We Are Cursed (A Percy Jackson AU) || BOOK 2

Chapter 15 || Percy

Percy didn't care if his pain came from the curse.

Being "smart" wasn't really an option when you're in the living pits of Tartarus. So he knew he had to get out of the shackles, kill Mystia, and just hoped she reformed very slowly. He watched as Mystia smirked at his contemplation.

"Realizing your choices, huh?" Mystia laughed. "If you kill me... you could kill yourself, Perseus. There is no place safe here for you demigods. It is the realm of monsters. It is--" Percy had somehow wiggled out of his chain and he chopped her head clean off.

Instantly, he regretted it. A burning pain spread in a line around his neck, like a knife built in the shape of a circle with all blades pointing inward. It was getting tighter and tighter, digging into his neck. He clawed at his neck as he saw blood spurting out onto his hands. Breathing wasn't a thing that existed. Talking was a big 'no-no'. All he could feel was the burning pain.

Stumbling over to a river, he saw his reflection. A long, bloody line was around his neck as the pain choked him. He almost fell in if it weren't for the screaming coming out of the murky waters. He collapsed backwards onto his elbows, looking up at the pitch blackness people in Tartarus called 'the sky'.

Looking back, he saw that Mystia's body had instantly turned to dust. He was safe for the time being. Forcing himself to get up, he tried to speak. No. He shouldn't have been that stupid. Blood dribbled out of his mouth as a metallic taste spread over his tongue. Howling was heard as Percy realized that he was hunted down in the pit.

Demigods didn't come down here, meaning he was a piece of valuable meat. If he didn't get away from the fire, he'd be cooked in seconds flat. Running and staggering over, he managed to scale a tree, hugging the weird branches with his life. He could feel some of the weird acid-like sap burning into his hands, burning his skin, but he had no choice.

Down on land, it was easier to be spotted. Hissing in pain, he looked down to see a nasty burn on his arm, like needles pricking every nerve in his body. Acid... No, there was no way he could control acid. It was water he could control. He cursed. Controlling liquids that weren't meant to be controlled? Now that got dark quickly...

"Perseus!"

Percy almost fell out of the tree when he heard his name. But anyone who calls his full name was a monster. Well... teachers did that too. But wait... they were monsters, too. He saw an empousa scrounging around with her friends.

"I can smell him..." one hissed.

"Quiet, Serephone," the other snapped back. "He could hear us."

"That's by your volume, Kelli," Serephone rasped.

"You stupid old empousa! You don't understand what it is out there in the normal world! They have sophisticated gadgets!"

"More sophisticated than the mistress's herself?" Serephone raised an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Kelli sighed, exasperated. "Which is why we need to find that demigod!"

"It's only his subconsciousness. He's cursed to come down here while he rests." Serephone rolled her eyes. "And I heard that Lady Hecate isn't on their side in the war."

"I don't care about what the mistress says! She's been tricked by that demigod! Unless he chooses to join us, we will tear him limb by limb--"

"His subconscious self--"

"SHUT UP!" Kelli yelled so loud, the leaves even shook off the trees.

Please, don't find me... PLEASE don't find me... Percy prayed.

"Who's talking loud now?"

"When I find his subconsciousness I will tear it to pieces. It will mess up everything in his system and he may die in real life once his mind is broken."

"And what if he doesn't break?"

"He will. Trust me. Once we find him, all of us monsters and villains alike will all torture him until he is nothing but skin, bone, and blood."

All the empousai giggled and skipped away, their weird costumes in tatters behind them. Percy took a deep breath. He had to stay hidden. If he didn't, he'd be tortured until he was practically mentally dead. But he couldn't stay in one place. They could smell his subconsciousness better than they could smell his real body down here.

They'd find him, alright. It just took one look to figure out where he was.

Plus, there wasn't much hiding out there. Sitting in the acid for too long would dissolve Percy.

Focus, Percy... Stay strong... You need to get back to the others and stay alive...

So he put his spy training to work. Painfully, he swung into another tree, climbing higher up so he could see the hills and trails. He grabbed the tree's branches, wincing when acid burned his skin.

"It'll be okay..." he whispered to himself, his breath smelling like blood. "You'll get out of here."

He sank back into the trees and thought of a better place to hide. Looking out again, he spotted a couple of rocks and boulders in the distance. Deciding he'd be reckless, he decided to venture out there once he was ready to move. He didn't have many options, so he had to use his tattered clothing to wipe the blood.

Where are you, Annabeth? he wondered as he lay on the tree, the acid still burning his skin. He needed to sleep. He had decided to use his socks and parts of his shirt as a shield for his face from the acid. He didn't want any getting in his eye to blind him or damaging any of his vitals.

Are you having fun with everyone else? Are you watching a movie? I hope you still remember that I exist. If you don't, I don't blame you. It's better if you're not hurt thinking about me. But know I love you.

He loved Annabeth.

That was an understatement.

Annabeth, no matter how long they had been dating, had always been the love of his life. And he just hoped he was to her for as long as she was to him.

"Goodnight, Wise Girl..." he whispered before he was fast asleep.

In Tartarus.