Annabeth Chase and the Titan's Curse

Chapter 8 - I irritate my captor

It was dark when I woke, which instantly made me worried. Darkness = monsters. It was an easy equation. You didn't have to be a daughter of Athena to know that.

I was lying on my side on a cold stone floor, my blonde tangled hair flipped over my face. I wasn't tied up as far as I could tell, although my body thrummed with so much pain that it wouldn't have made a different. I wasn't going anywhere real fast.

When my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, I scanned what I could see of my surroundings without moving. I didn't know who was around and if there were enemies, which seemed quite likely seeing as the last memory I had was of jumping off a cliff with a manticore, I didn't want them to know I was awake.

It was so dark that I couldn't see much though. I could barely see my hair floating in front of my face despite it being a bright colour. I couldn't hear anything either, the eerie silence causing tingles to run along my bruised skin.

Feeling like it was moderately safe, I pushed myself into a sitting position. My vision blurred as I managed to get upright and I had to hold my head between my palms for a moment to get orientated. I had to no idea how I'd got wherever I was or even how I'd lost consciousness. All I remembered was screaming my head off before . . . nothing.

I looked around again and thought that I could make out a stone wall behind me. That and the stone floor beneath me made me think I was in a dungeon somewhere. But where? Where in Maine was there a dungeon? Unless I was still in the school. I dismissed that thought immediately. If I was in the school, Percy and the hunters would have found me. No, I must be somewhere far away.

I could see nothing else around, darkness stretching out as far as the eye could see. I still felt a bit dizzy and my body ached, so I didn't attempt to get up yet, but took the moment to glance over myself. My clothes were ripped, especially my jacket, but they still provided a bit of warmth. Grazes and bruises coated my skin and my hair was a rat's nest. My knife was gone, which I expected, but most upsetting of all was my absence of my invisibility cap. I'd had that cap for so long that I felt strange without it. It was like a part of me was missing.

It wasn't the only thing that I was worried about though. The last time I saw my friends, they'd been fighting for their lives. I had no way of knowing what had happened to them after I fell. The hunters had come to their aid, which made me feel better, but still not knowing was torture. As a daughter of Athena, I knew that better than anyone. Knowledge is power. All I could was hope that they were ok. Especially Percy.

Feeling a little better, I shifted so I was on my knees before slowly rising to my feet. Pain blossomed in my head and all I could do was wait it out, swaying as I struggled to stay on my feet. As it slowly faded away, I took a hesitate step forward, ignoring the aching of my body.

I'd barely taken half a dozen steps before a figure appeared in front of me, features indistinctive through the darkness. For a moment, my heart leaped, thinking that it was Percy coming to rescue me. But as the figure came closer, I realised how wrong I was.

Next thing I knew, I'd been slammed against the back wall, a clawed hand squeezing my throat, enough to bruise but not kill. I stared wide-eyed, grasping at the hand as Dr Thorn's face came close to mine, blue and brown eye both alight with fury.

"Meddling demigod," he hissed, spitting his words at me. "You'll pay for what you've done."

I didn't have enough breath to answer, but I managed to flash a weak smile at him. His gaze narrowed angrily.

"You may have ruined one plan, but we have more. Did you think we were stupid, little demigod?"

He loosened his grip enough for me to answer.

"Compared to my mother, you are," I managed to croak, my throat sore.

He tightened his grasp suddenly, causing my to gasp in pain, before he slammed me against the wall and dropped me. I collapsed to the floor, holding my throat and trying to breathe. I was barely aware of him kneeling before I saw his face uncomfortably close to mine.

"Our new plan is already underway," he growled softly. "The downfall of Olympus will come about, no matter how much you demigods intervene. It would be better if you all lay down your arms and surrender. So much less pain. But I know that will never happen. Too much fighting blood runs in your veins. So I will enjoy killing you all, starting with your friends." He smiled malevolently as he rose to leave.

"My friends will come for me," I snapped when my breath returned, wanting to rub something in his face. "They'll be here soon to get me. They'll find me."

He turned back, his devious smile widening. "That's the plan, demigod."