Annabeth Chase the Triwizard Champion

Chapter Twenty Six

The light was almost blinding as Annabeth's head broke the surface. It was also really cold. Percy kept a steady current underneath them so Annabeth didn't have to use her injured arm, and both of them just floated there for a second, getting used to the sun. Annabeth put her arms around Percy's shoulders, leaning in close.

"You did it," Percy said, kissing her.

Annabeth smiled against his lips and held him tighter, trying to absorb some body heat in the frigid air.

"What did the selkies say?" she asked.

Percy rolled his eyes. "They wanted me to tell my dad that they managed to befriend the giant squid. They're really proud of it. I didn't tell them that giant squids are already friendly."

Annabeth laughed, and Percy guided them both to shore so Annabeth didn't have to use her arm. As soon as they were close, they were met by Madam Pomfrey, who looked mad as she aggressively wrapped blankets around Percy and Annabeth. She grabbed Annabeth's injured arm and pulled off the sad bandage, gentle despite her angry expression.

"What in the everloving world did this?!" she exclaimed, taking Annabeth's other arm and dragging her farther inland.

"A kelpie did it," Annabeth replied. "I'm fine." She pulled her blanket tighter around herself as Percy joined her, looking very amused.

"A kelpie?!" Madam Pomfrey turned towards the judges table, fuming. "You left a kelpie in the lake?!"

"I had Hagrid remove the kelpies," Dumbledore said, standing. "You're quite sure that was what injured you, Miss Chase?"

"No. It was a plimpy."

Dumbledore tilted his head. "I will talk to Hagrid about it. Though the mercheiftaness herself assured me that all the kelpies had been relocated for the task. You're very lucky to have escaped with such a minimal injury."

"You call zat minimal?" Fleur, who Annabeth hadn't noticed before, said. She was wrapped in a blanket too, and she looked worried out of her mind. Annabeth's arm wasn't nearly enough to warrant that much worry, especially to Fleur. Then Annabeth noticed something.

The little girl from the lake, the one who looked so much like Fleur, wasn't there. But Fleur herself was soaking wet, holding her blanket tight around her.

"Where's your sister?" Annabeth asked.

Fleur sobbed softly. "She's in there somewhere! But ze grindylows got me and I couldn't get away! It has almost been an hour!"

"Nothing's going to happen to her if an hour passes," Percy said comfortingly. "That's just something they said to tell you there's a time limit. Someone will get her."

"You are ze boy from ze ball," Fleur said. "But you do not go to school here, yes?"

"I go to school in New York," Percy said. "They let me ditch to come for the task."

"You are Anna's most beloved?"

Annabeth would have burst into laughter at the name if not for whatever disinfectant Madam Pomfrey had just applied to her bite. A hiss of air escaped between her clenched teeth and she squeezed Percy's hand as an almost unbearable sting took over her arm.

She cursed repeatedly under her breath, but she was careful not to move her arm and channeled the pain through her other hand, the one wrapped around Percy's.

"I don't know how I did it, but yeah," Percy said in a slightly strained voice.

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth muttered, letting her head rest on the pole behind her, still strangling his hand. "You know you're amazing."