Percy Jackson and the Dark Elites

XII

Annabeth

Ruin infuriated Annabeth in a way she didn't think possible. He didn't talk. Ruin stood brooding in every corner of the cave, his body turned away but his head tilted just so. She knew he was watching her but he wouldn't open up to it. 

That angsty thing in the hood was her only protection from Octavian. 

He was her temporary caretaker with no real care.

She fell asleep when he was awake. She woke up and he was awake. He would leave the cave and find berries for breakfast. He would come back and feed her. He'd change her bandages and then leave again. He'd feed her lunch. Then he'd leave. When he came back again he had dinner in his hands. He fed her, checked her bandages, and changed them if they needed to be changed.

He would remove his left glove and touch the back of his knuckles to her forehead. Then he'd sit at the back of the cave and do nothing.

Maybe he fell asleep when he did that. But she couldn't tell. His chest didn't rise or fall, she couldn't hear him breathe. In fact, Annabeth hadn't seen him do anything human.

For all she knew he didn't need to eat or sleep.

Maybe he lied earlier. She was only bait.

Maybe he didn't, and he did all of those things when he was outside the cave. It had been two days now. One night when she woke up, and two whole days of his silent routine.

"How are we leaving?" Annabeth asked.

He didn't respond.

"Are you waiting until I can travel or is someone looking for us?"

Silence.

She asked more questions. He didn't even move.

She screamed at him a little. All the yelling drained her energy until she fell asleep.

On the third day of her consciousness, she scolded him every time she saw him. He didn't respond, so she fell asleep.

On the fourth day, she gave him the silent treatment. It bothered her because she didn't think he minded it at all. She didn't even make a sound as he changed her stitches. He checked her temperature and sat up against the cave wall. Annabeth glared at him as long as she could, then fell asleep.

By dinner on the fifth day, the silence wore her down. He checked her bandages and examined how the new stitch job was doing.

"Where are you getting the bandages?"

He didn't answer.

Annabeth was shaking. "Answer me. Please." She didn't notice she had tears on her cheeks. She was so desperate. The silence, the not knowing, it just might kill her.

Ruin looked at her for all too long, but he finally said. "An emergency pack on my suit. It all fits in one pocket." His voice was rough and deep, cutting through the silence. Maybe he made it even scarier, but she was tired of listening to her own voice.

He wrapped her wound up again.

"Why won't you talk to me? What reason could you possibly have?" She wiped away her tears, getting a little angrier now.

He sat against the cave wall on the opposite side of the room. But he answered. "People fear what they don't understand."

Annabeth shivered. "You want me to fear you?"

He paused before answering. Annabeth realized he was monitoring everything he said. "No. But I can't let you understand me."

She eyed his reasoning. Can't. Not won't or don't want, can't.