Total Collapse of Wisdom's Daughter

In all honesty, I should have seen this night coming. The signs were clear. The evidence plastered all over for days now. Yet, despite the undeniable, terrible truth staring me in the face, I couldn't see it coming. Just another shortsighted moment by the great Percy Jackson…

Thirst became a bit of an issue during the day. But, when you consider the outcomes, such as a nice little "treat" from Calypso, I can't say I'm complaining. Hours later, here I was, yet again, getting a drink to re-energize myself.

Funnily enough, immediately following my quest to get some water, I detected the smell of… fire?

That's right!

In a fairly sized lounging area near the pool, Piper and Calypso sat around a makeshift fire pit. Both chatted, taking in the heat, but taking extra care not to inhale the fumes. If the boxes of flaming foundation were anything to go by, it was probably for the best.

"So, was burning Drew's makeup as fun as you thought it would be?"

Piper turned from her conversation. "You have no idea. Come on, grab a seat."

I did as asked and joined their conversation. Unbeknownst to me before then, Piper actually packed quite a punch with her singing voice. She and Calypso both discussed various practices and exercises to better train the voice. I listened in and enjoyed the literal music as they attempted to one up each other in a playful competition.

Of course, they both had their different uses. Calypso's voice had thousands of years of magical practice, and so she could manage miracles, from plant growth to a small degree of water control. Piper, however, could drown out any thoughts with what I can only describe as an ethereally feminine, but powerfully controlled voice. Every thought of mine turned to "Do anything she asks me to," and "Let me hear more."

Following their session, and a round of applause from me, both put on a mournful expression. With weary eyes and strained lips, Calypso outstretched her hand to me from across the fire. Piper hung her head low, appearing far more drained than any days in recent memory.

"What's wrong?" I asked, taking Calypso's hand into my own as I sat next to her.

Piper lifted her head with a single red line staining her face, trailing from the inner edge of her eye, over her slender cheekbone, and off her sharp jaw.

"It's best you see for yourself..."

Both girls led me to my room. Silent as a stilled lake, each took one of my hands for their own. Calypso's, still and somber; Piper's, nervous and fidgety.

"We..." Piper said "We tried talking to her, but…"

"You guys are scaring me with this ambiguity. What happened?"

Piper pulled a dagger, not her own, from her belt. Its silvery shine forced a wince from me. Familiar aches in my chest throbbed in memory of the blade's previous uses.

"Did she attack you guys?!"

"N- no… well. Sort of, but she missed. She didn't hurt us."

An internal battle waged as they brought me closer. A part of me wanted to shake them off and rush to Annabeth. Another wanted to turn around and run away from everything; the drama, the heartache, the pain… And yet, even with every instinct telling me to be somewhere else, I followed.

The door to my room was marked with a single gash in the wood. No more than two inches long. With the dagger in Piper's hand, I began to realize Piper never took the blade from Annabeth. In a manner of speaking, Annabeth gave it to her.

Upon reaching the door, Piper's hand drifted to the knob, but never turned it. She shook in place as a fresh shower of tears trickled from her face.

Calypso looked no better. Her face seemed caught in an everlasting anguish. A small frown with downturned eyebrows. Weary. Listless.

"Please, help her," Piper said.

She turned the doorknob and let it open on its own. Without another word, she sat down on the opposite side of the hallway and buried her face in her hands. Calypso moved to comfort her, but her failures outnumbered her successes.

I stepped through the doorway and into the room, closing the door behind me. Upon first glance, the room looked empty. With the exception of tousled bed covers and desk chair in the lounging area, nothing looked out of the ordinary.

Sniff.

Doing a full three sixty of the room, I attempted to hone in on the sound.

Sniff.

It seemed to come from a far corner, opposite of where I stood in the room, passed the lounging area.

Hic.

My heart dropped as I approached. Huddled in the corner, Annabeth sat with water dripping out of her hair. Eyes unfocused and bloodshot, she turned to regard me with an unfamiliar smile.

"The Hero of Olympus returned! All hail, Percy Johnson!" A hiccup punctuated her voice halfway through her praise.

She pumped her arm in the air, presenting me with a duality of horrors. In her hand, she held a near empty wine bottle, a swallow, at most, remaining. On her arm… oh, her arm…

A myriad of red lines traced across her forearm, lining up far too close to her veins and arteries for comfort. The sight alone made me gag. By no means was the sight unfamiliar, but given the lack of monsters and turned demigods, only one person could have done such a thing.

