We Are Cursed (A Percy Jackson AU) || BOOK 2

Chapter 9 || Thalia

Thalia was a girl with no emotions or signs that she cared for someone.

It was just her vibe. But here she was, crying her ass off. Thalia watched as her cousin gave way to unconsciousness with a sigh, his whole body falling limp. Will placed the IV, pulling the sheets over Percy with a soft, floating flurry of cotton fluffs.

"You'll be okay..." Annabeth whispered, kissing his forehead. "You're okay, Seaweed Brain..."

She didn't even realize she was crying until her tears fell onto her shirt. Inside, she cursed for not being there when Annabeth and Percy needed help. Otherwise, Percy would've never been cursed, and Annabeth wouldn't have been hurt in the first place. But she blamed Luke above it all. Kronos. Gaea. They were the true culprits.

"You're strong, Percy..." Thalia murmured. But it wasn't really for Percy. It was her own self-reassurance.

"I suggest moving him to the Poseidon room," Will said thoughtfully. "It might be better for us to check up on him and easier for you guys to access."

Thalia could only nod as they wheeled Percy away. She sank to her knees on the floor as her heart pounded. Her cousin. Her innocent, funny, happy, lovely cousin was being tormented because of the Olympians. The Olympians weren't doing anything about it!

"But they're family. That's all that matters. I'd rather have the world saved than have the world blown apart by Gaea and Kronos. Even if the Olympians are awful parents," Percy said, smiling slightly.

His words rang in her ears and she stood up. The Kelp Head believed in it, so Thalia would, too.

"He'll be okay, right?" she inquired as Will turned to check on another patient.

"Percy?" Will frowned.

No, your bird you called Sammy but he flew away! she thought angrily, but pushed it away.

"Yeah. Will he be okay?"

"He'll survive." Will hesitated before saying the next words. "But there's no cure we have to the curse. He'll be alive, but in a lot of pain."

Thalia started to say something, but Will continued speaking. "He chose it. It's okay if he wanted it. But all I can say is... eternal suffrage. That's his fate."

Will left, wiping the tears from his eyes. Annabeth stood up angrily, her gray eyes blazing with anger.

"Come on, let's go talk in the Zeus lounge..." she growled, storming off.

Thalia trailed behind her, glancing at Percy's bedroom door, where she knew he was sleeping. Sitting down, she saw Annabeth's angry gaze shift to the blue shag rug on the floor. If her eyes were lasers, the carpet would've died on the spot.

"We're not letting him just have eternal suffrage. It's not happening. I'm not letting it. We're not letting it..." Annabeth paced around the room, tugging at her princess curls as if she were shaking knowledge out of her brain. "There has to be a cure. We saw that note Sabrina left in the book. Somehow, she found the recipe for the cure..."

"But no one's allowed out right now," Hazel sighed. "It's war, Annabeth."

"I don't care," Annabeth insisted stubbornly. "I don't care if we're in war or even if the world's ending. Percy can't live in eternal suffrage. It's not right. He doesn't deserve it. We're going to find the cure. I don't care if you guys don't wanna go. I'm gonna go whether you like it or not."

"I'm going, too." Nico stood up. "Annabeth's right. Percy doesn't deserve this and if we can fix him, that's the least we can do for him, regardless if we're breaking the rules or not."

"If you're going, I'm in," Hazel sighed. "I'm not letting my brother go without me and you're right. If it's anyone who gives Percy help, it's best if it's us."

"I'm in," Frank said.

"This is my cousin we're talking about! Duh, I'm going!" Jason scoffed.

"Me, too!" Piper and Leo chimed in.

"That Kelp Head, as stupid as he is sometimes, is still my best friend and cousin. But he's really gonna get beat up once he's better," Thalia cracked her knuckles.

They all turned to Clarisse, who was nervously tapping her foot. She looked like she was going to burst by the shade of red her face was.

"I'm going," she finally said. "Because I need a punching bag named Prissy..."

"Then we sneak out with Percy on one of the mornings," Annabeth declared. "I don't trust the organization to take proper care of Percy and I wanna be with him all the time. I know I sound selfish... but do you wanna leave him here?"

A chorus of 'no's broke out among the crowd and Annabeth nodded, sighing in satisfaction.

"But we need to know how to properly care for Percy," Thalia realized. "Someone needs to ask Will."

"I will," Nico volunteered.

"Good. We can run out whenever we want, but we'll need a ship. Leo, do you think you could build one?"

"With this brain and this flaming hotness, the ship will be done in two days if I start working on it tonight."

He winked at Thalia, who glared at him. She didn't have a romantic life and that was for sure.

"We'll sneak out in the morning when the barriers open," Annabeth said. "According to my calculations, the barrier gate should be able to fit a battleship if you can make it to its exact height."

"You got it, blonde princess!"

"So you're sneaking out?" a voice came from the doorway and Thalia whipped around to see Zoë Nightshade, lieutenant of Artemis leaning against the frame of the door.

"Shit..." Annabeth cursed.

"Zoë, please don't tell anyone..." Thalia pleaded.

"It is foolish to go try and help boys..." Zoë growled. "I tried to help a man once. I regret it to this very day... Hercules was a jerk."

"But Percy's not a jerk!" Piper exclaimed. "He's nice and sweet and funny and--"

"I understand that, Piper McLean. Even if some of the hunters don't agree, Lady Artemis and I believe he's the only worthy man in existence. If you have to save him by sneaking out, by all means do it. But I suggest you take this."

Zoë took out a silver necklace, giving it to Thalia. "This is a locket that will turn into a bow with endless arrows when you open it. By what I've seen from you in the arena, I judge you're pretty good at archery. And... you also might want to take this."

She handed them a piece of paper.

"What's this?" Annabeth asked curiously.

"I've seen the contents of Sabrina's notebook. Such a brilliant young woman... But she got one ingredient wrong. Moonlace. Of course, it is hardly impossible to find Moonlace unless you somehow find Calypso's island, Ogygia. That is very unlikely."

"Nice encouragement..." Thalia muttered.

"But I can give you something on the ingredient list to start off with," Zoë said, reaching into her backpack. "This."

She handed them a small bag of something.

"Do not open it, Thalia Grace," Zoë said as Thalia reached for the opening. "There are exactly fifty-eight dragon scales in that bag. If you lose one, you mess up the whole cure. These are from Ladon himself, and if you are to lose one, the only option is to face Ladon to get another scale. I warn you heroes... Ladon has killed many who have tried to get past him. But you will have to face him either way."

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked.

"Check the ingredients. But I can't help you anymore. I wish Perseus well."

With that, she left.