The Jacksons (completed): Book 2 - Percy Jackson Fanfiction

~ Chapter Thirty-One: ESME

Chapter Thirty-One:

ESME

The tunnel was long and dark, but then gradually lamps appeared along the roof and I entered a huge cavern. Apate's warnings rung in my head. Dolus' deal ached in my chest.

A day, a day that I desperately needed help, I would get none. I would probably die.

And with a prophecy predicting a war, led by my conflict-shy brother, that day would most certainly come within a short while.

There were some narrow stairs made of concrete, and an iron gate stood at the top. I peered through the bars. Inside was a small cell, identical to the one I'd been imprisoned in, and in it were two people.

One I recognised as Nero, my twin, snoring away in the corner. He wasn't even shackled - was that because the guards didn't think he was a danger, or because Dolus intervened to help me? - and he looked relatively fine, apart from a circular purple bruise on his temple that looked like something had been pressed hard onto his head.

Opposite was someone I most certainly did not recognise; a boy, maybe my age, with ash-blonde scruffy hair. His eyes were closed in his unconsciousness, his face a mass of scars. A long jagged welt ran along his cheek to his lips, which were scratched and chipped. His arms were dotted with scabs and more scars. His clothes were torn and dirty and, although I hoped to the gods I was wrong, maybe soiled. I could tell the vile smell was him - had he not showered for days, even weeks?

Then I saw, to his left, was a cap. A red Yankees baseball cap, scrunched up and crumpled onto the floor.

"Adam," I whispered. I was surprised by the tears that stung painfully in my eyes.

How... how had this happened? I knew, despite my being taken over temporarily, that I'd only seen Adam three or four days ago. He'd been his normal black-haired, green-eyed self - before I crazily tried to transform him into a heartless mind-controlled zombie like me. Then I'd broken free from my trance and I wasn't able to revert back to it, so I was sentenced for execution. I hadn't seen Adam since.

How, in just 72 hours, had the cheeky chappy with the irritating smirk become this battered and lonely broken figure?

The gate was locked shut. I felt around, looking for a loose bar, until my pocket jangled. An iron key was there.

Dolus, I thought almost angrily. He really was helping me.

I jammed the key into the lock and the gate silently swung open. I didn't enter immediately; I wasn't sure who to go to first. Then Nero jolted awake.

"Adam!" he cried, his eyes still half-shut. He gazed around the room. "Where am I?"

His eyes landed on me and I ran to my brother, hugging him tight. He smelt of charcoal - god knows why - and a soft scent of pine.

"Have you been in the woods recently?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

Nero pulled away. "Long story," he said. "We have to get to Adam."

He took in Adam's disheveled appearance; the hair, the clothes, the state of him. "Oh, gods." he muttered. "I hoped I'd never see him like this again."

"What do you mean?"

Sadly, Nero explained. Before Adam knew of his heritage and Camp Half-Blood, he was physically abused by both of his demigod parents. Nero told me that Adam was naturally a blonde with startling blue eyes, and that maybe he'd changed his appearance to forget his former self, though he wasn't sure how.

I crawled over to Adam and lifted his head. He stirred.

"Adam." I cupped his face and pressed my forehead to his. "It's me, Esme."