The Half-Blood Project

29- Hill Of The Fallen Half-Blood

Annabeth Chase 

I watched as Thalia led a group of girls in camo outfits into the throne room. My grip on Percy's arm tightened and I could feel the panic rising inside of me, the excitement wasn't as high as the panic.

Thalia should be twenty by now, not looking a day older than sixteen. Other than the hair and clothes, she virtually unchanged. She's a Hunter? A hunter that serves a freaking goddess? And she was going to tell me when? 

"Lord Zeus." Thalia bows at her father's feat, Zeus has a facade of stone, no emotion flashing across his ever-changing moods. Does he even realize this is his daughter? Does he realize that for possibly the first time his daughter is meeting him? 

I'm in too much shock to care. 

"Thalia, what brings you here." His voice is guarded carefully, his dark eyes staring right at her as she rises from her kneeled stance. She looks at him without any emotion either. Something they share in common. 

"We have evidence of Kronos and...Luke's rise. The labyrinth is crawling with their soldiers." 

Zeus nods like he knows this. "I'm aware, but the gods have little control over the labyrinth, it is a maze only Daedelus can control. Wherever the scumbag is." 

So he knows about Luke and Kronos but won't lift a finger to help? That sound's oddly like a cocky, stuck-up god if you ask me. Maybe this man shouldn't rule over the court system, that's why it's so incredibly flawed I bet. 

"Lord Zeus, we've been tracking the turned demigods and gods of Kronos's reign and we have evidence that Kronos will attack around mid-August this year. And part of his life source is in California. Mount Tam." 

Zeus's eyes flicker with sudden anger. I can't keep my eyes off of Thalia. A little anger does rise to the surface thinking of Thalia. Has she been prancing with the Hunters for the past three years? Not caring if I lived or died? How did she know when Luke turned? How did she know that I was even alive? Why? Why would she leave me? 

"On June 21st, summer solstice, and our regular council meeting, we will discuss Kronos. This meeting is adjourned and doesn't make me fry all of you." Zeus's eyes flicker with lightning and the room rumbles. A couple of gods snicker in our direction, I look to my mother, who also has this face of the unmoving, unchangeable stone. 

Why did she vote for her daughter to be killed? Didn't she understand I was trying to save the world from being turned to ash and the gods from being killed? Did she have so much pride that she couldn't even accept her daughter? 

A few of the gods disappear including Zeus, and the throne room smellsllsike burning hair afterward. Only Posideon, a man in a mechanics uniform and a sunny god, who I assume is Apollo stay. They seem to want to have a word with us, which scares me a little. 

Artemis and her hunters are also here, I want to rush up and tackle Thalia in a giant bear hug but I hold myself back. Is she the same person? Probably not. I know I'm not the same person I was three years ago. 

I let go of Percy's arm and find that I made indentations on his forearm but he doesn't notice, his green eyes fixated on his father. 

"Go, go talk to him." I nudged him with my left arm and he stumbled forward. He looked as though afraid. But he shouldn't be. Posideon was one of the more....kinder gods in a sense. Unless angered of course. 

"I'll come back alive." He gives me a weak smile before walking off in the other direction to his father. Grover is talking to a Huntress that has bluish skin and looks to be some sort of nature spirit. He's probably flirting with her. Great.