"Annabeth…"

Not another word left my lips as I attempted to scoop her up. She lashed out and screamed, swiping at me with the bottle.

"No! You're not getting any."

"Wise Girl, listen to me-"

"Wise Girl! I'ma good Wise Girl! But Percy doesn' like me. He slept with my best friend."

I knelt in front of her, keeping an eye on the bottle in her hand. Her breath nearly knocked me unconscious.

If her breath is that strong...

"Annabeth-"

"Shh shhhh. S'okay. I slept wit' her too," she said with a goofy grin.

I realized there was no way of getting through to her. Never before had I attempted what I was about to do. But if it worked on poison and saliva, why not alcohol?

I focus on the bottle in her hand, pulling it towards me as the last swig of wine honed in on me like a magnet. Annabeth struggled to hold the bottle, her face turning red from the strain to keep her grip on it.

CRACK!

Not a moment after, the glass fractured in her hand, the bottom shooting towards me, the neck shredding Annabeth's palm.

"Percy?" Annabeth called, her voice now unsettlingly clear.

She examined her hand with abject horror. The shards of glass mingled with the streams of blood dripping from her forearm to her fingertips.

"What did you do?! You cut me!"

"Annabeth, I'm so-"

"How could you?! First you bang my best friend, now you do this?!"

Her head swayed as she screamed at me, drooping at times before snapping back up.

"You know I-"

"Is it not enough for you?! Am I not enough?!"

Following her outburst, she slumped forward. I rushed to catch her. Her body fell against mine, her head landing on my shoulder as her body went limp.

I focused on any water nearby. Despite me having no expectation of finding any, a ribbon of water streamed out from the bathroom, answering my call. I held the water to her arm and hand, healing the gashes and pulling out any remaining shards and discarding them in the nearby waste basket.

"Ow!" Annabeth surged forward, smacking her forehead against mine. We both groaned out, though hers was considerably longer.

"Oh," she said, rubbing her head, "hey, babe. How was your day?"

"We need to get you on the bed."

"Noooo!"

She pulled away from my grip as I picked her up, taking a fighting stance with balled fists.

"I'm not getting in that bed after you banged Silena in it! This is my bed! Go find your own!"

I frowned. "But I didn't—"

She lunged forward and tackled me to the bed.

"No more! I love you and I don't want you to get hurt! So stop it!"

"That doesn't make-"

"It's always another girl!" she screamed with a punch to my shoulder.

"Annabeth!"

"It's always another girl! It's always another girl! It's always another girl!"

Her screams repeated as she buried her face in my chest, pounding her fists against my shoulders. Over time, her blubbering faded to mumbles; her pounding turned to exhausted taps.

I tilted her head up and looked her in the eyes. Bloodshot and dilated, she stared back at me with tears streaming from her face.

"I don't know what I'm thinking anymore," she croaked. "My head's all over the place!"

Her sobs echoed throughout the room as I attempted to quiet her down. I rubbed my hand in small circles on her back as her tears soaked my shirt."I love you, Sea—"

A single wave of convulsion passed through her body. Then another. And another. Before I pieced together why, Annabeth opened her mouth and let loose a torrent of chunky, light brown… you know what, I won't go any further…

"Annabeth!"

Paying no attention to the burning sensation plastered all over my chest, nor the horrid smell, I scooped up Annabeth and rushed her to the bathroom. She offered no resistance beyond a halfhearted grunt from bouncing with each step. Upon arriving, I settled her down over the toilet and threw open the lid. Not too long after, a fresh stream of alcohol and… other things spewed from her mouth.

Rubbing my neck, I turned my attention to give her a bath. One look at the tub, and I couldn't even describe my panic.

Red… red everywhere. I should have figured out what the smell of iron was long before, but it never clicked. But looking in the tub… It looked like she spilled several bottles of wine and decided to take a bath in it, splashing around and everything. Of course… it wasn't wine… I didn't even want to think about how close she was to the brink of death.

Taking one last look at Annabeth, I knew she wasn't moving anytime soon as she wretched and hacked. Seconds later, I opened the bedroom door to find Piper and Calypso still sitting against the wall with worried expressions.

"I need your help."

Piper jumped to her feet, Calypso slowly followed. I turned around without further explanation, even with Piper demanding to know why vomit covered my chest. The moment we stepped into the bathroom, Piper gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Oh, Annabeth…"

"I need you guys to help me clean her up. I'll… I'll take care of the tub…"

"Why would she—"

"I don't know. And she's in no condition to tell us."

