Percy Jackson and the Dark Elites

XXXXVI

Annabeth

Annabeth couldn't understand why she was hurting so much. All she felt was pain. A stabbing, ongoing pain that never ended. The sting she felt in her body started to vanish, so quickly that she assumed she was dying. Soon, the hurt came back. Only this time it burned.

She tried to do something, anything, that would put her out of her misery. She felt so helpless. The pain was as present as she was. She was thinking. Clearly, she wanted to stop it, but no position she could put herself in would make it better.

Nothing would make it better. She wanted to leave, to fall unconscious or die. There was nothing but pain that wouldn't go away, and wouldn't get better.

It only got hotter.

She tried to focus on something else, but there was nothing else about her existence to focus on.

So she stayed still—mourning her helplessness in this endless suffering, while someone—and she couldn't say she agreed with them—begged for her life.

****

I can't give her more. She's dying. How will we tell her? I'm at a loss. We may not have to. So he has Piper? I'm going after Will. She's burning up. Help her, Austin. This will break her heart. She had so much hope. We may not have to. Will she be used against Jason? It might've all been an act.

She's awake.

Annabeth slowly opened her eyes. Her lungs hurt as they moved rapidly, trying to leap out of her chest. She recognized all of the people looking down on her, but couldn't find their names.

She knew them. She liked them. One of them was a goat—That was weird.

Not as weird as the horse, though. He kept hitting his head on the light fixture.

"... Piper," Annabeth croaked, her breathy voice quieter than a whisper.

"She's fine," The young man by her bedside assured her. "Please relax. We almost lost you."

"It's hot," Annabeth cried, boiling tears streaking her face.

She noticed the burning was localized just above her right breast.

"It's the Nectar. You're burning up. You're body temperature..."

Chiron folded his front legs and rested his hand on Austin's shoulder.

"We're just trying to cool you down," He put a cold cloth onto her forehead.

It felt so nice. For a moment the unbearable heat in her head ceased, but then it was back. Chiron looked at the cloth, feeling it with the back of his fingers.

He told Austin to get him a lot more.

Chiron stayed by her head as a pile of cloth, napkins, rags, old flannel shirts and even ripped jacket squares were set down by a bucket of ice water.

Every few minutes, Chiron would soak a piece, ring it out, and dab her forehead. He quickly disposed of if each one.

"It hurts," Annabeth said stupidly. Her tears were burning her face. "please." 

Chiron mumbled softly as her hands fumbled to the bright green pearl she'd found by Percy's old cabin.

Chiron looked at the object in her hand. "I'm so sorry, child. I should've seen it coming."

Sorry? Annabeth wondered.

Oh, right. Percy was the one who did this to her.

****