her. He lightly skimmed his fingers over her torso, careful not to hurt her again.
Annabeth ran a hand through her hair. "The guy who beat me up, he, uh, I think he stabbed me also. I woke up with a bandage covering my stomach and there was blood on my old clothes."
Rage blinded Percy again. He remembered seeing her being dragged out of the basement. She had been covered in blood and the thought of her being stabbed down there in the dark basement without him there kind of made him want to throw up. He should have been there. That was his job: to protect her even if it meant letting everyone else down or even losing his life. That's what he had signed up for when he had kissed her all those times, held her, told her he loved her. Now, he had let her down. He had failed her.
He ran his hands over her waist and stomach. Sure enough, he felt the small bulge of bandages underneath her dress. "Get me out of this prison right now," he growled. "Get me out and I will find whoever did this to you and I will kill him, slowly and painfully."
Annabeth smiled and shook her head. "Back to the killing," she murmured and that calmed Percy down, seeing her smile at him. "It's not hard to tell that you used to be a wanted criminal, the way you talk."
Percy didn't even get angry by her comment. Instead, it just filled him with a warm sadness. She had used the words "used to be", as if he wasn't like that anymore, as if he wasn't capable of commiting crimes again, as if he wouldn't just go back to his criminal ways once he got out of here. Because Annabeth was wrong. If he ever got out of this prison, he wouldn't have a choice but to go back to being a criminal. Annabeth was blind to the bad in him, or maybe she just chose to see only the good in him. But she was dead wrong, because once he escaped, he would have to go back to stealing because that's how his family survived.
His family...Macy. Oh gods.
Percy grasped Annabeth's wrists and said in a desperate, raspy voice, "Macy. My mom. Paul. Are they...?"
Are they dead?
Percy almost cried in relief when Annabeth shook her head. "No. They're still alive. I checked on them. Your parents are fine, but Macy..." She trailed off with an uncertain look on her face, and Percy stopped breathing.
"Tell me how bad it is," he whispered, fighting the oncoming tears.
Annabeth shook her head. "Well, she's like how I was towards the end, but being so small..." Percy froze, different images his mind conjured for him playing in his head on repeat. Annabeth sensed his fear and her fingers wrapped around his wrists, offering a comforting squeeze. "I have a plan. It will be okay. Macy will be fine and so will your parents. Just trust me; can you do that?"
All Percy could do was nod.
Annabeth smiled, "Good." Then she kissed him. Hard and good, right on the mouth. It melted away Percy's concerns and doubts.
"I probably need to go," she murmured against his lips after a few seconds. "The guards will get suspicious."
Percy kissed her again, not yet wanting her to leave. There wasn't much he wanted to talk about, but even playing a boring game of I Spy with her would have satisfied him. He just wanted her. Annabeth gave in to his kiss, sliding her fingers into his hair. Percy wanted to squeeze her into him, but knew that it would hurt her injury, so he just kept his hands firmly on her hips.
Annabeth pulled away, grinning. "I really need to go," she repeated. "Stop distracting me."
Percy sighed. He eyes her curls. "Can I at least braid your hair before you go?" he asked with a small smile. "So you can remember me when you're gone," he said dramatically, causing Annabeth to roll her eyes. Nevertheless, she let Percy lead her to the ground and sat in front of him while he quickly braided her hair.
His fingers moved swiftly and gently over the strands. He was proud of himself for having gotten so good at braiding over the years. Annabeth sighed happily in front of him. "I love you," she whispered, careful that the guards won't overhear her. Percy smiled as an ocean of warmth washed over him at the sound of those words.
He tugged on the braid. "I love you too."
Annabeth suddenly took in a shaky breath, as if she were crying. Percy tied the end of the braid together as she said, "What if I can't stop the execution? Or what if I can't get you out in time?"
Percy shifted out from behind her and turned her chin to face him. "You're not allowed to talk like that, Princess," he ordered before kissing her.
"Mm," Annabeth answered against his lips. "Okay."
Percy was grinning when he broke the kiss. Annabeth opened her mouth to say something, but Percy beat her to it. "I know," he said, rolling his eyes. "You really, really need to go."
Annabeth smiled. "You know me so well," she teased, moving to stand. Percy followed, his cheeks flaming from her words. It was funny how they went from hating each other to knowing each other inside and out in the span of a month.
Annabeth walked to the door, then turned and gave Percy another smile, one for him to hold onto when she left. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too," he replied just as quietly. They stared at each other for a minute, not yet wanting to leave each other. The moment was so tender, Percy felt like collapsing. Then, Annabeth lifted up her hood to cover the braid and left the cell, taking all the light with her.
Percy heard the door lock and he sat down on the stone floor, trying desperately to hold on to the feeling of Annabeth's lips on his and her smile and laugh. It was the only thing that would get him through this dark time of imprisonment. He hoped with everything in him that she would visit him again.
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The next day, when the cell door opened, Percy expected Annabeth to come in. Instead, he saw a nervous girl in a servant's outfit scurry into the room. Percy's stomach dropped in disappointment when he realized it wasn't Annabeth. The girl who had come was about Annabeth's age, maybe a year younger. She had long brown hair that she wore in a loose, messy braid. Her skin was dark and she had on a dirty brown dress and a white apron with lots of unidentifiable stains. That's not what kept Percy's attention, though. It was the basket of fresh food in her hand that Percy stared at.
"So," the girl said, "you're Percy Jackson." She moved towards him and set the basket down in front of him. Percy sifted through it, finding apples and peaches, a small loaf of bread, and even a wrapped up napkin hiding some roast beef. Percy tried to hide his grin. Annabeth sure did take good care of him. He grabbed an apple.
