Rise of the Vampire Queen
Chapter Five
A yawn escaped Annabeth's lips as she pushed her eyes open. She expected to be back at the Athenian Cabin at Camp Half Blood laying on her bed staring up at the light green ceiling but when he looked up at the ceiling; it was white.
Sitting up, she was welcomed with a drawer in front of her, along with a window to her left and an end table beside her bed to her right. Glancing back at the table she looked at the clock it red 2:55PM she saw no date or any calendar but she noticed a set of nicely folded clothes on a wood chair by the door followed by a gray bath towel draped over the back of the chair.
Pulling off the covers, she placed her feet down on the carpet. Within a moment Annabeth's body jerk as she remembers what happen. They were at the carnival. She couldn't forget the screams of people she saw all tied up and gagged, but it was when they made to the Ferris wheel they lost Dionysus. All she could remember seeing was a red demon before disappearing with Celeste and Grover. Who was that demon and where was Dionysus and Percy… his eyes were so cold and lost that even if she yelled out to him she doubt he would recognize her.
Blinking away her tears Annabeth brought her mind back to the present. Standing up, Annabeth looked down at her clothes. They had a mixture of vampire dust and dried blood all over them. Walking over to the chair Annabeth picked up the bath towel and washcloth she draped it over her arm before picking up a lavender scent bottle wash followed by a bottle of shampoo and conditioner. Smiling, Annabeth made a mental note to thank Celeste later before opening the door by the window, revealing a bathroom with a sink, a mirror above it along with a toilet. The black and white tile on the floor and walls was odd but decent, but the moment Annabeth saw the large oval bath tub, her mouth dropped.
"Thank you," she whispered.
She needed to soak her bone and let the lavender calm her. While she had so many questions she wanted to ask and she wanted to see if Grover was okay right now, all she could think of doing was giving her mind and body a rest because she served it.
Siring an enormous yawn escaped Grover as he sat up in bed. Where was he thought? His mind wandered back to the carnival. He and Annabeth and were fighting Vampires, they were coming at them left and right, but something was wrong with Mr. D. Celeste showed up after he was on his knees. He winced at the screams of the humans trapped on all the rides and the games. Oh, they couldn't save them. While he was a satyr, he stilled regarding human life precious. Even with Celeste, there was no way they could have saved them all. But the image of the red demon bored into his mind as it stood beside Natalia and Percy.
Pulling over his covered and stand up, he looked down at all the dried blood on his clothes. Sighing, he wandered over to the open door leading to the bathroom. Flipping on the light, he back tracked picking up the towel on the chair by the door along with charcoal scented body wash.
"nice" Grover said, followed with a smile.
Looking back in the bathroom at the massive shower, Grover nodded and shut the door behind him. For now, he would do everything his mind was thinking on hold. He was going to enjoy a shower for as long as the body would let him.
Down stairs pass the living room in the kitchen. Celeste places a large pot on the stove, followed by a medium one. Turning the knobs to medium, she pulled out two plates, glasses, and eating utensils. Just as she turned to the fridge, a techno tune reached her ears. She glanced over at her cell phone on the counter and it read Chiron.
Swallowing hard, her mind went to a previous call from him. She held the phone up to her ear with a smile on her face.
"Hey hows my favorite centaur doing?" Celeste said jokey.
"Not well, I am afraid." Chiron said, followed by a cough.
Celeste's smile disappeared in an instant as she sat up on the couch
"What's wrong?"
Chiron sighed. "Elizabeth King Child of Bacchus has taken Percy and to make matters worse, she maybe alive as well."
Now it was Celeste turned to up her remote control. She turned on the TV, her eyes narrowed at the break news report at the boardwalk the moment she spotted a vampire pull the news anchor away as Celeste was up on her feet.
Racing up stairs to her room, Celeste pressed speaker button on her cell phone and dropped it on her bed. While pulling out some clothes.
"Have you informed Dio?"
But before she could finish, Chiron spoke.
"He, Annabeth and Grover have left the came to the boardwalk."
Celeste bit her lip as she hopped into her sneakers and strapped a waist bad of dryad bone steaks around her waist.
"Fool, He's fallen right into her trap."
"Yes, which worries me greatly."
Looking at herself once more in the mirror, Celeste straightens her jacket. Slipping on her leather sash where her sword nestled in the holster, she picked up her cell phone and ran downstairs.
"I'm sorry to ask this…" Chiron was about to say.
"I'm already out the door." Celeste said. "I Just hope I am not too late."
Celeste's body jerk back to the present as she wiped away her tears. Swiping the green dot on her phone, she pressed the speaker button before walking over and opening up the fridge.
"Hiya," Celeste said, forcing herself to sound cheerful.
"Hello Celeste, I have heard from the scout troops I lent you." Chiron paused. "Looks like things didn't go as planned."
"No, it went south fast." Celeste said, pulling out a pitcher of lemon date out of the fridge.
