The Forest of Athena

-3-

My hands wrap around the sword Damasen gave me, my knuckles clenching it's hilt. I wish I still had a knife. A twig snaps behind me and I spin around, ready to unsheath the sword. Percy stand there, failing to hide a smile.

"You're fine," he says. "I'm here. Nothing can happen to you while I'm here."

"Excuse me; you were there when we fell into Tartarus."

"Seriously, Wise Girl. I won't let anything happen to you again."

I smile and allow myself to relax slightly, but I keep Damasen's sword close. Percy does the same with Riptide, trying to shield me with himself.

Only as it whirls past my face do I notice exactly how cold the air is. I shiver slightly, though I'm still unsure of whether it's the cold or the fear. We walk on in silence for a while, until the sky is dark. There doesn't seem to be any stars, and we can't have been walking for more than an or hour or two. There's no logic here, and I guess that's why it's an Athena kid's worst nightmare.

"Should we stop for a rest?" Percy asks me.

"I guess so," I reply.

"I'll take first watch. You get your sleep."

"I can do this myself, you know."

"I know. Just sleep, Annabeth."

"Wake me up later?"

Percy sounds like he's lying when he tells me he will. Nevertheless, I shut my eyes and lie beside him. Percy puts his arm round me and wraps the blanket in our bag around the two of us. I manage to sleep, finally.

I wake up and look to my left, ready to tell Percy to sleep. The only problem is, he isn't there. I turn to my right. Still not here.

"Percy?" I say.

I hear a flurry in front of me and look. It isn't Percy. It isn't Mom. It isn't any person. I scream as the arachnids run over my body. They crawl into any space in my clothes, in my skin. Each leg is like a stab. I leap up, shrieking, terrified, ready to die.

"I'm here, Annabeth, I'm not going anywhere," I see Percy sitting next to me again, and realise what it was.

"A dream," I say. "Oh my Gods, a dream."

Percy says nothing, but he pulls me tight as I wet his shirt with my tears. I could live a million lives and get into Elysium everyone of them, but I'd still never deserve Percy. Ever. He holds my head, stroking my hair. I hug him tight as he kisses my head.

"You're mine, Wise Girl, never forget it," he smiles into my hair.

"How could I?" I lean up to kiss him,but am interrupted by a yell into the walkie-talkie.

"LEO'S SET THE FOREST ALIGHT!" Hazel's voice echoes through the walkie-talkie.

"Well, technically, my tool belt did," Leo replies to her.

"Leo, you idiot!" Piper yells down her end.

Percy throws me the walkie-talkie as he packs all the stuff in our bag.

"Right, just run opposite to it, but look for Frank. The sooner we find him, the sooner we're gone," I say down it.

"But -" Piper starts to reply, but she's interrupted by Jason.

"Listen to Annabeth, she knows what she's doing," he says.

"ANNABETH GO!" Percy suddenly yells, as he throws our bag over his shoulder.

I immediately pocket the 'talkie. Years of training has taught me that you don't question it. I turn my head behind me as I sprint behind my boyfriend. Orange fire blazes through the trees behind us, burning through everything in it's path. There's no way Leo caused this. Percy slows, allowing me to catch up with him. Once I have, he starts again, sprinting down a path, leading us out of this mess.

The walkie-talkie falls out of my pocket behind me. I run back for it and pick it up. A force pulls me down, not allowing me to rise again. I feel the heat suffocating me as the fire gets closer and closer to me.

"Annabeth?" Percy yells. "ANNABETH?!" His voice is more frantic now.

"Per-Percy!" I reply, my voice weak and high.

"Annabeth?!" he turns into my vision and his eyes rest upon me.

He sprints towards me and falls to the ground in front of me. Quickly, he pulls me up and kicks the walkie-talkie away from the fire. He smiles slightly, and starts to get up, but then the flames engulf him...