The Hunt for His Heart

Breathless: Gabby

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                                                                Gabby

Gabby sat on the side of her bed, aggravated. How could they not have found Ana by now? Where else could she possibly be? It’s not like she vanished in thin air...did she? Now I’m thinking nonsense, she thought. Sure, there were magical tools and potions, but she had never heard of something that could make things or people disappear in a wink (except for Annabeth’s cap, of course). Not only was her best friend missing, Leo was also gone. The thought that both of her close friends were missing unnerved her.

“Hey, are you okay?” asked a familiar voice. Gabby glanced up to the face she knew fairly well as Piper McLean. She’d been asked that same question when she was beginning to envy her friend she knew for so long. She replied with a “I’m fine.” However, she was neither fine in that situation, nor this one. Lying would not have made a major difference, Ana and Leo would remain missing.

“Not really,” Gabby admitted, looking at her hands, frowning. Piper joined Gabby, sitting beside her on the bed.

“Hey, there’s still hope. It’s not like when the Earth Mother awoke. At that point, I thought we were dead meat, to be honest. But we’re still here in the end. And it doesn’t mean Leo and Ana are dead. I’m pretty sure they’re alive,” Piper replied.

“Yeah, but alive for how long?” Gabby asked, looking into Piper’s eyes. Piper looked away, obviously avoiding the question.

 

                                                                …

 

She looked out of the window of her top bunk in the morning light. She saw Ana’s mom sitting on a rock near the Apollo cabin, staring out towards the sea. Her dark hair was flowing behind her and her eyes were closed. Gabby got out of bed and went outside. She was hit with a cool sea breeze and sighed.

“Hey, Ms. Stone?” she asked, cautiously. She looked up and smiled at her.

“Please, Gabby, call me Ava,” she said with a sad smile.

“Okay, what are you doing outside the Apollo Cabin, and why are you all alone?” she asked. Ava sighed and brushed her hair off her face.

"I couldn't sleep last night so I decided to sit on the 'rock of luck' and think. So far it hasn't really helped," she said. Gabby was puzzled by this. How would she know the “rock of luck”? Only the Apollo children knew, but she shrugged it off, assuming she seemed to have heard a rumor somewhere or something of the sort.

“I couldn’t really sleep either, too much going on, I guess,” Gabby said, gazing at the Poseidon cabin, wondering what her friend would suggest in this situation. Probably something like “Let’s go on a quest!” Even though, that seemed like an excellent option, she would have no idea where to journey. Ana could be on Mount Olympus for all she knew.

“Well, I got to go eat breakfast,” Gabby piped up after a moment.

“Yeah, I have to go... do some errands,” Ms. Stone replied, though, both knew they merely needed an excuse to sulk in their worry elsewhere.

 

                                                                        ...

 

“Gabby, may I please speak with you in the Big House, please? I feel that we have important matters to discuss,” Chiron said finally, after standing by Gabby for a moment or two, awaiting her to acknowledge his presence. Gabby didn’t protest and got up off the grass. Looking ahead, she followed Chiron over to the Big House, knowing exactly what “important matters” he wished to discuss. She noticed the familiar porch first and then, eventually, the rest of the pale blue house. Mr. D sat on the porch, drinking what seemed to be, a cup of wine. As soon as he attempted to take a sip, Chiron said, “Remember, no alcohol is permitted on camp grounds.” Mr. D, furiously plopped the goblet down on the table in dismay.

“Hello, Mr. D,” Gabby greeted as she passed by him, remembering her manners for the gods.

“Mhmm, Abby,” Mr. D uttered a reply, intentionally messing up Gabby’s name. Why he did that with everyone, she had no idea. There never seemed to be a single person on the premise that he even remotely liked (except for his own kid of course). Gabby sat down in a chair, opposite from Chiron, looking up at Seymour. The leopard head had always creeped her out; she loved animals, but she found it wrong to decapitate a poor creature’s head from it’s body. She knew, of course, that it was still very much alive. However that seemed to be the part that caused her uneasiness.

“I’m sure you miss Ana and Leo immensely,” Chiron began. Gabby nodded, admittedly. It was no use keeping anything from him. Keeping anything from Chiron was like trying to stop the wind from blowing. The task would’ve been merely impossible. “I’m sure you wish to go on a quest, but I’m afraid a quest wouldn’t do any good. We don’t have a precise location or even the right tools because we don’t even know who or what we are up against. I’ve also noticed that you seemed to have no capability or will to interact in the camp’s activity in the recent weeks. That is probably due to your missing friends, I assume?” Again, Gabby merely nodded. “I think we must try to focus on other priorities for now. I fear we may not be able to help them in this position.” Gabby knew he was right, but she couldn’t help but feel a surge of fury towards him. He suggested to just sit back and relax, while Ana and Leo could be in freaking Tartarus!

“I understand,” Gabby muttered, hiding the contempt in her voice.

“Good and I think Ana is alive for now,” Chiron added. What he didn’t add, was that she was still alive, so that she could be tortured. And somewhere, deep inside, Gabby knew it was worse than being killed.