Chapter XVII ANNABETH

Annabeth was going to kill Percy. Well, that's if this wound didn't kill him first. What made him think that he could withstand being gored by a bull and not be harmed? He wasn't invincible! Well...He used to be. But that was gone now! Even though Annabeth loved her boyfriend's stupid tendencies, he really needed to have more sense sometimes.

" Percy!" she berated him as she checked his side for infection once again. It was bright red and looked incredibly sore. Annabeth didn't know much about healing, but obviously that was not a good sign.

Percy smiled weakly, clearly in great pain. He had contracted a fever so now he was burning up on top of everything else. Annabeth felt his forehead and then pulled her hand back. His skin was dry and hot to the touch. He needed to break a sweat to get rid of this fever, she knew that much.

The daughter of Athena tugged her hair frustratedly. She wasn't a child of Apollo; she didn't have the medical skill to properly take care of him. Percy saw her face and took her hand.

"I'm going to be fine." he said reassuringly.

He sat up and then said,

"Come on, we need to get out of here."

"What?" Annabeth said incredulously.

"We've stayed here too long. I'm don't know if Athena somehow protected us for a while, but I think we need to get moving again."

"You are not going anywhere, Seaweed Brain."

"Well, you certainly aren't going alone. We promised each other that, remember?" he reminded her, hauling himself to his feet.

Percy wobbled for a moment and then regained his balance. Gritting his teeth, he straightened his torso and then smiled as if nothing hurt.

"See? I'm perfectly fine."

But Annabeth knew him too well for that. She knew when Percy was upset, even if he tried to hid it. She knew when he felt lonely, because of the way his green eyes darkened slightly. And she most definitely knew when he was lying through his teeth.

"Yeah, sure." Annabeth said, putting an arm under his shoulders.

"But I can see nothing i say will change your mind, will it?"

"Yep."

Annabeth sighed.

"Then let's get going."

They hadn't gone twenty feet before they were attacked. Swooping in from nowhere, out came an empousai. Percy stopped in his tracks and then said in shock,

"Kelli?"

"Hello, Perseus Jackson. It's been two years, but i think you remember me."

"Yeah, you blew up my high school."

Kelli smiled, baring her sharp teeth.

"You fought bravely. I admire that. But it is here, that you shall die."

The demon lunged forward, teeth bared at Percy's throat. Percy swiftly sliced through her with Riptide, grabbed Annabeth's hand and set off at a run. Kelli was already reforming.

"Where are we going?"

"Away from her! Because she had friends, and I think I managed to annoy every single one of them over the past five years!"

Annabeth snuck a glance behind her and what she saw was enough to give anyone nightmares for weeks. Behind them was an entire army of monsters. Telekhines, Stymphallian birds, Furies, hellhounds, Laistrygonian giants, Cyclops...Everything you could possibly imagine. There was no way that two demigods could defeat all that. Annabeth gulped and ran faster.

They ran for ages, barely stopping for breath. At certain points, Percy looked like he was going to collapse. He was gulping back air like it was going out of fashion, and his complexion was haggard and gray. Annabeth kept a tight grip on his hand, so they wouldn't get separated somehow. The couple hid behind a rock and Percy fell to all fours on the ground, gasping for air. Annabeth knelt beside him, gently putting a hand on his back.

"Ten deep breaths, Seaweed Brain."

"Tr-Trying, Wise Girl."

All of a sudden, Annabeth felt herself being lifted up in the air. Shrieking, she grabbed for Percy and pulled him up with her. Annabeth looked wildly around her, catching sight of a giant's ugly face. It was holding them upside down. upon seeing this, Percy finally went unconscious. The giant deposited them into a massive net of some sort. They fell in, limbs tangled together. Annabeth jumped up and attacked the sides of the net, looking for a way out.

"Wonderful," a voice said,

"Beautiful sacrifices to wake the Earth Mother."

Annabeth groaned and starting crying as she realized what had happened.

Gaea had captured them and was keeping them safe. But it was just so they'd be alive in time for the sacrifice.