Silence crept into the room as everyone carried out a different task. I thoroughly washed out the tub of any and all traces of blood. Piper sang songs and whispered comforting words to Annabeth, calming her enough to shower her. Calypso collected both of our clothes to have them washed, and did the same with the bed coverings.

So many opportunities there were for a potentially… enjoyable night. Yet not one moment passed in which I wished for a single one. Whether it was to join Piper and Annabeth in the shower. Or pull them into the bath with me. Or follow Calypso as she washed the clothes. Not one. I wished only for the night in which this didn't happen.

How could I be so blind? She was practically screaming for help, yet here I was getting my dick wet…

I suppose the situation answered my question about what she was holding in her bag. Not a laptop. Not some new book. No. She brought alcohol. Olympian caliber alcohol… But how? How did she get it? Who was her supplier? Why would they give it to her?

With so many unanswered questions roaming through my head, I failed to notice Piper walking Annabeth out of the bathroom.

"Could you give me a hand? She's not as light as she looks."

I turned and gave a halfhearted smile as I approached. "It's all those core exercises. They've worked wonders over the years."

"I can tell. But for now, let's stop admiring your girlfriend's physique and get her on the bed."

"Yeah… Yeah, sorry. Just trying to… distract myself."

Piper sighed. "I know. Look, everything will be okay. We just have to get through this night."

"But it's not just this night," I said as we laid Annabeth on the bed. "Every night after this, I have to worry. Every time she goes to Olympus, I have to worry about what she brings back."

"I will accompany her, if that's what must be done."

I turned to see Calypso returning from the laundry run.

"But you can't leave without me."

"Is that so? I don't recall a wedding between you and Annabeth. Unless I'm spending too much time in the gardens or at my loom, I would argue that a mistress holds just as much authority, and the same rights as your wife."

"Are… are you… You know what? No. I can't take that risk. One wrong move, and you will fade. I can't… I can't…"

Something broke inside of me. I collapsed on the side of the bed, pressing my fingers to my eyes as I let the flurry of emotions get the better of me. From the issues with Khione to Reyna to Annabeth; now to the prospect of Calypso fading just so she can keep an eye on Annabeth. Despite my efforts to fight back the tears, a few managed to escape. I attempted to control them. Hide them. But my thoughts were too muddied, too incoherent to control anything.

Piper and Calypso sat to either side of me, rubbing my shoulders and offering soft words to calm me down. When that failed, both turned to the skill they seemingly knew best. Singing. As for the name of the song, I don't know. It seemed melancholy. Gentle. A song of hoping against all hopes. If ever the time came where I found myself six feet under, let them be the ones to sing at my funeral.

The thought of my burial snapped me out of my mood. No. I can't die. Like Piper said. I have people to live for. There are others who need me.

With a shaky breath, I pulled both girls in for a hug. They returned it with affectionate, though dainty, gestures. Be it circling a finger on my back or nuzzling my neck, both made their love clear.

I pulled away and turned to Annabeth. Resting with her head tilted away, Annabeth lied without a sound. So peaceful. So different from a mere hour prior.

"If you two want to go to bed, you can. I'll stay here and keep watch over her."

Piper glared at me with an unforeseen ferocity. "What makes you think I'll abandon two of my best friends in their time of need? I'm not going anywhere." Her gaze softened. "At the very least, we can take shifts watching her."

"I agree," Calypso said. "I have my share of blame for this. It's only fair of me to stay and watch over her."

"You don't— Thanks guys. Seriously. I couldn't ask for better mistresses."

Calypso offered a gentle smile. Piper blushed at my words with a somewhat shocked expression. In that moment, I realized that prior to this, I never offered her to be my mistress.

"Um," I coughed. "That is of course… you know… if you want it. Because if not, I—"

Piper silenced me in the most effective manner possible. A kiss. No passion. No ferocity. No lust. Just a simple, sweet kiss that melted my brain.

She pulled away with a teary smile on her face as her red cheeks returned to their normal color. "Yes. I would love to be your mistress. But your timing couldn't be any worse."

Though muddied, my thoughts cleared enough to bring forward a single question. "If you guys knew about this, why didn't you come get me earlier? And why sit around the fire?"

Piper wiped a tear from her eye. "We didn't realize how bad it was. She chucked her knife at us while screaming before we saw everything."