"Dionysus?" Chiron asked, hesitated to know the answer.
"Gone… Bacchus has returned Celeste said with a crack in her voice.
Chiron remained silent for a moment as Celeste turned off the stove. Opening the pots, she picked up a pair of tongs just as Chiron spoke again.
"Do you think they will continue what they tried to do hundreds of years ago?"
Celeste scooped out a large piece of seasoned, pulled beef, and placed it on both plates, followed with a nice helping of cooked white rice and a large helping of broccoli drizzled with cheese.
"Of course, that all want to rule the world, right?" Celeste said, setting the plates at the dinner table along with the fork knife and spoon.
Celeste went to turn around to grab the pitcher and glasses when two voices chimed in.
"Natalia and the Demon?"
Celeste sat the glasses down on the table, picking up the pitcher, she filled them with lemonade before setting the pitcher on the table.
"Well, glad to see you two are awake. Welcome to my home, Celeste said, followed by a slight bow. Do you have questions you want to ask me?"
"Umm, thank you for letting us stay here and the people the vampires kidnapped, are they.." it scared Grover to ask.
"Are all fine… well come became lunch or maybe dinner any way Chiron asked me to come and help and lent my a scot top and get the humans out of there." Celeste said.
Seeing the relief across Annabeth and Grover's face made her smile, but it quickly faded as she set her phone down on the table.
"Now Chiron needs to speak to the two of you."
Before Annabeth and Grover could ask why, Celeste excused herself and walked up the stairs, leaving the two of them looking at the cell phone. Shrugging, Grover picked up his fork and started eating.
"How are you sir?" Annabeth asked.
"Much better than you," Chiron said. "Celeste is right. I need to talk to you.
"About the red demon we saw, and why did Dionysus disappear?
"The red demon is Dionysus, they are one in the same," Chiron said. "Bacchus, is his name, he is Dionysus dark alter ego. Each God has a dark alter ego. His just happens to be the king of all vampires and wants to rule the world.
"So, does that mean Ares' dark side is worse than he is now?" Grover asked.
Chiron cleared his throat. "Well…lets just say it would have cause chaos to both humans and gods."
"Back to the topic on hand. So Bacchus wants to rule the world because of Natalia, right? Annabeth said, glaring at Grover. "Also, how did Mr. D become Bacchus?
"Chiron took a deep breath. "Many years a go Dionysus played a game of cards with a woman was a witch. He won the game, but he cheated, so she zapped him, knocking him out of the chair.
Annabeth nodded while Grover finished his plate, leaning back in his chair.
"Go on," Annabeth said.
"There is much else I can say when I arrived there was screaming and people were running o to the tavern. When I went inside, I stood there unable to move as Dionysus fulled transformed in to Bacchus in front of me bit a woman with long brown hair on the neck as Celeste laid on the flood beside him, unconscious I called out to him and he looked at me with a smirk, but when he looked back at Celeste; I saw pain in his eyes just as the two of them disappeared.
Annabeth sighed, she had finished her mean and drank the last of her lemonade. She swallowed hard as she stared at her plate. No wonder Celeste excused herself, she thought.
"What about the witch? Is she still around? Grover asked as he stood up, collecting both his and Annabeth's dishes, and walked over, placing them in the kitchen sink.
"Not sure," Chiron said.
"Do you remember the name of the tavern?" Annabeth asked.
Chiron was silent for a while before he spoke again.
"Yes, I do. Strange the name and location just popped into my head. I am texting it to yo three now.
"Thank you. We'll let you know when we find her."
"Good um about Celeste. I know she not one to you know…"
"Yes, and Don't worry, we'll looked after her." Annabeth said before hanging up.
Sighing, Annabeth rubbed the side of her temple. She put on her hands and stood up the moment Celeste entered the room. Annabeth looked at Celeste while she had a smile on her face. Her eyes held nothing but sadness.
"So, Chiron told you both what you needed to know? Celeste asked.
"Yup, Grover said, walked in from the kitchen.
"And the plan?" Celeste asked.
"To find the witch that zapped Mr. D," Grover said.
"We have the name and address of the tavern where it all happened." Annabeth said, handing Celeste her cell phone.
"Wow, I am surprised he remembers it,"
An uncomfortable silence fell between Annabeth and Celeste. Clearing his throat, Grover spoke up first.
"I put the food away and cleaned up. I am heading to the living room to get ready. Grover said, leaving the dining room.
Annabeth approached Celeste. They were a few inches apart. She looked into her smiling eyes, but found only sadness.
"Um… I" Annabeth tried to say.
"Please don't," Celeste said, forcing her lips to smile. "Let's get going. Hopefully, we can get Percy back.
"And you, Dionysus," Annabeth said before walking into the living room.
Celeste bit her lip, forcing the tears that want to well up in her eyes back down.
"Oh, Dio… you big fool, looks like I have a promise to keep after all."