Ξ Clarisse's P.O.V Ξ
The more I thought about Aphrodite's words the more annoyed and angry I got. I was so close to cursing Percy for his stupidity when I stopped myself. What they were facing right now in the book were curses, I didn't ever wish for Percy to return to Tartarus but if he did for whatever reason, and he met those things again, I was not going to be one of the reasons he had one more to fight.
'Silena really did teach you a lot, you are taking in the reading well, you're seeing the consequences of your actions before you carry them out, this in part is the point.'
Aphrodite spoke again in my mind and I wondered how she was communicating with me. I wasn't thinking about love, although I did kind of wish Chris was here as well; his presence grounded me, great now I'm thinking about love.
'I can communicate with you because I want to, as I can with anyone here if I choose too, like all the Gods can. We choose mostly to communicate with our own bloodlines because focusing on their thoughts is easier, and because there already is a connection. I have a special connection to all of your father's children due to my... relationship with him, however it was your emotions that drew me to you today, all emotions fall somewhat in my purview, love being the strongest and anger being the weakest as it falls with your father's domain.'
Well that answers that, I thought.
Ξ
Ξ Athena's P.O.V Ξ
Annabeth's thoughts were scattered, I was getting a headache just trying to follow them. One minute she was worried about where Percy was, the next she was searching for exit routes, and trying to control her breathing, then they were back to Percy. There was no order and they changed without warning, faster than I thought possible.
I tried to get her to control her thought process, to steady them, but if she heard me, I couldn't tell. She was too far into the start of her attack and again I was powerless to help her.
As an 'all powerful Olympian' I was feeling pretty powerless right now. What made it worse was the other Gods seemed to know exactly what I was trying to do and also that I was failing at it, I did not appreciate the sympathetic looks they were giving me, but I understood something else as well.
They all in their own ways were trying to help Percy and Annabeth and I did appreciate that. Together we would find a way, we had too.
Percy had managed to calm Annabeth down a little and again I was finding myself thankful for Poseidon's son. He was able to do something, I currently could not.
Aunt Hestia carried on with the reading, sensing I think that the mood in the room was not going to get much better.
Chapter 15- Percy
Percy seemed to flinch at the chapter being in his thoughts but then relaxed a little. I tried to quickly scan his thoughts and understood, from what I could decipher, a child of the sea was always hard to read, that he was hoping that the chapter being in his thoughts would lessen the triggers for Annabeth.
I hoped so too, but I also realised that I would not know what the trigger was for Annabeth now, if she had the episode in this chapter, and as much as I was glad we were going to ready Percy's thoughts and not hers I was also concerned that I wouldn't know what her triggers were, and without knowing that I wouldn't know how to help her. It frustrated me greatly.
"Left" Percy dragged Annabeth, slicing through the arai to clear a path...
... The pain in his chest flared with every step...
"Are you an idiot?!" Zeus' daughter, Thalia raged "Why would you do that, after you hit the first one?!" She punched Percy in the shoulder for good measure. But, I knew she knew why.
"I had to protect Annabeth" Percy answered her, not taking his eyes off my daughter, who rewarded, if you'd call it a reward, Percy with a kiss. Percy clearly did class it as a reward.
Thalia grumbled about him having kelp for brains but at least he was protecting Annabeth, most of which I did agree with, Annabeth certainly trusted him implicitly and I don't think she would if he really was stupid.
...Percy realised how much she trusted him...
...He couldn't let her down now...
...He would cure her later. First they had to escape...
At least he realised, he knew how much it took for Annabeth to trust and she trusted him more than anyone and he did plan to heal her blindness, which was good. They just had to like he said escape, how do you escape curses, we needed a plan for that, I'd add it to my to do list.
...As they ran past one of the black trees, he slashed across the truck. He heard it topple...
...If a tree falls in the forest and crushes a demon does the tree get cursed...
Oh Us! Please let this man have more intelligent thoughts if he's going to be my son-in-law one day, because I had no doubt that one day he would ask Annabeth to marry him and I knew she would say yes.
Ξ Annabeth's P.O.V Ξ
"Seaweed Brain" I whispered to him smiling slightly, I was struggling with my breathing again. Just hearing that Percy cut through all those curses to protect me had started me off again. I knew he'd do anything for me but the combination of all those curses, and he didn't even know what they were.
