The House of Hades (Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Annabeth

Following the black vapor ended up being a bad idea.

“This is leading us nowhere,” Percy grumbled. Annabeth had followed the black vapor and it only led them through dark passageways, twists and turns.

“I didn’t exactly ask for this.” Annabeth tried to sound confident, but her words were mangled with disappointment. She had expected a slightly easier route; after all, she must have deserved it after everything.

“Me either, Annabeth, but it is what it is.” Percy sank to the ground, looking tired. Tired was actually an understatement. He looked so exhausted like he couldn’t go on, like he couldn’t keep moving. “What’s the point anymore?” He ran a hand through his hair. “Why can’t Hades take me now?”

“Percy, don’t talk like that.” Ignoring the flash of pain from her ankle all the way to her hip, she crouched down next to Percy and gripped his hand tightly. “We’ll get through this. You said so yourself. We’re stronger than this.”

“Are we?” Percy looked at Annabeth and she truly saw what Tartarus was doing to him. His green eyes weren’t as bright; his vivid sea green eyes were drained, now stormy and clouded with despair. Dark bags hung under his eyes, giving him a drained look. His face was a ghostly white and his forehead was slick with sweat. He was extremely thin and he stared up at Annabeth with a blank expression. It suddenly hit her that he was suffering in silence.

“I don’t even know anymore,” Annabeth whispered. It hit her that she was giving up everything- her fight, her struggle, her life. She just needed to be with Percy. She sat next to him. Instantly she allowed her head to rest on his shoulder and he put his arm around her shoulders. “I can’t lose you, Percy.” To her absolute horror, a tear trickled down her cheek.

“I can’t lose you either, Annabeth.” Percy took her face into his hands and wiped away her tear. “This is the reason I’m with you.”

“You should have let go,” she said softly. “You didn’t have to come in here with me. I should be alone.”

“No, Annabeth,” Percy pleaded, studying her face with wide eyes. “I couldn’t let you fall alone. Tartarus is too strong for just you. Both of us can make it through this.”

She shook her head weakly. “No, Percy… Tartarus will stop us. We can’t live.” She put her head down and tried hard not to cry.

Suddenly Percy gasped. His eyes focused on something behind Annabeth. She turned around too late.

Something smashed into her skull and she flew backwards. She hit the wall with enough force to have her bite hard on her tongue. When she crumpled to the ground, she could taste the blood in her mouth. Her head spun and she could feel her hand twitching to her knife.

Where was her knife? She lifted her head and saw black spots appear in her vision. Then she saw something shiny. Her knife was lying twenty feet away.

Between her and her knife, Percy was fighting a Kere. She swiped at him, he jumped but lost control. The Kere snatched something from a belt- a hunting horn. She pressed her lips to the horn and trumpeted into it.

She was signaling more monsters to fight Percy and Annabeth.

“Percy!” Annabeth yelled. He looked at her, his eyes questioning her. “Get ready to fight more!”

His eyes widened. He muttered something under his breath and gripped Riptide tighter in his hands. He started running towards Annabeth.

He never got there.