Demigods at Hogwarts | the rescue mission ✔

37| Demigod Dreams 1

Percy's POV

I trudged into the Gryffindor common room after my friends. I felt like someone was eating me up from the inside. Wordlessly, I walked up the stairs to the dormitory as I felt all my friends staring at me, concerned expressions on their face. They had been so understanding about the entire situation. No one blamed me for messing up. I didn't deserve friends like that.

I grimaced as a wave of nostalgia swept over me. I remembered how I had first found the slip of paper telling me to join the Tournament just like this. Half a year had passed, and I wasn't even sure that we would ever be able to find Annabeth.

I sank onto my bed, not even bothering to shower or change. Pulling the covers over my head, I immediately fell asleep.

+++

When I opened my eyes, I was in a stone cell. I glanced upwards—I was probably underground. There was no light shining from the window beside me, and I couldn't see any ceiling. My first instinct was to run--I had had dreams like these before, and they almost never went well.

Until I saw the other person in the cell with me.

Annabeth's face was streaked with blood and dirt. A long gash that was still dripping blood ran down her cheeks, and her tattered orange Camp-Half-Blood t-shirt was torn and had obviously been ripped many times. There were cuts on her arms and legs--some big, some small, and even new scars I had never seen before.

Her eyes were closed. It was like she had been unconscious for some time. I couldn't even bring myself to move towards her.

A sick terror filled me. I was going to murder whoever had done this. They would pay.

"You've got to find us first, son of Poseidon."

A pretty blond girl with cat-like green eyes was standing next to Annabeth, a silver dagger in her hand. I blinked. Where had she come from? She definitely hadn't been here a minute ago. I recognized her as the same girl I had seen in my first dream about Annabeth. Fresh blood coated the tip of the dagger.

It was her. She had taken my Wise Girl's blood. And ever since the whole 'Gaia' quest, I had become pretty sensitive about demigod blood being spilt.

Growling, I charged at her, my fists raised. And then I passed right through, landing face-first on the hard, stone floor. Grunting, I scrambled to my feet.

The girl laughed coldly, an amused smile on her face. "Don't you realize you're dreaming? Perseus Jackson?" She smirked, shaking her head. "Of course, you didn't. You've always been so feather-brained." She glanced at Annabeth in distaste, a look of disgust on her face. "You could have dated so many girls, and you picked her. You had girls who wanted to love you, yet you only had eyes for her!" She was shouting now, her voice bitter with anger. "I'll never figure out why."

Why did I choose Annabeth above everyone?

Because I loved her. I loved her more than words could ever say. Above Calypso, Rachel, Reyna, Ariadne. I wanted her, not anybody else.

I was still crazy about Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena.

"Why would you do this?" I whispered, my voice shaking. "What did we ever do to you?"

For a moment, a look of hurt flashed across the girl's face. Then it was replaced by a sneer. "You know who I am, Jackson," she simpered. "Just think." She leaned in close to me, so close that I could smell her perfume--sickly sweet, like the smell of roses. I knew that scent. I knew her.

But from where?

"Your time is running out," the girl said, this time more seriously. Her cold fingertips traced my cheek. "If you want your darling Annabeth back.." she paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "You know what to do."

"I'll hunt you down," I snarled, my eyes narrowed into slits and my face red with anger. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't move. "I'll torture you the way you hurt her. I'll-"

Before I could finish my sentence, the girl snapped her fingers and I fell backwards, the solid ground beneath me replaced by an abyss of darkness.