"Sorry" Percy said to me, noticing that my breathing was ragged "We're together" he whispered starting our mantra off as Hestia continued.
...Suddenly the darkness in front of them became thicker. Percy realised... just in time. He grabbed Annabeth...
... "What? ...What is it?"...
... "Cliff," He gasped. "Big Cliff."...
"Percy" I whispered desperately gripping his hand tightly, I could tell he was in pain with how hard I was squeezing his hand so I loosened my grip and tried to look apologetically at him as I tried to breathe steadily.
...Percy couldn't see how far the cliff dropped...
...They could jump and hope for the best, but he doubted 'the best' ever happened in Tartarus...
"Of course it doesn't Kelp Head, its Tartarus" Thalia said teasingly but she didn't get a response and I felt her grab my hand and I squeezed it trying to ground myself but it wasn't helping.
...Two options: left or right...
...He was about to choose randomly when a winged demon descended in front of him...
...Just out of sword reach...
'No! Not Percy! Please not Percy!' The thought flashed through my mind on repeat 'why couldn't they just leave him alone, why were they going to take him from me.' I squeezed my eyes shut tightly trying to expel the thoughts in my mind and in turn I also squeezed the two hands I was holding.
"Annabeth" Thalia said quietly and I could hear pain in her voice, I tried to will myself to let go but I couldn't. I felt fingers prying mine from Thalia's and replacing them, I would know those hands anywhere they belonged to Percy. I was now crushing both of his hands but I couldn't stop myself. Panic was setting in.
...Did you have a nice walk? Asked the collective voice, echoing all around them...
...The arai poured out of the woods, making a crescent around them...
'Percy! Not Percy, please, don't take Percy!' I thought and heard myself whisper.
"I'm here Wise Girl, we're together, we're out" His voice resonated somewhere in my head but I couldn't focus on it. They were going to take him from me again, I couldn't lose him again I couldn't.
...One grabbed Annabeth's arm. Annabeth wailed in rage, judo-flipping the monster...
...The demon dissolved...
...When Annabeth got to her feet she looked stunned and afraid as well as blind...
'Percy where are you?!' I couldn't breathe, tears stung my eyes. Percy was gone. "Percy?! Where are you?!"
"I'm here Annabeth" I felt two hands drop mine and arms wrap around my waist and move me. "I'm here, we're out we're together, I'm here" Percy's words started to penetrate my thoughts and I knew tears were rolling down my face. "I'm here Annabeth, we're out and we're together."
I started to concentrate on his voice and slowly let him pull me back to the present.
Ξ Calypso's P.O.V Ξ
I had kept very much to myself since we arrived here, I wanted to help them too but being off my island was a new thing for me and I was nervous about being in the company of the Gods for the first time since they sent me to my island. No-one seemed to pay much attention to me except for Leo which I was grateful.
Annabeth started to freak out as if Percy had somehow disappeared off the face of Olympus. I started to get a really bad sinking feeling in my stomach as I watched Percy pry his hands free from Annabeth's and pull her into his lap and wrap his arms around her whispering to her as she called out for him. I don't know what set her off, Lady Hestia hadn't even read what the curse was, and we were reading Percy's thoughts at the moment not Annabeth's, I didn't understand.
The feeling in my stomach got worse as Percy managed to calm Annabeth down to the point where Lady Hestia could continue to read.
...He tried putting his hand on her shoulder...
...It was like trying to grab something in a tank of water, with the light shifting the image...
I frowned at the analogy; it shouldn't be that difficult for Percy to hold on to something in water.
... "Percy!" Why did you leave me?"...
Annabeth had started to calm down but her tears ramped right back up again at hearing herself in the reading calling for Percy. Percy tightened his grip on Annabeth and she buried her head in his shoulder but you could see she was crying heavily as he tried once more to calm her down. Everyone else tried to look anywhere but at the two of them but it was difficult to ignore.
I didn't understand why not being able to find Percy would inspire this kind of panic attack. I mean I understood that he loved her and she loved him but it's not like he died right? Or was that what she was seeing? Ugh! I just didn't get it, and the feeling in my stomach was only getting worse.
