Branded - Pjo Fanfiction (FRAZEL!!)

8- Time Trial

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When dawn broke, Hazel woke up. She realized she'd fallen asleep sitting up in her bed. She stood up and went to the bathroom.

Inside, she washed her face and tried to unmatt her crazy curls, drowning them with water. She processed everything that had happened the day before, and anger bubbled inside her.

However, she couldn't draw attention to herself. She had to keep up with her royal timetable, which she hated with all her might, if she wanted to keep him.

So she put on a long white dress with flowy sleeves and a golden ring diadem. Then, she went back into her bedroom.

Frank was sleeping in her bed, turning, wincing in his sleep. She stroked his forehead.

"Frank, I need to go for a sec" She told him, trying to wake him up "I'll be back soon"

His eyelids opened, his irises glassy, and stared at her in some kind of... awe?

"Oohh, I get it" He said, bubbly, pointing at her "I'm dead!"

"No, you're no-" She started, smiling, but he cut her.

"So I've been good? I thought I would go to hell..." He wondered out loud, his face inches from Hazel's.

"Hell?" She asked, laughing "Why would you even think that?"

"But angels aren't in hell" He continued, not listening to a word she was saying "So I must be in heaven!"

"What angels?" Hazel was looking around, confused "Frank, I think you're delirating..."

"She knows my name!" He exclaimed, cheering, and smiled wide "Really, how strange, I ended up in heaven..."

Hazel placed her hand on his forehead and sighed.

"Frank, honey, you're burning up. You're delirious because of the fever. Let me go get you something..."

"You're leaving?!" He asked, suddenly heartbroken "Oh no, angel, don't leave me here"

She kissed his forehead and pushed him back to bed, placing the covers on top of him.

"Sleep" She commanded "I'll be right back when you wake up"

He seemed reluctant, but he nodded and closed his eyes. Hazel got out of her room and into the dinning hall.

When she was there, she noticed her cousins and brother were acting strange. Loosy ties, mismatched socks... And, when they sat to eat, they started storing some of the food on bags that were kept under the table. She was doing the exact same thing.

"Don't ask" She whispered to Nico "But do you know where do they keep the medicine?"

"Don't ask neither" Nico replied, sighing "But if you find it, do tell me"

"Guys" Percy, interrupter of secret conversations per excelence, did what he knew best, and interrupted their scurried exchange "Don't ask, but I've got some. Here..."

He gave them some red pills and then leaved the hall. When Jason, Nico and her got up to do the same, they were blocked by no more no less than actual king Kronos himself.

"Are you in a hurry?" He asked, more like growled.

"We're a bit tired from all the dancing yesterday..." Hazel said, deliberately reaching her hand to his scepter "It's glass, isn't it? Allow me..."

She concentrated, and the scepter became solid gold, with a piece of black onyx on top. She had even engraved 'Kronos' on diamonds.

Kronos stared at it in awe, then at her.

"Sure, sure, go" He said absently.

Hazel and her cousins ran through the halls, but she couldn't help but hear the exchange of words that was happening at the dinning hall.

"That girl, it's incredible!" Kronos was saying.

'Sure, incredible...' She thought 'Just wait till you find out I'm cursed and so are my jewells...'

But what she did not hear, was when Kronos affirmed "I want her in here, forever"... Oh well, that can't be so important, can it?

Hazel made it back to her room and closed the door. Frank was still snooring in the bed. She reached for a bowl and a spoon in a cupboard and placed some porridge in it, which she had stored in a plastic bag and was still hot. Then, she sat beside his bed.

"Frank?" She called him, shaking him slowly "Are you there?"

He awoke with a jolt, but then relaxed as soon as she saw where he was.

"I forgot I'm dead!" He laughed.

"You're not... Oh, forget it" She gave up, shaking her head "Here, eat this"

She started to feed him the food, in hope that it would help him heal, although the image of that W in his back still made her shudder. That was permanent, she was sure... And he had said that it was lethal...

After she fed him, she gave him a couple of pills.

"Swallow these, ok?" She encouraged.

He took them without water and then looked at Hazel once more.

"So, how does being in heaven work?" He asked, excited.

"This is... Like some kind of in-between" She invented, speaking in a sweet voice "You get to stay here until you're healed, then you can go back!"

"And... I deserve that chance...?" He asked, as if he was unsure oh himself.

"Of course you do!" She smiled, stroking his hair.

"But I won't heal!" He said "Not while being branded!"

"Don't worry" She told him "There's no need to worry here... I'm... an angel, aren't I? So, as your angel, it's my job to take care of you"

She went on second to the bathroom to fetch a glass of water and, when she was back, the door opened. Percy and a blonde girl were there.

"Hazel, I wanted to tel-" He started, then stopped dead "No way, you too?"

"What do you mean, 'you too'?" She asked, but then dropped the glass on the floor.

After Percy and the girl, Jason appeared, with a girl in braids. And, after them, Nico entered the room with a blonde boy.

"Anyone else?" Hazel asked, rolling her eyes.

"Nope, we're all here" Percy said, making everyone in the room facepalm.

"Care to explain?" Hazel urged them.

Hi! So, the next three chapters will be about Percy, Jason and Nico, and their personal adventures. Also, I wanted to build some expectative about Frank's inminent death... Haha, pin the blame on me.

By the way, the Sun and the Star comes out tomorrow! Yay!

Julieta <3