A Forgotten Maiden

Chapter 14

Over the next couple of weeks, the tension around Eve grew unbearable. Percy and Calypso tried to keep an eye on her, but it was like she was slipping further away. Each day, they noticed something new—a dark bruise on her wrist, a faint mark on her neck, a limp that she tried to hide. And each time they tried to approach her, Eve would shut down completely, offering nothing but mumbled excuses before quickly walking away.

It was becoming harder for Percy to sit by and watch. Every time she'd run from them, his anger would rise. He was constantly clenching his fists, fighting the urge to confront her mother directly, to just do something, anything, to protect Eve. But he knew Eve wouldn't let him—yet.

Calypso saw it, too. She was more subtle than Percy, but she shared his frustration. She would meet Percy's eyes during lunch when Eve was sitting across from them, picking at her food in silence, wearing long sleeves even though the weather was still warm. They exchanged glances, neither one needing to say a word. The bruises were getting worse.

One afternoon, Percy couldn't take it anymore. He slammed his tray down onto the lunch table, startling Calypso.

"I can't keep doing this," he muttered, watching as Eve sat across the cafeteria, isolating herself in a corner. Her sleeves were rolled down again, even though it was sweltering in the room. "She's not getting any better. We need to do something."

"I know," Calypso said softly. "But if we push her too hard, she'll just pull away more. We need to wait for her to come to us."

Percy shook his head, gritting his teeth. "What if she never does? What if it's too late by the time she finally asks for help?"

Calypso didn't have an answer to that. The worry lines in her forehead deepened, and she glanced back at Eve. "We just have to be patient. As hard as it is."

Patience wasn't something Percy was good at.

Another week passed, and things didn't improve. In fact, they got worse. Eve had started showing up late to school, sometimes with a fresh mark or bruise, sometimes limping a little. Percy noticed she winced every time she sat down, like her body was sore all over. He wanted to scream every time she flinched away from them, but Calypso kept telling him to wait. Wait for the right moment.

Then, one Monday morning, everything changed.

Eve walked into the cafeteria, her face pale and her eyes darting around as if she expected someone to jump out at her. She was wearing a baggy sweater despite the unseasonably warm weather, and something was off about the way she moved—like she was trying to hide something. But what caught Percy's attention first wasn't her awkward gait, but the bandage peeking out from underneath her sleeve.

Blood.

He saw it immediately, a faint stain seeping through the white gauze wrapped around her arm. His heart slammed into his chest, and before he even realized what he was doing, Percy was on his feet.

"Percy," Calypso said sharply, her hand reaching for him, but it was too late. Percy was already storming across the cafeteria, his face set with fury. Calypso hurried after him, but she knew there was no stopping him now.

"Eve," Percy called out, his voice harder than he intended. Eve froze mid-step, her back stiffening. Slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes wide with fear.

"What happened?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous. He glanced down at her arm, where the bloody bandage was now fully visible. "What did she do to you?"

Eve's face went pale, and she instinctively took a step back, pulling her arm closer to her body as if to hide the evidence. "It's nothing," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I—I just—"