The Mark of Athena

Chapter 17

Finally I'm updating!!!!! Sorry for another long wait!!!! Here is the next chapter!!!!!

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Annabeth

Annabeth couldn't fall asleep. She had another nightmare and was too restless. They were just entering Italy. It wasn't too long until they'd reach Rome. She thought about the lines of the prophecy about her and the mark. She didn't want to be alone.

She looked out in the dark, lost in the sight of the large waves below. Her head was pounding from all of the thoughts rumbling in her brain. But at least she had found Percy. There was something good to this. But what was Percy hiding from her?

She sighed. Why did everyone have secrets?

"Well, secrets are meant to be revealed." Annabeth thought. "Most of them."

She got up and walked out into the hallway. And face to face with a monster.

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Annabeth only stood in shock for a moment before the manticore swiped at her. She dodged the blow and rolled into her room. She grabbed her knife from her knightstand and held it in hand. But before she could attack, the mantiocre clawed her. The blow stung and she winced. Blood trickled from the wound.

She ignored the pain and leapt as high as she could. She landed on the back of the monster. Her mind suddenly flashed back to the time she had leapt onto the back of the manticore Dr. Thorn. He had jumped off a cliff, carrying her with him.

She momentarily shuddered at the memory but refocused as she tumbled to the floor. The manticore had managed to shake her off. She stood. The manticore ran towards her. Waiting until the mantiocre was only a few inches away, she stepped aside and dug her blade into the monster's flesh.

The manticore roared loudly before turning to dust.

"Annabeth!" Percy ran into the room along with everyone else. His hair stuck up in a weird was, probably because he had just gotten out of bed. If Annabeth hadn't been wounded, she would've laughed. He looked cute like that. "Are you all right? What happened?" "Manticore." She said simply, pointed at the pile of dust. "You're bleeding." Piper knelt down besides her. "It's just a small scratch." She said, trying to ignore the stinging pain. "Stay still, I have some supplies." Leo pulled out a bottle of gauze and some bandadges from his magic tool belt. Soon, Annabeth's wound was dressed and her arm was wrapped in a bandadge. Leo's eyes widened as he finished the treatment. "Is it that bad?" "Annabeth asked. "Uh, no, it's fine." Leo sputtered. "Thanks." She smiled at Leo. "Uh, it's nothing." Leo said sheepishly.

"How did that manticore get in here?" Hazel wondered. "He knocked the door down." Jason pointed at the beat up door on the ground. "I need to work on that." Leo sighed.

"We should be alert from now on." Percy said. "There could be more monsters trying to sneak up on us like this."

"You're right." Annabeth stood up. She rubbed her arm. "I'm gonna get some water. I don't think I'll be able to sleep after what happened." "I'll go with you." Percy offered. "Uhh..." Annabeth trailed off. "I just want to go alone." "Oh," Percy said with a little disappointment. "But, are you sure you'll be all right?" Piper asked. "I'll be fine." Annabeth patted her knife at her side. "I have this." She walked off.

She entered the kitchen and grabbd a glass. She felt so stressed. Monster attacks, creepy prophecies, giants......

She filled the glass with water and gulped it down in a few seconds, savoring the cold feeling running down her throat. She put the glass away and went back to her room. Luckily, everyone had left. She sighed and laid back down on her bed.

Her eyes began to close, but they popped open when realization struck her. She looked down at the wound on her arm. It was right above the mark.

"Leo saw it!" Annabeth began to panic. "There's no doubt about it! That surprised look on his face! Oh, gods, this is bad!"

She slapped her forehead. The gods must hate her.

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I know, it's a short chapter, but I don't have much ideas at the moment.