Restored (A Caleo Selection)

27 ~ A Reunion So Joyous

I walked until the sun went down, darkening the city into a conglomeration of dim alleys and shut-off buildings. I badly wanted to hide until morning, but I wanted to cover as much ground as I could while streetlamps still lit the roads.

In the distance, I could see the very tip of a building that I remembered was across from the palace. It wasn't much, but it gave me a reference point as I wove around buildings, and a shopkeeper verified it as the right direction for me. It was all I had.

Finally most of the streetlights had gone out, and I found a niche back behind a restaurant to curl up in. It wasn't exactly the safest place for a teenage girl to camp out, but I didn't really have much of a choice. Who would believe that I was a Selected in this part of town?

The stench of rotten food in the nearby dumpster was prominent, but I breathed through my mouth and ignored it. Exhausting as my day had been, I eventually dozed off.

I awoke with a start a few hours later to a figure standing over me. "Hey there, girlie," a man's rough voice whispered. "Whatcha doing out here all by yourself?" His fingers brushed my face.

In one fluid motion, I lifted the gun and clicked off the safety. "Back away."

The man froze, lifting his hands a little. "Hey, don't be that way, girlie. I just wanted a little company for -- "

"Back. Away." I let my finger rest against the trigger.

"Alright, alright, I'm going. Don't get your feathers ruffled," the stranger snapped, scrambling backwards. I kept the gun raised until long after he had disappeared into the dark.

After that, I was too nervous to sleep. I held my gun in my lap and leaned against the wall, waiting for any more two-legged predators to come by.

But none did, and by the time the sun rose, I was long gone, already finding my way through the city again. I drew a lot of strange looks with my bedraggled appearance, but I refused to acknowledge any of them.

By the time the sun was high overhead, I was starving and exhausted from my sleepless night. The spire of the familiar building was closer, but it didn't seem like much. I had no idea how much longer I'd be able to keep going.

I was able to beg a cup of water from a restaurant, which helped a great deal. It was a remarkable thing, really, how weak dehydration could leave you.

As I walked, I thought of Percy and Annabeth. Were they making this same trek through the city? Or had they found transportation?

I realized I'd never actually seen them escape the basement, just make it to an exit. Which I hadn't been able to open. What if they hadn't been successful either? What if they were still trapped?

They're smart and strong, I told myself. Wherever they are, they'll be fine. Annabeth can surely figure her way out of anywhere.

Finally, I rounded a corner and the palace was in view, down a few more streets. Just the right of it invigorated me, and I ran the rest of the way, weaving through passersby, not bothering with apologies.

And then I was at the gate, staring up at its white walls, knowing Leo was somewhere in there. He had to be. If he'd made it --

"Excuse me, ma'am, no unauthorized entrance." A guard scowled at me, his stance wide.

"But I...I'm a Selected. Lady Calypso?" I searched for a way to prove it.

His frown deepened. "I don't know anything about a Selected. You'll have to get a warrant from the prince or the Council."