Royally Screwed

Chapter 16

~Percy~

I woke up in a cold sweat, again, confused on how I even fell asleep in the first place on this hard stone floor. The wind whistles outside as I sit up and glance out the barred window, and I immediately jump back in surprise.

"Hey Cuz!" Nico greets, unusually cheery for a depressed guy like him. I blink my eyes a few times to make sure I'm not hallucinating, then I notice the rest of the gang squatting around Nico as he sits on the other side of the window from where I am.

"Nico?!" I exclaim in surprise, standing up quickly then clutching my head as it pounds from standing up too fast. "What are you guys doing here? You'll get caught!"

Nico gives a dismissive wave of his hand. "Nah. They'd expect us to try and bust you out or something. They would never expect us to be here," Nico explains, Leo grinning wildly behind him. I raise my eyebrows. "Aren't you guys busting me out? Or is that just wishful thinking?"

Thalia laughs and closes a hand around one of the bars. "Of course we are. We're just not the ones physically busting you out," she says, much to my confusion. "Then who is?" I ask.

"Annabeth, remember? She's getting the keys from wherever the base is for the dudes that guard the cells and stuff," Leo pokes his tongue out, his hair sticking out every direction.

So Annabeth's the one who'll rescue me. I frown to myself, shouldn't the guy be the one to save the girl? Or is that too cliché? Then, suddenly, it feels as if the ground had moved out from under my feet, and I stumble into the wall. "Wait, Annabeth's going to be facing the guards on her own?" The prospect of her doing that scared me. Scared me more than it should.

What would I do if Annabeth failed? What if she... didn't make it? What if I lost her?

The possible answers to those terrifying questions made my stomach flip unpleasantly, making me feel nauseous, like I could hurl any second.

I can't lose Annabeth. Not again. I can't lose her. I just can't.

"Relax, Perce. Annabeth's sneaking in after dark," I sigh in relief as Nico explains.

"Like a ninja!" Leo adds enthusiastically, and I feel the urge to facepalm. But then my fears catch up to me, surrounding me and choking me until I feel that I can no longer breathe. Annabeth going in after dark would still be dangerous. If she makes a suspicious sound that would wake the guards up, they would grab their crossbows and shoot first, ask questions later. They wouldn't stop, because it would be too dark to see that she is the princess. Annabeth could still die, or at least gain a fatal injury. I feel sick to my stomach again.

"I can't let her risk her life," I choked out, and Thalia rolled her eyes.

"I know you love her, Seaweed Brain," she said. "But you need to trust her on this. She knows what she's doing."

Before I could reply, Nico glanced around the cell and spoke up, "Dark, creepy, depressing... I like it."

I rolled my eyes. Typical of Nico to comment on the state of the cell. He tends to be attracted to darker places like this.

"How can you like this?" Leo asked incredulously. He rubbed a bit of grease off his cheek, probably from where he would tinker in his spare time. "It's too dreary. No life. Well, except for Percy."

"Thanks," I commented sarcastically. "What a way to cheer me up, Valdez."

Leo grinned insanely, apparently not detecting my obvious sarcasm. "Sure thing, Perce." I had to resist the urge to facepalm.

Thalia flicked Leo and Nico both on the back of the head, making them flinch. "We've gotta go make sure Annie's on schedule. Later!" She grinned before disappearing from the window.