"You sure she's going to be okay?" Rae studied the girl, lying on the bed with sweat pouring from her face. "Because she's been screaming like this for more than three hours."
"Yes, she would be fine," Phoebe snapped, but she was still concerned for the lieutenant of the Hunt. "She's just having a nightmare."
As though on a cue, the daughter of Zeus let out another strangled scream, writhing on the bed as if somebody had touched her arm with burning hot embers.
"Please, please-" her spoken words were cut off by another choked cry. "No! Please, don't-"
Thalia Grace shot up from her bed, her eyes wild and scared. "Oh my gods, what- what-"
"Just a dream," Phoebe tried to assured her in what she thought was a soothing tone, patting Thalia's arm gently. "Just a dream."
The girl concentrated on breathing for a few desperate seconds.
"I… I need a moment," she finally said. "Rae and Phoebe, could you leave me alone please?"
"Of course." Phoebe gestured for the healer to head out first.
After the two huntresses left, Thalia curled up on the fluffy white mattress. Tears streamed down her face.
It had been one week since his death.
Thalia was forbidden to mention his name, or even think about it. But he visited her in her dreams and tormented the girl daily with his betrayal.
So that was how she was going to spend eternality. Screaming.
Thalia sighed and splashed her face with water from the bronze basin beside her bed. "Get a grip," she told herself miserably. "He's gone. He can't do anything to you. Anything," she added for extra comfort.
If Annabeth was here then she'd think me crazy, Thalia thought miserably. Not that little seven year old I know anymore…
The girl shivered, like she'd just swallowed cold wind and it was dancing down her vertebrae.
Thalia rubbed her eyes. But now Annabeth has somebody else, she thought. Perseus Jackson. Gods, Annabeth's dating my cousin… that's gross.
Childish thoughts that she could not stop. Thalia felt like she was going blank, shutting down, and all she could do was wonder about simple things like different types of clouds or perhaps why a sail boat had so many knots.
The girl exhaled, then took out an arrow from her quiver. Toying with the idea of suddenly snapping it into two, she caressed the sharp point, liking the way the edge grazed her slender fingers.
Oh, great, now I'm playing with dangerous objects, Thalia thought dazedly. If I cut myself with this I'm going to throw a pity party. Paper hats are optional; sharp things necessary.
She dropped the arrow back into the quiver, sighed again, and sank back onto her mattress.
She suddenly felt like punching something; Thalia hated everything around her, the way her shirt clung to her waist, the silver rug lying plainly on the ground, how everything was stupid or maybe even that damned Rae girl with the weird powers.
"Thalia. You're really tired," she spoke out loud to herself. "Go back to sleep."
Vaguely, she wondered if she was really going crazy as she crawled pitifully back onto her mattress.