Built From The Fire

3

"I don't know Grover, she just isn't here. I can't find her, I can't reach her on her cell, I've asked people if they've seen anyone that looks like her. She's not here, and I don't know where she is."

Annabeth was frazzled. Annabeth didn't get frazzled often. Annabeth was level-headed. But currently, she was not.

It had been 7 hours of searching through the small town of Forks for her best friend, but she had come up with nothing. Absolutely nothing. Annabeth couldn't even find the beach Percy had talked about. She was gone. Again.

Annabeth had immediately found a small stream and began her Iris message, Grover's bushy haired head shimmering in the mist.

"And you've looked everywhere? Maybe she's taking a nap at the beach underwater or something," he bleated nervously. He had felt the loss, the connection between them shattered, but strict instructions from Chiron to not say a word kept Grover's goateed mouth sealed.

Annabeth shook her head. "No, she wouldn't just bail to go take a—" Annabeth stopped and signed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Well she has, but I know she wouldn't do that when we have a job to do. Something's wrong, Grover." Her eyes pleaded with him to take her seriously. "Is the connection still there, can you feel if she's in pain or—or in danger?"

Grover tried not to cringe. He hated lying, especially to his good friend, bur he feared the goddess' wrath. He shook his head. "I don't feel that she's in any pain or danger." He stopped abruptly and looked off to the side. "I gotta go, Annabeth! Mr. D is calling me-" And with that, Grover slashed through the call with a relieved sigh.

Annabeth growled and stood up from her crouched position. The pacing returned. She paced back and forth, and back and forth until her knees wobbled, searching her brain for anything Percy had said right before she'd left.

"I think I wanna get a mullet." No, that wasn't helpful.

"Do you think grass tastes good?" Annabeth shook her head at the memory. She had almost whacked Percy upside the head.

"Why are you eating grass?" She had asked in reply.

Percy just shrugged. "I figured it'd be like broccoli, you know, little trees."

Annabeth felt a pang in her chest. Talking to Percy was one of her favorite things to do on Earth. The thoughts that girl had—Annabeth marveled at her.

She sighed angrily. Nothing about their last conversations suggested anything out of the ordinary to Annabeth. She was frustrated, scared, worried, and very annoyed. This was the second time Percy had disappeared. The last time, she was shacked up with Calypso and Annabeth knew what must've happened there. Calypso's curse. So while Annabeth was planning her best friends funeral, Percy was—

"Annabeth," a very smooth, but stern voice sounded from behind her. The grey eyed girl whirled around, her hand going to her dagger. Seeing them, Annabeth dropped her dagger as well as down to a knee, bowing her head.

"Mother, Lady Hera," Annabeth greeted, trying to mask her surprise with revere. Her mother nodded her, her calculating eyes following her. Annabeth rose and stiffened, staring up at the goddesses. They had come in mortal clothes, but with one glance, any person could discern that these women were not mortal. They had a slight glow around them, for one, and they were immaculately beautiful and elegant. If they were to stop moving, they could be mistaken for marble statues.

"We've come to collect you and take you back to Camp," her mother informed.

Annabeth frowned up at them. "Go back?" She shook her head. "I can't leave without Percy. I've been looking—"