Annabeth seemed to have come down was mumbling something I couldn't hear from where I was sitting but it looked like an apology and Percy was still whispering to her, probably comforting her.
... "I didn't!"...
... "What did you do to her?"...
Something suddenly occurred to me and the feeling in my stomach got progressively worse.
...We did nothing, the demons said. Your beloved has unleashed a special curse...
Oh no!
...a bitter thought from someone you abandoned. You punished an innocent soul by leaving her in her solitude...
Oh Gods! This is my fault.
...Now her most hateful wish has come to pass: Annabeth feels her despair. She too, will perish alone and abandoned...
"Please Prissy would never abandon anyone!" Clarisse said and the other demigods nodded in agreement, I wondered if they knew Percy had landed on my island, I suspected not. They all frowned when Percy ignored them, he was still whispering to Annabeth. I felt awful that I had caused this, I had never meant for this.
...Annabeth spread her arms, to find him...
... "Who did I abandon?" Percy demanded "I Never-"...
"That's what I just said Prissy!" Clarisse tried again and was ignored again. Panic set in as Leo let go of my hand.
...The words rang in his head...
...He remembered an island, a cave with soft glowing crystals...
... "She wouldn't" ... "She'd never curse me."...
"But she did" Leo said turning to face me "Did you also curse me when I left?" He whisper shouted. I tried to grab his hand but he pulled it away before I could take it.
"Leo-"
"No! Did you?!" He jumped up and angrily exited the throne room.
"Leo!" I called but he didn't look back.
I got up and I followed him.
Ξ Percy's P.O.V Ξ
Annabeth stopped crying and her breathing was returning to normal, she kept apologising and I told her it was okay, even though I couldn't feel my fingers, but that didn't matter to me, as long as she was calming down again.
I heard Calypso call Leo's name and I saw the two of them run out of the throne room. I saw Piper get up to follow them, but I knew it was me that had to go. As did Annabeth, which didn't surprise me in the slightest.
"Annabeth" I whispered.
"I know, Seaweed Brain, go" She said climbing off my lap. "Piper" she said shaking her head and Piper looked at her like she was crazy and I could see anger in her eyes she was angry at Calypso, she didn't want to follow them just to make sure Leo was okay, I was pretty sure as I think Annabeth was too, that she was going to chew Calypso out.
"I've got her Percy, she'll be safe until you return" Thalia said putting a protective arm around Annabeth and I could see she was also angry but she was trying to understand at least.
I was trying to ignore the fiery glare that Athena was sending my way and I got the feeling that all that good will I'd earned jumping into Tartarus with her daughter had just gone up in flames.
I got up and kissed Annabeth's cheek and told her I would be right back before exciting the throne room to find Leo and Calypso. It took me a while because I didn't know where Hephaestus' temple or workshop was on Olympus it wasn't somewhere I had ever needed to visit but I knew that's where they would be.
Eventually I found the workshop and Leo and Calypso were there just as I thought they would be.
Leo had welding goggles on and he was fusing two metals together and Calypso was trying to talk to him but she was being ignored and I could see tears in her eyes. I walked up to Leo and removed his goggles and he stopped welding, which I was thankful for, I did have quite a high tolerance to heat but I still appreciated that he stopped.
"Leo" I said "I know you're mad, but I need you to calm down enough to talk this out."
"I don't know if I can to that Waterboy, what if I'm cursed too?"
Calypso looked at me and I nodded. "You're not" She whispered.
"Leo, I think you know how Calypso feels about you, and you managed to do something no man has ever done, you went to Ogygia twice because of how you feel about her, don't let this ruin that." I said, trying not to let my feelings influence my advice, but I knew I clearly didn't manage that when Calypso spoke.
"Why aren't you mad?" She asked before Leo could.
"I'm not exactly happy about it, but I did abandon you, I'm trying not to be angry about it, because it's not really your fault its mine." I said and held up my hand as she tried to protest.
"Leo, Calypso loves you, and you love her, let this go"
"She loved you too, and she still cursed you." He argued.
"The difference is," I said "I left Calypso and her island to return to Annabeth. You left her island to help us save the world but you never left her, not really. You fell Leo, and you fell hard, I didn't. I didn't love Calypso they way I love Annabeth, it was different and I chose Annabeth. Understandably, Calypso was upset and then I made the Gods promise to release her from her prison and I didn't make sure that they had. I did abandon her, but you never did, don't do it now."
