Solangelo 2

Part 20

PERCY

Annabeth stays awake for about half an hour before falling asleep at the table. I carry her over to where Hazel has set up beds for us all and set her down. I bring a book with me so that I can sit with her and read, so she doesn't wake up alone.
I read through the whole book before Nico comes in and gestures for me to step outside. I check Annabeth is fast asleep before leaving her. Nico closes the door before turning to me.
'Thalia's here.' He says, 'the hunters are all in the main hall.'
'How is she?' I ask.
'Still completely out. They don't know what happened.' He says.
'Okay. Alright. I'll wake everyone up, we'll be out in a couple minutes.' I say, knowing that he won't want to help waking people up. He leaves and I go back into the room, starting with Hazel.
She opens her eyes quickly, frantic for a moment, but calm on seeing its me. I quickly tell her what's going on and she starts to get ready. I do the same for Frank, who also needs a moment to calm down on being woken up. Even Piper and Jason both jolt awake as if from a nightmare when I wake them.
'Okay guys, I'm going to wake Annabeth, but she's normally...she has quite bad nightmares. Just warning you.'
'Don't worry about it.' Piper says.
'We get it.' Hazel says too.
I place my hand on Annabeth's shoulder and shake her lightly. She used to be a heavy sleeper, but now she wakes at the slightest movement. She jolts a wake, shouting my name. She looks around, and I recognise what dream she's coming from. The one she can't see.
I grab her hands like I did the last time this happened and talk to her slowly.
'I'm here, I'm here. You can see me. I'm here.' I say. Her breathing is shallow, but she's focusing on my voice, 'look at me. You're safe. We're safe. We're not in Tartarus.'
'Percy.' She says, quiet. She rests her head against my chest as she gathers herself. I glance over to the others who are all doing their best not to watch, but I catch eyes with Jason. He looks concerned, as if he didn't know how bad it had gotten.
We all get ready and head out to the main hall. Annabeth and I hold hands as we make our way there, but she instantly lets go as soon as she sees Thalia, lying on the table, unconscious. She runs over to her and checks on her.
I join her, horrified to see Thalia in such a weak state.
'How long has she been like this?' Annabeth asks, her voice giving away how upset she is.
'Just under a week.' One of the girl replies, 'Artemis was only able to stay with us for a moment before she had to go. She's helping to keep her breathing.'
Out of the corner of my eye I see Nico slump into a chair. He stares at Thalia.
'You okay?' I ask, moving over to him.
'Fine.' He says, but he says it so hollow. Both of us know he isn't.
'This isn't your fault.' I say.
'She wouldn't be like that without me.' He replies quickly.
'We don't know that.'
'Don't we?' He asks, quite viscously. He stares at me for a moment, and I remember how he used to be. When I found him in the Labyrinth. He's retreating again.
Will is busy checking over Thalia. While Artemis and Apollo often disagree over a lot, it seems the hunters and Will get along fairly easily. Will is respectful and helpful and helps to check on anything else they need.
I look back to Nico only to have him suddenly grip my wrist, tightly. For a moment I think he's about to try fight me, but then he slumps forward onto me. His eyes roll back into his head and his body spasms in my arms.
'Will! Will, I need help, someone help.' I say, lowering Nico to the ground where he continues to flail about.
Will drops to Nico's side, trying to figure out what's wrong.
'We need to wake him up.' Reyna says, 'we don't know what could happen.'
'I'm trying.' Will says, snapping slightly. It's always odd to see him take such control over a room.
And then, so much happens at once. Nico and Thalia both jolt awake, vividly awake and unaware of what has happened, just as I drop to the floor.
I'm pulled to the ground, unable to move myself. Everyone disappears, and I'm in complete darkness. No, not complete darkness. There's a red tint on the air. A staleness. My eyes widen and I lose my breathe as I feel the glass beneath me, all the injuries I've ever had. I'm back in Tartarus, in the most vivid way I've been since I left.