This Dark Night ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase¹

―xii. stay

NAOMI WAS GOING TO HAVE TO figure out a way to send shadows a thank-you card.

She'd had no actual destination in mind—a dangerous thing when shadow-traveling—but they brought her and Annabeth to the Plaza Hotel, where some of the campers had set up a headquarters. Silena was there, and she helped Naomi get Annabeth up to the penthouse suites where everyone was.

Silena and Naomi got Annabeth onto a lounge chair out on the terrace. Her half-siblings crowded around her, worried, though they gave her space as Naomi and Silena wrapped Annabeth's wound to stow the bleeding.

Naomi's hands were shaking so hard Silena made her take a step back so she and Malcolm could take over bandaging. Naomi and some of Annabeth's little sisters grabbed blankets from the linen closet, but Annabeth kept shivering. Naomi wet a washcloth in the bathroom and knelt down by Annabeth's side, wiping her forehead.

Naomi lost any and all sense of time. All she could do was watch Annabeth, pale and shivering and in pain, and replay that offer over and over in her head.

Perseus and Annabeth will live.

To took every ounce of her sanity to remind herself: She's not dying.

Because she would know—even if she knew absolutely nothing else, she would know that.

As if to drive that point home, Annabeth's shaking hand clenched around Naomi's. She couldn't remember when she'd grabbed her hand, but she never wanted her to let go.

"I'll be okay," Annabeth whispered, her voice raspy and breathless.

Naomi forced herself to nod. She'll be okay. She'll be okay. She'll be okay.

Naomi wasn't sure how long it was before Percy and Will Solace pushed through the crowd of Athena kids. Will unwrapped Annabeth's bandages to examine the wound, and Naomi forced herself to look away. She'd already seen it when Silena first wrapped it up—the green tinge of her skin around the deep gash.

For a sick moment, Naomi hoped Ethan died in battle before she could see him again, because if she came face-to-face with him again...

She wasn't sure what she would do to him.

"Annabeth..." Percy choked up.

"Poison on the dagger," Annabeth mumbled. "Pretty stupid of me, huh?"

Will Solace exhaled with relief. "It's not so bad, Annabeth. A few more minutes and we would've been in trouble, but the venom hasn't gotten past the shoulder yet. Just lie still. Somebody hand me some nectar."

Percy grabbed a canteen. Will cleaned out the wound with the godly drink while Percy held Annabeth's other hand.

"Ow," she said. "Ow, ow!" She gripped their fingers so tight Naomi couldn't feel hers, but she stayed still like Will asked. Silena muttered words of encouragement. Will put some silver paste over the wound and hummed words in Ancient Greek—a hymn to Apollo. Then he applied fresh bandages and stood up shakily.

The healing must've taken a lot of his energy. He looked almost as pale as Annabeth.

"That should do it," he said. "But we're going to need some mortal supplies." He grabbed a piece of hotel stationery, jotted down some notes, and handed it to one of the Athena guys. "There's a Duane Reade on Fifth. Normally I would never steal—"

"I would," Travis volunteered.

Will glared at him. "Leave cash or drachmas to pay, whatever you've got, but this is an emergency. I've got a feeling we're going to have a lot more people to treat."