I had more to say but Calypso put her hand on my shoulder. "Thanks Percy, I think I can take it from here."
I nodded and left them alone, I needed to get back to Annabeth and make sure she was okay, so I didn't fight too hard, I took one last look at Leo and he seemed in a more talkative mood, so I left without another word.
Ξ
The throne room was oddly silent when I returned, Piper had filled the spot I vacated but otherwise it was just as I had left it, silent. I got a funny feeling that there were conversations happening that everyone was just not privy too.
Piper got up to move but I shook my head and sat on the floor in front of Annabeth's legs and raised my hand which she took and laced her fingers through mine. I squeezed her hand and Thalia kicked me. I turned to look at her and she got up, I knew better than to fight with her when we were going to be spending Gods knows how much longer together in this reading.
As I swapped places with Thalia, Leo and Calypso walked back into the throne room. Leo let go of Calypso's hand and walked over to sit where they had sat before everything blew up and Calypso walked over to us.
"Annabeth, I'm sorry, I –" Calypso started and Annabeth looked at me and we had a small silent exchange.
"Calypso," Annabeth said keeping her voice as even as she could, I knew this was hard for her. "I will get over this, you weren't to know we would end up there... facing them... I don't blame you." She said.
"You should" Calypso replied apologetically "I'm sorry, I really am, to both of you."
I nodded, Calypso and Annabeth already knew where I stood on this issue.
"Truce?" Annabeth asked holding out her hand and I knew she was doing it for Leo, and I was really proud of her.
"Truce" Calypso replied shaking her hand, before going to take her seat next to Leo.
The Gods looked at us like we were insane, Athena's fiery glare had dulled exponentially and my father looked less likely to sink half the ships in the ocean with his flick of his wrist. My mother looked at me proudly for rising above it as did Paul and also Hestia.
I still couldn't decide if there were or weren't silent conversations going on, I decided not to think too much on it as I kissed Annabeth on the cheek.
Ξ
Ξ Athena's P.O.V Ξ
I was furious; my daughter was suffering at the hands of this Titan's daughter. Fury burned within me as I watched Leo and Calypso leave the throne room and then, Percy.
What in our names does that boy think he's doing?! He should be next to my daughter, his girlfriend making her feel better.
'You know there was a time you didn't want my son anywhere near your daughter' Poseidon said to me telepathically.
'What's your point Kelp Head?'
'They're trying to deal with this, the best way they know how and you're going to ruin that by disintegrating the islander.'
I was not going to admit that I thought he was right, but I decided to let Percy and Annabeth deal with it their way, especially after Artemis essentially told me the same thing. I still didn't have to like 'the islander' as Poseidon called her and I suspected he didn't like her either, but I did promise Artemis, at least for now, that I wouldn't curse her and Aunt Hestia looked at me with pride which she hasn't done in eons, it was a nice feeling, and it dulled my anger somewhat.
Everyone returned and my daughter and 'the islander' called a truce and I noticed that Annabeth was fighting all of her natural instincts when she did, she was swallowing her pride for the sake of her friend Leo, I was proud of her as I could see was Percy. Aunt Hestia continued to read.
...Annabeth wandered among the demons, desperately calling his name. Percy longed to run to her...
...The only reason they hadn't killed her yet was that they were enjoying her misery...
I watched Percy steal Annabeth's full attention, which I noticed he never had to try very hard to do, he apologised again and she rolled her eyes and told him it wasn't his fault and I could see guilt in Percy's eyes and forgiveness in hers, Percy nodded and it was like the moment was forgotten.
...He didn't care how many curses he suffered...
...He had to... Protect Annabeth as long as he could...
...He yelled in fury and attacked them all.
Annabeth looked at Percy with love in her eyes, my thoughts returned to Percy asking Annabeth to marry him and I found myself thinking that when that fateful day arrived, Percy would have my approval whether he asked for it or not.
Ξ
~Author's Note~
Hi All, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'm really glad those of you that took the time to review the last one enjoyed it. Thank you for letting me know, I really appreciate it and it really helps motivate me to structure the next chapter when I read all your reviews so thank you. Please let me know what you think of this one.
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