madness and ecstasy // leo valdez

-you bring the corsets, we'll bring the cinches-

Annabeth woke staring at the shadows dancing across the hut's ceiling. She hadn't had a single dream. That was so unusual, she wasn't sure if she'd actually woken up, and sort of expected to feel spiders in her hair or a monster at the door.

She blinked and rubbed her eyes a little, but the hut was the same, still dark and flickering with firelight, the smell of herbs and cat fur. That explained the warm weight on her stomach, at least. Percy mumbled something in his sleep and Annabeth ran a hand through his hair as his head rested on her shoulder.

She heard Bob and Damasen deep in conversation, something she figured she shouldn't be listening in on. But maybe that meant she should. Bob sniffed. "I haven't told her. She is already scared."

"She should be. And if you cannot guide them past Night?" The giant grumbled. Damasen said Night like it was a proper name—an evil name.

"I have to," Bob said.

"Why?" Damasen wondered. "What have the demigods given you? They have erased your old self, everything you were. Titans and giants...we are meant to be the foes of the gods and their children. Are we not?"

"Then why did you heal the boy?"

Damasen exhaled, and there was a shuffling sound, like he was fiddling with leather. "I have been wondering that myself. Perhaps because the girl goaded me, or perhaps...I find these two demigods intriguing. They are resilient to have made it so far. That is admirable. Still, how can we help them any further? It is not our fate."

"You don't find me intriguing? Should I be offended?"

Bob's voice lifted, "I liked your story about the superheroes in the spaceship. They are intriguing."

"I did enjoy the funny tree."

Annabeth shot up from the bed, Small Bob letting out a yelp and leaping off her, fur puffed up. She tripped over a mound of wool and stumbled up, freezing when she realised three pairs of eyes were on her.

Damasen stood over a bench made of bone, stuffing things into leather bags. Bob stoked the fire, sending bright enough sparks up that she could only just see Teqi sitting cross legged on one of the stools, tearing into a piece of herbed drakon jerky.

"Teqi!" She grinned in relief and untied her legs from the blanket, hopping over. Teqi blinked once, chewing on the tough meat, and then her eyes widened with surprise and panic.

"I'm alive, surprise surprise," Teqi said drily, and looked down at the dried snack in her blood-stained hands and smiled a little, though it was a bit off. "Food is great; I've really missed it. Have you had any yet?"

Annabeth just shook her head in relief. Nothing had changed.

Except for the fact Teqi was no longer comatose. She still had the bubbly scars on her cheek, which was flecked with gold and mud. Her right eye was covered with the leather patch that was starting to fray around the edges, and the white singlet top she wore was reduced to a few twists of dirty fabric.

She tugged at her clothes with a wrinkled nose and held out a strip of jerky, which was also littered in smudges across her face, "here, try some."

Annabeth took it and turned as she was handed more things, nearly dropping them all in surprise. She held three drakon sourced satchels and passed one to Teqi. Dameson grunted where he stood picking at the herbs hung up. "Clothes, food, drink."

Teqi opened the satchel, green scales shimmering in the dim lighting, and pulled out what looked like a green leather corset. She held it up with narrowed eyes, rapping at it with her bruised knuckles. Annabeth shared the surprised look on her face when it made a hollow thick sound.