Spies-in-Training: A Royal Problem | Percabeth AU

Chapter 11: Doubts

Percy's POV:
For the rest of that day, the gang seemed to be in a really good mood. I don't know what brought about this sudden good mood, but I was glad about it, because I was mentally freaking out. How could I not, when there had just been an attack on us last night? I had come so close to being killed, or at the very least seriously injured... I shuddered, trying not to think about it. But then that girl had come in and saved me. One of the Saviors, as we were calling them. (I just realized that in one of the previous chapters, I spelled 'Saviors' with the British spelling, like 'Saviours'. That was totally accidental, and I'm going to spell everything in the American spelling from now on, just to clear things up)

The way that girl fought impressed me. I mean, she fought off that rebel like it was nothing, and I was immensely thankful to her for saving my life. I wanted to thank her, ask her who she was, but she disappeared before I could, and I never really got a good look at her.

Anyways, after everything that happened last night, I was physically and emotionally stressed out. I don't know how the gang was so cheerful, but in a way, it helped me get over my own stress. We all hung out together for a while after I finished breakfast, and I must say, they were really fun to hang out with.

We were currently having a picnic in the gardens, and laughing and talking. Leo, Travis, and Connor were the life of our group, always cracking the most random jokes and making us laugh,  it because the jokes were funny, but because they were so ridiculous. The others were pretty fun to talk to as well. They all had different personalities, but they were all really nice and fun.

But for some reason I kept feeling like something about them just didn't add up. Maybe it was that they acted more like best friends than siblings or cousins, or maybe it was just a gut feeling. There was just something off about them. Not in a malicious way, of course, but I felt like there was something they were hiding from me.

I couldn't judge them for that, though. After all, there plenty of things I wasn't telling them, either... I looked down at my hands, my good mood suddenly deflating.

"Hey," Hazel said quietly. She was sitting next to me, and had apparently noticed the change in my behavior. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I assured her quickly. Perhaps a bit too quickly, since she looked at me doubtfully. "It's just.. with everything that happened last night, I guess I'm just feeling a bit stressed out," I confessed. Hey, it wasn't a lie! Just not the full truth...

Hazel looked at me sympathetically. "Hey, it's nothing to worry about, right? Plus you've got the Saviors watching your back." She bumped her shoulder lightly against mine.

I recalled the way that the Saviors had quickly taken care of all the rebels. "I guess you're right," I agreed.

A bit further on from us, Leo held his hands up. "Why did the grandpa put wheels on his rocking chair?" He asked seriously. "Because he wanted to rock and roll!"

We all burst out laughing at how plain ridiculous that joke was.

"God, Leo," Piper gasped, still giggling. "Where do you get these jokes from?"

"A magician never reveals his secrets," Leo replied mysteriously.

Needless to say, that day was one of the best in my life.

***

Remember how I said that day was one of the best in my life? Well, that doesn't include that night, does it? Because that night was definitely one of the worst. Not because of any more attacks or anything, but because of the dream.

I was standing in that dark cave again. I could see that little sliver of light coming in from the entrance, and the cave was still as cold as I remember. I shivered. When I heard the voice, I shivered again, but this time not from cold.

"You are as ignorant as ever, Perseus Jackson," the voice chuckled. "You think these Saviors of yours can stop me? I am unstoppable, boy. Give up now, and I will spare you immense pain and trouble."

I didn't know what the voice wanted, but I knew it was evil. I found my voice and screamed, "Never!"

"You are brave, Perseus," It said. "I'll give you that. But not even your Saviors can stop me. I know who they are, you know. I know everything about everything. I know what they are doing right now, and I know who they are."

I didn't know what to think. I wanted to know who they were, desperately, but I knew that if they wanted to keep their identities secret, it must be for good reason. I wanted to know who they were, but not like this. I wanted them to tell me themselves.

"I see," the voice mused. "Well, I won't tell you, if that is what you wish. But perhaps you shouldn't trust those new friends of yours so much." He laughed loudly, the sounds echoing in the cave. His cold, cruel laugh sent shivers down my spine. The sound echoed around me, taunting me in an endless loop. Just when I thought I couldn't take it any more, I was thrown out of my dream. The last thing I saw was that sliver of light from the entrance, before I woke up.

I didn't go back to sleep that night.

And, try as I might, I couldn't ignore the words of that voice. And that warning about my friends... I knew they weren't malicious or evil, but they were hiding something. Something important. And I was determined to find out what.

A/N: Sorry if this chapter wasn't too long or too great, but I had to plant that seed of doubt in Percy's mind... I promise that the next few chapters will be action-packed, though! So don't worry, the next chapter is coming, and I promise it won't disappoint!