Not Just Another God ✓

Chapter 25: We play 'Blind Man's Bluff'

Tension was radiating from the air as Annabeth and I waited for Loki to get back. And waited. And waited.

It soon came to the point where we were doubting that he was coming back at all. I mean, he never actually said he was going to.

With a loud sigh, Annabeth pulled out a textbook and started flipping through the pages, stopping when she got to where she wanted.

"What's that?" I asked, looking at the scribble of words the textbook was written in.

"This is AP Latin," Annabeth replied, coolly, "and you're going to be tested on it soon, so my advice is to start studying, Seaweed."

I groaned and inched closer to Annabeth, the tangle of words just becoming even more blurry. Usually, if I concentrated hard enough, I could read Latin, but today, my brain just wasn't corresponding.

"I can't," I said, beads of sweat starting to pour down my neck.

Annabeth looked up, with a slight smile. "I'll read, you follow along and make sure to listen. I'll only be reading it once."

Annbeth's voice filled the room as she read sections from Vergil's Aeneid, the words combining to make sentences, and the sentences telling a story.

My mind drifted off into the world of stories, watching each scene, each line right before my eyes.

Soon enough, she stopped short, poking me on my back.

"Percy," she said, "I've finished reading."

"All of it?" I asked, jolting awake.

"It's around 45, 000 words, Seaweed, there's no way I could read all that in one sitting."

Annabeth passed me a textbook and a pencil, smiling encouragingly.

"Summarize what I've just read," she ordered, as I jotted down what I remembered, in barely legible letters.

"Percy," Annabeth said, looking over my shoulder, "if the examiners cannot read your handwriting, you're going to fail."

"I'll write neatly on the exam," I promised, "but I don't need to now."

"But I need be able to read your writing," she said, while I groaned and adjusted my seat.

The temperature rose, and I felt the unwavering pressure of a pair of eyes watching what I was doing.

I jumped up, picking up Riptide, and scanning the room, nearly jumping out of my skin when Loki stepped out of the shadows.

"Can you please stop doing that?" I asked, gripped the table for support.

Loki held his hands up in surrender as he waltzed over to us with his usual mad grin on his face.

"Who's ready to go to Hel?" he asked, while Annabeth glared.

"We can't just 'go to Hel'," Annabeth objected, air quoting him.

The Tricker raised an eyebrow. "Why ever not?"

"Because," Annabeth said, huffing in an amazingly adorable way, "we need to be prepared. We need to plan."

"I'm more of the 'plan as you go' type."

Annabeth squeezed my hand tightly, as to stop herself from shouting. I knew Loki infuriated the Hades out of her, but she was keeping it under control. For me.

"Look," Loki said, "Hel is too unpredictable to even begin to have plans. Anything you plan, anything you think, will jinx us. The Norns do enjoy a good game with Fate."