A Pawn For Time (Daughter of the Olympians #1)

(18) Remembering

All my parents said their good night's and walk out my room, shutting the door behind them. I sighed and sat on my bed.

That didn't go as bad as expected. I didn't tell them everything, and that was killing me. I had to trust Hades though. I believed him when he said they can't handle it. I nodded my head with satisfaction and stood up to get changed.

Suddenly, pain exploded down both of my legs. I fell to the floor. The pain didn't stop there. Two bolts of pain jolted up my spine and in the back on my head. My vision started to go black. I couldn't take this unbearable pain. I let out a sound splitting scream. Black dots took over my vision.

•Athena's Point of View•

We ended the conversation with Katherine. Everyone walked down the hall back to our doors to our temples. Hephaestus and Ares went back to theirs, while Dionysus flashed back to Camp Half-Blood.

The rest of us stood in the hallway, trying to make sense of what Katherine told us. It didn't add up. I had a feeling she was telling the truth, but I also knew she was hiding something. I'm not sure what it is, but I intend to find out.

We all were leaning against the walls of the hallway. We made an effort to go back to our doors when we heard an ear piercing scream coming from Katherine's room.

Everyone remaining in the hallway bolted down the hall into her her room. Katherine was on the floor shaking, and clutching her head. Her eyes were shut tight. She had tears streaming down her face and she was muttering something. Blood began to come out of her nose.

We ran to her side and tried to figure out what was wrong and how to help. Apollo was at her side with his hand on her head. His eyes were shut and his brows were furrowed. Suddenly, he jolted back hand held his hand like it was burned. He had a sense of worry across his face.

"She's being attacked by a spirit," He said.

"How do we stop it then?" Aphrodite said fanning herself. Apollo looked at Zeus.

"We don't. We have to wait until the spirit leaves her body to help her."

"Why do we have to wait? Can't we just lure the spirit out of her like we normally do?" I asked frantically.

"I don't know. This spirit is different. It's not possessing her and it is not exactly harming her. It seems as if it is showing her something."

"That she forgot," I finished. Apollo nodded his head. I put the pieces together. She must of lost her memories because of the water from the River Lythe. That would explain why it seems to be attacking her.

Katherine stopped muttering and shaking. She let out a sigh of relief and relaxed her body. Katherine opened her eyes. They were bloodshot. She swallowed. Zeus went to help her up onto the bed, but Katherine shrieked and scooted away from him.

"Get away from me!" Katherine wailed. She still was holding her head.

"Katherine, I'm trying to help—" My father began.

"No! I don't need your help," She snapped. Katherine took a few deep breaths, then buried her face in her hands, starting to cry again. Her entire body shook as she bawled her eyes out.

"I'm sorry," She sobbed into her hands. "I'm so, so sorry."

We looked around at each other in confusion. What was going on? What exactly did she remember?

Katherine put her head up again, the blood now trailing down her throat. Hera bravely walked forward and wiped some of her tears. Katherine let her, but she stiffened up when Hera's hand came into contact with her face. Artemis walked out and came back with a wrag. She handed it to Katherine.

Katherine took it reluctantly and wiped the blood coming from her nose. Hera and Zeus sat by her side. The rest of us stood in front of them. Hera squeezed Katherine's hand.

"So," Hermes said with uncertainty, "What happened?"

Katherine swallowed and looked at the ground, still holding her head.

"I remember."

We sat in silence. Katherine tried to even her breathing. She hiccuped a couple of times, but she did. Katherine took in a deep breath and exhaled. She stood up and started to speak.

"At first, I only saw brief flashes of my memories. But further into it they became clear." Her voice cracked in the last word.

She paused and turned around. When she turned back, she was straight faced, lacking any emotion. I exchanged a glance with Artemis. Where did she learn to hide her emotions so fast?

"I was pushed into a pit. I was falling in darkness for days. Maybe even weeks. I landed in a monsters cave and barely escaped with my life. Inside, the pit was hell. I saw all of my worse fears, and felt my humanity being smashed. Even worse about it, though, was that a voice was haunting me the entire way. It commanded me to do certain things. Kill monsters. Vaporize souls and demons. Sometimes to kill prisoners locked away deep in the pit. If I refused, they drove my brain to insanity until I agreed and obeyed. At the time, I had no idea were I landed. But now it's obvious." Katherine said flatly. She rubbed the back of her neck, as if she was remembering something painful.

"I was in Tarturus. The voice haunting me was there the whole time. Somehow, they managed to sprinkle me with Lythe water to forget my time there once it was satisfied. I've never been so scared to live in my entire life."

I was stunned. Of all the places she had to be brought to, it was Tarturus. It's all our faults.

"Will you be alright?" I said finding my voice. Katherine wasn't crying now, but her face was still red and blotchy.

"I don't know." Katherine walked out the room and left us in stunned silence once again.