"It doesn't help that I can feel a type of presence over her. Much like from before. So I believed her words weren't her own."

"You knew before, didn't you?"

Calypso dropped her head. "I suspected. Before now, I wasn't sure, but the magic on her is strong."

"Can you break it? Or Piper, like when you snapped me out of jumping you in the shower."

Both shook their heads.

"All I did was influence you to calm your hormones. This is quite a bit more extreme than that."

Calypso chimed in. "And this type of emotional magic, I have no expertise in. I can identify it, but unraveling it is another matter entirely."

My fists tightened, drawing Piper's attention as she stroked my arm. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

Calypso paused, deep in thought. "Perhaps telling her of the magic could help. If she is aware of it, she may have a greater degree of control over herself. But for right now, I don't know any permanent method of keeping this away. I'm sorry."

Her head fell as a fresh stream of tears rolled down her cheeks. On instinct, I pulled her in for a hug, to which she returned with a tight grip. Piper watched as I calmed her, squeezing my hand as I did.

We pulled away, and my gaze fell on Annabeth. "I'll take the first watch. We'll rotate every hour."

Both girls agreed and took up makeshift sleeping spots on the bean bag chairs. I rested close to Annabeth, taking in her lemon scent. The smell of alcohol lingered, but nowhere near as potent as before. Her gentle breaths warmed my collarbone.

Hoping against all hope, I found myself praying to the Olympians. I don't know which one in particular. My dad, Athena, Hestia… maybe even Zeus himself… Desperation set in as I watched over Annabeth.

No more. I'm here for you.

Sleep was sparse during the night. The two hour gaps between my shifts were often filled with panicked thoughts and silent prayers. Watching over Annabeth offered no comfort. Every second was spent with my eyes locked on her. Occasionally, I could hear the distant sound of a toilet flushing or dishes being washed, surefire signs of the nymphs' never-ending labor. For a brief second, I could hear the subtle ringing of metal against tile.

When morning rays pierced the windows, a single groan echoed through the room. I looked down to see Annabeth shifting, eyes squinted, and cursing the light.

"Turn the light off," she grumbled, burying her head under the covers.

I followed her, tucking my head beneath the sheets and wrapping my arm around her. She stiffened on contact, taking in a sharp breath as my fingers touched her.

"Percy?" Her voice barely reached my ears. So quiet. So shaky.

"I'm here, Annabeth."

Not a second passed before she launched herself forward, knocking us both out of the bed. Tears flooded from her eyes as she sobbed into my neck. Her hands gripped my thin nightshirt, threatening to tear the fabric. She heaved and spluttered as she let out her cries.

Piper and Calypso stirred from their slumber, disoriented and startled by the sudden outburst of noise.

"Wha… Annie?"

Piper jumped from her chair and slid across the floor to hug Annabeth.

"Don't you ever scare us like that again."

"I'm sorry!" Annabeth sobbed "I don't know what I was thinking. It's like my head was wrung through a taffy puller."

No further words were said. At some point, Calypso joined the group. Not by becoming the fourth member of the group hug, but by rubbing her hand along the back of Annabeth's head.

"Percy, I—"

"Shhh. Just rest for now. You don't have to say anything."

Annabeth glared at me with bleary eyes. "Yes, I do!"

Her eyes rolled up and she slumped forward, her head landing right on my sternum.

"She's got a hangover," Piper said. "I'll be right back."

She took off, leaving the room and running down the hallway, her footsteps smacking against the abalone tiles.

Calypso and I pulled Annabeth back to the bed. She groaned and griped about the light and her migraine, but for the moment, there was nothing I could do. After all, there was no wound to heal. I couldn't help her anymore than I could help someone with a cold. Injuries and illnesses operate on completely different spectrums. At best, I was able to offer her some water to drink when she complained about being thirsty.

Piper returned with a tall glass in hand. Inside was a thick, pale yellow liquid. The color reminded me of the candle wax from the night before. Not something I want to think about when my girlfriend is suffering from a hangover. She brought the glass to Annabeth and forced her to sip it through a straw.

"Banana smoothie with honey," Piper said. "Perfect hangover remedy."

I raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly did you know about that?"

Her expression turned sour. "My dad's a movie star. Do you honestly think I never had to do this for him after a night of clubbing?"

I refrained from asking any more.

A few sips later, and Annabeth's groaning went silent. Before long, she drained the entire glass.

