"Paris? Hello? Paris!" Annabeth snapped her fingers in front of my face.
I yanked myself up from my thoughts and rubbed the crease that seemed to be permanently embedded in my forehead.
It was two days after Nico and I had defeated the titan Krios while in the Underworld trying to rescue my dad. Hades had gotten angry with Nico and thrown us in the palace dungeon. Then, Krios had attacked. After a sword fight with Hades - to prove I was not to be considered a "young one" - and I won, he allowed me to fight the titan with Nico. Then there was the kiss...
Just before Nico was lost in the monster hell, Tartarus, I'd has my first kiss with the son of Hades. At first I'd honestly hated his guts. Nico had come across as a cocky, arrogant jerk who thought I loved him. After I'd gotten a letter from my dad saying he had cancer, I went to visit him one last time in the hospital. I was attacked by an Empousa and Nico saved me. I guess that's where our friendship began; with me owing him something that was nonreturnable. We'd kissed for the first and, I shuddered, maybe the last, time after defeating Krios together. He'd slipped and fallen into Tartarus. No one would listen, at least no god would.
"No! No, Nico!" I screamed his name until my throat ached. Leaning over as far as I dared, I stared into the gaping, black pit that was none other than hell. I tried to stand, but fell to my knees, my body racked with sobs that hurt. "Nico," I moaned.
Somehow, I'd ended up back at Camp Half-Blood with a distraught Annabeth caring for me. Chiron had given her strict orders not to question me until I was reading. "And that's not right away," He'd warned.
Of course, keeping a story like the one I had in my mind bottled up is an extremely difficult thing to do, so I told Annabeth the entire tale while sipping a glass of ambrosia. The sweet drink of the gods tasted like the root beer floats my dad and I used to enjoy after hours of swimming at the local pool.
"Oh my gods," Annabeth gasped as I finished. "Rea--"
"Paris! It's lovely to see you awake again, dear child," Chiron trotted over. He gave Annabeth a disapproving look. "Has she been bothering you?" The centaur asked me.
"No, Annabeth is fine," I said.
"Well, then, Ms. Chase, if you'd care to leave--"
"No. I want Annabeth to stay," I managed in a clipped tone.
"Ah, fine, fine." Chiron paced, that is, if centaurs can pace, around the hospital area. "Paris," He cleared his throat. "The gods need to see you."
"Th-the gods need to see m-me?" I stammered, holding tightly to to cot mattress with my hands.
"Yes," Chiron let out a long, weary sigh. "I don't know why; Hermes never expanded on the topic. Simply stated you were to come to Olympus."
"Did I do something wrong?" I racked my brain desperately, trying to remember what all I'd done recently that would acquire a request from the gods to see me.
"That's just it; I have no idea. Hermes was very veg and, don't mention this to him, irritating. He could turn me into Mrs. O'Leary food." Chiron shook his head making his hair rustle.
"Okay then. What're we waiting for?" Annabeth hopped up from her perch on the bed next to mine. "I'll escort her." Sometimes my half-sister had an annoying habit of talking about you like you weren't there. Exceedingly aggravating.
