The Demigod Business

Chapter 10

Annabeth's heart was racing. How badly was Dean hurt? Annabeth hoped he was just unconscious. Besides, monsters didn't usually go after mortals. Euryale would have no reason to harm him, other than for being in her way. Percy was the more enticing target. She wouldn't have wanted to waste time with Dean. Right?

"Crap," Percy's voice floated through the prop house, maybe twenty feet away but separated by rows of junk. "Medusa was here."

Sam's voice came next, a bit closer. "How do you know? We only saw Euryale."

Dread filled Annabeth's stomach. "Oh no." She rushed through the props, following Percy's voice and the glow of his blade.

When she finally found him, Annabeth gasped as her fear was confirmed. She could barely breathe as Percy reached out and took her hand, squeezing. His face was as distraught as she felt.

Sam stumbled into them from behind. "What is it?"

Annabeth couldn't bring herself to speak. She just pointed.

Dean's mouth was open in a shout, his knife poised for stabbing. He was crouched low to the ground, but his torso was twisted like he'd been in the middle of turning to fend off an attack from behind.

And he was completely motionless, turned into immovable stone.

"No," Sam breathed, falling to his knees before his brother's statue. He touched Dean's face like he was afraid it would crumble underneath his fingertips.

"I'm so sorry," Percy whispered. "I had no idea she was here."

"There has to be a way to bring him back," Sam said, his voice frantic. His eyes were pleading when he looked at them. "In the myths, the-the running water! It can reverse this, right?"

Annabeth shook her head. "You're thinking of Midas' golden touch."

"There's got to be something. This is your monster. How do you bring someone back from being turned to stone?" Sam bellowed.

Annabeth flinched back. Hidden beneath her guilt was the relief that neither she, Percy, nor Lily had been turned to stone by Medusa. And that relief only made her feel guiltier.

"You can't," Percy said quietly. "I'm sorry."

Sam choked and hugged his brother's statue. He touched his forehead to Dean's and stayed there for a moment. Abruptly, he pulled back.

"If your world can't do it, maybe mine can," he muttered.

Annabeth barely had time to say, "What—" before Sam yelled, "Cas! We need you!"

The sound of flapping wings filled the air and suddenly, another man stood before them. He was closer to Percy's height than Sam or Dean's, but he was still big. He had dark hair and strangely bright blue eyes and wore an old beige trench coat over a simple shirt and tie.

"Sam," said the new man in a deep voice. "What is it?"

The newcomer noticed Dean before Sam had a chance to speak. His eyes widened, and he dropped to his knees beside them. "Dean! What happened?"

By the desperate, panicked look on the newcomer's face, Annabeth knew exactly who Dean was to him. She was instantly hit with another wave of relief that it had been Dean and not Percy, and then scolded herself for it.

"A Gorgon," Sam said.

The newcomer frowned. "A Gorgon? I thought they could only paralyze people, not do this." He finally glanced at Percy and Annabeth but dismissed them just as quickly in favor of Sam. "Is this related to your case? Do these two have something to do with it?"