Sea Green Eyes

Chapter 49

"Well, let me help ease some of that pain," Cressida said as her hand on Annabeth began to glow as she imparted some of her strength to Annabeth and worked on temporarily blocking her nerve receptors to ease the pain for a little bit.

Leo raised his hands. He made a finger picture frame around the Athena Parthenos like he was taking measurements. "Well, it might take some rearranging, but I think we can fit her through the bay doors in the stable. If she sticks out the end, I might have to wrap a flag around her feet or something."

"What about you guys?" she asked. "What happened with the giants?"

Percy and Cressida then recounted rescuing Nico, the appearance of Bacchus, and the fight with the twins in the Colosseum. Nico didn't say much. The poor guy looked like he'd been wandering through a wasteland for six weeks. Percy explained what Nico had found out about the Doors of Death, and how they had to be closed on both sides. Even with sunlight streaming in from above, Percy's news made the cavern seem dark again.

"So the mortal side is in Epirus," she said. "At least that's somewhere we can reach."

Nico grimaced. "But the other side is the problem. Tartarus."

The word seemed to echo through the chamber. The pit behind them exhaled a cold blast of air. That's when Annabeth knew with certainty. The chasm did go straight to the Underworld.

And Percy and Cressida felt it too as they edged her away from it, her arms and legs trailed spider silk like a bridal train. She wished she had her dagger to cut that junk off. She almost asked Percy to do the honours with Riptide or Cressida with her switchblade, but before she could, Percy said, "I still don't get what Aphrodite's tragedy was or why your father said I had to take care of you when -"

The chamber groaned. The Athena Parthenos tilted to one side. Its head caught on one of Arachne's support cables, but the marble foundation under the pedestal was crumbling. Nausea swelled in Annabeth's chest. If the statue fell into the chasm, all her work would be for nothing. Their quest would fail.

"Secure it!" Annabeth cried.

Her friends understood immediately.

"Zhang!" Leo cried. "Get me to the helm, quick! The coach is up there alone." Frank transformed into a giant eagle, and the two of them soared toward the ship. Jason wrapped his arm around Piper before turning to the trio. "Back for you guys in a sec." He summoned the wind and shot into the air.

"This floor won't last!" Hazel warned. "The rest of us should get to the ladder."

Plumes of dust and cobwebs blasted from holes in the floor. The spider's silk support cables trembled like massive guitar strings and began to snap. Hazel lunged for the bottom of the rope ladder and gestured for Nico to follow, but Nico was in no condition to sprint.

"Go help them," Cressida said to her boyfriend, nodding towards Nico. "I got Books," she said a little weak but otherwise alright from helping Annabeth.

He was reluctant but a nod from Annabeth had him jogging over to them.

"It's gonna be fine," Cressida promised Annabeth as they watched grappling lines shoot from the Argo II and wrap around the statue. One lassoed Athena's neck like a noose. Leo shouted orders from the helm as Jason and Frank flew frantically from line to line, trying to secure them.

Percy was in the process of helping a very slow Nico up the ladder with a sharp pain shot up Annabeth's bad leg and she gasped and stumbled.

"What's wrong?!" Cressida asked nervously.

Annabeth tried to stagger toward the ladder. Why was she moving backward instead? Her legs swept out from under her, and she fell on her face.

"Her ankle!" Hazel shouted from the ladder. "Cut it! Cut it!"