Chapter 23

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Connor

"NOOOOOO!" I screamed. Her eyes were glowing gold, and she was lying on the ground limp. I rushed to her side screaming, and crying. "NO ASH! NO!!! Don't leave me please." I was holding her limp body, sobbing.  

"Ash.... Please, don't leave me!" Her eyes fluttered open if only for a second. 

In a voice that didn't sound like hers - she said, "Connor.... I-I... I love you." And she breathed her last. 

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"Connor!" Someone was calling. "Connor wake up!" 

I opened my eyes, realizing my face was streaked with tears. "Wha?" I groaned.

Travis was standing beside my bed. "Connor! You were crying out in your sleep, I assumed you were having a bad dream."

I shook my hair from my eyes. "I did. Night terrors." Was all I could manage without breaking down and sobbing. Man! Pull yourself together! 

"You okay man?" He looked genuinely worried. 

"Trav, it was her. The day I thought she died all over again." I swung my legs over the side of the bed, and hopped down, plopping onto my brother's bunk below me. He pulled me into a hug. Which was sort of weird 'cause we were under this unspoken agreement not to hug each other... 

"Wow. You okay?" He let me go, and sat across the bed. 

"No. I need to go check and see if she's okay. Make sure that she's safe." I got up, and crossed our counselor's room to grab a hoodie. 

"Want me to come with?" Travis asked. 

"No. Thanks though." I slid my hoodie on, and slipped out the door, headed towards the infirmary. 

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Percy

I was sitting next to Ashton's bed in the infirmary, not wanting to leave her side. 

The day that Connor had helped her into camp was quite possibly one of the best days of my life. However, the day that Connor carried her into the infirmary, was quite possibly the worst. 

Apparently, an eidolon had taken her over, and made her very weak. How it had made it's way into Camp's borders - we still weren't sure. 

She had been training with Connor, not being able to defend herself from anything - trying but constantly missing. The small cuts and bruises still covering her face and arms. She had told him that she couldn't do it any longer, it just wasn't working, and then mid-sentence she had collapsed. Her eyes had been glowing gold, and she was limp - her heart barely beating. He had rushed her to the infirmary, and one of the Apollo kids ran and got Piper, and I. (a/n: Piper and Jason are back from their visit). Apparently it was now common knowledge around camp that we had been attacked be eidolons on our quest this past year, and how Piper had used her charmspeak to get rid of them.  

Piper had managed to cast the eidolon out, making it swear on the River Styx to never come back to camp, never bother another demigod, and to never ever let another eidolon possess any person again. 

It had worked. She was now just resting, taking Ambrosia, and Nectar daily, under the constant watch of an Apollo camper, and I. I hadn't left her side. 

I was so deep in thought that when Connor tapped my elbow, I jumped. 

"Connor!" I hissed, trying not to wake my baby sister. "What do you think you're doing?!" 

"I'm here to see her." He looked grim. 

"Night terrors?" I asked. Remembering how many night terrors I had had after I thought Annabeth was going to fall into Tartarus alone.

"Yeah. They're brutal man." He looked down at his feet, and then back up at me. "Do you think I could, I could have a moment alone with her? I just want to make sure she's okay." 

"Sure. But don't do anything stupid." I gently placed Ashton's hand on her blankets, and got up from my seat. "5 minutes. No more -"

"No less." Connor said, as he sat down in the seat I had occupied just moments before. "Thanks." 

I walked away, hoping that I could trust him. 

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