Percy Jackson: Night In The Land Beyond The Gods

"I know, right?"

Thalia's POV

Nico burst into the room, jumping out of my shadow. His eyes were wide and he smallest ghost of a smile lingered on his lips, leaving him looking like he'd just walked out of the eye of a hurricane.

A shiver ran down my spine, discomfort rolling through me as his arrival warped my shadow – a process that could actually be physically felt. (Not classified as fatal, but still mildly irritating. Side effects include but are not limited to: nausea, headaches, grouchiness, hay fever and fainting.) My stomach twisted and I hastily swallowed the bile working its way up my throat.

"Jason... awake," Nico panted, leaning against the table with a hand on his head.

I jumped to my feet, knocking my chair backwards. My feet began to move of their own accord, and suddenly I found myself sprinting to the destination I knew I needed to be. Behind me there were shouts of protest and shoes slapping against the wooden floor, but I ignored it all. Jason was more important.

I paused when I reached the door, slowing for a moment. What if he's still possessed by that... thing? I shook my head and regained my speed, bursting through the door before coming to stop.

Jason sat on the infirmary's hammock (though why they decided to put people with injuries in something that could tip them out at any moment was beyond me), his feet dangling of the edge. He was breathing heavily, his slumped shoulders rising quickly before dropping back to where they started from.

"Hey, Jase." I said softly, my voice quiet.

His gaze left the ground as he twisted around, his eyes meeting mine with a pained smile. He didn't say anything, only turning back around and patting the space on the hammock next to him.

I silently sat down next to him.

I pulled him close to me, wrapping my arm around his sides. We sat there like that for a few minutes, left to our own thoughts in a partial embrace. I briefly wondered where the others were, finally settling on the idea that Annabeth was holding them back and forcing Percy to help her.

She was intimidating like that.

Jason sighed, finally breaking the silence. "You wouldn't understand what it was like, Thals," he started.

I squeezed his shoulder, "Try me."

"I couldn't do anything, couldn't see, couldn't hear. I was just floating in darkness with, like, literally no idea of what was happening." he sighed again, resting his head on my shoulder, "And then, after a while, I felt pain. There was a strong blow to the back of my head, I think, and some cuts made by a sword... I was clueless of what was going on, and that terrified me."

A small smile wormed its way onto my face as I ruffled Jason's hair. "Did I ever tell you about the time I got turned into a tree?"

"Mm hm."

"It was kind of similar to what you just described. Only mine was longer-term, and I got poisoned."

"... That's kind of weird."

"I know, right?"

Oh, how I do love to write about the relationship between the Graces...
So how are you guys? Liking the story? Loving the updates? (what updates, I snort, I barely ever update! (Blame procrastination and other large words))

Yeah, I'm just gonna go... see you all on the flip side!