Forbidden Quests

Chapter 33

Annabeth

For a moment I didn't comprehend it. I mean, seriously, can you ban someone from seeing someone else?

But it soon registered in my mind. And it registered like a punch to the gut.

I rounded on my mother, my face contorted in rage, "How could you do this?" Athena was calmly getting up from her gray marble throne. She turned towards me. Her face was expressionless to some people, but beneath that every present mask I could see she was satisfied and a bit smug.

My mouth opened and closed. I was unable to think of words harsh enough to say.

"You should be grateful, Annabeth," my mother said, folding her arms across her stomach. "At least I didn't object to you two being forbidden to see each other starting tomorrow, when you will go back home. I let you have the rest of the day and tomorrow morning. You will be leaving at noon tomorrow, by the way." She was about to walk out of the room, but I stopped her.

"Don't you dare walk away from me like nothing happened, Athena." My voice was dangerously low, overflowing with venom.

The goddess froze, and turned back to look at me. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her grey eyes were narrowed. "You are not one to command me to do things, young lady. Am I understood?" She practically spit the words at my face.

Her eyes were like thunderclouds. Dark, perilous, and threatening. Like I had said before, a mad Athena was not a pretty sight. If I had to guess, I would say she was the goddess of scariness. But I was angrier than I've ever been before. I imagined my dark grey eyes were a hurricane, or a tornado. Much worse than a thundercloud. Knowing how mad I was, I wouldn't be surprised if they actually looked like what I imagined.

I stood up and looked Athena straight in the eyes, "I will when you understand that you can't command me either."

"I'm trying to protect you," my mother said, her eyebrows rising, "not hurt you."

"Well, you're failing." I replied shortly. It was true. The thought of never seeing Percy Jackson again, the endearing, cute, funny boy that I had grown to care so much about made my mind almost want to explode in pain, anger, and sadness.

"Annabeth Chase. That boy has clouded your mind, contaminating it," Athena stated. "This is for the best."

"That may be what you think, but it isn't true! Percy is one of my best friends, and he has saved my life many times!"

"Annabeth, as your mother, I know this is the best for you, even if you don't. You will look back one day and thank me. That son of Poseidon is just an unwanted distraction."

I felt like hitting something. Preferably my mother. But I just let out a frustrated mini scream instead. "He is not just an unwanted distraction, and as much as you try to convince me otherwise, I do care about him. And I know I will regret it and hate you for it if I just leave this be." I was struggling to keep my composure and complexion calm.

"As I said before, your mind is clouded," her words were clipped at the end, and I could hear an unmistakable tone of command in it. "I'm sorry, but it can't be changed."

Usually, when my mother used that tone in our arguments, I just dropped it and gave up, although most times I still thought I was the right one in the argument. It was just to keep the peace between me and my mother. But I was done with that. Just looking at Athena's face made rage bubble up in my stomach, clenching at my heart until I had to let it out.

I stood there, my hands shaking in fury. I put as much anger in my voice as I possibly could, and that was easy, seeing as I probably couldn't speak without an angry voice at the moment. "You aren't sorry, Athena. Even though you say this is to protect me, don't think for a second that I don't know this is just another way for you to irritate Poseidon. I don't think my mind is the clouded one."