IV

Annabeth POV:

(Time to transition over to Camp Half-Blood. This is supposed to be at, like, 6 am after Percy left. Yet another really short chapter… I'm working on making the NEXT chapter longer. FORGIVE ME!"

I woke up with an odd feeling swelling inside me. Most people would be worried about that, but I just passed it off as a demigod issue. It's always a demigod issue. So, I ignored the feeling and stood up. I got dressed in jeans and a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, as I did every morning. Gods, why does today feel so strange? And why was Percy acting weird yesterday? My half-brothers and half-sisters greeted me as they awoke. I smiled at them, and read a book on my bunk bed until I heard the conch horn blow for breakfast. I left with the rest of the Athena cabin, and went outside, the bright sun blinding me. I went over to Percy's cabin and knocked on his door. He usually didn't get up from bed until I came over to get him. But he didn't come to the door. I knocked again. Nothing. "Percy?" I called. Still nothing.

I twisted the door knob and walked in. His bed was empty, and not even made. I felt a sense of deja vu wash over me, remembering when Percy disappeared for eight months, without even a trace. Gods, please don't let it happen again. I calmed myself. Maybe he went to the dining pavilion early? I left his cabin and looked over the pavilion. He wasn't there. Chiron came over to me. "Aren't you coming to breakfast, Annabeth?"

"H- have you seen Percy?" Chiron got a look in his eyes that I couldn't quite understand. He glanced to the ground.

"No, I haven't. Is he not in his cabin?"

"No! Gods, where is he?! What if it's like the giant war all over again?"

"I seriously doubt that, Annabeth… you know, I bet he went to his mom's house." It seemed like Chiron was looking for an excuse.

"He wouldn't have done that without telling me. And why are you acting so weird?"

"No reason, Annabeth. I'm fine. And I'm sure Percy's fine too. I wouldn't worry about it." He told me. I sighed.

"Okay. But I'll call his mom just too make sure." Chiron paled.

"I wouldn't do that."

"Why?"

"Um… well, Percy is dealing with some family stuff. You shouldn't bother them."

"Famiy stuff? What happened?"
"It's really none of my business to tell you." He said.

"I can tell you're lying, Chiron."

He glared at me. "Fine. I know that Percy left to Olympus. He should be gone from there now though. I have no idea where he is right now."

"Why did he go to Olympus?"

"You won't like what you hear, Annabeth."

"He's my boyfriend! Do I not have the right to know where he went and why?"

"Fine. He went on a quest and had to talk to the gods first." I fet tears spring to my eyes. Percy had promised me there would be no more quests. And he left without telling me. What if he got hurt on this quest? And where would he even go?

"Where does he need to go to complete this quest?" I asked, trying not to let the tears in my eyes spill over."

He swallowed. "Do you really need to know?"

"Yes, I need to know now."

"It'll only make you more scared for his life."

"Tell me now."

"Okay. I don't know for sure, but I'm fairly certain that for him to find the information necessary he has to go…"

"Go where, Chiron?"

"Tartarus." I collapsed to my knees without meaning to. Gods, no. Anywhere but there. I started to cry. Percy would die down there. That is the worst possible place he could be. Last time, we went together, and even then we barely made it out. We needed help from Bob. But this time Percy's all alone. He wouldn't make it back to me. He knew he would have to go on a quest and go to Tartarus. And he never even told me. I felt broken. Chiron tried to comfort me, but he couldn't. I left Chiron there, looking worried, and headed to the beach. The least I could do was figure out more details to the quest.

I sat on the sand, staring out at the ocean. There was an early morning mist, and a rainbow in the sky. I finally got up the nerve to get out a drachma and Iris message Poseidon. When he answered, I looked at him in anger.

"You sent Percy to Tartarus." I stated, glaring at him.

He paled. "How did you find out?"

"It doesn't matter," I said, "now tell me every single detail of this quest or so help me god, you will die."

"That threat doesn't work on a god, Ms. Chase. And the details of this quest are confidential between Percy and the Olympians."

"You never know, Poseidon… maybe soon I'll be Mrs. Jackson. You wouldn't want Percy's wife to hold a grudge against you, now would you?"

"I don't care, Ms. Chase. And you can't know the details to this quest."

"Even though I'm your future daughter-in-law?" I know I was being an idiot, but I was really hoping I'd be able to convince Poseidon to tell me.

"Don't care."

"You know what, Poseidon? What gives you the right to know about your son's whereabouts, when you were never even there for him when he needed you. I've always been by his side, and I loved him when you never did."

"What gives you the right to tell me I don't love my own son?"

"Tell me where my boyfriend is and why he's there."

"No."

"I'll tell Percy all this, and he'll never want to see you again." Poseidon was quiet.

"Please don't." He said finally.

"Then tell me." And he did. And I was horrified. Not only was Percy going to Tartarus, he was also going to see Nyx.

"And what if he dies down there?" I asked Poseidon when he was done talking.

"We wouldn't know. But if he's not back in three weeks, we will assume he is dead."

"Fine. He'll be back."

"Hopefully, Ms. Chase."

"Call me Mrs. Jackson," I said with a smirk.

He rolled his eyes. "Not yet."

"But once he gets back, and I'm done yelling at him." I smiled.

"Don't get your hopes up. You know how dangerous Tartarus is." I sucked in a breath.

"Gods, yes, I know. Do you think I could Iris message him?"

"He's already falling into Tartarus. You won't be able to message him unless he gets out of Tartarus."

"Okay…don't you ever send my boyfriend on a quest ever again."

"It depends on the information he comes back with."

"Right. Well… bye then."

"Goodbye, Annabeth Chase."

And I stared out at the ocean almost the entire day, thinking of Percy and hoping he'd come back alive.