Wisdom's Revenge | Olympus's Traitor #2

Chapter 10: A Grave Error

Annabeth and her mother, Athena, stood in a stone room, the ceiling open to the sky above. In the center of the room stood a gem about the size of a fist, with what appeared to be a representation of the sky swirling within it. "It is done," Annabeth stated. "Edikitís' corruption is complete. At this point it would take a miracle to turn him from the goal of destroying his father."

"Good," Athena replied. "Then it is time to set our plan into motion."

"Yes, it is finally time," a voice that seemed to come from nowhere, and everywhere all at once. "After millenia of waiting I will return, and you will be my heralds."

"It would be an honor, My Lord," Annabeth and Athena responded, bowing towards the gem.

"The time is right, we cannot fail. You know what to do," the voice ordered.

"I will leave immediately," Annabeth said as she readied herself to leave. "I will bring his wife here, and once we have her, Jackson will be so unstable that he will be easy to defeat."

"Do not misjudge him," Athena warned. "You know his fatal flaw, and one misstep will destroy years of planning."

"I will not fail mother, not again." Annabeth replied, resolutely.

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"I don't care, I need to see her!" Percy roared.

"I know you are distraught, my son, but Artemis knows what she is doing," Poseidon said, barring Percy's access to the Hunt's medical tent.

"She's my WIFE!" Percy yelled, his voice getting louder with each word. However, his attention quickly turned to the small bundle in his arms as he attempted to sooth his newborn daughter.

"I understand, but-" Poseidon started.

"She's could by dying, and I'm not even there!" Percy interrupted, his voice lowering as tears started to leak out of his eyes.

"There's nothing you could do," Poseidon stated. "The Hunt has some of the best healers in the known world, Thalia is in good hands."

"Your father is correct," Artemis added as she exited the tent. "The danger has passed, and my girls are patching her up now."

"So I can-?" Percy started.

Artemis started to nod in affirmation, but before she could speak a voice could be heard raising the alarm in the tent. "You! Stop! Sound the alarm, Annabeth is here!" Atalanta could be heard calling from inside.

Wasting no time, Percy shoved Jessica into Asteria's arms. "Mobilize the Hunt!" he called as he charged into the tent, drawing Riptide in the process.

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Annabeth grimaced as screams shook the trees. As much as she hated this woman for taking the man that she had spent years grooming to serve her every whim, deep down she was still one of the first friends that she ever had. Stealthily, she made her way through the trees and past silver-clad senteries until she made it to a silver tent that was larger than the rest. Peaking inside, Annabeth could see three young teenage girls tending to a young woman who lay passed out on a bed. One held a small bundle in her arms, which she then took out of the tent using an opening on the side opposite of Annabeth. Slowly and quietly, Annabeth slid open the tent flap and padded into the tent. Before the two silver clad girls even knew what was happening they lay at Annabeth's feet, throats slit by the small celestial bronze dagger that she gripped in one hand. Pulling a small sapphire out of her pocket Annabeth walked over to the woman on the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Thals, I'll get you out of here. You'll see that I'm right, I promise."