Elves and Demigods

Chapter 19 - Annabeth

Annabeth wasn't going to spare the person behind the attack. She was going to destroy them. Pulverise them. Shred them to itty-bitty pieces. She didn't realize she said that out loud until Percy chuckled.

"Calm down Annabeth", he said, looking at her through one eye. "How many times has this happened before?" 

Annabeth thinks for a second. "Too many to count".

"Exactly. So what makes this any different?"

"The difference... The difference is-" Annabeth said. "That this is the first time since the war with Gaea that you have been seriously injured".

"And the third war is now here. It's certainly going to be worse than the previous two".

"Three", Annabeth corrected. 

They were quite for a while. Annabeth examined the room they were in- an elvin hospital wing. Soon after Percy passed out from the wound the Karkinos had given him, Alden had dropped Team Percy at the host wing at the elve's prestigious school- Foxfire. An elf named Elwin, who was a physician, has treated Percy and had assured that he would be fine within two weeks. But the bandages covering half of Percy's face said otherwise. 

"The bandages need changing", Elwin announced, entering the room. 

Annabeth looked away as Elwin unwrapped the blood-covered bandages on Percy's face and replaced them with clean ones. She knew that if she looked, she would never be able to get the gruesome image out of her mind. Instead, she focused on a picture of Keefe and Sophie in an elephant costume hung on the wall. They looked goofy.

"Can't I move around?" Percy asked. "Only my face is affected".

Elwin shook his head. "You will recover faster if you rest. And your vitals have been weakened too".

"No idea what that means".

"I'll make sure he stays put", Annabeth told Elwin. 

He set a tray of medicines for Percy. "You should drink all of these".

Percy tried one and gagged.

"I know it doesn't taste the best but it's good for you".

"I'll make sure he drinks it all", Annabeth assured.

Elwin left the room and Annabeth watched Percy drink the medicines, pretending to vomit after each one. After about the fifth bottle, he looked at Annabeth and grinned. "Afraid my face won't look as handsome as it did before?" 

Annabeth slapped his hand.

"Ow! You do not hit an injured person".

"I thought only your face was affected". 

Annabeth waited until after he was done chugging down the last bottle of his medicine. She plopped down next to him on the bed and said, "A little face injury is not going to make me hate you", she lied down next to him, "I'll still love you, Seaweed brain".

Percy wrapped an arm around her and kisses her head. "I love you too, Wise girl". 

"I heard Percy is getting his plaster off today", Tam said. 

"Yeah", Annabeth said. "He can finally leave".

"Finally", Percy emphasized.

Tam, Biana and Leo had gathered in the hospital wing at the end of the two weeks. They visited at least once every two days to keep Percy company. Annabeth stayed at with him every second. Alden had informed them that the Council was having an important meeting on the possibility of further attacks. 

"Ready?" Elwin asked.

"Ready!" Percy exclaimed.

Annabeth couldn't blame him. It wouldn't have been easy for a demigod with ADHD to be cooped up in a room for two weeks. She would know. 

Elwin used his colorful glasses too examine Percy's vitals one more time before carefully unwrapping his bandages. When he did everyone watching gasped. Everyone except Annabeth.

"Will that go?" Biana asked.

"It should. But it will take some time. I'm sorry I can't do anything about it but ask you to be patient".

"It looks pretty bad", Leo agreed. "No offense".

"What's wrong?" Percy said, who had no mirror to examine his face. "It can't be that bad. Annabeth?"

Annabeth couldn't produce a sound. She simply watched as Elwin brought a Percy a mirror and gave it to him. When he saw his reflection, all color drained from his face. 

The problem wasn't how bad it looked. It was what it resembled.

"This scar...", Percy said. 

"Looks exactly like..." Annabeth couldn't finish her sentence. She blinked rapidly to hold back tears.

Like Luke's scar. It looked exactly like Luke's scar. 

Percy's scar was a thin line stretching his from his eyebrow to his cheek. 

"Looks like what, Annabeth?" Leo asked.

Right. Leo never saw Luke. 

"Nothing", Annabeth said, her voice shaky. "Can you leave us alone for a while?"

Tam nodded. "Fine".

He, Biana, Leo and Elwin quickly filed out the room. 

No one spoke for a long time. 

"Is this a coincidence or what?"Percy said finally.

Annabeth didn't know what to say. Luke's death had always been a hard topic for her. She didn't know what she would do if her boyfriend looked like him for the rest of her life. How could she look at Percy's face everyday and not think of Luke?

"Well", Percy said. "At least I don't have blond hair?"

Annabeth sighed. "I'm sorry, Percy. I'm not being fair to you. It's not your fault you look like Luke", her voice caught on his name. "It's just-" she couldn't say more.

Percy slid out of his bed and wrapped an arm around Annabeth. "It's okay. It may fade away sometime".

Annabeth was quite.

Percy's face turned serious. "I just hope it hasn't ruined my perfectly handsome looks".

Annabeth had to laugh at that. "Nope. Still love you".

She pulled him closer and kissed him, hoping this moment would never end. 

When she pulled away, a full light flashed into the room and all twelve councillors appeared, along with Mr Forkle.

"We have an urgent announcement", said councillor Emery. "We are thankful to the demigods for your help and sacrifice in the attack two weeks back. As a reward, and a precaution from further attacks, we have arranged for Ms Chase to be granted an ability.