"I'm Piper," the girl continued, watching him eat. Percy's ears perked up. He knew that name. Annabeth had mentioned her a few times while they were together. Who was she, though? Percy couldn't remember, but thankfully, Piper told him. "I'm Annabeth's maid. She told me to come bring you this basket." She paused. "Any idea why the princess would give her kidnapper food?"
Percy paused, his whole body stiffening. He avoided Piper's gaze as he searched for an answer. He settled for the typical bad boy answer: a shrug and a grunt. He took another bite of his apple.
Piper pursed her lips. "Well," she said, "I think something happened while you held her captive. I'm not sure what, but you can bet that I'll find out. Annabeth tells me everything."
Percy ignored her.
Piper nodded and moved towards the door. "I would hide that," she gestured towards the basket. "And I wouldn't eat it all at once. I don't know when Annabeth is going to be able to get you more food."
Percy nodded. His mouth twitched, wanting to ask her a question that pawed at him but not wanting to give himself away. Finally, the question slipped out. He grabbed Piper's wrist to keep her from leaving. "Do you know if Annabeth will come see me?"
Piper stared at his hand on her wrist then looked up at him. A twinkle shimmered in her multi-colored eyes. "I don't know," she whispered. Percy nodded and released her wrist, sliding back down to his original position. Piper left without another word, locking the door behind her. Percy stared at the door, almost willing Annabeth to come through. Then he sat against the wall and closed his eyes. Within seconds, he was asleep.
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Percy didn't know how much time had passed. A week, maybe? Five days? Six days? Percy had no idea. It was hard to tell time in prison. With nothing to do but sleep and pace around the cell, the days blended together.
Annabeth hadn't come to visit him again. He hoped desperately that nothing bad had happened to her. Part of him hoped that something had just so he would have something to blame for his loneliness other than Annabeth's choice not to see him. Every time the door to the cell opened, he would perk up, wishing for the visitor to be his princess. Instead, it was always a guard, or Piper sneaking him food.
Yet, he could never bring himself to stop getting so excited. So when the door opened for probably the fifteenth time, Percy perked up, eyes wide, only to slump down again when a male walked through the door.
It wasn't a guard. No, this person was dressed like a royal. He carried himself like a royal too, with his head held high and his eyes looking down on Percy like he was dirt on the bottom of his boot. His hair was yellow-blonde and his eyes were a crystal blue, almost like Jason's. He was as tall as Percy, though Percy suspected he was older. At least twenty-five, maybe a year or two older. He studied Percy with a sick impressed look, like Percy had murdered someone and this guy was impressed by the way he hid the evidence. It made Percy's stomach curl.
What made Percy want to throw up was that this was the guy who had pulled Annabeth out of the basement back in the woods. This guy was the one who had arrested him.
"So. You're the one who kidnapped the princess," the man said. "Good job. That's not an easy feat. She is a feisty one."
Percy sneered at his words. A horrible thought crossed his mind. Was this the man who had beat Annabeth up? Because if that was true, these chains weren't going to do much to hold him back.
"What's it to you?" Percy snapped, glaring at the man. He just chuckled and smiled.
"Nothing," he answered, shrugging. "I just wanted to meet the man who successfully abducted the princess, then ruined it all by falling in love with her."
Percy's blood ran cold. He stared at the royal in front of him, wondering how on earth he had found out. He wasn't exactly the best keeper of secrets but surely a man he had just met once wouldn't be able to figure out that he had gone soft on the princess.
Then he remembered how he had reacted to Annabeth's bloodied body. Okay, so maybe he wasn't a very good keeper of secrets.
"It was pretty obvious, the way you raced to help her when we arrested you," the man continued, like he could read Percy's mind. He smiled and for a second, Percy thought that there was a hint of emotion behind it. Almost like he was happy when he thought of Annabeth. "And honestly," he continued, "who wouldn't fall in love with Annabeth after spending a month with her?"
Percy gritted his teeth. "Who are you?" he growled. "And why do you care so much about my feelings for Annabeth?"
"My name doesn't matter," the man said. "And I don't particularly care about how you feel towards her. What I care about is how she feels towards you." The man leaned down until he was face-to-face with Percy. "She doesn't love you, you know," he sneered.
Percy jerked his head away. "Liar," he spat.
The man shook his head. "Think about it, Percy. Annabeth is a smart girl. She knows how to survive. And what better way to survive than to get her captor to fall in love with her?"
Percy tried not to let his words go to his head. Annabeth wasn't pretending. He would know if she was. Besides, she had come to see him in prison. She kept giving him food. She wouldn't keep taking care of him if she was just pretending to like him. She was home safe and she continued to put him first.
But she also hadn't come to see him in days. It was always Piper who dropped off his food. He hadn't heard from Annabeth since the day he came to. Maybe she was pretending and trying to slowly break away from him. That thought brought ice into Percy's veins. He clenched his hands into fists and glared at the man.
"You're just jealous," Percy sneered. "You want Annabeth for yourself, so you're trying to get me out of the picture. Well, it's not working."
Percy was totally bluffing. He had no idea who this man was and what connection he had to Annabeth. But his words had the intended effect on the man. He glared viciously at Percy. "I think it is," he snapped and Percy didn't have any time to react before a fist hit his temple and the world went black.
Hi! Great news! I finished my other story, Begin Again, which means that this story is now my first priority. School starts in a couple weeks (it's kinda a sore subject) and volleyball started a couple weeks ago, so I'm going to be kinda busy, but I'll try to update as much as possible before school starts.
Hope ya'll liked it. Hope ya'll don't kill me when you read the next few chapters. It's gonna be rough, just warning you.
"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children." Ephesians 5:1