"Thank you," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Her eyes met mine. No longer bloodshot from the night before, but no less glassy. "I… I really owe you an apology…"

"This is nothing about apologizing. Just please don't do this again."

"Not this… I mean a couple nights ago…"

"Oh… Annabeth, it's okay—"

"No, it's not! Percy, I raped you! I don't know why or how or what I was thinking. Yes, I wanted you in bed, but… but I…" She buried her face in her hands, blurring her last words with her sobs. "I'm so sorry!"

I reached forward to hold her, but halted halfway. A small part of me still harbored some resentment for what she did. I didn't want to let it win over me, but...

"Anything you want to do to me… anything, you have my permission."

"No." I wrapped my arm around her and took her hand into my own. "This isn't about getting even. Hades, it may not even be your fault."

"No, it's not. But I can't… Wait… What are you talking about?"

"You haven't been around much these past few days."

I turned to Calypso, who took off from there. She explained the situation regarding an outside source of magic manipulating our thoughts and actions. Piper and I chimed in, discussing our encounter with Khione, to which I added on about my second encounter, and how I snapped after one sentence from her. Lastly, I told her about my dreams while in New York. Even Piper looked on with a renewed interest, having never heard this side of the story before.

"Well, that does it," Annabeth sniffled. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"Well, at first it was because my mom was there. After that… Well…"

"Right… I owe Palírroia an apology after the way I behaved."

"... Yeah… She didn't take it well."

Piper rubbed Annabeth's arm as I hugged her close. "But it wasn't you. That's the good part."

Annabeth shook her head angrily. "You don't get it. It was me. Or at least some part of me. I was so scared… so scared of losing you. Yet here I went pushing you away. Whoever did this… they wouldn't have been able to do it if I didn't already have the urge to do it already."

I withdrew my hand from her shoulder. "So you did have the urge to… well…"

She looked on with a miserable expression. "I guess I did. Some small part of me, at least. I would never have acted on it, but…"

"Yeah. I get it. You already told me why."

"Percy, I can't expect your forgiveness. Or anyone's for that mat—"

Just as Piper had only hours before, I silenced her with the best way I knew how; by allowing my lips to fall upon hers. She took a sharp breath with her eyes wide. As tears streamed down her face, she returned the kiss with a great exhale through her nose. Her shoulders relaxed and her fingers tugged at my shirt.

I pulled away and pressed my forehead to hers. "You don't have to ask for it. You already have it."

Her shoulders relaxed and her head tilted as a strained smile of relief stretched across her face. "Gods, I love you, Seaweed Brain. But you are too nice for your own good."

I cracked a smile. "And you're too good to be nice."

"I guess so."

"... You know, while there's all of this forgiveness going around…"

Annabeth and I turned to Calypso, who shifted around, not quite meeting Annabeth's gaze.

"What's there to forgive?" Annabeth asked.

"I toyed with you. I cursed you. I played at your pride to make myself seem like a better wife for Percy. I've done so many things I shouldn't have, all for the sake of satisfying my own desires."

Annabeth let out a breath and shared a knowing smile with me. "You're forgiven. But there's nothing wrong with a little competition to keep things entertaining."

Calypso hunched her shoulders and turned away with a cough. Piper looked on with slight amusement.

"Of course," Piper said, "there's nothing wrong with a little 'cooperation' to help someone's needs." She turned to me with a coy smile.

I raised an eyebrow. "I'll keep my fingers crossed." My attention turned to Annabeth. "How about we get you out of here and fill you up with a nice breakfast before your classes today?"

"Yes, please."

We all pulled ourselves away from the bed and made our way to the door. Annabeth stumbled, nearly face planting on the floor.

"Or maybe we should just keep you in bed after breakfast. I don't think you're in good enough shape to go anywhere."

She groaned. "Okay. But I'm still hungry…"

"We'll get you some breakfast." Piper said. "For now, you need to rest."

Annabeth nodded and allowed us to pull her back to bed. The rest of us turned to get her breakfast and made our way to the door. Upon reaching it, I noticed a small silver disk lying on the floor.

"Huh," Piper said, "I must've missed that on my way out."

"Whose is it?" Calypso asked.

I reached down and picked up the drachma. On one side, the initials "R.E.D." spelled out. Engraved on the other side was a paintbrush and palette.

"Well," Annabeth said with a smile, "it looks like you have something else lined up for breakfast. Get going."

I raised my eyebrows. "Are you serious?"

She offered a tired smile. "Absolutely. Go show her a good time."