Chapter 5 (Marks of the Night)

Disclaimer- I don't own Percy Jackson…

Enjoy(:

"What?" he asked staring at me with what I deemed as shock and a hint of disgust. I once again tried to wiggle out of his arms, he was a guy, and guys made me very uncomfortable, with good reason. But his grip kept getting tighter and tighter, and started to feel more and more painful.

"Apollo, please let go of me." I said tears forming in my eyes from the pain. "You're hurting me, let me go!" I screamed at him, I didn't know how he would take it, burning me to a crisp or shunning me from his help, but he did neither of these things, he snapped out of his daze and actually let me go. I rubbed were he had held me, I knew there were going to be bruises there in about a day or so.

"Why didn't you let me go? You were really hurting me you know!" I told him in a stern voice, I wanted to know why he had gripped so tightly. Was it because of my grandmother being the personification of night, and him being the sun god? I mean, if he had a beef with Nyx, why take it out on me?

"Its nothing, I just didn't expect it, I mean, Nyx and I don't get along that well, I mean she's night and I'm the sun, kind of a clash there, don't you think?" He told me looking seriously sorry for hurting me, but I still had questions. I pegged him to go on with his story. "Well, it's just that, when I saw those markings it seemed like a joke, I knew it was how Nyx would claim her children but I never expected her to do it to you. I didn't expect Nyx to be in your lineage." He told me, now I understood; he was just shocked is all. I knew that he didn't mean to hurt me. He was probably just in deep thought not even knowing I was there.

"Well I forgive you for that." I told him as I sat back down to the tree were I had just had a conversation with my grandma.

"Why did you run out of your cabin anyway? I was just coming around to make sure the camp was safe and I see half of the Aphrodite cabin out looking for you, so I went into the woods hoping you weren't eaten by any of the monsters out here, and yes there are monsters." He said with a smirk as my eyes widened. I thought back to the memory masquerading as a nightmare, thinking about how scared I was that night, and how I wish it had never happened, as I burst into sobs.

"Hey what's wrong? Did I say something wrong I mean if I did you can just say so." He said probably thinking the tears were his doing.

"A nightmare, a nightmare about what happened to me last year." I said feeling more hot tears roll down my face. "It felt so real, I just couldn't handle it… and there were… so many people… so many voices… I couldn't take it. The… images… they kept on coming back… in… I had to get out." I told him, sobbing into my hands, as I felt arms come around me. I tensed up.

"It's okay, he can't come here. No mortal can unless they're invited in, and I don't think anyone will invite him." He told me as I looked up. He looked at me with concern, and he held me there for a while, I realized, he was a guy but I felt safe with him. I could be around Apollo, and not be afraid of him.

About an hour or so later he had to leave, dawn was coming and he did have a job. So I went back to my cabin, receiving hugs from my fellow siblings and having to tell them everything was fine. Then Silena pulled me off to the side so we could talk more privately while everyone else went to sleep.

"Lilly, is everything okay? The way I saw you act tonight; did you have a nightmare or something?" She asked, genially wanting to know why I had been so scared.

"It's kinda personal Silena, so I really don't want the other campers to know." I told her rubbing the sides of my arms.

"Listen okay; everyone needs someone to talk to, I'll be yours. Honestly, I want to know what's wrong, Lilly." She said holding my hand. The tears rolled down my face, I knew I would need someone to talk to so why not my own sister?

"Last year I was coming home from school, a monster came up and attacked me, I ran as fast as I could and ducked into an alley. I bumped into a man there." I said, voice quivering, as she told me to go on. "He… he gr-grabbed me… and he... he took me… somewhere and… he… he…" I couldn't even finish the sentence but Silena understood, with a look of horror on her face she hugged me and I cried, I cried a lot that night.

"Hey, I wanted to know what those marks are, seems like no one else noticed, probably to tired." She giggled at the last part; I smiled a little wiping away my tears. "They were a gift from my great, great grandmother, Nyx." I told her, her jaw dropped when I said the name, and all I could do was laugh.

"The goddess Nyx is you grandmother!" She said in a persistent whisper, still in shock at the news. At least she wouldn't leave bruises like Apollo.

"Yes apparently, but I'm staying in Aphrodite cabin since Aphrodite is my mother." I told her, and then a thought popped into my head.

"Silena, how will everyone in the camp react to my double lineage? I mean what if that's a bad thing, and it won't be that easy to hide with my mark." I said feeling worried of being shunned, it had been that way after the rape, and no one even knew what happened, I didn't want them to for one thing, but I had just started to feel accepted again, I didn't want to loose that.

"Don't worry, everyone will actually be a little jealous, I mean double lineage is kinda rare, except for when half-bloods get married, but that a different story. And even if they seem to react badly to it, just be yourself, people here warm up fast. Oh and concerning the mark, I for one think it looks fabulous on you, everyone will want one as well." She told me giggling, as we walked back up to our cabin.