When Two Worlds Collide | pjo & fhdw ✔︎

Chapter 9

chapter nine - s e t h

I jumped in front of Percy and Annabeth.

"Seth, what are you doing?" Warren frantically tried to reposition the shotgun. "Move out of the way!"

"On behalf of you guys, Kendra and Seth swore to not harm us in any way," Percy said, his voice carrying across the lawn. By then, everyone was in the yard. Even Bracken, whose leg had made him hobble over much slower. "If you do make hostile action towards us, the consequences fall on them." His eyes surveyed the rest of the audience. "Are we clear?"

Grandpa Sorenson sighed in defeat. "Yes."

Percy walked forward.

Warren stepped in front of him. "We can't let you into our house."

"She's hurt!" Kendra pointed to Annabeth.

Percy tapped Annabeth's forearm. She rustled, showcasing the dried blood encrusted on her arm.

Her eyes shot open. "Percy! You said you'd wake me up before we got to their house!"

He fought a smile. "Oops?"

"Seaweed brain," she grumbled. She tried to get out of his grasp once again. Once again, she failed.

"Sir," Percy continued. "Please, she's been hurt and the antidote is in my bag, inside."

The people of Fablehaven slowly parted for them.

Once the demigods slipped inside, Grandma turned to us. "What were the exact words of the agreement?"

Kendra shifted from foot to foot. "They said that they promised not to hurt us if we or any of you guys didn't hurt, imprison, or make any hostile move towards them. Then to swear on the river Styx."

"Well, the river Styx is obviously some type of bonding curse," Bracken shifted his leg.

"Wait, so we can't make any hostile move whatsoever, but all they can't do is harm us?" Dale clarified.

"They could use other people indirectly, but we can't! Did you even consider this?" Grandpa raged.

I stepped back in surprise. "But Grandpa—"

"We don't even know what we are dealing with here!" His face went red as stress tightened his face.

"Stop! She was in pain! They aren't mean. Just look at them, and you'll see they aren't those types of people. They only retaliated because of your aggression! Consider the human part of them before you immediately leap to horrible conclusions." Chills shook me after my speech. Warmth left the air and the temperature lowered.

"Let's go." The wind picked up, causing Kendra's hair to flip around as she walked beside me.

Annabeth was sitting on the couch with Percy tending to her gouges with an alcohol pad. She waved at me while eating a small amber square that looked kind of like caramel. I guess sometimes candy is the only true medicine.

The wind whipped around now and rain started to fall outside. Everyone was forced inside. Grandpa, Warren, and Grandma went to the study. Dale said he was going back to sleep, and Bracken hobbled over to the couch. Kendra and I followed. They asked about Nico and where we put him. We said the dungeon. They chuckled and told us he was already out of Connecticut by now.

Annabeth glanced at his leg. "Sorry."

"It's fine. I'm just impressed at how quickly you stabbed me," Bracken chuckled.

"Experience."

"I'm sorry about your arm,"Bracken sympathized.

"Yeah," Annabeth said. "It's a bit deep," Percy chuckled at that, "But I'll be fine. It's more of a spiritual injury than physical due to the aggressor."

"You mean that creature?" Bracken asked.

"Yeah, I bet she's pretty happy about it too," Annabeth said, annoyed. "We've won the fight with her and her friends a couple times before."

"When you say won..."

"Killed."

"Oh."

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