End of the Line

#20 - Castles and Curses

Chapter 20 - Castles and Curses
published: Wednesday, 10 April 2019

Percy's eyelids flickered open and close, feeling like ten pounds were weighing on them. He groaned softly when he tried to sit up, his muscles aching and cramping up as he moved.

His sleep had been utterly free of the demigod dreams that used to plague him so much, as it had been since his capture.

Percy rubbed his eyes sleepily as he scanned his surroundings. Unfortunately, he was still in Tartarus, hidden behind a wall of rock.

Annabeth sat cross-legged against a wall, gazing out to the never-ending barren plains that stretched across Tartarus. Her blonde hair hung around her face, matted with dirt and gravel.

There was a scratch mark on her cheek — probably from the rocks on the floor — and a half-eaten piece of bread lay on her backpack. She'd only taken a few bites out of it.

"You okay?" Percy asked carefully. During the night — or whatever time it was in Tartarus — Annabeth had woken up, sobbing and gasping for breath. But she hadn't told him anything about it.

Annabeth glanced at him, startled. "You're awake." She fiddled with a piece of her hair. "Just a dream."

Percy frowned. "You know that it's never just a dream."

She looked dow at her lap. "There was a woman — a mermaid, with blue hair and golden eyes. She was chained to the ground, and she kept asking me to free her from her prison."

"Blue hair?" Percy repeated. "Sounds like someone from my dad's court." It felt weird saying "dad" again. Percy hadn't had contact with his father in a half a decade.

Annabeth shrugged. "Maybe. She said the key to free her was in her old prison. And something about her husband wanting to destroy Olympus on your birthday."

Percy sighed grimly. "My birthday? A cake would've been fine." He stared at her. "Is that all?"

She nodded, but something in her eyes told him otherwise.

Percy unwrapped a sandwich from his bag. His stomach was so empty he felt like it was trying toi devour itself.

"Want some?" Percy offered, tearing off half of his bread.

Annabeth shook her head. "Not hungry."

Percy frowned. "What? Annabeth, seriously, you need to eat. Two bites out of your bread isn't enough."

"Percy, just drop it," Annabeth said in a dangerously low tone.

"I'm worried about you," Percy sighed in frustration for about the third time since they'd been in Tartarus. "You're skinnier than a stick, and it's not healthy!"

"I told you, I'm fine," Annabeth insisted. "Piper doesn't know what she's talking about, okay?"

"Does she?" Percy demanded. "Annabeth, you're killing yourself!"

"Stop!" Annabeth cried.

Her yell echoed around, reverberating off the walls and bouncing back to them.

Percy's heart plummeted to the bottom of his stomach as he heard a rapid batting of wings that sent a shudder through him.

Both of them froze in horror.

"Pack up," Annabeth whispered fearfully. "Now."

For once, there was no argument. Percy shoved his things into his pack and helped Annabeth up with trembling hands. The sound could only mean one thing.