The Blood of Olympus

Chapter 6: Piper

Hey, I'm so sorry for the late update, but unfortunately I've been pretty busy the past two weeks...anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

_____________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 6: Piper

When the Symplegades stalked in and dumped Annabeth on the floor of the shrine, Piper almost joined the group of unconscious demigods lying on the ground. And not because Annabeth was covered in dirt, sweat, and what looked like blood. Not because she was stick thin and unconscious. Not even because her bleached, supposed-to-be blond curls were obviously falling out in bunches and her face was sickly pale.

Because Annabeth was glowing black, if that was even possible. Darkness was emanating from her in waves, black, poisonous mist spewing from her skin, her closed eyes, her mouth...

"What did you do to her?!" Piper shrieked at the Symplegades when she found her voice. Lunging forward, she grabbed Katoptris from the pile of weapons they had deposited, and faced them defiantly.

"Found her unconscious outside," Symple grunted, "we didn't do anything to her except bring her here. She was already like this, with that black stuff coming off her," he glanced at Annabeth, his face full of distaste.

"She doesn't look too good, does she?" Gade added, "I don't think it would take to much to finish this one off," he heaved a sigh, "it's a shame Mother Gaea ordered us to let you seven go. Though I guess she had her own reasons..." he trailed off, muttering unintelligible words under his breath.

"So...you'll let us go?" Piper asked, hope blooming inside her.

"Mm hm. But don't get cocky," Symple warned, wagging his rocky finger at Piper, "if she wants us to release you, that just means she has bigger plans for you later on,"

Piper nodded, then gestured at the five unconscious demigods beside her,

"Could you help me get them back to the ship?"

The Symplegades considered her. Just when Piper was hoping they would agree, Annabeth started to stir,

"P-Piper?" she croaked, raising her head slightly off the ground, "what- what's going on?" The black mist coming off her started swirling around her, almost obscuring Annabeth from Piper's view. It expanded, filling the room, surrounding Piper, the Symplegades, the five demigods on the ground, who were just beginning to feebly stir, and Annabeth.

Oh Gods.

From what Piper could make out through the dark mist filling the room, Annabeth was standing, and making her way across the shrine to the altar. She stared at it, as if in a trance.

"What in the name of Gaea are you doing!" The Symplegades boomed as they swatted at the mist, which was thickening around them. They tried to stampede Annabeth, but the darkness surrounded them, locking them in place. Piper suddenly found she couldn't move either, and for that matter, neither, it seemed, could Leo, Jason, Percy, Frank, or Hazel.

And then the mist disappeared. No, it was drawn out, gathering together in a single, pulsing orb of darkness, clenched in Annabeth's fist.

Piper still couldn't move, but the instinct to run over to Annabeth and knock her to the ground took over. The others had gotten to their feet and were visibly straining as well, as Annabeth stared at all of them, the dark orb floating in her hand.

Her eyes had turned black. Darker than the darkest night, blacker than the deepest part of the underworld.

She turned back to the altar, raising the dark orb in her hand, and Piper knew, or thought she knew, what Annabeth was about to do. Whatever was possessing her was about to strike at the altar, that Apollo was trapped in...